Happy birth month Taurus!
The artists this week are the winners of the World Nature Photography Awards. Every year around Earth Day I highlight nature photography awards winners. In the past the only way for people to see animals and plants from other places was museums and illustrations. Now with photography we can get a literal birds-eye view of our world. And the more we can see the world the more we can understand it and then protect it. As Chief Dan George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation said: “If you talk to the animals, they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them, you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys.” So go out, get close to the flora and fauna and do some of your own nature photography.
Your pondering for this week: “We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren, and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can’t speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish, and trees.”- Qwatsinas (Hereditary Chief Edward Moody), Nuxalk Nation. What do you or can you pledge to do this year to help care for Mother Nature?
Solar System highlights
The moon begins in Libra – harmony and balance are the focus. On Wednesday the moon moves into Scorpio – follow your passion. Then on Friday it moves into Sagittarius – get out, explore, and let fun be the focus. On Sunday April 28th the moon moves into Capricorn – great for prepping for the work week. On Wednesday May 1st it moves into Aquarius helping us think outside the box. And we finish the two weeks with the moon in Pisces starting on Friday – wanting us to go with the flow.
Mercury is in Aries until May 15th giving us a crash course in learning to say what we need in a non-reactive way and working on making sure our actions follow our words. And we finish with it in retrograde April 25th. Venus stays with Mercury until April 29th during this teachable moment, giving us more grace when we are attempting to better our communication skills. Then Venus moves into Taurus, it’s home sign prompting us to focus on grounding and how we love.
Mars is still in Pisces with Saturn until April 30th. And they are prompting us to act on being adaptable, especially in our day-to-day life. Then Mars will join Mercury pushing us into action around how we communicate. However, from April 30th to May 15th this push can be dangerous. We need to be careful that our actions follow our words. And that we can curb being judgmental and harshness in our communication. In our words watch your tongue.
EXTRA
*** Signs with an * it is a big week for you. Taurus this is a perfect time to get an 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. And I have a tip jar if you want to leave a gratuity for the weekly forecasts.
**** I am experimenting. I have switched from using the older suits name (pentacles, cups, swords, and wands) to a more elemental way of reading them which is earth, water, air, and fire. Also, I would like to leave the binary and feudal system of the RWS’s court cards. So, the RWS old version is Page, Knight, Queen, and King is changing to Heart (pure embodiment of element), Body (moving the element), Spirit (living the element) and Mind (taking care of the element).
May light be on you, around you, and within you.
Nina
Aries
Nine of Air – To finish off your birth month the muses would like you to work with your worries for the coming year. They suggest you write all of them out. Then vehemently cross off the ones you have no control over. And with the rest, prioritize the list, and when Mercury goes direct on April 25th you can start working through them one by one. With all these planets in your sign you need to focus slowing your mind down.
Taurus
*Death – The Muse of Organic Change would like you to spend the next two weeks doing some composting of ideas and/or projects that no longer work for you. The challenge is seeing that what “use to work” still contributes to what you are trying to change. In essence your past feeds your future. So, if you deny or toss it away you can not use it as fuel for your potential growth.
Gemini
Heart of Air – The Twin Muses of Inhaling and Exhaling are asking for the next two weeks to breath. Now the challenge from these two is about the silence between the breaths. By tunning into these breaks internally, you can tune into the subtle silences around you. Listen to “the feel” of the story instead of the plot. Read between the lines in a conversation. Be curious, ask questions and deep listen to the answers.
Cancer
Three of Earth – The last two week the Muse of Building had you looking at adaptability in what you are developing. These next two weeks the Muse of Collaboration would like you to focus on what you need or are lacking in skill and knowledge to further this project or idea. Then ask for help to fill in the gaps. As they say 2 heads are better than 1, but 3 heads and 6 hands are even better, so expand your resources for intel and support.
Leo
Six of Earth – The Muse of Giving would like you to take part in an exchange of knowledge, love, or resources for the next two weeks. By helping someone else, you begin to see that you are worthy of being helped yourself. Giving goes both ways or it becomes self-centered. And remember the exchange does not have to be tit for tat or linear. Be open to receiving from a stranger and that giving or getting does not have to be solely a physical exchange.
