monthly muses

Monthly Muses by Flavia – November 2019

by  on  in anthropology of the tarot, monthly muses, november 2019, scorpio, silver witchcraft tarot

Rejoice for November! Well, sort of. Not exactly. But at least the Tower is behind us now, and so are all the fast moving upheavals of October. We have entered Scorpio season and all the big planets are charging ahead. Here we have three minor arcana cards to ease us through this transformative season. It wasn’t all bad. There was adventure, achievements, dreaming and passions. The self exploded in creativity. The turbulent emotions of September and October’s manifestations have given way to the weariness of battle. There is a sense of exhaustion. The summertime has wrapped up and we are within the depths of autumn holding onto the energy of change. The most contradictory set of expressions are emerging.

In the 5 of Swords we too are moving away to somewhere else. We are collecting what has been left behind, and only the basics that we can walk away with. Because while we are still looking back, whatever it was that was going on, has come to an end. So November is the beginning of a different state of being. We are certainly not thrilled but we have survived. Perhaps there was deception and perhaps there was just too much going on to cope with. And perhaps there was loss. A scattered energy that involved others has thrown us off course. This is the day after the day before.

The 4 of Pentacles certainly is an indication that we are left trying to hold on to something material to make up for either loss and sadness from the past, or a fearful projection of the future. There is stillness. Around us there is abundance but we are not interested. Looks like we have limited our identity to a material possession. We are holding on tight to representations of wealth while we are frozen in activity or motivation. And perhaps this is the time to be practical in our approach to remove stagnation or negativity that results in us becoming immobile and entrenched.

The 8 of pentacles shows us the way out. If we are tired from the fight and have become stuck in a situation that goes nowhere, we can fall back on our skills and talents. We can immerse ourselves in study, work, creativity. Away from the madding crowd we can find our truth. With repetition and care for detailed work we can transcend. This is about mastery in everyday life. The lesson is clear.

With Mercury going retrograde in Scorpio for three weeks the focus is about knowing ourselves and being clever with our hands, going over things and perfecting, slowly moving and repeating tasks. Whatever we engage with and put our energy into is for the long term. So act wisely, be methodical, humble, filter out the noise, you’ve got everything you need to excel.

This month will end very differently to how it’s starting! It will be transformative and our mastery will be impactful! There is light in the dark. We are enlightened. And the light spreads for others out in the world as we become one with nature!

Flavia

Monthly Muses by Flavia – October 2019

by  on  in anthropology of the tarot, monthly muses, silver witchcraft tarot, tarot

The appearance of the Moon still refers to events that happened during the cosmic shake up in September. October continues to deliver dreams and imagination that have been so potent during the Pisces full moon of last month.

So the Moon which – lets not forget – moves quickly, governs events and our deepest need, is a strong indicator of mysterious happenings. Changing circumstances, seeing things under cover with all of our senses alerted, and an enhanced perception beyond the visual, are indicated with this card and its’ representation of the new moon in Libra.

It is also a caution, maybe not of mistrust, but of awareness. It is telling us not to take events, people and actions at face value. There will be misleading factors coming from our environment and from within. Things we’d like to believe, illusions and stories made up in our heads, people we idolize. Measured escapism can be inspiring, daydreaming is healing, and connecting with transcended beings is enriching. But a balance must be struck nonetheless, or we will fly away with ourselves. And we may be lost in others too.

A revelation or an insight will shake us and this could be something mental or spiritual that will bring a total collapse. What seemed solid, embedded, rooted, and secure, will be now be shaken by something akin to a lightning bolt from the universe. What is light and mobile will fly away. Something new is waiting to take its’ place. But it’s not clear what as yet. Change is inescapable. Illusions or false beliefs will not help. Truth will be destructive. A period of chaos, or a sense of chaos, is forewarned. This month is starting to look like a make or break time. What starts off as fear, anxiety or delusion, develops to an actual break-up.

The cards contain their own advice to see us through disturbing circumstances and that is to trust our inner self. Trust your intuition. Your eyes might deceive you but your core values will not let you down. But we need to go through it to come out of it. And that’s a big lesson. Ultimately, there will be a promise of opportunity. There will be growth and a potential to find ourselves in a much better place than where we were before.

