True Tarot Tales

Birds and bees and all that flies. It’s time again for Gemini. But what’s the story behind the zodiac sign?

Gemini the sign of the Heavenly Twins is a mutable air sign, and the third sign of the western or Tropical zodiac, representing late spring/early summer in the northern hemisphere.

The word ‘zodiac’ comes from the Greek meaning ‘circle of animals.’

The only zodiac sign that is non-representative of a living creature is Libra, representing the Scales of Justice. But even the scales of Libra are borrowed from the stars of neighbouring Scorpio, the heavenly scorpion.

See the Scales of Libra, doing double duty as the claws of the Scorpion.

Gemini Associations

Dates: May 21- June 20

Astrological symbol:

Ruling planet: Mercury

Element: Air

Quality: Mutable

Affirmation: ‘I think, I inquire.’

Birth Stone: For Gemini born in May, Emerald. For Gemini born in June, Pearl (although it is not a stone, and it is a product of the sea it is classically ruled by Mercury)

Lucky stone, The Tiger’s Eye. Why? Grounding of ‘flighty’ Gemini energy, brings focus

Colour: Yellow

Tree: all kinds of nut trees

Flower: Lily of the Valley, Lavender

Astronomy of Gemini

The Gemini constellation was listed as one of the 48 ancient constellations by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century, though Ptolemy referred to it in terms, not of the constellation as a whole, but of its two brightest stars, Castor ‘ The Star of Apollo,’ and Pollux ‘The Star of Heracles’.

Gemini is the northernmost constellation in the zodiac, in size the 30th largest. To see Gemini with the naked eye, we need to look north east of the constellation Orion between the Taurus and Cancer constellations.

Best viewing is during February. By April and May, the constellation is visible in the west soon after sunset.

Castor and Pollux, the brightest stars in the Gemini constellation, represent the heads of the twins from Greek mythology. Fainter stars are the outlines their bodies. Pollux, the westerly twin, is a red giant star, 33 light-years from Earth while Castor is about 51 light-years away.

(One light-year is the distance that light travels in a year – approx 6 trillion miles/9.6 trillion KM.)

Pollux is the brighter of the two stars, orbited by a massive planet orbiting it, Beta Genorium B, 1.6 times bigger than Jupiter.

Castor is actually not a single star, but a star system made of up six stars not visible to the naked eye.

Ancient History

Gemini represents the key principle of duality or polarity, similarities and opposites, life and death, light and dark, night and day, hot and cold.

We see this principle in active operation in spring, in the climax of splitting or cloning. Pollen flies free. Eggs hatch. Butterflies and dragonflies hatch out of their chrysalis. The mythology of twins goes back at least as far as the so-called Age of Gemini, during the Palaeolithic, 6, 500 BCE, arising from our understanding of the duality fundamental to the nature of reality.

There are countless stories of the twins in world myth, representing dualities and polarities; night and day, light and dark, heat and cold, male and female, war and peace, good and bad, life and death. The creation myths of ancient cultures across the world reflect this eternal battle of seeming opposites. Many surviving objects feature twin gods and goddesses. But there is a shadow side. In some cultures twins have been feared

In Egyptian astrology the stars of Gemini were twin goats, or else they were the two gods, Horus the Elder and Horus the Younger, while classical Greek mythology identified them as the twin brothers, Castor and Pollux, The Gemini.

Gemini is the first sign of the western tropical zodiac year that has a human representation rather than an animal one, following Aries the Ram and Taurus the Bull.

Castor and Pollux

Gemini is the name by which the constellation is known today throughout the western world. Gemini is Latin for “twins,” and Gemini is The Hellenistic names of the Heavenly Twins, Castor and Pollux.

Castor comes from the Greek Καστωρ (Kastor) and means “to excel, to shine.” In Greek myth Castor was a son of Zeus and the twin brother of Pollux.

Pollux comes from the Roman form of Greek Πολυδευκης (Polydeukes) and means “very sweet”.

The circumstances of their birth were unusual, to say the least. Queen Leda of Sparta was seduced by Zeus who had disguised himself as a swan. ‘Seduced’ is putting it rather too politely. She was bathing in the river. He glided about pretending to peck at things and then pounced on her while she was looking the other way, minding her own business. Later that evening, notwithstanding this shock, or perhaps, who knows, because of it, Leda also slept with her husband King Tyndareus and went on to produce four children; Castor, Pollux and their sisters Helen (later Helen of Troy) and Clytemnestra (later married to Agamemnon as queen of Mycenae.)

Pollux and Helen were fathered by Zeus, and were immortal, while Castor and Clytemnestra, fathered by Tyndareus,were mortal.

*Source: Public Domain, the young Castor and Pollux (Meissen)*

The brothers, known as the Dioscuri, meaning ‘Sons of Zeus’, were handsome, curious and always up to something. The mortal Castor was a renowned horseman and a master at fencing, while the immortal Pollux was known for his great strength and skill at boxing.

But then Castor was killed, possibly in a quarrel over dividing the spoils after a cattle raid. Pollux was distraught. He didn’t want immortality, not if it meant being without his brother, he said, and he begged his father, Zeus to make him mortal, and then kill him so he could be with his brother. Zeus couldn’t bring himself to do that, scratching his head, wondering how to fix this, and decided to place them both in the stars, to be immortal together forever as the constellation of the Gemini.

The Greeks, in particular the Spartans, though the twins had a temple in Athens, worshipped the twins as horsemen, and also as patron saints of shipwrecked sailors. Sacrifices were offered to the Dioscuri before a voyage, with a request for favourable winds.

The Romans later developed a cult around Castor and Pollux, dating back to 484 B.C. They built a temple to the twins in the Roman Forum in 414 BC in thanks for their help in defeating their old enemy The Latins, in the battle of Regillus.

Castor and Pollux were the patron gods of the Roman cavalry, the mounted knights or equites, and appear in this role on many early Roman coins.

