Tag Archives: art

Tarotcast

Tarot-cast for Week of April 29, 2018

Japanese manhole covers

Japan has taken street art to a whole new level.  In the 1980’s, the government wanted to standardize their sewer system; however, in some of the outer communities they were meet with resistance.  Until a savvy bureaucrat solved the problem by having each town choose their own manhole design.  Now nearly 95% of the municipalities in Japan sport their own specially design manhole cover.  You can read about the history and see more examples in Drainspotting by Remo Camerota.

Ponderings:  When we want something to happen in our environment to evolve – letting people have creative input seems to oil the wheels of progress.  How can you use this tool in your own dealings?

P.S. Please share. I have added to your signs some manhole covers which may relate to your week ahead.

Aries- Ten of Wands

Japanese manhole coversThe Ten of Wands warns you not to take more on this week.  You have more than enough on your plate as it is.  Your hint:  Be aware of obligations that sprout from guilt.  If it does, don’t do it.

 

Taurus- Ten of Pentacles

Japanese manhole coversThe Ten of Pentacle is about completion that creates success.  This week focus on projects that are near completion. For now ignore projects that have just started or take on anything new this week. Continue reading Tarot-cast for Week of April 29, 2018 →

Tarotcast

Tarot-cast for week of April 15, 2018

Japanese Tip

When I lived in San Francisco, my friends and I would often eat at our favorite neighborhood sushi restaurant.  It had the comfort and coziness of Mom and Pop joint but each meal had the quality of an all-sensing experience:  the cyclical cadence of conversation, the warm sake, the coolness of the fish, the smell of the soy sauce, the spice of the wasabi, the beauty and simplicity of how the sushi was plated on a variety of shaped white dishes …

At the end of our meals, my friends and I would take the left over bits of wasabi, rice, and pickled ginger and create small landscapes on our plates.  We did these as small offerings to our sushi chef and his wife for the lovely meal they had created for us. It felt more personal than just the ten dollars we slid under the plate.

In Japan tipping is not customary and can be considered rude.  So it was interesting that I came across this waiter who collected what he has now coined as the Japanese tip. In his words: ”  …I thought that it was a “thank you” sign from the customer.  Before it was just trash for me, but it changed to become a TIP from the customer.  Since than, cleaning the tables became much more fun.  I want to see more shapes. And I want to share this feeling with many people. So I started this project.”  Even in a country that doesn’t tip, this waiter still wanted to feel recognized for his service. My challenge for you all is to not only monetarily tip your waiter (in the countries where it is appropriate) but also give them the gift of recognition in another form: a smile, a thank you, draw something on a napkin, etc…

P.S. Please share.

Aries- King of Pentacles

Japanese TipThe Strength card last week seems to be your birth year card, so throughout the year you will be tested or learn ways to strengthen all aspects of your life.  The Strength card energy this week is with the King of Pentacles.  This card wants you to strengthen the activities that ground you.  This King asks you if you don’t believe in what you do for money than why are you doing it?  And if you do than be proud of the path you have chosen.

Taurus- Queen of Pentacles

Japanese TipThe Queen of Pentacles is all about healthy indulgences and creating spaces of comfort.  Do things that pamper you this week.  The more you do for yourself the more you will be ready to be there for others.

 

Gemini – Four of Wands

Japanese TipThe Sun continues to shine this week for you with the focus on home life.  The Four of Wands challenges you to make your home a place where people and things can grow.  This is a great week to Spring Clean or bring nature into your abode. Throw open your windows no matter the temperature you need to let some fresh air into your life.

 

*Cancer – Sun

Japanese TipThis is the second time the Sun has “shone” up for you this year.  Look back and see what you started around February 18th that needs tending again.  The Sun foretells that you will find success in what you have started.  If things aren’t growing or moving, this means you are missing only the last piece to the puzzle and with the light of your conscious mind you will find it.

Leo – Page of Pentacles

Japanese TipThe Page of Pentacles declares that this week you should spend your time hitting the books.  The challenge is to be open to learn something new.  You will find that you will need that knowledge in your near future.

 

Virgo – Three of Cups

Japanese TipThe Three of Cups challenges you to go get your friends and hang out this week.  Yep that is right your challenge is to enjoy this week. Since this card has shown up twice this year, seems you need to hang out with friends more constantly.

