June 27, 2014, New Moon in Cancer – "A Terrific Night For A Moon Dance"

Sarasvati is the goddess Kris Waldherr chose
as #2, The High Priestess for her
wonderful "The Goddess Tarot"©, tarot's
card for Lady Moon

Our lunar reboot occurs on June 27th at 1:08 a.m., PDT in five degrees and thirty-seven minutes of Cancer.  This is terrific, because the Moon rules Cancer and is exalted during its passage through this sign.  Exalted, you say? Yup.  A planetary body (and the Moon falls within this category for the sake of astrology) that’s exalted has a purer, more direct form of its natural energy and characteristics.  This all adds up to a powerhouse of a New Moon whose energy can be used to reaffirm our commitment to our life path, goals and projects.  

While Mercury’s retrograde has had us reviewing, revamping and rethinking decisions, Neptune’s retrograde pattern has connected us more strongly to our mystic and spiritual sides.  This New Moon gives us the opportunity to adopt the strategies and philosophies we’ve been contemplating during Mercury Retrograde.  Our intellect (Mercury in Gemini),  our emotions (New Moon in Cancer), and our spirit (Neptune in Pisces) are in harmony.  Also, the New Moon on the 27th trines Neptune, giving us a super charge of mystical energy.  Use that intuition.  Allow all that amazing creativity you feel within you to flow free.  Set your plans so you can hit the ground running when Mercury turns direct on July 1st.  Then get out of your own way and watch your dreams manifest during the next thirty days.  The theme for this New Moon, like the tarot association for Cancer, The Chariot, is 'up and over.'

Rhiannon represents #7 The Chariot,
Cancer's tarot association. From
Kris Waldherr's "The Goddess Tarot"©

People with Moon in Cancer in their birth chart, or those born under the sign of Cancer  feel the effects of this New Moon more strongly, however Venus in Gemini lends  stability to the strong, emotional currents our favorite crustaceans might feel swirling around them.  Remember, this will be a New Moon with deep, meaningful subtext, both spiritual and emotional.  It’s important to stay focused on where you want to be in life and who you wish to have with you – friends, co-workers, or partners.

The power of June’s New Moon is a great opportunity to rise above that sense stagnation we’ve endured with Cardinal Crosses and so forth earlier this year.  Work with this new emotional template for the coming lunar cycle and you’ll amaze yourself.  

LADY ORACLE

Venus in Gemini, June 23, 2014 – “A Romantic Meeting of Minds”

#3, Fertility, from Kris Waldherr's
"Goddess Tarot"© represents
Venus' tarot card, The Empress

Venus, the planet of self-esteem and relationships, breezed into the air sign, Gemini this morning at 5:33 a.m. PDT.  Venus in Gemini requires little of us other than adding variety, as well as spontaneity to our daily routines.  This is a transit that keeps matters light, romantically speaking.  Gemini in a sign of the mind and in order for a flirtation to achieve true romance status, our intellect must be engaged along with our heart strings.

We become easily bored during this transit. The goddess of love wants us to experience a multitude of interests during her stay in Gemini – creative endeavors, travel or cultural forays – anything that happens to capture us for the moment.  Check out the newest exhibits at the art museum, or attend a lecture that stimulates your mind and adds depth to your conversations.  This transits wants us to test our intellectual sparkage with the people who snag our romantic interest.  However, remember to keep your affection connections light during this time (transit ends July 17th).  Venus in Gemini has no use for heavy duty commitments, or torch songs.  For all the ‘smarts’ factor, this energy is fun and flirty.  

You may experience a temporary drifting apart with your

Waldherr uses the goddess Venus for #6,
The Lovers, tarot's card for Gemini
Neat, huh?

partner.  No worries.  You’re both off exploring the world around you and if your relationship has substance to it, you’ll drift back.  Venus in Gemini is a transit for discovering the world and determining what engages our mind.  One note of caution: Fall in love with experience, but watch the budget.  Venus is the ruler of Taurus and there is that whole love of luxury component that can sink your finances in short order.  Keep an eye out for bargains, (visit Groupon® and see what they offer) or experiences that don’t cost much.  Enjoy Venus’ transit of Gemini and the thrill of discovery.

LADY ORACLE

Check out Groupon® for special deals in your area

Air bnb® offers affordable vacation housing.  Check it out!

Summer Solstice, June 21, 2014 - "A Kiss of Midsummer Madness"

"If we shadows have offended,

Think but this and all is mended.

