Category Archives: Tarotcast

Weekly Tarotcast

Tarot and Art Horoscope for Week of Nov 3, 2019

Helene Schmitz Kudzo
Helene Schmitz Kudzo

This week’s art pick is by artist, Helene Schmitz , and the above piece is from a series called KudzoHer art is about the relationship of humans and nature in not only visual but also linguistic form.  Many of her pieces have us questioning our definitions and assumptions around nature and its actions.  For instance, we call nature savage however, we are usually referring to carnivores or natural disasters with a quick time span.  However, when you think of plants you hardly think savage.

Even carnivorous plants have their beauty.  Nevertheless, you can see in her the work for example Kudzo, perceived as an ornamental plant, smothers the “natural” landscape creating a dystopian or alien optic. Its savagery is not the fast kill of a lion.  It slowly overwhelms native plants and anything else it decides to grow over.  You then begin contemplating our perceptions and possibly symbiosis of beauty and savagery.

Kudzo is a perennial vine of the pea family native to China and Japan.  Where it is grown for its edible starchy roots, a fiber made from its stem, and fodder for livestock.  It was brought to North America in the late 1800’s as an ornamental plant.  Farmers especially in the South were encouraged to plant it to anchor steep banks of soil.  Right after the Dust Bowl of the late 1930’s the Soil Conservation Service planted around 500,000 acres of vine throughout the southern states to help with erosion.  Since it can grow at the rate of a foot a day, it has become the scourge of the south.  By the 70’s it was downgraded to weed status.  People have used various weed killers and even goats trying to destroy it; however, it continues to plague southern states.

P.S. Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.  Scorpio this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Taurus it is your halfway mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in now is the time.

 

Aries
Helene Schmitz
Helene Schmitz

*Hermit – Last week the Wheel of Fortune said the only aspect you can control to change your luck was showing up and spinning the wheel. This week’s Hermit energy is 180-degree turn.  This card advises pulling away from civilization.  You are needing a respite from society and its pressure.   This is not a vacation card, this energy is best used when in solitude creating, experimenting, philosophizing.  This can look as simple as turning off your cell phone for 2 hours each day, or as complex as doing your own residence for a week.

 

Taurus
Helene Schmitz
Helene Schmitz

Nine of Cups – Last week, the Sun card came wanting you to expand and grow and challenging you to practice what intensity of energy would make your focus grow best.  The Nine of Cups continues beaming good energy to you this week.  But the challenge is balancing your hard work with contentment.  It’s very important that you follow your heart.  If it doesn’t feel good/right don’t do it.

 

Gemini
Helene Schmitz
Helene Schmitz

Knight of Wands – LOL of course Gemini you are going to do fine this week while the rest of us are dealing with this intense Mercury retrograde.   The Knight of Wands comes proclaiming your timing and focus is perfect this week.  If by the rare chanced you are stopped from doing anything, take it as sign to stop for awhile until things get back in line.  It’s not you, it’s the rest of us trying to muddle through.

 

Cancer
Helene Schmitz
Helene Schmitz

*World – The World card shows up when the universe is presenting you a variety of opportunities and new beginnings.  The challenge with this card is that you don’t have to commit to just one prospect.  This week is best played out like going shopping for shoes.  Try each opportunity on and see how it fits before buying it.  This is also a card of honoring how far you have come and what you have done.  The challenge is making sure you are creating/picking the new and letting go of the old.

 

Leo
Helene Schmitz

Queen of Swords – The Queen of Swords is advising you to pay attention to the details this week.  But don’t keep your head so far into your laptop that you don’t look up.  Having a balance of detail and long-range goals is vital.  Also, be aware that this kind of focusing makes you have a sharp tongue when interrupted.  This detail-oriented rabbit hole is very enticing to you, so make sure you have a goal and a time limit before you traverse down it.

 

Virgo
Helene Schmitz
Helene Schmitz

Ten of Coins – The last three weeks the Moon had you taking a deep dive into your subconscious finding pearls of wisdom. Then Justice continued the theme of behind the scenes with ideas, communications and decisions.  Then the World card challenged you to try out new places, prospects, and people, representing a turning point from the past to a brighter future.  The Ten of Coin continues that theme of tying up the old to get ready for the new.  This card means closure, so you have some loose ends to work on this week especially on the material plane.  The challenge is enjoying the benefits of all your hard work. This week balance work and play.

 

Libra
Helene Schmitz

*Hierophant – The Hierophant card shows up when you need to create or work on the structures and institutions in your life.  These are schedules, studying, holiday traditions, family and personal morals, chores list, etc.…  The more structure you have in place this week the easier it will flow, and continue into the holiday season.  This can look as simple as booking your flights for the winter holidays, ordering your turkey, going shopping before the crowds hit. The challenge with this card is being inflexible with your plans, so always have a back-up (especially since Mercury is in retrograde until November 20th.)

 

Scorpio
Helene Schmitz

Two of Coins – This week and possible year is about balance, mastery and focus.  This week can feel unstable, and the way to work with this energy is to focus on one thing until completion before you move to another.  This is not a time to multi-task.  Juggle one ball until you know you got that down before adding another.

