Tag Archives: Tarot and Art

Tarot and Art-cast for Nov 17-30, 2024

Mastura Abdul Rahman
Mastura Abdul Rahman

Happy Birth-month Sagittarius.   The artist highlighted this art-cast is Mastura Abdul Rahman @mastura_abdul_rahman.  She is a multimedia artist and painter.

To be forthright, Rahman’s account is in Malaysian, and I can’t not get my translator app to work on Instagram and Google is useless.  I would love to read what she says, and then convey a part to you so you can hear the artist’s voice and ideas and not mine. So, this time you just have me and my impressions.

The reason I am drawn to her work is that she creates art that lifts the concept of ornate and can literally challenge the viewers’ perspective, as in her Interiors series.  Ornate is defined as made in an intricate shape or decorated with complex patterns.  The judgement of ornate like many things is cultural.  It can be homy, soothing, interesting, chichi, rich, ostentatious, claustrophobic…  But to me Rahman paints the kind of ornate garden I hope to grow in my life rich in color, full of cats, owls and hidden treasures and trinkets.

Your pondering: How does ornate make you feel?

Solar System highlights

The moon begins in Cancer self-care becomes the focus.  On Thursday the moon moves into Leo – spotlight on our super-powers.  And then for the weekend, it moves into Virgo – helping us get our surroundings clean and organized.  On Monday November 25th the moon is in Libra – harmony is key.  On November 28th it moves into Scorpio- watch overindulgences.  And for the weekend the moon will be in Sagittarius – great for exploration.

Mercury is in Sagittarius until January 8th, 2025.  This is due to its retrograde from November 26th to December 15th.    This is a 9-week exploration of big ideas, truth seeking and growth in communication. The challenge is being blunt or soapboxing.    And remember during the retrograde season it is the best time to recharge, reflect and redo.

Venus is in Sagittarius until December 7th. This is a time for exploration and growth around the concepts of love, beauty and harmony.

Mars is now in Leo until Jan 6th, 2025.  This aspect is fiery – great for getting things done but be careful around egotism in yourself and others.  This is not a time to start a fight!

Our longer aspects: Jupiter, the planet of abundance and growth, is in Gemini until June of 2025.   This placement is here to help us work with opportunities to grow and succeed through intellectual, verbal, and written pursuits.  However, we must also watch its challenging aspects:   not following through, gossip, too much information and fickleness.   And lastly Saturn is in Pisces until February 2026 teaching us how to be more fluid and inclusive in our structures.

Lastly, Pluto moves into Aquarius for the next 14 years on November 20th.  So, where the last 15 years Pluto was in Capricorn we as society explored the shadowy side of karma, fame, authority, jobs, business, politics and status. Now we move to Aquarius’s shadowy side of luxury, groups and organizations, innovation, technology, and revolution. Look to where Aquarius is in your natal chart to see what aspects to focus on personally.  It is not all “shadow” with Pluto; there are also jewels brought up from these deep excursions in the darker realms.

 

EXTRA

** Signs with an * it is a big week for you.  Sagittarius this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Gemini it is your halfway mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in, now is the time.

*** I have a tip jar if you want to leave a gratuity for the tarot & art-casts.

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

Nina

 

 

Aries
Mastura Abdul Rahman
Mastura Abdul Rahman

Knight of Earth – The Muse of Pace is with you for the next two weeks.  She comes when you need to pace what you do appropriately for the situation and yourself.  The key is if you must sprint then take a restorative break before starting up again.  However, if you are doing a slow steady marathon, then hydration and a steady pace is vital to finish the race.  She advises that before starting an endeavor decide what kind of pace you need and prepare accordingly.  And do not rush unless necessary and especially if you are not sure where to go next.

 

Taurus
Mastura Abdul Rahman
Mastura Abdul Rahman

Seven of Earth – The Muse of Harvest is with you the next two weeks.  She advises that the easier path for now is to finish projects than start new ones.  She is here as your cheerleader.  So, look to what you have had on the back burners and bring them forward.  You will have even more time to complete tasks during the coming retrograde.  However, this muse foretells you will have a lot on your plate until the end of the year and the coming weeks are a good time to clean at least a portion of it.

 

Gemini

Mastura Abdul Rahman

Nine of Earth – The coming weeks are set up for successes.  The Muse of Accomplishment advises to put your energy into the areas that have a 95% success rate.  This is not a time to work on what isn’t working but on what is.  Go with the flow instead of against.

 

Cancerian
Mastura Abdul Rahman

Mind of Earth – The Muses would like you to ponder what grounds you.  And then work to incorporate these aspects into your life regularly.  Grounding your body these two weeks will give you the security and stability to let your mind wander on what to focus/build next.

 

Leo
Mastura Abdul Rahman
Mastura Abdul Rahman

King of Cups – The next couple of weeks have high tides of emotions washing into your shores.  Some of these are yours and some others.  So as these tides ebb and flow so should your attention to them.  This is not a time to ruminate about feelings but to deal with the ones in front of you until they percolate in, if yours, or flow away on their own accord if someone else’s. Motto:  levees up when dealing with other emotions and levees down to deal with yours.

 

Virgo

Mastura Abdul Rahman*Chariot – The Muse of Self-Motivation comes when you need to work on finding a focus and direction for change.  This Muse asks what are the three most important changes you need to happen in your life?  Now plan a road map to get there and before the coming retrograde (Nov. 26th) put the pedal to the metal and put one of these changes in motion.

 

Libra
Mastura Abdul Rahman

Six of Air – The Muse of Transitions is hanging with you these next two weeks.  Her assignment is to help you simplify before you begin to move forward again.  She reminds you to practice packing lightly for the coming days.  This packing is in all areas of your life.  So, with the body don’t physically carry too much.  Make sure your heart does not take on too much emotional work but only what is necessary.   With the mind don’t dive into the big whys of things, stay in the now.  And with the spirit hope for the positives, instead of worrying about potential negatives.

 

Scorpio
Mastura Abdul Rahman

Seven of Fire – For the next two weeks there will be a lot of distractions, so the Muse of Focus has come to the rescue.  She advises spending the first few days prioritizing what is most important to you, with the “you” heavily underlined.  For the projects, people and environment around you will be vying for your attention like the paparazzi around a celeb.  If you prioritize yourself and your goals ahead of others you will actually get done what you need to do and have time to help after.

 

Sagittarius
Mastura Abdul Rahman

Page of Water – The Muse of Joy is hanging with you for the next two weeks.   This Muse often comes when your emotional cups need filling, but you have forgotten how. She reminds you that you need to feed your inner child to therefore realign to your joy.  This can be done with art: finger painting and crayons help to get there. Or playing in water or dirt or both.  Riding a bike or skating.  She suggests finding something to do that has no goals but is done just for the joy of it.

 

Capricorn
Mastura Abdul Rahman

*Sun – Last week the Muse of the Inner Compass wanted you to ponder the Whys behind what you want to do.  So hopefully you did some of this moral aligning and purpose work. For now, her sister the Muse of Growth adds her energy of abundance and shine. This muse would like you to take off you “practical hat” and put on your “dreamer cap”. She challenges you to make your goals reach a bit farther and broader.  How can you step into the mover, shaker, influencer role? For some of you can play on a bigger stage but remember you also don’t have too.  Beneficially shining on one other life is magic enough.

