Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.
~ Miles Davis (Sun and Ascendant in Gemini)

Today, the Sun enters Gemini, sign of the Twins.

Generally, people born under this sign are Jacks-of-all-trades. They’re data collectors and trivia  experts who keep an amazing amount of information about the strangest things in their brains. They are wonderful with words and scary-smart! They are true eclectics, following the creed that says, “The eclectic only steals from the very best.”

Geminis generally go with the flow and are very flexible with whatever is happening around them. However, this adaptability and their innate curiosity about, well, everything, can make it sometimes challenging for them to stay focused and see things through to completion.

Easily jumping from one subject to another, Geminis can forget that others are not so nimble. They often have to be reminded to slow down and let others catch up with what they’re talking about. They also have to be reminded to stop talking once in a while and listen.

You will probably notice that your Gemini friends are the networkers in your communities. But Gemini needs to watch out for a tendency to be gossipy and in everybody’s business. Their intentions are rarely malicious, though, and their ebullient personalities will eventually charm everyone’s forgiveness.

Telepathy comes naturally to a Gemini. They love to blog, Tweet, write, and communicate their magical experiences, and they are born poets. They’re also the ones who are constantly on their smart phone and checking in on email.

They simply love to be connected, and are usually technology whiz kids. You can almost bet that the friend of yours who is always the first one to snap up the cutting edge communications gadgets and toys is a Gemini.

For all of us, when the Sun is in Gemini
(May 20-June 21)

This is a great time to get out, travel, learn new things, exercise your curiosity, and re-connect with friends for some long, juicy catching up. Face-to-face is preferred to online chatting, although as I mentioned, Gemini’s influence loves technology. So if you must Skype or use your FaceTime, go ahead.

Speaking of which, this could be a great time to upgrade your communications tools and other tech gear. Spruce up your website, and expect the pace to pick up, as you learn the importance of graceful multi-tasking.

Influenced by Mercury, who rules Gemini, the next thirty days are especially favorable for learning and studies of all kinds. This is one contributing reason why, for many centuries, Spring final exams have been held in late May and early June in Western countries. This time favors communications, and all enterprises that are opportunistic and flexible in nature.

Remember that Gemini is super-sociable, so throw a little shindig and gather with friends. Plus, Gemini is the sign of the Twins, so the emphasis can also be on family, especially siblings.

Expand your skills, meet new people, and have stimulating conversations. Inspiring ideas and fresh perspectives are abundant; enjoy the adventure of exploring!

Do you have a friend or loved one with a Gemini Birthday (between May 20 and June 21)? Or maybe you are a Divine Twin who is hoping to make this upcoming birthday the beginning of your best year yet!

Why not join my Birthday Club? Treat yourself (or your Gemini friend) to a full year of discovery, fun, and affirmations (perfect for Gemini, who loves new ideas and thought-provoking epiphanies!).

All the details are here!

Barn’s burnt down –
now
I can see the moon.
~ Mizuta Masahide (1657–1723)

After last week’s card that some have characterized as the “dark night of the soul,” this week we are given its ultimate antidote, the gift of grace and navigation in deepest dark.

In what could be one of the most astrological intense weeks of 2013, The Star makes only its third ever visit in all these years of my weekly card.

If we view the Major Arcana of the Tarot as a journey that begins with The Fool, The Star comes after the shattering challenges of the night cards like Death, the Devil, and its most dramatic, immediate predecessor, the Tower.

The Star is the peace that follows the storm.  It points to a time of healing, renewal, and finding the authentic truth of our experiences.

After the dust of change and undoing finally settles, we learn to be at peace, even in the deepest dark.

Like Temperance in the Tarot, this figure pours out her cups, one foot on land, one foot upon (but not penetrating) the water.

Both cards follow a crisis, but The Star is relaxed, bowing to the Earth, unashamedly naked. Unlike Temperance, this is no winged Otherworldly being. She is a completely human form, freely pouring her water, knowing her chalices are eternally filled, and can never be emptied.

The woman in The Star is surrounded by eight-pointed stars, which are often associated with the Goddess, Venus, and may also perhaps be a visual reference to the Strength card.

