As we move out of August’s deep transformations, the Page of Wands invites us to take a breath of fresh air, tie up loose threads, and bring our passion into alignment, says Lindsay Mack.
August 2017
YOUR TOTAL GUIDE TO THE AUGUST 2017 ECLIPSE SEASON
Eclipses, Mercury retro, AND Saturn direct … oh my! Let Numi resident astro babes Danielle Paige, Sandra Sitron, Frederick Steinmann, Jennifer Racioppi, and Bess Matassa help you navigate the August 2017 eclipse season. Artwork: Various artists at Behance.net
August 7, 2017 :: Full Moon Lunar Eclipse :: 15 degrees Aquarius
August 21, 2017 :: New Moon Solar Eclipse :: 28 degrees Leo
August 25, 2017 :: Saturn stations direct
August 12- September 5th, 2017 :: Mercury Retrograde
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Jennifer Racioppi
“Move forward fearlessly …”
The only constant is change—and during the August 2017 cosmic craziness, massive change is upon us.
Mercury retro will only sweeten the Eclipse Season pot. While this retrograde often gets a bad name, it’s actually a critical time to slow down, and connect deeply with the internal, intuitive voice that supports our soul’s growth. It’s potent medicine for those of us who live in the frenzy of go-go-go!
Thankfully, the August 7 Full Moon Eclipse positively aspects Jupiter—the planet of good luck, fortune, and abundance. This combo suggests that while this period is unpredictable in nature, benevolence still abounds.
The August 21 New Moon Eclipse trines Uranus, and will be responsible for MAJOR breakthroughs and a shift in power. At the end of the month, we’ll find ourselves in very different circumstances on a personal, and maybe even political, level. Given how close the Sun will be traveling to Mars, things will move fast regardless of Mercury in retrograde.
So move forward fearlessly, but do so with a deep connection to your WHY, and your key personal values. Keep on open mind, and understand that the only constant is change.
Now’s not the time to hold the reins too tight or overreact to anything. Mind your thoughts, words, and actions. Stay centered and focused on what matters most. Let the rest go!
For more Moon wisdom or to book a coaching session with from Jennifer visit Jenniferracioppi.com
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Sandra Sitron
“What’s your spiritual birthright?”
Eclipses are like turning off the internet router and then restarting it. Few people understand why this makes the wifi work again—but it always does!
The focus of the August 2017 eclipse season “reset” is on your inner King or Queen archetype. Leo, king of the jungle, is on the hunt within you—helping you flush out your confidence, worth, and purpose. It’s time to refocus on the core principles that keep you balanced.
Begin with an in-depth review of the last 6 months. Look for the moments when you felt as if you gave your authority away. Notice the King’s shadow archetypes of the Tyrant and Weakling, and be very gentle with yourself if you notice fear, aggression, and insecurity coming up within you.
This review period will be supported by a number of other astrological events. Starting August 3rd, Uranus takes a review period to help you make changes internally. On August 12th, Mercury retrograde asks you to remember what you forgot. Saturn lurches forward again and inspires you to get to work on August 25th.
The king doesn’t have to prove himself. He’s born into it. What are you born into? What is your spiritual birthright? Where can you turn up the volume on confidence, worth, and purpose in your life? How can you survey your kingdom and shine brilliantly out into the world?
Want more wisdom? Check out Sandra’s SATURN RETURN WORKSHOP, a 7-week course for navigating your Saturn Return that’s available through midnight August 4 2017. You can also book a reading with Sandra here or follow her on Instagram.
Frederick Steinmann
“Redirect your lust towards strength …”
With all the fire in the sky this month, it’s important to consider the two extreme expressions of Leo energy: as symbolized by the Thoth Tarot card “Lust,” and the Rider-Waite Tarot card “Strength.”
Both rule Leo, but one card has our passions so inflamed that we are naked with lust, riding a lion, not paying attention to where we are going. The strength card has us taming the same lion, and he’s calm and cool but ready to strike if needed.
To help contain the fire, we need the rich mineral soil of earth; Saturn direct helps us learn that we only have so much time and energy. The August 2017 eclipse season helps us harness this energy to break our own hearts open, burn off what’s no longer useful, and create space to feel deeper layers of authenticity and true innovation—using the rational, Aquarian energy that balances Leo season.