 

Sagittarius
Helene Schmitz

Seven of Swords – The Seven of Swords heralds a time when you will need to come to arms.  This week you might need to stand up for yourself or someone else.  The challenge with this card is having apathy or fear around not have the tools do protect or what is needed.  But the truth is just standing up with the cause, your ideals or someone else is action enough.

 

Capricorn
Helene Schmitz

Nine of Coins – The Nine of Coins calls for creative solitude.  This week you work better with a select group of people or no-one.  In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion. [The Minotaur] ― Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays

 

Aquarius
Helene Schmitz

Queen of Coins – It all about delighting your senses this week.  The Queen of Coins comes to lend a hand showing you how you walk in this world. She challenges you to focus on each sense for a day.  For example Monday is touch, so you may pet a cat feeling its silky fur, the warmth it is emanating, and the rumbling of a purr.  Then Tuesday you smell a variety of flowers you bought, or stinky cheese if that is your thing.  This exercise is meant to ground you in the life that you are creating.  Enjoy.

 

Pisces
Helene Schmitz
Helene Schmitz

Ace of Cups – New beginning this week with the Ace of Cups.  Here is the challenge with this card.  It comes when you need to create aspects of your life that you love.  And the only way to make that happen is by do things that curl your toes just thinking about them.   Whether that is a pint of Ben and Jerry’s or a good make out session. Life is good – drink from the cup. The only challenge with this card is one pint is enough lol.

 

May light be on you, around you, and within you,

Nina

 

Tarot and Art Horoscope for Week of Oct 27, 2019

Happy Halloween.  This is also my fourth anniversary for this blog.  And, I just wanted to thank you all for doing this journey with me. Now onto the tarotcast.

I could have gone for Bosch or Edward Gorey as my last spooky artist.  But I wanted to shine some light on another “newbie”, in comparison, artist.  She is digital artist Alex (#squidub_art on Instagram).  First, I love that her bio says just a chick looking to make a living on art.  I saw the piece above and it’s the shadow work behind many of these pieces that give them that darker eerie element.  This series is inspired from the Hollow Knight video game by Team Cherry.  Her portraits that people have commissioned her are amazing.  There is such a warmth and sense of who these people are.  That’s not easy to do in any medium, but especially in digital.  She has a small following on Instagram but should have a bigger audience.  So, you all will have to go to her Instagram page, follow her and ask her to do a piece for you. Support the arts!

 

P.S. Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.  Scorpio this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Taurus it is your halfway mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in now is the time.

 

Aries

*Wheel of Fortune – The Wheel of Fortune is the card of luck.  Events, people and things will come to you this week that have the potential to change your fortune.  However, there is only one challenge or aspect you can control when this card shows up and that is stepping up to the wheel to spin. The more often and wider variety of places the better your odds.  This looks as simple as buy some lotto tickets, getting your self out there in the dating scene, or sending out resumes to a wide variety of jobs or places you are interested in moving to.  You never know when lady luck wants to show up, but you need to step out of your comfort zone to meet her.

 

Taurus

*Sun – When the Sun card comes, it shines an intentional light on you – wanting you to grow.  The Sun gives you the energy to use, but you will need to focus it.  So, the question it asks is: What do you want to cultivate in your life?  Once you have decided where to aim your beam, the challenge becomes being aware of what intensity of energy each project needs.  i.e.  Lasers cut, ambient light comforts.  This is an important test for you bulls, because when you fixate on what you want your touch can be heavy handed.

 

Gemini

https://www.instagram.com/squidub_art/Page of Swords – This card advises you that the truth needs to be ferreted out this week.  The Page of Swords shows up when you need to put on your detective hat and do some inquiry.  Nothing is as it seems on the surface, but with some questioning and reading between the lines problems and their solutions can be found.

 

Cancer

digital art by Squidub AlexTen of Cups – When the Ten of Cups shows up it is time to see your accomplishments especially on the how you have been dealing on the emotional and relationship fronts.  This moment in time is the cumulation of hard-earned heart work.  Take this week to revel in how far you have come and enjoy the bit of sanctuary that you have accomplished.

 

Leo

digital art by Squidub AlexKnight of Swords – Last week, you were back on the karmic roller coaster. The Wheel of Fortune card advising you to take chances leading to lessons and profitability in the long game.  This week is a 180 degree turn of energy.  Last week was about taking chances.  This week’s card, though your environment might egg you on to be daring, advises you to slow your roll, think before acting and look both ways while crossing the street.  Be physical careful of your appendages. Watch where you walk and watch your knife when prepping food.

 

Virgo

https://www.instagram.com/squidub_art/  *World – Wow another karma card that’s three in a row.  The last two weeks the Moon had you taking a deep dive into your subconscious finding pearls of wisdom. Then Justice continued the theme of behind the scenes with ideas, communications and decisions.  Having you look for the reasons behind the facts to help you with decision making.  And now the World card has arrived.  It is the supreme card of new opportunities.  This is a great week to try out new places, prospects, and people.  This week represents a turning point from the past to a brighter future.  The challenge with this card is discovering these new terrains.  The lesson is, though you can walk through a new door, you do not have to commit until you try as many doors as you want.  This can look as simple as continuing dating even though you found a nice person to hang with or continuing to the job hunt even though you have found a good job.  You never know what is out there unless you open as many doors as possible.

