Today’s card is one of the big ones from the Major Arcana. It’s also one where my personal experience and connection differs from some of the conventional opinions on the meaning.

The Moon shows a wolf and a hound baying at a moon. The moon is shown as multi-phased. We see it full, but we also see it as a sliver. Is this a sort of eclipse, or just a reminder of the ever-changing nature of the moon? We also see a crawdad-looking creature emerging from the pool of water, disturbing it. Between the standing stones we see a turbulent sea.

Interpretations that I’ve seen of this card speak to enemies and dangers hiding in the shadows. They talk about being careful. They talk about nefarious secrets. One cannot completely ignore these ideas, but they are a very skewed view of the moon and its power. Anyone who paid attention during the recent solar eclipse saw what happens when the moon overtakes the sun. To some it was frightening and disturbing. For many it was a glorious experience.

As a magickal practitioner, I have a very different take on the moon and the darkness of the night. The moon embodies feminine energy. The mysterious moon cycle that women experience is an undeniable connection. It’s amazing the way in which the moon’s visual appearance so closely aligns to the fertility experience. To paraphrase Terry Pratchett—that’s real magic, and it doesn’t stop being so just because you know how it works.

I live in Texas, where it’s hot a good deal of the year. The night provides a blessed time of relative cool. When you’re a bit more of a night person, like I am, you look forward to the darkness and relief from the harshness of the day. Many amazing animals come out at night. Owls, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, fireflies, deer and many others make their way into the night. My cats enjoy the night. Some nocturnal animals are dangerous predators, to be sure, but many of them are quieter animals that enjoy the safety of the shadows. In many cases, what lurks in the darkness is fuzzy and adorable.

The Moon says that rather than the harsh illumination of The Sun, we will be seeing everything in the strange, silvery light. It alters colors; it creates illusions. Some things will not appear as they really are. Some things will be acting upon their true nature. It is a time of intuition and, yes, magick! It is a time when things may be done successfully in secret, but not all of these things are villainous. Some things are better done quietly so as not to outrage those who are easily disturbed and frightened. It is a time for awareness, to reach out with other senses heightened by diminished sight. Listen. Smell. Feel. Trust that inner sense that warns of danger and leads you to comfort.

Know that The Moon may bring a little disorder. They say people go a little crazy when the moon is full. Expect some irrationality, and be forgiving of it when it occurs, especially in yourself. But also enjoy the freedom that the moon provides. Respect the moon’s energy. Don’t fear it.

What does this mean for me today? Well, today I will try to embrace the witchier side of things. It would be a great day for workings. While I don’t have anything arranged, I do have some projects needing thought that are related to that energy. I should spend time thinking about them and take inspired notes about what occurs. I need to consider that some people may act a little outside of their typical nature today and be especially conscious not to judge them for it. Anyone may bay at the moon from time to time. I also need to be open to my own reactions to moon energy. The actual moon in the sky is in it’s first quarter, waxing. The moon energy is emerging and slowly growing to full. It’s not at its strongest right now, but it’s growing. Time to start taking things on. Time to prepare for when it is full.

Late response to this morning’s card, the Page of Cups. This card often points to a person, a youth. It can also suggest an employee or someone who is overseen. A page can also indicate a messenger, which might not be a person, but could be an email, letter, or other form.

Again, cups is connected with water, suggesting the need for flow. Creativity and artistry are also indicated.

If a person, this will be an artistic youth, or someone  who I oversee that is trustworthy and trusting. It could also indicate a joyful child, still strongly connected to that gift of imagination that children have until we force it out of them by trying to make them “grow up.”

However this energy connects to me today, it will bring sparks of creation and possibility. Some of this may come from the crazy ideas department, and it may not all be worth acting upon, but it will definitely be food for thought. Inspiration can come from many places and the craziest-sounding idea may have that little spark or seed that grows into just what is needed. I should be mindful to not be too busy for connection and to be open to whatever ideas or information is presented.

Today I was mostly involved giving tours at the Museum of the Weird, and did not have much time for conversation… though there was a chat I had early this morning that sparked an idea that may turn into a new project. We shall see how it evolves.

More pentacles, today in the form of a queen. This woman embodies industriousness. Shown working away at her embroidery, a noble pastime (to pass the time) of ladies for centuries. She represents a powerful, successful woman and the rewards that come from hard work. Though it may not come with fanfare, my efforts are being noticed by the universe and I am being regarded with favor.

Don’t be surprised if you connect with a woman today that you consider to be a matriarch. You may also find yourself the beneficiary of monetary gifts, information, or just things that make you go hmmmmm. These are the deep, nurturing influences of earth that don’t just feed you now, but will blossom into prosperity that feeds you for a lifetime. This sort of thing doesn’t come every day, so when this does we should allow ourselves the time to absorb it and retain it.

