Tag Archives: the fox and the tarot

Tarot and Art-cast for Sept 8-21, 2024

Margaret Watts Hughes
Margaret Watts Hughes
Margaret Watts Hughes
Margaret Watts Hughes

The artist, singer and inventor this week is Margaret Watts Hughes.  Hughes invented a device, the eidophone (from the Greek eido-to see and phone- voice/sound).  She found that with this device and powder, seeds or sand, she could see the geometrics of her voice and the notes themselves to create shapes.  Hughes called these voice-figures or voice flowers.   She then used colored glycerin on a glass plate.  And from that she sang the above and below pictures into existence.

Your pondering:  How lucky we are to be in a time when sound is recorded.  We can listen to a song or someone’s voice without the confines time.  But I often wonder because we can hear it again, do we lose the preciousness of it when it is happening the first time.  What would it have been like to hear a song only once?

Solar System highlights

The moon begins this week in Scorpio – follow your passion.  Then on Tuesday it moves into Sagittarius – go exploring.    On Thursday it moves into Capricorn – use this energy to get things.  On Saturday the Moon moves into Aquarius – time to daydream.  Monday Sept. 16th it moves into Pisces – start the week by going with the flow.  On Wednesday Sept. 18th the moon is in Aries – a great time to start a project.  And we finish with the moon in Taurus on Friday – enjoy and savor the good things in life.

Mercury moves into Virgo until September 26th.  Once again sharpening our conversation skills to be precise and direct but not harsh.  Venus is in Libra – this is her home and a good time for us to readjust and rebalance.  Harmony is the key and the gift.  And then Mars moves into 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.

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.  Virgo this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And  Pisces  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.

**** 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
Margaret Watts Hughes
Margaret Watts Hughes

Ten of Water – The Muse of Happiness has come to visit with you for two whole weeks.  She comes to remind you that life, no matter the circumstances, still holds beauty.  Whether it is a stranger’s smile, your barista knowing your order, a child’s hug, hanging with a friend, your pet giving you affection, a butterfly fluttering past you…  This muse challenges you to understand happiness appears often but is fleeting.  So, take time when each moment of bliss occurs during this period.  Soak it in.

 

Taurus
Margaret Watts Hughes
Margaret Watts Hughes

Nine of Water – The Muse of Satisfaction comes to you this period to help you navigate perfectionism and being content with what is then what could be. The muses would like to remind you that you all are the foundational sign of the zodiac.  You represent earth in its most natural state.  The goddess Gia walks with you every day of your life.  Now this muse would like you to think of a leaf with a hole in it.  That hole fed an insect.  Or think upon a tree fall in a forest, it makes way for new and more diverse plant growth.  Nature teaches us that our perceived imperfections are gateways. Places that feed new beginnings and growth.

 

Gemini
Margaret Watts Hughes
Margaret Watts Hughes

Ten of Air – All tens represent an ending.  The Ten of Air is an ending of a way of communicating, thought process or a drama that is in your life.  The muses remind you to follow your intuition during this time.  If you need to put a project or person on hold, do so in these coming weeks.  These weeks may have some challenges, but they are put there to strengthen your intuition as well as have you reflect on your own hubris.  Taking ego out of the situation will help guide you to see that you may not have to engage with these scenarios like you think you do.

 

Cancerian
Margaret Watts Hughes
Margaret Watts Hughes

Eight of Fire – The Muse of Messages comes when there is a lot of information coming at you.  She advises navigate this onslaught of intelligence by knowing your priorities and goals, so you can utilize the information that you actually need.  The big challenge with this energy is not feeling as if you need to make haste with any decision.  You all can feel a vibe like no other sign, so trust your superb crabby intuition while sifting through the intel.

 

Leo
Margaret Watts Hughes

*Death – Another big energy week for you all.  This week is about change.  The gorgeous aspect of this kind of change is that it works with the Universe and is very much about natural cycles.  The challenge for you is to mimic the ebb and flow of this energy model.  So, if you find that you lose interest, or something begins to pull away or die off then let it. For either that energy will grow into something new and more suitable to what you need now.   Or it will cycle back just like the seasons or the setting and rising of the sun.  The muses remind you to not push but to fall in with the groove of the now and is.

