reading tarot

New Moon in Pisces – March 2021

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Today is the new moon, and like all new moons and full moons, I did a spread aligned to the moon’s current themes as a part of my recognition of the moon’s cycle and influences upon us. Today’s spread is about the medicine within, and brought to you by Sharron Basanti of Seeds of Shakti.

Pisces New Moon Tarot Reading - Star Tarot

1. What do I need to surrender to the ebb and flow of the waves?

Five of Cups atop Judgement – With my depression came a great deal of self loathing and hatred directed inward. This is not unusual, but it’s time to allow the energy shift of the new moon to fully release these thoughts and feelings and let them flow away.  Sometimes spilled cups are not something to cry over, but a blessing.  Let go of the sickness and look up.

2. In what aspect of my life can I be more fluid?

King of Cups – Gideon is the King of Cups in this reading, as he is from time to time indicated as such for me.  The answer here is that I can be more open with him, more “free flowing” with my feelings.   Sometimes this is easier for me than others, but… I’m trying.

3. How can I trust my intuitive inklings without doubting myself?

Ten of Swords – Don’t fight but allow these ‘inklings’ to wash over me and speak to me. My intuition speaks to me through my body.  Sometimes it is painful and uncomfortable, and it is in that discomfort when my intuition is speaking to me most strongly.  The imagery in this card tells me that I need to make sure I’m paying closer attention to those physical sensations and allowing them to “light a fire under my ass” instead of just acknowledging them.

4. As I drift into dream time, what messages are seeping through the veil from the other side?

Seven of Pentacles atop The Chariot – Slow down and smell the roses.  There’s no need to move fast, you can still control your direction and get where you’re going while moving at a slower and more manageable pace.

5. How can I hold space for my creativity to flourish and thrive?

Ace of Pentacles atop The High Priestess – Allow your intuition to play and have some fun with creation and manifestation. Your best ideas and creations come from this deep inner knowledge that bubbles up from within. Sometimes the brain gets in the way of that process.  Try shutting the brain off and connecting to your gut instead and see where it leads you.

6. Message from the Ancestors.

Nine of Wands Rx atop Nine of Cups – Keep your defenses low and foster feelings of gratitude and positivity.  Look at all you have with an appreciative eye without allowing the need to hoard or defend stir up within you and pollute the water with their poison and conflict.

DECK USED:  THE STAR TAROT

Full Moon in Virgo – February 2021

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In a couple of days, it will be the full moon, and like all new moons and full moons, I did a spread aligned to the moon’s current themes as a part of my recognition of the moon’s cycle and influences upon us. Today’s spread is about the medicine within, and brought to you by Sharron Basanti of Seeds of Shakti.

Virgo Full Moon Tarot Spread - Jonasa Jaus Tarot 5th Edition

1. What medicine does the Virgo Full Moon offer?

Ten of Swords – You are coming to the end of a harsh and harrowing journey.  It hurts so bad, the pain you have sustained is great, but with the end of one journey comes the promise of something new beyond.  Although you are not yet at the “something new” stage, the Virgo full moon offers you the tail end of that long and arduous path that you’ve been struggling down.

2. What area in my life needs more structure and organization?

Wheel of Fortune – No shit. *Clears his throat.* Right. So the reference here has to do with how one feels when the wheel is turning, yeah? Consider that you stand on a playground merry-go-round. If you stand at the edge of the ride, then as it spins you feel the centrifugal force so strongly that it is hard to hold on, let alone do anything other than hold on. By the same turn, as you move closer to the center of the ride, the pull to the outer edges is decreased. You can stand up straight and not hold on so tightly, etc. There is less pulling against you… and less chaos as a result.

What needs more structure and organization in my life is my perception of life as a whole. I need to move towards the center of the wheel… I need to center and ground and find that balance that can only be found by finding one’s center instead of being pulled wildly outward toward the edges.

3a. What lifestyle changes would my body benefit from?

Hanged Man – More time taking a pause. More personal time. More time settled within those quiet and still  places that allow me to find myself and thus find perspective and peace. When things are feeling off center and chaotic, it is difficult to focus on your health and well being.

3b. What lifestyle changes would my mind benefit from?

