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Sagittarius Season Brings Luck

11/25/2019

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PictureImage ©2019 DivineMuses.net
It's Sagittarius season! It's supposed to be an easygoing and adventurous time, and there is some positive astrology this week. Take advantage of it while it lasts!

The outlook is optimistic. Mercury is no longer retrograde. The Sun went into Sadge last Friday. Venus and Jupiter (the lesser & greater fortunes) met yesterday in the enthusiastic sign of Sagittarius. Tomorrow, the Moon joins the Sun, also in Sagittarius (Tuesday 7:06am PST).

This energy is outgoing, expansive and lucky. There's a sense of adventure and desire to move forward. Make a wish, take a leap of faith, think big, and dream big! This is one heck of a lucky moon to begin something under. For more information on how it affects you, look at your natal chart and the House this is transitting.

Jupiter goes into Capricorn on December 2nd, so the energy of expansion gets restricted in Saturn-ruled Capricorn. Make this week the week you take a risk, because luck is on your side!
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Nosotras Tarot - The Journey of the Heroine

11/13/2019

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**Update: SOLD OUT.** I am thrilled to be hosting the Nosotras Tarot! I have never hosted someone else's deck on DivineMuses.net, but I felt compelled to invite Elisa Riemer and Paula Mariá's gorgeous indie deck, Nosotras Tarot, to be a tarot guest here. One reason is because I am really struck by the collage artwork and overall energy of the deck. There are so many interesting and magical details throughout. Plus, I love that the titles are in Portuguese! (I'm Luso-American.) And, it felt like a good fit to support a fellow collage artist and tarotist from abroad. 
This is a Brazilian feminine/feminist tarot deck with antique photo collages featuring a diversity of ladies of varying ages and sizes. Hence, the name Nosotras, meaning "we" or "us" women. 

It's interesting that they chose to use the feminized Spanish word, nosotras, as opposed to the Portuguese word, nos, which is not feminized. (Though Portuguese does have feminine and masculine words like the other latin-based languages, nos, meaning "we" or "us," considers everyone—masculine and feminine. However, Nossa, is the feminized word for "our," as in Nossa Senhora, or Our Lady.) So it seems that they specifically wanted to feminize the title, as they did with the whole deck. (I'll have to confirm this!)

It's of note that each card's title in the deck has also been feminized. In Portuguese, the Sun card would be considered masculine and therefore named "O Sol." In the Nosotras Tarot, they rename it "A Sol." (In Portuguese, O is the masculine word for "the" and A is feminine for "the.") Another example is the Chariot card: In Portuguese it would be called "O Carro," but in Nosotras, they feminize it and rename it "A Carrauagem". "O Diabo" became "A Diaba" (the Devil), "O Louco" became "A Louca" (the Fool), "O Mago" became "A Maga" (the Magician) and "O Imperador" became "A Imperadora" (the Emperor). 

ABOUT THE LWB
The LWB is in Portuguese, but has translations in Spanish and English. There are short descriptions of the artwork, and a bit more than general meanings for the cards in the Major Arcana. The Minor Arcana has general meanings and no descriptions of the artwork. The Major Arcana cards include an affirmation to go along with the interpretation of the card. Sometimes the translation from Portuguese to English is a little off, but it's charming, and you really get the feeling and overall meaning of each of the cards. Pretty good for a LWB! 


IMPRESSIONS
I am enjoying this deck so much right now! It's a great size, it's a little smaller than what we consider standard tarot size around here. It's narrower (2.5" instead of 2.75") and a tick longer. The card stock is matte and feels thick. It almost seems too thick to riffle shuffle, but it does so well enough. Overhand shuffling works well, but prefer to riffle this deck. If I trim the borders, overhand would work better.

(UPDATE: about card stock and shuffling this deck. I've been using this deck quite a bit and read with it at a ladies night party. Sadly, there is no core inside the cards, it's just paper stock. Riffle shuffling bent and broke a couple of my cards, so PLEASE be careful riffle shuffling this deck. It's small enough to overhand shuffle so I'm now exclusively overhand shuffling this deck. I do prefer to riffle shuffle at events, as this is the quickest way to mix all of the cards before reading for the next sitter.)

I love collage decks. This deck looks like a mix of handmade with digital collaging. Most of the collages work really well in this deck. Even when some of the digital collages aren't seamless, they're still interesting and beautiful...I think because of the coloring used throughout. The skies used in the backdrop are colorful yet muted giving the collages an otherworldly vibe.   


