Zodiac signs – Page 2 – True Tarot Tales

In the glass Darkly. The India Elections 2024

flag hanging on pole — Photo by Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash

We had the results yesterday of the India election, greatest democratic election on earth, the Lok Sabha, held once every five years. I saw the news and was reminded of a reading I did back in April, in a conversation on twitter with a friend, journalist, author, and previous client who shall, for reasons of her personal privacy, remain anonymous for the purposes of this post. I’ll call her D.

Apr 24

D. “Elections have just begun here. We’re hoping against hope, I wonder if your cards had anything to say?”

I said I would be taking a look.

D. “That would be great. Re astrologer X’s post, I don’t see the bit about women rising happening anytime soon. Not this election certainly…”

I looked into this over the next few days and drew the cards illustrated below. The reply went as follows:

Apr 28

My REPLY You may not like this, my friend. Treat it as an exercise in Tarot-style analysis. The question as stated to the Tarot was, do we see a third term as PM for Narendra Modi?

Cards from the Legacy of The Divine Tarot

See that 3 Cups tarot card and the 3 Hearts at the end of the 2 rows? Two threes are indicative of a third term for Modi and he draws a victory card on the future timeline (6 Wands). But there are “buts.”

That King Wands card drawn reversed/upside down is talking about Modi’s ambition to win the south. (King Wands = “king of the south” and the suit of Wands is the suit of politics) But, though he may gain more seats, even in Kerala, this does not look likely to go his way. Though nor does it suggest a victory for Rahul Gandhi. He may still do well in the south but as a prospective PM, it seems the global times are not favourable to his proposed reforms, however excellent in intention. Women’s issues may not be a priority at this election. 2029 might be different. But, see that central Queen of Pentacles? Women/a woman politician may emerge more powerfully from this process. Working against Modi -agriculture issues (7 Pentacles) unemployment-jobs for young people (Jack Diamonds) Why will he win, if he wins? Strength card. National security on the international stage. Lack of confidence in cohesion of other parties. Dangerous times globally, Modi may currently be seen as India’s strongest arm and best bet should there be confrontation with, say, China or Russia. (Despite govt failures to stop/contain the horrors in Manipur.) But as ever, only time will tell.

Apr 29

D. Thank you for taking a look. Disappointing to me for sure because if he has his way, elections don’t seem to be in his plans at all in 2029 and too much damage may have been done by then.

Apr 29

REPLY He doesn’t seem to be getting things all his way, even if he does win a third term. And winning it and completing it are not the same thing. But the cards that are drawn, I share without fear or favour. Another poss scenario…at least as shown here in this card spread – 3 party coalition. Re Astrologer X and the rise of women’s issues. That Queen of Pentacles, who is she? As a principle this card says the critical issue is the India economy. Tis Queen reps Capricorn. India’s future is looking increasingly strong overall. Despite economic demographic challenges. But this “queen” is also likely a real person, rising on the political scene.

Let’s wait and see. Not very long to go now. Again, thank you for reading.

5 June 2024: What has the Tarot reader seen/interpreted correctly?

The reader has correctly forecast the overall outcome in answer to the question as stated. Modi seems likely to secure that third term. But, also as detected in the cards, Modi is indeed weakened, and he and the BJP will not be having things all is/their own way. Continue reading HERE

Re: women’s issues

D. “Re: astrologer X, I don’t see the bit about women rising happening anytime soon. Not this election certainly…”

REPLY “Women’s issues may not be a priority at this election. 2029 might be different. But, see that central Queen of Pentacles? Women in India /a woman politician may emerge more powerfully from this process.”

My understanding via the cards was somewhat ambivalent on this point, indicating both a yes and a no answer. One thing is clear. That Capricornian Queen of Pentacles card is clearly NOT depicting Mayawati of The Bahujan Samaj Party.

The BSP, “which contested 424 seats across the country and 79 in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, could not win a single seat.”

More HERE

As to the value of the BJP manifesto pledges for women in India, I do not feel qualified to judge. Their pledges as follows:

1/ “The BJP will extend the “lakhpati Didi” scheme that empowers women to have an income of more than Rs 1 lakh per annum. “We have empowered one crore rural women to become Lakhpati Didis (prosperous sisters). We will now empower three crore rural women to become Lakhpati Didis” (Is this a big enough deal? What is the current baseline? )

2/”We will empower women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with the skills and tools in key service sectors like IT, healthcare, education, retail and tourism with an aim to increase their income.”

3/”We will integrate women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with ongoing initiatives such as One District One Product (ODOP), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Ekta Mall, ONDC, GEM, One Station One Product, enhancing better market access for their products.”

4/ “The BJP will also facilitate participation of women in the workforce through various means. “We will ensure development of infrastructure such as working women’s hostels, creches etc. with the specific focus on locations near industrial and commercial centres to facilitate increased participation of women in the workforce.”

5/ “Our women sports persons have brought honours to our country. We will encourage greater participation of women in sports by launching women sportsperson focused programmes and facilities.”

6/ Public toilets for women (OMG, this requires a manifesto pledge?) “We have provided dignified lives to women by constructing public and individual toilets under Swachh Bharat Mission. We are further committed to upholding the dignity of women by continuing to construct and maintain public toilets.”

7/”We will expand the existing health services focussed on the prevention and reduction of Anaemia, Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer and Osteoporosis, ensuring a healthy life for women. We will launch a focussed initiative to eliminate cervical cancer.”

8/ Low down the list-Women in Parliament—to constitute 1/3 The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam seeks to reserve one-third of the total number of seats for women in Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies and Delhi Assembly.

9/ Shakti desk. Women help desks at police stations “for their safety”.

These pledges, which may seem conservative or long overdue to many readers outside India ARE personified in that central Queen of Pentacles. Is it enough, soon enough?

But that powerful, grounded, fiscal card; te Queen of Pentacles is followed by the Six Wands. This is undeniably a card of progress…and it is fast moving.

I surmise the next 5 years will show that Astrologer X (Jessica Adams) was not wrong.

“India will be truly successful only when women occupy equal space in our society. They must take their rightful place in politics and shape India’s destiny.”

-Rahul Gandhi

What has the Tarot reader not seen/interpreted correctly?

The identity of the powerful female politician represented by the Queen of Pentacles card remains unclear. I surmise she is Sonia Gandhi, although she did not stand for election herself.

“Sonia Gandhi‘s sharpest weapon, it is often said, has been her silence. It was so this election as well when the once reluctant politician and Congress leader helped forge the opposition INDIA bloc, speaking little and seldom in public but wielding enormous power. The 77-year-old didn’t campaign this time, possibly because she has been unwell, and chose her words and moments carefully.” – Economic Times of India

I understated the success of her son, Rahul Gandi in this election.

“Though nor does it (Tarot) suggest a victory for Rahul Gandhi. He may still do well in the south but as a prospective PM, it seems the global times are not favourable to his proposed reforms, however excellent in intention.”

The prediction was correct both in respect of saying Rahul would not be PM and the rising strength of the opposition. But still, I, the reader, underestimated the strength of his performance in this election. He has done WELL. The opposition overall has done much better than Modi seems to have anticipated.

“NEW DELHI, June 4 (Reuters) – Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, mocked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his supporters for a decade as an entitled dynast, marked a stunning comeback on Tuesday, emerging at the centre of an alliance that made deep inroads into ruling party strongholds.

The scion of India’s fabled Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, he embarked on two cross-country marches against what he called Modi’s politics of hate and fear, giving a jolt of enthusiasm to his Congress party and rehabilitating his own image.”

More HERE

UPDATE

Since I started writing up this tarot reading, the opposition has conceded defeat, but with defiance. This from Al- Jazeera…

“Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in his opening remarks at the continuing opposition INDIA alliance meeting says the coalition “fought well, fought unitedly, fought resolutely. The mandate is decisively against Mr. Modi, against him and the substance and style of his politics,” he said in a post on X. “It is a huge political loss for him personally apart from being a clear moral defeat as well.”