 

Libra – Ten of Wands

Japanese TipYou are carrying too much again Libra.  Time to let go of some of your duties and obligations.  The Ten of Wands warns that you have chosen to take on more burden then is necessary or healthy.  Lighten your load this week.  Even letting go of one thing will make you feel better.

 

*Scorpio – Devil

Japanese TipThis is the fourth pivotal week in your life. Last week Death returned to push you to learn how to work with the environment to make change that sticks.  Now the Devil is here in all his glory trying to divert you from that path.  This week people, events, environment, and even that little voice in your head will try to sidetrack you. Keep strong.  Keep to your integrity.  And Keep moving forward.

 

*Sagittarius – Justice

Japanese TipJustice is the card of fair play.  Here is the interesting thing with Sagittarius and the Justice card, you both believe in fairness and equality and are willing to fight for it. But Sagittarius, like their forebears the centaurs, you have a bit of a wild streak. When you think you are right, well, you all can get a bit fiery about it.  Where Justice card many times teaches us to let karma take its natural course.  So your challenge this week is to see how to champion justice with the mind and spirit and not with the heart and sword.

 

*Capricorn – Sun

Japanese TipSuccess is on the horizon for you.  The Sun is here to help you grow anything you put your focus on.  The question is where do you want to direct your gaze first?  This is a big karma card so take your time but don’t let your dreams wither away with indecision.

 

Aquarius – Queen of Cups

Japanese TipThe Queen of Cups is all about the 3 Cs:  calm, compassion, and comfort.  The challenge is to make sure you have at least two out of the three first then you can spread it around.

 

Pisces – Ace of Cups

Japanese TipThe Ace of Cups of cups heralds the beginnings of emotional fulfillment.  The challenge with this card this week is seeing that no matter how full the cup that it is “good to the last drop.”

 

 

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

Nina

Tarotcast

Tarotcast for Week of April 8, 2018

Takashi Murakami

Takashi Murakami is a Japanese contemporary artist, who works in both fine and commercial arts.  He is known for blurring the lines between “high” and “low” arts.  I am drawn to him today because of his use of smiling flowers and inquisitive mushrooms.  However, as you dive  into his work, like every artist there is a deeper meaning.

Art shows us the emotions behind our history.  As Takashi said in a recent interview, As an artist, all I can do is paint when history-making moments unfold, like Francisco de Goya did during the Spanish Civil War. All I can do is look at the situation, understand it and put it into my work so that hopefully it will remain a permanent part of our history.

P.S. Please share.  For more on Takashi click here.

*Aries  – Strength

This week will be easier if you fortify your inner strength.  Now I’m not suggestion drinking for courage especially for anyone with an addictive personality.  You should work on having habits in place that ground you and give you courage in more positive ways.  But if a glass of wine, chocolate, or binge watching BadLands grounds you can do it without guilt, but only this week.

Taurus – Knight of Wands

Since mid-March you all have actually been in a good place. The Knight of Wands is confirming that even the hardships you have gone through are starting to make sense and you are seeing the purpose behind the movement.  Your challenge is to keep moving and know you are on the right path. Continue reading Tarotcast for Week of April 8, 2018 →

Tarotcast

Tarotcast for Week of April 1, 2018

Aphrodite or Venus to the Romans

Happy April Fool’s. This celebration’s origins arose from the Roman holiday, Veneralia (yes, also the origin of the word venereal).  This woman-only Roman holiday was for the Venus Verticordia or the Chaste Venus. Legends say that the Sibylline Oracle divined creating a holiday to help woman stay chaste after an incident where some vestal virgins and matrons, as Ovid put it, broke their vows.  It was celebrated on April 1st, at the beginning of Aphrodite’s month.  The ritual entailed woman parading the statue of Venus to the male baths, bathing her, dressing and adorning her and then walking her back to her temple. This ritual became widely adopted by woman of all walks of life.

Please note that this history was from a male viewpoint in a male-dominated and exalted society.  I would like to suggest another perspective.  Perhaps the Vestal Virgins were forced to break their vows.  And the Sibylline Oracle, all women, actually created an earlier version of the Me Too movement.  Creating a ritual where woman could publicly show that the representation of  females, love, and sexuality could walk into an all-male venue, get nude, bathe, pretty herself up again,  walk back to her home and remain unscathed.   Did those Oracles pull the first prank over the Roman’s male dominated society by hiding equality in a ritual?

P.S. Remember you can now reach me for quick questions on the Instantgo app.  

