Declaration of Independence Archives

This month we’re entering a period of independence, expansion, and major growth, says Melinda Lee Holm. Find out how these tarot cards explain July 2017 …

We’ve come to the long, hot days of Summer! After the fine-tuning inner work of June, which helped us gain clarity and perspective, July is set to help us move into the public realm.

We’re set for a month-long journey of independence, expansion, action, and collaboration. This can be a great period of growth, both personally and professionally, if we tune in to the energy and amplify the signal in our daily lives.

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:: 7/4 Independence Day- Ace of Swords ::

On July 4th, we celebrate the signing of the country’s Declaration of Independence, and it’s a great opportunity to declare our own personal independence. Let’s honor our chosen allegiances with all the bravado of a fireworks show – loud, beautiful, and unapologetically ostentatious.

The Ace of Swords has just the energy we need to pull off this grandiose project. As the symbol of the pure, primal power of the element of Air, the Ace of Swords promotes decisiveness, mental clarity and acuity, and effective communication – all incredibly powerful tools for gaining and lovingly asserting our independence.

Calling in the Ace of Swords:

Carry Aquamarine to promote clear communication of your needs and boundaries
Wear a Joan of Arc medal – the saint is not only a great representative of independent spirit, her coat of arms bears a single sword and crown
Eat garlic to strengthen the body’s physical and energetic immunity to sickness and negative energies
Listen to your favorite music while working or doing household tasks – create your own personal soundtrack!

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:: 7/10 Nikola Tesla Day- Hanged Man ::

Nikola Tesla was an incredibly gifted scientist who did not live to see his achievements recognized in profit or prestige. In many ways, he helped to expand our world, announcing proof of the possibility of wireless communication in 1893 and working for decades on a plan to supply power wirelessly – and free of charge – to the entire world.

His ideas were far ahead of his time. Some we have not caught up to even now. The world needed to wait and to slowly change its view of what is possible before it could understand Tesla’s gifts.

The Hanged Man carries the wisdom the world needs to catch up to those ahead of their time. Counterintuively, we don’t need to race to catch up, rather we need to slow down and shift our thinking so we can expand our realm of possibilities.

Like The World (that we looked to last month), this figure has its legs held in the shape of the symbol for Jupiter, planet of expansion. But the expansion here comes from a conscious shift in perspective and a major dose of patience.

Calling in The Hanged Man:

Rearrange the furniture in your home
Take a new – and longer – route to a familiar place
Sleep with selenite by your bedside to open up expanded consciousness in your dream state
Try a food you’ve never tasted

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:: 7/20 Mars in Leo- Knight of Wands ::

The entry of impulsive Mars into the fiery, confident sign of Leo can be extremely useful for pushing forward on big goals, especially those that have been delayed by overthinking or self-doubt.

Mars is the planetary keeper of elemental Fire energy – action based purely on intuition – and when coupled with Leo’s fearlessness, he can be an incredible ally in getting projects completed and promoted.

We have just over 6 weeks to harness this energy. To take full advantage of all it has to offer, we look to Fire of Fire, the Knight of Wands. Knights are the activators of the Tarot court. They seek to bring the energy of their element out into the world. The Kinght of Wands gallops boldly through life fueled by the pure conviction of his intuitive knowing and his unrelenting need for action.

Calling in the Knight of Wands:

Carry carnelian to promote the firey warrior spirit within
Eat spicy food
Go for a run or a brisk walk – get your blood pumping with forward motion
Wear warm colors to activate the lower chakras

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:: 7/30 International Day of Friendship- 3 of Cups ::

The International Day of Friendship was started in 2011 by the United Nations to promote peace and understanding between nations. This unifying intention can be honored in our personal lives as well by drawing our friends and collaborators near and expressing thanks for their presence in our lives.

The 3 of Cups is the perfect guide for this celebration of togetherness. We see 3 women dancing in a circle, holding their cups high, surrounded by the fruits of a bountiful harvest. It is a lesson in the abundance that comes from joyful collaboration.

