Tarotcast

Tartocast week of August 28, 2016

vivien-leigh-as-anna-k

“… if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts.” Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Happy birthday month Virgos.

I just finished watching Anna Karenina the 2012 version back to back with War and Peace the BBC mini-series. Of course you all know the Virgonian Leo Tolstoy wrote these works. I have watched Anna Karenina in six different versions. The Vivien Leigh version and this new one in some way are the most striking to me. The Vivian Leigh adaptation is the Russian version of Gone with the Wind- all dressing and drama. However with the 2012 version I found myself stopping to rewind for gems of phrases. I am not sure if these are from the book since I have never read either of these works.

They are now on my reading list. Not to actually read the story but as a new friend of mine said “reading to read.” I plan to read for little gifts of words or phrases that sing to me. Many of the books I borrow are from the online library and the peculiar thing is my kindle app keeps the highlighted text that other people have done in their reading. I find it fascinating. I ponder on why did they highlight this?- what resonated with them so much in these words? I look at phrase with a different layer. It’s like Russian dolls – reading a book within a book.

P.S. I have attached some Tolstoy’s gems for each sign that may or may not coincide with you reading. Remember, when signs have * it’s a big week for you.

Aries – The Wheel – Hopefully last week you tied up loose ends because this week the universe has dealt you The Wheel card which is all about the New. The Wheel’s lesson is to try out new things without a goal in mind. This can be as simple as go play lotto, try a new route home, go investigate a new place, or go out and meet up with some friends. The challenge with The Wheel is doing new stuff without judgments or expectations. This week try to keep your eyes and mind open the New.   “Boredom: the desire for desires.”
Continue reading Tartocast week of August 28, 2016 →

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Tarotcast week of August 21, 2016

Pulse room Rafael Lozano Hemmer

I wanted to bring you all some energy in the form of light to celebrate the last day of Leo. One thing that has always fascinated me about light was color. When I was very young my first science fair experiment was the effect of different colored lights on plant growth.  Ever since then I have been fascinated with – do we actually see color in the same way and the effect of color and light on our moods.

The art above is Pulse Room by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. It is an array of incandescent light bulbs that flash at the exact rate of the participant’s heart when he or she holds the interface. How cool that something that is so personal is brought to light. In your tartocasts are more artists that use light and color in cool ways. I find this art form an interesting twist since all art is dependent upon light and the mixture of color and these artists bring to light how those simple components of art can still move us.

P.S. Remember, when signs have * it’s a big week for you.

Olafur Eliasson Your rainbow panoramaAries – Nine of Cups – Now that last week’s challenge to build a simpler and more balanced solution is over. You have a week to tie up looses ends and contemplate your next move. The challenge with the Nine of Cups is to balance your “work life” with your “play life.” Even if you love your work, you have got to give your mind a break to reset. Olafur Eliasson –Your Rainbow Panorama

Night-Sky-Saturn-North-from-Earth Angela BullochTaurus – Eight of Pentacles – The Eight of Pentacles heralds another busy week for you, the last couple of weeks were about asking for help. This week you have a choice to collaborate or not. But I recommend trying to find some time alone to improve your skills. The Eight of Pentacles’ challenge is to improve a technique you need at work. For artists it can look like working on your sketching skills, for others it will be learning something new on computer or for teachers it can be learning a new way to teach fractions. Angela Bulloch-Night Sky Saturn North from Earth   
Continue reading Tarotcast week of August 21, 2016 →

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Tarotcast week of August 14 2016

Watching the Olympics is one of my high points every two years. I watch it not because I am “Go USA” but because it is a place and time the whole world is doing something collectively. I love that vibe. Also, the scientist in me is fascinated by what makes an Olympian and when will we see the limit to what is the fastest.  What are the physical limitations of the human body and mind?

The above is a picture from the photo book The Athlete –  more of Howard Schatz photos  I love the photo because it shows that there are many body types that make an Olympiad. But what it doesn’t show is that “the most perfect body type” for the sport does not guarantee the gold. The person’s drive, resilience, mind-set add to the athletic package. As we look at the picture above we natural try to type the body with the sport.