 

Aquarius

Three of Air – Sorrow hangs in the air for you but so does healing. There are three negative thoughts that you need to process in the coming weeks.  They will be triggered to help you figure out which to work with.  So, the Muse of Acupuncture will remind you though you are getting triggered you are not re-living the trauma.  These are simply irritations to point out were you need healing.  Beware of knee-jerk reactions for the coming weeks.  This energy comes to help you prepare for the work of your Sun hanging with Pluto for the coming years.  This is shadow-work area, but also it is a place where gems are made.  Remember the lotus rises from the mud.  Time to get a little dirty.

 

Pisces
Mastura Abdul Rahman

Spirit of Water – The Muse of Humor is here to remind you that laughter is the best medicine.  For the next two weeks watch comedies, go to stand-up, hang out with friends that have the same humor as you.  That can be puns, sarcasm, slapstick etc….  Now for some of you the simple path to humor may be harder.  So, if you fall into that fishbowl, the muse suggests anger as your highway to humor.  That exercise can be yelling into the wind until you are exhausted, smash rooms, working a punching bag, etc.

Tarot and Art-cast for Nov 3 – 16, 2024

I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

Since we are still in Scorpio season and have already pondered death and transformation now let’s focus on its other realm, sex.  The artist is I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih.  Murni’s artistic style came from a traditional form of Balinese art, Pengosekan style, painting and batik.  She uses bold colors and strong lines to create her work.  However, Murni broke away from traditional Balinese themes of flora and fauna to work through her traumatic past of sexual abuse by using a stream of images conjured from her dreams and subconscious.  Her work, once considered crude in her home country, is now seen by the world as original and a voice of resilience.

Your pondering: We as a collective are still dealing with gender bias based in our overly simplistic concept and overuse of binarism. This binary thinking leads to “us versus them” instead of “we” or a “black and white: yes/no” instead of the gray areas seen by examining the why behind an action.  What would happen if we when we think of classification and judgment we see a spectrum instead of a set of distinctively separate boxes?  Would it end war? Genderism? Racism?

Solar System highlights

The moon begins in Sagittarius – the beginning of the week might be challenging to be focused.  But by Tuesday you hit your stride with the moon in Capricorn giving us the motivation and direction to get to work.  On Friday the moon is in Aquarius – go with the flow.  Then on Sunday the moon moves into Pisces – a great time for your imagination and daydreaming.

But again, this moon energy creates a slow start to the week and makes it hard to focus.  But by Tuesday November 12th our energy gets reignited with an Aries moon.  That energy continues as the moon moves into Taurus on Thursday November 14th.  And we end the two weeks with the moon moves into social Gemini – reconnect with friends.

Mercury is in Sagittarius until the end of the year.  This is due to its retrograde from November 9th to the 29th.    This is a 9-week exploration of truth seeking and growth in communication.  And remember during the retrograde season it is the best time to recharge, reflect and redo.

Venus is in Sagittarius until December 7th. This is a time for exploration and growth around the concepts of love, beauty and harmony.  Mars is now in Leo until the end of the year.  This aspect is fiery – great for getting things done but be careful around egotism in yourself and others.  This is not a time to start a fight!

And just to jump to Pluto for a sec.  Since mid-September Pluto has moved back into Capricorn.    So, until November 19th you may feel stuck in old patterns that you thought you had worked through.  This is the last time in our lifetime to do shadow work in whatever house Capricorn sits in your natal chart. And for most of us, we have been doing the work since 2008.  So, this last bit is just to tweak not overhaul.

And our longer aspects: Jupiter, the planet of abundance and growth, is in Gemini until June of 2025.   This placement is here to help us work with opportunities to grow and succeed through intellectual, verbal, and written pursuits.  However, we must also watch its challenging aspects:   not following through, gossip, too much information and fickleness.   And lastly Saturn is in Pisces until February 2026 teaching us how to be more fluid and inclusive in our structures.

 

EXTRA

** Signs with an * it is 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.

*** I have a tip jar if you want to leave a gratuity for the tarot & art-casts.

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

Nina

 

 

Aries
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

Five of Fire – These next two weeks hold the potential for chaos.  The muses’ counsel to navigate this energy is in realizing you have a choice in engaging in the games or not.  You can walk away.  You are not required to play if you don’t like the rules.  However, the challenge is if you decide to jump in you will need to commit to the rules and stay until its conclusion.  If you jump out mid-game, you will be disqualified or create more chaos in doing so.

 

Taurus
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

Two of Earth – The Muse of Juggling comes when you need to maintain a better focus.  For the next two weeks she advises to stop multi-tasking and only take on one project at a time.  Part of her reasoning is the energy in the coming weeks might throw you some curve balls and if your hands/thoughts are full you will not be able to “catch” and deal with it.  Pare down your to-do list to the essentials, so you can be focused and aware if aspects become off kilter.

 

Gemini
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

Seven of Fire – The keys to ease in the coming two weeks have to do with two conditions.   One is obtaining a vantage point to gain perspective and secondly, increasing the potential energy to exert more than average force to get something done.  Remember, Mercury starts retrograding and slowing down processes while throwing curve balls, so space and time are both needed to navigate this energy.  So first, the muses advise when trying to find a solution step back from the situation, take a break and walk away for a bit.  Give your mind a rest. Then secondly, they advise being prepared.  Make sure you are well rested and well fed so you can tackle any problem.

 

Cancerian
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

*World – The Muse of Integration is hanging with you these coming weeks.  She is asking you to take this Mercury retrograde time to process information and emotions so during December you are prepared to take on new opportunities as well as wrap up 2024.  You will get inspiration from the muses during this time, write them down.  They also advise playing with ideas, expanding your dreams, and meditating with the cosmos.

 

Leo
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

*Wheel – This energy comes to rebalance karma to set up a transformation in your life.  During this Mercury retrograde it is important you go with the flow.  Take advantage of tiny as well as big opportunities.  Spin the wheel often and see what comes up.  The muses remind you this spinning shouldn’t cost you anything on the physical, thought or emotional plane.  This energy is about increasing potentiality so watch expectations.  The lower the expectation the greater the prize.

 

Virgo
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

Six of Earth – These next two weeks will have some turbulence.  And the Muse of Kindness has come to remind you that you can “catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”  You all may be well- aligned with Venus in her go with the flow attitude, but the people around you are vibing way more with Mars in Leo’s fiery attitude.  So, the muses are warning you not to take the bait and to be “the calm in the storm” by administering kindness instead of being the helpful critic or the hyper-vigilant truth teller that is your innate nature.

 

Libra
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

Three of Air – The Muse of Breakthrough comes to help you heal old wounds put there by others.  The challenge with these coming two weeks is that it feels as if these wounds are re-opened.  However, the muses remind that these occurrences, though they feel as if you are being re-wounded, are actually just a reminder of where more healing needs to happen.