I actually had contact with two women today that I consider powerful and successful. They both are strong examples that I admire and would like a portion of their wisdom and momentum to take root for me. In each case the connection was simple, just touching bases on items of mutual interest. In both cases they shared some things with me that I probably need to ponder further. There is deeper value to be found, though their intention was not to counsel me… they just can’t help but plant seeds.

I’m liking this string of cards indicating positive energy and generous spirits working toward my prosperity. I’m soaking all of that energy in! Undoubtedly there will be other cards coming that will point to challenges, but the do not negate the support. The manner in which these cards are coming together demonstrates a network of uplifting love and genuine desire for my greatest good that is very comforting. I will embrace it all and use it to carry me to my greatest good.

Today’s card is the six of pentacles. A pretty card, it shows a wealthy man passing gold into the hands of eager seekers. Are these wages? Are these alms to beggars? In any case, he doesn’t seem unhappy to give out the money. It is a pleasant activity.

Pentacles connect with earth energy. In this card it is particularly connected with  the nurturing side of that energy. The money given here is an investment, not for personal gain, precisely, though he will benefit from the general welfare of society. He is sowing seeds of opportunity, with a genuine wish for each and every hand to prosper and eventually join beside him.

The number six is the number of family and friends. While we might see this act of charity more in line with the number nine, community, these people are personal to the philanthropist. He sees their faces and likely knows their names. These are not monies given to a cause for the greater good of humanity. They are meals, and clothes, and shelter given directly to an individual while looking into their eyes. Is it a wonder that the number six and the number nine transform to one another when we turn them end to end?

Now, where do we fit into this picture? Are we the prosperous figure, bestowing our wealth to others? Are we the hands, reaching up out, hoping for a gift? We are both.

This card is about generosity, about gifts. Gifts are not earned like wages. They are given freely and received with gratitude. We do not get to decide the value of a gift that we receive. It is always a blessing and a treasure. We also must not measure a gift when we give it. We should allow ourselves to be inspired to the gift that feels right and give it freely as though it was the last chance ever. Anything else is not giving and receiving, it is barter.

Again, my day did not permit me to finish this article until after the day was done, but I did try to carry the spirit of the card with me. I had several opportunities to bestow gifts in the form of requests for help, tip jars, even beggars. There was a point where I was hesitant and not as generous as I could have been. (I still struggle with beggars because I encounter a lot of them, spending time in an area of the city where they are plentiful and aggressive. I also rarely feel like the gift is well-received in those cases. An area of growth, perhaps.)

I also use a tip box when I do my Paranormal Entertainment at the Museum of the Weird. Last night people were fairly generous and I walked out with a decent amount of extra cash, for which I am genuinely grateful. Next week I am doing a long, solitary drive to Nebraska to officiate a wedding and have not completely figured out how it’s all going to get paid for. Every extra bit counts.

Overall, I felt the spirit of the Six of Pentacles in my day. It’s a good energy.

Another strong female influence makes her appearance today. The Empress is the companion of The Emperor. As he rules the empire, she nurtures it. She is a very motherly card and sometimes indicates pregnancy. She definitely indicates fertility and a safe environment to nurture young people, young ideas, young opportunities.

She can also represent a competent woman who is building her own future for herself and her family.

I certainly feel like I’m being guided to be open to female influences right now. I certainly have a number of powerful women in my universe right now. I must pay attention to their lessons and let them help me upon my path. I am comfortable with women. I don’t really buy into that whole being in charge notion. I see men and women as companions, each bringing different abilities to the table according to who they are as individuals. All can nurture. All can be strong. All can be logical, or intuitive.

I do have a situation where a woman who reminds me of The Empress has asked me to provide her with some information so she can help me move forward with some goals. I should probably work a little harder on providing that. I may not be able to complete it today, but I should certainly make it a priority and get something accomplished.

I’ll also embrace this as a sign of the good energy surrounding things I am trying to grow. Again, the female energy is indicated. I should mother these things, nurturing them with love and forgiveness. I should let them become what they are rather than what they are supposed to be. I will try to encounter today as though I have a cookie for everyone along with hugs and kisses for scraped knees and hurt feelings.

What a pleasant card to find today! The High Priestess is a great energy. She is just what you would expect her to be. Connected with lunar energy, feminine energy, the high priestess is comfortable with the shadows. She is the wise-woman. She is witchiness. She brings healing and connection with nature.

For those of you that follow a magickal path, she is a familiar figure. You probably relate to her quite a bit. I have a number of people in my life that she reminds me of.

