wondering about lawns, the Magician card.

I find it interesting that grass is so interwoven with domesticity.
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There is an element of control, of mastery, with the lawn and at times it feels like an overly simple one. With all the ways to connect with plants it can be strange to think that this one, one that is so familiar with so many, has been nearly stripped of all its natural magic in most of its human interactions.
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This matches well with the shadow side of the Magician. This youthful spirit has discovered the simplest elements of magic: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water (illustrated as the four suits of the tarot in the Smith Rider-Waite version). They have an excited energy and the desire to master and utilize these new found tools.
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Like most lawn owners, the Magician is not corrupt, just naive. This desire to break everything down into basic categories, and master the world around us is a human drive. this force can be used for good if we come about it with curiosity and an understanding that everything is more complex than we can imagine. Categories can be helpful as long as we don’t loose sight of the intricacy those classifications may overlook.
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Try not to get caught up in dogma as you begin this exploratory journey (your own or someone else’s). Try to relinquish the desire for control with a fresh interest in what is. You can only become a master when you’re flexible to let everything else show you what it has to offer, not forcing it to fit your agenda.
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While the lawn may be what many think of when they see Grass, try not to forget its wild ancestors that blanketed the plains, nourished the majestic fauna, and created seas of green beings that hold much more knowledge than we ever gave them credit for.

on balance, Temperance

Photo by Hayley Harper

It’s no coincidence that Fall and Libra season begin on the same day. We are being asked to look at the scales within to make sure things are in balance.

But it’s important to understand that sometimes the scales need to be tipped to move their way back to center.

You may be pulled to pacify all that is uncomfortable, but if what you’re siding with does not align with your peace is it truly worth feeding into?

Cattails sit along the water’s edge filtering out the still pond to keep it alive and thriving. Keep a clear mind of what it is you want to see and cultivate in the world. Do what you can to filter out the toxins.

Observing from the sidelines may feel counterproductive, but if you keep your awareness active to what you are observing this act is not purely stillness. You are finding your roots, clinging to the edge, and creating a grounding element within yourself.

From there you can jump into the fray and not get caught up in the shifting world around you. To remain true to Justice in the midst of chaos is Libra’s highest calling. It’s immediate urge to quell unpleasantries is best used with intention and purpose, not for comforting others at the cost of your own values.

You’re just undoing your own work when you try to please what is not serving you. Or your community.

flexibility is such a vague concept, the Hanged Man

As the seasons change and 2020 is still pushing us to uproot what we accepted as “normalcy” the powerful message of the Hanged Man is important to reflect on.

Flexibility can feel like such a vague concept. You can try to roll with whatever life throws at you, but without any idea of what keeps you rooted it’s easy to get washed away. Being flexible doesn’t mean you’re passive, or need to forget your values. Being a doormat is hardly “going with the flow” because you’re actually attaching yourself to someone else’s decisions instead of surrendering to the chance of the greater unknown.

And knowing what keeps you rooted doesn’t mean you stick your heels in the mud at any potential changes that arise. Stubborn behavior is not grounding, it is a resistance to see the multiple pathways that are offered, and potentially limiting yourself through assuming your imagined path is the only one possible.

The Hanged Man asks us to walk the space between those two extremes. It’s being malleable. Some days require a bit more grounding. Some days need a bit more surrender. And knowing yourself is key to interpreting your own compass. As well as accepting you are ever changing. sometimes you need to healthily question your own motives too.

don't fear the Death card

There is nothing to fear when the Death card appears... unless you’re resistant to endings.

While many worry this card is an omen of a literal death, it is actually more metaphorical. It calls upon a need to let something go- or come to a close. Often whatever it may be is deep rooted; a habit we have carried for a long time and leaned on in times of scarcity, hurt, or despair. We may imagine that this trait is just a part of who we are, and we feel reluctant to part with it. But holding on is just limiting our growth and potential.

Learn to let go of what no longer serves us. To no longer fear the mini-deaths we need to live through to keep on living. Take time to revere and thank whatever it is we’re moving on from, for its place in our lives, but know it’s time to part ways. And something we can’t even imagine will suddenly spring up from its place.