 

Libra

Six of Cups– This is your second Six, so sixes are about readjusting.  Last week the Six of Swords advised you to re-balance by taking a little respite from your daily life.  This week the Six of Cups is about balancing the past with your present.   There is some unsettled history that will re-surge. However, now is time to resolve these issues so you can move on.  The challenge is seeing the growth that you have gained despite the past.

 

Scorpio

Seven of Wands – This birth year will be kinda of a Rosa Parks year for you.  The Seven of Wands forecast your lessons will be around standing up for yourself and/or some worthwhile cause.  The challenge is you feeling not confident and vulnerable. This year will test your resolve to be the change you want to see in the world, however, you are ready for this task.

 

Sagittarius

digital art by Squidub AlexEight of Coins – The last couple of weeks have had some high energy fluxes.  First the High Priestess having you looking to synchronicities for guidance, texts for knowledge, and your soul for cyclic behavior.  And then the Lovers continuing the theme of cooperation with the Universe and with other living beings.  This week, which is also the beginning of your summation month for your birth year, the card of mastery shows up.  So, with all that you have learned the past couple of weeks it is time to apply it to your “work.”  To become a master at any skill, it takes the total effort of your: heart, mind, and soul working together in tandem. ― Maurice Young

 

Capricorn

digital art by Squidub AlexFive of Wands – Hmm your second five.  Fives are the cards of chaos.  Last week, the Five of Coins foretold the physical plane could cause disarray to your plans.  And this week the Five of Wands foretells that people’s chaos can spin into your world.  The only plans of action, when seeing the whirling dervish coming towards you, is decide whether to sidestep it or dance with it.  Hint:  They say the best way to do the whirling dervish is keep your arms open.  Your right arm directed to the sky, ready to receive the universes beneficence, focus your gaze on your left hand turned toward the earth to ground you and spin.

 

Aquarius

digital art by Squidub AlexKnight of Swords – Last week the Strength card showed you that one of your true strengths comes from your resilience.  And then it advised you to contemplate on your superpowers and their corresponding kryptonite. If you did this exercise, then this week will barely phase you.  However, if you didn’t, your kryptonite will show up with you unawares.  The best way to work with this energy is slow down, watch where you are going and think before you act.

 

Pisces

digital art by Squidub AlexFour of Cups – This week has a melancholy feel to it.   This can send you inward to your safe space, and that is a fine place to stay for part of the time.  This reflection will show you “the why” of your quagmire.  The challenge however is you will only find the solutions if you look outside of yourself.

 

May light be on you, around you, and within you,

Nina

 

Tarot and Art Horoscope for Week of Oct 20, 2019

Katsushika Hokusai Ghosts
The Lantern Ghost – Katsushika Hokusai

Happy Birthday month Scorpio!

The spooky artist this week is Katsushika Hokusai.  His most famous work is The Great Wave which he made in his seventies.  However, this week the focus is on the series Hyaku Monogatari (One hundred Ghost Stories) also created around that time.  He only took five of his sketches to completion, but they all represent aspects of the supernatural stories of Japanese culture and a popular Edo period game called Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai (A Gathering of One Hundred Supernatural Tales). This game is believed to have started among the samurai to prove courage but quickly spread to all the classes.

Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai was played of course after sunset. The participants would sit in a circle and light 100 candles. Each of the guests would take turns telling supernatural tales of macabre encounters.  These tales became known as kaidan. Upon the end of each kaidan, the storyteller would extinguish one light.  (Another version would have the guests in one room and 100 lanterns in another with a mirror you would look into after you blew out the one of the lanterns).  If the participants reached the one hundredth tale it was said it would create a haven for the evocation of those spirits.  Now that is some spooky storytelling.

P.S. Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.  Scorpio this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Taurus it is your halfway mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in now is the time.

Aries
oni pelted by beans

Ten of Swords – The past two weeks the Sun card lent its energy to make you and what you focus on grow.  Then the Magician took the Wand supporting you on manifestation skills.  This week the energies switches from helping to hindering.  The Ten of Swords comes advising to listen to your intuition.  You know, when you get a chill in the back of your neck, your arm hairs rise, or you feel like someone has walked over your grave.  This card says pay close attention to that.  The outside world is not helpful this week.  So, if something is telling you not to go down that street or someone is trying to pick a fight with you.  Walk away. This is one-week avoidance is advisable.

Taurus
Katsushika Hokusai Ghosts
rokurokubi

King of Cups – The King of Cups counsels you this week to see your emotions, even the ones that make you feel lonely or angry, as friends coming to help you emote who you are. Our emotions are facets of the human experience.  Do not shy from them for they have great worth.  Your motto the poem by Rumi The Guest House .

Gemini

King of Coins – The King of Coins lends his energy to any plan on the material plane.  This is a good week to start projects or finish off major items on your to do list.  The challenge is this energy can be sluggish to start, but once the fire has been lit it blazes.

