Where Soul Meets Body: March 2018 Tarot Cast

I love March-time! Tree leaves twinkle in the morning, from the sunrise & icy dew. Flowers. Bees humming. Hummingbirds flying. Trés jolie.

Also, March is my birthday month! ♈️

These past few months, I’ve focused on staying in my integrity. With Jupiter in Scorpio & Saturn in Capricorn, I've been organically purging my unconscious of old fixtures while tightening up brass tacks. Squeezing out the moldering psychic gristle, so that core power can flow like a fountain.

So, I decided a Feng Shui Spread to be the perfect Tarot Cast for my 31st birthday, at a time where I feel quite ready for a mind-body-soul reboot. I’m lining up new posts about sorcerous forms of personal transformation & my best practices for maintaining a steady current of holy creative energy in your space / body, so stay tuned for that!

Keep reading to learn more about creating a Feng Shui-inspired Tarot spread & what the heart of the spread, The Hierophant card, means for me. 

MARCH 2018 TAROT CAST: THE FENG SHUI SPREAD

Feng Shui is the art of maximizing (& optimizing) the flow of energy in a space or body. In interior decorating, Feng Shui is used for arranging spaces in relation to the 4 cardinal directions. (North, South, East, West.) You also have to consider where the room’s entryway lines up on a Bagua Map, which is like a template for the 9 realms of life that add to (or pull from) your life force.

In the Feng Shui Tarot Spread, you can assign a card to a specific aspect of your life, in order to encourage changes, or you can pull cards at random to help you read more deeply into what’s going on. This spread is ideal if you’re pleased with certain areas of your life more than others, & want to gain an overview of how your goals relate to what you already have.. 

The Feng Shui spread is definitely the kind of Tarot you do on a rainy night when you’re home alone, drinking kombucha & waiting for a mud mask to harden. Like the Celtic Cross spread (11 cards!), it’s a bit of a process to work through, at least for ponderous babes like me who must deeply handle each & every card. 

TAROT FOR FLOW: HOW TO DO A FENGSHUI TAROT SPREAD 

A Feng Shui Tarot Spread pulls 9 cards to represent 9 aspects of life on the Bagua Map. You can draw 9 cards face-down, face-up, or a mix of both. 

For example, if you want to Divine a message about your life’s direction, your True North, you would pull a facedown card at random from the deck. You would put in the North quadrant of spread. (Which doesn’t actually have to be facing north, unless you’re very thorough.) You meditate on how this card relates or doesn’t relate to this area of life. 

But if you know without a doubt that the High Priestess symbolizes how you see yourself & interpret your life path, you simply separate out the High Priestess & stick her in the North. That’s kosher.

(It’s all kosher.) 

For every card pulled, enter at least 3 keywords into a diary or grimoire, based on what you see in the card & what you remember about its formal meaning. If you’re still memorizing card definitions, you could also look up each card on Tarot Wikipedia (on top of checking a guidebook), to compare / contrast definitions & deepen your intuition of each card. 

Because 9 cards are too many to analyze in this post, I’ll break down the 9th card of my March-time Feng Shui spread. This is the card that goes in the middle of your Tarot Bagua Map, which is the 5th position in my interpretation. This card is labeled “Health” & is the heart of the spread. 

I go by this Google Image as a template for the Bagua Map. You might find a better one, or count out your spread’s positions differently. You might prefer to Divine the center of your Feng Shui, whereas I intentionally placed The Hierophant at the center of the spread.

I selected The Hierophant for the center because, right now, I’m focused on self-healing. I’m working with Jupiter’s transit through Scorpio & Saturn’s transit through Capricorn, which has turned into a very structured journey of purging shadow drama & relaying practical foundations. 

I’m consciously aware that I’m in a process of waking up. I’m at a juncture of my journey where there’s no turning back & everything is about to change. I’m aware of this as a breakthrough phase where challenges (& challengers) are actually gateways into my sacred strength, where I'm making direct contact with my core strength. It's tough, but it's the only way to access the strongest part of me. And you.

That’s what I’m all about right now.