The Ace of Wands is a card of achievement and passion. New projects will replace old structures. Creative energy will replace passive illusion. Belief in the cosmic plan and action to follow through our dreams will lead to triumph. But a lot of work is waiting ahead of us to materialize any of it. It’s looking to be a surprisingly intricate and eventful month full of initiations, passions and disruptions. Most of all be present, and make the best of it.

Flavia

Monthly Muses by Flavia – September 2019

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We are in September and the sign of Virgo. On the 30th of August we already had the Moon, the Sun, Mars, Venus and Mercury all congregating in Virgo. That’s a lot of energy powering the Virgo domain. A bit of nostalgia and melancholia for the summer is unavoidably in the cards. We will overcome it as we absorb it in our daily lives by being pragmatic and industrious.

This is not the traditional and superbly iconic 3 of Swords we are used to seeing. Instead of the pierced heart we are familiar with, we have a sword logged deep into the earth. But the inescapable message of the month is cutting, nonetheless. This is the month of Virgo, associated with cleansing, and so cutting off from everything and anything damaging dominates every mood, every action. And this would be the story of this month in a nutshell. In fact, we have two sword cards to deal with in September.

In a landscape seemingly of ice, of water falling from above, and flowers crowning this image, a sword is cutting through all of it. It is embedded deeply. But is it logged securely? The earth looks more like ice. A person is kneeling as if in prayer and reception. A shower of clean fresh water looks like it’s falling from the sky and through a spray of unnaturally large flowers. It’s not clear in the image where the ground starts and where the sky begins, or vice versa. It’s a card of blessings. The hardness of the ice has been broken. Stumbling blocks have been removed to reveal further blessings in the form of abundant water from above and from below. Hard work is paying off. Tranquillity permeates. But there is transformation. All elements are drawn in. The birds and the trees, the flowers and the fruits of the earth, under a clear sky on a clement day.

As the card sits right next to the 7 of Cups, an unmistakable sign of dreams and wishes, gifts and objects of desire, this signifies that all these things are possible and within our reach. They can be multifaceted and complex. And they are right there in front of us ready for the taking once we let go and break free. But from what?

This can sometimes be the hardest lesson to learn and the toughest situation to be in. What needs to let go and when we have to reach out to pick up what we really want. Not what we are conditioned to think we want. Or what others want from us. Or even what we mistakenly think they want. Be mindful of your options! A lot of interpretations suggest a freeze and lack of initiative with the appearance of this card, hesitant commitment or immobile action. But standing between the two swords cards, this is very unlikely. How can it possibly be the case, as Swords are denoting moments in flux and constant change. It is likely, however, for some people this is cerebral, rather than physical moment of movement, endings and change. A moment of thinking, analysing, contextualising. Choose wisely, as they say, because you might get what you wished for. While obstacles are removed and possibilities open up, the main thing is go according to our higher purpose. The values we hold are being tested.

The 3 of Swords reminds us to cut bonds with what doesn’t serve us in order to welcome what our hearts really need. On the face of it, it might even seem unrealistic, just like these flowers and the foreground. The lay-out of the spread tells us we might not even have a choice. Events like the wind are carrying us forward.

Finally the 7 of Swords, more air element, make that point loud and clear. Cut through the deception and fake promises. There’s going to be a lot of that as well. So prepare yourself. Follow your heart. Organise yourself. Get rid of unpleasantness. Throw the rubbish away. Don’t allow yourself to be taken in by falsity and don’t let yourself be sneaky either. It won’t help. It’s not to your advantage. Right now we are all collecting what we saw from the whole year and sorting through. Stay clean body and mind. Be good to yourself and to others. Prepare for change.

