DREAM PROJECT: THE STORY OF THE DUST II ONYX TAROT

When Courtney Alexander couldn’t find a deck that spoke to her on a soul level, she decided to create her own… All images: the Dust II Onyx tarot

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I had been reading and learning about the tarot for around two years, when I pin-pointed an issue I hadn’t been able to put my finger on. I had a hard time finding a deck that really spoke to me. I’d discovered so many decks, my favorites being the Wild Unknown and Fountain Tarot. And although the art was beautiful, there was still a disconnect for me at soul level.

Because, being a fat/black/queer woman there wasn’t a deck I saw myself in. I agonized for months over how to express the depth and diversity I wanted to see, and the idea to create my own deck—Dust II Onyx—began rolling around in my head.

Then life happened. I lost my job and found myself spiraling into anxiety and depression. This directly following an intense nocturnal vision. I had gone to bed as normal, but woke in the middle of the night thinking someone was in my apartment. Once I realized there was no one there, I attempted to go back to sleep.

At this point I slipped into a lucid dream. I heard noises again and when I got up to investigate, a shadow figure appeared in front of me—who I read as being my six-year-old nephew. When I went to turn on a light, I felt an intense sensation hit my belly, and I woke up with a yell.

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The following morning, I went to work completely shaken and lacking sleep, as well as still feeling the strange sensation in my stomach. I tried to go about my day as normal, although something felt different. That evening I received a phone call telling me not to come back in.

Although losing my job was stressful, I saw it as an opportunity to visit family. So I made a trip to my hometown and saw my nephew while I was there. We shared a moment, where we were dancing and singing together. Then he laid his head on my belly, and he turned his face towards mine with his eyes closed. His face had the most blissful look I had ever seen.

In the moment, I actually wondered if I could be physically pregnant—because of the dream and this experience with my nephew. But looking back I truly believe that my dream had been the moment of conception of the Dust II Onyx tarot.

By now, I had been mulling over art for my deck for a few months, and still hadn’t got a clear vision of how I wanted it to look. Then another dream came to me, twice! And in this dream I saw an intensely gorgeous black portrait, which has gone on to become the chief inspiration behind my deck.

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I began the work using my current knowledge of tarot and plenty of my own intuition. The imagery that comes forth is as new to me as it is for the readers who will use this deck, and it is coming from a place that feels far beyond my conscious mind.

Dust II Onyx was created from my desire to make artwork that resonated with my soul, and has become a work I want to share with others. I consider it an honor to create this deck and I look forward it being a tool for beautiful and transformative experiences for each and every reader.

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To fund the production of this deep and powerful multi-media collage collector’s tarot, Courtney is running a Kickstarter campaign through October 17 2016. 

For more information visit Dust2onyx.com and facebook.com/dust2onyx. You can also preorder your deck on Kickstarter

 

YOGI SAYS: “IS THE ENTREPRENEUR LIFE FOR ME?”

“Is the entrepreneur life for me?” Resident Yogi and philosopher Eddie Stern responds… Artwork: Francesco Clemente

Two of Wands tarot by Francesco Clement

“After years of working for other people and putting all my creative energy into their dreams, I finally decided to do my own thing a couple of years back. I have worked on various projects since, some more successful than others—and while I try to always learn from the lessons of my ‘failures’ it can be hard not to focus on things that have gone wrong, and blame myself. Lately this has made me fearful about continuing on the entrepreneurial path and I’ve been fantasizing about the ‘easy life’—i.e. working for somebody else again—even though I know in my heart this would make me depressed and leave me craving my freedom again. How can I get past my mistakes and remain confident about pursuing my own dreams?”

Dear Dreamer,

Almost everyone sometimes feels trapped between two worlds; one world we know, the other we don’t really know…but we have some ideas. One world is exhilarating and free, and the other is safe, but is a prison. The world of safety, as you pointed out, can often be boring, unfulfilling, and limiting, while the world of the unknown—where our hidden, unlimited potential lies—is scary. Until we jump in, that is.

These two realities are spoken of in Hindu philosophy. There is the reality that can be measured, is logical, has size, shape and weight—and the reality that cannot: thoughts, emotions, inspiration, potential and creativity. We can measure our bodies, possessions, money, buildings, cars, cities, even the Universe, but we cannot measure that things that inhabit these spaces: knowledge, love, compassion, empathy, dreams, ambitions, hopes, desires, potential and friendship.

The reality that can be measured is called sakala, “with form,” and the reality that cannot is called nishkala, “without form.” However, they are both real—they both exist! The realm of man is the sakala realm, and the realm of the Gods—as well as our hopes, dreams, potential and feelings—is nishkala.

We get stuck in the world of quantification, of measurement, because that is what our world demands of us. How many followers do we have on IG? How much money do I have in the bank? Do I have six packs in my abs, or only one and a half? We measure, we compare, and we are miserable in doing so, because we always come up short. And we measure because we don’t know who we are.

In Yoga, this knowing who we are is the solution to all misery. It is the plug that let’s all the dirty, stinky water down the drain. For when we truly know who we are, we are immeasurable, pure consciousness. When we don’t know who we are, we are limited by the things we measure ourselves against.

When we don’t know who we are, we imitate those who project the kind of confidence and knowledge, or beauty or wit, that we wished we had. We give up the struggle of discovering who we are, by playing it safe, and taking on someone else’s self-expression. But in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says to Arjuna, “It’s better to do your own dharma poorly, then to do the dharma of another well”, meaning, it’s better to do your own thing and fail, rather than do someone else’s thing and succeed.

Why? Because you’ll never be happy and never find fulfillment with someone else’s purpose, only with your own. And it’s only you who can discover what that is. When you do, is when freedom begins. It’s how you access the realm of nishkala, and bring it forward, actively, into your life.

In the Tarot, a card which seems to accurately represent the dilemma that you are in right now, is the Two of Wands. The image on the card is of a person standing between two upright wands; he is holding onto one of the wands with his left hand, and in his right, he is holding a globe, or, the world, as he gazes off towards the distance.

The meanings of the card can relate to decision making; you have reached a fork in the road, so to speak, and there are two directions you can go. One direction will lead you towards freedom and abundance, and the other towards safety, which is binding, and will be fraught with self-doubt. The card symbolizes independence and boldness on the one hand, and fear of failure, and dependence on others, on the other.

Being bold is an expression of personal power, which is simply another terms for your unique potential and creativity. Now may be the time for you to own that originality within you, and be bold enough to express it in the world. You may have had some failures, and you will definitely have fears to face head on, but in the end, regardless of success or failure, you will have the inner satisfaction of knowing that you were brave enough to listen.

The important thing is to keep at your work. Your creativity will continue to grow as you feed it. It will continue to grow as you use if for work that aligns with your own vision.

There are three key words I’ve seen associated with the Two of Wands: personal power (which I read as infinite potential channeled through us each as unique individuals); boldness; and originality. Your potential will become clearer the more you exercise it; your boldness will increase when you face your fears directly and don’t let them rule you; and last, connecting with your own work, and your own originality, will lead you towards personal fulfillment, which is true success.

But the Two of Wands reminds us of one other thing: we do not own our creativity, or our potential, or power. These are channeled through us, and if we are lucky, we can tap into them and express them through our actions and attitudes. We should remain humble knowing that we are not the authors of our creativity or power, that we are conduits, and that when creativity flows through us, all goes well. But when we try to control it, or think that we are special because of it, things will eventually go south. Be bold, but be humble. Be fearless, but also, be grateful.

A yogic practice you can try to balance out the two realities that we all live in is alternate nostril breathing. It’s fairly simple, is calming, and balances both hemispheres of the brain.

  1. Begin by sitting comfortably in a chair, or cross-legged on the floor.
  1. With your right hand, you make the Vishnu Mudra, which looks like this.
  1. Place your right thumb against your right nostril, inhale and exhale 3-5 times through your left nostril. Your breathing should be smooth and even, not too long, and not too short. Usually a 3-4 second inhale and exhale is a good place to start.
  1. After 3-5 breaths, close your left nostril with your right ring finger, and breath the same amount of times through the right nostril. Your breathing should be smooth and even, with the same length of breath that you used on the left side (3-4 seconds inhale, 3-4 seconds exhale).
  1. After 4 breaths through the right side, place your right hand back into your lap or on to your knee, and take 3-5 slow deep breaths.

You can do this once or twice a day—morning and evening, and before having food, are optimal times to try it. There are many variations of alternate nostril breathing, that overall have some of the same effects. This one in particular is single nostril, or unilateral, breathing, and has been show to have positive effects on both spatial awareness (knowing where you are in space, and where things are in relation to you), and improving cognitive abilities. I think the two wands in the Two of Wands card are reminiscent of the nostrils, and the subtle energy channels that are attached to them! Try it, and see if it helps.

Yours,
Eddie

TAROTSCOPES: SEPTEMBER 2016

Cast by Lindsay Mack, using The Starchild Tarot.

 

VIRGO :: VIRGO RISING – Two of Swords

Happy birthday, sweet Virgos! The collective energy for the month could be summed up with the following phrase: we go in to come out. Think of September as an opportunity for us all to “Kondo” our souls, to consider whether our thoughts are useful, or bring us great joy. If they do not, to be willing to upgrade them. No more wasted energy on anything that doesn’t really serve our growth. This shift will have a profound impact on our lives, our families, our dreams, our careers, and everything in between. And you are leading the pack with this sacred invitation, Virgo, beginning with your journey through Two of Swords this month.

The Two of Swords teaches us how to achieve and maintain ourten inner balance through any situation, be it imagined or actual. It calls us to go deeply inward, past our internal experiences, past any external triggers, and into the ocean of true equilibrium at the core of our being.

And here’s the deal, sweet peas: it’s not that you won’t experience stress, fears, worries, self doubt or concerns this month. You definitely will—you’re human, after all! You just don’t have to let it shake your walk of peace. You don’t have to let it drive the car of your life, or be the motivator in your decision making. You don’t have to believe your thoughts. You get to take empowered action around how you choose to let your thoughts affect you. Practices like journaling, tai chi, meditation, yoga or breathwork can help. Focusing your attention on upgrading your mental energy will create and carve out so much more space for what you do want to cultivate in your life, and what you desire to focus on. You are clearing the internal to upgrade the external.

You can begin to live joyfully in the space between your stresses this month, Virgo. Doing so will transform your life, preparing you to take off into your next great personal expansion. The upgrades we make during this time will lift both us, those around us, and everything we touch, to new heights. There is strong potential for huge career advancements, exciting inspirations or “lightbulb” moments. The door will be open for new levels of connection with loved ones, too. The sky’s the limit! Radical change is possible for you this month, Virgo. The first step is to come back inside to clear out what no longer serves.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

LIBRA :: LIBRA RISING – Ten of Pentacles

This month is going to feel like a cup of cold water after weeks in the desert, Libra. Ten of Pentacles is here, offering tremendous relief and regenerative blessings. You have worked, you have labored, you have walked a dark path these last few months—and even though you might not have known it at the time, you were walking back home to yourselves. Now you have arrived. This month will bring two gifts, each equally exciting and precious: the perfect conditions to birth something brand new into the world, and the chance to truly see how far you’ve come as a person. There is much to celebrate this month.

Ten of Pentacles is a card of great success and creativity, both financially and personally. It is a bountiful harvest of good fortune, and offers a ripe opportunity to step forward into an even greater arena with our work in this lifetime. It helps us to say, “Wow, look at how far I’ve come! Now what?” It is time to bring your gifts even more fully into the world, sweet Libra. It is time and you are ready. You might feel some fear, but so what? Fear hasn’t stopped you yet! Recognize how brave you’ve been. Open your eyes and really look at how far you’ve come and the garden of beauty all around you. You planted that garden with your courage, your willingness to wake up and be seen for your gifts. Now it is time to share them.

Ten of Pentacles, I believe, is also a card of karmic healing. The journey of the Pentacles isn’t just body and money; the suit really teaches us how to live spiritually in a material world. It brings us face to face with our karma, our dharma, our family legacy, our work in the world. The Ten of Pentacles shows us just how far we’ve come, and how much we’ve healed: allow this card to be a mirror for you this month, Libra. Celebrate yourself. There will be an abundance pf joyful evidence of your growth and evolution as a human being all around you. Enjoy every moment of it. Whenever you forget, come back to the truth. Drop the armor; you don’t have to defend against anything anymore.

Drink deeply from the cup of your own courage, the light of your heart, and the authenticity of your personal work. You deserve everything you desire. Share what you’ve grown, and plant new seeds.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

SCORPIO :: SCORPIO RISING – Oppression

Where do you oppress yourself, Scorpio? Where do you get stuck in “shoulds” and judgments, guilt, shame or doubt? Where do you obsess? More importantly, and more directly, where in your life do you beat yourself up for having the above thoughts, impulses and experiences in the first place? These are vital inquiries for the month of September—ones that will set you free if you allow them to.

Oppression, or The Devil card in the traditional Tarot deck, is going to be walking you through the process of releasing any old mental patterns or addictive cycles that are causing you suffering. Moving through this inquiry has the potential to expand you in a way you could never imagine, to open you up to more peace, trust, and access to your intuition than you’ve ever had before. Your nervous system will relax in a way it never has before. It has the potential to transform your life.

It’s not a thought, or an addictive cycle itself that puts us in Oppression: it’s the belief that there’s a problem with us for having the thought in the first place. That’s what keeps us hooked, chemically. Our brains and egos are SO much more addicted to “there’s something wrong with me” than they are to any external person, place or thing. And the thoughts themselves are also benign at their root; it’s our reaction to them that creates the true addictive cycle of oppression, the one that keeps us small, scared and locked in self-judgment. Any time we can remove the veil of self loathing around our habits or behaviors, there is the potential for personal transformation and freedom.

How do we break the chain of oppression of the self? Drop the story completely that there’s a problem with any invitation of the mind. It doesn’t matter what it is, ANY thought is just a thought; you don’t have to believe it, and there is nothing wrong with you for having it. You are ready to let go of a BIG cycle of self-oppression this month, Scorpio. Allow The Devil card to be the way home, the mirror into truth. It holds the key to freedom from the chains that bind us. The medicine of this card will give you the opportunity to free yourself from any outdated mental cycles that keep you stuck and small. Liberate yourself from the jail of your own beliefs, and plant new seeds of self love in its place.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

SAGITTARIUS :: SAGITTARIUS RISING – Four of Wands

Stability, accomplishments, celebration and joy are just a few words that could define your journey through September, Sagittarius. Four of Wands is a truly beautiful card, filled to the brim with blessings. Think of this entire month as a rite of passage, a celebration of yourself: how far you’ve come in your life, how much work you’ve done to get there, and how magnificently you’ve done it, even though great challenges. Those of you who are ready for the “next big thing” in your lives will walk closer to it than you ever have before. You can also expect big expansions this month around whatever you’ve been calling in energetically.

For some of you, it’ll be a month of professional blessings. For others, it might be more time off from work for play, the deepening or beginning of a relationship—even a wealth of fresh creative inspiration. The “four” in Four of Pentacles is significant, too, as fours signify stability in the Tarot. In other words, Sagittarius, the other shoe is not going to drop. There is a rational container around this time of joy: the one you built with your hard work. You get to reap your harvest this month. Enjoy it to the fullest degree, cultivating joy and self-celebration in every moment, every breath of this month.

You do have to trust in the invitation to celebrate, though, loves. That’s a part of this month for you, too. Trusting that you deserve this—to play, to rest, to receive more abundance, more attention, more time off. You have to be willing to be lighter; weeding through any old stories that argue against how much you deserve what’s manifesting at this time is imperative. This doesn’t darken the day—it just makes it sweeter. You’re not only getting what you want this month, Sagittarius, you’re learning how to accept it, how to say yes to it.

Receiving anything is a master class; it is truly hard work for everyone. Just keep celebrating alongside any discomfort or contraction, keep walking toward the light, bowing to the harvest you have cultivated. Then make room for even more goodness, even more joy. We cannot accept the blessings being showered on us if we don’t know how to open our hands to them—and you are going to be offering your palms up to the Universe on a whole new level this month, Sagittarius. Get excited.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

CAPRICORN :: CAPRICORN RISING – Temperance

Temperance is the alchemical bringer of transformation; it makes the impossible possible, and teaches us how to replace striving with allowing. The energy of this month is asking you to trust in the unknown in a way you never have before, Capricorn. If you can bow over to the great mystery, it will be a month full of beautiful and potent upgrades to your life.

You are learning to walk gracefully through the world while unseen and incredible threads are being woven together on your behalf. It’s a much better option than pushing, working or struggling to tie the threads together in a way that exhausts or drains you. Let it be easier; begin to foster trust that you will have everything in your life that is aligned for you in one way or another. The moment we surrender and release what we most desire is often the moment when enough space is made for it to come flowing in.

The medicine of Temperance is largely mysterious. Even the imagery on the traditional Rider Waite card suggests that miracles are happening: the blending of fire and water, the angel’s ability to balance on two uneven surfaces, the pouring of the water at a scientifically impossible angle. It’s letting us know, visually, that events are occurring in a magical way, in a way that would be impossible for any human being to accomplish. If we attempted any of the gravity defying feats that the Angel in the Temperance card does so effortlessly, we would fail. We would spill the water, we would lose our balance; we would put out the fire with the water over and over again.

We don’t just “get” this card in a reading—it is earned. It is earned through the willingness to release the grip of control in favor of surrender and trust. It is a very powerful sign of all things good and transformational, and indicates that you have done potent work to get to where you are. You are ready to level up and receive something new from the Universe, Capricorn, and Temperance is preparing you to do so. Lay yourself bare; let fire and water flow within you. Energetically surrender anything you are manifesting or wishing for, even without knowing the how or the why. The more you release, the more will come flowing in.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

AQUARIUS :: AQUARIUS – Ace of Cups

You will truly be sipping from the overflowing cup of Universal love and abundance this month, Aquarius. Sparkling and regenerative, it will be here to flood your life with some true magic. Ace of Cups is a card of holy self-love; falling in love with yourself, embracing all that you are, inviting joy and fun into your life. It can sometimes be a card that indicates that we could connect with someone new and special, but we have to start first from within.

Loving the self is its own special frequency. At its barest foundation, self love is a blend of spiritual re-parenting, a deep gratitude for the physical body (regardless of weight/appearance), and an emphasis on spontaneity, play, focus and helpful, nourishing discipline. It is centered in a kindness toward self, a willingness to make amends to the body, and to the heart. The body forgives, again and again and again, no matter how we may misstep with ourselves.

The deepest invitation of the month for you, Aquarius, is to truly learn how to drink from this cup of love in the first place. Many people just literally don’t know the how of self love. They might follow all the steps, doing everything that seems right and smart, and come out with a half empty well, the heart still crying for more. September is not only about drinking and marinating in the blessings of such a beautiful month, but learning how to love yourself in a way that fills you up and makes your soul shine. It takes time, reflection, willingness and curiosity to learn to love yourself and allow yourself more pleasure into your life; it’s a deep journey of the spirit.

It is time for all of you to know, beyond question, that you are enough. Deep enough, nourishing enough, rich enough to fill your own well. You don’t need anyone or anything else to fill it for you. Many of us work through this on a regular basis, of course, but this month feels like a truly expansive one for your whole sign in this area. Ace of Cups is here to deeply evolve your relationship with yourself. To sweeten your relationship with yourself, and in turn, expand your relationships with others. As you drink more from your own cup, more externally loving mirrors will pop up around you. Take the first sip and dive deeply into your body and heart.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

PISCES :: PISCES RISING – Seven of Wands

Expect to dive into the depths this month, Pisces. This plunge is going to help you foster a newfound trust around any area that triggers a sense of lack, scarcity or competition in your psyche. It’s a big shadow, but you’re ready to look at it squarely. You will be empowered to truly know, from the core of your soul, that only you can do what you came here to do. No one can take or steal anything away from you, and you can’t miss what is yours. Never, ever, ever. I absolutely trust that the logical part of your brain knows this beyond a shadow of a doubt—this is a healing for the sensitive, tender, vulnerable part of you that’s still not 100 percent convinced.

September’s invitation to you will be to understand that it’s not the adult in you that gets scared about this—it’s the inner child. When we understand that we are free to step forward into our greatness, regardless of our fears and insecurities,             we find ourselves speaking our truth, dropping our armor, and healing our inner child with every step.

Seven of Wands is about helping us to cultivate an unshakable trust that all things align as they are meant to for us. Whether the doubt around this area of your life is most prevalent in your career, finances, family or your love life, it’s all the same; you can never miss what’s meant for you. The key to rewiring these beliefs is to turn a soft focus and loving attention to the inner child part of you when those thoughts start whirring. Doing so will shift the difficult feelings around this subject out of shadow and into the light of awareness. Once the feelings are out in the light, we can begin to truly rewire them.

