Venus in Cancer, July 18, 2014 – “With Fronds Like These, Who Needs Anemones”

“Finding Nemo,” is one of my favorite movies and every time I 

Kris Waldherr uses the goddess Venus for
#6, The Lovers in her "Goddess Tarot"©

watch it, I chuckle over Marlin the Clown Fish’s rather lame joke. If you’ve ever visited a tidal pool and poked an Anemone you know that stimulating their fronds makes them quiver and close up in an instant. Venus’ transit of Cancer this month turns all turns us into untral-sensitive creatures who react instantaneously to both negative and positive romantic stimulation.  We also become incurable romantics. 

Mercury has been in the sign of the crab since July 13th.  (See blog: “July Astrological Trends”) That’s a witty intellect.  Venus is another story.  The goddess of love rules the seventh and second houses of the Zodiac, dealing with primary relationships and self- esteem, respectively.  Cancer lives in the fourth house where we house our family and foundations.  The fourth house is ruled by the Moon, which gives us insights, but can also make Venus’ attractions remarkably strong this month.  Don’t worry, though.  You’re unlikely to throw everything away for love. Cancer is too practical for that.  Venus in Cancer makes us want to hug the world, or at least our corner of it.  We all become more sentimental and our romantic roles, more traditional in the game of hunt and chase. We want to woo and be wooed as the situation dictates.

#3, Estsanatlehi (try saying this three
 times fast!) represents the Empress, Venus' tarot
 association from Waldherr's "The Goddess Tarot"©

If there’s a down side to Venus in Cancer, it’s the heightened sensitivity we have during this transit.  Cancerians are shell people.  Much like an Anemone, they close themselves off when they become confused, or hurt. They have a need to hide emotions. Expect a little tug of war inside yourself with the need to emote and the need to protect your super sensitive feelings.

Venus in Cancer is a great transit for summer romances (as opposed to summer flings).  Enjoy the idea of romance and romantic gestures.  Think about possibilities, but stay away from obsessing on a particular person.  Like the summer, keep it light.

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!

Venus in Sagittarius, October 7th to November 5th, 2013 - “Room to Bloom”

The Empress in tarot's card for Venus.
I love this depiction from "Steampunk Tarot"©
by Barbara Moore and Ally Fell

It’s nice to find some sparkle and pizzaz amongst all the somber notes of this month’s astrological forecast.  Meet our new best friend, Venus in Sagittarius.  When Venus visits The Archer, she becomes fun-loving, whimsical and seeks out relationships that spur personal growth and enrich her life.  Although it’s not necessarily the best energy for finding love to last a lifetime, Venus in Sagittarius builds hardy friendships that are long-lasting – lots of them. 

Venus loves the spontaneity and sense of freedom she has in Sagittarius.  Although she’s open to adventure and sees nothing wrong with a mild flirtation or five, she makes no false promises.  Sagittarius is known for honesty, after all.   Venus and The Archer produce an expansive energy that makes us want to explore our options and our boundaries.  We’ll flirt a little, or a lot, depending whether or not Venus in Sagittarius is in your birth chart.  However, we’ll do so in a way that expands our experiences and deepens the subtext of our lives.

Temperance is the card for
Sagittarius, The Archer, again from
the marvelous "Steampunk Tarot"©
by Barbara Moore and Ally Fell

Venus in Sagittarius asks, “Why not?”  This is great energy if you’re starting a new project, or revamping an old one.  Venus’ natural sense of style, her vibrancy, loves a new direction.  The next few weeks is a great chance for some out of the box thinking in forming partnerships.  Sagittarius carries lots of philosophical energy and surprisingly, our party girl Venus truly appreciates deep thinkers – even engaging in the practice herself.  Just watch out, as Venus in Sagittarius can become a tad judgmental.  It’s that honesty standard – high minded, but relentless.  