Flavia

Monthly Muses by Flavia – August 2019

by  on  in anthropology of the tarot, flavia, monthly muses, mythology, rider waite, tarot

The aftershocks of July with its retrogrades and eclipses still reverberate as we enter August. We are still feeling the retrogrades creating confusion, and the eclipses sending dramatic messages uprooting us and tearing up old structures. Anything unforeseen is possible. So the month finds us suspended and motionless but in a halo of wisdom, not taking anything for granted, but instead seeing the world from another perspective. We maybe having had to deal with a sudden turn of events, and holding space for us and others. Mercury’s shadow period will last for a couple of weeks into the month and the eclipses could be sending a second wave of messages, urging us to follow new paths and finally conclude with situations that no longer serve us. While this is going on we can only surrender serenely to events using our restrictive circumstances, or necessary pause, to gain a new point of view and drill down to the absolute fundamentals of life. Reflect and meditate on what matters to us. What are the thing we most value? Change is inevitable and this voluntary, or involuntary, suspension will help our decision making when things pick up and energetically start moving again.

But before that happens we are reminded by the Devil that we still have some work to do. And it’s work that goes inside us. It’s personal, it’s about us facing our demons, our self imposed limitations, our fears and nightmares, anything that might be an addiction. An addiction which can be substances, inter-dependency to others, negative self-talk or simply bad habits. Anything and everything poisoning our existence that we fear is larger than us becomes pronounced. This darkness in the background that naggingly won’t allow us to enjoy a fulfilling and joyful life with others and in ourselves has to be dealt with now. The Devil card reminds us that if we want to move on and out we need to face up to it – whatever it might be. We can not hide, and it won’t be to our benefit anyway. Now is the right time to face darkness and resolve personal challenges. We have to go through to go out. So that the month promises to be very active with people and things, and in a way that would benefit us and those around us. There are going to be some tough moments in August only because we absolutely need to finish off projects, personal or professional, and move on. Once this is done, there’s no turning back.

Ultimately, this will give us the World. The World which contains all the elements – fire, earth, air and water as represented by the images depicted in the four corners of a lion, an ox, an eagle and an angel – our own contribution as we create our path in life. We are not passive in the happening of the World rather we rise and participate in creating it. The Universe is with us and Luck is on our side. Work is paying off. The time has come to celebrate our accomplishments. The end of August culminates with another new moon that will find us in a totally different place to that of when we started the month. We are now encircled in garlands of success and flying up in the air with emotion and joy.

All three cards this month are heralding change in its different forms, and demanding that we pay attention in specific areas of life. First, accepting and observing, taking our time and not reacting to events. Subsequently, dealing with honesty and integrity any negative influences or obstacles that bound us to an unhealthy situation. And finally, change is coming by reaching our goal. We have achieved what we set out to do. And quite deservedly we are ecstatic about it.

To sum up: The Hanged Man teaches us about the metamorphosis which is under way and the Devil what we have to do in order to achieve our highest purpose. There is vitality and evolution with great rewards. The recurring theme of August is bondage and liberation. Breaking old patterns too. We are all evolving.

Flavia

Monthly Muses by Flavia – July 2019

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Much anticipated July is upon us. With fear and some weariness, we are told to expect nothing less than life transformative events. Astrologers, lightworkers, intuitives and everyone striving to uplift life’s frequencies is aware of the two new moons and the two eclipses that fall in July. A full solar eclipse at the new moon on the 2 July, falls in Cancer, and it’s visible mostly in south America, especially Chile. It heralds openings and opportunities. It’s a bringer of news, events, people, situations and opening of newness with enhanced energy. A partial lunar eclipse follows on the 16 July, falls in Capricorn, and it’s visible in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. This is when things fall apart, get released, crumble, deteriorate, get expunged, go away for ever. It’s an emotional time for everyone.

But there is more: Pluto, God of power and poison, ruler of Scorpio, is waiting for us in Capricorn where the lunar eclipse action takes place. Expect this eclipse to have very strong Scorpionic vibes of merging and releasing. Pluto is stationed nearby Saturn, God of time and boundaries, and together they bring a very heavy structural energy that is consuming and overpowering. Moreover, they are retrograde. Jupiter in Sagittarius is retrograde. And so is Neptune in Pisces. These are big slow planets. Their impact is inescapable and profound. But fast moving Mercury is retrograde too, meeting Mars back and forth in his travels and taking his message with him, broadcasting it loud and clear. With Venus staying at home in Cancer, the energy feels further reactive.