Fearing that there won’t be enough for us can sometimes manifest as insecurity, jealousy, comparison, even obsession. If you’re experiencing even an ounce of these difficult emotions around any aspect of your life, this month will be a blessing and a relief. It will present a ripe opportunity to transform them. Releasing these untrue beliefs will clear up space within you to be more expansive, trusting and sure of yourself. The waters around this are deeply vulnerable, but ultimately freeing—if you’re willing to swim in them. If anyone can do it, it’s you, Pisces. Dive deep and come out shining.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

ARIES :: ARIES RISING – Three of Wands

Three of Wands is a spectacular energy, one that is deeply creatively fulfilling. The month will be overflowing with excitement, potential and reason for celebration. This card comes up when we have worked—and worked you have, Aries. You know what it takes to fulfill your goals and dreams, and you have hustled to get there—now you get to experience the payoff for much of it. Honoring how hard you’ve worked, how far you’ve come, and what exciting opportunities lie ahead will be a delicious part of September. Much of what you have planted in the first half of 2016 will be in full bloom this month, ready to harvest and share with the world. Expect this time to be very sweet.

Also expect that you will start getting hungry (in a great way) for new projects, material and collaborations; to teach and learn on a whole new level. This will be awesome, and I highly encourage you to lean into it fully. Just as you have mastered and reaped the wonderful things you’ve been growing, you will begin to want to lay down new seeds: Three of Wands at its finest. Just go with it, and start planting those dream seeds, even as you celebrate.

The pace of this month for you, Aries, to quote Jim Gaffigan, might feel a bit like “you’re drowning, and then someone hands you a baby.” Sorry to say it, but as sweet as this month promises to be, the actual work load and intensity is not going to let up much for you. Its an amazing time, full of potential and an indication of all of the hard work you’ve been doing, but not much slowing down. The best thing to do is work within that structure. This month is really an opportunity to learn to integrate a bit more rest and fun within the breakneck pace, cultivating more ease in general. It is advisable to do this now, especially within the bridge of this month’s Mercury Retrograde, which is providing you with some organic resting points within the chaos. It will be a very busy, but amazing month for you in general, full of lessons and potential expansions.

Again, Aries, really celebrate yourself this month. Raise a proverbial glass to your hard work. Let any potential setbacks or disappointments become learning opportunities; don’t let anything break your stride too much. Let yourself dream big, and dive into your creativity fully.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

TAURUS :: TAURUS RISING – Four of Swords

September is an organic invitation to really rest, Taurus, avoiding any unnecessarily stressful, chaotic or frenzied situations. Taking a break from more dramatic friends or family members is also advised, as well as allowing for ample alone time to re-center through the month. Trust your gut completely on the amount of recharge time you need, as it truly will be the compass that guides you through a peaceful September. If you happen to be more open, empathic, or intuitive, the above advice will be a requirement, not a suggestion.

Four of Swords calls for a mental break, a true rest of the mind. It usually arises when we are in transition, or moving through something that is kicking up a lot of emotional dirt. The card’s energy actually serves to sweep away the debris, leaving us clear and lighter. Respect the fact that you might need more time to yourself this month, Taurus, and that that’s perfect for you. I mention that because FOMO can sometimes arise with this card, which can be painful—know that if you truly need to take a month away from people and recharge, you can honor that completely. They will still love you when you feel more called to be social.

It is wise to offer yourself as much space as possible during this Mercury Retrograde in Virgo, which is just going to want to make you curl up into your blankets and take it easy. Please treat yourself to that as often as you are able! This particular retrograde might be a little intense for you, especially around situations that make you insecure and more paranoid. You just might need a little more space to distinguish between whether something is your imagination or whether it is fact. Within this time of being more internal, emphasize sweetness and really treat yourself when you can. Make sure you are clearing yourself every day with sage, palo santo, and using selenite at night before you go to bed to cut any cords or release energy. Keep your third eye and crown chakra really beaming bright.

If you’re someone with very little personal time, don’t be surprised if the Universe helpfully hands you some more time to yourself: a shift to your child’s nap, a surprise work day from home, an evening obligation that gets cancelled. Just flow with the energy of the month, and take the chance to go within.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

GEMINI :: GEMINI RISING – Queen of Crystals

Err on the side of pragmatism this month, Gemini. Go slowly through September, ground yourself regularly and drop into the body before making big decisions. It is extremely advisable to be as classically oriented as you can with this Mercury Retrograde: not too many big decisions, not too many far reaching plans. Let it be a time that is more in than out, more thoughtful and mellow than energized. A good rule of thumb is if you feel really personally stretched, it would be wise to shelve what you possibly can until October.

Queen of Crystals, or Pentacles, is bringing a depth and a groundedness to your daily life that will be a deeply beneficial energy to your movement through the Retrograde this month. She’s slowing you down, and the main reason is because October is going to be bananas for you!

The fall will hold LOTS of movement, expansion and energy, so take measured steps while you can. Let this Queen show you the way. The Queen of Crystals is the holder of water and earth; she is the healer of the body and the keeper of wise ways. She is doing two things for you, Gemini, she’s slowing you down and bringing you into your body.

You can look at the latter as being very straight forward: emphasize physical exercise, nourish your body with foods that make your cells sing, hydrate like it’s your job, and love yourself up. Take baths, have beautiful sex and/or self-pleasure, go on walks, lay on the grass before it gets too cold. Soak up the fading summer days and meditate on this particular cycle for yourself: what worked, what didn’t, and what are you manifesting for the next cycle. This is all some beautiful Queen of Crystals body magic.

September is also the perfect time for you to review your finances, take an inventory of any areas of your life that need it, or to do a deep clearing of your home and space. Again, let this time be an intuitively pragmatic reflection, rather than a leap into new projects. You’re basically doing a full check in on everything in your life, inside and out. Embrace it fully and completely; it is a perfect time to get your ducks in a row for the upcoming season, both energetically and practically. Let your every step be a meditation on the present moment.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

CANCER :: CANCER RISING – Page of Cups

Travel deep into your magical weirdness this month, Cancer. I mean that in the best way possible! September’s energy wants you to come out and play. It wants you to trust yourself, to bathe in the waters of your imagination, to get back to a pure, childlike, magical place within your being. Like Gemini and many of the other signs this month, September is more of an internally directed time for you, Cancer, and it will be very wise to embrace this invitation. That doesn’t mean that it’s not aligned for you to be out and about, but there is a very rich inner landscape that awaits you this month. Do your best not to skip over it, as it contains many treasures.

Page of Cups is the embodiment of the child spirit, or in other words, a completely free and intuitively guided human being. Sensitive and individualistic, the free child spirit is able to express themselves from their heart, fully and totally. They are creative, imaginative and spontaneous, just like Page of Cups. The being on the card owns himself, wears what he wants, and doesn’t care if you don’t get him: he knows who he is and feels fabulous. Page of Cups is a full expression of love, magic, weirdness and creativity borne of the freedom to be fully ourselves.

The way back home to the child spirit within you, Cancer, is play. In order to play, our nervous systems must be relaxed. In order to have it be play, it means we don’t worry so much about what other people will think, or what it means to create what we are creating. We do it because play and imagination are the purest forms of channeling, and that’s the Page of Cups’ highest invitation for you this month: to expand your instinct, and to download new forms of connection with Divine that feel creative and joyous.

Look for the people in your life who express a Page of Cups frequency as inspiration. Be inspired by actual children, who are the perfect embodiments of this energy. For this month, do as your inner child does, or as a child would do, and notice how it makes you feel. Dive into your inner landscape and let it be fun, spontaneous and deeply creative. You might be very pleasantly surprised by what gets birthed from this free space.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

LEO :: LEO RISING – Four of Cups

Four of Cups is offering you a much needed and well deserved break in external engagements this month, Leo. It will be a potent opportunity for career advancements, personal projects, deep study into something new, or focusing on your health and wellbeing. Just be willing to create a little space between yourself and others this month, unless the person feels like true soul family. If it feels effortful, or if there are any “shoulds” involved, steer clear—at least for this month. The Retrograde is going to be extremely important for all Leos, providing an organic opportunity to clear away any past relationship karma, and to develop a new level of personal trust in your decisions. If exes come back up out of the woodwork this month, that’s great—you get the chance to definitively release them. Say bye and then block ‘em.

I always mention this in some capacity with the Four of Cups in my Tarotscopes: the traditional meaning of this card is, in my opinion, extremely misunderstood in one important capacity. Many people believe that there is deliberate self-sabotage happening with Four of Cups, that we are in some way making ourselves unavailable to new situations or potential relationships, saying no when we should say yes. I call bullshit. That fear (that we are going to miss something) is the very reason why we need Four of Cups energy in the first place.

The pure essence of the card is a wise inner break: an emotional clearing and a chance to go within and digest past experiences. This decision to heal and integrate is largely shunned in a culture that tells us to push through everything and to be on high alert constantly, lest we miss something. We can never, ever pass by what is truly ours. It will always find us. It is safe to trust in our decisions.

I mention this because it is important to trust yourself within this energy, Leo. Trust the time it takes you to heal, to clear and to ready yourself to engage again. You owe an explanation to no one. Four of Cups, like Four of Swords can bring up an intense feeling of FOMO; know that this is not only part of the card, but part of life. Don’t let it stop you from saying “no thank you” when your body is really asking you do. Trust yourself, go within, clear what is ready to be cleared—including self-doubt.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

TAROTSCOPES: AUGUST 2016

Cast by Lindsay Mack, using The Starchild Tarot.

 

Leo :: Leo Rising / Ten of Cups
Dear Leo, what a sweet month you have ahead of you. And it is so deserved. You’ve been frickin’ warriors the last few months, and now you get to bask in the fruits of your labor a bit.Recent months for you have ranged from a little tough to intensely challenging. I will remind you that the recent crunch has only been in service of birthing you back into your power, helping you remember your innate strength.

And you’ve said yes so bravely. Many of you have had to migrate from your homes. Many of you took the leap and quit your jobs, left your lovers, changed your life. It’s truly been a “do or die” time for your wild souls, and most of you are saying a passionate yes to yourselves. Embracing the medicine of the Ten of Cups is to choose to be available to the beauty of the present moment, however transient it might be.I’ve said this before and it bears repeating: the Ten of Cups is a rainbow; a sunset; a sunrise; a shooting star; a cool breeze on a hot night; the miraculousness of your child.

It is the full hearted understanding that there’s just this moment and that the moment is perfect, filled with treasures. The treasures are there, even though life surely will be filled with its relative challenges and uncertainty. You might not know where you’re going, Leo, but guess what? Neither does anyone else! You can drop the idea that you should know the next step. Who says? It’s just an old ego echo, keeping you from the sweetness of the moment. By boldly embracing the beauty of now, you’re daring to be grateful, to be vulnerable, to be awe-struck. You’re daring to live with your heart open.

True strength is weeping over a beautiful sunset, even though you might have zero dollars in your bank account; even though your marriage might be falling apart, even though you might not know what’s next. Just like the sun will surely set and rise, your bank account will fill again. Your heart will break and heal and be fiercer and brighter than it ever was. You will love again.

So the question is, can you hold both? The not-knowing and the awe? The fear and the wonderment? The dread and the excitement? If this moment is all there is, are you brave enough to choose the beautiful?

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Virgo :: Virgo Rising / The Fool
August is going to be incredibly exciting for you, Virgo. The month will be ripe with new possibilities and ideas, an immensely fertile time where nearly anything you want to create or manifest in your life will be within your reach. You do have to stretch your hand out to take it, but the fruit is on the vine, ready and waiting.

The sacred invitation of The Fool will be to leap boldly and bravely into the unknown, into the next great expansion of your life. Think BIG with this energy. The Fool is not foolish; the fool is the ultimate knower of truth. The Fool is willing to look foolish, all because only s/he knows what’s true for them. The Fool is inherently magical, a child in utero—in the world, but not. Anything is possible. The rules don’t apply. The Fool is card 0, the Void, the Starseed. This energy knows that to leap with a fearless heart into whatever we want most, into the unknown, is a commitment to personal expansion.

It is the jump that sets off an entire karmic journey, an entire wheel of experience, wisdom and teachings. It’s the beginning of a new level in your life, Virgo. You stand to gain everything, but you have to be brave. And I’m going to tell you right now: there is no road map for this jump. Don’t bother looking! There are no guarantees on paper, no assurances; there’s nothing to encourage or push you off the cliff—it has to be totally voluntary. It is that energy, that voluntary energy, that sets the whole beautiful cycle in motion. The more commitment you employ, the softer and more abundant the landing will be.

A gentle reminder: please don’t worry if the people in your life see your great leap as foolish. Thank them for their opinions, and leap anyway. Trust yourself. Trying to resist The Fool is exhausting and impossible; you can’t do it. To deny yourself the plunge is to deny your soul. Let them be concerned, but don’t stop for them. They don’t have to get it. Neither do you, in fact! If the dissenting voice is coming from your own mind, tell it “thank you” and just keep going. Leap forward, no matter what. I invite you to be brave, courageous and even a tiny bit excited in the possibilities of The Fool this month. Screw fear, screw resistance—just take the joyful leap forward.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Libra :: Libra Rising / Death
The Death card is bringing in deep “rite of passage” energy for you this month, Libra. It will be presenting the opportunity for important inner work to unfold within you, if you are willing to surrender to it. You will truly be walking from one world into another this month. Life will not be the same—thank goodness! The piece that’s most ready to be recycled in the Death card has to do with emotional calcification.

It is time to thaw and release old thoughts, behaviors and patterns. But even more to the point, it is time to consider that your emotional inner life can swirl around you without you letting it stop you or slow you down. THAT is what is ready to die and be reborn in a new paradigm within you. You are the ocean; your feelings are the waves. You can allow big and distracting emotions to be there without being ruled or controlled by them. It’s time to wring out these old experiences and let them become sacred fertilizer; let them become background music rather than your main event.

The Death work is important for your next big step, because it is carving out so much more room and space within yourself. The energy of the card is really coming through as a “spiritual death” for you, so treat it spiritually. Treat it with reverence. Do ritual or ceremony if it calls to you. Intentionally ask to release all that does not serve your highest expansion to the Great Mother and Father. Reconnect to the idea that you are actually rebirthing, not dying. There’s so much more to come. I strongly advise you to shower yourself with compassion this month. Be sweet to yourself, please, please. Be gentle. Be soft. Make it your most sacred, disciplined practice to regard yourself with tenderness, this month and always.

A lot might come up for you emotionally this month; or nothing might. Just intend to treat whatever arises with kindness. The Death card is here because you’re ready. It is here to compost the outdated processes and stuck emotions, turning them into what feeds the new growth inside of us. Can you imagine all you could do, accomplish and create without the old stories at the wheel? Imagine the joy. Surrender over to it and start feeding the new habits you want to cultivate—your new life. You are ready to step into it.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising / Six of Swords
Six of Swords brings an opportunity to use your mind in sacred objectivity, Scorpio; seeing the forest for the trees and understanding difficult things from a larger perspective. Genuinely rising above your circumstances, compassionately and calmly, is the potential of the Six of Swords. You have the chance of getting very clear on certain parts of your life that might feel dark, confusing or weedy in the thick of the situation. When you intentionally rise above the clang of the ego and brain, there will be so much more of an empowered perspective available to you.

You stand a much better chance of accessing this objective space with loving community around you, which is a huge part of this card. To have a chorus of dear friends and kin around you who can live as your trusted eyes and ears, the hands that lift you out of darkness, is imperative for you this month. Lean on them. If you don’t feel like you have that soul family around you, ask for them to come into your life. They will.

Remember: any Sword card is bringing a specific frequency, an invitation to master an aspect of our brain chemistry. We move through these—from Ace to 10, then from Page to King. At the end of the journey, we ideally will have gained more wisdom around how we think, communicate and move through the world; how we can be more aware of our complexes and ingrained patterns. Being in a Sword card means mastering some aspect of your thinking, Scorpio, so treat it that way. You have the chance to really rise above some old stuff this month. Lean into it hard.

The second thing is that it’s a Six. Sixes are an expansion following a contraction; the Fives in the Tarot are a much tougher lesson for the brain/ego. There’s more opportunity for luminosity and clarity in this card—in fact, that’s the point of it. This month, feeling the connection of community, friendship and empowerment through the journey out of the weeds of your thinking is the brightest treasure. You don’t have to be an island, Scorpio. Let people in. Let people help you. Be willing to be brave and vulnerable. Practice seeing the forest for the trees in any given situation this month, big or small. It’s a part of your mastery as a human being, so say yes to it.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising / Four of Pentacles
Honor your “energetic doorway” this month, Sagittarius. Be mindful of who you allow into your life, and what you open your door to. Not because anything bad will happen, but because your soul might be feeling more tender. There might be more of an instinctive call to be in your own company in August. If this is your experience, it is deeply wise to give yourself sacred space. Doing so will allow you to go deeper within, doing important boundary work. For some of you, you might need the space because you’ll be birthing or channeling new work. If that’s the case, take it!

Four of Pentacles is a woefully misunderstood card. Many folks believe it’s a kind of parable about being closed off and stuffy; holding your money close to you, Scrooge style, shut off from people and the world. That’s NOT what we are talking about here. Fours in the Tarot are a kind of white salt circle, inviting us to draw important lines in the sand around ourselves and the world. They are often very important to the health of the spirit, and it is imperative that we honor these circles with great integrity to self.

The Four of Pentacles is a energetic boundary card for the body and aura. On the Smith-Rider tarot card, the man is holding the coins over his head, heart and feet. His heart, crown and root chakras are closed for business for a little while. This is appropriate, and important, especially for those of you who are more social or work with people in a helping profession. Redraw the lines around where you allow people in, how you give people your space and time—redefine how you nourish yourself. It will be very important, so you can weed out emotional vampires, or where YOU may be reacting out of fear and ego to someone else.

Sometimes this card arises when we need to do some gentle inquiry on where our “stuff” pops up with other people: jealousy, comparison, making mini wars inside the mind. If you have someone in your life who makes you feel that way, Sagittarius, be willing to take some space from them. Inquire about why they trigger that in you. Clear out the wound. Gift yourself the space and time you need, loves. Get clear, and come back into the world refreshed and renewed, open in all ways.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising / The Hermit
This month is offering you the opportunity to deeply retreat into yourself, Capricorn. You are being invited to soften and listen to the subtle voice within you. To do this, we must explore the bones of how we get there in the first place.

Let us land on this word: retreat. Movement away from any stressful or exhausting situation so that our personal well can be refilled. How comfortable do you feel with this idea? Do you believe you deserve such a thing? Is it weak to take breaks and retreats? Do you long for it? Do you know how to give it to yourself? Do you feel that you are only effectual by “doing” and “making shit happen”? All such important questions. You have to check out your personal beliefs around The Hermit, around the value of inner time, before you can come to his cave on the mountains — if you don’t inquire, you won’t even get a foot out the door. That is the first step.

The second step is the journey there itself. How to journey to The Hermit an important piece, which is why you were asked to examine your beliefs around retreats. It’s important to know what blocks you, or you run the risk of just not showing up to greet The Hermit at all. It is a journey to get to him, to get to that place within ourselves. It is supposed to be—just like a retreat. We must live this journey, walk this journey. It’s a doing and a being, not an intending and a “thinking about”. We have to commit to the Hermit, just as we are invited to commit to ourselves. The how of dropping into The Hermit is just as important as the commitment to take the first step. Resolve to explore this within yourself this month, Capricorn.

The main medicine of The Hermit is very similar from sign to sign, from person to person: it is a sacred pause, a time of deep and mindful retreat, and an invitation to go within the self and commune with the wisdom there. It comes to teach us how to refill our own wells, how to listen and pay attention to the inner landscape. Say yes to the first steps, and it will feel as though everything in the Universe is a master teacher.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising / Strength
The Strength card has shown up as an initiation journey for you this month, Aquarius. It has nothing to do with physical strength; it is a mental, emotional, soul strength that is stoked and fired up with this card. It brings up an instinctive understanding that we must walk through a “night between two days” to truly know ourselves and what we are capable of. That is the initiation; to truly know the depth of your ability to walk through darkness and come out brighter than before.

You’ve been through this initiation many times before, Aquarius. You know that every time you step forward to place your hands on the lion, as the woman is doing in the Strength card, you are shown that what scares you or holds you back is nothing but vapor. Take big, brave steps—within those steps are the keys to a big personal expansion this month. The Strength card asks us to befriend something that scares us. To say yes to it—to invite it in and listen to what it has to say.

It is very similar to the Buddha inviting Mara in for tea; the more we say yes to the things that bring up fear, the faster they will dissipate. You’re being invited to regard whatever you’ve got going on in your life with the heart of a warrior, Aquarius. To be brave and courageous. To move, travel, tell them you love them, show everyone your art, tell your boss you’re quitting—to embrace the lion with softness and trust. Whether internal or external, this place of fear actually has a very important message for you. It is bringing a treasure, make no mistake.