 

Virgo
Margaret Watts Hughes

Nine of Fire – The Muse of Preparation comes when you need to take time to plan out not only your day to day but also the coming couple of seasons.  This energy falls right into place with not only your birth month but also your general vibe.  You all do better if you are prepared.  It’s not that you can’t fly by the seat of your pants but the more prepared you are the easier it is for you to tackle the unexpected.

 

Libra
Margaret Watts Hughes

*Devil – The Muse of Exams comes when circumstances are testing your resolve and principles.  So, this muse becomes your cheerleader and task-keeper to help you navigate these times.  She reminds you that you are ready and equipped to handle these tribulations.  Ultimately you have the tools and knowledge to work through the ups and downs of the coming weeks.  The key is to be true to who you have become.       

 

Scorpio
Margaret Watts Hughes

Five of Earth – The fives are the cards of chaos.  And this energy works on the material plane, usually around finances or at least your perception of yours.  The Muse of Lack has you looking at what aspects in your life are lacking?   Yes, she said material plane but this sense of lack is more tied into your emotional or intellectual realms.  This muse challenges you to look at where you over-indulge and the whys behind it.  If you can work on healing what was lacking by, for example love from a partner or parent, you can turn around this poverty mind-set.   As RuPaul says: “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”

 

Sagittarius
Margaret Watts Hughes

*Strength – The Muse of Inner Wisdom is hanging out with you for the next two weeks.  She would like you to dive deep into the whys behind what you are doing on the material plane.  Are they aligned with who you are and what you stand for?  What part of your inner landscape needs strengthening to have a stronger resolve to live the life you are meant to live?  You have a solid foundation, now is the time to strength and ground yourself, for the months ahead.  This is not about prepping for only the more challenging aspects but also to be grounded enough to relish the exquisite ones.

 

Capricorn
Margaret Watts Hughes

Eight of Earth – The Muse of Work comes to give you energy to put towards the tasks you would like to focus on. This energy shows up when you need to concentrate on what is at hand more than what will be.  This energy is about productivity, handiwork and working with your superpowers to get sh**t done.  So, gardening/work gloves on and get to it.

 

Aquarius
Margaret Watts Hughes

Ace of Earth – All aces signify a new beginning.  This energy would like you to focus on the material plane. What would you like to manifest on this earthly plane?   Yes, do some work seeding this idea or project, but also mantras of abundance and flourishing are helpful.

 

Pisces
Margaret Watts Hughes

*High Priestess – The Muse of Sacred Mysteries is hanging out with you all for the next two weeks.  She shows up to hone your intuition as well as give you sage advice.  The challenge is she does it with twists, turns, synchronicities, déjà vu and in dreams.  You can ask her questions just know they most likely with be veiled in riddles and repetition.   So, eyes, ears, and mind open to the muses planting easter eggs to help you on your higher path.  Your motto: “Your passions in life should fit you exactly but your purpose in life should exceed you.” – Kevin Kelly

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.

Tarot and Art-cast for April 21 – May 4, 2024

nature photography
Amet Eshel Nubian Ibex

Happy birth month Taurus!

The artists this week are the winners of the World Nature Photography Awards.  Every year around Earth Day I highlight nature photography awards winners.  In the past the only way for people to see animals and plants from other places was museums and illustrations.  Now with photography we can get a literal birds-eye view of our world.   And the more we can see the world the more we can understand it and then protect it.  As Chief Dan George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation said: “If you talk to the animals, they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them, you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys.” So go out, get close to the flora and fauna and do some of your own nature photography.

Your pondering for this week:  We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren, and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can’t speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish, and trees.”- Qwatsinas  (Hereditary Chief Edward Moody), Nuxalk Nation.  What do you or can you pledge to do this year to help care for Mother Nature?

Solar System highlights

The moon begins in Libra – harmony and balance are the focus. On Wednesday the moon moves into Scorpio – follow your passion.  Then on Friday it moves into Sagittarius – get out, explore, and let fun be the focus.    On Sunday April 28th the moon moves into Capricorn – great for prepping for the work week.  On Wednesday May 1st it moves into Aquarius helping us think outside the box.  And we finish the two weeks with the moon in Pisces starting on Friday – wanting us to go with the flow.

Mercury is in Aries until May 15th giving us a crash course in learning to say what we need in a non-reactive way and working on making sure our actions follow our words.  And we finish with it in retrograde April 25th.  Venus stays with Mercury until April 29th during this teachable moment, giving us more grace when we are attempting to better our communication skills. Then Venus moves into Taurus, it’s home sign prompting us to focus on grounding and how we love.

