Cerridwen – Page 10 – Cerridwen’s Cottage

October 7, 2024: Community Tarot Reading for the Week

Monday, October 7, 2024
Waning Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde

We are in a new month! October, one of my favorites.

In honor of the new month, we’re using the Halloween Tarot, created by Karin Lee, with art by Kipling West. You can get the deck from U.S. Games Systems here.

In this deck:
Pumpkins = Pentacles
Ghosts = Cups
Bats = Swords
Imps = Wands

This is a spread of mine, that I’ve developed over the past few months. It’s read from left to right, 5 cards. Any card that needs more interpretation can be built into further, above and below, with either more tarot cards, another tarot deck, or an oracle deck.

These interpretations are mine, based on my experience, intuition and responses to the artwork. You may have a different experience. This is an overview of the week as it stands now; every decision we make from the moment of the reading can change the outcome. If there’s something in the reading that worries you, you have the information ahead of time so that you can plan, make better choices, or handle it differently than predicted for a better outcome. Tarot sets out possibilities, which you change through your choices and actions.

Left to right, the positions are as follows:
1. The Collective Energy of the Week
2. The Week’s Challenge
3. The Week’s Opportunity
4. The Week’s Stretch
5. The Week’s Comfort

This week’s cards:

The Collective Energy of the Week: Queen of Pumpkins
The energy this week is about generosity. We can give and receive, knowing there is plenty for all. It’s about putting our creative talents to good use. She’s petting a black cat, and there’s a white rabbit nearby. White is often a color of purity, and witches are often thought to shapeshift into the form of a hare. The moon is smiling down on all of this.

The Week’s Challenge: The Hierophant
This is a card of order and tradition. This week, we might need to conform to something we’d rather not, to keep the peace. The mummy stands there, wrapped up, with only the eyes showing. But the body position is somewhat casual. There’s a black cat on the shoulder, and one of the two green cats looks like it’s pulling on the wrapping and might unwrap the mummy. So while you might feel restricted, in some respects, there’s also room to keep some things secret, wrapped up and inside, so to speak, until the right time.

The Week’s Opportunity: 5 of Pumpkins
This is an unusual card to have in the “opportunity” slot, as it often means a dearth of material goods or finances. So how could it be an opportunity? Tying back into the first two cards of creativity and structure, you may need to find creative, thrifty ways to get things done. There may be disappointments and loss; you may not be able to indulge as fully as you want as the Queen of Pumpkins, because the Hierophant restricts you. The little one spilled the bag of candy, but eating it all at once might have made them sick. Keep going, though; you’ll learn something from these new ways of doing things that will serve you going forward. Sometimes being frugal opens new types of creativity, rather than restricting it.

The Week’s Stretch – 8 of Ghosts
This eight is about leaving something behind and walking away. It will be hard to leave this behind, but it’s necessary. This 8 is probably tied to the 5 in the previous card. You may not get something you really want, on a material level, and need to let go of it on an emotional level. Keep on climbing the path, though. Even though it’s difficult right now, something better waits for you over the mountain. If you held on to what you must leave behind this week, you wouldn’t be able to have/achieve/experience what’s next. And the Queen of Pumpkins promises it is something good.

The Week’s Comfort – 7 of Ghosts
The 7 of Cups is so often given a bad rap as self-deception and idle dreams, but my experience with the card is usually positive. This card shows seven ghosts doing a circle dance. There are all kinds of opportunities ahead, even with the disappointments of the week, and that is why it’s in the comfort position. The best news is you don’t have to make a decision yet! Take your time. Give yourself the room and time to daydream. 7 Cups often comes up for me when someone else is trying to pressure me into making a decision to serve THEIR agenda at the detriment to mine. It’s a reminder that daydreaming matters.

What do you get from this spread? Similar information, or does something different come up for you? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

September 30, 20224: Community Tarot Reading For the Week

Monday, September 30, 2024
Day Before Dark Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde
Foggy and cool

We have QUITE the exciting reading this week, as we leave September, move into October, and are about to experience a solar eclipse.

