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The 2nd edition Lua Tarot and Divine Muses Oracle orders are now making their way to their new homes! Thank you so much for your generous support of these decks!
It looks like a lot of work, and it is. But, it was kind of fun to pack them up. You get into a groove and it all becomes a working meditation. I was listening to music and infusing your packages with gratitude and blessings. If you placed an order last night to today, I didn’t get to everyone’s order. I will start working on those this evening. I just need to catch my breath. Those orders will go to the post office tomorrow. If you’re interested, (as of Monday July 12th) there are still a few Lua Lenormand "miscut" gifts available with a Lua Tarot order. Feel free to Contact me if you have any questions! I am taking a break Friday, June 26th - Monday, July 5th. I will not be shipping items from the shop or replying to emails during this time. If you place an order, items will ship Tuesday, July 6th. Thank you for your understanding & patience while I'm away. Stay safe and hydrated. Summertime blessings, Maree   The Lua Tarot deck is featured in Parq Magazine! A Portuguese trends magazine dealing with art, photography, fashion and urban lifestyle. Read the article in English by tarotist Roger Winstanley.
Pluto stations Retrograde (Rx) on Tuesday, April 27th at 1:03pm (PDT). The Pluto energies have been so intense lately. Especially for the USA, as an immense astrology transit has been nudging ever slowly forth for the past year. The USA has been in the thick of its first Pluto Return, currently 26° Capricorn (within 1° orb of USA’s natal Pluto). Many people have heard of their Saturn Return, but what's Pluto Return? Pluto Return is a rare transit, it happens ONCE every 247 years. When astrologers talk about it, it’s often in reference to an event, or in this case, the USA’s founding (July 4, 1776). The USA's Pluto Return will be exact on Feb 20, 2022.  Pluto's Return, USA's transit chart. When the Past Becomes PresentPluto transits tend to reveal and magnify dark unconscious truths that undermine established orders. For a dwarf planet, demoted a few years back, he does not play small, no matter how we want to classify him! His archetype is as powerful a force to be reckoned with as ever. Although his archetype is often considered malefic, the lessons that surface during his transits can be deeply transformational and evolutionary; IF we choose to be open for growth and change. As a nation we have been grappling with some heavy realizations, some too much to bear. Sometimes the pain is so overwhelming, that it’s just easier for people to ignore. But Pluto will not be disregarded! And, he favors those who are willing to work with his energies. The USA is a country trying to come to terms, in so many ways, with its collective shadow. The unconscious shadows being faced to heal the fractures from its dark history. Many have been doing the labor for generations, and many more are stepping up. The work that we do individually during this time certainly helps the collective energies (as within, so without), but the work truly has to be collaborative. And, this sometimes feels impossible in these “United” States. I’ve been studying the USA’s chart for the past year with an eye on its Pluto Return. The USA’s Pluto is in the Second House Capricorn, which is really interesting, as this can show up in someone’s chart as stubborn, slow-to-change, power-hungry, and “need to possess that which they think they own”[1] [1] Jeff Green, Pluto: The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul Volume 1, (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1985), p. 65.  We do see some positives here of self-reliance and ambition, but often at the detriment of the whole. Rugged individualism and the “every man for himself” attitude can only get us so far in the US. Let me paint an image of the way I’m visualizing the Pluto archetype unfolding right now. Pluto is god of the underworld. With the USA’s Pluto Return, Pluto is pushing up all the problematic or shadow issues to the surface that have not been dealt with, or reconciled. And, I’m seeing this extensive fog rising from the earth. The ghosts of USA’s past have been resurfacing and we’re all wading through the haze now, trudging through the toxic sludge of US History that’s been lodged in the land.  It can become more intense if we choose to ignore it as we creep closer to exact Pluto Return on February 20th. And with Pluto Retrograde, we may see the collective regressing during these next six months. Pluto Retrograde lasts until October 6th when it stations Direct. Then hopefully, we'll begin seeing some forward momentum in the collective. As things stand now, it may feel like we are going backwards sometimes, when so many are just ready to move forward already! Hang in there. Pluto Retrograde periods are good times to question the status quo. And they can be transformational, as we peel back the layers to reveal more and more of what’s at the core. Retrograde times, no matter the planet, allow us to reflect more deeply. Pluto Retrograde can offer, and indeed accelerate, evolutionary growth. It can be emotional and intense times. Pluto may be destructive, but his archetype is about Death & Rebirth. Evolution!  Pluto is associated with Tarot's Judgement card. The Evolution card is an alternate Judgement card in the Lua Tarot. I leave both of these cards in the deck when working with the Lua Tarot. Pluto's Return has not been easy, but Pluto transits rarely are. He is known as the Great Redeemer, but as god of the underworld, he helps force the death of outdated paradigms. Teaching us lessons of Death: to let die what must die, so something new in its place can be birthed.  I made the tiniest and (cutest) model of my 2nd edition Divine Muses Oracle box to see what it will look like.
The size of the magnetic box will end up being much larger (about 3" x 5") to fit the standard cards. I’m not making a mini DMO, though that would be so adorable! I drew one of the cards from the deck today and got Mystic Rapture, which speaks to ecstatic bliss and deep inspiration found in spiritual practice, or any practice or ritual one is passionate about. Finishing the last touches of two new cards in the deck and some fixes on 11 of the original cards. ETA for 2nd edition is roughly Summer 2021? I’m not taking pre-orders just yet. I’ve put a deposit in with the printer, so production is not far off. Btw, the guidebook will be similar as the first edition, seen here behind the High Priestess candle. If you don’t want to miss the announcement, you can subscribe to my rarely sent newsletter!
