As we begin to harvest the fruits of the year so far, the 4 of Wands invites us to spark unbridled joy and celebrate our precious life force, says this month’s reader-in-residence, Alisha Cigalotti …
Fall Equinox
NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE SEPTEMBER 20 2018: 10 OF WANDS
As we prepare for Libra Season’s major cosmic shifts, the 10 of Wands asks us to keep our goals front of mind in moments of difficulty, says this month’s reader-in-residence, Mademoiselle Danielle … Cast using the Dark Days Tarot by Wren McCurdo
THE 2018 SAGITTARIUS WAXING MOON WANTS YOU TO FOLLOW YOUR SOUL GOALS
The 2018 Sagittarius Waxing Moon marks a powerful moment for reflecting on our truth and realigning ourselves with soul-centered growth, says Jennifer Racioppi …
Waxing Quarter Moon / September 16 2018 / 7:14pm EST / 24 degrees Sagittarius
As we quickly approach September 22nd’s Fall Equinox, the 2018 Sagittarius Waxing Moon asks us to explore our freedom and truth (without throwing in the towel on our goals).
This Waxing Quarter Moon boasts a mix between super friendly transits and those that midwife deep soul level truth. This halfway point between the Virgo New Moon and the upcoming Full Moon marks a potent moment to check in with ourselves.
///
//The Cycle//
This Waxing Quarter Moon brings our attention to intentions set with the Sagittarius New Moon back in December 18, 2017. Think back to the end of 2017; what heartfelt prayers did you solicit the divine to support you with? What soul-driven goals did you set for yourself? This Waxing Quarter Moon shines a light on the growth and progress you intended for yourself since the close of 2017. As we quickly approach the Autumnal Equinox, and the Sun’s entrance into Libra, let this Waxing Quarter moon support you in reflecting on how far you’ve come this year.
///
// The Transits //
At the time of the Waxing Quarter Moon, Jupiter, the ruling planet of Sagittarius, makes a sextile to both Mercury and Pluto. The bestower of good luck and growth, Jupiter imbues our minds and deeper psyches with illuminated thought— should we choose to listen. Score!
However, on the challenging side of things, Mars at 1 degree of Aquarius squares both Venus and Uranus who find themselves in a massive tug of war! Ouch. With Mars approaching an exact conjunction to the South Node of fate and destiny, old patterns get activated that attempt to derail your growth and progress. Be aware. Do not fall for fools’ goals. Watch out for digressions and backward slips, and keep evolving forward.
///
// The Square //
With the Virgo Sun at 24 degrees squaring the Sagittarius Moon, the need to break free battles a sincere desire for order. Virgo season, after all, asks us to get our ducks in a row, and to imbue our life with a deep devotion to our dreams and deep sense of discipline. Yet with the lunar energy, which connects with our core emotional needs, traveling through the sign of freedom, it’s kind of like we want to give the middle finger to discipline and structure in the name of fun and freedom.
Remember, with Mars quickly approaching the South Node of past karmas, old patterns and behaviors reach out like an ex wanting to rekindle a romance in service of a good f*ck. Don’t get sucked in!
///
// The Opportunity //
Use this Waxing Quarter Moon as a point of reflection. Look back to the December 2017 Sagittarius New Moon and check in on goals set then. How are you doing thus far in 2018? With the Equinox right around the corner, let this Waxing Quarter Moon support you to ready yourself for Fall. With Mars quickly approaching the South Node of past karma while squaring Venus (in her retrograde shadow) and Uranus in Taurus, now’s not the time to regress. Be free but don’t sabotage. Let your evolution lead you forward.
For more Moon wisdom, or to book a coaching session with Jennifer visit Jenniferracioppi.com.
LIBRA SEASON 2017: A DANCE WITH DUALITY
Libra season 2017 invites us to embrace duality, and seek our highest aspirations in sacred partnership with the Cosmos herself. By Bess Matassa. Main image: DVF AW17
Sharpen your topiary shears and curry comb your unicorn manes, cosmic queens. Libra Season rides in regally to take back the castle, dressed in silky white satin and brandishing the sword of bejeweled justice. The zodiac’s aspirational aesthete infuses the everyday with a higher love, and shows us all how it could be when we commit to chasing the ephemeral trail of the most dazzlingly distant stars.
