Full Moon in Taurus November 6, 2014 - “Exalted And Bound For Glory”

Tarot's card association for
Taurus is #5, the Hierophant.
From "Wizard's Tarot"© by
Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen

A planetary body is said to be ‘exalted’ when it resides in its most powerful sign. This month’s Full Frost Moon occurs in fourteen degrees and twenty-six minutes of Taurus, giving us Lady Moon in her most exalted position. It’s time to kick the tires, light the fires and forget Throw Back Thursday. You want to stay focused in the present for this one, because Full Moon in Taurus is a moon of manifestation.

Taurus is an earth sign in the fixed modality.  Signs belonging to the element of earth are pragmatic. Though their forte is dealing with financial matters and durable goods, their house traits all have to do with self.  Calm, dependable Taurus dwells in the second house of the Zodiac where we find our self-esteem, earning abilities as well as the material goods we possess.  Bull people know how to create harmony for themselves and they also enjoy the finer things in life. To visit a true Taurian home is to experience comfort, even luxury.  It’s because of their understanding of material matters (think about tarot’s Pentacles) that under the right circumstances they manifest dreams, goals, money – just about anything – like none other.  November’s Full Moon in Taurus is precisely the right circumstance.

November’s Frost Moon also receives a manifesting power

The Tower (of power) represents
warrior Mars. From Ciro Marchetti's
wonderful "Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

boost from Mars. Warrior Mars is in Capricorn until December 3rd and Capricorn the Goat (or Seagoat, more correctly) is also an earth sign, but in the cardinal modality.  Cardinal signs carry the traits of independence and the need to achieve. These signs want to start new things and to be on the cutting edge of trends.  Mars in Capricorn is very controlled, focused energy – powerful, with a tremendous amount of persistence.  The combined power of Full Moon in Taurus and Mars in Capricorn virtually shouts at us to commit and to create something with our lives.  The time for pipe dreams and ‘what ifs’ is done.  On November 6th we have the opportunity to pull our goals and desires out of the ether and make them real.

As with any manifesting work, it must be done sincerely, from the highest of intentions and with no harm intended to anyone, or anything.  Write down what you want for yourself. Be specific. Be positive.  How you phrase your desires matters. Don’t ask for the end of sickness. Instead, ask for the beginning of glowing, good health. Every organ, every cell working in harmony and perfection as they were intended to do.  This is a Full Moon, a time of culmination. Whether you focus on finances, career, health or love – ask for positive increases, not the end, or decrease of something.  See your life as you want it to be. Sense it. Taste it. Hold the belief that your life is already the way you would like it to be. The power of your positive intention will see it done.

Kris Waldherr's depiction of Lady Moon's
High Priestess. From "Goddess Tarot"©

Full Moon in Taurus is filled with stability, warmth and humanity.  It is a Moon of purpose, yet still rich in both romantic and creative passion.  Use this Full Frost Moon to bring your goals and intentions into reality, to become the person you seek to be.  Tarot tip: Try using the Ace of Pentacles as the signifier card (you in the present moment) as you look at your relationship with the material during this Full Moon cycle.  What you learn may astound you.  

LADY ORACLE

P.S. Your friendly neighborhood oracle apologizes for being absent so much of October.  Tarot events and other commitments keep me from my blog.  I'm back and looking forward writing more articles and op ed pieces for (hopefully) your enjoyment.  

L.O. 

Mercury in Leo, July 31st to August 14th - "An Eloquent Mind"

Tarot's card for Leo (of course) comes from
"Steampunk Tarot"© by
Barbara Moore and Aly Fell

Mercury in Leo is an eloquent mind, so pay attention, my friends, because this is an important transit for moving your life forward. Mercury’s intellect and communications skills combine with the lion’s charismatic leadership, making us virtually unstoppable. There’s a boldness, a passion and a natural presumption of success accompanying this transit. Mercury foregoes pure analytical thought to go with gut instinct. Idealism is our friend and we seek each and every one of our opportunities with a dramatic zest for living.

