Happy Full Moon from me and this sweet patch of moss
Paris Climate Agreement: What You Can Do
Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement:
Let this news reaffirm your commitment to change your own habits, to speak out, to do whatever you can to heal the planet. Don't lose hope because some jabronies are flaunting their disrespect for life. That is meant as a distraction tactic, to spiral us in a bunch of fear and dire thoughts. It is meant to separate us from our innate connection with the earth, each other, and source. Keep your focus. Each successive news story about the US government's contempt for life serves to distract us, and to control the story of what's going on. If someone tells you over and over that you're not worthy of respect, rights, life, freedom, they are trying to make you believe it. They are trying to beat you down and crush your will to stay in your own truth. It is a classic abuser tactic, and what is a fascist state if not large scale abuse.
But you do not have to buy it. You don't even need to put energy into denying or resisting their message. Be soft, let it pass through you, like a shadow over water. Keep your energy available to use in creating art and speaking for threatened people, for taking responsibility for your own use of resources, and for doing the work of connection and support. That's what they want to prevent, is us being fully alive and connected. So notice the story, but don't grab onto it with despair or anger. Notice it, and keep on working to bring more beauty and love into the world. And not in a fluffy way. I mean the deep work of facing your prejudices, and privilege, caring for your fellow humans, respecting and protecting life, and speaking the truth. That's real love and beauty.
Please reach out if I can help support you. I have a few openings on Friday and Sunday. 💚
📷: Photo by me. Trillium on Mt Ranier
Beach Magic
Oregon, you have some incredibly beautiful coastline.
New Moon in Gemini/Supermoon
Gemini is the twins, the double, the mirror. Both the sun and moon are in Gemini, right now, bringing a layer of doubles to our perception. This is not a time of either/or, it is both/and. Nothing is being split in half or added to, rather we are seeing and feeling our own multi-faceted nature.
This invites a way of being where we are at the same time our everyday self and our higher self. We are both at once all the time, but in our culture we are conditioned to to try to split them. We're told to make "logical" ego-based decisions and brush off anything that might be termed "feeling," even when that is in fact your intuition. But both sides are meant to work together.
A powerful way for working with this moon's energy is asking yourself for guidance, like you're asking a wise friend. Not sure how you feel about something, or what the best course of action? Ask yourself, your higher self, the complete and loving part of yourself. Write down the question or issue you want to ask your higher self, then center in your heart. Intend for the answer to come from your heart, higher self, soul, intuition-- whatever term feels right. Then write the answer to your question. You may be surprised by what you see! Your intuition will always be loving and expansive, and won't judge or blame you or anyone else. If you read back on what you've written and you see any blame or mean self-talk, that's no big deal, just showing where the ego and old beliefs are-- for this exercise, just cross it out.
If you feel like you want to connect to your intuition, soul, or higher self, asking is the first step. It opens the opportunity for this inner guidance to come through more and more, and take the lead in everyday life. This moon is a very good time to open up to this part of yourself, because the current is just gently pulling that way, and it requires very little effort, just willingness to open.
📷: photo by me of Black Sun by Isamu Noguchi, Volunteer Park, Seattle
Mountain Magic
Page of Wands :
Learning to let ambition soften from some grabby do-it-all mindset to playful wondering, and trying things out just to see what happens, without expectations about the outcome.
The true inventor's mind, just experiencing, not controlling. Letting your inner fire be a thing you notice and play with. That's what it's here for! Wands have this amazing invitation to let go and let your energy be playful. But that requires you to accept that you can't do it all or control it all. You are not meant to control everything, nor is control actually enjoyable. It's like a drug, it doesn't satisfy a true need so you still have this craving for more. (Hello yes I struggle with control issues alll the time and I rarely feel like I'm doing "enough.")
When you can accept that (for a little while, because this is something we have to learn over and over), THAT is Page of Wands energy. Just being able to say, "I don't know what will happen next, but in this moment I feel a spark and I'm going to try out this idea and see what happens."
That approach to fire and ambition means you can be open to all possibilities, including the possibilities that this one idea may not pan out, or that it might work so well it'll take on a life of its own. Remembering you don't have control of the outcome even in your most inspired ideas and careful planning, so you might as well have some fun. And no matter the outcome, trying again and again. By not putting your energy into trying to control, you have more left to put to creative, fun use.
