Understanding the Energy of Gemini Season

Understanding Gemini

Welcome to Gemini season! Our mutable air sign, this archetype is here to help us open our minds, connect to each other, and communicate our truth. 

Whether you have Gemini placements in your birth chart or not, we’re all feeling into this energy during this season. In this blog, I’ll be sharing what Gemini is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Gemini, and how to understand Gemini in your chart. 

Tarot cards featured are The Starchild Tarot.

GEMINI ENERGY

Ruled by the messenger planet, Gemini is a sign that’s about exchange, communication, connection, and relating. It’s a mutable sign, transitioning us from the spring season into summer.

At its most soul-centered level, Gemini energy helps us bring together people and ideas, share our message and our voice, create love through connection and communication, and find the magic right here at home in our neighborhoods. 

As an air sign, Gemini connects us to the mind. Mercury brings a lightness, a sharpness, a witness to this sign. Its mutability brings a capacity to change, shift, and morph. Exchange is critical for Gemini, which teaches us how to build bridges, share ideas, and bring communities, individuals, and ideas together. 

All signs have a shadow energy and expression, and in its shadow, Gemini can stay at a shallow, surface-level and fear going deep. It can bring scattered quality and anxious energy. Sagittarius is Gemini’s polar sign, and this axis is all about the mind. Where Gemini taps us into the concrete mind of facts and knowledge, Sagittarius connects us to the more visionary, abstract mind. These polar signs teach us that we need a balance of both!

Keep scrolling to read more, or check out this video with Eryn to learn more about the energy of Gemini season.

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THE PLANETS

In Western astrology, Gemini is ruled by Mercury. Known as the messenger planet, Mercury brings us into the realm of language, thought, and information. Mercury rules not only how we communicate but how we receive communication and process information. Its rulership focuses Gemini on relationships and self-expression. 

In esoteric astrology, Gemini is ruled by Venus. Esoteric astrologer Heidi Rose Robbins says Venus rules Gemini at the esoteric level because Venus is interested in fusing things, in weaving a fabric of love together that underlies everything.

GEMINI IN THE TAROT

In the tarot, Gemini is associated with the Lovers, the Magician, and the Knight of Swords.

The Lovers is ruled by Gemini, the Magician is ruled by Mercury, and the Knight of Swords is mutable air in the court cards in my tarot practice. 

In the Lovers, we see ourselves reflected in the other. Other becomes a mirror for self, and vice versa. Of course, there is a connection and weaving together here, of hearts, energies, and perhaps lives, which to me speaks very much to the esoteric Venus ruler of Gemini! 

The Magician shows us how Gemini energy helps us translate our ideas and visions into the physical world. The esoteric becomes the tangible, formless becomes concrete. The Magician is a helpful aid that we need if we want to use our creativity and ideas to create actual change.

The Knight of Swords connects us to the mutable texture of Gemini. The airiest card in the tarot (double air!), movement is key here. Movement creates clarity, joy, and the change we seek. Air is also associated with the mind and the voice, which connects us to Gemini’s mercurial side. 

UNDERSTANDING GEMINI IN YOUR CHART

To understand Gemini in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:

• Any planets in Gemini

• The house that Gemini rules in your chart. Whatever house Gemini rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to express, share your voice, and build bridges. 

• Your 3rd house. The 3rd house is the Gemini house. The sign that rules your 3rd house can add another layer indicating how Gemini themes show up in your life.

CONNECTING WITH GEMINI ENERGY WITH CRYSTALS AND ORACLE

Another way to understand Gemini energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Gemini energy showing up in my life right now?

Want to connect more deeply with Gemini energy? You might like to connect with some crystals for Gemini season. Try apatite for clear communication and focusing your mind, howlite for calming anxiety, or celestite for throat chakra opening. Black tourmaline can help you ground the heady energy if it feels like a lot for you!

Understanding the Energy of Taurus Season

Welcome to Taurus season! Our fixed earth sign, this archetype is here to ground us in our bodies, teach us about beauty, and help us tap into the tactile pleasures of being alive. 

In honor of Taurus season starting on April 20th, I’ll be diving into Taurus energy in this blog. I’ll be sharing what Taurus energy is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Taurus, and how to understand Taurus in your chart. 

Featured cards from The Starchild Tarot. 

TAURUS ENERGY

Grounded and rooted, the earth sign aspect of Taurus offers practicality and steadfastness to this sign. It connects us to the physical, tactile world through the pleasure that’s available to us through the body and each of our senses. Think of really tasting a delicious meal, smelling the flowers, feeling the warm sun on your skin, touching soft silks, and immersing yourself in a painting. Now you know Taurus energy! 

Card featured from The Ritual Deck. 

Taurus has a beautiful capacity to see beauty and manifest beauty. It’s also a sign associated with value, the material world, and money. Taurus has lessons to teach us all about self-worth, what we really value, and how we value ourselves. 

At its most soul-centered level, Taurus can see the beauty and light in all things, and knows the inherent worth in us all.

All signs have a shadow energy and expression, and in its shadow Taurus can be stubborn, immovable, and resistant to change. The polar sign to Scorpio, a sign of transformation, Taurus can get stuck in its ways, resenting movement and change. This sign can also get trapped in the physical world, only following desire and forgetting spirituality and higher purpose. 

THE PLANETS

In Western astrology, Taurus is ruled by Venus. Venus is the planet of love, beauty, and pleasure. It’s an archetype that helps us find soul fulfillment and teaches us how to love unconditionally. This planet lends Taurus its appreciation for beauty, its connection to sensuality and pleasure, and its association with divine feminine energy. 

TAURUS IN THE TAROT

In the tarot, Taurus is associated with the Empress, the Hierophant, and the King of Pentacles.

The Empress is ruled by Venus, the Hierophant is ruled by Taurus, and the King of Pentacles is fixed Earth in the court cards in my tarot practice. 

The Empress is an archetype of unconditional love (Venus!) who teaches us how to receive. Creativity and love flow through the Empress, without forcing or pushing. Nothing could be more Taurean than the Empress herself as depicted in the Pamela Colman Smith Rider Waite tarot deck! The Empress is lush, present, and embodied and she teaches us how to tap into those parts of ourselves, too.

The Hierophant speaks to Taurus’ Earthy side. This archetype understands how to communicate esoteric truths so that they are understood by all. The Hierophant is able to pull spiritual knowledge out of the ether into the physical plane, making spirituality practical and part of the material world. 

The King of Pentacles, the master of the suit associated with purpose, work, and the material world, teaches us what it means to live your purpose in the world and feel abundant in doing so. This archetype speaks to Taurus’ connection to self-worth, money, manifestation, and finances, reminding us what is possible when we tap into our inner abundance. 

UNDERSTANDING TAURUS IN YOUR CHART

To understand Taurus in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:

• Any planets in Taurus

• The house that Taurus rules in your chart. Whatever house Taurus rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to ground, manifest, and pour love.

• Your 2nd house. The 2nd house is the Taurus house. The sign that rules your 2nd house can add another layer indicating how Taurus themes show up in your life.

Another way to understand Taurus energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Taurus energy showing up in my life right now?

Want to connect more deeply with Taurus energy? You might like to connect with some crystals for Taurus season. Try rose quartz or emerald for unconditional love and stability, red jasper for connecting with your physical body, black tourmaline for grounding, or carnelian for pleasure. 

Understanding the Energy of Aries Season

Welcome to Aries season! Dynamic and fiery, this warrior archetype is here to bring us a fresh start.  

In honor of Aries season starting on March 19th, I’ll be diving into Aries energy in this blog. I’ll be sharing what Aries energy is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Aries, and how to understand Aries in your chart. Keep scrolling for more tips and a video where I dive deeper into Aries energy. 

Cards featured are The Ritual Deck and The Starchild Tarot.

ARIES ENERGY

Aries is our cardinal fire sign and as the first sign of the zodiac, it begins the astrological wheel of the year. The first day of Aries season is always the spring equinox, ushering us into spring with the spark of life! 

Aries energy is like a match being lit. It brings with it fire, passion, and creativity. Aries is a warrior and a pioneer, and the question is: what will you be a warrior for? Where are you ready to be a pioneer in your own life, leading the way for us all? 

This sign invites us to tap into our bravery and courage, to go it alone, and go forward in the direction of the life that is calling us. Independent and impulsive, Aries can take you places you never thought you could go (or that you thought would take a lot longer to get to!). During Aries season, we are all asked to channel our passions and creativity in healthy ways, to tap into our inner fire, and to burst through self-imposed limitations to step into the new. 

All signs have a shadow energy and expression, and in its shadow, Aries can be aggressive, domineering, and even violent. If you can learn to work with Aries in its highest expression, it can teach you a lot about working with anger and frustration in healthy ways, finding balance between leading and following, and being an autonomous individual in relationships with others.

Learn more about Aries season from Eryn Johnson in this video. 

