By Sarah Taylor

These words came to me last week when I looked at the Princess of Swords:

“[H]ere you are, the Princess of Swords. You’ve come through and there is a new aspect to your experience. You’ve achieved something, even if you can’t quite yet believe it’s happened. Yep. That’s you. You’ve demonstrated your chops and earned your stripes.

“Own it, baby.

“You’re not going to get mystified by that one again — your eye-woven headdress will make sure of that. You may step towards it, you may step into it. You won’t stay there for long. It will no longer be tolerable, and you’ll be inclined to speak out, strike out, refuse to take that shit anymore.”

Princess of Swords, Nine of Swords, The Hanged Man from The Röhrig Tarot deck, created by Carl-W. Röhrig. Click on the image for a larger version.

Well, of course: when you step up and declare to yourself, to others, and to the world that you are most certainly not going to take that shit again — what would a rational, compassionate, and accommodating universe do but help you prove that? What would it do but concoct an experience of just what you’re used to — tailored just to your experience — so that you then have the choice as to whether you want to:

a) step towards it,
b) step into it, and/or
c) decide how long you want to stay in it, if at all; or
d) walk away?

You are at choice here. Completely at choice. It may feel that you have little or no option when you’re in the thick of it, bile rising in the back of your throat, sword drawn, ready to charge into battle. Or, it may not seem like a battle. Things may be entirely courteous on the surface. Smiles and waves; voiced approvals; all the right things being said.

But if you catch yourself thinking to yourself that it has a familiar feeling at its core; or that you’re in “Same shit, different day” territory; or it looks different but smells entirely like it always has, congratulate yourself. You are earning your stripes. You spoke out and took a stand. Now you have something to take a stand against.

However —

There’s a catch, all-seeing, mighty warrior and liberator.

That battle party you’re steeling yourself for that’s waiting up ahead? It’s you. You’re the catch. A part of you is waiting for you in the bushes at the edge of the pathway and it has a trip-rope at the ready. That beautiful, steadfast, faithful shadow-fighter in you who is vigilantly looking out for you, hand on sword hilt, just itching to strike out against that next move in your direction. It has such good intentions. But this time, you know that aspect of yourself all too well: it isn’t striking out at others. It is striking out at shadows. Your own shadows.

In other words: if you feel you’re being drawn into battle with someone or something, ask yourself first if the truth is that you’re really being drawn into a battle with yourself over something that no longer exists in the way it used to. And if that makes sense to you, face that part of yourself; thank it, and then move on and round it.

You do not have to step into this noose. This time, it does not have to be for you. Self-criticism, compulsion, remorse, regret — none of these is at all necessary.

Suffering is optional. Doing the same thing, again and again, is optional. Believing that you are not free already is optional.

That sword you’re holding in your hand is sharp. You can use it constructively. How can you parse matter? How can you slice away to discern truth? How can you cut to the heart of what really means something to you?

How does your vision help to shape your world?

How can you take what you have and know, and use it, to make that world happen, and right now?

Right now, you can choose to take a different step. Knowing you have freedom of choice is the greatest freedom of all.

Astrology/Elemental correspondences: Princess of Swords (the earthy aspect of air), Nine of Swords (Mars in Gemini), The Hanged Man (Neptune)

If you want to experiment with tarot cards and don’t have any, we provide a free tarot spread generator using the Celtic Wings spread, which is based on the traditional Celtic Cross spread. This article explains how to use the spread.

This week I walked in for my tarot reading shift at this incredible little shop in Seattle and realized it was a rock shipment day. More specifically, my coworker was in the process of unpacking about two dozen shiva lingam stones.

Photo by graywacke/A Landing a Day

These stones are pulled from a specific river and made in the shape of a phallus and come in all different sizes. They represent the divine masculine and feminine energies coming together and pack quite the punch.

We tend to have a lot of fun with shipments of stones. This one was no exception, especially seeing as we unpacked a few 12-inch, very girthy specimens. My coworker and I both being of the very feisty Leo variety enjoyed playing with and flaunting the energy of the stones as it permeated the store.

We are also of the quite-empowered-in-our-sexuality-and-unashamed-about-it variety. Our type seems to be coming to the forefront, especially as more women choose to remain single into their thirties. In many ways, it’s as if we have had no choice but to focus on self-empowerment.