King of Pentacles – Again we see a reference to being grounded and focusing upon one’s roots.  The King of Pentacles indicates that I need to focus on the stability and security that I have spent a lifetime accruing.  Allow it to provide reassurance and take strength and comfort from the fact that everything stable in my home life right now.

3c. What lifestyle changes would my heart benefit from?

The Empress – And a connection to the earth and grounding again is indicated here in the Empress, who provides a reminder that caring for yourself and others needs to be more important than more material pursuits. This card indicates that during this full moon, it’s important to keep my focus set upon my self care and the care of those around me.  And here we again see an encouragement to get out in nature and benefit from mother nature’s influences on my own mind, energy, and emotions.

4. What project that has been on the back burner forever needs to be revisited and completed?

Seven of Wands – I often see this card as “fighting the good fight”, and to be honest… that effort along with everything else has had to be on the back burner lately while I dealt with my depression.  I do not think that this is the kind of endeavor that can be completed, but I do think that as I stretch further towards the light at the end of my depressive episode, I will be able to re-engage in standing up for and defending those things I believe in.

5. Message from the Ancestors.

Page of Swords – Remember that this is a learning experience.  Not just the depression, although that too is its own learning experience.  But life.  Life is a learning experience.  it’s not a race or a battle, but rather one learning experience after another on a journey towards growth and becoming more (and better) than what we are today.

DECK USED: JONASA JAUS TAROT 5TH EDITION

New Moon in Aquarius – February 2021

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Today is the new moon, and like all new moons and full moons, I did a spread aligned to the moon’s current themes as a part of my recognition of the moon’s cycle and influences upon us. Today’s spread is about the rising of altruism, and brought to you by Sharron Basanti of Seeds of Shakti.

Aquarius New Moon - The Uncommon Tarot

1. What visions is my mind awakening to?

Ten of Swords – The pain of what I’m currently going through, the mental illness that I’m struggling with.  The beat down that it is giving me, and the potential to rise from it in the end.  There is a need to ride out the process in order to find that potential, though.  First you must hit the ground, bleed out upon the grass… only then can you then rise from the ashes and start over.

2. How can I be more open to ideas that are outside of the box?

Four of Swords – Ease up on yourself.  It’s okay to need rest and recovery is a part of the process. Do not shame yourself into trying to avoid or outright reject this process. Part of last year was about accepting this and making allowances for rest and recovery.  Don’t backslide into shunning the need for this rest and restoration.

3. What false perceptions do I need to release in order to create space for sacred truths to rise up?

Eight of Wands – Not everything has to be done right this moment. You always push for everything to be done right now. Right away.  You don’t expect this from others, and yet you demand it from yourself.  it’s time to release this expectation and allow yourself the room to breathe through the process of getting things done.

4. In what aspect of my life do I need to be innovative?

The Magician – Don’t allow yourself to sink into feelings of helplessness and powerlessness.  You are a skilled and strong individual, knowledgeable and capable. The depression can cause you to lose track of your awareness concerning these things, but in keeping them in mind you empower yourself to stay strong and keep going.

5. Who do I need to collaborate with in my kindred circle for my health and well-being?

The Empress atop The Hermit Rx – This is about Z and the kindness and nurturing she offers during times when you need her support. Whenever the Empress appears, it often reflects back to the same energy that Z carries upon her and within her, and she is the person that you need to collaborate with now in order to assure that you don’t use alone time activities to retreat into yourself.  By speaking with her about your concerns to do with alone time and not using your alone time in healthy ways, she can be there for you real-time and on-point to make sure that it doesn’t happen and you use that time in healthy ways.

6. Message from my Guides and Ancestors.

Four of Cups – Rest does not turn into stagnancy as long as you make the choice to stay engaged instead of turning away from your feelings and interests.  Rest is healthy, and can help foster your gradual improvement as you begin to find yourself on the road to recovery.  Stagnancy is unhealthy and will hold you back.  They are not the same thing, so make sure you are aware and paying attention to which “wolf you feed” in this matter.