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THE PLANETS

In Western astrology, Aries is ruled by Mars. In esoteric astrology, Aries is ruled by Mercury. Mars tells us how we work with Aries in a day to day way, and Mercury tells us what’s possible to embody when we work with Aries from a soul-centered level.

Mars is the planet of drive, assertion, and aspiration. You can think of it as the gas pedal of your birth chart: it’s what moves you forward. Fiery Mars lends Aries the energy of the warrior, it’s what drives Aries to burst through.

Mercury, on the other hand, as the esoteric ruler of Aries speaks to what’s possible when working with Aries at a soul-entered level. Mercury is an air planet very much associated with the mind (and the Magician card in the tarot!), so the creativity of Aries becomes new, exciting, even bold ideas put forth into the world. 

ARIES IN THE TAROT

In the tarot, Aries is associated with the Emperor, the Tower, and the Knight of Wands.

The Emperor is ruled by Aries, Mars rules the Tower, and the Knight of Wands is cardinal fire in the court cards in my tarot practice. 

The Emperor is a leader, here to pioneer a new world. This card speaks to structures and systems, at a micro-level in our personal lives and at a macro level in the collective, that make up the world and asks us to create truly collaborative systems that serve the good of all. Associated with power, this archetype also asks us to reflect on our own relationship with power and step into a space of power with rather than power over. 

You only need to take a look at the Tower card to understand what it’s all about! The Tower represents a lightning strike, a clearing that causes a crumbling to the ground. Foundations may be shaken and things will not be the same afterward - but it’s very much the spark kind of energy that Aries has to offer us. The clearing that takes place in the Tower only ever clears away what doesn’t serve us.

The Knight of Wands teaches us how to let our fire move us. When we take action in our lives, we’re always taking it from a specific place. We can take action from love, from fear, from desire, from many things - but the Knight of Wands asks us to let our passion, our creativity, our innate sense of our own power, to guide us in moving through the world. 

UNDERSTANDING ARIES IN YOUR CHART

To understand Aries in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:

• Any planets in Aries

• The house that Aries rules in your chart. Whatever house Aries rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to burst through, create something new, live boldly, and fight for something. 

• Your 1st house. The 1st house is the Aries house. The sign that rules your 1st house can add another layer indicating how Aries themes show up in your life.

Another way to understand Aries energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Aries energy showing up in my life right now?

Want to connect more deeply with Aries energy? You might like to connect with some crystals for Aries season. Try carnelian for creativity and courage, sunstone for independence, or red jasper for energy and vitality. 

Understanding the Energy of Pisces Season

What is your relationship with Pisces energy?

Pisces is the last sign on the wheel of the zodiac, so it ends the zodiac year. It invites us into a season of water, dedicated to spirituality, art, and love.

In honor of Pisces season starting on February 18th, I’ll be diving into Pisces energy in this blog. I’ll be sharing what Pisces energy is all about, the planetary and tarot associations of Pisces, and how to understand Pisces in your chart. 

PISCES ENERGY

Pisces is our mutable water sign and as the third water sign on the wheel of the zodiac, it’s our superconscious, cosmic, or collective water sign.In its highest expression, Pisces is unconditional love. Pisces brings the energy of compassion and deep feeling. This energy can make us feel sensitive and like we need to retreat to be alone.Pisces invites us to open our hearts to let unconditional love and compassion pour through - for ourselves, for others, and for the world. It evokes the artist, the mystic, the dreamer, in all of us with its connection to music, poetry, spirituality, and the dreamworld. 

All signs have a shadow energy and expression, and in its shadow, Pisces can be depressed, aimless, and overwhelmed by their deep emotions. In its shadow, Pisces may not be able to tell what emotions and energies are theirs and what belongs to other people. This is why boundaries are critical for Pisces goddesses and all of us during Pisces season!

Pisces is the polar sign to Virgo, and this axis is all about healing. Where Virgo offers structure and grounding, Pisces offers boundless love.

THE PLANETS

In Western astrology, Pisces is ruled by Neptune. In esoteric astrology, Pisces is ruled by Pluto. 

As the planet of love and imagination, Neptune speaks to the mystical, spiritual, and artistic side of Pisces. But this planet can also bring confusion and illusion (think of the energy of the 7 of cups in the tarot!), making it difficult for us to tell what’s real and what isn’t. 

The Pluto rulership at the esoteric level shows how love is the transforming agent with Pisces. Love is the medicine, love is the channel for transformation, love is the vehicle of death and rebirth in our lives.

PISCES IN THE TAROT

In the tarot, Pisces is associated with the Moon, the Hanged One (pictured as the “Perspective” card from the Starchild Tarot), and the Queen of Cups.

The Moon is ruled by Pisces, Neptune rules the Hanged One, and the Queen of Cups is mutable water in the court cards in my tarot practice. 

The Moon card shows us the mystical side of Pisces - an invitation beyond the veil into the inner mysteries, into lunar magic, into an exploration that transcends the linear and logical. 

The Hanged One shows us the magic that can happen when we stay present with our discomfort. A key part of love and compassion is acceptance, and in the Hanged One we learn that we will never heal or thrive until we accept what is. 

The Queen of Cups brings the energy of the selkie, one who is just as at home in the depths of water as they are on land. The Queen of Cups invites us to go within - to feel our feelings, explore our subconscious and its manifestation in the dreamworld, to connect with our inner voice. 

UNDERSTANDING PISCES IN YOUR CHART

To understand Pisces in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:

• Any planets in Pisces

• The house that Pisces rules in your chart. Whatever house Pisces rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to pour more love, the area of life that has a spiritual flavor, a mystical flavor. 

• Your 12th house. The 12th house is the Pisces house. The sign that rules your 12th house can add another layer indicating how Pisces themes show up in your life.

Another way to understand Pisces energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Pisces energy showing up in my life right now?

CRYSTALS TO HELP YOU CONNECT WITH PISCES ENERGY

• Amethyst. Amethyst is highly protective and aids intuitive abilities. Pisces season may leave you feeling more open and sensitive than usual. Amethyst can help you tune into the flow of intuition around you while also keeping you protected. 

• Aquamarine. Because Pisces is a water sign, watery stones, like aquamarine will help soothe and soften you during Pisces season. Aquamarine can also help to soothe emotions, which may be more present during Pisces season.

• Fluorite. It can be easy to become lost in your dreams during Pisces season, fluorite can help you find clarity and focus when you need to during this season. Green fluorite is also a heart healer which may also be helpful during Pisces season. 

Understanding the Energy of Aquarius Season

You may know of Aquarius as a sign that’s innovative and eccentric. If you’re an Aquarius, you might be tired of seeing Aquarius stereotypes in every astrology meme on Instagram.

While Aquarius is certainly innovative and unique, there’s so much more to this energy than meets the eye (or the meme).

In honor of the Aquarius season starting on January 20th, I’ll be diving into Aquarius energy in this blog. I’ll be sharing what Aquarius energy is really about, the planetary and tarot associations of Aquarius, and how to understand Aquarius in your chart. Book page featured from The Goddess Discovery Book V1.

Book page featured from The Goddess Discovery Book V1.

AQUARIUS ENERGY

Aquarius is our fixed air sign and as the third air sign on the wheel of the zodiac, it’s our superconscious, cosmic, or collective air sign. 

In its highest expression, Aquarius energy is about authenticity, bringing forth the new age and the next world, upgrading the collective to its highest expression, innovating, and experimenting. 

Featured Oracle Card Deck is The Ritual Deck.

Aquarius asks us: how do I express my authentic self in all circumstances? How do I find belonging in the world? What am I ready to break free from and how do I create the new to take the place of the old? 

All signs have a shadow energy and expression, and in its shadow Aquarius can be very detached, stubborn, and may want to be different just for the sake of being different.

Polar energies in astrology are also important. Aquarius is the polar sign to Leo, and this axis is all bout creative expression - personal expression with Leo and group expression with Aquarius.

THE PLANETS

In Western astrology, Aquarius is ruled by Uranus. Before Uranus was discovered, Aquarius was ruled by Saturn. I think it’s helpful to look at both of these planets when thinking about Aquarius.

Saturn speaks to the fixed aspect of Aquarius, bringing boundaries, the sacred no, and the ability to create strong foundations. 

Uranus is the god of change, of revolution and rebellion, which I will say does feel the most Aquarian to me!

AQUARIUS IN THE TAROT

In the tarot, Aquarius is associated with the Star card, the Fool, and the King of Swords.

The Star is ruled by Aquarius, Uranus rules the Fool, and the King of Swords is fixed air in the court cards in my tarot practice. 

In esoteric astrology, the phrase associated with Aquarius is “Water of life am I, poured forth for thirsty men.” I love this phrase and it feels very Star card to me. When you look at the Star in the Pamela Colman Smith Rider Waite tarot, the naked figure on the card is literally pouring forth two jugs of water into the land and in the pool of water, the figure has their foot in under the starry night sky. This phrase and aspect of the Star card really speaks to the aspect of Aquarius that is about ushering in a new age and healing for the collective. Featured tarot decks are The Starchild Tarot and Lisa Frank Major Arcana Deck.The Fool speaks to the aspect of Aquarius that is about taking a leap, rebelling, creating change, experimenting, and following your heart.The King of Swords brings in the aspect of air, reminding us that there’s a part of Aquarius that wants to heal and upgrade communication, voice, and sharing messages with the world for the greater good of the collective. 

