Happy birthday Aquarius!

The above piece, a nod to you all, is called The Waterbearer by Lorna Simpson. She explained this piece was a contemplation of memories related to her father’s family tendency of relating family history, they would stop short or not fill in the blanks. In most of her pieces she makes the audience do some of that work.  I like that she is not only aware of her self in a piece but also her audience’s experience.

Simpson is a contemporary artist that is as versatile as you can get.  Her works range from paintings, collages, photography, sculptures and films.  One of the things she strives for is to have the images convey her experience not only as black woman but also as part of the collective experience of being American.  She has an expectation that her audience has to come with me, and that there is a universalism that I assume in what I am doing.

Her art explores the notion of identity is self-constructed and equally created by our imposed cultural dogma.  So self-construction becomes at times complex and contradictory.  In doing this exercise with her, her art becomes a place where we all can meet and empathize.  These concepts of who are we as individuals and as a collective is very Aquarian.

P.S.  Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.  If you do a beginning of a year Astrological Reading.

 

Aries

Knight of Cups – This week your theme is tending to things of the heart.  Your challenge is allowing yourself to be vulnerable.  What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.  Brene Brown.

 

 

 

Taurus

Four of Pentacles – The Four of Pentacles brings a week where you do not have enough cash, time and/or space.  This can make you hold these things even closer and causing you to feel resentful, frazzled or ungenerous.  The challenge for this card is to learn that less can be more.

 

Gemini

Eight of Swords – The Eight of Pentacle warns that your thoughts can tie you up this week.  The challenge is realizing that you weave the web, so you can also easily break free from it.  Just cutting two threads of thought will unravel your tendency of over thinking.

 

Cancer

 

Nine of Wands – This week’s energy is best used for preparation.  This is not a week to start something new, but it is one to prepare for what is ahead in the coming month.

 

 

 

Leo

King of Swords – Last week, the Emperor advised to manifest by using his energy to push through projects or blocks.  This week the King of Swords continues this theme.  His only caveat is that you will need to work on communicating exactly what you are trying to do.  Communication and compromise are key this week.

 

Virgo

King of Cups – King of Cups advises you to ride the wave of emotions this week.  The lesson with this card is seeing that your emotions are good and extremely helpful when navigating what you want or don’t want in your life.  The big lesson with this card is diving into the information that emotion can give you so you can let it release.  Your only challenge is not to let your emotions spill on to others.

 

Libra

Queen of Wands – The Queen of Wands often relating to Mother Nature.  She advises handling this week’s energy like a wild flower garden.  The knowledge here is that you can plant seeds, but you cannot totally control how they grow or multiple.  By the end of the week, practicing gentle tending of the chaos can grow into a valley of beautiful wildflowers.

 

Scorpio

Nine of Pentacles – The Nine of Pentacles heralds another week of hard work.  But this week you get more done if you do it on your own.  If you can gain solitude, you will also gain insight.

 

 

 

Sagittarius

The King of Rods – Last week, the Hanged Man put the universe on hold to give you time to contemplate alternative paths and ideas.  The King of Wands now ignites the energy into action, so this week full steam ahead.

 

 

 

Capricorn

Page of Swords – Last week the Sun card had you use the energy to either focus it like a laser on one single project or let the energy gentle shine on your landscapes.  The Page of Swords now has you fade into the background and listen.  There is information for you but the challenge for you energetic Caps is be still enough to hear it.

 

 

*Aquarius

Judgement – Judgement is the card of evolution or the exercise of making the ordinary meaningful or “holier”.   This is an easy exercise for you since this is how you all think anyways (this card and the Star card are yours) but this is also the first (and possibly the only) dharma card for your new birth year.  So, this exercise will also be a goal for the coming year.  How can you elevate not only yourself, your surroundings but also the world’s day by day experiences?  This can be something as simple as adding flowers or candle light to your dining table, or as complex as making a Zen exercise when you bath yourself and/or a loved one.

 

 

Pisces

Knight of Wands – Last week’s preparation hopefully set the scene for this week’s action.  The Knight of Wands is all about lighting a fire under the things you want to move and explore.  The great thing is when this knight comes if you light the fire then he will help maintain it for a good while.    This is a great way to start your wind-down month.  Get things you don’t want to carry into your new birth year done.

 

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

Nina