I'm taking this mountain message to heart, remembering that I can play and experience my fire in a grounded, way, and don't have to grind so hard.
🔹When you pull a card and it matches the landscape 👀
photo from Mount Ranier yesterday
🔹 Ranier is a SNOW CAPPED VOLCANO, talk about grounded fire.
Tiny Perfect Things
Happy Sunday from Seattle!
The sounds of birds and church bells are all around our little Airbnb.
The 10 of Cups invites us to look up and see beautiful, wonder-full parts of the present moment. Right now, not an hour ago when the light was better or in 5 minutes after you've done the dishes. There is something perfect and mundane waiting for your gratitude right now, so thank the first thing that comes to mind. (Thank you, slatted light on this formica tabletop.)
The High Priestess reminds us that we connect with the deep mysteries of life as we connect with the minutiae of this moment. Presence and gratitude are the simplest and greatest spiritual practices.
What tiny perfect thing are you grateful for right now?
Seattle and Portland Bookings
Seattle and Portland people, I'll be on the west coast from May 20-30. If you would like to book me for tarot readings, reiki, private lessons, or a group class, I would love that! Please reach out and we'll set up a date.
Also please share recs for great local food, vintage shopping, cozy cafes, etc.
NYC, see you again in June!
Dream Big, Work Big
Today's sweet office ::
I had the honor of offering email and in-person readings for some lovely people and I just love this work. I want to do as much of it as possible.
If you'd like to work with me, please reach out! I'm now booking for June and July.
I'm also working on setting up a scheduler, planning an email newsletter, more public classes, and private lessons. And I want to write a TV show, maybe a book first. 😜 Dream big, work big, do all the things!
Thank you all for hanging out and reading this and for also sharing your lives with me. Happy weekend, people!
Full Moon in Scorpio
The card I drew for this moon is Ace of Cups. The invitation here is to go deep, get weird, and embrace our shadow, all in the service of love.
Happy full moon, beautiful people!
Forgiveness and The Devil
Forgive yourself to heal yourself.
There is nothing you can't heal.
There is nothing you can't forgive.
What The Devil card shows us is where we hold shame about something we did that we believe we can never heal or forgive.
Believing something is unforgivable is a way to feel in control of a situation. If you tell yourself that you will never ever forgive yourself for a thing, then you are creating a cage for your own power of forgiveness, not the thing, whatever it is.
Forgiving does not mean condoning harmful behavior or allowing it to happen again. It's about letting go of the story of it, and taking ownership for your feelings. It's about offering healing and love to yourself.
This is deep, hard stuff to work through, but its part of being human. I'm doing it, too.
Big love to @brooklyntarot, @wildsoulhealing, and the rest of the #brooklynfools for holding space for all of us to share these big scary feelings so we can keep healing them.
❤️❤️❤️ @heatherhogandc @darylkovalich @_p_yoon @puhluh @paula__dixon @swellest @anneka.skywalker @stefaniecaponi @margaretyesmargaret (any other Fools on Instagram?)
North Node in Leo
Heyyy the North Node shifted to Leo today! It'll be there for the next 18 months.
North Node is the position in astrology that shows where your life's purpose is found, or what lessons you're here to work through.
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What this means is that for all of us, our life purpose and path is colored by this Leo lens for the next 18 months. Think bolder, shinier, BIGGER in all of your dreams and projects, with lots of warm sunny generous LOVE in the mix. This is opening you up to work from the heart, in joyful service to the planet.
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This is my personal North Node and my sun sign is also Leo (Virgo cusp). So I like to think of this as a chance to open-heartedly do what I'm here to do!
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Thanks to Leisa Haddad for talking about NN in my birth chart reading a few months ago- clearly I've been thinking about what you said! If anyone is looking to get some insight on their ~~stars~~, reach out to @leisah for a reading, she's magical.
Five of Cups
The traditional meaning of this card is, hey some cups have spilled but look over here at these non-spilled cups! Meaning, yes, something is lost, changed, gone, but focus on what you do have. But another layer is, don't rush yourself in turning away from the spilled cups, from your grieving process. We're really quick to push down emotions and try to get to the "positive" lesson in stuff, but that is not always appropriate. Like, if you'd just lost your mom, how helpful would it be to hear, "yeah, she died but it's so great that you still have your dad!" Zero helpful, right? We gotta grieve when we feel loss. And however that happens for you is ok. Like if you feel angry, numb, relieved, sad, all or none of the above. There's nothing negative about facing your feelings and giving them space. Grieving makes space for us to fully appreciate what we still have, and not as a performance of positivity.