Ouch.

blue peacock in close up photography — Photo by Michaela Filipcikova on Unsplash

And this from US President Joe Biden:-

“Congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance on their victory, and the nearly 650 million voters in this historic election. The friendship between our nations is only growing as we unlock a shared future of unlimited potential.” 3:40 PM · Jun 5, 2024

In Summary

Psychic Tarot Card LED light — Photo by Sean Hudson on Unsplash

“Looking in the glass darkly”. That’s what the reader is doing. The act of divination is one thing. It can take us a long, long way, far extending our reach, and it is a mystery how this happens. But context is key when delving deeper. Having either a clear brief or instruction, or having access to at least some basic knowledge of the situation under investigation is what enables a deeper analysis of the cards.

Thank you for reading. Until next time.

Fiery Sagittarius Saturday-Sunday

A Tarot Snapshot in Time

KATIE-ELLEN HAZELDINE

MAY 26, 2024

Weekend #Tarot #astrology 3 Wands and 8 Wands. Snapshot in time. Whatever deck you’re using, it’s a study exercise. Draw cards in the morning, review in the evening, personal level and in the news.

Author’s own cards: Thoth Tarot

3 Wands or 8 Wands stand alone as positive cards, but combinations count. Here we are looking at a double dose of FIRE energy in airy Gemini season= solar flares, electric storms or combustion, literally or metaphorically. The cards are showing Aries action + Sagittarius long reach and long range. At home, you may have been a busy bee-or a bit stressed. News/comms travelling fast. But these cards say you get unstuck. Forward momentum.

Globally 3 Wands = trade, exports. 8 Wands=swift actions, sudden developments.

AND the moon was in Sagittarius Saturday. Now moved into Capricorn until tomorrow night (Monday in the UK.)

-China will doubtless be bombarding Taiwan with many more sweet talking “messages.”

-Terrible tragic landslide in Papua New Guinea. 670+ dead/missing

-Air turbulence. 12 (?) hurt Qatar Airways. (solar flares?)

-In Pozzuoli: Super volcano Campi Flegrei is awake and growling. A 4.4 earthquake last Monday night drove people out of their houses in terror. (Solar flares again?) I associate the Knight Wands with eruptions (like the 8 Wands, this card is also Sagittarius.)

Last time Campi Flegrei erupted (1538) the ash cloud reached Russia- which yesterday bombed a DIY store in Kharkiv. Bravo Putin. A 12 year old girl and her mother were among the dead. Four fragments of bodies to be identified. Oh well done, Mr Putin. The heroes of Stalingrad would be so proud.

Sweden and the UK are allowing Ukraine to use weaponry against Russia, that has been supplied to Ukraine by UK and Sweden, if it is used in compliance with international law. The US is *said* to be reconsidering its position.

-Hamas has fired missiles into Tel Aviv and alleges it has captured Israeli soldiers, which Israel denies. The Israeli army has responded, bombing a displacement camp in NW Rafah, 30 Palestinians reported killed.

UK election pending, and I will be looking again but the signs in the cards are it will indeed be a Labour win, and it is going to be a rough ride, while we hope for the best. What is Keir Starmer going to do about his proposed deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner? Here comes the election campaign. She is quiet.

US Election, the cards are mighty peculiar. Biden looks weak at home and overseas. Eight Swords. Hamstrung. Democrat voters deeply divided re US policy in Gaza. Republicans unhappy re US support of Ukraine, however conservatively it is being managed. Trump is also weak, Five of Pentacles (disappointment) Mr Trump is not to be written off, however, says the surging, go- ahead Knight of Wands (a card which also says July/Aug and November/December in timing issues) However, This Knight -which CAN mean a new government- is not in the critical position in the spread, and could signify another episode of civil unrest in the event of an electoral defeat for Trump, and this would be happening Nov/Dec . But a win for Mr Biden, or at least a Democrat win, is still more clearly indicated, picking up more campaign points after mid-summer. The appearance of The Empress suggests the added significance of the women’s vote this coming election, due at least in part, likely, to the overturning of Roe v Wade

We are in a year of the Dragon. OK, it is the Wood Dragon. It is somewhat more open to reason than other Dragons in the Chinese zodiac. But still, it is a dragon. Dragons gonna do what dragons do.

blue orange and white abstract painting — Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Context is key for getting at specifics, aside from when reading the cards purely for meditation purposes. Here, the reader is simply “looking in the glass dimly”, not working to any particular brief, just drawing cards at random, taking the temperature, so to speak, and noting any significant real-time, real world synchronicities.

Thank you for reading.

Back soon.

Or you can also find me on Substack.

Hey Toro! The Season of the Star Bull Taurus

This year the sun is in the sign of Taurus 19 April 2024 -20 May 2024. The dates for the sun signs can vary by a day or two from year to year for astronomical reasons.

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 of Libra are borrowed from the stars of Scorpio and the claws of the giant scorpion in the heavens next door.

Taurus, from the Latin for Bull, is the second sign of the Western Tropical Zodiac and represents the height of spring in the northern hemisphere, ruled by the planet Venus and the goddess herself in all her verdant mythological glory. Venus rules Taurus by day, and the Moon, which is exalted in the sign of the Bull, rules Taurus by night.

Symbolic Associations

· Ruling planet: Venus

· Element: Earth

· Quality: Fixed (mid-season)

· Birthstone: Diamond (April) Emerald(May)

· Metal: copper

· Body: neck, throat, tonsils

· Homeopathic salt: Nat Sulph (Sodium sulphate) used for indigestion or at the onset of cold and flu symptoms

· Flower: the Daisy; innocence, sanctity

· Tree: the Apple Tree; happiness, immortality. Avalon, the resting place of King Arthur was the ‘isle of apples’

· Colours: pastel blue, green, pink

· Spheres of Influence: The Establishment, Church, universities, publishing, agriculture. Professions: Politics, Banking, Agriculture, Church, Government, Construction, Arts, Music/Dance, Entertainment, Beauty, Retail, Fashion, Restaurants

Astronomy

Taurus is a large and prominent constellation bordered by Aries to the west and Gemini to the east. It ranks 17^th in size of the 48 Greek constellations as recorded by Ptolemy in The Mathematics of the Heavens, the Almagest, written AD/CE 150.

The stars of Taurus depict the face, horns and forepart of the bull’s body. His face is made up of a triangular cluster of stars called The Hyades. There are no legs. The bull is imagined half-submerged like the mythical Bull from the Sea. A cluster of stars, The Pleiades, also known as The Seven Sisters, swarms like bees above him.

Aldebaran is Taurus the Bull's fiery eye — Via Earthsky

The best time to observe Taurus is December and January. By March and April, you might see it in the west in the twilight. To find Taurus first you need to find the three stars of Orion’s belt. This is very easy on a clear winter’s night. Now look up to the right, looking north- east, See that bright orange-red star? That’s Aldebaran, ‘The Follower,’ a red giant. Aldebaran is the biggest, brightest star in the constellation, the famous red eye of the Bull, glaring down towards the Hunter. Orion isn’t after the Bull. Orion is chasing the hare, Lepus. But the Bull doesn’t like him anyway.

Should the Bull ever escape his heavenly pen, said ancient Arabic legend, he would stampede the universe to pieces, and it would be the end of things for all time. Let’s hope nothing upsets him up there, and there are plenty of daisies and buttercups, and no flies or mosquitoes to bother him.

History and Mythology

Taurus has been recognized as a sky bull since at least the Early Bronze Age, when the figure of a bull was discerned in the stars by the Sumerians around 3000 BC, and was later recorded in cuneiform by the Babylonians.