Looking back on this latest Venus retrograde period, I’m quite intrigued by how body-focused it was for me; restricted diet, no caffeine or marijuana and very little alcohol. I felt myself coming into my body with a clarity I’ve never experienced before. It felt like an immense blessing, reinvigorating my commitment to walking the path of a paradigm-shifter and allowing that decision to infuse the essence of who I am at all levels.

I also swore off of sexual and intimate interaction with other people. It felt incredible just to be in my own energy and realign my values with an emphasis on taking care of myself at the physical level first and foremost.

Saturn through Scorpio took me for such an often-excruciatingly emotional ride that everything ended up feeling empty and dead. My sex drive went away entirely for a little bit there. This was an entirely foreign experience for me, but a necessary part of healing.

Venus retrograde was like a reset button for my entire being with Saturn providing the necessary discipline and motivation I needed to focus on health and purification. Now I have a more visceral sense of the merging of the divine feminine and the divine masculine within me, giving me some hope that I might get to do some of that conscious co-creating I keep writing about.

One of the areas I’m most passionate about is sexuality and relationship. I don’t write about it here very often but it is a primary focus in the work I do. A friend and I had a conversation the other day about the observation that our culture is changing so rapidly, and new ways of thinking and being emerging so quickly, that it almost seems like we’re facing trial by fire. We were speaking specifically about sex and love and the ways a fiery essence can make things feel more enticing and possible than normal. The opportunities to just let go and flow into new ways of being seem to be surrounding us all the time.

I revisit a conversation about non-monogamy with my therapist pretty frequently. He often reminds me that there are reasons our societal structures exist in the forms they’re in; that the institutions of marriage and family exist because relationships are hard, child-rearing is hard, and we need rules and models.

Sometimes it seems like he uses that “they’re hard” argument as justification for the status quo, which makes me bristle. To me, the fact that they’re hard combined with the fact that our current institutions seem to be breaking down quite rapidly indicate that we need to encourage exploration into other ways of doing relationship.

Imagine if it was the norm to have an entire network of support around a child — extended maternity leave, aunts, uncles, friends and mentors who not only help out with child care but provide the child with alternate versions of whatever mom and dad are modeling. Maybe that sounds Utopian for some, but some of us are here to bring the Utopian to Earth and figure out how to make it work. Because we have to.

I live in a city with a thriving non-monogamous community. I am part of a ‘secret’ group on the book of faces that now has over 900 members — all of whom identify as or are dating someone who identifies as polyamorous. I know more non-monogamous people who are not part of that group. Every time I turn around another couple I know is opening their relationship.

To add to that, the kink community is thriving as well. People are in fact opening up to different ways of relating, of embracing their sexuality, and of experiencing both on terms that are on completely uncharted paths. We are carrying forward the experiments of the Sixties, but outside of the communes and cults. Of course there are people for whom these alternative styles are not working, but I keep coming in contact with people for whom it is working extremely well. It’s very heartening.

My period of detoxification reminded me of the importance of loving myself first, of aligning my day-to-day life and practices with my values, and of making sure that I am owning my own experience — whether it is fiery and overtly sexual or inwards and in need of down time. Now, however, in a long-awaited outward flux, I feel the hustle and bustle of my love for life and my enthusiasm for doing everything I can to lead as authentic an existence as possible. I’ll enjoy it while it’s here.

By Judith Gayle | Political Waves

It may be that when we no longer know which way to go we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.
–Wendell Berry

It’s all really confusing, isn’t it? So much suffering reported in the news, so much conflict. So many different ways to look at things. What is seemingly good is juxtaposed with what is seemingly bad, and yet things change so quickly we can’t be sure about any of it. What we consider the most awful sometimes works to good, like pictures of the lifeless body of a three-year old Syrian child that broke the immigration bottleneck, catalyzing the civilized world to open their hearts — and their border crossings — to hundreds of thousands fleeing violence in their homelands.

Those who have confused their infotainment with actual facts — you know: Obama is a Kenyan, the government is preparing concentration camps for conservatives and gun owners, the Constitution is really a religious document and all the founders were Christians — continue to scald those around them with disinformation campaigns, which should make us all suspicious when someone speaks in absolutes. Talk about a mind that’s baffled!

In Kentucky, Kim Davis has emerged from confinement and will go back to work this coming week, although her counsel has told press she will not betray her principles. It’s worthy of note that not all Republicans stand with Mrs. Davis, even some over at FOX who think she’s gone a bridge too far. At this point, the only righty candidates embracing her cause are Huck and Cruz, fighting over the photo ops and evangelical voters.

