ARIES
I’ve been trying to ground myself lately by reminding myself of simple facts like, “I live in Los Angeles,” or “I’m sitting at the table,” or “The cup is empty of coffee, but the bottle is full of water.” These are actually just thoughts, nothing in my immediate environment has changed by my acknowledgement. But my relationship to these things shifts when I do this because I’m reminded of my physicality and my own power to move the objects on my table.
Aries, this week it may be important to ground yourself in tangible fact. What or who is with you at your table right now? Take the time to acknowledge all that you have accomplished and all that you are capable of.
(4 of Swords/ Eye Know- De La Soul)
TAURUS
A while ago, I was talking with a dear Taurus friend about relationships, “My love don’t come with a leash. You have to want to be here,” I said in the passion of an argument I was making. “I don’t even keep my dog on a leash, most of the time.” I didn’t always hold this opinion. In my early twenties I’d chase anything that looked like love up a tree. I’d go to great lengths and make huge sacrifices for my friendships as well. I’d give up my ground completely if I thought it would keep the love light glowing.
Taurus this week you may experience some difficulty in a close relationship. Perhaps you are just feeling disconnected from the world around you in general. You probably already know this, but I will remind you anyway: you don’t have to do anything to keep love alive except love. You are full of love, your love needs no leash and people want to be where you are.
(VI Lovers Rev/ It’s Good To Be Here- Digable Planets)
GEMINI
Despite their cultural midwestern politeness, both of my parents have been known to cut a room with a comment. My dad tends to voice what everyone is thinking, but afraid to say. And my mom tends to say exactly what she is thinking, which, for better or worse, no one else has probably considered before. These tendencies may be even more pronounced because it is so unexpected coming from two smiling midwesterners.
Gemini, this week you may find yourself voicing your opinion quite openly. Because you are not afraid to express yourself authentically, you provide an opportunity to both shock and delight everyone with your insights.
(Priestess of Swords R/ Paris and Rome- Cranes)
CANCER
The other day I was thinking about zooming in and zooming out. My brother and I were arguing over how much control a person has over their own life. My brother was holding down the, “Shit happens that you can’t control and you have to deal with,” end of the argument. To counter, I brought up zooming in and zooming out. If something unpleasant happens in the course of your day it is possible to pinpoint the minutes that the unpleasant situation actually occupied. On either side of those minutes may have been other minutes of pleasant feelings, the sun, a good song on the radio, running into an old friend, etc. If you isolate those minutes it becomes easier to see that good minutes are not necessarily in short supply, but difficult minutes tend to take up more space in our memory. “When you zoom out, when you look at your life as a whole, there is a tendency to summarize all those minutes, to say “it was an exciting life” or “it was a challenging life, but it was rewarding.” And the summary I think we have more control over,” I suggested.
Cancer, this week, it may be important to back up and think about how you want to summarize the collective moments of your life. Consider zooming in on the minutes to see how they stack up. Make room for happiness to occupy more of the minutes of your life.
(XIX Sun Rev/ Big Time Sensuality- Bjork )
LEO
My neighbor recently told me about this app that allows you to see on instagram who you follow who doesn’t follow you back. I was horrified, “That’s completely unfair! What about people like me who are bad at or sloppy with technology?” She agreed that it was problematic and that she ended up deleting the app after she found out that her girlfriend (who is very supportive of her) wasn’t following the instagram for the party she throws.
Leo, don’t take this personally, but your sign is known for your tendency to take things rather personally. But the truth is you probably don’t have much to worry about because most people like you for the other traits you are known for: exuberance, love, fun, playfulness etc. This week it would be a good idea to avoid any app that supplies you with data you could potentially misinterpret. At the Eclipse everyone will be even more inclined to throw their bad mood or discomfort to the person nearest them and it would be a good idea not to indulge this behavior by taking it personally. Just put it on the pyre with the rest of your insecurities and self doubt.
(6 of Swords/ Keep On Movin’- Soul II Soul)
VIRGO
Recently, I was talking to a friend about anxiety and I said, “Everyday there are things you can control and things you can’t control. I spend a lot of time trying to figure out which one is which. Anxiety seems to happen after you’ve been taking action on the things you can control and then run into something you can’t.”
This is perhaps an over simplification, but it is worth an experiment. When do you experience anxiety, Virgo? You may have been swinging back and forth, lately, between the things you can control and the things you can’t. This week you seem to find a point of surrender. Perhaps you are seeing more clearly that you’ve done all you can do and you’ve acknowledged what you can’t.
