3 Simple Rituals for Your Lunar Return

After the sun finally gives up
the sky to the moon
and my children are dreaming

I sit in an empty, unlit room
soaking in the silky sounds
of silence. My body breathes again.

In this darkness, I am found.

~ Erin Kundrie ~

🌙

While I cannot always tell you what day it is - either the name of the day or its date - I am often able to say how full or dark the Moon is.¹ This hasn't always been so. Connecting with a lunar-focused way of experiencing time while being raised within a solar-focused culture took time and effort, a reclamation of ancestral wisdom, and new understanding of time and space beyond strident, unending linear progress. My initial inspiration to reconnect to the Moon as an important and ancient way of knowing time and space came from the books I was reading as a young witch that spoke of the magick that could be done by moonlight and the lost Goddesses that could be found there. Sign me up, my little witch heart sang! Decades later I've come to know lunar time as an essential part of my ability to feel whole and holy - measuring my life by the Moon allows me to ebb and flow, to know that all things are changing and reforming, that growth requires the renewal of decay, that tides must come and go from the shore

Lunar time asks us to critically examine the impossible goal of eternal stasis and immortality set out by capitalism and kyriarchy, while instead connecting with the liberatory experience of ever-change, of inhale and exhalation, of deep relaxation after deep tension.

Celebrating my monthly lunar returns has been a more recent addition to my practice, but one that I've come to treasure. As I continue to write about lunar returns, I wanted to write about some of the very simple rituals you might choose to do to connect with the energetic ebb and flow of your lunar return (and if you haven't yet, read my introduction to lunar returns to understand what they're all about and why you might pay attention to them). I want to focus on rituals that aren't about too much self-analysis, focus on self-improvement or anything that moves us too far into our thinking mind and out of our feeling body.

image via @boothryan_

Our Moon sign represents a lot of interesting aspects of our life, but one of the most important ways our inner Moon helps us to understand ourselves is by illuminating the ways that we feel most comfortable and nourished in our lives. Of course, there is a usefulness to journal prompts and deep self-reflection to help you get to a place of knowing your needs around comfort and feeling emotionally supported, and these are tools I love, but sometimes we just need to tap into something more instinctual and intuitive rather than over-relying on the intellectual. Getting to a place of feeling intuitive and trusting your instincts is not an instantaneous process - not everyone, for example, was supported in their intuitive truths or had to develop instincts that may or may no longer serve us (i.e. an instinct driven by hypervigilance). So it can be really helpful to commit to a regular monthly practice where you engage in some simple ritual to help support your growth of healthy instincts and trust in your intuition, especially when timed to the empowering energy of your lunar return.

For me, a lunar return is not about manifesting the ability to be more productive. It's learning how to recognize your own needs versus the expectations of productivity culture. In a capitalist society like the United States, the expectations of productivity are limitless which conflicts with the finite resources of individuals, communities, and the planet we share. I think it's important to be cognizant and wary of the ways that we might slip productivity culture into our magickal, spiritual, and healing work. Endless striving for self-improvement can lead to self-care that feels increasingly laborious, joyless, performative, and isolating. This can ultimately muddy our intuition and make it difficult to develop instincts which support real resilience (i.e. resilience that sees rest as powerful and essential).²

Here's my encouragement for developing a lunar return ritual practice: strive for something which feels pleasurable, easy to do, and which feels like a benefit in your life. I know, those are broad descriptors of a practice and could mean many things to many people, but that's the point - what works for you is going to be unique to you. Make your practice enticing to you. Sometimes where the benefit of a practice shows up in your life isn't always the present moment, but the practice is benefitting future or past you. Present me doesn't always want to do my daily meditation practice but I never regret having shown up for my meditation practice once it's over. That's what I seek in any regular practice of mine - a practice that cultivates pleasure that surpasses time and space. Yes, showing up for my meditation or lunar return practice is beneficial to my present self, even if it might take effort in the moment, but it's also a gift to my future self that I'm grateful to receive.

Before any of these rituals you have all sorts of ways that you can prepare for them, but only if you feel like you have the time, energy, and inspiration to do so. Don't let the fear of not doing something "right" or "all the way" - whatever either of those things might mean - prevent you from showing up to the rituals that you want to practice. Can it be beautiful to set up an altar for your lunar return and take a shower or bath before a ritual? Yes! But if you don't have the extra energy or time to do those things, the path to your ritual is still one of beauty, and you don't need to do anything else before a ritual but show up. I rely a lot on breathwork before rituals to help me ground and center and begin to shift my consciousness from the busyness of everyday life to the time and space between where rituals take place. There will be time for elaborate rituals and preparations but do what you have the capacity to do now - it's all practice, all sacred. With that in mind here is a might-do list for before a ritual.

A Might-Do List to Prepare for a Ritual

Cleanse & bless your body

Cleanse & bless your space

Dress (or undress) in a way that inspires you

Build or re-energize your altar

Drink some tea

Practice some simple breathwork

image via @_k_arrin

The Lunar Return Rituals

In a previous post on the magick of your lunar return, I shared three tea recipes that I find useful for connecting with different aspects of your lunar return. They focused on the three themes of reflection, rebalancing, and reconnecting which I've used as a guide to create simple rituals to help you connect with whatever energy you're most curious about in your life at the time of your lunar return. If you feel called to, you can incorporate the corresponding teas with the rituals below and/or work with one or more of the plants throughout your lunar return cycle, but that's only if it feels like a pleasure to do.