For the more courageous you are this month, the more abundance will flow into your life—monetary or otherwise. You came here to live in a very different frequency than the rest of us, Aquarius. The more you claim it, the more your life will overflow with what you truly desire. That’s the mastery of the Strength card in the first place—to venture past what scares us into the medicine that lies on the other side of the fear. The medicine is truly that we don’t have to let fear stop us from being in our power. Any piece of you that doesn’t want to be seen in the realm of what you are passionate about is the piece to be untangled this month. Step up, speak up, be freed.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Pisces :: Pisces Rising / Ace of Wands
Ace of Wands is all about sharing with the world who you are and what you’re here to do, Pisces. An extremely valuable energy, it can feel like we are blazing forth through life on a wave of energetic passion in this card. Other times it can feel like a much quieter thing. No matter how it feels, use it. When we get the chance to create fire, we use it. Whether you’re crafting a little campfire to cook your food, or a bonfire to conduct ceremony with dozens of people, you have been initiated by fire and by creativity with this card. You must use it well, and share your gifts with the world.

The message that I keep getting for you this month, Pisces, is a deeply resounding: “you’re ready.” You’re ready. You’re always going to be the deep and watery starbabes that you are. It is really about finding a safe way to be out in the world and rock out your dream, blending fire with your water; whatever feels emotionally, psychically and mentally stable and consistent for you, walk in that direction. Some of you are doing this beautifully, but the heaviness of the world is still tough on any Pisces, mainly because you are picking up on all the heaviness, competition and blocked energy out there. No matter where the source of it springs from, it can be tough to bear after a while. How do you cope? You use the Ace of Wands.

You let the fire come through you to be a magical ally for the water within. In other words, you have to start working with the idea that while you might absorb a ton from others, it’s your responsibility to wring out the sponge. Cleanse it with your inner water, let it just flow through your nervous system and out the door—then blaze forth and keep going. You have much to do, and much to create, all flowing from the eternal energy of this particular Ace.

You’re ready, Pisces. Ready to “come out,” so to speak, ready to take up space, to claim your power, to live in your flow, your creative nature, and your freedom. Aces are gifts from God: so stretch your palms and heart open, willing to receive whatever inspiration will blaze you forth into your next great creative expansion.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Aries :: Aries Rising / The Star
Aries, do you remember “Mary Poppins”? She was the magical nanny who swept into the lives of Jane and Michael Banks, taking them on chalk painting adventures and to tea parties with penguins. When the parents have stopped “seeing” their children, when there is a disconnect within a family, Mary Poppins is called. She shows up (literally from the sky) to heal the divide, and stays until there has been a reconnection, a rebirth within the unit. She is the quiet healer of fractured families.

You’re in The Star this month, Aries, and the best way that I can describe the energy of this to you is that of an Aquarian Mary Poppins. She comes to the door with her magical suitcases, and doesn’t leave until the job is done. Her job is to heal your nervous system from past trauma, hurt, burnout, and fear, to reconnect you with your inner child. She doesn’t stir up; she soothes and calms. She integrates. She brings the dawn of a new hope, a new way within our being; she opens our hearts up to the Goddess. Once the work is done, she slips away so quietly we don’t even notice. The Star is here to heal any fractures within your being this month, weaving and reconnecting all aspects of your inner family web, making you whole again.

You cannot go forward without saying yes to The Star. Do you hear me, Aries? The invitation is not going to go anywhere, and to say a full hearted yes to this energy will make your life so much smoother. Don’t worry about the future this month, don’t worry about what’s next. You must rebuild before your next steps can unfold. You must clear, reintegrate, and allow for softness, gentleness, caring, and self-soothing. You must allow the healing to wash over you like a warm bath. There’s no other option for you this month.

Once you have space within your body, heart and mind, so many new things will flow in; so much more will be possible and available to you. Life will be easier and more luminous. This is the deep medicine of The Star. Healing as a requirement, and as a total restructuring of our foundation. Crack open the door to your heart open and let the Divine caretaker, the Star, the Goddess, heal your ancient wounds. Trust and set yourself free.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Taurus :: Taurus Rising / Nine of Wands
Building up and maintaining your energy wisely is August’s highest invitation for you, Taurus. It feels very much like you are poised on a divine diving board, waiting for the sound of the whistle that will kick off the swim meet. The entirety of the month might feel like you’re on that diving board in chair pose—knees bent, arms stretched out in front of you, building heat. The key will be to hang out in the excitement, intensity and anticipation without jumping the whistle. If you can sustain the build up, this month will be the energetic preparation for the next big leap in your life.

You are really being invited to explore what it means to choose rest within pressure, to find comfort within discomfort. Softness is always available to us, even within more pressured moments. Nine of Wands is a divine signal for us to emphasize physical and mental decompression during an intense energetic time. It is also an incredible sign of wonderful things to come—it really only arises when we are about to embark on a really powerful, energetic expansion. It is important and crucial that you have a full well to meet this new expansion with, Taurus, so take the nourishing rest where you can. If you push it too hard, you will burn out.

August’s key self care tools for you are: conscious breathing, grounding and good food. Starting with breath assures that you are consistently clearing out any stress or buildup of emotion. Grounding is an intentional connection to the Great Mother, to the heart of what it means to recharge and receive. You can start very simply: laying your body on grass, taking yourself to the Ocean, working with crystals. Lastly, make sure you’re feeding your body for health, stamina and wellness. It doesn’t have to be complex. Keep it very light and simple within the intensity of the energetic build up.

Remember, Taurus, this is all happening because you’re ready for a soul stretch! For a heightened ability to take on more passion projects. It’s a really juicy time. Really be present and mindful, say yes to active and empowered self care—it is all in the name of giving your body what it needs to sustain these high frequency energies without pushing yourself too hard. It is only bringing goodness your way. Hold the pose until you hear the whistle.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Gemini :: Gemini Rising / King of Cups
This month is a powerful leveling up for you, Gemini, especially around the areas of creativity, emotional balance and leadership. King of Cups is a really beautiful energy and a true emotional master. What does that mean? It means he is someone who has truly embodied what it is to differentiate between feeling and fact, and chooses to live exclusively in the realm of truth. The waters may swirl, storms may arise, but King of Cups understands that he is the unshakable container that holds everything—he knows that whatever he is feeling cannot be bigger than him, which is exactly what makes him a great leader.

As a result of this mastery, he is gentle and emotionally available. He’s a beautiful listener, and can weather most things. King of Cups is someone who can be of service even when they have a headache, personal issues, or stuff on their mind. It’s not that King of Cups is pushing, forcing or hiding anything he’s going through—he just knows how to walk in both worlds. He knows how to care for a headache and go about his day, all in the name of sacred service. August is going to give you situation after situation to invite you up into this mastery, too, Gemini—into the place of holding those two worlds within yourself. Even if you are not in healing work, this energy will be important and useful to you. It will make you better parents, lovers, co-workers and humans on the planet.

The first place to start is by doing deep inquiry and grounding work on your thoughts: are they feeling or fact? What are you believing? Are you more in the inner world than the outer world. Very important questions. The second is to step up into more service, whatever that means to you. Say yes to giving a little bit more. Be willing to consider that by being available to others, you’re also giving a healing to yourself. It will show and prove to you how expanded you are and how much more so you can become.

You will have so much more room in you for creativity, for psychic flow, and for mindful peace in this card, too. Once you loosen the slack on absorbing all the emotional business around you, you will see where this great emotional and intuitive leader lives in yourself. Be willing to be of service and not take it home with you—you have a lot more room on your plate than you believe you do.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

Cancer :: Cancer Rising / Four of Cups
Rest and digest is your mantra this month, Cancer. Live, eat, drink and breath this wisdom over and over again. Say no when it is really a no for you. Process what’s already come. Give yourself generous space and time socially, romantically and emotionally. It is imperative that you honor August as an important transition, a portal, one that has the potential to foster a deep and unshakable trust within you. It is here to help you embody that it is safe to rest and take breaks; that everything comes at the right time and you need not worry about missing anything. Truly.

The most important and challenging aspect of the Four of Cups is that of trusting our intuition. This card carries a golden medicine: that what is meant for us cannot miss us. Never, ever, ever, ever. Not even if we disregard it, slam the door on it, wreck ourselves with guilt, indecision, and longing over it. Whatever is ours will always come back to our doors effortlessly; you do not have to question or suffer over your choices this month, Cancer. The emotional break is exactly what’s needed, so give it to yourself.

When we continue to eat food after we are full, we can get a stomachache—and our emotional centers work in much the same way. Take the time and honor your spiritual digestion this month. Doing so will allow all that you’ve imbibed and absorbed over the recent past to really drain out of your system, clearing and making room for the new to drop in.

Honor the tough moments within this sacred integration and digestion with lots of self love; FOMO, or fear of missing out, can really arise with this card, and in a more existential way than we might initially perceive. But it’s all good—its just the brain, the ego, the inner little one. Simply scoop that part of you up, explain the truth to her (that we cannot miss what is meant for us), and keep honoring your sacred space. This is the way we evolve; living our truth and giving ourselves what we need while honoring our fears, worries and inner experiences. Doing so is not only facilitating the integration of that trust in the timing of your life, but also preparing a clean emotional slate for you to receive the new on.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

THE MOON SIGNS AT WORK IN YOUR CAREER

Sarah Gottesdiener, the artist behind the cult Many Moons workbook, breaks down how your Moon Sign plays a role in your career. PLUS! Numinous readers receive free shipping on of her site through July 13. Use the code: NUMI

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Some astrologers believe that your Moon sign reflects your most essential self, your intuitive make-up, your emotions and innate talents. As such, for any entrepreneur—where what you “do” is a fluid reflection of who you are—a connection to your Moon sign is essential.

For example, having my Moon in Gemini (with Cancer Sun and a Taurus Ascendent), could  explain why I’m obsessed with research and reading, and why my childhood dream was to illustrate and write children’s books. Also why, as an adult, I have many interests and endless subjects I am curious about, while almost everything I do professionally requires some form of communication, whether it is design, writing, or reading people’s Tarot cards.

Day-to-day, my Gemini Moon means I can be funny, charming, witty, and engaging. It is easy for me to communicate what I intuit, and to utilize messages from spirit and channeling while I give Tarot readings or write. All my clients know how much I love to chat and talk things out!

But I also have a moody side, to be sure, and having many different pursuits can also lead to feeling scattered, which in turn affects my nervous system and adrenals. I’ve also experienced having people think that my flirting is more than just a fun exchange.

For my Gemini Moon, as well as the smooth running of my business, serving my body through physical exercise is really important to me, and my nervous system. As is drinking enough water, meditating, getting enough sleep, and listening to my body. I did not do this at all until my 30’s—and if there is one piece of advice I could give to any person running their own business, it would be to prioritize this kind of practical self-care!

Below, I share some wisdom for each Moon sign at work…

Sarah’s Many Moons workbook has attracted a cult following

:: ARIES MOON ::
At your very best you are pure fire water, a flickering flame of warrior inspiration. Bold and brazen, most likely you are a natural leader. Put your ideas out there—they are almost always completely unique to your vibrant vision, and usually serve the greater good. Just know that patience, long-term commitment, and compromise are parts of the process.

:: TAURUS MOON ::
The Moon is exalted in loyal, steady Taurus, and financial fortune may favor you. Try to flex your manifesting muscles, particularly with Earth-related projects and possessions: tangibility is the name of your game. The key here is making sure your self-worth is strong, and that you feel emotionally secure, with all sensory modes intact and engaged. Accepting how lovely you are, inside and out, is the key to sharing and spreading and harvesting more harmony.

:: GEMINI MOON ::
Curious, whip smart, lively Gemini Moon! Overanalyzing and over-communicating your emotions will not help you: utilizing your strong gift of communication to engage others will. The need for variety is strong; spreading out your many intriguing versatilities amongst different projects and groups is a way to keep interest piqued.

:: CANCER MOON ::
Sweet Cancer Moon, what a kind delight you are. With your Moon in this placement you are most likely emphatic, supportive and sensitive. As the Moon rules Cancer, there could be a strong chance you are psychic, a healer, a deep nurturer. It is imperative that you address your own emotional desires and boundaries, and the needs of your highest self before taking on the energy of others.

:: LEO MOON ::
Liberated, passionate, Leo Moon! You expect r-e-s-p-e-c-t, you regal, royal creature. And you deserve it: when you share and give to those you love, they feel lit up with all the shining force and power of the Sun. Incorporate your natural gifts for play, dramatic flair, and creative expression as much as possible when you lead the pack.

:: VIRGO MOON ::
Virgo Moons are naturals at writing and analyzing. Health, healing, and self-care is of upmost importance to those of you with a Virgo Moon: don’t forget that tending to your SELF must take precedence. You could be happy to be working behind the scenes, since being of service is a natural state for you. When things are organized and well-structured, the sky is the limit for you.

modern women projects moon dress moon signs on The Numinous
Photo: Seth Gottesdiener

:: LIBRA MOON ::
The emphasis for those with a Libra Moon is emotional and inner balance. Harmony, peace, and beauty are a priority to you: Libra is ruled by Venus, after all. You might be straight up gifted at art-direction, hosting, and anything that involves grace and design. While you are at your best around others, don’t let the perception of having to cater to others’ needs swallow yours whole.

:: SCORPIO MOON ::
Scorpio Moon: passionate, penetrating, and powerful! Part of your lifelong struggle may be dealing with the “feelings vs. facts” equation that all emotionally vibrant, attuned beings on this weird rock of ours must reckon with. But when you’ve poured your endless energy into something you care deeply about, there is no stopping you. With the suggestion of psychic and intuitive gifts here, you might be a psychologist, an investigator, healer, a change-maker, a trail-blazer.

:: SAGITTARIUS MOON ::
Teacher, preacher, permanent student, wanderer, brutal optimist: those with a Moon placement in this sign do not want to be pinned down. You want to inspire and be inspired. You want to wake others up and expand your own limits. Design your life and work so that your love and passions get expressed through metaphoric or actual travel and different perspectives.

:: CAPRICORN MOON ::
A Capricorn Moon most likely will have no trouble paying the bills, advancing in a larger company, and thriving in a long-term relationship. You are high-achieving, capable, reliable, and realistic: what a wonderful relief in this flaky day and age! Let your impeccable standards serve as an example to others, and not a harsh expectation, an excuse for flagellation. Let others catch a glimpse of your huge and warm heart sooner than you might feel comfortable.

:: AQUARIUS MOON ::
A big advantage you have is your ability to see the bigger picture: the collective is an easy point of access for you. Your propensity towards originality and the avant-garde is a gift. Your vision is future-forward, wide, expansive, celestial—at times you might even feel like an alien observer. Put your formidable intellect to use and help us turn the page towards progress.

:: PISCES MOON ::
Those born with their Moon in Pisces are lovers, sweethearts, romantics, idealists, dreamers, and old-souls. You might have heightened gifts in multiple art forms. Nurture your creativity and helping nature, give it the time and space it deserves. Use the urge towards escapism in a healthy way by recharging in the wild, making art, and through channeling. Show us the value of your subtle power.

YOGI SAYS: ”HOW CAN I BE OF SERVICE?”

In a new column, yogi and philosopher Eddie Stern offers advice from a yogic perspective—with additional guidance from the tarot. This month’s question: “How can I be of service?” Artwork: Lucy Dyer 

artwork by Lucy Dyer on The Numinous

QUESTION: “All the recent socio-political unrest has left me feeling equal parts vulnerable and impotent. Alongside feelings of fear about what the future holds (environmental issues obviously play into this also), there is a huge sense of compassion for communities who’ve been affected directly and a newfound depth of empathy for all the displaced and marginalized people in the world. This has stirred up a desire to want to help in some tangible way, but it’s so hard to know where to start—and to not feel hopeless about the impact one individual can possibly have on such monumental global issues. How can I be of service?”

SUGGESTION: Knowing where to start is often the hardest part of service—the same way you might look at your kitchen sink after preparing a huge feast. Your sink will be overflowing with dirty dishes, pots and pans, fragile glassware and sharp knives, all covered in gook, and the thought of washing them, while you are tired and overfed, is overwhelming. Your initial thought might be to leave them for the morning, and perhaps you secretly hope that one of your guests or your partner will do it for you. However, while the whole mess is indeed completely overwhelming, washing just one single cup, or one plate, is not. If you start by washing just one dirty dish at a time, before you know it, the whole kitchen sink will be clean.

We can look at the world in the same way. For one person to clean up the whole mess of global warming, geopolitical conflict, poverty and hunger is not only impossible, it’s completely overwhelming to even think about. But taking personal responsibility for trying to do one thing better, and inspire others to do something better, is totally doable. In yoga, Sun Salutations—breathing slowly, and connecting each movement with one breath—teach us to embody a step-by-step approach to our lives. Further, if you can choose that one thing that you are going to work on or perfect about your behavior and attitude while here on our small, green and blue planet, you’ll also find that you are re-inspired, and will become filled with energy, inspiration and creativity.

In the Tarot, the Eight of Pentacles might be a good card for you to meditate on. This card shows a young man absorbed in his work; he is an apprentice, meaning that he is learning and perfecting a new skill, and has committed himself to hammering out the details that will lead to mastery. He works on one coin at a time, without stress, only moving on to the next coin when the one he is working on has been completed. The Pentacles are the suit of physical work, and are representative of the Earth energy. This is essentially what your question was regarding. Our planet Earth is a mess, what work can I do to help?

TAROT IMAGE

The first thing is to be grounded, stable, and practical, like the Earth; and then to take it one step at a time. Come up with a simple strategy that you can stick with, like the washing of one dish at a time. This is how a big job gets done. Your commitment to being of service to the world will strengthen and blossom when the job before you feels like it is attainable. The Eight of Pentacles also teaches us that we should not isolate ourselves for too long, for the kind of work you wish to do is not the work of one person.

We need spiritual friends to work with, and communities to develop who share our ideals, values and desire to be of service. Cleaning up the world is not the job of one person, it’s the job everyone! If you take it all on your shoulders, it will just be depressing. So look around, see what is close by that you can take participate in, or what you can create from scratch. After you have taken small steps, you can build bigger teams if you wish to, delegate more, and fulfill your vision of creating a more loving, compassionate world.

Discover more about Eddie Stern and his work here. Do you have a question for “Yogi Says”? Email: [email protected]

TAROTSCOPES: JULY 2016

Cast by Lindsay Mack, using The Starchild Tarot.

CANCER – Wheel of Fortune 

 

Happy Birthday, sweet Cancer! What a complex and beautiful energy you’ll be in this month with the Wheel of Fortune—a card that sometimes blesses us with her presence when we have left this moment and drifted off into the future. Honestly ask yourself, Cancer: have you been you checked out of your life in some ways? If so, ask yourself why this might be. Is some aspect of the present feeling uncomfortable, unpleasant, overwhelming, or unfair? Is there a struggle to trust that the future will unfold as it is meant to if you don’t plan every moment?

Be gentle with these inquiries, but be willing to go deep with them. Wherever there is resistance to the present moment is exactly where you must offer your attention and curiosity, especially for this month. The alchemy of the Wheel of Fortune happens when we make the commitment to keep our eyes on our own paper; that’s when we begin co-creating our future with the Universe. The magic happens when we foster this trust in the Divine and loosen the reins on our old methods of control. When there is more space within us, there is more room for the new! This month is about making that room and coming back to ourselves.

Just go slowly and give 100 percent to whatever happens to be in front of you. If you find yourself off in tomorrow or next year, come back home. You’re at choice all month, Cancer. Be willing to make the best of it. Write that letter. Go to the dentist. Wash your dishes. Just be HERE. The rest will come with ease, and it will be glorious.

The day-to-day of the Wheel of Fortune is not always going to feel like much is happening and that’s totally appropriate. The card will always be zeroed in on the minutia of our lives, and whatever is of most importance in this moment. Whatever is here is forming the bridge to the next phase of our lives, even if it doesn’t seem like it. This month gives you the chance to be totally empowered and responsible for the foundation of your future, Cancer, for the unfolding of your dreams. With each moment spent in the present, you create the conditions and the foundation for the future you want. Show up for it.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

LEO – Eight of Cups

 

July is about transformation for you, Leo: empowered, powerful transformation. The month is going to be beautifully cathartic for many of you, and will have a lot to do with moving through transitions that will be life changing. You’ve been working your butt off for the last few months. Many of you have been in rebalancing mode, steadying your nervous systems and brain chemistry after some massive life swings. Now you have your ducks in a row; your feet are on the ground, your emotions are in check, and things will be so much clearer.

This is the perfect planting ground for Eight of Cups magic, as we need a healthy clarity of emotion in order to transform our lives in a powerful and balanced way. A huge aspect of this month for you, Leo, is about being willing to release aspects of your life that are no longer serving you. Being brave I staking out a new path, in a new direction—and not because you’re restless, bored or scared, but because its time. Every single one of you have an aspect of your lives to bless and release this month, effectively transforming that area and opening it up to new opportunities, loves, places and things.