I love when a new layer of a card reveals itself unexpectedly. I was talking about this card in class yesterday and this nuance came through, and I just found myself saying it out loud. Truly the learning is in the doing, with tarot as with everything else in life. Next Tarot for Creativity class is 6/22 at Pioneer Works, tickets available here.
Please reach out if you're interested in a reading, private tarot lessons or a group class. I'm looking to share as much tarot magic as possible this spring and summer!
Look up
Don't burn out thinking you have to do everything alone, or that you have to control and plan every minute of your life.
Ask for help, trust that help will come from the right place at the right time. You don't have to know exactly how everything will work out ahead of time, you just have to know that it will unfold how it's meant to. And it's unfolding now! Everything you experience is a step on your path, one more layer of life that makes you stronger and shapes you into the person you're here to become. Wherever you are is not the end, it's just where you need to be right now. Look around and notice where you are, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Even looking up for a minute can take you from that place of being overwhelmed.
See if you can loosen your need for control today. Make space for the universe to send you unexpected help. In fact, expect help. It's likely already here, waiting for you to notice.
Loving yourself is resistance
I've tried a bunch of times to write about all the things that have been happening this week in the world, the continual abuse of power and degradation of black folk, women, immigrants, queer and trans folk, anyone with "preexisting conditions."
And though I can't make sense of it on a rational level, and I can't come up with a clear way to lay out all of my thoughts, I do have one thing to share right now.
Loving yourself is resistance. When you're told that you are not valuable, not worthy of living, valuing yourself is a radical act.
So please know that you are awesome and powerful, and please take care of yourself in whatever way feels right.
Tarot for Creativity Class May 7, 2017
Hi friends! I'm teaching a tarot class this weekend, want to come?
Tarot for Creativity
Sunday May 7th, 2-4pm!
At my place in Red Hook, Brooklyn. (116 Wolcott St, Apt 2)
Suggested donation $10-20. Email moriah.simmons@gmail.com if you want to come.
Feel free to invite other friends, too!
Class description:
My goal for this class is to give you practical tools to connect with your own creative power, using your tarot deck. Because really owning your creativity and personal power is important for happiness and also overthrowing the patriarchy. All types of creators, with all levels of tarot experience, are welcome.
This class will cover:
1. daily tarot practices for creative empowerment
2. tarot card interpretations to support personal and creative growth
3. tarot spreads to generate ideas and flesh out concepts
4. lessons from tarot archetypes to help us stay in the flow of creative thinking
Please bring your tarot deck, a notebook, and a pen. (If anyone doesn't have a deck yet, I'll have a couple you can borrow for the class.)
I hope to see you there!
Beltane & International Workers' Day
Happy May Day - Beltane - International Workers' Day
I have some thoughts about the power of connection, and collaboration, and how that's been tapped into by witches and workers. I love how this ancient fire feast is evolving into a deeper meaning, by sharing a date with Workers' Day.
Today we're more free, more individuated than other times in known history and that is a direct result of the work put in by our ancestors who fought for this freedom. It's thanks to the workers who stood up and demanded a fair wage and 8-hour days that we have a weekend and labor laws. And it's thanks to the people who practiced their ancient religions despite persecution, that we can reconnect with these practices centuries later. And I don't mean that these witches and workers were merely taunted or had to work a lot and got tired. They were robbed, beaten, murdered.
But you know what, they won.
They endured suffering and made a lasting difference, even if they didn't know what effect their actions would have. Most likely, they didn't have any idea of the outcome, but they knew what step they had to take in the moment, and they took it. They understood the importance of the human spirit, and the power of human connection, and they acted to protect those rights.
Your ancestors gave this life to you.
And know that you aren't here just to spend the privileges they worked for. You're here because you, too, can make a lasting impact on the world. That's the best way to honor your ancestors, to continue the work of supporting and connecting other people, and lifting up the human spirit.