My dreams have been wild in this time between the lunar eclipse on the full moon and the upcoming solar eclipse – a combination of the eclipses and the Neptune Retrograde.

Once again, I’m using the GREEN WITCH TAROT again by Ann Moura, with artwork by Kiri Østergard Leonard, available from Llewellyn.

Left to right, the positions are as follows:
1. The Collective Energy of the Week
2. The Week’s Challenge
3. The Week’s Opportunity
4. The Week’s Stretch
5. The Week’s Comfort

This week’s cards:

The Collective Energy of the Week: Queen of Athames
The Queen of Athames (swords in some other decks) is someone who learns from her mistakes. She is thoughtful and meticulous. She makes careful, considered choices, and follows through on her promises. The iris symbolizes wisdom, and the gold finch is there to remind us to keep a balance between determination and over-thinking. This card tells us to be thoughtful and precise this week.

The Week’s Challenge – Four of Wands
It’s surprising to find such a positive card in the challenge position. The Four of Wands is about building something stable for a positive future. This card, in particular, shows an abundance harvest and celebrating the labor put in. How could this possibly be a challenge? There are a couple of different ways it could present a challenge, depending upon how we respond. Do we allow ourselves to celebrate our victories, even small ones? Or do we just push on? This card could challenge you to pause and celebrate your achievements. Take the time – MAKE the time to savor them. The flip side of this, for you, could mean that once you complete a project, you’re not sure what to start next. You feel stuck, stalled (fours can hold those meanings as well as stability) and unsure where to put your attention for the next thing. The challenge in that case is not to worry. Take a breath. Use the Queen of Athames to discern the possibilities and trust our next card in the reading.

The Week’s Opportunity – The Greenman
This is often the Fool card in other decks. This is a card of fresh starts, new beginnings, taking risks. It ties in to the Queen of Athames, suggesting that we use discernment in those risks, and to the Four of Wands – we’re celebrating the successful completion of our last project which set a firm foundation for what’s next, and now it’s time to grab this opportunity! This card came up earlier in the month, on the reading of September 2, in the “stretch’ position. Now it’s moved closer as an opportunity. The card may well represent two very different opportunities – perhaps you took the stretch presented early in the month, and that is what the four of wands represent – successful completion of that. Now, you have a fresh opportunity.

The Week’s Stretch – The Sun
Again, a very positive card that can make you wonder why it’s a “stretch.” It’s telling you to enjoy the sunshine! Enjoy your victories and accomplishments. Enjoy just being. Savor the moment. Let yourself be happy. There is good all around you at this moment. You’ve vanquished challenges throughout the month. Take a deep breath and enjoy. Feel the gratitude. Savoring the good in your life doesn’t make you a horrible person because terrible things are happening in the world. Terrible things are always happening in the world. Savoring the good moments in your own life give you the energy and resources to help others in need. Denying yourself moments of joy because somewhere in the world there is suffering just increases all the suffering.

The Week’s Comfort – Three of Pentacles
This is a card of learning a craft, of learning something on the material plane. You are not alone; you are learning in company, with a teacher and with others. The heron is a symbol of knowledge, patience, transformation, and good fortune. What you are learning now is tied to what you just completed, and will fuel your new projects. You are building skills and knowledge. You don’t have to be perfect. You do need to show up and do the work.

After several weeks of more tumultuous readings, this indicates that all we’ve gone through for the month is bearing fruit.

What is your interpretation of these cards? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

September 23, 2024: Community Tarot Reading for the Week

Monday, September 23, 2024
Waning Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde
One day past the Autumn Equinox (in the Northern Hemisphere; the Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere
Partly Cloudy and cool

I hope you had a lovely Equinox!

The Eleusinian Mysteries are happening at this time, too. Over the years, I have created a series of simple honoring over these nine days.

But today, we’re here for tarot.

Once again, I’m using the GREEN WITCH TAROT again by Ann Moura, with artwork by Kiri Østergard Leonard, available from Llewellyn.

