...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.

5 Tips for Helping You Invest in Yourself While Saturn Transits Capricorn 🪐♓️✨

Photographs via Franjo Matković

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me lay an invincible summer.”

— ALBERT CAMUS

Can you feel it?

It makes me feel clammy and grim. I feel more dread than ever before in my life. (At least since junior high.) 

Dread, to me, feels like "bad news" dragging at my teeth and bones. All day long. 😖😩😓

When I read this article from Aeolian Heart Astrology, the other shoe finally dropped. 

On December 20th, 2017, Saturn lurched into its dry, icy home base in the zodiac, Capricorn, where he’ll be for the next 2 1/2 years. That means, Saturn--that grim-about-the-mouth headmaster from the school of hard knocks--is cranked up, & will be hanging over our collective shoulders like chainmail. You may suddenly become hyper-aware of ticking clocks, or feeling as though your usually whisper-soft conscience is straight-up doggin’ you, so every ordinary emotion you feel comes tinged with shame or guilt. 

“With Saturn’s shift, the tone of things will change. Doors that have been left open will close. And all that has been meandering around in penultimate tones will be forced to find a conclusion.”

— Aeolian Heart Astrology, “Cosmic Trigger Warning ~ Saturn in Capricorn”

Saturn symbolizes our Outer Limits, the hard line between what's probable and what we simply don't have the reach for. Capricorn is the sign of soul-survival, personal excellence, and self-responsibility. 🪐⛰

Together, there's more tons of energy available to help you strengthen your soul-core while simultaneously improving your real world affairs!  

While Saturn is in Capricorn (until 2020), we have an opportunity to square away practical matters, for healing bad karma, and for relaying our personal foundations, so we can build higher than we would've been able to go. You’ll confront discrepancies between where you want to be and where reality proves you belong.

which makes this the perfect celestial vibe for making transcendent new year’s resolutions, for committing to pragmatism, and for tackling your scariest need-to-do’s that you know will uplevel your life!

Saturn’s transit into Capricorn is all about the brass tacks. No frou-frou visualization here, just a kind of icy pragmatism that every cosmic babe should master if she wants to live a magical life without face-planting on her own Idealism. 

(…such as myself. 💁🏻‍♀️) 

According to the Readiness Guide @ Aeolian Heart Astrology (get your's when you subscribe ✨), Saturn is transiting my Career House, the house of legacy-building. 

As a sneak-peek (🤫), here’s my personalized Saturn in Capricorn mantra from the guide: 

"one day you will become an ancestor."

I am transfixed by this information. 😳

I’m also a little obsessed with death (I’ve literally drafted funeral eulogies for all my friends and family, is that weird?), but this realization rocked me. 

When I was little (during my first Chiron Square, read more here ✨), my life was catastrophically impacted by my dad passed away—not just by the grief, but by the financial void. My mom never recovered from the debt, foreclosures, and bureaucratic drama that immediately ensued. By a certain point, she let it swallow her up.

Before reading my Saturn in Capricorn horoscope, I’d never before considered that EYE could be doing the same thing to someone else… or worse, to myself. 

I sat down and asked, What am I building with my life? 

AND WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE: I want to feel rock solid.

I want to spend Saturn’s tour of Capricorn clearing the slate, squaring things up, and tackling some taboo must-dos before I run out of time. I want to reboot the "taking care of business" quadrant of my life. ✊🏻

Most importantly, start consolidating and integrating the lessons learned from my Saturn Return. 😩

Let me show you what I'm doing, what I've done, and what I plan on doing while Saturn is in Capricorn! 

If you're not afraid of a little true grit, this 2-3(ish) year long Saturn transit is the perfect time for relaying foundations, especially in areas of life that are pretty shoddy and out of sync with the outcome you want!

WHERE IS SATURN TRANSITING YOU…? 💫

FIRST OFF, you also might want to peek at where Capricorn is on your natal chart. Activities and contexts attributed to this house will describe the “field of experience” where Saturn’s transit will impact you most.

OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD… do you know if you have any planets, angles, or special points in Capricorn? ♑️

…yes?

WELP, buckle up, butterfly, because those will be getting transited. 🦋⛰

Don’t freak out tho. Planets in a sign show how you psychologize the conditions and effects of that house… conditions that are described by the zodiac sign (which in this case, is Capricorn 👍🏻). A Saturn transit over Venus in Capricorn might shoulder-check your wants, preferences, and attraction scenarios, while Saturn transiting Mars in Capricorn might unlock your grit and ability to ability to focus on a desired outcome.