 

Scorpio
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

Ten of Fires – The Muse of Burdens comes when you have or about to take on too much.  Some of these tasks are your responsibility but at least 3-4 are not or you can ask for help to get them done.  This muse advises prioritizing what needs to be done in the coming weeks and then just focus on the top three.  Once they are done, you can focus on the next three.  And the rest see if someone else can pick them up or even better, by the end of this time, they are no longer a problem.

 

Sagittarius
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

Ten of Water – As you finalize this birth year the muse would like you to sit back and enjoy what you have reaped.  All tens are energies of endings, but this one is about enjoying the end before starting anew.  These next two weeks focus on what makes you feel happy, free, and flowing.  If you are having problems seeing the beauty the muses advise daily gratitude to sync you up with the positives.

 

Capricorn
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

*Strength – The Muse of the Inner Compass is with you in the coming weeks to get you to ponder the Whys behind what you want to do.  She asks will your actions obtain what and who you stand for or want?  Has your morals or goals changed?  What is the most important obtainment that you want in 2025?  Then are you and your tasks/work aligned with that goal?  Take this Mercury retrograde to reflect and readjust.

 

Aquarius
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

*Death – This energy aligns well with the coming retrograde.  This energy likes releasing as much as planting seeds.  The Muse of Organic Change asks what would you like to change that can be accomplished in the next 9-10 months?  And what do you need to let go so you can?  Use Mercury’s retrograde energy – rest, reflect, and re-do – to lay the groundwork for what you want to grow.

 

Pisces
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

Seven of Air – The Muse of Stealth comes when you need to work behind the scenes to find out what needs to be done.  You fish are highly intuitive and absorb others’ emotions readily.  But during this time your radar for the reasons behind the emotions is off.  So, you will need to be inquisitive without being interrogative or overtly obvious in your questioning.  Use your intuitive IQ to look for trends more than relying on gut feelings.

Tarot and Art-cast for Oct 6-19, 2024

Tetsuya Ishida
Lost, Tetsuya Ishida

It’s that time of the year again when I spotlight art that is eerie.  The art this week is the surrealist paintings of Tetsuya Ishida (石田 徹也).  Ishida exposes the pressure and anxieties of ordinary life in urban Japan. His paintings resonate with all of us how hard it can be to try to bear the weight of society’s expectations.  Having us ponder: what is the essence of me?

Your pondering: Surrealism as an art form “aims to liberate the mind through the exploration of the subconscious, dreams, and chance.” Surrealism is much like modern Halloween.   Halloween is a moment that gives us the freedom to play being who we would like to be or an element of ourselves that we would like to explore which during our “normal” life we cannot.  So, my pondering for you is thinking back to the costumes you have worn, what did they let you experience?

Solar System highlights

Posting again – I need some feedback- How many of you want/use this part?  Please reply – if it is at least 10 people – I’ll still include.   2 of you out of 300 answered back, so I’m posting this for one more cycle for you all to respond. 

The moon begins in Sagittarius – the beginning of week might be challenging to find a focus.  By Wednesday you hit your stride with the moon in Capricorn giving us focus and energy.  On Saturday the moon is in Aquarius when it is best to go with the flow.  Then Monday October 14th the moon washes into Pisces.  Great time for your imagination and daydreams.  Again, on Wednesday October 16th our energy gets reignited with an Aries moon.  And lastly, we end this cycle with the moon landing in one of its favorite places on Friday, Taurus.  Which sets us up for a cozy and grounding weekend.

Mercury is Libra until October 13th.  We get to work on balancing our listening and speaking, especially in our close relationships. Then it moves into Scorpio until October 31st, which will be a fun Halloween to explore and express your passions.

Venus is in Scorpio until October 15th.  This is a very sensual vibe, as well as a great time for transformation.   Then it moves into Sagittarius until December 7th.  Where it supports exploration of beauty and harmony.

Mars is still in Cancer until November 3rd.  Not its favorite place.  Often our plans go sideways but this is the genius of this placement- to find ways around instead of straight through a problem.

And our longer aspects:  Jupiter, the planet of abundance and growth, is in Gemini until June of 2025.   This placement is here to help us work with opportunities to grow and succeed through intellectual, verbal, and written pursuits.  However, we must also watch its challenging aspects:   not following through, gossip, too much information and fickleness.   And lastly Saturn is in Pisces until February 2026 teaching us how to be more fluid and inclusive in our structures.

 

EXTRA

** Signs with an * it is 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 halfway mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in, now is the time.

*** I have a tip jar if you want to leave a gratuity for the tarot & art-casts.

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

Nina

 

Aries
Tetsuya Ishida
Tetsuya Ishida

Four of Air – The Muse of Rest is here to get you to slow down and plug for a bit.  Usually, this muse shows up when you are not realizing you need to take a break.  That is a break in all areas: mental, emotional, and physical.  For some of you this muse is warning you that your immune system is low so it will be easy for you to catch a cold.  For others it may mean you need to step back from a relationship and reassess your part in it.  And for the rest it means a mental break from social media and just being on 24/7.  The key for all of you is space and time to restore and rebalance yourself.

 

Taurus
Tetsuya Ishida

Six of Earth – The Muse of Giving is hanging with you all for the next two weeks.   This muse reminds you that small acts of gratitude and kindness are worth taking the time for this cycle.  Libra season is a celebration of family and creating harmony, so it will be easier to give to those close to you.  But this muse would also like you to extend a hand out into your broader world, with a smile and nod to your neighbor.  Your motto:  treat people like you would like to be treated.

 

Gemini
Tetsuya Ishida
Tetsuya Ishida

Three of Fire – The Muse of Negotiation comes when you need to work on compromise and diplomacy.  This energy fits right into this season of Libra where the focus is on family and harmony.  This means that you need to work more on your compromising skills, and to look at where you are giving in to much.  Your negotiations for the coming weeks should aspire to be win-win scenarios.

 

Cancerian
Tetsuya Ishida
Tetsuya Ishida

Ten of Fire – The Muse of Burdens comes when you are doing too much.  Yes, you have responsibilities but for the next two weeks the muses would like you to lay some of them down.  She suggests that you prioritize your list by what needs to get done just within these next two weeks and pick the top ten.  Then take the last 3 off.  This is not a time to multi-task but work on one item until you get stuck then move to the next.  And she reminds as the stewardess of your coming weeks:  Put the oxygen mask on yourself before you put it on others.

 

Leo
Tetsuya Ishida, A Man in a Car

Eight of Clouds – The Muse of Binding comes when you are attaching yourself to thought patterns that no longer work for you.  She reminds you that this is not a judgement of those thoughts or processes.  They served their purpose.   But now is the time to let them go and align yourself with new mythos, goals, morals or ethics that are more appropriate and helpful for now.