Working with both Saturn and Uranus during the August 2017 eclipse season time allows us to tap into a more holistic and effortlessly creative existence, so we can truly write our own story—and transform from selfish savage to selfless hero. The more we can create from this place, whether through art, business, or our communities, the more we can empower both ourselves and those around us …
Discover more about Frederick Steinmann’s practice HERE, check out his Youtube channel, and be sure to register for his Eclipse Season Workshop on August 7th in NYC.
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Danielle Paige
“There is no good or bad. There is no fluff. You’ve signed up for these fated events …”
So, what’s an eclipse anyway? Eclipses mark a major shift in the electromagnetic field. And because we are all energetic beings, we will all feel … something. Whether it’s up, down, hyper, sad, emotional, ungrounded … these feelings will be accompanied by an urgency for change.
How can you tell if the major August 21st eclipse will affect your chart? Calculate your chart for free HERE and look to any planets or points within 3-4 degrees of 28 degrees of Leo, or in aspect to that degree (especially squares, oppositions, conjunctions, and trines). Thankfully, eclipses don’t directly aspect everyone’s charts because if they did, we’d be completely overwhelmed by major changes every 6 months! However, we all have Leo somewhere in our charts, so some kind of shift WILL occur …
Look at which house is ruled by Leo, for an indication as to the area of life most affected by the August 21 eclipse.
If there is a direct aspect to this eclipse in my chart, what’s going to happen to me? Whatever planet is involved with 28 degrees of Leo is getting “eclipsed,” which means it’s time to change how that planet’s energy is used. Sometimes it’s an obvious change like the end of a relationship or a work shift, but sometimes it’s less obvious inner work. Regardless, it’s your chance to move up the spiritual ladder.
The August 2017 eclipse season reminds us there is no good or bad. You’ve simply signed up for these fated events in order to move you along your spiritual path (a.k.a. your life!)
How long will this take? Is it just happening on the day of the eclipse? Give it time. There may have been a build-up to a decision made on this date, and / or events may unfold over the following 6 months. Sometimes it takes a year or more for the impact of an eclipse to be fully realized. Combined with Mercury retro, some of the events will likely be delayed until the end of September/beginning of October.
One thing is for sure: the August 2017 eclipse season is a big turning point for us all, individually and as a collective. Stay open to the excitement and know that there’s nothing to fear!
To find out more about how Danielle can use your personal birth chart to help you discover and heal your inner blocks, and find your purpose, follow her on Instagram, join her private Facebook Group, and book a reading HERE!
Bess Matassa
“Grit, glory, and the gamble of experience …”
Fire up your muscles, slip into your most aerodynamic leotard, and get ready to take your passion and make it happen.
With Mercury retro in earthy Virgo and Saturn stationing direct, the smoking hot Flashdance sensations of August’s celestial landscape are a very particular brand of Rust Belt fire. Think welding, forging, and sweating it out for the sweet steel work of finally birthing our dreams into physical form.
As our wildest visions incarnate into brick and mortar, it can feel like both a loss and a find. The hot tar of our individualistic Leonine souls has to adjust to the shape of the collective’s Aquarian road. We are asked to rise early woken by our individual will, pack our lunchboxes well, sharpen our tools, and step into the Olympic training gyms again, and again.
So sidle up to the starting block in your neon leg warmers and sparkling new sweat bands and flex muscles that have been lifetimes in the making. Feel deeply into the storehouse of your blood and your bones. And then crank up your silver-studded boombox, step into the floodlights, give it up, and turn it loose. All bets are off. And in a world made of equal parts steel and rhinestone, you’ve got nothing to lose.
August 2017 Eclipse Season Mantra: My heart is a muscle and it’s time to get to work.
Theme Song: Irene Cara’s What a Feeling
Style: Jazzercise meets boardroom bizness. Bodysuits paired with high-waisted pants, high ponytails, studded earrings, metallic statement pieces, and steely blue eye makeup.
Flavors: Stripped down fortifiers that build good bones; tall glasses of coconut milk, dark leafy greens, and piping hot spicy stir-fry cooked in cast iron woks.
Want more juicy cosmic insights and sensory explorations? Arrange an astrology reading or private event with Bess here or follow her on Instagram.
NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPES: AUGUST 2017
Cast and channeled by Lindsay Mack, using the Starchild Tarot.
LEO :: LEO RISING
Perspective
Happy birthday, sweet Leo! The Hanged Man, or Perspective, is blessing you with its presence this month. It’s gifts to you will be some profound invitations into surrender, patience and transformation, all centered around what you have no control over—anything that you cannot change or rush in your life at this time. You will most likely experience some intense (and awesome) shifts in August, thanks to the eclipses and potent Moon phases. Trust and welcome it all. The Hanged Man is clearing the way for greater alignment with your soul’s highest and best, offering you a sacred perspective shift around divine timing and trust. If you surrender to the medicine of The Hanged Man this month, Leo, it’ll change your life.
The Hanged Man prepares us for Death—literally. It is the card that precedes the Death card in the order of the Major Arcana. Ruled by Neptune, it takes us into a very Piscean world, inviting us to literally ‘hang out’ with whatever arises in our lives, internally or externally. It is yoga off the mat, asking us to hold the pose during difficulty or intensity. For you, Leo, this is an amazing thing. The Hanged Man is an exceptional card because it asks us to say an empowered yes to life—to voluntarily choose to hang out with whatever evolutionary process we are in.
This experience is life changing, because when we say yes to life, we simultaneously say no to victimhood, allowing all that doesn’t serve to die away. Soon, you will taste the fruits of forward momentum, joy and expansion, but for this moment, The Hanged Man is preparing you to receive these things in a more empowered and clear way than ever before. Surrender to whatever arises, cultivate patience, and hold the pose of your life.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
VIRGO :: VIRGO RISING
Eight of Crystals
You are in your element this month with Eight of Crystals, or Pentacles, Virgo. The perfect card for your sweet, sturdy sensibility. Your invitation for August is to keep your nose to the proverbial grindstone. Whatever you are working on, creating or learning, throw yourself fully into being a student. Completely release attachment to the future, dropping and forgetting about outcomes and perfection. This is a month to let your hands get dirty. To fall and get back up again, and again, and again.
This is a time to be centered firmly in the present, in your work, opening your arms to humility and the gifts of apprenticeship. Work, practice, repeat. Although you may be tempted to skip this step in your process, it is this commitment to being a sacred student that will propel you into the next level of your mastery. Don’t let it pass you by. Surrender to the inward pull, into this deep place of humble repetition. The more you honor this invitation, the sharper and more refined your skills will become, readying you for a big expansion.
We so often forget to give credit to the power of action when we reflect on our desired intentions. We may wish for big writing or artistic opportunities, greater abundance in our businesses, all of which is perfect. But, we have to ask ourselves — are we making art, or just waiting for the gig to drop in? Are we writing, or waiting for the book deal? Are we practicing our craft, letting ourselves be wildly imperfect in order to learn, to become masters? Eight of Pentacles is your chance to live your intentions and dreams this month, Virgo. Saying yes to this card will change your life. Start with wherever you are, and just keep going.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
LIBRA :: LIBRA RISING
Four of Cups
You may very organically feel like you need a break this month, Libra. If so, I encourage you to take it where you can get it. Whether you feel called to cool it on the dating front, in your career, socially or otherwise, trust your gut and take a breather. Check in on where things feel too intense for you, and let them go for a bit. Whatever you release will come back to you tenfold, if you allow yourself the gift of a sacred pause. Let August be as insular, as cozy, and as sweet as you desire it to be. Four of Cups is ready to support and nurture you through this process, so allow yourself to breathe as you need this month, reflecting and readying for the next phase of your life.
Four of Cups is a card that invites us to turn our attention inward in order to process something emotionally. It is often interpreted as a warning around self sabotaging behavior, that we are missing the signs and gifts all around us—it might be how it feels, but that’s not really the truth. The soul knows the value of wise breaks, knows when it’s time to go within. The soul can teach us about the gifts of a pause, and of trust in the timing of things.