Leo loves center stage and Mercury in Leo is the consummate performer. People born with this transit prominently in their chart have a pleasing personality, effortlessly drawing people to their side. The next two weeks is an optimal time for presenting yourself if a favorable way. Schedule appointments with those tough clients you’ve been avoiding. Send out your resume. Dust off your portfolio and get your presentation ready. You have the answers to people’s dilemmas so get out in front of them with your knowledge and your creative approach. Persuasion is your middle name right now, so what are you waiting for?

As with everything, there is a yin to this yang and Mercury in

The Magician represents Mercury. Shown
here from "Wizard's Tarot" by Corrine Kenner
and John J. Blumen

Leo can influence us towards arrogance if we are operating a little left or right of center. Leo’s ‘performer’ gene can cause us to become opinionated and devalue the contributions of other members of our family or team. We have lots of planetary influences in Leo currently (Sun, Jupiter, Mercury, Lilith See blog: Sun in Leo), so guard against Leo’s confidence mutating into less desirable attitudes such as arrogance, or egocentricity. We all live on this planet together and no single person or group of people is the ‘whole show,’ regardless of their opinion on the matter.

Mercury’s transit of Leo it an excellent time to push your goals to the next level. Think of it as that summer growth spurt before things start bearing fruit for autumn’s harvest. Opportunities are what you make of them and when properly used, transits like this one give substance to your hopes and dreams.

LADY ORACLE

Full Moon in Capricorn, July 12, 2014 – “Blending Ambition, Motivation and People Skills’”

One of the names for July’s Full Moon is Thunder Moon,

The Emperor, from "Wizard's Tarot"© by
Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen
authority, structure - my pick to
represent business

ostensibly because summer’s heat and humidity leads to lots of thunderstorms this month. It’s an apt description for our Full Moon arriving on July 12th in twenty degrees of Capricorn, the Goat ( See Blog: “When the Zodiac Gets Your Goat” for mythology). A Full Moon occurs when the Sun is directly opposite our Moon. The signs Cancer and Capricorn are also opposite one another on the wheel of the Zodiac making July’s Full Moon one of opposing energies. However these forces can be harnessed for your benefit if you know how to apply them.

Sun in Cancer carries an emotional and intuitive charge. (See Blog: “Cancer the Crab, They’re all They’re Cracked Up to Be”) It is a cardinal sign ruled by the Moon and the element of water. People born under the sign of Cancer are tender-hearted, sensitive and highly creative with a strong emphasis on home and domestic relationships. Our New Moon in Cancer (See blog: “A Terrific Night For a Moon Dance" ) was very powerful for setting July’s emotional tone. We felt comforted and excited, like rolling in puppies – warm, wiggly and joyful. And our Full Moon in Capricorn? Not so much. This is a moon for negotiating and deal making.

"Wizard's Tarot's"© version of #14,
Temperance. Strive to balance this
Full Moon's polar energy

Sun in Cancer opposite Full Moon in Capricorn makes us work to maintain balance between our intellect and our emotions. Where Cancer is intuitive and emotional (at times too much so), Capricorn lives in its head, putting knowledge into practical application. Capricorn is self-contained, remote, while Cancer, though self-protective, joins the emotional fray. Cancer’s drives are geared towards home and the domestic life, while Capricorn teems with ambition and the need to publicly excel through career and achievement of personal goals.  

During the Full Moon period (three days prior and four days after) we can combine the energy of these two strong, but opposing signs to gain ground in our professional lives.  Capricorn’s drive to excel makes July’s Full Moon an excellent moon for reclaiming sales territory, or presenting sensitive portfolios to investors. It’s a motivational moon. Let Capricorn’s natural ambition and knowledge off the leash.  The key to maximum success, however, lies in knowing your subject.  All the hubris in the world can’t bring home a deal if you don’t know your subject inside and out and can effectively communicate that knowledge.  Here’s where you can let Cancer’s intuition work for you as well.  Read people – co-workers, client’s, bosses, the barista down the street.  While Capricorn’s energy has you focus on the goal, let Cancer establish the human connection.  When presenting material or doing a sales presentation, let Cancer’s emotional subtext help you metaphorically pick up your client and take them with you to the safe and logical conclusion that working with you is the smart thing to do.  If you don’t understand this concept then it’s time to break out the classic motivational speakers.