The judge has forbidden Davis to stand in the way of her deputy-clerks issuing licenses, making it clear if she should try, she will face the music. Many following the story think that Davis will end up in jail once again. Anticipating that prospect, Oath Keepers have gathered, pledging to “defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” That includes, it seems, the federal judge in Kim’s case. They intend to protect her from law enforcement, if need be, and their spokesman’s statement sets the stage: “This judge needs to be put on notice that his behavior is not going to be accepted and we’ll be there to stop it and intercede if we have to.” Home grown terrorism, armed and dangerous.

Will we finally notice that not all jihadists follow the Prophet? Some of these ‘patriots’ target anything federal, like the building in Oklahoma City. Do we need another shoot out with the fed in order to get a clear picture of the hostility and resentment from which Donald Trump is feeding?

But take heart, my dears. There are other voices being heard. In case you weren’t one of the five million viewers that tuned in for Stephen Colbert’s Late Show premier, you might want to check out this little snip on Trump-binging. I will never think of an Oreo in the same way (although the cookie seems to have shape-shifting properties, having morphed into a racial identity at one point, and occasionally serving as illustration of middle-age responsibilities, balancing care of both children and parents). While he peppered his show with fun and puns and all things Colbert, he also told a somewhat befuddled Jeb Bush there was “zero percent chance” he would vote for him. He was smiling when he said it. I think we can all agree Stephen hasn’t lost his political edge.

In fact, his new venue is giving him a broader base of response — one he has confessed his mental health had begged him for over the years — and giving us a larger view of not just the man, but his progressive view. Stephen’s quest for authenticity gives us not just a left-leaner — and as with the Stephen-charactor of yore, one willing to welcome all political positions to the floor — but one that’s unafraid to speak up for the things that inform that position.

On his third show, Colbert interviewed Joe Biden, getting straight to the heart of Joe’s emotional dilemma in entering a presidential race while still steeped in personal loss. Instead of moving quickly past Beau’s passing, Colbert urged Joe to speak to both his grief and how his faith had sustained him. Biden felt the love, aware that Stephen had also suffered personal tragedy. He lost his father and two brothers in a plane crash when he was 10, leaving his mother with nine kids to raise alone. Those who were expecting Colbert to back off from pressing Biden on his sorrow, or play it for laughs, were surprised by the pathos of the conversation. In that moment, viewers learned a number of things: how likeable Joe is, and how deep his grief, which has led to endless speculation about the possibility of a run today. We’ve also discovered that Colbert is a man of deep faith who recently referred to himself as a “devout Christian.”

Colbert nailed the Trump issue with his Oreo bit. We’re all jonesing for another hit of his bullying buffoonery, knowing that the next will be the stuff that gives shock jocks wet dreams. And how can we stop, when he tops his last example of poor behavior every time he opens his mouth?

Ben Carson, when asked to describe the differences between Trump and himself, mentioned his own dedication to his faith in God, and belief that of himself, he does nothing. Trump, who has said that he’s never asked God for forgiveness, bristled — because he does, under every circumstance. He relied on his usual answer in the face of implied criticism, that the adversary “doesn’t know me,” although lack of personal information never stopped HIM when he was throwing an insult. Then he grudgingly admitted that Ben, hard on Trump’s heels as a front-runner, was an “okay doctor.”

Okay? The guy may be deeply conservative and religious, which I routinely reject as presidential material — not to mention, as my son pointed out, much too tranquil (and black) to make the final cut — but he’s also the brilliant neurosurgeon from Johns Hopkins that successfully separated conjoined twins at the head. A little more impressive than okay, Donny. Maybe that’s why we can’t look away, we’re waiting for somebody — ANYBODY — to put this bully in his place!

Still, the Oreo response to Donald has become beyond tiresome even if we can’t seem to quit, and it works against us. Even CNN — infamous as one-trick-pony on topics that grab headlines, like missing planes, etc., running to tedium — has had an internal rebellion about covering the blowhard 24/7. Staff have complained to the boss, CNN President Jeff Zucker, that they’d like to move on to something else. Huffpost Media writes:

As John Sides at The Washington Post has pointed out, the media’s obsessive coverage of the reality TV star is precisely the reason he has risen in the polls.

[…]

CNN has basically provided Trump with hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, of free advertising.

Of course, Trump thinks he should be the one who’s getting paid. “Jeff is a friend of mine, but if I didn’t get ratings, he would not have all Trump all the time,” he recently told The Hollywood Reporter. “He should pay me a fortune, right? They should all pay me for this. I’m doing this for nothing.”

