10 of Swords

Got a serious case of the Eclipse Season crazies? Fear not, says Melinda Lee Holm. This simple tarot practice will help you navigate August 2017 and pave the way for a brand new era …

With two eclipses sandwiching the start of yet another Mercury retrograde period, August could feel like a bit of a roller coaster month.

But fear not! Leaning into the completion of the lunar eclipse and taking advantage of the slow down of Mercury can ease emotional turmoil and pave the way for the opening of a glorious new era … 

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:: 8/7  Full Moon Lunar Eclipse—10 of Swords ::

Lunar eclipses bring completion, end emotional cycles, and can give us an opportunity for an emotional reset. While endings are not always comfortable, if we focus on acceptance and release, we can integrate the lessons of the challenge, and move forward with love and hope.

The 10 of Swords illustrates this acceptance beautifully. At first, the image appears frightening and brutal—a figure with 10 swords piercing its body. But what we see is the turning point, the moment the figure chooses to see this strife as a blessing (see the formation of the fingers of the right hand), and to integrate the experience to move forward.

At this moment, the dark clouds finally lift and a bright new day appears on the horizon, full of light and promise.

Calling in the 10 of Swords:

• Carry or wear Black Tourmaline to release energetic sludge and negativity
• Clean out your closet – the symbolic release of possessions will lead the way for emotional release
• Burn palo santo
• Sprinkle bee pollen on yogurt or cereal for a boost of optimism

:: 8/12  Mercury Retrograde—The Hermit :: 

Just 5 days after the big completion of the Lunar Eclipse, Mercury stations retrograde, turning our sights back for new insights into what has occurred since the last retrograde cycle. Many subtle (and not so subtle) messages can come through during this time. In order to best take advantage of the wisdom these messages can offer, it’s time to slow down, open up, and let it all sink in.

The Hermit is the perfect guide for this inner exploration. He goes into solitude by choice, on a mission to gather knowledge and synthesize this knowledge into wisdom he can bring back out into the world for the benefit of others. Let The Hermit teach you how your personal insights and revelations can benefit you as well as those around you.

Calling in The Hermit:

• Carry or wear Iolite, the stone of shamanic journeying
• Drink Licorice tea—the root offers powerful protection to keep your insights clear
• Take a long bath in silence
• Limit screen time to get in tune with your natural rhythms and intuition

:: 8/21 Total Solar Eclipse—3 of Wands :: 

While we’re still lingering in the psychic cave of The Hermit, we get a major breakthrough with the Total Solar Eclipse. This is the first total solar eclipse to grace the United States in 99 years. Solar eclipses bring new beginnings. Even if you are not in the path of totality (meaning you only see a partial eclipse), this energetic reset is sure to signal a powerful change in direction, particularly following the clearing and reflection of the lunar eclipse and Mercury retrograde.

For inspiration in moving into uncharted territory, we take the wise and gentle hand of the 3 of Wands. The figure in the illustration appears well traveled, standing in loose robes with a headband, looking out over a barren landscape. There is no fear or hesitation here, but rather the considered pause of experience. The past has all been preparation for this moment. The true journey is about to begin … 

Calling in the 3 of Wands:

• Carry or wear Moss Agate, the stone of new beginnings
• Wear clothes that are easy to move in
• Stretch your body to encourage your mind to follow
• Add flax seeds to your smoothie to heal any old wounds preventing you from braving a new path

:: 8/26  Women’s Equality Day—Strength :: 

Women’s Equality Day commemorates both the signing of the 19th Amendment that granted women the right to vote, and the Women’s Strike for Equality, held on the 50th anniversary of the 19th Amendment in 1970. As we face continuing threats to our autonomy, safety, and equal rights, it is important that we build on the work of our sisters and mothers and ensure that our efforts include and protect all women, especially the most vulnerable among us.

To keep our hearts pure and in the fight, we call on Strength. The Strength card is a perfect portrait of feminine force. The figure is not dressed in armor or bearing any weapons. Her strength lies in her innate ability to co-create with the natural world. When we recognize that we are all one with the world, we can truly change the world for the better.

Calling in Strength:

• Keep Orange Calcite in your workspace to stimulate playful, co-creative energy
• Wear animal prints
• Eat fennel to boost and fortify inner strength
• Burn Amber incense to invoke the stability and longevity of the fossilized tree sap

Want more tarot magic? Book a session with Melinda here, and make sure to follow her on Instagram and Facebook.