Tarot Archives - Page 6 of 18

THE HIEROPHANT SESSIONS: WHICH TAROT CARD IS YOUR TEACHER?

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

The Tarot is a powerful tool for intention setting and conscious growth. With The Hierophant Sessions, Melinda Lee Holm shares how to discover which card is your Tarot teacher right now …

We generally consult the Tarot when we have specific questions and seek clear answers.

Yet in the same way that we look to figures like Joan of Arc, Yogananda, Angela Davis, and Harvey Milk as role models, we can also look to the Tarot’s archetypes not just as divination tools to give us information about our lives, but as actual guides for our behavior.

In my own work, I use the cards as practical guides, and encourage my clients to actively work with the deck by meditating on its images, setting altars to archetypes, and consciously cultivating relationships to these symbols through everyday strategies.

I’ve selected my top Tarot “teachers” and techniques for you below. See if you recognize yourself in any of these types and when in doubt, separate the 6 teachers, shuffle, and pull one to discover whose guidance is calling to you right now.

*Want to learn more about the Tarot as a practical guidance tool? Listen to my Hierophant Sessions podcast every Wednesday (preview episode up now!) and book a session with me HERE.

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1// Teacher: The Empress. You may need The Empress if you are experiencing: impatience, narrow focus, scarcity mentality, a closed heart.

Stone: Aventurine
Food: Basil
Scent: Rose
Action: Open

The Empress teaches us that sometimes the best way to get the great love and prosperity we desire in life is to wrench open that bear trap around our little modern hearts, lean back, and let the love flow! There is an element of profound trust inherent in this card, a fundamental knowing that we are loved by the Earth and the Universe and that by simply opening up and loving unconditionally, we can tap into that great well of abundance they promise.

**Activate The Empress by embracing the idea that to give is to receive. Volunteer your time cooking at a shelter, reading to children, caring for animals or the environment, sorting food at the food bank—anything that gets you immersed in that consciousness of the Universal flow. Showing your love for others and backing it up with your time and money is a great way to get into Empress mode!

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2// Teacher: The Hermit. You may need The Hermit if you are experiencing: stress, feeling overwhelmed, lack of direction.

Stone: Sodalite
Food: Watercress
Scent: Lemon balm
Action: Withdraw

When it all feels like it’s just too much and you want to run away, it may be time to do just that—with the focused guidance of The Hermit. While in common usage we use the word “hermit” as a synonym for “recluse,” in the Tarot the figure is a wizened sage who seeks solitude in order to gather more wisdom. The seclusion he seeks is not motivated by desire to hide, but rather to cut out the noise to better focus on gathering the knowledge he needs to best serve not only his own personal development, but the needs of the broader community.

**Activate The Hermit by thriving in the cycle of intake and reflection. Try reading a great book on a topic near and dear to your Self and take time to journal for at least 30 minutes after reading each chapter. Solo trips into nature are a great Hermit activity as well—if you can’t make a trek into the mountains, sit alone under a tree in a park for a few hours. It’s a great time to read that book!

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3// Teacher: Strength. You may need Strength if you are experiencing: isolation, fatigue, weariness, feelings of resentment.

Stone: Ruby
Food: Thyme
Scent: Ginger
Action: Embrace

This card teaches us that true strength comes through co-creation and collaboration with the world around us, and through knowing our strengths and our weaknesses and embracing both. So much in our society pulls us apart and encourages us to see our fellow humans as competitors or even adversaries. Strength counters this messaging and reminds us that we are all children of the Earth and the Cosmos, and that when we embrace each other and our home we can achieve the greatest results. Only through vulnerability can we fortify ourselves to accomplish our greatest goals.

**Activate Strength by seeing the results of co-creation appear before your very eyes. Complete a project with someone close to you—this could be a household project with your partner or a creative project with a friend, anything where you are working in tandem with someone else and there is a clear concrete goal you can see completed. Repeat as needed!

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4// Teacher: The High Priestess. You may need The High Priestess if you are experiencing: disconnection from self, lack of confidence, feelings of being unworthy, imposter syndrome.

Stone: Moonstone
Food: Pomegranate
Scent: Lilac
Action: Reflect

The High Priestess calls us to fully explore the depths and dark corners of our souls. Just as the Moon shows itself by reflecting the light of the Sun, the High Priestess teaches us to look for clues about our true natures by looking at our reflections all around us. All of this inner exploration is made possible by her dedication to maintaining strong boundaries around her temple (nuns may be our closest living embodiment of High Priestess energy). From her, we can learn how important it is to enforce and maintain strong boundaries around a space we designate as sacred in our lives.

**Activate The High Priestess by designating and consecrating your temple. Your studio, office, bedroom, even a little corner of your living room that is just yours. Choose a space, clear it (physically and energetically), and then very selectively populate it with items that reflect you as you aspire to be and be seen.

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5// Teacher: Death. You may need Death if you are experiencing: scattered thinking, lack of productivity, obsessive thoughts about the past, inability to form new relationships.

Stone: Black Tourmaline
Food: Sesame
Scent: Lavender
Action: Release

When we try to hold onto ideas, patterns, and even relationships that have passed their usefulness to our well-being, it can manifest in a confusing series of seemingly unexplainable setbacks and energetic blockages. As the confusion sets it, we tend to clamp down ever harder, afraid to lose the ground we’ve worked so hard to gain, and further exacerbating the problem. The magic and wisdom of the Death card shows us that loosening the grip and allowing release is the surest way to make more room for new growth to emerge.

**Activate Death by leaning into the wisdom of letting go. Start with donating clothes you no longer need. The act of purging material posessions has a profound effect on the emotional and energetic bodies that can lead to greater ease in releasing emotional patterns and psychic loops.

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6// Teacher: The Hierophant. You may need The Hierophant if you are experiencing: lack of meaning, directionlessness, strained connection to the Divine, difficulty finding your path.

Stone: Herkimer Diamond Quartz
Food: Sage
Scent: Frankincense
Action: Transmit/Receive

While all of the cards offer wisdom and guidance of their own, The Hierophant stands apart as the one figure completely dedicated to downloading Divine teachings and disseminating that information for the benefit of others. If you’re feeling lost, calling on The Hierophant can be a powerful force to help you find the direction you need. Working with this card in manifestation practice can even bring in the teacher or mentor you need to get going on your path and achieve your goals – as long as those goals are aligned with your spiritual purpose!

**Activate The Hierophant by quite literally finding your gurus. Read spiritual texts, go to group meditations, go on a retreat if you can swing it—just get around as many people and ideas as you possibly can that are inspirational and aspirational to YOU. And be ready for the surprise twist where you actually end up being the guru someone else was looking for! We all have wisdom to offer the world.

*Want to learn more about the Tarot as a practical guidance tool? Listen to Melinda’s Hierophant Sessions podcast every Wednesday (preview episode up now!) and book a session with her HERE.

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE MAY 3 2018: KING OF SWORDS

Posted on May 3, 2018November 6, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

The King of Swords asks us to clarify our perceptions, embrace reality, and get ready for a communication upgrade, says Melinda Lee Holm …

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPES: MAY 2018

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

Dive into this month’s medicine for your sign with our Numinous Tarotscopes May 2018, cast by Melinda Lee Holm using the Starchild Tarot …

TAURUS // TAURUS RISING
Seven of Crystals
Happy Solar Return, dear Taurus! There is a deepening of the lessons of April in store for you this month. The Sevens bring us opportunities to overcome doubts, and in the realm of Earth that generally equates to confronting ways in which we doubt the ability of our work to bring our desired results. While last month was more around trusting timing, this month is about finding ways you can more deeply trust in yourself and your abilities. The element of Earth is your safe place, so digging deeply into finding your true power within it is essential to living a truly fulfilled life. This means trusting not only in your ability to form the world you live in, but also that you have a place in it and are a worthy and necessary part of it.

