Tarot Reading of the Week: 6/21/22 – 6/28/22

June 24, 2022Leave a comment

DISCLAIMER: As always, everything presented here is for entertainment and semi-educational purposes only. Please do not mistake this for mental health therapy or advice. If you need mental health counseling or treatment, please contact your insurance company, local college’s student counseling clinic, county crisis line, or the Psychology Today Portal.

For those of you who like my hot take on current events, check out the following (you can click on the hyperlinks to take a look at my sources):

As many of you know, gas prices all over the world are at an all-time high. Here in the states, gas prices jumped to over $4 per gallon back in May. Pundits say the Russia-Ukraine war is responsible for a lot of this, but these same experts also believe China coming out of lockdown increased overall demand for oil, less available oil from other sources due to environmental concerns, and demand is still strong. You can read about these reasons right here.
Speaking of environmental concerns, some folks are saying Biden and his damn caravan of hippies is driving oil prices up because of stricter environmental laws. This article right here (an op-ed, not straight news) talks about why that could well be bullshit.
Disgruntled Trumpsters are blaming Biden for the surge in gas prices, but should they? Some experts believe gas prices are out of Biden’s control. You can read more about that here. Check out the National Resources Defense Council’s article on the common gas price myths right here. If you really want to feel like a selfish, whiny piece of shit, read this blog post. That post makes a good point, though. Maybe instead of complaining—trust me, I’m bitching about it too—we should see what we can do to ration before the government forces us to do it.
Have you heard of the Federal Gas Tax? It’s been all over the news for the last month. Check out this handy article on what the FGT does, or this article on why it no longer helps pay for our infrastructure. Aaannnyyyhoo, Biden has been receiving a lot of pressure to at least suspend the FGT until oil prices correct themselves, which some believe would amount to maybe a 50 cent per gallon discount at the pump. Economists are giving this theory a major side-eye because it wouldn’t do anything about the supply/demand issue, which would not do anything to help the prices. You can read about that right here. Biden is unfortunately caving to this pressure. You can read the White House’s official plan to suspend the FGT in this statement.
Some experts believe that demand destruction, or finding ways to not need so much gas, is the way to go. You can read more about that right here. No matter how you feel about demand destruction, Yahoo reports that it’s already happening. You can check out that article right here. Bloomberg reported demand destruction is already weakening the demand for gas in the bigger metropolitan areas. You can read about it in this article. Experts believe we shouldn’t count on demand destruction to give a whole lot of relief. Remember how China lifting their lockdown created an upswing in demand for oil? Here in the Northern Hemisphere, people are getting a little stir crazy and might cope with the higher prices in order to do a little traveling. You can read what Canadian economists are saying about the possible impact of demand destruction right here.
Even though we’re all getting squeezed, OPEC nations refuse to lower prices. Given the history of bad blood, I’m not really surprised. There appears to be more to the story, though. Did you know Russia is one of the largest oil exporters in OPEC? ‘Tis true. The other OPEC nations, such as Iran and Nigeria, simply can’t match Russia’s output. Aaannnyyyhoo, in addition to not being able to keep up without Russia’s help, keeping prices high keeps Russia happy. This puts the other OPEC nations in the middle of Mother Russia and Daddy NATO’s fight. You can read more about it right here. This whole debacle reminds me of the oil embargo of 1973 and 1974. I wasn’t alive at the time, you smart ass, but I remember it from history books. You can read about the embargo and the resulting shortages here.

If you’re concerned about Russian civilians being incarcerated for peaceful protests and speaking their minds, please consider donating to OVD-Info. This organization works tirelessly to make sure less Russian civilians are unjustly jailed. You can donate to OVD-Info right here.

If you can, please consider making a donation to Ukranians affected by the current crisis. Consider making a donation to Catholic Relief Services or the International Rescue Committee to provide displaced Ukranians with much needed food, shelter, and medical care. Or, if you are more concerned about the children, please donate to UNICEF. Honestly, anything helps at this point.

As always, I have to mention the MindBody/Wellness Research and Science Network group on Facebook. The chick who runs it takes an evidence-based approach to holistic topics. I appreciate her common sense-meets-spirituality way of doing things.

Aaaannnnyyyyhoo… Onto the Reading, Shall We…?

I asked the cards what we need to know about 6/21/22 – 6/28/22 and I got: Two of Swords (number 2, a stalemate, a potentially lose-lose situation, the need to balance opposing forces within oneself, finding balance amidst emotional or mental turmoil, a clear head is needed, avoid trying to make everyone happy, the need to face facts); Ten of Cups (number 10, sharing love and joy, fulfillment, happiness that is contagious); Seven of Swords (number 7, someone cunning and perhaps two-faced, schemes that do not work, possibly the need to cover one’s tracks, impulsiveness, the need to do some detective work, hiding one’s intentions from others, possibly the need to keep one’s ideas and plans to oneself, avoiding or manipulating the truth, and the need to use tact); and the Queen of Cups (water sign female, nurturing and sensitive person, intuitive person, possibly someone in their own world, emotional person, a sympathetic ear and support, nurturing a creative idea, and the need to be kind to oneself). Hmmm… A couple themes jump out at me. First, all of the cards in this spread are either from the suit of Cups or the suit of Swords. This tells me that we have a drag race between your mind and your emotions this week. It looks a little exhausting, so, gurrlll, you better WERK. All six of you who read my weekly posts—thank you, btw—know that the Suit of Cups deals with relationships, emotions, and connections between people. A ton of Cups in a reading means someone feels strongly—or a lot—which can be both positive or negative. By contrast, the suit of Swords deals with logic, communication, and the mind. A spread of mostly Swords means someone is primarily in their head about an issue. When I look at this spread, I want to read it as the first two cards telling one story and the second two cards telling another. The first two cards—the Two of Swords and the Ten of Cups—tell a tale of wanting to share your happiness or something you’re proud of (Ten of Cups), but you can’t because you don’t see it being productive or positive (Two of Swords). This can signify a fear of success or being scared of being happy. If this sounds like you, it might be a good week to take a step back from unnecessary social obligations. For those of you that journal or do automatic writing, you might want to ask yourself when was the first time you felt this way, why you think being happy or successful might come back to bite you, or what you think will happen if you allow yourself to talk about your success with others. The super cautious Two next to the obnoxiously happy Ten tells me that you might not trust the situation itself, like you think it will all end tomorrow. To be quite honest, I don’t trust the situation on a gut level either, but I don’t think it has to end with your being completely fucked over. All of the Two cards in the Minor Arcana talk about balance in some form or other. The Two of Swords talks about balancing your mind so that you can handle the possibility of not getting exactly what you want. Remember how I used to post gratitude spells? I chose to post non showy gratitude rituals to help teach you how to appreciate a situation for what it is, rather than what you hope it could be. This might be a good week to practice some humility and be grateful for what the situation is right now, while still preparing to deal with the end of this cycle. Our next story involves the sneaky Seven of Swords and the uber emotional Queen of Cups. Rather than a continuous story, this reading feels like two episodes of the same sitcom (or drama, given the themes). The Seven automatically tells me we have some trust issues going on or you’re dealing with an individual who thinks they’re slicker than grease. Or both. I feel like one person in this situation might expect to get screwed over because that’s what the other person has always done. In this case, the snake in the grass attempts to manipulate the other person by appealing to their emotions and caring nature, as signified by the Queen. As a Swords card, the Seven might also deal with someone looking to steal your ideas, especially since one aspect of the Queen is creativity. Do not share any deep feelings or creative projects with this person, but you can enjoy the superficial truce while it lasts. The Queen also tells me that you might be especially emotional this week, which might cause you to shut down or try and distract yourself from your feelings. Please don’t do either of those things. A better course of action would be to write your deeper thoughts and feelings in a journal, then focus on exchanging pleasantries with the known snake. If you are on the receiving end of the silent treatment or someone seems to be hesitant to engage with you, this might be a good week to think about how your actions may have hurt their feelings. It might be a case of you lashing out at them so many times that they look at you like you’re nuckin’ futs when you approach them in a friendly way. Although you probably had your reasons for acting in the ways that you did, there were still casualties.

PLEASE READ: I am not doing private readings for the foreseeable future. I have way too much going on to create content and be an effective reader. Please understand, this isn’t personal. I just need to clean my own mental and emotional house for now. If you want a badass reading, I suggest you hit up my friend Marshall Delaware. You can email him at ggm92666@yahoo.ca Also, I highly recommend you check out my Keen pal Silverbreeze. You can find her right here.

If you’re looking for an inspirational poem on finding your place in the world amongst a million ghosts, check out Joan Carol Bird’s latest. Hey, sharing is caring. While you’re at it, check out her newest collection of creepy tales right here.

I don’t know if you’ve heard about the abortion bans over the last year, but my OG readers can probably guess that grills my cheese in a bad way. Please consider donating to Planned Parenthood. The problem with banning abortion is, this makes a huge legal loophole for conservative legislators to make things like birth control or women’s healthcare cost prohibitive. Banning abortion also criminalizes doctors in situations where the pregnancy is nonviable and the fetus needs to be extracted in order to save the mother’s life. You know those babies conservative pro-life types don’t like paying for? Taking away abortion rights will most likely create more of those. I know, I know. Anyone who would read my blog probably doesn’t get stigmata or have a trauma reaction at the thought of Planned Parenthood. (If you do think I owe the world an apology for singing the praises of Planned Parenthood, I have two things to say to you. One, please remember what your religion told you about judging others and take a long look in the mirror. Two, perhaps you should acquaint yourself with other services Planned Parenthood provides. They offer women and men’s preventive healthcare, birth control and emergency contraception, HIV services, assistance for the transgender community, sexual assault crisis counseling, pregnancy counseling, and STD testing. You can learn more about these services right here.)

