One of my top ten exhibits at a museum, aquarium, or zoo is the jellyfish exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium. If you can’t go, they have live web-cams of the jellies.  Jellyfish are carnivorous Medusa forms making up the major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellies pulsate their bell shape to move around and use their stinging tentacles to capture prey. Their body diameter ranges from one millimeter to 2 meters (6.6ft) not including tentacles. The longest jelly is the Lion’s Mane with tentacle length that can get to 120ft. The heaviest is Nomura’s jelly. It can weigh up to 400 lbs.

Jellyfish are found in every ocean from the top to the bottom. They have traversed the seas for at least 500-700 million years making them the oldest multi-organ animal. Jellies are a huge part of the oceans food chain from the variety of animals that eat them and scavenge their carcasses on the “deep ocean” floor. They also are a primary food source for 3 species of turtles.

This is one of the problems with plastic bags. The majority of plastic bags are petroleum based and do not biodegrade and many end up in the world’s oceans. Leatherback turtles, who feed mostly on jellies, think plastic bags are their prey. When they ingest them, the bags cause blockage in their digestive system and eventual death. According to the US EPA, Americans use more than 380 billion plastic bags each year. That’s 38 percent of the worldwide number, one trillion, produced. It takes 32 million barrels of oil to produce this many bags each year. And scientist are starting to find plastic in the fish we eat. So when you are given the choice of paper or plastic, spend the money and buy one of the reusable bags that are at every store. It saves trees, oil, the turtles and possible us.

P.S. For all you email subscribers who click to my site, there will be a little something extra in your email box in this week. Remember, when signs have * it’s a big week for you.

Aries – Five of Wands – Last week I hope you had time to “lighten your load,” because chaos returns this week. In the Dali deck, butterflies symbolize illusion. And the Five of Wands has butterflies all over it. Five of Wands means that the chaos you feel is not real or not yours; therefore, you have the power to release disorder from your life this week. When you start to feel chaotic, your challenge is look for the source of that feeling. Ask questions like: Is it someone else’s chaos that you are allowing in? Is the chaos not really that big of a thing, but you are tired and can’t handle it right now? Are you feeling guilt for not wanting to do it? Once you find the source you can detangle yourself from there.

*Taurus – The Fool – Last week you got the Eight of Pentacles telling you to “get into the zone” because that is the birth place of your epiphanies. The Fool is the big brother to last week’s card. The Fool’s lesson is about being in the moment with ease. And for earthy Taurus, this is best done while “doing.” This week your challenge is to practice your mindfulness in your daily life and to loosen up. For your mindfulness exercise it can be as simple as mindfully rake up leaves, washing dishes or cutting your vegetables for diner. For exercises in loosening up, you can do silly walks in your hallway, make funny faces at yourself in the mirror, or wiggle your body for 30 seconds while saying “milk” over and over. Your goal is to find yourself becoming aware and enjoy being in your skin.

Gemini – Ten of Cups – The last two weeks have been heavy mental hitters. First with the Star healing you and then with the Moon getting you to reconnect and appreciate your shadow self as the place of germination of creativity. After that weighty cerebral work you need a break in the lesson of the Ten of Cups- happiness. Your challenge is to physical bring joy into your life. So this week, your exercise is to activate happiness in your senses. This can look like baking bread which can fulfill both taste and smell, taking a scented milk bath – smell and touch, or watching the sunset while drinking a great glass of wine- sight and taste. Your dual nature does well with pairing two senses at a time. But fair warning, if you do more than two at a time, you will lose the nuanced joy of these simple combinations. In-joy!

*Cancer – Hierophant – So the last two weeks have been about planning and imaging what your life will look like as you approach September 2018. The Hierophant arrives to help you create the structure that can support this plan. The Hierophant’s lesson is about create structures that support a balance of work and play. The Hierophant’s biggest challenge is making structures to be flexible and expandable. This is a vital lesson for Cancers. Just as the crab needs to go through its soft shell phase to grow so do you. Remember, you are the most creative when you show your vulnerability, so scheduled a place and time where you can do that growth safely.

Leo – Queen of Wands – Lessons around perspective, creativity, and planning continue this week with the Queen of Wands. Last week, hopefully you got to loosen up your imagination. Now that the Queen is here, you can put this creative energy to use. The challenge is to get into the “nitty-gritty” of a project without losing your big picture perspective. This can be just as simple as looking up from your computer screen every 30 minutes or as complex as creating the first piece of art that is the core to your next show.

*Virgo – The Hermit – Last week you started to learn the skills of 90 degree detours and to focus on what’s ahead of you rather than behind. Now, The Hermit is here to let you have some well-earned rest and time for you to integrate what you have learned. The Hermit’s lessons are around the duality of inner and outer perceptions. Pondering and thinking is actual a great way for you to relax. If you can do this pondering without turn it into how guilty or no good you are. So take this advice from Maya Angelou “Every person needs to take one day away.  A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future.” So allow yourself some time to pull away and do some navel gazing.

Libra – Ace of Wands – Ok this week you will be working with that vision board again. The Ace of Wands is challenging you to take one vision and start to make it happen in your life. (A short reading but maybe not so simple.)

 

Scorpio – Four of Pentacles – The past two weeks have been some big weeks for you. First the Moon had you find hidden treasure in yourself, and Strength had you find who and what gives you energy. This week you are going to put some of those treasures to work. The Four of Pentacles warns you that the feeling like there is not enough of you and resources to go around is true. The challenge this week is about discerning which projects deserve which resources and when. Just remember that everything does not need or deserve your energy this week. Use your resources wisely.

*Sagittarius – Temperance – You all have been non-stop since mid August and your mojo is not flowing easily. You all need to do some re-alignment or you are going to burn out by the end of the year. The lesson from Temperance is to cool your jets and create some balance and harmony in your life. So, Temperance challenges you to pick the two most important things that need to get done this week and do them. And then re-connect with your mojo by not sweating the small stuff. Like finding a parking space – just ask your angel for some help- a space will open up. Then you need to spend the rest of the time getting some balance back in your life, so that Sagittarian good luck can be back in full force.

Capricorn – Six of Wands – Last week the Ace of Wands asked you – What lights your fire but also sustains it? This week the Six of Wands is challenging to now do the project/activity/work that actually lights and sustains your fire. And if the project/activity/work isn’t doing that, why are you winning somebody else’s game?

Aquarius – Eight of Wands – The Eight of Wands is challenging you to spend this week giving and receiving good news. The lesson is to notice and receive all the good that is happening in your life. To do that, your exercise this week is when something nice happens to you- pass it on. If someone holds a door open for you, smile at the next stranger. If your child gives you a big hug, pass it on to your partner. If someone gives you a compliment, pass a compliment to the next person you talk to. If you get paid this week, give to charity or buy lunch for a homeless person .   Consciously receive and spread the love.

Pisces – King of Wands – The theme of truth continues with the King of Wands. He is about ruling your life with integrity. He is asking – Are you being honest with yourself about how you want to rule your world? Do your thoughts match your deeds? If they do not which one (thought or deed) does not align with your goals. An example could be – you need space to do your work. The solution could be as simple as you putting up a dog gate into your kitchen, or as complex as you making sure your personal boundaries are whole. And if those borders are crossed, do you have an unbiased lawful system that can deal with the intruder?

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

Nina