Reflection: Sound Healing

Humans are noisy creatures, using sound and the felt vibration of that sound to communicate ideas, evoke different emotions, and create spaces of healing. I incorporate sound and sound therapy techniques into my own personal and community healing practice, and while I enjoy using the tools of sound therapy, one of our most powerful and uniquely attuned sound therapy tools is our own voice. Singing about and beneath the Moonlight is an ancient way of being human which is one of the reasons I think its a beautiful practice to incorporate into your lunar return rituals.

The healing qualities of sound are manifold, but when it comes to the lunar magick of reflection, sound acts like dropping a pebble into a still pound: the energy ripples out, new things come to the surface, and the shape of your current life is felt through the small waves coming to shore. I like to use a simple technique like humming or toning sacred words or syllables (i.e. such as galdr, ogham, bijas, and so on) but sometimes there is a simple song or chant from my spiritual tradition that I'm drawn to. It's not about being pitch perfect or sounding "good" but using sound as a way to explore your current energetic state and needs. I am guided by my own sense of what feels good to me and I encourage you to be guided by your own sense of feel good noise.

What is powerful about an audible or vibration based sound practice in reflection work is that often we feel a need to reflect because something doesn't feel seen, heard, and/or held in our lives. Through sound we begin to hear and/or feel our way home. 

I like to incorporate tea into this sound ritual, placing a bowl or teapot full of brewing herbs on my altar as I sing, drinking this sound infused tea as the ritual comes to an end. After any sort of ritual I try to pay special attention to dreams and sudden insights that come my way and this is especially true with sound work and the way it can stir up hidden depths.

Rebalancing: Breathwork

One of the simplest ways I find energetic balance in my life is through breathwork. Breathwork is a free and accessible form of healing, helping to address the underlying stress that can cause so much suffering in our lives. While I've created a short course on breathwork geared towards magickal folk, I've made sure that one of my favorite breathwork practices known as the tree of life is available for free.

While I practice some form of breathwork everyday, I like to set aside extra time and space to let myself sink into my breathwork practices on days like my lunar return. Sometimes I practice a slow tree of life meditation and other times I just begin to breathe deeply and let myself be guided by my breath to where I need to go.

I love incorporating tea into my breathwork practice, especially when I'm feeling distracted and discombobulated. I'll begin by holding my cup full of tea under my nose, letting the steam help to open my airways and carry precious volatile oils into my airways, and giving my mind something easy to focus on with the scent of the brew. 

A breathwork session can lead into other practices, such as divination, guided meditation, art, writing, and more, or it can just be a breathwork session. Being present to simple practices instead of always being in preparation for the next thing is a powerful way of grounding, centering, and rebalancing. 

image via @shisilya

Reconnecting: Movement

Using movement as a practice of reconnecting to what it is you have hidden away or lost sight of can help us find a sense of self as holy, as Land, and as beyond worthy.

How you move as an act of reconnection and calling yourself home is going to be dependent on you, your physical needs, and your own unique desires. The guideline I follow is that I can move in whatever way I want as long as it causes no harm to me or those around me - other than that I allow myself to move however I want. I try to be led by how my body wants to move instead of trying to move it and more often than not I don't incorporate any music - but that's just my preference, you figure out what works for you.

I think movement rituals are especially important when you've tried to think yourself back home and now you just need to feel it. We're not seeking wisdom through movement or specific guidance or answers (though sometimes one or more of those things become known through movement work), but we're seeking to move as an act of saying "I'm here, come home, I love you, let's take up space together."

Is ending a movement ritual with tea a very sweet and lovely thing to do? Yes, yes it is. I actually enjoy using movement as a practice of reconnecting to myself and my needs before situations where I know that I'll be outside of my comfort zone, and when I'm able to bring tea from the ritual along with me it feels like I'm carrying own confidence and comfort elixir.

🌙

Reclaiming time during your lunar return for gentle intuitive magick remains a rebellious act. 

Through these simple ritual ideas I hope you're feeling inspired to explore how it is you might show up to your own lunar return if that is something you're called to do. And if you're feeling like you can't possibly add another thing to your life, don't worry, the Moon is already showing up for you.

If you're looking for more lunar-inspired wisdom, you've come to the right corner of the internet. Find my original post on finding your lunar return or you can explore my series on the healing rituals of the lunar phases. I can even help you discover your Moon sign and Lunar Mansion and understand your birth chart better. For those looking for a deeper dive, The Lunar Apothecary is my space for helping folks discover who they are as healers through Moon-centered herbalism and magick.

Blessings on your lunar journey and may you have many a magickal lunar return!

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤ Thanks, friends. ❤

Footnotes

(1) Though, before any of you think that this is some sort of holy moon priestess humblebrag, I can't always tell you what's happening with the Moon either, as sometimes the measuring of time and space in any terms is beyond my grasp and I'm just trying to make myself a cup of tea which does not require me to know much of anything beyond where the herbs are and successfully turning on the kettle.

(2) It's also not very fun, all this endless striving, and the Moon has long been a symbol of rebellion against conformity to any oppressive norms including social media driven "wellness" culture.

Expanding the Dream: Tarot and Tea for Aquarius Season

Welcome to Aquarius Season and my latest post on tarot practices and herbal allies for the twelve seasons of the zodiac (you can learn more about the whole series over here).

The structures put in place and/or reinforced by the energy of Capricorn season is tested through the innovative drive of Aquarius season. How well can our foundations hold-up in unexpected situations, Aquarius asks us, and if they don't pass the test what should they be replaced with? Aquarian energy is the fuel of transformative movements, social change, and intellectual clarity of complex problems and their solutions. Aquarian energy looks at the work of Capricorn and says, "I like what you've done here. But have you thought about this?" and then launches into an unproven but captivating new theory. The Water Bearer is constantly pouring out new ideas, testing theories, and thinking between the layers of the box.

