 I love the website Unsplash. It is a photography website and it is from there that I often find the photos I use on my blog. One day a week or two ago I searched the photo database for “compassion” and all the photos that came up were photos of compasses. At first I was like “wtf?” but then I realized the search algorithm was taking the root word “compass” from the longer word “compassion” that I had use. And it got me thinking.
When we look for direction in like (a compass) we can find it by finding compassion. What direction leads us toward more authentic caring in this life? When I was younger I thought I needed to be so strong that I could make it. As I have gotten older I discovered that vulnerability is a source of strength, not weakness. It is better to care than to not care, definitely. The Dalai Lama says: “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” That is the direction the compass is pointing. If you are asking “where do we go from here?” The answer is toward a more compassionate life.
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I received a question this week about how do you know when to pull tarot cards? I am sure that every reader has their own method but here is what I do.
Most of my work is online. When I work in person I use a slightly different method but for online work this is what I do. I shuffle the cards until they feel “right”. Then I take the cards from the top of the deck. If I card “flies” out of the deck I will use that card for the one I would otherwise have chosen first. Sometimes I cut the deck as i shuffle and sometimes I do not. I all depends on what feels “right”. This is once again about intuition. We have to go with our gut. Often when I work with clients I answer a lot of different questions so I will pull cards quickly and reshuffle quickly so as to not waste their time but just shuffling. But there is also a certain feeling that you get when you shuffle often and you just know that the cards are ready. This is also about trust. You must trust yourself to choose the “right” cards. If you doubt that the cards are right before you even pull them you are sabotaging the success of your reading before you even begin! Do you have any special tricks or methods?  Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash Whether we realize it or not our lives are being rebuilt after the eclipses over the past month. Now it is time to truly commit to creating the life we desire. It really us up to us to choose the life we want and then to make it happen. So make a choice you can be happy to live with! We are building up to a full moon on Thursday so we may feel the intensity rising throughout the week.
Monday February 26th ~ What’s going on today: Moon in Cancer void-of-course at 2:51 PM MST until Moon enters Leo at 9:42 PM MST Get what you need to get done early in the day today since the void-of-course moon in the afternoon will not help you get things accomplished. Moon in Cancer is happy when operating from a place of security and stability in both the environment as well as emotionally. Tuesday February 27th ~ What’s going on today: Moon in Leo Venus sextile Pluto What it means: Hey sexy, how you doing? There is a flirtatious and direct energy today. Nothing shy about Venus and Pluto when they get together. Venus is relationship to relationships and love and also to money so you could be looking at important purchases or investments today as well. Questions to ask yourself: Am I making the most of my investments in terms of both money and people? How can I engage my personal power in a manner that is both fun and flirtatious? Wednesday February 28th ~ What’s going on today: Moon in Leo void-of-course at 4:13 PM MST until moon enters Virgo at 10:57 PM MST Mercury square Mars Mercury sextile Pluto What it means: Mercury is involved with two aspects today: a square with Mars and a trine with Pluto. One one hand I can’t help but think that sex will be on people’s minds more than usual! On the more boring other hand I see this as great problem solving energy. Mercury square Mars might have us feeling frustrated but if we use that energy and channel it into creative solutions (instead of just bumping our heads up again the wall) we will be able to overcome our obstacles today. The truth is we often need a push to overcome obstacles and today we have both the push and the key we need to make the change. Questions to ask yourself: Am I being mindful today? If I feel frustrated or angry how can I channel this in a more productive manner? What can I do to make my sex life better? Thursday March 1st ~ What’s going on today: Full Moon in in Virgo 5:51 PM MST at 11-12 Virgo Venus trine Jupiter What it means: Full moons are times where we often feel riled up. We are more likely to get carried away because we have heightened emotions. That said the moon in Virgo is one of the more level headed and grounded moon signs. Virgo truly desires to make life more efficient and so you may feel motivated to make some improvements in your own life. Even small changes can have a large impact over time. This full moon is activating Neptune in Pisces and so there may be a dreamy quality. Think surrealism or feeling like there is something going on that you just can’t quite put your finger on. The Sabian Symbol for this full moon is “Miners are surfacing from a deep coal mine”. This symbol seems very apropo … we have emerged from eclipse season where we had to go deep and maybe even get dirty in the process of