But as we stand on this yearly seasonal precipice between day and night, it’s time to learn how to appreciate the darkness and the light, and to grapple with the contradictions and complications of colliding with opposition. When we truly commit to communion, we risk collapsing the great divide between what’s ours and what we disavow, and sacrificing some of our crystal visions to allow others, and ourselves, to be exactly as we are.
So slip into both your lace and your leather, and saddle up your mythical creatures for the race towards the rainbow. In this precariously precious place between the confectionary clouds and the hard packed earth, we can catch the light just so.
When we commit to living this daydream together, we are brighter and more blindingly beautiful then we could ever imagine.
>>>
The keyword: Relating.
The song lyrics: Love lift us up where we belong/Where the eagles cry/On a mountain high/Far from the world below/Up where the clear winds blow – Joe Cocker, “Up Where We Belong”
Check out Bess’ Libra Season Playlist, complete with dynamic duos, romantic mashups, and vocal encounters.
The color palette: impressionistic hues and Malibu tones. Sophisticated pinks and soft grays, refined aquas and violets, whip cream whites, and camera-ready sunsets.
The style: modern monarchy meets Parisian salon. Windswept scarves, button-down blousons, bell sleeves, ruffled blazers, tights & ballet flats, casual culottes, and finely-detailed florals.
The scents and flavors: perfect pairings, curated bouquets, and epicurean presentations. Black and white cookies, macarons and madeleines, honey and lemon, carefully cultivated orchids, edible blooms, and small plates.
The healing: cultured evenings and high-minded musings. Wine and food pairing menus, gallery expeditions, figure drawing classes, jazz ensembles, and ballroom dancing.
>>>
Sensuous Invitation of the Month: Classic Combos for Your Venus Sign
Ruled by Venus, Libra takes the vibration of the love goddess into the realms of “higher,” cerebral love.
In our chart, she reveals our fairytale romance with the world, where we can uncover the sheer pleasure of aesthetic inspiration, and how we can harness relationship to evolve past our strict notions of personal taste.
Ignite the energy with a dynamic duo to feed your inner and outer partners.
Venus in Aries
Libra season invites you to delight in the stripped down sensation of fresh relationship perspectives and courageous compromise. Classic Combo: Jeans & a Tee Shirt. Celebrate an on-the-go combo that feeds your minimalista aesthetic.
Venus in Taurus
Libra season invites you to complement your sensory pleasure seeking with some more cerebral imaginings. Classic Combo: Bed & Breakfast. The ultimate partnership of feasting and dreaming.
Venus in Gemini
Libra season invites you to revel in your desire for narrative and start crafting the next step in your own love story. Classic Combo: Movies & Popcorn. Innocent snack explosions meet larger-than-life tales.
Venus in Cancer
Libra season invites you to mix your desire for emotional safety with some exploratory wanderings into wilder dreamscapes. Classic Combo: Surf & Turf. Ride the tide while knowing that you can always drift back to solid ground.
Venus in Leo
Libra season invites you to blend your monogrammed hearts with the strength to go the distance for love, even when it challenges your egocentric craving for pure adoration. Classic Combo: Sugar & Spice. A beauty bar combo that lets both sides taste sweet.
Venus in Virgo
Libra season invites you to action your ideals in the wide world with a trust in the self-sufficient sensation of lasting commitment. Classic Combo: Bread & Butter. Power up with a simple meal that’s both hard-earned harvest and creamy indulgence.
Venus in Libra
Libra season invites you to explore the gap between fantasy and reality without losing one ounce of your romantic lust for future ideals. Classic Combo: War & Peace. Mix your notorious urge for compromise with some necessary embattlement.
Venus in Scorpio
Libra season invites you to infuse your penchant for probing intimate darkness with some softer expectations for a brand new romantic daybreak. Classic Combo: Night & Day. Wander out after midnight but don’t miss out on the glory of sunrise.
