Mars in Sagittarius, September 13th to October 25th, 2014 – “Genghis Khan Meets Dora the Explorer”

On Saturday Mars, our fiery, warrior planet, takes up

Ciro Marchetti's depiction of #16, The
Tower, from the legendary
 "Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

residence with Sagittarius, the Archer.  We’ll develop the attitude of the conqueror, but with the attention span of a gnat.  It’s not quite as bad as that.  We will have moments of pure gold where we gain extraordinary ground in our lives – surmounting obstacles, seizing the day until we succumb to the tangents presented by the roads less traveled.  Mars in Sagittarius marries the mind of a conqueror

 with the heart of an explorer.   

This is a transit for risk takers and there’s a significant up tick in our competitive natures. We greet life enthusiastically and with idealism.  The Martian fire is still present, however. Sagittarius simply points it in the direction of moral principles and concern for the human condition.  Ethical behavior and staying true to our convictions becomes more important during this transit and we don’t allow a great deal of flexibility in either one.

#14, Temperance, as envisioned by
Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen
is their deck, "The Wizard's Tarot"©

During Mars in Sagittarius we can demonstrate quicker wit and embrace bold plans for overcoming challenges.  Ideas flow fairly easily and while we have the warrior spirit to execute these plans, we often lack the focus necessary to stick with them to completion.  Mars in Sagittarius produces scattered energy making us easily distracted. Focus, people, focus.

Tarot’s card associations for this transit are #16, The Tower, (swift, unexpected change) for Mars and #14, Temperance, (carefully blending the components of your world, spiritual, emotional and material, for balance) for Sagittarius.  They nicely sum up the exchange between the warrior and the hunter.  If you find yourself missing out on opportunities due to lack of focus during this transit try meditating on some of tarot’s ‘follow through’ cards to ground yourself and narrow that energy beam to where it does you the most good. 

Here are some helpful cards for meditation: Queens of

The powerful Queen of Wands from
"The Wizard's Tarot"© by Corrine Kenner
and John J. Blumen 

Wands (creative action, confidence and skill), Knight of Pentacles (steadfastness to duty and tasks even when you’d rather not), 9 of Wands (perseverance, going the distance though difficulty) and 7 of Pentacles (tending to tasks which will yield longterm results).  There are certainly other components to these cards, because tarot is a marvelous blend of both simple and complex concepts. ( See Blog: “Lights, Camera, Action” for using the suit of Wands for motivation.)  However, you get the idea and if you’re a tarot reader you probably have your own favorite cards to motivate yourself. In any case, have fun and try pulling tarot energy to guide you through this transit.

LADY ORACLE

All decks featured are available for sale through Lady Oracle Tarot - ladyoracle56@yahoo.com

Tea, Tarot and the Fellowship of Like Minds

"OSHO Zen Tarot"© by Deva Padma gives us
an excellent depiction of  the
fellowship of like minds

The University of Tarot covers the entire world and all methods of learning.  There's independent study; you, your deck and a notebook, formal lectures, classes taught by tarot scholars and, my personal favorite, the informal seminars held at a friend's home where tea and really good cookies flow like mana from Heaven.

Once you get the meanings of each tarot cards under your belt, you start looking at the symbolism within each card depiction.  You start to look at the numerical themes and their significance as they travel suit to suit.  For example, sevens express aspects of victory according to the qualities of the individual suit.  The Seven of Pentacles shows us victory over toil and routine as our harvest, not only comes in, but becomes self-perpetuating as well.  The Seven of Swords examines the use of stealth and cunning to accomplish a goal when assistance, coupled with a more honest and direct approach would have met with greater rewards.

As different personalities view the same spreads, different

The Queen of Wands who knows, like she knows,
like she knows.  Creative fire energy from
Ciro Marchetti's "Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

things stand out to each reader.  As key words and impressions fly around the table, each reader is exposed to nuances in the spread that they may not have previously considered.  The group energy expands and an intuitive synergy occurs.  I always come away from these afternoons with fresh insights and less likely to fall into what I term a 'readers rut,' where you, as the reader, jump to a conclusion about what a particular pairing in your card deck means, simply because this is what your deck always gives you when revealing a similar situation for you.  Yes, your cards are tuned to you, but no matter how linked you are with them, you can never assume their intention reading to reading.  Otherwise, you might as well use flash cards.  

Learning to trust your inner voice is essential
to effective tarot reading. The right group will
help you grow.  from "OHSO Zen Tarot"©
byDeva Padma

There's a trust that develops among tarot groups, weather it's based on friendship, or the more transient bond of a class.  You have a wonderful opportunity to watch each other grow and stretch your awareness – your intuitive skills.  I recommend you try this group process.  If one group doesn't click for you, that's okay.  Just keep searching for that magic mix and most of all, have fun and enjoy the process.



LADY ORACLE


These decks and more are available for purchase through www.ladyoracle.net

Lammas, August 1st - A Celebration of Firsts

Tarot's 7 of Pentacles show us
our labors bearing fruit as well as
a hint of them being self-sustaining

Lammas is one of the first of three harvest festivals noted on the ancient Wheel of the Year. The other festivals being the Autumn Equinox, or Mabon, and Samhain, or Halloween.  Lammas is also known as the Festival of First Fruits.  It was a time for us to celebrate the harvesting of the first grain crops.  The word Lammas is derived from “loaf mass” and refers to the tradition of farmers bringing a loaf of bread to the village church on August 1st to be blessed.  This bread loaf was made from the first cutting of the new crop of wheat.  

Naturally, Lammas tradition is far more ancient than delivering a loaf to the local vicar.  In ancient days, the farmer and his family headed out into the fields and ritually cut a shaft of wheat while facing the sun.  The shaft was then held aloft and turned about the farmers head as they all thanked the deity for providing fresh bounty for the winter ahead.  The wheat was then threshed (literally separating the wheat from the chaff) and ground into flour.  Talk about organic.  It was then the wife’s responsibility to bake a loaf of bread from that flour for presentation to the landlord, or liege lord.  Wow, and some day’s we think it’s too much effort to drive to the neighborhood Piggly Wiggly® to pick up balloon bread.  

Lammas Bread (not the kind eaten by hobbits) was used to bless the barn where the year’s crop of wheat would be stored.  The loaf was broken into four parts and each part  placed in a corner of the barn.  In England, Lammas was also

Tarot's 9 of pentacles takes the promise of
sustainability and brings it home.

the traditional time for the lord of the manor to gifts his tenants with new work gloves – infinitely more practical than a Starbucks® gift card.

Today, we can still celebrate the beginning of Earth’s harvest season.  Buy, or bring in fresh, organic corn for a barbecue.  Dust off your bread machine and make a whole wheat loaf of bread to serve with your dinner.  Heck, you can even skip the bread machine and use your hands.  It’s fun and kneading is a great stress reliever.  The point is to use this day to stop and think about your food sources.  Think about all the natural events that had to occur in perfect order just for you to enjoy the meal on your table.  Imagine all the farmers and workers who helped to bring this food to you as well – people you don’t even know, but with whom you share a connection.  Giving thanks is an essential way to connect with the Invisible Divine and that is the best gift of all.

LADY ORACLE