How are you holding yourself back by doubting your own Earthly abilities? Are there things you are hesitant to even try to achieve because you have failed to see the results you desired in the past? Are you pushing yourself to keep refining your skill and methodology during the time spent waiting for work completed to ripen and blossom? This month, work on being your own biggest fan. Dare to believe in yourself like you never have before. Keep moving forward with the knowledge that the work you have completed was perfect and that it is ok to move forward and keep building upon it. Every day brings a new chance to create and grow.

Your stone for May: Red Jasper

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GEMINI // GEMINI RISING
Seven of Wands
How you holding up, Gemini? I’m guessing if you were to use the vernacular of my home state of MN your answer would simply be “uff da.” Last month was A LOT. Needed, transformative, world-shifting, but probably a tad exhausting. This month is going to bring a gentler breeze to your airy shores as you dive into the task of overcoming ways in which you doubt your intuition. Elemental Fire has a strong duality in action and intuition, but based on the energy you’ve been presented with these past couple months, my hunch is that the intuitive aspect is going to be more strongly spotlighted in May. Here’s the thing – when you’ve had the rug pulled out from under you, even if it served to bring you to a better place, it can be very hard to trust what you feel in your gut is true.

This month, all month, every chance you get, allow yourself to trust your intuition in small ways. Reach out to that friend that keeps popping into your head, take the route that avoids an intersection you are inexplicably leery of, throw those leftovers out that may or may not have sat out a little too long. Build your relationship with your inner voice back up in small ways and work your way up to higher stakes stuff. Just as with relationships with others, there is no shortcut to earning trust. Sink in and do the work. You have enough trouble with decisions as it is, dear Twin Stars. You cannot afford to have your direct line to your Higher Self down for repairs for long.

Your stone for May: Lapis Lazuli

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CANCER // CANCER RISING
Nine of Wands
There is so much work to be done this month, Cancer! And you are well positioned and supported to complete it all. You were gifted this same energy in March and then went into a major shift and expansion in April. Now the Nine of Wands is back to show you how far you’ve come and present you with an opportunity to prove to yourself how much more you can accomplish. Think back to projects or ideas that surfaced in March. Now is the time to again push forward to see where you can take them. Whatever your work, whatever your goals, this month is your chance to double your productivity and clear out all the lingering chores taking up precious space in your brain and energetic field.

A major part of you getting all you can out of this energy is going to rest on your ability to not take things personally. As the cardinal water sign, you feel things more strongly than most and have a tendency to let your emotions lead the way when it comes to decision making. Not this month. When you feel that familiar rush of Water heightening your emotional reactions, let the Fire of the Nine of Wands turn it to steam and watch it float away – or even better, harness that Air energy to make practical assesments of the situation! Our reactions are not our reality, they are simply a way for us to cope and navigate through life. Take the reins and lead with your gut.

Your stone for May: Citrine

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LEO // LEO RISING
Two of Crystals
Dearest Leo, you are getting back to basics this month in the realm of Earth. The Twos bring us the wisdom of their suit, the promise of the possibilites held in their Element. You are being offered an invitation to reconsider what you see as possible in the material world around you, to perhaps see a new landscape unfold with the proverbial sound of two nickels rubbing together. It is time to dig down to the root and foundation of your financial plan, your physical Earth-bound framework for your life, and see whether there are places that are in need of an update or a change in direction.

I keep getting an image of a plant that is not doing as well as it seems it should be, hands digging in the dirt to uncover the roots and finding a manufactured object blocking the natural growth of the root and consequently stunting the growth of the whole plant. What unnatural barrier is interfering with the natural growth of your material abundance? Is it a physical thing, the choice of a type of bank account or corporate structure, a poorly planned work space, a simple accounting oversight? Or is it more emotional, ethereal, energetic? Is it an issue of perceived worthiness, leftover debts from past lives, or misplaced anxiety? Whatever it is, this month it is your duty to dig in to the dirt and find it. Take nothing for granted. Be ready to examine all aspects of your Earthly life to see how they support the expanive possibilites of the Two of Crystals.

Your stone for May: Quartz Crystal

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VIRGO // VIRGO RISING
Nine of Cups
Ooo la la, Virgo! It’s been a fairly work-focused year so far in pretty much every aspect of your life and now it is time for you sit back and drink in all of the lovely emotional support you’ve built up by being a wondeful friend, collaborator, co-worker, and individual (working on yourself always benefits everyone around you, after all). This month I want you to spend as much time as possible with those people that make you feel loved, secure, and seen. They are your mirrors. When you look at them and marvel at how wonderful they are, how smart and funny and talented, what incredible capacity for emotional understanding and supprt they offer, know that that is a direct releflection of you as well. Water finds its own level and this is especially true in the spiritual/energetic realm!

Your driven nature may make this actually feel like a frustrating task, to focus on emotional connection and reflection as opposed to “real” work in the areas of Earth or Air or even Fire. If that resistence comes up for you, remind yourself that this IS real work and that the element of Water is integral to the successful presentation of all of the other elements. Our emotional bodies need this attention and care to support us through the tough times and buoy our productivity. Doesn’t it always make it easier to push yourself in any type of work when you know people you respect and love care about the outcome and about your personal accomplishments?

Your stone for May: Pink Tourmaline

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LIBRA // LIBRA RISING
Five of Cups
I am going to ask you to be very kind to yourself this month, Libra. Allow plenty of time to rest, to be alone, be sure to feed yourself healthy, nousirhsing food, drink plenty of water, and get some exercise. May is bringing you a lesson in mourning. Mourning is often seen as a synonym for being sad following a loss, but that doesn’t really cover it. To mourn is to activley participate in the emotional processing of events that may cause sadness, it is an active verb, not a passive feeling. It’s time to face your feelings and to bravely step forward into the place where you can examine them, understand their origins and utility, and gather the lessons they hold to move forward.

Lean into the wisdom of the King of Cups that visited you last month. Integrating that ability to ride out rough seas of emotion will serve you well now. You don’t have to suffer. There are no extra points for unnecessary trauma or drama. This is simply a lesson in engaging with emotional rough spots in real time to fully experience life and grow and evolve with the passing of time instead of hiding from the hard parts in an effort to appear strong to yourself and others. I speak often of the profound strength inherent in vulnerability and I reiterate that for you now. Opening up to the unpleasant, the difficult, the challenging of the emotional spectrum is just as important as opening up to the positive. You’ve got this, Libra. Be kind.

Your stone for May: Chrysoprase

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SCORPIO // SCORPIO RISING
Six of Wands
May is bringing you a taste of victory, Scorpio! The sixes all indicate an achievement of some sort in their Element and this achievement in the realm of Fire should prove to feel very satisfying. Given your deeply intuitive emotional nature, it is likely that this will come in the form of a confirmation that your intuition about a person or situation was spot on. But why limit yourself to just one victory? Be on the lookout all month long for confirmations and celebrations great and small of your acute intuitive abilities and the fruits of your decisive actions. Let this victory inspire you to push even further and show you areas that are particularly rich for you to pursue greatness.

