Barbara Kruger uses contemporary mass media and its strategies to create sexual, social, and political messages. She challenges the viewer to examine stereotypes, classism, gender roles, social relationships, political issues, constructs of power, identity, consumerism, and sexuality. Most of her work consists of black and white photographs overlaid with bold captions. Kruger did the above piece 19 years ago in 1991. Her pieces are even more relevant now, even in the context of race, because she pulls her images from mass media where the lack of POC voice still challenges us as a society.
I normally let the pieces speak for themselves, but I would like to share why I particularly picked the above piece as my hero shot. Yesterday there was a lot of hate rhetoric around the celebration of July 4th. Though I agree with the anger behind it, I fear we might be losing the hope and sentiment that those 13 colonies fought for, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. I have lived in a place where at the time woman where not allowed to drive or vote. So, when I came back, I had a new respect for America’s quest as a nation.
So, are we still asking these questions Kruger poses? Yes! But we are also in a system where we can and should always ask them. For this questioning helps us in aligning our government and our citizenship with equality and humanity. Just look at what is happening now to freedom of speech in Hong Kong or Russia. Do not let our pride in our concept of America create contempt for our fellow compatriots, the nations within this nation, or the nations that we co-habituate with on Earth. Keep asking these questions of identity, society, who is holding the power, and strive for the truths that are said below. For in a true Democracy the power is with its people.
Below is the preamble to the Declaration of the Independence (with a few words tweaked- which is my unalienable right). Re-read it, for it is still a very powerful statement for a creed on how to live and govern.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men people are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men Humanity, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind humans are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
P.S. Signs with an * it 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.
May light be on you, around you, and within you,
Nina
Aries
*Death – Another high energy week for you. The past couple of weeks’ focuses had you pondering your purpose and aligning your plans of action to that that purpose. However, before you take your steps into this new landscape, the energy this week is wanting you to slough off the old. Do a thorough cleansing of body, mind, and spirit of all that feels dusty and of no use. This can look as easy as cleaning your house and/or doing a full body scrub. Or this can be as challenging as letting go of old habits or mind sets that are no longer relevant or useful.
Taurus
Nine of Wands – The energy this week is perseverance. Make your boundaries strong and follow through on what work needs to get done. This is a great week to complete projects and/or conversations. The challenges with this energy are feeling overwhelmed, hyper-vigilant and/or defensive. You can make a boundary without making it life or death. You can be prepared but you can not control the outcome.
Gemini
Three of Wands – This is your second week of threes, so a quick check in with that numerology. Threes are stability through expansion. Last week you were advised to reach out to friends to fill your cups. This week the focus is expanding your dreams and faith will be its stabilizing force. Things will get better; the universe is working behind the scenes. However, it is up to visualize what you want in the future. This imagining helps the universe include you in the plans.
Cancer
Queen of Wands – This week the energy is giving you a bit of a birth month reminder. You are here for the soul purpose of being you. The energy summons your creativity, self-expression, self-acceptance, and compassion. The challenge is asking: What edges do you want to explore? This is a great week to set those intentions and inspirations for your coming birth year.
Leo
Four of Wands – This week’s energy is designed to connect with home and family. Take this time to give a nod to those family groups that surround you. Also is a great time to find moments where you can nestle into your den and curl up with your favorite form of entertainment and cup of fluid. This is a nesting type of energy use it to acknowledge and hang with your pride.
Virgo
Four of Cups – Use the energy that surrounds you well this week by pondering, meditating, and seeing the bigger picture/purpose/cycles. The challenge is that this energy can also feel like quicksand if you do not tether yourself with hope. If you can see your place in the bigger picture, that the arc of evolution is long and heads towards the positive, then you can use this pause to hone your talent of visualization and creativity while being in the moment of stillness.
Libra
*Emperor – The energy that surrounds you this week is manifestation. This is a great time to build and expand your empire. One challenge is that you need to lead, and therefore you making decisions solo. Thus, making your go-tos of compromise and negotiation nearly impossible. And the other challenge, though for you all might be joy, is your creation must be for the greater good of those around you. Go get things done.
Scorpio
*Justice – This week’s energy has you utilizing the concepts of cause and effect and/or big karmic. Take this week to ponder and plan is your life-path aligning with your integrity and your goals. However, this week is not time for big action. But it is perfect for imagining your choices, what path they will lead you to in 2021, and taking small steps in the now to get closer to your soul path. Side note: For any of you about to do legal stuff or contracts get it ready this week make sure all is in order and works to your goals, so you can jump once Mercury is out of retro on July 12th.
Sagittarius
*Temperance – Another big energy week for you. Last week your muse asked you to explore the physical, mental, or spiritual plane. This week the energy turns to harmony, balance, and patience. If you can accomplish this Zen like composure you will attract/see meaningful events and people. Enhance attributes and circumstance that bring you that sense of Ah.