Left to right, the positions are as follows:
1. The Collective Energy of the Week
2. The Week’s Challenge
3. The Week’s Opportunity
4. The Week’s Stretch
5. The Week’s Comfort

My black cat Tessa helped with this week’s reading (there’s a photo of her on IG). This week’s cards:

The Collective Energy of the Week – Ace of Chalices
What great energy to have for the week! This week is about fresh starts and opportunities for creativity, emotions, inspirations, abundance, and relationships. Someone is offering you something from the heart. Treat it with gratitude and gentleness.

The Week’s Challenge – The High Priest
This is an interesting twist. Last week, this card showed up as an opportunity to work the system. This week, the same card is in the challenge position. The system you need to work within may present an obstacle to the chalice offered. In addition to structure, it’s a card of scholarly pursuits. You may need to study and research something, rather taking the challenge as an attack, or behaving impulsively from excitement from the fresh inspiration.

The Week’s Opportunity – The Holly King
Some other decks call this “the Hermit” and this representation is one of my favorites. This is the Holly King’s time, from summer solstice to winter solstice (here in the Northern Hemisphere). It’s a time of introspection and forging new paths. The Holly King will help light the way, but you still have to walk the path. This ties in with both of the previous cards. The High Priest and the Holly King advise moving slowly in this new inspiration, rather than plunging in the way a knight card or the Fool card would do. Take time and savor what the ace of chalices offers, before acting on it.

The Week’s Stretch – The Standing Stones
This card is often called “Justice” in other decks. The art in this card has the stone within a stone circle and the daisies, representing truth and harmony. The carving on the stone depicts the scales and the words “Harm None” over a carving of a labyrinth. This is about balance, equilibrium, harmony, and natural law. Since it’s in the “stretch” position, it suggests that it may be difficult to balance the emotional energies of the ace of chalices with the more restrictive energy of the High Priest, and take the time the Holly King advises. But stretching yourself into equilibrium will allow you to enjoy the ace of chalices.

The Week’s Comfort – Four of Pentacles
The four of pentacles is often interpreted as a card of hoarding – either the need to hoard one’s resources, or a warning not to do so. But take a look at the art in this card. The figure hangs the four pentacles over the hearth – a symbol of comfort and home. There’s a face peering in at the door. Is this someone who needs something or who is there to offer something? While the card suggests reserve, it does not suggest cruelty. Four is a number of stability (and can sometimes suggest staleness). However, the artwork does not suggest anything stale. The greenery is lush. Take comfort in being careful, rather than extravagant. Also, since this card bookends the first card, it suggests that the person peering in is connected to the first card, the ace of chalices, and supports the three central cards in taking one’s time before acting.

Note that the two outmost cards are minor arcana, while the three central cards are major arcana, and those central cards all advise taking one’s time, being thoughtful, and maintaining equilibrium. Whatever is on offer needs a bit of investigation, so that it can be embraced and acted on out of informed decisions, rather than on impulse.

Is your interpretation different? Or does this resonate? I’d love to hear your responses in the comments!

September 17, 2024: Lunar Eclipse Tarot Reading

Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Full Moon in Pisces
Lunar Eclipse
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde

Good morning!

Today, we have a lunar eclipse in Pisces. Some people find lunar eclipses give them energy; others feel drained and exhausted. Whatever you’re feeling, acknowledge it. You are unique, and your mind, body, and spirit will respond differently than those around you.

Here is a collective reading to offer guidance for the eclipse. Remember, this is information for tendencies and opportunities. Anything you like, you can make happen through positive action. Anything you dislike, you can change through positive action. I base my interpretation on my experience, intuition, and response to the art of the card itself within the reading. Your experience might be different, and that is part of the joy of the cards.

This spread uses the Tarot of a Moon Garden Deck, with interpretations by Laura E. Clarson and paintings by Karen Marie Sweikhardt. It is available from U.S. Games System here. Mine is very old; I believe I bought it some time in the 1990’s. Since this is a lunar eclipse, I felt it was a good choice. I also find this deck works well in ancestor work.