THE HEART OF MY FENG SHUI SPREAD: THE HIEROPHANT

The Hierophant is the card of gurus, mentors, & royal viziers. Often, our best teachers present us with our biggest challenges. They counter-weigh our true beliefs. The Hierophant symbolizes the conventional attitude with teachings & principles that task us to understand why the world is the way it is.

At number 5 in the Major Arcana, The Hierophant numerologically corresponds to a pivotal point of our spiritual journey: a personal reformation instigated by challenging circumstances... like a confrontation with the status quo or a "losing my religion" moment. 

My life-path number is also 5: the life-path of the teacher, challenger, & Awakened survivor. I talk more about Five-ness (& also how it pointed me towards my Patron Goddess) in this post. This just means the general project of my life exactly corresponds with the process of challenge & Awakening symbolized by The Hierophant.

In this Tarot Key, shadow work & reality checking goes hand in hand. Before you can change anything in your life, you need to understand why it is the way it is. You have to be willing to know the truth of the situation, even if it could potentially dismantle reality as you know it. 

Because The Hierophant lies at the heart of my Feng Shui spread, I’m committed to this directive: what I find, I must heal. 

The Hierophant is not like the Hanged Man, who would advise you surrender to your predicament & wait on Divine insight to guide your next steps. With The Hierophant, you consciously seek opposition to what you think (& feel) about the world. To really be able to use this Tarot key, you have to be willing to learn as you go. To get pragmatic. 

So, at the heart of my life right now is a learning quest for rebuilding my integrity. I want to advance beyond the ability to talk pedantically about my childhood. Where the memory symbolizes an old version of my journey, but no longer tangibly lives the present. It’s a reference point, like a node on a map I’m drawing as I go.

Which means waking up. Getting constructive. Humbling myself. Finding masters. And making myself useful.

So, shadow work. 

Also, reality checking. 

(Check out this post & this post for more about that.)

some inspiration for your own fast approaching spring-time awakening… 🦋✨

💫 What to do after you have a breakthrough. This Danielle LaPorte post is a good little soul-snack to get you through it.

💫 And this Katy Perry interview totally speaks to where I’m at right now. “Now I want to touch the stars, which has to do with the heart.”

💫 Btw, it’s an ideal time for some soul-healing! For the Virgo Full Moon (March 1st), adopt a new self-care ritual, like meditation (I’m obsessed with this kit) or therapy or juice fasting. I’m wading into the detox plan outlined in Dr. Kelly Brogan’s book A Mind Of Your Own. (Catch Marie’s interview with Dr. Brogan--it changed my life.)

💫 My March-time essential combinations: Lavender, Vanilla, Orange, Rose. (Mostly NOW). I love diffusing oils & opening up a couple windows, so the fragrance really circulates. When I have oils diffusing, it's like Heaven on Earth.

💫 Remember: Venus is still in Pisces for the next 6 days, so keep playing with your senses & accessorizing your imagination. This is how you set a beautiful tone to springtime! (Read more about what I'm doing while Venus -> ♓️ over here.)

So, what’s at the heart of your life right now? Tweet or email me about it! 

All Tarot images via The Starchild Tarot by Danielle Noel.

Surrender To The Star-Fire: February Tarot Cast 2018

This month's Tarot Cast is all about cleansing our perception. Especially since February kicks off on the waning moon, when cleaning house is always a good idea, I want to go into this month without resistance. I want my mind to feel as free & clear as the North Pole. 

And I want to get swept up. I want to wonder. And just... feel. 

Later this month, the sun moves into Pisces, the house of Poet-Mystics! When the sun moves into Pisces, I get swoony. Faint-hearted, glittery-eyed. I feel trapped between fairy wings.  

Pisces season gets me thinking about meta-Love. Divine Love. Love that transcends & Love that softens your core. Divine Love.

And also, rapture. Like, where does spiritual rapture rank within Divine Love?

I want rapture. Because I trust rapture will mainline me into some extraterrestrial Love. Rapture obliterates Self-ness. Rapture is my aspiration. 

So every February, I think, read about, & stream all content swoon-y. I read William Blake, check my horoscope, & online shop for new lingerie. I make a point to take walks when it's breezy outside. 

If all this sounds rather sublime to you as well, keep reading to find out what's in this month's Cast, how to use it to in-form your Pisces New Moon Ritual, plus my tips for keeping a dream journal!