Cancer
Kappa

King of Swords – Last week you got a lot of information.  This week the King of Swords advises that your time is best spent on filtering that information and doing some long-term planning.  A good exercise is setting some goals for 1 month, 1 year and 5 years from now.

Leo
Katsushika Hokusai Ghosts
Laughing demon

*Wheel – Well you are back on the karmic roller coaster this week, so I hope you had some fun last week.  It is not like you can’t continue the good times, but fate and karma have anteed into the game.  The Wheel of Fortune card comes when taking chances lead to lessons and profitability in the long game.  The challenge with this card is the more you step up and spin the more chances you have to win.  This can look like asking out that person you have been afraid to or sending out resumes to your dream jobs.  You have everything to gain and really, nothing to lose.

Virgo
a woman making a cursing ritual

*Justice – Last week the Moon had you taking a deep dive in to your subconscious finding pearls of wisdom. It was about things hidden in the dark.  This week, Justice continues the theme of things behind the scenes with ideas, communications and decisions.  The challenge is nothing is as red or green as you may prefer.  Look for the reasons behind the facts to help you with decision making.  Truth prevails but you will have to search for it.

Libra

Six of Swords – This is a great week to take a little trip. Whether that is physical – taking a walk on the beach or mental – turning off all electronics of 24 hours.  Taking a tiny respite from your daily life will gain some needed perspective and simplify matters.

Scorpio
Katsushika Hokusai Ghosts
ghost of a thousand plates

Four of Coins – This week it will be hard managing time, space and money.  The Four of Coins advises the best way to work with this energy is to spend money, space or time, only on things that will last “a life time.”  This week is about quality not quantity.

Sagittarius

Katsushika Hokusai Ghosts*Lovers – Another big energy week with the Lovers card.  Last week the High Priestess had you looking to synchronicities for guidance, texts for knowledge, and your soul for cyclic behavior.  By doing this you become more sync with your divine purpose and the Universe’s helping hands.  The Lovers continues the theme of cooperation with the Universe and with other living beings.  This week collaboration and teamwork are key to gaining momentum.  The challenge with this card is flitting from flower to flower.  This card is about quality not quantity.  This can look as simple as honing down the people you follow on Instagram so you actually have time to engage with the people that inspire you.

Capricorn
Katsushika Hokusai Ghosts
the phantom of kohada koheiji.

Five of Coins – The Five of Coins foretell that physical items can be easily lost this week.  The best way to deal with this energy is doing things like:  pay your bills so you won’t pay sur charges, check each time you use your debit card that you put it back in your wallet, change your passwords that haven’t changed in over five years,  put your keys/glasses in the same place, etc.…    Motto: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure- Benjamin Franklin

Aquarius
Katsushika Hokusai Ghosts
yurei

*Strength – The Strength card advises that this week your true strength comes from taming your inner demons.  You have been through a lot in your life.  And the amazing thing is you are still here.  One of your strengths is your resilience.  This week contemplate on your superpowers.  Name at least three.  The challenge is with every superpower there is a corresponding kryptonite. You will need to name that too.  By identifying both your strengths and weaknesses, this week will go more smoothly and be easier to plan for what is coming.

Pisces
tengu

Two of Swords – Decision making time this week.  When the Two of Swords shows up it means that you are being indecisive, and you just need to pick a path. This week is less about right or left and more about moving.  Motto: It’s about the journey not the destination.

May light be on you, around you, and within you,

Nina

Tarot and Art Horoscope for Week of Oct 13, 2019

Johann Heinrich Fussli
Johann Heinrich Fussli

The Nightmare by Johann Heinrich Fussli is eerie. The Demon sitting on the chest of a woman in the throes of a bad dream.  We have all felt that weight of waking up from a nightmare.  The word, nightmare, comes from the Old English mare, a mythological demon or goblin who torments others with frightening dreams.  The prefix of night was added to stress the dream aspect. Most of Johann’s work has that sense of creepy. His figures seem to pop out of shadowy backgrounds, as if a flash of light has revealed them out of the darkness.

To add to Fussli’s spookiness, he was famously known for being pursed by Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the founding feminist philosophers.  She died at the age of 38, eleven days after giving birth to her second daughter Mary Shelly author of Frankenstein.

P.S. Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.  Libra this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Aries it is your half way mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in now is the time.

Aries

Johann Heinrich Fussli*Magician –Last week the Sun card lent its energy to make you and what you focus on grow and expand.  Now the Magician takes the Wand supporting you on manifesting skills.  This card foretells that the power is your hands to create the divine onto this earthly plane.  This can look as simple as, your goal was to be a better cook last week you looked over cookbooks and found that baking was the thing.  This week you practice baking pies until you make one that would make your great great grandmother proud. Or this can be as complex as you deciding to start your own business and this week you write up your mission statement.

Taurus

Eight of Swords – The Eight of Swords has you looking at what is holding you back.  This week the best use of your time is to find out why, what or who is part of your inertia, realizing why you have been holding on to these chains of the past, and then letting them go.

