Seek Guidance Where You Can

Last week was challenging in a profound way, and if it weren’t for the fortune cookie I ate last weekend telling me to “seek guidance where I can this week”, I might’ve missed the lessons that life and the universe were trying to teach me.

For me, guidance and understanding life and self always felt like more of a meditative process. While I appreciate any help or virtue I receive from the people and the world around me, I sometimes find myself feeling like that’s just not enough. So, I take these virtues along with other methods—like meditation and yoga, tarot readings, studying astrology and astronomy, philosophy, numerology, and other practices that may be considered more spiritual or esoteric.

So maybe guidance doesn’t always look like asking for advice or talking it out in therapy—I mean, who needs a psychologist anyway when you have the zodiac?

Last week in particular, the feelings got deep and I had to go deeply inward in order to land myself through this shift of energies, the shifts happening not only because of the changes in my own personal life, but also because of changes happening in the universe. I think this intermingling of energies is the key to understanding the lessons life is trying to teach us, both individually and as a whole. That in itself reflects the intricate system of magic and matter that surrounds us, that makes up our entire beings and shapes everything we experience as humans. This grand display of interconnection and impulse is also what we know as the cosmos.

Movement in August

Last week, and honestly the past couple of weeks, the cosmos have been very shifty, bringing a meaningful sense of movement within our perception of life. Last month was full of these moments.

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The week of August 8-14, Venus moved from Virgo to Libra, the sign that it naturally rules. Venus represents love and devotion, and Libra brings harmonious, cooperative energy. This was an important placement for being observant of and reevaluating the relationships and social habits that we value in our lives. This was the first major energetic shift of the month. A few days later, on August 9th and 11th, Mercury moved from Cancer to Leo—a planet of thoughts and communication moving from Cancer’s emotional energy to Leo’s playful energy—making our thoughts and the way we communicate these thoughts more prominent and expressive. Then, action-driven Mars moved into Cancer, making us more aware and driven to act on our sense of home and comfort, family life, memories and nostalgic feelings. During this time, one may be acting based off feelings more than logic.

On August 12th we had a big one. The new moon occurred at approximately 20° Leo, accompanied by a solar eclipse. Eclipses are traditionally interpreted as moments of new beginnings, redirection, and changes in trajectories, and because this one occurred in Leo, the interpretation emphasizes love, creativity, identity, and expression. Something inside of us was bubbling up to the surface and saying “I don’t wanna be hidden anymore”.

The following week (August 15-21) was about processing the changes that the eclipse brought to our life, but there were still some more subtle shifts happening that affected this period of reevaluation. First, Mercury entered Leo with Jupiter. They met at about 10° Leo, and this conjunction amplified confidence and creative vision within our ideas, communication, and the goals we have for ourselves. On August 22-23 the Sun finally moved into Virgo, changing the energy drastically from a Leo sense of creation and expression, to a Virgo sense of analysis and refinement. This period might’ve felt like a move from being inspired to actually putting this inspiration to work. Mercury followed the sun to Virgo, which is actually one of Mercury’s strongest placements. Here, Mercury and our mental energy become more organized, analytical, and discerned. All of a sudden we’re noticing all these things we used to overlook, and when Mercury is really close to the sun (sometimes called a Mercury cazimi) this moment is associated with heightened mental clarity. This was a very insightful time for us.

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The last major energy shift of the month came with the full moon and partial lunar eclipse 4° Pisces on August 28th. From Leo to Pisces, we shift the mood from “Who am I and what do I want” to “I am infinite and I need to release in order to grow”. Pisces is associated with the deeper, more spiritual and dreamy aspect of our nature, while Virgo is associated with a more orderly and organized concept of reality. These two signs are directly opposite each other in the zodiac chart, creating a polarity that feels so strong and uncomfortable that it almost forces us to confront the question of reality vs intuition, and organization vs control.

To me, August felt like a period of inner desires, abilities, and connections beginning to form and expand, but along with this growth is needed a process of editing, planning, and using discernment to ensure that we only take with us what we need on this exciting new journey. I know I’m not the only one who felt this impact in my personal life. The past couple of weeks have shifted my perspective and given me insight to help me navigate what is a part of the life I see for myself and what isn’t, and how to be conscious enough to realize these things and reorganize my life as needed. I had been too focused on trying to control the parts of my life I could never control, I was figuring out what love is in my life, I was beginning to see clearer what habits were pushing me forward and which ones were holding me back, I was understanding the people around me on a deeper level, and now I have a better point of view.

New Month, New Changes

Last week was the first week of September and I’ve been in a pretty consistent mood lately, but I definitely feel the energy of the changes in different aspects of my life, reflecting the aftermath of last month and moving along with what’s to come.

Because of everything that’s been going on in the universe and that fortune cookie, I decided to I’d take matters into my own hands as far as guidance goes. So everyday last week I followed a morning routine that involved a ten minute meditation followed by pulling a tarot card that would give me a clearer perspective about the day—kind of similar to reading a daily horoscope, except the horoscope has no words and you have to figure it out using signs and symbols.