Also, consider donating to Blind Cat Rescue. They do wonders for blind and FLV+ cats.

For those of you who can’t resist a little subtle virtue signaling, why not buy a shirt that gives back? Arm the Animals has some of the cutest shirts I’ve seen in a long time, plus a portion of the proceeds go to shelter pets in need. I also love Meow.com because this site allows me to buy a new workout shirt and give to homeless kitties at the same time.

Did you like my buddy Marshall Delaware, aka G. G. MacLeod? Check out our latest political collab. He’s coming back in the near future, FYI. If you want to read an awesome historical fiction novel, you can get your hands on his book here. It may take place in Ancient Rome, but Augusta couldn’t be any more timely if it tried. He actually dropped Part Two a while ago and then gifted the world with Part Three. Part Four is right here. And, ehrmagerd, you can even score Part Five. For those of you who can’t do the piecemeal thing, check out The Omnibus Edition so you can get Volumes 1-6 in one place. I think you should go get it, Tiger!

Tarot Reading of the Week: 6/14/22 – 6/21/22

June 16, 2022Leave a comment

My hot take on current events will be back in the next week or two. I need a minute to think before I tackle my next topic. In the meantime, please enjoy this:

Aaaannnnyyyyhoo… Onto the Reading, Shall We…?

I asked the cards what we need to know about the week of 6/14/22 – 6/21/22 and I got: King of Swords (air sign male, someone concerned with knowledge and truth, humanitarian, concerned with law and philosophy, someone who gives good advice, possibly someone heartless and cruel, insults or harsh words); Ten of Swords (number 10, gossip, betrayal, slander, insults or being wounded by words, end of a cycle of arguments, the need to leave a bad situation, mental stress, and perhaps a vacation needed); Seven of Wands (number 7, having to defend oneself, successfully facing opposition, the need to make a stand when challenged, and not letting others take advantage of one); and Ace of Cups (number 1 or 11, love, joy, emotional fulfillment, a new relationship, an emotional situation, getting one’s wish). Wow, this reading looks like quite the rollercoaster! However, if you look closer, there are a couple themes and some good advice buried in here. There is no repetitive numerical theme, but we have an Ace and a 10. Aces are cards of new beginnings and the start of new cycles. In this case, it’s the Ace of Cups, a card of new emotional beginnings, new relationships, and emotional situations. Our 10 card, the Ten of Swords, is a card of painful endings, gossip, and slander. The endings indicated by the Ten usually happen due to betrayal, learning someone has poisoned others against you, or being so stressed out that you burn out or snap. Remember that song lyric “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end”? I feel like that applies to this particular Ace and Ten. Before I get into why the other cards in this spread are giving me that vibe, let me remind you that the Ten of Swords made an appearance last week. For those who need a refresher, the theme of last week was knowing that you’ve hit rock bottom with a particular issue. There’s nothing left to do but confront the issue—and yourself—so that you can start fresh. This week is your confirmation that you will indeed be starting over, but let’s take a look at the cards. Our first two cards—the King of Swords and the Ten of Swords—tell us to be careful with our words and observe how others’ words align with their actions. I don’t necessarily feel an apology here, but I do feel like there is a certain level of back peddling that the gossiping saboteur will have to do in order to save face. The King is a fair and logical man of discernment. Like all Swords court cards, he has keen observation skills and intellect. This King can also cut you to ribbons with a single word. I feel like these two Swords cards together are asking you to choose your words carefully. You probably will need to set a boundary—the Seven of Wands tells us that—but beware of using unnecessary force. Trust me, your words and actions will be felt if they are authentic. It feels like you are legitimately done with some person, place, or thing’s crap. It also feels like said bullshit is based on their delusions and need to have reality a certain way. Their actions towards you stem from their need to have you go along with whatever wonky-skied nonsense that keeps them glued together, no matter how the puerility might be messing with your head or draining you of all joy. Nope. They can fuck back off to where they came from, then they can go fuck off all over again. The King of Swords is also a card of legal issues and discipline, which tells me this might be the week where you have to take care of a legal or administrative matter. Make sure your paperwork is the best it can be, as any mistakes can make loopholes for the assholes in your life to exploit. The King might also signify the need to be more disciplined when approaching an intellectual or communication issue. This spread ends with the Ace of Cups, which tells me setting boundaries and getting rid of the dead weight—be it draining relationships, thought patterns, laziness, bad habits, or old debts—in your life will bring major rewards.

Also, consider donating to Blind Cat Rescue. They do wonders for blind and FLV+ cats.

Tarot Reading of the Week: 6/6/22 – 6/14/22

June 8, 2022Leave a comment

In case you appreciate my hot take on current events, here ya go (click on the hyperlinks to read the stories for yourself):

On May 24th, 2022, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos took an assault rifle to Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX and killed 19 children and two teachers. You can read a timeline of the events right here.
Of course the ~~gun nuts~~ Second Amendment enthusiasts in the United States immediately blamed the broken mental health system, rather than this kid’s relatively easy access to an assault rifle, for the shooting. Of. Fucking. Course. You can read about Ultimate Florida Man (™) and Jackass Supreme Donald Trump addressing the NRA about mental health and the shooting right here. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) very sweetly released a statement which agrees that mental health treatment has a ways to go, but it’s kinda dangerous of the NRA to spread the message that all mentally ill people are dangerous. Oh, and they mentioned that it would be harder to carry out a school shooting if the system didn’t allow Ramos to impulse buy an assault rifle. You can read NAMI’s statement right here.
Several reports came out about the shooter, Salvador Ramos. Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales (Republican, dontcha know) decided to spread a rumor that Ramos was arrested four years prior on a conspiracy charge. He later had to take it back because it was blatantly untrue. Ramos’ old friends talked about his increasingly odd and disturbing behavior, which included self-mutilation, being a loner, shooting random people with BB guns, and a few other things you can read about in this article.
One theory that emerged from these posthumous deep dives into Ramos’ psyche was that he was bullied so badly for his speech impediment and shyness that he decided the shooting would be his ultimate statement. He even bought those assault rifles as an 18th birthday present to himself and posted it on Instagram. You can read all about that right here. If you want the perspective of a kid who almost became a school shooter, but actually got the right intervention, watch this video.
Speaking of intervention, did you know that the state of Texas regularly cuts the budget to their community mental health programs? You can read about it here, in this article, in this 2017 budget proposal, right here, and in this 2021 article. And yet the governor sees this as a mental health issue. Bro, seriously?! Hand Beto O’Rourke the keys right now. Annnyyyhoo, you can read Gov. Abbott’s blame-shifting, gaslighting bullshit here and here.
Still others blame the officers, who refused to go into the school while the shooter was active. You can read about how Ramos was free to shoot up Robb Elementary for a full hour before police did anything in this article. Or you can read about how the Texas police changed their story about how the shooting went down 13 times in this article. You can also read about how police let Ramos stroll into an elementary school with an assault rifle without confronting him in this article. Oh, and this article is the most recent litany of reasons police took so long to act (no radio, didn’t have tactical gear…).
For those wondering where Ramos’ parents were during all this, his father had to take a job out of Uvalde and has been beating himself up since this happened. I can only imagine. Anyway, he has been doing his best to make amends for his son’s actions. You can read his statements in this article. Ramos’ mother is asking the public to not judge her son. You can read what she had to say here. It’s a little tonedeaf, but at least not as tacky as Dylann Roof’s sister setting up a GoFundMe for her wedding and honeymoon. If you want a more enlightened perspective of what it’s like to have a school shooter for a child, please watch Sue Klebold’s TED Talk right here.
So how are Texas authorities responding? The Butler County Sheriff’s Department is offering conceal and carry gun classes for teachers. Yeah. Instead of arming the community with appropriate mental health treatment or arming teachers with actual supplies to do their jobs, they get more guns. You can read this article and shake your head in disbelief too. Oh, and Texas just loosened their gun laws so that weapons are MORE accessible. I’m not kidding. You can read about it right here.
Thankfully, not all gun owners are fucking morons. You can read about Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership right here. You can also read about what might be an acceptable compromise for both sides right here. Hopefully at least one tinfoil hat asshole will understand that nobody’s taking away their precious Second Amendment. Those of us who aren’t a part of gun culture want you entitled pricks to take some fucking responsibility for owning a weapon. If you want those liberals (like myself) to understand that not everyone who owns a gun will shoot up a school, then take some goddamn accountability for the wingnuts who do want to harm others by stepping the fuck up. To be quite honest with you, the majority of what I hear from gun owners sounds like this: “blah blah blah my rights;” “…but the Constitution…;” “Biden wants to take away my guns;” “how do you liberal pussies expect me to defend myself;” and “but guns don’t kill people…” Perhaps if you don’t want to lose your guns, then maybe you’ll stop creating a fucking standoff. Just a thought.

Aaaannnnyyyyhoo… Onto the Reading, Shall We…?