figuring out how to extract what is valuable to our lives. Sometimes we must take risks are go where we may not want to go in order to figure out what is truly valuable in our lives. We also have Venus trine Jupiter today which is a lovely energy that brings optimism and the desire to share our happiness with those around us. Enjoy the energy and appreciate the people around you today. Joy is meant to be shared. Questions to ask yourself: Where am I feeling overwhelmed in my life and how can I fix that? If something about today seems surreal how can I accept a situation I do not understand? What lessons from the past few weeks am I implementing into my daily life? How can I show the people around me that I truly care? Friday March 2nd ~ What’s going on today Moon in Virgo void-of-course at 4:50 PM until tomorrow Mercury trine Jupiter What it means: Mercury is all about thoughts and communication while Jupiter expands everything it touches so today we have a lot of thoughts and a lot of talking! This is a positive aspect so the communication should flow freely and be quite enjoyable. See if you can reach out and talk to someone you miss and haven’t spoken to in a while. You will have a ton to talk about and be able to use this energy in a wonderful way. Another way to use this energy wisely is in “big thinking” and manifestation work. Dream big! Questions to ask yourself: How can I better express my ideas? When I talk am I saying things that are important and need to be said or am I just filling up empty space with words? How can I communicate and think more grandly? Saturday March 3rd ~ What’s going on today: Moon enters Libra at 1:20 AM MST The moon in Libra is all about balance. Many people believe Libra only cares about relationships but the truth is there must be balance between you and me. That means time for me and also time for us. Take some time for yourself as well as with those you care about today. Sunday March 4th ~ What’s going on today: Moon in Libra Sun conjunct Neptune Mercury conjunct Venus What it means: The dreaminess from the full moon a couple of days ago continues. The sun is about clarity while Neptune is often involved in obfuscation so we have trouble seeing things clearly today. The prescription for this is to look at things from a more spiritual level and to get away from the earthly perspective we usually have. We also have Mercury conjoining Venus today which is lovely and reminds me of works of classic literature like those of Jane Austen. With the Sun/Neptune aspect it becomes a very poetic day. If you are a poetic type you will love this energy and can use it to be more creative or to enjoy the creative works of others. Make some poetry of your own today! Questions to ask yourself: Where am I seeing clearly and where is my understanding confused? How can I take a more spiritual viewpoint? How can I make my thoughts and words more beautiful? How is the energy feeling to you? What goals are you setting in order to create more alignment in your life? Top Tips to Handle Negative Reactions From Others When Reading Cards or In Life in General2/20/2018  I am writing today about how to handle negative reactions from clients or querents when reading tarot cards but this really can be applied to negative reactions to all areas of life. The truth is that sooner or later someone will either disagree with your reading or become upset by what you have to say. We are human and we aren’t perfect and neither are the people we work with so we do what we can to handle such situations with grace.
These are just a few ideas. Have you had something like this happen to you? How do you handle it? Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash  Weekly Forecast ~ Week of February 19th
We are calming down from the stress of last week’s solar eclipse and are finally seeing things start to shift this week. If you have been waiting for something to change, waiting for news, waiting for circumstances to align then we are beginning to see the signs of these things happening! It’s a relatively quiet week from an astrological perspective but this allows us to put into motion those things within our own control that have been in a holding pattern over the past month due to outside forces. We can take steps now and move forward again in a clear direction. Monday February 19th ~ What’s going on today: moon in Aries Aries moon is energetic and wants to be on the go. If you have the day off today for Presidents Day (in the US) go do something active. Get out of the house and explore. Tuesday February 20th ~ What’s going on today: moon in Aries void-of-course at 4:11 AM MST until moon ingress into Taurus at 12:12 PM MST Most of the morning the moon is void-of-course which means it is a good time to play catch up on things that have needed attention in your life. Whether this is an overflowing inbox or a cluttered desk or a pile of laundry it’s a good morning to tackle this type of routine responsibility. Once the moon goes into Taurus we can focus more and access our creativity. We may have a project to work on and Taurus moon is great energy to tap into our inspiration and make something beautiful. Wednesday February 21st ~ What’s going on today: Venus conjunct Neptune and Mercury sextile Saturn (Moon in Taurus) What it means: Love. Love. Love. All we need is love. When Venus and Neptune conjoin I call it a “fairy tale romance” aspect. We have our rose colored glasses on and can be quite unrealistic and yet we aim for the stars in