Gemini

Johann Heinrich FussliFour of Swords – The Four of Swords advises that you need to rest this week.  This card shows up when your energy/immune system is being drained, but you are not aware of it. The best way to handle this card is eat well, take your vitamins, get 8 hours of sleep, and avoid energy vampires.

Cancer

Johann Heinrich FussliEight of Wands – The Eight of Wands foretells a plethora of information is coming at you.  The challenge is trying to process it all.  There are two ways to work with this energy.  Either funnel it with a focus in mind or take everything in and prioritize next week. The key is eyes, ears and mind open.

Leo

Queen of Cups – The last three weeks were full of energy.   First, the Justice card came pointing out decisions that needed to be made but you needed more background information to make a justified decision.  The Devil card challenged your morality, integrity and purpose. Then Judgement pronounces it is time to act and evolve to the next level.  With the Eight of Coins advising you to up your game by honing your skills to mastery.  Finally, this week you can relax with the Queen of Cups.  She helps you find the fun in your life.  Take this week to enjoy your friends, family and/or the solitude of a good book.  Your motto:  Live and Love

Virgo

Johann Heinrich Fussli*Moon – The Moon, the card of emotions and subconscious, calls to you this week.  This card comes to tell you something is hidden from you.  The best use of this energy is taking a deep dive in to your subconscious.  When you do this exercise, you can find pearls of wisdom. These gifts help you sync up with your intuition, purpose and the universe’s flow. The challenge this week is getting lost in contemplation without a guiding light.  This light can be as simple as finding the positive within the dark or as complex as finding the dark within the light.    Your motto:  all things in the shadow are not bad but they are relevant.

Libra

Johann Heinrich FussliAce of Cups – The Ace of Cups is another perfect birthday month card.  This is your second Ace for your birthday month so this coming year will be perfect for new beginnings. Also, though your cards were all minor (this means no big karma for you this year) they stayed in the realm of the material and emotional plane.  The Ace of Cups this week added that this coming year is a place where new relationships and love will prosper and grow. The work with this card and the year is about how you feel in your skin and life.  The key to success with these four cards is making decisions and plans by how you want to feel in the physical world.  So, if something doesn’t feel right then it isn’t in the cards for your divine life.  This is challenging for you as an air sign because you usually judge things with your mind, but 2020 is all about feeling how you walk on this Earth.

Scorpio

Ten of Coins – Last week the Hanged Man advised contemplating before moving forward and helped with this process by making your surroundings inert, or at least feel like moving through molasses.  The Ten of Coins is a 180 degree turn of energy.  Where the Hanged Man wanted you to contemplate the Ten of Coins wants you to complete.   This is a perfect week to finish up projects already in process.  The challenge is not starting anything new but taking time to enjoy the finished product.

Sagittarius

Johann Heinrich Fussli*High Priestess – The High Priestess brings the energy of the sacred, knowledge of the ancients and a broad perspective for interpreting cycles. This week look to synchronicities for guidance, texts for knowledge, and your soul for cyclic behavior.  By doing this you become more sync with your divine purpose and the Universe’s helping hands.  This is a great week to ask your guides for messages.  This can be as simple as seeing a black bird meaning stop, look and listen, for there are clues and messages for you.  Or this can be as complex as looking to your ancestors for family cycles of behavior that need to be purified.

Capricorn

Knight of Wands – The Knight of Wands is telling you: you are in the right place at the right time.  When this Knight shows up, look around and know that everything around you right now is here for your enlightenment.  Your challenge is to grasp it.

Aquarius

Johann Heinrich Fussli

Knight of Coins – The Knight of Coins advises that slow and steady wins the race this week.  Pace is the challenge.  So not too fast and not too slow, find your groove and stick with it.

Pisces

Nine of Wands – The Nine of Wands portends that preparation is key this week.  So, before you leave the house make sure you have everything you need.    Before you go into a meeting look over your notes/agenda.  The more prepared you are the easier your week will flow.

May light be on you, around you, and within you,

Nina

Tarot and Art Horoscope for Week of Oct 6, 2019

Robin Isley digital collage
Robin Isley

I have been holding off on Robin Isley for some time waiting for the Halloween season.  Then with more recent research, I found an article from Hautemacabre.com and found the trouble in waiting.  These amazing digital collages have been banned from Tumblr and Isley’s website had been hacked, so I could not link to their website.  So as not to repeat, please go to the article link for An Obscurum of Secrets the Lost Art of Robin Isely. They do a lovely write up with the artist.

However, to keep this artist’s work alive in digital land, I decided like the writer at Haute Macabre, to post Robin’s work now even without a website link.  (Once Isley gets a url I will edit this post).   So not only do you get to see these lovely eerie collages but you also gain a link to a great website Hautemacabre.com  where every day is Halloween.

P.S. Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.  Libra this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Aries it is your half way mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in now is the time.

Aries

Robin Isley digital collage*Sun –The Sun foretells this is a very positive week.  The Sun card lends its energy to make you and what you focus on grow and expand.  The challenge with this week is two-fold.  When focusing make sure you use the right intensity for each aspect of your life.  Your lessons are balancing your intensity with what you are working with.  This means laser focus with actions but not with people.  And a benevolent shine on people where that energy will not move projects forward.  Remember light can make things grow, cut things off and create deserts.  Shine wisely.