In the background is a bird, the ibis. The ibis is a symbol of the Egyptian God Thoth, who gave humanity art, science, knowledge, and magic. This card, then, is about the creative inspiration that may come after the difficult journeys we must endure.

With this card, the question arises: by what Star do you steer your life course? What, for you, is True North — where your moral and creative compass always points?

How do you find your way in the darkest times?

This week, we are experiencing some very dramatic astrology: the Sun moves into the sign of Gemini, and Friday’s Full Moon in the sign of Sagittarius is accompanied by the third of this Spring’s eclipses – triggering important endings and a profound sense of closure (and the Runes agree!).

But equally dramatic is that Monday, we pass through the third of the squares between the radical rebel planet Uranus and Pluto, planet of death and transformation. This is the 3rd of 7 in a 3-year series of revolutionary showdowns that have global implications and which some have called the biggest astrological event in several generations.

Although these crisis points are poised to trigger extreme change, after the barn is burned down, the Star guides us home.

This card is your invitation to return to the quiet place in which you remember your truth. What solace can guide you, most especially when other support has been lost? Where does Hope spring eternal for you? It is often in the darkest night that our Star shines most brightly.

During the intense days ahead, quiet down. Listen. Take time to be in Nature, and to listen to your own soul’s counsel.

This is not a card of taking action; now is not the time for pushing, pretense, or soldiering through. Instead, with gentleness and courage, know your help and healing come when you unveil without shame your own authentic nature.

Open all your ways of hearing to the deepest, truest messages of the Mystery. Take as much time as you need for recovering from whatever difficulties may have recently tested you.

Times like these are helping us release what no longer will serve. We have divine help available if we will only admit our humanity, and receive in grace.

Be at peace. Open your heart to the wisdom and healing within you, and all around you.

Then you will see you are the very shining Star you have most needed, to find your way home.

Today, I am honored to share a guest blog post from my brilliant Tarot colleague, Bri Saussy, of Milagro Roots. 

For the past several days, a group of professional readers that Bri and I hang out with has been discussing the controversy around celebrity psychic Sylvia Browne’s statements regarding Cleveland kidnap victim Amanda Berry. 

No doubt about it — for years, Browne has reflected very poorly on our profession as readers and intuitives. But this latest episode has had particularly grievous consequences. As practitioners of the esoteric arts, we are all pretty upset about the emotional damage she has done to the families concerned.

Basically what happened was that in November 2004, on the nationally syndicated Montel Williams television show, Ms. Browne flatly told Amanda Berry’s distraught mother that her daughter was definitely dead. Even sent a “psychic message” of goodbye from the other side.

Amanda’s mother died a year later, after a rapid decline that family and friends have characterized as a broken heart. 

Bri wrote this article particularly addressing a post in Jason Pitzl-Waters’ The Wild Hunt that examines how unsavory events like this impact Pagans and all of us who seek to serve the public with our intuitive gifts.

For as one writer at The Huffington Post notes, “Celebrity psychic Sylvia Browne is doing damage control over a prediction made nearly 10 years ago claiming Ohio kidnapping victim Amanda Berry was dead, but her actions may represent a watershed moment in how Americans view psychics.”

Let’s hope not; his assessment is grim indeed. 

Thank you, Bri, for a thoughtful, insightful article, and for yourself providing the public with the high caliber of professionalism that reflects well for all of us that offer such services. 

And thanks again for giving me your blessing to share your words here.
~ Beth

Sylvia’s Mistake and what it means for Professional Intuitives

By now everyone knows about the three women who had been abducted and found in Ohio — and many of my friends and colleagues also know about the Sylvia Browne scandal that was brought up in the wake of discovering that one of the women, whom Browne had quite publicly announced was dead, was actually quite alive.

For those who don’t know about the story, Jason Pitzl-Walters of the Wild Hunt wrote about it here.

Jason ended his excellent article with the following questions:

“I have no doubt that most Pagans engaging in psychic work are sincere, which calls me to ask how responsible they feel they are regarding life-or-death predictions, and what recourse do they engage in should a prediction turn tragic? Rather than become defensive, and work to distance ourselves from the hucksterisms of Browne, I think this is a call to introspection. How do we prevent ourselves from becoming the things that Browne now embodies to an outraged public?”

