The Fool in the tarot takes a great leap of faith, holding the belief that it will all work out in the end, venturing boldly into the unknown, unaware that the journey ahead will be one of great transformation - a journey from which he (or she) will never return - at least not as the same person he was when he began. ​

We must trust in our own truth and let it be our guide as we set out into the unknown, like the caterpillar who follows the urge to build its cocoon surrenders to the process of transformation. 

The caterpillar surrenders to the dark, to the unknown. Then, as an emerging butterfly, it again follows the instinct to fight its way out of the cocoon it was originally driven to build.  It needed the cocoon then, but that it is the thing it must now must break free of to survive. 

Follow your TRUTH - be sure it is your truth and not someone else's, and not your fear.  Tune in to what you are being internally guided to do next and take a step in that direction.  When you trust and take action based upon that core truth, you can befriend the unknown, knowing you will be guided to the next step when it is time, and navigate any challenges with grace as you surrender (not submit) to the process of transformation. 

Trust you will be told when it is time to cocoon and when it is time to break free.

​Holding onto that truth and that faith and belief and trust within, befriend the unknown. Surrender with grace to releasing what no longer serves,  to the inevitable death of our present consciousness, so we can emerge born again with wings to a new life.

We are reminded that in this life, we need both light and dark, both summer and winter, both feminine and masculine, both rest and action. 

Like the caterpillar who follows its instinct to build the cocoon and surrender to transformation when it is urged to and then likewise fights to break free of that same cocoon when the time comes, there is a season for all things in life and each one, each piece, each stage of birth and death and action and rest and creation and destruction is equally necessary and valuable. 

But we must take that leap of faith like the Fool, placing our trust in our own truth, finding serenity in surrender as we befriend the unknown, finding our comfort in knowing that our inner voice, like the instinct of the caterpillar, will tell us when the time is right for each step along our journey of transformation. 

Only then do we find that security of coming home to that home within ourselves.  Only then do we experience the stability and safety found in honoring our truth and surrendering to the journey. Because only then are we able to come into the authority that is our birthright as co-creators of our experience of life with the Universe and claim the thrones of our hearts, and rule with wise sovereignty and authenticity over our realms.

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​The zodiac symbol for Capricorn is actually the goat - the "sea goat," to be exact, but I always think of the white stag with Capricorn because of its association with Solstice, which is actually marked by the sun arriving at zero degrees Capricorn every December.  

However, the origins of the stag's association with solstice actually come from the ancient shamanic cultures of the north - where it was actually a reindeer - a female reindeer - while male reindeer lose their antlers for the winter, the females keep theirs.  And there is even more magic associated with the sign of Capricorn.

Capricorn is much more than a mountain-climbing goat in astrology, although taking practically planned strategic action steps IS a part of this energy.  The sea goat is actually the only zodiac symbol that's a mythical creature, and it relates back to the ancient Sumerians and the god Enki, who ruled over fresh water.  Fresh water and irrigation were very important to the Sumerian civilization, set upon the marsh lands of the Fertile Crescent.  Saturn, ruler of Capricorn, was a Roman god of the harvest, which falls in line with this.  

While we see the modern expression of Capricorn as a sign ruling over the big systems of society like governments and financial systems, and Saturn as the athority figure and one who rules over time, responsibility, rules, limits, and boundaries, if we dig a little deeper we will find in this sign something much more ancient and magical, having to do with earth magic - the magic at the heart of alchemy - using the elements to create something new here on the earth plane.  This magic has rules, we must follow the laws of nature.  But when we correctly apply the rules to the given materials, and use the proper structure and containers, we can create new magic.  

While the sun arriving at zero degrees Capricorn for solstice represents the brand new solar cycle, the Capricorn new moon is when the moon catches up to meet the sun in Capricorn to begin a new lunar cycle.  

On the evening of Tuesday, January 12th, we arrive at the Caprcicorn new moon, with Capricorn's ruler having just met up with Jupiter at solstice for the Great Conjunction at zero degrees Aquarius, a brand new 20 year cycle and 200 year cycle, and a big shift from earth to air.  This is the new moon that really gets the new year vibe going.

