Tag: Virgo

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Fun Stuff Metaphysical Connection

Metaphysical Connection: The 2025 Tarot Card

Photo: Pamela Colman Smith | Public domain | Wikimedia Commons

At the beginning of 2024, I wrote about how to find your personal tarot card for the year. To kick off this new year, I want to discuss the tarot card for 2025. This card is for all of us and is often a summary of what to expect from the year ahead. 

If you’d like to find out what your personal tarot card for 2025 is, all you need is your phone. For this exercise, we are only going to focus on the major arcana portion of the tarot deck. Although there are 22 cards, they are numbered 0 to 21. When you do the math to get the number correspondence for your card, you will want a number between 1 and 22. It is impossible to get a 0 when you are adding numerical values higher than 0 together. To compensate for not being able to have 0 as a number, if your final number is 22, then that means The Fool card, card number 0, is your card for the year. 

The first thing you will do is add your birth month and day to the current year, 2025. Let’s look at an example. For our example, we’ll use a birthdate of February 10th. You can add 2 (for the month of February) plus 10 (for the day) plus 2025. If you add 2+10+2025, you get 2037. 2037 is much bigger than numbers 1 to 22, so we will need to reduce this number. Next, we will add 2+0+3+7, which gives us 12. Using this method, card number 12 — the Hanged Man card — will be your card for the year.

To find the tarot card that represents 2025, we will do a similar exercise of adding each number for 2025 together. 2+0+2+5=9. When finding your personal tarot card for the year and when finding the tarot card for the collective for the year, we are going to focus on the cards in the major arcana portion of the tarot deck. Card number 9 of the major arcana is The Hermit card. However, if you’d like to get more in-depth, you can also look at the cards of the minor arcana that share the number 9 as well.

2025 marches to a different tarot beat than 2024 did. The card for 2024 was Strength. But 2025 will be ruled by The Hermit, which invites introspection. Instead of pushing forward, this card advocates for a strategic withdrawal, a pause for self-reflection and understanding. This is a fantastic year for study. Deepen your knowledge with books, classes, and lectures. Get a library card. Work closely with a trusted teacher or mentor. It’s also possible you could play that role with others. Share what you know and be open to other ways of looking at the world. 

The Hermit card is also a card of taking a step back from the world. This can allow us to gain clarity. Many worked hard in the past year, only to see their goals fall short. Rest is needed. Wise elders will emerge, and the heroes may wear cloaks instead of capes. Many world leaders may retire or step out of the spotlight for other reasons. The fight to preserve wisdom could be intense as institutions such as libraries, schools, and universities come under attack. We must not let history repeat itself, or we could return to a new dark age. The wisest among us have learned from the past and will shine a light on what we need to do to keep moving toward an enlightened future.

And perhaps most poignantly, the number 9 represents the end of a cycle. Certain situations may be ready to wrap up in your life. This will allow space for new things to come into your life. Let go and trust that the universe will sort it out.

The Hermit is associated with Virgo, a sign that knows how to clean, declutter, heal, and serve. 2025 brings an opportunity to clean up after ourselves and others. No matter how big the mess may be, a concentrated effort will clear the slate and lay the groundwork for a fresh start. 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

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Fun Stuff Metaphysical Connection

Metaphysical Connection: Mercury Goes Retrograde This Summer

Mercury doesn’t actually orbit backwards — it’s an illusion. (Photo: Pixabay)

From August 5th to August 28th, Mercury will once again be taking its backward spin through the sky. This will be our second full Mercury retrograde of 2024. Mercury also went retrograde in December 2023 and carried over to January 1, 2024. 

A retrograde is a phenomenon that happens when it appears that a planet in the sky is orbiting backwards. The planets don’t actually change orbital direction; it is more of an optical illusion. However, many people believe that during these periods the energy or properties of that planet may be behaving differently. All planets do this, but the spiritual community puts a lot of focus on Mercury going retrograde. 

Mercury is thought to rule over our communication, travel, and commerce. When it is in retrograde, we can often expect miscommunication, disagreements because of miscommunication, hiccups with travel plans, and inconveniences with technology. Retrogrades, especially Mercury retrogrades, often throw speed bumps in our way to make us slow down, reflect, and readjust for the next phase.