Virgo
*Magician – The Muse of Manifestation is hanging with you for the next two weeks. She usually shows up to help you in the process of creating. Because either the universe doesn’t know what you want because you don’t, or there is an aspect(s) that needs to be tweaked. So, she suggests writing down what you are wanting to manifest or if you are in the process of creation what isn’t flowing. The latter can look like you have missed a vital step in creation or a step in the process isn’t viable and needs an alternative. This period is about experimentation.
Libra
Nine of Fire – The Muse of Resilience would like you to assess where you are at and what you need for the coming weeks. She usually shows up when things are about to become busy. So, she prompts to do things like fill up your freezer with readymade dinners and your pantry with on-the-go snacks. Or do you have all the components for the coming projects? Now is the time to chop wood and carry water to prep for the press of the coming months.
Scorpio
Six of Fire – The Muse of Celebration would like you to take these next two weeks and bask in all that you have accomplished since 2022. She especially shows up for some of you that feel as if you have not accomplished anything. Looking at the steps big or small that you have taken to get to the here and is pretty amazing. Take a moment to reconnect and enjoy what you have created, for you need the rest and jubilation to ready you for the coming challenges before your next birthday.
Sagittarius
*Strength – The Muse of Poise has arrived on your doorstep to have you show off your best side. Poise is defined as “a dignified, self-confident manner or bearing; composure; self-possession: to show poise in company. Synonyms: refinement, grace, polish, self-confidence, steadiness; stability: intellectual poise.” So Centaurians these next two weeks the muses advise to be less like the freewheeling half-horse and more like Chiron the great educator. Show your demurer side so people can see your true strength.
Capricorn
Ten of Water – The Muse of Happiness is visiting you these next two weeks, to remind you that all work and no play makes Jill/Jack a dull person. This is not an ease card for you goats. For most of you after “kid” hood forget how to frolic and kick up your hooves. You have replaced it with the perpetual mountain climbing that you innately do. So, your challenge for the next two weeks is to find some time to enjoy life too.
Aquarius
Four of Air – Holy Moly it has happened again, the Muse of Rest is back. This is now 8 weeks of the muses begging you to relax. Yes, you all took some time off because the big momma of rest the Muse of Healing backed-off. But you still need to pay attention to your output in comparison to your input. Health and rest are still your focus for another two weeks. Some examples can be as simple as getting massage, taking a three-day weekend, having a designated daily unplug time, or scheduling more activities that lighten you up without tiring you out. (And just the statistic it is a 3 out of a 10 million chance that I would pull the same card 4 times in a row. So, if you can’t listen to the Woo listen to the math.) Get some rest.
Pisces
Four of Fire – The Muse of Happy Home would like you to focus on making your environments cozy. You can concentrate on your home, neighborhood, workspace, and the ultimate goal of the world at large. She asks what support you need to feel safe, secure, and stable in your environment(s). So, examples are finding like-minded people to hang with, decorating a corner nook in your house that helps you relax or getting to know your way around a new part of the city.
*Temperance – Wow three big cards for you in a row. The last couple of weeks the Ace of Cups and the Sun united their power helping you expand any area of your life you focus on. Then the Chariot rolled in saying this change is all under your control. And now Temperance the card of balance and moderation is chiming in. So, this coming year while you are growing and change it is important that you do this with an equilibrium that does not come naturally to you. You would rather attack life with a series of big pushes, then slow and steady, or you get so focused on one area of life you forget to pay attention to the rest. So, Temperance advises with your growth – moderation. This can look as simple as scheduling in play with your work, or as complex as growing the yang/male side of your personality while equally balancing the growth of your yin/feminine.
Sun – Well like Aries above this year is a Sun Year for you all, a time of growth and illumination. The great part of getting this card is what you focus your light on will grow and with that growth so do you. The challenges this year are twofold. When you are shining, you will illuminate the good, the bad and the ugly and how you focus your beam of light can either grow with a lite ambient focus or destroy/cut away like a laser. So, this year, while you shine, experiment with what kind of “watts” you need for maximum growth potential.
Eight and Four of Cups – Ok Twins this is a double week for you. The Eight of Cups is the Spring-cleaning card. Not only of your literal house but also of your emotional one. And with the Four of Cups telling you how and where to do this cleaning – three-quarters of introspection and the left over fourth you will find outside of yourself. The big lesson with this combo is get rid of what works and be grateful for what is left over.
Nine of Cups – The Nine of Cups challenges you to find the places of contentment in your life, feed them and not only enjoy them but also the process. As with all cups card and the combination of water signs, water helps if you are stuck.