Mars is still in Pisces with Saturn until April 30th.   And they are prompting us to act on being adaptable, especially in our day-to-day life.  Then Mars will join Mercury pushing us into action around how we communicate. However, from April 30th to May 15th this push can be dangerous.  We need to be careful that our actions follow our words.   And that we can curb being judgmental and harshness in our communication. In our words watch your tongue.

EXTRA

*** 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. 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
nature photography
Tracey Lund – Gannets

Nine of Air – To finish off your birth month the muses would like you to work with your worries for the coming year.  They suggest you write all of them out. Then vehemently cross off the ones you have no control over.  And with the rest, prioritize the list, and when Mercury goes direct on April 25th you can start working through them one by one.  With all these planets in your sign you need to focus slowing your mind down.

 

Taurus
nature photography
Miki Spitzer – Iceland glacier

*Death – The Muse of Organic Change would like you to spend the next two weeks doing some composting of ideas and/or projects that no longer work for you.  The challenge is seeing that what “use to work” still contributes to what you are trying to change.  In essence your past feeds your future.  So, if you deny or toss it away you can not use it as fuel for your potential growth.

 

Gemini
nature photography
Jouni Erola – Swan

Heart of Air – The Twin Muses of Inhaling and Exhaling are asking for the next two weeks to breath.  Now the challenge from these two is about the silence between the breaths.  By tunning into these breaks internally, you can tune into the subtle silences around you.   Listen to “the feel” of the story instead of the plot.  Read between the lines in a conversation.  Be curious, ask questions and deep listen to the answers.

 

Cancer
Bill Klipp Sally Light Foot Crabs

Three of Earth – The last two week the Muse of Building had you looking at adaptability in what you are developing.  These next two weeks the Muse of Collaboration would like you to focus on what you need or are lacking in skill and knowledge to further this project or idea. Then ask for help to fill in the gaps.  As they say 2 heads are better than 1, but 3 heads and 6 hands are even better, so expand your resources for intel and support.

 

Leo
nature photography
John Seager – Marine Iguana and Lava Lizard

Six of Earth – The Muse of Giving would like you to take part in an exchange of knowledge, love, or resources for the next two weeks.  By helping someone else, you begin to see that you are worthy of being helped yourself.  Giving goes both ways or it becomes self-centered. And remember the exchange does not have to be tit for tat or linear.  Be open to receiving from a stranger and that giving or getting does not have to be solely a physical exchange.

 

Virgo
nature photography
Richard Lee Cheetah

*Magician – The Muse of Manifestation is hanging with you for the next two weeks.  She usually shows up to help you in the process of creating.  Because either the universe doesn’t know what you want because you don’t, or there is an aspect(s) that needs to be tweaked. So, she suggests writing down what you are wanting to manifest or if you are in the process of creation what isn’t flowing.  The latter can look like you have missed a vital step in creation or a step in the process isn’t viable and needs an alternative.  This period is about experimentation.

 

Libra
nature photography
Chatree Lertsintanakorn – Thismia thaithongiana

Nine of Fire – The Muse of Resilience would like you to assess where you are at and what you need for the coming weeks.  She usually shows up when things are about to become busy.  So, she prompts to do things like fill up your freezer with readymade dinners and your pantry with on-the-go snacks.  Or do you have all the components for the coming projects?  Now is the time to chop wood and carry water to prep for the press of the coming months.

 

Scorpio
nature photography
Ivan Pedretti – Iceland

Six of Fire – The Muse of Celebration would like you to take these next two weeks and bask in all that you have accomplished since 2022.  She especially shows up for some of you that feel as if you have not accomplished anything.  Looking at the steps big or small that you have taken to get to the here and is pretty amazing.  Take a moment to reconnect and enjoy what you have created, for you need the rest and jubilation to ready you for the coming challenges before your next birthday.

 

Sagittarius
nature photography
Nicholas Remy Angler Fish

*Strength – The Muse of Poise has arrived on your doorstep to have you show off your best side.  Poise is defined as “a dignified, self-confident manner or bearing; composure; self-possession: to show poise in company. Synonyms: refinement, grace, polish, self-confidence, steadiness; stability: intellectual poise.” So Centaurians these next two weeks the muses advise to be less like the freewheeling half-horse and more like Chiron the great educator. Show your demurer side so people can see your true strength.