Featured tarot decks are The Starchild Tarot and Lisa Frank Major Arcana Deck.

UNDERSTANDING AQUARIUS IN YOUR CHART

To understand Aquarius in your chart, you’ll want to look at a couple of pieces:

• Any planets in Aquarius

• The house that Aquarius rules in your chart. Whatever house Aquarius rules indicates the area of life where you are meant to awaken, innovate, do something differently, and bring your most authentic self.  

• Your 11th house. The 11th house is the Aquarius house. The sign that rules your 11th house can add another layer indicating how Aquarius themes show up in your life.

Another way to understand Aquarius energy in your life could be to ask your oracle or tarot deck: how is Aquarius energy showing up in my life right now?

NEW MOON CARD SPREAD

Every new moon, we get a beautiful opportunity for a fresh start. The new moon is the time of the lunar cycle where we get to dream, vision, and set intentions for what we would like to heal, manifest, and create for the new cycle.

Cards, whether oracle or tarot (learn all about the difference between oracle & tarot cards and how to choose here), can be a powerful way to help us gain clarity and understand how to work with the whole cycle holistically. 

Keep scrolling for your new moon card spread and to learn how to work with the cards throughout the whole moon cycle!

Cards featured from The Ritual Deck.

CARD SPREAD FOR THE NEW MOON

This is a card spread designed to help you work with the moon cycle holistically- through all of the major moon phases of the cycle including the new moon, first quarter moon, full moon, last quarter moon, and dark moon.

To ritualize drawing cards, you might like to take some time before getting started to light incense or burn other herbs, ground yourself (click here for suggestions on how to get grounded), and/or do a practice that helps you open your channels such as breathwork, a movement practice, or a visualization meditation.

When you feel ready, you can start pulling cards:

1. What cycle is opening up for me?

2. What wants to emerge, grow, be tended this cycle?

3. What blocks are coming up around this? (Draw one to three cards - let your intuition guide you!)

4. Why this block is here/the shadow underneath the block (draw one card for each blockage card)

5. Advice for healing these blocks (draw one card for each blockage card)

6. Advice for working with these energies to come back to myself

This card spread can offer some beautiful guidance for working with the phases of the moon holistically. I’m going to cover the 5 major phases of the moon below - the new moon, waxing moon, full moon, waning moon, and dark moon.

THE NEW MOON

The new moon is a time of dreaming and feeling into what you want to grow during the cycle. So during the new moon time, you’ll want to focus on cards one and two. I recommend creating an altar based around the themes of these cards.

For example, if the cards showed that in this cycle, spirit is inviting you to work with your creativity, then you could create an altar representing your creative energy blossoming. This might include lush flowers, the tarot cards you drew, anything that represents your creativity to you, and sacral chakra crystals like carnelian, peach selenite, or tiger’s eye.  

Seeds are always a great addition to a new moon altar as well, a symbol of what you’re planting this cycle.

WAXING MOON

The waxing moon is the time for action. It’s an opportune time for taking the steps needed to bring your dream, your desire, into reality. During the waxing moon, you’ll want to focus on the steps that need to be taken to help card number 2 emerge and grow.

This could be internal or external! Often, I find, it’s a combination of both. 

For example, say that your cards showed that this cycle is all about growing your business. During the waxing moon phase, this could be a time where you take more external steps to grow your business (like sending your newsletter, making a content calendar for Instagram and sticking to it, etc.) as well as doing an abundance ritual. 

[Looking for abundance rituals to work with? Find four abundance rituals on the blog here.]

Remember to work with the sixth card, advice for working with the energies this cycle to come back to yourself, to support you through every phase.

FULL MOON

The full moon can feel like “everything all at once,” as one of my teachers says. The water in our bodies is heightened- emotions, intuition, fertility, psychic abilities. This is the last big push in the growth phase of the cycle so it’s the perfect time to do a manifestation ritual around your first and second cards, what it is you’re cultivating this cycle.

Notice any feelings or downloads you receive at this time and take note - you’ll weave them into your work through the waning part of the cycle.

WANING MOON

The waning moon is a time for shadow work, for releasing, for turning inward. It’s our invitation to work with cards three through five of the spread above: the blocks around your dream or desire, the shadow underneath the block, and the advice for healing these blocks.

This is a great time to explore the roots of these blocks and do practices like tapping (EFT) or breathwork to deprogram the stories and patterns that make up those blocks. If any of those blocks feel ready to be released, this is also the time to release them!

DARK MOON

The dark moon is the time of the cycle when the moon disappears from the sky. It’s a deeply internal time for rest, shadow work, banishing work, and cord-cutting.

If you feel ready at this time to release the blocks and work with the fifth card, the advice for healing those blocks, this is the time. A cord-cutting ceremony or banishing ritual would be ideal to help you wrap up the cycle and release these blocks once and for all.

You can return to this new moon card spread with every new moon to help guide your cycle. Want more rituals for the new moon? Click here!

Rituals to Help You Thrive During Mercury Retrograde

Every Mercury retrograde, it feels like the whole internet goes crazy (including Instagram crashing, the technology breakdowns with Mercury retrograde are real!) for a while with memes blaming a whole slew of problems on Mercury retrograde.

But the fact is, Mercury goes retrograde a few times a year every year, and it can be an incredibly potent time for your growth and transformation if you treat it as such. I really believe that all cosmic events happen for us, not to us, and we can let them have power over us or we can view them as empowering invitations to help us on our journeys in specific ways.

In this blog, I’ll be sharing some rituals for Mercury retrograde to help you tap into the magic of this time. But first, what is Mercury retrograde?

WHAT IS MERCURY RETROGRADE

Mercury retrograde occurs when it appears from planet Earth that Mercury has slowed down, stopped, and moved backwards.

Mercury doesn’t actually move backwards--this is just a function of the orbits of Mercury and Earth.

HOW TO USE MERCURY RETROGRADE

Mercury is the planet of communication, of the voice, of how we receive, process, and share information and wisdom.

So Mercury retrograde always highlights these themes for us, asking us to look at our challenges, blocks, and wounds around communication, the voice, and how we exchange with other people.

It’s a beautiful time for turning inward, slowing down, connecting with our intuition, and reflecting on our own process. Use the rituals below to help you make the most of this time!

TAROT OR ORACLE SPREAD FOR MERCURY RETROGRADE

Mercury Retrograde can be a time of incredibly deep listening--listening that we’re able to drop into because we’re slowing down, turning inward, and turning off the external “noise.” Cards, whether you prefer tarot or oracle cards, are a great tool to assist you with this. Use this simple tarot spread to help you understand how to use Mercury retrograde to deepen your understanding of yourself and your journey.

To ritualize drawing cards, you might like to take some time before getting started to light incense or burn other herbs, ground yourself (click here for suggestions on how to get grounded), and/or do a practice that helps you open your channels such as breathwork, a movement practice, or a visualization meditation.

When you feel ready, you can start pulling cards:

1. What inner work am I being invited into this Mercury Retrograde?

2. What in my life needs re-evaluating during this Mercury Retrograde?

3. How can I care for and give to myself during this phase?

4. Where is this Mercury Retrograde leading me?

SPELL BAG FOR CLEAR COMMUNICATION

Spell bags are one of my favorite ways to work with spells. They’re simple, effective, and you can work with the same bag for a while. My favorite kind of spell! Here’s what you’ll need to create a spell bag for clear communication:

• A small cloth bag

• Marshmallow, rosemary, or thyme herbs

• A drop or two of lavender, grapefruit, rosemary, or time essential oils (optional)

• The King of Swords tarot card (you can put the actual card in, or make a photocopy of it and put the photocopy in)

• Sodalite, lapis lazuli, blue topaz, and/or blue lace agate

• A relevant mantra, phrase, or sigil (learn how to create your own basic sigil here) on a piece of paper. Here are some suggestions, but feel free to use your own:

  • I express myself authentically and clearly

  • Sat nam, a Kundalini mantra meaning “truth is my identity”

  • Ham, the bija or seed mantra for the throat chakra

  • I always communicate clearly and my words are received as I intended them

As you place each item in your bag, visualize healing blue light flowing into your body, filling you up with this fresh energy of clear communication and truth-speaking.

Place your bag on your altar and leave it there for a full moon cycle!

RADICAL REST

In a culture that prioritizes the yang, the active, the solar--rest is radical. I recommend blocking off an evening, a weekend day, whatever time period you’re able to and creating an intentional, luxurious time of rest.

Here’s what that might look like:

• Take a bath with your favorite herbs, oils, crystals, and candles (click here for some herbal bath recipes to inspire you!)

• Wear your favorite clothes with soft, sensual fabrics and eat chocolate (or whatever other sweet treats you love--chocolate for me!)

