WELCOME BACK RIDERS OF THE ASTRAL STORM! As I write this I can hear an ambulance siren in the distance getting closer and then moving farther away. An old professor in college told me that ambulance sirens are set at a pitch which allows you to pinpoint where they are and how close they are and warning sirens, like tornado or air raid sirens are designed to blanket an area with the sound. I've definitely found my own alarms going off at certain points, but I haven't always been able to determine whether they are coming or going, how close they are or if they are just issuing a general warning. Do we pull over and make way when our alarms sound or do we run for cover? These are all questions to ask as we approach the upcoming transits (like the Mars and Pluto stations and retrogrades) and aspects (such as Saturn square Jupiter).
NEWS
Just a reminder that if you are going to...not San Francisco, but New York, be sure to wear...whatever you want and stop by the amazing Dimes! A brand new Tarotscopes horoscope is now located on the back of their menu! It will change monthly so consider making a monthly pit stop for food and fortunes.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me for an appointment if you have any burning questions, spiritual, metaphysical or metaphorical knots to untangle.
THANKS TO ALL ALWAYS AND ALL WAYS FOR READING AND SPREADING TAROTSCOPES!!
new moon in the sign of the ram, wham, bam, on the lam, what a sham, for the exam cram, hole in the dam, not your jam, such a ham, malefic terrific, be specific, sail the south pacific, neolithic, mars stations, have patience, take vacations, filled with elation, state of the nation, rubber glove, stars above, blub, blub, blub, all my love,
--MW
Without further ado! The card for the NEW MOON, pulled from Amy von Harrington’s deck
THE CHARIOT
I woke up this morning with the first line and accompanying notes of Bessie Smith’s “Blue Spirit Blues” scratching out in my mind, “Had a dream last night that I was dead. Evil spirits all around my bed.” The song describes a nightmare, but its words and melody are extremely alluring and every time I listen I find myself eagerly marching down to hell as Smith narrates, “the devil came and grabbed my hand.”
The chart for the New Moon in Aries, exact in the wee hours on Thursday morning (PST), is full of what are referred to in astrology as malefics. Simply put, malefic planets are planets with destructive tendencies- Mars, Pluto, Saturn and Uranus are all included in this category. Traditionally they have gotten a bad rap, but like the song, there is something sultry and compelling about the “badness” implied by these planets and this New Moon. The New Moon brushes shoulders with Uranus in Aries and squares Pluto in Capricorn. Somewhere in your natal chart (18 degrees Aries and 17 degrees Capricorn to be exact) you may experience the feeling of being at the end of your rope accompanied by a burning desire to break the rules, skip class, skip town, or just skip- if that qualifies as a rebellion in your present circumstance.
There was a period in my late teens and early twenties when I found myself running away on a somewhat regular basis. At the time I didn’t really see it as running away. Adults would draw a line and say, “You can’t go beyond this point, this is your limit.” But I knew my own limits intimately and I knew that the boundaries being set for me didn’t match up. So I’d casually cross their lines and keep on going until I reached my own perimeter. This is an entirely natural process in my opinion, we all have to find our own edges. Sometimes that involves going past the point of comfort (the comfort of others as well as our own) in order to know where we stand most peacefully within ourselves.
The card I’ve pulled for this New Moon is the Chariot. In the Motherpeace Tarot book the chapter on the Chariot is subtitled- “Winning One’s Own Way.” The Chariot is about accomplishment, but as the card suggests it is more about your path to accomplishment and/or your mode of transportation than it is about the accomplishments themselves. Winning may be the goal, but you will probably spend more time running the race than at the finish line, the Chariot asks us to consider the path. While the goal may be to get to the castle, the most rewarding and memorable part of the journey is probably slaying the dragons who guard it.
This brings me back to the malefics- planets with destructive tendencies. Without them, slaying the dragons impeding you from reaching your goals would be almost impossible. The New Moon in Aries, full of powerful aspects to malefic planets, suggests there may be some obstacles to overcome before the wishes you wish come true. But also embedded in this moon are the strength and tools you need to meet those challenges. You might find the spirit of rebellion stealing over you- a sultry song like, Blue Spirit Blues, calling you to confront your fears. Remember that these assertions, while initially creating some discomfort, may ultimately be part of the path to peace both within yourself and the world at large.
