Today is Mother’s Day. By taking the gender out of the day, this is about recognizing the nurturers in our lives. Nurturing is the process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something. They can be your mother, a nurse, a partner, teacher, Mother Earth, a friend, a gardener, or your child… to name a few.
This week’s artist is Uemura Shoen (Uemura Tsune). She is considered a major innovator in the bijin-ga style. Shoen grew up in a time when women were admired for painting but only behind closed doors. Her mother, a widow, nurtured Shoen’s desire to become a painter by defying cultural norms. She let her paint in the corner of her tea shop, were Uemura soon became recognized for her painting skills. At age 12, Shoen’s mother sent her to study under Suzuki Shonen a famous Chinese landscape artist. By 15, Uemura became famous for the purchasing of her painting The Beauty of Four Seasons by the son of Queen Victoria.
Shoen was drawn to the bijin-ga style of painting. Bijin-ga, beautiful woman pictures, were produced from the 17th century to the 19th century and were exceedingly popular with the middle class. They traditionally depicted courtesans or “women” Noh performer (all the woman roles were played by men). However, Shoen chose celebrating ordinary woman and often portraying them doing domestic chores or dressing up in their finery. This elevated the women cultural, from lower-class citizens to beautiful and unique. Shoen paid forward the nurturing of her mother to all women.
Thank you, nurturers for giving us space to grow!
P.S. Signs with an * it 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.
May light be on you, around you, and within you,
Nina
Aries
Four of Cups – This is your second four, so let us dive just a bit into fours. Four is the number of stability. Last week you needed to relax to increase your stability. This week is you need to withdraw. A retreat is needed. A time for reworking what is necessary to maintain your strength in the coming months. With that idea in hand you will feel less apathetic and more apt to action.
Taurus
Five of Coins – Some weeks are harder than others, so do not be shock if this week comes at you relentlessly. The best way to work with this energy is to ask for help. Assistance is there though you will need to exchange coinage in some form. This can be as easy as baking cookies for your helper or picking up milk for them when you run to the store.
Gemini
Two of Swords – This week’s energy is full of crossroads decisions, which you cannot avoid. If you come to an impasse, remember make the decision based on how you would feel once you have started on this path. Or another way to see this, the decision is more about the journey than the destination.
Cancer
*Magician – This week’s energy is about bring the divine down into practical applications. Use your resourcefulness and skills to create action. Now is a great time to conjure up next steps. The challenge is that the product needs to not only benefit you but has components that benefit others.
Leo
King of Cups – Careful this is a moody week for you. The energy around you can set you off easily and you may come across as uncaring. So, the challenge is finding balance by being compassionate with yourself. This is not time apologizing for your behavior, but it is a perfect time being vulnerable and tell people how you are feeling. And if they can’t take f@$% them. Figuratively or literally.
Virgo
Two of Coins – It is a balancing act this week. It is essential that you figure out your priorities and then cut that list in half. The key to this week’s energy is flexibility and avoiding overwhelming yourself. This is not a week to multitask or jump from one project to the next.
Libra
*Fool – This week has the energy creating new beginnings if you are not reckless or naïve in its undertaking. If you feel you do not have all that you need to begin a project, now is not the time to rely on seat of the pants logic or free-spirited spontaneity. This week needs planning and preparation before embarking on a new project or direction.
Scorpio
Page of Cups – The energy this week is full of possibilities if you can only be vulnerable and follow your heart. Pull out your rose-colored glass and look for the good. The more positive and open hearted you are the easier solutions will be found. Open heart – Open mind.
Sagittarius
Nine of Swords – Last week you were dealing with the card of change and awakenings. It wanted you to find your fissures, fix what is fixable, and if too broken then it is time for a significant change. Luckily, you have another week to work on this. The energy this week of letting go helps you cope with the strains and fractures of your structures. Worry only about the things you have control to change.
Capricorn
Six of Coins – The energy this week is about investing and receiving. Share and you receive in return, but be warned that goes for good and bad energy. The challenge with this exchange is that it takes a serpentine and circuitous route coming back. So, receiving the gold or the coal can be from surprise sources.
Aquarius
*Wheel of Fortune – It is time to take a bit of control over your destiny by just showing up. Yes karma, fate and luck all come into play this week and nothing is a guarantee. But just indicating your wants will give you that bit of control you need and even the odds more in your favor.
Pisces
Page of Swords – A piece to the puzzle is hidden that you will need to solve a conundrum(s). Using your charm will get you the needed information. Be aware this hiding is not to undermine you. It is done out of ignorance. Also be warned, your intuition is likely to miss some of the facts. This week intellect is your ally.
This week is Solstice; where darkness is at its height in the northern hemisphere, and light reigns in the southern. The Photographs above and below are from Roadside Lights by the artist 
The Sun represents growth and positivity, so this week should feel amazing. Though there are a few challenges: you might feel some growing pains, it might be hard to feel positive in all the rush or while you are growing you could overshadow someone’s else growth. This can look as simple as finding all your x-mas presents just make sure you don’t butt in line to grab the deal. Or this can look as complex as growing your confidence but doing it in a way that others don’t feel left out. The big lesson is Shine without Shadowing.
This is an interesting combination. The Empress is the card of creation and the Moon is the card of things hidden. This week is like tending your night-blooming flowers. There is more creation happening in the dark of your subconscious and/or solitude, than with the light and society. This can look as simple/complex as doing some stream of consciousness writing, collage, black-out poetry, cleaning out your fridge/freezer and making some new culinary dish, or writing down your dreams. The challenge letting out new creations that are waiting to spring up from your subconscious.
The Knight of Cups swoops in to advise you to get in touch with your emotions. This is a great week to take a deep dive in to what is driving your emotions. If you don’t like what you see, kick it out and if you do, feed it. If you are having a hard time tapping into your emotions watch Elf, It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street or The Grinch.