Basically, whatever planet gets transited by Saturn might get schooled… 

…but that’s in order to help inventory your karma in this area (how are you using your Capricorn planets… OR, how are they using you?), so that you can use them more wisely, and gain mastery. 🎓

HINT > If you want to chart Saturn’s transit all on your own, check out my posts: How to Read a Natal Chart ✨, followed by How to Track Your Astrology Transits ✨, for guidelines on how to DIY it. ✌🏻

But if you want some help figuring out where Saturn is transiting you, consider investing in a program like REALITY CHECK: The Evolutionary Power of Saturn in Capricorn, offered by Rachel Capurso @ Aeolian Heart Astrology! 

You’ll basically learn how to delineate (“break down” and “parse out”) the portion of your chart that Saturn will be transiting for the next two and a half years! 🤩

ALSO… is your natal Saturn (a.k.a. the Saturn on your birth chart) also in Capricorn? 

Congratulations, you’re experiencing your Saturn Return! 🥳

Whether you’re going through the real-real of Saturn Return, or just want to optimize this transit, I have some tips and resources for gearing up, and hazarding the worst of it…

…WHICH, because this is about Saturn, will help you become your best. ✊🏻

5 TIPS FOR GETTING REAL WITH SATURN IN CAPRICORN 🪐⛰

Photographs via Franjo Matković

OKAY… I’m definitely not an expert at reality. Or life.

In fact, during my Saturn Return, I felt like… my life had careened so far out of control, I became a poster child for karmic fuck-ups. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Like—I got pregnant, dropped out of college (with one class left before graduation), cancelled my cell phone, gave away my car, and stranded myself in the American Bible Belt. 

And then… literally, I’m not making this up… the day that Saturn started transiting away from its natal position on my chart, my husband got recruited by a company back in California (thank fucking god).

(NOTE > Our Saturn’s are very close-by each other in our synastry… we basically had the same Saturn Return timeframe, as we all do with our peer group!)

BUT… I have to say, the horror of that experience definitely taught me something about growing up, getting grounded, and better prioritizing. 

Reality, as it turns out, is non-negotiable. ❌

And… as a result, I’ve developed a very useful allergy against LOA (law of attraction) and serendipity.

Which suits my Capricorn Moon just fine, I guess. 

ANYWAY, these are some of the tips that I learned to master during my Saturn Return…

…which, btw, I had always kinda known about, even applied when pursing a specific objective…

…but had always been compartmentalized. As in, under-utilized in my wider life, only applied when I thought someone was watching, or that the outcome would be tangible.

Until my Saturn Return (Saturn in Sagittarius, btw 🪐♐️), I hadn’t realized that I was short-changing myself, or neglecting my wider responsibilities*.

(Prop 215 definitely made it easier to gloss that over. 💁🏻‍♀️)

WHICH IS WHY… I really must share these tips and resources, as well as some of my own intentions and motives for this heavy transit period, so that we might broker our karma and master the basics together…

…like a giant astro-inspired karmic orgy! 🥰

We’re all becoming masters!!

Anyway…

✨ TIP #1: TIME LOG YOUR LIFE

What are you doing with your life? 

Like, seriously. Where do you spend your time, focus, and energy?

Does the investment feel as if it’s snowballing into lucky synchronicity, or does everything in your life feel like it’s grinding down to a halt?

Do you even know?!

What I’m about to suggest will sound insane. But it works. It works, because it’s based on data, not on how you think, hope, or feel like your time is spent.

The only way to know without a shadow of a doubt is by getting a topological view of it. On paper. Broken down by the activities you spend your life-time doing. 

It’s easy. Buy a pocket-sized notebook or create a new folder in your iPhone’s Notes app. (There are also time / activity logs for sale in app stores, but don’t buy one until you’ve already tried it out analog-style.)

Now, for the next 3 days, log your activity.

All of it. ✅

If you spend 4 hours after work watching Netflix, write it down. If you spend 2 hours at work clearing your inbox, write it down. If you spend 1 hour having sex (including foreplay), write it down. If you spend 10 minutes chatting with your cousin on Facebook messenger, which segued into 50 minutes rereading old emails from your ex, write it down. 