In modern astrology Aries is the first sign of the western zodiac, ushering in the spring (vernal) equinox along with the culmination of the first lambing season. Aries was encoded as the first sign of the zodiac by Ptolemy. This remains the case symbolically, although the vernal point of the spring equinox is now technically occurring in the constellation of Pisces owing the wobble of the earth, and the effect known as the precession of the equinoxes. The invisible celestial point that represents the spring equinox changes roughly every two thousand years

4000 years ago, it was still happening in Taurus. For Babylonian astronomers Taurus was the first sign of the Zodiac, and the Bull was also the first sign for the early Hebrews, who called it Aleph, as in A, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Why is Taurus celebrated in spring? Taurus coincides with the calving season. The bull, like its ancestors, the wild aurochs, is a potent symbol of strength and fertility. But where Leo the lion, represents wild strength, Taurus the bull is domesticated, controlled strength, just as the power of the oxen was harnessed for ploughing the fields. One of the archetypes associated with Taurus is ‘The Farmer.’

But the sheer animal power and potency of the bull has exerted a magical influence on the human imagination long before the dawn of agriculture. Paintings of aurochs, the wild ancestors of the modern bull, were discovered in the Lascaux caves in France in paintings, thought to date from 15000 BC/BCE. The most famous section of the Lascaux caves in the Dordogne in France is the Hall of the Bulls, featuring four black bulls, or aurochs. One of these bulls is 5.2 metres (17 feet) long, the largest animal so far seen in cave art.

It is thought that the aurochs migrated at this time of year; a dangerous but potentially highly rewarding hunting opportunity for sabre toothed tigers- and for human hunters. Not only did the aurochs provide the luxury of meat, but the horns,hide and sinews had many uses. Elsewhere, the physical remains of auroch have been discovered on Salisbury Plain near Stonehenge in the UK. Salisbury Plain was once a “lek” -a mass gathering site of the auroch on their annual migration route. These mighty stones were not raised simply on account of ancient ancestors or solar solstice alignments, but to honour the rich and ancient hunting grounds along this resting place on the migration route of the auroch.

a grassy field with rocks in it with Stonehenge in the background — Photo by Karen McKeogh on Unsplash

Hunting gave way to farming, guaranteeing vital survival supplies with less risk attached. The first evidence of the domestication of cattle, goats, sheep and pigs was found in the ‘Fertile Crescent;’ a region covering eastern Turkey, Iraq and south-western Iran from about 12000 years ago.

These farming practices spread westwards, and in time had a genetic effect on the human population, with the sudden appearance of a gene mutation that enabled humans to digest raw cow’s milk into adulthood. It’s not known when this first occurred, but it happened in Northern Europe, probably driven by the food challenges of longer colder winters. Today, an estimated 35 % of the adult human population can digest the milk sugar, lactose, mostly in Europe, while this is much lower in other countries and as many as 99% of Chinese people are lactose intolerant.

Bull Worship

The bull was considered a divine animal throughout antiquity; a symbol of the moon, fertility, rebirth, and royal power, while today, the Lithuanian word ‘taurus’ means ‘noble.’

There is evidence of bull cults throughout the Mediterranean starting in Anatolia, dating from at least 70000 BC. From the worship of the Apis bull in Egypt, to bull-leaping in Knossos and the sacrificial portrayal in Roman Mithraism, the bull has been an integral part of many diverse and important religious traditions. The High Priestess in the Tarot deck wears a two- horned or crescent moon crown with the full Moon in-between in token of Hathor, the cow goddess of Thebes (Egypt).

Smith Waite Tarot

Greek legend associated Taurus with the legend of Zeus and Europa, in which the god Zeus, up to his tricks yet again, disguised himself as a beautiful white bull, coaxed the princess Europa into climbing on his back, then swam away with her to Crete, and made her one of his mistresses, giving her the gift of a pet dog that later became the constellation Canis Major. Their children included Minos, King of Crete, the builder of the Labyrinth and the famous palace at Knossos where the bull games were held.

Bull worship; the concept of the bull as a divine concept, gradually migrated westwards and northwards. The Celtic druids held Tauric festivals at least 2000 years ago, and there is archaeological evidence of bull worship near Newcastle and York in northern England in the UK.

The Buddha was born when the Full Moon was in Taurus (Vesak.) The Buddha’s birthday is celebrated at the Vesak Festival which in 2024 will be celebrated on the day of the Full Moon May 23 based on the Vedic lunar calendar. Vesak day honours the day of the birth, the enlightenment, and the death of the Buddha and is considered a public holiday in South East Asia in countries including Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

shallow focus photo of Gautama Buddha figurine — Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash

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 in either hemisphere 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, mid-summer, Scorpio, mid-autumn and Aquarius, mid-winter. The fixed signs are traditionally considered the most stable and steadfast signs, rooted in their ruling element, protectors of the status quo, the signs in tune with ancient things, the guardians of conservation and protecting continuity.

Taurus rules the ears, neck and throat. Taurus is known for its particularly pleasant or distinctive voice. Taurus may seem slower to learn compared with say, a mercurial, quicksilver Gemini native. But their grasp is both intuitive and thorough, and they possess an excellent memory. Once learned, never forgotten.

Taurus has an equable, pleasant, even magnetic personality, always excepting the grumpy, taciturn, self-opinionated natives. Taurus is known for a quiet style of physical attractiveness. Ruled by the Moon and Venus, these are sensual people. This sign especially needs to watch they don’t overdo the whole comfort thing, over-eating and so on. Taurus is a singer and a dancer. They have natural rhythm, but while they are strong and they have good stamina, they are not known as sporty types. This beautiful model is wearing the colours of Taurus.

woman in green and purple floral dress — Photo by Chalo Garcia on Unsplash

Taurus won’t be pushed about. Many a bull has worn a ring through his nose for the safety of the farmer. Masters of passive resistance, notoriously resistant and stubborn, their strength and stability is the bright side of this same coin. Taurus has a gift of soothing and reassuring others, though, like a bull shaking off gadflies while chewing the cud, they can be irritable if you try to rush them, crowding them while their thoughts are elsewhere.

herd of brown and black bulls on brown sand — Photo by Kendall Ruth on Unsplash

Bulls cannot actually see the colour red. It’s the movement of the matador’s cape that provokes them in the bull ring, and not the colour. Taurus is slow to anger but rarely loses in a fair fight. The bull ring is not a fair fight. The bull is weakened by the picadors on horseback, injured before he meets the matador, who would have a far smaller chance of survival otherwise. Still, the matador requires superb courage to meet the mighty bull in an open space, and this is the chance for the bull to have his revenge for his death, a chance denied to other bulls who will go to the slaughter house.s

When the human bull ‘sees’ red they either dig in hard or else charge head on. Taurus in a full-on rage is a ‘bull in a china shop’ – the Earth sign that will withstand or demolish the opposition of the other more famous ‘fighting’ signs, Aries, Leo, and even the famously lethal Scorpio, its opposite number in the zodiac. Other people get a shock when Taurus suddenly turns and starts lowering their head and hoofing the turf. The mistake of the other person was in pushing the boundaries once too often, taking their good nature for granted.

If a Taurus is being unreasonable, or being a ‘bully,’ stay calm and quietly stand your ground. Do as you would be done by, and more often than not, the typical Taurus will respond in kind.

Thank you for reading. Back soon with the story of the Decans, Taurus in the Tarot and the weather in Taurus season 2024…

Enter the Season of Pisces The Heavenly Fishes, 2024

Most of us know our Western Tropical zodiac sun sign, but what’s the story behind it? And what are the decans? It’s time to find out more about Pisces the Heavenly Fishes

13th century window in Chartres Cathedral

Traditional associations

Symbol:

Date of Birth: 19 Feb to 20 March

Ruling planets: Traditional: Jupiter Modern: Neptune

Element: Water

Quality: Mutable

Lucky Days: Monday and Thursday

Energy: Yin (receptive)

Key phrase: I believe

Body: Feet, eyes, bladder

Tissue Salt: Ferrum Phos (Iron Phosphate) An oxygen booster.