I find the High Priestess to be a joyful card. She is a sign that we can follow the wheel of the year, the seasons an celebrations and trust that the cycle continues, that we are a part of that cycle and in harmony with it all. We can let go a little bit with what the rules are and trust our own intuition and connection. We can feel our way through this.

For me this card connects on other levels. It reminds me of the wonderful books of Terry Pratchett and his Discworld witches. It may seem silly to think of humorous fiction when interpreting the tarot, but I find that humans are made of stories. Sometimes well-written fiction can teach us more lessons and real-life news. Pratchett’s witches are practical, but appreciate people’s need for wonder. If you’ve not read any of this you should immediately find the Tiffany Aching books and absorb all of the wisdom they have to share.

Through that lens, the High Priestess reminds me to embrace my witchiness and to accept myself as a powerful being who affects the universe not through exertion of will and formulae, but by placing myself in harmony. It’s a very loving energy, where I connect with my own mothering nature. (Yes, guys, we have it too!)

Again my schedule forced me to begin this article in the morning, but complete it as my day was ending. I kept it in mind throughout the day. I was tied to obligations today and not much of my own master. I did not have the chance to apply the nature of the High Priestess they way I would have liked. However, I could feel her presence.

A part of my connection is what I call Paranormal Entertainment. I explore games of intuition and the strange, odd, and unusual in a theatrical context. It’s meant to be fun and not necessarily to be taken seriously. (If you are interested check out my other context at docravencraft.com.) However, even within this entertainment I end up making connections with people and they make genuine use of their own connection. People who genuinely want to go deeper tend to introduce themselves. Everyone else just has a good time.

Today I was offering this at the Museum of the Weird. It was a fairly relentless day and I had large groups back-to-back-to-back all day long with really no break at all in the action. This is demanding and exhausting. The blends of people can sometimes clash with each other and it becomes difficult to keep everyone having fun and make any meaningful connections. Today, however, while the demands of the day were significant, I did not have a single group where there was not a meaningful connection.

Also, I seemed to be projecting a little bit of an extra-witchy vibe today. Sometimes I will get people who are uncomfortable with thinking about the paranormal. Even with the intuition games they throw up their shields and I feel like they would thrust a crucifix at me if they had one handy. I try to respect it, though sometimes it comes across a little personally. Today, I got the Van Helsing treatment from three different groups, which is very unusual. I wasn’t really doing anything differently than what I do day-in and day-out for hundreds of people. Yet today I seemed to be radiating a forbidden vibration. (In one case a woman had to leave in the middle and the rest of her family made a hasty retreat at the end of the tour.)

Was that the result of the High Priestess energy surrounding me today? I like to think so. I felt uplifted, even though the day was difficult. I was more in harmony with everyone and ended the day tired but not frustrated. I welcome this energy into my world and always look forward to another appearance of this wonderful card.

The Ace of Cups shows up today. As mentioned before, cups is connected to the element of water. It is connected with the feminine, intuition, connection, creation. Aces are about thresholds, beginnings, energy emerging, paths pointing upward. There’s a lot of good stuff in here! I think the picture puts it pretty well. “My cup runneth over!”

An ace is always a good sign when we’re trying to make a change. It shows an emergence. a seed planted and taking root. If this card corresponds with something you’re trying to achieve you are on the right track. It can also show a new vibration moving into a situation.

Aces tend to point to personal energies more than external influences. Aces are 1s, about individual power and ambition. When they appear they are pointing directly at you. It’s not the time to wait for permission or validation. Look inward.Trust your own instincts.

So, combining all of this, the Ace of Cups says that new opportunity is going to flow. It’s a fantastic day for any kind of creative endeavor or something that draws more on the feeling than the thinking side. It’s also a good day to get some stuff done on my own. Do I need to vision board something? sharpen a vision? explore a thought or an interest that I just haven’t had time for? Today is a great day for that. Start that art project. Make a creative choice. Let something shape you today. Set aside the calendar if you can and just be open to what flows.

I started this article this morning, but got distracted by some other things. (That’s probably a little more air-like than water.) But I did allow myself to flow a little. I started work on a creative project. I had a constructive conversation with someone who manifests powerfully. She challenged me to look at my goals and to create some information around this. I can’t get it done today, but I spent a lot of time thinking about the information and deciding what that vision should be. Some things fell into place. It’s going in the right direction.

I also had a few situations where I had to let go of the structure and let it flow a little. I din’t worry about the clock. I didn’t worry about things not going according to the plan. Nothing was urgent. It was all OK. I even benefited a little from some of the unexpected turns.

This is a welcome energy and I will try to make good use of the seeds that were planted today.