Lunar phases deal in an emotional framework, but they are

6 of Wands from "Wizard's Tarot"©
Victory, leadership

also about culmination and fruition during the Full Moon cycle.  July’s Full Thunder Moon can be a time of advancement for you if you do your homework and apply what you’ve learned.  Be brilliant!

LADY ORACLE 

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Jupiter Square Uranus February 26, 2014

#10, The Wheel is tarot's card for
expansive and lucky Jupiter.
RWCS by US Games®

An astrological square is an aspect composed of two planets at a ninety degree relationship, or angle.  Squares, while challenging, are highly motivational aspects because they carry the combined energy of both planets involved in the configuration. Few squares provide more dynamic energy than Jupiter square Uranus.  Jupiter is the planet expansion, success and generosity.  Although sometimes given to excess, it engages our higher consciousness through spiritual and philosophical thought.  Uranus, on the other hand is, well, a wild child. It represents sudden, revolutionary change, inventiveness, radical shifts in ideas and breakthrough developments. Uranus values freedom and individuality. It is restless and bold.

Jupiter squares Uranus twice this year, first on February 26th

Deva Padma's depiction of The Fool
from "OSHO Zen Tarot"© is an appropriate
tarot card for Uranus' 'cleansweep' approach

and lastly on April 20th. We’ve all felt the power building up since mid February and will continue to feel the energy ebb and flow through the first week of May.  The April 20th square off between these two outer planets heralds the return of the Cardinal Grand Cross on April 23rd (See blogs: "New Moon in Libra, Road Map for Change" and January 2014: "A Month of Innovation and Relationship Building" ). Watch for more information on this event in my April Astrological Trends blog at the end of March.

Expansive Jupiter is in retrograde now. That means its influence leans heavily towards a philosophical frame of mind, yet, oddly enough, less objective thinking.  Under this square’s influence there’s a need to experience everything that comes our way because Jupiter views life as an open road.  That’s fine with Uranus because this wild planet is hungry for change and wants the freedom found in a fresh, unexplored landscape.  Try to temper your longing for the unpredictable during the next week.  Jupiter’s lack of objectivity can cause you to be a little reckless about where and in whom you place your faith.

Jupiter is in Cancer now and The Chariot
is tarot's card for the crab. From John J. Blumen
Corrine Kenner's "Wizards Tarot"©

The Jupiter/Uranus square gives everyone wonderful opportunities for enlightenment, spiritually, professionally and personally.  Think of it as the chance for multiple ‘aha’ moments.  You can seek and find out-of-the-box solutions to problems that previously left you staring at a blank wall.  A note of caution here: While you may find the courage to throw out all the rules and begin again from scratch, don’t act impulsively. Temper responses to situations and force yourself to analyze them.  Remember that objective thinking will not be anyone’s strong suit this week.  Jupiter is a planet of luck, but you still have to give it an even break and be selective in how you use its energy.

If friction increases on the home front this week, consider that

Uranus is in Aires, the sign associated with
The  Emperor (rules, structure) from
RWCS by US Games®

it is the natural fallout that occurs when two partners want absolute freedom of choice in every joint decision.  Don’t take conflicts too seriously should they arise and use basic communication methods. Respond thoughtfully instead of reacting and making requests of your partner instead of throwing out harsh words and allegations.  

Jupiter square Uranus is a powerful influence, but it can be used to great benefit.  Proceed thoughtfully, but also use this square’s energy to make significant advances in how you view life and in attaining your goals.