The spread is a three-card spread, read left to right: how the eclipse affects the mind, the body, and the spirit.

The Mind – Page of Pentacles
This card is about receiving new information that’s relevant on the material plane. This is information the individual will study, that will then bring tangible results on the material plane. The card ties into yesterday’s reading for the week, where the Page of Pentacles turned up in the “stretch” position. Whatever information you receive this week, be it on the day of the lunar eclipse or the days around it, will make you stretch your perceptions and reality. You’ll need to study it to see how to apply it.

The Body – Queen of Cups
This is a card of care and nurture, as much of yourself as of those around you. This card denotes caring in a positive, supportive way that nurtures those around you without draining you. It is all the positives about care and support. It’s a reminder to take some time today to care for yourself as well as those around you. And enjoy that care!

The Spirit – Four of Cups
This is how your spirit responds to the eclipse. In many decks, this card slants toward a more negative connotation of dissatisfaction or even boredom. But when I look at the art in this card, I see positives. The figure in the card is meditating, with one large cup before her and three smaller cups behind her. She is mindful of one thing at a time. She’s aware of the presence of the other cups, but she focuses on one at a time, to give it her full attention. To me, this card is peaceful and focused.

What do these cards tell you? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

September 16, 2024: Community Tarot Reading For the Week

Monday, September 16, 2024
First Day of the Full Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde
Foggy and warm

Happy Monday! Sounds counter-intuitive, but let’s make this a good week.

There’s a lot going on this week, between the full moon, the lunar eclipse, all the retrogrades, and the Autumn Equinox happening at the end of the week.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

Once again, I’m using the GREEN WITCH TAROT again by Ann Moura, with artwork by Kiri Østergard Leonard, available from Llewellyn.

These interpretations are mine, based on my intuition and responses to the artwork. You may have a different experience. This is an overview of the week as it stands now; every decision we make from the moment of the reading can change the outcome. If there’s something in the reading that worries you, you have the information ahead of time so that you can plan, make better choices, or handle it differently than predicted for a better outcome. Tarot sets out possibilities, which you change through your choices and actions.

Left to right, the positions are as follows:
1. The Collective Energy of the Week
2. The Week’s Challenge
3. The Week’s Opportunity
4. The Week’s Stretch
5. The Week’s Comfort

This week’s cards:

The Collective Energy of the Week – The World Tree
This is the final card in the Major Arcana, an ash tree. It represents the completion of a cycle. Considering how challenging last week’s cards were, this is a welcome sign for the week’s possibilities. A cycle is complete, which means something new and potentially wonderful is opening up. A very positive card for the collective!

The Week’s Challenge – Two of Pentacles
The challenge this week is juggling things on the material plane. Keep an eye on finances and plan a little more carefully. You may need to juggle and jiggle the numbers and timing a bit to make it all work for you. You also may have the opportunity for a new way to earn money, or to learn a new skill that will lead to better financial footing. Be on the lookout for these so you recognize them and can see them as the opportunities they are.

The Week’s Opportunity – The High Priest
The High Priest is about structure and social orders. There’s an opportunity to make progress this week within an organized structure. You may need to do some studying and figure out how to work the system, but the opportunity exists to gain something you want and need by working within an existing system, rather than rebelling against it. Instead of feeling restrained by the Uranus Retrograde energy this week, make it work FOR you. This will not happen by sitting back and letting things fall where they may. This is about working the system.

The Week’s Stretch – Page of Pentacles
This card is about being a student. Learn something new. That ties into all the previous cards – a cycle ending so a new one can begin; juggling material needs (especially financial), and working the system.

This Week’s Comfort – Strength
The comfort of the week is that, although you may need to finagle and plan and study and work the system, you have the strength to do so. The warning in this card is, don’t be an asshole about it. Use the positive qualities of strength and self-confidence without being harmfully aggressive. Assertive is a positive; aggressive is not, in this case.