After all, it is only when we make space in our lives that we can be open to receive the new—even if many of the things being let go of this month are things you may have worked hard for. Blood, sweat, and tears hard. Many of you devoted yourselves, sacrificed, tried, went to therapy, put in extra hours; cared for these aspects of your lives and were committed to making them work. Honor this work with all of your soul. Do ceremony and ritual to close the cycle. Speak and write about them; mourn them. In doing so, you’re honoring the preciousness of this life.

That nothing is permanent. That in order to have the beautiful garden we desire, we must weed the garden we currently have. This takes guts, something you have in your DNA, Leo. So rather than bemoaning the loss of something outgrown that you worked so hard to maintain, bless your humanness. Bless your work, your effort and your love. Bless your desire to keep going, too. Bless all life has given you up to now, and then take the next first step forward.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

VIRGO – Page of Cups

 

July has some real sweetness in store for you, Virgo. The invitation of the month is to dive deeply into your magic, to revisit your imagination, and play with abandon. Page of Cups is a gorgeous, whimsical energy, one that holds the dual element of water and earth. The water in Page of Cups can flow to magical realms with ease, because it is grounded and held by the loving embrace of its earthy side.

That is what you are going to be exploring within yourself this month, Virgo: how your earthiness allows you to stay steady and grounded while you fly to other worlds, have amazing experiences, get lost in the joy of the moment, or try something new. You’re going to be learning a whole new side to your Earth element—how it can dance with water, and how it can be a foundation for magic in your life.

Hanging out in this place of grounded dreaminess is the crux of the whole month for you. Because from here a lot of new gifts can flow in, which is really why Page of Cups is the master energy of July. You know how to work, Virgo. Now its time to learn how you can get the same satisfaction and abundance from play and ease. July’s energy feels a lot like a denouement after a climax; there has been so much expansion and shifting in the energy for you guys in the last few months, and now there’s a kind of a cooling off. It is no less exciting and wonderful than any other energy, just a little easier and more mellow. So much more flow will be possible.

You’re learning new ways of being on the planet with Page of Cups, Virgo; accessing the sweetness, magic and joy from the mundane moments of your life. You’ll have access to that energy all month long—if you’re willing to allow it to flow in. If you do, it will change your life, lighting up all of the beautiful possibilities that lay around a corner or just beyond our imagination. This is the perfect month to get into a new healing or magical modality, to play with a new tool or splash in the ocean like a child again. Whatever brings you to those places of preciousness or imagination, dive deeply and explore.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

LIBRA – The Universe

You are entering an evolutionary portal this month, Libra, one that will radically shift your life in a multitude of ways. Get ready for some big and beautiful upgrades in July, ushered in by the beautiful energetic waves of The Universe. It has been such a gift to track the expansion of Libra as a sign these last few months. You guys as a whole have been working SO hard, have been surfing such enormous waves—and if the past has been a challenging pregnancy; July is when you’re finally going to give birth. You’re finally on the edge of the next karmic cycle of your life, and it is going to be glorious.

The Universe, or World card, marks the end of the Major Arcana. It is the completion of an entire cycle of growth, expansion and wisdom. It has been said that the World card is not the end of a chapter, but the closing of a book. We will put this book back on our shelf, and we won’t revisit it in the same way again. For each of you, there is an aspect of your life, whether huge or mundane, that is ending permanently—and all for the better. The World always brings joyful change, change we desperately desire, and the promise of a whole new cycle of continued expansion ahead.

The main thing for you to digest this month, Libra, is that you don’t have to do anything to access this rebirth. You have created and called it to you by virtue of your hard work, and your willingness to move through all of the energetic invitations in front of you. You have said “yes” to every aspect of your evolution, and now there’s a gift at the end of the rainbow—the ability to permanently leave behind an old, outdated aspect of yourself, and blossom into the authenticity of who you really are.

This takes courage, willingness and trust; heart and soul. You’ve got it all, Libra, everything it takes to move into this new time. The intensity of the last few months hasn’t been just a shitty time—its been squeezing out the old beliefs that talked yourself out of your magnificence, out of what you deserved, and into victimhood, blame and excuses. All of that is ending, and a new way is beginning. All you have to do is allow it.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

SCORPIO – Seven of Swords

 

Seven of Wands is a very complex energy, one that is working in subtle ways for you this month, Scorpio. It is about both the upgrading of an old thought pattern, AND the chance to speak and defend your desires in some way that will be truly transformative. Both of these central concepts will be woven together for you in July, providing the framework for a very powerful, internally fruitful month around your career, passions and endeavors.

Sevens in the Tarot have to do with inner work around an external thing; whatever it comes up around totally looks like an outside job. We are often focused on how that aspect of our lives looks, appears or seems—we might be busy with how the lives of others look and seem, too. Whenever we get a Seven, it is a redirection of our energy from external to internal. The Seven of Wands is specifically inner work around outer artistic goals and appearances. So, the first invitation of the month for you, Scorpio, is to inquire as to why external acknowledgement is important to you around that particular area of your life.

If you feel that it will give you something you are seeking, know that there’s no way you can get anything externally without first receiving it from yourself internally. Be willing to seek proof of this; see how much more flows into your life when you approve of yourself without comparison. When we are clear in who we are, we can honor, defend and speak to this. So share who you are, Scorpio: your truth, not your image. Look at all the places in your life you can be more raw and honest. Defend your position without fear that you will lose status or fall. Honor where you are and what you think without censorship.

When we understand that we cannot lose anything we are meant to have, our truth becomes easy to express. The other very subtle energy sweeping through you this month, Scorpio, is that one particular outdated thought pattern is being upgraded for a much truer, braver, more aligned operating system. Release any perception that you have to be anyone other than who you are, allow a new leader in the mind to rise up, guiding you to a renaissance in the way you create and share your art in the world.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

SAGITTARIUS – Akashic Records

 

This is an magical month for you, Sagittarius! A new paradigm within yourself and your life is now available to you, and you will be walking in a sacred energy not seen in any other Tarot deck. * The actual Akashic Records are said to be a sort of cosmic hall of records, in which everything in the Universe that has ever happened or will ever happen is housed. It is also said that we can access this information at any time, if it is in our highest and best interest, in order to receive wisdom and answers about our lives.

The Akashic Records is also a card in Starchild Tarot, and this month it brings brings magnificent tidings for you, Sagittarius—for it is bringing you into full alignment and embodied understanding of how your wishes and desires line up with your soul path. Opposed to the things we might want, desire or wish for in the Earthly realm, our soul path always lines up with our deepest soul desires, and they can align fully if we can honor the balance between what we are here to do and what we desire to cultivate.

You will be working with and living in the energy of the Akashic Records this month, which means that you’ll be experiencing what it is to be in co-creation with the Divine when it comes to your life now. So, on one level, there is a deep honoring of your dharma, your karma, your soul path, and what you’re here to experience, master and move through. What you truly long for—yes, THAT—will be taking root within the garden of the Divine this month. You are truly ready to receive it, and it will come with great wisdom and medicine.

You will also be unlocking an inner knowing that is crucial to receiving what you’ve longed for: an understanding of how what you have been desiring fits into your soul path. If one of us is here to master self-love, it is crucial that we walk solo in the world for a time. If we are here to master brain chemistry, we’re going to move through many mental ups and downs before centering. Expect life to radically shift for you this month, Sagittarius. You are moving into an alignment with the Divine, in total surrender and co-creation; see how what you desire blossoms from that place.

*this card was channeled and added to the Major Arcana by Danielle Noel, creator of the Starchild Tarot

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

CAPRICORN – Ten of Crystals

What a glorious month you have ahead of you, Capricorn. Ten of Crystals, or Pentacles in the traditional tarot, is such a rich energy; a treasure trove of blessings. There is so much abundance, healing and expansion possible within the month for you, if you are willing to allow it in.

So, firstly, congratulate yourself, Capricorn. It has been one hell of a ride for you during the last few months, and you’ve handled it beautifully. There has been so much willingness to move through uncomfortable soul growth; even when you hated it, you still said “yes.” Secondly, this beautiful energy is here this month because of all that hard work—it is showing you the harvest for soul work, rather than human/ego work. This is a crucial distinction, because the latter being replaced by the former is exactly why the last few months have been such a crunch: you’ve been evolving. Evolution is always inherently stressful to the brain and nervous system, but almost always means a wild and beautiful soul expansion.

Ten of Pentacles is the culmination of a cycle of work that yields to a beautiful harvest. The journey to that bountiful place is often difficult and challenging, but ultimately rewarding beyond expression. When we are in this card, we are in an incredibly abundant time, financially, spiritually, emotionally and physically. It is a moment when everything comes to fruit. It is also a card that speaks of healing a family legacy, too. Our choices have stretched back energetically and have taken us way beyond what our parents or their parents did, and rightly so. When we honor our path, despite the conditioning we have received, we can open to all that we desire and all that is here for us. It’s a beautiful energy, and one that you have worked your ass off for, Capricorn.

The key to the presence of the Ten of Pentacles in your month is that we only can receive its richness when we are aligned with our true soul path—not what we think we “should” do, or what others tell us they think we should do. The evolutionary upgrade that Capricorn has been in has been devoted to ending ego and struggle. July will be a perfect chance for you to witness how beautiful life can be when you surrender, allowing life to flow from your aligned path, rather than a place of fear or control.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

AQUARIUS – Five of Crystals 

You are continuing with your mastery around lack, scarcity and fear this month, Aquarius. Five of Crystals, or Pentacles, is traditionally a contraction card. It’s often viewed as a negative, difficult energy, although it has NOT shown up like that for you this month. It is important to know that right off the bat. The Five of Pentacles is only a mindfulness bell, showing you where your beliefs are not in line with your truth. Anytime we have a disruption between our thoughts and our truth, it’s going to create stress of some kind—that’s what this card is waking you up to, Aquarius, so you can smooth it out and expand through it.

Somewhere, for each and every one of you, you’re carrying a belief that is making you feel small, scared and desperate. Maybe even slightly, but it is there. Be really willing to explore this within yourself, because that’s what this card is in service of this month: correcting and rewiring any untrue beliefs. This is so important, because when we feel scarcity, lack or fear, it takes us out of alignment with our flow and truth. It can tend to make us more frantic or desperate, perhaps even in one specific area. Ask yourself: do you trust in the flow of the Universe in all areas but one?

It’s important to ask, because, ironically, the more we feel that begging, scared energy, the tighter we become and so the less we receive. Money, love, help, guidance and community cannot flow through a blocked drain, just as water cannot flow through a hose with a knot in it. So untie the knots and see how much more abundance floods your life. It’s a critical shift for you, Aquarius, and this might be coming up around an area that feels really sensitive right now. Go through it as gently as you can, but do explore it. Nothing will be able to get into your life until you do.

Five of Pentacles is a feeling, not a fact. We are never, ever truly out of alignment with the Universe, but we can squeeze ourselves out of receiving through believing something that makes us experience a tightness of spirit. This also has to do with anywhere that you feel you are undercharging—especially if this comes from anything less than an overflowing personal well. Check your energy levels. Be really clear about where you are, and then honor it.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

PISCES – The Sun 

Understanding, clarity, warmth, truth and rebirth. These are just some of the beautiful qualities of your July, Pisces. Like a warm beam of sunlight on cold skin, this month is going to unravel you in the most delicious way possible. Expect to feel better than you have in a long time; there is nothing but goodness in store for you this month.

The Sun comes after The Moon card in the Tarot, the latter being a very intense card, often having to do with the void, old traumas and life being obscured in some measure of darkness. This is worth mentioning for you, Pisces, because the Moon card in the Tarot is ruled by your sign. You know how to surf and float through huge emotions, depths and times of darkness. You understand, innately, what the flow of the Moon feels like; each day, each moment a little more full or waning. And because you are the master of this, The Sun will feel so much sweeter. As cliched as it sounds, we cannot have the light without the darkness, which is why this month will be so brilliant for you.

The Sun is offering you the chance to fully embrace your innate nature, Pisces. It will provide a framework of appreciation and gratitude for your brilliant ability to coast in times of choppiness and changeability. The Sun’s energy brings us back to a childlike heart, back to the simplicity and to the empowerment that comes with self-acceptance and self-love. It also provides literal clarity, both in the form of light and answers. Light pours on every crack and cranny of our lives when we are in The Sun, helping us see things as they truly are. This card can bring deep joy, but more importantly it brings illumination. It brings answers to long held questions. It brings acceptance and forgiveness. It helps us to embrace all that we are, all that we’ve become. It’s a beautiful energy, and will radiate from your being this month, Pisces.

The last wisdom to offer about this card is that you can trust it. It is safe to come into the sunshine and the warmth. Explore any fear around that; the only fear there is of your own brilliance, anyway. So shine your light, let it beam out of you—know that you have been the light in the dark this whole time.

This is a good month for Pisces, especially those of you who are healers, artists or helping profe King of Cups wears a mask to do his healing work in the world. Not a bad mask, but one that allows him to hold both a private experience and a public face; and he can do this because he is a gentle leader, one who is coded for service.

Basically what this invitation means for you, Pisces, is that it’s time to get back into the flow of life. To show up. To speak your truth, share your wisdom, and to not hold back. The world really needs you. It needs you in your joy, in your light, healthy and happy. You have overflow, so use it. A gentle invitation to those of you who, at this moment, might feel miles away from this place of energetic abundance, this place of balance and generosity: remember you can always choose the willingness to stay open to the possibility of a different way of seeing, doing, and being.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

ARIES – Ace of Pentacles 

The name of the game for you in July is all about receiving, Aries. Are the doors and windows of your life open to gifts and grace? How much goodness and ease is able to flow in to you? This inquiry will be a very important one for you this month, and there will be consistent invitations to widen your channel of receiving; these invitations will come in many forms, so keep your heart open for them.

There are a gorgeous and magical worlds contained within the Ace of Pentacles, which is a seed of possibility and fruitful abundance. All Aces are spiritual teachers, containing gifts straight from the Divine. The Aces don’t always offer specific physical items—instead, they ask us to be available to receive the energy of whatever they carry, regardless of the form it comes in. The Ace of Pentacles lives in the realm of money, abundance, gifts, newborn babies, homes, and the body. Pentacles are about living spiritually on the material plane, so the Aces represent all that can be attained within this balance. It’s a beautiful, welcome medicine, and is here with some deep gifts.

For you, Aries, the time has come to truly embody that you will receive more from being open and rested than being exhausted and burned out. This month will flex your trust and ease muscles in a big way; let’s take actual money, for example. The more you understand that you only ever receive abundance directly from the Universe’s bank account, the more any monetary stress, strain, pressure and planning can be dismissed and upgraded. This Ace is both a gift and a healthy challenge in this realm; how easy are you willing to let it be?

The Ace of Pentacles is, above all, a seed. This is important to embody, because seeds don’t look like forests. They don’t look like the flowers and trees that they become. Be open and available to any gift this month, Aries, no matter what it looks like. The key is receptivity, openness and ease. You will be asked again and again this month to let it be easier; to upgrade your willingness to receive rather than cultivate. Feeling this connection to the abundant flow is our birthright. Once you can consider that there is a lush garden of Divine abundance around you, the harvest becomes a joy.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

TAURUS – Ace of Cups

Let the love flow in this month, Taurus, both from yourself and the external world. Let everyone and everything beautiful around you be your mirror, so you can begin see your own beauty, specialness, uniqueness and wonder through the eyes of those who love you. Even a beautiful sunset or a flower; as I said before, in this card, the world is your mirror.

The Ace of Cups is about love; falling in love, allowing yourself pleasure, being cleansed and washed anew. This may or may not be a month to receive new love from another, but it is certainly a month to receive love from yourself. This is the soul of the Ace of Cups, and the deepest teaching of the Cups as a suit, I think: that love is an inside job first. We must be willing to receive it from ourselves before we are able to receive it from another. And as in partnership, it’s not what you say, but what you do that counts.

July gives you the opportunity to clean up your inner dialogue, Taurus, to upgrade it to reflect new language and new forms of self care and kindness. Be kind to yourself, dear one. Honor and bless yourself, wholly and completely. Let this whole month be a ritual in self-celebration. If it makes you uncomfortable, it is exactly what you need. The Ace of Cups is not only upgrading the ways in which you love and regard yourself, it is also upgrading the love and relationships you have around you. If you desire a partner or community, the work and rewiring you do on yourself will open the door to brand new interactions and connections on that front. It will open your heart and open your channel.

Any and all relationships in our lives are mirrors; what are yours reflecting to you, Taurus? The love is there—you just might need to polish your mirror a bit so you can see clearly. If you allow pleasure into your inner life, you will multiply it 1000-fold externally. If you love yourself and regard yourself with worth, there will be more outer reflections of it. The more we love ourselves, the clearer the mirror becomes. Go slowly, go curiously, go gently. Consider it might be the most natural thing in the world for you to fall in love with yourself. The cup is right there; drink deeply, Taurus.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

GEMINI – Ten of Wands

Have you heard the term, “fool’s errand,” sweet Gemini? The Webster’s dictionary defines it as: “a task or activity that has no hope of success.” So often we can wind up in one of those, no? So wrapped up in our thoughts, beliefs and stories that we don’t take time to consider: is what I am doing sustainable? Is it manageable? Do I need to ask for help? In this case, Gemini, it goes no, no…and YES. It is not your hopes, dreams and dearest desires that are the fool’s errands—it is how you are attempting to fulfill them that needs an upgrade.

Not the what, only the how is unsustainable. And that’s what this month is dedicated to correcting. As such, you must ask for help, Gemini. You must. ask. for. help. You’re at a critical point right now, one where there is an opportunity for massive personal and external transformation. If you’re lost or struggling, ask for advice and then take the advice. If you’re burned out and exhausted, burning the candle at both ends, drop the story that fried equals productive. There is a happy middle ground that you have yet to master, Gemini. You can come up for air. You can take breaks. You can let people in; you can be vulnerable. You can ask for help.

How? Be willing to see the support that surrounds you. Be willing to see how much easier it can be if you can offer yourself a moment here or there. There is another facet of Gemini that this card is speaking to very specifically: yes, the totally hidden inner life you keep so secret. I’m talking to those of you who’s co-workers, friends and even loved ones would never know how full your plate actually is (Gemini men, I hope you’re hearing me).

This month, crack the door of your heart open to someone that can support the whole you. If this isn’t a partner or colleague, journal about it or see a therapist. It can be equal parts relief and painful to have such a good poker face that no one knows what’s really going on underneath. But it’s time to be brave and really let someone in. Because it can be easier, Gemini. It can be so, so, SO much easier. You have the chance to upgrade your operating system this month, in ways subtle and overt. Take a break, rebalance, ask for assistance. You deserve it.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

5 SIGNS I NEEDED A SPIRITUALITY DETOX

When your practice becomes a crutch it could be time for a spirituality detox, says Victoria Cox. Artwork: Elayne Safir

Elayne Safir

I’ve been fascinated with the esoteric side of life since I was a little girl, but in recent years I’ve been delving a little deeper. Kundalini yoga, tarot, energy healing, astrology, crystals, meditation. You name it, I’ve probably tried it.

And lately I began to notice that whenever life got more intense, I would lean a little harder on these practices.

I’d pull a tarot card every day (okay, sometimes several), check five or more astrology sites religiously, and my morning meditation schedule became a non-negotiable. To the point I began to wonder if, instead of utilizing these practices to gain a deeper meaning of life, I was using them to numb out. After all, I was no longer experiencing the blissful results and striking insights I’d encountered initially. Simply put, the whole thing was starting to make me feel neurotic.

So, what was a girl to do?

In a twist of irony, my question was actually answered during an energy healing session. After listening to me whinge about how I was working so hard on myself yet my anxiety levels were creeping higher, I was informed I was being put on a month-long “spirituality detox.” In short, it was time to cut the woo-woo and get grounded.

Here are the five signs that showed me I was in need of a spirituality detox. If anything sounds familiar, you might decide to join me…

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A daily practice becomes a daily obsession
For me this was Kundalini meditation. At first, the results were impressive; I was calmer throughout the day and found myself less likely to get sucked into life’s dramas. Yet, as external challenges mounted, I became more rigid about my practice. I had to do it no matter what.

There were mornings where I woke up tired yet pushed myself through the practice, counting the seconds until I was finished. My morning “meditation” was beginning to feel more like bootcamp, and I was no longer enjoying it. As a result, the benefits I’d experienced when practicing from a place of reverence, began to ebb away.

Pursuing spirituality for personal gain
Over time I’d acquired a toolbox of sorts to deal with life’s rough patches. If was feeling anxious, I journaled about my feelings. If I was feeling uninspired, I meditated. If I wanted to create something new in my life, I would use visualization techniques.

These tools were extremely helpful in getting me through hard times, but I was starting to use them in the good times too, to satisfy my ego desires—opposed to spiritual yearnings. And then when life didn’t go exactly the way I wanted it to, I became angry. I realized that in using these practices this way, I was buying into the idea that the the Universe somehow “owed me”—and was mystically designed to reward selfishness, when actually the opposite is true.