I think this is an excellent question and after perusing the comments tied to the article I felt that it deserved a full response from someone who works as both a professional intuitive and ritualist, and who advocates for the building of sustainable and profitable businesses in the field of Sacred Arts.

WARNING: This is a long article y’all. If you are familiar with the Wild Hunt piece and the comments that accompanied it, then the first two sections will be of interest, otherwise scroll down to the final section titled, The Sylvia Situation. (I won’t judge, I read the end of novels first all the time).

Why should Pagans be concerned about Sylvia?

The first issue that needs to be addressed is relevancy. Why should Pagans be concerned about Sylvia Browne’s “mistake?” The fact of the matter is that in the general public’s opinion working as a tarot reader, practicing any divinatory art, or billing oneself as a “psychic” often equates to being Pagan. This stems from a lack of understanding of both the intuitive arts as well as Paganism but the association is present and it’s strong.

In addition, while it’s true that not all intuitive professionals are Pagan and not all Pagans practice an intuitive art (like cartomancy, tasseomancy, palmistry, scrying, etc.), it is true that many Pagans do have an interest in developing these skills for both personal and religious reasons.

The third reason I believe Pagans should be concerned about this issue is that both intuitive professionals and modern day Pagans share a similar position in society–we are often misrepresented, misunderstood, mocked, marginalized and have to be especially assiduous in asserting and protecting our civil rights.

Because the two groups are closely related in popular imagination, because there are many people who do belong to both groups, and because we experience many of the same social and political challenges, it’s vital that we take an interest in each others’ welfare–especially if we do not want characters like Sylvia Browne to write our stories for us and the general public.

The Business of Intuitive Professionals and Sacred Artists

Another thread of comments attached to the article that I found very disturbing were those voicing the opinion that anyone who asks for money in return for using their intuitive gifts is a de facto charlatan. This is something that I know some of my Pagan brothers and sisters have had to deal with as well, when wanting to be paid for ritual services for instance–I label it the “Spiritual Gifts Should be Free Syndrome.”

The idea that all tarot readers are con artists out to make a quick buck belies a lineage of predictive readings and oracle casting that goes back to the beginnings of human culture. Traditionally those who possessed the art of seeing were paid–perhaps not in money, but food, gifts, and even offerings were made in return for their predictive powers.

It is true that in the world of “magic for hire” there are many scams and unethical people taking advantage of ill formed superstitions and clients who are often desperate, afraid, and have nowhere else to turn.

But it’s equally true that there are many top of the line professional intuitives who have assisted people in getting out of abusive relationships, finding gainful employment, asking for (and receiving) raises, starting new romantic relationships, having happy and peaceful marriages, and fostering better relationships with children and step children (just to name a few of the situations that I often read for).

These people do their work because they feel Spirit-called, because they have actual talent, and because they want to be of service. They often work in places that are hostile to intuitive arts of all kinds and take on potential danger to themselves and their families (not to say anything of the day to day shame many feel when asked “what they do for a living?”).

Nevertheless they do the work because they are committed, they care, and as Jason said, they are sincere.

Deciding that someone is a scam artist because they ask to be paid for a skill they are employing to your benefit is both foolish and unkind and it reveals a massive double standard that we have in the general population when it comes to those working in the Sacred Arts.

Doctors are not right 100% of the time and often the medications they prescribe can cause terrible side effects that patients were not sufficiently warned about–and in many situations patients are misdiagnosed completely–yet a doctor still must be paid.

The positive effect that a therapist exerts over a situation may or may not be obvious–yet we pay for the time we spend with them regardless of results. A lawyer cannot ever guarantee to win your legal case–yet they too have fees that must be paid, win or lose.  An investment banker requires you to entrust them with a large sum of money on the promise that they may be able to make that money increase for you–they are paid with both the initial investment and often with concurrent fees.

In all four cases the general public does not question the professional’s right to earn a living by their skill.

Why is it then that in the case of an intuitive professional asking to be paid for our services we are seen as suspect at best and charlatans at worst? Is it because the work we engage in is too “fringe,” resistant to measurement, or subjective?