Capricorn
Five of Cups – The energy this week can come at you a bit hard and you might just be a bit sensitive to it. The key to this week is to let your emotions out like the rain but look for the silver lining in every cloud. This is not being Polly-anna but a nod to the emotions you are feeling without them sweeping you away.
Aquarius
*Hermit – Deep thoughts are useful this week. Now is the time to process and learn from your experiences since your last birthday. You might have to pull away from the masses to do this kind of work. The keys to enlightenment are in the simple things you do daily. Find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Listen not only to your inner muses but also wise words can come from people passing by. Ears and heart open; mind sharp.
Pisces
Ten of Wands – This week take advantage of the energy of ending cycles. For those items that are no longer of use, let them go. For those items that are too burdensome, delegate them. Simplify so you can focus on what is a priority and move that to completion.
*Judgement – This week’s energy is about evolution and awakening to your divine nature. Time to allow self-compassion and forgiveness to leave the past in the past. The question to ponder this week is am I fulfilling my purpose or calling? If not, this is the time to start creating the parameters to allow your evolution. If you are, take it to the next level.
*Empress – The energy around you is dripping with creation. With the power of love anything can flourish: plants, children, creativity… You have the seeds in your hands. What will you plant? What will you nurture and grow? Your only challenge is not to control all the expansion. Just be in tune with your big bang heart and give to the energy of creation.
4 of Coins – Savings is in the air around you. What do you need to feel financial safe? What on the material plane do you need, to feel you have your own back? A new car? 6 months savings? Now is the time to make sure you know what you require and start to save for it. Your challenge is to remember though it is always nice to have and build more they are not the only essentials for joy.
*Hierophant – The outdated systems are crumbling around you. Hollow out by a loss of integrity or alignment to who you are now. What will be the systems you put into their cavities? What new structures need to be built to access this next part of your journey? New structures, boundaries and schedules need to be created.
5 of Cups – Emotions like grief, sadness and hurt are lingering around you, and this energy wants you to feel into the feelings. Dive deep with empathy and process them, and when you get to the bottom you will find a reservoir of love, laughter, and hopefulness. Your challenge is processing is a process.
Queen of Wands – This week’s energy invites you to engage with inspiration. Follow your internal compass, exploring places in nature or things that create awe. A Muse is waiting there to entice, support and sprout originality and creativity. The challenge is pushing your boundaries around concepts of self-acceptance, courage, and leadership. Color outside the lines.
Knight of Coins – The energy around you is about diligence and work. The challenge is relaxing into the tasks you love and find meaning in the tasks you do not. This is not a week to future trip or think of goals but to keep a steady pace forward.
Ace of Coins – The energy this week is expansion and growth on your material plane. Look in your environment for seeds to plant and what roots to grow. This is a time for new opportunities.
7 of Coins – This week’s energy could slow time for you. This plateau of pause if perfect for the 3 R’s: reflect, review, and reassess especially around work, projects, your physical environment, and anything on the material plane. Your harvest is around the corner take this time to prepare and tweak what is not just right.
Four of Cups – The energy this week has a tendency to be self-indulgent by being self-deflecting. The challenge is seeing your own self-worth. You are here for a reason yes, but literally part of that reason is you being you. Reflect on your unique qualities that you bring to the table and focus on strengthening them.
5 of Coins – The energies around you are working with you and your relationship to money and prestige. Who you are has little to do with what you own or your work that makes you money. You know that, but you are losing your concept of self-worth with only what you do on the material plane. Take this week to reflect on what people love you for.
6 of Wands – Last couple of weeks had you seeing the depth of your energy-well and how to manifest on the material, mental and people planes. This week the energy level dials back just a little. You are in the spotlight of success this week. Can you see it? Can you see how far you have come to creating the future you wanted? Take this week to sit in that dusting of confetti celebration. Be proud of all that you have done and take this week to prepare for the battles and victories yet to come.
Two of Wands – You are in the land of in between. Caught between the past and the future. To use this energy, it is about being very present. Seeing each moment for the preciousness bit of life it is.
Three of Swords – Last week the energy was used hopefully in finding the pearls in your world. However, the challenge was in answering: Are you flexible enough to know when to let it go if it isn’t working or allowing it to evolve into an unknown ending? This week the energy has shifted to heart break. You are feeling the World’s pain and having a hard time figuring out what to do with it. If you met last week’s challenge (re-read the first two lines) finding flexibility and letting go, then you realize evolution and healing are done in small steps and they start within. So, this week has a lot of heart work in yourself and in your world. Don’t force it. Feel and tend the way to rebuilding.