 

Virgo
Tetsuya Ishida
Tetsuya Ishida

*Moon – The Muse of Emoting is here to help you navigate the slightly obscured emotional waters in and around you.  These next two weeks take extra care with your emotions and others. She suggests you let your heart have a soft focus when dealing with emotional expectations, for during this time your emotional reasoning is slightly off as well as the emotional environment around you being somewhat precarious.   This uncertain is not out of spite or purpose but out of an inability due to skill set or time to self-reflect.

 

Libra
Tetsuya Ishida

*Lovers – The Muse of Relationships fits right in with your birth-month vibe.  She would like you to review and revise, if necessary, the relationships you would like to focus on in your coming birth-year.  Relationships always play a big role in you all’s lives, but this year the focus will be even stronger. She asks – who would you like to spend time within the coming year?  Who is your “ride or die” crew?  What do you need to work on to be a better partner, friend, co-worker?  Are the relationships you are in balanced?  This is the birth year to correct, re-balance and spend more time with the ones you love, and expand your relationships with the ones you want to.

 

Scorpio
Tetsuya Ishida, Earthquake

Seven of Earth – The Muse of Harvest is appropriately here right before your new birth-year.  She advises this is the best time to review what you have done since your last birthday and finish up any lose ends that you do not want to carry into the next.  So, by your birthday you can take stock of what you have and what you will need, so you can properly set up goals and aspirations for 2025.

 

Sagittarius
Tetsuya Ishida

Mind of Earth – The Muse of Building is hanging with you these next two weeks to get you to the next level in a project or any focus you set your eyes on.  This can be improving your exercise regimen, getting to a new point in a work project, cross off a bunch of tiny to-dos on your list.  This muse can give you energy, insight or incentive.  So, pay attention to people offering the latter two and taking advantage of the former when it shows up.

 

Capricorn
Tetsuya Ishida

*Strength – The next couple of weeks can try your resolve.  So, the Muse of Inner Strength is here to help.  She reminds you that you have gone through way worse, but you also now have the wisdom to not repeat previous misconstrues, mistakes and mishaps.  So, you have strengthened your spiritual backbone with poise and confidence that you can now lean on.  You got this if you just stay true to who you are and your vision.

 

Aquarius
Tetsuya Ishida

*Hanged One – The Muse of Suspension is here to point out that inertia can be your friend.  She reminds you that a stop can give you time to think, a breathe, a moment of relaxation, or realign you or situation to a better outcome.  So, take these two weeks as they come.  Try not to push an agenda if you are encountering roadblocks.   Be grateful and take advantage of catching a redlight to get a breath, or not getting a job because there is better one suited for you coming.

 

Pisces
Tetsuya Ishida

Eight of Fire – Messages and information with be overflowing to the point of possible exhaustion or feeling overwhelmed. The Muse of Messages reminds you firstly all this information may not all be for you and secondly that it is just information.  This is not a time to act on any of it.  Think of these two weeks as if you were a research scientist/reporter gathering information.  Write down dreams, ideas, and things that standout, but now is not the time to sift, prioritize, integrate or even process it.

Tarot and Art-cast for Sept 22 – Oct 5, 2024

Estelle Chretien
Estelle Chretien

The artist this week is Estelle Chretien  @estelle_chretien.  Chretien’s work is playful while still being thought provoking.  She uses pillowcase as flags and makes a bed in a riverbed. She creates an oversized key ring in a field to get us to think about ownership of land.  Chretien plays with our internal and societal stories.  Play is vital for children’s growth but as science is rediscovering it is also important throughout our lives.  It is defined as an activity done for its own sake or an activity that has no goal.  Play gives our minds a place for our imagination to wander, a place where we can experiment with allegory and connections between ideas, thoughts and action.

Though Chretien’s work has deeper meaning, it is born out of exploration and playfulness.  As she says: “My plastic work is born slowly by giggling*. It is built according to the chance of encounters, through free associations or irrational evidence. Oscillating between a sensitive brutality and a brazen naivety, my pieces maintain a dialogue of the material that constitutes them with their form in a tension between use and allusion. I borrow techniques without distinction of value, I learn on the job and apply myself to questioning how we live by physically deforming mental constructions. * To splash around: to have fun in water or mud, or to sink into soggy ground.”

Your pondering:  When was the last time you played or explored something without a goal? If it has been more than a month, find time these next two weeks to engage with playfulness.

Solar System highlights

I need some feedback- How many of you want/use this part?  Please reply – if it is at least 10 people – I’ll still include. 

The moon begins in Gemini – knowledge and information are highlighted.  Wednesday it moves into Cancer- self-care is your top priority.  On Friday it moves into Leo – spend some time in the sun.  Then on Sunday September 29th the moon moves into Virgo – organize and prioritize to start your week.  And then it moves into Libra on October 2nd – focusing on harmony and balance. And then we head into the weekend on Friday October 4th the moon enters Scorpio – passion and transformation are the focus.

Mercury is in Virgo until September 26th.  Our second round to sharpen our conversation skills being precise and direct but not harsh.  It then moves into Libra until October 13th.  We get to work on balancing our listening and speaking, especially in our close relationships.  Venus has now moved into Scorpio.  This is a very sensual vibe, as well as a great time for transformation.   Mars is still in Cancer.  Not its favorite place.  Often our plans go sideways but this is the genius of this placement- to find ways around instead of straight through a problem.

And our longer aspects:  Jupiter, the planet of abundance and growth, is in Gemini until June of 2025.   This placement is here to help us work with opportunities to grow and succeed through intellectual, verbal, and written pursuits.  However, we must also watch its challenging aspects:   not following through, gossip, too much information and fickleness.   And lastly Saturn is in Pisces until February 2026 teaching us how to be more fluid and inclusive in our structures.

EXTRA

** Signs with an * it is 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 halfway mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in, now is the time.

*** I have a tip jar if you want to leave a gratuity for the tarot & art-casts.

 

 

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

Nina

 

Aries
Estelle Chretien
Estelle Chretien Edge

*Temperance – The Muse of Harmony is with you these next two weeks.  She challenges you to find the middle path in your life and in your relationships.  This time is about compromise and comprehending the other side of the story.  As well as giving yourself a break from the rush of life.  She reminds, if you are feeling the extremes, step back and balance yourself before moving forward.  This may be hard for you “let’s get to it” rams therefore it will require you to flex your patience and compassion muscles for the coming weeks.

 

Taurus
Estelle Chretien, the truce

Heart of Air – The Muse of Clarity is working with you for the next two weeks when you will be working with complex systems.  She suggests looking at the details of situations and problems.  This focus is better than examining the big picture or concentrating on long-term goals.  This period is better dealt with a step-by-step approach.   As you clear away/solve each piece you gain more clarity of the project and its goals

 

Gemini

Mind of Water – The Muse of Waves would like you to work on your emotional impact, especially how it affects the people around you.  We all are impacted by the emotions of those around us.  But these next to weeks you and they may be more effected than normal.  The challenge is realizing these are places in your relationships that need work in comforting and understanding.  This muse reminds you that emotions are like the tides’ ebb and flow but like the ocean they leave gifts for us to ponder on and investigate.