Birth Stone: Aquamarine but also amethyst, ruby, blood-stone and jasper. Aquamarine is the blue variety of beryl. Emerald is a green beryl. The aquamarine is believed to enhance foresight, clairvoyance and a sense of well-being.

Colours: Purple, violet, sea-green

Herbs/Flowers: the water lily (associated with Neptune)

Tarot cards: The Moon: ebb and flow, cyclical shifts, intuition, dreams, visionary capabilities, ghosts, fertility, instinct v societal norms, wild creatures, difficulties with travel, infection, poison, uncertainties, shadow boxing, wild creatures.

Other cards: the Knight of Cups and the 8, 9 and 10 Cups.

Smith Waite Centennial deck © U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Pisces Astronomy

Pisces, named for the Latin plural of fish, is the 14th largest constellation overall, located in the first quadrant of the Northern Hemisphere and covering a large V-shaped region. But although it’s a fairly large constellation its stars are faint, none brighter than fourth magnitude. Not easy to see with the naked eye.

Even so, its brightest star, Eta Piscium, also known as Alphergor Kullat Nunuis a bright giant star 294 light-years from Earth, 316 times more luminous than the sun. Its Babylonian name is Kullat Nunu, ‘Nunu’ meaning ‘fish’ and ‘kullat’ meaning a bucket.

The fish of Pisces are often depicted in art as two koi carp swimming at right angles to each other; one to the north, one to the west, and attached by a cord. This imaginary cord, Alrescha or Alpha Piscium, is made up of a pair of white dwarf stars. Astronomer Ian Ridpath explains: “A cord joins the tails of Pisces. The horizontal dashed line passing through the southerly fish is the celestial equator, and the diagonal dashed line is the Sun’s annual path, the ecliptic. The point where they cross is known as the vernal (spring) equinox.”

Pisces rules the feet. Symbolically Pisces has one foot in the death of the old year, and one foot in the new life of springtime.Pisces is the twelfth and final sign of the zodiac year, ruling the twelfth house in a personal horoscope, representing hopes, dreams and fears- what lies beneath. “Can thou draw forth leviathan from the deep?”

In Christianity, Pisces represents Christ, and its opposite sign of Virgo represents Mary, the mother of Christ.

Pisces stands for what is unknowable.

The nature origins of the Pisces story

green pine trees beside river during daytime — Springtime snow melt Montana Photo by Gary Yost on Unsplash

February and March is the time of the winter melt, the fullest mountain rivers and the first spawning of fresh water fishes in the Northern hemisphere. This was the flooding season in Mesopotamia where the zodiac signs and stories of the Western Tropical zodiac first originated. There is evidence of recorded astrology dating back to the third millennium BC/BCE.

Pisces is a mutable sign, marking the subtle transition of one season into another. Pisces marks the end of winter leading up to the vernal equinox. Of all the zodiac signs, the mutable signs; Pisces, Gemini and Sagittarius, are traditionally the most adaptable, the ones most at ease with endings, transitions and change.

The fishes of Pisces are attached by a cord of stars, just as life and death, and winter and spring are conjoined, and cannot be separated. Pisces is not only the last sign of winter, moving into spring; it is the last sign of the zodiac year; a symbolic culmination of all the signs that came before it.

undefined — From Urania’s Mirror, Sidney Hall, 1824

The end of winter often brings mourning. More than any other season, it is the end of winter that carries away the old and frail. A mild or green winter was especially feared as it “made fat the graveyard,” as the old saying went.

Pisces straddles winter’s grief and the bright green shoots of spring.

The Pisces Archetype/Astrological Personality

The court card of Pisces is the Knight of Cups, signifying an offer, an invitation, a proposal, a welcome message, a bringer of good news, an admirer, lover, chivalry, a Sir Galahad, good health, a healing cup, a loving cup, fertility, pregnancy.

Pisces is famous for its emotional depths and visionary capabilities; sensitive, intuitive, psychic, often musically or artistically gifted, but also capable of not only scientific or technical competence, but brilliance.

These are talented individuals and famously loyal once committed; compassionate and sensitive. They adapt with ease, are spontaneous and full of surprises, but while their steel may be largely hidden, all the same, it is there. Not much is said about this Piscean steel but Pisces can be, not just resilient, but downright tough in its own quiet way.

Many police officers, arbitrators and judges are born under Pisces, as well as artists and musicians. Administrative work, although Pisces can do it perfectly competently, is not their forte by and large.

Strengths

Pisces can make excellent and approachable leaders of small teams, loyal to the staff in their charge. They will take on injustice, and challenge those of superior status. But Pisces, unlike Aquarius, confines their remit to action on an individual basis. Pisces is not temperamentally disposed to the mounting of group actions, campaigns or crusades. Unless perhaps, they are early Pisces, born on the Aquarius cusp. The later subjects of this sign, born close to the Aries cusp are potentially very much the warrior ‘doers’ of Pisces, and they will keep their own counsel and act alone if their blood is up.

Pisces is brave, kindly and instinctive, but their constitutional physical energy, once depleted, is not buoyant or easily restored. If Pisces is prone to headaches at the back of the head, there may possibly be related bladder infections or other issues.

Pisces, while sociable, needs a fair bit of time to itself. Pisces thrives on rest, music, hobbies and relaxation time near to rivers, ponds and sea. The writer personally knows two freshwater anglers who are Pisces sun sign natives. One keeps his own pond of koi carp at home.

Challenges

Depending on other planetary placements, Pisces may fall prey to wishful thinking, melancholy or unhealthy lifestyle habits. They may struggle to recover and regroup from setbacks. Without enough to do, or without a clear sense of purpose or direction, Pisces can drift loose from their cord, becoming detached and living too much in their own imaginary world.

But of course there is no such thing in reality as the Pisces personality. You are a unique individual. Your zodiac sign (sun sign) is a major keynote, but it is nothing like the full picture in real life – or in astrology. There are many other factors in play in your natal chart; your rising sign, your Moon sign; the planets in your houses, the aspects, your decan, and the degree of the actual day you were born.

If you don’t feel like a ‘typical’ Pisces, perhaps you are a second or third decan Pisces, rather than a ‘most typical’ first decan Pisces.

The Decans of Pisces

two Siamese fighting fishes — Photo by Worachat Sodsri on Unsplash

The decans (or decanates) are a further way of marking time, breaking down each of the zodiac signs into three shorter blocks of roughly ten days each.

While the Mesopotamians (Babylon and Sumeria in what is modern day Iraq) were developing the signs of the zodiac and the concept of natal astrology, astrologers in Egypt were developing the system of the decans. These two astrological traditions came together sometime around the 1st Century BCE and the 36 decans were merged with the astrological signs.

The Zodiac is a belt of sky we see from earth, tracking the path of the sun across the sky over the course of the year. We call this pathway of the sun ‘the ecliptic.’ The Greeks named the zodiac signs after twelve of the constellations appearing on, or crossing this zodiac belt: Aries, Taurus, Gemini Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and lastly, Pisces.

Each of these designated zodiac signs represents a 30 degree section of the zodiac belt. Each sign is then further sub-divided into three blocks of ten degrees ten days in length, with slight variations. This gives us the decans or decanates from the Latin meaning ‘ten.’

The decans are popularly known as the ‘thirty-six faces of astrology,’ adding subtle depth and nuance to the stories of the signs of the zodiac, distinguishing between someone born at the start of their zodiac month from someone who is born during the middle or at the end of the zodiac month.

Readers may also use decans to help with the determining of timing issues.

