March 16, 2014, Full Worm Moon in Virgo – “The Year Turns”

#9, The hermit is tarot's card
for Virgo. RWCS from US Games® 

“Shine on, shine on Worm Moon, up in sky....”  It just doesn’t have the same romantic ring to it as “shine on Harvest Moon,” does it?  Still, native Americans knew that March’s Full Worm Moon meant the ground had started to thaw and that robins couldn’t be far behind. This month’s Full Worm Moon extends the same traditional promise of springtime and occurs at twenty-six degrees, two minutes of Virgo on March 16th, at 10:08 a.m. PDST.

Virgo rules the sixth house of the Zodiac where we store our health, daily responsibilities and our capacity to be of service to others. Virgo is a mutable sign ( like Gemini, Sagittarius and Pisces) or, a sign that occurs at the end of a given season.  Mutable signs adapt easily to change and Virgo’s capacity for linear thought makes this Full Moon a great time to work the kinks out of systems.  Spotting errors is one of the things Virgos do best.  They continue to scan for problems and refine their work long after the rest of us say good enough.  That strive for perfection is the core of Virgo’s personality.  (See Blog: Virgo – Analytical And Precise, Or Fussbudget )  

Our Full Worm Moon in Virgo wants us to balance the

#1, Isis, represents The Magician in Kris
Waldherr's glorious "The Goddess Tarot"©,
tarot's card for Mercury - ruler of Virgo

components of our lives.  Have you sacrificed your exercise regime for more hours on the job only to find that you’ve made few gains other than poundage?  Time to make a change.  Streamline your systems with Virgo’s help.  Look at the extremes in your life: Control versus no control, total involvement versus complete apathy.  What areas of your life need adjustment for the sake of balance – physically as well as spiritually?  The 16th is a perfect time to make a contract with yourself – to establish a blueprint for the season ahead. 

Lady Moon's tarot card, #2,
The High Priestess from Corrine Kenner
and John J. Blumen's, "Wizard's Tarot"©

This year Uranus and Pluto want to bring sweeping changes in our lives while Jupiter offers us the opportunity for expansion.  Full Moon in Virgo is here to remind us that transformation, while messy, can still have order to it, even if no one understands that order but us.  On the 16th your best intention work (meditative, or ritual) will be in the areas of health, happiness and the greater good.  Use tarot’s astrological associations as your focal points: The High Priestess (Moon), The Hermit (Virgo) and The Magician (Mercury, Virgo’s ruling planet).  Work with candles: Yellow (joy), yellow gold (energy), white (high vibration), as well as purple (health). Full Moons are also an excellent periods to work on intuition and creativity.  Be sure to watch your Voids of Course on the  16th, 17th and 18th.

We are setting the tone for springtime with this Full Worm Moon – clearing away the old and preparing fertile ground for seed in the coming months.  Prepare your ground now and you will be assured of a plentiful harvest later.

LADY ORACLE

Here's information for The Ides of March - no not the one hit wonder band, the real thing! Read -  "I'm You Vehicle Baby"

These decks are available for purchase through "Lady Oracle Tarot"  email  ladyoracle56@yahoo.com

"The Definition of Insanity "

9 of Swords, guilt anxiety
"the dagger of the mind"
from RWCS by US GAMES

The standard meaning of insanity can be located in any of a dozen dictionaries.  I learned the only significant definition for this word in a sales training class.  The definition of insanity is to keep repeating the same unsuccessful group of actions and to expect a successful outcome each time.  A tarot spread will make you face the inevitability that comes from repeating unsuccessful patterns in your life.  How many times do we ask ourselves, “Why do I always get these cards?” Simple - your life, your choices.  Don’t shoot me, I’m just the tarot reader.  Whether your trials come from the pressure you exert upon yourself (swords), emotional quagmires that you persist in wading into (cups), ill-conceived, irrational moves that take you nowhere (wands), or greed and avarice (pentacles), tarot will show you the patterns of your particular dance.  

The Moon - illusion
the crayfish crawling from the water
represents the subconscious
from RWSC by US Games ©

The founder of analytical psychology, Carl Jung, found this to be true and often recommended tarot journaling for patients.  Where Freud believed the origins of most psychological conditions were sexual in nature, Jung favored the idea that all people held an intrinsic spiritualism and that a healthy psyche had all its parts integrated.  A rather simplistic explanation on my part, I’m afraid.  Jung gave us concepts such as, collective consciousness, synchronicity and my personal favorite, archetypes.  He used dream analysis and believed that symbolism was a huge component of the human mind (true that) and therefore, the key to unlocking the subconscious.