Self-helping vs. self-medicating
I noticed a pattern of behavior that went something like this: waking up after a boozy night out I’d feel a familiar sense of self-loathing about having drunk too much. To alleviate these feelings, I would head straight to a yoga class to clear my head.

Feeling better about myself, I would then come home and have a glass of wine—undoing all the good work I’d done in class! I was essentially using my practice as a quick-fix means to feel better in the moment while ignoring the real issue (why I’d drunk too much again)—instead of a way to learn about myself on a deeper level.

Searching for the next spiritual fix
Living in New York, there are a classes and workshops offering every spiritual answer under the cosmos. Energy healing; Chakra cleansing; Past-life regression. You name it, it’s here. While this is wonderful in many ways, I noticed how the sheer abundance of choice made it feel like there was always one more thing to try.

I began to convince myself that I needed to do every treatment, attend every event. I was treating these revered spiritual arts like a mass consumer, always looking for more instead of stopping and simply asking myself what I was trying to heal.

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Spiritual neurosis
I discovered that my motives were becoming completely anti-spiritual, as I indulged in a sort of metaphysical materialism. Over time my beloved practices had morphed from a source of comfort into a supposedly mystical way to manifest my worldly desires.

Instead of wanting to go to a sound-bath at the end of the week to relax, I felt I had to go—or I would be missing out on some great revelation about myself. I wasn’t. I was living my life wrapped up within my ego’s neuroses instead of living from my heart.

***

Once I saw clearly how I was misappropriating my spiritual practice, I asked my energy healer what I needed to do.

Her prescription?

No mind-altering substances (i.e. alcohol) for 30 days. Stop reading or engaging with all esoteric information. Cease all meditation. Stop all energy practices or group healing

Instead?

Spend time on grounding activities such as house-cleaning. Practice intense cardio exercise. Sleep and rest. Spend time in nature. Take plenty of salt baths to detox the body and drink lots of water.

Initially it seemed like too big of a pill to swallow. But as I deleted my astrology and tarot apps from my phone I already began to feel lighter. When my alarm went off at 7am for my morning meditation I almost squealed with pleasure at the thought of sleeping for an thirty extra minutes. I relished the empty weeknights where I didn’t have some class to attend.

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I knew it was the right thing to be doing simply because it felt so damn good. I felt like a child taking a month off from a very strict boarding school. Admittedly the hardest part for me was not drinking alcohol; I didn’t partake during the week, but I’ll be honest and admit that I still dabbled, albeit lightly, some weekends.

And once the thirty days were up? There were some practices, such as Kundalini yoga, that I was dying to get back into—simply because they made me feel better. But there were others, like my incessant tarot card pulling, that no longer held any appeal.

Most importantly, my experience taught me far more about myself then I’d learned in my obsessive pursuit of all things Now Age. I learned that the spiritual path is a long and meandering one; that there are no quick fixes or shortcuts.

Most importantly it taught me to listen to my heart instead of my head, and to always ask myself if what I’m seeking is in service of enlightenment or egotism.

Have you had a similar experience to Victoria? Share your thoughts with the Numinous tribe Instagram and Facebook, or in the comments below…

SELF-ENQUIRY BY SIGN FOR THE GEMINI NEW MOON

A reading for the Gemini New Moon – PLUS the essential questions for each sign to journal with, to make the most of the cosmic energy…By Hannah Ariel

gemini new moon 2016 the numinous

“Wisdom lies neither in fixity nor in change, but in the dialectic between the two.”
–Octavio Paz

Gemini is easily misunderstood. We use words like “tricky” and “flighty” and “fickle” to explain this sign’s ability to weave in and out of worlds of ideas, concepts, and even illusions. But replace these words with ARTFUL, playful, adjustable, and you get a picture of the kind of magical thinking, the sheer ingenuous creativity that is Gemini.

With the moon in Gemini, we are naturally oriented to move between intellectual realities—and yet for all our mental processing, the conscious expression of this astrological placement would be to arrive at something that resembles a decision; a perspective; a point of reference.

This year’s Gemini New Moon (June 5th at 15 degrees) is an opportunity to get CLEAR about what to do next, particularly in regard to our personal CREATIVITY. Our relationship to our creativity and our relationships to the people who either bring the juiciness out or just suck the fun out of it will also be highlighted.

Prior to the Moon and the Sun joining forces, Venus will have been moving alongside the Sun in Gemini all week to clarify a connection between what we think we want, what kinds of interaction our personality craves, and if we are living this truth.

Venus in Gemini isn’t as sentimental as it is logical. Information is valued. Ideas are valued. The sensible application of the two is valued. At this time, it will seem like simple logic to do away with what no longer tickles your fancy. Seriously. If you’re not being stimulated, excited, and delighted, then it’s a time to think about why, and which part of your personality is being ignored.

This Gemini New Moon is also precipitated by a GRAND MUTABLE CROSS. What the heck is that? Why does it matter? What will it mean?! Well, to get technical about it, this cross is a squaring of energy—a confrontation so to speak—of four planets in all four mutable signs: Sun/Venus/Moon in Gemini in opposition to Saturn in Sagittarius meets Jupiter in Virgo in opposition to Neptune in Pisces. PHEW!

This configuration is not meant to confuse but to bring you closer to what is, what isn’t and what will continue to be true for you. A Grand Cross asks us to deal with conflicting realities head on to create one NEW one. Unsettling? Sure. Scary? No. Just be prepared to make BIG decisions this summer…decisions that will carry you into a whole new creative cycle.

In beginning this self-enquiry, included below are some questions to aid you in a journaling ritual this Gemini New Moon. Engage. Keep it real with yourself. And keep in mind, with Neptune about to go retrograde June 13, your answers may not appear logical to anyone but you—so simply follow your OWN intuition.

This your opportunity to clear the decks, to create as much clarity as possible, and make room for some brilliant breakthroughs.

*These are suggestions for your SUN SIGN. However, if you know which house in your chart the New Moon will take place in, take this into consideration too.

**As much as Gemini rules writing and self-reflective journaling it also rules conversation. Cerebral discussions, heart-to-hearts, and astrological and/or tarot consultations of all kinds are favored right now. The key is to make this energy work FOR you, so don’t get dragged around by the universe. Get in the middle of it. Think about it. DO something about it.

:: ARIES :: 
Where am I channeling my mental energy? Where am I getting lost in mindless chatter? How can I speak more of my truth? What mental myths need to be dismantled? How can I see the bigger picture, and why it is so important for me to trust my intuition right now?

:: TAURUS :: 
How am I spending my time? How can I re-organize my priorities to align with my values? To what extent am I aware of my financial reality, and do I recognize where I need to depend more on my own resourcefulness?

:: GEMINI :: 
Am I always tapping into ways of doing my own unique thing? Where am I shutting down in fear of being heard or seen? Who am I placing too much value in? With Sun/Moon/Venus in Gemini, it’s time to learn and love all of YOU.

:: CANCER :: 
What needs to be retrieved from my imagination? Where is my lack of faith? When did I stop believing in the impossible? Where am I living in a state of mistrust?

:: LEO :: 
Who truly inspires me? How can I be an inspiration to my friends? Where can I take the lead more, and when do I find myself blindly following along with others?

:: VIRGO :: 
Who am I finally and fully expanding into becoming? Do I see the beauty in the big changes and encounters that life has gifted me with? What am I taking for granted? Is it time to release my grip on something or someone?

:: LIBRA :: 
Where are the holes in my own belief system? How can I patch them up? What new lessons does my life want me to incorporate? Where do I stand on forgiveness?

:: SCORPIO :: 
When was the last time I let myself fall in love? Do I continue to value what the experience of love honestly offers me? When was the last time I gave myself permission to feel grounded and whole?

:: SAGITTARIUS :: 
Am I living up to my word? What have I become responsible for? Where can I lighten up my load? With Saturn in Sagittarius you may be taking on more than you need to. Consider: what structures serve me and which can I release?

:: CAPRICORN :: 
In what ways do I consider myself to be spiritual? Do I know how to take a time-out and spend time alone with myself? How does it feel to be in my body these days? Am I truly thriving and enjoying my day-to-day?

:: AQUARIUS :: 
What can I use to express myself creatively? How can I update my personal toolbox? Do I trust myself enough to truly honor and express my unique gifts? Who invigorates the deepest parts of me? Where am I being drained?

:: PISCES :: 
How can I feel more securely connected to my roots? Am I allowing myself to fully let go of memories and people who haunt me? What takes up space in my heart—and what can I let go? How am I sacrificing myself to please others?

To book a reading with Hannah Ariel contact: [email protected]

TAROTSCOPES: JUNE 2016

Cast by Lindsay Mack, using The Starchild Tarot.

GEMINI – Justice, reversed 

Happy birthday, dear Gemini! You will be moving through quite the internal journey in Justice reversed, which is bringing some huge invitations this month. Should you choose to navigate this energy gracefully, it will yield to some truly life changing expansions for you. Justice reversed is asking you to accept your life’s present situations and circumstances exactly as they are—no story, no thinking, no blaming, no judgment. Almost every major aspect of your life will be projected to you through this lens and invitation, Gemini, and there’s a two-fold reason as to why:

The first is that our lives are a lot more peaceful and productive when we’re not fighting or arguing with reality. If something is happening, it is what is supposed to happen. Not because of some pseudo-spiritual idealogy, but because it occurred. It is reality. We cannot argue with reality and still live in peaceful alignment with truth. So you can find a new kind of balance in accepting the present moment, Gemini. This doesn’t mean you have to like it! Simply that you’re no longer fighting what is. Once you drop the fight, there will be so much more energy and clarity available to you.

The second reason is that only when we accept ourselves and our current situation as it is that we are free to change it. This acceptance yields to a grounded empowerment, and a sense of true personal responsibility. This is truly the liberation that Justice reversed offers you this month, Gemini. Drop any beliefs around things being “unfair,” or “not supposed to be this way,” along with any passive aggressive behavior that stems from this place. Drop the stories and so much growth is available.

How might your life be different if you weren’t lost in your stories? How much more energy would you have? What kind of empowered action might you take in your relationship, job, or with your health and family? How much more compassion would you have? How much of your anxiety and discomfort with your present life circumstances are connected to your stories about how things “should” be different than they currently are? Inquire and set yourself free.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

CANCER – King of Wands

TOTAL energetic shift for you this month, Cancer! Wow! King of Wands is fire, stability, power and action—so sink your teeth into these qualities and truly soak up all the energy extending its magic to every aspect of your life. It’s going to be a phenomenal month for you if you can consciously harness the power.

Cancers have been bobbing up and down in the waves for the last few cycles—one moment full of directed action and hopeful purpose, the next spent within your shell, retreating and recovering from all of the movement. The great news is that these waves have been preparing you to spend much more time out of your shell, sharing your gifts and abilities with the world. The waves have been slowly building up some energetic muscles for you, helping you to feel safer fully out in the world.

The King of Wands is the perfect ally for you this month, Cancer. This energy is STRONG. It is stable, clear-headed (even during times of extreme pressure), and confident without being cocky. You will be taking on and embodying this energy in June, and it has the potential to be fantastic for your career, creative pursuits, and love life. The fact is, sweet Cancer, you are amazing at what you do. You are worthy, lovable, sexy, smart, and hold so much power and ability to make a huge impact. Be willing to be seen in this light this month—even if it makes you extremely uncomfortable. Frankly, if it does, it means you’re on the right track! If we’re not uncomfortable, we are usually not growing. Take comfort in that.

Last month’s invitation to weed out all possible areas of energetic drain has made this kind of expansion and “take off” possible for you, Cancer. Allow yourself to be uncomfortable, and step forward into greatness. Begin to implement different self-care techniques to reground and re-center, then step forward again. Be willing to be seen, be willing to speak your truth, and tell the world about your work. Whatever you are making, whatever you are passionate about, share it and open your heart. You have much to offer people, Cancer, but your tribe has to be able to find you. Let the King of Wands light the way.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

LEO – King of Crystals, reversed 

Continue to be very gentle with yourself this month, Leo. This was your invitation in May as well, and you’re still very much in that energy. June is all about self-care for you. It is a time to completely unplug, recharge, go within and get back to basics: breathing, good food, hydration, reading, outdoor time and meditation. It is crucial that you re-center and get back to the core sense of who you are and what you’re here to do. There has been so much burnout, work and distraction for Leo lately; your nervous systems is really fried, even if you might not feel or want to admit this. June is going to help to cool you off considerably, preparing you for a healthy and overflowing expansion in the fall.

King of Crystals (Pentacles in the traditional tarot) right way up is a leader who knows who he is, what he is here for and where he is going. His tremendous passion is grounded and earthy, fire he knows how to use wisely. The reversal of the card for Leo this month, is a gentle indication that you need to realign yourself with these important King of Pentacles aspects: living in your leadership, knowing who you are, tempering that inner fire, cultivating a sense of connection to Earth, and to regeneration. You must go within to reclaim a place of healthy passion, drive and self awareness.

The medicine for you this month is to remember that this time is both temporary and helpful—shining a light on an old pattern so that you don’t have to deal with it anymore. To get your compass facing true north again, you must surrender to this time. Allow gentle self care to be your guiding star, leading you to greatness.

You ARE being led forward into a new and spectacular time, Leo, whether you feel it or not. The path might feel relatively unclear for you at this moment, but this is absolutely appropriate. If you saw all of the goodness on its way to you, it would be a total distraction from the gentle self care that is imperative at this time. Trust and allow. Trust that you are not lost, merely evolving and upgrading to a more grounded and healthy sense of who you are and how you can use your energy and power in the most optimal way. Commit to it and be transformed.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

VIRGO – Nine of Wands 

It is of the utmost importance for Virgos to move at their own pace this month. Nice and easy is the name of the game. Nine of Wands is an enormous energy, one that teaches us to honor rest during a long and wildly intense time, energetically. Whether you are on a journey, in the midst of a deadline, or just moving through some huge internal expansions, it will be imperative to take breaks within the frenzy—and to resist the temptation to apologize or explain yourself for doing so.

Only we can know our inner experience, and it is up to us to honor ourselves by going slowly or resting as we need at any given moment. When we do so, instead of muscling through life, we not only live in alignment with what is in our highest and best on a personal level, but we invite others to do the same thing. This is how we can sustain high frequency energy without burnout, by taking little stops along the way. It is Shakti energy, letting all the power and intensity move through us without getting totally overwhelmed by it.

Virgos bring such an important and unique frequency to the planet. You guys are processing so much energy much of the time, and as a result, your nervous systems are arguably the most sensitive of all the signs. This month will be the chance to truly learn how to move and process high frequency energies while staying grounded and balanced. We get Nine of Wands when we are ALMOST to a finish line. That’s the feel of it. Virgos have been on such a ride these past few months, and there is most definitely a break coming for you energetically in late summer/early fall. Possibly even in mid-June/early July.

There is something very important about this time for Virgos, although it might not seem that way on the surface. It’s the final burst of adrenaline before the finish line, when you can finally recover and nourish yourselves. This card truly helps us know the stuff we are made of. If you can move through Nine of Wands energy, you can do anything. Expect a lot of intensity, pressure and heat this month in your life, Virgo. It’s going to be hard work, but amazing. Embrace the opportunity to master how to balance this energy with gentle breaks and self care.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

LIBRA – Perspective, reversed 

You’ve been given lots and lots of gentle taps on the shoulder, Libra. Little whispers to slow down, quiet the mind, and be still. This month, you almost have no choice but to fall into an Ego death; it’s a whole new level for you in terms of self-actualization.

Perspective is The Hanged Man in the traditional tarot, and this card is the perfect ally for you right now, Libra; a voluntary surrender from the Ego and into the heart and soul. When reversed, however, the main and primary focus is on clearing up any resistance to this surrender before we can flip into the heart. Perspective reversed is an energy that will not leave until the job is done, so you might as well welcome it in with open arms. This month is a bit like entering a new portal for you, Libra. Once you get a taste of this kind of freedom, there really is no going back.

You’ve been working hard, moving through a really intense time, but not fully surrendered yet. One foot is still out the door, specifically around not believing your thoughts. This is what Libra is here to master and experience, so this is in NO WAY a problem. It is exactly what it should be. So honor this, first and foremost. Secondly, this is not a shattering of YOU—just of the ego. Any part of you that resists, or gets defensive and withdrawn is the ego; it freaks because it knows its losing its ranking. Be willing to be courageous, to question your thoughts. Firmly and lovingly move that part of you from the driver’s seat into the back seat, then let it tantrum.

Tantrum is a great word for Perspective reversed. There is profound resistance to hanging out in the Void of pure love, so the ego kicks up a tantrum to distract us—because it’s afraid. Important to remember, so you’re not treating it like an enemy. Let it scream, as you just keep coming back to your breath, to the present moment. This is actually how Hanged Man is working for you this month, by untying the little knots in any given moment you find your ego freaking out in. Stay with it, Libra. Move through this ego death, and prepare for a new way of walking through the world. And unimaginably beautiful things will come out of this time for you.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

SCORPIO – Knight of Wands

Getting back in touch with a playful, joyful sexuality is of the utmost importance for you in June, Scorpio. Where is the part of you that loves to be seen and heard? Loves to dance and rejoice? Loves to let other people feel your power, light and magnetism? You all touched this place within yourselves as children; now it is time to come back home to it.

You’re in a very different energy this month, one that really has the power to fuel you. But it’s not a “getting shit done” kind of month. The Knight of Wands is fire and air; passion, creativity and movement, with our fully-engaged minds along for the ride. This is a conscious commitment to being in your playful, creative flow. Some of you are still healing deep wounds, some of you are quietly processing some major karmic shit—but the invitation to play is open, even for the most fragile of you.

This can be embraced in any number of ways. Take voice lessons, perform in a play, let people hear your music, take salsa dancing class, get a new outfit that makes you feel like a million dollars, walk around topless, listen to music that makes you feel powerful—whatever makes your spirit soar, lean into it. For some of you, this may be a more internal, quiet energy. For others, it’ll be very public and broad. Let yourself be as big as you desire to be, and drop any story about not being ready: you’re as ready as you’ll ever be. Take the plunge.

The “why” of this invitation is really the most powerful part: and the answer is, because you deserve to feel joy and the spark of excitement again, Scorpio. It has been a VERY intense few months for many of you; now it is time to reconnect with how profoundly you deserve to feel good. This is also aligning some of you with how life can be easier, more graceful. So look around you: where is there room for more joy, passion and creativity in your life? Are you too exhausted, busy, broke or distracted to allow this energy to flow through you? It might be tough, it might bring up feelings of defensiveness, but I encourage you to really ask yourself these questions. Absorb your answers with an open heart, and make adjustments from there.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

SAGITTARIUS – King of Swords

Let this entire month be a process of connecting your heart to your throat, Sagittarius. Speak your truth. Your truest truth. Speak about your pain, your defensiveness, your fear—let it be vulnerable, let it be soft, let it be a healing. It is also time to communicate your perceived weaknesses, Sag. No more editing yourself. You don’t have to have it figured out, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. Just share yourself, wherever you happen to be.

There has been a very interesting pattern arising with Sagittarians. A lot of cracking open, replacing hard walls with softness. Whether you knew it or not, the last few months have been leading you to this moment, embracing and honoring the shadow in a whole new way. Not doctoring or tweaking it to make it more palatable. More sharing what you feel through a raw, imperfect and glorious lens. The King of Swords is a communicator. A powerful presence who allows his passion and his heart to be connected to his mind and words. This is an invitation to speak, share and express yourself profoundly. The phrase, “the truth will set you free” comes to mind.

Now, let us clarify something here: Sagittarians will speak their mind on anything. This is one of the greatest qualities about your sign. If you’re feeling or thinking something, trust that it’s going to be shared. However, there is a portion of your truth that does not get shared. For some of you, a little side dish—for others, a full meal. It’s usually around an area where you’re highly vulnerable, or have your guard and defenses up very high. And there’s rawness of expression that you’re being asked to hang out in this month. The why of it, however, is pretty amazing.

You’re leveling up, Sag. You want bigger, brighter, sweeter and more potent lives? Share that raw truth, and it’ll drop right in. You guys bring forward courageous, empowered, passionate expression, blazing the torch for other people to share their truest truth. You cannot do this unless you are willing to share yours—even if you qualify this as “difficult” for you. Let your heart continue to crack open. Get raw, soft, and vulnerable, and you will find levels of expansion you didn’t even know were possible.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

CAPRICORN – Nine of Crystals, reversed

There is so much goodness, joy and abundance in your life right now, Capricorn. So resist getting lost in your story about how you don’t have this or that and just be here now. Taste the blessings around you. Look at the fruits of all you’ve worked for. Can you show yourself gratitude for that without adding a “but” or a “should” to your language? This will be your invitation this month—to come back to this moment, and all the goodness around you. To appreciate yourself and all that you’ve gained with your efforts in life thus far. To drop the story about how it’s not what you really want or what you think you should have, be or think. None of that is reality.