our romantic life. This is great energy for visualization and for art projects as well. Not so good for practicality of any sort. Mercury sextile Saturn allows for a little practical considerations to be taken into account today. I like to think of Mercury and Saturn together as the “problem solvers”. Another key phrase is “critical thinking”. Critical thinking is great when we are solving problems and fixing our lives but not so great when we are criticising ourselves! Use this energy to help solve problems instead of making more problems for yourself, especially if you are prone to negative thinking. Questions to ask yourself: How can I do something romantic and sweet for myself? How can I add more love into my everyday life? How can I create a more beautiful and supportive environment for myself? What problems are ripe to be solved? How can I think about my situation in a new and better manner? Thursday February 22nd ~ What’s going on today: moon in Taurus void-of-course at 4:46 AM MST until moon ingress into Gemini at 5:07 PM We have a void-of-course moon most of the work day which means we need to focus extra hard if we want to accomplish anything. It is too easy to fiddle away the day under an energy like this. This best things to work on are old projects which need to be finished up as well at routine items that never seem to end. Wait until tomorrow if you need to start something new.. Friday February 23rd ~ What’s going on today: moon in Gemini The Gemini moon is probably the greatest at multitasking. Just be careful that you truly are multitasking and not just letting yourself be distracted by every new thing that comes along today! Saturday February 24th ~ What’s going on today: moon in Gemini void-of-course at 12:58 PM MST until moon ingress into Cancer at 8:06 PM MST If you have to get something done today get it done in the morning. That afternoon is best spent lounging around with a good book or playing video games. Once the moon moves into Cancer you may feel like curling up in front of the fireplace and staying cozy and warm at home tonight. Sunday February 25th ~ What’s going on today: Venus square Mars, Mercury conjunct Neptune, Sun sextile Saturn (moon in Cancer) What it means: Venus square Mars is classic sexual tension. Take advantage of it today with a good roll in the hay or some flirtatious innuendo. It’s okay to be bold under an aspect like this one! Mercury conjoins Neptune to add a poetic vibe to the day. Use that poetic license to help romance your sweetheart (in light of the Venus Mars square discussed above). Sun and Saturn in this configuration are great for productivity and health. So it you aren’t in the mood for poetry or sex it’s a good day to get in a strong workout and check some things off your to do list. Questions to ask yourself: Where is the sexual tension coming from in my life and what can I do about it? How can I make my thoughts and words more beautiful and poetic? What simple things can I do today to make my life more healthy and productive? What it on your plate this week? Are you still feeling the eclipse or have you recovered? I for one can still feel it linger but I am on the path to making the magical life I truly desire!  I talk a lot about reading tarot cards intuitively. I think it’s the best way to go. Yes, tarot cards have book meanings and if you are serious about tarot you will eventually learn those book meaning but I firmly believe that everything you need to know if already within you.
I’m using my daughter as an example today. She is three and she likes to hang out with me in my office, especially in the morning before going to daycare. She was sitting in my office this morning and said: “Mommy, why are those cards out?” My tarot cards were still in a spread from my work the day before and there was no particular reason I had left them out. Then she said: “Let me look at this one” and took the King of Swords. At first she thought it was a girl because he is wearing a tunic that looks kind of like a dress but I showed her his beard and told her it was a boy. “He can wreck you.” She said this almost instantly. I was curious so I asked her what else he can do. “He can stab you.” This simple exercise is exactly what I am talking about when I discuss reading tarot cards intuitively. Look at the picture and use your imagination. My daughter did not have a question in mind when looking at this card but let’s pretend she is an adult client and has asked the question: “Is this guy a good guy for me to get involved with?” I get questions like this all the time from clients. Now imagine that intuitive response of “He can wreck you.” Do you think it’s a good idea to get involved with this person? That is how reading tarot cards intuitively works. From the mouths of babes. What do you see when you look at the King of Swords? Personally I do not think he is all bad but he isn't really the touchy-feely type, either!  Photo by Ivan Levchenko on Unsplash We are in the final phase of eclipse season this week with a glorious new moon solar eclipse in the sign of Aquarius on Thursday. Things are still feeling a little wacky and are likely to continue to get wackier as the week continues. Two weeks ago we started off eclipse season with e lunar eclipse in Leo that talked about love … for ourselves and in our relationships. Now with this solar eclipse in Aquarius we are pulled toward a greater love for all of humanity and all of the world … if we allow ourselves to hear and answer that call.