💠 The Moon.

Believe in better illusions.

The Moon corresponds with Pisces & Neptune, in the Great Beyond, which deals with illusions, dreams, extrasensory perception, & also shadow work. Life does get a bit surreal when you’re doing shadow work--especially if you ritualize it. You have your idea of what you want, but as the future overlaps the present, what you get was a mutant version, forged from the shoddy material in your psychic universe. You have to snake closed off canals of your mind. The dream flickers. But now you have a sense of reality.

No matter what bullshit fantasy you want to live in, make sure you know where it stands in wider reality.

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

— HENRY DAVID THOREAU

💠 The Star.

What’s your True North?

Hope. Guiding light. A beatific omen. All is well. 

Astrologically, The Star corresponds with Aquarius, where our sun still is. The Star is remote, but bright & attractive, much like Aquarians. The Star also corresponds with Uranus, an outer planet.

Detach. Take the long view of your life. Have you worked out the big picture of what you’re doing? For whom? Why? 

Innovate new ways to shift your perspective. Make it into a practice. How would a Zen Buddhist look at this? What would Gaga do?

💠 Perspective.

Move into new space.

Astrologically, the Perspective card corresponds with Neptune, one the outer planets. Neptune is the lucid dreamer of our cosmos, full of fairies, Divine messages, dreams, mirages, & star-spangly moments of ecstasy. 

What are my options right now? Am I working towards Love or am I working to avoid something? What am I not seeing that’s right in front of my face?

“Sometimes looking at things from another angle or perspective can shift the energy of a challenging situation. ”

— THE STARCHILD TAROT: A LIGHTWORKER’S GUIDE.

Lighten your load. Look clearly at the furniture in your life. Vulnerability is core here, where sacrifices & putting yourself out on a limb will help you see more than holding fast to the spot you’ve already staked out. Move into new space, so you can re-evaluate.

New space like: Meditation. Lucid dreaming. Prayer.

In that new space, answer Qs like, What are my options right now? Am I working towards Love or am I working to avoid something? What am I not seeing that’s right in front of my face? 

HOW TO TAKE ACTION WITH THIS TAROT CAST: A PISCES NEW MOON RITUAL!  ♓️

February 16th is the Lunar New Year! What better way to ring it in than with a new moon ritual? You could set a magical intention for the whole lunar year, or just for this cycle! 

Use this month’s Cast to in-form your magical intention, build your sigil(s), or code your dreams with recognizable images! 

I’ve talked before about the Goddess Hera as a Patron for Pisces new moon. You can read about it & also get my tips / swag rec’s in that post. If want my New Moon Ritual Roadmap + guidelines, visit this post. 

START KEEPING A DREAM JOURNAL IN FEBRUARY… 📖☁️✨

“You told me all the myths, on after the other,

Night after night

My beautiful, brutal bedtime tales

As you spoke I closed my eyes & saw them come to life

The miniature figures acting out their parts

When we fall asleep

My dreams were more vivid than they had ever been

As if I were watching your dreams in my head—”

-- Francesca Lia Block, Psyche In A Dress

Witches already know: dreams be rich with data. Questions, answers, warnings, & eureka-moments abound in dreams. If you want fast, enlightening perspective on what’s going on, start looking at your life through your dreams!

I try to scribble down at least 3 keywords about my dreams within moments of waking up. I manage to do it about 50% of the time. I have to do it on pen & paper--I’ve noticed that logging dreams into my Notes app actually scrambles the image that’s already fading in my mind’s eye. I’ve resigned to using scratch paper, then logging the keywords (plus sun / moon zodiac info--I like this astrology app) into a grimoire. 

Also, I notice I’m only able to do this on mornings I wake up to an alarm. Some people find they can’t record their dreams on mornings after late nights or that they need to say their dreams aloud into a voice recorder, or else they’ll skip it. 

To kickstart your dream journal practice: start brewing mugwort tea in the evening before bed, which you can find in most metaphysical shops or online. Makeover your bedroom into a delicious, hedonistic space with candles, oils, pillows, twinkle lights, & melty-soft bed linens. Shut off the computer or TV at least an hour before bedtime & see how many nights you can go without bringing your cell phone to bed with you.