Taurus

Six of Coins – The Six of Coins is the mini-karma card.  This week is especially important to mind your p’s and q’s.   The more positive you give out the more you receive, and the more negative out will attract negativity to you like a magnetic.  Your motto this week: Play nice.

Gemini

Robin Isley digital collageSix of Wands – The Six of Wands advises to step back from projects and see your positive progress.  This is a week when wearing laurels is appropriate and justly due.  A great week to celebrate accomplishments and take a must needed rest.  The challenge with this card is though you have won the battle by the end of the week you will need to suit back up for round two.

Cancer

Robin Isley digital collage

Two of Wands – The Two of Wands advises you to look towards the future.  Leave the past in the past and move forward.  This is a great week for planning and strategizing how to expand your horizons.

Leo

Robin Isley digital collage*Judgement and the Eight of Coins – Another power week for you all.  First, the Justice card came pointing out decisions that need to be made but you need more background information to make a justified decision.   Then the Devil card challenged your morality, integrity and purpose. Now that you have past your exams, Judgement pronounces it is time to act and evolve to the next level.  The Eight of Coins is the way.  This card advises you to up your game by honing your skills to mastery.  Practice makes perfect is your motto this week.

Virgo

Seven of Cups – The Seven of Cups advise this a great week for daydreaming.  Take time to dream big outside of your normal imaginings.  The lesson with this card is dreaming activates the imagination which is vital for inspirations and intuitive thoughts.  The challenge is using this kind of dreaming for information and not taking it too literally.  For instance, you dream you are a Queen/King.  You (most likely) factually are not, but you do need to make sure that you are getting the respect you deserve.

Libra

Robin Isley digital collageQueen of Cups – The Queen of Cups is the perfect birthday month card.  She comes when you need to treat yourself with the kindness you give to others and have some fun.  This week, oxygen mask first on yourself then you can tend to others, and once the plane has landed time for some margaritas and dancing.  This week’s motto:  Life is short – have some fun.

Scorpio

Robin Isley digital collage*Hanged Man – The Hanged Man advises contemplating before moving forward. The challenged with this card is that your environment might help the process along if you don’t take the initiative first.  This week take heed when pauses arrive and try not to push anything through that isn’t easy. This can look as simple as getting stuck in traffic, or as complex as the project at work stalling out.  The importance of these pauses is utilizing these breaks to contemplate not act.

Sagittarius

Robin Isley digital collageFour of Swords – The Four of Swords advises that this week is best utilized by you resting and building up your strength.  This card shows up when your immune system is getting drained.  So, take vitamins, eat well and get 8 hours of sleep.

Capricorn

Robin Isley digital collageFour of Coins – The Four of Coins recommends spending your money and time wisely this week.  Don’t be too stingy with it either.  If you really love something, buy it. If you are having a good time, stay and reschedule the next event. However, this card warns that your spending of money or time should be on things that are worthwhile.

Aquarius

Robin IsleyEight of Cups and Wands – Two cards this week and both eights.  Eights mean manifestation.  The Eight of Cups is the card of getting rid of things that no longer work and Eight of Wands is new information coming in. Your theme this week is metaphorically or literally cleaning out closets, so you have room for new stuff.  The challenge with getting rid of things is not hanging on to them for sentimental reasons.  If it doesn’t fit, toss it.  The second challenge is prioritizing for there will be lots of new information/things/people coming at you, so to help think: what do I really need to know this moment. Your motto: Out with the old and in with the new.

Pisces

Robin IsleyPage of Coins – Fresh eyes are still important this week.  Last week Page of Cups said embodying hope changes your outlook and those around you.  Now, the Page of Coins challenges you to have the senses of a student.  This week learning is key.  Keep your eyes and mind open, for lessons come from a variety of source.

May light be on you, around you, and within you,

Nina

Tarot and Art Horoscope for Week of Sept. 29, 2019

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes

As many of you know I love monsters.  As a kid the monster under the bed was a real thing until I bargained my socks for not grabbing me when I went to bed.  I then questioned maybe monsters were misunderstood and could be befriended.  This of course was supported by the books by my two favorite storytellers and illustrators Maurice Sendack and Edward Gorey.   One of my favorite monster artists John Kenn Mortensen   also has brought to life some of the monsters scenarios that I came up with as a kid.

He is a self-proclaimed outcast, father of twins and works in comics and television.  He “doodles” on sticky notes.  He doesn’t consider them illustrations because they don’t illustrate a narrative.  However, they do tell a story or maybe the beginnings of a visual one.  The sense of scary is so well balanced with his sense of wry humor – a nightmare with a tongue in cheek wit.  Not only is his imagination wickedly fun, it shows art doesn’t have to be big, can be done with things around your house  and can still create an emotion.

You can find more of his stuff on Instagram @johnkennmortensen)

P.S. Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.  Libra this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Aries it is your half way mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in now is the time.