Aquarius is a fixed air sign meaning that it holds the energy of radical self-expression, creativity, and an intensity of purpose (Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio are also fixed signs as well). The far-visioning energy of Capricorn season passes the baton to Aquarius season where we figure out how we get to the future that Capricorn has laid the foundation for. The gifts of Aquarius season are many, not least of which is the energy of curiosity and enthusiasm that the season can stir up. Aquarius season helps us to connect with our analytical mind, the powers of our collective intellect, and the ability to create connections where they have not been made or seen before. Aquarian energy helps us have the daring to dream bigger than we ever have before.

Here's the secret about Aquarian energy (and often those with a lot of Aquarius energy in their birth chart) - it can become quite inflexible, even conservative, beneath the veneer of innovative radicalism. This can happen if too much Aquarian energy leads to an inability to deviate from the "truth" that they have worked so hard to innovate on and/or discover. In some ways, such inflexibility makes sense within the context of innovating, which can be a process of extreme vulnerability and leaving yourself open to criticism from a majority of folks who at best just don't get what you're doing or at worst find innovation (and therefore, Aquarian energy) dangerous. A necessary emotional detachment occurs, an overdeveloped self-belief settles in, and what was once innovative becomes defensive and unyielding. Here, we are led to the other danger of too much Aquarian energy - it can draw out our feelings of being misunderstood to a point of (self) isolation. As we engage with the energy of the water-bearer it can be all too easy to believe that in our clever innovation we're not just pouring the water, but we are its source. But with a healthy wariness of hubris, Aquarius season can bring the much needed energy shift to make necessary and radical change in our lives and cultures. 

Expanding the Dream
Aquarius Season Tarot Spread

While the energy of Aquarius can sound very exciting (Innovation! Change! New ideas!) actually cultivating Aquarian energy in our lives can feel a bit daunting - especially if you've experienced burnout lately or are in a creative slump. Fortunately, Aquarius energy can help to stir up the initial energy needed for innovative thinking by helping to dispel stagnant energy. The key to understanding Aquarian energy is to think of it like a surge of electricity - we want to put the appropriate wiring in place to help direct it in helpful ways and not burn down the house. When respected and made space for, Aquarian energy can help light off (if briefly and erratically) some of the most inscrutable problems with sparks of inspired solutions.

Aquarius asks us, "What's beyond the edges of your dream?"

One of the gifts of Aquarius is to see our own limitations and then dream beyond them. The following tarot spread helps you to understand yourself as a dreamer better while bringing in the fresh perspective needed to expand upon whatever dream you're dreaming these days. In the spirit of Aquarius, try casting or choosing your cards in a new or different way (i.e. fanning them out and choosing them instead of riffle shuffling or throwing them on the floor and yelling at them until a card or two jumps out) to bring fresh energy into your spread.

Card 1. The Dreamer

This card is about you and who you are as the carrier of your dreams.

Card 2. The Dream

This card helps you to understand the current dream you have better, perhaps seeing it from a new perspective.

Card 3. The Dreamer Awakes

This card helps you understand a way of thinking or being that'll help make your dream more real.

Card 4. That Which is Dreaming You

A bit of an experiment, this card speaks to the energies/ancestors/land spirits/cosmic forces that are dreaming of you and see you as essential to their dream being realized.

Card 5. A Message for Aquarius Season

A general message, signs to pay attention to, and perhaps next steps to take as we move into Aquarius season. This card can highlight energy which you might bring more into your life during Aquarius season so that you are better able to connect with the energetic flow of the next month.

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Electrical Currents of the Body

If you feel connected with the philosophy of astroherbology you can pull an additional card to help you understand the current energies of your body's electrical currents, including physical experiences and energetic ones, what tension or wisdom you might be keeping there. I encourage you to take a somatic approach with this card - when you pull it and see the energy, follow the feelings and sensations that it evokes from your body to understand its meaning. 

image via @anniespratt

A Tea for Aquarius Season

How do we nourish the energy of Aquarius? Traditionally, Aquarius guards the lower legs and ankles, the electrical impulses of the body, as well as the circulatory system especially as related to elimination (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Aquarius). Aquarius energy is often stimulating to our intellectual body, stirring up ideas and dreams within us, but as a fixed air sign the energy can be prone to excess tension. So we need herbs to support our brain function while making sure our nervous system doesn't get overworked from all of the stirred up Aquarian energy. Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is one of my favorite Aquarian herbs, embodying the amphoteric ways that Aquarian energy moves, relaxing or stimulating us as is needed. Milky Oat (Avena sativa) and Rose (Rosa spp.) nourish the nervous system and reduces stress allowing energy (and ideas) to flow freely while Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) helps keep us connected to the beneficial energy of the collective and the legacy of innovation we can draw upon.

• 4 parts Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

• 4 parts Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• 2 parta Milky Oat (Avena sativa)

• 1/4 part Rose (Rosa spp.)

I also recommend adding in a few drops of Vervain (Verbena spp.) Flower Essence to help guard against some of the more challenging aspects of Aquarian energy. 

These proportions are only suggested guidelines, so feel free to play around with them to your liking. As you make your tea, slow down, breathe deep, and infuse the blend with your intentions for the season (or whenever you’re drinking this tea to connect with the energy of Aquarius). If you’re looking for more breathwork practices to help you connect with the energy of the season, come this way.

image via @its_tgain

Seasonal Reflections

What does the land feel like, look like, smell like this season?

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

What am I feeling inspired and where is it calling me to this season?