I asked the cards what we need to know about 6/6/22 – 6/14/22 and I got: Ten of Swords (number 10, gossip, slander, the end of a cycle of arguments, words that cause emotional wounds, mental stress, and possibly the need to walk away or travel); King of Wands (fire sign male, visionary, putting one’s creations into the world, someone who does not suffer fools gladly, loyal person, someone who hates restrictions or demands, and possibly someone who makes hasty judgments); Princess of Swords (young air sign female, someone with a quick mind, having a lot to say, new information, contracts, letters or messages, and possibly gossip); and Seven of Wands (number 7, the need to make a stand when challenged, working to stay on top of things, dealing with adversity well, not allowing others to take advantage of one, and reaping rewards for effort). This appears to be a week for things to hit the fan. Although I feel like arguments are quite possible, the poo splatter feels more catty and subtle than explosive. Let me ‘splain. This spread has a couple main themes and possibly one smaller one. First, all of the cards are either from the suit of Wands or the suit of Swords. Wands energy corresponds to fire, action, intuition, and initiative. This masculine suit can either be aggressive or assertive, but always direct. Swords cards signify air, communication, intellect, and sometimes the rational mind. Also a masculine suit, Swords can be clear and direct or sneaky and passive-aggressive. This spread contains a balanced mix of Swords and Wands, with one Court card and one number card from each suit. The balance of this spread tells me you will feel your intuition and hunches as a strong urge to act, most likely in the form of telling someone to fuck off or call them on their behavior. Although the cards say that your hunch could have a lot of truth to it, they also say to think it through before acting. This brings me to the second theme: gossip and saying things that you can’t take back. Our two Swords cards—the Princess and the Ten—in the same spread imply gossip, or incredibly shady words. The Ten of Swords relates to being stabbed in the back by others’ words, or possibly shooting yourself in the foot. I feel that’s what it means in this spread. I also feel like the second meaning of the Ten in this spread is one of mental exhaustion and rock bottom, or the lowest possible point of a situation that makes you face reality on reality’s terms, not yours. The chatty nature of the Princess of Swords makes me feel like the saboteur has gotten away with running their mouth so many times that they’re a little too comfortable mocking or putting others down for all to hear. She is sandwiched between the quick-to-act (and even quicker to judge) King of Wands and the Seven of Wands, which does not back down from a fight. These three cards are a definite bitch, shut up sandwich. If you are the person being talked about, this might be the week where you stop letting it slide. Definitely stand up for yourself—this person needs to be told—but don’t stoop to their level or hit below the belt. If you do that, you’re just going to give them a chance to play the victim. Although these three cards give you permission to clap back, it may be worth your while to follow this guided meditation before telling them where they can stick it. I feel like the situation that comes up has been blocking your progress at work or on a creative project, which means it’s coming up now so that you can address it and move forward. I feel like if you are the person that’s being stabbed in the back, finally standing up for yourself will help you realize how much energy you were wasting trying to play small or going out of your way not to offend in this one-way relationship. If you are the person doing the gossipping or shady shit, expect to be called on it. Take this as a sign that you were wasting too much time being a trifling ain’t shit bitch, when you could have been dealing with the reasons you’re a miserable cow.

RIP Alan Wilder

Also, consider donating to Blind Cat Rescue. They do wonders for blind and FLV+ cats.

Tarot Reading of the Week: 5/16/22 – 5/23/22 and 5/23/22 – 5/30/22

May 25, 2022Leave a comment

In case you appreciate my hot take on current events, here ya go (click on the hyperlinks to read the stories for yourself):

Did you hear that Supreme Court Clarence Thomas’ wife Ginnie Thomas was quite involved in the insurrection on 1/6/21? Oh yes, it’s been the YUUUUGE news topic for a few weeks (I’m just slow to post it). She was incredibly vocal about her praise for the MAGA supporters and even attended the January 6th “rally.” You can read about it right here. The committee chairman who is investigating 1/6/21 is even recommending that Mrs. Thomas be formally questioned. Anyhoo, Justice Thomas is getting backlash, as it may not be appropriate for him to remain on the Supreme Court in light of all this. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) had the best response. You can check that out in this tweet.
Did you know that frequent marijuana smoking will screw up your sperm? Yep. You can read about how frequent smoking decreases testicular function right here. If you’re a guy who likes the devil’s lettuce and wants to have a baby, experts say you might want to lay off the weed for at least 77 days prior to when you’re looking to conceive. This doesn’t mean you should use excessive weed smoking as birth control. We all know several stoner dumb asses who accidentally knocked up a female partner. Aaaannnyyyhoo, considering scientists are discovering that the increased mutations we’re finding in children are due to defective sperm, perhaps anyone who wants to conceive should think about this.
You know how the Starfleet Captain would always command, “Engage warp drive!”? Apparently that piece of sci-fi will soon be a reality. NASA scientists claim they’re getting closer to making traveling faster than the speed of light a reality. You can read all about it right here.
Speaking of those crazy scientists, a crew of them managed to make a computer that runs on blue green algae. You can read all about it right here.
The Californian water crisis is getting worse and worse, but their water usage is only increasing. You can read about the current state of things right here. Maybe we can learn something from how Israel resolved their own water crisis. They went from a 131 billion gallon deficit per day to no longer having a crisis. Read about how they did it right here.
It seems that NATO nations are excited that Finland wants to join. Russia, however, is threatening to retaliate against Finland if they join. The BBC reported about it here.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials report that Russian troops are leaving Kharkiv. You can check that story out right here. Experts believe the war will be over by the end of the year, but I’m not sure. Anyway, you can check out the latest on the war and decide for yourself. You can get updates from the Associated Press here and from CNBC here.

Aaaannnnyyyyhoo… Onto the Reading, Shall We…?

I asked the cards what we need to know for the week of 5/16/22 – 5/23/22 and I got: Six of Swords (number 6, finding peace after a difficult time, respite after illness, life is improving, a move that will improve one’s life); Knight of Wands (fire sign male, someone too rash to make good decisions, an impatient person, passionate person, putting personal freedom first, and action); the Empress (number 3, creativity, “mommy issues,” a smothering relationship, the urge to be creative, a fertile or productive period, a warning against coming on too strong, and the need to let go of a person or project); and Queen of Wands (fire sign female, possibly narcissism or self-importance, loving and trustworthy person, loyal person, someone who needs admiration from others, creative person, someone who knows what they want). This tarot spread is brought to you by two major themes and perhaps two smaller ones. First and foremost, the Major Arcana theme (aka karmic and life lesson) theme of this spread comes to us from the Empress. Governed by three energy, the Major Arcana card Empress is a highly feminine card of creativity, fertility or productivity, and knowing when to hold on vs. let go. Three energy radiates creativity, fun, ingenuity, and self-expression. The Empress can either be that cool hippie mom several of us really wanted or the smothering helicopter mom from your worst nightmares. In short, you will be faced with using your energy for something that scratches a creative itch and benefits you or you can use your time, energy, and probably money for a situation where you might not see a return on investment. Reciprocity is one of the underground themes with the Empress card, as always being the nurturer and giver can breed some serious resentment. You might find that you are especially conscious of every last iota of time, energy, money, love, and emotion you’re spending on others this week. I also feel like you will need to take at least one action step to balance how much you give and receive, lest you pop like a zit. This brings me to our second big theme—court cards from the suit of Wands. These two court cards support the theme of knowing how and when to use your energy because these two cards tend to demand what they want and need from others, consequences be damned. Our first Wands card bursts through the door in the form of the brash, sometimes hot-headed Knight of Wands. The Knight is prone to hasty decisions and is not afraid of leaving a trail of destruction in his wake in his pursuit of personal freedom. Expect this to be a week where any irritations that have been simmering underneath your civil exterior come to a boil this week. You might also want to refrain from getting engaged or signing contracts this week, as commitment tends to make the Knight feel suffocated. Although she is known for her loyalty and generosity, the Queen of Wands (our second Wands card) is every bit as hot-headed and impatient as the Knight if she doesn’t get the recognition and validation she needs. The Queen of Wands tends to be a beautiful, multi-tasking woman (usually a fire sign) who knows her worth. In this spread, the Queen doubles down on the Empress’ caution to balance generosity with knowing when to keep something for yourself. This might be a good week to make sure you get enough sleep, take some alone time, or stash some extra money in your piggy bank before you give to others, since the temperamental Queen with the potentially codependent Empress is a recipe for disappointment and unmet expectations down the road. You might want to get clear about what you want and expect in this situation vs. what’s realistic. It feels like any expectations you put on a situation will result in disappointment. The need to go inward and give back to yourself is supported by our final card, the Six of Swords. The Six of Swords brings a message of healing, or at least a Post It note telling you to not worry so much. The Six appears when you can take a step back and relax, or when whatever anxiety or depression that’s been swirling around your head is about to get lighter. In this spread, the Six is a sign that any intense stress, anxiety, resentment, or urges to get the fuck out are coming to the surface so that they can leave. You might want to write in your journal before you go all the way off on someone because although your stress will pass, you have no guarantee that an angry rant will blow over as easily.

I asked the cards what we need to know about the week of 5/23/22 – 5/30/22 and I got: Eight of Cups (number 8, “easy come/easy go,” the need to let go of an old emotional issue, a dream that is no longer fulfilling, a lonely emotional journey, a trip that brings renewal, and walking away); Seven of Swords (number 7, the need to think carefully, someone cunning, daring and impulsive acts, sneaky person, manipulation, the need to use tact); King of Pentacles (earth sign male, a kind person who enjoys their station in life, loyal and steadfast person, someone with a cautious approach, financially secure person, the need to be more cautious with one’s money); and Nine of Cups (number 9, being content with the world, wish fulfillment, being on “cloud 9”). I feel like this spread is a continuation of any awareness you gained last week. Also, the energy this week is brought to you by the King of Pentacles. Think of this King as a happy Capricorn, not the pissy sea goat everyone seems to have in their friend group. Capricorns work hard, keep things in perspective, always move forward, and have a shitload of self-discipline. The King can appreciate the finer things because he appreciates the process and sacrifice that led to their success. In the context of the rest of this spread, please remember where you came from and how much hard work it took to get you where you are today. The emphasis on taking nothing for granted takes center stage for a couple of reasons. First, we have the Eight of Cups, which is a card that guarantees you will have to let go of some emotional baggage or an old image you have of someone. I feel like the Seven of Swords shows up this week in one of two forms. One, the grifter in your life (we all know at least one) will blow up your phone and ask for money, your emotional energy, your time, or something you probably shouldn’t share because they haven’t earned it. Two, the Seven represents a royal snake in your orbit that exposes their jealousy, underhandedness, greed, etc in a subtle way. The reptile in question definitely gives frenemy or fake friend vibes, like they’re a family member or someone who makes a big deal about what a good friend they are, only to talk shit, sabotage you, or otherwise bail on you when you need them. I feel like this snake might try to give an apology out of the blue. If this is the case, don’t trust it. They are trying to save face, not express remorse. Take a tip from the Eight of Cups and walk the fuck away from this mess. The Eight is also telling you to let go of any need for revenge or justice in a one-sided relationship. It would be better for you in the long run to draw boundaries or cut off this person or situation, unless you want more of the same unmet expectations that were festering last week. This spread concludes with the Nine of Cups—the ultimate wish fulfillment card—rather than a more relationship-oriented card because I feel the emphasis needs to be on you taking time to see your own progress.