Venus in Sagittarius
Libra season invites you to pair your footless adventuring with the crystal clarity of a purposeful love mission. Classic Combo: Roadtrips & Playlists. Top-down riding meets careful curation.
Venus in Capricorn
Libra season invites you to celebrate a flavor of amorous striving that’s infused with the pure and simple beauties of partnership in the present. Classic Combo: Manis & Pedis. The durational labors of nail art mix with the pampered treat of buffing your hard-working extremities.
Venus in Aquarius
Libra season invites you to balance your urge for panned out, cerebral relating, with some close-at-hand celebrations of the person who stands before you. Classic Combo: Thunder & Lightening. Distant weather patterns meet close snuggling during the storm.
Venus in Pisces
Libra season invites you to let your boundaryless urge to merge be informed with a clear sense of the line between yourself and a lover. Classic Combo: Pina Coladas & Getting Caught in the Rain. Blended beverages meet the clarity of rain water and the sun that shines on you both, together and apart, in the aftermath.
Bess is available for private readings and astro-themed events. Connect with her at Mojaverising.com
THE RICH WITCH: 3 PROSPERITY RITUALS FOR THE FALL EQUINOX
The Autumn Equinox is high time to fête your successes and show gratitude for everything that’s come to fruition. Rich Witch Lara-Rose Duong gives us 3 prosperity rituals to power up for the harvest and keep the money honey reigning down …
As a Rich Witch, celebration is one of your secret tools to keep prosperity flowing into your life. When you praise a chef, she knows to keep making that dish. When you celebrate your successes, the powers that may be keep sending more, too.
For the witches in the house, the Autumn Equinox (aka Mabon) is like our Thanksgiving! It’s time to reap what we’ve sown and show gratitude.
As light and dark show up equally, we can see where we’ve been in imbalance, shed what no longer serves, and celebrate life as it is.
Your harvest can be the bounty from your garden or any kind of success in your life. Regardless, take stock of what has come to fruition for you and honor it.
Throw your success a private party with these 3 prosperity rituals for the Fall Equinox …
>>>
1// Feast like a Goddess: Give into the bounty of the season by gathering your friends and family to feast at a harvest altar. Fill your table with your creativity and heart, and let it be a feast for the eyes and spirit. Whatever you choose to include, keep in mind that the most important element is your gratitude!
- Hot apple cider with cinnamon. Apples are the bounty of the season and cinnamon adds warmth and prosperity to your feast.
- Local fruits and vegetables. It’s important that your feasts reflects the land you are from. In general, gourds and squash are plentiful right now.
- Set your the centre piece up as an altar to your ancestors, the land, and the goddess. Be inspired by Mother Nature and what is available to your in the woods. Let it be rich and full (think pinecones, gourds, a cornucopia, carnelian & rose quartz, gold decor).
>>>
2// Get Your Hands Dirty: Plant the seeds of your dreams that will come to life next year.
- Pick your favourite bulb flowers/plants.
- Go outside to the place where you will plant (a patch of earth or in a container). Select a spot that inspires your Rich Witch heart. Mark the area with friendly statues and elements.
- Massage the soil with your hands while seeing all that you hope to manifest. In the soil, bury a crystal of abundance like citrine or pyrite.
- Take one bulb into your hands and infuse it with a dream to come. Do this with each bulb for each intention you are calling in. Once you feel like each bulb is charged up, plant them.
- Gently water the soil with water that you’ve charged on your main altar overnight.
- Above the bulbs, mark the earth with a prosperity sigil. Use the symbol below as a guide.
>>>
3// Turn Your Body Into an Abundance Altar: You are a sacred container where prosperity lives. Here are some Rich Witch tips to charge up the vibrant, sacred altar that is you:
- Adorn your body with talismans (see my jewelry charging ritual for “The Rich Fashion Witch”)
- Charge your body up by marking it with the prosperity sigil in lotion/coconut oil.
- Drink “Rich Witch Water” daily: Take the prosperity sigil and place it beneath a jar of water. Surround the jar with carnelian, pyrite, and citrine. Leave the water there to charge overnight on your altar. Start each day off by thanking the Goddess for blessing your life and taking in the water.