But here is where we all need to be really aware in our Olympic discussions – that body type does not bleed into color of skin, where one comes from or becomes a stereotyped fact. It is great that Simone Manuel won the gold. But we need to realize why we haven’t seen a lot of African American swimmers is for societal reason around the sport. One reason being – it is easier to finance a track then it is to finance a pool. I do think these discussions need to happen! The more we talk about “what makes an good Olympiad” the more we unearth our bias and open up the competition to all the people of the world.

P.S. Remember, when signs have * it’s a big week for you.

*Aries – Seven of Pentacles and Justice – Last week you all got The Tower which represented a change from an outside source. This shift resulted because things were too complex and unbalanced. This week born from rubble comes the time and resilience to rebuild – Seven of Pentacles. Also, the Justice card challenges you to build simpler and more balanced solutions to the problems of last week.

Taurus – Four of Pentacles – The Four of Pentacles heralds another busy week for you, except that your energy level will not be as high as last week. Again like last week you will get more done with the help of others.   If you put the effort in last week – seeing that not everyone is at the same energy level as you – you will have an easier time asking and getting help this week. If you didn’t, then the best strategy for you is to do less of the work and do it alone. You will be less frustrated.
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Tarotcast week of August 7, 2016

podcasts

I love podcasts because I love to hear about new information, ideas, and thoughts. I also think that it’s a great format for comedians. A podcast is “a digital audio file made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or portable media player, typically available as a series, new installments of which can be received by subscribers automatically.” The roots of podcasts have been around since the1980’s, but really all the parts came together for the masses in 2000. Sixteen years later articles say there are 180K- 250K podcasts, with approximately 75 million subscribers per month.

The podcast I am listening to now is Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell. He wrote the books Blink and The Tipping Point. He says it a podcast about unknowns and misunderstandings. For example, the Uncontrollable Acceleration(UA) Toyota recall was basically wrong. The reason for all the UA incidents was that drivers didn’t realize they were pushing on the wrong pedal. The short version of the podcast is if you find yourself accelerating take your foot off whatever pedal and reapply it to the brake. Brakes trump the gas pedal every time. If you are interested you can listen to the whole podcast on ITunes for free.

P.S. I have attached some podcasts that are on my “listen to” list. They may or may not have to do with your tarotcast. Remember, when signs have * it’s a big week for you.

*Aries – The Tower – The Tower represents change from an outside source. Now the cool thing about The Tower is it comes around when things need to be shaken up because something is not working. This week something that is not working in your life is going to shift, and your challenge is to except it. Now this can be as easy as an “aha moment” in solving a problem or as complex as a move or a relationship shift. Ted Radio Hour- a mash up of Ted talks that make sense together.

Taurus – Ace of Wands – So after your “learning week”, comes the Ace of Wand’s insight. Insight brings with it energy, a sense of eagerness and inner strength. These you will have in abundance this week. Your challenge is not everyone is on the same energy level as you so introduce your ideas/projects with some humility. You will need people to help you get done what you have envisioned.   Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People – the name says it all.
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Tarotcast for week of July 31, 2016

A_cat_on_HMAS_Encounter

Since it is still Leo’s birth month, I would like to talk about the domestic cat. The cat family, Felidae started to diverge 10-15 billion years ago into two sub families, Pantherinae and Felinae. The domestic cat belongs to the latter and the genus Felis. Thus, the domestic cat’s full taxonomy name is Felidae Felis catus, which basically translates to “cat cat cat” or cat to the third. Historians estimate that cats were domesticated about 9,500 years ago in the Fertile Crescent coinciding with the development of agriculture.

We all have heard that “cats hate water”; however, their history has an interesting twist. The spread of the domestic cat around the world is largely due to ships carrying them aboard. There is evidence that the tradition started with Ancient Egyptians taking cats on board to catch birds along the shore line. Then Phoenician trade ships began keeping cats aboard to keep the rodent population down. As trade ships from other nations took on this practice, cats became known as good luck symbols for ships, sailors and fishermen. And the “ship’s cat” became a common sight on naval, trade and private ships.

There are many stories around ship’s cats during WWII in the Royal and American Navy.   The most famous story is about “Unsinkable Sam” who survived the torpedoing of two ships, the Bismarck and HMS Cossack. So it seems cats and water have a more complex and paradoxical history. Hmm, much like their leonine human counterparts.