I will have to be conscious with who I use this deck with, since there are so many nude images in the deck. I've been using it for daily draws and readings for myself, and I love how it's reading so far. It's definitely a Waite-Smith clone, so a breeze for me to use, but there's also extra intriguing symbols to glean from. E.g., Death has a third nipple! 

BONUS CARD
I'm really enjoying the extra card, Anima Mundi, the Soul of the World, which is supposed to represent the creative energy of the deck. It is meant to remind us of our infinite creative potential. From the LWB, "This Arcana is always about essence before form and guides you toward the most creative and lively ways to share with the world." To me, it seems like a merging of the Empress and the World. It's a lovely bonus card and I shuffle it and use it in the deck. 


SEPARATE EDITIONS
It's really interesting that the creators chose to release this deck in three stages between 2017 and 2019. They started creating the Major Arcana in 2014 and released it on its own. They then released the Cups and Swords as a separate edition, and then the Wands and Pentacles as another. The complete set was released earlier this year. I've not seen this before. I imagine they did this for their fans to be able to purchase the later editions separately. This is such a kind thing to do for them! The separate editions are all available on their website.  


FEMINISM
As I work with it, I get the feeling that it is a third wave feminist deck. This could turn into its own topic, but if you're interested, research the difference between first wave, second wave, third wave and the current fourth wave feminism.
I'll summarize quickly:

  • First wave: started with the suffragettes and the women's vote (late 19th century and early 20th century).
  • Second wave:  is connected with the rise of the women's movement in the sixties which led to the Equal Rights Amendment in 1971/1972.
  • Third wave: was in the nineties and early oughts. It was all about embracing diversity and individualism. Self-determined and individualistic feminism, including "girly" or "lipstick" feminists, and riot grrl (punk music) feminists. 
  • Fourth wave feminism is still being defined today, but it includes topics on intersectionality, gender fluidity and men claiming the feminist title, as they were victims of the patriarchy too. 

Since the creators are from Brazil, the definitions of the different waves of feminism might not line up with the above model since it's based more on American history. The reason I was thinking about this and comparing it is because of another feminist deck I acquired this year, the Modern Witch Tarot, which seems to align with modern fourth wave feminism. It got me thinking about other feminist decks and how they fit into this feminist model, like the Motherpeace Tarot and the Daughters of the Moon. 

I'm just pondering here, so don't read into anything more than that. It's just been interesting to consider feminism and the time and place a tarot deck is created. Perhaps this is a subject for another blogpost?!

The Nosotras Tarot creators are self-proclaimed feminists, as they indicate in the LWB, and political, openly objecting to the "fascist" Bolsonaro being in power! "We will not let them take down our utopia." "Already whole, already strong, robust and indestructible. You woman". Yes!


I only have a limited number in the shop right now, so it might be sold out by the time you read this!

UPDATE: It's now sold out. I was going to get more, but I will not be restocking for a couple reasons: one being an increase in shipping costs for me to order more decks. It'd be more affordable for you to just buy directly from them. You can get the complete deck from them here and have it shipped from Brazil. The website is in Portuguese, but you can navigate to their email for easier communication. 
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Full Moon Taurus in Scorpio Season

11/12/2019

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The Full Moon in Taurus at 5:34am is an especially magic one. ✨?♉️ My friend Catamara @rosariumblends mentioned in a recent post how the Full Moon closest to Samhain is the Witches Moon (which can be the Full Moon in Oct or Nov). This one is indeed closest to Samhain. ⠀ ⠀ I can also see why this Full Moon is the Witches Moon, as it is known for opening the gateway to magic...bc it is activated by the Sun in Scorpio and Moon in Taurus—powerful fixed signs. ♏️✨♉️✨⠀ ⠀ It’s a good night to remember all that we have built and manifested—the blessings—in our lives. Scorpio is the transformer and sorcerer, making this moon a definite witchy one. Raise your hands to the Moon tonight or be bathed in its light.⠀ ⠀ You may repost: please tag me. Thank you! #taurusfullmoon #moonmagic #witchesmoon #scorpioseason