That you have but slumbered here

While these vision did appear.

And this weak and idle theme,

No more yielding but a dream..."

                             "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

                              William Shakespeare 

What does the term 'solstice' mean?  The word itself comes

from the Latin word, solstitium, which broken down is sol - the sun, and stitium - to stop.  On June 21st, our sun reaches its northern most point for the planetary year, and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer.  For the three days following Summer Solstice, the sun will appear stationary as it begins the infinitely slow trek south.  The 21st also boasts the maximum amount of daylight possible for the Northern Hemisphere, or as we call it, "The Longest Day of the Year."  It's a great time to jog that extra mile, or spend an additional thirty minutes gardening.  In actuality you only get a second or two of additional daylight, but why not enjoy a lingering twilight in honor of Summer Solstice?  Have a glass of your favorite wine, or mead. 

With the turn of Summer Solstice we begin our personal rituals for the season - that first beer after the last college final, or the first hotdog eaten in front of the season opener for your favorite ball club.  We pick the first of our strawberries and hope we get enough for a shortcake, or we look at a field of hay and hope for a few weeks of sunny weather to bring in the first cut.  The benchmarks for Summer really don't change, even although some of the trappings do.

The Lover's from "Shadowscapes Tarot" ©
by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

Midsummer nights hold magic in them.  Fireflies wend their way over a field in twilight, their yellow-green glow recalling the magic of childhood when summer days stretched warm and long across three months.  Time was on our side then and days hung heavy with potential.

June is traditionally the favored month for weddings.  This has less to do with the weather, or terrific sales in bridal departments and more to do with the traditions of Summer Solstice, or Midsummer.  If a couple stayed together for a year and a day (a tradition called handfasting - check Diana Gabaldon's famous book, "Outlander") they were often married on Midsummer.  The Moon that ruled the Midsummer period was called the Mead Moon in Celtic tradition, or Honey Moon.  Meade is make with honey after all. Many of the bridal traditions we enjoy, such as tossing garters and the bridal bouquet come from Midsummer traditions.  Marriages made on Midsummer are said to ensure the happiness of the couple, the fruitfulness of their union as well as their material wealth.

Midsummer, like Beltane, is a fire festival. In ancient tradition, the villager's hearth fires were extinguished on the Summer Solstice. Each household then took embers from the village bonfire lit in celebration of Midsummer to rekindle their own hearths. This act reminded each member of the community how dependent they were on each other and how they were symbolically connected because the same fire was banked nightly in each of their homes. Unity and fraternity.

Where Beltane's bonfires were built from nine different sacred

"Shadowscapes Tarot" carries
fae energy.  Here's a reminder to take
easy on the Midsummer mead

types of wood, Midsummer's fire was ignited by rubbing oak and fir sticks together.  Nine different herbs were burned in the fire.  It is said the Midsummer night is the time for prophetic dreams.  To ensure visions of the future, sleep with nine flowers under your pillow, or mistletoe.   Shakespeare used the setting of magical midsummer for one of his best loved plays, "A Midsummer's Night's Dream." Fairy energy is said to abound at Midsummer and many people still put out cake and cream in their gardens for the wee folk.  (Okay, guilty of this one myself).

To celebrate the Solstice, or Midsummer, surround yourself with yellow, orange and red.  Display oranges and lemons in a bowl on your table, mixing in oak leaves and lavender to add interest.  Plant marigolds, nasturtiums or red poppies.  Wear amber or carnelian jewelry to celebrate the wonder of the sun.   Light candles if you don't have a fire pit, or a barbecue.  Get in touch with the rhythm of the planet and use it to set your own.  Celebrate with time-honored traditions, or make up your own.

LADY ORACLE

Good books to check out:

"Outlander," 

"The Food Fairies of New York"

Full Moon in Sagittarius, Friday, June 13th – “For a Good Time, Call....”

A Full Moon in Sagittarius embraces life.  I’d go so far as to say, it embodies life.  The lunar influence is extremely strong in the sign of The Archer where it engenders adventure, luck and expansive thinking.  Sagittarius rules the ninth house, the seat of higher learning and philosophy.  If Mercury in Gemini is a quick mind, then Full Moon in Sagittarius is a perpetual lightening-round of intellect.  