NO MATTER HOW TRIVIAL, OR CRINGE-Y IT MAKES YOU FEEL, WRITE IT DOWN. 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

Try keeping an activity log for just 3 days. After 3 days, break down the time spent based on how much you actually value the activity. Was that something you had to do, or something you chose to do? Why did I choose that? How did I spend that much time on it? What made that feel wise and appropriate at the time?

Obviously, you can’t switch up the obligations on your time in a snap…

…but you can reallocate the attention and effort you’re putting towards bogus, brain-drain shit that didn’t add much value. 

And when you know (down to your bones) how you would prefer to spend your time, you feel braver making the change. 

Besides helping you build a better schedule, time logging may clarify where (+ why) you’re struggling. 

You may realize you're spending more time cleaning up after your partner than is fair, which turns out to be the reason you’ve been quietly resenting him/her. 

Or realize you never have time for art projects or working out, because you’re spending 20 hours a week on #Netflixandchill. 

You might finally connect the dots between your 3 o’clock sugar craving and your ritual 45-minute scroll through Instagram.

The best thing I got out of activity logging: finally identifying what I’m totally unwilling to spend my time doing. When I saw all those minutes piling up…

...it was like suddenly noticing blood trickling from a small wound. A small amount of blood for sure, but still a drain on my life force. 

This was the article that walked me through keeping a time log. Scott tells you how to set the log up and evaluate the data, but you can be intuitive about this. Log for a certain amount of days, then note your reactions during your review. 

Like—literally write down your disappointment, or maybe even your pleasant surprise, at where + how you spend your time.

Michael Hyatt actually created a planner just for making your schedule match your ideal, which I haven’t used, but I’ve heard good things about. Here’s Amy Porterfield’s interview with him all about it.

OKAY, SO… how do you start tracking and managing your time (and making sure it doesn’t go on autopilot again)?

Read on...

✨ TIP #2: MAKE AN ACTION PLAN

OKAY, SO… once you know where your time + effort are going versus where you want it to go…

…how do you plot it? 🤔

Like—how do you get intentional with your time, and manifest your visions, goals, and other airy-fluffy intentions?

With an action plan. ✨✨✨

Action-planning is breaking a desired outcome down into smaller steps and tasks, then plotting when / where you’ll pull these items off. 

Sometimes just having these items on a calendar will be motivation enough, but many babes need to align their deadlines with tangible consequences (comme moi 💕). 

For instance, I’ll book a nail appointment for the day after a deadline. If I pull an action off, I keep the appointment. Otherwise, I call & cancel. (Or, more likely, reschedule for a week later, when I meet the task.)

And… where does an action plan live? And how do you make yourself accountable to it?

For me, I rely on an analogy planner. Like, stationery printed with daily, weekly, and monthly time-tracking sheets. A planner is a place to store info, and also engineer the outcomes you really want.

(It’s also a great spot for recording astrology data and time logs. 💁🏻‍♀️) 

It doesn’t have to be an actual planner, like the ones doled out in gift bags at freshman orientation. You just need a physical, analog space to retain that eagle-eye view of your life, so you can spot synchronicities and assess consequences.

Want to see what an action-plan looks like? Here are some free templates. Very corporate looking, but you can build your own in a program like InDesign or Microsoft Word, or even just use highlighters and gel pens to create a template in your diary!

Also, here’s an article that gets into the nitty gritty of goal-setting & action-planning. You’ll be the queen of getting-shit-done after reading this!

If none of this helps you start kicking goals in the fkn ass, don’t despair! You might be the kind of babe who needs an accountability-buddy or even a coach! 

If that’s the case, broadcast your need to your Facebook or LinkedIn network. Works best if you’re willing to ‘fess up to a big goal you have in mind, as well as admit where you’ve fallen short, or tend to struggle.

✨ TIP #3: MAKE YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE (HINT: GET AN ACCOUNTANT)

ALRIGHT, REAL TALK…

Your duty is to understand the factors controlling your destiny. If you’re ever to going to elevate your financial status from “hapless magician in the Matrix” to “savvy deluxe babe in command of her destiny,” you're going to have to have to work on your money bubble.

💠 Draw a boundary around your financial world.

Don’t let anything out, but also, don’t let anything else in. Your new money mantra: Consider the source. Don’t take money advice from your BFF who’s still blogging about Occupy Wall St. and just had her car repo’d (just… trust me). Stop clicking on click-bait headlines like, "5 Ways This Stay At Mom Saves Her Family Over $X A Year." 