 

Capricorn
Rafal Dymarkowski -Frog

Ten of Water – The Muse of Happiness is visiting you these next two weeks, to remind you that all work and no play makes Jill/Jack a dull person.  This is not an ease card for you goats.  For most of you after “kid” hood forget how to frolic and kick up your hooves.  You have replaced it with the perpetual mountain climbing that you innately do.  So, your challenge for the next two weeks is to find some time to enjoy life too.

 

Aquarius
Giovanni Crisafulli – Jellyfish

Four of Air – Holy Moly it has happened again, the Muse of Rest is back. This is now 8 weeks of the muses begging you to relax.  Yes, you all took some time off because the big momma of rest the Muse of Healing backed-off.  But you still need to pay attention to your output in comparison to your input.  Health and rest are still your focus for another two weeks.  Some examples can be as simple as getting massage, taking a three-day weekend, having a designated daily unplug time, or scheduling more activities that lighten you up without tiring you out.   (And just the statistic it is a 3 out of a 10 million chance that I would pull the same card 4 times in a row.  So, if you can’t listen to the Woo listen to the math.)  Get some rest.

 

Pisces
Philip Hamilton – Humpback Whale

Four of Fire – The Muse of Happy Home would like you to focus on making your environments cozy.  You can concentrate on your home, neighborhood, workspace, and the ultimate goal of the world at large.  She asks what support you need to feel safe, secure, and stable in your environment(s).   So, examples are finding like-minded people to hang with, decorating a corner nook in your house that helps you relax or getting to know your way around a new part of the city.

Tarot and Art-Cast for April 7-20, 2024

 

Sasha Gordon

The artist this week is Sasha Gordon.  Gordon is a portrait artist that directs the viewer to the study of self.  That we all change our perceptions of self, depending on mood as well as our surroundings.  In her words: “At first I said ‘Oh they’re not me. They’re just variations of myself.’ While I still think that’s true, they’re definitely all me. I don’t see myself as one person. I change depending on who I’m with or what the situation is or my mood and all these other aspects. Growing up, I guess I had a hard time seeing myself as a person. Painting myself so solidly is a way of making myself feel more permanent and present.”

Your pondering for this week:  We are humans, multi-faceted.  And if we acknowledge this, we can see that in others.  Hopefully brings us to a state of less judgment, more acceptance and ultimately the beauty of our chameleon-like moods and the complexity of humaning.  Where do you judge yourself and others? And what do you do to feel more permanent and present in yourself?

 

Solar System highlights

The moon begins in Aries – great time to start on a project or an idea you have left dormant. On Tuesday the moon moves into Taurus, you have the energy to make things grow.  Then on Friday the moon is in Gemini – time for hanging out with friends for the weekend.    Then Sunday, the 17th, the moon moves into Cancer- self-care is your top priority.  On Tuesday the 18th it moves into Leo – time to shine.  And on Friday April 19th the moon moves into Virgo, a great time for spring cleaning or working outdoors.

There is a solar eclipse on April 8th that can be seen across the US.  For all you Aries and Libra with sun signs and natal nodes watch/listen for downloads of information for the next couple of days.

Mercury is in Aries until May 15th giving us a crash course in learning to say what we need in a non-reactive way and working on making sure our actions follow our words.  Venus joins Mercury during this teachable moment giving us more grace when we are attempting to better our communication skills.

Mars is still in Pisces with Saturn.   And they are prompting us to act on being adaptable, especially in our day-to-day life.  This theme of adaptable action, beauty, and harmony lasts until the end of April.

 

EXTRA

*** Signs with an * it is a big week for you.  Aries this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Libra 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.

****And I am experimenting again.   I had 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.  Now 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
Sasha Gordon, Static

*Hermit – Where the last two weeks have been about Momentum this next two are about standing back and getting perspective. The muses had you set goals and maintain focus.  Now it is time to step back from your projects and your life a bit and see what is or is not working.  This energy aligns perfectly with Mercury being in retrograde. A time of reflect, reassess, and redo.   Take these next two weeks to tweak what needs to be modified.   This Muse of Perspective also suggests finding space in your schedule to just ponder and let ideas bubble up.