Moon in Sagittarius sees life in Cinemascope, briskly taking in information from all senses and rapidly formulating a plan for action. This Full Moon compels activity because The Archer is a fire sign.  Think about tarot’s suit of Wands – a perfect road map for Sagittarius. ( See blog: “Lights, Camera, Action” ) Ace is Archer’s spark of inspiration, or awareness. Two of Wands is the call to adventure, that irresistible urge to look past the familiar and see potential. Seize the Three of Wands and, like Sagittarius, you’re heading off to see what’s past the horizon. June’s Full Strawberry Moon is a moon of believers and achievers.   

At lot is being made of the fact that Friday’s Full Moon falls on

Sagittarius' tarot connection, #14, Temperance from Ciro Marchetti's
"Legacy of the divine Tarot"©

the 13th.  Cue organ music and mist.  Here’s the deal.  Like Sagittarius we must take a look at the big picture.   June’s Full Moon occurs at 4:14 GMT on the 13th.  That means if you live in America, your Full Moon occurs on at 12:11 a.m. ET on June 13th. All other American time zones have a Full Moon on June 12th. Sorry guys.  Numerically, June 13, 2014 adds up to eight.  In tarot, eights are about movement.  (See blog: “Crazy Eights” ) This theme is spot on for Full Moon in Sagittarius regardless of whether you live on the east coast, west coast, or somewhere between.  Look for movement in your life from the 11th to the 15th.  There will be incoming messages and events that can spark positive changes for you, if you let them.

Moon in Sag people (that’s all of us to a certain extent during this Full Moon period) are the life of the party. They are out-going, witty and are not only found at the center of the action – they’ve usually started the action in the first place.  During this Full Moon weekend look for spontaneous gatherings.  If you’re meeting friends for drinks, don’t be surprised if people you don’t even know pull up chairs to your table, or you, quiet out of character, do the same.  Don’t look for passionate love this weekend.  Sagittarius is about answering that personal call to adventure, although you may find someone whose affinity for escapades matches your own. If you wish to participate in someone else’s grand scheme, that’s great, but The Archer’s influence makes us more willing to go it alone if no one is inclined to join our quest.   

Sarasvati represents the High Priestess, tarot's
association for Lady Moon. From Kris Waldherr's
"The Goddess Tarot"©

Lest this Full Moon sound too perfect, let me give you a couple of minor warnings.  Sagittarius has a tendency to not simply speak the truth, but blurt it, warts and all.  Use diplomacy.  If you don’t, you risk a red face next week and having to repeat, “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what made me say that to you,” over and over and over.  Also, Moon in Sagittarius tends to believe in the absolute triumph of its own luck – and this is a lucky Moon, no doubt.  However, avoid leaving everything up to random chance.  Proceed with a purpose, fully informed and with mental clarity.  Watch out for over-spending. Moon in Sag pushes its exuberance for life towards excess from time to time.  Live for the experience this weekend instead of for possessions and you’ll be fine.

Full Moon in Sagittarius brings a gift of seeing the scope of your own life and recognizing its potential.  Take action, no matter how small.  Small acts, carefully combined, can change the direction of a planet.  Be brilliant.

LADY ORACLE

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Crystals to Enhance June’s Retrospective Perspective

Calcite adds focus and balance to the
Mercury Retrograde mind

Mercury entered retrograde last Saturday and Neptune followed suit on June 9th.  Chiron also goes retrograde in Pisces on June 20th.  See blog: “Astrological Trends for June, 2014 ”  for more details. June is a month of dreams, dreamers and spiritual connection – with lots of intuitive energy layered in for subtext.  With so much high vibrational energy streaming through our crown chakra and third eye it’s important to keep those areas clear and balanced during June’s retro triple header (don’t forget Pluto is also in retrograde). Using specific crystals to ground our energy enhances the gifts (yes, I said gifts) from this month’s retrogrades. Working with various crystals during meditations or by carrying them with you will clear your higher mind and lighten your heart.

Mercury’s quick mind becomes calmer and gains focus by using calcite – a particularly useful tool during retrograde.  This stone comes in a variety of colors (blue, yellow, orange, pink and red) and is said to increase memory, rekindle our motivation and assist us in sorting through information uploaded to our senses. Calcite sharpens our perceptions and helps decide what information is worth acting upon and what we should ignore. Calcite carries a strong, stabilizing vibration that induces serenity. It’s a great stone for meditation.

Celestite is a high vibrational stone linked to Divine energy. 

