Every year I pick a photo contest to highlight.  This year it is the Ocean Photographer of the Year Awarded by OceanGraphic.  The winner is Yury Ivanov’s photo of two amphipods from the Cyproideidae family (above), each measuring around 3mm in body length, resting on a coral. Commonly called ‘ladybugs of the sea’, they are related to shrimp and crabs.  Ivanov speaks about the process of taking this photograph. “It required a lot of patience and precision to compose and light the shot properly. It was taken at a depth of 19 meters, during a sunny day with calm sea conditions. In total, it took me six dives to get the shot I wanted. The result reveals an intimate glimpse of underwater life that is often overlooked.”

Your pondering: Lately I have not been feeling present or possibly not wanting to be.  So, to be in the now I am immersing myself in the small stuff.  I stop to say hi to the bees, I spend extra minutes petting our animals, I hold my mother’s hand, I watch a leaf fall all the way to the ground.

And I am working to attract more bugs into my garden, well at least some of them (lol I am not fond of the blood sucking variety.)   Every fall I let my garden seed out and create little piles of nature’s detritus to give the insects a place to overwinter or a comfy place to lay their eggs.  And this fall our little acre is alive with chirps, clicks and buzzes.  These small co-habitants are vital to a healthy ecosystem. And as we approach winter these sounds and visitations will go dormant.   So knowing this helps me connect to being present- that the small things are a place to find joy or at the very least contentment.   What is your small stuff?

Solar System highlights

We start the week with the moon in Capricorn – good for all things that have to do with money making.  Thursday it shifts into Aquarius – think outside the box.  Saturday the moon is in Pisces – daydream. On Monday October 6^th the moon moves into Aries – time to create momentum.  The Full moon on October 7^th is also in Aries. Full moon is about completion, so try to push a project to the next level or finish it. Then Wednesday October 8^th it shifts to Taurus – ground yourself.  On Friday and through the weekend the moon is in Gemini – communication and friends are highlighted.

Mercury is in Libra until Oct 5^th. This energy is best used to work on balancing and equalizing listening and speaking.  Then it moves into Scorpio until October 28^th.  A great time to bounce ideas around, strategize, research and truth seek.  Just be careful that you do your research with a delicate touch when it involves emotionally fraught subjects.

Mars is Scorpio until November 4^th. This aspect is a perfect time to work on our passion projects.  Venus is in Virgo helps us focus on making our environment welcoming.

Jupiter, the planet of abundance and growth, is in Cancer until June 2026.  This placement is exalted, because Cancer boosts Jupiter’s positive aspects and vice versa.  Jupiter creates more ease in our emotional growth, intuition, feeling nurtured as well as giving it.  However, the two-fold challenge is that growth needs time to cultivate and may bring growing pains.  So be kind and patient with others and yourself as we grow into our abundance.

Lastly, Saturn is back in Pisces until February of 2026.  So, we are back to our structures having trouble being…well… structured.  And I am sending out extra feel-good vibes for you all with a Saturn in Aries or Pisces and are dealing with this erratic Saturn return.

EXTRA

*Signs with an * it is a big week for you.    Libra this is a perfect time to get an Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Aries it is your halfway mark for your birth year, so if you need a Planetary Reading for a check in, now is the time.

**** I have a tip jar if you want to leave a gratuity for the tarot & art-casts.

May light be on you, around you, and within you.

Nina

Aries

Eight of Earth – The Muse of Production is here to cheer you on. This muse reminds you that you have unique skills. And her arrival foreshadows that these exceptional skills will be needed soon. So, she asks you to claim and exercise these talents. While she chants “Practice, practice, practice”, to remind you to hone and innovate your gifts to the next level.

Taurus

*Hermit – The last two weeks the Muse of Momentum was your co-pilot and gave you the gas to get things started. Now the Muse of Insight asks you to step back and gain perspective on the project(s) you have been doing. She asks is your work on the right path.  How does it fit into your bigger perspective? Does it serve the people you want it to? Use this time to pull back and look at the bigger picture and make tweaks before you enter back into society.