Seeing as this energy is coming to you hot on the heels of that Divine gift of the Ace last month, there is a great chance that some of your celebration will be around affirmation that you have used that gift wisely. Pay special attention to any messages around what you started forming last month. The places where you do not receive affirmation are just as important to note as those where you do. To NOTE. Take it as information, not judgment. Not every idea lands. Be careful not to get bogged down by despair or disappointment over a lack of energy around ideas or projects you considered your favorites. Keep the energy flowing to where it is most useful and keep your eyes on the prizes that manifest with the most grace and ease.

Your stone for May: Pyrite

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SAGITTARIUS // SAGITTARIUS RISING
Ten of Cups
Oh you are on quite an enviable roll, Sagittarius! You’ve had some major blessings in energetic/spiritual expansion the past couple months and now you are able to ground all of that personal growth and Divine connection into your daily emotional life. By now you should be pretty open to trusting in the Universe and now you can trust in your fellow humans. Look to those closest to you to show you how grand true love can be. I am not just talking about romantic love, though that is a good possibility. I am talking about a depth of mutual admiration and adoration that lifts everyone up together, people inspiring each other to be greater together than they could be alone. Love of family, community, in the full expansive definition of both of those words.

The Ten is the inhale to the Ace’s exhale. When we are graced with the broad support of the Ten, it becomes our duty to look ahead and begin to prepare to do our part to pay it forward by pushing that energy back out as a gift to others in collaboration with the Divine. So as you drink in this beautiful emotional fulfillment, be on the lookout for ways that you can inspire others to recognize and accept the pure gift of Water the Universe provides. Practice random acts of kindness. Be a leader in love and radical acceptance. This would be an excellent time to volunteer your time to help someone in need, whether caring for a family member, mentoring a child, or cooking at a shelter.

Your stone for May: Emerald

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CAPRICORN // CAPRICORN RISING
Queen of Crystals
Ok, Capricorn, the riches of big archetypal feminine energy that has been flowing your way all year honestly has me a bit envious. Between The Moon, The High Priestess, and now your second Queen in two months, I daresay you may be on your way to becoming a bonefide master of the vast power of receptivity. And now this month brings that energy to you in your home element of Earth. Queens represent the Water of their suit, they have a gravity and a determination to them, and in the realm of Earth they have a profound ability to inspire dedication to creative projects. What is the Water of Earth, after all, but the clay we were all formed from according to folklore from cultures and religions all over the world?

What will you form this month, Capricorn? What will you give shape to with your bare hands and build lovingly from the ground up? I bet you could find some clues in all that communicating you did last month. These energies follow one another for a reason. What we build almost always takes form first in our thoughts and then our words as we turn them over and hold them in our mouths to see how they feel. You now have beutiful support to bring those thoughts and words down into the physical world. Of course, this doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be building a physical object. Bulding a business or reforming how your home is organized would be in line with this energy as well. Find what is in alignment with you and set aside the time needed to do it right.

Your stone for May: Garnet

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AQUARIUS // AQUARIUS RISING
Queen of Wands
This month will show you just how much you learned from watching all that chaos unfold last month, Aquarius. And in case there was any confusion in the matter, it was A LOT as evidenced by your jump from the five to the Queen in the suit of Wands. Your intuition is sharp now as is your ability to act when action is called for and opportunities to use both will be in abundance all month long. You are naturally a dreamer, happy thinking through fantasy scenarios over and over until you fall into a decision, but now you will effortlessly intuit the answers and choices that will best serve your Highest Good and find yourself ready to execute on them immediately.

Since this is somewhat foreign territory for you, be sure to give yourself the best possible base to work from. Get enough sleep, make a schedule and stick to it, keep your home and workspace clear of clutter – everything you can do to remove distractions that could keep you from tapping into the inner voice yearning to guide you. Take time to reflect on chaotic events and situations April presented to you and how they looked and felt before, during and after they occurred. You can use that information to tune your intuition in to the signals you need to pick up.

Your stone for May: Sodalite

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PISCES // PISCES RISING
Transformation (Death)
Ooo, Pisces, you’re not done with April’s lesson of release quite yet! Last month was just a warmup for the main event. A much-needed warmup. Now that you’ve had some experience in purposeful, directed, mindful release of things that no longer work for you, it’s time to dig deeper. Way deeper. Ever thought about having a past life regression? This would be a great time for that. That’s how deep I’m talking – across time and space deep. This isn’t how I usually frame the energy of the Death card, but this isn’t a usual situation! When cards come in a certain order there is often a very clear shift or amplification in the energy. And then on top of it, you are the sign I can most count on to be VERY cozy way out in esoteric waters.

What are some other ways you can dig in to this expansive clearing? If you are unable (or unwilling, which is totally fair) to go in for past life regression or head out to a ten day silent vipassana retreat, you can still get the full benefit of this energy by staying alert to it and calling it in. Light a black clearing candle on the Full Moon, cook with sesame oil, spend more time than you normally would alone in reflection, and always always ALWAYS be taking note of what is enhancing your life and what is not. Be brutally honest with yourself. The likelihood that the things you need to release are originating from within is high.

Your stone for May: Charoite

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ARIES // ARIES RISING
King of Swords
Your Cardinal Fire directness will get a boost this month, Aries, with powerful Air energy lighting up your ability to think and communicate quickly and easily. Kings represent the Air of their suit, so we get a double dose of it here in the suit of Swords. If there’s a problem you’ve been trying to solve or an issue you’ve been struggling to communicate, you can clear it up this month. Your ability to sharpen your thoughts and articulate them outwardly will be enviable, just be careful that sharpness doesn’t extend to your tongue. Sometimes this energy can manifest in a directness that can be off-putting for some and get in the way of your true message. Consider the situation, modify language and delivery to the needs of the recipent, and reasses frequently. You’ll be able to do this at lightning speed, so don’t worry you’ll slow yourself down in the process.

I highly encourage you to do a LOT of journaling this month. When you have this level of Air energy on your side, you want to take full advantage. There may be things you need to communicate to yourself that you won’t have time to reflect on until later, so get everything out and down on paper that you possibly can. With your Solar Return still looming large in the rearview mirror and a fresh take on what’s most important on your hands, this is a wonderful opportunity to download information from your Highest Self that can help you set the agenda for the entire year to come.

Your stone for May: Fluorite

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE APRIL 26 2018: THE MOON

Posted on April 26, 2018November 6, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

As we crack ourselves open to even deeper levels of vulnerability, The Moon card asks us to step outside our comfort zone and become the heroes we were born to be, says Melinda Lee Holm …

FROM FEAR TO MEDICINE: USING THE TAROT TO FACE WHAT SCARES US

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Lindsay Mack

The Tarot is both a mirror and an evolutionary invitation towards change. Lindsay Mack offers us a guide to the so-called “scary” cards and reveals how we can use our decks to turn fear to medicine …

Fear is a highly unpleasant, but profoundly important emotion — one that deserves a place at our table of feelings.

Fear, when considered for what it is, can offer information, wise counsel, direction, and clarity on our deeper feelings. We don’t have to believe everything our fear communicates to us, but it can be transformative to hear it out. By doing so, fear can become an ally, especially when we understand the strength that can arise within us through working with it.