Rainbow Moonstone shown here in a variety
of jewelry heightens intuition and empathy

Though not an uncommon crystal, it is fairly expensive.  Celestite comes in various colors (blue, red, yellow and white) and reportedly lifts the vibration level of the area surrounding it, as well as the vibration of the person who carries it. This stone assists in out of the body journeys such as astral travel, or meditations involving other realms. It also boosts clairvoyance and dream recall. Celestite is a stone of artistry and is highly beneficial for anyone wishing to connect to their creative Muse. Remember that dreams and creative energy flow from Neptune and Pisces.

Iolite is a stone for the third eye.  It’s a deep, violet-blue in color and increases our ability to visualize, as well as promoting our self-knowledge.  Iolite is a stone of shamanic vision, psychic knowledge and inner journeys.  It acts like a set of jumper cables directing cosmic currents that revitalize our auric field.  Like Celestite, Iolite also facilitates meditative journeys to other realms.  

Danburite is one of my favorite higher vibrational stones because it is readily available and carries a lot of bang for the buck. This stone comes in a variety of colors (white, pink, yellow and lilac).  Danburite activates the third eye and crown chakra, opening them while simultaneously engaging and aligning the heart chakra. This crystal stimulates both intellect and higher consciousness, helping us draw insight and guidance through meditation. Danburite also facilitates lucid dreaming – a significant property while working with June’s dream energy.

Moonstone is also a great stone for lucid dreaming. This milky-white stone with flashes of iridescence is connected to the lunar cycle and works strongest during the Full Moon.  It instills calmness, promotes psychic abilities and empathy.  Moonstone jewelry is fashion with a purpose.  I often wear it during tarot readings because of its soothing effect and its ability to spark intuition.  Moonstone is strongly connected to the planet Neptune and therefore also connected to Pisces.

Aquamarine, also carries the Neptune, Pisces connection.  Who didn’t see that one coming?  It is a beautiful blue-green color.  Gem quality aquamarine is very expensive, even in smaller pieces.  However, it is so worth it.  This stone clears away mental chatter and quiets a busy mind.  It opens lines of communications (Mercury Retrograde) with yourself and those around you.  It draws out your ability for self-expression and it is a wonderful choice for meditative work.  If you could afford a large enough piece you could use clear aquamarine as a scrying stone to tremendous effect.  In amplifies clairvoyance and intuition, yet shields your auric field. Definitely a heavy hitter stone.

Ametrine, a blend of amethyst and citrine
is a powerful stone for the crown chakra
and one of my favorites. I keep a ready supply!

There are many other crystals you can use with great success this month: labradorite, ametrine, amethyst, fluorite, pearl, alexandrite – the list goes on.  Use the crystal tools mentioned in this blog alone, or by combining them in a grouping that feels right to you.  Remember to also include good grounding stones in the mix like, jasper, smoky quartz or alexandrite.

June’s retrograde pattern is less challenging and more liberating than you think.  Work with this natural cosmic flow and you’ll see what I mean.  Above all, have fun!

LADY ORACLE

Astrological Trends for June 2014 – “Dreams of the Spirit”

The Magician is tarot's card for Mercury
representing conscious thought, or the
active mind. Seen here from "The Wizard's Tarot"©
by Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen

June is the month for planetary retrogrades. Take three, they’re small.  See blog: “Mercury Retrograde, Tarot and You”  for a definition of what a retrograde cycle actually is. June 7th, Mercury starts its retrograde in Cancer and then slip-slides back to Gemini on June 17th. Neptune begins its retro-fitting journey in Pisces on June 9th and last, though still influential, Chiron turns retrograde in Pisces as well on June 20th. There is a central theme for this month and it is dreams of the spirit.

Mercury Retrograde in Cancer asks us to halt for a moment and carefully consider any communications we receive pertaining to financial matters. Don’t forget to check those pesky emails from your bank that signal low balance alerts, or God forbid, the dreaded, “your account is overdrawn” email.  No, Mercury Retrograde in Cancer doesn’t make you short of cash, but it can create miscommunications in the financial area.  Listen to your voicemails and read your emails particularly if you have various and sundry financial deals in the works.  Don’t assume that everything is taken care of just because it’s happening under someone else’s watch.  On June 17th Mercury drifts back to Gemini, its home sign.  Mercury in Gemini is a quick mind and a quicker wit.  Although Mercury’s retro period may leave you feeling as if you hit a wall during your mental calisthenics, simply remember to rethink your ideas and recalculate the outcome twice and issues will eventually resolve themselves.  Follow the rules for Mercury retrograde and keep them holy. 