Monday February 12th ~ What’s going on today: not a lot The Capricorn moon helps us to stay grounded but be careful it doesn’t allow you to get a little down, too. Negative thinking can be held at bay by focusing on productivity and working towards a long term goal. Tuesday February 13th ~ What’s going on today: Sun sextile Uranus What it means: Last week Tuesday Venus made this same aspect to Uranus … can you remember what happened that day? I ask because today will be similar. When the Sun and Uranus get together we dance to the beat of our own drummer. We like to shake things up and do things differently. If we are stuck in the same old routine we need humor and variation to keep us engaged. Questions to ask yourself: What can I do to be more unique today? How can I try something different? Is there I way I can shake things up in my daily life to add more humor and fun? Wednesday February 14th ~ What’s going on today: not a lot Happy Valentine’s Day! The moon is in Aquarius and on her way to the new moon solar eclipse which occurs tomorrow. We may feel a little low energy with the dark of the moon upon us but I recommend using this day to think about your life vision and your dreams. It’s a great day to create a vision board or discuss your most sacred dreams with a trusted friend or partner. Celebrate the love in your life by allowing yourself to be vulnerable enough to share your secret dreams with those you care for the most. Thursday February 15th ~ What’s going on today: New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aquarius, Mercury sextile Uranus, Venus sextile Saturn What it means: Happy Birthday to me. This year I get a dramatic new moon solar eclipse as my gift! Solar eclipses are more powerful than lunar eclipses. This one is only a partial eclipse but even a partial solar eclipse can pack a wallop. You won’t be able to view this eclipse (unless you are in Antarctica or very nearby) but you should be able to feel it, especially if it is hitting planets or points in your own natal chart. Eclipses ask us to let go, to allow something to be “eclipsed” out of our life. Sometimes it is obvious what we need to release and other times it can be harder to identify. If you are having trouble seeing clearly that which you must release try starting with the ego. Aquarius is one of the transpersonal signs which means “rising above the self”. Often when we are stuck in our day to day wants and needs we cannot see the big picture. Letting go of the “ego” is the best way to do this. It isn’t always easy, especially since our ego is usually invested in the way things are and very reluctant to change. But taking a look at the big picture and letting go of your emotional investment to see what is best for all involved is a great way to do it under the new moon in Aquarius. As if that isn’t enough we have a couple of other aspects perfecting today. First is Mercury sextile Uranus which is creative thinking and unusual communication. Have a GIF conversation today … it will feel right! Second we have Venus trine Saturn. This is a commitment aspect, and being in it for the long term, especially in regards to love and money. This is great for yesterday’s Valentine’s Day celebration. It also helps to give some inner stability since the eclipse has us feeling somewhat volatile. Commit to loving yourself and honoring your relationships … through all the changes to come. Questions to ask yourself: How can I rise above what is currently going on in my life? What do I need to let go of? How can I be a part of the greater good? How can I say what is on my mind in a manner that is both unique and impactful? How can I stay committed to who I truly am? How can I honor my individuality while simultaneously changing who I am? Friday February 16th ~ What’s going on today: Chinese New Year Year of the Dog Chinese New Year isn’t a western astrological holiday although it always starts after the new moon in Aquarius so it does have some astrological roots. I won’t pretend to know anything about Chinese astrology but I do enjoy giving a nod to these holidays! The new year continues! The moon has left Aquarius after yesterday’s eclipse and is now in Pisces. We might feel a little dreamy. One of the many gifts of the Pisces moon is the ability to use your imagination to create magic so do a little bit of that today! Envision what you want life to be like as we leave eclipse season behind us for now. Saturday February 17th ~ What’s going on today: Mars square Neptune, Sun conjunct Mercury, Mercury ingress Pisces What it means: Mars square Neptune is traditionally a time when we feel our efforts aren’t getting us anywhere. We may be working very hard and yet feel like no progress is being made. We are just treading water. If you feel that way today remind yourself that the journey is more important than the destination and meditate upon this idea with your project in mind. The truth is sometimes when we take the indirect route we stumble across something immensely valuable that we otherwise would not have experienced if it were not for the detour we took. The superior conjunction of the Sun and Mercury is when both are direct and is continued an important part of the Sun/Mercury cycle. Some time after this conjunction Mercury will appear to station retrograde and as it appears to move backward in the sky we experience the inferior conjunction when the Sun and Mercury meet again. Mercury continues in retrograde motion until he once again stations direct and moves once again toward the next superior conjunction. This cycle happens about three times a year and so the superior conjunction is relatively common. It is also a great time to clarify your thoughts on whatever matter you might be considering in your life right now. One way to do this is to look at the house this conjunction will be taking place in your own natal chart and clarify your thoughts on the matter. For example this will occur in my 6th house of health and so it is a great time for me to have insight on my health routines and to gain clarity on all related issues. Mercury