Tarot illuminates your path.  It acts as your guide through

The Hermit, seeker of inner truth
from RWCS by US Games©

your present situation, then takes your actions, if unaltered, to an inescapable conclusion.  If you don’t like the pictures the tarot spread shows you, then make different choices – break your pattern and you change that pesky outcome row.  Tarot’s responsibility is to show you the journey of your soul, yours, particular to you, not the person(s), situation, or event that initially led you to seek answers.  

The next few years promise to be filled with societal and global change.  This is the natural order of things and pretty darned exciting stuff to boot.  Prepare yourself by asserting control over your own actions.  By taking accountability for your life, you free yourself to become who and what you were meant to be. (I know, I know – this is my mantra) Step firmly out into the world and embrace your destiny, but know that it’s you who gives destiny a helping hand.

LADY ORACLE 

Here's a link for further info on Carl Jung

Check out this book on tarot journaling  or, 

this one too.

Take a look at tarot symbolism as well!

Let me know what you think!

www.ladyoracle.net

Tarot’s #9, The Hermit - “Lighting Your Own Way in the World”

#9, The Hermit (RWCS Deck)
solitude, the inner journey, guidance

Yesterday morning we had one doozy of a Void of Course and it left lots of us feeling ungrounded and anxious.  Voids, of VoCs occur when the Moon is about to change houses and there are no more planets in the Moon’s present home to guide her on her way.  Lady Moon is left to drift without a celestial body to help ground and stabilize her energy.  (see blog: "A Void Is A Void, of Course of Course" or "Slipping Into The Moon's, Void of Course") Left to her own devices, Lady Moon drifts aimlessly and turns inward much like her tarot card, # 2, The High Priestess. 

There are times in our own lives when we likewise feel uncertain and turn inward.  We sit in our metaphoric towers using our intuition to guide us through the darkness as we reflect on our lives.  Sometimes the journey gets a little edgy, but nothing that can’t be handled with a bar of really good chocolate and our favorite book.  However, there are times when our fears and anxieties gain the upper hand and a tower feels too exposed.  That’s when we head straight for a cave – the deeper, the darker, the better.  This is the territory of tarot’s #9, The Hermit.

Where the High Priestess uses introspection coupled with delicate, high-mindedness, The Hermit, forges a path through the discomfort and travails that come from following one’s destiny.  His path is very rough at times because he joins the fray in the real world.  As a result The Hermit, who is further along the journey of the soul, needs a deeper retreat from the world in order to reaffirm his connection to Spirit.  The risks The Hermit takes in life and the demands he places upon himself are far more rigorous than those of the High Priestess.  Where she represents reflected light and a passive nature, he represents true illumination – the kind you carry with you to light your way in a not always serene world.

In the RWCS depiction of The Hermit, we see Diogenes, the Greek philosopher who, taking a vow of poverty, lived in a large clay urn in Athens’ marketplace.  (Close to shopping, reasonable rent) He carried a lamp through the streets looking for an honest man. #9, The Hermit, asks us to retreat into ourselves so that we can honestly assess what we’ve learned along life’s journey and plan for where we go once we leave the sanctuary of our cave. He also asks us to shine the lamp of enlightenment on ourselves; to put our lives in perspective.  That’s a scary thought, because we are our own toughest critics.  However, the cave of The Hermit gives us time to think and heal, to make adjustments to our life path as we find necessary.  Once we reemerge into the sunlight, our lantern is held firmly in our hand and we are ready for the next step in our journey.

LADY ORACLE

Dreaming Way Tarot – a terrific tarot deck!  Click here to purchase!

Rome Choi's fabulous Dreaming Way Tarot

"To The Nines" - Numerology for the Solstice Through Tarot

When you add the numbers for the date of Winter Solstice,

9 of Wands, perseverance, resillience
RWCS US Games©

12/21/12 you get 9.  (1+2+2+1+1+2)  9 is a fun number to write - almost as much fun as 6, but not nearly as much fun as 8.  In tarot, the number 9 represents struggles and compromises in Minor Arcana cards.  However, the struggles and compromises vary in each of the four tarot suits.

In the RWCS deck, the 9 of Wands shows us a man, his head bandaged from a battle wound, leaning heavily against one of his wands.  It's been an effort for him to keep his wands in alignment.  Wands are the suit of action and our hero has fought hard for his success.  He's going to be rewarded for his perseverance, as well as for the strength of his resolve.  The goal has been met, but what has he compromised in order to reach it?  Innocence and complacency, certainly.  He will never again have a truly unguarded moment.  He knows he must stay vigilant in order to defend both himself and what he protects.  Where the Knight of Wands believes in his own invincibility, the warrior in the Nine knows he can be defeated - knocked down.  But now he also knows that he has the stamina to get back up and fight.  What he loses one day, he regains on another.