Reality is what’s right in front of you, and I can tell you it’s exactly what you need because it’s what you’ve got! You cannot move forward and receive more unless you’re willing to start here, so you might as well do it now. For some of you, any quasi disappointment with what’s “here now” might be around love and relationships. You cannot improve the relationship you’re in unless you yourself are expanding (with or without your partner), so refocus on that and drop the story. Same goes for those of you who are single. Are you embracing this solitary time? It won’t be forever, so appreciate the space, the richness of possibility. Don’t wait for anyone—just live.

For those of you who are feeling “less than” about work, are you full of complaints and stories about how you want to quit, move on, learn this new thing, yet nothing happens? Just drop the story and do the thing. Commit and see what flows from there. Instead of loathing your current situation, bless it and send a prayer up to the Universe that you desire better. This way you keep living in the frequency of “better.” Take empowered action and choose what brings you joy; see what’s right in front of you. If this is arising about money, I guarantee you that you need to offer yourself more alone time—to go inward and be grateful for what’s here.

Capricorn, this is usually not my style. I don’t believe in making up dishonest gratitude when we just aren’t feeling it. But with you this is different. You really DO have all this beauty around you that you’re not seeing. You must pause in order to pick the fruit and appreciate what you’ve created thus far. Nurture the belief that you are enough and you have all you need. Watch and see how much more dances its way to your door.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

AQUARIUS – Six of Swords, reversed 

It might be harder to see the forest for the trees this month, Aquarius. Our inner experiences and external situations may act as thick foliage, obscuring the bigger picture. For most of you, the Six of Swords is a tiny whisper—a call to inquire and get clear before you jump to action or assume anything. For a few of you, it may be more like a knock on the head. Either way, it’s a specific invitation to pause and get clear before you take action. How you do so will determine a great deal of the month for you. It’ll also bring you into a space of rationale and personal responsibility around all things. So, how do you act from a place of center, when things around you are unclear?

One ways to get clear is to go slower in all ways. Think before you act, assume less, pause more. This is going to show up in different ways for all of you this month; for some of you it will be in relationships or matters of the heart. For others, it’ll be around family and work. Just go gently through whatever arises, meeting it with as much curiosity and compassion as possible.

The other invitation for you this month, Aquarius, is to ask for help if you need it. Support is a huge piece, because you need to feel that it’s available to you anytime you need it. Reaching out for any kind of support shuts down the voice in the brain (the voice of the ego) that tells us we have to woman-up and go it alone. It’s also important to welcome the assistance of friends, neighbors and our soul tribe, since the people in our life serve as mirrors for us. They show us where we are pointed when the compass is whizzing around and confusing us.

So as you reach out to others, choose wisely—seeking the council and support of those you sense will help you evolve through this place of potential lack of clarity by utilizing the clearest mirrors in your life to reflect back love and guidance to you. On the other hand, the backdrop to this tricky-sounding footwork is a month that will also be full of light, love, goodness and fun for you, Aquarius. Think of this energy as just a highly specific and very important dance that you’re learning right now. Lean into it and feel the support in your life leading you back home.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

PISCES – King of Cups 

This is a good month for Pisces, especially those of you who are healers, artists or helping professionals in some way. King of Cups holds immense space for the emotions of others, and can do so without becoming overwhelmed or drained. He can do this because he is balanced, which is the key word for Pisces this month. You’ve been working through some swings; some moments it’s all about you with no room for anyone else, other times it’s all about other people.

This month, there’s a quantum shift. You have the capacity to hold space for your own emotions while remaining balanced and available to others. It’s going to have a beautiful effect on your self esteem, relationships, and careers. The King of Cups walks the line of fire and water; blending passion, a nurturing heart, and an ability to flow with whatever is in front of him. Basically Pisces, you now have enough space within YOU to truly hold space for others. Utilize this, and trust in your ability to do this. Even if you’re not a helping professional, the spirit remains the same. This month will show you that you can take on much more than you thought you could—and thrive.

It’s been a powerful time for Pisces, a lot of reordering and rebuilding, helping your sensitive souls get used to the frenetic energy of the times. Your nervous systems are getting more and more used to it, and I think you’ll feel a huge difference this month. In the Motherpeace tarot, the King of Cups wears a mask to do his healing work in the world. Not a bad mask, but one that allows him to hold both a private experience and a public face; and he can do this because he is a gentle leader, one who is coded for service.

Basically what this invitation means for you, Pisces, is that it’s time to get back into the flow of life. To show up. To speak your truth, share your wisdom, and to not hold back. The world really needs you. It needs you in your joy, in your light, healthy and happy. You have overflow, so use it. A gentle invitation to those of you who, at this moment, might feel miles away from this place of energetic abundance, this place of balance and generosity: remember you can always choose the willingness to stay open to the possibility of a different way of seeing, doing, and being.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

ARIES – Ten of Wands 

Aries, the Divine is cracking the whip. The way you are working and moving through the world is no longer serving you—at all. There is a level of continual adrenal exhaustion that is really not sustainable. No more, and thank God for it. There must be a new way, and everything is here to support you in creating it. June will be inviting you into a space where you will have to make adjustments to the way you work, take on tasks, and replenish your personal well.

There must be a new commitment to balance, or you can no longer continue to go forward at all. So where do you start? You begin by employing some gentleness, and calming down the Ram, so to speak. You start with baby steps: whatever your dream self care routine is, begin. Even if it’s five minutes a day, start with five minutes.

The second thing, which is crucial, is that you must ask for help—you must, Aries. You must! Know that you can trust other people and that it is safe for you to receive. An important message for your ego too, which in moments like this can be fragile. It can be intensely vulnerable for you to ask for help, Aries. But this is important for you. There really is no other way.

Also: this isn’t about lightening up your schedule or streamlining your life, necessarily. If you’re busy or working or in a situation that moves you, that’s all well and good—this isn’t about saying “no” to more. But you do have to take a knee, be fearless, and welcome in more support to help you maintain this level of work. How you are functioning isn’t sustainable, so June will be directing you in a new way. When we find ourselves in a place like this, we don’t drop the thing we are engaged in or working on. We try a new way with it, and see how we can reorder it.

However—if you DO feel the need to take more time for yourself, or sense that you want to lighten up in one area or another, you won’t know what must go until you’ve rested and regenerated a bit. And so go gently and mindfully through the month. But above all, know that don’t have to do it on your own, Aries. More so, that it’s not serving you to do it on your own. So open the windows and doors and let the support flood in.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

TAURUS – Three of Swords, reversed

June is a month for taking out the trash, Taurus. As in, outdated forms of self-medication, drama, gossip and people in your life who drain you energetically. Everything that keeps you in a place of swirling negativity, anxiety and low frequency is gone—swept away in the energy of the Three of Swords reversed. The potential for personal transformation from this energetic clear out is massive. June is clearing out the last little splinters that have been pulling you back into contraction. What is being birthed in its place is true peace and separation from any energy that does not serve you, allowing you to heal any old wounds.

Three of Swords is an experience of heartbreak, heartache, drama, betrayal, anxiety and/hurt feelings. I have always thought of the Buddhist teaching of The Second Arrow with this card; we can’t always control the first sword to the heart. Someone is rude to us on the subway; a parent or partner says something insensitive or out of anger. Any of these are the “first arrow,” and we had no control over the wound they caused. It pierced us without any warning.

The “second arrow,” however, is optional, and created by our reaction to the first arrow. These are the wounds we cause by making war with the offending person, place or situation, or dropping into anger and victimhood. Sword upon sword upon sword. The Three of Swords asks that we remove the knives completely, drop the drama, and tend to the heart, the deep wounds and to our vulnerability, rather than the story of the wounds. This is what it is asking of you, too, Taurus.

Because the card is reversed for you, it speaks of good tidings. You’re no longer engaged in the same reactionary cycle as you once were, which is something to celebrate. The Three of Swords reversed, is bringing a much lighter energy for you than if it was right side up. It is here this month to completely break any cycle of mental identification with victimhood, and to soften you into your heart even more deeply than you imagined. In doing so, you will change your relationship with how you treat your precious body, mind and spirit, no longer dragging yourself through mud or drama. Move through the energy, complete the cycle, and soothe the heart.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

WILD UNKNOWN: HOW TO WORK WITH THE ANIMAL SPIRIT ORACLE

It’s the deck everybody’s talking about. Gabriela Herstik has the low-down on how to work with the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Oracle…

wild unknown animal spirit deck on the numinous
Wild Unknown creator Kim Krans

It’s “Animal Spirit” and not “Spirit Animal” for a reason! For Kim Krans, head honcho/Goddess of The Wild Unknown, her latest oracle deck is an exploration of all the divine animal energies that encompass aspects of human existence and spirit.

Instead of focusing on your “spirit animal,” Krans invites us to focus on the elemental energies of each creature in a way that speaks to our relationships and to deeper parts of ourselves—once again, inviting exploration of the wild unknown of the soul.

This new deck allows for introspection in a radical and untamed way. This deck says it’s okay to be feral and wild, or tame and controlled, because it’s important to wander through it all. And by including Spirit as an element, Krans takes it one step further, inviting creativity and intuition to be a part of the journey. Whether you’re a unicorn or bumblebee, all is welcome in The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Oracle.

Below, we explore each element, as well as an animal card from each, gaining a little more insight into the fantastic world of the Animal Spirit Oracle. And in learning about the animals in the deck, Krans hopes to inspire a more connected relationship to this world and all her creatures.

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:: Earth ::

Animals of the Earth represent our basic needs, like home, money and work. These animals are grounded in the present and approach their routines with ease, but can get stuck without freedom from what they know. Animals of the Earth ask us to listen and shift perspectives—are we looking too much to the ground, or too much at the sky? These creatures are asking us to soften and surrender to the changes we may be facing, and they remind us to water our own soil, since self-compassion is necessary for growth.

The Deer – The Deer suggests a feminine softness and a graceful, maternal take on what can be a very stoic energy. How can steady and grounded Earth energy help you to bask in everything new? Don’t be afraid to reap the rewards of your harvest. By finding tenderness in yourself, you’re able to walk this life with more grace and intention—no matter how bumpy the ground is. Tap into your intuition and listen from your heart. Be gentle and compassionate with yourself in your situation, your inner deer will thank you.

:: The Air ::

With freedom comes wisdom. Creatures of the Air are able to see what others may miss, observing quietly, powerfully and deeply. When a creature of this suite comes up in a reading it can be a reminder to find some grounding, to slow down and to reconnect to the physical realms. Life is complex and we seek to move as effortlessly as possible, like the wind. By tapping into Air energy at its most expansive, we are invited to see and feel the subtler realm of existence.

The Crow – Through the eyes of The Crow, the world becomes something magical—something mysterious and precious and exciting. The Crow is a drawn to the unseen, to the supernatural and the occult. She has a fascination with the deeper, all-encompassing experience of the past, present and future. Use this energy when your mind is ready. To be present. Be open. Be patient. Sometimes the wind tells us secrets that we must be ready to hear.

:: Fire ::

By working with animals that speak of our passion and what lights our spark, we’re able to tap into the fiery aspect of ourselves for the ultimate transformation. These most powerful, and sometimes destructive, aspects of ourselves, pave the way for transmutation and rebirth—as the creatures of the Fire elment attest to. These cards represent growth, they represent the death of ego, and they ask us to sit in the fire until it’s too hot. Invite these beings in to help burn the way to a new you.

The Lion – BE the Lion. You have it in you to be the king of the jungle, after all. Don’t stop feeding your flame simply because others are not ready for it. The Lion’s energy may intimidate those who aren’t ready, but his energy is available to all who are willing. By tapping into this card, transformation is completely possible—with a keen sense of your personal strengths, you’re able to accomplish anything. The Lion simply asks you to open up to this sort of revolution. Once you do you’ll see how easy it is to roar.

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:: Water ::

In the name of balance, creatures of the Water are asking us to jump into the messy, wonderful, beautiful world of our emotions, loves and passions. These are creatures that speak of our ability to express ourselves and to love and create. These animals ask us to open ourselves up and to surrender—to be a conduit for the flow of the Universe. Allow the current to take you where it may—what can you learn from floating down a different stream?

The Oyster – We all have special gifts – and the Oyster reminds us to share these gifts with the world. When we see the sensitive, watery side of ourselves as a treasure instead of a burden, we’re able to use our intuition and deep-rooted wisdom in a more authentic way. The Oyster works hard to create her pearl—a beautiful gift that no one else can give. By revealing this part of yourself, by showing your more vulnerable side, you’re allowing space for growth and reflection, all while giving others permission to do the same.

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:: Spirit ::

The nature of the Spirit cards is steeped in mystery. These creatures exist on realms parallel to our own— asking us to shift our gaze so we can embody the messages they’re trying to teach us. By working with our subtle body and energies, like the chakras, these cards help us view situations in a new, more inviting and profound light. Even for Krans, these cards are mysterious, inviting one to delve into the deeper, unknown waters to see what lies beneath the surface. Krans explains that it’s okay to not completely understand the Spirit cards. Invite the energies in, work with them and let them take you on their journey.

Sea Serpent – Ruling over the second chakra, the Sea Serpent gives us permission to bask in creativity and sensuality without shame. This card is like Kundalini energy personified, allowing us to live with our desires in a way that feeds our soul. Like a mother giving her child a loving embrace, this Spirit card asks us to step into pleasure in its purest form. What do you have to let go of to let the energy of this card flow through you? Where is there drought, and what is flooded? Allow the energy of the Sea Serpent, allow the energy of Spirit, to cradle you. Do less. Open yourself up, there is nothing to be ashamed of.

Shop The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Oracle

TAROTSCOPES: MAY 2016

Cast by Lindsay Mack, using The Starchild Tarot.

:: TAURUS – Ten of Cups ::

Sweet Taurus, are you appreciating all that you’ve worked so hard for? Are you allowing yourself to be present for the goodness in your life? Are you savoring the loveliness of the moment? Sacred, sacred gratitude: this is the best birthday gift you could give yourself, Taurus. Bowing to yourself in profound love and appreciation. Looking at your life and seeing how far you’ve come. Drop the story about all that you don’t have and just be here for this moment.

As cliché as it sounds, this life is like a beautiful sunset; it flashes by so quickly. If you’re unconsciously living out the story that you don’t have all you need, you can miss the beauty that’s right in front of you. This is a month to appreciate all that you’ve worked for, grown through, earned and learned. Celebrate all that is here, all that is shifting and changing. Celebrate yourself, Taurus. You deserve it immensely.

The power and the lesson in this monthly journey for you, Taurus, is that the brain/ego can be VERY devoted to this idea that we need more than we already have in order to be happy. The ego also loves the idea that we are not enough, that we are not deserving. A newfound commitment to gratitude, joy and presence in genuine moments shatters these chains, setting you free into a new paradigm of self-love.

Its been a VERY intense few months for you, Taurus; this month feels like its weaving together all that’s been released, and all that’s been gained in the recent evolutionary shifts, welcoming you back to the awe inspiring beauty of the moment. To begin to practice gratitude, start with some simple mindfulness exercises or a walking meditation. Doing so will start to rewire those powerful and untrue beliefs that the ego holds so dear, leaving you much more present and spontaneous.

Ten of Cups is a flash of perfect joy and gratitude – one of those moments where it feels so beautiful to be alive. Those perfect, shining flashes of Ten of Cups gratitude are little gateways home to the present moment. So lean into these sweet and precious moments, Taurus. Be awake for them. Put your phone down, drop your story and just BE. Quietly celebrate all that you are, how far you’ve come and all that is here now. It is your birthright.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

:: GEMINI – Ace of Crystals ::

Geminis are walking a funny, funky paradigm this month. You’re being asked to be open, yet do nothing. It sounds a little crazy, but there really is a method to the madness. Firstly, this is a month where it would be wise for you to FULLY retreat into your cocoon, Gemini. Show up for work, travel when you need to, do whatever you have to do, but don’t overextend. Don’t over offer. Lean into the medicine of the retrogrades fully and completely.

Let this be a time of gentle self examination and self evaluation. Say yes to what’s here, but don’t add any more logs to the fire. Instead, commit to going inward. This is the “do nothing” piece from the paragraph above. There is plenty to focus on, honor, resolve, expand through and work on right now. Doing “nothing” will enable you to be present for all that is already here. It will also help you to actually be available for the invitation of the retrograde, to surrender to it instead of fighting it. As the saying goes, “do nothing and nothing will be left undone.”

YET – you’re moving through Ace of Crystals. Ace of Crystals is a fresh and beautiful gift. Aces are like a marriage of the light and ephemera of The Fool and the incredible manifestation energy of The Magician. There’s an alchemy to them that really presents a transformative opportunity. The Ace of Crystals is going to be beautiful for Geminis this month. This particular card can show up as a physical, literal gift or a totally invisible, energetic one. In order to receive it, Gemini must be open, which rounds out the fullness of the invitation for you this month. Be open, yet do nothing.

Ace of Crystals, regardless of the form it takes, is a seed at heart. And as one seed can create an entire garden; one child can create an entire legacy. Seeds are important, precious, and require our attention. This is why Gemini must walk the line of being open and doing no thing in May. If you overextend yourself, there won’t be room in your garden for the gifts that are dropping in for you. The retrograde is actually making it possible for you to be in this place of newness. Embrace it, be present, be flexible, and weed your garden in preparation for all that is to come.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

:: CANCER – Two of Crystals ::

It is all about personal boundaries for Cancer this month. Say no when you need to, carve out space, give back whatever you’ve been holding for people in your life. Sweep the slate clean, and be gently unapologetic about it. Honor your truth. Two of Crystals is a powerful time when we are juggling something precious – a new career, a new life change, our children, our job, etc. It represents a time of very hard work, important work: our work in the world.

This work requires the fullness of your attention. It represents a time when you just don’t have as much space, time or attention to offer to other things or people in your life outside those big commitments. This is absolutely appropriate for you right now, Cancer. You DON’T have space for lesser things right now. So speak your truth and kindly communicate this. Then, and this is the most important piece, be gracious enough to let those people or things tantrum about your “no.” Its their stuff, not yours. You don’t own anyone an explanation. Just send compassion their way, and keep doing your thing.

But the key for you this month isn’t just to focus on the work at hand, Cancer. It isn’t just to master your boundaries, although that’s a big part of it. It’s the willingness to release your perceptions of being a hero or a savior to those in your life who are struggling and identified in their own victimhood. I know this can be difficult to hear, but any time we are holding someone up because we believe they cannot hold themselves on their own, we are enabling them. When we DO NOT have the personal space (and you don’t this month, Cancer), it doesn’t help these other people or situations: it drains you as it enables them.

Love the people in your life enough to give them back whatever weight you’re carrying for them on their behalf. It’s the truest gift you could give them as a friend, a child, a parent, or a colleague. And so, if you feel dread, fear, anger or resistance towards a project, person or situation, it’s time to gently pause your involvement with it, or let them know your plate is full and they’ll hear from you when you have more personal space. Trust that if it’s in your highest and best, it’ll be in theirs too.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

:: LEO – Five of Swords ::

Be so, so gentle with yourself this month, Leo. Like Gemini, this is a time to do far less than you’ve been doing, and go inward. Your focus this month is to re-center yourself. Your health, energy and wellbeing depend upon it. Five of Swords energy is a sting and a bummer. Often, the card can arise when we are fully faced with a rough consequence to an impulsive decision. It can result in a situation or a realization where we are contracted and full of regrets and self-defeat. But it doesn’t always have to feel this way.

This energy is related to April’s Tarotscope for you, too. Last month, you received some wisdom to be sure in your decisions; to not let looks or the surface of a situation fool you. Now there’s an opportunity to deeply and beautifully evolve from that place. Firstly, if you DO NOT feel this sense of defeat or contraction, then rest easy. It is not a prediction that you are going to feel terrible. The wisdom of the month will serve you regardless. Secondly, if you DO feel like you’re fully enmeshed in Five of Swords energy, then this will help you to really make peace with that experience.

May’s invitation for you, dear Leo, and the true medicine of the Five of Swords, is to master how to re-center in your life without judgment. Plain and simple. If you cheat on your partner, admit it and start to rebuild. If you relapse, call your AA sponsor and get to a meeting. If you binge, forget to take your medicine, spend all of your money, just come back to YOU. There is no final nail in the coffin in this life; you don’t have to repent or self-flagellate, you don’t have to beg for forgiveness. You’re a human and humans are supposed to get messy.

Frankly, we’re supposed to screw up – so forget the stories of how we just can’t get it right. We’re supposed to walk the edges of cliffs and evolve through our falls, our foibles and misanthropic choices. Its okay to make a bad call, or to experience regret. Just don’t add the energy of self-judgment to the pain and discomfort you may be in already, Leo. Re-center and take responsibility for yourself. No story, no judgment. Make amends – either to another or to yourself. Be sweet and gentle. All things heal in time.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

:: VIRGO – Eight of Swords ::

You are no longer trapped in the prison of your mind, Virgo. A transformation has taken place, and a new way is available for you. In many alchemical and powerful ways, you are free. This is a mental shift that will have a massive and beautiful impact on all aspects of your life this month. It might be largely invisible and subtle to those around you – but for you, Virgo, its like a veil has been lifted. For the last few months, Virgos have been “waking up” more profoundly than any other sign.