Aries

Five of Coins –Last week I hope you took advantage of the Emperor’s energy, building on the material plane.  The Five of Coins continues the Emperor’s advice on you focusing on projects already started; however, you will find little time or resources to do anything else.  Again, this is another week not to start on the new.  One challenge is you can easily lose things and time, so be careful where you lay your keys and how you spend your hours.

Taurus

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes Page of Coins – The last couple of months you have had the Chariot with the Hanged Man giving you ample opportunity to get your show on the road.  Luckily the Page of Coins has shown up to assist in the process for another week.  The Page of Coins is the card of the student.  Your environment is trying to share some useful information to help in your progression.  The challenge is you keeping your mind open to new ideas while asking questions to deepen your knowledge.

Gemini

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes Eight of Wands – Information comes at you in all directions this week with the Eight of Wands.  The challenge is only grabbing on to the information that you need.  The best way to handle this barge of data is focus.  Focusing on what you want betters the funneling of information.

Cancer

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes Nine of Swords – The Nine of Swords is the card of worry.  The best way to deal with this is to give yourself time to worry and write them down.  Then circle the ones that you can do something about this week. And the best projects to work with this energy are ones that ground you, like working with your hands and/or body.

Leo

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes *Devil – What a combination for the last week and this week.  Last week, the Justice card came pointing out decisions that need to be made but you need more background information to make a justified decision.   Reminding you to stay true to your truth throughout last week.  Well that hasn’t changed with the Devil card.  The added challenge this week is your morality, integrity and purpose will be tested.   The Devil comes not really to teach you anything but to test you if you are being true to yourself.  So, the more honest you are that your choices are compatible with who you are, the better you will do with the trials surfacing.  This can look as simple as standing up for somebody on the bus, or as complex as telling your truth.

Virgo

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes Knight of Cups – The Knight of Cups energizes your emotions.  If you follow your heart this week you will gain momentum.  The challenge with this card is it tests your ability to be vulnerable.  The benefits you get in this vulnerability exercise is you get stronger and increase your compassion for yourself.

Libra

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes Two of Coins – The Two of Coins is the card of balancing in motion.  The challenge with this card is not trying to take on too much at once.  Learn to juggle one item before you add another to your schedule.   This is not a week where multi-tasking comes easily or productively.

Scorpio

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes Three of Cups – Nice card the Three of Cups.  It is the card of friendship.  This card comes when your emotional cup needs filling.  So, make hanging with friends your priority this week.

Sagittarius

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes Six of Swords – The Six of Swords is the card of perspective and simplification.  When this card shows up it advises standing back from aspects of your life or work this week to gain perspective.   The goal is to help you streamline your thoughts, solutions, and/or processes.  Your motto:  Work smarter not harder.

Capricorn

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes Two of Wands – The Two of Wands come when you need to broaden your horizon.  It is a great week for travel or going to events.  Walk outside your normal circle of life.   There is inspiration, intriguing information, and new experiences waiting just over your horizon – go find it.

Aquarius

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes Ace of Swords – Another Ace so new beginning abound once again this week.  Though the material plane was the focus last week.  This week is about decisions, information and ideas.  The only challenge is trying to follow it all at once.  So, the key to ease this week is focus and no multi-tasking.

Pisces

John Kenn Mortensen art on PostIt notes Page of Cups – Last week the Star Card had you making wishes, relaxing, healing and having faith in the Universe.  This week the Page of Cups continues pouring hope into your heart.  This Page challenges you that being kind to yourself and seeing the beauty that surrounds you with child-like eyes the more your emotional cup fills.  Embodying hope not only changes your outlook but those around you.

May light be on you, around you, and within you,

Nina

Tarot and Art Horoscope for Week of Sept 22, 2019

Bill Mayer Gouache painting

Happy Fall Equinox and Happy Birthday Libras.

This week’s artist is Bill Mayer.    I first saw his work on the cover of the Smithsonian magazine a year ago.  When I did more research on him, I feel in love with his gouache portraits.  The one above is an illustration for one of my favorite books Animal Farm.  Though when I first saw it, I thought it was the Three Little Pigs gone awry.  The aspect of the blood on the pig’s feet and snow are brilliant details in visual storytelling.  His work has a sense of humor along with a dark emotional quality.

Then that these are in gouache*  and look as if they are done in oil reminiscent of Dutch painters of the 17th century is a nod to his skills in technique and composition.  Gouache painting is similar to watercolors but is modified to be opaquer; therefore, it can have more reflective qualities.  However, the hard part with this medium is lighter tones general dry darker and darker tones dry lighter.  So, painting over multiple session can get very tricky.  These portraits are also small in size which again is a nod to 9th century Persian miniatures and their use of gouache. These portraits are a great start to the beautiful and spooky season of Fall and Halloween.

*Note: He says that some of his earlier pieces have been photo-shopped a bit.  When you look at his more recent portraits, Taurus and Gemini for example, you can see his manual technique outshines the computerized bits of his earlier work.

P.S. Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.  Libra this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Aries it is your half way mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in now is the time.