First Decan Pisces

Pisces- Pisces

Dates: 19 Feb-29 Feb

Planetary rulers: Traditional: Jupiter/ Modern: Neptune

Tarot card: Eight of Cups

Card meanings: Moving on, cutting ones losses, leaving something behind, but not in anger. Reversed: disillusionment, regret

The first decan of any sign is considered the most typical. Pisces makes for versatility and adaptability, while Neptune presents a soft or gentle manner or appearance. This Pisces decan is rarely aggressive or confrontational.

But there is a sense of a push and pull going on here. Jupiter means Pisces thinks big and steps forward. Neptune means Pisces swims in circles or hides in the weeds. This Pisces native connects with other people on an unconscious level, almost hearing what they are thinking. Maybe they haven’t noticed this about themselves yet, or they take their telepathy for granted, but if this is you, watch out for the signs.

While quiet, this Pisces has deep passions and their love life can be tempestuous. Their ideal partner will be lively and communicative with a can-do approach but the first decan Pisces tends to go on a lot of detours before arriving or settling in their happy place or rightful destination.

They often look younger than their age, but they need to be especially aware of their dietary and other habits in order to protect their health; mood, and the chest, lungs and feet in particular. Pisces is extra-sensitive to the effects of overindulgence of alcohol or mind altering drugs.

Second Decan Pisces

Pisces-Cancer

Dates: 1-10 March (approx.)

Planetary ruler: Moon

Tarot card: Nine of Cups

Card Meanings: the wish card, dreams come true, food and drink, the hospitality industry. Reversed: overindulgence, complacency, self-satisfaction

The sub-influence for this decan is Cancer, ruled by The Moon. Cancer is the natural ruler of the fourth house of home, family and security. These Pisces subjects typically stay close to birth family members. This Pisces may struggle to loosen parental ties, becoming fully independent, but must do so if they want to progress and develop and become the adult in the room (Saturn in Pisces

The zone of the sky from March 1 –10 houses the stars of the water of Aquarius, Eridanus the river and the western fish of Pisces. These are the faintest, most elusive stars. Now you see them, now you don’t.

These Pisceans blend in anywhere. Sensitive and psychic, this decan absorbs like moss. For the same reason these highly empathic people need to choose their company with care, and form healthy habits early on in life. These subjects are supremely susceptible to the influence of others in their environment, and this can work positively or negatively.

Third Decan Pisces

Pisces-Scorpio

Dates: 11 March-20 March

Planetary rulers: Ancient Mars Modern Pluto

Tarot card– Ten of Cups

Card Meanings: contentment, completion, arrival, family life, stability, safety and security, team effort, a happy home Reversed: losses,family conflicts, break-ups, unhappiness

The sub-influences for this decan are Scorpio and its rulers, traditional Mars or modern Pluto. Energetic Mars and Scorpio – natural ruler of the eighth house of desire, willpower, drive and determination – brings to this Pisces extra charisma, and the drive and determination to push forward where Pisces in general can tend to err on the side of caution, holding back. This Pisces native has the artistic creativity of Pisces/Neptune with extra sticking power to turn dreams into realities.

Pluto brings depth and Mars brings speed and energy of attack. This Pisces native needs to keep busy, with plenty of energy outlets. Pisces marks the completion of the zodiac wheel. This final decan marks the point at which we move into Aries, the cycle starts over again and Aries too, is ruled by energetic Mars. What these Pisces natives start, they finish.

These Pisces natives, like the other decans, are enormously attuned to their environment, but they tend to stay more aloof and watchful, less likely to blend in. They are highly observant, natural detectives, well suited to police work or other kinds of investigative work. Pisces-Scorpio listens between the lines and notices what is not being said.

The Cusps of Pisces

Aquarius-Pisces: February 15-21

Aquarius-Pisces: This is a Pisces native with Aquarius tendencies; a person of high principles, quiet, refined, and with strong likes and dislikes. This Pisces native is likely to do a lot of travelling. They have executive capabilities and can earn or make a lot of money, but tend to become bored quite easily. This native needs to be careful not to get trapped, committing too soon in a relationship that doesn’t suit them, simply out of a fear of being left on their own.

Pisces-Aries: March 17-23

Born on the Pisces-Aries cusp, this native is especially instinctive and brave. This mix of energy combines physical and moral courage with compassion for others which can make this Pisces individual a successful leader. This person is loyal to friends and colleagues and they are also generous, and eager to see others do well.

Famous Pisces subjects

Michelangelo, Copernicus, George 111, Albert Einstein, Neville Chamberlain, Sidney Poitier, Elizabeth Taylor, Yuri Gagarin, Michael Gorbachev, Osama Bin Laden, Steve Irwin, Steve Jobs, President Erdogan of Turkey

Thank you for reading.

Back soon.

The Lupercalia, Venus, Valentines and Vampires

Painting Andrea Camassei 1635, Museo del Prado

Once upon a time there was a fertility festival called The Lupercalia. Men in wolf masks ran about the streets of Rome, and, in honour of the fertility god Lupercus, and in memory of the she-wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus, would symbolically thrash (lightly touching) any women they met of child-bearing age. Any woman not wanting to be fertile had better stay indoors. But some would deliberately loiter in the streets, hoping to encounter the wolf men.

Later, Christianity claimed the festival originally held on February 15th, renaming it in memory of Valentine, a Christian physician who was beheaded in Rome after doing many a good turn to other people, including the daughter of his jailer, whom he apparently cured of blindness. The violent death of a well-disposed person on religious grounds. What could be more romantic? Another account tells us he was a priest who was conducting illegal marriages, at a time when Claudius 11 did not want military men to marry, because it deterred them from seeking active service overseas. This story makes more sense.

Valentine’s Day is nowadays an uber commercial-fest, but, still, it serves to remind us, if we ever needed a reminder, of the eternal power of that magical experience of the human condition – ‘that ol’ Devil called Love’.

The Devil card however, more truly speaks of infatuation than love. The Devil card in the Tarot speaks of passions and powerlessness. It betokens entrapment, frustration, and the urgent need to break free, even if the wish to escape is not there.

Scorpio gets the rap -or the credit-for all things sexy. But The Devil card of Capricorn also represents the nature god Pan, and the imperatives of our most earthy animal nature. And it is mighty powerful. In terms of human body chemistry, sexual passion might as well be regarded as an addiction.

The Energy of The Devil card

I have more than once encountered the experience of what we might term a psychic vampire, in my professional reading work. One such reading left me so physically drained I had to go straight to bed afterwards, where I slept like a stone all night, but not in a good way, feeling slightly unwell.

It stands to reason. The Devil is fear, and people can be very upset and worried when they come for reading. Sometimes this fear or worry is palpable. And so is obsession.

The client was a very pleasant person to read for, but she was struggling with ‘the ol’ Devil’ all right. She wanted another man but he was married. So was the lady. Her husband brought her to the reading to make sure she would be safe, and that I was who I said I was. Then he left and later returned to take her home.

This was an agreeable, congenial, good looking and glamorous lady, and I could tell from the cards that the other man in question had powerful charisma. Then I had a bolt from the blue, an outright ‘psychic’ moment, and I saw a picture of the man in my mind’s eye. I told the lady who I was ‘seeing’, and asked if this was the person we were discussing. This man was a well known circus and stage performer.

The lady was extremely shocked that I correctly guessed his identity. And so was I, actually. But so it goes sometimes. She said to me, rather sharply, “you know him!”

I did not. I had never met him. and I knew nobody else who knew him. But he had a public profile, and all at once, looking down at my cards, I seemed to ‘see’ him standing behind her, looking out over her shoulder. These things happen every now and then, though I know readers far more clairvoyant than I am.

Would she get to be with this man for keeps? This was what the lady wanted to know. I felt she might get a taste of what she was hoping for. She might get a little more time with this man. But if she did, I had to tell her I could see no ‘happy ending.’ Sometimes, rightly or wrongly, we can only say what we do not see.