 

Taurus
Sasha Gordon, Drive Through

Seven of Fire – The Muse of Will is with you these next two weeks to help you establish and protect your boundaries and ideas.  The challenge with this energy is choosing when the fight is just, is it producing more harm than good, and/or understanding your alliances and antagonists so that you are expending energy efficiently.  She asks is this a fight or just a boundary dispute? While reminding that you can have boundaries without engaging in a full war; for some fights are not worth the effort and wars are too big to take on alone.

Gemini
Sasha Gordon, Campfire

Heart of Earth – The Muse of Experiencing comes when you need to gain new knowledge or skills.  The next two weeks work on filling the gaps in your knowledge or skill sets.  However, she prompts you to look outside your normal sphere of stimuli and do some critical thinking in a new environment or experience.  Whether that is finding a new space to do your work or reading a book outside your regular genera, she prods you to make new connections to old experiences.

 

Cancer
Sasha Gordon, Concert Mistress

*Emperor – The Muse of Building would like your next two weeks to focus on building something that already is in play in your life.  Use this retrograde period to reflect, reassess and redo especially in the considerations of the concept of durability as well as adaptability. She asks does this job, portfolio, or project have the components to last/work for the coming months or years?  Is it flexible to evolve with you? Are you building for a brighter future or just building to keep busy?

 

Leo
Sasha Gordon, Garden Troll

*Fool – The Muse of Spontaneity has arrived to shake up some of your restrictions and self-afflicted boundaries.  She is promoting you that for the next two weeks fill them with new tastes, thoughts, and experiences, which ultimately shake up your emotions.  You all as sign dive deep into experience, but like any cat that will jump an expanse without a thought and then be frightened by the watery aspects of life.  This Muse is asking you to just be in the new without judging it or comparing it to the old.  Clean slates my friends.

Virgo
Sasha Gordon, Echo

Seven of Water – The Muse of Dreams would like you to use this retrograde period to ponder, daydream and use your imagination.  This is an exercise of letting go of limits and letting your imagination run wild.  Yes, this is a hard assignment because this is an exploration of possibilities without the constructs of perfection, reality, boundaries, and structures you all like.  She reminds you that fantasy is a way to explore the unknown without leaving the house.  And maybe you can come home with a unicorn or dragon.

 

Libra
Sasha Gordon, In My Dreams I Dance For You

Heart of Air – The Muse of Lift would like you to focus on what lifts you and how you lift others?  For the next two weeks use this retrograde period to tweak the aspects that give you air to breath and energy to fly on.  These can be spending time with those that lift you spirits or going on solo flights of fancy.  Your goal, support and strengthen the areas of that are your “air beneath your wings.”

 

Scorpio
Sasha Gordon, Surrogate Self

*High Priestess – So these past weeks have had you step away and gain perspective on what system you need to refine and then come down from the proverbial mountain and put them in place.  Now the Muse of Meaning would like you to spend the next two weeks using your intuition making sure those systems align with your principles and support what brings meaning to your life.  If lost or unsure of where to start ask the muses for information, but remember they work in signs and synchronicities so eyes, ears, and mind open.

 

Sagittarius
Sasha Gordon, Muse

Ten of Air – These next two weeks the muses would like you to work on finalizing areas of your life that are like a burr under your saddle.  This can be a simple as oiling a squeaky door or as complex as letting a bad habit go.  The key is picking the things you know that you can accomplish solo.  For the coming weeks, people will try to force their agendas onto yours. Retrogrades with an eclipse is going to put some people in a spin and best you avoid the spin as much as possible.

 

Capricorn
Sasha Gordon, Hugger

*Empress – The Muse of Nurturing would like you to spend these next two weeks cultivating this practice into your daily life.  She asks how do you nurture yourself?  What project(s) would you like to develop in 10 months’ time?  Who requires your nurturing?  And then this muse reminds you not to rush answering these questions or the nurturing itself.  The practice of nurturing is also a practice of patience and subtlety.

 

Aquarius
Sasha Gordon, Mirror

*Star – Okay I don’t know what you guys have been doing but for the last 4 weeks you all got the card of rest and restoration, and this card is the Big Momma of the 4 of Air.  So maybe you didn’t really relax the last four weeks. Or maybe you just need more rest.  So, a stronger message from the Muse of Healing is asking you to sit your butt down.  This is a muse you work with your whole life.  Her areas are healing and hope in all its forms and challenges.  So hopefully these next two weeks you will do some things that rejuvenate your inner flame.  These can be as simple as getting massage and a salt scrub, planning a much-needed vacation, having a designated daily unplug time, or putting in time with activities that light you up without tiring you out.