Also, consider donating to Blind Cat Rescue. They do wonders for blind and FLV+ cats.

Tarot Reading of the Week: 5/9/22 – 5/16/22

May 13, 2022Leave a comment

NOTE: I have to stop doing that part of my weekly post where I rant about current events and give you some CBT-style journal prompt. It’s not you, it’s me. In addition to pulling longer hours at work, I’m working on putting out more books. You might like them, but I won’t know until I finish them. Current events still piss me off and I still hate society’s lack of distress tolerance. I just don’t have time to write about it each week and put out a weekly reading. I apologize.

In case you appreciate my hot take on current events, here ya go (click on the hyperlinks to read the stories for yourself):

In an effort to remain neutral, Finland has resisted joining NATO… till now. Finnish leaders recently made a statement that they’re open to joining. This could prove problematic because they share a border with Russia, which might inspire some retaliation. Check it out for yourself right here.
Hey, OG readers, do you remember how I was always telling you to think critically, look for evidence, and only focus on what you can control? Yeah, that shit is actually good advice. Psychotherapists are endorsing the same plan for people who can’t stop obsessing about the future. Please read the full article here.
Has anyone else wondered what a black hole would sound like, if indeed it made a sound? Wonder no more, my fellow cosmos lovers! You can listen to a recording of a real black hole right here.
Thanks to supply chain issues and Abbott Nutrition’s massive recall and shut down, the U.S. is facing a massive baby formula shortage. This has been especially difficult on immigrants and the working poor. You can read about the shortage and all of the rationing attempts right here. You can also read about what the Biden administration wants to do about it here.
You know those period-tracking apps? The ones that help you track any unusual symptoms you might be having? Yeah, they’re great. They might also be a huge privacy risk, thanks to the possible repeal of Roe v. Wade. Privacy groups warn that the info you plug into an app can be used to track you in such a way that the Government can do some Minority Report shit to predict whether you’ll get an abortion. Basically, you can get busted for getting an abortion before it even happens. You can see how plausible this really is right here.

Aaaannnnyyyyhoo… Onto the Reading, Shall We…?

I asked the cards what we need to know about the week of 5/9/22 – 5/16/22 and I got: Eight of Wands (number 8, messages, information coming quickly, life speeding up, important letters and messages, action, and movement); Eight of Cups (number 8, a dream that is no longer fulfilling, a broken relationship, the need to walk away, “easy come/easy go” attitude, a lonely and painful time, possibly a vacation); Four of Swords (number 4, the need to retreat and think things through, feeling mentally and emotionally burned out, rest, possibly a physical illness, and the need to use downtime effectively); Seven of Pentacles (number 7, gestation, possibly pregnancy, the need to have patience, planting the seeds for a new business or career, a plan that will ultimately bear fruit if taken care of, eventual rewards, and karmic returns). This week should be equal parts on an even keel and full of surprises. Okay, it will likely contain no more than two surprises. I feel like the surprises will come in the form of answers you have been anticipating for a while. Three themes in this spread support this. First, this spread contains one card from each of the four tarot suits. The tarot suits—Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles—each lend an elemental energy. Having all of the basic elements—fire, water, air, and earth—gives this spread a sense of balance, which is great because the Eight of Wands has a way of shaking up any environment. We also have two cards that correspond to eight energy. Eight energy represents a balance between material and spiritual. This energy requires a great deal of perseverance, dedication, willpower, and practicality. The big lessons of eight energy include finding the flow in the mundane and listening to good advice, no matter the source. Now let’s keep that energy of balance and not giving up as we look at the third theme, having patience with the unexpected. The Eight of Wands starts this spread with a BANG! When you see the Eight of Wands, think of a door being blown open by a blast of cold air. This card signifies sudden messages, texts, letters, and calls. I’ve also seen it mean getting answers to questions that you haven’t asked out loud. I feel like the Eight of Cups is showing you that there may be some closure this week, as it is the ultimate card of walking away politely. This is a card of moving away from a tense or uncomfortable emotional situation, or an emotional journey that you have to take alone. I don’t see this as a complete breakup for some reason, but it does feel like whatever you’re being told this week will make you want to get a little distance. The distance theme is supported by the Four of Swords, which is a card of needing to recover from an illness or stress, rest, and retreat. If this spread applies to your relationship, the most likely scenario is that either you or your partner will hear something that will make you want to take a step back and reevaluate your role in the relationship. In the negative, it feels like these cards speak to disillusionment. They could also signify getting confirmation about something you suspected, but there was no proof. It feels like hearing that a frenemy or family member really is talking shit about you, or only pretends to like you. It also feels like finding out that you’re the Participation Medal Friend ™, or the person others interact with out of obligation. (Conversely, someone you keep around out of pity or obligation might figure out that they’re not the first choice and want to distance themselves from you as a result.) In the positive, these cards offer a sense of liberation. Whatever the news is, it will force you to break away from the dead weight in your life. I feel like the dead weight is more likely to be old emotional wounds, people you’re keeping around out of nostalgia, and bad health or financial habits. I think the Eight of Cups and the Four of Swords hanging out right next to each other in this spread signifies the need to spend this retrograde keeping to yourself. This brings me to our final card, the Seven of Pentacles, which is a card of perseverance, valuing your time and money, and getting back what you put into a situation. I feel like this card is telling us a couple things. First, in light of the balance theme of this spread, the Seven wants us to evaluate how much energy we are expending on a situation versus what we’re getting in return. Once you get the message that takes you aback, the seven wants you to do a cost benefit analysis of the situation. Then think about what parts of this are slowing things down, blocking you, or just sucking your time and energy. Second, the Seven is a card that tells you to keep going. “Chop wood, carry water” as the Zen Buddhists say. This seems contradictory when you figure that the two cards before the Seven—the Four of Swords and the Eight of Cups—talk about retreating. However, I think the Seven is showing us that you’re only walking away and retreating from part of the situation. In terms of a relationship, job, or project, this spread talks about the need to keep putting in the daily work without the parts that are unnecessarily toxic. I strongly suggest using this as your meditation for the week:

Also, consider donating to Blind Cat Rescue. They do wonders for blind and FLV+ cats.

Did you like my buddy Marshall Delaware, aka G. G. MacLeod? Check out our latest political collab. He’s coming back in the near future, FYI. If you want to read an awesome historical fiction novel, you can get your hands on his book here. It may take place in Ancient Rome, but Augusta couldn’t be any more timely if it tried. He actually dropped Part Two a while ago and then gifted the world with Part Three. Part Four is right here. And, ehrmagerd, you can even score Part Five. For those of you who can’t do the piecemeal thing, check out The Omnibus Edition so you can get Volumes 1-6 in one place. I think you should go get it, Tiger!

Tarot Reading of the Week: 5/2/22 – 5/9/22

May 4, 2022Leave a comment

In case you appreciate my hot take on current events, here ya go (click on the hyperlinks to read the stories for yourself):

A few justices on the U.S. Supreme Court *cough* Samuel Alito *cough* royally fucked up this week. A couple days ago, it was leaked that the United Stated Supreme Court vowed to overturn landmark 1973 abortion rights case, Roe v. Wade. I’m incredibly pissed, but need to keep this brief. Anyhoo, you can read about the info that was leaked in this Politico article. Chief Justice Roberts called the leak “a betrayal,” but seems to have forgotten the original decision was leaked back in 1973.
In what is the most awesome example of a marital communication breakdown, ficto-sexual man Akihiko Kondo can’t communicate with the hologram he married due to a technical glitch. Nope, I’m not kidding. You can see for yourself right here. I remember that I wanted to be a member of Jem and the Holograms when I was a kid, so I guess marrying one isn’t that weird.
Scientists now think dopamine plays a role in your ability to recognize others’ emotions. This partially explains why depressed people seem less aware of others. You can read about the study right here.
Ukraine is still putting up a good fight, but it appears their air force needs a little help. This week, Ukrainian forces have asked the United States to take on Russian Su-35 fighter jets. You can read about it in this article.
Did you know that John Deere has dealerships in Russia? Yeah, that’s not something I was thinking about either. Aaaannnnyyyyhoo, Russian troops stole equipment from a John Deere dealership. However, they failed to plan for the dealership being able to remotely lock the equipment. You can read about it in this here post.
It seems more and more members of the GOP are getting sick of having to pretend Trump is sane. I guess his finding votes strategy didn’t work. You can read more about the GOP’s role in all that vote-finding right here. Aaaannnnyyyyhoo, check out the remarks of some key Republicans in this article. But in true Trump fashion, he has been deflecting accountability for his unsportsman-like conduct and his role in the January 6th insurrection.
In cannabis news, scientists have discovered frequent marijuana use increases your risk of a heart attack. You can read all about it right here. You can also read about long term, frequent marijuana use causing chronic vomiting in this article.

Aaaannnnyyyyhoo… Onto the Reading, Shall We…?