I hope she got free of this unhappy situation one way or another and was happy. But I doubt it. That man moved away to the U.S, to Las Vegas. I found that out because she must have given him my number. One day I got a call from the States from this man, using a different name, saying he “had heard about me, and he wanted to know his future.”

I didn’t let on that I knew who he really was, although his accent was an immediate alert. But I declined to do a reading then and there, just like that over the telephone, and recommended he find a local reader. It’s funny sometimes, how some people will deliberately mislead or misdirect a reader, but still expect to receive accurate feedback. If we can deliver that, then we can also see they are not playing straight with us, and no-one likes to feel they are being made a monkey of.

It is another curious thing, that often there will be a succession of readings all dealing with the same card as their main focus. It is almost as if The Everything is setting homework for the reader. The Devil turned up in the following three readings, and in each one we also drew the Moon card, signifying hunting, fantasy, dreams, emotional extremes. Obsession. Illusion.

Image from the Smith-Waite deck, U.S Systems

In each case, some poor soul was having a desperately unhappy time, struggling to let go of a romantic relationship, though they had decided that they must. They no longer felt wanted or respected, or welcome.

One such client was now in danger of starting to behave like a stalker, and I had to warn them against certain behaviours, although on none of these subsequent three occasions did I feel quite the same physical impact of the ‘show biz’ client.

Perhaps this was physical impact was only to be expected. A showbiz sized energy field is likely to carry a highly charged aura, to be anticipated in such readings, and when we talk about a vampire in real life, this is what we’re talking about. A habit, an encounter or a situation that can physically utterly drain your batteries on contact.

Blake 5 Whirlwind Of Lovers 5 Illustration To Dante S Inferno A4 Print - Picture 1 of 1 — William Blake’s illustration, ‘A Whirlwind of Lovers’…from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Obsession Has Consigned the Lovers To A ‘Circle Of Hell’…in Tarot…captivity, servitude, an dependent, obsessional and un-free state of mind.

The Devil card drawn upside down or Ill-Dignified, is usually better for being drawn upside-down, as this tends to say the worst is over, denoting clarity and self control, which is to say, liberation and the recovery of our equilibrium and the reclaiming of our personal sovereignty.

If you need to move on from a damaging personal relationship or a habit that’s proving harmful, this card is an encouraging sign when drawn reversed.

The Devil card is known, with justice, for its powerful negative aspects. It speaks of fear, frustration, anger, unhealthy habits, obsession and addiction, and the evil that can ensue from these things. Usually, the situation that it’s referring to could do with overturning.

The tough news is that it’s going to have to be us that overturns it. No-one else can do it. It is simply not in their power. Possibly too, there is no real solution as yet, and the situation meantime can only be managed or endured. Now it is a case of damage limitation.

But The Devil isn’t all bad.

As an image of Pan, god of all wild creatures, rather than in its guise as Christianity’s Devil, this beastly card is still strong stuff, requiring careful handling.

But this is the power and the glory of Cardinal Earth. And the animals, however “red in tooth and claw”, are ultimately innocent.

The Devil can be one heck of a sexy beast. It is charisma. It is the drive and passion to create. It is our connection to our roots in earth and our general animal vitality – (steady tiger!) – a strong glue for keeping relationships together over the long haul. And as they say, a little of what you fancy does you good.

The anger of The Devil comes in handy, is downright necessary, when you find yourself dealing with disrespect or downright nastiness. Let that Devil look out of your eyes, as you politely say ‘Excuse me?’

Subtext. ‘You better back off.’

If your inner Devil can clear some cr*p out of your space, there’s nothing the matter with that. Let him off the leash.

No. The Devil is not all bad. The challenge is to keep him in his place and not feed him too often. Just watch for the signs and make sure it’s your devil, or your cheeky imp, that’s under control, locked up inside that cage.

And not you.

gray concrete lion statue on gray concrete floor — Photo by Anna on Unsplash

Meantime, Venus, the planet of love, beauty, luxury, fashion and finance leaves behind our friend Pan, The Devil of Capricorn, and meet up with Pluto in Aquarius today or tomorrow depending where you are in the world. The dates for this transit are February 16 to March 11.

Venus needs a bit of fresh air. She loves you. She loves everyone, but at a bit of a distance. Lucky colours for a bit of added Venus power during this transit: white and soft silver, hot cobalt blues, soft shades of lavender and aqua.

a bust of a woman with a group of lamps above her — Photo by Yura Timoshenko on Unsplash

Thank you for reading.

Back soon.

Here Be Dragons by the dark of the Moon

Entering The Chinese New Year of The Wood Dragon

gold dragon statue — Photo by Martin Woortman on Unsplash

Previous Dragon Years: 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952, 1940

The Year of the Wood Dragon begins 9/10 February 2024 at the Lunar New Year in Chinese astrology. The Dragon is the 5th of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, so there’s a Dragon year once every 12 years. Then, in Chinese element theory, each zodiac sign is associated with one of the five elements: Gold (Metal), Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth, so that we will have a Wood Dragon Year only once every 60 years.

This is a New Moon in Aquarius – and also the very first new moon of Pluto in Aquarius. The moon changes zodiac signs every two and a half days. No big deal on the face of it. Why even bother to notice, even? The effects are transitory. But the changing moon signs still function as a weather vane, while events at the new Moon and full Moon operate on a different scale, mirroring or triggering profound and potentially, long term effects and consequences.

This New Moon could prove momentous “in the affairs of men” across the world, marking as it does, the start of a new age that will continue until March 2043. It is also a Super Moon, and we may notice disturbed sleep or unusually vivid dreams, although the Moon is invisible.

What can we expect from this new Dragon year? Astrologers look at the events in previous Wood Dragon years for hints and clues. The last Wood Dragon year was in 1964 when:-

-the U.S experienced its greatest ever recorded earthquake in S Alaska; 9.2 magnitude. -NASA launched Mariner 4 on a successful mission to Mars.

-There were race riots in the U.S. and President Lyndon Johnson signed into law The Civil Rights Act.

-Dr Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace prize.

-3 North Vietnamese torpedo ships approached and then fired on the destroyer USS Maddox in the Bay of Tonkin after it fired warning shots at them, and then, citing an alleged/unproven second attack, the U.S under Lyndon B Johnson authorized a resolution for war against N Vietnam…

In Western Tropical astrology, the Dragon corresponds most closely with the zodiac sign of Aries the Ram. This is yang energy; bold and brave, optimistic and determined. A Dragon year is anything but quiet and uneventful, whether on a global level or an individual level. But a Wood Dragon is somewhat quieter, more thoughtful and reflective than the Dragons of the other elements.

The Chinese New Year begins during Aquarius season in Western Astrology. Aquarius, the air sign of the Water Carrier, is also called The Cloud Bearer.

The Dragon of the Chinese zodiac does not breathe fire, but clouds.

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com

China, Taiwan and the Philippines

The nodes of the moon- the lunar nodes- are also known as The Head of the Dragon and The Tail of the Dragon. The north node is where we are heading next, according to our natal chart, and the south node is about our history and where we have come from. Maybe even our past lives or ancestral karma.

bird's eye view of a mountainside village at night — Photo by Andy Wang on Unsplash

I’m not seeing a land invasion of Taiwan in 2024. But nor is there any sign that China will cease and desist its provocations in the Strait of Taiwan or its incursions into the territorial waters of the Philippines in the South China Seas.

My cards did not show such an invasion last year, 2023, The Year of The Black Water Rabbit, nor did they detect any outright attempt at invasion in 2022 The Year of The Black Water Tiger. I was, I must say, more nervous about the Tiger than the Rabbit. The Rabbit is prudent, wary, where the Water Tiger is maritime and expansionist.