The planetary set up is completely different from this time last year as we embark on a new era.

So with this Capricorn new moon, what new magic would you like to create?

Love & Gratitude,
Kasey

Usually, the weekly card readings are posted on social media (the Facebook page, Facebook group, and on Instagram), in both written and video formats, but this week is a big week energetically, and a longer reading, so I am posting it here to the blog.  

This week's cards are:  Page of Cups, reversed, 10 of Swords, reversed, The Magician, reversed, 4 of Swords, reversed, Knight of Wands, Judgement, and The World.  (The deck is Shadowscapes Tarot, art by Stephanie Law.)  

This week begins with solstice (the sun at zero degrees Capricorn) on Monday, December 21st, and also Jupiter and Saturn coming together at zero degrees Aquarius for the Great Conjunction. 

Solstice marks the beginning of the solar cycle.  It is the shortest day of the year and longest night (here in the northern hemisphere), and the time where we thank the darkness for its gifts, plant our seeds of intention for the coming solar cycle, and welcome the return of the light as the days begin now to get longer until June 21st.  

The Great Conjunction is when Jupiter and Saturn come together at the same degree of the zodiac, and occurs about every 19-20 years.  So with this conjunction we are beginning a new 20 year cycle.  But in addition, these two come together for about 200 years at a time in the same element of the zodiac, and this is the beginning of a new 200 year cycle as well, because for the past 200 years they have been coming together in earth signs, and now they are shifting to the coming 200 years of coming together every 20 years in air signs.  This brings a larger "umbrella" energetic shift now from earth (possessions, tangibles, land) to air (ideas, communication, services).  

This week's cards are a continuation of the theme of the past few weeks - from the eclipse portal (November 30th to December 14th) onward, the weekly cards have been speaking to stepping out of the old and into the new, and consciously releasing what no longer resonates.  

We are, and have been in recent weeks, moving through a series of big energetic shifts that are breaking us out of the holding pattern we have been in for 2020.  The cards this week reflect this.  They speak to where we may be still releasing the past and therefore holding back fully and authentically expressing ourselves, and not moving forward on new ideas just yet, and the discomfort being in that in-between might bring.  And they also speak to being able to move forward swiftly once we are fully connected to our passion and true heart's desire. 

The last two cards are especially telling.  The second to the last card, Judgement, tells us of dying to the old consciousness and being reborn to a new, higher consciousness - an awakening or rebirth.  The World, the final card, is the last card of the major arcana, signaling a completion or coming full circle, and also it is a card of Saturn - a card of mastery and stepping into our authority.  These two cards reflect the energy of the Great Conjunction as Saturn and Jupiter, the old god and the young god, the time-tested traditions and new ways, come together in the air sign Aquarius for an innovative new beginning.  

Solstice marks the beginning of the winter season and the beginning of the return of the light in the northern hemisphere. 

This is one of the four markers of the natural cycle of the solar year - each new season begins when the sun enters one of the four cardinal signs of the zodiac.  Winter begins at winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, when the sun enters Capricorn, spring begins at spring equinox, when day and night are equal length, and the sun enters Aries, summer begins at summer solstice, the longest day of the year, when the sun enters Cancer, and fall begins at fall equinox, when day and night are again equal, and the sun enters Libra. 

Cardinal signs begin our seasons and therefore are considered the initiators of the zodiac - cardinal signs start things. 

Winter solstice is always a new beginning, as it signals the return of the light.  It is also a time when we honor the darkness and the gifts it brings, as it is the longest night of the year.  It's a good time for taking stock of the past year and setting new intentions for the coming year, and planting the seeds we want to grow with the increasing light in the coming months. 

What do you want to see manifest by summer solstice?  What do you want to harvest in the coming year?