 

Cancerian
Estelle Chretien, Take your foot off the pedal

Seven of Water – Daydreaming and imagination are your focus in the coming weeks.  The Muse of Wishes would like you to write lists of all the things you would like to do.  This energy shows up when the universe and therefore you don’t really understand or know your dreams.  The challenge is allow your wishing without the limits of resources.  So, your task is answering this question:  What is the best that could happen?

 

Leo
Estelle Chretien , dry foot at the limit

Four of Water – Finally you all get a bit of a break in dealing with the big energies.  The Muse of Saturation is here to help you incorporate what has happened since your birthday.  She recommends hanging out with yourself and going over the what has been downloaded and planning on where to go next.  These weeks are best utilized by pondering and integrating.  The challenge is to let things settle before jumping into solutions, the next idea, project or challenge. This is not about losing or letting go of energy and information but by gathering it up.

 

Virgo
Estelle Chretien
Estelle Chretien

Two of Earth – The Muse of Juggling usually comes when you have too many hands in too many pies.  And considering this is the beginning of a new year for you all, this muse would like it if you slowed down and did one thing at a time.  The challenge is that you are budding with ideas and/or this need to move forward.  She acknowledges and supports that energy, but she would like you to focus on monotasking and not multi-tasking.

 

Libra
Estelle Chretien, I wipe

Heart of Fire – The Muse of Superpowers would like you to spend these next two weeks honing yours.  Maybe for some, you need to identify what they are first.  A superpower is something you do well.  (One of mine is helping people organize their stuff.)  This muse would like you to identify at least 3 of your superpowers and then go out into the world and use them.  Yes, you all are a very giving sign, but this is less about giving and more about strengthening your assets.

 

Scorpio
Estelle Chretien , land operation

Three of Air – The Muse of Wounds comes when you need to work on deep healing old thought patterns or constructs that were placed there by someone else.  The energies this week will challenge you around those wounded places.  However, this is not about re-wounding but is meant to help you find the places that still need healing.  Now is the time to shed old thoughts and rebuild with self-love and kindness.

 

Sagittarius
Estelle Chretien , the bed

*Magician – The Muse of Experimentation is here to help you manifest an idea or project into existence.  This muse comes when something is starting to stagnate or is literally no longer working for you.  The challenge is investigating solutions and processes and less about a finished product.  This can look like trying out new foods for a new health regime, trying new ways to get home that are less stressful, playing with how you use your time, or literally the trial and error of building something into world.   The key is letting your errors guide you more or as much as your successes.

 

Capricorn
Estelle Chretien , Domestic Dance, made from mops

Heart of Water – The Muse of Fun comes when you are taking life too seriously.  She would like you to take breaks from the grind by inducing more laughter and love in your life.  Whether that is hanging out with a goofy pet, watching stand-up, or hanging with friends, find time these two weeks to indulge in the pleasantries of socializing.  And if you aren’t invited to a party, start your own.

 

Aquarius
Estelle Chretien, property

*Judgement – The Muse of Evolution has come to coax you to evolve you or something in your environment to the next level.  This can look like taking your cooking to a new level, creating an extra aspect to a project, upping your game at work, starting a new career or diving into your spiritual practice.  This energy is about transformation.  The muses ask you, what one thing needs a complete renewal in your life?

 

Pisces
Estelle Chretien

*Justice – Your big energy work continues for the next two weeks.  Last week your work was around purpose.  This week the energy is around accountability.  So hopefully you did your work around purpose and goals, so you can jump right in and start making plans and schedules on how to make this dream happen.  So yes, the muse would like you to make yourself accountable in some way to your plans.  She reminds you that a reward system is better than a punishment one.    Even if it is as simple as putting a gold star on each day you accomplish an action that supports your goals.

Tarot and Art-cast for Aug 11-24, 2024

Rinko Kawauchi
Rinko Kawauchi

The artist is Rinko KawauchiKawauchi’s photography and books are images of the everyday, a mixture of abstract and portraits, that lead us as viewers to larger ponderings about light, memories, time and death.  She focuses on the small things that add up to our daily existence, but when we experience them, we often do not notice their awe, or their importance.  These recollections become reflective conjuries that we cherish when they reoccur.   The smell of pie or bread, an occasional rainbow from a glass by a window, the chirping of crickets, our parents calling us in from a night of play, the feel of cool water on a hot day…  These memories become our connective tissue within our lifetime. We feel cozy because they hold familiarity not only to our own timeline but connecting us to similar experiences in others.

Your pondering:  As summer is closing and the light begins to shift, now is the time to soak in the days and daily life of summer.  My favorite part of summer is the light that filters through the trees, the sparkle of water and that cozy hazy feeling you get waking from a summer nap.  What are your small memories that remind you of the “light” in summer?

Solar System highlights

The moon begins this week in Scorpio – follow your passion.  Then on Tuesday it moves into Sagittarius – go exploring.    On Friday it moves into Capricorn – look at if your structures support your emotions.  On Sunday August 18th it moves into Aquarius – daydream.  Tuesday August 20th, it moves into Pisces – go with the flow.  On Thursday August 22nd the moon is in Aries – a great time to start a project.  And we finish with the moon in Taurus on Saturday – a time for enjoying the good things in life.

Mercury is now retrograde until August 28th.  Remember this is the universe’s rest-stop on the highway of Life.  A great time to recharge, reflect, and redo. Right now, it is in Virgo until August 14th.  This aspect is here to teach us how to be precise and direct in our conversations. The challenge is not to come off too harsh. Then it rolls back into Leo until September 9th giving us our second chance to shine in our storytelling skills and to highlight others.

Venus is in Virgo where we can work on being authentic within our relationships and thus ourselves.   But again, we have the challenge of being too harsh on others and ourselves.  And then Mars is in Gemini making sure our actions follow our words or our thinking.

Jupiter, the planet of abundance and growth, is in Gemini until June of 2025.   This aspect is here to help us work with opportunities to grow and succeed through intellectual, verbal, and written pursuits.  However, we must also watch its challenging aspects:   not following through, gossip, too much information and fickleness.   And lastly Saturn is in Pisces until February 2026 teaching us how to be more fluid and inclusive in our structures.

EXTRA

*** Signs with an * it is a big week for you.  Leo this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And  Aquarius  it is your halfway mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in, now is the time. And I have a tip jar if you want to leave a gratuity for the tarot & art-casts.

**** I am experimenting.   I have switched from using the older suits name (pentacles, cups, swords, and wands) to a more elemental way of reading them which is earth, water, air, and fire.  Also, I would like to leave the binary and feudal system of the RWS’s court cards.  So, the RWS old version is Page, Knight, Queen, and King is changing to Heart (pure embodiment of element), Body (moving the element), Spirit (living the element) and Mind (taking care of the element).

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

Nina

 

Aries
Rinko Kawauchi
Rinko Kawauchi

*High Priestess – The Muse of Sacred Purpose comes when, in this moment in time, you are needed.  You may not realize that opening that door for someone reignites optimism in them, or that conversation changes someone’s perspective.  You are aligned with your higher purpose even when doing these little acts.  This Muse reminds you that these gifts of sacredness, of seeing someone, comes when you are being your most authentic self.  You are the change in the world.

