PaganSquare.com - WitchesAndPagans.com

In this episode of the Naked Tarot Podcast, I discuss the mystical, symbolic aspects of the death and resurrection of Christ as represented by the scorpion/Scorpio and the Phoenix--as well as the Death and The Sun cards of Tarot. Listen in, or download, at the link below.

Scorpio, Death, Resurrection, The Phoenix and The Sun Podcast

Several years ago, I made a post here on Pagan Square about the ins and outs of Mercury Retrograde. You can get the scoop at this link.

Mercury goes Retrograde March 22nd through April 15th in 2018 in fiery Aries. To recap my other blog post, Mercury is a trickster god that symbolizes communications of all types--including the technology associated with messages.

Aries is symbolized by The Ram, an impetuous, aggressive energy that heralds the first day of Spring--a time of fresh starts.

I’ve often thought the world might get along better if we all stopped for afternoon tea. Sadly, Americans just aren’t into that, since a traditional tea would be served around 3 or 4 p.m. That tends to be a rather hectic time for many, as kids are getting home from school, or the workday is coming to a close and deadlines have to be met. Instead of relaxing with a warm cuppa, we often see how far we can push ourselves before dinner.

Maybe that is why I’ve always romanticized the idea of an English tea, even before Downton Abbey was born. It’s not the dainty cups or the finger sandwiches or the scones—it’s the pause and the connection with others, assuming they put down their smart phones.  

Why Tarot? Why not astrology? Or numerology? Or any of the other divination tools? Why did I choose Tarot?

Over the years, I've developed an organic way of reading. Rather than use the Celtic Cross, I now do three card spreads that are meant to develop outward from the question. That's a bit awkward. Let me explain.

Say you ask me, "What do I need to know about February 2018?" I would draw three cards. The first would be the Theme card. This is the energy that is going to resonate with you in February. Going further, I drew a card so we could have a reading to look at.

January 31 brings us a lunar eclipse in Leo. This is quite an enigma in many ways, for this is also the 2nd full Moon in the first month of this year, as well as being a supermoon. What does all of this mean? Is it really something spectacular? 

Well, yes, and no. Let's break it down. First, the supermoon. This doesn't give the Moon any additional magical powers or make its influence any more strong or mysterious. It's an astronomical term, meaning that the Moon is at its perigee—or less than 223,694 miles from the Earth—at the time that it was either new or full. That's it!

The supermoon isn't going to change the Moon's usual gravitational pull on us. There's not going to be any unnatural weather or otherworldly events because of it. The atmospherics may make it appear a bit larger, but that's also got to do with the angle at which you view the Moon; Moon rise always appears larger. It may or may not appear brighter; again, even if the Moon's brilliance is highlighted, just how much it shines is going to depend on atmospherics and the angle from which it is viewed. 

Did you know that 90% break their New Year's resolutions by the time February rolls around?

Totally true.