A total paradigm shift has been occurring, and the landscape has been changing hugely. This wakeup is exactly what Eight of Swords is all about. In this card, we go through a totally transformative process: we stop believing the story of our mind. The blinders come off completely in this card – or at least, this is possible if we go all the way with this invitation. Virgos really experienced this in April, and began to see the possibility and flexibility of their power through this new lens. In May, Virgo begins to embody this shift.

You were never trapped, Virgo: you only believed you were. Now you know you aren’t, so what will you do with your “one wild and precious life?”, as Mary Oliver says. That full and beautiful question is the centerpiece of this month for you, Virgo. It is powerful to consider. You are no longer imprisoned by your mind. So what will you do with all this freshness, space and energy? It is possible that this month could hold huge changes for you, all based in joy and empowerment. Because you can now see clearly, it will be simple to see when this is available some capacity. There’s no more trepidation, just celebration.

A good word of wisdom for Virgo is to lean into the retrogrades and surrender to their energies. The Mercury retrograde – your ruling planet – is particularly important for you guys. Go within and do quiet work on yourself. Clear and clean up old patterning, beliefs and situations that result any time you have believed yourself to be in a prison of your mind. It is going to be a very loving, potent and joyful process for you this month, Virgo. Embrace it with all you are.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

:: LIBRA – Queen of Swords ::

Sweet Libra, pause before you speak, share, commit, assume, or accuse this month. Pausing is both your prayer and the answer to it. Pause, inquire, self reflect, THEN speak. You’ll be going on a lot of inner journeys with your communication this month. Trust this deeply and let it unfold. Let your process be more silent than it’s ever been, and hang out in the Void of that space. The reason for this is simple: Libras tend to leak verbally and mentally when they feel lost and scared. Right now, you guys are in the death portion of a massive birth-death-birth cycle.

The death part is totally a time of unknowns, which is when the ego can try to grasp onto anything that feels familiar or comfortable to abate this fear. What I gently invite you to consider this month, is that the grasping is actually preventing you from cycling all of the way into your rebirth stage. The grasping is just the ego, the part of the brain that wants to feel ground under its feet. And part of how you guys enable this grasping and sense of safety is through your mental and verbal brilliance. Right now, though, this gift is going through its own upgrade, and it’s a time for far less speaking, and much more inquiry so that the cycle can complete itself.

So resist speaking or communicating about the STORY of what you’re going through, and instead allow the fullness of your vulnerability to shine through. Let yourself say that you don’t know. That you are scared. Lost. Shine a light with your words so that they may be clarified, set free by the truth. Queen of Swords is a master communicator. She’s able to slice through any doubt, confusion or fear, and speak from the depths of the heart. She is, after all, water and air. Queen of Swords is your sacred guide for this work. But to access her, you must pause and stop the “leak”.

If you’re scared, pause. If you feel victimized, pause. If you feel slighted, angry or frustrated, pause. Pausing will give you the space to move through the experience of your feelings and emotions (water), and the frenzy of your thoughts (air), until you come to a middle place. So much healing, clarity, illumination, and evolution will be borne from that place. Let your mantra be, “pause”.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

:: SCORPIO – Justice ::

Scorpio has living up to its reputation the last few months, standing at the doorway of one sacred death/rebirth after another. So much evolution is happening for you, Scorpio, and this month holds one of the most profound energies for you thus far. Justice is a powerful Major Arcana card, and could also be understood as the embodiment of the concept of “karma.” Karma is the simple understanding that whatever is here is supposed to be here. Whatever is here is bringing a gift. This is Justice, and the invitation that it brings.

So whatever happens for you this month, Scorpio, is exactly what is supposed to be happening. There are no accidents or mistakes, especially not when we are in Justice energy. Your work this month will be moving through your own process of accepting, understanding, and even embracing this. It is only when we can accept what the present moment brings that we are free to change it. It’s time to take a step back and evaluate your life through the blind eyes of Justice. Can you find the medicine, the gift, the purpose and the function of whatever is here for you?

There’s a reason why there’s a sword on most Justice cards, and it feels important for you this month, Scorpio. We can think of this as the presence of the suit of Swords in the Tarot, which is all about mastering brain chemistry. Justice can be very difficult for the ego and brain. Sometimes Justice revolves around something hard or difficult to “understand.” Other times, it can come up around stuff that is so amazing, so beautiful, that we have a hard time believe that its true or will last.

The feelings around Justice are the wounds to tend to – so d some psychic surgery and remove any untrue beliefs. The work for you this month goes right to the bone, right to the heart. Trust that this is bringing a gift and a treasure, even if you cannot see it. The way we can start to swim in the current of Justice is to go outside. Every tree, bee, flower, weed, every animal whispers the truth of this life to us, if we can lay down and listen. Nothing is permanent, everything brings a gift, everything has its place in the Great Web. You must touch this wild place, Scorpio, in order to see the parallels in your life, too.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

:: SAGITTARIUS – The Sun ::

Dear Sagittarius, this month is filled with so much sweetness for you! So much light, gratitude and joy. It is going to feel like a massive weight has left your shoulders. So much is sloughing off of you; lots of karmic stuff is cycling out, and it can’t come a moment too soon. You’ve been asked to be in the dark about some things for a long while, Sagittarius, and this month is truly a burst of understanding and clarity around areas that might have had you confused for years. It’s a big, big time. Think new relationships, new career, new expansions. The sky is the limit.

There will be answers, illumination and breakthroughs that will rock your world this month. There’s just one teeny, tiny, little invitation in order to swim in all of this beauty: Vulnerability. This is the key that unlocks the door. This is your final frontier, Sagittarius. Understanding and truly embodying the fact that vulnerability isn’t a weakness – its one of the sexiest things about you. It’s the truth that moves mountains, changes hearts, softens minds and shifts your karma. Now, you guys can be as sweet and as vulnerable as they come, except in certain situations. And it’s in these areas where you can allow your knees to bend a bit, and your heart to crack.

You will know what I’m talking about, because it is probably the area you’re already getting defensive about upon reading this! Your bravado and confidence is amazing when its authentic, but distances you from the light and warmth of The Sun when it’s a mask. Shake the ground from underneath you with your vulnerability; it’ll change your life, especially this month.

You’re getting massive gifts in May, regardless of this invitation into softness and vulnerability. But to take it all the way, let yourself crack when you need to. By doing so, its almost like you’re opening yourself enough to receive what you’ve been asking and praying for. It feels very sacred, and very internal. Allow yourself to go on this holy journey toward the light. Expect relief this month, too. Any of the stuff that’s been in the works, unspoken, unfinished will come to a blissful conclusion now. You guys are making so much room for the new, the light, and the beautiful. Just tie up these last pieces and you’ll be home free.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

:: CAPRICORN – Ten of Crystals, reversed ::

You’re going back to the drawing board in many ways this May, Capricorn, but this is totally appropriate for you. This is what the retrograde is for. You’ve been doing some massive, massive work on yourself, releasing and shoring up old beliefs that no longer serve. Like Sagittarius, you have also been asked to do a lot of this in the dark. It has been no easy feat, and you’ve shown up for it spectacularly. Now it’s time to truly rewire all of the foundational stuff that is not serving you, and that has outstayed its welcome. Its time to get back to basics, Capricorn, and do some work on the foundation of your life, beliefs and body.

A lot of this old foundation just doesn’t fit anymore. And so until you do this, nothing will be able to come in to your life that is a true harvest of what you deserve. This is the best news you could get right now. The retrogrades are specifically primed for this kind of work, a supportive rewiring. Be willing to be very present with this more internally focussed time. It won’t last, and it is crucial to your growth and ability to receive.

Ten of Crystals is a beautiful card, a gorgeous and powerful reaping of all our hard work. You received the Ten of Pentacles reversed. This isn’t bad, but it is an important distinction from the right side up interpretation of the card. The reversal indicates that you’re almost to that glorious, gorgeous harvest, but not quite. The image I am getting is like a highway running parallel to another highway, separated by a concrete divider. If you attempted to merge over, you would crash. But if you drive until the next turnoff, exit your highway and merge onto the parallel one, you’ll be home free. It’s the process of the merging, the turning and the reentry that is the key.

Go through the full healing and rewiring process, Capricorn. Resist the temptation to just crash “through” the divider. There is a much gentler, easier, more fruitful way to wake up. Look right into the heart of your untrue and outdated beliefs. Stop just intellectualizing them; make concrete changes. Release bullshit distractions; really honor the work and process of the moment. Merge onto the aligned highway of your life.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

:: AQUARIUS – Three of Swords, reversed ::

This is a month of deep healing for you, Aquarius. The wounding you’ve been moving through, any pain that arose in April, will finally have space and time to be cleansed. This month is a sacred time to tend to deep cuts, to apply balm to slashes in the heart. To no longer break your own heart; but to make amends to yourself, and to resist exposing yourself to anything or anyone who is cruel, unkind or unsupportive of you. So spend lots of nourishing time in nature, put your phone in a drawer, and focus on healing. Heal whatever is left unresolved in your sweet heart, and keep moving toward the salvation of renewed growth.

You guys have been shifting, changing and moving so fast that you haven’t had enough time to process any grief or hurt from the last few months. That’s been totally aligned, but it is now the perfect time to do this internal healing work. This month, you’ll finally have space to not only heal, but to find joy and lightness again. This is the invitation of this retrograde for you; space, clearing and renewal. Healing in order to create space is the key to this month for you, Aquarius.

Three of Swords can be a very painful energy to move through. It can portend heartache, heartbreak, wounding, and drama. It’s a huge mental energy, too; lots of beliefs and thoughts that don’t serve. But because you got this card reversed, Aquarius, the pain of this card is behind you. It is already over. The storm has passed; now you must rebuild. There is a reemergence that is so beautiful with this card reversed. You are truly going through a rebirth, Aquarius.

Be in and around fresh water as much as you can. Bathe, cleanse, and wash yourself in the water of lakes, rivers and streams if possible. Treat yourself kindly during this time. Take naps, go slowly, let things be as soft, as gentle and as deep as they can get. Really up your time in nature, too. Make this a very nourishing experience. This wound clearing for Aquarius might go back years. Whatever has been left unexamined is now ready to be looked at and squeezed out. Trust this time, trust all that its bringing to you, and keep allowing it to releasing layer upon layer of shrapnel from your soul, leaving you whole and new again.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

:: PISCES – Nine of Wands ::

There are some powerful journeys in store for you this month, Pisces. Journeys of the heart, the mind and the soul. These journeys are all beautiful, but intense, and will absolutely take up a great deal of your energy this month. It is the last big expansion of energy for you before a period of well deserved rest this summer. The key with Nine of Wands is to take breaks when you need them. It’s a lot of work, movement and effort to travel through this card’s energy. So go slowly, and ask for help when you desire it.

You do not have to be an island, sweet Pisces. Open your heart, speak your truth, and believe you’re worthy of help and a kind ear. This has really been, frankly, what the last few months have been about for you guys. Getting you to ask for help; to open your heart to community, and to be seen in a way that is really powerful. Those of you who have allowed yourself to be more vulnerable and available to assistance have been receiving it in incredible ways. There have been big, big time shifts and gifts for Pisceans who have asked for help and guidance along the way.

For those of you who are still locked in your victimhood, your mental stories about what is fair or unfair, I gently invite you back to your truth. To the shining, beautiful truth of your special, unforgettable and wonderful nature, Pisces. Nine of Wands, no matter where you are, will be a road home. A road back to your truth, to your path, and to your goals. In order to reach them, you must, must, must, must go gently and slowly. Pace yourself; that’s the key with this card.

Take breaks when you need them, allow yourself to be held up and seen by people who you trust. Ask for whatever assistance you should need along the way and you will absolutely receive it. It is very important for you to speak your truth this month, too. If you have something to say, say it. If you have something to express, express it. Do not hide or suffer in silence. Share your experience and let yourself be seen. It’s the last big, effortful journey before some amount of regeneration and rest for you. Be willing to go the distance and leave the heaviness behind.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

:: ARIES – The Lovers ::

Seeing and being seen is the medicine of the moment for Aries this month. Expect some BIG personal shifts and upgrades around how you view and think about yourself, all for the better. But let’s start with what The Lovers is NOT: it is not necessarily a harbinger of new love, a rekindling of an old love, or a new relationship. It can be, but this isn’t the bottom line of the card. It’s not about another person or situation; when we are in The Lovers’ energy, the people around us become our mirrors. For you, Aries, the people around you will be deep and powerful reflectors of your truth, beauty, goodness and gifts this month.

This energy is being offered to you so that you can start seeing yourself as others see you. This isn’t an energy that just puffs the ego; the colors run really true, and very deep. There is a power to The Lovers that can radically and permanently shift our opinions and beliefs about ourselves. It all happens in alignment with the truth – and so in any area you have a false view of yourself, someone or something is going to reflect the truth to you. Now comes your opportunity to accept this invitation and embody it.

This whole year for Aries is going to be about upgrading old beliefs and evolving your view of yourself. It has been, up until this point, about healing and offering love and care to the nervous system. May offers some more blossoming and sweetness. April was a CRUNCHER of a month for Aries – so much ego eradication, stress and insecurity. This month, dive back into the truth. Do you know who you are? In April, I don’t know how many of you would have answered that you knew with confidence. This month is a different ballgame. The Lovers will help profoundly with this.

If you are not in a position where someone in your life is reflecting to you YOUR specialness, pay attention to those who YOU feel are beautiful. What you think is amazing in them is what is amazing about you too. If you’re falling in love with someone, you’re really falling in love with yourself. What you feel is special and wonderful about someone else, is in you, too. It’ll be a heart centered homecoming to the truth of your amazing nature, Aries. So dive in courageously, and let yourself see and be seen.

Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.

THE NUMINOUS PRESENTS: MERCURY RISING

Join us and Standard Talks for our Mercury Rising event, a full day of next level wellbeing and cosmic empowerment…

HL_Numinous_MercuryRising_Square

YES – we’re organizing a day-long event right in the middle of the up-coming Mercury Retrograde period. Are we crazy? NO. Because it’s time to break some taboos and show you how to make this much maligned Cosmic aspect work FOR YOU.

Numinous founder Ruby Warrington has curated Mercury Rising – a very special roster of talks and workshops, featuring some of our favorite modern mystics. Co-hosted by Standard Hotels, the day-long event is designed to help empower you in navigating this tricky astrological climate.

Famous for creating delays, miscommunications, and wreaking all kinds of havoc with our schedules, Mercury Retrograde has become the Donald Trump of the astro calendar – but there’s nothing to be afraid of! With awareness and a willingness to embrace what comes up, this can be a potent time for healing old wounds, tidying up unfinished business, and working WITH the Universe to carve out your best future.

Our Mercury Rising event has been designed specifically to show you how – with 3 instructional, fun and interactive workshops, PLUS individual tarot readings to leave you feeling fully empowered and with a Cosmic goddess glow!

Click here for tickets and logistics – and read on for everything you need to know…

DATE:
Saturday, May 7 2016

LOCATION:

The Standard, High Line, 848 Washington Street, New York, NY, 10014 (PLUS make a weekend of it with a 15% discount on rooms with the code MERCURYRISING) 

TICKETS:
Full day – $89 (including drinks and snacks)
Individual workshops – $35 each

RUN OF PLAY:
11am-12.30pm – F*ck You Mercury Retro Salon with The Astro Twins
Elle.com astrologers Tali and Ophira Edut break down WHY Mercury Retrograde gets such a bad rap, while providing expert insight about how we can actually make the energy at this time work in our favor. They will also provide an in-depth overview of the planetary aspects influencing this specific Mercury Retro phase, to further illustrate how to maximize the cosmic potential of the times – with a view to setting up your best summer ever.

12.30-1.30pm – Break (with refreshments from the Montauk Juice Factory + option to add on a lunch-box from Standard Hotels)

1.30-3.30pm – Lead Your Own Moon Ceremony with Deborah Hanekamp
As well as teaching participants the proper protocols for creating your own New and Full Moon ceremonies, this workshop includes an overview of how to work with the different phases of the Moon each and every month – including diet, lifestyle, and wellness practices. Living in alignment with the lunar cycles is a way of connecting to your own innate power source, giving you the inner strength to navigate any Mercury Retro hi-jinx!

3.30-4pm – Break (tea + pastries)

4-6pm – Breathwork for Mercury Retrograde with Erin Telford
Breathwork is an active meditation technique designed to move stuck or heavy energy, and a super fast way to emotionally detox – the perfect healing for clearing anything that’s come up during the Mercury Retrograde period. Think part self-healing technique, part catharsis, part adult temper tantrum, and part psychedelic experience! Set to music,  you will be held in sacred space during the entire session, releasing what isn’t yours to hold anymore and emerging with more light and clarity.

6-7.30pm – Individual soul tarot readings with Lindsay Mack (drinks + canapes)
We finish the day with sunset refreshments on the terrace, where The Numinous resident tarot reader Lindsay Mack will be available for mini one-to-one soul tarot sessions. With this final piece of cosmic guidance in your toolbox, you’ll be primed to thrive despite whatever the Mercury Retro phase sends your way – you may even find yourself looking forward to the next one!

***

THE ASTRO TWINS
Through their popular astrology website, identical twins Ophira and Tali Edut help “bring the stars down to earth” with their unique, lifestyle-based approach to astrology. They are also the official astrologers for Refinery29, ELLE.com, Elle Australia, Virgin Hotels, GaranceDore.com and Interview Germany.As well as being featured in numerous publications, the sisters have read charts for celebrities including Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Jessica Simpson and Sting.
www.astrostyle.com

mercury rising deborah hanekamp on The NuminousDEBORAH HANEKAMP
Deborah Hanekamp is a Seeress and Medicine Woman carrying over 15 years in the healing arts as an Initiated Amazonian Curendara, Reiki Master and Yogini. Guided by the present moment, Deborah has facilitated Medicine Readings and healing ceremonies all over the world. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Time out New York & The Numinous.
www.unityessences.com

 

Erin Telford Mercury Rising on The NuminousERIN TELFORD
Erin’s mission is to help people heal their relationships with themselves. She pulls from a toolbox of therapeutic conversation, lifestyle and spiritual counseling, essential oils, crystals, mantra and other healing tools. She is a healer, acupuncturist, herbalist and Reiki Master and leads individual and group Breathwork sessions. She was recently featured in Refinery 29 as one of “6 Women Who Are Redefining Wellness in New York City.” She is also a regular contributor to The Numinous and Live the Process online magazines. www.erintelford.com

Lindsay Mack Mercury Rising on The NuminousLINDSAY MACK
Lindsay Mack is an intuitive tarot reader, teacher and heart centered healer based in Brooklyn, NY. She is the founder of Sacred Tarot School in NYC, and regularly tours her classes, workshops and Soul Tarot readings all over the world. She is the co-facilitator of Brooklyn Fools Tarot Intensive, located at Maha Rose in Brooklyn, and she is a full time tarot teacher at Spirit Weavers Gathering.
www.lindsaymack.com

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: NUMI SWEATSHIRTS, AND LIFE AS A ROLLERCOASTER

Plus an intro to astro dating, birthday fun, and I’m reunited with my Starchild…child.

 

:: MONDAY ::
THIS WEEK IS ALL ABOUT OUR NUMI SWEATSHIRTS! Which you can now finally buy from our ACTUAL store, which is now fully up and running. We’re selling them in aid of an amazing charity called Urban Yogis, which helps bring the tools of yoga and meditation to inner city communities to help lessen violent street crime. YESSSS. This kind of initiative is WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT. When I asked Bob Roth, director of the David Lynch Foundation, what he thought the world would look like if everybody learned to meditate, he told me: “If even one per cent of the population learned to meditate there would be less divisiveness, and less violence. There would be more consensus and willingness to work together and be collaborative.” So…get your shirt and help support, world peace?

:: TUESDAY ::
An “astro date” with amazing Luke Simon. Luke is one of my very favorite people in the entire Numiverse (found out today he’s a Libra – and Libra men, what’s not to love), and he recently announced he was offering a new kind of birth chart reading. Namely, it takes place at a spot that’s a physical reflection and manifestation of the major aspects of your chart. For me, this meant a windswept walk dow to the East River park in Williamsburg, where he told me: “the ongoing construction work taking place represents the intense period of transformation you’re going through right now.” Um, u-huh. Then there’s the view across the water to the Manhattan skyline, representing all the ambition of my Aries Sun and Sag rising – but built on the watery vulnerability of the Hudson River. A snapshot that’s me to a tee. Contact Luke here for a reading.