August’s Mercury retrograde begins in the zodiac sign of Virgo but will move into Leo before it’s over. Virgo is an earth sign, and many of Virgo’s qualities revolve around being grounded and connected to earthy energy. Virgos are thought to be good problem-solvers. They are organized, practical, prepared, loyal, and kind. Leo is a fire sign, and many of the things we love about Leos come from this sign’s fiery connection. Leos are confident and bold. They are creative thinkers, passionate, and motivated. 

While Mercury retrograde impacts all of us, the sign in which the retrograde falls tends to be impacted the most. That means if you have strong Virgo and Leo placements in your Sun, Moon, or Rising signs, you’ll be hit harder than others. 

This retrograde is here to shake things up, and that likely will not sit well with Virgos. Virgos are also known to be perfectionists who like to preplan as much as possible. With Mercury retrograde in the mix, things are not going to go as planned. To better enjoy and perhaps mediate the lessons of this retrograde, we will need to learn to loosen up. When things do not go according to plan, we will need to roll with the situation at hand. Becoming distressed or angry can easily be misinterpreted and can upset the people around you. Remember Mercury rules communication, and when it’s in retrograde, communication can become very muddy very quickly. 

Mercury also rules over technology, travel, and commerce. If you have embraced those Virgo qualities of structure and having all the details planned, be sure to give yourself a little wiggle room in August. Expect things that you have planned to develop a few speed bumps or need a few last-minute adjustments. Perfectionism will not be possible during this retrograde. Do not let perfection be the enemy of good enough. Sometimes you need to accept the hand you’ve been given with grace.

As we move to Leo, we see this period shift thematically toward identity and confidence. Miscommunications and clumsy wording are common during Mercury retrograde, but you cannot let this shatter your self-image. We must also be very careful with our actions. Leo is a bold and proud sign. This influence can embolden us to do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do in our communications. Don’t let your frustrations with things and the passion of Leo merge into risky behavior. You may feel like now is the time to have that difficult conversation or finally send that email. Before you do though, take some time to think it through; don’t be rash. And remember communication is already going to be tricky. Is now the time to bring up touchy and vulnerable topics? 

If we can be flexible and go with the flow this Mercury retrograde, we shouldn’t have any more trouble out of it than usual. Be patient and understanding and don’t let your ego get in the way. Again, this is a time to step back and observe and learn about ourselves. Approach these retrogrades as opportunities and be open and grateful to the lessons. 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