The Zodiac Archetype

Mercury by Hendrick Goltzius, 1611, Public Domain

The planetary ruler of Gemini is Mercury, the planet nearest the Sun, representing the winged god Mercury or Hermes; patron deity of all forms of communication, media, trade, global commerce and travel, medicine, research and analytics.

But Mercury has a lesser known role as a psychopomp; one who can go between the realms of the living and the dead, a go-between and safe escort to the dead. It was Hermes who escorted the souls of the newly dead to the banks of the Acheron or The Styx, where they waited for Charon to come in this boat and ferry them across to the Underworld.

It was Hermes who escorted Persephone out of the dominion of Hades to be reunited with her mother Demeter, not knowing that despite his instructions that she was not to eat anything, or the deal was off, Hades had tricked Persephone into eating six seeds of her favourite pomegranate fruit. Seeds don’t count, Hades told her, and she believed him, but now she was bound to his side for six months of the year.

All the zodiac signs represent archetypes; meaning something that is considered to be a perfect or typical example of a particular kind of person or thing.

A zodiac sign paints a poetic portrait of a person born at a particular time of year, in a particular season. A baby born in summer arrives into a different physical environment from a winter baby; differences of temperature, hours of daylight, maternal diet during pregnancy and so on, with potentially different effects on the baby’s physical makeup and constitution.

As a mutable sign, Gemini rules a borderline between seasons, in this case late spring into early summer. The other mutable signs are Virgo and Pisces, and all three mutable signs are considered the most changeable and agile of the signs, inquiring, analytical, logical and restless.

Mid- May is the start of grass pollen season which then builds to a peak in mid July:-

“May is quite the roller-coaster when it comes to tracking pollen. Dock and lime pollen start triggering hay fever in May as they begin their season, while both pine and oil seed rape peak and end within the month. Oak and plane end their peak – but grass pollen begins hitting its high notes.“

The Gemini temperament is friendly yet watchful, generous but changeable -mercurial as personified by Hermes with his winged sandals and his staff, caduceus- emblem of messages and trade. The well-known delivery company of the same name clearly chose its name for this same reason.

In medical astrology, Gemini rules the arms and hands. The typical Gemini native is of above average personal appearance, personable, attractive, usually slim and of average height or taller and with neat, tidy facial features. The Gemini is socially gifted, cheerful, humorous, witty, capable and quick to learn.

Limbourg, Anatomy of The Zodiac, Wiki via
Photo. R.M.N. / R.-G. OjŽda

At the same time, Gemini can also be surprisingly dogmatic, attaching themselves to causes, even inclining towards fundamentalism, whether it is to do with religion or an entirely secular creed or manifesto, or to do with lifestyle, for example, exercise or diet choices.

Gemini can be, not insincere, at least, not in that moment, but quick to lose interest, fluttering like butterflies, looking for the next new thing, looking for some better, brighter flower. This can apply to the way they interact with other people, here today and gone tomorrow, even though once mature, and once committed, they make dutiful and devoted partners and parents.

Gemini in the Tarot

The Tarot cards associated with Gemini are The Lovers, The Knight of Swords and the 8, 9 and 10 Swords.

Card Meanings: love, friendships, partnerships, agreements, contracts, difficult choices, decisions

Every suit in the Tarot has its own court with a king and queen, a knight and a page. The principle Court card associated with Gemini is the Knight of Swords.

Card Meanings: speed, action, forward movement, sudden developments, attack, assertiveness, intelligence, sudden news, cunning, calculation, good timing, a pre-emptive strike, a confident, forceful young person, windy weather, east wind, motorbike

The Decans of Gemini

The word ‘Decan’ comes from the Latin meaning ‘ten.’ Each zodiac sign lasts about 30 days and is further divided into three blocks of roughly 10 days each. These are the decans or as they’re sometimes called, the ‘thirty-six faces of astrology,’ bringing added depth to the psychological profile associated with your zodiac sign/sun sign.

The minor arcana cards associated with Gemini are the Eight, Nine and Ten of Swords, correlating with the dates of the decans.

If you don’t feel like you are a ‘typical’ Gemini, well, we’re all unique, but perhaps you are also a second or third decan Gemini native, rather than a ‘most typical’ first decan Gemini.

Gemini is still Gemini, whatever the decan and this holds true for all the zodiac signs. But an early born Gemini is born under a slightly different planetary influence than a later born Gemini. It’s all still Gemini, the same heavenly recipe, but with varying amounts of classic ingredients.

First Decan Gemini

(0-10 degrees of the sign)

21-31 May

Eight of Swords

Card Meanings: Entrapment, uncertainty, a sense of helplessness, waiting for rescue, there is a way out if only you will open your eyes, look around and take a step forward. I have personally also come to associate this card with plumbing, drainage issues.

This decan gets a double dose of the planetary influence of inquisitive, rational, Mercury. This is an alert, perceptive, intellectual and forceful personality. The acumen is sharp. The negative side of this coin is a Gemini native who is just as inquisitive but careless, flighty, forgetful, restless and unreliable.

First decan Gemini is a multi-talented juggler, light on their feet, graceful and agile. But at the same time they tend to develop a strong point of view on a wide range of subjects, and they have a clearly defined belief system. For all their apparent flightiness they are also tough and resilient- even stubborn, a quality more usually associated with Taurus, its next door neighbour and predecessor in the zodiac.

Gemini make devoted partners, contrary to whatever people might assume. They will hang on in there when the going gets tough, though they are prone to boredom, can quickly tire of routine quickly; and have considerable charisma or sex appeal. But they know when they have a good thing so long as there is plenty of social interaction and short distance travel to keep their restlessness under control.

Second Decan Gemini

(10-20 degrees of the sign)

June 1-10

Nine of Swords

Card Meanings: The Nightmare card. Worry, ‘the black dog’ anxiety, stress, grief, insomnia, things that keep us awake at night.

The personal planet of this decan is Venus, planet of love, beauty- and money. This Gemini has charm, and a generous and giving spirit. The sub-ruler is Libra, ruled by Venus, the natural ruler of the seventh house of marriage, partnerships, close associates, associations, and legal matters. This Gemini is more of a “me-too” person, rather than an “I-am” person when compared with a first decan Gemini.