Fear has always been a very deep teacher in my life. I live with a long term brain condition. I’m a healthy and joyful survivor of extreme childhood abuse, and have worked through complex PTSD for most of my life. I have traveled through some of the darkest places a person can experience, and every time I take one of those journeys “through the woods,” I am shifted for the better, having gained deeper strength, trust, and faith, my fear shifting into medicine with wisdom to offer me. The more wisdom I cultivate through those paths of darkness, the more I have to offer to myself, my students, and my clients.

The Tarot is a profoundly useful tool to turn to in moments of fear, trauma and stress. It can help to contextualize what’s happening underneath our fear, and how it is trying to help us evolve. It can also bring a visual landscape to something that we may not be able to communicate or understand with words. Whether you are a reader or not, The Tarot can be a deep aid in moments of darkness.

There are six Tarot cards in particular that, when we look at them through a soul centered lens, offer a beautiful invitation to evolve through fear.

Read on for how use them as guides in our own journey, exploring what it means for us to shift from fear to medicine. You can also check out my brand new course, From Fear to Medicine: A Six Week Journey into the “Scary” Cards of the Tarot. The first class begins on April 22^nd– find out more HERE.

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// THE FOOL // Trusting The Invisible
Have you ever been called to take a giant leap of faith with hardly any proof that it will pay off? If you have, you’ve been in the energy of The Fool. It is the invitation to jump into the unknown, and begin a whole new cycle of our lives. We are drawn to the edge of a cliff in this card, but it is up to us to jump off of it. The soul work that we are asked to do in this card is to trust ourselves, and trust the invisible.

To our brain chemistry, The Fool can feel like death, a loss of control for the ego. If we can move through this deep contraction with mindfulness, leaping into the unseen, the treasures we will gain will be priceless. We will begin to truly know that when we jump in The Fool, we will be supported. We will begin to trust our intuition, and we will be a co-creator in our own evolution and growth. Trusting the invisible takes deep work. The Fool is here to help us learn.

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// WHEEL OF FORTUNE // Centering in the midst of change
The Wheel of Fortune heralds the coming of great change, the marriage between our choices and our destiny. The change that Wheel of Fortune brings is always for our good. There is no “bad” turn on this card, and there is no reversal.

When we work with the Wheel of Fortune, we can never see the change that’s coming. It teaches us to root into the unknown, and to stay centered in the Wheel, rather than flailing on the outer edges. When we work with this card, we get to learn how to root into ourselves in times of change, staying calm in the eye of the storm. Beautiful wisdom for life.

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// DEATH // Sacred Compost
There is no greater metaphor for the Death card than that of composting. I eat you, then you eat me. Nothing truly dies in the Death card, just like nothing ever truly dies here on Earth. It merely changes form, becoming a different version of what it was.

The Death card is the transformation of something – a relationship, a thought pattern, a belief – into something new. When we work in this card, it is a signal that we are no longer being fed by something growing in the garden of our lives. It lets us know that it is time to pull the weeds up and allow it to become sacred fertilizer, encouraging the new things in our lives to grow. The work we do in this card is profound ego surrender, letting go of the things that are ready to go.

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// THE DEVIL // Blessing the Shadow
The Devil is an opportunity to look deeply at our shadow. Are we judging ourselves? Believing that there is something wrong with us? Are we spiraling into an old, destructive pattern out of fear or contraction? If we are, The Devil will let us know.

If we pull this card, it is a sign that we are doing everything right. The Devil always shows up as a little mindfulness bell around our expansion, letting us know that the brain is trying to pull us into some old, limiting patterns to keep us in what it perceives as safe and known. We get to drop into these patterns and say no thank you to the invitation, whatever it may be. By doing so, we liberate ourselves from believing that we are “bad” or “wrong,” to thinking that there is anything adverse about us for our desires or our anger, and allowing all parts of ourselves to just be there.

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// THE TOWER // When Things go Wrong
Everyone has experienced a Tower moment in their lives. It is a moment where it truly feels like everything has gone wrong – it can feel like we are living in a nightmare. A beautiful metaphor for The Tower is a forest fire. We watch everything burn, knowing that it is clearing the soil for new growth.

It is an intentional shaking of the foundations underneath us, all to help us grow, and shed some part of ourselves that is no longer aligned with our expansion. The Tower can be intensely uncomfortable, or it can be a very minor, internal experience. When we survive and move through Tower experiences, we emerge stronger, clearer and transformed, our lives shifted on its very axis.

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// THE MOON // Floating in the Darkness
In The Moon card, we learn how to hang out in the Void – no easy feat! Ruled by Pisces, this card goes as deep as it can go. It is an experience of truly not knowing where we are going next, not having any answers, and feeling like we are floating back into old, shadowy feelings and emotions. To experience this can be very uncomfortable, and can make us want to really swim to shore, to find the light, to get some semblance of clarity and direction.

But, the more we kick, the deeper the waves become. We eventually learn the most profound surrender in The Moon card, letting the darkness become an ally, learning from the quiet, tuning in with ourselves beyond the din of our ego. When the light finally dawns, we learn that we have been moving all along, allowing the currents to take us to our next destination.

Want to go deeper into these energies, and learn how to work with your own fear in a mindful, empowered way? Please join me for my brand new course, From Fear to Medicine: A Six Week Journey into the “Scary” Cards of the Tarot. The first class begins on April 22^nd– find out more HERE.

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE APRIL 19 2018: STARSEED

Posted on April 19, 2018November 6, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

After all that’s been uncovered, Starseed (The Fool) asks us to get comfy with vulnerability, radically trust the Universe, and burst into bloom, says Melinda Lee Holm …

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE APRIL 12 2018: 10 OF WANDS

Posted on April 12, 2018November 6, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

The 10 of Wands wants you to get gutsy, trust your intuitive hits, and then spark up your fullest fires and take action, says Melinda Lee Holm …

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE APRIL 5 2018: 2 OF CRYSTALS

Posted on April 5, 2018November 6, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

The Two of Crystals (Pentacles) asks us to ground down, hone our focus, and plan to build it beautiful, says Melinda Lee Holm …

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPES: APRIL 2018

Posted on April 1, 2018November 6, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

Your Numinous Tarotscopes April 2018 are here, cast by Melinda Lee Holm using the Starchild Tarot …

ARIES//ARIES RISING
Four of Swords
Happy Solar Return, dear Aries! You, and the wheel of the zodiac itself, have completed another circle around the Sun and you are ready for a healthy dose of realignment. Four of Swords is a classic solar return card, encouraging us to take a close look at our patterns in the realm of Air and see if there is anything hanging out in there that is impeding stability in the realm of thought and communication. Don’t be afraid to look reeeeeaaaaal close—this can be a ‘Princess and the Pea’ situation. But while that fable implies a state of pathological sensitivity, your sensitivity to tiny bits of sand in the mental cogs is more akin to superhero perception. When something rubs you the wrong way this month, perk up, tune in, and dig it out!

With half of the month spent under the spell of Mercury’s retrograde motion, this interior examination will take on a positively epic tone. Messages can come from the least likely sources, so be extra vigilant and keep a laser focus on determining whether every little thing is an agent for harmony or discord in your elemental sphere of Air. Remember—the more pebbles your clear out, the more room you’re making to invite new patterns of thought, communication, and intellectual framing that can truly elevate your experience of your life. If this is a milestone birthday year, all of this applies tenfold. The passing of time tends to knock us out of complacency and into greater alignment with our Higher Selves. Take that baton and run like hell.