This has major arcana cards in the first, third, and fifth locations, with a minor arcana and a court card in the remaining locations. Big energy with positive potential, if it’s harnessed and used carefully, rather than recklessly or aggressively.

Do you have a similar response to these cards? Or do you have a different interpretation? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Sept. 9, 2024: Community Reading for the Week

September 9, 2024
Waxing Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde

Hello!

I’m using the GREEN WITCH TAROT again by Ann Moura, with artwork by Kiri Østergard Leonard, available from Llewellyn.

Left to right, the positions are as follows:
1. The Collective Energy of the Week
2. The Week’s Challenge
3. The Week’s Opportunity
4. The Week’s Stretch
5. The Week’s Comfort

Okay, let’s break this down now. The cards are pretty clear this week, and I did not use an oracle to explore any of them further.

Position 1: The Collective Energy of the Week – 5 of Pentacles
Ouch. This is about scarcity on the material plane. This week contains money worries, and also, in this deck, self-isolation tied to the worries. But look at the pentacles themselves. They are gold, a color of abundance. And there’s warmth in the stone circle in the distance. Be careful with your resources this week, but also see where you can find warmth and light.

Position 2: The Week’s Challenge – The Queen of Chalices
This can be interpreted as wanting to be generous and empathetic beyond one’s means to someone else, or being hesitant to ask for help from someone who has empathy and compassion. Both those interpretations tie into the previous card, the 5 of Pentacles. There are times when you can’t be generous with money, but maybe you can be a compassionate listener. Or maybe, this week, you are the one who needs to reach out.

Position 3: The Week’s Opportunity – The Knight of Athames
Because it is in the position of opportunities, it’s about making a decision and taking decisive action. Look before you leap, and don’t lose patience (or you may lose the help and compassion you were challenged to seek). But sort out the resources you have and how you want to put them into play in order to succeed.

Position 4: The Week’s Strech – The Wild Hunt
This card is often called The Tower in other decks, and it means explosive change. Truth is revealed, and oppression falls away, but that doesn’t mean it’s a comfortable change. For me, personally, this card shows up if I’ve procrastinated and I’m about to pay the price. Believe me, I’m trying to figure out where I’ve been procrastinating, because I do not like this card. However, once one braves the change, it’s for the better. Especially when tied to the previous card, that the change came through choice and definitive action.

Position 5: The Week’s Comfort – Ten of Athames
This card is known as the 10 of Swords. In many other decks, it shows a figure face down with 10 Swords in the back, often showing how others dump their demands on you. This deck’s image is far more positive, in my opinion. The figure in the card is in deep contemplation (swords). Since it’s a ten, the cycle is nearly complete. You’re able to complete something difficult, and put it behind you, opening to a new, more positive cycle.

The overall energy of the week is difficult, which makes sense when you layer on the various retrogrades. Pluto’s retrograde shows what’s hidden and needs to transform. Saturn is about life lessons. This particular Saturn retrograde is also about restoring what was lost during the cycle begun in 2008. Neptune is about dreams and deep desires. Your dreams might be chaotic or confusing now. Uranus is the planet of rebellion and what makes each of us unique. When it is in retrograde, we can feel restrained. Chiron is the wounded healer, about probing these old wounds so that we can heal them, perhaps generationally. Tied to the challenging and somewhat chaotic cards above, it all makes sense.

It’s also the 23rd Anniversary of 9/11 this week, which adds more chaotic and painful energy to the mix.

The best choice we can make this week is to treat ourselves and those around us with compassion and patience.

Feel free to drop in the comments your response to these cards, or how last week’s reading shook out for you.

September 2, 2024: Community Reading for the Week

Monday, September 2, 2024
New Moon in Virgo
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde

Hello! I thought I’d do Community Reading for the week.

I’m using the GREEN WITCH TAROT by Ann Moura, with artwork by Kiri Østergard Leonard, available from Llewellyn.