Ten of Wands – The Ten of Wands means this week you will have to watch your people pleasing nature. If you continue to say yes, you will feel the burden of your obligations by the end of the week. You can fix this problem by either taking somethings off your present list, or just tell people you are swapped and not take on anything more. Either way this is about decreasing your load this week before you collapse from exhaustion.
The Ten of Swords – Last week the Universe offered you a time-out with the Hanged Man to practice the art of perception. Hopeful with the Hanged Man you practice the art of reverse-thinking, for you will need it this week with The Ten of Swords. The Ten of Swords is the card of troubles whether that is from your own negative thoughts or prompted by the outside world. Your challenge is to use the Hanged Man’s lesson of seeing the dark clouds as opportunities to “water your plants” or at the very least preparing you with an umbrella.
Queen of Wands – The Queen of Wands is the closest thing you get to the Mother Earth Energy in the lower cards. She advises you it is time to take a break and get into nature or doing something creative. She comes to remind you that your flame needs to be stoked, and that you are not attending to your inner cycles of growth, death and rebirth.
Nine of Pentacles – Last week the Wheel of Fortune had you looking for karmic intervention in your life or the sign posts of places that need changing. The trend continues this week but having you focus only on the areas of how you make your money. There are some places you need to tweak, and this is the week to do it. The only challenge is this is best done in private at first before you can invite people in on it.
Six of Pentacles – The Six of Pentacles is the mini-karma card. This week all the positive energy that you put into anything will come back three-fold, but this also includes the negative. The challenge with this card is that the return of good or bad does not typically take a straight path back to you.
Ace of Swords – The Empress’ growth period continues with the Ace of Swords. Last week the Empress wanted you to cultivate your life in a way that is more comforting and relaxing but knowing this will take some time. Now the Ace of Swords has you making your first step. Take this week to decide on the details of how, when and where this is going to happen. This is a week of planning and as they say the devil is in the details.
*High Priestess – The High Priestess you would think would be an easy card for you all, for she is the card of the philosopher and can easily fold into lotus position for hours. And you Aquarians are the astrological marathon thinkers and meditators. It just hard for you to get in that state because you all are easily distracted. This week this card wants you to try spending some quality time in the ethereal realm. Whether that is conversing with nature, mediating, or doing yoga every day at sunset. This week you need to tap into your intuited/woo self. The challenge this week will be honing and listening to your inner voice for long enough to get its message.
*Judgement – Judgement comes when it is time to shed your skin or evolve some aspect of your life. This can look as simple as trying on new styles of clothes, make-up, or changing your hair. It’s not that the outer layer matters it’s just practice for you to do some inner work. Here is the challenge – can you see and love the new parts of you that you are growing and leave self-judgment behind?
Still celebrating the Earth this month by highlighting artist who highlight nature. The eco-artist for this week is 
*Chariot – Last week, the Ace of Cups and the Sun foretold your coming year as auspicious. Their combined power helps you expand any area of your life you focus on. And this week another big card surfaced, the Chariot – change that is totally in your control. So, this year’s mission is off to a running start this week. In its simplest form this card wants you to jump in your car, bike or shoes and get outside, find new places and explore. In a more complex form this card wants you to start – that project, business, and/or relationship you shelfed so long ago. The challenge with both last week and this week’s cards is if you want expansion or change it’s all in your hands. This year you need to make things happen, so grab the reins and go.
Ace of Coins – Happy Birthday month. What a great start to your birthday month. Ace of Coins means new beginnings on the material plane – business, money making, projects or your environment. This week start something that keeps your hands busy. The energy for new beginnings is literally held in the palms of your hands this week.
Four of Cups – The Four of Cups is the card on contemplation. You can do some belly-button gazing and self-compassion this week. However, your challenge is that you will need to look outside yourself to complete the answer/puzzle/picture.
*Hanged Man – The Hanged Man is the card of stagnation, or so it seems. It is the Universe giving you a forced time out to do some thinking or re-thinking. The challenge with this card is not doing the internal work that is needed. This can be as simple as being stuck somewhere and instead of playing on your phone, you do some proactive day dreaming. Or as complex as turning your perspective upside down for a week – like making the negatives into a positive and the positives finding their negatives. This reversal of thinking helps you see hidden cycles and scenarios. Side note- Do not make big decisions, start projects or relationships this week.
