I was planning to write some Halloween Horrorscopes, and while it’s true that it’s been a particularly rough patch with my autoimmune diseases, it’s even truer that I just wasn’t feeling it. I don’t know about all of you, but for me and most of my close friends this Venus retrograde has been rough. If you’ve been feeling rather hopeless, especially in the midst of dealing with chronic health issues, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. The Sun in Scorpio alone is enough to have us delving into the shadowy sides of ourselves, but on top of that we’ve had Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter in Scorpio. That’s a lot of digging deep energy, and I’ve been feeling like I’m just barely keeping my head above water. The good news (I hope, anyway) is that yesterday Venus moved into Libra, and Mercury moved into Sagittarius.
Here is my favorite quote out of everything I’ve read about Venus retrograde in Libra:
All Venus transits are about attracting what you put out, but when she’s in Libra this attains almost magical intensity. During this transit, the reflection is key – pay attention to how others react to you, because they are probably mirroring your issues. Venus in Libra learns through her relationships. She sees herself in the eyes of others.
Balance is the ultimate goal, and this does not mean making everyone happy at the expense of your happiness (that’s an imbalance). This transit may hi-light where you’re unhappy or who doesn’t treat you well, so you can see that imbalance. And then you correct it. —Nadia Gilchrist (click here to read more)
So, yes, we’re still in the review and reflect mode of this retrograde, but I don’t think it will feel as harsh as what we’ve been going through. Another bonus is that Mercury moving in Sagittarius means our communications and thought processes should get more optimistic and expansive. Mercury in Scorpio had us deep sea diving for information in our interactions and our ideas, but in Sagittarius we are looking at the bigger picture. I envision it as if we’ve been spelunking, and now we’re climbing out of the cave and can get the view from the top.
Here’s hoping things lighten up a bit with these shifts! I didn’t feel up to writing out horrorscopes, so instead I’ve decided to give you some Tarotscopes. I’ve been reading Tarot cards for about twenty years now, and I find it blends nicely with astrology. It’s Halloween, Samhain, and the veil is thin, so I’ve pulled cards from my witchiest deck (Everyday Witch Tarot) for each sign. The card on the left is the energy we’re coming out of, the card on the right is the energy we’re moving into. If you know your rising sign, read that one too! Wherever you are when you read this, whatever you’re going through, remember: your feelings are valid, your presence here on earth is important and matters, and things are pretty tough right now. However lonely you feel, know that someone else is feeling the same way at this exact moment.
Spoonie Tarotscopes: Venus Retrograde Check-in
Aries & Aries Rising (March 21-April 19): It’s possible the past few weeks have had you in conflict resolution mode, or making some serious decisions about your health stuff (especially dealing with insurance, or getting details straight with doctors). The Justice card is all about bringing things back into balance, so I always see it as a good card, but certainly not a lighthearted one. It’s been a time of adjustment/readjustment. Moving into the energy of the 3 of Wands—this card is saying all of the work you’ve been putting in to get things back into balance is not for nothing. The energy of this card is of things progressing; the work you’ve put in is coming back to you in some helpful way.
Taurus & Taurus Rising (April 20-May20): It’s always nice to be moving out of the energy of the 9 of swords. It could be that Venus retrograde, all of these planetary bodies in Scorpio, and a time of review and reassessment have turned into a bit of a nightmare. The 9 of swords usually indicates a time of sleepless nights, depression, disappointment—looking for solutions, but everything is muddled. The nice thing about nightmares is you can wake up, and while we can’t escape our current health situations, we can wake up from the feelings of despair. You bulls are moving into the energy of the Emperor—taking control in a constructive way, finding yourself more able to cope, and feeling more ready to make necessary changes. The Emperor is great at overcoming obstacles, so it’s a great energy to be moving into (it can also mean someone helpful coming into the picture).
Gemini & Gemini Rising (May 21-June 20): The 5 of cups is known as the “spilled milk” card. The past few weeks might have had you focused on everything that’s gone wrong, on everything you’ve lost with this chronic condition. In most traditional depictions, while there are three cups spilled over, there are two in the background still upright—there is still good stuff that remains, it’s just been really hard to see that when you’re overwhelmed with all the ick. Your card for the energy you’re moving into is the Sun, which is arguably the happiest card in the deck. While I know with chronic illness it’s not likely ever going to be all sunshine and rainbows, this card indicates a lighter, brighter time. Perhaps it’s even just that more light will be shed on your current health issues, or you’ll feel more positive about the path forward in managing them. Either way, I’m hoping this means things will feel a little easier in the coming days.
Cancer & Cancer Rising (June 21-July 22): The message of the 10 of swords is often that you’ve thought or argued a subject to death, and it’s time to move on. Perhaps the past few weeks have had you going over the same old stuff to the point of exhaustion, or been having a hard time coming to terms with the end of something (this is an energy many of us spoonies have had to deal with and revisit at some point or another). Moving into the 6 of Wands energy means moving out of feeling stuck, and into figuring out solutions. You’ve put in the thought and the mental work, and that is about to pay off in some tangible way—moving out of feeling mowed over and into feeling able to figure it out (at least some of it).