• Bring a blanket to the park and nothing else (no phone, no book, no distractions) and just lay down and watch the clouds move, or the stars and moon if it’s nighttime.

• Turn off your phone, cancel your plans, and stay in to read inspiring books or watch a documentary.

• Turn radical rest into a ritual by bringing intentionality to it and creating a ritual space, whatever that means to you.

• That could mean lighting candles, having your crystals in a circle around you as you lay under the stars, meditating in the bath, or breathing deeply as you eat.

The options are endless! Give yourself full permission to rest in whatever way feels best to you.

Remember, Mercury Retrograde is here to help us. The things we associate with Mercury Retrograde, like communication breakdowns and technology glitches, can certainly happen. But the invitations we receive through that--turning inward, slowing down, acceptance, re-evaluation--can be beautiful if we choose to say yes and sit with our discomfort.

What Are Tarot Birth Cards + How To Find Yours

Tarot birth cards, also called soul cards, are cards based on the numerology of your birthday that can give you more information about who you are.

Birth cards can give you more information about your identity, your inner world, and your journey in this lifetime including your potential, key themes, strengths, and struggles.

Keep reading to learn how to calculate your cards and discover their meanings!

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR BIRTH CARD(S)

As with most things in tarot, there is no hard and fast rule on calculating birth cards. There are a couple of methods, and here I’m going to share the method that I use personally and have found the most powerful!

1. Write out your birthday numerically. For example, if your birthday is October 19th, 1994, the digits you’ll be working with are 10-19-1994.

2. Add up each individual number in your birthday. Keeping with the example above, that means I’m adding 1 + 0 + 1 + 9 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 4 to get 34.

3. Add up any remaining digits if they are greater than 22. Since I got 34 in the step above, that means I’ll now add 3 + 4 to get 7. So the number of your birth card is 7!

If you received a number greater than 22 in step 2, like in this example, then that’s it! But if you received a number equal to 22 or less, then you’ll actually have two birth cards.

Say the number you received in step 2 was 18. The number of your first birth card will be 18, and the number of your second birth card will be 1 + 8 = 9. So you have 2 numbers to work with!

Mary K. Greer is a prominent tarot teacher who has a specific method with birth cards. In her practice, the number 18 will identify your personality card, what you are here in this lifetime to learn. The number 9 will identify your soul card, which shows your purpose across multiple lifetimes.

4. Look up the major arcana tarot card that corresponds to your number(s). I’ve made it easy for you! Keep scrolling to learn what card is associated with each number and what it means.

WHAT YOUR BIRTH CARD MEANS

1: THE MAGICIAN

The Magician, the first card of the major arcana, is a path of manifestation. You may have a lot of ideas, and you’re learning in this lifetime how to channel them, pull them down, and make them manifest in this physical reality.

2: THE HIGH PRIESTESS

In this lifetime, you are learning to embody your lunar nature. You may have a naturally strong intuition and psychic abilities, or this may be something you work to cultivate throughout your life. Working on your psychic development as well as connecting to and honoring your intuition is important for your life path.

3: THE EMPRESS

The Empress as a birth card is an invitation to connect with your creative energy and your Venusian nature. This card is about magnetizing and attracting to you, rather than pushing or forcing. It invites you to nurture yourself and to learn how to receive in this lifetime.It can also indicate a need to explore your relationship with your mother or heal something in your matrilineal line.

4: THE EMPEROR

The Emperor is an invitation to take up space. Throughout your life, you will need to work with the theme of owning your right to take up space, to expand, to be an authority, and to build what you desire without apology.

5: THE HIEROPHANT

The Hierophant teaches us how to be a channel for the wisdom of the Universe, of our guides, of the angels and other cosmic beings. In the Hierophant, we learn to channel truth and to share it with others without overly attaching to outcomes, getting stuck in our ego, or recreating harmful systems of power and authority. Throughout your life, this is a lesson you are learning and an energy you are stepping into.

6: THE LOVERS

With the Lovers as your birth card, you will be learning how to honor and unite duality within you. Throughout your life, you learn how to accept and love all the different, sometimes conflicting, parts of yourself. Evolving through your relationship with others is another big theme of this card, inviting you to allow your relationships (platonic, romantic, business, family, etc.) to trigger you, open you, and evolve you for deeper healing.

7: THE CHARIOT

The Chariot brings an energy of fierce will and determination. But it’s also the number 7 and is ruled by Cancer, adding a more watery flavor and indicating a deeply spiritual path. With the Chariot as your birth card, you’re learning to explore sacred action, action as a spiritual practice, and to trust in the power of your will to bring you where you want to be.

There’s this idea of success and victory with this card as well, indicating that you’ll need to continually redefine over your life what success means to you and what you’re actually moving towards. Is it based on your ego? Or is it truly based on your soul’s mission and purpose?

8: STRENGTH

Strength as your birth card means that you are learning about your relationship to your own power in this lifetime. Strength invites us into a deep knowing of our own power, but it’s a soft, subtle power - not one that dominates, that harms, or is in your face.

It’s a more lunar sense of power, a deep trust in your power that allows you to surrender, to open, to be vulnerable, and to trust yourself and the universe. Stepping into this energy and this sense of power is an important theme on your life’s path.

9: THE HERMIT

The Hermit teaches us how to integrate our own knowing. The Hermit isn’t looking for teachers or knowledge outside of themselves, they know they have a path where deep internal seeking is required.

This isn’t about having a lonely life, it’s about knowing that your evolution comes when you allow yourself the time alone to go inside of yourself, to close off from the external, to integrate and process whatever has come up for you.

10: THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

The Wheel of Fortune as a birth card indicates that in this lifetime, you are learning the balance between action and surrender. You’re learning to trust the balance of fate and free will, of control and trust. Major changes may tend to be a pattern for you, but know that they’re always in your highest and best good.

11: JUSTICE

Justice as a birth card is all about truth. You are learning to believe not what you wish was true but what is actually true - a difficult and powerful lesson. Justice holds a sword to cut away that which is not true - inviting us to look at the truth of who we are, the truth of who others are, and the truth of injustice in our personal lives and in the greater systems that overlay it all.

In the more literal sense, your life might be involved with law, contracts, and partnerships in some way.

12: THE HANGED ONE

The Hanged One is an invitation to step into a new perspective and to get comfortable with discomfort. You are learning how to surrender to what is, to be in the liminal space between where you’ve been and where you desire to be, and to sit with uncomfortable situations, emotions, and thoughts without judgement.

13: DEATH

Death, ruled by Scorpio, is a path of transformation. Your life is about death and rebirth, about shedding the snakeskin of the ego, continuously evolving into the most soul-centered version of you.

14: TEMPERANCE

Temperance is a path of alchemy and magic. Temperance teaches us how to alchemize our pain, our trauma, our shadow into our greatest gifts, into our purpose, into our unique magic. This is what you are learning in this lifetime with Temperance as your birth card.

15: THE DEVIL

The Devil teaches us how to see, claim, and love all the darkness within us. When we see, claim, and love all of our shame, our fear, and our shadow, it becomes a source of our power. With the Devil as your birth card, your invitation is to get deeply acquainted with your shadow rather than letting it run as unconscious programming, controlling your life.

16: THE TOWER

The Tower is a path of cleansing and burning down old structures- internally and externally. The burning down of internal structures can look like: deprogramming unhealthy ways of talking to the self, releasing old emotional patterns like codependence or manipulation, or finally releasing self-hatred and loving yourself. The burning down of external structures can look like moving homes or cities, fighting for restorative justice, ending unhealthy relationships, changing jobs, etc.This is an energy you are moving through throughout your life.

17: THE STAR

The Star, ruled by Aquarius, is a healing path. The Star is an invitation for deep personal healing of core wounds and traumas (from this lifetime and past lifetimes) that has a ripple effect into the collective, into your ancestral line, into your descendants.

With the Aquarius ruling of the card, your path could also involve humanitarian work and efforts, helping facilitate healing for humanity.

18: THE MOON

The Moon is a path of re-wilding. With this birth card, you are learning to tap into and connect to your wild, primal nature - who you were before the world told you who and how to be. Connecting with your wildness is a sacred path of connecting with yourself, your needs, and your desires - and being brave enough to claim and step into them.

19: THE SUN

The Sun is a path of being seen. With this card as your birth card, throughout your life you are learning how to allow yourself to be seen - not as you have been, or think you should be, or wish you were - but how you actually are in each and every moment.

Bringing all the parts of you - even the parts of yourself you don’t love yet - into the light to be honored and witnessed is how you release shame and step into your fullest potential.

20: JUDGEMENT

Judgement, ruled by Pluto, is a path of breakthroughs around judgement and criticism. You are learning that every judgement we have for someone else is just a mirror of what we don’t love within us. With this card, you’re learning to release judgement and criticism towards yourself first and foremost, and all beings everywhere.