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

♒️

Want to learn more about the magick and astroherbalism of Aquarius? I’ve written a full profile on the sign for you to enjoy. You can also check out the rest of my seasons of astrology series. If you want to dive deeper into the world of tarot, plant allies, and astrology, come this way.

California Poppy (Eschscholzia california) is another plant ally of Aquarius that I really love, especially when things feel too overstimulating. Elecampane (Inula helenium) is another great Aquarius plant ally and can help us return to our bodies after a time of questioning and seeking.

May your Aquarius season bring you insight, connection, and a sense of wonder about what was, is, and might be.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤ Thanks, friends. ❤

Steadying Our Vision: Tarot and Tea for Capricorn Season

Welcome to Capricorn Season and my latest post on tarot practices and herbal allies for the twelve seasons of the zodiac (you can learn more here).

Sagittarius season may have just ended, mud still on the explorer's boots, and Capricorn is already asking, "Yes, but what did you do out there? What was the point of all your traveling?" While for some these types of questions may destroy the vibe of the adventurer, for Capricorn these types of assessments and reflections lead to the building of legacy and knowledge that can be transmuted into wisdom. If Sagittarius asks, "What is out there?" it's Capricorn asking the all important "What'll we do when we find what's out there? Who might we become?" Capricorn energy is the reason we have dry kindling to start a fire when out camping and that the broken window gets repaired before the cold winds of winter blow in. Marking the Solstice (Summer Solstice in the southern hemisphere and the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere), Capricorn helps us to understand where we most often shine our light and how to shine our light with precision.

Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign which means that it embodies the energy of creating the next chapter of a very old book (or a completely revolutionary textbook), a steady eye on the future, and the energy to stick around to see a project through (Aries, Cancer, and Libra are also cardinal signs). Following the breath of the year, as Sagittarius breathes out, so Capricorn breathes in, settling in place and taking note of what needs to be done for the long run. The ability to envision far into the future and experience gratification in the long-run is a gift and lesson of Capricorn. The season of Capricorn helps us to take stock of how far we've come and where we must go next - but before we make any moves, Capricorn energy helps us to plan and prepare.

Many of us are grappling with huge and complex choices that we need to make in order to secure a future on our beloved island planet. Capricorn, in its practicality and straightforwardness, is less susceptible to hype, speculation, and fear (even as it is driven by understanding the realness of crisis), and helps us to simply do what needs doing right now,  wherever we're at. As we learn about ourselves in Capricorn season and in our own birth charts, we learn where it is that we keep our gumption and our fearlessness in scaling mountains and exploring sea depths that the mighty goatfish is well suited for. The struggles of Capricorn are becoming so forward-looking and goal-oriented that the pleasures and experiences of today are missed. The overextension of Capricorn energy in our lives can lead to overwork and defining our worth through our work. Too much dependence on Capricorn energy can measure the worth of everything by its end goal and, in turn, we lose out on the journey. If we learn to guard against these pitfalls and to honor the time that Capricorn energy needs in solitude and focus, we can create structures and foundations that'll guide and support generations (of people, plants, creatures) to come.

Steadying Our Vision
Capricorn Season Tarot Spread

Sitting down to read Capricorn energy is both a serious matter and a laughing matter. While the symbol of the goatfish represents Capricorn's ability to score the heights and depths with their persistence and planning, it's also a reminder that so much is out of our control and that there is a certain amount of strangeness and mystery involved. To do the things which have not been done requires some idiosyncratic approaches - hence the mighty goatfish. Ultimately, Capricorn energy in our lives is helping us to discover what it is that we uniquely require to thrive.

Capricorn asks, "What structure do you need in order to thrive?"

Being able to thrive as individuals means thriving in our communities, so there is already a strain and support (the needs of the goat versus the needs of the fish, for example) that is present when exploring Capricorn energy. Capricorn is (often secretly) a very optimistic sign and type of energy - they believe whatever needs to be done can be done, it just requires commitment to the work. I often think of Capricorn season's correspondence to the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere and the rebirth of the sun during the longest night of the year. While the focus is on the returning spark of light, it is the Capricornian energy of a supportive night that makes such brightness possible. The following spread helps us to shape the night which holds our stars to help us envision a future we want to create.

Card 1. That Which I Hope For

This card helps us connect to the vision of the future we are striving for in our life. It might be a grand vision or a much simpler next step, but this card helps us to name our hope.

Card 2. That Which Surrounds Us

This card helps us better understand our hope in our current environment. This card highlights what is supportive or not supportive to our hope.

Card 3. That Which Needs Structure

This card helps us understand a structural need in our life, whether that is creating more space for self-reflection, implementing a better time management system, or finally using a financial planning system that works for us, this card focuses on the practical needs of our hope.

Card 4. That Which Is Unexpected

This card explores the idiosyncratic energy of the goatfish and your own unique approaches and perspectives that your hope needs in order to create the future you're dreaming of.

Card 5. A Message for Capricorn Season

A general message, signs to pay attention to, and perhaps next steps to take as we move into Capricorn season. This card can highlight energy which you might bring more into your life during Capricorn season so that you are better able to connect with the energetic flow of the next month.