- Get your energetic Rich Witch dress on everyday: As you put your left shoe on, say: “I am safe to be seen now.” As you put your right shoe on, say: “I am safe to be heard now.” Stretch all the way up and reach for the ceiling with your arms wide. Ground your feet and say three times: “I call my power back to me” Tap the crown of your head while saying three times: “I have the right to be here.” Leave the house feeling divine!
Join the conversation with Lara-Rose Duong in the Rich Witch Circle on Facebook and share what you decided to do for this Mabon. And connect with her on Instagram to see these Rich Witch Mabon practices in action.
THE GEMINI WANING QUARTER MOON WANTS YOU TO SLOW YOUR ROLL
While the past month’s cataclysmic cosmic shifts may have you wanting to plunge heart first into massive change, slow your roll says Jennifer Racioppi. The Gemini Waning Quarter Moon wants you to listen in for the lessons, check in with your direction, and honor the threshold before you step through the portal …
:: Waning Quarter Moon :: September 13 2017 :: 2:24am EST :: 20 degrees Gemini
Listen in closely … Ideas, energy, motivation, and creativity are brewing …
Having just completed Mercury Retrograde, we’ve seen shadows, witnessed truth, and digested reality from a multitude of differing perspectives. And while many of us are feeling the urge to jump into action and to start implementing all the lessons we’ve learned, it’s not quite time yet.
We are inching our way towards next week’s Fall Equinox, when the Sun will shift into Libra and the Earth will reach a point of equanimity, marking a balance between light and dark. But first, we have to ride out the last degrees of the Sun traveling through mutable Virgo, the Gemini Waning Quarter Moon, and a New Moon on the 19th, which ask us to assimilate the impact of the most recent cosmic events so we can launch our lives forward.
This turning point in the year marks a crucial point to check in and affirm our intended direction. And with the Gemini Waning Quarter Moon opposing Saturn, the message is to slow your roll and listen before plunging forward.
Come the next New moon and Equinox, you’ll have some clear, mature, and wise inner guidance to inform your next steps.
>>>
:: The Sun ::
With the Sun at 20 degrees of Virgo squaring Saturn—the planet of lessons, maturity, and growth—the Gemini Waning Quarter Moon has the word “ouch” written all over it.
But, the truth is, Saturn’s position to the Sun offers us the potent medicine of seeing, reconciling, and integrating wisdom. Warning: this is not the time to push forward with an agenda driven by ego. Instead, digest, integrate, and listen to your truth so you can adjust your stance and evolve.
:: The Moon ::
With the Moon in quick witted Gemini, the seduction of speed abounds. However, since this Waning Quarter Moon faces an opposition from serious Saturn, throw on the brakes. Rather than hastily moving forward, tune into Gemini’s secret superpower of *listening* instead.
:: The Square ::
With the Sun in Virgo squaring the Moon in mutable Gemini, making a mutable T-square with Saturn, this Waning Quarter Moon brings up quite a bit to be reconciled.
The upside? Like a grain of sand transforming into an iridescent pearl inside of a mollusk, the pressure of Saturn forces you into your growth. **Pro tip: The more you lean into this, the easier it is.
:: The Message ::
Pause. This Waning Quarter Moon asks that you take time for introspection. Slow down. Look within. Think about what you need to release before plunging forward into your goals.
With a new season around the corner, it’s essential to review where you’ve been. Now’s the time to go slow, and listen, so you don’t miss any of the wisdom coming your way. In another week you’ll be ready to move forward. Until then, do your best to see and hear as much as you can.
For more Moon wisdom or to book a coaching session with Jennifer visit Jenniferracioppi.com. And to learn more about how to work with each Moon phase, check out Moon Club, our community of lunar loving cosmic change makers!
A TAROT PRACTICE TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE SEPTEMBER 2017
As we slip into the subtle fall energies of Virgo Season, it’s time to assess our relationship to the earth element and to our core beliefs, says Melinda Lee Holm. Let a tarot practice steer your ship as you navigate September 2017.
A shift in seasons brings profound change this month, as we celebrate personal and community connections, mirror the balance of the cosmos in our earthbound lives, and call in a strong challenge to our beliefs about what is true and eternal.