Aries

Bill Mayer Gouache painting*Emperor –The Emperor is the card of building on the material plane, and with the collaboration you hopeful built last week, construction will be easier.  To take advantage of this energy, continue building on projects in the works or finishing up projects.  The challenge is not to start new ventures.  The emperor suggest work with the now and leave the future for another week.

Taurus

Bill Mayer Gouache painting*The Chariot – Last week the Hanged Man had you take a time out and work on piddlingthe art of just sitting or puttering around for no other reason than just because. And now the Chariot pulls up for the third time for you in the past 2 months.  Time to get back in the saddle, again.  I cannot emphasize enough if you have not taken advantage of making something happen or go to the next level in your life, this set of Chariot cards in such a short time frame just doesn’t happen. To get the card of movement that solely lays in your hand this many times is destiny calling.  You have no roadblocks but yourself.  Maybe you are not feeling as if your project is as important as other things that are in your life.  Don’t let your loyalty to others and your nurturing nature be in the way of making some ground on your own stuff.  Time for using some of that hard headedness in protect and taking care of others redirected towards you and your work in the world.  Take heed the world needs to hear your voice as much (or to be honest since you all got this card 3 times maybe more at this particular time) than the people you are supporting.

Gemini

Bill Mayer Gouache paintingSeven of Swords –The choices you make this week demonstrate your moral make up.  You will be tested.  Which way are you going to choose?  The path of indiscretion or apathy or the action of righteous action. The choice is yours.

Cancer

Bill Mayer Gouache paintingTen of Cups – The Ten of Cups is the card of bliss.   This week seek out the things/people that bring bliss into your life. This card gives you permission to enjoy a bubble bath, have an extra scoop of ice cream, garden, cuddle with your family/pets on the couch, go take a walk on the beach, etc… Statistically, this card has a chance of showing up 5 times in a year.  Your challenge is take advantage of it.  Don’t miss a chance to indulge in the good in your life.

Leo

Bill Mayer Gouache painting*Justice – The Justice card comes when decisions need to be made but you need more background information to make a justified decision.   So, the challenge comes after you do your investigative work, by the end of the week the choice needs to be made. If you stay true to the information and your heart, things will end up fair in the end no matter how the journey plays out.  This card reminds you to have faith and stay true to yourself.   Never lose faith in yourself, and never lose hope; remember, even when this world throws its worst and then turns its back, there is still always hope. -Pittacus Lore

Virgo

Two of Wands – The Two of Wands advises you to step out of your comfort zone this week.  This card is a very positive card if you take the steps to expand your horizons.  This can be as simple as trying zip lining for the first time, reading a self-help book, or going to an event you never would.  The challenge with is expanding your horizons.  They can be small or big steps, but they must develop your mind/soul.

Libra

Ace of Coins – The last two weeks have been about completion, so it is appropriate that you all would get the Ace of Coins, a card of new beginnings and planting seeds (literally and metaphorically).  This is a great week to begin any projects, do anything with your hands, invest in something, increase your presence at work, and really anything on the material plan.  You will harvest more later the more you ground yourself into the material plane now.

Scorpio

Six of Wands – Last week was all about Justice – balancing right from wrong by looking behind the scenes.  With that information and perspective, you have an advantage to come out on the positive side of Justice this week.  The challenge with the Six of Wands is though you won this battle and bathe in positivity this week, you haven’t won the war. So, don’t take anything new on and enjoy this week.

Sagittarius

Two of Pentacles – Last week, the Strength card flung you into situations that you felt you couldn’t handle or befuddled you.  However, that was not the case, this exercise helped you identify your strengths and weakness helping you navigate not only last week with more ease but the rest of the year. This week the Two of Pentacles advises you that even though you have found your superpowers don’t go multi-tasking just yet.  You need to take one or two items and try your superpowers on them.  This week is about balance, practice and restraint.

Capricorn

Eight of Swords – The Eight of Swords advises you that you need to look at how you are binding yourself.  This can be as simple as checking how you talk to yourself when you make a mistake, or as complex as finding old thought patterns put there in the past by others that you still hold on to.  Your motto: Let that sh*t go.

Aquarius

Ace of Pentacles and King of Wands – Last week, The Fool, card of new beginnings, challenged your thinking through new beginnings and being careful of naiveté when making decisions. Well the Ace of Pentacles continues the theme of new beginnings. All Aces are beginnings and Pentacles rule the material plane.  So any beginnings that have to do with work, money or material plane projects are great to start this week.  The King of Wands has also stepped in continuing the theme of the Fool’s advice.  You have gained the wisdom to think things through before acting on them. This card says you rule your destiny.   So this week is pretty much the same energy as last week without the intensity.

Pisces

*Star – The Star Card is the card of hope and healing.  This is a great week to make wishes and realize you are on the other side of a major hardship.  This card advises you to relax and have faith in the Universe.  This is a great time to take healing baths, massages, eat well, get the sleep you need.  And it is a great time to ask the Universe for help for the next phase of your life.  Your challenges – Relaxing, asking for want you want now to happen and looking for synchronicities to help you move to the next level.

May light be on you, around you, and within you,

Nina