As far as romance goes, Venus in Sagittarius is light-hearted and giddy – the quintessential ‘hopeless romantic.’  Even those of us who are not normally given to romantic gestures may find ourselves purchasing a single rose for a loved one, or surprising our partner with a romantic escapade. That’s the spontaneous influence of Venus in Sagittarius.

Make time during the next three weeks to explore and enjoy the world through the eyes of Venus and The Archer.  The view from behind a pair of rose-colored glasses is both optimistic and heartening.  Enjoy!

LADY ORACLE

September 22nd to October 23rd - “Libra, Balancing the Scales”

#11, Justice is Libra's ruling tarot card.
from Ciro Marchetti's
"Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

Libra has the distinction of being the only sign in the Zodiac to be represented by an object, rather than a person, or creature.  There’s lots of other neat stuff about Libra too. This constellation was named by the Romans in early B.C. They recognized that the Sun entered this particular star grouping each September at Equinox and stated that Libra represented balance and the divine justice of Caesar. (Clearly, gladiatorial games had yet to be invented.) Greek and Arabic astronomers originally mapped the cluster as part of Scorpio.  The names for the brightest stars in Libra, Alpha Libra, or Zubenelgenubi and Beta Libra, or Zubeneschamali, in Greek mean ‘southern claw’ and ‘northern claw’ respectively.  Libra also contains the oldest star in our known Universe named, Methuselah (or, HD140283).

Libra is a cardinal sign that carries strong yang, or male, energy.  Yang energy is direct and very active. (Wands) This means that people born under the sign of Libra are constantly in motion, wondering what’s around the next river bend.  They have a natural joie de vivre that draws people to them.  Libra is ruled by Venus and in turn, rules the seventh house of the Zodiac.  This combination is literally a marriage made in Heaven. The seventh house rules marriage, partnerships and intimate relationships – Venus’ forte.  Librans are idealistic, romantic and can see past the immediate.

While Venus gives people born under the sign of the scales

#3, The Empress, the tarot card for Venus,
Libra's ruling planet
from "Steampunk Tarot"© by
Barbara Moore and Aly Fell

charm, Librans are also known for their diplomacy and concern for others.  Their primary goal in life is to achieve balance and harmony both within themselves and in the world around them.  As an air sign, their focus is intellect and the mind. (Swords) They are known to bridge gaps between opposing sides and they make excellent union negotiators and mediators – although they are also known for jumping up on a soapbox in a heartbeat.  A Libra person is happiest being of service to others.  However, they often shortchange their own needs and desires while caring for those closest to them.  Libra is a highly social sign and its people are often the life of the party.  They also make wonderful hosts at their own soirees.   

While grounded Libra is all easygoing charm and sharing, ungrounded or, negative Libra is resentful, moody and changeable.  People can easily talk a Libran into something simply by using flattery – their Achilles heel. They do love to be adored. Also, when ungrounded, a Libra becomes mired in their need to balance matters.  They will revisit and revise their conclusions to exhaustion and still not come up with a final plan.

Libra’s tarot associations are #11, Justice (There’s that balance and diplomacy again.) and through its ruling planet Venus, #3, The Empress (Who doesn’t like to party in the Empress’ garden?). In relationships, Libra is best with other air signs like Gemini, or Aquarius.  Opposites like Leo, Aries and Sagittarius can work too, plus add some interesting sparks.

This portion of September represents balance and Libra has so much to teach us on that score.  Enjoy your Libra friends and colleagues. They keep us in check and balance our world.  Without them we’d all likely be spinning out into space.

LADY ORACLE

Venus in Libra August 16th To September 11th - "Love, Sweet Love”

“Once on a high and windy hill
In the morning mist
Two lovers kissed
And the world stood still”

"Love Is A Many Splendored Thing"

(Words by Paul Frances Webster and Music by Sammy Fain)

The Empress is the tarot card for Venus
from Barbara Moore and Aly Fell's
"Steampunk Tarot"©

When Venus comes home to her planetary sign, Libra, she trades in her boogie shoes for a pair of four-inch stiletto heels – flattering, fabulous and perhaps just a tad bit naughty.  Venus blooms best under the harmonious eyes of Libra, though the signs Pisces and Taurus are close runners up.  During her transit through Libra, our planet of love enhances our softer, more charming nature.  We are in love with love itself and naturally explore the romantic side of any situation.  We value harmony in our relationships – personal and professional – and are willing to compromise without drawing battle lines.