Aries – Eight of Wands

The Eight of Wands tells you to keep your ears, eyes, and mind open.  There is important news coming your way.  This information will make life better and easier this week.

Taurus – King of Cups

The Sun challenged you to say yes to things that peak your interests, last week.  The King of Cups continues this theme.  This King asks you to say yes to activities, ideas, and people who warm your heart.  Your challenge this week  is to keep your heart open.

Gemini – Page of Cups

All of March had you looking at how to implement a more carefree lifestyle.   The Page of Cups continues this theme.  His advice is to stop being so cynical. Take time this week to put on your rose-colored glasses, let your guard down, and play.

Cancer – Queen of Cups

Hmm your second Queen.  So what differs with the Queens compared to the other court cards?  Queens step back and look at cycles.  They think of life like playing double-dutch.   You watch and wait to see the rhythm of the ropes and then jump in.  Last week the Queen of Swords wanted you to gain perspective from your planning/mind.  This week the Queen of Cups wants you to stand back and see the rhythm of your heart and desires.  Again the question is are you still on course but also are you enjoying it?

Leo – Four of Pentacles

The Four of Pentacles is about resources. This card asked where do you feel resentful, greedy, or not supported?  Your challenge is to follow that line of thought back to the resource/need you are missing and then go get it.

Virgo – Three of Cups

Second Three in a row.  Threes in tarot mean looking at things that stabilize or destabilize you. Last week the cards had you looking for a guru to help.  This week this card challenges you to see the value of friendship in stabilizing yourself.  Take time with your friends and bask in you all’s mutual love and respect.

Libra – Nine of Swords

The Nine of Swords means worry.  Yes, there are things we worry about, and yes worry is important to make sure we are ready for possible outcomes.  The challenge is to realize you have done all the productive worrying and now you are heading into rumination which gets you nowhere.  This week leave your worries at the door. No really, I mean when you go home visualize leaving your worries at the door, and tell them you will pick them up tomorrow or even better next week.

Scorpio – Four of Cups

Last week, the Death card said work with your environment to create change. The Four of Cups adds to this challenge by asking you to dream bigger.  You can create the life you hope for, and as this card says, have faith that the universe can give you even more than what you can actually see.  Your challenge this week  is to stay open and let life surprise you.

*Sagittarius – Hanged Man

The Hanged Man foretells stagnation but also it is a great time for reflection. This is not a week to start new things or try to push things to fruition; especially since we are in the middle of Mercury in retrograde.  This is a great week to contemplate and look at anything from many angles.  Also this is a time for diversions from normal routines.  It can look as simple as reading a good book to as complex as going on trip outside your comfort zone.  This week expand your mind.

Capricorn – Three of Swords

The Three of Swords means three things are going to be a pain in your arse.  The challenge with this card is not to make a big deal of it.  These three challenges are triggering old patterns, so don’t play that sad song over in your head again.  Lift the needle and put on another record.

Aquarius – King of Pentacles

The King of Pentacles is the supreme executor of actions on the material plane, but also he know how to enjoy his harvest.  The challenge is to keep your nose to the grindstone this week, but when you have off- take off and enjoy.

*Pisces – Emperor

Where last week the Fool challenged you to choose a new or fresh activity.  This week the Emperor takes you a step further.  Whatever the Fool taught you about your path or goals, the Emperor says you are ready to materialize the next step.  This can look as simple as last week you tried and loved jujitsu, so the Emperor challenges you to sign up for the class for 6 weeks.  Or as complex as you found out you love baking and the Emperor asks how can we start a business around that?

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

Nina

Tarotcast

Tarotcast for Week of March 18, 2018

Amanda Parer

Happy Spring Equinox

The art installation Intrude Bunnies by Amanda Parer is traveling all over the word inspiring spaces, thoughts and people. Amanda’s aspiration is “to raise questions about the nature of the world and our role in it.”  I find it so interesting when we play with scale how that enlightens us in such a unique way.  What is the sense in our evolutionary make-up when we feel physically smaller that the two emotions that come up are awe and/or fright?

This month Intrude Bunnies were part of the healing process of Parkland, Florida’s school shooting where they team up with STEM bunnies.  STEM bunnies is a non-for-profit started by Calb, a 13-year-old who takes real rabbits to negatively affected children to provide comfort and play.  Yes to bunnies, art and inspiring teens!

PS.  Below are more of Amanda’s creations. Remember you can now reach me for quick questions on the Instantgo app.