Eight of Wands – Movement is the energy you need this week. Get out of the house if you can, ride a bike, walk, turn the music up and dance, play an instrument, paint with big broad stroke, etc…. You are holding in energy and it needs to get out, or you will sink more into lethargy and/or nervousness. This week let your body move, so your soul can soar.
Page of Wands – This week has aimless energy. You are feeling the world’s energy and it is painful. This brings on setbacks which lead to procrastination. First, realize that the majority of people are or have felt this energy in the past couple of months, and so can you. Then to get you out of the morass go into your shell and dive into your imagination. Find things on the web, TV, books, art, nature, etc… that let you have a bit of escapism but it must also tap into your sense of wonderment. You need to recharge, and childlike wonder and curiosity are a great ways to get there.
*Hierophant – This week energy is around structures. Now is the time for you to break them down. You need more freedom and a bit of rebellion to do it. What structure in your life just isn’t working? Look to the physical plane first. It could be when you go to bed, when you wake up, where you work, how you work, how you let people step on you… By deconstructing the structures on the material plane, you will give your spiritual self the space and freedom to rebuild.
Queen of Wands – You are creative, courageous and fierce. Now your challenge is to believe it. Release your self-doubt and go get what you want.
Eight of Swords– Self-acceptance is the key to this week. Allow yourself the ability to have foibles – we all do. The key is accepting these perceived quirks and converting them to your superpowers. Be compassionate with your heroine/hero character you are creating and ignore what others perceive it to be. Then re-write your narrative.
*World – Another high energy week for you. Last week the energy overloaded and unbalanced you, so emotional outbursts were necessary to vent and recalibrate. The key was purposely vent before the pressure made you burst. Hopefully, you got that out of your system, for this week you are called into the World. There is a mass of opportunities for you to try out this week, but you need a sense of completion to move on. Your challenge is to finish the old to make way for the new by the end of the week.
*Beyond – Last week, the energy asked you to spotlight your focus on things you want to do – not things you had to do. The energy this week adds to that force of optimal growth by opening portals to the soul. Take this week to meditate, be philosophic, find some awe, and dream day and night. Your higher being is asking for some face time with you. Time to listen and do some persona Socratic Q&A.
Four of Coins & Five of Wands – The last two weeks’ energies have you now moving with a more natural pace, in a more comfortable place, and your mind has disseminated and cleansed the what ifs scenarios. For with that skill set you can navigate this week’s two-sided energies. One side is chaos and drama and the other stability. Though the former might have you feeling too conservative or greedy with your resources. So the challenge this week is fine tuning your skills at healthy boundary making, so chaos can happen but in a safer play-pen arena.
Three of Cups and Emperor – The month of May was full of big energy. It started with summoning you to take control over your destiny by showing up. Then you dealt with the concepts of refinement, the grey areas of fairness and harmony and final, self-determining change. So now you are given a choice of paths. You can continue the high energy ride with the Emperor. This energy is about manifesting things on the material plane. It is a great time for all things around business and culture. Or you can take the second route, having fun with friends and filling up your emotional cups. Hopefully, you can do both, but don’t be surprised if one the roads whisks you away.
*Strength – The energy that surrounds you and is within you is fortitude. You have a deep well of reserve energy which, though you have been dipping into a lot, the universe is also refilling. So, if you are having self-doubt, know you are supported by the cosmos not as a crutch but as a comfy blanket when you need it. Your task is realizing you can call on your power at any moment needed or not.
Queen of Wands – This week the energy can invigorate anything you put your focus to. It also supplies you with the courage and fierceness to take charge of all that you survey. The challenge is doing it alone. It is not necessary, but you can if you must.
Eight of Swords – Self acceptance is key this week. You might be feeling entrapped, but this time is meant for healing. Sometimes the inertia of life has nothing to do with you as long as you don’t take it on as your story. Let go of the collective thought patterns. They are not part of your narrative.
Queen of Cups – Last week your brain was taxed. The energy takes a 180 degree turn to your heart this week. Compassion, calm and comfort are the keys to ease. Find time daily to invite in the 3 Cs. This is no time for martyrdom – take time off and have some fun.
en of Wands – Another week spending energy in completing old projects and cleaning your desk/mind/spirit. The challenge is being responsible for your obligations to those close to you but also to yourself. This week is setting you up for new beginnings once your plate is cleared from the old.
Four of Swords – This energy shows up when you need to recuperate and relax. You are being drained and are not aware of the source or how much it is taking out of you. The best way of finding the leaks is by walking away from all your responsibilities for a small amount of time. Then once you return the seepage will be more obvious and easier to fix.
*Temperance – The energy that surrounds you this week is excessive. This overload unbalances you, so emotional outburst may be necessary to vent and re-calibrate. However, be careful, impatience can trigger more negative and unworthy outpourings. The key is purposely vent before the pressure makes you burst.