This Gemini native needs to be especially careful in the selection of companions/associates. The choice of a mate is, of course, of the utmost importance. This Gemini especially needs to avoid making big decisions about a choice of partner when they are too young to fully understand what they are doing.

These are easy going and pleasant people. Gemini strives on change while Libra works to establish equilibrium. Their Venus/Libra influence is their salvation, because it makes them artful in their judgments and full of affection for those they do judge.

Gemini 2nd decan is drawn to quiet, reserved people. Not only do opposites attract, but the secrecy fascinates Gemini-Libra, ans they also match up well with reliable, practical types who can get the job done with little fuss or excitement. A person that will ground, refine and implement the Gemini-Libra.

People respond well to the Second Decan Gemini warm and effusive nature. They also have a sense of adventure, same as the other Gemini decans, and they enjoy travel for the sake of new experiences. Sharing is part of the Gemini-Libra life; they are generous with their time and friendship and also with possessions.

Gemini-Libra is great company, with a great deal of magnetism. They are kindly, sharp and witty. Just cut your cloth to suit and don’t be too surprised or upset if they disappear as suddenly as they appear or go quiet on you without warning. It’s not personal. It’s just the way they are.

Third Decan Gemini

(20-30 degrees of the sign)

11-20 June

Ten of Swords

Card meanings: Destruction, despair, betrayal, ruin, dark night of the soul, darkness before dawn, the only way is up, illness, comatose, a fall, spinal injury, head injury.

Incidental perhaps, but this card has come up repeatedly in respect of events and outcomes affecting the personal destiny Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine, 24 February. We shall see what occurs during these forthcoming decan dates, June 11-June 2020.

The personal planets of the third decan Gemini are Saturn and Uranus, painting a portrait full of contradictions. Sometimes this person is ultra-careful, dutiful, responsible, serious, at other times carefree or even careless. Uranus combined with the planet Mercury suggests an unusually active or even brilliant mind possibly even verging on genius. This person may be a thinker who is ahead of their times. Or maybe they are just zany.

Aquarius – natural ruler of the eleventh house of friends, hopes, and wishes-makes this Gemini a social type, a friend-oriented individual interested in social causes. This Gemini is an optimist, always interested in trying out what is new, and never happier than when they are on the move.

Life is rarely dull with a cheerful Decan 3 Gemini around, but they are the most independent- natured Gemini decan. They need plenty of space and freedom, with a partner who makes few demands on their time and attention. They are very hard working when they put their mind to it. But keeping promises, fulfilling obligations and routines are not their strongest suit. It is a mistake for this Gemini native to marry early or settle too soon. Adventure, exploration and experimentation with ideas, people and places- this is what they are about. This is what makes them tick.

Famous Gemini people

Carl Linnaeus, Peter the Great, Adam Smith, Richard Wagner, Arthur Conan Doyle, John Maynard Keynes, John F Kennedy, Frank Lloyd Wright, Boris Johnson. Johnny Depp, Queen Victoria, Charles 11, George 111,George V, Donald Trump, Muammar Gaddafi, Angelina Jolie, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Happy birthday, Gemini 2023

What is the advice for Gemini in 2023?

Astro-dice Casting

We have drawn The Sun in Gemini in the Second House.

Here is the mystery of synchronicity at work in real time. I throw 3 dice, asking, what is the keynote message for Gemini in 2023, and, blow me down, we have drawn the Sun in Gemini, reflecting an exact mirror image of the question as stated, and then the Second House, ruled by Taurus, represents the answer.

And here is more real time astrology. The astro-dice are picking up on the current transit of Mercury (ruler of Gemini) in the second house of Taurus.

These die have already been cast. What we have been dealing with since April and May may start to bear fruit (or deliver further baggage) from June onwards in 2023.

The focus this year is on material and financial security, and also perhaps wining and dining and other earthy luxuries. The money sign of Taurus, ruled by Venus, planet of beauty AND money, as the best things in life may be free, but the basics cost money, and beautiful things cost more money. Taurus also refers to agriculture and food- all good things.

The second House is also to do with our values and priorities, and these can change over time.

This is a year for cautious rather than exuberant optimism. New opportunities and adventures are coming this year, and new relationships, though these may be slow to start with.

Taurus gets things done, sharpened by the wit of Mercury. But you may find yourself making slower progress than you are used to. Gently does it.

There is a sense of needing to make peace with the past, letting go of griefs or grudges to do with past disappointments in relationships and business.

Health wise, though butter for instance is a real food, where margarine is not, and Taurus is all about real, rather than processed foods, rich heavy foods may not suit the slightly slower Gemini digestion, or the Gemini mood this year.

Back soon with more to come on Gemini 🙂

Hey Toro, 2023, it’s Taurus time again

The dates for the zodiac signs can vary by a day or two. This year the Sun enters the sign of Taurus 20 April. And then we enter a mercury retrograde 21 April making this Bull season 2023 either more leisurely, or more fraught than usual.

The word ‘zodiac’ comes from the Greek meaning ‘circle of animals.’ The only zodiac sign that is non-representative of a living creature is Libra, the sign of the Scales, but in astronomy, even the Scales are borrowed from the stars of Scorpio, the claws of the giant scorpion in the heavens next door.

Taurus (from the Latin for Bull) is a fixed earth sign; the second sign of the western zodiac, and represents the height of spring in the northern hemisphere in all its budding glory. Ruled by the planet Venus and the goddess herself in all her verdant mythological glory.

This was the time of the calving of the ancient wild cattle, the auroch. in the UK Salisbury Plain and the site of Stonehenge was once a lek-a mass gathering site- on their annual migration route. The remains of auroch have been discovered nearby at Blick Mead.

This extract from a blog “Forget about ancient ancestors, healing stones, solar solstice alignments and periglacial stripes. Stonehenge is where it is because it’s on an auroch migration route.”