Calling in the 3 of Cups:

Wear gardenia perfume – gardenias attract friendship
Give chrysanthemums – in Victorian flower language, mums say “You’re a wonderful friend”
Host a dinner party with your BFFs
Carry Rainbow Moonstone – it promotes harmony between people while protecting individuality

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

Sun in Cancer, Sag rising…and Chiron in Aries suggesting an ongoing healing around violence and anger issues. Amelia Quint breaks down the birth chart of the USA…

Happy Fourth of July everyone?

Given numerous painful events we’ve had to endure as a nation since our country’s last birthday, the mood at this year’s Independence Day festivities may be a little grim. Still, when Numinous founder Ruby invited me to look at the birth chart of the USA, the answer was an automatic yes! I was excited to look to the stars and see what answers they might hold about our national character, as well as America’s future.

The first thing I noticed was the Sun in Cancer with both traditional benefic planets – Venus and Jupiter – close by. That’s an amazing omen. Our founding fathers either had an incredible stroke of luck (or, some conspiracy theorists might say, some occult knowledge) working in their favor when they signed the Declaration of Independence.

Unfortunately, they also had Mercury retrograde in the same sign to contend with…

Cancer also rules heritage, something that’s deeply ingrained in the American way of life. As a nation of immigrants, we’re encouraged to always “remember where you came from,” with utmost respect for the family. And with family comes food, another inherently Cancerian realm – in particular comfort food, something our nation can do a little too well.

Cancer is also associated with hospitality, an American (especially Southern) speciality. With Venus and Jupiter here, it’s how we relate to and show our love to others, and it’s integral to our cultural philosophy. Mercury retrograde here in the USA birth chart means it might not always sound sincere, but when an American hopes you “have a nice day!” – we do generally mean it.

In contrast, Sagittarius rising gives America its “young, scrappy, and hungry” swagger. Sagittarius ascendants are common among rebels, idealists, and philosophers – all archetypes embodied by the founding fathers. Competition comes naturally to this sign, as it has the United States, for better or for worse, at various periods during our nation’s history. Consider in particular the westward expansion, the early days of NASA, and the Cold War.

Saturn transited America’s ascendant from November to December last year, and will be hovering close by again throughout the summer of 2016. In close proximity to the ascendant, Saturn has changed and will continue to change we way we view ourselves as a nation.

What makes an American? Saturn is a difficult energy to contend with and, sadly, this conversation has taken a negative turn. It’s important to also remember that since Saturn rules karma, whatever we sow now, we will reap. If you are American, I invite you to work tireasly to invite more peace, acceptance, and openness into the American identity.

The United States also has Pluto in Capricorn, and will have a Pluto Return from 2022 to 2024. Because of his slow movement – it takes him 14 years to transit one sign! – it’s impossible for humans to have a Pluto transit at this point in time, but charts for events or countries can experience one. And since Pluto rules the cycle of death and rebirth, when he returns to his placement in the birth chart, an intensely potent transformational energy is released. 2024 is an election year, so let’s hope the outlook then is much more positive than it is today!

Another important point in America’s chart is Chiron in Aries. Chiron is an asteroid named for the centaur that trained Hercules and other Greco-Roman heroes for their great battles. His presence points out an area that will return again and again for healing: in this case, that’s violence. Gun violence numbers in the United States wildly surpass those of other nations; yet, we can’t seem to let this go.

And so enter Chiron in Aries, making the Second Amendment the eternal dilemma our culture can’t seem to solve. Visionary Uranus transited the country’s Chiron in April and will do so again in December – so perhaps this will help us find a healing solution to the gun control debate.

In September meanwhile, Jupiter and the North Node in alignment with America’s Neptune and Midheaven in Virgo bring humanitarian efforts and the spiritual wellbeing of all people to center stage. If there were ever a time to see big victories for marginalized groups, this would be it!

Shortly thereafter, Jupiter moves into Libra – creating an exceptionally lucky aspect called a Grand Air Trine, with the country’s Moon in Aquarius and Mars in Gemini. The element of Air rules communication and logic, so this should help everyone keep a clear head and healthy level of detachment throughout the rest of the election cycle.

Declaration of Independence

HOW THESE TAROT CARDS EXPLAIN JULY 2017

YOUNG, SCRAPPY + HUNGRY: THE ASTROLOGY OF THE U.S.A.

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