9 of Cups, Tarot's wish card
Having it all, self-satisfaction, smugness
RWCS US Games©

The 9 of Cups has it much easier.  A wealthy man sits on a stool in front of a table holding 9 goblets.  His arms are folded across his ample stomach.  Cups deal with emotions and our merchant prince of the 9 doesn't know what it is to be in want.  He is well satisfied with his lot in life and he keeps his feet planted in a balanced position.  He has reached his goal of having it all.  Separating him from his creature comforts would be a difficult task.  He guards the luxuries in his life whether he needs them or not.  They are his to consume or hold on to either by the laws of man or by divine order.  The smugness of his expression shows us his contentment in his own consequence.  He likes to be envied.  So, what is his struggle and what compromises has he made?  This is a tough question is answer for a card that represents so many positive things.

First and foremost, the man in the 9 of Cups has compromised his mobility.  Hopefully he remains content with his luxurious lifestyle, because he can't pick up all of his cups at once and move them to a new location - not without risking loss.  And to let someone help him with the burden of carrying the goblets is to allow someone else control of a portion of his own fate.  Having it all must remain the ultimate goal of 9's merchant prince in order for him to remain content.  The 9 of Cups stays on his seat continuing to view life from the same perspective.

9 of Swords, guilt and anxiety
RWCS US Games ©

The suit of Swords, or gloomy, doomy swords as they're often called, speaks to matters of spirit and the mind.  The 9 of Swords  depicts a woman who's woken up from a nightmare.  She's unable to return to sleep.  Her guilt and anxiety torment her and she buries her face in her hands.  Her struggle is simple.  The lady battles the monsters in her own mind.  They've overwhelmed her to the point where sleep can no longer offer her sanctuary.

Her blanket is covered with red roses which symbolize love and passion.  The image tells us that she is loved by others.  Has she perhaps compromised the love and good wishes of those who care about her?  And because Swords deal with matters of the mind, has she truly compromised their love, or does she merely think that she has.  Time will tell.

9 of Pentacle, self-reliance, high-minded pursuits
RWCS US Games©

Pentacles give us a glimpse of the material world.  The 9 of Pentacles shows us a strong woman, one of wealth and position.  Most importantly, she is aware of her own worth.  The falcon on her arm gives her a complete over-view of her domain.  She gains her information from him alone and makes her own very successful choices.  What has she compromised?  Her ability to partner.  She is sufficient unto herself.  To share her kingdom would mean taking another's wishes, needs and opinions into consideration.  She would sacrifice a measure of her independence if she were to allow someone else into her life.  Her struggle is one of opening up and sharing herself with someone else.

Number 9 in the Major Arcana is The Hermit - tarot's seeker of inner truths.  The Hermit withdraws, holds himself apart from the rest of the world to gain the insights needed to put his life in perspective.  He has a fundamental need to be alone - to periodically reexamine the lessons he's learned along his journey.  What better card could we have for the Winter Solstice?  The end of the year is a perfect time to engage in self-reflection.  Where have we traveled this year and what do we hope to gain in the coming one?

The lessons of the 9 cards can be summed up as follows:

Sometimes it's a struggle to move forward in life, especially when we feel overcome by circumstance that are beyond our control.  The key is to persevere.  If we didn't take the field in a blaze of glory today, there's always tomorrow.  The point is not to give up.  We will eventually succeed.

Don't stagnate yourself with images of who you are based upon what you have.  Stay flexible and have the courage to reinvent yourself.  Sure it's a risk, but so is standing still.  It's simply a different type of risk.

The poet, Omar Khayyam, wrote, "The moving finger writes and having writ, moves on. Nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line; nor all thy tears wash out a single word of it."  Guilt over a past indiscretion is useless.  You can't change your past, but you can improve your future.

Lastly, a well-lived life is one worthy of sharing.  Control over your destiny is great, but you don't have to maintain an isolationist policy to achieve it.  The more love you give, the more love you get back.

 Look forward to next year for the opportunities it will give you to experience and grow.  Mark your passage on this earth by the impressions you leave with the other people you meet along your journey. It can be entertaining as all get out.  Here's to 2013.

LADY ORACLE


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Clearing the Wreckage - Preparing For A Successful November 2012

 It's time to wash the zombie makeup out of the guest towels, take the leftover Halloween candy to the office and stash away the martini shaker.  October's Full Moon in Taurus and Halloween are both over.  What's next, you ask?  Why none other than our old, but dubious friend, Mercury Retrograde.  And here we are still out of breath from chocolate vodka martinis and candy corn.