I asked the cards what we need to know about the week of 5/2/22 – 5/9/22 and I got: King of Cups (water sign male, intuitive and passionate person, possibly a secretive person, successful in business, someone who hides their vulnerability, possibly a ruthless person, possibly jealousy and possessiveness, the need to explore one’s passion, and possibly a warning against revealing feelings); Nine of Wands (number 9, the need to defend oneself or one’s convictions, having the same argument again, defensiveness, having one’s opinions questioned, feeling fed up, and a lengthy dispute or conflict); Seven of Swords (number 7, conniving or two-faced behavior, the need to think carefully, schemes that will ultimately fail, impulsivity, hiding one’s true intentions, avoiding or manipulating the truth, and the need to use tact and diplomacy); and Knight of Swords (air sign male, intelligent person, good conversationalist, someone who appears and disappears from one’s life quickly, a disruptive influence, ideas and plans taking shape, feeling impatient, a warning against saying things hastily, and the need to be cautious before committing to something). Oof! This week’s spread feels jumpy and dramatic. We don’t have any strong numerical themes, but we do have two cards—the Seven of Swords and the Knight of Swords—from the suit of Swords. Having so much Sword energy represented here, I feel like any drama or anxiety will have more to do with how you think about a situation, rather than any of the actual facts. Swords cards correspond to how you think, your attitudes, and your beliefs. At the risk of sounding like a big ol’ stinky cliche, your attitude and whatever monologue looping in your head will dictate your choices. It might be worth your while to sit with yourself and figure out what that monologue is saying. But let’s check out the other running theme and the individual cards. Remember how I said you’re probably going to be reactionary this week? This spread starts with the moody, secretive King of Cups. The King is a rather internal character who has two speeds: he can either sit back and be the chess-playing observer, or he follows his intuitive hunches with lightning speed and a take-no-prisoners manner. The King’s presence tells me this could be a week where: you discover an emotional trigger you didn’t know you had, the smartest thing you can do is to shut your mouth and observe what others do, or you put on your biggest clown shoes and accidentally tread all over someone else’s emotional minefield. Next we have the defensive, tough Nine of Wands. This card signifies conflict, but it’s not a card of arguing just to be an ass. This is a card of someone starting shit with you and you being put into a position to defend yourself. My feeling is, your need to defend yourself is half legit, and half dictated by your hurt pride. Coupled with the King, the Nine is a card of someone who has finally had enough and is biting back. If that person is someone around you and you just happen to be on the receiving end, you might want to think about how you may have contributed to the situation and just hear what this person has to say. Regardless of your role in their inner drama, you will learn where you stand with them. If you are the person telling others to fuck off, pay attention to when you feel compelled to throw the two finger salute. There’s a lot of validity to your ire. Your compulsion to blast a flamethrower on some bridges is trying to tell you something. I feel like the next card—the Seven of Swords—is giving us a three-pronged perspective on this salty need for self-expression. First, the Seven is a card of crafty, shady double-dealing stuff. It is a card of playing mind games and often the card of two-faced behavior. No matter who decides someone needs to pound sand, the trigger will most likely be some form of gossip or fakery. My gut feeling on this one is, the angrily-drawn boundary will be the result of some bullshit that can’t be proven. If you’re the one who tells others to jump in a lake, be aware that you were probably manipulated into anger. If you are on the receiving end of someone else’s angst, just know that they think you’re full of crap, are being played by a third party, or are trying to cover for their own bad behavior. Take a lesson from the King and observe others’ behavior to learn about their motives. Second, the Seven is often a warning to use tact and diplomacy. Calling someone out directly probably won’t work. You have to get them to agree that there’s a problem. You know, telling them to go to Hell and making them look forward to the trip. Third, the Seven wants you to be mindful of the line between being diplomatic and straight up lying. Veering into liar territory will only bite you later. The last card—the Knight of Swords—simultaneously adds a layer of impatience to the King’s energy and validates the Seven’s call to be diplomatic. The Knight is impatient to the point of being irritable. When the Knight makes a decision, he acts quickly. Coupled with the King’s tendency to act on hunches, we increase the possibility of telling someone to fuck off, or being told to fuck off. The thing about the King is that he’s not particularly impulsive. If we have the impulsive Knight making the King impatient, this usually means the King has been observing the situation for a long time and no longer cares enough to wait for the right moment to call out a situation or person. A positive aspect of the Knight is, he has a way with words, yet doesn’t mince them. Keep it brief, but polite and you should be fine. This is not the week to get into lengthy explanations of how you feel, as it would bore everyone involved… including you.

Also, consider donating to Blind Cat Rescue. They do wonders for blind and FLV+ cats.

Tarot Reading of the Week: 4/18/22 – 4/25/22 and 4/25/22 – 5/2/22

April 23, 2022Leave a comment

In case you appreciate my hot take on current events, here ya go (click on the hyperlinks to read the stories for yourself):

Easily one of the most disturbing developments, Russian leader Vladimir Putin tested a nuclear-capable missile. This particular missile is reportedly able to get past all known missile-detecting technology. Russia is expected to take delivery of this device by the fall of 2022. Yeah… That’s a problem. The U.S. was notified prior to the launch, which I guess is protocol? Apparently V-Pootz following S.O.P. makes this more of a chest-thumping gesture than an actual threat, sayeth the experts.
Meanwhile, Russia’s premiere fighter jet–the SU-35–was shot down recently. U.K. and U.S. scientists believe the remnants of this jet can crack the code for winning the aerial portion of this war.
If you need further proof of Russia shooting themselves in the foot, financial experts predict Russia will be defaulting on their loans. This might lead other countries to seize the central bank’s assets, as Russia’s $650,000,000 bond debt will be a bitch to resolve.
Researchers have found that vaping increases inflammation in your lungs, brain, and intestines. The study only focused on the JUUL brand, but methinks the results will be applicable to most vape brands (further studies pending, of course).
U.S. President Joe Biden recently decided to reopen public land for oil drilling. This highly controversial move was made to combat the astronomical price of gas. Did your heart just sink to the bottom of your intestines reading that? No? Just me then?
The Niels Bohr Institute and the Technical Institute of Denmark found what they believe to be “an ancestor of a supermassive black hole.” They say it was formed around the time of the Big Bang.
Did you know that mindfulness can actually increase the likelihood of you becoming a douchebag? Experts have found that mindfulness meditation reduces your feelings of guilt and compunction, even if you have something for which you should feel guilty. Shallow types with narcissistic tendencies and careers in social media should be gravitating to this in 3… 2… 1…
Did you know that regular cannabis use can negatively affect your executive functioning (i.e. decision-making, ability to organize yourself, memory, ability to think logically and flexibly, etc)? It also leads to riskier decision-making. We’re talking about regular—aka daily or multiple times weekly—use of the devil’s lettuce, but those who are on the less frequent binge plan also experience effects. You can read all about it right here.
Is it just me, or is the internet trying to diagnose everyone with ADHD? That in and of itself should raise some serious red flags, but I digress. Before you print off your test results and march into your local shrink’s office, you might want to see this: Mental health researchers have found that it may be beneficial to rule out Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder before diagnosing someone with ADHD. (You might also want to rule out anxiety, emotional burnout, poor distress tolerance, a shitty diet…)

Check out the fundraiser to get this sweet boy named Orion a seizure alert dog. His original service dog passed away and poor Orion still asks about him. Orion’s family has been doing what they can to make dogs part of Orion’s therapy because he positively lights up when he works with them, but Orion still needs a service dog of his own. It looks like they raised way more than their goal, but I’m sure every little bit still helps. You can check it out here.

***Yep. I know I’m late again. I’d apologize, but it keeps happening. Apologizing for something I know I’m going to do again (albeit hopefully less frequently) seems pointless. I’m just going to keep doing my best and hope that my best (and my dumpster fire time management skills) will get better as the other stuff I’m dealing with gets resolved.

Aaaannnnyyyyhoo… Onto the Reading, Shall We…?