💠 And since you have to get advice from somewhere, make sure it’s top-shelf.

Shop around for a financial coach who can guide you where you want to be based on where you’re already at. It’ll be cringe-y and a little tough, because you’ll have to be willing to invest in the relationship, and also willing to be honest about your situation, as well as your true goals. You’ll have a guide and accountability.

Once you’ve got a coach / advisor, start playing by the rules. If they tell you to automate your bills, automate! If they tell you to rent out that spare bedroom to pay down your cards, get going! There’s no good reason to put this off unless you’re a little bit in love with security drama.

If you're not at the point where you're ready for personalized help (maybe you’re pre-Saturn Return, and not sure about your needs or goals yet 🤷🏻‍♀️), pick a personal finance author (just one) with a program you can commit to for at least 6 months. Immerse yourself in their savvy: buy their book, read their blog, listen to podcast interviews. 

Challenge yourself to map out 1-2 financial goals you can apply their insight towards. Even if it’s just an experiment, it’ll help you clarify what money means to you, and what your actual habits and attitude are towards it.

If you go the self-help route, keep in mind that there’s way more guesswork, and consequently, more opportunity for self-sabotage. You may be rather attached to your money drama, in which case, get super wary of yourself: you are manipulating your money narrative.

Again, don’t reach out to a friend or sibling or parent, but to some kind of counselor or expert*.

(*Not unless you’re asking for contact info for a financial advisor they’d recommend.)

IF YOU TRY TO “TALK OUT” YOUR MONEY DRAMA TO A FRIEND, LOVER, ETC… I’m calling you out: you’re looking for someone to manipulate, not realizing that you suffer the consequences, not them.

One way that the self-help route can be useful: once you’re ready to invest in an expert, you know exactly what you want to get out of the relationship.

The book that served me most on the self-help route: The 7 Steps To Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins. It’s a beast (700+ pages!), but I read it cover to cover in 3 days and came away with a set of rules tailored to my idea of wealth. So far, so good. 

For sure, some of the book is about recalibrating your mindset, but most of it is about making an action-plan. ✅ 

If you’re interested, here’s part 1 of Marie Forleo’s 2-part interview interview with Tony Robbins about the book.

ALSO, if you’re sensitive and just very frustrated with the debt-based delusion of our society, you might be interested in this novel: The Game of Saturn by Peter Mark Adams. 

Disclaimer: I haven’t actually read this book, but the content prompted a massive group discussion in one of my Facebook groups and has been highly recommended by Dame Elliott of WITCH Magazine.

✨ TIP #4: CONSECRATE YOUR INNER CITADEL

“During this Saturn transit, you will be moved to create much needed boundaries, demanding your right to privacy and to moments of silence. Acknowledging that you need space and distance is not the problem, but is in fact the solution.”

— Aeolian Heart Astrology, “Cosmic Trigger Warning ~ Saturn in Capricorn”

During my Saturn Return, I needed a lot of space. Space to, like, process. Deconstruct. Pick through. Re-integrate. 

I decided to create a contemplative practice. I've always liked the idea of the Stoic's inner citadel. I totally believe we all need consecrated inner-space, plus time and place to take care of it.

I take care of mine during my kid's naptime. I curl up on the sectional with my planner-grimoire and a glass of tepid lemon water. I read a little something that I know will give my mind traction. 

Sometimes it's an article I found on the web, and it's never a pleasurable sort of topic, like style or book recommendations. It's gotta have a message, idea, or perspective. Even if the reading is a critical essay about MTV’s The Real World. 

The reading takes 5 minutes, then I spend the rest of my time there just mulling over what I've read. Sometimes I journal, too.

On occasion, I'll have a eureka moment in one of these contemplation sessions. Mostly though, I just enjoy the engagement.

Maybe for you, building an inner citadel means finally getting into meditation. Maybe you need is a pretty candle and a playlist of Lakshmi mantras. You could pick a few good Marcus Aurelius quotes from a book. Maybe you pull a daily tarot card or cast runes.

Oh, and this is critical: show up. Be consistent. Your Inner Citadel is your place to reflect and take stock. This is a place to suddenly think up solutions to your really big questions. It's totally worth the effort of making it into a habit, especially before something happens when you'll desperately crave an interior space to think about your life.

And if you want to make your contemplative practice feel gratifying: buy a special diary you only use while you're in session. Before settling in, write the date, note the astrological weather du jour from the Time Passages app, then write a question, symbol, or idea at the top of a fresh page.