During Venus’ transit through Libra, we will be more inclined to actively seek out partnerships. We strive to make our homes calm spaces that foster creative energy.  There will also be clearer signals between people spotting a mutual attraction across the proverbial, ‘crowded room’ and much less need for gamesmanship.  That doesn't mean that we're willing accept crude overtures from the people we find attractive; quite the opposite. Male or female – we'll want romance with a capital 'R' and that includes all the bells, whistles and social niceties.  Sun in Leo lends a little extra gloss to our own patina of charm.  Avoid sounding glib and overly smooth, lest you be accused of being superficial.

The only downside to all this harmonious compromise is the

Libra's tarot card is Justice
from Ciro Marchetti's
"Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

tendency for people with self-esteem issues to become overly agreeable for the sake of romance.  Healthy boundaries are a necessity no matter who’s transiting what.  If you abandon your own needs for the sake of romantic harmony you end up short-changing yourself and in the long run, build up resentments against your partner (again, personal or professional) and risk engaging in passive-aggressive behaviors farther down the road.

Venus in Libra is a gift of romance and romantic possibilities.  It’s a wonderful way to close out the summer and either relive a little magic from your past, or create some that’s brand spanking new.

LADY ORACLE

Below is my Top Ten Picks for favorite romantic movies.  Make your own list, or borrow some of mine:

1)  Casablanca

2)  Sleepless in Seattle

3)  When Harry Met Sally

4)  Love Is A Many Splendored Thing (You had to have seen that one coming)

5)  A Summer Place

6)  Splendor in the Grass 

7)  Under the Tuscan Sun

8)  Doctor Zhivago 

9)  An Affair to Remember

10) It Happened One Night

Actually, the list is endless!  

Send me yours @ ladyoracle.net

Crazy 8s - Tarot's Movable Feast

In tarot’s Minor Arcana, eights are concerned with aspects of

8 of Wands Lo Scarebo's "Tarot of the Pagan Cats"©
Very much tarot, but oh, so, catlike!

movement within your life.  Movement refers to change that shifts you into a different set of circumstances, either internal or external.  The RWCS deck depicts the Eight of Wands as wands that have arced through the sky and are now coming back to earth.  This card signifies information or news that leads to the successful completion of business matters, affairs of the heart or a particular goal.  Depending on the situation, this message can feel like “Skyrockets in flight,” or “Incoming.”   There is also an element of timing implied with this card. Let the timing of the situation reveal itself to you.  Don’t rush your fences and your outcome will be successful.  

8 of Cups from Rome Choi's
remarkable "Dreaming Way Tarot"©

Cups deal with emotions and spiritual aspects of life. RWSC shows you eight cups stacked into a prymid form and setting on a beach.  They are not stable.  What else can you expect when you try to build a structure on shifting sand?  In the background we see a figure leaving.  He glances over this shoulder at the cups as he departs, indicating regret.  Here’s the deal.  The situation, or relationship is over.  Stick the proverbial fork in it.  This card also comes with a promise.  You’re leaving behind a situation or relationship that was not a good fit and you are heading onwards and upwards where solid ground will allow you to build a firm foundation.  Bigger and better, baby, bigger and better.

Swords - gloomy doomy and in your face.  Swords show you

8 of Swords - the restricted lady
from RWCS by US Games®

the patterns in your mind with all their subtle shading and complexities. Swords can be upsetting to us in a reading because we are often not comfortable with what we see in the images that they mirror.  Still, mirrors are valuable.  They keep us from leaving the house with spinach in your teeth if nothing else.  In RWCS Eight of Swords we find a damsel in distress - captured, bound and encircled with swords.  Restriction.  What ensnares you?  Why, nothing less than your own fruitful imagination.  Look at the lady again.  She’s blindfolded, but her bonds are loose enough to break.  The swords do not completely encircle her and to top it all off, there’s no one around to prevent her escape.  That’s the truth about most restrictions - you create them in your own mind.