21: THE WORLD

The World is a path of endless potential, of closing karmic loops. With the World as your birth card, there is the potential to end painful cycles that may have gone on through generations in your ancestry or through many past lives by doing your own healing work.

22: THE FOOL

Technically, the Fool card is actually 0. But in this practice, you can use the number 22 to identify the Fool card. With the Fool as your birth card, you are learning to release the ego mindset of “I know” or “I should” and step into a curious mindset or “what if?” Or “I could.”The Fool is the embodiment of a seeker, willing to take leaps into the unknown, trusting that they are fully guided and supported.

The meaning of your birth card will likely evolve over your lifetime. At certain points in your journey, you may relate to the card in different ways or feel into a different aspect of it. That’s great! Like life, each tarot card is complex and multifaceted.

You can start to get to know your birth card on a deeper level by meditating on it, journaling with it, putting it on your altar, and working with embodying it.

Interested in learning more about birth cards? I recommend getting Mary K. Greer’s famous workbook Tarot For Yourself and diving in!

What Are the Astrological Houses & How to Understand Them In Your Chart

So you’re learning astrology and understand the planets and the astrological signs in your birth chart or natal chart. Beautiful! Now you’re ready to mix in another piece of the puzzle: houses.

[To download your own free printable birth chart, click here.]

WHAT ARE THE ASTROLOGICAL HOUSES & HOW TO FIND THEM IN YOUR CHART

If you look at your birth chart, you’ll see that it’s divided up into 12 pie pieces. You should see a circle in the middle of the chart with some lines, and branching out from that circle are the pie pieces. Each of these pie pieces is a house.

Depending on the software you use, there may be little numbers at the top of the pie pieces, closest to the inner circle of the chart. If not, you can find the first house by thinking of your chart as a compass, with the line extending out of the top of the inner circle as north (your midheaven), the line to the bottom as south (your IC), the line to the right as east (your descendent) and the line to the left as west (your ascendant). You can learn more about understanding your birth chart here.

The pie piece that starts with your ascendant line, that line to the left, is the beginning of your first house. The houses continue to move counterclockwise around the circle- so starting with your first house, move right to find your second house.

These astrological houses show us where in our lives certain energy may show up. Each house has a specific meaning and is ruled by a particular sign, which I’ll get into below.

FIRST HOUSE

The first house is ruled by Aries. This is the realm of the self, identity, appearance, leadership, fresh starts, and beginnings. If you have a lot of planets in your first house, you may bring a lot of pioneering or initiating energy to your life.

SECOND HOUSE

The second house is ruled by Taurus. It represents income, money, self-esteem, and all things related to your material and physical world, like the senses. It’s said that if you have a lot of planets in your second house, you may manifest things easily in the physical realm.

THIRD HOUSE

The third house is ruled by Gemini. This house is the guardian of all forms of communication as well as siblings, neighborhoods, learning, local travel, community, and the giving and receiving of knowledge.

FOURTH HOUSE

The fourth house is ruled by Cancer. This house rules the foundation of all things and is the foundation, the very bottom, of your birth chart. Think of it as the root chakra for your chart! It covers the home, your basic security, your parents (especially your mother), and how you nurture yourself.

FIFTH HOUSE

The fifth house is ruled by Leo. This house is the guardian of creativity, play, self-expression, romance, fun, drama and attention.

SIXTH HOUSE

The sixth house is ruled by Virgo. This house governs health, service, and daily work. Think schedules, routines, organization, the health, and wellness of your physical body, and being of service to others.

SEVENTH HOUSE

The seventh house is ruled by Libra. This house governs relationships, including all kinds of intimate partnerships (business, romantic, best friends), as well as things associated with relationships such as marriage, contracts, and business deals. This house begins with your descendent, the part of your chart I mentioned above on the far right.

EIGHTH HOUSE

The eighth house is ruled by Scorpio. This house is the realm of birth, death, and rebirth. It covers sex, transformation, bonding and merging at the deepest levels, as well as taxes and other people’s property and money.

NINTH HOUSE

The ninth house is ruled by Sagittarius. This house covers expansion, philosophy, religion, long-distance travel, the higher mind, inspiration, optimism, publishing, broadcasting, higher education, and adventure.

TENTH HOUSE

The tenth house is ruled by Capricorn. This house is at the very top of your chart, beginning with the midheaven. It is the realm of structure, tradition, public appearance, rules, discipline, authority, and the father. With the border of this house as the midheaven, it can reveal truths about your career path.

ELEVENTH HOUSE

The eleventh house is ruled by Aquarius. It governs teams, friendships, groups of all kinds, society, humanitarian causes and social justice, technology, and the internet. It rules all things futuristic, original, eccentric, and surprising.

TWELFTH HOUSE

The twelfth and final house is ruled by Pisces. As the last house of the chart (which ends with your ascendent, bringing us back into the first house), it rules endings. It’s thought to be the most mysterious house, governing the afterlife and past lives, institutions, mysticism, the arts, imagination, the subconscious mind, surrender, hospitals, and jails.

THE HOUSES IN YOUR CHART

Each house has a traditional rulership, as you saw above. This gives us insight into the meaning of the house. But in your chart, the house will likely be ruled by a different sign, which all depends on your rising sign.

Your rising sign is the sign on the ascendant — you should see a little AC to the left of that line, but it’s the line on the far left side of your chart that I mentioned above. Your rising sign will rule the first house.

For example, I’m a Virgo rising. So my first house, which has Aries energy, is ruled by Virgo. My second house will be ruled by Libra, my third house by Scorpio, and we continue around the wheel.

Click here to download your free printable birth chart

HOW TO INTERPRET YOUR HOUSES

Now that you know what the houses mean, how do you interpret them with the other pieces of your chart: the signs and planets? (We won’t get into aspects in this post!)

You can weave these three aspects of your chart together by looking at planet + sign + house.

For example, my Venus is in Scorpio in the third house. So we can look at Venus + Scorpio + 3rd House.

Venus is the planet that shows us where we find great soul satisfaction. It shows us who, what, and how we love. Scorpio is an energy that is about transformation, deep bonding, mystery, and the occult. The third house, as we saw above, rules all things communication and community.

Astrology is an intuitive art, so use your intuition! I would say that this means there is great soul satisfaction for me in communicating about the occult, deep bonding, and transformation. It could also mean that I love to deeply bond with others through communication.

For another example, say you have your Mars in Leo in the 11th house. So we would look at Mars + Leo + 11th house.

Mars is the warrior in our chart, the planet of aspiration, drive, motivation, and willpower. Leo is a sign that loves to be seen, to express, to create, and to be an individual. The 11th house, as we saw above, is the realm of group energy, technology, innovation, humanity, and authenticity.

So one way to look at Mars in Leo in the 11th house is having a lot of drive and motivation to express yourself in a group setting, or to express yourself for the good of the collective - all of humanity.

Try this out with one placement at a time in your chart, and see what mysteries about yourself are revealed!

Want to explore more of your natal chart? Learn about your north node and how it can reveal your life purpose here.

How Do Eclipses Affect Astrology?

Every “eclipse season” it feels like all of Instagram loses its mind. But what’s really the deal with eclipses? Are they as scary or as powerful as we might have heard?

In this blog, I’ll be demystifying eclipses and sharing how you can use these special cosmic events for your evolution and growth.

WHAT ARE ECLIPSES?

There are two types of eclipses: lunar eclipses and solar eclipses. Within those categories, eclipses can be partial, total, or penumbral. Generally, the most powerful and rare eclipses are total eclipses.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth’s shadow blocks the sun’s light, which then reflects off the full moon. Solar eclipses occur when the new moon moves between the sun and the Earth, blocking out the sun’s rays and casting a shadow on parts of Earth.

ECLIPSES IN PAIRS + ECLIPSE SEASON

Eclipses come in sets—in pairs or sometimes as threes. The time period between a set of eclipses is known as eclipse season. Eclipses always happen along an astrological axis—so a pair of eclipses will always be in one of these sets of signs:

• Aries-Libra

• Taurus-Scorpio

• Gemini-Sagittarius

• Cancer-Capricorn

• Leo-Aquarius

• Virgo-Pisces

For example, in January of 2019, we had a partial solar eclipse in Capricorn and a total lunar eclipse about two weeks later in Cancer. The period between these eclipses was known as the eclipse season.

Eclipse season is thought to be a time portal, a time of transformation.

HOW TO WORK WITH ECLIPSES

Eclipses are thought to be wild cards, sort of a magnified new moon (for a solar eclipse) or a magnified full moon (for a lunar eclipse). We can think of them as portals for endings and beginnings—things may be “eclipsed out” or “eclipsed in.” It’s typical for births, moves, engagements, new jobs, break-ups, new relationships, and more to happen around eclipses and during eclipse season.

Eclipses are also illuminators, showing the truth that you may have been ignoring or didn’t want to look at. Eclipses will bring these thoughts and feelings to the forefront so that you can’t ignore them anymore and have to look at and work with them.