DECK USED:  THE UNCOMMON TAROT

Imbolc 2021

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This evening through ’til tomorrow evening is Imbolc (also known as Candlemas, Imbolg, and Brigid’s Day), which marks the half way point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, and it signifies the transition from winter into the first stirrings of spring.  This holiday is about life renewing, but in the hidden darkness of cold months and dark earth.  Deep in the darkness seeds stir and roots begin to feel the warming of the earth as the days grow longer and nights shorter.  Life awakens, invisible in its infancy.

Imbolc 2021 Tarot Reading

Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months for each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are sure to be  some similarities in how it is read. The focus of this spread, though, is not about Self Care, but rather about progress and my path. The time period is also longer, reaching through the next handful of weeks until the celebration of the upcoming Spring Equinox at the end of March.

Theme of the Season – Imbolc, Waning Gibbous Moon, Aesculus Hippocastanum 

Imbolc is a time of life reawakening and the sweet stirrings that are not yet seen but will soon come forth to greet the sun. It is a time of hope, rest, and awakening, and is considered the very first whisper of the spring to come. 

The Waning Gibbous Moon is a time of decline.  This is the time when one rides the peak of the full moon’s power into it’s decrease.  Spell craft done on the full moon will stretch forward into the energy of the gibbous moon, providing  it the power needed to begin influencing those things we set to change on that full moon night.  Now is a time to reflect on your achievements with gratitude for all that has been gained and accomplished.

The Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) are a magical representation of the fertility of the divine masculine, and are often used in spells that have to do with luck, especially of the monetary abundance sort.  It is an astringent, an anti-inflammatory, and contains saponins, which means that it can be used to make soap and other cleaning products.  It should not be ingested, though, as this nut is toxic to humans, causing stomach upset, kidney problems, muscle twitching, weakness, loss of coordination, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, paralysis, and stupor when ingested. In other words… don’t eat the soap, dumbass.

When looking at these three cards together, the theme that I see here has to do with taking this time of rest and quiet to purge out the negative and that which is not serving you with practices of gratitude and self care. Acknowledge your accomplishments and allow a little bit of pride to flourish as you wash away the negativity with positive reinforcement and an attitude of gratitude and hope.

Earth – Nine of Swords – In the darkness of the depression you find yourself in, you twist and turn restlessly and seek release from the chains darkness has bound you in.  Remember that even the seed must spend time in the dark before it can emerge to greet the sun.  Don’t fuss so much.  Pause and allow yourself to take a breath. Adding extra worries and anxieties to the experience won’t make it any more pleasant, nor usher it to move on more quickly.

Air – Three of Swords – This darkness you find yourself in naturally drags forward feelings of disappointment and damning thoughts of degradation.  Look up and allow the rain to wash you clean.  You are going through a trial and you need to work at keeping the negative thoughts from taking over.

Water – Nine of Wands –  Don’t close up. Don’t close off.  These things will not serve you well and aren’t healthy.  The depression always makes it tempting to put up walls and go on the defensive but you’ve been doing well at keeping those unhealthy habits in check. Better to allow the air to flow in and your breath to flow out.  Your emotions need an outlet to help things stay on an even keel.

Fire – Knight of Wands –  Following the theme of the other cards in this reading, this Knight has arrived to tell you what not to do. Do not charge forward.  Do not bear down in your focus and end up closing out the outside world and the influence of others as a result.  Do not allow yourself to find escape in work… for that escape is not going to foster you in any ways that matter in this moment when it is your mental health that needs your focus… not your work.

Waning – Light – You’re not going to be getting a lot of clarity this week, and hope might be a bit of a challenge. Feeling as if you are at a standstill is a natural part of what you’re going through right now, and that can create a sense of hopelessness. 

Waxing – The Stargazer – Patience is going to play an important role in moving forward over the next few weeks. Not everything can be taken on like a warrior charging into battle, sometimes it is about patiently working towards where you want to be one small step at a time.  The cake still gets eaten whether you nibble at it and savor each bite, or wolf it down on a gluttonous inhale.

Take Away –  Don’t worry. Don’t thrash.  Don’t fight too vigorously or try to charge through the abyss with force.  This moment in your journey is about patience and slow progress.  It’s about gratitude and doing what you can to foster hope within the darkness.   Have patience with yourself… you’ll get there in time.