(HINT > This is all stuff I talk about in my post about creating a grimoire. Your grimoire is basically an altar for your magic mind. 🧠🌟✨)

You could also use the VoiceMemo app on your phone instead. Just make an effort to document a little bit from every Citadel session; you'll be glad you did when you're retracing the steps leading up to a major breakthrough!

✨ TIP #5: ASK FOR SOMETHING SOMEONE MIGHT SAY NO TO

“[I]t must be acknowledged that Saturn in Capricorn is not a glowering and malevolent spirit that seeks to destroy your sense of security. Instead, Saturn in Capricorn seeks to concentrate your vitality, letting all your thoughts and deeds be inspired by a potent sense of purpose!”

— Aeolian Heart Astrology, “Cosmic Trigger Warning ~ Saturn in Capricorn”

What is the most dreadful, cringe-y, anxiety-inducing task, chore, or activity you have to do? 

WELP…put it at the top of your to-do’s. 

You know what I’m talking about. The task that you feel too inadequate to pull off. The task you would go to the ends of the earth to avoid. The one that you almost hope to put off indefinitely… or at least until you finish school, figure out who you are, or learn the secrets of the universe.

Because here’s one of Saturn’s most irresistible, mysterious truths (which, incidentally, is also the key to mastering Saturn): When you're not afraid to suffer, you're not afraid of pain. 

Walking through fire clarifies your strengths. You are forced to retract into your core, so that everything non-vital simply burns away. Once you leave the fire, you can draw on core strength faster, almost unconsciously.

You walk into the fire trembling, but harden into diamond, and then walk away, scattering rainbows. 🌈🦋✨

So, here’s a dare.

Ask for something you want. It can be something you really, really want (so hearing “no” would actually be kind of devastating), or something totally trivial, but still uncomfortable enough that you’ll avoid asking… like, calling the bursar’s office at your school to settle a debt, or requesting a meeting with your psycho boss to ask about a promotion.

The point is to put yourself in an awkward, cringe-y position, so that you can just hurry up and get it over with.

Once it’s done, even if you didn’t get the preferred outcome, it’s off your task list…

…and the next time you have an intense, must-do task, you’re far less of a chicken shit about it. 👍🏻

IN FACT, once you do the horrible, dreaded thing, you gain new scope and perspective: you see your fear for what it is (mostly silly, and working against you), and you know to distrust it in the future.

You stop putting shit off, because the relief of just doing it is too good. 

For me, I dread the call center on my student loans. Even if one fast phone call could spare me a pointless fee or help me find out some crucial info I need for my taxes, I will not call. ❌

It's not about the call. It's because I don’t like thinking about the remaining totals on my loans. Even though that fact in no way affects my day-to-day. It's just a fact. 

Like, the temperature is 64 degrees, and I'm still on the hook for 100 grand. 

But one of the benefits offered at my husband's new job is a sweet deal on refinancing our student loans, which means I’ve gotta make that dreaded call to have some info shipped or linked to me. We could save thousands of dollars and years of repayment, but…

UGH. 

Y’know? 

Just ugh.

(Btw, I’ve physically fought my way out of physical altercations with my methed up stepfather, and had my wisdom teeth pulled without Novocain, and labored a baby all night with no food or analgesic [due to hospital policy]… 

So, I know how to confront and endure…

But calling that fkn hotline...

....makes my soul bleed...

UGH, UGH, UGH.)

I decided to take Jane McGonigal’s advice about turning challenges into games. This advice is Saturnine magic turned on its head. Instead of going into those tough tasks with my heart in my throat, I go into it as a hero with a clear objective. 

I’m not trying to slink by with as little damage sustained as possible… 

I’m going into it because the experience itself proves I am the hero of my story. 😊✨

BECAUSE… I kinda want to be my own hero, ya know?

Thinking of these challenges as games shrinks the task down to its real size. We’re hardwired to take dread and anxiety as indicators that the task or issue should be avoided, but avoiding the task only keeps those feelings at a low simmer…

…and then it’s just simmering away on the back burner, leaching attention and energy away from your better priorities.

Ready to go through the fire with me? Here are some scripts from Ramit Sethi for getting exactly what you want out all of the dreaded conversations you need to have! 

Don’t rationalize living with morose anxiousness. Face the hard stuff down.