To see how an eclipse might affect you personally, take a look at your birth chart. Look for the house that will be highlighted by the eclipse—for example, a partial solar eclipse in Capricorn affects my 4th or 5th houses, depending on the degrees of the eclipse.

So if the eclipse affects my 4th house, then I could expect things around the home, family, my inner emotional world, my foundations, safety, security, my mother, and self-care to be coming up.

Generally, eclipses are a really important time to spend time with yourself listening and noticing. Carve out space and time to receive truths, and notice any signs that are pointing you towards releasing something or stepping into something new.

Some practitioners like to work big magic on eclipses. Others, like myself, find that eclipses are a better time for listening and noticing than doing spells. Notice how eclipses feel to you and follow what feels right! If you feel called to, you can check out this card spread for eclipse season.

Our next eclipses are happening on July 2nd, 2019 (a total solar eclipse in Cancer) and July 16th, 2019 (a partial lunar eclipse in Capricorn).

For the eclipse in Cancer, take a look at what house Cancer rules in your birth chart. Same thing for the Capricorn eclipse!

Overall, eclipses aren’t something to be scared of. Like every cosmic event, they’re not here to hurt us—they’re here to help us grow and evolve. Know that anything that releases during an eclipse or anything you step into on an eclipse is furthering your path and purpose.

Understanding Your North Node

A birth chart, also called a natal chart, is a snapshot of the sky and all its planets at the moment you were born. A few factors play into your birth chart—the time and day you were born and the location you were born at. With just this bit of information, the cosmos can reveal truths about your personality, your life path, and how to get the most out of this lifetime.

[To learn more about birth charts and download your own free printable chart, click here.]

One key to understanding your birth chart is the north node (also called the true node) and the corresponding south node. In this blog, I’m going to share how the nodes can help you understand your life’s purpose. Keep scrolling to read on!

WHAT ARE THE NODES?

Unlike most of the placements you’ll see in your chart like your moon sign, Venus sign, or sun sign, the nodes aren’t planets or asteroids. Rather, they’re mathematical points based on the moon—hence, why they’re also called lunar nodes.

THE NORTH NODE

The north node, or the true node, shows us the path that’s calling us. It shows us the terrain we’re invited to cross in this lifetime, our purpose, our truth. It’s the way that we’re being asked to involve in this lifetime on planet Earth. In short and sweet terms, I like to think of it as our life’s purpose.

THE SOUTH NODE

Although I won’t focus on the south node in this blog post, you can’t talk about the north node without mentioning the south node! If the north node is our invitation for this life, the south node shows what we’ve brought into this life from past lives.

Our south node reveals what we’re already good at, what we’ve mastered in past lives. It’s a place where we feel comfortable and connect with a sense of belonging. It’s always in the polar sign of our north node, so even though most astrological charts don’t specify where the south node is, you can find it easily.

For example, my north node is in Scorpio in the third house. So I know that my south node is in Taurus, Scorpio’s polar sign, in the ninth house, the polar house of the third house!

The idea of the south node isn’t to transcend it or leave it behind but to find a way to bring it into your journey with your north node.

THE NORTH NODE IN EACH SIGN

Below you’ll find a brief overview of what the north node in each sign may mean. Keep in mind that mixing your own intuition with this information is where you’ll get the most powerful insight!

If you don’t know where your north node is yet, head over to astro.com or Cafe Astrology to get your free chart.

ARIES NORTH NODE

Aries energy is like a match (think Ace of Wands in the tarot!). It’s the emergence after winter, the birth of spring, the charging forth and bringing forth of new ideas. If your north node is in Aries, this lifetime is about bringing your fiery, passionate, bold ideas into the world. It’s about being a pioneer, a soul-centered warrior, for love and justice.

TAURUS NORTH NODE

With a north node in Taurus, you are learning how to manifest beauty, money, and creativity on the physical plane. Taurus is a sign that appreciates pleasure, love, and beauty and is masterful at manifesting material value. This can be a lifetime of learning what you value and how to create it without getting caught up in worthiness blocks.

GEMINI NORTH NODE

If you have your north node in Gemini, you are here to connect, to relate, to communicate. You are here with a message, you’re here with words you need to share with people, and you’re here to step into and share wisdom.

CANCER NORTH NODE

Cancer is our cardinal water sign, ruled by the moon. It’s a sign that’s all about home, the past, our ancestors, and nourishing and caretaking. If your north node is in Cancer, in this lifetime you are learning how to nourish and caretake yourself, to create a safe space for yourself—and then, for everyone else, too.

You may find yourself drawn to working with your ancestors, to healing ancestral and karmic patterns, and to use your emotions to connect with those around you.

LEO NORTH NODE

With a Leo north node, your focus is on learning how to express yourself and how to take up space. With a south node in Aquarius, you may feel more comfortable in the background or as part of the group.

Your Leo north node is inviting you to step into your power and magic as an individual, empower yourself to express yourself fully (particularly in creative endeavors), and take up space with pride and love.

VIRGO NORTH NODE

Virgo is a sign of devotion, of service, of healing. With a north node in Virgo, you are here to heal. You’re here to “build a vessel of love” as astrologer Heidi Rose Robbins says. Your path in this life is one of service, of devoting yourself to healing, of bringing forth unconditional love.

LIBRA NORTH NODE

If you have a Libra north node, this lifetime is about finding balance between self and others. You are learning how to come into the right relationship with someone else without giving up your power, becoming codependent, or abandoning yourself just to make peace.

This can also be a beautiful and deep path of justice! Libra, the scales, is a sign traditionally associated with the law, judges, and courtrooms. That may not be your path specifically, but a Libra north node can be a journey of creating more justice in this lifetime—for yourself and for all.

SCORPIO NORTH NODE

With a north node in Scorpio, you may be stepping into your power and gifts as a practitioner of the occult—a tarot reader, energy worker, or psychospiritual practitioner of some kind. But in the bigger picture, a Scorpio north node is often about learning how to transform. The tarot card ruled by Scorpio is Death, so you are learning how to shed the snakeskin, step into new parts of your identity, and get comfortable with transformation and change in this lifetime.

SAGITTARIUS NORTH NODE

With a Sagittarius north node, you are here to inspire! You’re here to inspire others with your gorgeous mutable fire, your actions, your freedom, your vision, the way you live. Connect with your big vision and live it out to fulfill your life’s purpose. In doing so, you’ll inspire the collective to do the same.

CAPRICORN NORTH NODE

With a Capricorn north node, you are here to climb the mountain and to lead. Capricorn is probably our most hardworking sign, symbolized by the mountain goat. Your charge in this lifetime is to live with purpose, to own your leadership, and to show the way for others to climb the mountain behind you.

AQUARIUS NORTH NODE

Aquarius, ruled by Uranus, is a sign that’s about authenticity and innovation. With a north node in Aquarius, you are here to step into your soul’s authenticity and create the next world for all. To innovate, to change, to awaken self and others so that we can create a new age of peace and unity on Earth. A big mission indeed!

PISCES NORTH NODE

Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac and is said to encompass the energy of all the other signs. If your north node is in Pisces, your path in this lifetime is to heal and offer universal compassion to yourself and to all of humanity. It’s an invitation to keep your heart opening, opening, opening even when it feels hard and it might be easier to close it off from feeling.

Your north node will also be impacted by the house it’s in, but that’s a post for another day. If you’d like to dive deeper into your north node, I recommend checking out Jan Spiller’s famous book, Astrology for the Soul.

Understanding Yourself Through the Sun & the Moon

Ever since the dawn of time, humans have sought to understand themselves and their place in the universe on a deeper level by looking up at the sky.

Over thousands of years of observations, astrologers have come to recognize that the Sun and Moon are not only luminous orbs of light in the sky that govern the day and night, but their intriguing symbolism can also tell us a lot about who each of us really are and how we naturally tend to behave and react.

What Do the Sun & Moon Represent?

On an astrology chart, the Sun symbolizes your ego. It’s your life’s expression, your attitude, your ego, and the way you move through life. The Sun can also explain your underlying drive and how you most love to be creative. It’s basically how we act when we’re feeling fully alive!

The Moon, on the other hand, symbolizes inner security, comfort, and how we express our emotions whether we’re happy or sad. It describes your emotional landscape and the conditions you need to feel nurtured, safe, and fulfilled.

By tracking where the Sun and Moon fall in your birth chart - which is a map of where the stars and planets were at the time of your birth - you can also gain a deeper understanding of why you naturally do the things you do and feel and act the way you do, too.

Draw your own birth chart here

How To Find Your Sun Sign

Your Sun Sign is by far the most common astrological point that most people think of when they think of astrology. When someone asks what your sign is, most people tend to know what theirs is. This is your Sun Sign, which is also sometimes referred to as your star sign, and it’s based on the zodiac sign or zone of the sky, the Sun was in when you were born.

The Sun goes through each of the 12 signs of the zodiac every year while spending 30 days in each sign before it moves on to the next. Astrologers sometimes refer to these as seasons because our collective focus tends to change based on which sign is currently being illuminated by the Sun. When you are born, it’s like you get imprinted by this influence and it becomes your focus throughout your life.

