The artist this week is Joan Mitchell.  Mitchell worked with oil, pastels and printmaking.  She is known as one of the most significant post-war abstract artists.  She used abstraction to help the viewer feel a subject without needing to know what the subject was.  She once said, “I paint from remembered landscapes that I carry with me—and remembered feelings of them, which of course become transformed. I could certainly never mirror nature. I would like more to paint what it leaves me with.”

Your Pondering: This is one of the beautiful things of abstraction is the artist trying to convey an essence and a window into how that artist feels.  By doing so it entices us to expand our mind and heart. Look around you and try to explain what is going on using only the aspects of color, energy and how it makes you feel to get a glimpse into the abstract.

Solar System highlights for the next two weeks

We have a Full Moon in Scorpio on May 1st.  Be careful not to be too emo.

Uranus is now in Gemini until 2032 – the planet of revolution has us working on evolving how we communicate.   On a more personal level, look at your natal chart to see what house Gemini resides in and if you have any planets that it will be working with, trying to revolutionize those areas.

EXTRA

*If you want a more in-depth look into the planets and how they affect you, you can get those with my yearly AstroTarot reading or if you sign up for my monthly New Moon readings.  Taurus this is a perfect time to get that Astrological Tarot Reading for your coming year.  And Scorpio, 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

**Reading from The Good Tarot by Colette Baron-Reid

Aries

Emperor – What a lovely energy to start your birth year.  The Muse of Building is here to help you take a project to the next level.  However, this energy should not be just about personal glory but also benefit others.  The broader your goals reach, the easier the path becomes to your own destiny. Motto: People with authority and/or knowledge come to aid my quest.

Taurus

Eight of Fire – The Muse of Swift Change is your companion for the coming weeks.  Often this is aided by messages or intel.  The challenge is sifting through all the incoming energies.  She suggests picking a topic for the next 2 weeks or each day and looking for signs, messages, clues just around those topics.   Motto: Momentum is building to power this transformation/creation.

Gemini

Page of Water – The Muse of Play comes when you are taking life a too seriously.  Yes, the world is a bit much these day, but the muses still suggest for your mental health, play is now doubly important. Remember play is doing things that you enjoy without a goal.  This can be playing in your garden, dancing, doing silly walks, finger painting, etc… And if you truly have forgotten how to play find someone under the age of five to help you remember.   Motto: I am open to play.

Cancerian

Ten of Water – The Muse of Serenity is your companion for the coming weeks.  This muse helps you fully be in the moments of peacefulness.  Yes, this world is a bit much right now, so these moments are hard earned.  But she reminds you that the natural world helps you take those moments.  So, stop and smell the flowers, listen to bird songs, take a moment when you hear or experience laughter, be present when you are hugged or your pet lays down next to you. Soak in these momentary delights and savor them so you can bring them up for the weeks ahead.  Motto: Well-being is my natural state.

Leo 

Eight of Water – The Muse of Authenticity is your companion for the coming weeks, for this could be a turning point for you to take a more authentic path.  She reminds you that you do not have to give up on your dreams but there are aspects of how you see them that you need to let go of.  She asks what do you truly love to do?  And then look at what other emotions you have glued to them that have taken away that true love’s joy.  There are alternative paths to doing what you love and especially with Uranus, moving into Gemini.  It is time to revolutionize how things are done.  Motto: I will let go with ease what is in my heart that no longer serves me.

Virgo 

High Priestess – You will need to use your intuition these days ahead, so the Muse of Perception will be your guide.  The challenge with this muse is that she hides messages in synchronicities and metaphors.  So, antenna up.  If you get a feeling to not walk down the right side of the street, switch sides.  It may be avoiding a hazard, but most likely you will find a message or a dollar bill on the ground.  Or say you keep seeing a repeating digit. Ask a question out to the Universe and you will find your answer or clues with the next pop-up of that digit.  Motto: I have access to higher wisdom when I tune in and trust the vibe.

Libra  

Temptation – The Muse of Lure is your companion for the coming weeks.  Her ultimate goal is to strengthen your resolve, but she does it by laying charms and dalliances in your path. If you find yourself partaking in these devilish delights, part of this exercise is to truly decide if your goal is worth the struggle.  Or you resist and reassert your resolve. She is here to remind you to be clearer of what choices you are making and why.  Motto: I know what I want and I will go after it.

Scorpio

Sun– The Muse of Abundance is your helper for the coming weeks.  She reminds you that what you focus on is the thing that grows, good or bad.  So, be more purposeful on how you shine and what you shine on. For how you shine: You can be laser focused but only for a set time.  Or you can shine with a more ambient light that can last for hours.   For what you shine on she reminds you to ask yourself: Does my focus nourish or help me and/or others grow?  Motto: This is a time of plenty.

Sagittarius

Queen of Fire – The Muse of Artists comes when you need inspiration to be more creative.  She reminds you that anything can be art, even living.  Art is expression of your soul into the material world.  So how you get dressed can be an art, how you compliment someone can be an art, and of course participating in any of the art modes.  The challenge is finding the time to dedicate to your soul, for it is ultimately the reason for picking the form that you did.  Motto: “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life” (Pablo Picasso).

Capricorn

King of Fire – The Muse of Modeling is your co-pilot for the coming weeks.  You are an amazing unique human with superpowers.  This muse would like you to spend these coming weeks shaking out your cape and demonstrating what it is that makes you so spectacular.  The challenge of course is being reflective on what you’re good at and then do just that.  The key is trying not to be more then you already are.  Motto: When I align with my superpower I can help and inspire others.

Aquarius 

Four of Earth – The Muse of Stability comes when you need to focus on material matters.  She asks what do you need to feel stable on the material plane?  So, examples are: think about what does your body need to feel stable? What do your finances need to be to feel safe? Does something need to be fixed in your dwelling?  This muse also advises acting on the small doable stuff and leaving any big aspects to later in the month.  Motto: What I have rests on a solid foundation so there is no need to fear.

Pisces

Eight of Earth – The Muse of Mastery comes when you need to tweak your skill set.  You have a solid foundation and are good at what you do but there are a few small tweaks that will make you more efficient.  This muse asks you to develop a deeper understanding of what you know and then apply them in new ways.  Maybe it is how you schedule your day?  Or to only look at emails at certain times instead of whenever a notification pops up.  Or maybe you need to colorize your tasks according to priority.  What structure or piece of knowledge do you need to be more efficient? Motto: Even masters of their craft have more to learn.