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Mercury Rx Transits the Sun

11/11/2019

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Happy 11/11! It’s a magical day. A rare transit of Mercury moving across the Sun is happening at 7:22AM PST. The last one happened in 2016 (do you remember that?!). The next one will be in 2032! This happens about 14 times per 100 years. With the right equipment (telescope) and care, one can see a small dark disc going across the Sun. Like in the NASA photo I'm sharing from 2016. ⠀ ⠀ Start of transit 4:35 am PST⠀ Middle of transit 7:22 am PST⠀ End of transit 10:04 am PST⠀ ⠀ This is also an astrological conjunction of Mercury with the Sun, which happens 6 or 7 times a year. Their energy together means our mental processes are highlighted. Our ability to think, reason and communicate, and express ourselves outwardly through language becomes the focus.⠀ ⠀ ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ⠀ ⠀ This is usually a great time for conversations and interactions with others, but since Mercury is retrograde this can mean that the shadow of Mercury surfaces: being too heady, disconnected from the body and mercurial. Conjunct the Sun adds a self-absorbed attitude, thinking one is right and doesn't have a shadow —or doesn’t want to look at it. Watch out for communication snafus today. The Sun shining through Mercury Rx acts like a spotlight, so it’s a great time to self reflect and consider the things we have been doing (or need to do) to evolve and grow. Take it easy and remember to be gentle with yourself and others. □✨□ #happy1111 #mercurytransit #mercuryconjunctsun #astrologyinsights #mercuryretrograde2019

A post shared by □□□□□□ □□□□□ ⭐ □□□□□□ □□ □□□□□ (@divinemuses) on Nov 10, 2019 at 9:15pm PST

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15˚ Scorpio. Astrological Midpoint, Solar Samhain

11/7/2019

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"The one who made the light go out brings the light back in a seasoned, tempered form. And this renewed light is phosphorescent, glowing in the world's darkness, seeing the way clear, knowing it can be done." —Ellias Lonsdale⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 15˚ Scorpio is today and marks Solar Samhain, the exact solar midpoint between Autumnal Equinox and Winter Solstice. ♏️□ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ We enter the darkness to find the light. At this point, there is no way out, only through. Wish deeply and let your magical Will be ignited. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ #solarSamhain blessings ✨⁣ ⁣⁣ If you're not familiar with Sabian symbols as a tool to explore astrology, this may seem quite esoteric. And well, IT IS! But, if you sit with the message, a certain knowing begins to surface. Sabian symbols are powerful and useful metaphorical phrases that describe each degree of the zodiac, for which there are 360. □□ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ In 1925, Marc Edmund Jones (astrologer) and Elsie Wheeler (psychic) worked together to connect each degree to a picture or image that Ms. Wheeler would "see." □□ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 15˚ Scorpio "a girl's face breaking into a smile" was born from that work. Later, Lonsdale reinterpreted it as "a woman with a gold tooth." (A quote from his perspective is above.) In the image shown, I merged these two #SabianSymbols interpretations. ⁣⁣ ✨✨✨✨✨✨ Please tag @divineMuses if you are going to repost this image. Thank you! ⁣⁣ ✨ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ #astrologypost #esotericastrology #esotericknowledge #digitalcollageart #sabiansymbolstoday ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

A post shared by □□□□□□ □□□□□ ⭐ □□□□□□ □□ □□□□□ (@divinemuses) on Nov 7, 2019 at 10:02am PST

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All Souls Day Message 2019

11/2/2019

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A message from our global Ancestors on #AllSoulsDay : CELEBRATE life! This is our time now and we only have so much left. PLEDGE to give more than you take (6 of Pents). Be of service (Queen of Roses). Take up a cause or support one that you deeply care about because when you do something that ignites your passion you open up to the FLOW of the universe. This is how the power of love and harmony (Two of Cups) is engaged in our lives. Don’t forget that the Ancestors live through us (through our DNA, the earth and history) and that we can COMMUNE with them at any time, not just when the veils are thinnest. Many November blessings. ✨□✨□✨□✨□✨□✨ —- #throughtheveil #messagefromtheuniverse #messagefromspirit #santosandsignsoracle by @mellissaelucia #santamuertetarot by @fabio_listrani #divinemusesoracle by me. □

A post shared by □□□□□□ □□□□□ ⭐ □□□□□□ □□ □□□□□ (@divinemuses) on Nov 3, 2019 at 7:35pm PST

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    Maree Bento is a collage artist and practitioner of the mystical & healing arts.

    She’s a professional tarot reader and veteran deck creator born under a Sagittarius Sun with a Libra Rising & Capricorn Moon conjunct Pallas Athena. She's been stepping up her astrology studies the last few years, after a years-long hobby interest in the subject.

    Maree has been a licensed massage therapist for 17 years practicing various holistic modalities for body, mind, and spiritual well-being & connection. 
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    ​
    Her background in the healing arts deepened her intuitive abilities and inspires her present approach to tarot, creativity, ritual, and divination. 

    She loves to travel and enjoys connecting with family, friends, & animals. She lives in Pacific NW U.S.A. with her beloved, David, and their huggable hound, Dante where they hike rain or shine. 

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