LADY ORACLE

January 1, 2014 - New Moon in Capricorn - “Understated Excellence”

The High Priestess is the Moon's
tarot card. This sassy depiction from
"Steampunk Tarot"© by Barbara
Moore and Aly Fell

New Year’s is traditionally a time to cast away the old, the things that no longer serve us. Auspiciously, our New Moon in Capricorn (10 degrees and 57 minutes) occurs at 3:14 a.m. PST on January 1, 2014, and brings with it, a chance for all of us to calmly and completely dedicate ourselves to our own success.  Capricorn’s energy is focused and determined.  It is goal oriented energy with no fanfare. ( See blog on Capricorn – “When the Zodiac Gets Your Goat” ) Results is what matters now. Head down, persistent – New Moon in Capricorn wants us to get moving up the mountain.  

Avoid the term, ‘New Year’s Resolution.’  Our culture likes to imbue those words with the presumption of failure before you even get started.  Instead, you’ll do much better to compile a list of goals – not too many – and the steps necessary to accomplish each one of them by year’s end.  Break your steps down into specifics.  On this day I will do such and such.  Goals must be real, measurable, attainable and specific to you to achieve success.  Motivation is what’s necessary to kickstart the energy of January 1st’s New Moon in Capricorn.  Your task is to discover what motivates you.  I always recommend working with tarot’s Wand energy. ( See blog – “Lights, Camera, Action” ) 

Mercury and Pluto are conjunct (same place, same time) New

Pluto's tarot association in
Judgment - another thought-provoking
image from "Steampunk Tarot"© by
Barbara Moore and Aly Fell

Moon in Capricorn, thus setting the stage for swift change – not necessarily a bad thing.  Mercury works well in Capricorn.  This planet governs communication and intellect.  There will be little space for random thoughts, or flights of fancy in early January.  Mercury is at its analytical best here, on task, but also cautious. That’s a a good blend.  New Moon in Capricorn gifts us not only with focus and determination, but also with self-discipline and rationality.  Don’t let Pluto’s reputation for swift and unsettling change concern you unduly at this time.  Pluto’s energy can be your best friend.  Again, ride that wave on top and in front.  Granted, if you don’t control changes, they will control you, but you know the drill.  It’s nothing you can’t handle by using Capricorn’s skill set.

Some astrologer’s suggest approaching New Year’s Eve with caution.  That’s good advice anytime.  Remember that Capricorn carries a VERY focused energy and as such, can keep us from seeing past the end of our own nose.  During the craziness that ensues while celebrating the end of the year – particularly when alcohol is involved – it’s more necessary than ever to be mindful of what’s happening around you.  Stay present in the moment and avoid situations that put you in the path of someone else’s chaos.  Know where you are, who you are with and stay in control.  Okay, that’s my yearly mother hen lecture, but it does apply particularly to this year end energy pattern.

The World, is the card for Capricorn's
ruling planet, Saturn.  Perfect image of
challenges met with Capricorn's focus and skill
from "Wizard's Tarot"© by John J. Blumen and
Corrine Kenner

New Moon in Capricorn on January 1st is a gift.  It’s like being handed a pen and paper by the Universe and being told to place your order for the coming year.  Don’t let this opportunity pass you by, because if the Universe can't inspire you to move on your own It will surely force you to do so.  Get organized, get focused and get heading up that mountain. The view from the top is great!

LADY ORACLE

Nine of Pentacles - “Authority, Autonomy and Flying High”

RWCS, US Games Edition©
The Nine of Pentacles
What is she whispering to the bird?

The suit of Pentacles represents the element of earth and the material world.  In tarot, nines speak to us of compromise and difficulties, but if that’s the case, why does the woman in the Nine of Pentacles look like she’s doing so well? She stands in a field of dreams made reality – calm and elegant, seemingly without a care.  Is it a facade, or does she really have a nifty investment strategy tucked away somewhere?  

The Nine of Pentacles shows us someone (in this particular case a female, though the card lesson transcends sexual definition) who no longer struggles to secure their day to day existence. As in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the basic survival levels, food, shelter, clothing, have been surpassed.  Her current level of security and comfort allows, not only the expression of grace and beauty in her life, but also the ideation of a higher self.  

