relationships – Just the Tarot

THE DEVIL CARD AND FREEDOM

Exploring the element of choice with The Devil card.

It’s always a little scary to get The Devil card in a Tarot reading. Based on the famous illustration of Eliphas Levi’s Baphomet, we see a large, horny critter with bat wings looming over a hapless couple in chains. Not only do they look miserable, but their tails are actually on fire.

Which has always seemed like a bit of an overreaction to me. It’s bad enough to take away their clothes and chain them to a black altar. Lighting their tails on fire is just plain mean.

When we get this card in a reading, we can assume that (a) we are personally in a really bad, low-vibration place or (b) we’re involved with someone else who’s in that sort of a space.

There’s also a school of thought that The Devil card can indicate black magic. Perhaps we pissed off someone and they whomped a hoodoo on us. Maybe that person we broke it off with romantically is spending their Saturday nights burning black candles and sticking pins into a picture of us.

And that can be true. I don’t want to downplay that possibility, but it tends to miss one of the most important messages of this card, which is CHOICE.

When we get involved in or stay in a really dark place, it’s the matter of whether we choose to be there that determines whether it’s evil.

THE CHAINS AROUND OUR NECKS

There are so many things that we think of as being, “evil,” that can feel like chains around our necks.

Drug addiction.

Alcoholism.

Abusive relationships.

Codependency.

All of those can feel as if we’re literally enslaved. We may know in our hearts that we’re in a really bad space and feel constant misery over it. But, without help, we may be powerless to escape from the bottle, the needle in the arm, the slap across the face.

Sadly, there are many people who casually assume that people in those situations just don’t want to be free of them. We saw that in the so-called, “war on drugs,” where the advice was, “just say no to drugs.”

The reality of being an addict, of course, is that you CAN’T say no to drugs. That’s why we call them addicts, right?

We also see it in the judgment that people ladle out to women who are enmeshed in abusive relationships. “Why don’t you just leave him” we ask. “What’s wrong with you?”

What’s wrong with them is that they don’t know HOW to leave an abusive relationship.

And codependents may lose their entire lives “saving,” other people because they haven’t got a clue about how to set up healthy boundaries.

So, in all of these situations, there’s one element in common: a lack of choice. And you can’t make a choice to be evil if you can’t make a choice at all.

HOW LOOSE ARE THE CHAINS?

When we zoom in a little closer on The Devil card, we make an astonishing discovery:

Their hands are free and the chains around the couple’s necks are so loose that they could easily be lifted right over their heads.

In other words, their apparent slavery is entirely a matter of choice. They could, at any moment, remove the chains and walk away, but they CHOOSE not to do it.

This was actually a major change in the way that this card was designed. In the older, Marseille deck we see the same couple, but their hands are bound tightly behind them and the ropes around their necks can’t be moved.

A.E. Waite and Pamela Coleman Smith deliberately decided to incorporate the element of choice in portraying evil when they designed this card.

Why did they take this radical step?

MENTAL ILLNESS AND EVIL

The Waite-Smith Tarot deck was released in 1909, which was the tail end of the Victorian Era in England. This period saw massive changes in the way humans lived, mainly brought on by the Industrial Revolution and mass manufacturing.

One of the areas that saw the greatest changes was the legal system and the ways in which we think about crime. In particular, what emerged was the concept that a person couldn’t commit a crime if they were insane.

In a nutshell, if a person was so deranged that they didn’t know what they were doing was wrong, or if they had an irresistible impulse that made it impossible for them to NOT act in a particular way, then they weren’t making a CHOICE to commit a crime and couldn’t be found guilty of it.

For us, that notion is completely commonplace. Not guilty by reason of insanity is a phrase that we hear all the time. But that idea of choice determining evil wasn’t in play until about 150 years ago and I’m guessing that’s why we saw the change in The Devil card.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Now, you may be wondering what all of this has to do with doing an actual Tarot reading and that’s a fair question.

There’s a subtle nuance here that’s important to recognize and that has to do with freedom. The people portrayed in The Devil card are free to walk away from what they’re doing.

Which really feels counter-intuitive. When we look at the card, we see that they’re chained and completely dominated by the Devil critter. At first glance, it seems that they’re not free at all.

But they are. They’re not insane. They’re not compelled to be there. They choose to be there.

And so, when we pull this card in a reading, we can emphasize that. We can actually look at this card and tell a client, “Yeah, you’re in a bad space, but you can change all of that. You don’t have to go on being miserable. You can walk away from it and be free.”

And that’s HUGE. That gives the client agency in a situation where they may feel totally trapped. It tells them that their freedom is in their own hands, if they decide to take it.

ALTERNATIVES

Now, again, I want to emphasize that this isn’t the only interpretation of The Devil card. If, for instance, we saw the Devil paired with The Moon, then we might actually be looking at issues like insanity or serious delusions.

If we saw The Devil paired with The Magician reversed, we might infer that there really IS some black magic going on. Always look at the surrounding cards.

By far and away, though, The Devil is a card of choice, of choosing to live in negativity and low vibrations. That’s not good news, of course – no one wants to exist like that. But freedom grows out of choices and that IS good news.