No other zodiac sign has more ancient mythology or cult history attached to it than the ancient sign of The Bull, revered for its power and potency since it was hunted by early man before the first cattle were domesticated, about 10, 500 years ago in the Near East, the DNA evidence suggests, tracing a herd of an estimated 80 animals.

*Bison licking insect bite, carving on antler bone, discovered Dordogne, France, dated 1200 -20 000 years BP (before present)*

The Constellation

The star constellation of Taurus is visible between August and April. The best months to see it are December and January when it is visible all night long, looking up to the right above and beyond the three stars of Orion’s Belt. You will especially notice a bright reddish star, Aldebaran, the Eye of the Bull glaring down at Orion the Hunter. Should the Bull escape his pen, and break through the gate being guarded by the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) said ancient Arab legend, he would stampede the Universe to pieces. Let’s hope he has plenty of daisies and buttercups up there to keep him happy, and some cows, and no mosquitoes or horseflies to bother him.

The constellation of Taurus goes invisible in June and July, hidden for a while in the glare of the Sun.

Planetary Ruler in Astrology

The planetary ruler of Taurus is Venus, also known as Hesperus the Evening Star and Lucifer the Morning Star is the planet of love, beauty, luxury – and therefore also banking and finance.

Contrary to her popular reputation, as the supposed opposite of Mars, Venus too can be aggressive, and is not always peaceful, just as the Bull is largely peaceable, but is dangerous when disturbed or provoked.

On the subject of aggression, Taurus- LAND and agricultural exports? may prove to be the nemesis of Putin, a Libra native with a lot of Scorpio going on. Taurus and Scorpio are opposites.

What he is doing in Ukraine, apart from the horror, sorrow and devastation of it all, is upsetting the ‘order’ in Europe; political, economic and financial (think Bull markets) agricultural crop exports and otherwise. Taurus is all about order. This war may be neither lost or won as such, and yes, new orders will emerge, but this war seems fated, whatever the damage, whatever China’s covert support, ultimately to rebound not only on Europe, with a new axis shifting eastwards but on Russia and on Mr Putin himself. The signs are in the cards that he will be gone from power in Russia by or before the end of 2024.

Taurus is also especially subject to the Moon, although this influence is more commonly associated with Pisces and Cancer. Note the bull horns on the goddess of Ancient Egypt, Isis or Hathor, depicted in the Tarot as The High Priestess, and associated with Moon Day/Monday. The horns of the bull are often confused or conflated with the crescent moon.

The Taurus Archetype

All the zodiac signs represent archetypes, meaning something that is considered to be a perfect or typical example of a particular kind of person or thing.

A zodiac sign paint a poetic portrait of a person born at a particular time of year, in a particular season. A baby born in summer arrives into a different physical environment from a winter baby; differences of temperature, hours of daylight, maternal diet during pregnancy and so on, with potentially different effects on the baby’s physical makeup and constitution.

As a fixed sign, Taurus rules anything associated with the mid- zone of spring, the height of the season. The other fixed signs are Leo, midsummer, Scorpio, mid-autumn and Aquarius, midwinter.

The fixed signs are traditionally considered the most stable and steadfast signs, protectors of the status quo, the signs most at ease with ancient things, the guardians of conservation and protecting continuity.

Taurus rules the ears, neck and throat, and the Taurus native is known for their distinctive, usually smooth speaking voice and often has an excellent singing voice. Famous Taurus singes include Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Cher, Bono, Billy Joel, Olly Murs, Enya, Adele.

Taurus may seem slower to learn compared with say, a mercurial, quicksilver Gemini native. But their grasp is both intuitive and thorough, and they generally possess an excellent memory. Once learned, never forgotten is the Taurean way.

These people have a quietly pleasant and magnetic personality, except for the grumpier, taciturn, self-opinionated natives of the sign. Taurus is known for a quiet style of physical attractiveness, and they are sensual, sensory people. This sign especially needs to watch they don’t overdo the whole comfort thing, over-eating and so on. They usually like to dance and they have natural rhythm. They are strong and with good stamina, but they are not generally sporty types.

Taurus ‘wunt be druv.’ They are notoriously resistant and stubborn…their strength and stability is the bright side of this same coin. Taurus tends to be thoughtful of their friends, and can be relied on in times of difficulty for good advice and encouragement. Taurus is known for a particular magic of soothing and reassuring others, though, like a bull shaking off gadflies, they can be irritable if you try to rush them, getting in their space while their thoughts are elsewhere.

Taurus in the Tarot

The Tarot cards associated with Taurus are The Hierophant, The King of Pentacles (Coins, Disks) and the 5, 6 and 7 Pentacles, also called Disks or Coins -the money suit.

The Hierophant

Card Meanings: a man of authority, tradition ,the status quo, marriage, religion, the Church, Teachers, mentors, Universities, agriculture, money, finance, Banks, publishing, keys,

Every suit in the Tarot has its own court with a king and queen, a knight and a page. The principle Court card associated with Taurus is The King of Pentacles, ruler of the element of Earth.

The King of Pentacles (Disks or Coins)

Card Meanings: Earth, mature man, husband, father, grandfather, employer, practical man, capable, responsible, steadfast, determined, instinctive, landowner, banker, prosperity, farmer, builder, businessman, engineer, business owner, artist, singer, sensual, bon vivant

Lastly, the minor arcana cards associated with Taurus are the Five, Six and Seven of Pentacles, Disks or Coins.

These cards correlate with the decans of Taurus. If you don’t feel like you are a ‘typical’ Taurus, well, we are all unique, but perhaps you are also a second or third decan Taurus native, rather than a ‘most typical’ first decan Taurus.

What is a Decan?

The word ‘Decan’ comes from the Latin meaning ‘ten.’ Each zodiac sign lasts about 30 days and is further divided into three blocks of roughly 10 days each. These decans are the ‘thirty-six faces of astrology,’ bringing added depth and nuance to the psychological profile associated with your sun sign.