What then of the artist who paints or a the writer who tells stories? Their work is much harder to measure, some indeed might think it strange, and art of course is quite subjective-but most of us would agree that the artist or the author also have a right to earn a living from their work.

I believe that we should be supporting those working in the Sacred Arts field with everything we’ve got.

I champion the rights of my friends and colleagues to charge for their work and to earn a damn good living from it.  I believe that their services are of value and make my community, my town, my state and my country better. I also champion an increased level of professionalism within the Sacred Arts communities–and that includes a critique of why Sylvia Browne’s approach to this work is problematic.

The Sylvia Situation:

I don’t know Sylvia Browne, although I have my personal opinions.  I cannot say what motivates her publicly or privately. Unlike others, I don’t necessarily take issue with her (or any intuitive professional) desiring favorable publicity for their work.

One of the reasons why our field has been rife with scams and cons is because it has remained in the shadows and when it is mentioned in a broader context it is usually couched in sensationalism or criticism.

A lack of transparency can breed corruption and part of being transparent is being publicly seen and available. I think that intuitive professionals who seek to make their work better known and understood by the general public have the potential to do the field as a whole much good.

With that said, I do find that the biggest mistake Browne (or her handlers) made was in the approach they took in this particular case. To use the above examples, when a doctor is interviewed on a daytime talk show they are not asked to make diagnoses.

A therapist is not expected to deliver a radical insight in front of a large studio audience. When a trial lawyer is interviewed they are not asked to demonstrate their courtroom acumen. An investment banker would never be expected to make money appear during the hour between 10am and 11.

Why an intuitive professional is asked to “prove” their skill set and/or why they would agree to such ridiculous terms (given the setting) is beyond me, and this, is where Ms. Browne made her mistake. In his article Jason asked two questions of his readers:

• How responsible do Pagans who also practice a predictive art feel when making a life or death prediction?
• What recourse do they engage in if the prediction turns tragic?

The Pagans that I know who practice an intuitive art and the intuitive professionals I know (who may or may not identify as Pagan) feel an incredible weight of responsibility anytime we sit with a querant. If you want to cut through the small talk and get to the issues that are really weighing on someone’s heart and mind then become a tarot reader. People trust you with information that they have not told to anyone else-it’s a privilege and a deep responsibility and not something to be taken lightly-ever.

In Ms. Browne’s case she was asked whether a specific individual who had gone missing was still living.

Who was asking the question?
The missing woman’s mother.

And what was the setting?
A nationally televised talk show.

Many of the intuitive professionals I know would not read on this question at all—too much rides on the answer and seeing clearly and with objectivity is difficult to begin with — our work is about nothing if not clarity. To answer the question though for the missing woman’s mother is a different thing entirely–in that case the woman’s own hopes and fears would weigh so heavily on the reading that no matter its outcome I would question its veracity.

Finally, the setting is wrong. Publicity for one’s work is well and good, but attempting to deliver an intuitive reading–an occasion that should be a personal and private exploration of a meaningful question between two people on daytime TV sets one up for failure.  If Sylvia Browne truly thought that, given these parameters, she could deliver an authentic intuitive reading then I have to question her skills as well as her motives.

Generally speaking as I wrote earlier, most of my colleagues would not read on this type of a question at all–and those that would usually come out of spiritual traditions that have a very specific approach and ritual parameters for what can be asked, who might ask it, and what type of information might be conveyed back to the querent.

The second question is one that all intuitives should ask themselves: what recourse do we engage in if a prediction turns tragic? I believe we should all ask ourselves this question because as we meet and encounter people throughout the years we will brush up against terrible events. Predictions, once uttered, can turn tragic as many a Greek Tragedy warns us, and intuitives need to consider what options are available to us professionally to deal with these events.

Here are a few I have found helpful:
Be honest and admit it if you have made a mistake.

Do not make guarantees. I train my clients and prospective clients to be wary of anyone who works in the intuitive or magical fields and makes 100% satisfaction or your money back guarantees. Serious practitioners know when it comes to intuition and magic, mystery is part of the process and no one can say exactly how a situation will turn out. Even if a client does not want to work with me, I steer them clear of people offering such guarantees–it’s part of my educational outreach. 