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Astrology Fun Stuff

Free Will Astrology: Week of 08/24/23

Dario Bronnimann | Unsplash

ARIES (March 21-April 19): None of the books I’ve written has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Even if my future books do well, I will never catch up with Aries writer James Patterson, who has had 260 books on the prestigious list. My sales will never rival his, either. He has earned over $800 million from the 425 million copies his readers have bought. While I don’t expect you Rams to ever boost your income to Patterson’s level, either, I suspect the next nine months will bring you unprecedented opportunities to improve your financial situation. For best results, edge your way toward doing more of what you love to do.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Addressing a lover, D. H. Lawrence said that “having you near me” meant that he would “never cease to be filled with newness.” That is a sensational compliment! I wish all of us could have such an influence in our lives: a prod that helps arouse endless novelty. Here’s the good news, Taurus: I suspect you may soon be blessed with a lively source of such stimulation, at least temporarily. Are you ready and eager to welcome an influx of freshness?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Humans have been drinking beer for at least 13,000 years and eating bread for 14,500. We’ve enjoyed cheese for 7,500 years and popcorn for 6,500. Chances are good that at least some of these four are comfort foods for you. In the coming weeks, I suggest you get an ample share of them or any other delicious nourishments that make you feel well-grounded and deep-rooted. You need to give extra care to stabilizing your foundations. You have a mandate to cultivate security, stability, and constancy. Here’s your homework: Identify three things you can do to make you feel utterly at home in the world.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): On Instagram, I posted a favorite quote from poet Muriel Rukeyser: “The world is made of stories, not atoms.” I added my own thought: “You are made of stories, too.” A reader didn’t like this meme. He said it was “a nightmare for us anti-social people.” I asked him why. He said, “Because stories only happen in a social setting. To tell or hear a story is to be in a social interaction. If you’re not inclined towards such activities, it’s oppressive.” Here’s how I replied: “That’s not true for me. Many of my stories happen while I’m alone with my inner world. My nightly dreams are some of my favorite stories.” Anyway, Cancerian, I’m offering this exchange to you now because you are in a story-rich phase of your life. The tales coming your way, whether they occur in social settings or in the privacy of your own fantasies, will be extra interesting, educational, and motivational. Gather them in with gusto! Celebrate them!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author A. Conan Doyle said, “It has long been my axiom that the little things are infinitely the most important.” Spiritual teacher John Kabat-Zinn muses, “The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.” Here’s author Robert Brault’s advice: “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” Ancient Chinese sage Lao-Tzu provides a further nuance: “To know you have enough is to be rich.” Let’s add one more clue, from author Alice Walker: “I try to teach my heart to want nothing it can’t have.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “I don’t believe that in order to be interesting or meaningful, a relationship has to work out — in fiction or in real life.” So says Virgo novelist Elizabeth Curtis Sittenfeld, and I agree. Just because a romantic bond didn’t last forever doesn’t mean it was a waste of energy. An intimate connection you once enjoyed but then broke off might have taught you lessons that are crucial to your destiny. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to acknowledge and celebrate these past experiences of togetherness. Interpret them not as failures but as gifts.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The amount of rubbish produced by the modern world is staggering: over 2 billion tons per year. To get a sense of how much that is, imagine a convoy of fully loaded garbage trucks circling the earth 24 times. You and I can diminish our contributions to this mess, though we must overcome the temptation to think our personal efforts will be futile. Can we really help save the world by buying secondhand goods, shopping at farmer’s markets, and curbing our use of paper? Maybe a little. And here’s the bonus: We enhance our mental health by reducing the waste we engender. Doing so gives us a more graceful and congenial relationship with life. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to meditate and act on this beautiful truth.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I hope that in the coming weeks, you will wash more dishes, do more laundry, and scrub more floors than you ever have before. Clean the bathrooms with extra fervor, too. Scour the oven and refrigerator. Make your bed with extreme precision. Got all that, Scorpio? JUST KIDDING! Everything I just said was a lie. Now here’s my authentic message: Avoid grunt work. Be as loose and playful and spontaneous as you have ever been. Seek record-breaking levels of fun and amusement. Experiment with the high arts of brilliant joy and profound pleasure.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Dear Sagittarius the Archer: To be successful in the coming weeks, you don’t have to hit the exact center of the bull’s-eye every time — or even anytime. Merely shooting your arrows so they land somewhere inside the fourth or third concentric rings will be a very positive development. Same is true if you are engaged in a situation with metaphorical resemblances to a game of horseshoes. Even if you don’t throw any ringers at all, just getting close could be enough to win the match. This is one time in your life when perfection isn’t necessary to win.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I suspect you are about to escape the stuffy labyrinth. There may be a short adjustment period, but soon you will be running half-wild in a liberated zone where you won’t have to dilute and censor yourself. I am not implying that your exile in the enclosed space was purely oppressive. Not at all. You learned some cool magic in there, and it will serve you well in your expansive new setting. Here’s your homework assignment: Identify three ways you will take advantage of your additional freedom.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Though my mother is a practical, sensible person with few mystical propensities, she sometimes talks about a supernatural vision she had. Her mother, my grandmother, had been disabled by a massive stroke. It left her barely able to do more than laugh and move her left arm. But months later, on the morning after grandma died, her spirit showed up in a pink ballerina dress doing ecstatic pirouettes next to my mother’s bed. My mom saw it as a communication about how joyful she was to be free of her wounded body. I mention this gift of grace because I suspect you will have at least one comparable experience in the coming weeks. Be alert for messages from your departed ancestors.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it,” said the ancient Chinese sage Confucius. Amen! Seeking to understand reality with cold, unfeeling rationality is at best boring and at worst destructive. I go so far as to say that it’s impossible to deeply comprehend anything or anyone unless we love them. Really! I’m not exaggerating or being poetical. In my philosophy, our quest to be awake and see truly requires us to summon an abundance of affectionate attention. I nominate you to be the champion practitioner of this approach to intelligence, Pisces. It’s your birthright! And I hope you turn it up full blast in the coming weeks.