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August 7 through August 13, 2023

We'll thrive under a harmonious and productive week, as things unfold in a steady and uplifting manner. The Moon will dance through Taurus on Monday and Tuesday, marking these two days as the most productive of the week. Grounded, energetic, and optimistic, we get the week off to a good start under this influence, followed by three days of social interaction and informative conversations under the Gemini Moon. We'll be laying the groundwork for some future enterprises, so Wednesday through Friday are the days to gather more information, research the validity of what we know so far, and brainstorm with others for fresh ideas and alternative paths to our dreams. Stepping back to focus on self-nurturing and relaxation will be the focus this weekend, as the Moon travels through Cancer and reminds us to take care of ourselves and our surroundings. All in all this week will be the calmest we've experienced in a while, with more of the same next week!

Cartomancy and Mermaid Magic, by Leeza Robertson

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

I have a confession to make. When I sat down to write The Book of Mermaid Magic, it was never, ever meant to have tarot in it. This was meant to be a stand-alone book that would allow those who find themselves mermaid-curious a chance to wade into the shallows and explore the watery world of the mermaids. I wanted to provide them a space to just explore, play, and maybe even hear the call. If you are reading this article, you might have heard the call of the mermaids. It doesn't matter if you live near the water or find yourself landlocked.

The mermaids call to all those who crave depth, flow, and magic in their lives. Some people, like myself, might be more reluctant to acknowledge they have heard the call. It took me a few years before I would truly accept my own mermaid calling, and maybe you too are shy about admitting the pull you have towards the mermaids.

In many respects, this is why I wrote the The Book of Mermaid Magic: to help others answer their own personal mermaid call. You see, the call is not the same for all of us. For some it might be to walk a more devotional path, like the Ocean Priestess. Others might find their draw to the mermaids to be more playful, like the energy of the sprites. Then there will be those who just know they have a mermaid heart. What I have learned while working with these magical beings is that there is a place and space for all of us. So no matter where you live or who you are, there is a mermaid just waiting to connect with you.

Which brings us back to the tarot and how it ended up worming its way into this book. You see, this Book of Mermaid Magic manuscript was finished. Fully complete and submitted, and I thought I had done a really good job of bringing the many different beings of the mermaid pantheon together. I was quite happy with how we weaved moon magic and chakra healing throughout the chapters. After six months of deep and wide research, I felt like we had a really solid book ready to send out into the world for mermaid lovers everywhere.

That was not the case.

Apparently the book was just missing a little something. One thing that would bring it all together. The very thing I had avoided at all costs to include in the book. Yep, you guessed it: tarot. Isn't it funny that no matter how much we say no to something, if we are meant to experience it or have it, it will happen anyway. No matter how much I didnt want it, tarot ended up in the pages of The Book of Mermaid Magic anyway.

So now I was left with the task of weaving the tarot through an already finished manuscript. You might be wondering why someone who created a Mermaid Tarot didn't want to include it in her own book about mermaids. Here's the thing: there are loads of mermaid lovers out in the world who do not read tarot. In fact, many of them don't know how to use tarot, and I did not want that to be a barrier for them when it came to this book. Which means I needed a work around—one that was slightly more inclusive.

This is how the cartomancy sections of this book were created. Not every mermaid lover knows tarot, but most of them do sling the odd oracle card. So I thought, what better way to start your mermaid magic adventure than with a special spread? If you have my beautiful Mermaid Tarot, go ahead—pull it out and give it a shuffle. If you are more of an oracle deck person, find a deck that you think would work well with the mermaids, and give it a little shuffle. For those of you who have no decks and don't even know what cartomancy is, relax, I got you. Just grab your journal and a pen and use the prompts and questions below to journal with.

Before we begin any sort of divination or sacred practice, it is a good idea to just take a moment, pause, and breathe. Be present in this moment. Let all the outside noise just drift away. Drop your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and focus on the here and now. If you feel moved you might even wish to recite the following: "Mermaids I am here, present and aware, ready for you to share your wisdom, guidance, and divine grace."

If you are using cards, pick them up and give them another shuffle, but this time imagine an iridescent light flowing into them, around them, and through them, connecting your deck to the energy and light of the mermaids. If you are journaling and not divining, then imagine this light curling around your pen and infusing itself into the pages of your notebook. Take a few steady breaths here and then begin the move to the spread/prompts.

Card One: What do the mermaids want me to understand at this point in my human journey?
Remember that you are here on this physical plane having a journey, to which there will be many twists, turns, and oftentimes surprises. Don't presume that just because something has never happened that it won't, or even that just because something has always been one way that it will stay that way. The mermaids know that journeys can both flow and stangnate, so open yourself up to receive some guidance about where you are right now.

Card Two: What blessings do the mermaids want me to open up and receive?
Not all blessings will initially put a smile on your face. We humans seem to think that blessings are meant to bless us with good fortune; however they can just as easily bless us with things we may not seem at the time to want, or situations we don't feel ready or capable to deal with. So, be mindful of what comes up here, as this blessing might need time to unfold.

Card Three: What do the mermaids want me to release at this time so my journey can flow towards my highest and greatest good?
When considering the word "release," you can also say, "reframe" or even "rewrite." It is also good to remember that releasing happens in layers and not all at once. So, if you are working on a belief or habit, just be mindful that it might take some time to rewrite. If what you are releasing is an emotion or a situation, be kind and gentle with yourself as you take the first step at reframing your identity without this in your life. Whatever comes up here is just the beginning of a process, one that you can continue to work through as you spend more time with the mermaids.

Now that you have all of your cards out in front of you, you might consider picking up your journal and going deeper with the information you have gathered. For those of who you already journal, consider exploring what you have written at a deeper level. I find journal work tends to leave a lot to unpack, so take your time and don't rush the process.

When you feel the work is complete, just say a short thank you to the mermaids: "Mermaids, thank you for spending time with me and giving me this wisdom and guidance to help me on my journey. Until next time we speak again, we are now complete."

Now, of course, if you want to go further and wider with the mermaids, grab your copy of The Book of Mermaid Magic and dive in! There is so much more to explore.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2022. All rights reserved.

The other day, I was standing by my glass door in the kitchen when I looked outside and did a double-take: I saw tiny bright little moving lights. It was as if they were looking inside at me! I quickly opened the door and put my hand out to feel them, and they moved all around my hand! Do you know what this was?
Kimberly

Astrea:

Sounds like baby fairies to me. If they are, you'll have a house full and they'll attract everything mystical, including ibys. Your description of them makes me think they are orphaned fairies. I've seen fairy orphans overtake a household in a matter of hours, and then here come the ibys!

As everyone who regularly reads my Double Vision column knows, ibys are those tiny little creatures who lived under the Earth with the Bogus Bogus before World War II. They came up when John, Chief of Police of the Bogus Bogus, tiddly-winked the Louse out from beneath the Earth.

There are specific ibys for specific tasks, such as the Artist Ibys who are known for applying heat to thick paint on a palette or squeezing the yellow ochre from the center of the tube. There are Music Ibys who dot an extra beat on a note in a score or paint flags on notes while we sleep.

Anyway, you get the picture. You can fool them and get them out of your house with birthday cake, but that is usually only a temporary fix.

Fairynistas would be giving you all kinds of instructions on how to lure these beings into your home. NOT ME. I've had fairies in this house forever. They must have come with the horses when this place used to be a barn.

Instead, here are a few reasons for you NOT to be happy that the fairies have chosen you to care for them:

Fairies draw other mystical beings, some of the most troublesome being ibys who are always looking for somewhere to freeload. Ibys come in all shapes, sizes, colors and lights, just like fairies, and it's difficult at first to tell one from the other. While fairies can be a blessing at times, ibys NEVER are. By comparison, fairies will squat for years and still be relatively easy to shoo. Ibys are not so easy.

Fairies also draw other freeloaders like gnomes, gremlins and even sometimes trolls and goblins. Trolls and gnomes can be mixed blessings, as they eat fairies and keep them from overrunning everything. Goblins are too large and unpleasant to be incorporated into your average back yard. Gremlins may be alien beings from outer space, but they won't eat the ibys. No one will eat an iby, not even a troll on a DARE.

You're in for a rough summer, so hold on to your hat! Look on the bright side: maybe you were just hallucinating when you saw those lights, or were in the process of getting a migraine.

*****

Susyn:

There are many different theories concerning the lights you witnessed. Some say they are fairies; others refer to them as sprites or angels; a small percentage of people believe they represent troublesome spirits. Of course, some people believe that they have a scientific explanation.

Like you, those who have experienced this phenomenon normally recall the swirling lights they've seen as being white in color. Most sprite enthusiasts claim that if the lights are white or red, they represent angels or spirits. Others believe that these lights are caused by nature, and blame lightning, weather conditions or electro-magnetic fields.

Your description of these lights suggests they were paranormal, since they moved around your hand when you offered it. These particular sprites appear to be of a friendly, playful nature, at least at this stage.

If you experience this phenomenon again, you can determine the nature of these lights by paying close attention to the way they make you feel when you see them. If they don't bother you, they are most likely angels or sprites playing and watching over you.

On the other hand, if these lights become annoying or frightening and they begin to create a sense of uneasiness within you, you'll want to perform a smudging or spiritual blessing around your kitchen window to stop the activity.

To do this, you'll need a sage smudge stick or sage incense and three white candles. Place all three candles somewhere in your kitchen and light them. Then say a prayer that your home be cleansed of all negative energies. Light the smudge or incense stick, and then go from corner to corner around your kitchen and the window, allowing the wafting smoke to serve as a sealant to keep unwanted entities at bay.

If you have been experiencing other strange phenomena in your home, these lights could be signs that spirits or ghosts are inhabiting your home. In that case, you'll want to do more research. If you find that your house or yard is occupied by unwanted entities, you can call in a Spiritualist minister or paranormal team to have them removed.

Most people consider these lights to be harmless and signs that your fairies, angels or spirit guides are near you. If you view them in a positive light and as a special sign that you are protected, you will encourage more fascinating encounters.

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.