 

Pisces
Sasha Gordon, Trimmings

Eight of Stone – The last two weeks the Muse of Building wanted you to focus on building something that already is in play in your life.  Now the Muse of Labor is telling you to focus on the steps to make that happen.  Remember this is a retrograde time so this is not a time for new projects but a time to get projects that are already in the works.  And remember this is a time when adaptability is vital to all that you build.  So, this retrograde period might be used for tweaking and incorporating the flexibility in said work.

 

Tarot and Art-Cast for week of March 24, 2024

Marie Bracquemond
Marie Bracquemond

Happy Spring.  Even though there is snow on the ground, the beginning shoots of bulbs are popping out.  There is more sunlight and colors are beginning to return to the landscape.  This season always makes me think about the Impressionists and their pursuit of an art of form that conveyed spontaneity, sunlight, and color.  The use of short, thick strokes of paint to capture the essence of the subject, rather than its details. “In paintings made en plein air (outdoors), shadows are boldly painted with the blue of the sky as it is reflected onto surfaces, giving a sense of freshness previously not represented in painting. (Blue shadows on snow inspired the technique.)”

The artist this week is Marie Bracquemond.  Bracquemond was a French impressionist and one of only four women that were recognized during the Impressionist movement.  She once said, “Impressionism has produced … not only a new, but a very useful way of looking at things. It is as though all at once a window opens and the sun and air enter your house in torrents.”

 

Your pondering for this week:  What could you do to bring a freshness into your life?  Open your literal and metaphorical windows and let in the sun and the air.

 

Solar System highlights

The moon begins in Libra – harmony and balance are key. On Wednesday the moon moves into Scorpio – follow your passion.  Then on Saturday it moves into Sagittarius – find ways to explore during the weekend.    On Monday April 1st the moon moves into Capricorn – time to get to work, though it is April’s Fools so find some time to be silly.  On Wednesday April 3rd it moves into Aquarius helping us think outside the box.  And we finish the two weeks with the moon in Pisces starting on Friday – wanting us to go with the flow.

There is a lunar eclipse on March 25th and a solar eclipse on April 4th that can be seen across the US.  For all you Aries and Libra with sun signs and natal nodes watch/listen for downloads of information around these days.

Mercury is in Aries for its 8 weeklong crash course in learning to say what we need in a non-reactive way and work on if our action matches our words.  It’s a mini course in Non-Violet Communication.

Mars moved into Pisces to join Saturn and Venus.   And they are done asking “how to” and are prompting us to act on being adaptable and bring more beauty and harmony into our sphere. This theme of adaptable action, beauty, and harmony lasts until the end of April.

NEWS

*** Signs with an * it is a big week for you.  Aries this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Libra 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.

****And I am experimenting again.   I had 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.  Now 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
Marie Bracquemond, Self Portrait

*Chariot – The Muse of Momentum has pulled up to your door ready to get things rolling for the coming two weeks.  This Muse will supply the gas, but you must supply the vehicle and set the course. It is imperative that you have goals from the start, and it is up to you to stay focused. This doesn’t mean you can’t alter course when necessary while you roll through the next two weeks.    But again, she reminds you she is only supplying energy.  So, if you don’t have a destination you will end up doing donuts in the parking lot.

 

Taurus
Marie Bracquemond, Landscape in Wintertime

Five of Earth – For the next two weeks your labor is around trying to work within chaos without driving head long into fear of not enough. The Muse of Poverty Mindset reminds you that there is enough for all of us if we share.  This includes sharing your sorrow, your workload, and your abundance.  She challenges you to think about what you have plenty of and share that.  Also, she reminds you that poverty mindset is not just about worrying solely about finances.  It is any place you feel you have not or are not enough. To combat scarcity, she advises you to focus on what you do have.  And with what you don’t, ask for help.

 

Gemini
Marie Bracquemond, Portrait of Mademoiselle Charlotte Du Val d Ognes

Ten of Air – The Muse of Culmination comes when you need to finish a project, a relationship, or your own personal drama.  This thing is something that has been nagging at you for some time, but you have not the energy to finish it.  She prompts you to just get it done, so it will stop draining your energy.  She also reminds you that it might even be possible for you just to cross it off your list because it might just be your ego holding on to it.