(XII Hanged One/ Rhymes of An Hour- Mazzy Star)
LIBRA
An old friend of mine has a story about a time she was jogging and as she passed a biker he put up his hand. Energized by the exercise and thinking he was offering a high five she slapped his hand. He lost his balance and almost fell off the bike. Turns out he was signaling a turn. “I thought he was trying to say, ‘Yeah! We’re exercising! High five!’” She explained. I completely understand this feeling. Exercise gets your endorphins going, but it also seems to do something else that is more difficult to explain. The other day I was running and I kept passing all these people in these sort of vulnerable moments, like a tiny girl who was just learning to walk and some dogs who had gotten out of their gate. I realized that I, the observer of these moments, was also vulnerable. A deep sense of connection washed over me and I had an urge to high five the next person I saw, to say, “Yeah! We’re vulnerable and brave! High five!”
Libra, yours is the sign associated with balance and harmony and sometimes you may feel like it is your job to bring peace to an unstable situation (or maybe that actually is your job). This week however, you are likely to find a place of peace without trying, simply by seeing your connection with other humans (or animals) and feeling your place in the “family of things” (to quote Mary Oliver).
(10 of Wands Rev/ Spontaneity- Bahamadia)
SCORPIO
The other day I was trying to cheer up a disillusioned friend. “People always disappoint you,” she said. “That’s probably true,” I replied. “Because people are only human.” This is similar to something my grandfather, a Cancer, used to say. He rarely said anything negative about anyone, instead he would shrug and say, “People are funnier than anybody.” To my friend I said, “People might sometimes disappoint you, but love doesn’t have to.”
Scorpio, this week you seem to be moving on from disappointment. Perhaps you didn’t get something you wanted, but it may now come to you in another form and it is all love.
(5 of Cups Rev/ I Could Fall In Love- Solange (Selena cover)
SAGITTARIUS
In my tarot book the title of the chapter on the Chariot is entitled, “Winning One’s Own Way.” Growing up, my friends all had some sort of ribbon, or medal or trophy on display in their rooms. I had one, but it wasn’t actually an award, it was a bookmark that looked like a blue-ribbon. I did receive a deep sense of satisfaction from finishing a book, so it seemed an appropriate place holder even if these accomplishments weren’t recognized by anyone other than myself.
Sagittarius, this week you may win at something, but likely your own way. Even if you are rewarded with a ribbon, medal or trophy, the object itself will likely be less satisfying than the endurance you mustered or all the obstacles over which you triumphed to get to this point.
(VII Chariot/ You Can Make It If You Try- Sly and the Family Stone)
CAPRICORN
When my brother’s best friend’s little brother was in middle school he started a small business selling day old donuts at lunch. I can’t remember how much he made every day, but I remember thinking it was an ungodly amount of money compared to my meager allowance. “That’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that!” I lamented. My brother suggested I start a similar scam at the rival middle school I attended, but at the time I was the target of some bullying and I didn’t want to draw any more attention to myself.
Capricorn this week you may start to see the pay off from a new job or business venture. The future may still feel somewhat uncertain, but this could be the beginning of a much brighter economic future. And it will feel even brighter because the money is likely made from your own merits or wiles.
(9 of Discs L/ It Ain’t What You Do (It’s The Way That You Do It)- Fun Boy Three and Bananarama)
AQUARIUS
My first day in an American high school after moving back to Iowa from Brazil I reported back to my parents that I’d “seen the inside of hell.” Most of what I found unbearable had to do with the imposed structure, the system of bells and the anxiety of potentially arriving to class late because of the literal traffic jams in the hallways. At my school in Brazil there was a bell but it didn’t mean much because we had almost ten minutes to get to our next class and each class was over two hours long so by the time the bell rang, class was already winding down so it didn’t feel as disruptive. This isn’t how the school was set up when I arrived, but the students complained and the school actually listened.
Aquarius, this week you might find yourself butting heads with a structure or institution. Try not to allow the institution to change your voice, or stifle your creativity. Consider that when you stand your ground you have the opportunity instead to change the structure in a way that is more accommodating and enjoyable for everyone involved.
(IV Emperor/ Cactus Tree- Joni Mitchell)
PISCES
Sometimes when I’m working on Tarotscopes I get incredibly impatient with my “creative process.” I find my mind jumping around from different angles. Sometimes I try to coach the thoughts out, “Come on! You can do this! Just one more and then hit the shower!” and other times my approach is more of a parent/ child relationship, “You can have a snack after you finish writing Taurus.” All this really does is help alleviate some of my anxiety around the process, but the ideas usually come in their own time.
Taurus, this week you may find yourself trying to speed up a process which runs on its own time. You can still try to coax the result you want in the time you want it because this may help alleviate your anxiety, but it may not actually change when or what results.
(7 of Discs Rev/ Tokyo Drifter- Hajime Kaburagi)