The Zodiac is the 360 degree belt of sky we can see from Earth, tracking the path of the sun across the sky over the course of the year. We call this pathway ‘the ecliptic.’

The Greeks divided this belt of sky into twelve sections of roughly 30 degrees each, using 12 for ease of arithmetic, and named these twelve sections after twelve of the constellations that can be seen crossing this imaginary pathway or belt. This gave us the names of the zodiac signs we know today.

Taurus is still Taurus, whatever the decan. This holds true for all the zodiac signs. But an early born Taurus is born under a more fiery different planetary influence than a more airy later born Taurus.

It’s all still Taurus, the same heavenly recipe, but with differing amounts of common ingredients.

21-30 First Decan Taurus (0-10 degrees)

Card Meanings: Upright: money does not buy happiness, fear of loneliness, poverty, unemployment, ill health. Reversed: misfortunes are overcome, matters improving.

This Taurean has Venus and Mercury in their horoscope and also a lot of leftover Aries fighting energy, so they can be the ‘raging bulls’ of the zodiac, with leadership qualities and a taste for power, more driven and less easy-going than the other Taurus decans.

These are patient but determined people with great vitality and will-power. They are eloquent speakers, natural communicators, and do well in teaching, broadcasting, public speaking, journalism, acting and entertainment.

This Taurus loves to learn and to test things out, figuring out how they work. They also adore their creature comforts, food, drink and all the rest of it. They tend to be green-fingered, interested in landscape and countryside pursuits, and are fond of animals who usually respond to them very well.

This Taurean likes to be boss but is generally a benevolent, generous person, affectionate in nature, though they know what they want and do not want, and they can be a stick in the mud. Statistically, Taurus is one of the most benign and least criminal signs, but every zodiac sign has its share of villains as well as heroes; and goodness gracious, Taurus is no exception.

Famous first decan Taurus: Leonardo Da Vinci, Queen Elizabeth II, Ulysses S Grant, Saddam Hussein, Adolf Hitler (Aries-Taurus cusp), Emperor Hirohito, David Icke, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Uma Thurman, Barbra Streisand, Penélope Cruz, Renée Zellweger, Daniel Day-Lewis, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, Iggy Pop, Willem de Kooning

1-10 May Second Decan Taurus (10-20 degrees)

Card Meanings: gifts, community, generosity, charity, emergency aid, give and take, financial ups and downs, surplus and scarcity, historical buildings

Second decan Taurus is ruled by the secretive, psychic, domestic Moon and Mercury, planet of intellect and communication. A glamorous combination, in the magical sense, as well as the more usual sense of the word. These Taurus natives are studious, alert, perceptive and forceful with an unusually active mind. The drawbacks may be carelessness, forgetfulness or fickleness, picking up things or people, only to drop them again.

These people are socially gifted, natural psychologists, instinctively knowing how other people work and what makes them tick, plus they tend to be very good speakers, and they too, are known for their pleasant, or at least distinctive speaking voices.

On the negative side, such is their charisma, like a Pied Piper or Svengali-type figure, they may, if so disposed, lead others astray.

Taurus is usually a good cook. And they are warm and nurturing parents, but with the best intentions, the second decan Taurus in particular can worry, or become something of a fuss pot or control freak if they don’t rein in their managerial instincts. Taurus likes to keep their loved ones safe. But just as they hate to be penned in and told what to do, they need to remember, so do others.

Famous second decan Taurus: Catherine the Great, Karl Marx, Eva Peron Golda Meir (‘Iron Lady’ of Israel), Tony Blair, Oliver Cromwell, Sigmund Freud, William Lilly, Orson Wells, George Clooney, Rudolph Valentino, Joanna Lumley, Audrey Hepburn, David Beckham, Donatella Versace, Bono, Tammy Wynette, Johannes Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Robert Browning, J. M. Barrie (Peter Pan)

11-20 May Taurus Decan Three (20-30 degrees)

Card meanings: Upright: hard work, industry, perseverance, slow results, long term planning. Reversed: throwing good money after bad, disappointing results

Third decan Taurus is ruled by serious Saturn, the planet of Old Father Time himself. This Taurean native is responsible, dutiful, thoughtful, careful, patient and considerate. The power of this personality lies in the power of their stability, endurance and tenacity, making gains through thrift and careful investments.

This is Taurus at its most ambitious and hardworking. Saturn is the god of time, and is associated with boundaries, rules, and limitations. These people are cautious and stoic with great respect for authority. They may rebel against authority but they have a strong sense of fair play.

They are proud, independent & self-motivated. Not only do they succeed in politics & business, but many are skilled artists, creators & performers. The later natives of this decan are born close to the Taurus-Gemini cusp, suggestive of multi-tasking and travel.

Saturn is traditionally known as the great malefic and those born under this decan may also be prone to periods of depression, loneliness or melancholy. However broadly speaking, and even when this is the case, we are looking at a truly benevolent person with a magnanimous spirit and a sympathetic nature.

Famous Third Decan Taurus: Socrates, Che Guevara, Mark Zuckerberg, Ayatollah Khomeini, Idi Amin, Malcolm X, George Lucas, Sofia Coppola, Liberace, Stevie Wonder, Cher, Dame Nellie Melba, Pete Townshend, Brian Eno, Enya, Mike Oldfield, Cate Blanchett, Laurence Olivier, Katherine Hepburn, Dennis Hopper, Harvey Keitel, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Margot Fonteyn, Eric Satie, Florence Nightingale, Pope John Paul II

Happy Birthday, Taurus 2023!

This will be a year of monumental change for you, dear Taurus. Hold your nerve. Much of this is not within your control, but fortune favors your best and boldest endeavours thanks to Jupiter’s ingress into Taurus 16 May 2023- 25 May 2024. Jupiter is your best news this year, planet of luck and opportunity. Roll with the punches but be ready to seize your chances. Put that shoulder to the wheel, hoof that turf – and charge full steam ahead.