I asked the cards what we need to know about the week of 4/18/22 – 4/25/22 and I got: Seven of Wands (number 7, reaping what one sows, making a stand when challenged, success in overcoming challenges, receiving the same energy one puts out, receiving benefits for hard work, and dealing with difficulty well); Five of Cups (number 5, grief and loss, an emotional loss, the need to focus on what remains, the need to let go of an emotional issue, and temporary melancholy); Five of Wands (number 5, conflict, competition, the need to defend oneself, one’s opinions and beliefs being questioned, the need to prove one’s point, and possibly jealousy-driven actions); and Princess of Wands (young fire sign person, new creative or business projects, an energetic person, burst of energy or initiative, urge to start a creative project, and renewed motivation). This week isn’t especially heavy or loaded, but it is all about pushing through discomfort and putting in effort. Five energy governs this week in the form of the Five of Cups and the Five of Wands. Five energy represents chaos, change, and temporary upset. It’s not as devastating as the Tower card, but you will feel like one of those science fair volcanoes. The suits of these Five cards make things a little tricky. First we have the slightly emo Cups card, Five of Cups. The Five of Cups is a card of grief and loss, usually after an unexpected emotional upset. This card has more to do with the more cathartic type of sadness, rather than the deep melancholy of the Nine of Swords. The Five of Swords is grief that needs to be expressed and respected so you can appreciate what remains. Because it sits next to the competitive Five of Wands, the grief indicated by the Five of Cups is likely to come out as a meltdown, anxiety out of nowhere, or an emotional flashback. The second major theme in this spread comes in the form of three out of four of these cards being from the Suit of Wands, which is the suit of action, initiative, creativity, and intuition. Combined with chaotic five energy, the majority of Wands cards in this spread promises to move you from stagnation to the fast lane in nothing flat. Keeping those two themes (Wands and five energy) in mind, let’s break down this spread. We kick things off with the intense, determined Seven of Wands. Much like the Five of Wands, the Seven is a card of competition. Unlike the Five, the Seven of Wands speaks of competition and hard work to achieve a goal. This is a stark contrast to the Five’s underlying pettiness and jealousy. The Seven of Wands also tells us that we’ll get what we put into a situation. I feel like the Seven is our warning not to be mean-spirited, even though the chaos and grief promised by our two Five cards might bring anyone’s inner bitchzilla, please resist the temptation. We then have our two chaos-bringers, the Five of Cups and the Five of Wands. These two cards together feel like an emotional trigger in the form of someone’s smart-assed comment or being stressed out and feeling not good enough. This Five Energy-Laden Combo of Suck (™) will most likely manifest as a series of digs from a frenemy or relative; a coworker throwing you under the bus, then playing the hero with the boss; a hostile friend’s manipulations being exposed; or a sudden increase in chaos at work. The grief of the Five of Cups will show itself in two ways. First, you will see where you have been wearing rose-colored glasses or not seeing things for what they are. Second, the stress and chaos will trigger some old wounds, usually the ones that leave us with persistent feelings of not being lovable or good enough. There feels like an element of humiliation to these events as well. If they are consciously being orchestrated by others—a la verbal digs or sabotage—you best believe the nasty person involved is choosing things that will make you feel the most ashamed, foolish, or unworthy. If the bullshit comes about via an unlucky series of events that throws a wrench in your plans, take it as a sign to revamp your priorities. I feel like the first and last cards are providing us the biggest hint for how to deal with our fucked up triggers. The Seven of Wands is a hard-working, productive card. The last card—the Princess (aka Page) of Wands—is a card of creative projects, inspiration, and having the drive to work on something new. I feel like the Seven of Wands and the Princess of Wands are telling you that this would be a good week to channel your sadness, grief, anxiety, loneliness, anger, constipation, and any other sick or uncomfortable feeling you have into a new art project, writing a song, or even cleaning your house. These cards are telling you to let yourself feel all of your feelings—even the negative ones—and work through them by turning the undesirable emotions into something beautiful or useful. This is a week to be gardening, cleaning, painting, dancing, exercising, cooking, and pretty much anything else that gets you out of your head. This is a week to commit to the smaller action steps that would bring you closer to a goal. Just beware of others’ verbal traps or letting yourself get swallowed by your least favorite emotions.

I asked the cards what we need to know about the week of 4/25/22 – 5/2/22 and I got: Ace of Swords (number 1 or 11, cutting through unnecessary details to get to the truth, cutting through old or negative karma, getting rid of thought patterns or attitudes that are no longer working, a new approach is needed, the need to be more logical about a situation, and the need to declutter); Two of Wands (number 2, business or creative partnership, success, a feeling that the grass could be greener elsewhere, restlessness, weighing possibilities, wanting to expand one’s horizons, and new plans); Knight of Swords (air sign male, eloquent and charming person, someone who disappears from one’s life quickly, impatience, the need to be cautious when signing contracts or making commitments, a warning against hasty or angry words); and the World (number 21, a natural ending to a cycle in one’s life, integration, new beginnings, ultimate success, a project that receives recognition, possibly travel or a vacation, and peaceful endings). This spread reads simultaneously like a sigh of relief and one of those “oh shit, what now?” moments. The theme of beginnings and endings runs through this spread in a couple ways. First, this spread starts with the Ace of Swords, a card of breakthroughs, getting to the truth, and new ideas. The Ace cuts through negative karma, thought patterns and beliefs that are holding you back, and bullshit. You might experience this energy as suddenly seeing your role in things. You might wake up and understand that you’re being played. The Ace may show you where you have been romanticizing the truth in order to keep a relationship or the peace. Or you might want to slap the shit out of everyone. Perhaps you have even repaid some karmic debts, or feel inspired to do so. Whatever the case, the Ace is a card of beginnings that come as a result of a realization. Any inspiration, thought, awakening, or epiphany you experience this week isn’t just gas. It could be the first sign that you need to take a hard left, even though you had planned to go right. The endings part of the beginnings and endings theme comes in the form of our last card, the World. Not only is the World the final card in the Major Arcana—the part of the tarot that specifically deals with lessons and karmic themes—the World is also the card that signifies natural endings to cycles in your life. We’re talking about jobs, relationships, or friendships that have run their course. We might also be speaking of belief systems or automatic thought patterns that might be shooting you in the foot. This might be a good week for you to keep a short feelings journal, use a mood tracker app, or pause your habit of covering your “icky” feelings with being a workaholic or using your to-do list to buffer your trauma responses. Just saying. Annnnyyyyhoo, our next two cards—the Two of Wands and the Knight of Swords—tell us a little more about what might be coming full circle for you this week. The Two of Wands is a card of possibilities and opportunities. We often see the Two when you have a choice to make (i.e. when someone asks if their significant other has someone else on the side or if you will have more than one option if you decide to leave your job). The “should I stay or should I go?” energy of the Two often comes with a heapin’ helpin’ of restlessness and impatience. You might find yourself not being able to stay still or feeling dissatisfied with things that used to soothe or distract you, though you won’t be as agitated as last week. Your agitation has merely become more focused. The Knight of Swords not only heightens this claustrophobic impatience, it also injects impulsivity into the mix. These two cards show me moving on is inevitable and you might be inspired to act like a raging asshole to speed things up, if you feel the journey to Point B is a little slow. The fact that we have two Swords cards in this reading shows me it will be your thoughts that either whip your feelings into a frenzy or tell you to chill and be rational. Might I suggest taking the middle approach? Three of these cards—the World, the Ace, and the Two—show us that new opportunities should present themselves pretty quickly if you exfoliate the pore-clogging thought patterns, beliefs, frenemies, draining people, et al that are clogging your psychic complexion. This means you have a little time to get yourself a game plan. Use the impatience and aggravation you might be feeling this week to make sure this exit benefits you without burning any bridges. This might look like giving notice at work, networking on LinkedIn, setting boundaries with draining family members, politely blocking people, focusing on solo projects instead of collabs, and going to the gym instead of listening to your friend deflect accountability in a three-hour phone call where she monologues about her overly dramatic relationships and how all of her previous partners must be narcissists.

Also, consider donating to Blind Cat Rescue. They do wonders for blind and FLV+ cats.

Tarot Reading of the Week: 4/4/22 – 4/11/22

April 8, 2022Leave a comment

Time for some current events. Let’s see if Will and Jada Pinkett Smith make an appearance:

In Russia/Ukraine news, Russian troops failed to take the city of Kyiv, which some news outlets are calling “the defeat for the ages.” Ouch.
The members of Pink Floyd, minus Roger Waters, recorded their first new music in 28 years to raise money for Ukranians in need.
Despite Russian troops failing to take Kyiv, other Ukranian cities are being evacuated and the economic sanctions against Russia are further tightening the noose. The latest sanctions target Russian banks. You can get those updates right here.
Aljazeera put together a matter-of-fact rundown of the Russia/Ukraine war. You can take a peek at the war by the stats and numbers right here.
In downright fucking creepy news, an anti abortion group took 115 aborted fetuses (or cell clumps, depending) and buried 110 of them. What happened to the other 5…? You can read about it right here.
GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is in no position to judge anyone for their lifestyle choices, shot down a bill that would prevent Big Pharma from hiking insulin prices. His reasoning? Rep. Gaetz believes insulin-dependent diabetics need to make better choices and lose weight if they don’t like having to choose between paying rent and paying for their medication. Yeah, he said that. You can read all about it in this article.
Speaking of uncomfortable choices, Canada has decided that they will not be allowing some foreigners to buy houses due to the hellacious price of housing around the world. Between this and the way he handled the trucker protests earlier this year, PM Trudeau seems dead set on no longer being the wet dream for #woke American liberals.
Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives appears to have reread their job descriptions. The House voted to hold two uncooperative reps in contempt because of their behavior surrounding the 1/6/21 insurrection. You can read about the House growing a clue right here. You can also read about the Justice Department expanding its investigation into these events in this handy article.
In happy political news, Ketanji Jackson has officially become the first African American female justice on the United States Supreme Court. May she always torture Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham by her very existence.
Oh, and it turns out Leonardo da Vinci invented the earliest whoopie cushion. You can read about it right here and hopefully laugh as hard as I did.

Aaaannnnyyyyhoo… Onto the Reading, Shall We…?

