Major Arcana's # 12, The Hanged Man

You are suspended, waiting for the breath of the universe to

#12, The Hanged Man from
"Shadscapes"© by
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

resume.  Your world has inverted and you now have the unique opportunity to observe it from a completely different perspective.  Congratulations, you have become The Hanged Man.  He is not in distress.  His hands, usually tucked behind him, may or may not be bound.  His foot is slipped into a loop of rope or ribbon, much as an aerialist would position his foot to dangle above the crowd for sheer spectacle.  His face remains calm while he reflects on his circumstances and internalizes the information he gathers through his position of reversal.  

The Hanged Man is considered one of the most complex cards in the tarot deck.  It was originally labeled, “The Traitor” in medieval times, because hanging by one foot, or even being depicted that way was the shaming treatment reserved for traitors and infidels.  Some depictions show him with money falling from his pockets.  Again, we see the symbolism of letting go of the concerns and trappings of our ‘normal’ state to gain insight. Where #9 The Hermit withdraws into himself to seek his inner truth, #12 digs deeper and requires more of a commitment, or sacrifice from himself to gain wisdom about his relationship with the world around him. The Hanged Man tests what he knows about the world to see if the inverse holds true.  

What’s important to consider about #12 is that The Hanged Man is not stuck. His suspension is a matter of choice.  His position does require a certain amount of sacrifice on his part, but the true meaning of the word sacrifice is to make sacred, not to suffer. When the proper motivation appears he will right himself and resume his journey.  What he learns from his time observing the inverse of life will come with him.  He has completed an absolutely necessary stop on the soul’s journey towards life’s richest rewards.  After all, #12 is the inverse of #21, The World.

LADY ORACLE

Full Moon, March 27, 2013 - "The Worm Turns"

March’s Full Worm Moon occurs of Wednesday, March 27th at 2:27 a.m. PST.  This particular Full Moon derives its name from the spring thaw which allows worms to move to the surface to be devoured by robins. Is anyone else having a Wes Craven moment with this?  Perhaps Robin Moon would be a more picturesque name, but somewhere in the annals of time someone thought worms should be given their due.  I’m biased having been born and raised in Vermont, but I like the other name for March’s Full Moon - the Sap Moon.  It sound’s much more appetizing than Worm Moon.  As the weather warms in March the tree sap runs and this is the time of year for tapping maple trees.  It’s a truly amazing process and one you should check out on YouTube.

This year, our Sap Moon occurs in Libra.  Libra carries a lovely equity energy and has a strict policy of maintaining fairness and balance in just about everything.  Very harmonious - accept when you happen to have the Sun in Aries and three, count ‘em three, planets aligned within the same sign.  Venus, Uranus and Mars will be joining our Sun and hanging out in Aries in opposition to our Full Moon in Libra.  These planets will also be squaring Pluto.  What does this mean is simple language?  We have a relationship moon on the 27th and Libra, who is fair and balanced will be overpowered by Aries energy.  The Sun in Aries receives a super charge from a visit by Mars, its ruler and Venus, the relationship planet.  

Aries energy is based on self-interest.  First sign, first in line.  In terms of a relationship, that means making certain your needs are not only met, but that they come first.  There’s only one, first place in a relationship and there will be two people vying for the top spot during the Full Moon period.  You can see the problem.  The days leading up to the 27th and the few afterward may take all your communications skills, candor and ability to compromise to negotiate with your partner.  While you’re elbowing for position to have your own needs met, it’s crucial to remember that everyone’s needs are valid in a relationship.  One partner’s needs should never be considered more important than the needs of the other partner.  For your own sake this Full Moon, learn the difference between importance and immediacy.  Also remember the four Cs of relationships: Commitment, compassion, consideration and compromise.  

LADY ORACLE

Aries, March 21st - April 20th - Living With the Ram Without Getting Fleeced

Aries' tarot association is
#4, The Emperor from
"Wizard's Tarot"© by Corrine Kenner
and John J. Blumen

Aries the Ram is a cardinal sign, meaning it is the first zodiac sign of a specific season.  In this case, the season is spring. Cardinal signs are highly motivation.  Aries, doubly so, because it's not only the first sign in springtime, but is also the first sign of the zodiac year.

Aries people are optimistic and gregarious. They jump into a new venture or situation with both feet and usually with a high degree of success. They make excellent friends because of their caring, generous natures, as well as their leadership skills. Aries’ natural enthusiasm draws people to them. You want to do things for Aries just to see them smile and do their happy dance. Use caution though, because you don’t want to spoil an Aries. They are born with the knowledge that they are the first sign and in their minds that gives them an entitlement to the things they want. Standing between an Aries and their goal can be darn right foolhardy.