Let your deck lead the way into fall …
>>>
:: 9/4 Labor Day- 10 of Pentacles ::
While many of us associate this day with one last beach weekend, it was created to honor the courageous men and women who organized labor. We owe our weekends, 8-hour work days, overtime laws, and restrictions on work done by children all to the Labor movement and its belief that a healthy and happy workforce is the cornerstone of a properous community.
The Tarot teaches us that the greatest form of earthly abundance is found not in a single wealthy figure, but in a wealthy society. The 10 of Pentacles represents the highest material aspirations of the minor arcana. We see a thriving community represented in three generations of citizens and two white dogs in a well-groomed city.
Only through valuing every member’s role and contribution can the health and wellbeing of all be maintained.
Calling in the 10 of Pentacles:
- Eat maple syrup on pancakes, yogurt, or oatmeal – energetically it promotes wealth and longevity
- Throw a block party or BBQ to connect with your neighbors and community
- Shop local
- Give Malachite as a gift – it’s a powerful stone of prosperity
:: 9/10 World Suicide Prevention Day- The Ace of Cups ::
The world can be a very tough place for many people, unbearably so for some. Today we actively send our love and compassion to those who are struggling and those who have been affected by suicide.
The Ace of Cups is the primal power of Water, the element of emotion. Love is the root of our human experience of emotion, and the centerpiece of the Divine gift of an emotional body. The Aces all represent the pure unadulterated state of their element, the most exalted sense of what they represent.
What could possibly be more exalted in the emotional realm than pure unconditional love for our fellow humans?
Calling in the Ace of Cups:
- Wear or carry a Rhodonite, the stone of outward-directed love and compassion
- Drink Rose tea to open and expand the heart
- Donate gently used clothing to a shelter – or better yet, sign up to volunteer!
- Check in with those you love and let them know you care
:: 9/22 Autumnal Equinox, Sun Enters Libra- Justice ::
As the days and nights equalize in length before the night begins to take over, this cosmic event triggers a shift from the productivity of summer to the harvest of fall, in preparation for the winter.
Justice teaches us that just as truth, fairness, and order, in society and law, require careful weighing of information, achieving fairness and order in the Universe requires a constant careful balancing of energies. To enjoy the long days of summer, we must survive the long nights of winter. To have stamina to be active, we must set aside time for rest.
Calling in Justice:
- Carry Tiger Eye to promote energetic balance
- Eat salty/sweet food combinations like prosciutto wrapped melon or potato chips and ice cream
- Wear mixed metals – Wearing both the silver of the moon and gold of the sun connects us to the balance of the celestial bodies that influence us most
- Donate to the ACLU
:: 9/28 Jupiter Opposition Uranus- The Tower ::
Jupiter opposition Uranus happens only once every 12 years and comes in pairs or trios due to apparent retrograde planetary motion. This is the second opposition in our series of two for 2016/17.
Expansive Jupiter in this aspect to rebellious Uranus brings periods of great change on an individual level, sometimes in sudden and uncomfortable ways. But this does not have to be a traumatic time. If we open ourselves up to radical change, we can make the most of this transit.
The Tower is generally seen as one of the most frightening cards in the deck – visually and energetically. It represents major change and teaches us to let go of ALL preconceived notions of the true nature and identity of ourselves and the world around us.
While it may be hard to see in the moment, these changes will always be in service of our highest good. We don’t usually think of The Tower as something we seek to call in intentionally, but with this transit, it is best to get ahead of the game and go with the flow of this potentially challenging aspect.
Calling in The Tower:
- Drink coffee – coffee beans are used in spellwork to clear negative thinking and assist in breaking through internal barriers
- Carry or wear Herkimer Diamond to connect to Divine wisdom and strength
- Clean your space with pine-scented cleanser, or bring pine branches into your home to promote a clean break from past beliefs and a strong fresh start
- Burn a black candle – black candles are very effective for clearing energetic blockages and can be a huge help in loosening your attachment to any of your own personal Towers that are ready to come down
Want more tarot magic? Book a session with Melinda here, and make sure to follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