Sometimes the cosmos doesn't play fair and the Tuesday, November 6th is one of those times.  Does the date November 6th ring a bell with you?  That's right.  The first day of the November Mercury Retrograde is also Election Day in the United States.  Don't worry, I’m not getting political here.  You get enough of that everywhere else.  Still, a Mercury Retrograde that starts on an election day does make you think about hanging chads and mechanical voting machines going haywire, doesn't it?  

Mercury Retrograde occurs three to four times a year.  When we pass the planet Mercury in our orbit, it causes the optical illusion that Mercury is moving backwards in the sky.  (See my blog; “Mercury Retrograde, Tarot and You” for a complete survival guide) During a Mercury Retrograde period, systems and machinery that normally run smoothly tend to snag.  A few web astrologers have cautioned against the election process becoming tangled this year, however most agree, as do I, that we should simply envision everything running smoothly and all votes being counted correctly.  Let’s hear it for collective consciousness.

November’s Retrograde may start a little rougher than most of them do for several reasons.  Last week, we experienced a particularly potent full moon that left many of us with our energy fields ragged at the edges.  There was also the usual dimensional seepage during All Hallows Eve.  Plus, we’ve got some cosmic stumbling blocks going on froms Saturn move in with Scorpio (Saturn is a taskmaster). Let’s also remember that we have a swiftly approaching Winter Solstice season that’s said to be one for the record books in terms of human experience and growth potential.  In short, we need to clear the energetic wreckage from the end of October before we tackle November’s Retrograde.  

It’s not unusual for you to have the sensation of being rushed from one thing to another right now.  The end of the year always winds up for a fevered pitch.  Here are a few suggestions to help you ground yourself before you get swept into the frantic current of year end revels that start in just a little more than two weeks.  

Spend time freeing yourself from distractions.  Clean your physical space.  Box up items you won’t be needing for a while and tuck them away.  If you have too much of anything, give it away or donate it.  Clean you mirrors, light fixtures and candle holders in preparation for the coming holiday season.  The holiday seasons are all about gratitude and the celebration of light returning to the world.  Free your home’s reflective surfaces of dust and clutter.  This will brighten the glow from your Thanksgiving and Holiday candles when it comes time to light them, as well as help you symbolically settle in to enjoy the last two months of the year. 

Performing simple, routine household tasks and making plans for Thanksgiving (if you happen to celebrate it) helps you re-establish your natural rhythm.  Meditate and surround yourself with some of your favorite books and music.  Use your sage smudge or white candles liberally.  Don’t have any?  Get some.  One of my teachers has a glorious meditation room filled with crystals and white tea candles.  The lighting effect is remarkably subtile, even with all the crystals.  And it’s such a treat to be asked to join her there for meditations.

If you are making plans for Thanksgiving (November 22nd in America) that include travel, don’t forget to make allowances for Mercury Retrograde-style hassles.   Remember to review your travel itinerary, recheck your accommodations and plan to arrive at the airport, train station or bus terminal earlier than is recommended.  If traveling by car, have your tires, oil and water checked out well before your travel date and start out for your destination a little earlier to avoid traffic.  Again, the key to successfully navigating Mercury Retrograde is revise, review, recheck, revisit and redesign your plans. Re-words.

Take a couple of hours this Sunday and Monday to unplug the election countdown.  Do a little soul searching as in the Major Arcana’s #9, The Hermit. He goes inside himself to seek his truth.  He lights his own path with the insights he’s gain from his introspection.  Rest and renew your mind as in the Four of Swords.  Seek to balance your inner and outer worlds as depicted in #14, Temperance, #17, Star and Minor Arcana’s 2 of Pentacles.  

Pull all of these cards from your favorite deck and add #8, Strength.  

Sit in a comfortable position where you normally either meditate, or read cards.  Aline the cards in any manner that feels right to you.  Study each of them - their design, their symbolism.  Contemplate their range of meanings.  Close your eyes and envision yourself walking in a forest or by the sea - your choice.  As you walk you will meet each of the figures depicted in the cards.  The order in which you meet them is also your choice.  Angel, Hermit, Knight in Repose (another ‘R’ word!), Star; there’s no wrong order.  Visit with them.  They will give you information during this meditation that will help you integrate your worlds.

Now you’re set to head into a successful month.  Later this week I’ll be posting about the astrological implications we have coming up for the month.  In the meantime, relax and ease into November 2012.

LADY ORACLE 

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