What makes this winter solstice even more special is that on the same day, we have the Great Conjunction - Saturn and Jupiter coming together at zero degrees Aquarius.  These two come together at some point of the zodiac about every 19 years, but its been much longer since they have come together in Aquarius.  On top of beginning a new solar year as we welcome the return of the light with solstice, we are beginning two much larger cycles with the Great Conjunction.  

In recent months we have been getting a lot of the "business end" of Saturn because of it's positioning in Capricorn with Pluto and how it was in challenging aspect by the movements of other planets.  Now Jupiter and Saturn, who have both been in Capricorn for all of 2020, are moving into Aquarius, together.  As Saturn comes together with Jupiter, we have access to its more supportive attributes. 

Saturn is about authority, responsibility, foundation, structure, boundaries, and achievement.  It is really all about support, its just that that can quickly begin to feel like restriction and even oppression when in challenging aspect.  Saturn can represent a wise authority, mentor, or firm ruler.  

Jupiter is a benefic - it brings blessings.  It also exaggerates and amplifies whatever it touches.  Jupiter is the planet of wealth and abundance, and also belief and wisdom.  

These two are meeting at the gateway degree of Aquarius, the sign of humanitarianism, out-of-the-box thinking, innovation, and the future.  This is a grand new beginning, perfect for setting forward-thinking intentions for the future.  Think wise authority but noncomformist, and think big!

Here's something interesting - there are some that believe that the "Star of Bethlehem" was actually the Great Conjunction of 7 B.C.  

Now might just be the perfect time to wish upon a star.

Solstice Blessings,
Kasey

Full moon eclipse, 8 degrees Gemini, 2:29 a.m., MST on Monday, November 30th.

(Taken from the weekly Know to Flow Forecast for Consciously Creating Life, Vol. 86, week of November 30th, 2020 - see below to subscribe.)

For the past couple of years, our eclipses have been working the Cancer-Capricorn axis of the zodiac.  As of May 5th, 2020, the nodes of the moon moved into the opposing signs Gemini and Sagittarius, where they will remain through the beginning of 2022.   (These are the points that mark where the eclipses fall - the north node is a point of increase and destiny, representing what we are moving towards, and the south node is a point of decrease, past and karma, representing what we are moving away from and the lessons we have already learned).  

The shifting of the nodal axis (and our eclipses) from Cancer-Capricorn to Gemini-Sagittarius changes the energetic atmosphere significantly, and this is our first eclipse in this new vibe.

During this eclipse, the sun (light of consciousness) in Sagittarius, sign of truth and beliefs, will be illuminating the moon (subconscious, instinct, and shadow) in Gemini.  This means, in a general sense, our conscious focus will be coming from the south node in Sagittarius, point of the past, and lighting up the north node in Gemini, the way forward. 

Because the south node is the past and what we have already learned/mastered, south node energy and information is like our tool kit that we have available to work with - its what we already know and the knowledge and skills we have at our disposal.  The south node is what's known and therefore comfortable, but we get in trouble if we try to hang out there.  The point is to move towards the north node, the direction of our soul growth and destiny - to push out of our comfort zone into the growth zone.  In this case that is represented by the moon in Gemini. 

The moon is our intuition - now we need to trust that and follow the pathway forward it is revealing to us, while allowing ourselves to be supported by our personal truths and beliefs that create the foundation for our ideal future.  

This full moon opens a two week eclipse portal that will close on December 14th with the new moon in Sagittarius, and also begins a six month eclipse cycle that will take us through May 2021.  Eclipses bring big and lasting change to our lives, and our ability to manifest is heightened during the eclipse portal because this is a time when we are shifting, so things are more malleable.  

This full moon eclipse is a time to root down deeply into the personal truths and core beliefs that will form the foundation of the life we wish to create moving forward.  We create the world we wish to live in one belief, one breath, one thought, and one action at a time.  To consciously create the life we most desire, we must move towards that and create it bit by bit in each and every moment. 