Clear and sunny skies always offer
encouragement even when you turn inward
RWCS, The Sun, US Games Edition©

A clear sky in the background denotes fair weather.  Two trees frame the world of the card, acting as a gateway to a rich and fertile vineyard.  The woman in the Nine of Pentacles hasn’t passed through the gates to this land without compromises. She is alone, turned away from the sun and turned inward towards herself.  Her right hand rests on a stack of pentacles; her casual possession of them born from her sense of security.  Her head and shoulders rise above the landscape indicating a higher connection with the universal flow.  She is elegant, graceful and assured of her position in the world.  A falcon perches on her left hand.  Its head is hooded like all trained hunting birds.  The hood keeps the falcon calm while it waits the commands of its mistress and the opportunity to take flight. 

Some tarot analysts view the hooded bird as a symbol of the

The Magician reminds us that we
can combine all the elements to create the
life we want. RWCS, US Games Edition©

lady’s darker nature held in check by her strength of will.  Others believe the bird represents stifled creativity and dreams – a necessary sacrifice some would say in attaining goals.  I disagree. I prefer Alfred Hitchcock’s explanation for why the bird is there.  In his masterpiece of environmental horror, “The Birds,” Hitchcock uses a lone seagull circling high over the town of Bodaga Bay to present a bird’s eye view of the movie’s world. In the Nine of Pentacles, the hunting bird is the omnipresent eye that gives our lady a broad over-view of her territory.  Her bird symbolizes imagination, creativity and focused skills.  Instead of representing a dark side, the bird lifts the woman beyond her own limited perceptions allowing her to implement her talents.  The bird’s hood represents not only her control, but her discretion as well.

Meanings for the Nine of Pentacles include discipline, self-reliance and sacrifice to obtain a goal.  The problem with using the word ‘sacrifice’ in what otherwise is a motivational card is that people frequently misunderstand the meaning of the word.  Its root word is ‘sacred,’ not ‘suffer.’  Too often people shy away from their dreams because they believe they must sacrifice – suffer a deprivation – to reach them.  Not so.  The woman is the Nine of Pentacles knows her worth, both inside and out.  She may appear to be alone, but so for all of us who take on a new challenge in life.  Ultimately, the burden of succeeding rests upon our shoulders, no one else’s. 

Use the positive messages about success and reward in the Nine of Pentacles to keep you on target no matter what type of goal you set for yourself.  Meditate by focusing on the imagery of this card and, like the falcon in the picture, you’ll soar above your perceived limitations.

LADY ORACLE

September 5, 2013, New Moon in Virgo – Tidying Up

Tarot's #9, The Hermit is Virgo's card
Barbara Moore and Aly Fell's "Steampunk Tarot"©
Let's hear it for internal dialogue

The great thing about a New Moon is that it offers us a chance to retool our goals, take stock of our feelings towards others and consider our own relationship to the Universe as well.  Heady stuff – and if you think that’s a lot of work for one little New Moon, you’re right.  Cheer up, though.  This month’s New Moon occurs in practical, detail oriented Virgo (thirteen degrees and 4 minutes) on September 5th, at 4:36 a.m. PDT.  

In order for a new moon to occur, the Sun and the Moon must be conjunct (same place at the same time) in a particular sign.  Conjunct planets (or bodies) share the strongest aspect in Astrology, which is why New Moons pack such a punch. Virgo’s attention to detail and love of order gives all of us the urge to organize our lives and our personal spaces a bit more than usual around the 5th.  We will want to haul away the clutter in our lives – in the living spaces as much as in our minds – so that we can analyze what’s truly essential to us in terms of achieving our goals.

Virgo makes us want to take everything apart, examine it all,

The archetype Brigid, or Inspiration from
Amy Sophia Marashinsky and Hrana Janto's
"The Goddess Oracle"© Great deck!

then reassemble the components in a more efficient, stream-lined manner. Mercury, Virgo’s ruling planet, is home from the road right now, telling us to engage our mind so that we are both precise and methodical as we examine the pieces of our world. This isn’t merely about identifying problems. New Moon in Virgo wants to help you find your solutions.  As always, Mercury is the master communicator.  Look for meaningful internal dialogue during this New Moon.