(This is recorded in the archives here at True Tarot Tales.com)

I’m not seeing Chinese military boots on the ground in Taiwan. But one never says never. We are in for all manner of big surprises. President Xi is under economic, as well as political pressure to be seen to “reclaim” Taiwan. Despite a cordial meeting with President Biden in November 2023, Taiwan was not discussed, while at a top-level national security meeting in May 2023, President Xi advised his team to “be prepared for worst case and extreme scenarios,” and called for “combat readiness.”

It may seem only a matter of time before Beijing decides to make the attempt to annex Taiwan by force. I have drawn the Seven of Cups, suggesting it is high on the wish list.

Image from the Gilded Tarot Royale deck.

But much depends on its assessment of the risk, in seeking to avoid a direct conflict with the U.S. This year’s elections in Taiwan have not gone China’s way. And it won’t be known until very late in the year, who will be the next President of the United States. I will certainly be looking at that again in my cards and posting here.

The astrology signs point to a potential crisis during April 2024. I draw The Queen of Wands (Aries) and the King of Pentacles (Taurus.) This seems to be a crisis at sea and this could equally mean the Black Sea or The Red Sea or Strait of Hormuz.

But the landward facing Wood Dragon is room for hope that tensions will not escalate into direct conflict in the South China Sea, while in Chinese astrology, the Dragon relates well with the Monkey. The United States was “born” in 1776, in a year of The Monkey. So far so good, from a purely symbolic point of view in Far Eastern astrology.

the roof of a building with a group of figurines on it — Photo by Jéan Béller on Unsplash

But historically, the United States IS now undergoing its first Pluto return. Such returns have marked the collapse of empires and dynasties, but not necessarily at the first or even second Pluto return. The Roman Empire did not fall until its second Pluto return. In England, the second Pluto return marked the age of Elizabeth 1; an era of great prosperity and expansion. The third Pluto return marked Britain’s abolition of slavery.

On a different note, this Wood Dragon year will likely see new legislation relating to issues of natural sustainability, and in particular, as one might imagine; Forestry and Forest ecology in the Amazon and other rain forests, while there are already plans to recycle Forestry residue in aviation technology.

green-leafed plant — Photo by Raphaël Menesclou on Unsplash

On a Personal Level

The individual Wood Dragon native can really forge ahead in 2024. This is a time for clearing out dead wood, making new plans. A career shift or change in direction is highly likely, and there are good prospects for progress and promotion. There will be some times of stress. Be sure to allow enough rest. Finances may be an issue, notwithstanding job progress. But the Wood Dragon is nothing if not capable, often talented in engineering, architecture, design and the fields of arts and crafts.

This yang energy Dragon is as go-ahead as the other Dragons, but somewhat more easygoing. Essentially good natured. High minded even. When the going gets difficult with other people- this will be something of a roller coaster year of ups and downs-then mood management is the order of the day. Least said, soonest mended. Bask on a rock. Take a nap in the sunshine. There’s a good Dragon.

multicolored dragon float — Photo by 冬城 on Unsplash

Tarot for today

The Seven of Swords= Moon in Aquarius. But this card could be playing out in ways we will notice, not just today, but over the next ten days or so.

There’s a lot going on. New Moon in 20 degrees Aquarius-the first one in Pluto as we enter the third decan of Aquarius in Tropical astrology.

Associated meanings: Scouting, surveillance, diplomacy. Sabotage. We may need to move fast. Preventative measures, or even a preemptive strike. Oh look, says the Seven of Swords. I see your game and I am ahead of you. Averting trouble. Breaking up a fight. Guarding our info. Changing our passwords. Smiling while keeping a cool head. Playing our cards close to our chest. Looking way ahead, taking the strategic long view.

Thank you for reading.

Back soon.

February, the Fae and the Fires of Imbolc

The first of February marks the mid-point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It’s also known as Candlemas, the Christian festival of presenting Jesus at the temple. But long before Christianity, this time of year marked a more ancient celebration in Gaelic Britain: the rites of spring, and the fire festival of Imbolc.

Let’s get with the programme, Imbolc style, and parade down the street, and go pray for the health of the fields! It’s all about the soil. Modern soil scientists will agree.

February

The name February comes from the Latin ‘Februarius,’ referring to Februa; a Roman festival of ritual purification. Below, the Roman spa at Bath, UK.

Two new months of January and February were added to the older Julian calendar in the 700’s BCE to create the new Gregorian calendar, matching it up more closely with the actual length of the Earth’s journey round the sun.

But the Anglo Saxons called February Sōlmōnath, from sōl , the Old English word for wet sand or mud, alluding to the weather this time of year, and the effects of rain and snow-melt. The romantic Solway Firth between North West England and South West Scotland is actually the massive tidal ‘Mud Way’ rather than the romantic ‘Sun Way.’

The northern English scholar monk , saint Bede, wrote that February was celebrated as “the month of cakes,” when ritual offerings of savory cakes and loaves of bread were made to ensure a good year’s harvest.

Imbolc

The fire festival of Imbolc and Brigid began as a neolithic festival marking the 1/2 way point between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Beltane.)

Imbolc marks the start of spring, celebrating the arrival of the goddess deity Brigid, “The Exalted One,” the harbinger of the first lambs, so vital to the survival of those early communities. The deity Brigid later became conflated with the Christian figure of Saint Brigid of Kildare.

‘Imbolc’ is thought to mean ‘in the belly,’ referring to the precious ewes in lamb. Soon it would -it will be- be the time of the first lambs, though the start of the lambing season can vary by up to two weeks in any given year.

Brigid was a protector of women in childbirth, as well as the safe birthing of precious livestock. She was not only a goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann, The Tribe of the Gods, but a triple goddess of healers, poets and smiths.

Via Wiki Riders of the Sidhe, the Tuatha de Dannan

“The Tuatha de Danaan, the people of the (mother) goddess Danu in Celtic mythology; a race inhabiting Ireland before the arrival of the Milesians (the ancestors of the modern Irish). They were said to have been skilled in magic, and the earliest reference to them relates that, after they were banished from heaven because of their knowledge, they descended on Ireland in a cloud of mist. They were thought to have disappeared into the hills when overcome by the Milesians. The Leabhar Gabhála (Book of Invasions), a fictitious history of Ireland from the earliest times, treats them as actual people, and they were so regarded by native historians up to the 17th century. In popular legend they have become associated with the numerous fairies still supposed to inhabit the Irish landscape.”

From The Encylopedia Britannica

Brigid might visit one’s home at Imbolc. People would make a bed for her, and leave food and drink and items of clothing outside in the hope of receiving her blessings, petitioning her to protect their homes and livestock.

This was a time for feasting and visits to sacred wells, and a time for ritual divination. A St Brigid’s cross is made from rushes and was placed in doorways to protect the home from harm, representing the wheel of the seasons.

By Culnacreann – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3500722

The Fire of Imbolc and the Fire Rune INGWAZ

Fire and Spring is not gentle. New life is not gentle. It rises up fast and fierce. It has to, or it would never break through. Spring is fierce in its quickening of new shoots. It is initiation. Spring is fire, just as Aries the Ram of the zodiac is a cardinal fire sign, though we do not enter Aries until late March.

Where Brigid represented an essentially feminine energy, the old Norse rune ING/INWAZ or INGUZ is a fire sign rune, associated with male fertility, vitality and recovery from sickness. You can read more about runes here in a previous blog post on my website, True Tarot Tales.

This ancient masculine fire rune represents the power and potential of “The Seed” matched with action. Literally, the name of this rune means “the seed of the god Ing.” When we say we are do-ing, writ-ing …anything at all with -ing at the end of it, we are describing an action, and indirectly, invoking the magical energy of Ingwaz.

The people would light bonfires on the hilltops by night, and by day, they might run cattle through the smoke of lower lying bonfires, asking divine protection for the livestock.

