This week’s artist is Betsey Batchelor @betseybatchelor. Batchelor is an artist’s artist. Some artists are meant to be followed not only for their art but because they are willing to show their process. Batchelor, maybe because she is a teacher, lets us into her process. She allows the viewer to see through her posts not only the finished piece, but a blank canvas, scraps of paper pinned to a wall, under sketches, daily practices, detailed parts of her work, and pieces in progress. Batchelor reminds us that art is work. That there are sketches, experimentation, and honing skills before an artist even gets to the white void. Then it is honed, thought over, reworked, mulled again or even abandoned.
The humanity of Batchelor’s Instagram is worth you following her, whether her posts remind fellow artists that what we love to do is messy, not just the polished perfection of a gallery exhibit or even our feeds. And for viewer in general that each piece we see takes hours of unseen work and adds another layer to the awe of art. As an artist or a viewer, it reminds us that the work itself is the life blood of the art and the artist. That the essence of art and life is the work, not just the goals and successes. This week ponder this quote by Aristotle. The aim of art (and Life) is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.
Planets: Mercury enters Gemini on the 3rd and stays until July 11th . This is a place where it loves to hang so lots of evolutionary conversations can happen. And Venus enters Gemini on 8th to help with the good vibes. The only challenge is being careful of over-promising or saying yes to everything.
*All pictures below are from Batchelor’s Instagram posts some are completed pieces some are just her “work.”
P.S. Signs with an * it is a big week for you. Taurus this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year. And Scorpio it is your halfway mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check-in, now is the time.
May light be on you, around you, and within you,
Nina
Aries
Knight of Cups – The Muse of Sexuality is here to help you boost your libido. Whether you go shopping for new toys, trying new ways to excite all your senses, solo or with a partner. This week you should work on emotional switching on and stimulation of all kinds.
Taurus
*Empress – Your first big energy for your coming year is Creation. This energy is best when it is used to generate anything that nurtures, consoles, and promotes growth. The challenge is there is growing pains but there will also be compassion and comfort waiting in the wings to support you. And with all things that are extraordinary, it will take time to grow. So be patient with your self and whatever you begin growing in the coming year.
Gemini
Knight of Wands – The Muse of Perfect Timing is working with you this week. Good or bad you are in the right place at the right time doing the right thing, if you do you. Her only requirement is not to second guess yourself, for there is much to glean from this week.
Cancer
*High Priestess – You get another week working with your Shadow side. This Muse helps you see cycles and the bigger picture to work out old karmic patterns and snip their threads. Use ritual, meditation, singing bowls… to connect with your inner knowledge and outer guides. There are breadcrumbs in synchronicities and patterns, so keep all your six senses open.
Leo
*Devil – The Muse of Distraction is here to challenge you. She only shows up when you are near completion of a goal or learned lesson. The key is to say no or walk away if something does not feel right or in some cases too right. The positive consequence of this card is, if you renege this temptation, it will no longer have the hold it had before.
Virgo
Nine of Coins – This Muse has come to help you maintain your workflow and energy by keeping to yourself or only allowing a few supporters in. She advises that you create a sacred space and time so you can ponder your thoughts without any outside influences.
Libra
*Strength – Last week the Muse of Momentum asked you to use her energy to plot out your course for the coming month. This week, the Muse of Strength has come to help start and maintain that route. Often this energy comes to help combat apathy, misdirection, or self-doubt. She reminds you that you have come through trials before and are stronger and more resilient. This week is not about things being hard but about you seeing you can accomplish anything you set your heart (not your mind) to.
Scorpio
Ten of Cups– Another good week in store for you. Last week the Muse of Optimism and Success shone on all the wonderful things and opportunities that are awaiting you, if you want them and allow yourself to glow and grow. This week the Muse of Bliss reinforces that life has these beautiful moments of heaven on earth. The challenge with this energy is realizing that these moments are fleeting. It is important to thoroughly bath in their light when they come and recognize that you cannot maintain that ecstasy. So, do not to fret their passing but know they will come again. Your motto: Aloha and Mahalo
Sagittarius
*Temperance – The Muse of Balance and Moderation has come to work with you. She asks you to do a dive into what is not working and needs to be healed in both your inner and outer world. The conduit for the energy flowing between them is clog. So doing something like Tai chi, Feng Shu, balancing your nutrition, sweating, brainstorming, massage …will get you back into balance and a rhythm that is more suitable for you and your work.
Capricorn
Ace of Swords – The Muse of New Truths is calling on you this week. She comes with bountiful information to help you shift or create new paradigms. This week mind ON.
Aquarius
Nine of Wands – Last week the muses where all about creating things out of what seemingly is nothing or build on what already is. Using these energies for formation, moving forward and growing outward. This energy is still here this week to work with; however, you will need to pace yourself if you wish to accomplish anything. So prioritize, prepare for, and only work with the items on the top of your list.
Pisces
*Hierophant – Last week the muses were here to aid you in letting go of something to enable growth. This energy continues this week; however, you also get the assistance of the Muse of Structure. She advises that you look at and rearrange your timing and/or your priorities. When these two energies come together often your logic is off, like you are putting your cart in front of your horse or not realized the problem of contingencies. Step back and look at the frame/goals before painting the picture.
*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.
*The Chariot – Last week the Hanged Man had you take a time out and work on piddling– the 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.
Seven 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.
Ten 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.
*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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
*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.
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