Now, this is a pleasant card to see! Within the suit of  pentacles there is a story told of a craftsman. He begins as an apprentice, doing the tedious, repetitive work through which he learns his skill. He progresses to a master, doing the delicate work that no one else can do. He prospers. Here, we see him in his winter years and things have gone quite well. He is a distinguished man with a family and a grandson. He is surrounded by the signs of his prosperity and has retired well. Even the dog adores him!

This is a card of a life lived well and the enjoyment of earned rewards. Of course, these rewards may not be financial wealth, though there’s no reason to rule it out. It is the ultimate bearing of fruit and the satisfaction that comes with connecting with one’s personal meaning.

This is certainly a card of being on the right track. In some placements this shows that everything is going according to plan and may exceed expectations. It certainly gives signs that one is on the right track. What is needed will come, and will go beyond what is merely needed. The seeds planted are blossoming and bearing fruit for now and into the future. Be confident and expect to have a chance to enjoy what you have earned.

For me this is a nice card to see today. I’ve been running pretty hard and there have been a number of surprises, a few shocks even, that have caused me to have pretty severe doubts. We all get them. It’s part of caring what happens. I will embrace this card as a sign that I am pointed the right way and that I need to keep moving forward. I will seek opportunities to connect with people and talk, not about what happens tomorrow, but the big picture stuff. I will spend some time today looking at my ultimate vision, and perhaps reviewing what I am doing to make sure I am including actions that can lead there. I will spend some time sharpening my vision and working with personal investments in my future. Some of those investments may be financial. Some may be creating and enhancing the successful, prosperous version of me.

This is a great energy for today!

Can’t we all just get along? What a messy looking card! Five young men are all caught in a mutual conflict. The staffs they hold look as though they want to form a pentagram, but at this rate we’re just not going to see it. It’s a clash. It’s a dance gone awry, a playful skirmish becoming more personal. Clearly, not a whole lot is going to get done here until someone calms down a little.

Wands brings us the energy of fire, passions, obsessions, those things that feed us. Fire can just feed and feed and feed on something until it uses it all up. There is not calm, cool reason at work.

If you are planning to wrap up that meeting today with a quick consensus, you may be disappointed. Unvoiced concerns and objections are likely to bubble up suddenly and turn what seemed to be a done deal into a round of conflicted discussion. People in your world, including you, may be a little tightly wound today. Anyone who has been itching for a fight may take their shot.

For myself, this card is a warning to not take anyone or anything personally today. It is likely that some people will need to blow off some steam and I may be in the blast radius. I need to carry some of that water energy from yesterday’s queen and be ready to use it to control the flames. I need to be especially cautious about my own inner-sarcasm and cynicism that can come up in the face of conflict. I don’t always deal with confrontation gracefully.

I will consciously look for the humor in everything today and recognize that if someone strikes out that it is a momentary release for them that they’ve likely been keeping under pressure for a while. Even if they direct it to me it’s probably not really about me. Today is not a day to try to win arguments, but more to air thoughts and even grievances and then table discussion when cooler heads can prevail.

However, I need to pay attention. Anything someone shows me will have some level of truth in it. If I receive feedback about my own actions or attitudes, I need to be receptive, but understand that the real message will be clearer when not delivered in big flaming letters. Criticism may be delivered with a lot of hyperbole today and the real information may need to be unwrapped a little. But, I may get some things that someone wouldn’t normally be as open about. That can be difficult, but a gift nonetheless.

Pay attention. Be forgiving. Try not to rise to provocation. Be compassionate. Be water.

The Queen of Cups appears today. (Lots of personified cards here lately!) Cups is the symbol of water, the element of emotion, intuition, creation. In the body of the queen this element takes on the form of a nurturing mother—though possibly a little overprotective.

The queen can also represent a mature woman, likely married, certainly motherly.

The queen calls to the female aspect, inviting one to be more open to those qualities of connection and intuition.

Since circumstances did not allow me to complete this article on the day, I’m actually considering this card the morning after. I did try to allow myself to be open to connection with people throughout the day and to let myself flow with circumstances rather than trying to control and shape them myself. I was giving tours all day at the Museum of the Weird, and it was a very busy day. A number of conditions conspired to prevent me from having control over things and I was tempted to become irritated and lash out at them, try to fix them. Ultimately, I did not. I just flowed with the situation and, while it was not my favorite day, I think I would have made it a lot worse if I had tried to be in charge. Everyone was doing what they thought was best.

I did not feel much of the nurturing side of the queen’s energy, though maybe it was still there. We can become fixed on our own challenges and ignore the help and support that we receive. I like to think that the queen’s energy transformed a day that could have been rotten into one that was simply exhausting.