The soul knows we can never miss something that’s meant for us. The potential alchemy of this card is strong, sweet Libra. You just have to invite it in, trusting its medicine. August is going to be intense. Beautiful and transformative, but intense. Four of Cups is a chance for you to meet this intensity with ease and grace. The gift it’s bringing? Preparing you to launch forward, clear, refreshed, and inspired. Seize the opportunity.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
SCORPIO :: SCORPIO RISING
The Wheel of Fortune
August is going to be an incredibly important cycle for you, Scorpio—I cannot emphasize that enough. Not only are you moving through the magnificent Wheel of Fortune this month, but you’re doing it during a profoundly transformative time, one filled with great potential for new beginnings. The Wheel of Fortune, ruled by Jupiter, is a sign that change and transformation are at hand—our path is about to be shifted. In order to allow the cycle to unfold, your job—and it is a crucial one—is to stay the hell out of the future, no matter how difficult, tempting or torturous it feels.
Wheel of Fortune is a co-creation with Divine, and our part of the work in the co-creative process is to focus solely on the now, offering our attention to anything arising in the present moment. Let the alchemical process happen behind the scenes; you just keep your head focused on what’s in front of you. This will facilitate the most positive and graceful turn on the Wheel, and will allow you to let the medicine of the upcoming Eclipses to move through you. The month of August contains within its days two potent eclipses, several huge lunar transits and a Mercury Retrograde—no small shakes.
These transits are striking all of us on both an individual and collective level, but for you, Scorpio, it will be centered around rewiring some of the ways you’ve been moving through the world. It might be time to upgrade your worthiness, to look at your relationship to money, or perhaps to admit that you’ve fallen in love, or out of love, with some aspect of your life. No matter what, deep changes and powerful upgrades are available to you this month. Make a gentle commitment to simplicity, to presence, and to restoration—everything will unfold from there.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
SAGITTARIUS :: SAGITTARIUS RISING
Ace of Swords
This is a powerful month for you, Sagittarius, especially in the realms of inspiration and the cultivation of new ideas. Get ready for some beautiful expansions. Ace of Swords is blessing you with its lightning sharp clarity in August, opening your life to brand new ways of thinking. This card promises to inject a good amount of freshness into your routine, shaking things up in a welcome way. You are getting ready to make some bold changes, Sagittarius. Like the promise of the rising sun, the upcoming shifts are inevitable, exciting, and lie right over the horizon.
Ace of Swords is helping you to prepare for this by stoking the fire of your intellect, and planting the seeds of brilliant ideas, new inspiration, moments of genius and strokes of incredible insight. Whether you know it or not, you are being prepped for a whole new level of personal mastery and greatness. The work for you this month will be to trust in the medicine of the present moment. The work you will be doing in the Eclipses this month is helping to open the doors for this major forward momentum. This is a time of preparation for your next great expansion in life, but you must allow for the time to dream it before you step into it, for the visions and brilliant ideas to come through before you take action.
It’s very important not to put the cart before the horse this month. You might have moments where you feel like you aren’t moving anywhere, or like nothing’s happening. Honor those experiences, and stay the course. Aces are divine gifts, but ones that must be taken and implemented in an empowered way, of our own free will. Trust in the flow of timing, and lean into the aligned power of this amazing card as much as you can.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
CAPRICORN :: CAPRICORN RISING
Ten of Swords
It is time to shift your mentality, Capricorn. In some way, no doubt aided by the intensity of the eclipses and lunar transits in August, you will be invited to make changes in how you’ve been relating to your thoughts. This shift in your mental scope will prove to be monumental for your growth, and crucial for your next steps. In some way, whether large or small, your mental perceptions have not been fully serving you. The presence of Ten of Swords is a signal that a change in this area of your life is near, and if honored, will be transformative.
The ingredients to facilitating this shift will be your willingness to surrender control, and your willingness to be vulnerable. Communication around this aspect of your life will be key. Asking for help and support, when needed, will be paramount. Let yourself soften into the support of those around you, allowing the shifts to be as easy and as graceful as possible. Any ten in the Tarot is a fresh start. There are tens that are joyful and momentous, like the Ten of Cups or the Ten of Pentacles—and there are more karmic Tens, like the Swords and Wands, that require us to make changes in order to move forward.