Three of Pentacles – The Three of Pentacles advises collaboration and practicing your skills on work with others. The “work” you do is better if you have another set of eyes to look it over and give you some pointers. Listen to others advice this week; it will give you deeper insight into projects and problems/solutions.
*Wheel of Fortune – The Wheel of Fortune is the card of karmic change. This week look for karmic intervention in your life. These are signs post of places that need changing. This can look as simple as you lose your keys three times in a row, so you need to get a place to hang your keys on when you get to your house. Or as complex as figuring out what is not working in your life by playing the mind game – What would you do if you won 100 million dollars, and then get to work making some of that happen with the salary you have now.
Eight of Swords – The Eight of Swords is the card of binding yourself with your thought patterns. This week it is time to let go of your negative thoughts. This challenge can be tricky and disguised, for your thoughts are as smart as you are. An example of a negative thought could be wrapped up in judgement of others which in turn allows you to overly judge yourself.
*Empress – The Empress foretells this is a great week to begin something that will grow over the next 9 to 10 months. This card comes when it is advantageous to cultivate your life in a way that is more comforting and relaxed way of life. The Empress also advise that you indulge all your senses this week. By doing so, your five/six senses will help you find the places or projects you want to grow. This can be as simple as planting a garden or as complex as planting seeds for the next cycle of your life. The challenges simple or complex are enjoying your growing pains and process along the gestation period, and it will take time to grow to a place where you can enjoy its bounty.
Three of Swords – The last two weeks you had Judgment, the card of evolution shedding your skin, molting your feathers, or wrapping up in a cocoon to evolve into the next phase of your journey. And the Lovers having you choose who gets to ride with you into this next stage. The Three of Swords continues this theme but is siding more with the challenges of Judgement and the Lovers. You have 3 negative thought patterns that are keeping you from your heart’s desire. It is hard to let go of some of our thoughts, but this week now is the time to pull out the thorn and do some healing. So you can evolve into the newer you.
Page of Cups– Time to put on your rose-colored glasses and bring out that set of unicorns to play with. This week the Page of Cups is wanting you to drop some of your sarcasm and cynicism and spread some joy around the office, home and/or neighborhood. Love and hope literally starts with you this week.
*Moon – The Moon card comes to light when you need to investigate the darker parts of your subconscious – lighting a fear. This anxiety or fear can be grounded in truth, and the Moon’s reflective light reveals the fact or fantasy of it. This can look as simple as if you are walking down the street and get a hint that someone is following you, don’t blow it off. Walk with courage to a well lite area with people, say Hi to someone and then turn around. Or a more complex situation of confronting an anxiety and dissecting it to see if it is based in reality. In both scenario your intuition and feelings are something to listen to but not let them overwhelm you.
Eight of Cups – The Eight of Cups is the spring-cleaning card. This card can literally mean you need to do some spring cleaning in your home or metaphorically any area of your life. Open the windows air, out your linens, and vacuum the dust bunnies from under your bed. There is a witchy ritual where you sweep out your front door sweep out the bad vibes. If you don’t have a broom to do that then at least clean out the bag/canister in your vacuum cleaner.
Five of Wands – Second five in a row, so let’s dive into the meaning of five. Fives are the cards of chaos where the chaos brings out things that are hidden or things that can sweep us away. Last week the chaos had you uncovering the positive and negatives in your life and asking you to choose the positive perspective. This week the Five of Wands looks at the chaotic energy you allow in from others. You have a choice whether to play in the chaos or simple turn around and walk away. The challenge with either choice is not getting swept up into or trigger by the drama of others.
Ten of Cups – The Ten of Cups is the rainbow card. It advises us to celebrate even after a storm. The challenge is seeing that happiness is not the absence of pain. Pain can co-exist with happiness without canceling it out.
Page of Cups – Time to pull out your rose-colored glasses. The Page of Cups advises you that this week no matter what happens to find the silver lining and the rainbow. You need an injection of naivety, play and an innocent perspective, even though that grumpy lion-ic side wants to roar. This week it’s all about your inner cub.
*Hierophant – This is card that Virgo feels comfortable in as long as you don’t get to self-critical. The Hierophant advise you to work on structures and efficiency this week. This can look as simple as oiling the door hinge that squeaks. Or as complex as fixing your money or schedule so that you are no longer broke at the end of the month or too tired at the end of the week.
Three of Wands – The Three of Wands advise you to do some planning before diving into projects this week. The best use of this time is focusing on how to make the work run smoothly. Think of yourself as the guy on the tarmac that guides the plane into the gate. The challenge is having foresight and peripheral vision for things to line up.