The tarot card Eight of Swords is a card of both Gemini and the planet Jupiter (ruler of Gemini's opposing sign, Sagittarius).  The Eight of Swords speaks of being flexible, versatile, and adaptable in order to find our way through, and that is precisely the energy of this full moon eclipse. 

This eclipse features not only the opposition between the sun and moon, Sagittarius and Gemini, but also ties in to Venus and Uranus in opposition while at the same time activating a fixed star opposition.  These three oppositions of six points sits around us much like the swords surrounding the swan in the picture above.  The swan, despite its great strength struggles to free itself, but if we look up, we see the nimble hummingbird hovering above, ready to show the swan the way out. 

Think differently and look at things from a different perspective and solutions will appear. 

Love & Gratitude,
Kasey

(From the Know to Flow Forecast for Consciously Creating Life, Vol. 86, week of November 30th, 2020)

Welcome to Scorpio Season.  

This week the sun enters Scorpio, turning our conscious focus and awareness to the realm of transformation, healing, the deep psyche, the taboo and occult, motives, sex, and power.  Welcome to Scorpio Season.  Expect intensity, things revealed and unearthed, and transformation.  

This is the time of year when the veils between the world are said to be the thinnest, where we honor and receive blessings from the departed and our ancestors.  We are at a transition, a crossroads, a sacred gap that is neither one thing nor the other.  This is the in-between.  

Modern life is very much point A to point B, either-or, this not that.  The in-between is both, and neither.  It is not that easily defined.  Our culture tends to honor the destination rather than the journey.  We don't stop to honor the spaces, the gaps, the past, the undoing, the release, the loss, the letting go.  They feel uncomfortable.  Unproductive.  Scary.  Unfamiliar.  But there is great power here. And that is what this time is about.  We cannot have life without death, summer without winter, day without night, action without rest.  And each bit of it is sacred.  The earth slows down now and we follow her lead to the restorative rest and regeneration only the dark can bring.  

As the moon waxes now, it moves toward Friday's first quarter square with the sun, our first choice point of the lunar cycle - a crisis in action - as we reach the halfway point between the new moon and the full moon.  This is our check point to make any course corrections with our new moon intentions and actions to stay in alignment.  

Then on Sunday, the sun meets up with Mercury, still retrograde in Scorpio.  This brings our light of consciousness and Mercury, ruler of the mind and messages, together in Scorpio's deep abyss.  This is an aha moment.  Something is revealed.  This is the point where Mercury finds what it turned back in search of as the sun shines its light on it.  

Mercury's journey isn't over just yet though.  It will continue backtracking, reentering Libra next week on the 27th, the same day Venus leaves Virgo and enters Libra.  After the full moon on the 31st, Mercury will station direct at 25 degrees Libra on 11/3 (U.S. election day) in square to Saturn in Capricorn.  Saturn on the high side is supportive foundation and boundaries, but could be showing up as a hard and limiting influence in this case as it is in square aspect, have patience here and keep going.  

Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn have been a challenging ride, and we are still on that ride until they get apart from each other and Mercury and Mars station direct.  Keep looking for the flow, for what supports and nourishes.  Keep looking toward where there is space and constantly move towards that.  As things shift things will continue to open in new ways.  

We are being taught how to dance in between the beats - to move into the open space and honor the in-between.  There is magic there.


Love & Gratitude,
Kasey

*Join me on Facebook in The Art of Consciously Creating Life group for daily updates!

*From the Know to Flow Forecast for Consciously Creating Life, Vol. 78, week of October 5th. Sign up below.*

It really feels pretty fantastic to have all three planets in Capricorn (Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto) now direct.  However, from now until the upcoming Libra new moon, prepare for a bit of a bumpy stretch.