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Skin & Bones

If you feel connected with the philosophy of astroherbology you can pull an additional card to help you understand the current energies of your skin, your body's largest organ, and bones, including physical experiences and energetic ones and what tension or wisdom you might be keeping there. I encourage you to take a somatic approach with this card - when you pull it and see the energy, follow the feelings and sensations that it evokes from your body to understand its meaning. 

image via @vjgalaxy

A Tea for Capricorn Season

How do we nourish the energy of Capricorn? Traditionally, Capricorn guards the skin, bones, the regulation of body systems, and the management of energy reserves (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Capricorn). Reading that list you may get the impression that Capricorn energy embodies a sort of tirelessness - and you would be right. There is work to be done and Capricorn energy is what helps us to do it. Many of the herbs traditionally associated with Capricorn are not the most pleasant tasting ("Pleasant tasting is not the point," I can hear some of my Capricornian readers muttering. "The point is for the tea to work."), but there are some familiar green jewels that we can rely upon to support us through Capricorn season. I like using Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) during Capricorn season because not only is it an herb that supports overall vitality but it helps lighten the mood as Capricorn energy can be very serious. Nettles (Urtica dioica) helps to take care of the skin and bones from the inside out and aligns with the practical and forward-looking nature of Capricorn to take your (herbal) vitamins everyday to help out your future self. Finally, a helpful dose of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) not only helps us keep Capricorn energy in perspective (there is a time for everything, including work and play), but it's a robust and restorative herb that supports our health in the long run.

• 4 parts Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• 1 part Nettles (Urtica dioica)

• ½ part Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

These proportions are only suggested guidelines, so feel free to play around with them to your liking. As you make your tea, slow down, breathe deep, and infuse the blend with your intentions for the season (or whenever you’re drinking this tea to connect with the energy of Capricorn). If you’re looking for more breathwork practices to help you connect with the energy of the season, come this way.

image via @cedilicious

Seasonal Reflections

What does the land feel like, look like, smell like this season?

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

What am I feeling inspired and where is it calling me to this season?

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

♑︎

Want to learn more about the magick and astroherbalism of Capricorn? I’ve written a full profile on the sign for you to enjoy. You can also check out the rest of my seasons of astrology series.

I've written about a number of Capricorn herbs over the years including Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) and Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) - both of which are essential in my winter wellness apothecary.

May your Capricorn season be the right mix of mundane and magickal, leading you ever onwards in the journey of understanding what it is that replenishes your hope.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤ Thanks, friends. ❤

Creating Your Own Oracle of Care

I love the complexity that tarot offers us and the many ways that it can be used as a tool of self-inquiry and healing.

Tarot cards like many tools of divination are multi-layered. The initial image you see on a tarot card is only the first layer of meaning. Below that are layers of tradition from the astrological to the numerological to the herbal, your own personal associations with an image, the artist's vision, intuitive insights, and more.

Looking at the Fool card, for example, you could read the card as someone about to embark on a new adventure based on looking at the traditional imagery of the card. The tradition of numerology associated with tarot tells us that the number 0, the number of the Fool card, represents unnamed potential.¹ Within elemental tradition, the Fool represents the element of Air, an element prone to swift action and sudden insight, while modern astrological association pairs the Fool with Uranus, the planet of innovation and limitlessness. And those are all just the initial meanings of each of those lines of interpretation. Beyond divination, tarot cards can be used for spellwork, in healing practices, for self-inquiry, meditation, art, and more. These packs of (usually) 78 cards contain a great deal of versatility in their use and meaningfulness to our modern complex lives.

So am I now going to lead you through a multidisciplinary exploration of each card? No, quite the opposite. I just wanted to highlight how a complex tool like the tarot can be used in simple ways when life feels overwhelming. While I love the tarot as a tool of self and community care, it took me a moment to figure out how to not get overwhelmed by all the ways I could interpret a card when I just wanted some to-the-point guidance. 

Some of you might be wondering why I didn't just purchase an oracle deck geared towards self-care, but I had a hard time finding a deck that spoke to me. I was also wary of buying yet another deck, especially an oracle deck with a new system that I would have to learn. What I really wanted in these moments was a tool that I know could hold all of my complexity while being familiar and friendly. Something that I could rely on to help me out of funks, reorient my compass of care, and help me reconnect with the people, creatures, and places I love. 

Did I end up trying to transform the major arcana of my tarot deck into a self and community care oracle? Yes, and it's been a lot of fun! Here's how I did it. 

I started by pulling out the Major Arcana from my tarot deck and then grabbed a pen and paper. I jotted down a list of things that helped me feel cared for and reconnected to my community from the more practical (eat some lunch! call a friend!) to the more magickal (rebuild my altar!). This list is less about aspirational goals and much more about what skills or practices you already have in your toolbox or are working on developing. Taking time off to travel sounds lovely, but we're looking at something that you'd be able to do with relative ease (i.e. something you could theoretically do even if it might take some mental-emotional effort) and little planning. 

So I've shared with you one example of a list of correspondences inspired by my own with some thoughts and variations thrown in to help inspire you. I hope you see this as a starting point, borrow what works for you, adapt what doesn't, and tailor-make your major arcana into an oracle of care that works for you. This could be a really beautiful and fun activity to do with your tarot reading group, coven, magickal collective or whoever you gather with as part of your tarot practice.

The Future Ancestor Tarot by lexa luna studios

The Major Arcana Oracle of Care

On my list below I've included both traditional and modern names for the Major Arcana because I use both in my practice. Some of these names are of my own making, but others I've marked where they have come from in with the following symbols: 

• The Slow Holler Tarot ▽

• The Gaian Tarot ◎

• The Collective Tarot ✴︎

• The Future Ancestor Tarot ❁

0. The Fool - Play a Game
Whatever type of game makes the most sense to you, go ahead and take some time to play it either on your own or with friends. If you're feeling a need to stretch beyond the mundane look up experimental travel or exploration games or maybe make a ritual out of your play to move energy.  

I. The Magician - Altar Work
Time to tidy up, clean, remake or make a new altar.

II. The High Priestess - Take Some Time to Journal
The High Priestess encourages self inquiry and the act of writing and journaling helps us do just that. 