Your stone for April: Tiger Eye

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TAURUS//TAURUS RISING
Wheel of Fortune
Patience, my dear Taurus, is a virtue with which you are well acquainted. When you have your eye on a prize, you have an enviable talent for biding your time as you put all the parts in place to achieve your goal. You have a strong streak of perfectionism in your life and work and are willing to put in the time to get things done right, rather than rushing forward to plant your flag. This month is going to test you in this realm. While you are more than willing to take time, you are much less willing to give up control. The Wheel of Fortune is here to remind you that no matter how hard you work, how far ahead you plan, or how great of a team you assemble, the Universe sometimes has other plans.

Breathe, Taurus! You can bet that the plans of the Universe are in better alignment with your personal expansion and growth than the ones you’ve laid out yourself. With Mercury retro the first half of this month, I have a hunch that you’re going to get some small doses of this energy in the form of shake ups in practical plans as well as a much bigger, deeper, scarier, and more profoundly liberating twist later in the month. Be especially mindful of falling into victim mode. No one is out to get you, least of all the turn of the Wheel and the pull of the Universe. Let go of outcome attachments, take your hand off the e-brake, and enjoy your ride in the passenger seat.

Your stone for April: Rhodonite

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GEMINI//GEMINI RISING
The Tower
My goodness, Gemini, you are on the receiving end of an enviable one-two punch from the Universe these past couple months. Last month you were gifted downloads of sacred Divine wisdom from The Hierophant and this month you are being gifted with the revolutionary shift of The Tower! Wait, did I just say “gifted”? With THE TOWER? Yes, ma’am (or sir), I did. This is one of those card that you talk about first when it comes up in a reading, no matter where it’s laying in the spread. It looks scary. People fixate. But the only thing to fear when The Tower comes into your life is your own resistance to change and attachment to the past. Get ready to watch situations, relationships, patterns of thought, and structures of your life that you thought were eternal and unchanging crumble to the ground – in a good way!

Ok, I can’t lie, Gemini, I used the punch metaphor up there for a reason. This stuff is not generally pleasant. Even when the towers being knocked down are seriously impeding our development as spiritual beings (ideas like – women make terrible leaders, creative work isn’t real work, the world is an inert and unmagical place), it is still incredibly jarring to have our truth rearranged right before our very eyes. This month, be very kind with yourself. Prioritize your self care – whether for you that means 2 hours of daily yoga and a juice cleanse or eating gluten free pizza on the couch in front of a Law & Order SVU marathon. DO YOU. The Tower is going to feel like you’re knocked off of center, so connecting deeply with parts of yourself and your life that feel like home is going to be key.

Your stone for April: Ocean Jasper

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CANCER//CANCER RISING
Perspective (Hanged Man)
The insights will come in hot and heavy this month, Cancer, if you do the work to put yourself in a position to receive them. The Perspective card (the Hanged Man in most decks) is all about expansion in our view of the world, ourselves, and our place in the world, but to get the full dose of the medicine, we must put ourselves in positions and situations that offer us a different view of the energetic landscape than we are used to seeing. Fortunately, Mercury is going to keep bringing us messages about the past for the first two weeks of the month, which will be a wonderful catalyst for these shifts in perspective. I see your April energy being neatly divided into two sections – first a shift, then expansion.

For the first two weeks of April, focus on pushing yourself to see things – everything – differently. Take a new route to work, eat a food you’ve never tried, comsume media created by people with points of view different from your own. Once Mercury stations direct on the 15th, you can begin to really integrate all of this new perspective into real expansion, becoming wiser and stronger as you grow beyond your current spiritual, energetic, and emotional containers. By the end of the month, you’ll be a naked hermit crab, rummaging around for a new shell – right back in your comfort zone, but on a higher, more attuned level!

Your stone for April: Cinnabar

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LEO//LEO RISING
Strength
Leo, I was so happy when I pulled this card for you! You did so much hard work on yourself last month and now the Universe is reaching out a hand. The Strength card is all about the power of co-creation, the magical possibilities that open up when we recognize and embrace that we are all one and all drawing on and feeding into the same energy source. You’ve unburdened yourself from self-imposed chains. If that work of the past month left you feeling drained, rejoice and take the next four weeks to drink in and embody the Strength available to you now. I feel this is a rare time when the energy of this card is more quiet and restorative than motivating and active.

Watch for messaging that provokes a deeper loosening of mindsets or relationships that tend to make you feel small. It may be that you now have the Strength to gently release these things or you may finally be strong enough to make a shift in your own thinking and feeling that changes the dynamic. Either way, work to maintain a constant awareness that you are not in this alone. This would be a great month to spend time in nature, strengthening your connection with the Earth, or gazing up at the stars, contemplating the fact that we are all children of the same great Source. When at work or socializng, notice which people and situations make you feel powerful and supported and seek to grow their presence in your life.

Your stone for April: Petrified Wood

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VIRGO//VIRGO RISING
Ten of Crystals (Pentacles)
Build. It. UP, Virgo! Following last month’s reign of Fire, you’ve got a big, healthy dose of Earth energy to get those plans and intuitive hits grounded in reality. The Ten of Pentacles is a beautiful gift of a card that indicates the arrival of a period of accelerated growth in material circumstances. Does that mean you’re going to get a big fat raise? Maybe! More likely, it means that moves you make to secure your material world will work out in your favor more than you expect, especially when they are rooted in an effort to strengthen the material stability of your community as a whole. The Tens are big. Think major magic in the growth of your business, a rise in the value of your home due to successful sales by your neighbors, and an overall ability to polish up your own personal “Midas touch.”

Hey wait, but we’re not supposed to start anything while Mercury is retrograde, right? No, silly! While we would be well-advised to wait on signing new contracts and generally giving extra care and clarity to communication in general, anything ongoing is fair game in my book, extra points for ventures wrapped up in people or situations from deep in your past. There is an aspect of this energy that is a culmination, a maturation, and anticipation of a new beginning – the Tens all look ahead toward circling back to the Ace. If you have Scorpio rising (or are a Scorpio with Virgo rising) this month will prove especilly fruitful for maturing business plans that open doors to new oppurtunities. Look to your community for support.

Your stone for April: Mookaite

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LIBRA//LIBRA RISING
King of Cups
Ok, Libra! You’ve had a fairly practical year so far, Tarotscopically speaking, and now you can kick back and ride the waves of emotion. Feel all of the feelings, staring straight into the face of your raw emotional being. Given your sometimes extreme dedication to peace keeping, this may seem like a dangerous prospect – what if you see something in there that makes you sad or angry? How will you handle potential sources of confrontation? – this month, you have all of the support you need to safely wade into the emotional depths. The King of Cups is the master of navigating rough emotional waters, and with this guidance, you too can master the art of feeling deeply without reacting.

My guess is, you’re going to get a lot of practice the first couple weeks of the month, with people popping up from the past to come see how they can fit into your new matrix. Don’t get thrown off your game. Ride those emotional waves until the seas calm before making any decisions about how or even whether to respond. Everything that comes up is here to serve your emotional development. Like all cards that come at the end of a series, the Kings anticipate a return to their origin as Pages. Keep an eye out for how these lessons of the King may ignite a spark of ingenuity in how you hold your heart. This month is not the time to put these new Watery plans into action, but simply to catch a glimpse of them bobbing around on the horizon.