Something is not quite working, and in order to move forward, we must adjust it. This is where you will find yourself this month, sweet Capricorn. Ten of Swords is not a nightmarish symbol of pain and suffering, but a Death-like release from an old pattern that was no longer serving you. The vulnerability is part of the key that unlocks the door to this change. Let yourself be rebirthed, Capricorn. Release all that no longer serves you. Be vulnerable and raw. It is time and you are ready.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
AQUARIUS :: AQUARIUS RISING
The High Priestess, Rx
August is an interesting and unique month for you, Aquarius. It might feel a little foggy and confusing in moments, but this is to be expected from the inward intensity of The High Priestess reversed. Your invitation is to float calmly in the fog, to let things be directionless and unclear in moments, without panic or worry. Just be. Often, if we receive this card reversed, it is very important to do nothing for a little while, allowing the mist to clear before we can see the moon again.
The High Priestess is ruled by the Moon. She is as watery, as changeable and as deep as they come. If we receive her in a reading, it is a sign that we already know the answers to our question. This archetype is deeply connected to our intuitive knowing, and requires us to cultivate an enormous amount of stillness and inner quiet to receive this deep answer from within. When we receive her reversed, it’s like there is a cloud cover over the light of the Moon. We just can’t hear or seem to get down to the core of our intuition. Our card pulls might seem totally confusing, our channels might sound like there’s nothing but dead air between us and our Guides. If so, it’s okay.
As stated before, just be for a little while. Laugh, bake bread, see friends, make love, see a movie—get back into life in a present way. Don’t worry so much about the future, or what’s to come. Focus on having so much fun that you forget how deeply you were straining to know or hear something. The more you take the pot off the stove and let it cool down, the clearer things will become. No pressure this month; just live.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
PISCES :: PISCES RISING
Two of Swords, Rx
Are you taking care of yourself, sweet Pisces? Are you honoring your sensitivity, treating your head, heart, and body as they deserve to be treated? This month will be a time to review the effectiveness of your personal boundaries, and may include some clear wakeup calls to make adjustments for the good of your nervous system. You may feel called to take some gentle breaks, to keep your distance from certain people in your life, or to be less social as you see fit.
It all depends on how you feel, and what you feel called to implement. It may be important for you to review what’s important to you, and to state your needs, in spite of whether they disappoint others. Those who love and appreciate you will understand. August is a profoundly important month, and in many ways is acting as a mirror for you, Pisces. If something in your life is not working for you or serving you, it is going to be reflected back to you in a very straightforward way so you can make changes.
Two of Swords is an invitation to go within in order to offer ourselves the gift of a mental break. It is a wise pause, a breath in the midst of a strong stress response, a decision to stay home instead of going out and getting wasted. The reversal indicates that we have been blowing past these invitations to pause, perhaps out of resistance, busyness, or fear. Honor what you need, and set down roots this month to live your life in this level of integrity to your soul. You are uniquely tapped in and sensitive, Pisces. Not everyone is going to immediately understand your need for space and reflection, but they will once you begin to communicate about what you need in a clear and empowered way.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
ARIES :: ARIES RISING
The Chariot
Blessed be, sweet Aries! You are moving through the powerful flow of The Chariot this month, setting the tone for a profoundly transformative cycle. The Chariot is considered to be the only true omen of greatness in the Tarot—when we receive this card, we can rest assured that beautiful things are on their way to us, borne on the back of our hard work and focus. Receiving The Chariot in a reading indicates that we are ready to shine, that the time is ripe to move forward, to share our voices and our gifts in a whole new way.
It is a wonderful signal that the projects we are working on, nurturing or in process with are about to expand forward with us, blooming into fullness. It is an earned victory, flowing from our courage, persistence and commitment to personal alignment. The last six months to a year have been particularly tough on you, Aries. Your whole sign has really been moving through a complete identity shift, and you may have been feeling (in spite of how resistant you were to it) called more into the cocoon than out in the spotlight. Well, things are about to change in that regard.
Your time in the cocoon is almost at its end, and you are about to emerge as a beautiful butterfly, completely transformed down to a cellular level. It’s all a part of the natural unfolding of things for your sign’s evolution. In fact, the only part of The Chariot that can sometimes be a challenge is that, due to its ruling Cancer, we have to leave our protective shells in order to step forward into the world, renewed and reborn. You are changed, Aries, ready to meet your destiny in some way this month. Rise to meet it; the timing is perfect.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
TAURUS :: TAURUS RISING
Page of Wands
What a lovely energy to be moving through this month, Taurus! August is a kind of delicious reset for you, borne from the fresh frequency of the Page of Wands. Expect a flood of new ideas and inspiration this month, and to go about bringing them into earthly form in a totally new way. Page of Wands is an energetic burst forward, tempered by earned wisdom and intuition around divine timing. Dually ruled by earth and fire, this archetype has learned to master his wildness, stoking the flames of his passion in a totally aligned way. What this means for you, Taurus, is a lot of forward momentum without scraped knees.