Aries – Four of Cups

Amanda ParerThe Four of Cups wants you to center your emotions without diving too deep.  The challenge is gaining enough space from your emotions to contemplate your high and lows.  If you find yourself uselessly ruminating, then look up, get outside and experience the positive in your life.

Taurus – King of Wands

Amanda Parer

The King of Wands shows up when you need to make life more Zen.  Your challenge week is to create without force but with The Force.  Tune into the flow.
Continue reading Tarotcast for Week of March 18, 2018 →

Tarotcast

Tarotcast for Week of March 4, 2018

John Bauer: Prinsessan och trollen.

John Bauer is an artist known for his illustrations for Among Gnomes and Trolls first published 1907.  He had a unique process when painting.  He would start with a small sketch about the size of a stamp with the basic shapes of the image.  Then he would slightly scale it up adding more detail. He would do this many times until he reached the size of a square piece of paper between 20-25 centimeters (8-9 inches).

Gnomes and trolls are associated with the earth but come from different origins.  Troll mythology comes from ancient Norse and Scandinavian oral history.  They said to be beings that are human-like, usually associated with nature or areas of landscape, and are not typically helpful to humans.  Gnomes, on the other hand, didn’t show up until the 16th century in writings by Paraceisus who classified them as earth elements.  He describes them as two spans high, living underground and not liking human interaction.

Paracelsus was a physician, alchemist and astrologer.  He is considered the “father of toxicology” and promoted chemistry as one of the corner stones in medicine.  Interestingly, he had a lot in common with gnomes and trolls.  He worked with minerals, was small in stature, and did not suffer fools gladly.

PS.  Don’t forget your Astrological Tarot Reading for this year.

Aries – King of Cups

The love continues this week with the King of Cups.  This King reminds you that your emotions are one of  big principles of human life.  Your challenge this week is to be in your emotions.  The more you deal with your emotions now, the less you will see them as a burdens in the future.

*Taurus – Hanged Man

Last week, the Chariot arrived the second time this year, challenging you to  deal with balance issues while making a change in your life.  This week is still big work, but where last week was about movement, this week is about stillness.  The Hanged Man is time to sit in the sacred and reflect.  This can be as simple as sitting on your porch and just reflecting on day, or as complex as mediating on big questions like Who am I, What is my purpose, and/or Why am I here?
Continue reading Tarotcast for Week of March 4, 2018 →

Tarotcast

Tarotcast for Week of Feb. 25, 2018

image from The Hairpin

Joan Murrel Owens embodies the words of resilience and persistence.  At an early age she loved the ocean, but had four barriers to her dream of being a marine biologist.   She was a woman, black, had sickle-cell and was growing up in segregated Miami, Florida in the 1940s.   She studied hard and got partial scholarships  at Fisk University, but in landlocked Tennessee where there were no marine biology programs.   So she gained a degree in Art minoring in psychology.  However, science persisted to call her, and she continued her studies in psychology receiving a Master’s degree in guidance counseling with an emphasis on reading therapy.  For the next thirteen years she taught and designed programs for teaching English to educationally disadvantage students.

At 37, she heard the call of the ocean again.  Her barrier once more was no marine science program at George Washington University, so she majored in Geology with a minor in Zoology.  After graduating with her third degree, she is continued on to her doctorate.  This time her sickle-cell was the barrier, for she could not dive in the ocean.  Undeterred,  she did her graduate study in the labs of the Smithsonian working with coral specimens.   At 51, she earned her Doctorate in Marine Biology by studying the deep-sea species of button coral from an 1880’s science expedition.  Two years later she discovered 2 new species of button coral,  and at 61 she found discovered another  – never diving into the ocean.

P.S.  Look for me on Instagram @thefoxandthetarot.

Aries – Page of Cups

The love continues this week with the Page of Cups.  This Page wants you to practice looking through rose-colored glass.  This card’s challenge is to see instead of an experiment in naiveté,  you actually perceive with a cleaner perspective.

 

*Taurus – Chariot

Wow the Chariot again, guess you all are dealing with balance issues while making a change in your life.  The Chariot at its best is movement in equilibrium.  You must also remember that the Chariot is change that you have total control over. You create the pace.   Your challenge is to check and make sure you have all you need while embarking on this time of change.  The question is what you choose to carry?  In its simplest form this can be traveling light but with all you need.  Remember, no need to carry something that you can get along the way.
Continue reading Tarotcast for Week of Feb. 25, 2018 →