But that’s kinda how it goes with almost everything in life, right?

I just knew that it was important to retain what this period time was trying to teach me. I typically only do tarot readings at major celestial transits or points in my life where I’m desperate for guidance or advice, and I meditate over, shuffle, and pull multiple cards from a deck for a reading that can help me see my life at that moment from a clearer perspective, so that I can learn the lesson, work with that energy, and grow in the direction I choose. The fact that I basically did a one-card reading everyday for a week shows just how critical it was for me to ensure I understood what was happening around and inside of me.

For my personal readings, I use the Light Seer’s Tarot Deck made by Chris-Anne. I do like to have the classic Rider-Waite version for reference (the cards in the banner above are from this deck), but I love how the story of each card is artistically and beautifully expressed in the Light Seer’s Deck. The following photos of the cards that I’m using are from the Light Seer’s Tarot Deck, check out the website to read more about the cards or buy the deck! —> The Light Seer's Tarot Deck

Monday 08/31: Let’s Get Deep

Transits: 🌙♈️ → 🌙♉️; Jupiter △ Saturn; Mars □ Saturn

The week began with the astrological placements as followed:

Sun: 8° Virgo

Moon: Aries

Mercury: 12° Virgo

Venus: 23° Libra

Mars: 13° Cancer

Jupiter: 13° Leo

Saturn: 13° Aries

Uranus: 5° Gemini

Neptune: 3° Aries

Pluto: 3° Aquarius

These placements are very fire/air strong with some earth and water influence. This can signify an approaching period of mental clarity and figuring out true identities.

On Monday I pulled my first card of the week—The Ace of Swords.

Any ace (1) in the tarot deck is an omen of new beginnings, pure energy, and the primary matter of that specific suit. You can think of it almost like a seed that is planted inside of you and ready to begin growing. In this case, the growth is mental and concerning the mind and all its components, being that it belongs to the suit of swords which represents the element of air and the mind. I’ve undoubtedly been in more of an internal, mental state recently. The past couple of weeks, I feel like I’ve been breaking a lot of old habits, shedding what’s no longer needed, and realizing my true potential. I've been writing more, doing more internal and external research about different philosophies and the nature of life, and really taking the time to myself to figure out my interests, desires, and goals for my future. Pulling the Ace of Swords reversed gave me a feeling that even though it seems like it’s coming together, there’s still more internal work to do.

Tuesday 09/01: Show Yourself

Transits: Mars □ Saturn; Mercury ✶ Mars

Tuesday I got the 6 of Wands, a card that symbolizes victory, success, and achieving goals. The suit of wands symbolize fire, passions, and the abilities we have that make us shine. The Six of Wands shows that all the past troubles and disruptions have been necessary to grow and develop, and that the successes and rewards we receive will be well worth the work we put into it. This day, before even pulling the card, I felt a burst of energy to show what I had been working on to the world; like all the unfinished drafts I had been hesitating to submit, the songs I had been working on, or the photos I thought were nice but never posted.

—still didn’t post them…but sometimes it’s the thought that counts???

Wednesday 09/02: Hang In There

Transits: 🌙 △ ☀️ ; 🌙 △ Mercury; 🌙 ✶ Mars; 🌙 □ Jupiter

The Hanged Man is a major arcana card in tarot, meaning it is one of the 22 cards of the deck that represent the main life lessons, karmic influences and the bigger themes that are influencing your life. The Hanged Man is card number 12, and represents the major turning points in life— a time to stop and reassess the entire situation before moving on. At a time like this, there is no need for movement or impulsive decision-making. This is a time to be where you are and really see life from your current point of view. I think this card was calling me to be patient and surrender my ego because this week I did struggle a lot with understanding when it’s time to act/create and when it’s time to stop/assess. That conflict had been starting to get to me but I tried to go through the day without thinking about the tough decisions and unnecessary responsibilities. A cool coincidence is that my friend told me that someone they knew was looking for a yoga instructor at their gym, and they recommended me. Not only is yoga one of my favorite ways to pause, breathe, and introspect, but it’s also exactly what the girl is doing in the picture on this card!

Thursday 09/03: Let Yourself Fluctuate

Transits: 🌙♉️ → 🌙♊️; 🌙 ☌ Uranus; 🌙 ✶ Neptune; 🌙 △ Pluto

Thursday I woke up feeling a little depleted in energy and a little grouchy. I had been working late nights closing the bar all week, and maybe it was really starting to get to me, because I didn’t wake up until mid-afternoon. Nonetheless, I still did my meditation and tarot and I pulled the 4 of Wands. Again we are in the suit of fire and passion, however the four of wands symbolizes a more structured, harmonious aspect of this energy versus the 6 of wands which is more egocentric and expressive. The 4 of Wands is a symbol of joy, celebration, unity, harmony, and appreciating the good things in life.