Do it, so you can take that deep breath once it’s done, the breath that’s so deep, your whole nervous system tingles. 

That’s called relief. Once you have a taste, you're less likely to take heavy burdens on your heart for granted. 

All your other to-dos will virtually check themselves off. 

If you want to take full advantage of Saturn’s 2.5 year tour of Capricorn, consider investing in a program like REALITY CHECK: The Evolutionary Power of Saturn in Capricorn, offered by my faaav astrologer, Rachel Capurso @ Aeolian Heart Astrology! 

Images via Pinterest. Help me credit the creators here.

All Hail the Cosmic Queen: My Go-To Astrologers, Star Witches, and Cosmic Alchemists

“I know that I am mortal, the creature of one day. But when I explore the winding course of the stars I no longer touch with my feet the earth: I am standing near Zeus himself, drinking my fill of Ambrosia, the food of the gods.”

— PTOLEMY, TETRABIBLIOS

That’s… literally how I feel about Internet astrologers. 💖

Allow me to point you to the stargazers, astro-mages, and cosmic alchemists I turn to for astrological debriefings, as well as to my fav free or must-try resources, articles, tools, and products!

RACHEL @ AEOLIAN HEART ASTROLOGY. 

Rachel is a sylph. 🧚🏻‍♀️

Rather, a Hermetic astrologer, cosmic mythologist, and angelic culture vulture. Ethereal, empathic, aesthete, Rachel picks out the High Art in the stars, and thrills me, only me, by captioning her celestial debriefings with classic rock lyrics and Romantic-era quotes, and analogizing transits with 20th century foreign films in her horoscopic newsletters.

Rachel also co-wrote Pluto In Scorpio: The Millennial Generation, which for me, was the equivalent of that book Sebastian stole at the beginning of The NeverEnding Story, except crossed-over with the Burn Book from Mean Girls. Because, Pluto. ☢️

Also, as far as weaving astrology into the mundane: I am still using the grimoire I put together during the 2018 run of DISCOVERY: her flagship program that teaches you to read your own natal chart, and also how to weave hermetic ritual magic and personal intention into astro transits. ✨  

I reference that grimoire all over HellaNamaste, along with notes from Rachels’ other workshops for celebrating and instructing on planetary transits, all of which you can find out about (and score VIP pricing) by subscribing to her newsletter, because that’s how they work…. obvs…

Also, this might be the most important bit: I am obsessed with the weekly astro report podcast, secret and totally exclusive (my words) for Rachel’s Patreon supporters. 

Just letting you know. Don’t be jels.

Or just sign up, it’s super easy. 👍🏻

“THE MYSTIC” @ MYSTIC MEDUSA.

My fantasy is that the Mystic is an Aussie Lisbeth Salandar, but instead of razing down misogyny with hackerz skillz, she’s focused on astrology… and coding skillz. 

Mystic is an elite member of my fantasy girl gang, my astro squad, and even in those fantasies, she’s just a voice I obey while armed and looking cute, we’re basically like Charlie’s Angels.

This was my last binge. The Mystic Medusa shop includes astro-products such as The Astrological Guide to Divorce and a MEGA membership forum, hosting the most insane amount of astro-calendrical-encyclopedic content. 

Like—this is my orgy. 🤤 Brb… at some point…

MIRIAM @ FUGITIVE UMBRELLAS.

“The reason astrology is so popular now is because it’s a chisel that helps us chip away at the layers of rusted paternalism that keep us from moving toward a progressive future in which everyone is legitimate, everyone matters, and everyone — regardless of the results of the genetic and socioeconomic lottery — is valid, and not so much despite race, gender, class, etc., but regardless of it. And it’s just one tool in the box, but it’s there, and anyone can use it.”

Miriam is my astrological Kathleen Hanna. 👯‍♀️💖

That’s what’s up.

That’s ^^^ excerpted from this post about learning to read astrology charts, and you should also read Miriam’s take on Karencraft and the Karen-ization of Astrology, you’re welcome forever ✨✨✨

NIC @ DARK PIXIE ASTROLOGY.

You’ve been waiting for astrology homework! 🙌🏻

If you learn best through DIY, subscribe to the Dark Pixie newsletter to score free monthly worksheets for all the planetary transits, all with prompts to help you figure out what’s happening specifically to you. There’s also a packed shop of self-study horoscope workshops, and she also provides a huge, free tutorial library for astrology students, researchers, lurkers, and whatever else you might be.

