Pour Your Cup Into the Earth
Mercury goes direct today, so it's time to release anxiety and get cracking on achievements.
The new moon in August totally fucked me up, and I’m still not sure how I feel about it.
New moons are times for new beginnings and renewal, but the new moon in Leo was forceful in its attempt to turn me into the mother of cups, a turn away from my standard mother-of-stones disposition. In short, my emotions have been all over the place compounded by a seasonal detox brought on by particulate matter in the wildfire smoke that blew in from Canada. The effect of all this was the generally dreadful notion that I was standing on uneven ground with shaking legs.
It’s been rough.
But since I’m not one to dwell on what was — life is too short to invite that kind of anxiety into the day — and since Mercury has (finally) gone direct, here’s to moving on tarot style.
You ever feel like your tarot deck is fucking with you?
My deck and I have a solid relationship. We get each other. And she’s (Yes, my deck is a ‘she’) spit some hard truths at times, truths which were uncomfortable but important for me to hear. Like this morning’s Mercury-Direct reading in which the lesson learned turned out to be . . . the Mother of Cups. The same mother that had me a weepy mess during convalescence, the same mother testing my fortitude and gumption.
1. The Emotional Baggage Mother
The Mother of Cups puts a spotlight on the emotional baggage you’re carrying, even if said baggage is hidden from you. After all, humans beings are fantastically secretive things. We don’t like airing our dirty laundry or being seen as weak, so we get really good at stuffing everything down into the void. You know, so it can fester and turn into stress ulcers or cancers later. It’s time to unpack.
The mother of cups is mysterious and devoted to autonomy. She has a deep need for privacy and sometimes feels conflicted between loving herself and pouring her love into others. I can share from experience that the mother of cups will have you feeling those big emotions, especially the ones you’ve tried like hell to stuff down and silence.
My biggest takeaway for this card is that I need to speak more holistically about my needs, including my need for intellectual validation and financial security, two things that, when absent, will derail me for days.
2. Spiritual Truth in Magic . . . Err, Action Anyway
Applying the cup mother’s lessons requires putting into practice what is currently stuck up in the ole gray matter. But the two of wands, dominion, tells me I can make the right moves using the sheer force of my will. Because lemme tell ya, I’m one stubborn woman when I need to be.
Failure is not an option. Neither is obsolescence, especially in this digital age of AI all the things when the fight between the humans and the robots comes that much closer.
I was recently speaking with my colleague and friend
about transforming my business practices from the more passive “marketing to attract new authors for book work” to the more active “pitching my writing to secure new projects.” Already, this change in practice means my hands are in control. I can count the number of pitches I send, track my success rates, and work to find new opportunities rather than waiting for opportunities to fall at my feet. All very Fal.3. The Shadow Father Can Be a Prick
Making the most of Mercury’s shadow period is nothing I’d ever imagine I’d want, but it’s August 27 and here we are. I feel like I’ve been waiting six months or more for things to pick back up for me, and this post-retrograde period makes it feel all the more possible.
If you work in books and stories, you know that relationships percolate below the surface until they’re ready to bubble over, so in some ways, I’m bracing myself for a busy period following what felt like stagnation. Timing is important, and the great tesseract in the sky presents us with patterns for recognition. We’re coming into the upswing of the curve, and mental stress is likely inevitable, so I have lavender and lemon balm on hand and lots of fresh mint growing for those cups of tea I foresee needing.
The father of wands urges me to remain rooted and calm during this time even as I put plans into action and do the necessary work to get ahead. While the card warns that my focus may come off as snobbery or arrogance, it’s important for me to remain devoted to my cause and to question all doubts, weaknesses, and points of confusion that would otherwise put a damper on the journey.
4. Change Comes on a Shooting Star
Change is coming all right, and this particular period of change is one of renewal and cleansing, humility and hope. I have some serious fears for the future, and so I’m taking reasonable steps to combat those fears and plan ahead, but playing it safe was never my destiny, so I’m plodding on ahead just the same.
The Star asks me to prioritize my newfound action changes for emotional and spiritual wellbeing, to think about what those actions mean for me today and for me in the future. It’s time to put away that tension, to release the anxiety holding me back.
And honestly, when I woke up this morning, I felt a teensy bit lighter, as if some of the anxiety had magically poofed away while I slept. Chalk this up to Mercury going direct, or to finally coming out of the mucus phase of seasonal detox, or to finally seeing the return of my appetite and thus getting the appropriate nutrition to stave off depression. You know, whatever works for you. But I feel better today, and that’s enough for me to know I’m on the right path.
5. Failure Ushers in Hope
The seven of stones in my reading threw me for a bit, but when I stepped back and really looked at the card and listened to what it told me, I got it. Sure, these last few months have felt like a practice in failing hard and fast. I mean, a freelancer without a big safety net just doesn’t fail to sign a new client contract in six months and feel good about it. That shit is demoralizing, like I’ve been on the wrong track the whole time and gotten lost in the woods or something.
The seven of stones tells me that careful redirection is necessary for success, something I already knew but it was validating to get the message twice. It’s important.
Sure, there was some disharmony, some hurt feelings, a string of failures. But there is also some serious potential for fresh starts and new hope. I have immense hope that I can build my career as a writer while continuing to market coaching, revision assistance, and ghostwriter to authors who need guidance. Really, since editing and writing are two sides of the same coin, I’m only a little embarrassed I’d neglected the writing part for this long. WTF?
6. Clarity Comes from the Earth
Or, clarity comes from within. I’m a Capricorn sun, an earth sign, and I take my Earth magic very seriously. For me, creativity is a virtue, something I value in a big way, something that actually hinders my more detailed technical work because I’m off thinking of the next project before I finish the one I’m working on. This is a natural part of who I am, and I’ve learned to work through what otherwise could become shiny object syndrome.
One of the stressors I shared with my partner during the retrograde period was that the worries I carried related to finances seemed to be bleeding into my creativity. It’s hard for me to think up new stories and angles when my gray matter is stuck in a fucking hole and refuses to come out despite the fact that there’s a ladder propped against the wall. Like, climb.
So, I’m going to be focusing more on what my hands can do with creativity and sheer will. I’m a go-getter type, so I’mma go get it done.
Are you coming into a period of renewal and lightness, a time for setting new goals and taking the right actions to achieve them?
What does mercury going direct mean for you?
<3 Fal
Want To Know What Tarot Can Do For You?
If you’re interested in a tarot reading to work through your mindset, I’d love to chat with you. I’m going to ask you to dig deep and share bravely to get to the root of the issue, and an open mind is required. But if this sounds like you, let’s get you sorted.
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