Take time today to feel your inner fire, how it connects you to all other people who did this work in other times, who are doing this work now. Light a candle and meditate on the flame, or make a bonfire if you have the space. Feel the fire enter your eyes, and move to your heart. You are carrying the same sacred flame as your ancestors, as your living family.
You have the ability to know what is right, and act on it, even without knowing the outcome. You have the ability to warm and protect other people with every act. Use it well.
Earth Day
Happy Earth Day. Going super literal with the picture but Earth is more than dirt, more than a place we live. Everything we have ever seen, touched, tasted, is earth. The sky and ocean are part of earth. We are earth. Love her, love yourself
New Moon in Aries
Hello under there!
Aries new moon is a check-in with The Self, the you-iest you under all the layers of disguise and insulation. That, naturally, can feel a little raw. But you're ready to emerge. This is the season of growth popping through, fresh shoots standing up to say I AM. You try it, too.
Fill in the blanks:
I AM here to:
I AM worthy of:
I AM showing up for:
Here's mine:
I AM here to be a channel for healing. I AM worthy of love and attention. I AM showing up for individual and social changes.
What's yours?
Full Moon in Virgo
This is the message that came through for me to share about this full moon. I hope it serves you!
Virgo is all about the individual in direct service, and connecting to spirit through work. We are after all, "spiritual beings having a human experience" (thank you, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin). So part of each person's spiritual path is to help other people physically. Use your body and mind to help the suffering of other peoples bodies and minds. Your body is your physical life here on earth. Your body includes your voice, your mind, your work, your hands, your heart. There is always something you can do that serves other people. Even when you feel you're not doing enough, or that you couldn't possibly be of service, you can accept the kindness people show you -- that is an act of service, too.
Whatever you do, please know that your life can be of service of other people. You will find the right way for you. I truly believe that every task, every career, can be one of deep healing for yourself and others. You can be the designer who creates clothing that makes people feel safe and beautiful and strong. You can be the cook who makes warming soup on a cold day. You can be the accountant who helps clients release their fear of money. You can be the cashier who waits patiently while a customer counts out exact change. You can do all of those things in everyday life.
Please also use some of your free time to do extracurricular healing work, in volunteering, protesting, calling. If you can call or email representatives currently in power, do that. If you can go to protests, do that. If you can step in when you hear racist or sexist comments and say, that's not ok, do that. If you can donate your money, time, food, or labor, do that. If you can listen to and believe people who speak out about the injustices they face, do that. Those are things we can all do every day.
And there are some things you can do that you may need to do soon, that are beyond the everyday. If you can use your home to keep someone safe from wrongful detainment, do that. If you can help defend someone from attack, do that. You are strong enough to do what is right.
Work on believing that you have in you the power to make a difference in your daily life and in out-of-the-ordinary situations. Say it out loud to cement it. "I have the power to make a difference for other people." Then start to put your belief in practice. This full moon is the time to look at your life and see what's grown over the last month, through this Virgo lens. All you're being invited to do, is to feel the truth of your own wholeness and service.
Snake Medicine
I wanted to share this with you, it's something that's been on my mind a lot recently. I asked for clarification on things I've been seeing about the collective, so this reading is for all of us.
Your work here is to grow and change, in a continual spiral toward becoming your true self and living your purpose. A snake has to shed her skin as she grows. And you have to leave behind the things you've outgrown, too. This is a time of awakening for all of us, whether we choose it or not. It is uncomfortable to grow and outgrow, even when we're ready. There will be people who fight it, and try to stop change or even push it backwards, not just their own personal change, but the awakening and freedom of others. They will not succeed, and even the "success" they're aiming for is an illusion. No one's freedom, happiness, or abundance threatens that of anyone else. Please don't worry, even when the news is awful. There is no going back to a less awakened time. You can't fit a snake back into her molted skin. And you can't un-know the truth about yourself. We all have to keep going. The more each of us wakes up, the more we can all wake up.
In the guidebook for these cards, Snake is called the guardian of untapped magic and knowledge. There's a note that the snake card appears "when there is no more time to waste." So now, right now, what can you decide out of joy rather than fear? Where can you shed illusions of separation? Where can you embrace your magic?
And you don't have to do this all alone! Accept help whenever it's offered. Please reach out to me if you'd like a tarot reading or energy work to support you as you grow. Love you, hope this helps.