Last year I acquired this biography on Paschal Beverly Randolph, 19th-century Black American trance medium, occultist, writer, and sex magician born October 8th, 1825. (Sun in Libra, Moon in Leo, and a Venus Jupiter conjunction in Virgo—fascinating given his work on the occult and sex magic!) I’ve been making my way through this tome and am about finished with it! It's dense and detailed, making it a slow read, but it's so interesting full of incredible accounts of Randolph’s life. So, I felt compelled to do this book report in honor of Black History, and as a push to finish the book. John Patrick Deveney, an academic occultist, wrote in depth about Randolph’s spiritual and magical methodologies and philosophy in a scholarly yet accessible way. This biography (no, history book!) at 600 pages also offers mini-biographies of other spiritualists of his time, which shows the extent of the circles that Randolph participated in. Beyond scholarly, this is a historical and fascinating account of a mage whose work is considered to be the forerunner of modern occultism, along with Madame H. P. Blavatsky and Aleister Crowley, whose works & societies were in part influenced by Randolph. Included within these pages are two of Randolph's major works on sexual magic: The Ansairetic Mystery and The Mysteries of Eulis. Randolph’s magical and occult works involved using magic mirrors, hashish, and sexual magic to help develop the muscle of mediumship; and combined with his travels around the world and connections to occultists of his time makes his biography so compelling to read. Randolph wrote extensively about his travels, as well as his spiritual sensitivities and shared his experiences and magical practices in pamphlets, spiritualist newspapers, memoirs, and handbooks, openly teaching others how they could access the spirit realm themselves through various magical tools and techniques. >>>  The first edition of the Divine Muses Oracle is Out of Stock. A second edition is planned for release sometime this year. The Divine Muses Oracle page will be updated for pre-orders in the near future.
I'm planning to add two new cards and make a couple minor changes to the set. Thank you all for your kind support!  Jupiter & Saturn come together in a most auspicious way on the 21st of December! This “Great Conjunction” will spark a turning point at 0° Aquarius on the Solar New Year—the Solstice. What an incredible amount of rebirthing energy converging in the astro heavens that practically ushers in a renaissance! One can see why some astrologers are calling this the “official” entrance into the Age of Aquarius. We are shifting into the creativity and idealism of Aquarius from the cynicism of Capricorn who can be critical & get lost in pessimism—where Jupiter has been moving through for the past year, and Saturn for the past 2.5 years. This move into Aquarius reflects the archetypes of the Rebel, Revolutionary, & Visionary; and the Humanitarian, who sees the whole as greater than the sum of its parts. She takes us out of individualism and self-absorption into a world that focuses on the group and the greater good for all. How will you embody this archetypal transition? This is a most potent and hopeful time of evolution and change that we are stepping into when Jupiter & Saturn meet at 0° Aquarius. Though I feel we’ve been at the precipice, this “Great Mutation in Air” will propel us forward. Much like the Renaissance after the Dark Ages, where there was great social change. Think of The Star in the Tarot, which follows The Tower card! Mystics & magicians have had visions of the Age of Aquarius since the ‘70s, but the truth is, it's not going to save us. There is a shadow side to everything and the Age of Aquarius' kind of scares me, especially considering how AI tech could evolve! Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, which governs technology. Today's technology positively offers us a way of connecting communities and giving everyone a platform to share their work & creativity, especially now more than ever. However, Shadow Aquarius can be emotionally detached & cut-off. We know by now that “social” media can fake us out with the illusion of connecting through the screen, when the truth for some can be more isolating screen-side. But, it all really comes down to how we choose to use modern technology. We can use it to lift each other up, or it can be used to our detriment. Jupiter & Saturn rule the economy, politics, and systems of law & order, and we know how dangerous a weapon the Internet can be. The echo chambers and “fake news” are hurting us. We have to be more vigilant about how we share and acquire information. We got here together; we can get ourselves out of it. The solution will be coming together to regulate technologies that polarize and divide. We will need to consider digital minimalism & digital detoxes as part of our self-care routines & healing practices. We can reimagine how we use technology. It will take personal discipline AND the collective Will—the “Essence” of the Age of Aquarius. I look forward to this new era. Where the group is more consequential than the ego of the individual. Where we gather in community & find ways to come together for the greater good. If we choose, our humanity can matter more, and the will of the few for short-term gains & agendas can become outmoded, and ludicrous even. This has been the way for many groups and cultures. Many have already been working for years and progressing towards a long-term vision and reimagining a better future for ALL. And with the wakeup call of the past year a critical mass of supporting and uplifting marginalized communities came to the forefront in the USA, which extended to the world. I know there's still much work to do. And things won't change without personal action. Imagine how the Age of Aquarius will steer us if everyone rose to action to help one another! While 2020 has felt like the biggest setback of our lives, it was a monumental catalyst for our evolution! We have been struggling in a cocoon of transmutation and we’re breaking out of its crushing confines. Here’s to our resurrection! May this Solstice and Great Mutation in Air usher in collective renewal and illuminated Unity.  Lua Tarot's The Tower, The Star, and Evolution cards. |
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