I asked the cards what we need to know during the week of 4/4/22 – 4/11/22 and I got: The Fool (number 0, taking a leap of faith, optimism, new beginnings, the need to follow one’s instincts and intuition, the need to remain true to oneself, trusting oneself, and having faith in what lies beyond); Two of Pentacles (number 2, mood swings, balancing several things at once, money fluctuations, a warning against one-sided relationships, balancing one’s needs with others’ needs, the need to get one’s priorities straight, and a warning to watch one’s spending); Three of Cups (number 3, relationships based on friendship, celebration, the birth of a project or a child, preparation for a fertile time); and the Sun (number 19, joy, confidence, all things coming to the light, renewal of energy, seeing things differently, creativity, the need to express oneself, and possibly the birth of a child). Huh. My first thought is, this spread has an optimistic Aries vibe. Anyone who has ever known or loved an Aries knows they are a bundle of goal-directed chaos. A happy Aries is a fun-loving, one-pointed beam of light. But an angry Aries…? Let’s not spoil the mood because this week’s energy feels very much like a happy Aries. We can also describe this week as a happy Major Arcana sandwich. Unlike previous weeks where we had highly precarious and loaded spreads, this karmic sammich talks about seeing signs that you’re moving in a better direction. There are no fated decisions or catastrophic events that burn your world to the ground. Even if you have the chaotic week from Hell, I feel like the cards are telling us that your Higher Self will give you a huge nudge in the direction that gets you the fuck out of Dodge. Our first card, the Fool, kicks off this reading by saying now is a great time to follow your intuition and take a leap of faith. Have you been itching to do things differently? Maybe certain songs, colors, or symbols have been following you everywhere. Weird dreams, perhaps? The Fool says your impatience and anxiety have been trying to push you to the next phase. Don’t worry about not having all of the information because the Fool is a card of optimism. I know it’s easier said than done. If you’re prone to anxiety, this would be a great week to do a Higher Self meditation like this one. You might also want to ask questions about what you need to do next, then get the answers through automatic writing. Whatever the case, make sure you are more in touch with your intuition than a gaggle of agony aunts before you do anything. The next card, the Two of Pentacles, reminds us that there are limits. There is not enough time, energy, or money for everything, so you will need to prioritize in order to maintain balance in your life. Some of the anxiety and impatience you might feel this week stems from wanting to pursue every adventure and project that comes your way, but knowing you can’t. Choose your top three, then balance those around the rest of your life. This is a great time to introduce our next card, the Three of Cups, a card of collaboration, friendship, and sometimes birth. I feel like this is the week where a friend or acquaintance who has been watching you for a while gets ready to offer you a project. This might also be the week where someone you’ve been talking to romantically decides you guys need to go on a “friendly” date (let them keep their plausible deniability for now). Our sunshiny spread concludes with the Sun, a card of joy, confidence, and renewal. Don’t get too hung up on the word renewal because this does not feel like the week when your ex will come back to you. I feel like the renewal corresponds to a change in your attitude or perspective. If a relationship or work situation has been difficult, this is the week where you get that one piece of information that inspires you to confidently do things differently. The renewal might be as simple as deciding to feel grateful for your daily routine, rather than being weighed down by it. In fact, the Three and Sun together might be telling us to express gratitude for someone or something in our lives, even if the act of gratitude is a hug or giving some area of your life extra TLC. Just heed the warning of the Two of Pentacles and respect your limits.

Also, consider donating to Blind Cat Rescue. They do wonders for blind and FLV+ cats.

Tarot Reading of the Week: 3/28/22 – 4/4/22

March 31, 2022Leave a comment

I know I missed a lot of stuff, but here’s my current events drive-by:

This just in: Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after Chris made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head. Critics say the G.I. Jane joke wasn’t funny because Jada Pinkett Smith has struggled with alopecia since 2018. People on the Lipstick Alley boards are debating whether she has the disease at all (my guess is she probably does). Anyhoo, Will Smith has since apologized for what many saw as a strong reaction to Chris Rock making a very Chris Rock joke. Was it too strong of a reaction? Maybe, but it has quite possibly been building for a while. Check out a psychologist’s theory on the matter right here. Or you can read about the history between Chris Rock and the Smith family right here. I personally think the slap was a bullshit performance by a man who needed to prove something to his wife. A wife, by the way, who has never given off the impression that she needs her husband to speak for her. All Will Smith really did was expose himself as a bit of an insecure control freak.
In other Celebrity Shithead (™) news, former Goop Exec Elise Loehnen has been denouncing Gweneth Paltrow’s wellness business. Seriously, she has accused the company of being a cesspool of toxic positivity, faux spirituality, and mean girl tactics. Coming from the lady partially responsible for the phrase “consciously uncoupling,” that’s pretty scathing.
Speaking of toxic workplaces, here are a few reasons to avoid the #workfamily trap like the fucking plague.
You know how back in the 90’s we all joked about California being swallowed by the ocean due to rising ocean levels? It turns out scientists have been taking the matter seriously and have identified the countries and coastal cities most likely to be submerged by 2050. Although a few U.S. cities made the list, it looks like Florida will be hit harder than Cali. They believe this may have something to do with the ice shelf in Antarctica suddenly collapsing. You have 28 years to visit DisneyWorld, dude.
In an effort to deal with the two of the most pressing matters in these parts—the Russia/Ukraine war and the cost of everything being almost unlivable—U.S. President Joe Biden plans to increase military and social spending in 2023. He might want to do something about most of the country being priced out of the housing market due to demand outpacing supply and rising interest rates. How do you think the rich will like their taxes being increased? Just curious.
Seriously, people like this disabled couple are being rendered homeless due to low housing inventories.
Speaking of rich people getting taxed, Democratic senators from Connecticut, California, and Illinois proposed a bill that would give qualifying U.S. taxpayers up to $300 a month in gas money. This gas stimulus would be paid for by the Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax. OIl tycoons might want to find the small shards of soul that Satan let them keep and do something nice before the public decides to make them obsolete somehow.
Scientists must secretly like anti-Vaxx rednecks with one-tenth of their education and hair trigger outrage questioning every damn word they say. You see, these masochistic scientists have published a study that found a link between antibiotics and cognitive decline. Here’s where you can calm the fuck down: This study targeted antibiotics taken for at least two months in middle aged women. Your normal Valtrex or 10-day dose for a sore throat probably won’t rot your brain.
Another group of masochistic researchers developed a male birth control pill that prevents pregnancy and does not currently appear to have any side effects. Which is lovely because several states started enacting severe abortion restrictions in 2021. This is incredibly bad news for women’s healthcare. Banning abortion would increase mothers dying during childbirth by 21%, according to both the Harvard School of Public Health and Colorado University Boulder.
President Biden met with Ukranian refugees in Poland and ended up calling V-Pootz a “butcher.” Considering the two leaders have already had words over who’s the biggest killer, I’m sure that went over well. The original intent of Biden’s Poland trip was to talk about how the rest of the world can sidestep our need for Russia’s fuel.
Meanwhile, Russia marched on the area where Chernobyl workers live and took the leader.
Researchers in the Netherlands have found microplastics in human bloodstreams. Thanks to all of the single-use plastic in our lives, we’re all walking around with itty bitty plastic particles coursing through our veins.
It turns out that the right amount of anxiety helps with motivation and goal-setting. No shit. But this should be a good reason for you to stop with the self-soothing nonsense and practice the real self-care, which is to work through your anxiety so that you can dial it down to a level that helps you get off your ass, rather than be paralyzed.
Have I mentioned time crystals might become part of everyday life? It might not be as cool as I’m imagining it, but still…
Enjoy this humorous video critique of toxic masculinity in the early 2000’s.
And now take a look at this video, which illustrates what coercive control looks like.

Aaaannnnyyyyhoo… Onto the Reading, Shall We…?

I asked the cards what we need to know about the week of 3/28/22 – 4/4/22 and I got: Judgment (number 20, new way of seeing oneself, a fresh start, a welcome change, liberation, the need to examine any ingrained patterns, the end of a cycle, lifestyle changes); Justice (number 11, the need to face reality objectively, the need to be honest with self and others, legal matters, the need to make a decision, a warning against being overly self-critical or rigid, the need to stop procrastinating); the Hanged Man (number 12, the need to surrender old patterns or addictions, the need to focus on the present, a warning against obsessive thoughts, patience and tolerance needed, a waiting period, the need to trust oneself); and the World (number 21, the end of a cycle, natural endings, ultimate success, completion, resolution to a longstanding issue or conflict). This spread immediately strikes me as intense and loaded, but not negative (with a catch). We also have a spread that tells us to get off our collective asses in the chillest possible way. Wanna change your life? That’s cool. I got you, legend. Oh, you don’t want to change? Good luck with what’s next. All of these cards are Major Arcana cards. There isn’t a weak card in the deck, which means you need to pay attention to your intuition this week. You are likely to encounter running themes in your waking life that expose repetitive, nagging thoughts in the back of your mind. Your task this week is to balance observing with doing. You need to think through your actions without overanalyzing the crap out of them. Let’s talk about what the cards mean and you’ll see the method to my madness. In addition to every card having big, important energy, the spread reads like we’re watching a cycle complete itself. It starts with the Judgment card, which is a card of choices and new beginnings. Judgment reminds us that any choice we make has consequences, thus reminding us that we have more power and don’t have to be blown wherever the wind takes us. This card feels like your decisions this week will revolve around some revelation you have about yourself. You might start to understand what was going on with the other people involved. For example, you might finally understand your parents’ issues had nothing to do with you being a bit of a hyperactive spaz or needing attention. Or you might start to see how your behavior pushed others out of your life. Either way, whatever strong epiphany occurs cannot be unseen. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to integrate this paradigm shift into your life. If you don’t allow this revelation to change your perspective, I have the feeling your life will force a perspective shift on you. Next up, the Justice card further spreads the message of needing to get honest and make a choice. Corresponding to objective, legal-minded Libra energy, the Justice card politely demands that we take a look at the facts. This would be a good time to mention the numerological vibration surrounding the number eleven, which rules the Justice card. For the numerologically-inclined, the number eleven is a master number, which means this number brings a lesson. Eleven energy signifies higher wisdom, intuition, and enlightenment. Do not personalize anyone else’s actions this week. Reread The Four Agreements a thousand times if you must, but do not assume your reactions are about anyone else but you. The Justice card next to Judgment tells me that if you follow the advice so far—pay attention to your paradigm shifts and how other people behave, without taking anything personally—your next step should be clear. Remember how I said this spread is positive …with a catch? That brings me to the next card, the Hanged Man. This Major Arcana card represents surrender and patience. In this case, the Hanged Man is asking you to observe and analyze your vices, addictions, guilty pleasures, bad habits, and character flaws so that you can make like Marie Kondo and declutter that shit. If said habit or flaw is more harmful than helpful to you, take this opportunity to do something different. In my experience, the Hanged Man always comes with the same catch: doing the same shit on a different day will only make you more discontented, irritable, bitchy, impatient, and overwhelmed. Our final card, the World, tells me that a cycle in your life is ending, whether you like it or not. The good news is, the World is way more positive than the Death card, which pretty much cuts you off cold turkey. The lessons with Death are way more bittersweet than with the World. The World shows us the end of a cycle, but the outcome is that of success and growth. If you roll with the change, you will tap into the eleven energy we talked about earlier. However, fighting the next phase in your life gives the Universe an engraved invitation to make an ass out of you. Trust me on this one. I don’t see any real relationship-y cards in this spread, but I strongly feel that the habit you need to 86 is strongly tied to a friendship or family relationship—some person you keep around due to nostalgia, tradition, or obligation. This might mean you have to let this person exit your life, get enough rope to hang themselves, or make the same damn mistake. Whatever you do, do NOT bail them out or enable their bullshit in any way. How they handle themselves without your interference will tell you exactly what you need to know.