DECKS USED: DANIELLE BARLOW ART CARD, PAGAN UNDERWORLDS TAROT, COMPENDIUM OF WITCHES ORACLE, HEALING HERBAL CARDS VOL 1 & 2

Full Moon in Leo – January 2021

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Leo Full Moon Spread - Tarot Noir

Today is the full moon, and like all new moons and full moons, I did a spread aligned to the moon’s current themes as a part of my recognition of the moon’s cycle and influences upon us. Today’s spread is about moving beyond the shadows, and brought to you by Sharron Basanti of Seeds of Shakti.

1. What medicine does the Leo Full Moon offer?

Eight of Cups  – The Leo full moon offers you the strength and opportunity to leave behind you the things that are no longer working for you.  You’ve been drug down and disappointed, struggling with your emotions, but this full moon is offering you the energy needed to begin the climb back out of that dark place and towards the light.

2. How can I harness the potent medicine of Leo for activating what my heart is yearning to manifest?

Ten of Wands – Don’t overwhelm yourself.  It’s okay to take things a little at a time instead of trying to pile it all on and deal with it all at once.  Responsibilities can sometimes feel like they are just too much of a burden, but they can be manageable if broken down into smaller bite sized pieces.   Yes, this means it will take more time, but it will help keep you from feeling the overwhelm that can drag you down and hold you back from that climb into the light.

3. How can I embrace Leo’s shadow medicine?

Six of Wands – Listen to those that cheer you on.  It’s okay to accept praise.  It’s okay to feel good when people say that you’ve done well or say that they admire you.  It won’t make you a lesser person to allow these good feelings when you are given compliments or praise.

4. What shifts will emerge after the Full Moon?

Ten of Coins – A return to a sense of security and good fortune is on the horizon as the moon’s energy begins to wane.  The healthier you begin to feel, the more that sense of well-being in your situation will improve.  It is all about your perception… and your gratitude, which is much easier to get in touch with as you begin to feel better.

5. Message from the Ancestors.

Seven of Wands  – Stand up for what you believe in and follow that moral compass so intrinsically embedded in how you think and feel.  As the energy of the full moon peaks and its waning begins to lead the way out of the darkness you’ve slid into, make sure that you keep your focus centered on those things that are worth fighting for and what you need to do to protect them and allow them to flourish.

DECK USED: TAROT NOIR

Personal Emotions and Reading Tarot

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So, I had something else planned to post today, but then this topic kind of came up the other night in my mind while I was reading on the Philosophical Question about pleasure and evil. The thing is? I really did think that the answer was going to be a yes… and it wasn’t. It got me to thinking about how we all sometimes invest our own thoughts, opinions, or emotions into tarot reading. The “good readers” realize this when it’s happening, and are able to then step back from it and let the cards speak for themselves.

Usually, when people discuss times to take a break from reading tarot, at the top of that list is times when you are emotionally imbalanced. And I agree with this. When you are dealing with depression or anger, grief or other intense emotions, it’s not usually a good time to be reading tarot because your inner turmoil can influence your perspective on the cards and what they say.

This can, in turn, can create problems if you’re reading for yourself or others by causing the reading go awry from the intended message in the cards, or not be delivered in the healthiest ways.

In thinking about this topic after that reading I mentioned above, I was thinking about why it is that I’m still doing readings during this time when I’m dealing with my own depression. Shouldn’t I have stepped away from the cards? That’s what I have done in the past during these times, and it’s the safest thing to do usually.

But, I haven’t stepped back. I’ve cut down a bit with how many readings I’m doing, but I haven’t stopped entirely or cut back to just my “Positive Message” card of the day practice.

The thing is, though, although I am not reading for others right at the moment, because I’m going through a depression and need to make sure my delivery to my clients remains the caring and understanding tone that it always should be… I am continuing to read for myself.

This is not something I recommend, because of the reasons I already mentioned. That said, I am trying to see if I can level out my ability in reading even during these emotional times. Not just in this particular issue, but more… across the board whether happy or sad, depressed or upset, etc. I would like to grow to a point where my intuition and “reader’s voice” are not warped by my emotional balance and struggles, but instead continue to be objective and unbiased through these times.

This doesn’t mean that I would at some time in the future begin reading for others during these times when I’m struggling… but I think that even in just reading for myself this is something I can work on to become a better reader over all.