Your stone for April: Prehnite

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SCORPIO//SCORPIO RISING
Ace of Crystals (Pentacles)
Get ready to climb up out of the watery depths and onto an island of your own making this month, dear Scorpio! The Ace of Crystals is here to bring you the power to create your own personal slice of grounded bliss. Your fluctuating moods can make it difficult to circulate socially at times, unless you are in the company of other like-hearted divers. Use this energy to build a clubhouse for you and your nearest and dearest, even if the membership list stops after your name. Sometimes solitude is the greatest company. Whatever you do, make absolutely certain that everyone and everything involved in your plan feels utterly and completely like home.

In practical terms, this could mean building an actual home, but I doubt it given the current retro cycle. I am seeing this Ace of Crystals moment as more metaphorical, existing in the space in between, one foot in the real world, creating a feeling of material space, the other in the ether, existing completely outside the “real” world. So, basically, RIGHT in your comfort zone, Scorpio. I can see you nodding your head in agreement, already fantasizing about the design and implementation of your personal island, making the guest list and checking it twice, knowing full well that only those who are on the list will be able to see it anyway. But those who are not will sense the boundary and sashay away and THAT is maybe the shiniest gift the Ace has for you.

Your stone for April: Clorite Phantom Quartz

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SAGITTARIUS//SAGITTAIRUS RISING
The Star
Out of the Starseed and into the Star! All of that open-souled wandering has led you right into the heart of the eternal Divine feminine, Sagittarius, and I am THRILLED for you to roll around in this energy all month. The Star represents the very earliest inklings that humans had about Divinity, a larger consciousness, an ancient Universal benevolent presence. Star symbology follows us throughout history, through every culture. We are all bound together by The Star. Traditional interpretations of this card tell us that it indicates hope—and I agree!— but it’s where that hope comes from that really lights my heart on fire. Hope based on faith is wonderful. Hope rooted in an ancestral knowledge of our origin in and continued dedication to an eternal Divine Feminine is GOLDEN.

I want you focus all month on basking in this power. Get together with those people in your life who seem to effortlessly possess the power of The Star, the ones that make you feel calm and cared for, who are tapped into ancient wisdom and allow it to flow freely and relatably out into the world, the ones who revel in deep conversations in pajamas and sheet masks. Have you noted that I have not used gendered language around their identities? All genders can carry the torch of The Star. We can all aspire to exude Divine Feminine consciousness, regardless of gender or sexuality. So gather your people, get powered up, and let that Star light shine out and inspire others to join you.

Your stone for April: Chrysocolla

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CAPRICORN//CAPRICORN RISING
Queen of Swords
If you’ve got something to say, Capricorn, now’s the time to get it out. And with your aversion to conflict, I am guessing there’s a statement or two getting eager to see the light of day. With Mercury retrograde for the first half of the month, there is a strong likelihood that you’ll have something to clear up with someone or something from your past. Depending on where things are aligning for you personally, astrologically, energetically, it could be distannt past or just in the past few months. What seems certain is that some situation that has been bothering you for some time will reach a breaking point and need to be talked about in the open. This does not, I repeat DOES NOT mean that you will find yourself in a yelling match or even a heated discussion in the next month. It simply means that you will find the words to express what you have not yet been able to express. This is very good news!

The Queen of Swords, being the Water of Air, brings an emotional intelligence to this communication project that should soothe both you and the receiver. Your prudent nature is a great asset to you here, as you have the time to identify your message, choose your words, and refine their tone before delivering. I advise that you spend the first half of the month identifying what message or messages you need to communicate, then deliver in the second half of the month after Mercury stations direct to avoid any crossed wires.

Your stone for April: Blue Lace Agate

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AQUARIUS//AQUARIUS RISING
Five of Wands
Well, Aquarius, I hope you like a good show! While all of the fives get a well-earned reputation as bringers of chaos and probable frustration in their element, the five of Wands stands alone among the bunch as the most promising of entertainment. Why is this? Because chaos of action is funny when you let go of expectations! It’s literally what physical comedy is based in – people trying to accomplish specific tasks and failing. And chaos of intuition, the other main apsect of Fire, is comedy gold as well. Ok, ok, it does not feel like it AT ALL when it is happening in real time in your own life, but that’s what I am here for – to give you a heads up so when you encounter it you can see it more clearly, recognize it, and point and laugh.

If you have older siblings, you are well prepared for this month. The Universe is basically your older sibling or cousin, waiting around every corner to scare you and make you drop your stuff, changing the rules of every game to make sure you lose, dipping your hand in warm water while you sleep. And just like when you were a kid, the frustration all these things cause can be instantly alleviated by simply refusing to take them seriously. All month long, when the Universe gives you lemons, draw silly faces on them and glue them together into crass sculptures, metaphorically speaking of course. You can go from being the butt of the joke to sitting front row center at the best show in town through a simple shift in perception.

Your stone for April: Purple Jade

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PISCES//PISCES RISING
Ten of Swords
If you have kids, I am going to apologize in advance for this reference, Pisces, but I can’t help it. Your April has my heart twirling on an icey mountain top belting out LET IT GOOOOOOO! You’ve made it! All of these swirling thoughts and messages that have lifted you up, kept you down, and mixed you up have reached their climax and it’s time to set them all aside and see what you’ve become. The power of Air has carried you to places you thought you’d never reach – high and low – and now this month you can take a moment to asses what’s serving you, what’s not, and what you want to take with you when you make the inevitable journey back to the Ace.

So how do you know what to let go of? Let your mind do the talking. I spend a lot of time advising people to stop thinking so much and listen to their heart or their gut instinct. Not this time. Think away! Your powers of analysis and interpretation are heightened this month, Pisces, so take advantage and tap into the energy to sort through all you’ve gathered. Mercury’s retrograde motion during the first half of the month is going to give you even more to sort through than you had before, so be patient and perseverant in your task. Take notes, talk things through with a trusted friend, make lists, meditate on it, put everything in spreadsheets if it helps. The rewards will be well worth the work.

(Confidential to Pisces: I still can’t sing that song at karaoke because I can’t get through it at home without crying. Not ashamed.)

Your stone for April: Black Tourmaline

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE MARCH 29 2018: THE SUN

Posted on March 29, 2018November 6, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

The Sun card brings illumination to the areas of life we need to focus on this Mercury Retrograde, says Melinda Lee Holm …

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE MARCH 22 2018: FIVE OF PENTACLES

Posted on March 22, 2018November 6, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

With Mercury retro offering fresh insights on old issues, the Five of Pentacles (Crystals in the Starchild Tarot) brings an opportunity to take action on our money and safety issues, says Melinda Lee Holm …

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: HOW TO BE A MODERN WITCH

Posted on March 15, 2018 by Ruby Warrington

With her new book Craft: How To Be A Modern Witch, Gabriela Herstik—one of our first ever Numinous contributors!—says it’s witches who really run the world …

Four year ago I got an email from a student at the University of South Carolina. “Let’s just say Columbia isn’t necessarily forgiving of those who chose to dress how they want and stand out,” she wrote. “My all black attire, bright red lipstick and half shaved head make me the recipient of many side eyes, but my own personal style has never faltered or strayed.” Her name was Gabriela Herstik, and she pitched a story for the Numinous on dressing to honor the Death Card in the tarot. And in doing so, became one of my first ever contributors to the site!

Gaby continued to write for me over the years, going on to become an official intern and one of our Moon Club Founding members. It’s been AMAZING to watch her career grow and blossom, as she graduated college, went to intern at Vivienne Westwood, and got her writing published everywhere from i-D to Broadly. She landed a column at Nylon called “Ask A Witch.” And when she told me this time last year that she’s been asked to write a book about modern witchcraft, it was as if the cosmos had fully aligned!