Also, consider donating to Blind Cat Rescue. They do wonders for blind and FLV+ cats.

Tarot Reading of the Week: 3/21/22 – 3/28/22

March 23, 2022Leave a comment

Ready for the hit-and-run current events? Take a deep breath ‘cause here we go:

Confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Katanji Brown Jackson started 3/21/22. The GOP is clearly still salty about all of the objections to Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. We’ve already had Sen. Lindsey Graham get a little too combative over religion (which should be a non-issue, due to the separation of church and state) before storming out of the hearing. But unlike Brett “I love beer” Kavanaugh and Amy “Crazy Eyes” Coney Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson handled the opposition like a true professional. (In all fairness to Sen. Graham, the way Sen. Corey Booker and company’s sensationalized use of Christine Blasey Ford’s version of events was complete bullshit. Now if they had gone with Deborah Ramirez’s far more easily verified allegations, the public would have focused less on the Blasey Ford Shitshow and more on Kavanaugh’s possible perjury and incredibly bratty way of all but saying his confirmation had better be a foregone conclusion or else.)
Did you know that the planet Mercury might be lousy with diamonds? Yeah, I guess it’s a distinct possibility due to meteorites pummeling the crap out of Mercury’s graphite crust.
Word on the street is Johnson and Johnson’s COVID vaccine might work better than we thought. This is good news because experts fear we might have yet another wave of COVID in our future.
Big Oil has been raking in record profits over the last couple years. Lawmakers in the United States and Britain would like them to give a little back to us little folk. You can read all about the proposals on both sides of the pond here.
Speaking of the crazy price of gas, how many of you have been toying with the notion of getting an electric car? Lots of people have. However, the price of electricity is soaring too. You can read about that highway robbery and how much it really costs to charge an electric car right here.
Leader of the Hour (™) Volodomir Zelensky says he is ready to negotiate with Putin, but is terrified of World War III breaking out if things don’t go well. So are we, Zelensky. So are we.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are not exactly quelling fears of WWIII drawing nigh. It turns out Syria has thrown its support behind Russia on a few occasions and other Arab nations have come out and stated they’re going to pursue their interests, rather than help the OG Allies.
U.S. President Joe Biden is fully over V-Pootz’s crap, thanks to some salacious remarks Putin made. Pres. Biden also gathered a gaggle of CEO’s together and warned them about the possibility of Russia using cyber attacks. You can check out the guest list for that meeting here, if you’re so inclined.
None of this is going to stop Putin from going to the G20 Summit. Live, laugh, love @ V-Pootz.

Aaaannnnyyyyhoo… Onto the Reading, Shall We…?

I asked the cards what we need to know about the week of 3/21/22 – 3/28/22 and I got: Eight of Swords: (number 8, feeling stuck, choosing to stay stuck, playing the victim, the need to face reality, fears keeping one oppressed, mental oppression, and needing a creative solution); Ten of Pentacles (number 10, family inheritance, family karma, karmic situations, family history and dysfunction, the need to look to elders for answers, traditions, and financial security); Four of Pentacles (number 4, withholding emotions or information, being stingy, a miser or cheapskate, a warning against being to rigid or harsh, overly strict boundaries, protecting oneself, the need to watch one’s spending, guarding one’s privacy or self-worth, and wealth becoming a prison); and the Hierophant (number 5, traditions, the need to question what society expects of one, the need to retain one’s integrity in the face of criticism, a new teacher or counselor in one’s life, becoming a teacher or counselor to others, someone who appears in one’s life to heal old wounds, and being drawn to another philosophy or spiritual belief). The energy surrounding this spread feels like the current week will be one teachable moment after another. A few things support this theory. First, let’s start with the one Major Arcana card in this spread, the Hierophant. Called the Pope in some decks, the Hierophant is a card of traditions, gurus or teachers, and lessons learned through others. You see this card when you are dealing with a long-standing institution, such as marriage or religion, or when you are supposed to question it. The Hierophant speaks to the things we do out of social, religious, or family conditioning. It also corresponds to unlearning these things. The Hierophant vibrates to five energy, the energy of transition, change, independent thinking, and the five senses. Five energy needs to travel, explore, and figure things out for itself. I feel like the Hierophant amplifies and explains the meaning of the three other cards in this spread. Let me ‘splain. I’m going to combine the Hierophant with each of these cards, starting with the Eight of Swords. I lovingly call this one the Victim Card because the Eight of Swords talks about mental oppression and choosing to stay stuck. This is a card of a prisoner who doesn’t know their cell has been unlocked the whole time. Since this Eight is from the suit of Swords, we are talking about mental processes—maybe even mental illnesses—thoughts, and beliefs that are keeping you stuck. When paired with the Hierophant, we get a feeling of being held back by the things you “should” believe and do. These might be statements and beliefs handed down from the family or society, such as nice girls don’t swear, no one likes a whiner, or boys don’t cry. You might also be grappling with a sense of guilt or obligation. The first example that comes to mind is, others demanding too much of you, but not being able to say no because you don’t want to be seen as mean or ungrateful. It’s like being caught on the tracks when there’s a train speeding at you, only you get filled with exhaustion and resentment, rather than your guts being splattered and cauterized all over the place. What do you owe this person exactly? Just curious. Anyhoo, you might want to jot down your thoughts and feelings this week so you can be aware of any “should” statements that might be fucking with your mind. The combo of the Hierophant and the Eight of Swords also feels like learned helplessness or playing the victim to spin a narrative or get what you want. Learned helplessness and manipulative situations via playing the victim are both learned behaviors, which speaks to the Hierophant’s message of needing to unlearn old patterns. Now let’s combine the Hierophant and the Ten of Pentacles. This combination doubles down on the family vibe, as the Ten of Pentacles is a card of inheritance, family and social traditions, family karma, the security we get from family, and family bullshit. If we combine this with the message of the Eight and the Hierophant, we get a situation where we might be forced to look at the toxic behaviors and shitty ways of coping we may have learned from our families. This could be anything from being a workaholic, to being a passive-aggressive shitbag like your mother, to being a judgmental dickbag like your brother, blaming others for your problems, or drowning your sorrows in food or booze like everyone else does at Thanksgiving. I also feel like the material nature of the Suit of Pentacles mixed with the need to question what’s expected is giving off the vibe of a gift you may not want to accept. This might be a week where a family member who hasn’t historically had your back might offer you something or try to be friendly. I don’t feel like they’ve changed at all. They’re in this for themselves, which is only strengthened by the energy of the Four of Pentacles. The Four of Pentacles signifies the miser, one who holds back for their own self-interest. The withholding can either be a callous chess move or it can be an act of self-protection. I feel like the Hierophant and Four of Pentacles in this spread give us a little of both meanings. Don’t just accept what you’re told or take what you’re handed this week, especially if the giver is playing to your sense of social or familial obligation. I don’t think they could be more obvious if they said something like, “I thought we were friends” or “why don’t you trust me?” If this person has to bring up your lack of trust, then you probably have a good reason not to trust them. In work situations, this might be a supervisor leaning on the giant #workfamily lie or a coworker who is trying to get you to do their work while they get the credit. The Four of Pentacles is telling you to not give away any of your money, good ideas, or deepest feelings this week. This is not the week for artistic collabs or bonding over creative inspiration. It also warns against overspending. This might be the ideal work for you to keep your purchases to only what’s essential, such as food, shelter, clothing, utilities, and medical care.

Also, consider donating to Blind Cat Rescue. They do wonders for blind and FLV+ cats.

P.S. I managed to publish the first part of my first novel in 2019!! I’m excited and want to share it with you. Check out Water Torture Part One: Have You Checked the Children? Here. Please read and review it. Thank you!!Did you like my buddy Marshall Delaware, aka G. G. MacLeod? Check out our latest political collab. He’s coming back in the near future, FYI. If you want to read an awesome historical fiction novel, you can get your hands on his book here. It may take place in Ancient Rome, but Augusta couldn’t be any more timely if it tried. He actually dropped Part Two a while ago and then gifted the world with Part Three. Part Four is right here. And, ehrmagerd, you can even score Part Five. For those of you who can’t do the piecemeal thing, check out The Omnibus Edition so you can get Volumes 1-6 in one place. I think you should go get it, Tiger!

the spice is right

Tag: spicevicious

Tarot Reading of the Week: 6/21/22 – 6/28/22

Tarot Reading of the Week: 6/14/22 – 6/21/22

Tarot Reading of the Week: 6/6/22 – 6/14/22

Tarot Reading of the Week: 5/16/22 – 5/23/22 and 5/23/22 – 5/30/22

Tarot Reading of the Week: 5/9/22 – 5/16/22

Tarot Reading of the Week: 5/2/22 – 5/9/22

Tarot Reading of the Week: 4/18/22 – 4/25/22 and 4/25/22 – 5/2/22

Tarot Reading of the Week: 4/4/22 – 4/11/22

Tarot Reading of the Week: 3/28/22 – 4/4/22

Tarot Reading of the Week: 3/21/22 – 3/28/22