Associate with ethical professionals in your field. This is vital for so many reasons. When you are associated with ethical people who work in the same or similar field you can refer clients to them (when you are unable or unwilling to work with them) and you can also discuss issues (like this one) with them and get other points of view that are trustworthy.

Be clear in your terms. How do you work? What do you do? What are your rates? What happens if a client is not satisfied? What can you be held accountable for? What can you not be held accountable for? Being clear about these terms in your literature and on your website cuts through a lot of potential confusion.

Call in reinforcements. Are you working with someone who needs to see a medical doctor, who requires legal advice or who needs to undergo psychological evaluation? If so, as an intuitive professional it is your duty to tell the client this and to work with them on the understanding (and in some cases with actual proof) that they are receiving the help they need from other areas.

Know when to stop.  There are people who will seek out reading after reading because they aren’t getting the answers they want or there are those who seek intuitive services for life altering decisions that require more input than your neighborhood tarot reader can possibly provide. Know when a client needs to stop seeking out readings and don

Know who you can help and who you can’t. My experience of the intuitive field is that it’s full of people who genuinely want to help. But we cannot help everyone. Develop an understanding of what you do well and what you are not as gifted at–serve the people you are meant to serve and if someone comes to you wanting something that you cannot provide–be honest about that.

As in any other field, tragedies can and do happen. Ms. Browne made a series of decisions that has now led to a loss of face and to the knowledge that she has caused a family who has already gone through hell, even more deep pain.

It is my sincere hope that those of us working in the intuitive field can learn from this and allow the event to shine light on our practices and our professionalism.

If you are going through hell, keep going.
~ Winston Churchill

This week, we are faced with yet another challenging lesson from the Tarot.

The Five of Pentacles is one of those cards that often comes up as a least favorite in my Tarot classes’ games of “Good Card, Bad Card.”  Understandably so.

The fives are usually about conflict and loss. And in the physical world of the Pentacles, this suffering is often literal. It can be about money, home, health, or work — the biggies of the material world.

Here we see two miserable looking people on a wintry night, struggling past a stained glass window.

Where is the doorway to that place? Do they seek it? Or are they so used to surviving their hardship that they simply battle on?

Perhaps they have been cast out, no longer allowed into the holy places. Or maybe they deliberately pass it by, because what it offers is not what they need.

One is in rags, and obviously depicts poverty. The other, on poorly-made crutches, wears a bell around his neck. In the Middle Ages, everyone with disfiguring diseases like leprosy was forced to wear a bell. This was, in part, to warn of contagion.

But it was also to ostracize them from society. Leprosy in particular, was viewed as a terrifying sign of divine punishment, and the poor souls with the disease were considered impure and cursed by God.

What similar attitudes do we harbor today?

The noble intentions of the War on Poverty that Lyndon Johnson declared back in 1964 have devolved into an appalling propaganda and political war on the people in poverty.

And how many times have you heard people whispering their suspicions about the victims of misfortune or life-threatening diseases? For instance, that some character flaw, or spiritual weakness has attracted their fate. There are those among us who like to declare accidents and illness the manifestation of moral ignorance, or past-life karmic payback.

Of course, blaming the victim is a fatalistic, feeble, false strategy that only works as long as we, or someone we love, are not the afflicted.

Ultimately, even the most wealthy, beloved, clever, or noblest of us cannot escape our mortality. And even the super-rich can be so tormented by the specter of poverty, it might as well be true. We all endure heartbreak, illness, and loss.

When we suffer grievous losses and setbacks that tempt us to despair, we may wish to simply give up. We, or those around us, may even begin to believe we have some moral failing, or somehow deserve our woes as a punishment.

We may even decide that our suffering is the ragged cloak that makes us special, and we use it to excuse ourselves from responsibility, or cling to it with secret pride.

The oldest question of life is why we experience suffering and death. The “why” of such events is probably futile and can be debated forever. Such times come to us all.

But the “what” of it is that in such times, we stand on the brink of transformation.

Note that with this card, we are halfway through the Pentacles suit. The design in the stained glass is only the top half of the Kabbalah Tree of Life. The Ten of Pentacles, as you may know, shows the entire Tree – the only place it appears in the Waite-Smith Tarot. This is not the time or place to give up.