“Just the Tarot,” by Dan Adair. Available on Amazon.

REVERSE ENGINEERING A BAD READING

Changing a negative reading to a positive reading by using the lesson that needs to be learned.

If we read Tarot cards for long enough, we will eventually pull a bad reading. Sometimes it’s a really, really bad reading. You know: Death, The Tower, 10 of Swords, and maybe a few other horrible seeming cards thrown in.

After all, everyone has ups and downs. Everyone goes in and out of the light. Bad things happen to good people and vice versa.

The completely natural reaction to that is to freak out and think, “Oh, I’m so screwed.” And then we may batten down our psychological hatches, load our pockets full of protective crystals and charms, and go forth into the world, fully expecting to be hit by a bolt of lightning.

IT’S NOT CARVED IN STONE

A better approach is to remember that Tarot readings are never carved in stone. They’re a snapshot of the present moment, a prediction of how things are going to turn out if they continue along the present course.

Yes, they are eerily reliable. If the Tarot predicts that something is going to happen – good, bad, or neutral – it usually does.

But that’s primarily because we forget that we have free will and we can make choices. By acknowledging what’s happening right now and getting to work on it, we can alter the outcome of those readings. In a phrase, we can look at the problems that the Tarot is predicting and reverse engineer them so that they don’t happen.

HERE’S AN EXAMPLE

Let’s look at a simple three card reading. The question of the reading is, “Where am I aligning with my life’s purpose?”

1 – Where does the energy flow most freely? – The Tower reversed.

2 – Where does the greatest resistance occur? – The Empress reversed.

3 – What lesson needs to be learned at this point? – The Three of Swords

Now, if we were to just look at that sequence of cards as they lay on the table, it’s not a very positive reading. The Tower reversed warns of serious destruction. The Empress reversed is a loss of abundance. The Three of Swords is heartbreak.

If we were just reading this predictively, we’d say, “Okay, this person is going to get hit by something heavy, he’ll lose his abundance, and it will break his heart.”

When we look at it symbolically, in the context of the actual reading, though, we see a far different message.

The energy is flowing most freely where the person is consciously dismantling false foundations and lies in his own life (The Tower, reversed.) He’s unable to receive abundance because he can’t open to it (Empress reversed.). AND the reason that he can’t open to it is because his heart, his trust, has been seriously wounded in the past (Three of Swords.)

REVERSING IT

Now, as I said, none of this is carved in stone and all of this can be changed. So, what does this person need to do to flip the reading to something more positive?

We look directly at the last card – what lesson needs to be learned – for guidance. This person needs to heal his heart. When he heals his heart, that will enable him to trust the world and receive the abundance that he deserves. When he heals his heart and learns to trust the world, then the false foundation of The Tower reversed becomes a real foundation that’s based on love.

If we were to put in purely energetic terms, this person has been deeply wounded emotionally, resulting in his heart chakra being blocked. His heart chakra being blocked has kept him from being able to receive abundance. His inability to receive abundance has caused him to question the basis for his existence, which is the falling Tower.

CAUSE AND EFFECT

When we use this approach, we cease to look at a Tarot reading as if it’s just a prediction and we start to look at it as a puzzle that can be solved. We don’t just see that bad things may be about to happen – we see WHY they’re about to happen.

And if we can change the WHY, we can change the HOW.

There are about a kajillion different Tarot spreads out there, but most of them will have a, “lesson card.” That card may be called:

– what needs to be learned;

– hidden forces;

– causal factors;

– opposing forces, etc.

That’s the card that we want to focus in on when we’re trying to reverse engineer a bad reading. We don’t want to take an attitude of, “Well, shit happens.” We want to figure out why it’s happening and then reverse those forces with an opposite energy.

In the example above, the client had a broken heart (AKA, a blocked heart chakra) and so the solution was to bring love into his heart. A simple Metta meditation, done every day, began to cultivate more compassion, understanding, and love.

The, “lesson,” will probably be different with each client, of course. It may be that their issue is addiction (The Devil) or a need for more solitude (The Hermit) or a lack of direction (Seven of Cups.)

Whatever the lesson card may be, that’s the keystone that holds the whole reading together. Figure out what the client needs to learn, and you figure out what’s happening to her and why.

Don’t just look at the effect – look at the cause. And that will change the effect.

Tarot and the Root Chakra – Part Three – Finding Healing

Resources for Healing the Root Chakra – Part Three in a series on Tarot and the Root Chakra.

Root Chakra Meditation Poster – Available on Etsy.

This is the last of a three part series on Tarot and the root chakra. In the first part, “10 Tarot Cards That May Indicate a Blocked Root Chakra (1st Chakra)” we looked at some of the cards that are signposts for root chakra issues. In the second part, “Understanding the Root Chakra More Deeply: Safety, Survival, and the Foundations of Self,” we explored some of the devastating effects that problems with our root chakra can cause in our adult lives.