The Cailleach

Imbolc was a key moment in weather forecasting. This was the time when The Cailleach —the divine crone of Gaelic tradition—gathered firewood for the rest of the winter. If the Cailleach knew the winter was going to last a good while longer, she’d make sure of good weather during Imbolc and would use it to gather more firewood to top up her stores.

Bad weather at Imbolc was regarded as great news. It meant the Cailleach wasn’t worried about running out of firewood. She had turned over and gone back to sleep, and the worst of winter was almost over. We shall see. It has been cold and clear and glorious today where I live on the NW coast of England.

I am somewhat mixing up cultures, systems and traditions here, but Nature is the common ground and I make no apology for it. Imbolc falls in the second decan of the fixed Air sign of Aquarius. The fixed signs denote the height of a season. The second decan of Aquarius marks the height of winter, at least symbolically speaking, in the northern hemisphere and now the snowdrops are here.

The Six of Swords in the Tarot deck is a card of recovery and onward progress. This can be read in terms of the natural seasons as the thawing, the passing of winter’s peak point, and now we are steering into spring.

The Gilded Tarot

See the toad in the rushes? The frogs and fishes are, right now, undergoing a alchemy of profound physiological changes, getting ready to spawn.

The light is coming back again, galloping faster it seems, by the day. Dark sacred night’…yes, and the night is dark. It is sacred. It brings rest and healing. But when the dark goes on too long, we start fighting back with the Promethean gift of fire and action.

We are HERE. And we overcame such odds just to be here, to get born as US and not someone else. Science suggests the statistical odds against you and me getting born as us and not someone else were 1 in 400 trillion. Yet here we are. Somehow WE burst through.

We must have had the need. We must have had our reasons. Mighty powerful ones.

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Today’s Tarot: 28 January, The Moon card and the waning moon in Virgo

Today’s card is The Moon, and this is likely to be a theme for many of us one way and another over the next few days. The illustration is from the Astrology Reading Cards deck.

Astrology Reading Cards: Your Personal Guidance From the Stars: 96pp book & 36 full colour cards

The Moon card means many things in physical concrete terms, not only in terms of what is emotional or abstract, immensely powerful or consequential as these invisible workings are. But The Moon also speaks in literal terms of observable, material phenomena and events, including floods, diseases, pandemics, infections, poisoning, or the menstrual cycle, conception or pregnancy.

And the Moon card is not wrong of course, deciding to show up today. We are after all in Aquarius, THE season for floods, colds & contagion, in the northern hemisphere at least. Such are the seasonal workings of nature. The Moon card is Nature itself, the ebb and flow of the tides, and the governance of all cycles, and fertility.

The Moon can mean all these things, plus powerful dreams, psychic insights or even ghosts…or it can mean confusion, delusion, paranoia, lies, infidelity, our deepest fears. The Moon is our wild side, walking on the wild side. The dog and the wolf. Our home side and our OTHER hidden side, or our hidden potential. The foragers, the naturalists and the animals, the hunters and the hunted. Let’s all go bark at the Moon or howl….while the crayfish signifies secrets emerging from the hidden depths of the water.

Is there something here for someone to do with salts, sea salt, the kidneys or diuretics? This is not a prediction, only an observation.

First Decan of Aquarius

We are still in the first decan (ten days of Aquarius) which in tarot is represented by the extremely challenging Five of Swords (defeat, chagrin, or a pyrrhic victory that comes back to bite someone.) We’ve already discussed this card in recent posts, and the reputation of Aquarius as the Babylonian “Curse of Rain.”

Five of Swords from the Tarot Illuminati

Once upon a time I did a reading for a lady who asked me to draw a card about her father. She was worried about him. I drew The Moon and asked about flooding, and she explained that he lived in Bangladesh. His house had been badly flooded the previous month, leaving a lot of damage, and he was in frail health.

two people in a small boat on a river — Photo by Nishaan ahmed on Unsplash

The Moon can, on occasion, be speaking literally in respect of timing issues, indicating something that may happen in a month’s time or a Monday. Surrounding cards may suggest to the reader which of the two seems more likely.

The Moon in Virgo

Today’s waning Moon is in Virgo and the moon will stay in Virgo until Tuesday when it moves into Libra. Virgo is the sixth house of the zodiac, to do health, food, arts, crafts, household management, duty and service to others. Virgo is also the sign of lab analysis, medical tests and so on. Those born under Virgo, or with Virgo rising or a Moon in Virgo are known for a talent for art. But the Virgo artist is still somewhat scientifically inclined. Big on technique. Virgo dots the “i.” There is a certain analytical flair, making them suited to investigative work of all kinds.

Many of us, it stands to reason, especially this time of year, are preoccupied with health matters or test results at this time. However this is a waning Virgo moon which in symbolic terms, says an seasonal illness or infection is – slowly- on the way OUT.

The old Norse rune LAGUZ (lake) carries this meaning in divination, and may be used magically for protective purposes to do with travel or health. We draw it on a piece of paper, say its name, call on it, asking for its agency. It looks like this…

The Moon card can be referring to far travel and events at sea, when it may be warning us about the risks of travel, and reading the fine print if we are thinking of booking such travel at this time. What is the cancellation policy? Make sure you insure it to the hilt.

The Moon may be referring to a risk of food poisoning. Beware buffets, says The Moon card, except for small domestic or social ones. or ones you have prepared yourself. The Moon can be poison where a Virgo Moon rules the digestion.

The homeopathic cell salt associated with Virgo is Kali Mur- potassium chloride.

“It is most beneficial dissolved in warm water for cramps in the stomach, or crushed and rubbed onto the gums of infants for colic. Kali Sulph No 7: Virgo rules the alimentary canal. Its salt is a cell oxygenator, supporting the action of Ferrum Phos (iron phosphate)”

All in all, The Moon is a tricky card, and mighty powerful. Its gifts are immeasurable; its mysteries, its governance of the cycles of the tides and fertility.

The immediate takeaway here, apart from the things we’ve already touched upon, is to do with watching our words at this time, choosing them with utmost care and double checking everything. It’s not a case of being over-vigilant. We are always right to trust our instinct, but if we get stuck up in our heads, now we are grinding the wheels, engaging in wishful thinking or worry, and that’s not the same thing. Instinct is felt in all of the body. Moonlight shadows can play strange tricks.

It’s about working with daylight, dealing in workable facts, and when we are in doubt, sticking with those workable facts. Does this stand up to scrutiny under the microscope? Sometimes our worries can get the better of us, and we may misconstrue comments or situations in the light of that worry. Virgo is big on investigation.

green and white typewriter on blue textile — Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Moonstone

Moonstone Gem Guide and Properties Chart

The Romans and the Greeks associated the Moonstone with Artemis/Diana/Cynthia/Selene…the many names of the goddess of the Moon. In India, the moonstone was seen as an amplifier of divine wisdom or clairvoyance.

Moonstone, also written as moon stone, is a unique form of feldspar; a sodium potassium aluminum silicate. The feldspars are the most common group of rock type on the surface of the Earth, but vary widely in their makeup.

“The name moonstone derives from the stone’s characteristic visual effect, called adularescence (or schiller), which produces a milky, bluish interior light. This effect is caused by light diffraction through alternating layers of orthoclase and albite within the stone. The diffracted light varies from white to blue, depending on the thinness of the albite layers…” via Wiki

Magical uses: calming, stress relief, clarity, clairvoyance, right brain stimulation, lucid dreaming, hormonal support, strengthening the “yin”-feminine power and protection.

Something needs sorting, putting in better order. The waning Moon in Virgo says tidiness is the order of the day. Stuff, paperwork, health, home. The Moon card is always to be treated with an element of precautionary care and discipline when it appears, but this is a largely benevolent moon.

“For broken dreams, the cure is, dream again and deeper.” C.S. Lewis