III. The Empress, The Land, Experience, The Gardener ◎, Reception ✴︎ - Get Outside
Enough said.

IX. The Emperor, The Web, Framework, The Builder ◎, The Navigator ▽ - Take Your Herbs
This can easily include any medication you might've been neglecting as well as herbal body care like face masks and body oils if that is something you'd like to do but have been putting off. 

X. The Hierophant, The Guild ▽, Virtue ❁ - Talk To Your Ancestors
Whether the Mighty or Beloved Dead, it's time to reach out to your ancestors because they're reaching out to you.

XI. The Lovers, Connection, Interdependence - Appreciate Some Art and/or Do Art
I either pull out some art books or scroll around online art exhibits for inspiration, but art comes in many forms and shows up in all sorts of places. It's time to seek it out and find yourself reflected back at you. Other times, this is a reminder to pick up an art project that I've set aside or start a new one.

XII. The Chariot - Turn Your Heart to Holy Places
The Chariot is a card of will and having a clear sense of direction. When I pull this card I take a moment to reorient myself that which feels sacred to me and to help it feel more tangible I actually turn and face towards the direction of holy places. Old growth forests, ancestral lands, your Grandma's house, whatever and wherever it might be, spend some time orienting yourself to that sacred place to help you feel it where you're at right now.

XIII. Strength - Move Your Body and/or Eat Some Lunch
When I pull the Strength card I do a workout because working out brings me a lot of joy even if it sometimes feels hard to show up to. Move your body in a way that feels good to you and you know would be of benefit to you in the moment - from getting up and taking a shower to getting up to going for a run to dance parties with your roommates and so on. Sometimes this card comes up as a reminder to nourish my body with food, whether that's eating lunch, getting a snack or calling some friends to meet up for dinner.

IX. The Hermit - Alone Time
Time to clear your schedule and get some quality alone time. Is this one of my favorite cards to pull? Yes, yes it is.

X. The Wheel of Fortune, Chance ✴︎ - Watch a Movie or Show
Doesn't have to be complicated or deep, just watch something that you enjoy, maybe inspires you or at least cheers you up. 

XI. Justice, Reconciliation, Intersection ▽, Accountability ✴︎ - Evaluate Expectation Versus Need
Here is an opportunity to rebalance the scales in my life of where I'm putting my energy. When the Justice card comes up I pull out a piece of paper and make two columns: one is for expectations and the other is for needs. In the expectations column I write down all the things that I feel like I'm expected to do (they might be my own expectations, expressed or assumed expectations of others, cultural expectations etc.) and feel most pressing and present in my life right now. An example of an expectation might be to finish a blog post by tomorrow because that's a deadline I set for myself and I worry that I'll let down my readers if I don't. In the needs column I write down my most present needs and to do this I might need to take a moment to check in with myself, scan my energy, and settle into my body a bit. An example of a need might be needing to take the rest of the day off from work and rest because I've been pushing my limits for too long. When I'm done making my list I try and reconcile the expectations versus needs and I often find that I've put too much weight on expectations and not enough on my actual needs. Usually simple revelations and solutions arise (i.e. I can take an afternoon off and delay blog post by a day without causing any harm and instead creating a lot of benefit) after going through this process.

XII. The Hanged One, Metamorphosis ❁, the Precipice ▽ - Read a Chapter of a Book
One of my primary associations with the Hanged One is someone who is seeking wisdom and does this through inner strength and perception. Reading a book takes more effort than staring at a screen, wakes up my inner world, and is a wisdom seeking activity for me. I either read a chapter from a book that I'm already in the process of reading or pull a book at random from my shelves, open to a chapter, and read that.

The Gentle Tarot by mari in the sky and Nourishing the Nervous System by Tayla Shanaye

XIII. Death - Change Your Sheets
While I chose "change your sheets" because fresh and clean bedsheets always feels luxurious to me (I feel so old writing that sentence), you could easily substitute "change your clothes" or "change your hairstyle" or "change your location" for "sheets." The point is to choose some sort of simple but physically tangible change to your environment that can be done with relative ease.

XIV. Temperance, Balance, Homeostasis - Practice Breathwork
Sometimes it's helpful to have a time marker for your breathwork practice. "Practice 5 Minutes of Breathwork" can feel a lot more doable than an open-ended "Practice Breathwork" prompt. Or you could choose a specific breathwork practice like a Tree of Life meditation for this card. Breathwork is an act of rebalancing and tempering energies so it feels like a very Temperance card thing to do.

XV. The Devil, Oppression ✴︎ - Clear Out
When I pull the Devil card one of the simple practices I do is add something to my donation box. While the Devil has many complex interpretations, one of the ways to understand this card is how we can get tangled up in being restrained by our stuff as well as our fears and expectations around what we do and do not own and what that says about who we are. If the Devil card is coming up in the context of my self and community care oracle, I know it's time to let go of something that's been taking up too much space in my life and that I know longer need. This is not an invitation for a full downsizing of all your belongings, but rather an opportunity to clear out a drawer of items you no longer need, as you call in the space to feel more free in your life.

XVI. The Tower, the Storm ▽, Disaster ✴︎ - Clean Up
When the Tower shows up I choose something to clean up. Often this is my workspace, but sometimes it's a project that I've been putting off. Often what is challenging about Tower energy is the aftermath of things falling apart, so pulling the Tower card is an opportunity to acknowledge the mess and clean up what I have control of.

XVII. The Star - Read Some Poetry
You can easily replace this with "read from a sacred text" or similarly reflective and inspiring text.