Taurus
Rinko Kawauchi
Rinko Kawauchi

*Judgement – The Muse of Transformation is assisting your hand, heart and mind to evolve an aspect of your life.  These transformation should feel refreshing, uplifting and liberating you from old paradigms.   This is a perfect alignment with Mercury’s retrograde aspects of relaxation, review and redo.  Take these next two weeks to look at what constructs you have, are they supporting you?  Are you getting to the next level with them.  Do they uplift you?  Time to redesign and refine.

Gemini
Rinko Kawauchi
Rinko Kawauchi

Heart of Air – Use this time with Mercury in retrograde to do some investigative work.  This muse advises that you need more information before making any decisions during this time.   Now is the time to read between the lines, ask more questions, and do a deeper study into what vexes you.  The answers and solutions are out there but you will need to do the leg work and keep your eyes, ears and mind open for the information, data and clues.

Cancer
Rinko Kawauchi

*Empress – The Muse of Creativity is here to inspire you for the next two weeks.  She asks what you would like to grow for the next 9-10 months.  And with this planet configuration this is a great time to plan more than do.  So that means getting ideas for winter projects now.  And getting the supplies ready so you have a head start in the fall to just start creating.   Also, this muse reminds you to spend some time during these two weeks to nurture yourself.  Remember this retrograde is about relaxing, revisiting and redoing and for you less of the latter and more of the first two.

Leo
Rinko Kawauchi
Rinko Kawauchi

Ten of Air – So the Muse of Drama will help you navigate these next two weeks.  For outside forces are sending some turbulence in your direction.  The key to navigating these waves is to follow your instincts.  If your inner self says no, then don’t go.  This is not a time to push through things.  Remember with Mercury in retrograde setbacks are heralds to what isn’t working, and this time is perfect for reworking and reflecting.   So, your best maxim is to avoid conflict, this is not the time to make waves.

Virgo
Rinko Kawauchi

Three of Air – The last two weeks had rough spots and hopefully you remained courageous by being truthful with your part of the creation of some of those bumps in the road.   And now the Muse of Healing has come to help you work on healing why those bumps were bumps at all.  This Mercury retrograde is in your sign for most of its time, so the spotlight is on you and how you get your ideas and feelings across.  The major key is touch versus talk.  So, this Muse would like you to find ways to express your affection with less convo and more hugs and hand holding.

 

Libra
Rinko Kawauchi

*Strength – These next two weeks are going to challenge you to know yourself, your limits, as well as your strengths.  The Muse of Courage is going to stand by you to help. She would like you to spend this retrograde pondering this quote from Brene Brown: “Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”  Time to open up. 

Scorpio
Rinko Kawauchi

*Sun – Awesome you all get another two weeks to play in and with abundance. The Muse of Optimism would like to work with you during this retrograde by having you work with the ponderings:  What is the best that can happen?  And what if you look for the light/lite in situations?  So instead of worrying about the worst-case scenario, you look for the best-case scenario.

Sagittarius
Rinko Kawauchi

Body of Fire – These next two weeks you are blessed with being at the right place at the right time.  The Muse of Adventure and Imagination is here to remind you that your timing is perfect for the coming weeks.  Even if you are stopped or challenged it has a greater purpose then what you might be seeing in the present.  This energy is about forward movement in innovative and creative ways.  The keys are following your intuition as well as being motivated for the things that are set into motion during these next two weeks.

 

Capricorn
Rinko Kawauchi

Five of Water – These next two weeks the Muse of Spilled Milk has come to help you clean up messes.  This energy could be used literally as a time to deep clean your house and/or metaphorically to tidy up your emotional self with restocking your emotional resources and finding time to rest.

 

Aquarius
Rinko Kawauchi

Six of Earth – The Muse of Kindness would like you to spend these two weeks racking up karma points by doing small acts of kindness.  This is about simplicity not extravagance.  Examples are picking wildflowers for your sweetie or bringing home a single Gerber daisy. Opening doors for strangers.   Leaving appreciation notes to your server or delivery person.  You can even leave anonymous and random good vibes notes in public places.

 

Pisces
Rinko Kawauchi
Rinko Kawauchi

Spirit of Air – The Muse of Flow comes when you need to pay attention to the details to help things move along with ease.  This can be reading the fine print, listening to both sides of a story, immediately cleaning up after yourself in the kitchen, spending an extra five minutes getting ready, etc.  Spend these next two weeks attending to these small but useful tasks.  By taking the time to see and understand the micro, you’ll be able to handle the macro with more finesse.

Tarot and Art-cast for June 30 – July 13, 2024

Gordon Cheung
Gardens of Perfect Brightness, Gordon Cheung

Happy birth month Cancerians.

The artist this week Gordon Cheung @gordoncheung.  (Please go to his sites  for the close up to these.)  Cheung is a contemporary multi-media artist that uses 3-D printing methods, AI generated flowers, financial newspapers, acrylic paint and sand to create 3-d features that intersect the real and the surreal.   His landscapes and still life paintings reflect on how global capitalism and colonialism affects us in history through modern times.

For example, his landscapes series uses Yuanmingyuan imperial scroll stolen by France during the looting and burning of the Summer Palace in Beijing during the Opium Wars.  That war was started to force China to trade opium that then lead to the colonization and annexing of Hong Kong.  And we can see how that has had consequences for the people in modern day Hong Kong. Or his still life flowers series he explains: “In part they are about the rise and fall of civilizations, as well as the romantic language of still-life painting:  futile materialism and fragile mortality reflected by the transient beauty of flowers.”

Your pondering: Colonialism, the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically, has had a long and sorted history in almost every part of the world.  Often, we believe that this practice doesn’t exist in modern times.  Though the situation in the Middle East we can see its repercussions in real time.  But also, this mindset still infiltrates our hivemind expressed in examples in politics, corporate takeovers, Apple’s “ecosystem”, and even in our justification of global expansion. How does colonization or its mindset impact your life?

Solar System highlights

The moon begins in Taurus – time to ground yourself.  Then on Wednesday it moves into Gemini – exchanges of information is highlighted.  Friday the moon moves into Cancer- self-care is your top priority for the weekend.  On Sunday the 7th it moves into Leo – focus on aspects that help you and others shine.  Then on Wednesday July 10th the moon moves into Virgo – great for organizing and clearing off your desk or checking off to-do lists.  And then it moves into Libra on Friday the 12th – spend time with friends and family this weekend.

Mercury moves into Leo on Monday – great for storytelling but the challenge is balancing talking with listening. Also, Venus is in Cancer until July 11th – wanting us to center in on making a home homier. Then moves into Leo switches our focus to from our homes to being generous in our relationships.  Mars is still in Taurus giving us the stamina to finish projects or bring something from the back-burner forward.

Jupiter, the planet of abundance and growth, is in Gemini until June of 2025.   This aspect is here to help us work with opportunities to grow and succeed through intellectual, verbal, and written pursuits.  However, we must also watch its challenging aspects:   not following through, gossip, too much information and fickleness.   And lastly Saturn is in Pisces until February 2026 teaching us how to be more fluid and inclusive in our structures.