Of course, for any problem, we should also lay out some solutions, so in this post I’ve compiled some of the resources that I’ve personally used and found to be dependable. If you’re aware of other resources that you’d like to see listed here, please don’t hesitate to write and let me know.

BOOKS:

Energy Rules: Deflect Negative Vibrations and Own Your Energy by Alla Svirinskaya. This was originally published under the name of, “Own Your Energy,” and is a wonderful explanation of the chakras and meridian system by a world renowned energy healer. She also has some interesting thoughts about energy vampires and how to preserve your unique energy identity.

Chakras Made Easy: Seven Keys to Awakening and Healing the Energy Body (Made Easy series) by Anodea Judith. A complete guide to understanding, working with and developing your connection to your chakra system for healing and transformation. I’ve had this one in my library for several years and it’s one of the best and most complete explanations of the chakra system.

Root Chakra: The Ultimate Guide to Opening, Balancing, and Healing Muladhara (The Seven Chakras) by Mari Silva – Understand the role of your root chakra and learn how to keep it healthy and happy. Silva has written extensively about the chakra system and this is short, easy read on the root chakra.

Unblocked: A Revolutionary Approach to Tapping into Your Chakra Empowerment Energy to Reclaim Your Passion, Joy, and Confidence by Margaret Lynch Raniere and David Raniere – This is centered around using EFT tapping to unblock your chakras, but does a very deep dive into the lower four chakras. She especially covers how a blocked root chakra can lead to a weak sense of personal identity and severely affect our ability to attract abundance.

VIDEOS

Unblock Your SuperPowers – Chakra One – by Margaret Lynch Raniere – This is a really nice series covering that lower four chakras, which is an explanation of her book. About an hour long and packed with good ideas.

10 Minute Root Chakra Guided Meditation – by Great Meditations – Great Meditations has several chakra meditations up and they’re all good. If you have trouble meditating (or even if you don’t) this is a wonderful resource for quick, powerful visualizations.

Grounding with the First Chakra – Part One – by Sonia Choquette – Sonia, of course, is one of the best spiritual teachers out there and this is a wonderful three part series with many tips for immediate grounding.

10 min Chakra Meditation Series~Note C~1st~Root Chakra with Tibetan Bowls~No Vocals – by Temple Sounds – A quick sound meditation designed to stimulate the root chakra through vibrations.

Balance Your Chakras Using Tapping – Chakra #1 – by Helen McConnell Tapping Into Higher Consciousness – EFT tapping to heal root chakra blocks.

Yoga Nidra for the Root Chakra – 30 Minute Yoga Nidra for the Root Chakra with Costa Rican Jungle Soundscape – by Ally Boothroyd, Sarovara Yoga – All of her yoga Nidra videos are incredibly healing and this one is specifically for root chakra.

The Emperor: Sacred Structure and the Protection of Creativity

A look at the roles of Yin and Yang energies in the process of creativity.

The Emperor and the Empress are obviously paired cards—one female and the other male. But if we stop at gender, we miss their deeper meaning entirely.

On a more profound level, they represent the Yin and Yang energies that exist within every human being.

Every woman has testosterone in her body. Every man has estrogen. Wholeness comes not from exaggerating one pole and suppressing the other, but from integrating both. Strength and compassion. Power and vulnerability. Fierceness and tenderness.

This is what the ancient Yin–Yang symbol illustrates so elegantly: Yin contains Yang, and Yang contains Yin.

When these energies are balanced, they produce whole, grounded human beings. When they are separated and exaggerated, they produce caricatures.

That’s where we find emotionally stunted men obsessed with dominance and control. That’s where we find people who abdicate their agency entirely and wait for someone else to take care of their lives.

Me Tarzan. You Jane.

Man strong. Woman weak.

This is not balance. This is Yang attempting to overwhelm Yin. But Yin and Yang are not enemies. They are partners.

Creation requires both.

The Peculiar Paradox of Yin Energy

Modern culture often assumes that Yang energy—the active, assertive, masculine principle—is the true creative force, while Yin energy is passive or secondary.

Nature shows us exactly the opposite.

Consider procreation. A man’s biological contribution to the creation of a child may take minutes. But the woman’s body then undertakes nine months of continuous creation—growing, forming, and sustaining new life from her own substance.

She gives birth. She nourishes the infant. She does the creating.

THE YIN ENERGY DOES 99% OF THE WORK OF CREATION.

This pattern appears everywhere.

The receptive, Yin principle is not inert. It is generative. It is the matrix from which life emerges.

The Kybalion expresses this clearly: the feminine principle does the creative work. The masculine principle directs and structures it.

Without Yin, nothing would exist.

⸻

The Artist and the Subconscious

We see this same pattern in the creative process.

When we imagine an artist, we picture someone standing at an easel, brush in hand, actively painting.

But the visible act of painting is only the final stage.

Long before the brush touches the canvas, the image has already been forming in the artist’s subconscious mind. It grows invisibly. It gestates. It organizes itself.

We call this “inspiration,” as if it appeared suddenly.

But inspiration is the flowering of something that has been developing quietly within.

The conscious mind—the Yang principle—provides skill, technique, discipline, and execution. But the image itself emerges from the Yin subconscious.