Two of Pentacles – Juggling is the name of the game this week with the Two of Pentacles. The challenge with this card is getting too brash. Make sure you start out simple and have two items/things/people on your plate and once you do that well then you can add another “ball” to the mix. This week a misstep can be a mishap.
Seven of Coins – The Seven of Coins is the worker bee card. This week’s energy is best used working your butt off. All the things you do and partake in this week fertilize and grow your productivity for the coming summer months. This is a week to start projects/plant seeds, weed projects in progress, exchange seeds, direct people in helping to tend the garden, water relationships, etc… Use this gardening metaphor to the fullest so you can harvest in the Fall.
Queen of Swords – Last week the Hierophant and Eight of Wands had some spiritual messages having you create a deeper meaning and structure to your life. Lucky for you the Queen of Swords is helping you with another week of this esoteric challenge. She is the card of critical thinking. So, take this week to do some Socratic questioning on the concepts of meaning itself to help complete the blueprint of the structures that you need.
Six of Swords – Last week, the Justice card said all things are just and fair, but it may take a while to see it play out. Justice challenged you to see the truth in situations and yourself without the lens of emotion. Reminding you that you can’t control every aspect of this life and by letting go of some of the control you let Justice takes its course justly. This concept still rings true this week. The only added advice that the Six of Swords is giving is to “let go” you need to simplify your life. Also, this card reminds you if you are stuck in how to do that, water either its rhythm or water itself can help you realize where and what to pare down.
Eight of Coins –The Eight of Coins is the card of mastery. You challenge is to use this energy to up your game at how you make money. Whether that is learning a new skill, honing an old skill, networking, refreshing your website/LinkedIn page, etc.., it is all business this week.
The Page of Swords represents the act of gathering information and doing it subtly. This info is important to your future; however, gather your intel more behind the scenes than usual.
The Seven of Cups represents imagination and dreams. Take this week to envision imagine your dream goals. Use all your senses to conjure up what it will feel, smell, sound and look like.
This week you will come to a cross-roads. The Two of Swords tells you now is the time to trust your intuition and make a decision. You have been going back and forth long enough. The funny thing with this card, no matter which road you pick you will end up in the same place. This card is about the journey. The destination is already set.
The Sun card is still shining on you. Last week, the Sun foretold that something you started around February 18th needs tending again. The Nine of Wands is the card of preparation. This gives you another week to gather your resources and continue to work on last week’s project(s).
Whatever you learned last week with the Page of Pentacles the Queen now wants you to start move forward with what you have learned. This Queen is the kinder less pressing version of the Empress. Anything you create this week will be more helpful in the short-term rather than the long. And remember help is help in any form.
The Page of Wands tells you that your energy is being drained. To ignite your passion again take a romp in the woods, color, go to a concert. These kind of activities are necessary to rekindle your fire.
The Hanged Man comes when inertia sets in and there is nothing to do but wait it out. The best way to handle a Hanged Man week is either to go totally off course and do a short project, or to look at what is on your plate now with a different perspective. This is not a week to start anything.
Yippee you all finally get a break. The Ten of Pentacles card says that you have done a good job these past four weeks and it is time to bask in your success. You get this week off so enjoy what you have sown.
Last week, the Justice card challenged you to see how to champion justice with the mind and spirit and not with the heart and sword. This week, the Moon card is having you investigate and add integrity to the mix. The Moon is about things that are hidden, coming to light. So you will start to see that the Justice you sought last week is becoming illuminated. The big challenge with this card is to make sure the justice you serve isn’t backed by the dark side of the Moon – the subconscious and/or overly emotional motives. So the clearer you are of why you are championing this cause, the better protector you will be.
The Sun continues to shine for you this week with the focus of the Ten of Wands. You have come to a place where you have completed something but you are not letting it go. Is this the perfectionist in you? Or are you afraid of where to go next? The Ten of Wands challenge is to release the projects that are finished, so you can continue growing the things that actually need work.
The Eight of Pentacles is the card of mastery. Your challenge this week is to master a skill. This week is all about practice, practice practice.
Okay, this is an interesting week for you all. You got the Star which is the card of hope and success. and you got the Ten of Swords which is not listening to your instincts about people who end up hurting you. So your big picture is you are on the right path, keep going, and follow the Star, and then in the details “beware of enemies bearing gifts.”
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