Put your cute new diary & heavy, business-like writing pen on the nightstand beside you. (Which you’ve tidied up.) Tell yourself, out loud even, “I am going to remember my dreams! I am going to sleep now to have my dreams! To sleep perchance to dream!” Whatever feels right. 

Wake up & scribble out 3 keywords. Or a doodle. Don’t even worry about logging astro info until later that day or that week.

Voila! You are now widening your perspective! 

WANT SOME OTHER LOVERLY THINGS TO DO IN FEBRUARY?

…HERE’S WHAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME:

Go stargazing in the mountains--if undoable, set your phone / computer backgrounds with landscape photos, I love this one ✨ write Rumi quotes on index cards that you tape around your house ✨ find out your Love Language, then find out the Love Language of your husband, wife, BFF, & the team at work (learn more about using Love Languages in the workplace from this MarieTV episode) ✨ donate blood (find out when a blood drive will be happening near you) ✨ play recordings of ocean waves during the day (I love this playlist) ✨ diffuse lavender & frankincense oils in the early morning ✨ look for eagles, angles, & UFOS ✨ study astrology, so your dreams are full of the stars! (Here’s an eBook to start you off on your natal chart!) ✨ pray out loud ✨ re-read your favorite books about fairies (I Was A Teenage Fairy or The Blue Girl for me), but don't forget to also feel like a faerie

May your February be rapturous! May it sparkle with star-dust & shimmer with bokeh overlays!

...Annnd we're back! January 2018 Tarot Cast

In this cast (the FIRST of the new Tarot Cast series, which is now monthly!), the cards correspond to 2 major zodiac events happening right now: Jupiter’s transit through Scorpio (where it will be until Nov of 2018) & Saturn’s transit through Capricorn (which will last until 2020). Click the links to read more about the events from Aeolian Heart Astrology! ✨

And though I am not an astrologer, I am intersecting some hardcore self-improvement with these events.

Why?

SYNERGY. 

FOR 2018, I DESIRE TO FEEL SQUEAKY CLEAN & ROCK SOLID. 

2017 was a doozer. I just left my first Saturn Return. ( My Saturn → ♐️ ). The worst is over, but there’s still some goo on the manifold. I’ve lately felt the need to simplify what I carry on my heart & in my mind. 

In fact, I want to rebuild my life from the ground up: starting in my emotional basement & working up through the foundations of my beliefs. 

And, holy Fates, isn’t this a lucky time for just that!

Jupiter’s move into Scorpio has brought an opportunity for mega-shadow work. Because of Jupiter’s limitlessness, the realm of life corresponding with Scorpio (the deepest fathoms of psychosis & emotion) will balloon. Contained shadow-drama doomed to spill over into your life.

Jupiter → ♏️  will coincide with sudden bouts of melancholy & obsession. If you’ve got a lot of drama goin’ on in your life, Jupiter → ♏️ might be the occasion to start sorting it out. 

(Don't worry--I’ll share more about what I’m doing below!) 

If you want to learn more, read this article: Sex, Drugs, & Apocalypse Now: Jupiter in Scorpio.

Meanwhile, Saturn -> ♑️  is perfect for getting down to brass tac. Saturn -> ♑️will be a good time for off-loading the non-essential, building core strength, & tightening resolve. For me, Saturn -> ♑️  is lucky to coincide with a time when I'm rifling through all my shadow drama. I won't be able to stay mired in old woe--not when there's so much I have control of right here, in the present. 

Learn more from this article: Cosmic Trigger Warning: Saturn in Capricorn.

One card in this month’s Tarot Cast corresponds with Jupiter & Scorpio, while another corresponds with Saturn & Capricorn! The third card corresponds with a special influence--a je ne sais quoi or a quintessence so to speak, I hope to inject into the scheme of events that the first 2 cards correspond with. (I'll talk more about the 3rd card below.) 

These are the 3 cards that helped formed my intentions & rituals for the 2018 New Year, which I've decided to share! Feel free to use this same small spread in your own New Year's spell-casting, or modify to your heart's content. I’ve linked you to all the info & resources I'll be drawing on to put this Tarot Cast on lock.