Ram people are easily offended. Notice I didn’t say they are overly sensitive. They are not. Aries is a fire sign ruled by both Mars and Pluto. Gee, can you say moody? Mars carries aggressive energy and Aires isn’t one to shy away from confrontation. Unfortunately, they are also known for becoming childish or even throwing full blown temper tantrums when they are thwarted. Aries best relationships are with other fire signs (Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius).

The tarot card for Mars, ruling planet of Aries, is
#16, The Tower. From "Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©
by Ciro Marchetti

The natural leadership and energy of Aries makes them very good at heading up new projects or endeavors.  When they are focused, they are focused. Rams are what I refer to as ‘first string’ people.  They insist on being in the starting lineup and are never content to warm the bench.  In their world, team is definitely spelled with an I.  However, ram people are easily bored. While Aries is great at getting the ball rolling, halfway through the game you’re likely to look down the field and find that they’ve headed off to the snack bar. 

Aries birthstone is diamond.  Hard head, hard stone.  In tarot, their ruling cards are # 4 The Emperor (hardness, authority, rules and structure - hmmm I sense a theme here) and the ever dynamic and irresistible, Queen of Wands (creative action, achievement, self assurance).

Aries of a special, charismatic people and life around them is rich and vibrant.  Celebrate the Aries in your life this month.

LADY ORACLE

Spring Equinox - March 20th 2015

Primroses are harbingers of spring.
From "The Druid Plant Oracle"© by
Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm,
illustrated by Will Worthington

On March 20th our planet meets our Sun at an equal distance on the celestial equator at 22:45 UTC, or 3:45 p.m. PDT.  We will have 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.  Equinox means ‘equal night.’  In the Northern Hemisphere we welcome the return of Spring. There’s lots of folklore attached to the Spring, or Vernal Equinox.  It is said that you can stand an egg, or a broom on end during this time because we are not tilted on our axis.  I say try standing Hersey’s Kisses® on the pointy end.  Then you’ve really got something.

Spring is rife with symbols of fertility for different cultures:

I spy the Green Man. "Meadowsweet"
"The Druid Plant Oracle"© by
Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm
illustrated by Will Worthington

Brightly colored eggs, rabbits, frogs, hazelnuts, lotus flowers and pomegranates.  Live renews itself in the Spring.  We have a chance for a redo, whether it’s of the home and garden variety, or something more personal. It's a naturally abundant time.  Use equinox energy to express gratitude for everything you have and to fulfill your desires to make more with the life given to you. We also have the added benefit of a New Moon on the 20th.  New Moon in Pisces is a dreamer's moon filled with intuition and imagination. Set your intention for what you wish to create in your life so you can get moving after the clean sweep of Spring Equinox. Also note that this year we receive a double bonus. Our New Moon in Pisces is a Supermoon and comes with the total planetary reboot from a total solar eclipse. 

Create your own way to celebrate the rebirth that cames with

Peach Selenite - this mineral gives off high
vibrational white light and disburses
negative energy. Talk about spring cleaning!

Spring, whether it means bringing daffodils into the house, attending church or simply hanging swags of green and yellow fabric around your home.  Search the internet if you can’t come up with anything yourself.  The point is to make a personal connection with your planet’s cycle and to sync your rhythm with hers.  And remember: There’s always balancing chocolates.

LADY ORACLE

Suggested Crystals :  Selenite, Moonstone, Sunstone

Amethyst, Carnelian, Fluorite (green and purple)

Suggested Tarot Cards:  The Empress, Ace of Wands, 8 of Wands, Aces of Cups, Ace of Pentacle and 7 of Pentacles


Featured decks are available for sale through Lady Oracle Tarot!

Like Lady Oracle Tarot on FaceBook today!

The Ides of March - I'm Your Vehicle Baby

"Hey, well I'm the friendly stranger

In the black sedan
Oh won't you hop inside my car?
I got pictures, got candy, I am a lovable man
I'd like to take you to the nearest star
I'm your vehicle babyI'll take you anywhere you wanna go"

                                                   "Vehicle," Written by Jim Peterik, "The Ides of March"

March 15, 44BEC, gave birth to the ancient cultural meme, "Beware the Ides of March." There's a couple of things to note about this famous line, first this is dialogue from William Shakespeare's play, "Julius Caesar," and second, every month has Ides in them. Romans didn't mark the passage of each day of the month by assigning a specific number to it.  The first of the month was referred to as the Kalends (kind of similar to 'calendar,' don't you think?), the 5th through the 7th, as the Nones and the 13th through the 15th, as the Ides.