Changes often come disguised as loss, and it can be painful to let go of what has been dear to us. There are times when only the breaking of our hearts makes possible the sprouting seed that longs to come forth.

And it is also true that sometimes great difficulty may come and there is just nothing for it but to keep soldiering on.  All the well-meaning encouragement, affirmations, and advice don’t help, and we simply cannot see any hope or silver lining.  At least not while we are in the midst of the storm.

But note that even in the bleakest moments, like in this card, you are not alone. Even here, at the bottom, there may be companionship.

Is it possible that you may be missing the opportunity to be sheltered and cared for because you are unwilling to ask for help? Or do you feel you have you exhausted all the traditional avenues of support?

This card can encourage us to redouble our efforts and increase our compassion for our interconnectedness. What are the ways that we can help one another?

May hope be restored in real, tangible ways.  Even, or maybe especially, in the times when we feel we are beyond help.

And if we cannot find a welcoming door to the warmth and light, together we shall make one.

Once upon a time, Mother’s Day was not just another retail event. Its creation was never aimed at selling stuff like flowers and greeting cards, perfume, or jewelry.  It came from a much more urgent and universal longing.

I love that this is a day set aside to honor the world’s most important people – mothers.  But I also think it is high time we strip away the cloak of sugary commercial sentiment and restore its original intention.

For all women of every color, of every nation, and every belief; who have children endangered by war; who have husbands, partners, sons, and daughters in uniform; who despair at the endless conflict; who do not long for blood vengeance, but instead for healing, Mother’s Day is for us!

In 1870, author, suffragist, and pacifist Julia Ward Howe campaigned for a Mother’s Peace Day, the forerunner of Mother’s Day. The holiday was eventually created, with the additional help from a mother and daughter, both of whom were named Anna Jarvis.

I think it is especially appropriate this year to recall that Howe, author of Battle Hymn of the Republic, was from Boston and was a true patriot in every sense of the word.

In her Mother’s Peace Day Proclamation, she appealed to mothers throughout the world to step up and put a stop to war.

May we hear and heed her words today and arise, all women who have hearts.  Let us unmake this day of commerce, and turn it instead to a day of working towards a far more important and urgent cause.

Blessings to all who mother peace.

Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of tears!

Say firmly: “We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.

We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.

From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says “Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.”

Blood does not wipe our dishonor nor violence indicate possession.

As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.

Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.

Julia Ward Howe
Boston
1870

To bring you a smile today…

You’ve seen those TV screens at the gas pump that chatter away while we fill up our tanks, right?

What if one of them started talking directly at you?

That’s what happened on this Tonight Show prank, in which the news anchor on a gas pump screen bantered with Will Sims and his wife Monifa, talking them into some karaoke! And they’re really good, too!

Have a lovely day!

Dark of the Moon,
New beginnings.
Dark of the Moon,
Plant a seed tonight.
Dark of the Moon,
What we envision
Will come to be
By the Full Moon’s light.

Today’s New Moon is accompanied by an annular eclipse – a solar eclipse that is sometimes called a “Ring of Fire,” because, unlike a total solar eclipse, there is still enough Sun showing behind the shadowed Moon to create a spectacular ring effect.

(If you would like to watch it live, you can go here. The show starts at 5:30pm, Eastern time).

This is the 2nd eclipse in a three-eclipse “window,” which in and of itself is important.

Add to that the fact that this eclipse window will contain the third of the seven exact squares between unpredictable rebel Uranus in the sign of the war God, Aries, vs. Lord of Death and the Underworld, Pluto, in Capricorn, the sign of security and structure.  That showdown will be exact on May 20, just before the Lunar eclipse May 24.

Many astrologers are calling the seven squares between Uranus and Pluto the biggest event in generations.

But meantime, what about today’s event? Here are some thoughts from two of my favorite astrologers (yes, you have probably noticed that I have many favorites!).

May your rites be blessed!  ~ Beth

* * * * * * *

Solar Eclipses and Lunar Intuition

By April Elliott Kent · May, 2013

During a solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and temporarily blocks our view of the Sun. The Sun is furiously pumping away, emanating warmth and symbolizing spiritual and creative power to beat the band.