Trump knows no shame. And that, I suggest, is by design. This was also the week when Trump told Rolling Stone (and the world) that Carly Fiorina was, basically, unattractive by attacking “that face,” over and over, adding, “Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that the face of our next president?” Subsequently, he went on “The View” and told Joy Behar that he didn’t insult Fiorina personally, it was her ‘persona’ he went after. When asked by FOX’s Greta Van Susteren why he’d been so rude, Trump admitted that “Some comments are made as an entertainer and as everybody said, as an entertainer is a much different ball game.”

As an aside, Sarah Palin has been hot on Trump’s heels trying to establish herself as his most useful political groupy since this all began. The above statement from The Donald — vague, poorly structured and, certainly, counter-intuitive to his bid for being taken seriously as a candidate — has that same rambling ‘word salad‘ trait that Palin is famous for. These are people who have narcissists personalities, enamored with themselves and entirely comfortable with who they think they are. They seem bewildered that they aren’t universally appreciated for their brilliance.

So that trait — confidence born of little more than pathological self-interest — is what has captured the zeitgest of the hour, appealing to frightened women and threatened males, the majority of them white. protestant and ‘of an age.’ Both of these people are lauded for their authenticity, which seems to mean a stream of consciousness mentality that allows anything to fall out of their mouths as soon as it takes shape in their brain.

At least Trump admits, with his ‘entertainment’ commentary, that some (if not most) of what he says is bullshit. Can’t say the same for the Hillbilly from Wasilla who advised immigrants of the need to “speak American” here in the homeland. Her coziness with the Trumpster has even Glenn Beck “embarrassed I ever supported her.” Best to remember that The Donald was, among other things, a reality show host. Sarah has tried it and failed, several times, and Glenn has ‘lived out loud’ for longer than I care to examine. Birds of a feather, preening and crowing, squabbling within their own flock, looks like.

The age old question to those with power? Why do you want it? I think we know why most politicians want it, why Sarah and Donald and Cruz and Huck want it. There are others out there with power — media power — who use it in an entirely different way. It’s easy enough to consider the fruits of their labor to see how worthy they are of our trust.

Take Jon Stewart, who played the scruffy umpire in Stephen’s very entertaining lead-in this last Tuesday. Jon’s “Daily Show” was pivotal in passing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act in 2010, a badly needed response to the physical problems suffered by almost all first responders at the Towers. The 2010 Congress dragged its feet as these brave Americans died off, but Stewart wouldn’t let it die. The bill was finally passed but is now soon to expire, and there seems little interest in Congress to renew it, nor a peep of objection when it was diminished by 90 million as the Republicans decided sequester was best for America.

With no show at his disposal, Jon will still shepherd a critical renewal measure, walking the halls of Congress on 9/16, urging legislators to stand by those who stood by them. He enlisted New York’s Senator Gillibrand to join him, inviting her to one of his last episodes of “Daily” to promote the visit. Very few legislators are on board at this point and if that doesn’t sit well with you, you can urge your member of Congress at this link. I doubt there’s a politico who hasn’t used the phrase “remember 9/11” to their advantage. It’s time to pay the piper and do what’s right for those still suffering health crises and economic loss.

There are other entertainers out there, too, doing good for others. If you’ve wondered where Michael Moore’s been these many months, you have a treat in store. Those at the Toronto International Film Festival enjoyed the premier of his newest offering, Where To Invade Next. Mike calls this his “Happy Movie.” Not what it sounds like, this is a close look at policies around the world that are not just successful for their citizens, but — Mike hopes — dupicatable. They include progressive options like free college, terrific and inexpensive school lunches, expansive women’s rights, humane incarceration and more.

Much as “What do you want the power for?” is a telling question, “What have you done with it?” is a better one. Colbert took a pay cut to become part of the nightly conversation, waving a progressive banner while waking up the sleepers. Stewart continues to be a voice for betterment, and time will tell where he’ll decide to put his talent, but bet on it — he’ll be appearing again soon. Moore is still asking us to think, and making it easier by providing all the information we need.

We American’s adore being entertained. We have a love affair with the silver screen, a habit with the boob tube, and now an obsession with whatever techno-whatsis hits the market. We pay a price more dear than money, these days. The price we’re paying at the moment is confusion and disconnect from what is ethical in favor of what is trendy. For the moment, Gordon Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,” has occulted Mr. Smith’s altruistic attempt to bring humanity to Washington.

