Allow me to take a moment to just say: oooooooooh my starrrrrrs, this has been flustercuck of a year, and you are amazing for getting through it.
We have had a year of a LOT of retrogrades (all through summer and autumn, and they end today with Mercury stationing direct), which means we’ve spent a lot of time in review mode, often digging deep into the murkier corners of ourselves. I’ve mentioned this before: all of this retrograde action has been particularly rough on people living with chronic pain. As spoonies, we tend to be forced to look inward a lot of the time without any retrograde planetary prompts. With all of these planets going retrograde all year, lighting up review and soul searching in many areas of our lives, 2018 may well have felt downright tortuous much of the time.
By Winter Solstice we will be out of the shadows of Mercury and Venus retrogrades, so I think things are going to get a lot lighter.
We spend so much of our lives practicing patience—waiting for test results, being patient with doctors as they try to piece our symptoms together, dealing with misdiagnoses, learning to cope with correct diagnoses, and regularly having to dig deep and find reserves of strength, hope, and energy. This year was Patience on Steroids. I personally feel like I’m an under-padded, badly packaged parcel that got sent to the wrong place 28 times, and have finally arrived at my doorstep—battered, slightly water damaged, but here! With Mercury direct, and leaving the shadow of Venus retrograde behind soon (December 17th), this New Moon brings us the gift of being able to see how far we’ve come, even if it feels like we haven’t been moving at all. Take some time today to look back at what you’ve been through, and how much you’ve learned and grown. I promise it’s there, and with this Neptune energy I think we’ll be able to tap into some magic again—we might be spoonies, some of us might be stuck at home or in bed a lot, but we still need to have dreams. We still need to imagine and hope.
Quotes from the Pros (click on names for original blog)
Tanaaz of Forever Conscious:
“Under the lunar vibes of this Dark Moon, we are going to see just how far we have traveled, and who we have now become. We are going to get a glimpse of just how much we have grown and achieved throughout the year.
Often we look for physical milestones and achievements to track our progress and success, but inner milestones are just as important.
2018 was a year of growth, and in some monumental way, something inside you shifted. Something inside you has blossomed, and you are about to find out what that is.” —Tanaaz
“Sagittarius moves. It knows little defeat because of its sheer momentum. It must gallop towards a horizon, no matter how far off, far reaching, or far-fetched, scoffing at naysayers along the way. This new moon encourages us to act on our intuitive wisdom, developing a connection to it as we go.” —Chani Nicholas
Angelina of Astro Butterfly:
“December 2018 is a time to dissolve old structures, old ways of being and doing. In January 2019, in the Capricorn season, you will build new foundations for the future. But now is the time to dream big, bigger than ever, and open yourself up to a completely different reality.” —Angelina
Some Astrology Health Notes from Ophira and Tali Edut the AstroTwins:
“Give Your Liver Some Love
As Jupiter, the planetary ruler of Sagittarius, is related to expansion and vastness, it makes sense that Sagittarius rules the liver; the largest internal organ in our body. Among its other essential functions, the liver protects health by neutralizing toxins. So give your liver some extra TLC now by reducing the amount of toxins you ingest. Reduce your intake of pesticides and agricultural chemicals by choosing organic over conventionally grown produce and learning about the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15. Switching to natural products and household cleaners (you can even go the DIY route)—rather than those that are synthetically based—can also help you reduce your toxic input. And while the holiday season does come along with a flurry of fun and parties, cutting back on alcohol (opt for that delicious mocktail instead) is also a liver-loving strategy.Get Hip
In addition to symbolizing female sexuality and fertility, the hips are key to our ability to do another Sagittarius-oriented function: move about and explore. There are numerous reasons—including arthritis, osteoporosis and hamstring tightness—that can reduce the optimal range of the hips and even cause pain. A dietary approach for your hips includes anti-inflammatory turmeric, ginger and omega-3s, as well as foods rich in bone-building nutrients such as vitamin K, vitamin D, and calcium. Pilates—with its focus on muscle lengthening—and Gyrotonics—with its target of joint mobilization—can help to stabilize and strengthen the hip joint as well as the muscles that support it. That said, exercise in general is beneficial, having recently been found to prevent or delay the need for hip replacement therapy.” —Ophira and Tali Edut
Mini-Tarotscopes
♥ Super mini, I wasn’t planning to pull cards this week, but as usual felt called to pull some. Just going to put out a sentence or two for this New Moon, a lil message to get you through till the full Winter Solstice ‘scopes ♥
Please read your sun AND rising sign. If you’re unsure of your rising sign, click here for a free chart to find out.