Then along comes the Moon, who instead of reflecting the Sun’s light back to Earth, jealously hoards it all for herself. At the solar eclipse, intuition (the Moon), wordless and irrational, overpowers your creative center and power (the Sun). The result is a bit like a short-circuit of your internal wiring.

Here in Southern California, we have a weather phenomenon called the Santa Ana winds, hot, prickly, dry winds that blow down off of the desert. The Santa Anas are especially prevalent during the autumn months, but happen at other times throughout the year, suddenly turning cold winter weather into false summer overnight – static, tense, surreal.

When I lived in LA there was a similar feeling in the air before and after any good-sized earthquake, and as kids we often made a connection between the two, calling the Santa Anas “earthquake weather.” Both made us feel a little queasy, off-center, and itchy.

A solar eclipse affects our emotional weather in a similar way. During an eclipse, the fundamental laws of the universe no longer apply. The Sun browns out, like a faulty wire that dims your kitchen light when you turn on the garbage disposal. Birds grow quiet. The world is shrouded in an apprehensive silence that you can almost hear.

In my observation, a week either side of a solar eclipse has us tiptoeing nervously through the graveyard, whistling a tune to keep the bogey man away. Solar eclipses seem much more physically affecting than lunar ones, more unnerving, and the past themes they evoke – themes from nine, eighteen years ago – are anything but subtle. The terrible accident. The death in the family. The ill-fated journey. The terrifying illness. Or more joyfully, the wedding, the birth of the first grandchild.

They are big events, and evoke the feeling that something big is changing in the landscape of your life.

At the solar eclipse, something is trying to get your attention – like the Moon, rising up in front of the Sun as if to say, “Just hold it a second – you’re missing something!” People from the past or the present appear on the scene to behave in inexplicable ways.

The person you used to be, the one you thought you’d outgrown, is trotted out in front of you as a reminder that you really haven’t changed all that much; you’re still the same old mess you were, back when you had the bad relationship, when you flunked out of school, when you best friend told you to get lost.

At this Solar Eclipse in Taurus, the earthy part of you may feel a little cold, compacted. Take a time-out; sit at the knee of the wise Moon and let her reflect the Sun in you. Is there a wildish ego that’s running around unchecked? What is the part of you that you’re trying to disown? Let the Moon guide you, like a wise mother, toward self-acceptance and humility.

© 2009-2013 by April Elliott Kent

* * * * * * *

For some additional, brilliant ways to work with the magic of this particular Taurus New Moon, the ever-fabulous Rhea Wolf offers this:

New Moon in Taurus
Invoking Stability

May 9, 2013, 5:28 PM
19-20 Degrees Taurus

Sabian Symbol: Wisps of winglike clouds streaming across the sky. The awareness of spiritual forces at work. (Dane Rudyhar, An Astrological Mandala)

This New Moon is also a Solar Eclipse event. It is a super-powerful time to create some intentions. As you reflect on the issues and themes highlighted below, let your intuition guide you to see how you can create longer term intentions that serve your greater life purpose.

You can look at your Natal Chart to find which house holds the sign of Taurus. The meanings associated with the house that the eclipse is happening in can provide even more clarity in crafting your Solar Eclipse-New Moon intentions.

Taurus is the sign of the bull, and is cautious, slow and strong by nature. A New Moon in Taurus invites us into our senses, exploring the pleasures of the body and the beauty of the living Earth.

Use the energy of this New Moon on May 9th to call in abundance and the energy of stability into your life. What are the areas of your life that could use a dose of determination and perseverance? Is it time to let go of old habits and find new ways of creating health, happiness, and wellness in your life?

Intentions for this New Moon:

• Cultivating sustainability in your life
• Creating stability
• Focusing on gardens and food production
• Issues or healing for animals and pets
• Cultivating a healthy body image
• Inviting more sensual pleasure into your life
• Stepping out of emotional and physical ruts (depression, inactivity, over-indulgence)
• Material and financial security – inviting it in or letting go of fear
• Letting go of control issues and stubbornness
• Finishing projects
• Healing for throat, neck, and voice.