Change is coming. Not only is Uranus, planet of monumental change still in your sign all year. Some of this change will be seriously tough going. But no one is braver than the Bull. Be ready to respond but also, the Bull is unstoppable when he makes up to mind where he wants to go.

Get proactive while Jupiter is smiling on you.

*Painting by George Bellows, American painter, 1919*

Tarot, Scotland’s new first Minister and IndyRef 2 (?)

Photo by Carsten Ruthemann on Pexels.com

There is a new First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, and his first order of business, or so he has announced, is to sever Scotland from its historically hard won Union with England; a union forged at a great human cost on both sides after three hundred years of lawlessness both sides of the border.

Is this what the people of Scotland want? Outside of the cities too? And do we see the end of this historic Union on his watch?

There is plenty of commentary. But what does the tarot show us?

The cards show that it is possible. But the signs are not strong.

Carry on scrolling for the analysis.

***From The Illuminati Tarot, Kim Huggens and Erik K Dunne***

Top King of Cups-benchmark card. A key person/situation. Scorpio timing but may also refer to Cancer or Pisces. Element Water.

Left 10 Cups- The stakes/history of the Issue. Pisces. Element Water.

Bottom 3 Wands- Hopes/fears. Deciding factor/s. Aries timing. Element Fire.

Right 4 Swords- Near future/outcome/comment. Libra timing. Element Air.

Missing element: Earth. Manifestation. Measurable results. Economy. Agriculture.

Tweeted 29 and 27 March 2023

@truetarottales

#Tarot Humza Yousaf. Cards re: detected consequences of this selection. King Cups (HY) deep, secretive but is he ‘adrift at sea’? Lovers (the Party’s choice) Scotland’s choice? 10 Cups says Scotland prefers Union at least for now. Ending Union=4 Swords=retreat/tomb/stagnation

#Tarot #SNP What do cards show re new First Minister Humza Yousaf? King Cups, joy at selection but haunted by ‘water=’ Issues: Health, Overseas & Islands. The Lovers=Party’s Choice. Union? 10 Cups=staying ‘home’. Indy ref 2=4 Swords. Stalls. 3 Wands= Ferries=a key test.

The Cards in Close-Up

The King of Cups

The suit of Cups is about feelings, in this case, feelings of pleasure. This first card reflects the joy of being selected as First Minister astrologically correlates with a mature man belonging to the water signs of the zodiac, Pisces, Cancer or Scorpio. Astrologically, Humza Yousaf is an Aries sun sign, born in Glasgow 7 April 1985. His grandparents came to the UK from the Punjab in 1962.

Astrologically Mr Yousaf is not a water sign king, though his chart may reveal key water sign houses, transits and aspects. He is a second decan Aries sun sign native, an archetype known for drive and ambition. Leading is the thing. Teamwork, not so much. And the minor arcana card representing this decan astrologically is the ambitious, adventurous and restless Three of Wands, and coincidentally this card was also drawn in this reading. Ideas, not a problem. Starting things, not a problem. Seeing things through is the challenge for him.

So why has the King of Cups turned up in this benchmark position? Tarot does not limit itself to any one single meaning. We are all far more complex than the archetypal storyboard attached to our sun sign, while reading the cards astrologically is only one approach.

The King of Cups classically denotes a man of faith, a man of authority, a man of good intelligence who may give good advice. He may also be a good administrator at least on paper. But he is somewhat remote and not easy to approach. See him sitting on his throne in the middle of the sea? He has a good theoretical understanding, and he has ideals, but how to ‘land’ them? And He likes to give advice but not receive it. Hubris. Here is his challenge or Achilles heel.

There is usually kindness, but there can be a certain intransigence. ‘I am the chosen one. I am the keeper of the faith. Who are you to question me?’

More specifically, the King of Cups is picking up on two arenas in which he has not yet won his crown. Health and Transport. The NHS in Scotland is still facing big problems with ambulance delays and the critical Caledonian MacBrayne ferry issue is still ongoing after years of delay on the state commissioned delivery of two new hulls. The sea is his challenge. More about that later.

But what this card is showing is that Humza Yousaf is ‘all at sea.’ He is a popular choice in his Party and the vote was overwhelming. But still, the track record in office is not anything to show off. The King of Cups shows a lot going on inside, but without there anything of consequence being show for it, and this is the perception of his critics.

There is a greater Scotland beyond the mainland, and the cities. Perhaps Humza Yousaf feels that the economy and the welfare of Highlands and Islands need not be his priority, and that for his own objectives and purposes, his power base is reliably and numerically sufficient in the cities.

Readers must beware personal bias. Like many of the English- and I identify as English, though strictly speaking I am Anglo-Irish, I can understand and respect why Scotland might ultimately choose Independence. I have Scottish family too; close family ties with Scotland in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Brechin, Montrose and Helmsdale.

But I feel it would prove to be a very great mis-stepand a loss for both countries. This great Union began in 1603 with the coronation of the first king of a new kingdom called Great Britain, and this king was James 1 of England, James 6 of Scotland, a Scottish king on the English throne.

The history here goes deep, and ‘Braveheart’ with its several inaccuracies is only the tip of an iceberg in this epic story, not forgetting the later tragedies of Culloden, Glencoe and the Highland Clearances. Also not forgetting the horrors of the things William Wallace did to his own people, to those men he deemed were too slow to enlist, and to unarmed civilians in Guisborough and six other towns in the north. A capable and brave soldier, absolutely. A traitor, no, though he was betrayed by a fellow Scot. And his death was truly appalling and shameful. Edward 1 always was a hideous person.

But we need to beware hubris. The fixed stars in the second decan of Aries carry a warning for Humza Yousaf. They are in the constellation of Cetus the Whale. and these fixed stars absolutely reflect this card, the King of Cups, the man on his throne ‘on the sea’.

Eta Cetus, Theta Cetus and Tau Cetus are stars in the constellation of Cetus the Whale or Sea Monster. Cetus shares a word root with Cetacean, the word for whales and dolphins. The Cetus of myth was more monster than whale, like the Kraken that was sent to devour Andromeda only to be turned to stone by Perseus who rode in on Pegasus to rescue Andromeda, brandishing the deadly severed head of the tragic Gorgon, the poor Medusa, hunted to death in her own sanctuary.