These interpretations are mine, based on my intuition, experience, and responses to the artwork. You may have a different experience. This is an overview of the week as it stands now; every decision we make from the moment of the reading can change the outcome. If there’s something in the reading that worries you, you have the information ahead of time so that you can plan, make better choices, or handle it differently than predicted for a better outcome. Tarot sets out possibilities, which you change through your choices and actions.

Left to right, the positions are as follows:
1. The Collective Energy of the Week
2. The Week’s Challenge
3. The Week’s Opportunity
4. The Week’s Stretch
5. The Week’s Comfort

Okay, let’s break this down now.

Position 1: The Collective Energy of the Week: The Lady and the Lord
This card is often called “The Lovers” and is a little different, in both art and meaning from some other decks. It shows a couple holding hands in front of a tree, with their hunting weapons and their hunting dogs. They show a unified partnership. If the balance tips too far in one direction or another, then one side or the other may make decisions without enough input from both. Decisions need to be made this week, so make sure they are made after gathering all the necessary information and taking into account how the decisions will affect those involved. If these decisions need to be made as part of a partnership, clear communication is vital. If you are making decisions for yourself, make sure you have all the information.

Position 2: The Week’s Challenge: The Six of Wands
This is an odd card to have as a challenge. The six of wands is a positive card about victory, and receiving an earned reward. It could mean a raise, a bonus, praise for something well done. How could this be a challenge? Could it be a challenge because you don’t believe you’ve earned it? Are you suffering from imposter syndrome? Trust that you’ve earned this reward.

This is an opportunity to build out on the spread with an oracle deck. For this, I am using The Spirit Allies Oracle by Jill Pyle and Cidney Bachert, with art by Jay Kay. It’s available here.

The foundation of this challenge is Tiger’s Eye, which is about connecting with the root chakra, ancestral lineage, and nature. Did your family make you feel uncomfortable with praise, as though you didn’t deserve it, even when you worked hard and did well? Were they taught to be self-deprecatory and wave off praise? It’s time to heal that generational trauma and learn to accept praise.

The healing of this challenge is Sagittarius, an energy of curiosity and exploration. Step into the spotlight you’ve earned, and explore the new opportunities it opens up.

Position 3: The Week’s Opportunity: The Witch
In many decks, this is the Magician card. The witch works on her spell, using the elements to create her own reality. This ties in with the previous cards, of accepting an earned victory and building on it, and making decisions which support it. The Witch creates her own reality, and you will have that chance this week. Be on the lookout!

Position 4: The Week’s Stretch: The Greenman
Other decks often call this card The Fool, and it’s the starting point of the journey. The earned victory, which you’ve now accepted because you’ve healed the imposter system, leads you to create your own reality, which has opened a new path for you. The Sagittarius energy of the oracle support encourages you to take a chance.

Position 5: The Week’s Comfort: The Ace of Wands
Wands are often associated with fire, identity, and that fire in the belly that drives us. The ace suggests new opportunities and adventures, building on all the previous cards in the reading. This is an exciting week, full of opportunities, and you will need to make some decisions (The Lord & Lady) as to how to approach this dynamic and positive new adventure.

Sounds like a good way to start the month, doesn’t it?

Remember, we still have five retrogrades in play, so things may not move as fast as in the retrograde-free earlier part of the year. But they will still move, and when that exciting new opportunity comes, you are ready!

I’d love to hear about your response to these cards, and how they speak to you. Drop your reactions in the comments.

Kemmyrk — Lammas & 30 Years in the Craft

A hand grasping a bunch of wheat, backlit by the sun — Image courtesy of Italo Melo via pixabay.com

August 1, 2024
Waning Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron Retrograde
Sunny, hot humid
Lammas

August 1 is always an important date on my personal calendar. Not just because it’s a Sabbat. But because it’s the anniversary of my initiation into the Craft.

This year is especially powerful, because it is the 30-year anniversary of said initiation.

