The Talking Skull, above, and the sculptures below are by the artist Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller. Fuller is considered to be a forerunner of the Harlem Renaissance. After art school in Philadelphia she moved to Paris and became a protégé of Auguste Rodin. In Paris, her artistic ability was nurtured and exalted.  However, on her return to the US her art was considered “domestic,” and she was shunned by the Philadelphia art scene. ( I am not exactly sure what “domestic” means but a polite way of being racist and sexist in the early 1900’s in the Northeast.)

Fuller’s work was not limited to the reflection of the African American experience. For instance, she made a religious sculpture annually, but many of her pieces were political in nature and some did express the African American experience at the turn of the 1900 century.  I see that sculpture above as not only a way Meta spoke to the world about a certain people’s history but also how she understood and beautiful articulated the complexity of emotions of a human questioning death.

P.S. Remember, signs with * it’s a big week for you.

 

*Aries – High Priest –  Last week, The Star card advised you to slow down and do some much needed healing and breathing. This week the High Priest is challenging you to continue the intentions of last week, but to do so you will need to create boundaries and structure in your life. Remember the big rule in air flight: put your oxygen mask on yourself before putting it on others.

 

Taurus – Three of Wands – You know last week when the Queen of Swords asked you how to make you your deepest desire happen? Well, you get another week to work on that. Last week you tried to get what you wanted done, and you found that you didn’t have the resources, including time. The Three of Wands is giving you another week to set up the circumstances to get those deepest desires to sail into port with more ease.

 

Gemini – Knight of Pentacles – The Knight of Pentacles heralds a straight forward work week. This work week will fly by with ease if you keep to the tasks at hand. The only challenge with this card is your own motivation.  Slow and steady will win the race this week.

 

 

*Cancer – Hangman – Wow, three big cards in a row. Two weeks ago, Strength challenged you to tame an inner quality in yourself. Then the High Priestess returned to show how the conjuring you have done for the new year has already begun. Now, the Hangman is creating a sense of stillness this week for you to continue your investigation with a new perspective. An exercise to do is to reverse your position in bed so your head is at the foot of your bed. This simple 180 degree turn will allow your subconscious to join in the quest for new ways and ideas to conjure.

 

 

Leo – Knight of Wands – The Knight of Wands continues the theme of investigating new ways of thinking around old situations to find new solutions. When this Knight shows up it means you are heading in the right direction with your thoughts and inquiry, but need to be more creative. You are now shifting from the swords of last week – logical thought – to wands – creativity and out of the box thinking. An exercise to do when stuck in linear thought patterns is to doodle. Doodling has been scientifically proven to help inspiration.

 

 

Virgo – Nine of Pentacles – The Nine of Pentacles’ lessons are around “keep on keeping on” and resilience. This week may be a hard work week but you can get through it with a couple of tricks. The Nine of Pentacles challenges you to find the rhythm or, as they say, to get into the “zone” at your work (great article in Huff on this). If you can find that place where everything flows even though there is a ton to do, your stress will be lessened and the hours will fly by.

 

 

 

Libra – Ace of Wands – New beginnings for you this week. The Universe wants to work with you to open doors and create opportunities. The Ace of Wands asks, what seeds of desire and destiny are you going to plant this week? A good exercise for this is to plant an actual seed with the intention of what you want to bring into your life. As you tend to the plant, so you will with your life.

 

 

 

Scorpio – Queen of Cups – The party continues this week with the Queen of Cups. Scorpios have and know deep emotions and this week it is up to you to drill deep and bring joy up into your life. The Queen of Cups challenges you to be the life of the party. This Queen suggests that the best way to do that is to bring joy into other people’s lives. So get out your red nose and jokes – we need you out there.

 

 

 

Sagittarius – Three of Wands – This week is a continuation of last week’s theme of measured change. The Three of Wands tells you there is more work to do before your ship comes in to harbor. The Death card last week that heralded change is still active, but it slow going. The cool thing with the Three of Wands showing up is that you can finally see the payoff in the not-too-distant future. So keep plugging along and preparing for the “goods” that are landing in your harbor soon.

 

 

Capricorn – The Tower and the Five of Wands – I hope you took the advice last week to not add anything new to your list, practiced patience and got prepared. The Tower and the Five of Wands are saying that this week… well, most of the crazy is out of your hands, and if you accept that fact it will be easier for you. The Universe is wanting to shift with the eclipses this week and in two weeks, and if you did your homework you won’t get caught up in the maelstrom. But be aware – the people around you may be strongly affected until after August 21 by the upcoming planetary movements.

 

 

Aquarius – The Eight of Pentacles – Last week, The Fool challenged you to contemplate your “footprint” as you travel along your life path. This will also help you navigate this week at work. The Eight of Pentacles foretells that this week has the potential to be all work and no play for you. However, by using your insight about mindfulness and by stepping softly from last week it may be less back breaking. This card challenges you to be aware that a mindful and constant pace will get you farther, than a the harried, unprepared, all-on pace of the typical rat race. Remember: work wiser, not harder.

 

Pisces – Ace of Pentacles – Aces mean new beginnings and pentacles are the material plane. This card challenges you to ground yourself and to work on planting the seeds for what you want to grow on the material plane. This is a great week to make plans for and/or start projects at work, start a diet or exercise regimen, look for a new place to move, invest money, etc… Remember, fellow water sign, although it is easier for us to swim we need land to evolve.

 

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

Nin