Here’s a basic rundown on when each astrological season occurs:

• Aries: March 21 - April 19

• Taurus: April 20 - May 20

• Gemini: May 21 - June 20

• Cancer: June 21 - July 22

• Leo: July 23 - August 22

• Virgo: August 23 - September 22

• Libra: September 23 - October 22

• Scorpio: October 23 - November 21

• Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

• Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

• Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

• Pisces: February 19 - March 20

Keep in mind that these dates can change slightly from year to year because the cycle of the Sun does not always match up perfectly with the Gregorian calendar we all know and use.

How To Find Your Moon Sign

Your Moon Sign is based on where the moon was when you were born. This is not quite as easy to figure out because the moon only spends about 2.5 days in each zodiac sign before it moves into the next, moving through all 12 signs over the course of each month. (With the moon moving so quickly, it’s no wonder why our moods tend to be so changeable from day to day!)

By knowing your Moon Sign, you can choose jobs, relationships, and life situations that will help support your inner happiness. It can become more difficult to express yourself fully through your Sun Sign if you are not feeling supported internally.

To find your Moon Sign, can try doing a quick Google search or type your birth date and time in Planetwatcher.com and locate which sign the crescent moon symbol falls on the chart. You may also find it interesting to search for which moon phase you were born under as this can help explain which part of the creative process you are most attuned to.

Decoding Your Sun & Moon Sign

What is your Sun and Moon Sign and what do they have to say about you?

On the most basic level, each sign of the zodiac has a very different set of personality traits which are also based on different elements found in nature:

• Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are Fire signs and they all tend to be very direct, passion-driven, and find great joy in promoting the things they love and influencing others with their great ideas.

• Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are Earth signs and they are more calm and practical when it comes to setting goals. They’re persistent and hard working in going after what they want and are able to do what needs to be done to see their aims through to the very end.

• Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are Air signs and they love to socialize, communicate, and collaborate with others. They’re great at sharing their ideas and thinking intellectually and conceptually.

• Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces are Water signs and they can be sensitive, emotional, compassionate, idealistic, and imaginative. They can easily sense how others around them are feeling and long to forge deeper connections.

There is so much more to learn about your Sun and Moon beyond this, but I hope this basic overview has helped you feel more attuned to yourself and the incredible universe we live in.

The Best Crystals For Each Zodiac Sign

Your astrological sign comes with a variety of good qualities. Your zodiac sign also comes with some, let’s call them, growth opportunities. Working with the right gemstones for your sign will make you feel right at home, honing in on your best qualities while bringing balance to some of your pitfalls.

The gemstones associated with your astrological sign are not the same as your birthstone, though some do overlap. These are all crystals with specific properties to help bring tailored healing for your astrological sun sign. Think of them as your crystal “glass slipper,” they should energetically feel like a perfect fit!

To incorporate these crystals into your daily life, you can place them on your altar or nightstand, carry them in your pocket, or you can wear them. Keep scrolling for a couple of crystal suggestions for each zodiac sign.

Capricorn ♥ Dec 22 - Jan 20

Hardworking Capricorns will feel comfortable and empowered with the aid of grounding stones like these.

Obsidian

This grounding gemstone will make you feel comfortable and at home with Capricorn being an Earth sign. If you’re overworked, like Capricorns often are, obsidian can help strengthen your energy and auric field, bringing you back to balance.

Hematite

Many responsible Capricorns find themselves in management and leadership roles. If you’re one of these lucky Capricorns, hematite is here to help! Hematite is a powerful stone for shielding yourself from negative energy so you can stand your ground and shield your energy.

Aquarius ♥ Jan 21 - Feb 19

Airy Aquarians can find balance with mentally clarifying stones.

Garnet

This stone is the ultimate balancing gemstone for air signs like Aquarius. If you’re an independent and sometimes temperamental Aquarius, garnet can bring you some much-needed stability.

Labradorite

Aquarians tend to have very active minds, always thinking ahead and trying to figure things out. Let labradorite hone your mental chatter so you can put it to better use. Labradorite can help your psychic abilities while stifling some of your negative traits.

Pisces ♥ Feb 20 - Mar 20

Intuitive Pisces will find a needed mental escape with these healing gemstones.

Amethyst

This sign is susceptible to taking on the woes and sadness of others. Retreat to the healing power of amethyst to transmute your sadness into love.

Fluorite

Escape your Earthly troubles with this stone. If you’re a Pisces, you may feel a desire to escape reality, or like you don’t belong here, fluorite can give you a safe place to relax and temporarily withdraw too.

Aries ♥ Mar 21 - Apr 19

Fiery Aries always on the go will find much-needed recharge in these stones.

Red Jasper

Aries can be quick to anger, but red jasper is here to help! The grounding and protective energy of this stone can help quench your temper before you react to a situation.

Ruby

This stone has intense energy and is perfect for a quick recharge. Aries tend to be continually going and love a good physical challenge. If you’ve overdone it and need a boost, ruby can help with this too.

Taurus ♥ Apr 20 - May 20

Practical Taurus will find flexibility and motivation with these stones.

Jade

Taurus signs are masters at completing their goals, and jade will make it even easier! Jade offers support for moving through challenges, tasks, and accomplishing your dreams. This stone will amplify your best traits, making attaining your desires a breeze.

Amber

Sometimes stubborn Taurus signs can find balance with this stone. Amber is excellent for releasing negativity and finding more flexibility in their unmovable personalities. This stone is also great for manifesting, which is a favorite hobby of Taurus signs.

Gemini ♥ May 21 - June 21

Gentle Gemini signs will find balance in the duality of their personalities with these stones.

Agate

If you’re feeling unstable or nervous from your dueling personality traits, agate can bring you a needed self-confidence boost and a sense of stability.

Sapphire

This stone can help you find focus if your mind is flipping back and forth. If you’re feeling indecisive about something, as Gemini’s often do, sapphire can help you follow through with decision making.

Cancer ♥ Jun 22 - Jul 23

Emotional and imaginative Cancer signs will be able to get their water fix with these stones.

Moonstone

Cancer is ruled by the moon and is also a water sign, making moonstone an ideal fit. Moonstone has a special relationship with both the moon and water. Moonstone can help you get in touch with the best parts of your personality. If you’re feeling insecure, like many Cancer signs can, this stone is also very nurturing.

Abalone

Cancer’s often long for the water. Even though Abalone isn't a true crystal, it's often found used in jewelry or as an altar tool. If you’re feeling called to the ocean but are landlocked, abalone can offer some serious water vibes to help you get your fix.

Leo ♥ Jul 24 - Aug 23

Sunny Leo will feel right at home with these radiant stones!

Carnelian

Though Leo’s are loved by many, this can make them lazy. If everything has come easily to you and you don’t feel like trying when the going gets tough, carnelian can give you the boost you need.

Sunstone

Let your best qualities shine brightly with this cheerful stone. Leo is ruled by the Sun and a fire sign, so this gemstone will help bring out all of your best qualities. This is also an excellent stone for Leo’s that happen to live in a cloudy or cold climate.

Virgo ♥ Aug 24 - Sept 22

Kind and cautious Virgo’s can find the confidence they need to speak their truth with these stones.

Blue Topaz

Earthy Virgo’s can have a difficult time connecting to their higher-self. Blue Topaz can help you tune into higher realms and boost your confidence in this area. Taking a less practical path might give you the perspective you need!

Amazonite

If you’ve found yourself consumed by worry or overthinking a situation, as Virgos tend to do, amazonite can help you separate your emotions from the situation so you can gain a sense of clarity.

Libra ♥ Sept 23 - Oct 22

Peace-seeking Libra will find just that in these gemstones.

Peridot

Libra loves to be in relationships but hates conflict. Unfortunately, conflict will show up at some point even in the best of relationships. This master heart healer will help you stay balanced and help you release grudges more easily.

Bloodstone

Libra is an air sign, so grounding energy is always a bonus! Bloodstone will not only help you stay grounded but help you keep your emotions balanced as well

Scorpio ♥ Oct 23-Nov 22

Passionate and intense Scorpio's will find a sea of respite and love in these crystals.

Aquamarine

Scorpio’s can come across as very assertive, which is an excellent quality in leadership roles but might sometimes need tempering when dealing with friends and family. As a water sign, you’ll find aquamarine to be soothing and cooling to your intensities. Aquamarine is also masterful at stabilizing fear and anger.

Rhodochrosite

Scorpio’s have strong emotions that can sometimes be expressed as jealousy and an unwillingness to trust others. This gemstone can balance your powerful feelings and help you understand and accept the actions of others more readily.

Sagittarius ♥ Nov 23 - Dec 21

Positive Sagittarius signs will find needed protection and communication aid in these stones.

Turquoise

Sagittarius loves adventure. Don’t forget to bring some energetic protection along with you as you’re traveling the world. Turquoise is a powerful stone of protection that can also help keep your throat chakra in check.