XVIII. The Moon - Time for a Lunar Ritual
No matter the phase of the Moon I make time for a lunar ritual when I pull this card. Though originally written for the New Moon, the rituals for each sign of the zodiac in my New Moon Healer's Project can be adapted for any phase if you're looking for some inspiration.

XIX. The Sun - Indulge Your Inner Child
What cheered you up as a kid? Maybe it's time to replicate that in an appropriate adult way. Playing with dolls, making a tree fort, outlining an extensive game of mutants versus bad guys? Do it! 

XX. Judgement, Restoration, Liberation ✴︎, The Awakening ▽◎ - Sound Therapy
You don't have to have any fancy equipment for sound therapy - humming or singing does wonders for our nervous systems and even better when it's with others.

XXI. The World - Call a Friend
Your friends love you, give them a call. And if that's feeling too hard, and you're wanting to speak with a person, maybe reach out to a chat or text hotline where there are folks waiting to chat with you no matter what. But if you can, reach out to a friend or a family member, and let them help draw you back into your community.

The Weiser Tarot

How to Use Your Major Arcana Oracle of Care

You've put together your list of correspondences for self and community care so it's time to put your new deck-within-a-deck to use. While I often keep at least one tarot deck of mine with the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana always separated for times like this, more often than not I just grab whatever deck is at hand and begin pulling out the Major Arcana cards. I find this to be a meditative process that helps me calm down and focus in on asking for what I need. 

With the 22 cards of the Major Arcana in hand, I shuffle, I pull a card and often that's it! Remember, this is supposed to be an easy to implement practice, so this might be the summation of what you do. Sometimes I like to set the card up on my desk, build a mini altar of herbs and stones around it, but most of the time the card goes right back in my deck and I carry on with the suggestion. 

You can write your self and community care correspondences directly on your tarot cards (it's totally ok to write on your tarot cards!) or keep your correspondence list written in your Book of Shadows, witch's notebook, notes app, or back of a receipt that you keep in that drawer.

And because I know that there are some of you who like a bit of complexity in their practice as a way to help move you out of a state of stagnation, you can always look up the astrological correspondence of each card and then compare to where that correspondence is in your birth chart. If you pull the Moon card, for example, you might tend to the energetic needs of your Moon sign and whatever House (i.e. area of your life) it shows up on your birth chart. 

⚝

If you're looking for some more inspiration around using tarot as a tool of healing, here are some of my favorite healing practices to use with tarot. For an in-depth journey into the world of tarot and herbalism check out The Tarot Apothecary.

However you use your Major Arcana Oracle of Care, I hope that it inspires you to use and build upon your own collection of tools, whatever they may be, that help you get out of a funk and feel more centered and content.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤ Thanks, friends. ❤

Footnotes

(1) My favorite theory about the development of numerology is that Pythagorus had ordinal linguistic personification synesthesia and his personal synesthetic number system got codified as a universal instead of a personal experience. I wonder a lot about the influence of synesthesia in the codifications of magickal correspondences beyond numerology. Many synesthetes are not aware that they have synesthesia so there is a lot of room for things like this to happen and there is also a long tradition of trying to induce synesthetic experiences within magickal and philosophical circles. All of this is to say that abstract correspondences are only as meaningful as you want them to be and it's ok to find meaning in present traditions or dream up new ones.

Tarot Decks Featured

The Future Ancestor Tarot by lexa luna studio
The Gentle Tarot by mari in the sky
The Weister Tarot published by Red Wheel/Weiser

The Sliding Scale: How To Implement a Sliding Price Scale Online

I love writing about the sliding scale and financial accessibility, but I didn't expect that my two previous posts on the subject would not only be some of my most read of mine, connecting me to lovely folks all over the world. There's still a big need for resources on the sliding scale and financial accessibility in business so I'm working on expanding my original posts into a bigger community course (i.e. a donation-based course on sliding scale, financial accessibility, and thinking about money in a way that makes sense for you and your community). If that sounds like something you're interested in then sign up for my newsletter for updates.

In the meantime, I wanted to write a short post on one of the questions I've been getting again and again: 

A sliding scale sounds great, but how do I implement one on my website?

First of all - great question! There are a few options that I've used myself and come across online. Of course, anything you choose to do depends on the type of platform you're using, so I've tried to keep my recommendations general enough to allow for their usefulness across multiple platforms. However, no matter how you end up offering a sliding scale online, a lot of the success of your clients using the scale in a way that benefits you both is by being clear about your expectations and parameters of use. You can learn more about these things in the first, second, and third part of the sliding scale and financial access series. Now, on to the practical bits!

image via @ninaluong

Managed vs Unmanaged

If your platform allows it, the easiest way to implement a sliding scale is to list multiple price tiers for a single item with each price corresponding to one part of your sliding scale. There are two variations to this: the unmanaged sliding scale and the managed sliding scale. An umanaged sliding scale would mean that you offer your service from $0 on up without restrictions on either end (i.e. someone can pay $5 for a service while another person pays $65 and there is no minimum or cap to what someone can pay). You'll sometimes see this type of sliding scale called "Name Your Price" or "No One Turned Away for Lack of Funds." Some online shop platforms allow a Name Your Price option, but if yours doesn't a workaround is to use a third party platform to set up a donation button for your services where folks choose their own price that way. I have a donation button set-up on my support the work page if you want to see an example of this (and some questionable poetry).