Again, the receptive principle does the creative work.

⸻

The Function of the Emperor

Does this mean the Emperor—the Yang principle—is unnecessary?

Not at all.

The Emperor is essential.

The Empress creates. The Emperor protects and stabilizes what she creates.

Consider the garden.

The Empress is the lush, living growth. She is the fertile soil, the green leaves, the flowing water. She is life itself.

But without structure, the garden cannot reach its full potential.

The Emperor builds the raised beds. He enriches the soil. He installs irrigation. He builds the fence to keep the deer out.

He does not create the life. He ensures its survival. The Emperor provides continuity. He creates the conditions under which life can flourish and endure.

⸻

The Emperor Is Always Grounded in the Empress

In my own Emperor affirmation card, I made a subtle but important change. The Emperor still sits on his stone throne, armored and immovable.

But I surrounded him with life.

Emperor Affirmation Poster – available on Etsy

Because the Emperor does not exist independently of the Empress. He exists to protect her. He exists to serve creation. Within each of us, the Emperor is the part that creates structure for our creative and emotional lives.

If you are an artist, your Emperor sets up your studio, organizes your materials, and protects your time.

If you are a writer, your Emperor establishes the discipline to write regularly and brings your work into the world.

If you are in a relationship, your Emperor establishes boundaries that protect emotional safety and mutual respect.

The Emperor does not suppress the Empress.

He protects her so she can fully express herself.

When the Emperor Is Separated from the Empress

When the Emperor loses his connection to the Empress, he becomes distorted.

His structure serves nothing. His authority protects nothing.

He becomes the petty tyrant. The rigid bureaucrat. The hollow authoritarian. His armor is empty. He enforces rules not to protect life, but to compensate for his own inner disconnection.

True authority does not arise from domination. It arises from service to life.

The Emperor’s true purpose is not control. It is protection. He is the guardian of the garden. He is the structure that allows creativity to endure.

He is sovereignty in service of life itself.

When we see beyond the illusion of gender, the deeper purpose of these archetypes becomes clear. The Empress and the Emperor are not separate beings, but complementary forces within each of us. One creates. The other protects what has been created. One generates life from the invisible depths. The other builds the structure that allows that life to endure.

Our true purpose is not to choose between them, but to embody both—to allow our inner Empress to bring forth creativity, love, and vision, and to allow our inner Emperor to establish the boundaries, discipline, and stability that allow those creations to survive and flourish in the world. When these two forces work in harmony, we cease to live reactively and begin to live sovereignly, shaping a life that is both fertile and enduring.

Full Moon in Cancer: Tarot-Friendly Rituals for Emotional Release, Inner Safety, and Soul-Level Nourishment

A gentle Tarot-inspired guide to the Full Moon in Cancer, offering simple practices for emotional release, self-nurturing, and reconnecting with inner safety.

This Full Moon in Cancer invites us to turn inward — away from external goals and future plans — and toward the quieter question of emotional truth. In this post, we explore how Cancer energy supports healing, belonging, and coming home to yourself.

Tomorrow’s Full Moon in Cancer is not loud or dramatic — it’s deeply feeling.

Cancer energy is intuitive, tender, protective, and emotionally wise. It’s less about doing more and more about listening more deeply.

Instead of asking, “What’s next?” this Moon asks:

“What do I need right now to feel safe, held, and whole?”

If you’ve been feeling emotionally tired, overextended, or a little disconnected from yourself, this is a beautiful Full Moon to work with. Below are simple, Tarot-friendly practices (no complicated rituals required) that align with Cancer themes: emotional release, self-nurturing, inner belonging, and gentle healing.

1. The Queen of Cups — Listening to Your Emotional Truth

Theme: Emotional awareness, compassion, and self-empathy.

Practice:

Sit quietly with the Queen of Cups (or imagine her presence if you don’t have the card). Let yourself drop out of thinking and into feeling.

Ask gently:

What emotion has been trying to get my attention lately?
What have I been feeling, but not fully acknowledging?

Let whatever arises be okay. This is not a problem-solving moment — it’s a witnessing moment.

Intention:

“I honor my emotional truth without judgment.”

2. The Moon — Releasing Old Emotional Patterns

Theme: The unconscious, emotional cycles, and what’s ready to be released.

Cancer is deeply tied to memory and emotional habit. The Full Moon is a natural time for letting go.

Practice:

Write down anything you’re ready to release, especially emotional patterns such as:

over-caretaking,
emotional self-abandonment,
guilt,
or old hurts that still echo.

You might phrase them as:

“I release the belief that…”

“I release the habit of…”

“I release the emotional weight of…”

Safely tear up or discard the paper as a symbolic release.

Intention:

“I release what no longer supports my emotional well-being.”

3. The Empress — Nourishing the Inner Self

Theme: Nurturing, care, and emotional abundance.

Cancer and The Empress share a deep resonance: both are about emotional nourishment and inner safety.

Practice:

Do one small, loving thing purely for yourself:

take a warm bath,
drink tea slowly,
wrap up in a blanket,
cook something comforting,
sit near water, or
rest without guilt.