enters Pisces today to be followed by the sun tomorrow. Mercury in Pisces is said to be dreamy and have a great imagination. With this in mind it is a great time to focus on visualization of achieving your goals through a vision board or more simple a daydream. Some people discount the power of daydreams but they hold more power than more people give credit. A good daydream is manifestation at it’s finest! Questions to ask yourself: Is there a more indirect route to get where you are going? Can you enjoy the journey, too, instead of just pushing to get to the end? What needs more clarity in your life? How can you streamline your thoughts on a matter? What wonderful goals can I imagine myself achieving? Sunday February 18th ~ What’s going on today: Sun ingress Pisces What it means: When I was younger I always felt uncomfortable when the sun was in Pisces. I think it is because the connection between us and the rest of the world including the heavens and the angels thins. Walls waver. For someone who is empathic having less boundaries can be difficult. The words “psychic sponge” come to mind. Now that I am older with better personal boundaries I really enjoy the month when the sun visits Pisces. There is a magical, dreamy quality where you believe that we all really are connected. If you have trouble with boundaries use this month as a time to practice being flexible yet strong. That is the real secret with Pisces … how does a river or a ocean become a boundary? It is a natural boundary and it simply flows. Questions to ask yourself: How do I create more magic in my life? Where are my boundaries? Can I adjust and shift my boundaries in different situations? What does this week look like for you? Can you create some magic? We have all the ingredients we need!  Worry-Free Wednesday: Quick Words of Wisdom
I love quotes. I feel drawn to them and I love looking over collections of quotes to suit the right occasion. Or sometimes when I am feeling down looking at some quotes helps to pick me back up again. In that spirit I am sharing a few favorites with you today! We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. - Aristotle Raise your words, not your voice. It is the rain that grows flowers, not the thunder. - Rumi Keep you face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you. - Walt Whitman It always seems impossible until it's done. - Nelson Mandela It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. - Henry David Thoreau What are some of your favorite quotes? I have been on a gratitude kick lately, and with good cause, and I have innumerable things to be grateful for in my life. I have kept a gratitude journal, in some form, for a good 20 years. I realize how important gratitude is to appreciating what I have as well as for creating the life I desire. And even so, with all my many gratitude practices, sometimes I get caught in a trap of either repeating the same things over and over again or being unable to think of something to say in my gratitude journal. How can I run out of ideas as there is just so very much out there and in here to be grateful for? This little post is about what I have been doing recently to revitalize my gratitude practice. I use tarot cards for just about everything. Name it and I have probably asked the question for myself, a friend, or a client. I have done daily cards and weekly cards and monthly spreads and annual spreads. I have used tarot cards in magic spells and I have used them as a focus for meditation. But one of my favorite ways to use tarot cards is in my gratitude practice. There is no special method to using tarot cards for gratitude but this is what I do. Depending how much time I have to devote to the practice I choose a number of cards. I might choose one if I am in a rush. Maybe I will choose three if I have a little time. Maybe I will choose 7 if I have more time still. Then for each card I try to think of at least three ways in which that card inspires me to feel grateful. You do not have to know the meanings of the cards to use this system. Simply pull a card and decide what what is is that brings you a feeling of gratitude. I will show a few examples. I drew three cards today to be my inspiration:  6 of PentaclesFirst card is the 6 of Pentacles. It shows a seemingly wealthy man giving alms to the presumably poor children while he holds a balancing scale. I am grateful to have enough to share. I am grateful to be able to receive help when I need it. I am grateful to be able to stay in balance.  King of PentaclesSecond card is the King of Pentacles. It shows a bearded king seated in what appears to be a vineyard. He looks warm and friendly and hold a pentacle in one hand and a staff in the other hand. Although he is dressed richly his shoes are quite plain. I am grateful to be my own boss and run my own business. I am grateful for wine. (He is in a vineyard surrounded by grapes after all.) I am grateful to evolve into the best version of myself without forgetting where I come from and what I have walked through in this life.  Page of PentaclesThird card is the Page of Pentacles. This card shows a young girl standing barefoot in the grass holding a pentacle aloft as she gazes at it with wonder. The pentacle has 8 rays of light emanating from it. We can also see a tree, rolling hills, farm fields, and blue skies in this card. I am grateful for a sense of wonder about the things we can create with our hands. I am grateful for fresh green veggies. I am grateful for nature and for blue skies and temperate weather. If you wanted to get fancy you could look into the book meanings of these cards (if you don’t already know them) and further expand your gratitude practice based on those meanings, as well. For example the Page of Pentacles often means a new endeavor will be successful. So I could easily say “I am grateful for the success of my new project.” Do you use tarot cards in this way? How else do you use them? I would love to hear! |
Nikki RichAstrologer, Reiki Master, tarot reader, and so much more! 
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