Leo & Leo Rising (July 23-August 22): The 6 of swords to me says you’re coming out of a period of restoring balance after a really rough patch. Maybe you’ve been dealing with the aftermath of some tough health issues, and you’ve been mainly focused on recovering and getting back to more steady ground. The 6 of swords often means solutions and balance are around the corner, so it’s interesting that you’re moving into the energy of the king of swords. You are moving into an energy of being more inspired to figure things out, to find intelligent and better solutions.
Virgo & Virgo Rising (August 23-September 22): You are moving out of the energy of the 8 of swords, out of feeling trapped, out of feeling that no matter what you try to do you’ll get cut by those swords surrounding you. This isn’t really about being physically trapped (though, goodness knows being chronically ill can have you feeling that way quite literally), but more about the fears and limitations in your mind. Moving into the energy of the Temperence card, the guidance here is that if you’ve been feeling like you’re trying to make things work out when everything seems to be clashing (e.g. work and health, physical pain and emotional joy), there might actually be a solution where you don’t have to give something up completely. It’s a good energy for figuring out where things can be tweaked (where can some things be done in more moderation to make room for others?), where the give and take can be adjusted to bring things together.
Libra & Libra Rising (September 23-October 22): The 4 of cups reversed indicates you are moving out of a period of feeling deflated, not just dissatisfied, but perhaps unable to envision things getting better. This is an easy energy to fall into if you’re dealing with chronic pain, depression, or illness—especially if you’ve been pushing yourself when you’re already out of spoons. Moving into the King of Wands, you might feel fresh inspiration, and be more inspired with creative ideas of how to get to feeling better. Wands are fire energy—change, transformation, creation. There are things you can take control of and change, and the energy coming in is supporting that.
Scorpio & Scorpio Rising (October 23-November 21): You are moving out of the energy of the 5 of swords—a period of tension, anxiety, and perhaps even a lot of discord with the people in your life. The first half of Venus retrograde you might have found yourself struggling with self-esteem, or even knocked off a nice wave you were riding. Moving into the energy of the Lovers is often not so much about love as it is about a choice, or being powerfully drawn to something and having to make a decision about whether to go for it or not—using your intuition to choose a path. It can also indicate a completely new person or situation coming into your life, often to show you something about yourself. I think moving out of the 5 of swords, whatever choices you make now, keep in the forefront: what will lead you to feeling better about yourself, what will bring about harmony?
Sagittarius & Sagittarius Rising (November 22-December 21): The 2 of Cups reversed is often about discord in relationships (sometimes even indicating a breakup between lovers or friends), arguments, people moving in different directions. When you’re dealing with chronic illness, it’s easy to feel on the outside looking in, which is a lot of what I’m feeling from this reading. Moving into the 3 of Pentacles is interesting, as this card is all about what you’ve invested in paying off. If you’ve been putting a lot of energy into some kind of therapy, you might start to see results soon. Since the 3’s are often about coming together, I can also see you finding a way out of isolation through collaborating with others on a project related to your skills (especially getting help from others to move forward on something). It’s a good time to reach out to helpful friends.
Capricorn & Capricorn Rising (December 22-January 19): The Hermit indicates you are moving out of a period of searching for answers, introspection, and generally a time of solitude. Perhaps you’ve been ultra focused on seeking literal answers to your health problems, or maybe you’ve been doing some soul searching for answers to mentally and emotionally coping. Either way, you are moving out of that hermit energy and into the 3 of cups. It’s about time to come out of your cave and connect with the people you love. The three of cups has a celebratory and joyful energy to it, so it’s a beautiful time to emerge and spend time with friends and family. If you don’t have the spoons to go out, remember it’s always okay to ask your people to come to you.
Aquarius & Aquarius Rising (January 20-February 18): The energy of the 10 of Wands is a lot how it looks on this card. You’ve taken on too much, and it’s been weighing you down (not just physically, but spiritually). This is such a spoonie card, as often we take on more than we can handle because we want to keep doing everything in spite of our physical challenges. Moving into the queen of pentacles, the energy is supportive of coming up with a new self-care plan. The queen of pentacles is practical, and indicates moving into a period of finding balance between your health and work—what burdens from that bundle of wands can you let go of?
Pisces & Pisces Rising (February 19-March 20): The past few weeks are represented here by the 9 of wands reversed. This is often a card about putting a lot of energy into something, only to have it not pan out—a feeling that you’ve wasted a lot of energy on something you thought was worthwhile. It can also mean you’ve been dealing with a lot of setbacks, delays, or complications with your health issues (with any issues, really, but this is for spoonies of course). Moving into the energy of the 7 of cups reminds you not to give up—you’re going to have more opportunities and choices ahead. If you’re feeling disappointed and generally discouraged, the message here is to keep going. New avenues are out there; you’re not out of possibilities.
Love you all, and be back soon for some New moon and Mercury retrograde talk, spoonie style!
Hugs,
Leah Ruthe
References
Venus’ Transit of Libra and Venus Rx by Nadia Gilchrist of Ruby Slipper Astrology
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot by Rachel Pollack
The Tarot Reading Companion by Thirteen