Gaby’s book, Craft: How to Be A Modern Witch, is out today. And her take on what makes a witch—”The witch is anyone who does things differently, by her own rules, attuned to her own self and magick”—reminds me of a line from her first email to me. “I’ve had to grow a tough skin to stay true to myself in parts of the south that don’t understand what it means to be different,” she wrote.

How to have a tough skin (boundaries, people) while keeping your heart wide open is one of the messages in her book. Here’s what else she told me about the witches who really rule the world, and how she’s honoring the lineage of witches who came before us …

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RUBY WARRINGTON: In the intro, you say it’s witches who really run the world. Who are some of your favorite inspirational witches, and why?
GABRIELA HERSTIK: We do run the world! An empowered woman who knows her own magick has always been a threat to the patriarchy and I stand by that! There are so many amazing witches out there. I think the first time I was truly introduced to powerful witches were in Harry Potter. Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Professor Trelawney, Professor Mcgonagall—they all inspired my magick.

So did Oprah. I’ve been following her and her “super soul Sunday” show for years with my mom, and her insight, wisdom and power have been inspiring me for over a decade. Sybil Leek And Doreen Valiente are both historic witches who have inspired my own practice as well, reminding me that my strength and power and witchiness are forces to be reckoned with and that using my writing is a valid way of spreading my magick. Yoko Ono, one of my favorite fellow Aquarians, has also inspired me to be revolutionary without shame, showing that love and peace should always be fought for with an open heart and compassionate mind.

Starhawk is a JeWitch who has helped me embrace my own inner priestess, and has helped me deepen my craft and practice—she’s amazing! Goddesses and figures like Hecate and Lilith have reminded me of my own darkness as a gift, and that my non-conforming nature is something to be celebrate, curated and cultivated more than it needs to be shamed!

RW: In your book, you identify “the one without children” as one possible marker of a witch. This is me Gaby! Does the fact I never wanted to have kids show I’ve always been a witch?
GH: YES! A witch has always been someone who doesn’t abide by society’s (or in many cases the church’s) rules! You taking control over your own body and future by not having kids, (even though society tells us that we must follow the path of having a job, a spouse and children to be valid) means that you are claiming sovereignty over your future and self. You’re going against the grain and honoring your own needs, feelings and emotions, which in my opinion is the basis of magick!

A witch is empowered, not by an outside force, but by herself. And in a society that tells us we must conform to be worthy, doing what you want for yourself and your own sake isn’t only the witch’s calling, but it’s also revolutionary.

RW: Why is cultivating a Moon practice—like we do in Moon Club—the first step towards activating your inner witch?
GH: Many of us naturally are enamored with the moon. She been there for as long as the earth (4.53 BILLION YEARS) which means that we are looking at the same moon that generations and generations of ancient (and modern) people have. The moon represents and rules over our emotional bodies, our intuition, our connection to the feminine; the subtle, all knowing, feeling part of ourselves that’s in everyone, regardless of gender. No matter where we live, we can look up and see the moon.

It doesn’t cost anything and it doesn’t matter what religion or spiritual path you follow—the moon is there, and she cycles through her 28 days all the same. Cultivating a moon based practice is an easy way to get in touch with the subtle aspects of our soul, and an even easier way to chart our own growth alongside that of the moon. Starting at the new moon, the beginning of the moon’s cycles, we focus on what we want to grow as the moon’s light grows or waxes, up until the full moon.

The Full Moon is a time of completion and manifestation, and after that when she starts to lose light or wane, we focus on what we want to release. This is such an easy way to start learning about your own cycles and energies, and for those of us who bleed, the moon also imitates our own cycles. The moon is just the most inspiring, beautiful, magical being. I love her and I don’t think I know a witch who doesn’t!

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RW: What was the most important step in you “coming out”and standing proud in your witchiness?
GH: Believing in my witchiness and my power! As far as physical moments, shaving off half my hair seven years ago is what I credit as my initiation as a fashion witch. It’s the first time I used the power of glamour and rebellion to transform my style and it’s what really launched my exploration of personal style.

In a broader sense, writing this book has been the biggest step in coming into my power as a witch. At the end of 2016 I decided I was going to write about witchcraft less, but the universe had other plans for me! I’ve had many incarnations as a witch (the old saying “once a witch, always a witch” rings true) and a lot of them have not ended well. Not only am I breaking this karma by embracing the title of “witch” and helping other people find their magick, but I’m also transforming the karma of my ancestry in this life.

I grew up Jewish and am ethnically Jewish as well. I had over 70 members of my family in concentration camps, including my paternal grandparents. The fact I can openly talk about being a witch, the fact that I have made a career out of sharing this practice and belief system, when my family members were killed and abused for their religious beliefs, is not lost on me. Coming out as a witch in the public eye, has been a lot of things but the most important thing is that that I’ve learned is that this is who I am. This is where my power lies. This is my path and my magick and embracing it, sharing it with others and spreading wisdom is why I’m here!

RW: What’s the last spell you cast and what was the result?
GH: The last spell I cast was at the New Moon for presence, gratitude, sex, abundance, magick and love—it’s still going (I’ve burned the candle every day since the last New Moon) but I’ve definitely been more in tune with all of those things. I did a spell last night using my rose quartz chakrub and sex magick to remove some blocks I have around my heart as “protection” and the result was some really intense, scary dreams that brought to surface some of my fears and a really intense feeling of centered peace this morning.

RW: What’s your favorite way to honor the lineage of the witches that came before us?
GH: I love this question! My favorite way to honor them is to honor my own ancestry through working with fashion magick, since both sides of my family are weavers, seamstresses and in the garment industry. As far as the witches who came before me, being vocal about how lucky we are to live in a place and time where we can openly call ourselves witches and practice witchcraft is a huge part of my practice.

My work and passion is sharing information about connecting with witchcraft and magick and goddess. This work, including my blogs and columns and articles and my book, are all dedicated to the witches who have come before me. The legacy of the witch lives on in many ways, and she absolutely lives on in me. By shedding light on witchcraft, by making it accessible, by holding space in my heart for those whose shoulders I stand on, I honor this lineage of witches.

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Craft: How to Be A Modern Witch by Gabriela Herstik is out March 15 on Penguin Random House.

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE MARCH 15 2018: KING OF WANDS

Posted on March 15, 2018November 6, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

The King of Wands wants us to take our passion and make it happen, without losing sight of what’s intuitively aligned, says Melinda Lee Holm …

SPREAD ‘EM: SEX TAROT 101

Posted on March 9, 2018 by The Numinous

Looking to add some spice to your divination practice? Alessandra Calderin gives us a crash course in Sex Tarot 101, and uncovers how you can start casting cards between the sheets …

serpentfire tarot lust strength sex tarot 101 ruby warrington alessadra calderin the numinous material girl mystical world boneseed — *Art: Serpentfire Tarot*

The Tarot is a mirror and a tool that reflects archetypal imagery that spans the spirals of the human experience. It allows us to connect to ourselves (and our Selves) because we intuitively understand these images. Sexuality is as primal and instinctual in us as the need to eat, sleep and breathe, and so the cards can reflect the ways in which our power, intuition, and connection manifest through our sexuality.

So WTF is a “sex tarot” reading?? There are so many ways to draw cards and create spreads to explore sex and desire! Here are 4 ways to get started …

she wolfe tarot the devil sex tarot 101 ruby warrington alessadra calderin the numinous material girl mystical world boneseed — *Art: She Wolfe Tarot*

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1// Pull a “desire” spread. Pull cards asking what your subconscious desires are, what might be blocking them, and how to work through that block. The possibilities are endless!