EXTRA

*** Signs with an * it is a big week for you.  Cancer this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Capricorn it is your halfway mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in, now is the time. And I have a tip jar if you want to leave a gratuity for the tarot & art-casts.

**** I am experimenting.   I have switched from using the older suits name (pentacles, cups, swords, and wands) to a more elemental way of reading them which is earth, water, air, and fire.  Also, I would like to leave the binary and feudal system of the RWS’s court cards.  So, the RWS old version is Page, Knight, Queen, and King is changing to Heart (pure embodiment of element), Body (moving the element), Spirit (living the element) and Mind (taking care of the element).

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

Nina

 

Aries
Gordon Cheung
Engraved Moon and Unfolding Clouds, Gordon Cheung

Queen of Earth – The last two weeks the muses had asked you to build.  Challenging you with questions of durability, realism and altruism.  Now the Muse of Luxury would like to ask you why do you build?  What is your motivation for working?  And are you able to enjoy the benefits of that work?  She challenges if you are not getting anything out of a focus why are you doing it?  And if you are getting what you need, spend time these next two weeks enjoying the harvests of your work.

Taurus
Talkers, Gordon Cheung

*Lovers – The Muse of Connection is hanging with you all this week.  She challenges you to take a deep dive into your relationships.  Are you connecting with the ones you love on a more intimate level?  Or open enough to invite new people into your circle?  This focus can take form in hanging out and just being with your chosen ones, checking in with someone you haven’t had an intimate convo within a while, or create stronger bonds with someone you want to get to know better.  One of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of humaning is connection.  This period is a great time to flex your social muscle.

Gemini
Gordon Cheung
Heavenly Lake, Gordon Cheung

Two of Water – The Muse of Relationships would like you to work feeling balanced and harmonious in your close relationships.  She especially would like you to work with the concept of reciprocity.  Defined as “the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit”.  This rebalancing not only creates connection but fills both yours and others emotional cups.  Find time these next two weeks to clink glasses with the ones you love, that love you back.

Cancerian
Gordon Cheung
Augury, Gordon Cheung

Spirit of Fire – The Muse of Enchantment would like you all to take these two weeks to call in some magic into your coming year.  Aspects like ways to help you be more curious, creative, more aligned with your intuition, or more in tune with your environment.  She recommends you do this asking along with a ritual.  It can be as simple as preparing your wishes days before you blow out your birthday candles or as complex as creating an altar to yourself.

Leo
Gordon Cheung
River, Gordon Cheung

Six of Air – In preparation of your birth month the Muse of Simplicity would like you to hone aspects of your life down.  She challenges you with questions like – if you could only focus on one thing for next year what would it be?  Or what are you physically, mental or emotional carrying that no longer serves you?  Now is the time to let it go, so you can transition into this new birth year less encumbered, more focused and with ease.

Virgo
Gordon Cheung
Pearl of the Yangtze, Gordon Cheung

*Emperor – The Muse of Building has come to spend the next two weeks with you.  This muse challenges you to focus building, broadening, strengthening or finishing projects.  Think of these next two weeks full of kinetic energy that you can direct into anything and move it to the next level. The challenge is being truthful with who and why you are doing this building.  So watch if the building is only for status or greed this muse suggest you are going in the wrong direction.

 

Libra
Gordon Cheung
Merciful Clouds Protect All, Gordon Cheung

Two of Air – Decisions fill our lives on the daily but these next two weeks can feel muddy in which way to go.  In swoops the Muse of Choices to help you navigate these coming hazy days.  She suggests first and foremost do you need to make the decision right now?  Often this muse arises when you need more info before deciding.  Secondly, if you do need to decide now, she suggest following you heart instead of your mind.  What you think is logically will lead you astray with the energies around these two weeks.

Scorpio
Gordon Cheung
Pacific Century, Gordon Cheung

*Magician – The Muse of Experimentation has come to hang with you for the coming two weeks.  Usually, this energy comes when you need to try things out before you begin manifesting.  She reminds you that you have all the tools you need to work out solutions and play with ideas.  So think about playing with combinations or tweaking processes than manifesting a whole new makeover.

Sagittarius
Megalopolis, Gordon Cheung

*Strength – The Muse of Inner Strength comes when you need to work on your resolutions around some aspect of your life.  Maybe you are reinforcing your boundaries, or you made a promise that you haven’t stuck to.  This muse is not here to reprimand but to have you re-enforce why you had set up these regulations in the first place.  If your reasons for doing it have changed then change the resolve to match and if they have not now is the time to double down on your comment to yourself.

 

Capricorn
Gordon Cheung
Gordon Cheung

Body of Fire – The Muses would like you to spend your energy these next two weeks connecting and working with art and/or nature.  This energy often comes when you need to work with your creative and/or spiritual self.  Or when one feels stuck or has lost one’s zing.  By working with art or nature you re-connect with the aspect of awe.  And Awe helps us connect to the universe, curiosity and ardor.

 

Aquarius
Tears of Paradise, Gordon Cheung

Spirit of Water – The Muse of Fun is here to help you get out of your head.  This Muse reminds you to take the world, your work, your life less seriously.  Yes, aspects of life and humaning might not be all sunshine and roses.  But adding to the cynicism and negativity also doesn’t help.  So, these next two weeks work on your empathy with yourself and humanity.

 

Pisces
Augury of Xian, Gordon Cheung

*High Priestess – The Muse of Intuition would like you to hone your skill and possible your belief in your intuition.  She recommends trying this experiment.  What if you didn’t for the next two weeks, second guess yourself and just go with your gut.  So, every time you start a thought with what if or should I you just check in with your intuition.  Now she also reminds you that because she comes when you are most doubtful, she asks that you be patient to find out the outcomes of this experiment.  Intuition isn’t always an easy left or right but more of a meandering path full of information and wonder.

Tarot and Art-cast for May 19-June 1, 2024

fox
Baby red fox Vulpes vulpes

Happy Birth-month Gemini!

The artist this week is Mother Nature again. Yes, I highlighted her work a month ago but….

Every morning, I take a walk around our acre and see what is new in the yard.  It is spring here.  The leaves are my favorite color, lime green and the flowers are popping.

As I walk, I watch where my mom’s dog, Patsy, nose points.  I wonder what animal traces she is smelling that have traversed across the lawn overnight. This past Monday Patsy was interested in a very specific spot in the woods.  And as I searched the landscape for the typical chipmunks or squirrels out popped 3 little baby fox heads!  As you all may know, one of my last names is Fox, hence the fox and the tarot.  Anyway, this event has made my week, so I thought I would share.

The pic above is one of the babies, a red fox, vulpes vulpes. Red foxes are the most common of the 27 fox species in the world.  “Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail (“brush”).