 

Cancer
Marie Bracquemond, Three Ladies with Parasols

*Star– The Muse of Hope has come to help you replenish your spirit.  Optimism is the key and the challenge in the coming weeks.  She advises expanding your vision to the greater arc of life and history.  Yes, the world has its atrocities, but the world is a better place now then it was 200 years ago.  Less people go hungry, there is less war, overall, there is better healthcare, etc…  And then take this longer more positive arc and turn it inward to your own life.  You are an amazing person who has done wonderful things and changed more lives for the better, for just existing.  She asks you to see your worth and keep on shining.

 

Leo
Marie Bracquemond
Marie Bracquemond, Lady in White

*Empress – The Muse of Nurturing would like you to spend these next two weeks cultivating this practice into your daily life.  She asks how do you nurture yourself?  What project would you like to develop in the future?  Who requires your nurturing?  And then this muse reminds you not to rush answering these questions or the nurturing itself.  The practice of nurturing is also a practice of patience and subtlety.

 

 

Virgo
Marie Bracquemond, Pots de Fleurs Vres

Two of Air – Decisions, decisions, decisions surround you these coming weeks. And this is no time to ruminate endlessly.  Luckily the Muse of Decisions is here to help.  So, if the old standby pros and cons list is not helping, this muse advises you to go with your gut.  She tells you to put yourself in each scenario and choose the one that feels right.

 

Libra
Marie Bracquemond, Melancholy

Five of Water – The Muse of Optimism would like you to work on improving your “cup half-full” mentality. The challenge is acknowledging that emotions can be tough but ultimately seeing their importance and lessons.  She asks, do you want grief to define your life or the positive teachings of that grief?  We grieve because we love, and we are disappointed because we hope. Let love and hope be the full cups you continue to bring on your journey.

 

Scorpio
Marie Bracquemond, The Backgammon Game

*Hierophant – The last two weeks the Muse of Perspective advises you to pull away from life and gain some distance.  Now that you have gained perspective of the situation, the Muse of Structures is here to help you build the support system and the system itself in a more refined and useful way.  This muse advises you to start simple and build to necessity not to opulence or overindulgence. And remember the planets are still pushing the concept of being more adaptable and flexible.  Your motto: More bamboo, less brick.

 

Sagittarius
Marie Bracquemond, Woman in the Garden

Five of Fire – To navigate the next two weeks the Muse of Chaos has decided to join you.  She advises you to be ultra-aware of what you say yes to.  First, she reminds you that you do not need to be part of every conversation or discussion.  This is a week to pick your battles.  Secondly, if you do decide to jump in, make sure you are willing to totally commit to what you have jumped into and keep your wits while you are in it. This period is not a time to be half-ass about anything. If unsure it would be better to wait on the sidelines until the whirlwind has calmed.

 

Capricorn
Marie Bracquemond, Under the Lamp

Spirit of Air – The Muse of Cleverness is daring you to be more perceptive.  To exercise your mind with tenacity.  Yes, these next two weeks you have the muses’ full approval to go down rabbit holes.  The reason for this mind hunt – they would like you to let your mind play with details and tangents.  To press the boundaries of your imagination while synthesizing and theorizing the interconnectedness and/or clashing against conundrums and paradoxes.  So, the challenge is this is play not purpose. Your thoughts are like a kite in the winds of intellect.

 

Aquarius
Marie Bracquemond, Afternoon Tea

Four of Air – Holy Moly you got the same card again.  So maybe you didn’t really relax the last two weeks. Or maybe you just need more rest.  So here you go…. The Muse of Restoration advises rest and restoration.  She suggests finding times in your schedule where you can tune out.  The challenge is this includes technology or mental output/input.  For the biggest part of your body that needs rest right now is your mind.   So, sleep is important but also staring out the window with no goals or puttering is too.

 

Pisces
Marie Bracquemond, Pierre Bracquemond as a Child

*Emperor – The Muse of Building would like your next two weeks to focus on building on something that already is in play in your life.  This energy is not only about formation but also durability.  She asks does this job, portfolio, or project have the components to last/work for the coming months or years?  Are you building for a brighter future or just building to keep busy?  Make sure it’s the former not the latter.