Lapis Lazuli

Though Sagittarius leans towards optimism, they are fire signs. If you’ve been known to sling some hurtful words at your loved ones, this stone can help balance and restore your throat chakra for optimal communication.These are just some of the stones that will benefit each zodiac sign. Want to find more crystals to balance your zodiac sign? The best way to find more gemstones for your sun or moon sign is to research your signs. Check out blog posts dedicated to each zodiac sign here.

The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Your Tarot & Oracle Cards

Now that you have your magical Moon Phase Ritual Cards from last week's post, I thought it would be a perfect time to give you an ultimate guide for taking care of your tarot and oracle cards!

Have a growing collection of oracle and tarot cards that you’re always adding to? If you’ve got a growing collection, you probably don’t use all of those cards every day. You most likely have your favorite decks that you gravitate towards, decks you use rarely, and decks that you let other people use.

Your oracle and tarot cards can pick up vibes from other people, yourself, and accumulate stagnant energy. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to keep your decks energetically fresh so you receive and give the best readings.

These tips will work for tarot and oracle alike, they will also work for our free printable decks like our Zenned Out Mini Oracle Cards and our Moon Phase Ritual Cards. Here’s my ultimate list for taking care of your favorite decks!

Listen to Your Cards

Use your intuition. Ask your tarot and oracle cards what they need, and go with your gut. Have a deck that feels like it wants to be kept separate from your other decks, give it a special space of its own. Have a deck that you feel is pining for some grounding energy, put a little smoky quartz near it.

If you decide to try something new with one of your decks, be extra aware of any energetic signals you may get from them on the new change. The best part is, if you’re using your oracle or tarot cards regularly you’re already honing your intuition, and this is another opportunity to refine your intuitive skills.

Spread Cloth

Create a sacred space for reading your cards with a spread cloth. Traditionally these have been used for tarot but will work just as well for oracle cards.

Energetically speaking, using a spread cloth gives you and your cards a sacred space for reading wherever you are. It adds another layer to the ritual of reading your cards. Bonus, if you read in other places, it will help keep your cards clean.

Deciding on a spread cloth can be simple and inexpensive. There are many are beautiful handmade options on Etsy but you might already have something perfect at home like a silk scarf. Color carries a lot of energetic weight, so I suggest doing some research on color meanings before deciding on your spread cloth.

Cleanse Often

If you’ve had some off readings that didn’t feel quite right it might be time to give your cards a good energetic cleanse. Another reason to cleanse your cards is if they’ve been sitting for a while and haven’t been used. Stagnant decks will pick up all sorts of vibes, so it’s a great time to cleanse them.

Here are three quick and easy ways to lift any bad vibes or stagnant energy from your oracle or tarot cards.

1. Salt Bath: No water needed for this bath, simply set your cards in a tray of sea salt or Himalayan pink salt and let the salt soak up any unwanted vibes.

2. Smoke cleanse: Light your favorite herb and let your cards be bathed in the smoke of it to cleanse them. I recommend exploring some plants that are related to your ancestral lineage, some options of herbs are lavender, mugwort, cedar, rosemary. If you want to add some extra fun you can use tools like cauldrons or smoke wands.

3. Full Moon: Lay your cards in the light of the moon for an energetic refresh. Of course, each moon phase will have its own effect. You can use our Moon Phase Ritual Cards to get an idea of what kind of energy each phase will imbue them with.

Protect Your Cards

You may not want to keep your cards in the box they came in. If you don’t, it’s important that they have a special place to live and have some protection.

Here are some options for protecting your oracle and tarot decks:

• Cloth bag: Similar to the spread cloth, the color of the bag you choose matters. Use your intuition and do some research on color meanings to determine the best color bag for your deck.

• Wooden box: This is perfect for a deck you feel is calling out for an earthy vessel. A box will also offer additional protection if you travel with them.

• Wrap them in your spread cloth: Your spread cloth can serve dual purposes and will work well as a protective cover for your cards

• Crystals: Place a crystal on top of your deck, in the bag, or in the box with your cards to offer a layer of energetic protection. You can never go wrong with clear quartz!

Connect with Your Cards

One of the most important things you can do to care for your cards is to connect with them. The more you connect with them the more you’ll know how to take care of them intuitively. Here are two of my favorite techniques for connecting with your tarot and oracle cards.Sleep with them under your pillow or on your nightstand. This tip comes from guest blog post writer Brittney Carmichael. She mentioned in a previous post,

“Sleep with one card under your pillow each night to allow your subconscious mind to create symbols and meanings for the cards. Your tarot cards are like personal love notes from your soul and will help to guide you along your spiritual path of awakening.”

Take time to look at each card. If you’re feeling disconnected from your deck, take a few quiet moments to sit down and look at each card. Similar to sleeping with a card under your pillow, this will give you an opportunity to connect with the symbolism of your cards and become attuned to their energy.

I recently cleansed all my decks and gave some of my favorite decks a special home or crystal. I was surprised by the change when I did this! I immediately felt more in tune with my cards and my readings have felt more on point. I hope you find the same is true for you and your cards!

Making Mercury Retrograde Work for You

If you’ve read anything about Mercury Retrograde you’ve probably also seen the long lists of everything you’re supposed to avoid during these times. Sure, avoiding doing anything that involves communication might be the safest way to deal with this time, but is it truly realistic?

Maybe you’ve seen the memes and have heard friends blaming things on Mercury retrograde, or maybe you’ve got Mercury retrograde times marked on your calendar. Regardless of how familiar you are with this ominous time, I’ve got some tips to help make Mercury going retrograde work for you.

Before I jump into how to make the most of Mercury Retrograde, I want to give you a deeper understanding of what it is. If you’re already familiar with it, jump on down to the bottom of this post for tips on making Mercury retrograde work for you!

What does Mercury Retrograde mean?

Because Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, its orbit is much shorter than Earth’s. Three or four times a year Mercury zips past Earth in its orbit, and this is when the retrograde times happen.

From our Earthly perspective, Mercury appears to slow down, stop, move backward, and then move forward again. This pattern of motion is an illusion from our perspective--Mercury does not really move backward.

Why is it a big deal?

In astrology terms, the movement of the planets affects all of us in some way. As above, so below. Mercury rules all forms of communication. All communication! Think beyond talking to your lover or bestie. I’m talking mail, email, text, writing, reading, listening, cell phones, and any other form of communication you can think of.

When Mercury goes retrograde, it means that its energy is internalized. This means communication has a sort of veil pulled over it. Communication affects everyone and this is why so many people get freaked out about Mercury going retrograde.

5 Tips to Make Mercury Retrograde Work for You

I’m not going to give you a huge list of things to avoid while Mercury is in retrograde. Let’s be honest, trying to evade big decisions, new projects, or scheduling meetings probably isn’t realistic for nearly a month's worth of time.

Instead of avoiding all things related to communication, I invite you to use Mercury Retrograde as a time to check in and focus on being more present in your communication.

Here are 5 tools to help strengthen your communication skills and presence:

Embrace the Power of the Pause

Just because limiting your communication during Mercury retrograde isn’t realistic doesn’t mean you can’t practice other good communication habits. Use these few weeks as a time to practice pausing during communication or before chiming in immediately. You might be surprised at what comes in up those quiet moments. Like any habit, it works best when practiced, and Mercury is giving you your perfect opportunity!

Reflect, Renew, Restore

Remember when I said Mercury’s energy becomes internalized during its retrograde? As above, so below. This is the time to go within, reflect, renew and restore. It’s simply a phase of this planet just like the phases of the moon.Give yourself extra time for quiet reflection during Mercury Retrograde.

Give your thoughts and feelings space and time to surface, and then take care of yourself.

Strengthen Your Throat Chakra

The start of Mercury going retrograde is the perfect time to focus on offering support to your throat chakra. Your throat chakra can help you become a better communicator and is the perfect counterbalance to Mercury's retrograde havoc.

Throat Chakra Tips:

• Carry around or wear some throat chakra supporting crystals like lapis, sodalite, or aquamarine.

• Immerse yourself in scents that will make your throat chakra sing like peppermint or eucalyptus.

• Repeat the bija mantra for the throat chakra “HAM” (pronounced haum) during meditation.

Finish Projects You’ve Already Started

Have some projects you started but haven’t finished or maybe a New Year’s related goal that was started but is still lingering? Here’s where Mercury retrograde can actually come in handy. It’s a great time to finish projects that you’ve already started.

The effects of Mercury retrograde can’t touch projects you’ve already started so it’s prime time to hunker down and tie up loose ends!

Practice the Art of Letting Go

Just because you’re focusing on enhancing your communication skills doesn’t mean that everyone else around you will be! Remember, Mercury Retrograde affects everyone. So, if you find yourself in a communication conundrum with a loved one, use it as an opportunity to practice the art of letting go.

Mercury in retrograde doesn’t have to be something you fear or loathe. Sure, it’s a time that may bring up challenges, but there’s much that can be gained from them. I hope you can now look at this time with a renewed sense of possibilities and enthusiasm!