The constellation Cetus is the fourth largest in our visible skies and is said to have qualities of the planet Saturn. There is an authoritarian feel about this individual King of Cups in the wider world.

The Lovers

The SNP has made its choice of a new leader and perhaps it was more difficult behind the scenes than the final vote suggests. The Lovers does just what it says on the tin, and signifies lovers, friends, allies, but also difficult choices.

It may indicate critical developments to come in Gemini season, late May-late June.

10 of Cups

The question while shuffling was, do we see Indy Ref 2 or do we see the end of the Union during the leadership of Humza Yousaf?

The 10 of Cups is a stable card. It talks about home and family. It is the card of Home Sweet Home. But this is a card of completion. It is about being settled. It is not a card of movement or change.

4 of Swords

This card is nicknamed ‘the hospital card,’ and it speaks of sickness, retreat and delay. This card may be reflected a personal health issue for Humza Yousaf, but is likely detecting his track record as Health Minister and ongoing issues in the NHS in Scotland during his time as First Minister. It seems likely that these issues will continue to dog or even overshadow his premiership.

This future card is not indicative of a change in the state of the Union. For this, I would be looking out for the appearance of any one of a number of other cards, including but not limited to, The 3 Swords, Judgement or The World.

3 of Wands

I have mentioned that this card is astrologically limked to Humza Yousaf in terms of his person horoscope.

Traditionally this card signifies foreign travel and trade; opportunity, growth and expansion. What is the vision and strategy of the SNP for this, beyond Independence?

It starts with Scotland’s own islands.

“The ships, known as hulls 801 and 802, were ordered by the state ferry procurement agency CMAL in October 2015 at a cost of £97 million and set to sail in 2018.

The cost is now around £300m and the boats are due in late 2023 and 2024.

From the outset, the contract was burdened by disagreements between the shipyard and CMAL over design changes and money.

Ferguson Marine went bankrupt and was nationalized in late 2019.

For more than half the time between the award of the contract and the public ownership of Ferguson, Mr. Yousaf served as Minister for Transport and Islands.”

The Highlands and the Islands of Scotland do not have anything like the population of the cities. They do not have the electoral clout. But the Scottish people are careful, prudent, and this card shows that they are looking for a bold, brave vision that goes far beyond identity politics, looking out on an international horizon, as shown by the international Three of Wands.

If the new First Minister still cannot deliver the first new ferry before the end of 2023, serving Scotland’s own islands, what would this signify for Scotland’s future on the world stage on his watch?

Author’s *Own image. The approach to Mull taken on board the Caledonia MacBrayne*

There’s a greater England beyond London and Westminster and the cities. There’s a greater Scotland beyond Edinburgh and Holyrood and the mighty Glasgow. England and Scotland have fought many cruel and terrible battles. We have also done great things together. Often we are literally, English and Scottish in the same family.

I am English, though technically I’m Anglo-Irish. My father’s family came from County Kildare to London in the 1920’s, and later my father came north, one of many poor boys who were in some ways actually saved by the War. He would never have gone to University had he not been evacuated out of Greater London to a family in Sevenoaks in Kent, and to a school, and in particular, one Head teacher, who encouraged my father with his education in a way his mother did not do, either with him or her five other children. My father never set foot overseas until he was 18 and he went to Austria to do his year of National Service, working in the map room because he knew French and German- largely thanks to that same Head Teacher.

I also have direct family ties with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Montrose, and going back further, there is a close connection to Sutherland, and to the families who were moved out during the Highland clearances to the fishing village of Helmsdale. Such family stories are nothing unusual. I love England. And I love Scotland. I see no reason in principle why Scotland should be denied full autonomy if that is the democratic will of the people.

But the story of Scotland is still also England’s story, and our nations have done great things together. On Sword Beach in northern France, there is a memorial to the Normandy landings on D- Day and to the Scots Commando Brigade under Lord Lovat who took heavy casualties, storming the beaches under fire on a mission to relieve the airborne troops holding the critical Pegasus Bridge

(And what a beautiful spot it is, and here again, how curious is this, we have yet another connection to the legend of Perseus.)

It was once rather grimly said of Lovat that he was “the handsomest man to ever slit a throat.”

Hitler offered 100,000 marks for his capture, alive or dead.

Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, Sword Beach statue. Photo Ian Rank-Broadley

The memorial on Sword Beach says, “Leur histoire est notre histoire. Respectez les.”

Their story is our story. You are to respect them.

Nothing worthwhile ever came easy. It always costs dear.

We could say the same of the Union. It is an entity greater than any of us, greater the sum of its parts. And as such it deserves utmost respect.

Until next time 🙂

Putin and Xi: A Tarot’s Eye Snapshot

Question: what is the dynamic between President Putin and President Xi as shown in the cards, and what will be the consequences of this recent meeting in Moscow for the outcome of the war in Ukraine and beyond?

Katie-Ellen H.

@truetarottales

Mar 20

#Tarot #Ukraine STANDS. President Xi twitchy, non enthusiastic, doesn’t want China bogged down by Putin. But wants to give P just enough to defy western hegemony yet without alienating western business. Tricky tightrope for Xi. Turkey & Japan tense. Aries season will be LOUD.

2/ But if Xi is careful, canny, Water Rabbit year, carefully does it, he is quids in. He will have Putin/Russia over an (oil and gas) barrel, literally, and even though that particular pipeline is years off completion- Xi is securing others. Hierophant. Taurus Money king. #Tarot

TOP ROW: PUTIN 7 Pentacles- THE LOVERS- 7 Wands

MIDDLE ROW: XI 2 Swords -TOWER – 2 Pentacles

BOTTOM ROW King Wands-Ace Wands-Princess Wands-King Pentacles-4 Swords- comments, short term developments

It is striking to notice the symmetry of the sevens cards either side of the central card The Lovers, especially as it is mirrored by symmetry of the twos cards either side of The Tower on Xi’s row of cards.