History tells us that Caesar was assassinated during a meeting of the Roman senate on March 15th.  Plutarch, a Greek historian and biographer of Julius Caesar, took the assassination story a step further and described an incident where a seer proclaimed that Caesar wouldn’t live past the Ides of March.  Plutarch claims that Julius Caesar met the seer on his way to the theater and told him, “Well, it’s the Ides and I’m still here.”  The seer replied with words to the effect of, “Oh yeah? Well, the day’s not over yet, Julius.”  Something tells me that Plutarch also had a flair for drama.  A later historian would claim the seer actually made his prediction after reviewing the entrails on an animal.  That’s why I prefer tarot.  Less messy. Well,...usually.

What makes the most sense historically is that the festival of Annae Perennae, or the Great Mother was held on the Ides of March.  This was a festival celebrated by the lower classes, or plebeians, who left the city in droves to frolic and drink along the banks of the Tiber.  The patricians, or nobility were the only large group left in the city and Julius Caesar had many enemies among them.  According to history, sixty senators supported Caesar’s assassination by Brutus.  Remember Shakespeare’s equally famous line, “Et tu Brute?” or “Even you, Brutus?”

If you catch yourself looking over you today, remember that any portents of doom for the Ides of March simply come from ancient history and a couple of writers who had excellent turns of phrase.

LADY ORACLE

Kyanite - The Big, Blue Easy

Mercury Retrograde in Pisces has made some of us fretful, to say the least.  Okay, I’ll admit it.  I’ve been under my bed for two days.  If you’ve found yourself worn out from smudging and cleansing your space, take heart.  You’re not alone.  WhiIe it’s important to remember to go with the flow at this particular time, there are still some things you can do to help yourself and your environment.  One of the biggest metaphysical bangs for the buck out there is an incredible polymorph stone called Kyanite.

Kyanite derives its name from the Greek word, ‘kyanos,’ meaning blue.  Good kyanite crystals have a color and clarity similar to a Ceylon Sapphire -  a deep, rich blue that draws you into the stone itself.  Kyanite in its crystal form is found in Brazil, Kenya and the European Alps.  This gem stone carries a high vibration and is capable of automatically aligning all the chakras without any conscious effort on your part.  Kyanite, like Ametrine, cannot hold a negative charge and therefore never requires clearing (One of my favorite attributes for a crystal). Anger, frustration and stress are greatly reduced by wearing Kyanite on your body.

If you wish to improve your communication skills then Kyanite is the crystal for you.  This blue gem works with your throat chakra and assists you in both speaking effectively and in being clearly understood.  It also induces tranquility and enhances psychic awareness.  Kyanite’s vibration aids creative visualization and promotes healing during dream states. It is said to be a stone of destiny.  Under Kyanite’s influence, you open yourself to the possibilities of life and find your true calling.  

Mercury Retrograde is Mercury Retrograde, just as bad days are bad days.  However, it never hurts to have a few tools to use when the Universe grinds to a halt right on top of you.  Kyanite can make going with the flow a lot easier.

LADY ORACLE

March New Moon In Pisces - It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere

Everybody in the solar system wants to party with Pisces this New Moon.  Who can blame them? Pisces carries a wonderful, dreamy, creative energy that helps us envision possibilities.  There are six celestial bodies visiting Pisces right now:  The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Neptune.  That's a lot of company for one sign.  Better break out another bag of chips.  This New Moon, occurring on March 11th, at 3:51 PDT, is all about relaxing, surrendering control and going with the flow.

Pisces carries yin, or indirect feminine energy. Therefore it's not surprising that in terms of tarot numerology, the date, March 11, 2013 reduces to Major Arcana's #2, The High Priestess.  As an aspect of the Divine Feminine, our High Priestess represents unconscious thought and the intuitive process.  The next couple of days will be a good time to withdraw from outside influences and access your own intuition. Just remember to keep it light.

New Moons begin a fresh emotional cycle and the theme for March's New Moon in mutable Pisces is staying in the moment.  You'll find that it's particularly helpful to spend time in meditation, or meditative pursuits such as yoga, gardening, dance, or even basic coloring.  These sorts of activities cue both our mind and body to stay flexible, to refrain from judgment and to stop attaching ourselves to outcomes that really have nothing to do with us.

The Pisces New Moon invites us to come and play.  It reminds us that life is sometimes about silly, inconsequential things that give us joy.  We all need to take a break from our serious side every now and then.  Today's New Moon offers us that opportunity.  Accept the invitation and ask yourself, "What would Jimmy Buffet do?"