The Autumn Equinox occurs on September 22nd.  This month’s New Moon offers us a wonderful chance to clean house, mentally, spiritually, creatively and physically (Hmmmm, just of like a tarot deck, huh?) before the season changes.  Make it fun.  Gather up your old magazines (if you’re not totally digital yet), clear out the clutter, vacuum, dust and do your floors. The energetic influence of the New Moon runs for about three days.  You’ve got time.  Use sage and cedar smudges to lighten the energetic load in your personal space, then set your intentions and meditate on them while burning your favorite incense.  

"The Sacred Circle Tarot"© by Anna Franklin and
Paul Mason, hold a decidedly more masculine energy -
helpful for Circle of Friends meditative readings

This is a great time to read you tarot cards to gain insight into the energy surrounding you.  Try the Goddess Oracle deck (female archetypes), or Sacred Circle Tarot (more masculine) and my Circle of Friends spread (see: Circle of Friends) New Moons are also about balance.  Set the stage and give yourself the opportunity to find yours.

LADY ORACLE 

Visit me at www.ladyoracle.net ! Share your thoughts on tarot and astrology!

Nine of Cups - Let the Good Times Roll!

9 of Cups from RWSC by US Games©

My single card draw for today yielded none other than the 9 of cups, or as we call it in tarot reading, "the wish card."  In Rider Waite, the 9 is depicted by a rotund gentleman - I think of him as a merchant prince - seated on a bench in front of a table holding 9 goblets.  It's any one's guess what's in the goblets, but the self-satisfied expression on the merchant's face sure says wine to me.  Also, the suit of cups has a spiritual aspect and wine is the breakfast of champions, spiritually speaking.

The 9 denotes fulfillment, satisfaction, obtaining goals and being contented.  Dreams coming true.  That's only the surface message.  As with all tarot cards, there is layer upon layer of subtext from which we can detect the card's particular significance in our own lives.

Looking beyond the keywords for the 9, we ask ourselves, what is it that people always tell us about wishes?  Be careful what you wish for.  If you for working to manifest your dreams, be certain about on what and where you focus.  Scientific principle dictates that for each action there is an opposite and equal reaction.  Does that mean if we act for our own good we will eventually accomplish something that is bad for us?  Not at all.  What it means is there is effort and reward.  And there is a consequence.

Millions of individuals act each day without thought to consequence.  The most dramatic acts make the nightly news.  Nevertheless consequences happen even when we're engaged in consciously working on our own behalf.  We want a new job.  We set our intention, we move forward by acting on that intention and we're hired for a new job with more money and benefits than we expected, however, we have to relocate across the country.  Maybe not such a bad deal, but still a consequence.  Have a clear idea in your mind what consequences are acceptable to you and what are not as you set your goals.

And what's with 9's smugness?  Is he showing off all his cups

9 of Cups from Lo Scarebo's
"Tarot of the Pagan Cats"©

basically to say, "I have all, you have none?"  Joan Bunning, in her book, "Learning the Tarot," likens 9's smugness to the proverbial cat swallowing a canary.  Bunning cautions that sooner or later people notice all the feathers around the mouth and the peculiar lack of canaries in the area too, I'd wager.  Nobody likes a gloater.

There's no harm in being pleased with the results of your hard work.  However, there is harm in gloating that you were smart, quicker, more ambitious, etc., than everybody else and therefore the prize is yours.  Gloating is for the insecure, who don't see themselves attaining a goal simply because they choose to attain it.  A goal isn't a race, or a bet.  It's a commitment to and an extension of your centered self.

The 9 of cups offers us the assurance of our dreams as fact.  How we take that assurance is determined by who we are.  By making conscious decisions, weighing their consequences and finding the risks acceptable, we can make room for ourselves at 9's table.  Go ahead, take a drink.  He's got plenty.


Lady Oracle