7 Pentacles classically signifies great efforts with little to show for it.

The Lovers signifies Putin’s hopes of a partnership with Xi on equal terms. Russia, after all has the gas and oil that China needs. Additionally it may signify discussions that focus on ideas or decisions to be put into action during Gemini season-late May-late June 2023. Gemini can mean intel, surveillance,drones or weapons deployed for air attack.

7 Wands classically indicates defiance, determination, a sense of moral righteousness and can be detecting critical events to occur during the third decan of Leo season. This decan is ruled by active or downright aggressive Mars, and correlates with dates 12-22 August

The 7’s in tarot are laborious. They are slow. Heavy going. The fact that Putin’s row of cards both starts and ends with a 7 card suggests that he will get the minimum support from President Xi, for all the helpful noises Xi may be making as shown by The Lovers card. Empty words. Help may be forthcoming, and it may include military technology or hardware but if so, it doesn’t seem to do much if anything to accelerate Russia’s military progress or advantage in Ukraine.

The clear suggestion here is that the meeting between Putin and Xi will have little direct effect on Russia’s ability to escalate the war against Ukraine. That slow 7 does not speed up. We start with a 7 and we end with a 7. It speeds up a little. The earth suit card, the 7 Pentacles (Taurus) is slow. The 7 Wands (Leo) is fiery, somewhat faster. But this is no real uptick in tempo. Whatever Putin might be hoping for, he seems unlikely to get it from Xi based on this lack of change in pace or scope across the tarot storyboard, for all the friendly words between them, at least in public.

The inference. Xi does not NEED Russia to win in order for China to get what it wants from Russia. Cheapest oil and gas. Whether China helps Russia or not. Whether Russia wins or loses- however victory or defeat is to be defined in this situation- China will have a strong bargaining hand in trade with Russia, and Xi knows it.

Xi can afford to stand by-that 2 Swords and the 2 Pentacles. He is no hurry to see a Russian victory. He reckons that this disastrous war may actually buy China both leverage and a breathing space of time to build back its own economy post- covid, as represented by The Tower card (correlating with Mars=War and the Pandemic )

Does Putin see this? Surely he does. But he sees that he simply does not have the luxury of choice in this partnership, or certainly not at this juncture, to strain this ‘partnership without limits’ by bringing pressure to bear upon Xi.

Others close to Putin will obviously know it, too, and they don’t like it at all.

That final Four of Swords is a card of stalemate and retreat. A knight is in his tomb.

This the card of hospitals, while the 10 Swords (ruin, sometimes sickness) has made countless appearances in readings since February 2022, saying this will not end well for President Putin, personally.

The 10 Swords correlates with the third decan of Gemini. We may find that the dates June 11-June 21 may prove pivotal for Putin, though it might well be late in 2024 before this card manifests in terms of concrete developments in respect of Putin position in power.

The ‘Final’ outcome of this war of Russian territorial conquest : no one can say, and the future is mutable. But the cards have been consistent since February 2022 that Russia fails to take Kyiv. Ukraine survives as a sovereign territory. The territorial integrity of the entire Baltic region is at stake, even if this is a prospect way beyond Russia’s present capability, and is a direct threat only in principle. Finally, Ukraine is receiving the fighter jets it has been asking for- Migs supplied by Poland and Slovakia. Can Ukraine take back Crimea? The cards indicate that this might be possible if it was a question of Ukraine’s will to do it. But they won’t get the support. Ukraine is not only smaller but very angry that promises have been broken and betrayed.

“Three decades ago, the newly independent country of Ukraine was briefly the third-largest nuclear power in the world.

Thousands of nuclear arms had been left on Ukrainian soil by Moscow after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. But in the years that followed, Ukraine made the decision to completely denuclearize.

In exchange, the U.S., the U.K. and Russia would guarantee Ukraine’s security in a 1994 agreement known as the Budapest Memorandum.not only by Russia which then broke 2 peace treaties, but by the West, which promised Ukraine protection in exchange for their agreement to surrender of their own nuclear weapons capability.”

The tarot has not shown either an ultimate Russian or a Ukrainian victory. There are only losers here. Except that the signs all point to the survival of Ukraine as an entity in its own right. Russia fails to take Kyiv and for Putin, that means failure- that Ten of Swords.

This is only one reader’s interpretation, and of course, it needs no saying, tarot card readers are not omniscient. But tarot is what I know. And what I see, or do not see, is what I can share.

Thank you for reading. Back soon. In the meantime I’ll leave you with a video demo of the deck that we’ve been looking at today; the Tarot Illuminati.

A Fanfare for Aries the Fiery Sky Ram

Today is the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere. True stories in the Stars. Flourishing a fanfare for the fiery Sky Ram, Aries….

True Tarot Tales

Today is the day of the spring/vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere and we enter the zodiac sign of Aries the Ram. This is of course also the day of the autumn/fall equinox in the southern hemisphere.

The word ‘zodiac’ comes from the Greek meaning ‘circle of animals.’ The only zodiac sign non-representative of a living creature is Libra, the sign of the scales, but even its scales are borrowed from the stars of Scorpio, the giant scorpion in the heavens next door.

Aries, heavenly sky Ram is a cardinal fire sign; the first sign of the western zodiac, the sign of spring in the northern hemisphere, and with it – lambing time.

Picture the star-ram lying or sitting head downwards. New life is ignited. The planetary ruler of Aries is Mars, the red planet of action, energy, enthusiasm, courage, passion, initiative-…

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Pisces the Heavenly Fishes, the seasons in the stars, the reasons in the signs

Pisces The Fishes, the stories in the stars, the reasons in the seasons…

True Tarot Tales

Chartres cathedral window, early 13 th century, photo by Vassil

Most of us know our zodiac sign but what does it look like in the night sky, and what’s the story behind it? Let’s get better acquainted with Pisces.