Twelve species belong to the monophyletic “true fox” group of genus Vulpes. Approximately another 25 current or extinct species are always or sometimes called foxes; these foxes are either part of the paraphyletic group of the South American foxes, or of the outlying group, which consists of the bat-eared fox, gray fox, and island fox.”[1]

In the mythology and literature that surround foxes, they are often tricksters.  I, however, favor the Japanese tales of the kitsune.  Stories that portrays them as messengers of the gods and good luck.

Your pondering for this week:  What’s your favorite animal and why?

Solar System highlights

The moon begins in Libra – harmony and balance are the focus. On Tuesday the moon moves into Scorpio – follow your passion.  Then on Thursday it moves into Sagittarius – get out and explore.    On Sunday May 26th the moon moves into Capricorn – great for prepping for the work week.  On Tuesday May 28th it moves into Aquarius helping us think outside the box.  And we finish the two weeks with the moon in Pisces starting on May 30th Thursday – wanting us to go with the flow.

Mercury moves into Taurus to hang with Venus so communication will be smoother.  Venus in Taurus until May 23rd – prompting us to focus on grounding and how we love. Then Venus moves into Gemini, having us work on how to create harmony through communication also a great time for delving into the arts and how your environment speaks or doesn’t about who you are.   Mars is the last space body to hang in Aries, so until June 9th giving energy to propel beginnings.

And then Jupiter, the planet of abundance and growth, moves into Gemini on May 26th for a year.   To help us work on opportunities to grow and succeed through intellectual, verbal, and written pursuits.  However, we must also watch its challenging aspects:   not following through, gossip, too much information and fickleness.

 

EXTRA

*** Signs with an * it is a big week for you.  Gemini this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Sagittarius it is your halfway mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in now is the time. And I have a tip jar if you want to leave a gratuity for the weekly forecasts.

**** I am experimenting.   I have switched from using the older suits name (pentacles, cups, swords, and wands) to a more elemental way of reading them which is earth, water, air, and fire.  Also, I would like to leave the binary and feudal system of the RWS’s court cards.  So, the RWS old version is Page, Knight, Queen, and King is changing to Heart (pure embodiment of element), Body (moving the element), Spirit (living the element) and Mind (taking care of the element).

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

Nina

 

Aries
fox
Ruppell’s fox- Vulpes rueppelli

*Chariot – The Muse of Self-Motivation is prompting you this week to get your bearings and then get moving.  Spring has sprung and you are in the beginning of a new birth year.  This energy is giving you a green light to move forward, but your work for the next two weeks is:  do you have a clear view of your goals?  This muse asks where you want to be this time next year?  Once you have that destination in mind use this time to push yourself or project forward.  The universe will give you the gas, but you need the map and the will, to push the pedal to the metal.

 

Taurus
Fox
Kit fox-Vulpes macrotis

Ace of Fire – Your second ace.  All aces represent new beginnings.  The last two weeks this was about revamping old constructs.  Now the muses want you to play and experiment with your creativity.   They ask when was the last time you played a musical instrument, drew, tinkered?  The muses are wanting you to revamp not only your thought processes around creativity but also how you create.  And the best way is to just play with ideas, preferable using the arts and/or nature.  Think creating seed bombs, en plein air/painting outside, playing and recording  music under a bridge or in your bathroom, collage the last four pictures on your phone, etc…..

 

Gemini
Fox
Tibetan fox- Vulpes ferrilata

Nine of Earth – The Muse of Enjoyment would like you to enjoy these next two weeks.  Enjoyment is defined as the “state or process of taking pleasure in something.”  Pleasure is “a feeling of happy satisfaction.”  And satisfaction is the “fulfillment of one’s wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this.”  So, this muse is wanting you to dive into the feeling of fulfilling a wish, expectations, or need.  And if it doesn’t satisfy you in some way, she asks why are you doing it?

 

 

Cancer
Fox
Fennec Fox Vulpes zerda

Eight of Earth – The Muse of Skills would like to remind you that you have talents.  And in these net two weeks those competences are going to be put to the test.  This period isn’t hard because you are a pro and already have all the skills you need to tackle whatever comes up.  You got this.  She is just here to remind you of two isms:  Quality over quantity and work smarter not harder.

 

Leo
Cape Fox Vulpes chama

Two of Fire – What!?  The Muse of Future is continuing to hang with you for the rest of the month to chat about expanding your horizons.  Maybe the last two weeks you didn’t push out your boundaries enough. You stayed in your comfort zone.  Or maybe you need more time doing it.  So, keep pushing the envelope, especially around your creative self.  The muses are pushing you to expand further.

 

Virgo
Pale Fox Vulpes pallida

Mind of Fire – The last two weeks the Muse of Taming wanted you to work with your inner chaos.  Now the Muse of Creative Perfectionism has come to help you focus.  Now Creative Perfectionism is not perfectionism so much as being, seeing and utilizing the perfectly imperfect.  She would like you to work with imperfection in the most creative way.  So instead of throwing something out think repurpose, reuse, recycle instead.

 

Libra
Blandfords fox Vulpes cana

*Hermit – The Muse of Perspective advises that these next two weeks you pull back from situations to get a better perspective on the issues.   This muse usually comes when you are too close or too involved in a situation to see a truth or a solution.  So, for the next two weeks engage less and observe more before you jump back into the fray.

 

Scorpio
Artic Fox Vulpes lagopus

*Star – The Muse of Healing comes when it is a perfect time to take a dive deep into a healing practice.  This could be as simple as starting or increasing your meditation time or as complex as beginning the path of healing an old trauma.  The key is to elevate and innovate your self-care practices so you can alleviate the part of you that is still carry this hurt.

 

Sagittarius
Bengal Fox-Vulpes bengalensis

Three of Air – The Muse of Deep Wounds comes when some event opens an old wound.  The muse prompts you not to relive the trauma, but to use this situation as a reminder that there is still a part of you that needs to heal.  The challenge is that the reminder comes in threes or there are three aspects that still need to be healed. The key is focusing on the healing not the hurting.

 

Capricorn
Swift-fox-vulpes velox

Ten of Earth – The Muse of Plenty is hanging with you these next two weeks to have you work on the concept “there is enough”.  Tens usually indicate a summation, success or ending.  The challenge with this energy is taking advantage and finding enjoyment of this ending or success before jumping into a new project.  She also is a harbinger that you deserve abundance not because you have worked hard for it, suffered for it or because of a sense of worthy or unworthiness, but just as a gift for existing.

 

Aquarius
Gray Fox-Urocyon-cinereoargenteus

Mind of Earth – The last two weeks the Muse of Building came to help you build part of your life bigger and bolder.  Now the little brother of that energy the Muse of Making has come to continue the project.  This is a great energy for getting things done.  So, get your to-do lists, it is time to make things happen.

 

Pisces
Corsac Fox Vulpes corsac

Heart of Earth – Interesting you got the Muse of Learning again.  So, either you didn’t get to the recommended skill building or you need more time to hone this new skill.  So as a reminder, let’s go over this again.   This Muse shows up when upping your game and adding to your skill set will be required in the near future.  This education doesn’t have to be just about work.  You can be about learning to fix something around the house or take a class in a subject you have been interested in.  She does, however, remind you that following your heart is as important as following the green.