The Ace of Pentacles are new beginning on the material plane. This is a great week to start a new project, change jobs, move, try new recipes, start a new exercise regime. Look at what you want to grow or change on the material plane
Hmm your second 8 in a row so let’s take a gander at 8s for a minute. Eights in numerology mean manifestation through mastery. Last week the Eight of swords want you to master your negative thoughts. This week the Eight of Pentacles wants you to master something on the material plane. This look like a project, money, or deal coming together. Focus more on doing then, how it gets done. Trust yourself you are skilled.
This week has all the potential for being fantastic, if you can just get out of your own way and shine. Leave your ego and your mind on the curb and let life take you to some new places. You will find more grace and enlightenment if you follow you spirit and your heart. This can look as simple/complex as taking a walk/ride to see Holiday lights, going to a holiday party with someone you like, buying candy canes and giving them to every homeless person you pass, or staying at home getting cozy with nog and a book. The challenge with doing any of these things is thinking yourself out of it like: holiday lights are a stupid competition, yuck parties, the homeless need homes not candy, or I’m lazy. This week is about using your judgment to enjoy joy.
The Queen of Swords is about strategy in all you do. Need to get holiday gifts – make a list of what you need and then map out the best path. Need to get a project done – hire a babysitter so you can pull a long day, so you don’t have to do work during the holidays. If you are traveling pack early and preorder your taxi. This week can get hectic but a good battle plan will get you through it.
Holidays can be hard for all the water signs because there are a lot of emotions swimming around good or bad – yours or others. It can be draining. This week might push on your emotions, so you pull inward. And you can do that if you don’t do it all week. The challenge is to see that contemplation is fine if you look up and out to reorient to the positive. If you find yourself going to far inward call a friend to take you out for a hot tottie or tea. Love and laughter are the keys this week.
You are finishing out your birth month with the Ten of Pentacles or the prosperous kingdom card. The coming year has the Magician calling for creation and the Hanged Man calling for new and unique perspectives. All tens are summation cards so 2019 is a place where not only are you creating new and unique projects, traveling to new roads, but it is about enjoying your all that you have done to get to this place. This week is your first step in seeing how prosperous your kingdom is. Enjoy the bounty.
It’s a balancing act this week. Balancing intake with outtake, rest and activities, food and water, society and solitude. If you feel off kilter it is a sign to stop and ground yourself. This is a good card to practice going into your birth month.
Two of Cups is the card of relationships. Take time this week to have one on ones with people you love. You need to reconnect with the people you hold dear. The challenge is to truly be there with them. This can be hard with the hectic holiday season, but it will fill your cup more than drain it. Think small intimate moments than grand gestures.
The Ten of Wands is about putting too much on your plate because of a sense of obligation. This week is more about doing a few things well, than doing a bunch of things half-ass. The challenge is giving yourself a break. Lay down at least two of your to-dos on your list. You can pick them back up next week if they don’t fade away before that.
The Strength card last week seems to be your birth year card, so throughout the year you will be tested or learn ways to strengthen all aspects of your life. The Strength card energy this week is with the King of Pentacles. This card wants you to strengthen the activities that ground you. This King asks you if you don’t believe in what you do for money than why are you doing it? And if you do than be proud of the path you have chosen.
The Queen of Pentacles is all about healthy indulgences and creating spaces of comfort. Do things that pamper you this week. The more you do for yourself the more you will be ready to be there for others.
The Sun continues to shine this week for you with the focus on home life. The Four of Wands challenges you to make your home a place where people and things can grow. This is a great week to Spring Clean or bring nature into your abode. Throw open your windows no matter the temperature you need to let some fresh air into your life.
This is the second time the Sun has “shone” up for you this year. Look back and see what you started around February 18th that needs tending again. The Sun foretells that you will find success in what you have started. If things aren’t growing or moving, this means you are missing only the last piece to the puzzle and with the light of your conscious mind you will find it.
The Page of Pentacles declares that this week you should spend your time hitting the books. The challenge is to be open to learn something new. You will find that you will need that knowledge in your near future.
The Three of Cups challenges you to go get your friends and hang out this week. Yep that is right your challenge is to enjoy this week. Since this card has shown up twice this year, seems you need to hang out with friends more constantly.
You are carrying too much again Libra. Time to let go of some of your duties and obligations. The Ten of Wands warns that you have chosen to take on more burden then is necessary or healthy. Lighten your load this week. Even letting go of one thing will make you feel better.
This is the fourth pivotal week in your life. Last week Death returned to push you to learn how to work with the environment to make change that sticks. Now the Devil is here in all his glory trying to divert you from that path. This week people, events, environment, and even that little voice in your head will try to sidetrack you. Keep strong. Keep to your integrity. And Keep moving forward.
Justice is the card of fair play. Here is the interesting thing with Sagittarius and the Justice card, you both believe in fairness and equality and are willing to fight for it. But Sagittarius, like their forebears the centaurs, you have a bit of a wild streak. When you think you are right, well, you all can get a bit fiery about it. Where Justice card many times teaches us to let karma take its natural course. So your challenge this week is to see how to champion justice with the mind and spirit and not with the heart and sword.
Success is on the horizon for you. The Sun is here to help you grow anything you put your focus on. The question is where do you want to direct your gaze first? This is a big karma card so take your time but don’t let your dreams wither away with indecision.
The Queen of Cups is all about the 3 Cs: calm, compassion, and comfort. The challenge is to make sure you have at least two out of the three first then you can spread it around.
The Ace of Cups of cups heralds the beginnings of emotional fulfillment. The challenge with this card this week is seeing that no matter how full the cup that it is “good to the last drop.”
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