Sagittarius & Sagittarius Rising (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21): Information is finally going to start flowing, especially if you’ve been waiting on answers. A softer, subtler approach to things could work well for you right now.
Capricorn & Capricorn Rising (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19): This new moon is great for leaving some past hurt behind. If your year has been feeling full of sacrifice, this moon is the beginning of some healing and stepping into your power.
Aquarius & Aquarius Rising (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18): You’ve worked hard this year, not just in a material sense, but on yourself, and it’s paying off. Look back on all you’ve taken on, and know you’re advancing in an important way.
Pisces & Pisces Rising (Feb. 19 – Mar. 20): This new moon has you tapping into some fresh motivation, especially surrounding matters of the heart, emotions, and family. Could be a great time to get your feelings out in a creative and artistic way.
Aries & Aries Rising (Mar. 21 – Apr. 19): The last moon cycle of the year brings awakenings and clarity. It’s a good time for seeking out your favorite person to bounce ideas off of, and a great time to bust out that pen and start writing.
Taurus & Taurus Rising (Apr. 20 – May 20): Out with the old and on with the new! You’re ready to leave behind old ideas of the past year, and start fresh—bright new perspectives and inspirations are coming in.
Gemini & Gemini Rising (May 21 – Jun. 20): This is kind of a “don’t give up” card. You have come so far, and been through so much. You might be feeling exhausted, but this card comes to tell you that you DO have the energy and strength to keep going, and you’re almost out of the 2018 woods you’ve been wandering.
Cancer & Cancer Rising (Jun. 21 – Jul. 22): This is a time of ups and downs—the Knight of Cups is often in a state of emotional fluctuation. This whole year has been a bit of a roller coaster for us crabs, so as we are looking back on all we’ve gone through it’s a good idea to do some emotional grounding. Hang in, you’ve got powerful claws, and things are about to lighten up!
Leo & Leo Rising (Jul. 23 – Aug. 22): Whatever you’ve been putting work into, it’s been paying off, and this new moon should help you see how. This year I think it’s been hard for many of you lions to see how much you’ve really done, even while living the spoonie life, but this new moon should light up what you’ve accomplished—the time is ripe for new opportunity opening up.
Virgo & Virgo Rising (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22): The 7 of Pentacles often comes up as a reminder to not let yourself give up. When it comes to health issues, it often comes up when you’ve already had to be so patient, and the message here is not to act rashly or out of irritation/frustration. This moon should help you remember everything you’ve learned the past year, and all of it will help you choose the path forward.
Libra & Libra Rising (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22): The wheel is turning, and you’re leveling up. This is one of my favorite cards as a spoonie, as it often means tides are turning in your favor. If you’ve been struggling hard this year, things are turning around for the better. This is a message of advancement, luck, and change for the better.
Scorpio & Scorpio Rising (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21): If you’ve been feeling like you’ve been pulled in a lot of different directions this year, and been overcoming obstacles full-time, the Chariot comes in to remind you to stay focused and motivated; victory and forward motion are on the horizon. Do whatever it takes to tap into some self-confidence—you’ve got this, you beautiful, badass scorpion!
Hope you enjoyed these itty bitty tarotscopes. I’m working on nice, full horoscopes for Winter Solstice, so please check back in soon.
If you’re interested in joining up with other spoonies who love astrology and tarot, please consider joining my Stars & Spoons facebook group! It’s just in the beginning stages, so come be one of my first members!
See you in 2 weeks!
Love & Solidarity,
Leah R. Chatterjee
Always helpful and full of insight. Thank you!
Awww thank you Fal! Appreciate your reading and feedback so much 💕