So what does it all mean? This is the cosmic picture. But I think the cards will bring a bit of clarity in the visual realm: as depicted with the Nine of Wands, we find ourselves at the end of a battle. Indeed we are more than half way through the year. Things have concluded. It’s not all over yet but nearly. We are upright. We haven’t fallen, but the trauma of events, conflicts and challenges we had to overcome is visible. It’s not an open wound. It’s a carefully bundled trauma. We are looking around us, taking stock, and also looking to the past. The deep past and the immediate past is still fresh in our minds. It looms big. The wounds haven’t healed yet. Some are quite sweet, the pain reminding us of achievement in battle. The exhaustion is palpable. We still are not sure, however, what will come after the battle.

No worries. Here comes the Ace of Swords to tell us: go for it. You can do it. Opportunities and options are there for the taking. A noble cause will inspire and fortify your resolve almost immediately. From now on expect the pace to pick up. Once the debris has cleared out and the poisons have left us, there’s no looking back. Things will happen fast and unexpectedly. Anger and action that comes from the heart will dominate. Feelings, our sense of initiative, ideas, thoughts, concepts, our ability to deal with challenges comes to the forefront. Cosmic forces are within and without.

And finally, we are not going to be let down. The King of Swords brings in some objectivity to the whole situation. Not only that, but the card tells us that we have achieved mastery in at least one area of life. Where the battle was, where we fought and gave it all, that’s the area where we became masters. It’s a card denoting an intellectual significance to a situation, justice and knowledge. We are now confident that we have gained those hard fought gifts and our lives are imminently much richer and healthier, away from negativity, poisons and restrictions. Despite those outward heavy structures, ultimately all victory will have to come from us. And not only we will survive, but we will find ourselves in a much better place than we were before. The King of Swords is not just full of confidence and authority but he has mastered decision-making as well. By the end of July we should have taken important decisions to act upon.

Flavia

Monthly Muses by Flavia – June 2019

by  on  in anthropology of the tarot, flavia, il mantegna, June 2019, monthly muses, new moon

It is June and summer has officially started. It’s also Gemini season when we naturally become more curious, adventurous and sociable. The new moon in Gemini is a calling to favour a breadth of activities rather than depth in what we do. And it will be busy. Venus enters Gemini on the 8th of June, strengthening the vibe of flirtation, living in the moment and finding beauty in experiences and mental stimulation. All this is taking place right in the middle of the year. It is a time for taking stock and recalibrating our intentions, examining our situation and progress. We look at our achievements in the year so far, what was a triumph, and what has let us down or veered in the wrong direction, now we can set it straight or add to previous glories.

Thinking about it from that perspective, the cards that turned up look rather ominous. Messages of bad news or difficult forebodings, even notions of misfortune. But let’s take them in Gemini style. Not one at a time, but all together simultaneously. Lets try and listen to their meaning as they all talk to us at once. What do they tell us? Perhaps they tell us: we are at the beginning of everything. In some sense or another agency is with us.

We can make a course correction as we assess where we stand in relation to people and circumstances. Even at the lowest point emotionally or physically – the number one – is that we can keep our dignity and self respect, our pride and self acceptance with humility. We might be experiencing a level of anxiety or just exhaustion from a long and demanding winter. We could be feeling a heavy energy not because we are in a bad place – indeed the opposite is just as likely – but because to get where we are, took a lot out of us.

We are still carrying a heavy load we can’t let go of, and we need support. How we feel and see the world is important. The challenges we face tell us there’s a lot that has to be resolved. In order to do this, we are going to be kind to ourselves. If we need help, we should ask for it, and it’s there for us. If others need our help, we should not hesitate. A reminder that helping others is part of our own well-being, strength and dignity. Charity starts at home and it is personal as the Sun moves through the lower part of the chart, regardless where it stands on the individual one. Love, forgiveness, generosity and everything associated with Charity will guide us in moving forward.

The Misero is moving slowly. His message is to take it easy, and keep going, bring determination and acceptance into the forefront. It’s not time yet to materialise the possibilities. But they are ahead of us. What seems rough on the outside is only the beginning, not the end. We are back at the beginning of everything every single day. And there is the other side to get to. We are not there yet. Let’s not rush the journey.

Flavia