Lovely Luke Simon - a.k.a. @lavieenrainbow
Lovely Luke Simon – a.k.a. @lavieenrainbow

:: WEDNESDAY ::
Got my Starchild Tarot deck back, which I’d lent to lovely Lindsay Mack when she stepped in to take over Tarotscope duties last month. Lindsay liked the cards so much she decided to invest in her own deck, and for my part, I just didn’t realize how much I’d MISS them! Like the number of times I’d be all, “hmmm, I wonder what the Starchild would say?” and then experience mild panic that they were not in my possession. I have never felt like this about a deck before. It must be love.

Starchild Tarot by Danielle Noel on The Numinous

:: THURSDAY ::
Love how somehow a cosmic metaphor follows you around – in my case, this week, life as a rollercoaster. 1) my niece and nephew arrive from the UK and suggest a trip to Coney Island this weekend. I text my friend: “I feel like what I actually need is to go on a rollercoaster and just scream my head off this week.” 2) my Strong Eye Astrology reading for the weekend advises me to “flow with the vibrant energy of the carnival.” 3) my life coach send me this link to this Jimmy Fallon skit titled “The Joy of The Rollercoaster,” as (another) metaphor for the intense period of transformation I’m going through right now. #surrenderforever

:: FRIDAY ::
Counting down to my Club SÖDA NYC next Thursday with Biet Simkin. Did you get your ticket yet? And there’s a reason I’m getting a little over-excited about this one – it’s kind of also mine and Biet’s birthday party. Last night she sent me this text: “This birthday for both of us is telling a tale of the year to come, and the next decade.” Come join us to find out what she meant, and help us celebrate!

Club Soda event the Numinous and Biet Simkin

TAROTSCOPES: APRIL 2016

Cast by Lindsay Mack using The Starchild Akashic Deck

 

 

:: Aries/Aries Rising :: Queen of Crystals

Happy birthday, Aries loves! Queen of Crystals is a divinely sensual, maternal energy – both Earth and Water, mother and lover.

For Aries, this month will bring much healing, releasing and re-nourishing, both in the physical body and the auric field. Aries’ nervous systems and adrenals are pretty fried from the last few months, and April will offer a sweet homecoming to restore them from the ground up through the nourishment of Planet Earth. Even if you’re still busy this month, look out for the organic invitations for you to stop, inhale and get in touch with your body.

Aries literally cannot be outside enough this month, as was true with March’s download as well. Walk barefoot as often as possible, allow there to be physical contact between you and the planet’s surface. Travel somewhere new; pay attention to the animal totems, flowers and medicine all around you. Eat locally and flood your body with sacred food and drink. Breathe deeply and become present. Allow this time to be a detox and an upgrade to your whole system.

From here on out, especially with all of the planetary shifts taking place, you must truly utilize the nourishment of nature in your daily self care routine dear Aries. This is a life shift, not just a passing monthly invitation, and one that Aries must choose. Rooting into and expanding a relationship to nature is going to help birth your next big expansion, part of which is enabling you to hold the intensity and shifting happening on the planet and not let it drain you of your resources. Once you’re no longer running on empty, it will create space for so much beauty to flow in.

Getting back to the sensual is also very important for Aries this month. A deeply sexual sign, you need a healthy access point to this flow at all times, and stress can limit this. Believe it or not, even something as simple as a mindful walk in the park can open this place up in Aries. A wellspring of healing and regeneration is available for you this month. Lean into the flow of the Queen of Crystals, and it will be life changing.

Follow Lindsay Mack on Instagram @WildSoulHealing

 

:: Taurus/Taurus Rising :: Eight of Cups

Last month, Taurus was “awakening” with the Judgment card – and now that you are awake, you can no longer continue engaging with what you know doesn’t serve your highest good. For Taurus, April will be a month of sacred and powerful endings, in which you’ll be invited to walk away from all that doesn’t honor the truth of who you are. You’re not just leaving something behind – you’re actually moving on.

There are big shifts in karma and destiny available to Taurus this month; huge and beautiful upgrades are possible. But it needs to spring forth from you and your decisions alone. Do you want to keep spiraling in and out of what you know does not work, and perhaps never did? You alone possess the courage to step forward into the wild unknown, the landscapes of your life that you are not even aware of yet. This month, the door will be open for you to take that first step.

Eight of Cups is a card of transformation that arises from willingness. We must be willing to walk away. We don’t need to be gung ho, we don’t need to be ready, we don’t need to like it. We just need to have the willingness. If we can consider the possibility of moving on from what we’ve worked hard for, but doesn’t truly serve us, we will have room to receive something better. Even if we don’t know what we are walking toward, we need to start with that decision to move on. This is the step that will change so much for you this month.

For Taurus, this transition might be big or small. Whether it’s a relationship, your job or your beliefs about your body, space is possible. But, remember: the Eight of Cups is an empowerment card. YOU do the walking. It is only when we walk away from what doesn’t serve us that what DOES has space to drop in. When we stick around in relationships, situations or jobs that drain our soul essence from us, there is no room for anything to crowd it out. We just keep circling the drain. All of that can end for you in April, sweet Taurus. Take the first step, and just keep walking. Soon, a new world will be in front of you.

Follow Lindsay Mack on Instagram @WildSoulHealing

 

:: Gemini/Gemini Rising :: Nine of Wands

Loves, you are at a crossroads. Do you keep pushing, grasping and draining your energy, or do you ask for more help, take more breaks and rest more thoroughly in your life? I recommend the latter path, and this month will provide the opportunity for you to really transform your life by choosing wisely.

Last month, you got to ride the waves of the energetic climax that was winter shifting into spring. This month, you get to master the reins of your energy, and control how thinly you are spreading yourself. It is possible for you to totally crack open this month (in an amazing way) and change the way you communicate. If you’re vulnerable enough to ask for help, to add people to your team, and to be truthful with your spouse/partner, co-workers, friends or children about what you need from them in terms of support and aid, it’ll be a game changer for you. Not only because you’ll be giving the people who love you the chance to hold space for you, but because you’ll prove your brain wrong: you don’t have to do it all, and it’s also wise not to. If you ask for support now, you’ll be so grateful that you did down the road.

Nine of Wands is an energy of choice, in many ways; we can go one way or another, as expressed above. It is very often described as being a climax – and you’re almost at the finish line, with some very important obstacle to surpass. For Gemini this month, it is this call for transparency and what it is you really need that is the mountain to climb. Nine of Wands can also hold this quasi-Shakti energy, a burst of intensity and pressure that can either overwhelm you or rocket you forward with energy to spare. Its totally up to you, the key is to just communicate whatever you need.

Finally, you are also being called back to your organic sensuality and sexuality this month. Play, dance, and infuse lightness into your life as often as you can. It is so important to ground your energy down so you can be in that easy vibe. Allow there to be less work and more play, even if you don’t feel its possible. Let yourself be surprised.

Follow Lindsay Mack on Instagram @WildSoulHealing

 

:: Cancer/Cancer Rising :: Knight of Wands

Buckle up, Cancer, this month is taking you for a wild and awesome ride. The Knight of Wands builds on the momentum sparked by the Six of Wands, the energy you were surfing last month. There is SO much movement for you in April, all really birthing you into your next big steps, personally and professionally. The key is to trust it, and to try to keep up.

You’re changing, Cancer. You’re coming out of your shell more and more, saying “yes” to all of the encouragement from the outside world to do so. Feeling more comfortable with this exposure, even in little ways, will be a huge part of this month for you. Expect some really big evolutions in your professional life, especially if you are moving into doing more of your soul’s work on the planet. In April, it would be possible for you to move mountains with all of the energy available to you, so job changes are 100 percent possible, if that’s what you want.

Knight of Wands is a powerful energy for a sign like Cancer to be hanging out. It blends the elements of Air and Fire, and has a kind of a firework kick to it. It’s also an energy that’s very much “in process,” learning how to handle all of the energy it possesses. It’s going to keep encouraging you to grow, move, expand and be more visible in your work and life. Don’t be afraid! Step into what you’ve been dreaming of. Be ballsy. Use the energy of the Knight to propel you into the next level of your life.

Cancer will be balancing a flow of creative explosions and some exhaustion in April, which is totally appropriate. Take it easy and gently, be kind to yourself and find pockets of rest and breathing room in the wild ride of the Knight. You can call on your innate Water element to balance out all of the Fire and Air if things get overwhelming.

You are getting everything you asked for and then some this month. You can trust it! There is no other shoe, no rug that’s going to get pulled out from under you. Surf the waves and remember to have fun – enjoy this time!

Follow Lindsay Mack on Instagram @WildSoulHealing

 

:: Leo/Leo Rising :: Knight of Cups

There is an intoxicating energy in the air for Leo this month, but you should take care to not get too swept away by it before you make decisions. April’s invitation to Leo is to travel beyond the realm of logical head or desiring heart, to the place of the soul’s deepest knowing, before making any choices.

The month will be full of beautiful offerings and opportunities, and you will be able to navigate the month gracefully if you make sure to only say “yes” to what is actually aligned for you. Be willing to travel deeply within, past logic or desire, to the soul’s truth. Listen deeply. This is the truly sacred and pure place that the Knight of Cups comes from when not swept away by emotion. If you accept the invitation to go above and beyond emotion or logic, there will be so much personal expansion and alignment as a result. A lot of inner doubts and indecision will fade, as well.

It is also wise for you to ground yourself consistently, and to bring a gentle inquiry to some of the bigger energies of the month. Allow yourself to go slower than you normally would, and enjoy the ride. And by the way, the Universe isn’t trying to throw cold water on your dreamy Knight of Cups fun, Leo. It is merely trying to get you more aligned with your deepest wisdom. The soul knows the truest truth, and to get to that deep place, we actually have to travel past both the head and the heart.

To be able to say an empowered “yes” or “no” to something that doesn’t ultimately serve us (especially if its something we think we might desperately want) is an amazing and empowering act. It gets us more intimate with our deepest selves and our intuition. If you are willing to move through this month mindfully, there is deep treasure to be gained – not only in terms of your personal energetic balance, but with your confidence in yourself and your intuition. Go deep before you commit, Leo – keep your feet on the ground, and see how far you fly.

Follow Lindsay Mack on Instagram @WildSoulHealing

 

:: Virgo/Virgo Rising :: Ten of Cups

April is such a well of sweetness for Virgo. The work you’ve been doing so tirelessly and thanklessly has been paying off (whether you’ve been aware of it or not), and this month there is finally a yield on all of your efforts. Last month, Virgo was moving through the energy of the Strength card, and it cracked you open to your power in a huge way. Strength helps us to look our deepest, darkest places in the eye, so that we can be free of the false fear we carry around the unexamined parts of our lives. If we can look at fear face on, it no longer has control over us.

You needed to do this, Virgo, because you’re here to be of service and its time for you to wake up to your power and your innate intuition. So March was rough, but I can tell you that you passed the “test” with flying colors. The labor is over, and now you get to enjoy what you’ve birthed. Ten of Cups is a card that radiates deep love and gratitude. It is a harvest of what we have sown with the choices we’ve made on our journey.

As such, this is an incredibly important month for you, Virgo, because it will seal in you a full cycle of growth. You’ve been contracting and moving through so much intensity – this month brings the expansion, the flow and the ease. It brings the joy and the light. It brings the rest. It brings answers. You will see the “why” for all of your work, and if you’re awake and willing, it’ll blow your mind in such a beautiful way. April will truly peel back the curtain and welcome you into a world of understanding and discovery around your inner work.

So ENJOY this month in whatever way befits you. Whether this means some sweet rest or a lot of social time, give yourself whatever you need after this time of hard work. Shower yourself with gratitude, too! You deserve it! Be sweet, soft and kind to your body and your heart, let that crack you open in a totally different way. This is the end of a powerful and important cycle in your growth and evolution, Virgo. Celebrate every moment.

Follow Lindsay Mack on Instagram @WildSoulHealing

 

:: Libra/Libra Rising :: Queen of Cups

Libra is in for a deep and dreamy month, aided by the beautiful flow of the Queen of Cups. She is bringing an invitation that will add tremendous clarity to your life and your inner self. Libra, the time has come for you to stand in the light of your truth without questioning or doubt. Your brain might swing you back and forth, but you can build a trust in yourself that is unshakable now.

To do this, you must be clear on why you hold doubt in the first place. Do you believe you’re capable of missing something, or of making an irrevocably bad decision in your life? If you do hold these beliefs, just cradle them gently and bring inquiry to them. Hang out with them for a while, anchored by the watery, intuitive depth available to you by the Queen of Cups. These beliefs may be real, but they are not necessarily true – and worthy of your attention to clarify the difference. With this, you will be able to honor yourself and your choices in a whole new way.

To slice through this uncertainty, you must be willing to dive; and the Queen of Cups will take you there if you choose to go on the journey. It’ll be a powerful month of psychic expansion and potent dreams for you, Libra, all helping you to stand in the light of your clear truth. Use this energy beautifully in meditation, in dreaming, in walking, in pausing before you speak, in expanding your intuition, in becoming more quiet. This may also be a month where you are alone more, or desire to be alone more. Try to honor it, embrace it fully and completely. Live on magical time.

It’s not often that Queen of Cups comes for a visit, so try and be present with her. Let her work on you from the ground up. You might not love every moment of April’s dreamy invitation, and may experience a desire to be more active and head centered sometimes this month. I recommend that you surrender to the flow of the moment, and bask in the beauty of the watery depths. You’ll be so grateful that you did.

Follow Lindsay Mack on Instagram @WildSoulHealing

 

:: Scorpio/Scorpio Rising :: Two of Wands

FINALLY, a little relief for Scorpio this month! Scorpio is out of the contraction of old traumas and healing work for the moment, and will be spending much more time back in their personal power. This is actually helping to alchemize and direct all of the work you’ve done into something useable and useful to your path. It’ll be a wonderful month for you, and one with the potential for a lot of passion and inspiration.

Two of Wands is an amazing energy. You are suspended in a moment full of excitement, wonder and clarity. You are directing your focus, and essentially anything is possible. The world is in your hands. Psychic energies run high, and you have tremendously clear access to your ancestors. Scorpio will benefit greatly from tuning in with your invisible tribe of guides as often as possible, so that you can be directed on the next steps of you path. So get super clear on what you want and leave all of the rest behind.

As with last month, this is still an excellent and aligned time for you to quit projects that don’t serve you. Cut cords and bow in gratitude. It’s the same with relationships. You will know who I am speaking about, if this relates to you. If your heart says leave, do it. This month is also VERY sexually potent for Scorpios. It’s part of how you channel and hear your guidance, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

Remember that your sign IS the birth/death cycle incarnate. You are 100 percent meant to survive and thrive through every intense shaman’s “death.” These huge contractions are not meant to slow you down or pull you off your path: they ARE your path. The more you embrace this, the more you will thive. All of this old intensity and trauma has been arising so it can be cleared away, enabling you to arise in a burst of beautiful, healthy fire. The Two of Wands brings so much healing, movement, evolution and balance to your door this month. Use it. Welcome it with open arms.

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:: Sagittarius/Sagittarius Rising :: Wheel of Fortune

Sagittarius, this is an incredibly important month for you. SO important that you’re essentially being asked to do nothing. No big decisions, no huge leaps, just staying incredibly present. For this month all you desire is being baked in the oven, so to speak. It’s almost done, but its not time to take it out just yet. So concentrate on getting the recipe perfect, then walk away and surrender it. You’ve done your part, now let the Universe do its part. This tandem action is the heartbeat and life force behind the energy that is here for you this month.

Wheel of Fortune is a macrocosmic card, guiding the flow of the whole month for you. It’s a gentle, complex and subtle energy, calling us to both be co-creators in our destiny and to surrender to the divine flow of our life. Tricky, but an amazing feat. Believe it or not, there is no bad or negative turn on the wheel. Everything in life is medicine, so every turn on the wheel brings a different color, flavor or situation. If it brings one piece of wisdom for you this month, it’s to: BE PRESENT.

You’re actively creating what you’ve been asking for in April, so be here for it. Show up. Don’t half ass the baking process, so to speak. You cannot get a finished product if you aren’t there to put the pieces together. So be here now. There really is no future; we are birthing it in every moment. For you, Sagittarius, this idea is the key to your month. Just know that whether it looks like it or not, the energy of the month is calling you home to yourself, calling you home to the moment you’re currently in.

Being here in this moment is the key to allowing our destiny to unfold as it’s meant to. Things are coming that you need to be able to receive, so do the work in this moment to create the space for them to drop…by doing nothing at all. Just be here for whatever arises in the moment, even if it seems unrelated. This turn on your wheel will amaze you by the time the month is out.

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:: Capricorn/Capricorn Rising :: Transformation

Capricorn is moving into a totally new paradigm this month through the portal of Transformation, or the Death card. It’s a new state of being, understanding and experiencing, one that will really change your world. For Capricorn, this work is deeply important – as it’s about allowing old ego-based ideas, patterns and beliefs to fall away, birthing you anew into the next phase of your life.

Let’s first start with this: the Death card doesn’t bring any kind of foreboding, or any prospect or prediction of true “death.” It doesn’t mean that you or someone you love will be hurt, or that something you love and hold dear will be ripped from you. It’s a beautiful, helpful card – you can let your nervous system relax upon seeing it. It’s only here to do good work on you.

After all, there is no waste in nature; every “death” is compostable, given a new purpose and function, with what is dying away becoming sacred fertilizer for the new stuff we want to manifest and nurture in our lives. This is the cycle of all life. The only thing that perceives a problem in the Death/Transformation card is the Ego, so if you have a tough time this month, that’s actually a beautiful thing. The Ego doesn’t fight unless we are walking into a truly aligned and expanded place, so take it as a sign of great progress if that’s what’s happening for you.

The Death/Transformation card is here to help you compost something that’s no longer serving you. Very often, this is an internal thing. It’s related to an old set of beliefs, an old idea of what something is or should be, etc. It could mean a physical shift, too. Again, this doesn’t mean an ending or a leaving behind something we love. What this energy does is help the new seedlings in your life grow and be nourished. Trust this, and allow the macrocosmic energy of the month take what is no longer serving you. Allow it to take you through this sacred cycle.

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:: Aquarius/Aquarius Rising :: The Sun

This month is so, so, so beautiful for Aquarius! Having moved through the intensity of the Five of Cups last month, you’re heading into the expansion part of that contraction. The Sun is enabling you to see the “why” of that time, shining light and illumination on the answers you seek. Life is clear and things makes sense. Expect joy, movement and flow to be the cornerstones of your month.

Like so many of us, you have been moving through a lot of surrender. It’s been a little more intensife for you guys though, simply due to the fact that you aren’t like everyone else. You’re here to hold a certain level of space, and you have been energetically encouraged to take up that space as freely and as magnificently as possible. The planet needs Aquarians to be in their genius, to be the artists, intuitives and lightworkers you are.

To do this, you guys needed to simplify. You needed to get back to truth, emotionally speaking. You needed to seek, to heal yourselves and to shed what didn’t serve. You needed to explore and master the idea of loss, to shatter the notion that anything that was yours could be taken from you. In one way or another, subtle or not so, you have been stepping back into the purest surrender, allowing the Universe to direct you. April is about receiving the richness for all of that work. You were asked to wait, to hang on, to surrender and to slow down. Now you will step up into the why around all of that. A very exciting moment!

The other thing here for Aquarius this month is movement. Be prepared for some major moving around – and if you’re not actually moving spaces, I recommend that you move your body as much as possible. Channel and focus it into art, making things and being aligned with the work you love. Circulate the joy and the answers you receive this month back into the world – as you heal yourself, you also heal others.

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:: Pisces/Pisces Rising :: Page of Swords

It’s a big month of manifestation and focus for you, Pisces. What an awesome shift from the energy of The Hierophant last month! You’ve cleared up so much space, whether you’re aware of it or not. Now your feet are on the ground, your mind is open, and you’re ready to go. Page of Swords is here this month to guide you to just do the work. Do NOT worry about how anyone receives it or what anyone else is doing. Just go with your flow and do your sacred thing. So much energy wants to be birthed through you now – let it. Be fearless.

You might still be a bit shaky from the big energies of last month, so honor that. Allow your nervous system to relax, but still jump into the water with both feet. It is extremely important that you utilize all of the contraction and energy that’s been building in you through March in a way that’s helpful to others. Circulating it back out is very important. Your ideas are amazingly aligned, so believe in yourself and just make them happen.

The Page of Swords represents the eager, fearless student who wants to take on the world – and very well may! It’s a beginning time, a process of planting seeds and coming out into the world more than staying in. Honor your ambition, nerve and optimism, and again, don’t worry about the outcome. Your job is to just serve. Show up on this planet and serve. If you’re doing it out of competition, you’re fall flat. If you’re doing it out of spite, you’ll fall flat. If you’re doing it out of a desire to be of service, for the love for what you do, and because you know you cannot live if you don’t birth this idea out into the world, you will fly higher than you ever imagined.

Part of the medicine of the Page of Swords is having your feet on the ground and your head clear, so harness your focus on that. Let people say whatever they say. Just do your thing and keep your eyes on your own paper. Those who are meant to follow or go with you will do so. It’s your job to take the first step. Do the work you’re here to do; everything else will follow.

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