Treat this as sacred — not indulgent.

Intention:

“I am worthy of care, comfort, and gentleness.”

4. The Four of Pentacles (Reversed) — Softening Emotional Defenses

Theme: Letting go of emotional guarding and control.

Sometimes Cancer energy protects by closing. This practice invites softening rather than hardening.

Practice:

Notice where you’ve been emotionally holding tight:

withholding vulnerability,
staying guarded,
keeping yourself small or contained.

Ask:

What would it feel like to soften here — even just a little?

You don’t have to open to others — opening to yourself is enough.

Intention:

“I allow myself to soften into safety.”

5. The Star — Reconnecting to Emotional Hope

Theme: Gentle healing, emotional renewal, and quiet faith.

The Full Moon can stir emotions — The Star reminds us that tenderness itself is healing.

Practice:

Sit quietly and place a hand over your heart or belly. Breathe slowly.

Ask:

What would emotional peace feel like for me right now?

What does healing look like in this season of my life?

Let the answers be felt, not forced.

Intention:

“I trust in gentle healing and quiet renewal.”

Closing Reflection

The Full Moon in Cancer reminds us that strength isn’t only found in movement and achievement — it’s found in presence, feeling, and care.

This is a Moon for:

honoring your sensitivity,
listening to your emotional body,
releasing old emotional weight,
and remembering that you are allowed to need comfort.

You don’t have to fix yourself under this Moon.

You only have to be kind to yourself.

And that, in itself, is powerful magic.

2026: A New Cycle Begins — Welcome to a Universal 1 Year

We’ve just completed a cycle of endings and stepped into a year of new beginnings. This post looks at 2026 as a Universal 1 Year, what it means energetically and symbolically, and how to align with the quiet power of starting anew.

As we step into 2026, many people in Tarot, astrology, and esoteric circles are talking about one simple but powerful idea: 2026 is a Universal 1 Year.
Which means we are collectively beginning a brand‑new nine‑year cycle.

So what does that actually mean? And why does it feel like such a big energetic shift?

Let’s explore.

What Is a Universal Year?

In numerology, each calendar year carries a collective or Universal vibration. It’s calculated by adding the digits of the year together and reducing them to a single number.

For 2026:
2 + 0 + 2 + 6 = 10 → 1 + 0 = 1

So 2026 = a Universal 1 Year.

And the year we just completed:

2025:
2 + 0 + 2 + 5 = 9

Which means we’ve just finished a Universal 9 Year — the final stage of a nine‑year cycle.

The 1–9 Cycle at a Glance

The Universal Years move through a repeating 1–9 pattern, each with its own archetypal meaning:

Year	Archetype	Theme
1	The Seed	Beginnings, identity, new direction
2	The Mirror	Relationship, reflection, polarity
3	The Child	Expression, creativity, joy
4	The Builder	Structure, work, foundations
5	The Rebel	Change, disruption, freedom
6	The Caretaker	Responsibility, healing, home
7	The Mystic	Inner work, truth‑seeking
8	The Ruler	Power, manifestation, money
9	The Elder	Completion, release, harvest

A 9 year completes a story.
A 1 year begins a new one.

What We Just Came Through: The Universal 9 Year

Universal 9 Years are not light or easy. They are about:

Endings and closures
Letting go of identities, relationships, or structures that no longer fit
Grief, composting, forgiveness, and release

A 9 year doesn’t just end things — it dissolves them. It clears space.

That’s why many people experienced 2025 as heavy, tiring, emotionally clarifying, or strangely emptying.

Something had to finish.

What’s Beginning Now: The Universal 1 Year

A Universal 1 Year is the opposite energy.

It is:

New identity
New direction
New seeds
New courage

But it is not loud or triumphant.

A 1 year is fragile, raw, and tender. It’s the match being struck. The first step onto a new path. The moment of saying:

“This is who I am becoming.”

It’s less about immediate success and more about choosing a direction.

Symbolically Speaking

Esoterically:

9 is Saturnian — time, karma, endings, harvest, limits
1 is Solar — identity, will, creative fire

So this transition marks a shift from:

Saturn’s scythe → The Sun’s spark

From completion into creation.

Tarot Reflections

If we were to translate this into Tarot language:

The 9 Year corresponds to archetypes like The Hermit, Death, The World — inner truth, endings, integration.
The 1 Year corresponds to The Magician — the moment when possibility becomes intention.

Not the end of the journey — but the choosing of it.

How to Work With a Universal 1 Year

This is not the year to rush.

It is the year to:

Name what you want to begin
Claim new identity gently
Experiment without needing mastery
Allow yourself to be a beginner again

This is the year to plant seeds, not demand fruit.

In Closing

We have crossed a threshold.

The old cycle is complete. The ground has been cleared. And now — something new is possible again.

May this year be kind to your beginnings.
May you listen for what is quietly trying to be born through you.
And may you walk your new path with patience, courage, and trust.

Happy New Year.