*Sun – The sun will come out tomorrow and shine on you all week. So that is great if you are ready to play in the sunlight. However, there is a distinct possibility you may also want to hide in the shadows of pessimism. The challenge is that more you try to be happy the less you accomplish it. In other words, you are thinking to much. Sag your free spirit is needing airing, a drive in the car with windows down, a picnic in the woods, or anything outdoorsy without any goal setting is required. Try spotlighting your focus on things you want to do – not things you have to do.
*Justice – Last week organic change was asking you to not resist or fear transformation. Letting things end so others can begin. You are hopefully now moving with a more natural pace and to a more comfortable place. Luckily, you get another week to work on this shift by focusing on cause and effect. For each decision you are making imagine the possible or impossible outcomes. Why focus on the impossible? Because your mind wants to think of the what ifs and this is the week to let it. Those out-there worst-case scenarios need airing. Not to bring them in to being but to see the truth of their outlandishness.
*Chariot – Wow four weeks in a row with big energy. It started with summoning you to take a bit of control over your destiny by showing up. Then Temperance energy suggested creating your life like a refined meal that has many notes to balance in the creation of a delectable dining experience. Then Justice had you looking for the grey areas to find a true sense of fairness and harmony. Now self-determining change has arrived. This energy is giving you control. The good side is that you have more sway then you think. The bad side is it is all in your hands. This week if you want movement to happen you will need to take the reins. If you look at all of May/June’s forecast now is the time to be flexible and delicate when applying energy but continue moving forward.
Two of Wands – Discovery is the name of the game this week. The challenge is that you are still in a place that is neither the past nor the future; however, you are not inert. You are just taking a moment finding needed items and planning for the move forward. The only challenge is while you are doing this be mindful of the precious moments this pause has given you.
Eight of Coins– This week is all about work. You got skills and you need to use them. So, now is the time to get things done. The challenge is being humble enough to know you always have something more to learn
Two of Cups – It is all about partnerships this week. This time holds possibilities of unity and connection, but if emotions are not attended to, it can also hold tension and disharmony. Be aware it takes two to tango or waltz. One can lead but the other must agree to follow.
Ten of Cups – This week’s energy is around family bliss. Spend these coming days cultivating harmony and happiness. Find ways to enjoy the company of others, whether that is with a web wine meet up or a virtual game of cards. Companionship is key this week.
*Star – Last week’s energy is about bring the divine down into practical applications. Using your resourcefulness and skills to create action. Now the card of healing joins the mix. For last week’s energy was a mix bag of actions. This week you can step back and see why your creative fires did not light or burn as brightly as you intended. Do not be discouraged. This is part of the process of action you need to learn before your new birth year starts. Understanding and mending is needed as much as action to create a healthier future.
Eight of Swords – Ok week two of moody thoughts and feelings surrounding you. The key to this week’s feeling of being trapped is again around self-acceptance. You are allowed to have feelings, but overthinking those feelings is where the trap gets triggered. Take this time to discern and disengage from the entwinement of your heart and your mind.
*Empress – Creativity is calling to you. But something is holding you back. This week find out how to mother and not smother that creativity. It is natural for you to nurture others but when it comes to yourself you stop. Why? Let loose of the structure and cultivate organic expression.
Ace of Wands – Last week’s energy was about creating new beginnings if you are not reckless or naïve in its undertaking. The energy continues this week. However, so does the energy of distraction. Why are you hesitating on moving to the next level, beginning a new project, or just being creative without any goals? Again, the key and conundrum is around planning. You do have to plan the whole project. This energy is about taking one step at a time and enjoying the process hopefully as much as or more than the result.
Knight of Swords – You are unstoppable this week, and that has two potential outcomes. Either you can impulsively rush in without thinking and either bruise yourself or another. Or you can swoop in with heroic and selfless actions and save the day. The key is thinking before you act.
Four of Coins – Conservation is the energy you will need to work with this week. Your resources are limited, so use them wisely. This isn’t about being miserly but being frugal. Frugal in the sense of simplifying and focusing your energy, within the context of what you feed grows.
Ace of Swords – The energy this week is about breakthroughs. There is clarity in the air which brings new ideas and thoughts into your mix. The challenge is deciding either surfing the chaos like a Zen wave rider or diving into the depths letting the waves roll above the contemplative stillness you have found. The choice is yours.
*Temperance – Last week, it was time to take a bit of control over your destiny by just showing up. The high energy continues this week but with less of a roller coaster feel. This energy asks you what is your purpose? The keys to finding these answers is patience and balance. Your life is complex, so balancing out different aspects and aspirations is important to moving forward in the year to come. Think of your life like a refined meal that has many notes to balance its tastes into a delectable dining experience.
Two of Swords – Decision making time. There is a stalemate that is about to happen but just being decisive about what you want and how you want to feel will avoid later confusion. Do not avoid what you know needs to be done.
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