Laura Knight was a ceiling smashing artist at the beginning of the 1900’s.  She became the first woman elected to a full membership of the Royal Academy in 1936 and the first to get her own retrospective exhibition there though it took 30 more years to obtain that.  One of her first controversially pieces, above, was Self portrait with a nude (see Aries) .  This portrait shows herself painting a nude. This was to retaliate the rule that women were only allowed to paint nude forms by casts or copying existing drawings.   The painting composition is not only the finest but also intriguing.

She continued her rebellious nature by the choice of her subjects of portraits.  Many of her portrait studies were from marginalized people of the time doing either the highly unusual or the mundane, like having a woman with cropped hair holding a gun, gypsies, people of color, circus people, or more famously woman working in military.   Why is it still shocking seeing these portrays today – is it because these population are still marginalized and stereotyped so when we see them, we are still “amazed?”

P.S.  Remember signs with an * it a big week for you.

Aries

Four of Cups – The Four of Cups, another week where your emotions take the forefront.  This week the Four of Cups advises taking time pondering yourself, and here is the challenge also pondering your place in the world.  You hold many of the keys this week, but one is beyond your everyday personal space.  So, take a moment not only to look in but also to look out.

Taurus

Six of Coins – The Six of Coins is the mini karma card.  Be aware that especially this week that your interactions with others and your environment will ripple out and come back to you three-fold.  So, the nicer and more caring you are for the environment and people around you, the more positive the world will be towards you.  The challenge -this of course also works with negative energy.

Gemini

Queen of Cups – Kindness and compassion is the key to this card.  Not only to those around you but also to yourself.  The challenge with this card is you can’t do either with goals or expectations.  This card is just a challenge to exercise your heart muscle.

Cancer

Eight of Coins – This is your second eight in a row so let’s just check into the meaning of eights.  Eights are the cards that challenge improving and releasing.  Last week the cups ask you to release; this week the Coins ask you to improve.  The Eight of Coins advises honing the skill of getting into the zone, whether that is at work or play – trying for mastery is the key.  The challenge perfection is unobtainable.

Leo

Page of Coins – The Page of Coins advises that you need to keep an open mind this week.  Learning is the key that will help you with work.  The challenge – open mind, open ears, open heart.

Virgo

Knight of Cups – Oh this one is challenging for you all.  The Knight of Cups is inspiring you all to be vulnerable this week. What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.  Brene Brown

Libra

Ace of Swords –It is a great week to be the philosopher and ponder on the bigger questions in life.  Your challenge is for your mind to think in ways it hasn’t thought before.  Also, if you have been holding off on a decision, this is the time to make it.

Scorpio

*Empress – The Empress is the card of growth and mothering.  This card wants for you all to reconnect with the person that was the most motherly to you – even in spirit if they no longer reside on this plane.  The challenge, however, is finding and cultivating those “motherly” qualities in yourself. Not only for providing support and compassion for others but also giving you an internal source to dip into when you need it.

Sagittarius

Queen of Wands – The Queen of Wands advises that nature and magic are key to you this week.  This card challenges you to conjure up some magic to ignite your imagination.  Whether that is a walk in the woods to find fairies, pondering a starry night for UFOS, or putting socks under your bed for monsters.   The more magical your thinking the freer your mind becomes from the mundane.

Capricorn

Three of Swords – The Three of Swords ask you to be honest with your emotional thinking.  This card asks you to let go of some thought patterns that are not working.  The challenge is sitting with that emptiness – not fill it back up with another thought or emotion- so your mind and heart can heal.

Aquarius

*Tower – The Tower is the card of destruction from an outside force that make you start anew.  This card comes up when something needs to be fixed that you have been putting off.  The best way to head off a possible catastrophe is to fix the problem.  This can be as simple as fixing that door handle that keeps falling off, scheduling in some “me time” so you don’t burn out, or as complex as have that hard talk with a love one before frustration burns down the house.

Pisces

Nine of Swords – The Nine of Swords is the card of excess thinking and worry.  The challenge with this card is to figure out which worries you can fix and put them on a to-do list (out of your head-space) and the rest to put on a list and flush them (you can literally flush then if you put them on TP).  Another exercise is when a worry comes up replace it with a song or image that makes you smile or even better laugh.  The point being making more room for quiet contemplation instead of yammering worries.

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

Nina