We’d do well to consider that almost all of what we see around us is configured as entertainment, and we are defined by what we ‘take in,’ what we are addicted to, and what we believe about the world. If the voices we’re listening to are false, then that’s what we become. There are entertainers like Trump and Palin and Beck, car wrecks on the information highway we can’t look away from, and then there’s entertainment like that provided by the others we’ve discussed today.

“The mind that is not baffled is not engaged.” Evolution is a messy business, and a mind that is ‘made up,’ like a bed that can’t be slept in, isn’t useful when we need it. Stay open, intuit what is worthy and create more of it! I still have my button from the ’60s that says, “Relax. It’s just a movie.” It is, and since it’s the one you’re going to put your name to, create with passion and respect and love — entertain the best and leave the rest.

In general, there are two types of discoveries: unintentional, and the kind that accrues after a conscious search. Findings you make unexpectedly are nearly always points of departure. It’s easy to miss their full meaning until later, and it’s equally easy to disregard, overlook or forget what led up to them. 

Discoveries made after a conscious search are another thing altogether. They are achievements and culminations. You know how you got there; and even if the exact results are not as anticipated, you are prepared to grasp their import.

In anticipation of a pair of eclipses this month, you might want to start looking for discoveries now. Your search need not have a direction or objective at first. It will be enough to be alert.

The first eclipse in this month’s matched pair will be a partial solar eclipse when the Sun and Moon come together for a New Moon conjunction at 20+ Virgo. That occurs shortly after 2:41 am EDT (06:41:14 UTC) this coming Sunday. Given the timing of the event, most of you reading this are likely to be in bed when the Moon obscures up to three-quarters of the Sun for lucky viewers in the Southern Hemisphere.

Since this weekend’s eclipse is the first of two, it is implicitly a point of departure. Hence, you might want to approach the event by simply being present to and mindful of events in the days before and after you go to sleep (perchance to dream) on Saturday night. That way you will be more open to unexpected discoveries to be made, whether asleep or awake. You will also be less likely to depreciate such revelations. In fact, you should be particularly alert to what would normally be distracting, and even annoying.

For example, prepare to react differently to an insect buzzing around your head. Instead of swatting, stay your hand. Stop what you are doing instead. Listen to the buzz as if it were a voice. Make an effort to distinguish the kind of bug. Think about what you did to contribute to getting buzzed in the first place. 

In other words, make an effort to appreciate moments you would not normally value or make an effort to comprehend. In addition to buzzing bugs, try the same approach with car alarms, barking dogs, solicitors, poll takers and anything else that would normally ‘bug’ you. This is not random, woo-woo advice. The astrology of this Virgo New Moon and solar eclipse implies such uncustomary conduct would be appropriate.

First off, Virgo is ruled by Mercury, which will be next door in Libra at the time of Sunday’s partial solar eclipse. As result, Mercury will be out of aspect with conjoined Sun and Moon. To put it another way, the discoveries to made at the time of this eclipse will probably be out of both sight (aspect) and mind (Mercury) for all but those who consciously choose to step outside of habit and away from distraction or denial.

The purpose of paying special attention to what would normally only annoy you is indicated by how the Virgo New Moon and solar eclipse will take place in nearly exact opposition to retrograde Chiron in Pisces.

Chiron is an object that defies easy interpretation for astrologers. It is complex, as befits its orbital parameters. It is nuanced, as indicated by its discovery chart and astronomical classification. However, there is one correlation that nearly always tells you Chiron is manifesting in your proverbial kitchen: it gets your attention.

Usually, the ways in which Chiron gets your attention correspond to buzzing bugs and other annoyances, which persist until you either appreciate them or do something about them. Perhaps that’s one reason the late, great Al Morrison referred to Chiron as “the inconvenient benefic.”

In combination with the fact that Mercury is slowing down to begin a retrograde of its own before the second (lunar) eclipse later this month, Chiron’s place in the scheme of things — essentially reflecting this weekend’s solar eclipse — would appear to suggest appreciation over action at this time.

There will be time enough to take action and make intentional searches. Most likely that time will come as you approach the total lunar eclipse in Aries which will take place overnight between Sept. 27 and 28.

For now, it will be enough to start looking and paying attention, even if you would rather look away. There are discoveries waiting to be made by those who are prepared to do so. There are unexpected events to both anticipate and (ultimately, at least) be grateful for, once you can grasp them.

Offered In Service  

Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.