Mostly this is due to Mars retrograde challenging a freshly direct Pluto in Capricorn, at the same degree of January's Saturn-Pluto conjunction on January 12th, exact on Friday the 9th.  (Friday is also the last quarter square moon.  Squares are challenges and forced growth, so that will be a lot of tension.)  With Pluto and Mars retrograde at odds on Friday (and strong really now through the new moon) double down on the Mars retrograde protocol and pull away from anything that even has a whiff of a power dynamic.  Think of the astrological energies as able to easily play through the people around you if they aren't fully aware - sometimes this happens even when we are aware!  Pluto energy comes through as a hunger, an instinct, a strong compulsion or desire.  Mars energy always needs an outlet and active management. You may be staying in your lane like a pro, just to have someone swerve right into it bringing this Mars-Pluto energy with them.  Fall back on Mars protocol - don't let this energy push you around.

There are also other factors.  Mercury (the mind) is already deep diving in Scorpio, preparing to go deeper with its retrograde from October 13th to November 3rd.  The moon is waning from the October 1st full moon in Aries, that was on the heels of Saturn stationing direct in square to Mars retrograde and a precursor to Pluto direct in Capricorn.  Full moons are illumination, and waning moons are for release.  The October 1st full moon was the culmination of a cycle that begin March 24th with the Aries new moon - this is a good thing, but there's a lot of material here to work with that has been stirred up over the summer and is now emerging, especially with the Capricorn retrogrades. 

Typically new Libra moons are lovely Venus-ruled resets of all things to do with being in relationship - cooperation, harmony, balance - but this one coming on 10/16 is no picnic, as it is right in the crosshairs of the challenging set up still happening between Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn and Mars retrograde in Aries. 

This new moon at 23 degrees Libra puts another leg on the square, turning it into a T-square (three-way tension instead of just two-way).

I will say, with the Capricorn planets now direct, and it being at 23 degrees rather than 22, where Pluto has been camped out and the degree that links back to the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in January, we are dealing with the same issues, but the situation is evolving.  This new moon is under pressure to embody the Libra energy, but it is a new moon and a fresh start under the sign of Venus.  Squares are challenges and forced growth, but there is a way forward.  Keep in mind that Mars is still retrograde in Aries.  The warrior, pioneer, and leader stations direct on November 13th, the same day Jupiter and Pluto meet up for the third time in Capricorn (the first was April 5th, and second was June 30th).  Also by then Mercury will have completed its retrograde that begins in Scorpio and ends in Libra.  This is still working itself out and still unfolding. 

Keep going, keep up the Mars retrograde protocol, and keep the faith.

This week also has a couple of interesting aspects that aren't quite so heavy.

On Wednesday the 7th, Mercury in Scorpio makes an opposition to Uranus in Taurus.  The opposition is still an aspect that brings tension, (in the form of a stand-off - they are opposing, not congruent) but Mercury is the mind, and Uranus is the planet of the future, and change brought about through sudden insight and/or upheaval.  Expect the unexpected always when Uranus is involved.  This could be some information that changes your perception and therefore your direction, from the outside, or even a revelation from within - Mercury is in Scorpio, the psyche.  

On Saturday, the 10th, we wrap up the week with the sun in Libra squaring Jupiter, planet of faith and belief, now direct in Capricorn.  Yes, its a square, but this is the sun and Jupiter!  Think:  some little something that brings renewed faith, hope, optimism, even if there is some tension or challenge happening.

Join me in The Art of Consciously Creating Life Facebook group!

Love & Gratitude,
Kasey

P.S.  Stay tuned for the upcoming mini-class on harnessing Venus energy in your life, the Five Petals of Venus.  Venus is the goddess of love, money, and abundance, so you won't want to miss this!

For every month-long lunar cycle, the sun, on its annual solar cycle, moves through one of the twelve thirty-degree signs of the zodiac.  This creates a new and full moon in a different zodiac sign each month of the year.  Each zodiac sign can be thought of as representing a different energetic filter through which the movements of the celestial bodies are broadcast through to us on earth.  The sun and moon are considered the two "luminaries" in astrology - we refer to both of them as "shining", although it is important to note that the sun generates its own light and the moon reflects the light of the sun.  Often the sun is thought of as "the light of consciousness", while the moon represents the subconscious, operating fully or partially just out of our view much of the time.  In general, the sun is representative of the male energy, the light, yang, and conscious will.  The moon is the feminine energy, the emotions, water, dark, yin, and the subconscious.  The moon cycles are the interplay of these two energies. ​

I remember standing in my kitchen on that warm June afternoon.... 