New Moon in Sagittarius: Tarot-Friendly Rituals for Big Vision, Fresh Starts, and Better Luck

This New Moon in Sagittarius invites us to lift our eyes from daily worries and reconnect with a bigger sense of purpose. In this post, we explore how Sagittarius energy supports vision, belief, and fresh starts.

Tomorrow’s New Moon in Sagittarius is the kind of lunar reset that doesn’t whisper — it calls you forward. Sagittarius energy is optimistic, truth-seeking, and future-focused. It’s less about fixing what’s broken and more about asking:

“Where am I going next — and why does it matter?”

If you’ve been feeling stuck, uninspired, or a little too boxed in by routine, this is a beautiful New Moon to work with. Below are simple, Tarot-friendly practices (no complicated rituals required) that align with Sagittarius themes: expansion, belief, faith, and big-picture intention.

Why the Sagittarius New Moon Feels Different

Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of growth and opportunity. That’s why Sagittarius New Moons tend to feel like:

• a spark of hope returning

• a desire to try again (but smarter)

• an urge to explore new ideas, paths, or possibilities

• a hunger for meaning, not just productivity

This isn’t the New Moon for micromanaging.

This is the New Moon for choosing a direction.

7 Sagittarius New Moon Activities (That Pair Beautifully With Tarot)

1) Set “Big Horizon” Intentions

Sagittarius intentions work best when they’re directional rather than rigid.

Try writing intentions like:

• “I move toward a life that feels expansive and true.”

• “I welcome opportunities that widen my world.”

• “I allow myself to outgrow old limits.”

Think: vision, not logistics.

2) Do a One-Card Tarot Draw for the Next Chapter

Ask:

“What energy wants to grow in my life next?”

Pull one card and write three sentences:

1. What the card is inviting you to become

2. What it wants you to release

3. One small step you can take this week

Sagittarius loves simple, bold action.

3) Release One Limiting Belief

Sagittarius rules beliefs — the inner stories that shape your whole life.

Ask yourself:

• What belief has been quietly shrinking my world?

• Where have I been playing small because it felt safer?

Write the belief down. Then write:

“I no longer consent to this story.”

You don’t have to replace it with a perfect new belief yet.

Just loosen the grip.

4) Start a “Meaningful Study”

Sagittarius energy thrives on learning and perspective.

New Moon ideas:

• start a book that expands your worldview

• explore mythology, philosophy, or spiritual symbolism

• study one Tarot archetype more deeply this week

Even one chapter read with intention can shift your whole mood.

5) Go Outside and Ask One Big Question

Sagittarius is the open sky, the horizon, the road.

Take a walk and hold one question:

“If I trusted life more, what would I do next?”

Let the answer come slowly. Don’t force it.

6) Use a Mini Tarot Spread for Sagittarius Vision

Try this simple 3-card spread:

1. The Road I’m On

2. The Road That’s Calling

3. The First Step

This spread is perfect when you feel like you’re between chapters.

7) Create a “Jupiter List” (Luck & Expansion)

Write a list titled:

“What I’m Ready to Expand.”

Add anything that fits:

• creativity

• money

• confidence

• love

• freedom

• health

• visibility

• joy

Then circle the one that matters most. That’s your New Moon focus.

A Simple Sagittarius New Moon Ritual (5 Minutes)

If you like simple ritual, do this:

1. Light a candle

2. Write three big-picture intentions

3. Pull one Tarot card for guidance

4. Speak your intentions aloud

5. Close with:

“I trust the larger arc of my life.”

Sagittarius responds beautifully to spoken intention. It’s a “say it and claim it” kind of moon.

What to Avoid Under This New Moon

This is not the time for:

• micromanaging outcomes

• overthinking every emotion

• heavy, endless processing

• forcing certainty before you act

Sagittarius New Moons reward faith, courage, and forward motion — even if the path isn’t fully visible yet.

Closing Thought

The Sagittarius New Moon reminds us that life isn’t meant to be endured in a narrow hallway. It’s meant to be lived with curiosity and a sense of possibility.

Choose a direction that feels meaningful.

Then take one honest step toward it.

Happy New Moon.

Seven Lessons the Tarot Can Teach About Surviving the Holidays

Feeling overwhelmed by the holiday season? The Tarot has a surprising amount of wisdom — and humor — to offer.From The Fool’s fresh start to The World’s end-of-year perspective, these cards remind us that the holidays don’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.

A little humor, a little magic, and just enough perspective will get you through the Holiday Haze.

1. The Fool — You’re Allowed to Start Fresh

Every holiday season is a reset button.

Don’t carry last year’s stress into this year’s festivities.

Don’t walk off of emotional cliffs at family dinners.

Leap lightly… but maybe look down for gift-wrapping paper on the floor.

2. The Magician — Use the Tools You Actually Have

Trying to make a perfect holiday with imperfect resources?

The Magician whispers: Use what’s already on the table.

Don’t overspend now and stress later.

Aim for gifts that are magical, not expensive.

3. The Lovers — Choose Peace, Not Drama

The holidays tend to bring opinions.

And relatives.

And opinions from relatives.