P.S. For grossness I added some pictures of different breeds of kittens to each sign.   Remember, when signs have * it’s a big week for you.

mix kittemAries – Nine of Wands – It’s back to work this week. The Nine of Wands’ lesson is preparation. This week take the time to stand back and assess what you need before going into any situation. The more prepared you are the more smoothly this week will go.

 

maine coonTaurus – Page of Pentacles – The Page of Pentacles’ lesson is around being a student. Will all that has gone on the past 3 months since your birthday, you need to ask yourself – What do you still want or need to learn this year?   This is the week to start going to “the life you want” school.
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Tarotcast for week of July 24, 2016

Leo constellation

Happy birthday month, Leos. Mercury, Venus and of course the Sun are all hanging in your sign until the end of this week. Mercury leaves on the 30th and Venus will leave the following week on August 5th. So, you need to take in the all the love communicated to you this week. And since, you all have the biggest hearts of all the signs – for all that you take in – give out twice as much.

Leo is one of the bigger constellations in the sky. In mythology this constellation depicts the lion that Hercules killed as one of his labors. However, this constellation has been seen as a lion since the beginning of civilization. The Persians called it Ser or Shir; the Turks, Artan; the Syrians, Ayro; the Jews, Ayre; the Indians, Simha. All these words translate to “lion.” This constellation also holds two of the 25 brightest stars in our sky, Regulus and Denebola, and a number of galaxies: Miessier 65, 66, 95, 105. It is theorized that the Lion and therefore Leo is associated with the Sun because the sun passes in front of the constellation from August 10 to September 16th, which coincides with the annual flooding of the Nile. Without the Nile flooding, agriculture and therefore civilization as we know it would not have started.   That’s a big legacy behind you Leos. So my question to you: how will you influence the world this year?

P.S. Remember, when signs have * it’s a big week for you.

Aries – Four of Swords – The Four of Swords’ lessons are around the 3Rs: retreat, rest, reassess. The Four of Swords is a mini Hangman card, reminding us that rest is something we all need to in order to have a healthy life and outlook. So go ahead take that cat nap or take a walk around the block, you only need a little getaway to gain the Four of Sword’s benefits .

Taurus – Ace of Swords – Hmmm, still no rest for you this week. Last week you had The Chariot spurring you on and now the Ace of Swords is asking you to keep that momentum up, at least with your thoughts. This week the challenge is to keep your mind and communications sharp. So you will need to think before you speak or act this week. If you are not sure about committing to something or need to buy some time just say: “I’ll get back to you on that.”
Continue reading Tarotcast for week of July 24, 2016 →

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Tarotcast week of July 17, 2016

crab monkey Ashmolean Museum

Above is a picture of a netsuke from 19th century Japan. This is one of my favorite art forms because it is usefulness and art coming together. Also, I am always amazed when art is done on a small scale.

Netsuke are miniature sculptures that served as a toggle to hold containers (sagemono) from kimono’s sashes(obi). They are carved from a wide variety of materials, from mammoth ivory to walnuts. They take on a variety of forms. The most common is katabori which are round and usually one to three inches high. The most complex are ryusa which is carved like lace and karakuri, which have moving parts or hidden surprises.   During the Edo period in Japan, everyday citizens had limited avenues of self expression due to custom and law, so the netsuke was one subtle way to show your individualism. I think the keychain is the netsuke of today.

P.S. I’ve added some pictures of netsuke that you all may like. Remember, when signs have * it’s a big week for you.

89189f43166a83fd05911eac524bf794Aries – Ten of Swords and Queen of Swords – This week will be loaded with chaos and disruptions from social situations. The Ten of Swords challenges you to listen to your spidey senses. The Queen of Swords is here to say that if you strategize and prioritize before starting each day, you will be able to focus and dodge the debris of this hurricane of a week.

snail*Taurus – The Chariot – Last week did you make it through the roller coaster of emotions and find those feelings that have clues to what you need and what you don’t want in your life? You will need to use that emotional insight this week to keep the balance and momentum of The Chariot. As much as you all might want a rest from last week, The Chariot challenges you to keep going. The Chariot guarantees that things will move more smoothly in the future if you deal with stuff now instead of postponing it.
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intentions are the children of desire and the grandparents of destiny