I have used the unmanaged sliding scale model both online and in-person in the past and found that clients have found the amount of un-guided choice to be very stressful which is why I tend to use a managed sliding scale. A managed sliding scale involves listing a few prices that you choose and that reflect different points on your sliding scale (i.e. $5 for the low end of the scale, $10 for the middle, and $15 for the top end). Managed sliding scales can be as wide or narrow as you like and you can see an example of a wider sliding scale on my Begin With the Breath course and a narrower sliding scale for my Solace course. You can also check out my old listing for my Samhain Oracle where I listed out dollar amounts from $1 to $21. I talk more about the managed sliding scale and why I like it over here.

image via @jorae

Discount Codes

The other way to offer your sliding scale online is to list one standard price and then offer discount codes for folks to use to access different parts of the sliding scale. I first learned about this technique within the world of knitters  (specifically through Jessa Maed who now offers access to discount codes once you sign-up for their mailing list which is a great way to build a newsletter community). You can see an example of a sliding scale accessed via discount code on Francoise Danoy's Aroha Knits page (also, you're welcome, dear readers who are also knitters and who have not yet discovered Francoise's or Jessa's knits). I recently used this technique for my annual fundraiser - where I sold a series of ebooks - and on the backend it was super easy to implement and folks seemed to find it easy to use. Here is the language that I used on my listing:

• Check out my Sliding Scale Guide below to help you find the price for you. The suggested price is $9. You are invited to pay less or pay more as you are able.

• The current listing price is set at $12 which is the Pay-It-Forward price.

• Use the coupon code JOYFUL to purchase at $9.

• Use the coupon code ABUNDANT to purchase at $3.

image via @dirtjoy

The Language of Your Scale

The language we use around money, financial access, and our sliding scales is one of the ways you help folks not only understand your own values, but a way to help folks feel empowered. I'm always adjusting the language on my course sales pages as I learn how to more clearly articulate how to use the sliding scale, why I use the sliding scale, and the feeling of confidence I hope folks feel when they're engaging with my sliding scale. It is a constant work in progress and I even spent a long time trying to figure out for this post if "managed" versus "unmanaged" was too formal and binary but then reminded myself that I can use the language I have right now and adjust again in the future.

For me, it's important to try and tie the concept of my scale and pricing to the greater Worts & Cunning learning community, so I use words like "support" and "community supported" to describe different levels of my scale (you can see this in action for my Solace and The Plant Ally Library courses). I also use the concept of Pay It Forward in my sliding scale because it feels empowering to folks who have the means to not only access a course they want to take but help others access it, too. Here is the current language I use for my sliding scale:

• Standard Membership: The actual cost of the course

• Supported Membership: For students on the low end of the sliding scale

• Extra Support Membership: The most supported membership price for those on the lowest end of the sliding scale. (This is only available for part of the year - see details below.)

• Pay It Forward Membership: Cost of the course plus a little extra to help create access to the course

Through my sliding scale I hope to communicate to folks that I want to support their ability to access my work and want them to feel welcomed in from the start of their journey as a student in my courses. As you create and adjust your sliding scale its important to not only keep in mind the financial parameters of the exchange but what you're feeling about your sliding scale and how people are using it as well as how you hope those accessing your sliding scale might be feeling.

Expanding and Contracting Your Sliding Scale

At different points of the year, I extend my sliding scale options for folks who need extra financial support and this allows me to create deeper access in a way that is also sustainable for my business. I announce sales, extended sliding scale, and payment plans at the end of one calendar year for the next calendar year which helps to reduce feelings of scarcity or pressure buying. For example, twice a year you can access Solace, which is a $36 course, at an "Extra Support Membership" of $12. I make sure that information is posted about this year round on the FAQ as well as the Creating Access section of the Solace sales page.  

Either version of a managed or unmanaged sliding scale (or a mildly managed sliding scale to be more accurate) can have boundaries put in place including limits around how many tickets, sessions, products or whatever it is that you offer are available at each price point. I go into this more on my post How to Make the Sliding Scale Better for You & Your Clients but essentially with a managed sliding scale you can say that three spots are available at $5 versus five spots available at $10 while a unmanaged sliding scale might look more like three spots are available at the $5 and under option and five spots are available within the $6 to $10 range and so on. I host my classes through teachable and they allow you to cap enrollment for different price points and I'm sure other online course hosts offer the same. I especially like creating these boundaries with my sliding scale for my in-person offerings where I have to cover expenses like travel, renting a space, class supplies, and so on.

I've expanded and contracted my sliding scale through the seasons for a few years now and I enjoy the rhythm of knowing that I can create more access in as stress-free and sustainable a way as possible. As you experiment with what works for you, know that your sliding scale and the way that you exchange money for resources and define your pricing is a living energy within your business that needs to be honored, changed, and adjusted as needed. 

Some questions to consider when incorporating a sliding scale into your practice:

Why do I want to use a sliding scale?

What form of sliding scale feels the most supportive to me and my community? 

What worries me about using the sliding scale?

What excites or interests me most about using the sliding scale?

How does using the sliding scale support my ability to create a sustainable and values-aligned practice?

How do you want a possible client to feel when they are learning about and participating in your sliding scale?

᠅

These are the easiest ways I have seen the sliding scale implemented online, but let me know in the comments if you do things a different way. This post was inspired by questions left in the comments of my previous sliding scale posts, so if you have questions about the sliding scale, implementation, and financial accessibility in general, leave them down in the comments and I'll get to them as I can.  

Thank you for all of your support, encouragement, and kind words about my work around the sliding scale and especially for letting me know that so many of you have found it useful. That's the best feedback and I hope you find the system that supports your ability to thrive in your work. 

As we imagine a culture beyond the confines of capitalism, I hope that you’re able to access these visions of a more just and more kind world with greater ease and steadfastness. May our acorn dreams be the trees which shelter our descendants.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤ Thanks, friends. ❤