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December 30, 2024 through January 5, 2025

A Capricorn new Moon occurs on Monday, setting the tone for the last few days of the year and promising new beginnings in 2025. Transitioning from the old to the new will inspire us to take action to address unfinished business to clear a path to the future. New ideas for success will be prominent under Wednesday and Thursday’s Aquarius Moon, as the sign of innovation inspires us to think outside the box and explore alternate routes to our goals. Venus will move into Pisces on Thursday, spending the next four weeks awakening our interest in all things spiritual and metaphysical. It seems 2025 could be the perfect year to start expanding and honing our intuitive and psychic skills! And with the Moon traveling through Pisces the remainder of the week, this is definitely a time to focus on the desires of our souls and the longings of our hearts. Happy New Year Everyone!

The Fullness of Shadow Work, by Christine Jette

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

When I finished the manuscript for Tarot Shadow Work in 1999, I didn't believe I could write one more thing about tarot and the shadow. I was wrong. Time has passed and I am able to revisit the book with a more objective viewpoint. I originally wrote that I used only the 22 cards of the Major Arcana because shadow work is a spiritual endeavor. While this is true, it's time for writer honesty: the concept of using 78 cards eluded me in the beginning. Four years later, I know how to use an entire tarot deck when doing shadow work and the Llewellyn Journal is the perfect place to share my expanded ideas on it.

Taking my cue from astrology, the Major Arcana cards represent the WHAT of shadow work, a description of the shadow and what its challenges and gifts entail. The Court Cards are the HOW and WHO of shadow work—how the shadow presents itself in personality development and whom we draw to us for our life lessons. The Minor Arcana depict the WHERE of shadow work, or in what department of life the shadow is operating.

The Major Arcana (Numbers 0-21), The Fool through the World, speak to you of both life lessons and life wisdom: those qualities being tested and developed, your gifts and challenges, karma and the reasons you are here. The twenty-two cards symbolize spiritual development and help you understand your place in the world. The "Greater Secrets" will point to the higher overview of life and give you insights into the "big picture." They will also hint at your healing potential and what lies in the shadows. (See the appendix in Tarot Shadow Work for more information.)

The Minor Arcana, or "lesser secrets," offer information along the planes of existence: Wands, spiritual creativity in everyday life; Cups, emotions and feelings; Swords, psychological well being/the mind; and, Pentacles, physical reality and the body. When the different suits shows up in a reading, ask yourself: What action can I take? (Wands) What am I feeling or dreaming about? (Cups) What am I thinking or what decision needs to be made? (Swords) Because Pentacles explore issues of food, housing, money, work, the body, and physical health, ask yourself: What do I value?

In life, there is no separation between body, emotion, mind, and spirit. It is impossible for something to happen to us without all four levels of existence being affected. It is likewise impossible to change without attending to these same four levels of being. Life does not fall neatly into categories. Because stress or concerns at any level affect all levels, the lines sometimes blur.

No other cards in the tarot deck have more interpretations than the Court Cards. Just pick up any three tarot books and compare. It's mind-boggling. We all have qualities that are traditionally associated with masculine and feminine ways of being. For instance, a woman can be competitive and a man can be nurturing. Be aware that the King and Knight can represent a woman and the Queen can symbolize a man. The gender or "occupation" of the court card is less important than the qualities it describes.

Pages can represent a child, but they also introduce the element of their suit, the willingness to change, risk, or learn something new. Pages can symbolize the catalyst needed for change and the child within us all. Pages also carry messages related to their suit: Telephone calls or significant e-mail (Page of Wands); important dreams (Page of Cups); written warnings (Page of Swords); and messages from your body, especially in the form of illness: What is your body trying to tell you (Page of Pentacles)?

Knights represent young adults or someone starting over, focusing on a specific task through their suit, be it creative (Wands), emotional (Cups), psychological (Swords) or physical (Pentacles). Our "knightly" qualities include being energetic, daring, headstrong and goal oriented. Knights show movement and action through their suits.

Queens are mature. They take their understanding of life inward and use this life wisdom to nurture others and encourage self-development through their specific suit. For example, the Queen of Cups nurtures the emotions. Because they are the embodiment of the feminine tradition of healing, Queens often represent healing in relationship to their suit. An example of this is the Queen of Pentacles symbolizing a natural healer. Our "queenly" qualities include sensitivity, fullness of expression, empathy, and personal, inner control.

Kings are also mature, but they project their maturity outward in the form of leadership through their suit. They take charge and give advice: Creative or spiritual advice (King of Wands); emotional advice (King of Cups); psychological or intellectual advice (King of Swords); and, practical advice about the everyday world (King of Pentacles, especially in the area of finances or work.) Our "kingly" qualities include being capable and in control, with an air of authority, leadership, and worldliness.

So how do you use the entire deck in shadow work? It's simple. Separate your deck into three stacks: the 22 Majors, 40 Minors and 16 Court Cards. Do a star layout, or any other activity in Tarot Shadow Work using Majors only, as described in the book. Look at your shadow layout or activity and select one card that puzzles or bothers you, or one that you especially like. Pull that card out of the layout.

Now think of the Minor and Court Cards as the cards to use for more information. Shuffle your Minor Card stack. As you shuffle, concentrate on WHERE, or what department of life, this particular Major card is operating. For example, you have chosen The Fool from the shadow layout because you know you allow others to take advantage of you and have decided that now this needs the most work. The minor card that turns up is the Ten of Wands.

You first decide if the Ten of Wands describes the challenge of the shadow or the gift of the shadow. In other words, does the card feel negative or positive? Hint: If you like the card, it probably represents a gift of shadow work, something to keep and nurture. If it feels negative, for instance being reversed, it means it is a lesson to be learned, something to improve or work on. You realize that it depicts the challenge of the shadow: others take advantage of you because you are unable to say no and you take on too much responsibility as a result.

As you shuffle the Court Card stack, concentrate on HOW the shadow presents itself in your personality. You can also think about the people in your life and why they might be there. Remember, the Court Cards are always a reflection of you—you draw the people to you that you need for your life wisdom. So it doesn't matter if the Court Card describes someone else. The card is still about you and your need to have those qualities in your life for good or ill. Randomly select one Court Card. First decide if it represents the shadow's challenge or the shadow's gift. Does it feel negative or positive to you?

Continuing with our example, you have drawn the Queen of Pentacles. At first you think, oh, great, the smothering mother card. After some thought, you decide she symbolizes the shadow's gift after all: Yes, you have been taken advantage of because of your need to nurture (rescue) others; but the answer is still in the Queen of Pentacles—if you start saying no and allow others to learn self-responsibility. Then they are able to find their own way, and you are free of the martyr's shadow.

You can use the Minor and Court Cards for more information on any shadow star layout, single card in a layout, or any tarot activity in the book. Using the entire deck helps pinpoint both strengths and challenges of doing shadow work. Think of it as your magnifying mirror for a better reflection of you. And for goodness sake, trust your intuition when deciding if a card feels negative or positive. Only you can know that. To review, ask the following questions when doing shadow work with the entire deck:

* For Major Arcana cards: WHAT shadow is this card describing? Does this card symbolize the challenge of shadow work or the reward for facing the shadow, the gift of shadow work?

* For Minor Arcana Cards: WHERE or in what department of life is this card operating? (Physical, financial, emotional, psychological, legal, creative or spiritual pursuits, etc., according to its suit.) Is this card a challenge (something that needs work) or something to keep and nurture—my strength or talent?

* For Court Cards: HOW does the shadow present itself in my personality development? HOW do other people see me? HOW do I see myself? WHO have I drawn into my life for soul development? Does this card describe the shadow's challenge or gift?

For me, shadow work and its resultant soul development are meaningless if not viewed through the lens of everyday living. Divinity lies in the details of life. The magic of shadow work doesn't come from the tarot cards—the magic comes from our willingness to change. If we ascribe to the philosophy of "as above, so below," then who we are and what we do is spirituality in action—not "out there" somewhere, but in us, here and now. May you find joy in the shadows.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2003. All rights reserved.

I'm a Sagittarius born December 8, 1964. About a year ago, I experienced the beginning of a spiritual awakening. Let's just say that I'm moving past being angry, closed and depressed. Now that I feel my feelings, I'm resisting them because my physical and emotional pain is very overwhelming. On top of that, I supposedly have ADD (impulsivity and sensory overload). As I work on myself through alternative healing, I feel heavy, pushed down and exhausted. I've heard many times that I have a lot of beings attached to me, probably from the womb as I came into this life. A number of people have told me that they can help me. I'm no longer skeptical of alternative healing but don't want to believe just anybody can remove these entities that are no longer serving me. Any ideas?

Lisa

Astrea:

Well, kiddo, you and I were born on the very same date, and I have yet to know a Sag born between December 1 and 10 who didn't APPEAR to have some sort of ADD.

Is it just because we can multi-task better than most people? Are we just too darned smart for most folks to understand us? Is it the famous impatience we Fire Signs burn with that keeps us always moving and changing?

There are all sorts of explanations for the high energy and intelligence of people who share our birth date. One thing is for sure: we haven't got time for stupid people who can't understand us!

Sagittarius is one of the signs most susceptible to transferring emotional pain into physical pain, though all Fire Signs do this to some degree. Fortunately, we can learn to recognize when we're doing it and banish those problems. The next time someone upsets you to the point of a migraine, call on an Angel to take your pain away. Your angels are always around you and glad to help you, but you DO have to ask.

Getting past anger and depression can be tricky. Depending on what you chose to experience before you came into this incarnation, you may have a difficult time shedding excess negative energy. Since Sagittarians are born at the close of the Christian Year, we have all sorts of extra challenges that most people never have to face. Why? Because we are capable of facing them, dealing with them, and letting them go.

I'm sure the past five years of your life have been filled with endings, for at forty, December 8 people begin to dispense with the Great Clutter Which We Create. As we do this, we usually find our longstanding Misplaced Sense of Loyalty has to go out the window too. This includes those pack rat attachment issues we have to broken hair bands, old envelopes, and people who aren't good for us to be around.

Also, as you've been told, there are entities all around you that can influence you whether you can discern them or not. They're not ALL evil, however. Just as you don't need to be healed from every influence you experience, you don't have to get rid of every spirit in your vicinity.

The entities that are no longer serving you can be easily led away from you. Find a Libra or Aquarius who'll take them on for you; those signs love company and they probably have a lot more patience than we Sags do. These entities are yours to keep or give away, just like any other gift. Since you don't need them anymore, it's time to let them go.

As for those people who complain about your alleged ADD, tell them Astrea said - Oh wait! Look! A bunny rabbit! 🙂

*****

Susyn:

Congratulations on your spiritual awakening. The gifts that will result from this transformation are already unfolding as you begin to deal with and heal all the aspects of your life that have been holding you back.

We come into this life with past life karma when we're born, and it's also possible to have certain entities attached to us. Throughout our lives, other incidents, random spirits and negative thought patterns can also work to restrict us or tie us down.

It sounds like you're in the midst of profound healing, and are working with people you trust who can help you identify and remove much of this negative energy through various healing modalities.

When you feel ready, you may want to explore these birth entities via a psychic or past life reading. Once you identify who they are and where they came from, you'll find it much easier to detach from them or ask that they go into the light and leave you alone. You can also employ a psychic or Spiritualist to get rid of these discarnate entities.

This process may even alleviate your ADD. Though modern doctors like to blame ADD on a chemical imbalance in the brain, metaphysically speaking, this syndrome sometimes arises when people feel like their world is out of control. When people have a variety of ghosts or entities hanging around, as you do, they may feel that in order to remain safe, they must be hyper-vigilant and constantly on alert to keep these spirits from taking over their lives or influencing their thoughts and actions.

Once you clear these entities with the help of a professional, there are also things you can do on a personal level to make sure they don't return. To make sure that your environment is free of unwanted entities, you may want to perform a smudging ritual to cleanse and refresh the energy in your home.

You can purchase a smudge stick from a local metaphysical shop. Light the end of the smudge stick until it smolders and then waft the smoke through each room in your house, asking that all negative and uninvited entities vacate the premises at once.

To balance the spiritual vibrations, you can also place a few metaphysical air fresheners in each room. To create a metaphysical air freshener, pour a small amount of salt into a bowl or onto a plate. Place a natural quartz crystal upright in the center of the salt, and place on a table or shelf where it won't be disturbed.

These two rituals should help you create a balanced, spiritual atmosphere in your home as you continue to heal and grow stronger. Good luck on your journey of awakening, Lisa!

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.