I was traditionally trained in by a Gardnerian coven and initiated on Lammas. Our circle travelled out to an island for a camping trip; even though I’m not much of a camper, we had a good time. Two of us were initiated that night, near the ocean, under the moonlight. It was a powerful and beautiful experience, and I knew it would change my life forever for the better.

That has definitely been the case. Although the way I practice my craft has changed, and is more eclectic and kitchen/hedge/solitary than it began, I am forever grateful for the foundation of that early training.

Lugh is one of my patron deities. Although I try to honor him all year, I pay special attention to him today, with gratitude. My High Priestess felt we would be a good match because Lugh is talented in many arenas, and I do more than one thing. That touchstone has been a positive in my life.

Whenever possible, I take August 1 as a personal holiday. I spend extra time in meditation, with my divination tools, and giving thanks. I like to re-read my Grimoire/Book of Shadows (which is where I keep the spells that have been worked on until I am confident in them) and my Mirror Book (the book in which I experiment). Reading the Grimoire reconnects me to my lineage; reading the Mirror Book shows me the progress and evolution over the years.

I baked cornbread this morning, as is part of my ritual for the day, even though it’s hot and humid. Buttered cornbread and a bowl of blackberries are my traditional breakfast (along with a soft-boiled egg). I will have a salad with local produce for lunch. For dinner, I will make salmon with potatoes and fresh corn. I’ll even drink beer, which is not my usual drink. I’ll cook and eat with gratitude for the bounty.

The way the astrological transits fell this year feels significant. We were retrograde free (except for pesky Mercury) for most of the early part of the year. I had opportunities that set me in forward motion. Now, with the retrogrades piling up and the first harvest, I have the opportunity to process and integrate what I learned and did, slow down, and harvest what I planted early in the year.

Mercury goes retrograde again on the 5th, the day after the new moon. I intend to be as quiet as possible for this retrograde. I want and need to do a lot of work, but it’s the quiet kind of work, not much being out and about. While I can’t do an entire month of silent retreat, I will be as quiet as possible. When I do need to interact and/or speak, I will be careful to be as clear and kind as I can.

At the same time, for me in this cycle, both Saturn and Chiron are about my boundaries. I have to hold those boundaries when called to do so, without apology.

There’s a lot going on in the heavens this month; our best bet is to be as reflective, quiet, and kind as possible.

Peace and joy to you my friends, and I wish you a happy and calm August.

Kemmyrk — Summer Solstice — Bask

(Image courtesy of Giancarlo Piccinato via pixabay.com)

Thursday, June 20, 2024
Summer Solstice
Pluto Retrograde
Day Before the Full Moon (or First Day of the Full Moon)

Hello, and Blessed Solstice!

Summer Solstice up here in the Northern Hemisphere, Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.

I am in the Northern Hemisphere, so I will be focusing on the Summer Solstice in this post.

A note on my personal practice and how I view the holiday: I’m seeing posts claiming Litha/Midsummer is “the start of summer.” Please take a look at the “mid” in “midsummer.” We are at the center, the peak, the MIDDLE, and we now start to move toward the dark half of the year. It might be the start of Capitalist Summer, but in the Wheel of the Year, I am at MID summer. For me, the “start” of summer is Beltane.

Your practice is yours and you must do what works in your life, but today, for me, is the middle, the peak, of summer.

Since autumn is my favorite season, I am very excited we are moving in that direction.

I am, however, learning to appreciate the warmth.

My apologies for not posting at the dark/new moon. I had to do some serious work to remove something out of my life and move it along a different path at that time. It made more sense to adhere to the adage of “To Know, To Will, To Dare, To Keep Silent” at that time, especially the “Keep Silent” bit.

That is what I did. My intention manifested in a lovely, creative way I didn’t expect, that is positive for all involved, and I am deeply grateful.

A friend who is heat sensitive talked, yesterday, about telling herself, in the heat wave we experienced, that she was basking in the sun like a lizard, she is lizard, and the word “bask” stood out for me.