I had just finished putting away groceries. I stopped at the dining room table and picked up my phone; not because anyone had called or messaged, but out of habit.  Mindlessly scrolling through various apps on my phone had become a tactic of distraction from the ever-present yet vague sense of dissatisfaction growing within me.

​Disinterestedly, I skimmed over an online article.

In my attempt to escape the monotony of the mundane, my eyes read while my mind fled. Yet somehow, magic found me. I only remember that article, that day, that moment, because what awaited me within the words I skimmed over that day was nothing short of life-changing.

Within the article was a story about two lovers.  Specifically, what has remained etched into my memory was the response of the older woman to her younger lover who, when overcome with remorse, confessed her betrayal.  The response of the betrayed lover was not at all what I expected, and as I read it, something shifted - something really big.  Suddenly I found myself speaking aloud to an empty house:  "I want to be like that."

Looking back, it was that moment, that statement, that decision, which really set into motion what was to follow in my life.  More importantly, what is now clear is the truth of that statement I spoke aloud to an empty house on that June afternoon.  With that statement I had made a decision, and that decision was the catalyst of what was to become an arduous and epic personal journey....

There was a great distance between the person I was and the person I would have to become in order to "be like that."

My dissatisfaction with life had been growing.  A deeper, more authentic version of myself was breaking the surface, fighting for air after being held down for too long.  I was in the midst of an awakening. 

​The longer I tried to remain in my comfort zone, burying my head in the sand, the greater my discomfort with being in the world became.   As time went by, what I never questioned to be a life filled with infinite support for me to grow and transform proved itself more and more to be suffocating.  What I counted on to be there suddenly wasn't. 

I have discovered that this call is less of an invitation and more of a directive from the Universe.  It is a summons to follow that spark of inspiration above all else, even if - especially if - it means leaving behind everything you know and hold to be safe and true.  To refuse the call is to sit in false security, complacent as your soul slowly suffocates.  To accept is to allow yourself to be tempted further and further into the unknown, as you chase that spark, until you suddenly realize you have passed the point of no return.  You are too far separated from the life you knew to go back to it.  It is only then that you understand there is only moving forward into the unknown - there is no going back.  Only in hindsight will you see this as the beginning of your descent into an abyss of unknown to face the most difficult challenges of your life .

In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell describes this "call to adventure" to be the first step a "hero" takes on Campbell's famous outline of the mythological "Hero's Journey."  

"The first step...signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of his society to a zone unknown".

Attached to my (false) sense of security derived from my day to day life, I resisted wholeheartedly heeding the call.  What I experienced was the kind of magic that pumped pure oxygen to that first spark of inspiration.  It awakened me to new possibilities that fed my soul and in the process increased my discomfort with my life as it was, slowly pulling me away and separating me from it.

After awakening must come "the descent" - we cannot go backward in consciousness and "un-know" what we have come to know, so then the only way out becomes through.  We must step forward and journey into the unknown, like all the great heroes and heroins, gods and goddesses, of the myths that have come before.

There was a great distance between the person I was and the person I would have to become in order to "be like that."  Greater than I could ever have imagined.  

I didn't really know what I wanted or what brought me joy, even though I thought I did.  The reality was that I didn't truly know who I was.  I had no self-esteem.  I was living in a fog of denial, and had been almost all of my life, and for very good reason as I would soon come to find out. 

What became alarmingly apparent before even those points were crystallized was that I had been tempted further and further away from the life I knew, and had not been aware that I had slipped past the point of no return.  

There was no turning back.  My only option was to go forward and face the unknown.  The only way out would be through.  

Like Campbell's "hero", and the gods and goddesses of myth, I stepped forth into the unknown, on that infamous "journey to the east", from which no man (or woman) ever returns.

And so my Great Descent began....