You can also read all about my Tarot Cast process over here! 

At the bottom, I tell you how to use this Tarot Cast to kick start your own critical objectives for 2018!

THE CARDS KICKING OFF 2018…

💠 Oppression.

The Oppression card is ruled by Saturn & Capricorn. This card symbolizes the ultimate in outer limits. Phrases like “the clock is ticking” & “there will be consequences” come to mind. 

The question you should ask yourself: What am I doing with my life?

Oppression corresponds with the Devil in traditional Tarot. Oppression / The Devil speak to fessing up to the hand we’ve played in creating our own reality. Oppression shows us that we fear disillusionment more than we want reedom. Everybody can tell ya what’s blocking them from getting what they want, but few can tell you how those blockages came to manifest.

Jumpstart your freedom: if you want freedom from inner & outer vices, start by critiquing your own excuse-making. How good are you at talking yourself out of a good thing?

Next, go through the door you’re most afraid of. Do you actually even know what’s on the other side? Wouldn’t it be a relief just to be there?

Finally, ask for something that somebody might say no to. Start with something small, then work your way up. This helps you practice asking for help, while also building up a tolerance for baring your belly. 

(Btw, if someone says no, they usually give a reason. Learning that reason spotlights exactly what it takes to get a yes!)

What Oppression initiates us into: Pragmatism. Taking the more sensible path. The path which will strengthen our virtues, instead of serve us up to our vices.  

I just shared how I’m using Saturn → ♑️  for a #karmicreboot in this post, but you can also check out this post, How To Survive Saturn Return, for more tactics to help you synergize with Saturn!

💠 The Emperor.

A couple months before Saturn’s move, Jupiter drifted into Scorpio, which initiated a year of cathartic, shadow-y self-growth. 

(Not like you’ve noticed, right?)

The Emperor corresponds with self-authority, status, & wisdom gained by way of true-life experience. 

Numerologically, The Emperor corresponds with 4: the number of formation & stability. A new status quo built on a rock solid foundation. 

Astrologically, The Emperor corresponds with Jupiter & Scorpio. Jupiter is limitless, while Scorpio wants to grind. This kind of growth is subterranean & is gonna swirl shit up! Certain structures in your unconscious (like, the dramatic, emotional storyline of what it feels like to be you) might collapse. It will be up to you to either rebuild (& reinforce) those structures, or embrace the new, wide open space in your psyche.

In this Tarot Cast, The Emperor is the key of Reformation. We shall survive this dark night & it will make us into more of who we are.

The inner-resource learned from The Emperor: trusting in your own qualification. You are everything you need to lead yourself. 

And if it doesn’t quite feel that way, get out into the field. Become experienced. Put yourself through situations where all you can draw on is your own inner resources. 

💠 The Magician.

The Magician makes the unconscious conscious. She’s gathered her resources & is ready to check off step 1 of her action-plan. She’s poised to bust some original moves & test herself. 

The Magician astrologically corresponds to Mercury: the swiftest, most iridescent planet in our realm of influence. Mercury rules Gemini & Virgo, which correspond to Air & Earth. (Respectively.)

When these elements combine in a reading, I picture how air & soil interact with each other. Scattering. Breaking. Air & Earth can occupy the same space without needing to conform to one another. That’s good, but they don’t have much simpatico.

Sounds like the base element for Pragmatism, which is The Magician exactly. The Magician trusts in her potential. She also believes in keeping supplies well-stocked. She can keep the faith, because of her daily practice & because she tests failsafes. 

For mega-shadow work, you have to make certain sacrifices. Like, replacing a habit that keeps you playin’ small. Or ditching a frenemy who’s been good for your status, but toxic for your heart. You might have to surrender up about ¾ of your entire belief system. 

The Magician symbolizes that ability to stay focused on potential. On not getting distracted by the details. She works with bigger, more interesting possibilities--not the old shit dragging us down. 

For me, Pragmatism is the sacred key to seeing through the work of 2018. Pragmatism is the spirit of reframing the problem, of thinking more sensibly about what’s possible & what you’re actually equipped for. 