I’m dealing with sense memory stress from something that happened around this time three years ago now. It’s much better, and I am in an immensely better situation than I was, but my body and mind revert to the upset. Our bodies hold those memories. A lot of the past weeks has been about healing that, acknowledging it, and layering on positive new memories that are relevant to my current reality.

The fear still pops up and has to be faced.

The cards (both tarot and oracle), people, and situations around me, remind me that I am in a positive place filled with possibilities. I don’t have to rush my choices, but I DO need to choose (7 of Cups, anyone?) and then take action on the choices.

This morning, after meditation and an online ritual with a group of fellow witches, I thought to myself, “I’d like to go back to bed.” I thought about it; I got ahead on all my work, my deadlines are met. The world will not stop if I take a nap. Even if I hadn’t made my deadlines. . .the world WILL NOT STOP if I take a nap. As I ran an errand, I thought, “I really want an ice cold vodka martini and some popcorn” and then realized – my schedule is clear this afternoon. I can do that, if I still crave it at the time –and then, if I want, I can take a nap. My day is clear to enjoy however I want.

Today, this sunny, hot summer day, the peak of summer, I will bask: bask in the sunshine, bask in my friends and family, bask in the spiritual work, bask in all of you. I will enjoy letting the day unfold, connecting to the sun and my own inner light. I will honor the peak of the sun, and the wheel turning back toward autumn for us, and spring for our Southern Hemisphere friends.

Whatever is on your plate today, take a few minutes to bask in the weather, yourself, your family, your friends, and the large community of all of us.

Blessed Solstice, my friends!

Kemmyrk — A Full Moon Spread for Expansion

May 24, 2024
Last Day of the Full Moon in Sagittarius
Pluto Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

Hello! Good thing we have three days of full moon energy in which to work, isn’t it?

I attended a delightful full moon circle on Wednesday (the first day of the full moon) and as the ritual ended, we watched the moon rise over the mountain. It was spectacular.

Since the full moon is In Sagittarius, and it’s about expansion, here’s a full moon spread about expansion. I’m using the Ask the Witch Tarot by Francesca Matteoni, with illustrations by Simone Pace. It’s a fairly new deck for me, and I absolutely love working with it. You can order it here. I don’t get any affiliate monies or anything; I just like giving you links to what I like!

Okay, the spread! I’m sharing what my experiences are with the card. Trust your own instincts as you work with your deck(s). You might have the same cards and get a different message.

The card on the left, in position 1, is Where I Am Now.

That card is the Page of Wands. It’s about a new adventure, fresh ideas, something that’s sprouting and has not yet come to fruition, especially when it comes to a sense of identity. Wands, for me, are connected to identity. I’m forging a new sense of self right now, and it’s in the early, experimental stages. Wands are about the fire in the belly, the fire that makes you uniquely you.

The top card on the right, in position 2, is Where I Need to Expand Mentally.

That card is the 6 of Wands. Again, tied to identity. It’s about gaining recognition for talent, victory, and compensation. Those gains and that recognition gives a sense of satisfaction, not arrogance. Mentally, I need to open up and accept recognition.

The middle card, in position 3, is Where I Am Expanding Physically.

That card is the 8 of Pentacles, which is one of my favorite cards in the deck. To me, the 8 of Pentacles is about showing up and doing the work, without making excuses. Put in the time, effort, craft, and skill, and there are infinite (eight is about the infinite) rewards. It’s about concentration, quality, and loving the work. It’s very relevant to me at this moment.

The bottom card, in position 4, is the Caution card. Where do I need to be careful?

The card that turned up here is the 7 of Swords. It means I have to be cautious, and play some of my cards close to my vest. Don’t reveal everything too fast, because someone around you does not wish you well, may be lying, and could use what you tell them against you. Swords pertain to air and thought. It’s warning me not to reveal too much too soon, or it could hurt the work and get in the way of the recognition. That, too, is relevant to me at this moment.

When a reading feels right, it will resonate, almost like a tuning fork inside you, even if every card doesn’t yet have complete clarity.

Blessings to you on the Flower Moon! We’ll reconvene close to the dark moon!