I was listening to music while doing my reading and when I pulled the card, the song “Brown Rice” by Don Cherry was playing, it had already been playing for a few minutes, but I had just noticed it after sitting with this card for a moment. It’s spunky and spirited, kind of like this card. Where there’s celebration and community, there’s dancing, and this song breathed through my mind like some type of ancestral call to move my body in different, beautiful ways—almost tribal. I ended up making a playlist of songs that played throughout the day that gave me that same feeling.

Not gonna lie, I was a bit confused with this reading. I didn’t feel very joyful or harmonious but I know it’s deeper than feeling, so I wanted to understand what this was trying to tell me. I decided to pull another card with the intent of understanding where in my life this energy was affecting me, so I pulled the 8 of Swords.

The 8 of Swords can represent a tendency of over-analyzing or the limitations or problems that may interfere with true reasoning. After pulling this card the vision was a bit clearer for me. I was overthinking what moves I needed to make (if any) to move forward with my life. Everything was already in place.

At the end of the night, my neighbor invited me to come have some drinks with her and her friends. I got drunk and made new friends that night…and we kissed.

Friday 09/04: Forgive and Accept

Transits: Last Quarter 🌙

I pulled the King of Swords on Friday. Each suit has a King, Queen, Knight, and Page, each symbolizing a more powerful aspect of the suit. Kings typically exemplify a more action-oriented, fiery side of the suit, and so this card represents “the fire in the air—he is the storm of the mind flaming up high” King of Swords- Thoth Readings. This card brings swift energy, allowing for clarity and focus. After the events of the previous days, I could hear this card telling me that the mental battles are end and my communication and discernment will be clearer than ever.

Saturday 09/05: See it Now?

Transits: 🌙♊️ → 🌙♋️; ☀️ quincunx Saturn ; 🌙 □ Neptune ; 🌙 □ Saturn ; 🌙 ☌ Mars

Saturday started with the 4 of wands reversed. Reversed, the 4 of wands can signify a lack of harmony or conflict between family, community, love life, etc. I’d be lying if I said I didn't feel some conflict in all those places, but my week was going pretty good so far, so pulling the same card again but now reversed was sending me through a loophole. I was curious, so I pulled another card and it was the High Priestess.

The High Priestess represents the deeper, more subtle aspect of the female archetype; mystery, psychic power, spirituality. This card represents the subconscious powers that we all possess. I read this as, I may be building towards my desires and have a clearer vision of what they look like, but I need to internally align with myself before anything can become externally stable. I asked one more question: what can I do to work through and overcome this period? And I pulled the Ace of Pentacles reversed.

The Ace of Pentacles represents the entity of the element Earth and the material world of creation. I see it as the card of manifestation and material endeavors, but here it’s showing up to me as a sign to pause and not rush into creating a reality that has no foundation yet.

I can understand this. I have been feeling in between the chapters of my life and it is a bit uncomfortable in the in-between, but that doesn’t mean push my way out. I am feeling like this because my inner voice is changing what I consider success and stability, so it’s time to sit with this feeling and focus on really knowing myself. I’ve been using this time with myself to journal more, clean up my apartment, take care of my plants and myself, and really feel in my own body.

Sunday 09/06: Shine-Day

Transits: 🌙 ☌ Mars

I was relieved to get through the week without having any internal tantrums or external breakdowns. On Sunday, the relief flooded my mind and body and I felt a calming sense of steadiness and confidence in myself. I pulled Strength, card number 8 in the major arcana deck. This card can represent courage, quiet strength, leadership and compassion.

“She combines the High Priestess and the Magician. Both are connected as true, conscious action results from realization, wisdom is based on action. The principle of activity completes itself with the passivity of inner reflection, the adjustment being the balance in between.” Strength - Thoth Readings.

This was like the perfect card to end this week off with. With all the changes happening, there was a central theme that connects it all to a collective lesson for me right now: Do not force certainty or stability. Listen to your intuition and the undeniable reality of fluctuation. Release what no longer serves you and you will begin building the life that aligns with what is known to you and the universe.

The Strength card embodies this sense of inner knowing and serenity. It reminded me what strength really looks like in the face of obstacles—calm and graceful.

Looking back on this week, I think seeing how different methods and languages—like tarot, meditation, astrology, etc.—can help me understand the universe is encouraging me to become more aware of the path I am creating. The energies of this past month reminded me that growth is rarely a straight line. There are moments of expansion, moments of uncertainty, moments of letting go, and moments of rebuilding. The Strength card appearing at the end of this week felt like a reminder that true power does not come from controlling every outcome or having every answer. It comes from trusting yourself enough to move through change with patience, compassion, and awareness.

Maybe guidance doesn’t always reach out as a clear message or a perfect solution. Sometimes it appears as a moment of reflection, a sign from the stars, a conversation, a feeling, or even a strange little fortune cookie telling you to look a little deeper. And maybe the magic of life is that all of these things are connected—the world above us, the world around us, and the world within us, all constantly reflecting and shaping one another.

Thanks for reading!