Pisces figures prominently in this month’s astrology and in a

#12, The Hanged Man is tarot's card for Neptune.
From "Shadowscapes"©
by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

very exciting way.  Neptune, exalted in its home sign of Pisces, goes retrograde on June 9th.  Unlike drifty Mercury, Neptune remains in the sign of the fish for its entire retrograde period.  In it to win it.  Pisces is the sign of dreams, intuition, spirituality and creativity.  Likewise, Neptune is the planet of dreamers and the higher self.  Here’s the exciting part.  When Neptune goes retrograde it acts as a touchstone for our spirituality.  In Pisces this effect is magnified.  We more readily identify ourselves as members of one species – humanity.  We grasp the idea that faith is not something to simply be given by rout, but a thing that needs to be examined.  The results of our queries push us to the point where faith is validated as our truth and therefore becomes unshakeable.  Expect to see a spiritual reawakening for yourself and others during Neptune’s retrograde cycle which lasts until November 16th.  

Lady Moon herself symbolizes
the sign of Pisces. From "The
Wizard's Tarot"© by Corrine Kenner and
John J. Blumen

Neptune retrograde in Pisces is an excellent time to examine your dreams for clues about yourself and the world around you.  Read up on basic dream symbolism. (See Blog: "Dream Symbolism – I Know I Was Wearing Pants When I Left The House" )  Start a dream journal. What do your dreams want you to know?  Use the super charged spiritual energy of this June to connect to your higher, intuitive self and open the pathway that connects you to the Devine. Let yourself find the path that speaks to you.

The third retrograde of the month is Chiron in Pisces.  Here we see the same theme of creativity and spirituality, but this time coupled with Chiron’s healing energy.  Look for deep and powerful meditations this month that transform your old patterns.  This month is geared towards facilitating lasting changes in your life.  Remember Pluto is also in retrograde now, prompting you to ask the big questions about your relationship to Source and your responsibility to your fellow man.  Not easy stuff, granted, but all part of the wonderful spiritual shift coming this month. You don’t have to force your reawakening, just let it happen. Enjoy it.

On June 11th Jupiter in Cancer goes sesquiquadrate to

#5, The Hierophant is shown as Chiron,
the wounded healer in "Wizard's Tarot"©

Neptune in Pisces.  That’s a mildly adverse aspect or 135 degrees between the two planets.  This aspect won’t cause too many waves, but it will juxtapose the material bounty of Jupiter with the spirituality of Neptune.  If anything it will prod us to come to terms with any conflicts between our material world and our higher self.

On June 13th we enjoy a Full Moon in Sagittarius and on 27th, a powerful New Moon in Cancer.  I’ll have more on those later this month.  In the meantime, use June’s rich Piscean energy to deepen your meditations, expand your spirit and enrich your life.

LADY ORACLE

June 2, 2014 Card of the Day – Six of Wands, Triumph and Acclaim

Today’s numerical tarot card is the Six of Wands.  The six is a

Six of Wands as depicted in
"The Fenestra Tarot"© by
Chatriya - great deck

card of optimism and what better card for the start of the week.  In the RWCS depiction the conquering hero is greeted with cheers and laurel wreaths.  This card means victory, leadership, recognition and acclaim.  In tarot sixes are about aspects of communication and the cornerstone for effective leadership is the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.

Claim your place in the sun today.  Recognition of your accomplishments is yours by right.  That being said, you can’t force recognition from people who can’t see beyond the end of their own nose.  Start today but recognizing your own aptitude.  Let your light shine and eventually others will recognize it. Hold your head and claim an attitude of leadership.  The attributes of a good leader are strength, determination, compassion and the ability to move resolutely in one direction for the greater good of all involved.  A good leader inspires.  They do not resort to bullying or threats to achieve their goal and they take the mantle of their responsibilities to others very seriously.     

To The victory goes the...em
rat.  This depiction from the
uncompromising, "Tarot of Pagan Cats"©
from Lo Scarebo

Use today to communicate your ideas at home and work using the strategy of effective leadership.  Lead boldly even if the only person you’re inspiring is yourself.  After all, the ability to inspire yourself is the linchpin to lasting success.

LADY ORACLE  

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