Gemini

*Moon – These next two weeks will be a deep dive into your emotional realm. The Muse of Reflection would like to work with your heart. She asks what emotions have you been bottling up? She recommends using this time to work through them before these emotions bubble over into reality and make a mess.  Your emotions have intel, but they are disguised in reaction instead of reflection.

Cancerian

*Fool – The coming weeks have the potential for inviting in the new. The Muse of Possibilities challenges you to be open to the unfamiliar.  Yes, you crabs do not always feel comfortable changing shells and being vulnerable.  But she reminds you to have more faith in yourself when you step into the unknown, for you will find stable ground and a bigger frontier even if you cannot see it.

Leo

*Magician – The Muse of Manifestation is your co-conspirator for these coming weeks.  The key with working with this muse is to first connect with the why behind what you would like to manifest.  Is it aligned with divine inspiration/your soul?  The second task is to allow for experimentation. She reminds you that mistakes often bring more insight and therefore bigger gains.  And lastly to realize you have all the tools you need to do this task. Utilize what you have around you.

Virgo

*Fool/Body of Fire– Okay some of you still either are not trusting the process of jumping into the unknown or you need more of this energy.  That means some of you still need to accept invites, strike up conversations with strangers, take new routes going home, or take a passion project off the back burner.  Use this energy to be let go of perfectionism and goal orientation.  And then the rest of you that have made that jump into the unknown you have the Muse of Perfect Timing as your companion.  This muse loves to put you in the right place at the right time for opportunities and lessons.  Even if it feels negative/challenging by the end of the year you will see them as the gifts that they are.

Libra

Six of Earth – The Muse of Kindness comes when you need to balance the back and forth of giving and receiving.  Yes, it is within your nature to be kind, but it is also important to give or receive what is actually needed.  This muse suggests trying this experiment.  When in a conversation, instead of just empathizing or being self-effacing, ask others to clarify what they need or be clearer on what you need, i.e.  to fix it, brainstorming, emotional support, or just an ear to vent to.

Scorpio

*Magician – The Muse of Manifestation is your companion for the coming weeks.  This muse shows up when you either need to clarify what you want to manifest; you are having trouble focusing or you are not allowing for experimentation and variability in your work.  If it is clarification, do some brainstorming with a trusted friend.  If it is a focus issue, take a break and come back to it later.  And if it is that you are too controlling of the outcome or process work on trusting the flow and allowing yourself to learn from the mishaps.

Sagittarius

Nine of Fire – Preparation is the key for the coming weeks.  The Muse of Endurance will help by enhancing your resilience when you need it.  And your responsibility will be to think of what you may possibly need to support you for the next two weeks.  Think of things like preparing food that can be reheated.  Make your lunch or pick out your clothes the night before. Doing things as they come up instead of “doing it later.”  By doing so you will increase your efficiency and your time for work and balance that out with rest.

Capricorn

Four of Air – For the next couple of weeks it would be beneficial if you spent some time recouping and unplugging when you can.  Your brain needs a break from thinking, dealing and deciding.  So, whatever your key to calmness and relaxation is, make the time to do it.  Your brain will thank you.

Aquarius

Mind of Air – The Muse of the Big Picture comes when you need to ponder, possible adjust, or clarify what your goal or big idea is.  This longer, broader view will help you in finessing the details and steps that need to do to manifest this aim.  So, start with the goal and work backwards.  This is also important when conveying an idea to others.  They need to see the big picture, so they can help or at least get out of your way.

Pisces

Five of Earth – All fives have to do with chaos, and this one is on the material plane.  The Muse of Poverty Mindset is your companion to help combat this challenge.  Because things are a bit unsettled you are believing that you do not have enough – money, time and/or space.  However, this muse reminds you that is your perception but not actually the reality.  She suggests trying to recognize and then verbalize your abundance and the potential of plenty.  Then to fall prey to seeing this fleeting chaos as set in stone or not ultimately to your advantage.