The Lovers reminds you: choose connection, not combat… or at least choose silence and pie.

If one of your loved ones says something absolutely outrageous, remember that you can just put a piece of pie in your mouth and smile. Add whipped cream to make it an extra sweet conversation.

4. The Seven of Cups — Beware of Overcommitment

Shopping! Baking! Parties! Rituals! Volunteering! Travel!

The Seven of Cups says: You cannot say yes to all seven.

Pick the cup with the least glitter and the most sanity.

You don’t have to be all things to all people – just be the you that people love.

5. The Nine of Swords — Anxiety Lies

That nagging feeling that everything will go wrong?

It’s just the Nine of Swords doing its nightly stand-up routine.

Thank it for its service… and then ignore it.

Don’t just make it a holiday – make it a vacation from worry.

6. The King of Pentacles — Treat Yourself Like a Honored Guest

Warm food, soft blankets, comfortable socks —

This is not indulgence, this is holiday self-care strategy.

Just look at all the things you’ve done for other people! Don’t you deserve a little pampering, too?

The King of Pentacles approves.

7. The World — You Made It Through Another Year

Pause. Breathe. Celebrate the cycle completing.

On the Winter Solstice, the solar year will end. Take the time to reflect, to congratulate yourself for another trip around the sun.

Give yourself credit for all the chapters you survived this year — and all of the growth that went along with that.

Bonus Holiday survival secret:

Lower expectations. Raise kindness. Wear stretchy pants.

The Top Ten Tarot Cards Indicating Conflict

A quick, insightful guide to the ten Tarot cards that most often signal conflict—from chaotic energy and power struggles to hidden tension and emotional fallout. This post explains what each card means and how to navigate challenging situations with clarity and confidence.

There are days when Tarot feels like a warm hug…

…and days when it slides a little warning across the table and whispers,

“Brace yourself.”

Conflict is part of life, part of growth, and definitely part of the Tarot.

Whether it’s inner tension, relationship friction, or someone else’s chaos spilling into your lane, some cards show up to say:

“Something here needs attention.”

Here are the top ten Tarot cards that most strongly signal conflict — and what each one really means beneath the surface. If you’d like to download this list as a PDF file that you can add to your Tarot notebook, click here.

1. Five of Wands – The Classic Chaos Card

If conflict had a mascot, this would be it.

The Five of Wands shows:

– competition

– ego clashes

– mixed agendas

– flailing energy everywhere

It’s not necessarily destructive — but it is noisy.

Message: This isn’t war… it’s everyone talking at once. Calm the room.

2. Five of Swords – A Battle Nobody Really Wins

This is the energy of:

– arguing to be right

– unhealthy victories

– someone taking more than their share

– hurt feelings afterward

Message: Winning at all costs comes with a bill. Choose integrity.

3. Seven of Wands – Defend Your Ground

This is conflict from the outside:

– critics

– competition

– pressure

– feeling outnumbered

But the card says you can stand firm.

Message: Don’t fold. You’re stronger than the opposition.

4. The Tower – Major Disruption

This isn’t a small disagreement — it’s a smackdown from the universe.

Think:

– sudden revelations

– arguments that break things open

– emotional earthquakes

Message: The old structure needed to fall. Liberation follows.

5. The Five of Cups – Emotional Fallout

Not a conflict card on its face, but it often shows up after one:

– regret

– grief

– disappointment

– unresolved conversations

Message: You’re grieving what was lost. Healing begins when you turn around.

6. The Devil – Power Struggles

This card signals:

– manipulation

– obsession

– toxic dynamics

– control games

– addictive patterns in relationships

Message: This conflict has a hook. Break the chain, not each other.

7. The Knight of Swords – Rushing Into Battle

He is smart, fast, determined…

…and doesn’t always think things through.

Shows:

– heated arguments

– impulsive reactions

– someone charging ahead without listening

Message: Slow down before your mouth outruns your wisdom.

8. The Two of Swords – Silent Conflict

Not all conflict is loud.

This card is conflict frozen:

– denial

– avoidance

– stalemates

– tension beneath the surface

Message: Peace requires a decision. Open your eyes and choose.

9. The Seven of Swords – Sneaky Energy

Not direct conflict — but conflict waiting to happen.

Signals:

– deception

– half-truths

– secret plans

– someone acting behind the scenes

Message: If something feels “off,” it probably is. Trust your intuition.

10. The Ten of Wands – Overwhelm and Burnout

This appears when conflict comes from:

– taking on too much

– carrying other people’s problems

– no boundaries

– pressure that builds until you snap

Message: Put down what isn’t yours. You’re not meant to carry it all.

Final Thoughts: Conflict Isn’t Always the Enemy

Conflict in Tarot isn’t punishment — it’s information.

The cards don’t show conflict to scare you…

They show it to help you:

– redirect

– set boundaries

– speak truth

– release what’s toxic

Because once conflict is acknowledged, transformation can finally begin.