Most recommended >>> the Soul Astrology Masterclass, deep diving into Lilith, the Lunar Nodes, Chiron, and everything you’d want to know astrologically for an intensive introspective healing weekend. ✊🏻🌿

Also check out Nic’s Astrology 2021 class! 12 workbooks for tracking and moon-manifesting all next year, enrollment happening now! (DO IT—IT’S HAPPENING NOW! 🙀)

HALEY SMITH @ ASTROLOGY FOR COLLECTIVE LIBERATION.

For big, metaphysical questions about personal pain, you want an astrologer with a mature lens on astrology, who is able to show up for a vulnerable conversation, and able to parse out all the injustice (micro and macro) that go into our wounding. 

That’s why I loved Haley’s guide to Chiron in Aries. 💕

Chiron is one of those markers where a-ha moments abound, but isn’t the cutest astro-related thing to discuss with your babes. 😳 Because of this guide, I recommended Haley to a friend IRL who had just nosed her way onto the super-woo path, and I knew was inspired by mega-past wounding. 

Heads up—Haley is pretty quiet (read as: private) online, but you can sign up for email updates, and sometimes she throws together a new moon playlist. 🤘🏻

BESS @ THE STAR PARLOR.

Bess Massera, co-editor and author of the Sensual Exploration column @ The Numinous, basically writes zodiac-themed erotica for the senses. 👄💫

Every Bess article reads like the dossier of an astrologically-inspired It Girl, and I desperately want to be invited to her slumber party. If this were Mean Girls, I would be the creepy goth loner at my after school job waiting for Bess to come and tell me the hot goss on Regina King, or whichever sign Venus is transiting. 

This might literally be all of my real-life female friendships. 🤔

You can find Bess in almost all the Astro stuff @ The Numinous, but also check out her on-point, astro-inspired Spotify playlists, addictive Instagram, and other astro-inspired columns she pens around the web. 🤩

KIMBERLY @ STARSIGNSTYLE.COM.

Kimberly writes zodiac-inspired fashion, style, and beauty tips, and reports on astro-trends from Shanghai. This article changed everything >>> have you seen me in turquoise?! 

Want an astrological decoding on your flirt and fashion style? How to get started: Pull out your natal chart (Kimberly gives instructions over here), and look for this symbol: ♀ What’s the sign on the outer rim?

Now, head over to this page, and click on your Venus sign. You’re so welcome. ❤️✨

THE ASTRO TWINS @ ASTROSTYLE.COM.

The AstroTwins are cool. Like—the way your older sister or cousin and their high school friends were cool, and you obsessed, and hid from them in your room while they giggled outside the door, smelling of cotton candy body spray, and calling to you companionably, “Dude, stop being shy, come hang out with us!” Half-chewing on the cord of a 25 cent alien-head shaped necklace that you still covet even in the memory.

The AstroTwins just know about cool: what is cool, how is cool, and who. The AstroTwins (actual twin sisters) write magazine-style astro-inspiration for real-world conversations that make you sound super insightful and also, cool. This is SFW astrology, where you can find the astro articles to forward to your sisters-in-law, nail tech, and the new friend you’re still vetting at Mommy and Me. 

P.S. SFW (safe for work) also means “it makes my weird interests look like well-informed whimsy to other adults.”

(Unrelated: don’t mention lizard people at mommy meet-ups, not even as a joke. You won’t come back from it. 💩)

I love the AstroTwins because they write the best reference articles (they’re just so good at explaining astrology), they introduce me to so many new astrologers and cool astro-related goodies, and they also have a robust mailing list that spits out a free, automated astro-relationship compatibility guide for every sign-up! 🤩

HONORABLE MENTIONS >

Lynn Hayes for astro-cartography and rapid transit insights ✨Natalie @ Soul Shine Astrology for career + vocational astrological advice, plus great podcast episodes for learning astrology (check out the one on Jupiter Cycles + planning your life around the astrological Houses) ✨Dark Star Astrology > Get your fixed star fix! I love (+ need) forecasts that teach the astrology they're forecasting, and also, an aesthetic experience (that is also retailed via cute swag ), most recommended > Dark Goddess and Pluto library, and her library all about fixed stars in astrology 🙏🏻

So, who is helping you stargaze online…?

Link me to a podcast, channel, or blog! ✌🏻

Collages by the INCREDIBLE Eugenia Loli! Check out her portfolio here & follow her collage board on Pinterest!