That’s how the Magician lines up with how I'm ringing in 2018. The Magician is a reminder to stay sharp, light on my feet, & light-hearted over all. Even when it feels like my emotional universe is cooking down into tar. Even when it feels like the whole cosmos is working against me. 

Because, that’s kind of the point. 

And because, we already have everything we need. 

It’s time to get experienced. 

READY TO PUT THIS TAROT CAST INTO ACTION? 

As I mentioned in the intro, magic is my thinking space. New moon rituals catalyze my intentions. New moon rituals make me feel as though the longing behind my wishes gets noticed. That my reasons were heard.

In a few days, I’m posting my last-ever Goddess Moon Magic post for the Capricorn new moon. I’ll talk about invoking a Patron Goddess & tricking out an altar to match. 

Because, beauty. 

Because, drama. 

Because, magic!

If you also want to work with this Cast (for Jupiter, for Saturn, or just because it vibes with you!), plug a reminder into your phone right now to make sure you set aside time to really study these cards. 

When the reminder goes off & you’ve got some quiet / privacy, grab your Tarot deck & separate out Oppression (a.k.a. The Devil), The Emperor, & The Magician. 

Add any other cards that hook your eye! You might find that The High Priestess or Queen of Crystals speaks more to what you’re going through than The Magician. In which case, pull a switcharoo. 

When you have your cards, grab your grimoire, diary, or scratch paper. Or record your observations with your phone’s Voice Memo app. Document the most arresting detail of each card--whatever looks most obvious to you about the card. 

Like, In order to describe this card to someone who hasn’t seen it, I would say...

After you’ve noted the features of the Cast, crack open your guidebook & note the card’s correspondences. (Astrological, numerological, elemental.) If your guidebook doesn’t supply this information, find out the card’s correspondences by typing “tarotelements.com” + “[the card]” into Google.

Which of the card’s correspondences appeal to you most? Build your ritual with this info! You can use the card’s astrology to pick a date; its elements to build your charm bag. You could use keywords from the guidebook to create a sigil. 

If you want to deface the cards (like, for supercharging a sigil), scan them into your computer to print onto cardstock, so the originals stay safe. (Click here to read Avery’s post about sigil-making, and go here if you want to read about the ritual tools I use!)

If you’ve got an intention related to your own #karmicreboot, make them real in a new moon ritual! You can find guidelines for creating a new moon ritual (+ a printable instruction sheet!) in this post. 

(And if you’re working with the Capricorn new moon, visit this Goddess Moon Magic post!)

Although the Cast factors into how I’ll build the new moon ritual, the Cast is actually a tool for me to think through what’s on my mind.  Usually during my kid’s naptime. I press coffee, stir in a drop of maple syrup, then arrange myself on the couch with my journal or planner-grimoire. This is how I “engineer” eureka moments. I’ll think up solutions right here in this space.  

I highly suggest picking up your own contemplative practice while Saturn is in Capricorn! Check out this article about my #karmicreboot, where I describe my contemplative practice in greater detail, plus share a few other techniques I’m relying on for the next couple years, while Saturn’s at home.

And to help firm up your intentions for this month, here are a few diary prompts based on this month’s Tarot Cast!

What inner-resistance has slowed me down in the past? 

When was the last time I cowed to my inner-resistance? 

How can I make conquering the resistance a game I can beat? 

What resources will I need to increase my likelihood of winning?

What can help me manage that resistance in the meantime? 

What’s an adjective to describe how I want fulfilling this intention to feel?

SO, HERE’S TO YOU--YOUR SHADOW, YOUR KARMA, YOUR NEW MOON INTENTIONS! 

Before I sign off. You’ll notice this sigil around HN:

It’s a “lightning glyph” for Viral Marketing. I found it in Jason Miller’s Financial Sorcery. I recognized this sigil from somewhere before: the footer of WITCH Magazine! The sigil has been retired, but I thought, Why not?! Feels like a full-circle moment to me!

(Even though, Carolyn Elliott, the editor of WITCH Magazine, was the one who recommended to book to me. So, everything checks out. ✅)

I will baste myself (& you) in Jupiterian juices! 🕊💦

Happy New Year!

All Tarot images via The Starchild Tarot by Danielle Noel.