You’ve gained so much knowledge from your past experiences — you are now empowered to act from that wellspring of wisdom, even while leaping into the next great adventure of your life. Things may seem like they are shifting wildly this month, and you might feel that you are moving too fast. It’s all perfect. Trust the momentum, and the opportunities that present themselves to you. You are ready for every moment of it. August is a crucially important month, energetically speaking. We are moving through some massively potent eclipses, lunar transits and a Mercury Retrograde, all supporting our collective and individual awakening and evolution.
Everything that doesn’t serve us is being stripped away. For you, Taurus, what your sign is really ready to shed is the resistance to expansion, receiving and the manifestation of your gifts and worth. No more playing small. Everything happening to you this month is focused in that idea—making room for you to shine more brightly than you ever have before. You can think of August as a sacred Road Opener, of being blessed by Ganesha. Set yourself free, and leap forward, trusting the paths that open up for you.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
GEMINI :: GEMINI RISING
The Tower
You are in the profoundly transformative medicine of The Tower this month, Gemini. Be prepared to be shifted in the grandest and most rooted of ways. Ready yourself for anything that is not serving you to be stripped away for something new to grow in its place. Let’s get something straight right off the bat: The Tower, despite its extreme reputation, does NOT bode disaster, horrors, calamity or pain. The Tower is the most intense stripping of ego identification in the Tarot, so it can often feel like we are dying, being punished, or that something bad is happening to us.
It is, in fact, the most profound liberation of the soul’s truth in the Fool’s Journey—a total reset. This card’s presence is particularly profound this month, due to the unfolding of the eclipses, lunar transits and Mercury Retrograde. Trust whatever it brings and let it come. You’re only losing what you outgrew long ago. Some aspect of your life that you know is out of alignment is coming to a crashing halt this month, sweet Gemini. If you are wildly out of alignment, the halt will be huge. If not, the shift be lighter, but just as powerful. This is what it is to evolve on a soul level.
The brain and nervous system inevitably freak out, because they are committed to keeping us safe and in what we know. It’s only from the perspective of the ego that this card will feel like a death; the soul knows that it is the greatest freedom. Feel all the feelings, and shed whatever wants to be released in this month. It is making room for something new, perhaps at the root level, to grow and be nourished in your life. Trust the crumble; let it burn.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
CANCER :: CANCER RISING
The Hierophant
August has the potential to be a deeply transformative month for you, Cancer. The Hierophant is a profound initiation, shaking us loose from the bonds of hero worship, and dropping us squarely into the heart of our own truth, channel, and compass. We become our own wise teacher in this card, shedding doubts and fears that have held us back. We may refine our message in this card, too, if we are teachers and space holders ourselves. Have you been sharing your light with the highest integrity, Cancer? Reflect deeply on that. If not, The Hierophant will guide you home to your center.
The month ahead may feel bumpy in moments, but it will all be worth it for the clarity that awaits you on the other side of this card’s medicine. Expect to go deep within in August; question and review everything. Get clear on the difference between the rhetoric of the brain and the vibratory truth of the soul. Wake ups, a-has, and eureka moments will all be a part of the fabric of this cycle. We are collectively moving through a very powerful initiation in August, aided by the potency of the eclipses, the lunar phases and Mercury Retrograde.
Nothing to fear; it’s all here to help us shed, reflect and step forward in our lives in a renewed and aligned way. Think deep and powerful awakenings. Expect expansions of the heart, clarity of the soul, and—most importantly—the shedding of any doubts and beliefs have kept you from being your own master and guru. You have your own unique gifts to bring into this world, Cancer. If you have not been drawn into this process already, you will be invited to take an inventory of your core beliefs, and whether or not they are serving you. It is a crucial step for your path ahead.
Cast by Lindsay Mack using the Starchild Tarot. Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
A TAROT PRACTICE TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE AUGUST 2017
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
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