Start with a simple 6 card spread:

Card 1: What is my heart’s desire?
Card 2: What is blocking me from fulfilling it?
Card 3: What is my deeper unconscious desire?
Card 4: What is preventing me from seeing this?
Card 5: How can I balance and integrate these desires?
Card 6: What can I shed to make space for their fulfillment?

she wolfe tarot divine feminine the empress sex tarot 101 ruby warrington alessadra calderin the numinous material girl mystical world boneseed — *Art: She Wolfe Tarot*

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2// Do a sacral chakra reading. Explore the seat of your sexuality by diving into the 4 “sides” of this chakra. The more you look at the pelvis and your desire as linked to your creativity, the more you start feeling how they ebb and flow together, and the more tools you have to work through both.

Card 1: Front of the sacral chakra. How does your sexuality appear to others? What is your exhibition style?
Card 2: Right side. How do you manifest sexuality and creativity in the world?
Card 3: Back. What experience of your sexuality do you hold onto?
Card 4: Left side. How do you receive creative inspiration, the desire of others, and pleasure?

serpentfire tarot sex tarot 101 ruby warrington alessadra calderin the numinous material girl mystical world boneseed — *Art: Serpentfire Tarot*

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3// Masturbate with the Majors. You can also use Tarot for masturbation and sex magic practices by meditating on the archetypes of the Major Arcana or court cards.

Choose whatever cards are ruled by planets or signs that show up strongly in your birth chart, where the Moon is hanging out, what astro season we’re in, or just pull a Major and start working with it at random. You might even choose one you have trouble with (like when I pulled Justice- I was bummed by how unsexy that card might be on the surface, but there was powerful medicine in that feeling and the resulting meditation!)

Most recently, for the Super Blue Blood Moon in Leo on 1/31 during Aquarius season, I meditated on Strength (because Leo rules it) and The Star (because Aquarius rules). I let those two figures guide me as I touched, explored, played with my hands and my favorite toy (Njoy Pure Wand). As I was getting ready to orgasm, these two images reassured me that my sexuality and desire were a gift, and sacred sources of feminine power.

she wolfe tarot queen of pentacles sex tarot 101 ruby warrington alessadra calderin the numinous material girl mystical world boneseed — *Art: She Wolfe Tarot*

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4// And channel the deck’s sexiest cards to unlock pure magic! I could probably make an argument for the sexual energy of every card, but this is a good place to start. Explore how you feel about these cards and the kind of pleasure they channel, or isolate the pack and draw one as your teacher of the moment.

*She/He pronouns refer to the archetypal genders of masculine and feminine energy. These figures are figuratively gendered, but anatomically genderless.

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:: Strength :: In the Thoth, Strength is actually called Lust. Some interpretations say it’s the taming of desire, but I would say it’s more like mastery over desire. Taming connotes that there is too much desire and you need to control it. In this context, I see her as the master of her desire in a world that denies her that power. Your desire becomes sacred fuel the moment you master it.

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:: The Empress :: The Empress is receptive. She is how I learned to receive pleasure without having to think about reciprocating in that moment. She allows herself to be fully nourished, filled to the brim with love, pleasure, and affection, but she also rides and caresses like a goddess. She bestows the gift of her mouth upon you and it’s like drinking an unearthly elixir with her kisses and nibbles and expertly executed oral.

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:: The Emperor :: The Emperor might be a surprise for this, but as the Empress’s counterpart, he allows her to unleash. He’s like a very good Dom, providing the container for every expression of kink you might wish to explore safely. You want to be tied up, spanked, penetrated in out of the ordinary ways? He reads your body language, pushes the edges, and knows your limits before you even need to utter a safe word. The master of boundaries, he’s here to teach you how to consent so enthusiastically you forget what ambiguity feels like.

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:: The Moon :: The Moon represents the wild woman running naked in the woods and howling at the Moon- the deep waters of sexuality and mystery. She is a shapeshifter. A wolf. A mountain lion. She visits you in the dead of night and brings your to orgasm in the dream realm, and when you wake up the memory is hazy but you know something powerful has been touched inside you. She breathes underwater and is as mysterious as the bottom of the sea. You know her without words.

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:: The Devil :: The Devil can sometimes deal with a repression of desire, and to me has always had a BDSM vibe to it. I think this one depends on your relationship to that kind of imagery and sexual practice, but as a Capricorn (The Devil is ruled by Capricorn), and a big fan of power play, The Devil can sometimes be a freeing card. Reclaiming the divinity and balance of the shadow, of words like slut, whore, bitch, freak, breaks the chains that bind us to our own fear and repression. It’s a balancing act. The Devil reminds us that there are more layers and sides to it.

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:: The Lovers :: The Lovers feels like an obvious one because you have to love all the sides of yourself like a lover before you can love anyone else. Getting there is anything but obvious or easy, though. Use a mirror. Look at yourself. This is the real shit. The deep work. It takes a lot of unraveling and excavation to be able to love your body and yourself just as you are. Your best Lover will look back at you eventually.

she wolfe tarot the lovers sex tarot 101 ruby warrington alessadra calderin the numinous material girl mystical world boneseed — *Art: She Wolfe Tarot*

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:: Queen of Pentacles :: Queen of Pentacles is the master of the home and body. An independent woman, she knows what she likes and moves through the material world with the grace of an angelic ballerina. Queen of Wands is known to be the most sexual queen in the deck, but Queen of Pentacles knows pleasure like no one else. Part earth angel, part water nymph, she creates the primordial mud that those Dead Sea masks get their magic from.

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:: Knight of Cups :: Knight of Cups will go down on you first without being asked. Inviting this kind of energy into your bedroom, the person who will massage and caress you slowly, who dreams of drinking you like you’re water in the desert, is clutch in truly sinking into pleasure. Find you a man (or woman or non-binary) who can give it to you good.

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:: Page of Wands :: Page of Wands is bursting with potential energy, often creative and sexual. She’s ready and willing to try new toys and discover what she likes. She’s the teen who just discovered her clitoris and hasn’t been told there is something wrong with the amazing feeling that swims through her body when she touches it. She just got her period and is ready to finger paint with her blood. She will make out behind the bleachers and let herself love completely. She writes love songs and sings them without the slightest bit of embarrassment.

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:: Ace of Cups :: Ace of Cups is a pure gift of water, love, communication, and intuition. I often see it as an invitation to masturbate with more loving intention. To swim in your waters and to practice accepting the water gifts from elsewhere.

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:: 10 of Cups :: 10 of Cups is a literal orgasm. It could be something that feels as good as an orgasm, a self pleasure practice that’s out of this world, or a partner that takes you to the places of rainforest waterfalls and fireworks.

Alessandra is an intuitive healing facilitator, tarot practitioner, yoga teacher, writer, poet, comedienne and performer based in New York. She will be teaching her Tarot Immersive later this month and currently teaches yoga at Three Jewels, focusing her attention on energetic sensitivity and the pelvic floor. Explore her offerings at Boneseed, and follow her on Instagram.

NUMINOUS TAROTSCOPE MARCH 8 2018: TWO OF CUPS

Posted on March 8, 2018November 6, 2018 by Melinda Lee Holm

The Two of Cups wants us to make magic with the ones who set our hearts on fire, says Melinda Lee Holm …