LADY ORACLE

Comet Pan STARR - The New Kid in Town, March 10th

Sunday, March 10th, we may all be in for a treat.  There’s a new kid on the block.  You may have heard of him: The comet Pan STARRS.  As with all new kids moving into the neighborhood, however briefly, we’re pretty curious about them.  Where goes this comet come from and where’s it going?

Pan STARRS comes to us from the region of our solar system past Pluto where our Sun is no more than a pinpoint of light.  In this frozen darkness lies a debris field of icy balls of gaseous material and cosmic dust known as comets.  This field is called the Oort Field and it is the point of origin for comets within our system.  

Where did this comet get a name like Pan STARRS (And I thought celebrities came up with crazy stuff)?  Pan STARRS was discovered in 2011 by the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System located at the Haleakala Observatory on the island of Mauii, in Hawaii.  The comet was named using the acronym for our planetary advance warning program, S.T.A.R.R.  The Haleakala Observatory searches for objects (among other things) approaching us from space to determine whether or not they pose a threat to our planet. Good to know someone is keeping an eye peeled.

Pan STARRS is what’s referred to as a ‘naked eye’ comet, meaning it is viewable without a telescope and doesn’t require optical filters to protect your eyes. It is visible in the northern sky in the Northern Hemisphere, to the left of the setting sun. 

Sunday the 10th is the date this comet makes it’s closest approach to “Old Sol.”  Astronomers have theories on what we can expect - theories, because this is the first time Pan STARR has come to visit.  The comet is expected to be about as bright in appearance as the stars in the constellation known as The Big Dipper.  As the comet draws closer to our Sun, its ice will melt, releasing more gaseous material and debris.  This material will show as a ‘tail’ streaming behind the comet.  Astronomers hope to witness an impressive display.  The best time for viewing Pan STARR is at sunset on the 10th, but also on 12th and 13th of March.  However, the comet should be visible for the rest of the month. 

2013 will have a rare, second comet making an appearance in November.  This one is called, Ison.  I’ll have more on Ison later.  In the meantime, keep looking up.

LADY ORACLE

Astrological Trends for March, 2013 - Wondering Where the Lions Are

The thing about old sayings in that sooner or later we discover there’s some validity to them.  I learned that I can’t teach my 14 year-old dog tricks, new or otherwise.  March is said to either come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, or come in like a lamb and out like a lion.  This year, astrologers are using this simile to describe the astrological patterns of the month.

At the moment, we have a Mercury Retrograde in Pisces and it’s comparatively mild, as Mercury Retrogrades go.  Perhaps it’s all that whimsical Pisces energy.  The first two weeks of March are colored from our emotional palette.  However, we need to take care that we don’t paint in broad, sweeping brush strokes.  The key here is to stay centered and exercise some control.  The first half of March also gives us a chance to explore our creative side.  Meditations will be deeper and more rewarding. Mercury remains in Pisces until April 13th, making our thinking more magical.  This is a perfect opportunity to create your own reality. There’s a vibrancy to our intuition and a natural “joie de vivre” attached to the things we undertake.  Can’t you just see those little lambs frolicking across the meadow?  

Venus is visiting Pisces until March 21st.  The Goddess of Love not only makes us optimistic in romantic pursuits, but also gives us the urge to hug the world. (Watch some 60’s stock footage of Haight Ashbury, or the East Village) We will be more tender, compassionate and forgiving towards our partners.  The downside of this lovefest is that we may have a few border disputes when it comes to establishing and maintaining our personal boundaries.  Selfless acts too easily develop into victim-martyr scenarios.  Wishful thinking turns to self-delusion and when our behaviors are pointed out, we will most likely cover our ears and dawn our favorite pair of rose-colored glasses to evade the issue.  

On March 11th we have a New Moon at 21 degrees of Pisces. Also on the 11th, Uranus enters Aries and Venus travels parallel to Mercury.  These configurations signal March’s turn from lamb to lion.  On the 12th, Mars joins Uranus in Aries and we will feel the urge to throw out the old, restrictive patterns in our lives and start afresh.  These feelings will intensify through the Spring Equinox on March 20th.  On March 22nd Mars is conjunct Uranus, drawing in a restless and discontented energy.  Where you may have experienced dissent in the ranks before, you could see open rebellion.  Think of it as Spring Fever on steroids.  This is a good time to align yourself with the physical world.  Garden, clean house, hike, fly a kite, etc.  Being part of the physical world literally grounds you.

On March 27th we have a Full Moon in Libra.  Thank Heavens!  Libra’s influence grants us a respite from rebellious Aries.  I’ll have more on this month’s full moon later in the month.  Just remember your lion taming tricks.  The whip and the chair are optional.

LADY ORACLE