Surviving the Season: A Light-Hearted Guide to Beating SAD Without Losing Your Mind

This post explores the realities of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) with a humorous twist — why the winter blues hit so hard, how light deprivation messes with our brains, and what actually helps. From sunrise-mimicking light boxes to Vitamin D3 and CBT-SAD reframing techniques, this guide offers practical, affordable ways to lift your mood when the days get dark. Includes a free downloadable PDF of 15 winter affirmations to help rewire your thoughts and make the season feel gentler, brighter, and a whole lot more manageable.

Are you still suffering from the cosmic hangover known as the time change?

Maybe you can’t sleep at night but can barely keep your eyes open during the day. Maybe you’re stumbling through the month like a melancholy robot — mostly upright, mildly conscious, but deeply unimpressed with existence.

And isn’t it cruelly ironic that exactly when we’re all miserable from light deprivation, the government decides to turn the lights off an hour early?

Thanks, folks. Really helpful.

Light and Happiness (a Love Story as Old as Humans)

Humans have a deep evolutionary connection with light — not metaphorical light, not spiritual light, not “good vibes” light — we’re talking about actual photons hitting your eyeballs. For centuries, nearly every culture has tried to cheer up the dark months by adding more light: bonfires, candles, lantern festivals, torches, flaming wheels, glowing turnips… you name it, someone set it on fire.

Even our pop songs know what’s up:

• You are the sunshine of my life.

• You light up my life.

• I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day.

• Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy.

But when there isn’t enough light?

We become depressed, anxious, sluggish, and mildly feral. We want to curl up under a quilt with a 40-pound bag of potato chips and hibernate until April.

In short:

Light = joy.

Dark = sadness.

This is not complicated.

The Sun Tarot Affirmation Poster available on Etsy

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): The Winter Blues With a Capital B

The official psychological name for the winter blues is Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD — which is honestly too accurate. It ranges from “a little down” to “I may never be cheerful again and also don’t touch me.”

Depending on which study you read, SAD affects anywhere from 5% of Americans to 10 million people, with symptoms like:

• chronic sadness

• sleep pattern chaos

• irritability

• carb cravings

• emotional flatness

• hiding from society like a depressed woodland creature

If you’ve ever had it, you know what a total beast it can be. While everyone else is decking halls and singing carols, you’re sitting at home thinking:

“Crap… three more months of this.”

I’ve had SAD kick my ass more than once, so I was very happy to discover that it’s now the subject of its own therapeutic specialty:

CBT-SAD — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder.

And it’s not as complicated as it sounds.

The Three Pillars of Beating SAD (According to CBT-SAD)

1. Increase Your Light

This one feels obvious:

If darkness is the problem, light is the solution.

But not just any light.

You need a blast of sunrise-level brightness first thing in the morning — something that tells your brain:

“Hello, it’s daytime, stop making melatonin.”

Enter: the mood-enhancing light box.

These used to be huge contraptions you practically had to strap to your head. Now they’re about the size of a tablet, reasonably priced, and honestly kind of pleasant.

Light boxes work because they:

• mimic sunrise

• raise serotonin

• lower melatonin

• reset your circadian rhythm

• tell your brain to get out of bed and stop being a raccoon

This is the one I use because it’s inexpensive and has great reviews:

2. Vitamin D3 (Your Winter Sunshine Backup Plan)

We naturally get Vitamin D from sunshine — so of course, in winter, our levels tank. Add the fact that we’re bundled head-to-toe like sentient laundry bags, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for deficiency.

Low Vitamin D contributes to:

• low serotonin

• flat dopamine

• brain fog

• irritability

• low energy

• general “I’m over this” mood

Supplementing D3 helps stabilize:

• serotonin

• dopamine

• inflammation

• sleep-wake cycles

• mood regulation

And best of all: it’s cheap.

You can grab it on Amazon or at the pharmacy.

3. Reframing the Way You Think About Winter

This is where the cognitive part comes in.

My sister once pointed out that constantly referring to winter as “the dark times” might not be the healthiest mindset. Fair enough.

If we’ve had rough winters in the past, we tend to brace for them like emotional storm preppers:

• “I hate winter.”

• “I dread those long dark months.”

• “Wake me up when it’s spring.”

These thoughts become self-fulfilling prophecies.

CBT-SAD teaches us to rewire those expectations and rewrite our inner scripts — not with toxic positivity, but with seasonal intelligence.

For example:

• Winter is not the enemy — winter is the exhale.

• Early nights are invitations to gentler evenings.

• Light is scarce now, so I become intentional with it.

• Winter is not a shutdown — it’s a recalibration.

These reframes help your brain reinterpret winter as:

• restorative

• quiet

• intentional

• gentle

• rhythmic

Instead of something to dread, it becomes something to work with.

I’ve included 15 winter reframes as a free downloadable PDF that you can get by clicking here:

CBT_SAD_Winter_Reframes Download

Final Thoughts (and a Pep Talk)

If SAD is hitting you hard, it’s worth finding a good therapist who understands seasonal depression. But even without professional help, these three pillars can make a huge difference.

Hopefully, this little article gives you a few ideas about how to get the Bah Humbug out of your brain and bring some light back into your winter.

And remember:

Light returns. It always returns.