8 of Pentacle from the incomparable
"Wizard's Tarot"© by Corrine Kenner
and John J. Blumen

In Pentacles, the eight shows us an apprentice working hard to become a craftsman in his own right.  Financial growth through industry and mastery of skills.  He’s got a lot of pentacles there and he’s worked tirelessly to produce them.  The deeper lesson here is gained by asking yourself two questions:  Am I working for the end product, or for a deeper sense of satisfaction?  Am I so attached to outcome, that I’m missing the significance of my journey?  How you do something tells you more about why you do it in the first place.

Tarots eights hold promise for you.  They can reassure you, unlock your potential and give you a completely new take on a situation.  The important thing to remember is that all forward movement counts.

LADY ORACLE

Links I Love:  Check out Cathy Rose!  I love her astrological information!  Always upbeat and proactive.  Check her out!

http://www.roseastrology.com/

Featured decks available through me.  Go ahead – email me!
You know you want to!

May Day and the Language of Flowers

My friend, Cecelia, has a magical garden.  On a sunny day there is nothing better than to sit in one of her Adirondack chairs, sipping tea and watching the dragonflies and humming birds dart among her plants.  And if I know anyone who's likely to have fairies in their garden, it's Cecelia.  Her flowers have names that are uncommon to your average garden center shopper.  You find hellebore among the shadows and fragrant heirloom roses spilling their blossoms over fanciful trellises.  Cecelia takes flowers and herbs and arranges them into the most enchanting bouquets.   And it was on a warm, sunny afternoon years ago in her garden when I first heard that flowers had a language all their own.

Back in the day, when the world was filled with much less delightful smells than Febreeze, young ladies of gentility wore small bouquets on their wrists called, nosegays.  The idea being that when you came upon a questionable smell, you raised your wrist and sniffed a sweeter scent.  I'm sure it was all very artfully done.  At least it always is in romance novels and movies.  And definitely it was more refined than retching.  Nosegays could be worn in a "tuzzy-muzzy," usually made of alabaster and tied onto the wrist by ribbons, or simply carried.

When you live in a restrictive society, you develop ways of communicating without words; speaking glances, fan-flirting and best, and most romantic of all, messages conveyed by the meaning of certain flowers.  In honor of May Day, I thought it would nice to give you a simple list of few flowers and their suggested meaning.  For example, red tulips are a declaration of love, dahlias, denote elegance and dignity and fungus, well...you can imagine.  Below is a list and have some fun with it next time you're ordering flowers.

Particularly for May Day:


Almond Blossoms      -    Promise
Lemon Blossoms       -    Discretion
Lime Blossom           -    Fornication
Peach Blossom         -    Bridal Hope 
Pear Blossom           -     Lasting Friendship
Plum Blossom          -     Beauty and Longevity
Mayflower                -     Welcome




Other Flowers


Amaryllis                   -      Pride
Aster                          -      Daintiness and a talisman of love
Azalea                        -     Passion and womanhood
Baby's Breath            -     Innocence
Bachelor Button        -     A single life-style
Begonia                     -     Flightiness
Iris                              -    Good news
Ivy                              -     Determination and endurance
Lettuce                       -     Cold Hearted    (good luck if you put Iceberg in                                                any floral arrangement!)
Lobelia                       -    Mean-spiritedness
Bleeding Heart          -     Hopelessness  
Nasturtium                -     Patriotism
Lavender                   -     Both devotion and suspicion
Poppy, Red                -     Pleasure
Poppy yellow             -     Peace
Rose Red                   -     True love
Rose White                -     Innocence
Yellow                        -     Broken Heart


Have Ye A Joyous May!

LADY ORACLE