Astral Weather Report: The Week Ahead

September 5, 2022

In addition to having started my astrology studies and practice in 1968, I am also trained in other esoteric divination systems like the Tarot. I have an old Tarot deck that is quite precious to me. I acquired this deck in the early 1970s in Yellow Springs, Ohio, when I was a student at Antioch College. Later, it very mysteriously became the lone survivor among all my belongings after a house fire in 1978.

The deck is called the New Tarot for the Aquarian Age. It is quite rare and now out of print. It was originally channeled from an old silver dollar functioning as a modified ouija board, and first published in 1969 by John Cooke and Rosalind Sharpe. In the early 2000s, it was refashioned by Maya Britan as the I Am One Tarot deck.

The Royal Maze correlates with the Wheel of Fortune in the major arcana, which in the New Tarot deck contains clues on how to free oneself from samsara, the wheel of life and death.

This morning, as I sat down to write some thoughts about the week ahead, I was compelled to pull a card from this deck. After meditating a while and asking for guidance to share with my readers, I pulled the Thinker card in reverse. The Thinker in the New Tarot deck corresponds somewhat with the Devil in the traditional major arcana, though much of its interpretation is upgraded to include ideas such as the importance of learning from our mistakes. (Please note that the meaning of the New Tarot cards and their numerical sequence don’t exactly correlate with those in the traditional tarot deck).

In the simplest terms, I consider the Thinker/Devil as a symbol of the ultimate “error” of the ego state in which we exist. In this state of error, we believe we are separate, and we live in a disconnected state from the universal intelligence at the core of our Being. The Thinker/Devil represents this error that breeds the negative power, which impacts our state of mind, our life choices, relationships, and generally keeps us from being all that we are meant to be.

The message of the reversed Thinker/Devil is very clear: Now is a great time to release self-limiting beliefs!

The Devil [Thinker] reversed asks you to confront your inner fears and anxieties to free yourself from the chains that bind you to your limiting beliefs and unhealthy attachments. Eliminate those things you know are harmful to you and your inner psyche. It may be about creating a healthier diet, watching less television, quitting smoking, spending more time with your loved ones, or focusing more on your goals. Take this opportunity to bring about positive change in your life by staying focused on the ultimate goal of freedom.

The Devil card can also appear in a reversal when you are going into your deepest, darkest places – whether or not you are ready. When you take this path consciously, you do so with strength, confidence and courage. You seek to understand your innermost shadows so you can either release them or integrate them into your life in a more constructive way. When you do it unconsciously, or with resistance, it can be very confronting as you may begin to realize you are very different from who you thought you were…

The Devil reversed invites you to practice…detachment, a state in which you overcome your attachment to the desire for things, people or concepts of the world, and free yourself from any restrictions. It doesn’t mean you don’t care for people or things; you release your dependence on them. You may also find that a cord-cutting visualization helps to release any unhealthy attachments to others. (Biddy Tarot)

Synchronistically, I found an astrological correlation with the reversed Thinker/Devil card. It has to do with Mercury, who is moving very slowly this week in preparation for its retrograde station late Friday (or early Saturday depending on your location). I wrote about this transit previously. As Mercury slows and then retrogrades for around three weeks, we are indeed in a time as described above, when we seek to understand our innermost shadows so that we can either release them or integrate them into our life in a more constructive way.

Mercury, the planet that rules the intellect and formatory mind, is now very strong transiting in its own exalted sign of Virgo (in dignity). Here, Mercury reflects great capacity for mindfulness and discernment. Mercury is in a close opposition to transiting Jupiter in Pisces, also very strong in its own sign (in dignity) and also retrograde.

Jupiter is the planet of wisdom and broad-mindedness. In Pisces, Jupiter manifests with a reflective, spiritual, and even buoyant quality. Mercury and Jupiter are in opposition on and off from late August into the second week of October. During this time, we have an opportunity to open our minds to new concepts and release self-limiting beliefs!

The opposition between Pisces and Virgo also has a very potent polarity relationship. This means that a tension exists relative to the contrasting qualities of these signs, and their tension is made greater because the sign rulers are also in opposition. In this case, the challenge turns around our need to fulfill our everyday affairs, like work and health (Virgo), while also staying balanced and living in harmony with Divine Spirit (Pisces).

The message of the reversed Thinker/Devil is similar — we must correct the ultimate error in our thinking in order to be free, whole, and in alignment with our soul’s highest purpose.

The solution lies in being present in the moment, Here and Now. In other words, if we are to integrate these opposites, we must ultimately learn to anchor the divine presence and our highest principles into everything we are and everything we do, and this is the essence of Karma Yoga.

Mastering Karma Yoga is a lifetime journey. It requires that we become mindful of our actions (body and mind), and are aware that our overall health is very much dependent on our habits and thoughts. Contemplative practices that tap into silence will also support us very much, because as we quiet the “monkey mind,” we have access to and can be guided by a deeper state of consciousness.

Remember that where awareness goes, energy flows. One must firmly and absolutely be responsible for one’s own emotional responses, and try to cultivate positive and constructive emotions and attitudes. Let an open heart and clear mind be your compass. This may be easier than usual this week as Venus, planet of love and compassion, is transiting in a beneficial position in the warm-hearted and generous sign of Leo.

Also, the Moon is waxing brighter and fuller, so both Venus and the Moon are able to offer more of their nectar — comfort, acceptance, forgiveness, understanding, peace, ease, compassion, connection, conviviality, vibrancy, creativity, and joy. And how lovely that we start the week with a trine between the Sun and Moon, which points to an easy flow between our feelings and the way in which we direct our focus and energy toward a greater sense of purpose.

Have a beautiful week ahead, and thank you for being here!