Casting Your Tarot Birth Chart (A Case Study)

The past week I have been experimenting with tarot layouts to access the cards from different angles. I thought it would be fun to use my birth cart as a spread, so I pulled cards for each of my planets and lunar nodes, then laid them out as you would find them on my birth chart. If you have never seen a chart, think of a big pizza with twelve slices, each slice representing a sphere of life that you may choose to focus on, whether its family, school, fun activities, relationships, career, civilisation building, spirituality etc. 

You then have 10 jalapeños to toss onto the pizza, the first one is your Sun, the second the Moon, the third Mercury and so on through the rest of the planets. Finally there are 12 flavored cheeses to sprinkle on the pizza (for each of the Zodiac's signs), and where they fall may not correspond exactly with the way the pizza is sliced. The cheese (Zodiac sign) flavors our experience of those jalapeños (planets) in that pizza slice (sphere of life). The slices with lots of jalapeños might take up a lot of time, energy and attention or maybe, they'll be too spicy for us to go near them. So for example, my first jalapeño (Sun) is in the 9th slice of Higher Learning, sprinkled with Aquarius. It's also millimetres away from my MidHeaven, also sprinkled with Aquarius. The MidHeaven represents our approach to our career, and its the dividing line between the 9th slice of Higher Learning and the 10th of work and public achievements. The fact that my Sun and MidHeaven are in close proximity means they get along and should work together. Planets don't always get along and if you trace a line from each planet to the centre of the pizza, the angles between them can give us interesting clues. 

For example, planets that form 90 degree angles or direct oppositions create tension to keep things from getting boring. My chart is full of these, though I do have friendly aspects to soften the effect. This summer I took a supercalifragilistically cool astrology class, one where we learned to read our charts intuitively. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it and thought it would be fun to try tarot for a visual representation. Unfortunately I forgot to pull a card for my Ascendant, which is important as it speaks to how I interact with others and also happens to soften one of my big oppositions (oh well). These are the highlights from my quirky Tarot Birth Chart: 

Sun Square Uranus

The Seven of Wands on the left represents my Sun, which depending on the House system used can be found in the 9th House of Higher Learning or the 10th House of Public Achievements. Bookworm that I am, the 9th of Higher Learning certainly resonates so let's go with that one. This card is about making a big effort to hold your ground and standing up for who you are or what you believe in (yay!). In my birth chart its square Uranus, the planet of originality which also happens to rule Aquarius (my sun sign). This rebel planet is in the 6h house of Work, so if I'm looking at the combination I feel like its about sticking to my guns work wise and trying to find a career path that suits my "originality" but also rolling up my sleeves and laying the groundwork for everything that comes later. 

Lunar Node Opposition

The moon's nodes are meant to represent strengths and weaknesses that we may have brought forward from past lives or ancestral history, the south node being the comfort zone that we retreat to while the north node is always the opposite of that. The Nine of Pentacles on the left represents my South Node  which also happens to be in Aquarius in the 10th House. This is a card about independence, comfort and a self-sufficiency (also very Aquarian independent), whereas the card on the right represents my North Node in Leo, in the 4th House of family and home life. This one is like a seesaw for me, and maybe what I need to find is a balance where I'm independent but still happily tethered somewhere. 

Moon Square Pluto  

Now this is fun! The Moon represents our instinctual desires and reactions, how we nurture ourselves and others and possibly a few unconscious fears. The card on the left is The Star, about looking up to the stars for guidance and hope, and somehow trusting that things will work out in the end (and if they're not ok, it's not the end?). Let's compare that with the card on the right, representing the energy of Pluto in my life. Pluto is the transformer, power player and bringer of upheaval. The card I pulled was the Five of Pentacles and if I go by the images, you'd think I  was out in the cold a little bit worse for wear. I don't feel like I'm out in the cold, one of the traditional meanings of the Five of Pentacles. Maybe it's about being for grateful what I have, trusting that I'm following my star's path and to keep going. 

Jupiter Conjuct Mars ...

Now this combination looks fun! Jupiter, on the left, is  said to be the great benefactor, expanding everything he touches whether it's pleasant or not. Lucky for me, I have the Knight of Cups in that position, a card about falling in love (metaphorically speaking) with a new stage in our lives. Mars and Jupiter as practically sitting on top of each other in my chart so they work together. Mars is a planet of action, how we go after the things we want (sometimes violently as its also the planet of war, but I'm not in a fighting mood so that's a relief). Here I  pulled the Magician, about relying on your skills and ability to pull something off even if you don't feel like you are 100% ready for the task. The infinity symbol over the magician's head is about being limitless even if we don't know it. I wear an infinity ring to remind me of that fact and of my inner Magician, so it's a nice card to see in the spread. Let's see how this plays out ... 

... Opposite Mercury

If you look at my chart, Mercury is at the top in the 10th house of public life and achievements, directly opposite this Jupiter-Mars conjunction. I'm reading a great book by Sue Tompkins called Aspects in Astrology, and what it says about these oppositions is that Mercury opposite Jupiter can be about me making mountains out of molehills, thinking about the bigger picture and confidently expressing your opinions (though coupled with Mars maybe its a bit much?). The card I pulled for Mercury is the Six of Pentacles, which can be about sharing, inequality as a subject matter and possibly compensation. The general feeling I get from the card is that it's time I got to work, and somehow the Knight of Cups and the Magician from the Jupiter/Mars duo will make it happen. 

Out of curiosity I went back to pull a card for my Rising Sign (Ascendant). In my chart, my Gemini Ascendant is perpendicular to this big opposition between Mercury and Mars/Jupiter, providing an outlet for that combustive energy. The card I pulled was The Emperor, about order, logic, discipline and organization. I take it to mean that if I have a ton of projects cropping along this Martian, Jupiterian, Mercurial line, the Emperor will help me organise and prioritise it all. 

The Tarot Birth Wheel

So that's my Tarot Birth Wheel. I took of a picture of the cards in their natural habitat and even though its a bit blurry you'll get a sense for how they were laid out on my big pizza wheel. There are a lot of planets squaring off against each other so I didn't explore them all. It's worth mentioning that this set of cards feel relevant now. I'm not sure if this is a lifelong challenge or just what I need to focus on at the moment. We may be born with a particular blueprint but we also keep evolving our way through life. I might try this again in a year to see if the new cards also resonate. If you'd like to develop your own Tarot Birth Chart, there's a great website called AstrologyClub.org with free interpretations. Just generate your chart, have a look at the placements and pull your cards! Please comment below if you do try it out and tell us how it went. And stay tuned of my next post. My end of term Tarot assignment is due next week: a creative interpretation of the Major Arcana cards. I am barely getting started ... 

 

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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to unlock your intuition. 

Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Youtube

> Español: @AngelMedium33

  

Image Source: Rider Waite Tarot Deck 

Become a Weekday Vegetarian

A few weeks ago I went to a massive bookstore near Piccadilly Circus looking for titles on green business and environmentalism. Most of my healing work so far has entered on energy and emotions and it's time I turned my attention to physical matters like food, or our relationship with the planet. 

The book that grabbed my attention was called Farmaggedon: The True Cost of Cheap Meat. I flipped to a random page and came across the story of a town in India that has high incidence of cancer, thanks to the pesticides used in nearby cattle farms. This struck a chord as my first published book is on energy healing and cancer, including risk factors to watch out for. Diet and exercise may be the easiest to change, and the World Health Organization tells us that lifestyle factors are responsible for a 1/3rd of cancer cases so it's a great place to start. A part of me realised this book could mean the end of my meat-eating days and I wasn't ready to go there, so I put it back on the shelf. There are so many reasons to give up meat: animal cruelty, health, the environmental impact, and one very human reason not to, taste. Ironically, my favourite foods are salads and cheeseburgers. I will often go for the veggie option, but  I'm not ready to say goodbye to meat, chicken or fish. 

Last week I stumbled upon a TedTalk by Graham Hill of of TreeHugger, called Why I'm a Weekday Vegetarian. The message just clicked. There are quite a few reasons to consider cutting back on meat, chicken and fish even if like me, you don't want or need to give it up forever. Here are a few:

• We like to think pigs and chickens were happily raised on farms, but if we are buying our milk, eggs or animal products in a supermarket that may not be the case. The factory conditions animals are raised in can be deplorable. Free range and organic can be pricier but it's also more humane. 

• The environmental impact is massive, whether its fish or meat. I was surprised to learn that huge amounts of water are consumed by meat production. Professor Tim Benton from the University of Leeds was quoted in this article from The Guardian saying that: "The biggest intervention people could make towards reducing their carbon footprints would not be to abandon cars, but to eat significantly less red meat." In a funny twist, the Showers for Beef movement encourages us to skip twenty-six showers for every hamburger patty we eat, just to balance out the cost.  

• Do it for your health. Industrial production of food has given us too much of a good thing, whether its processed sugar, salt, dairy products or red meat. Obesity is a public health problem, but its also possible to be thin and have high cholesterol, putting ourselves at risk for heart disease. I'm not an expert in this area but I would like to learn more, so I'm just putting it out there. 

So what is the solution? Graham Hill's suggestion was to become a part-time vegetarian, eating meat, chicken or fish only on weekends. It's a quick and easy way to reduce your environmental footprint by 70% without saying goodbye to animal products forever. Its better for your health, for the environment and if you care about how these factory animals are treated, the fact that you're spending less will also make organic, sustainable and farm raised option more accessible. It's been two weeks since I watched the video and I'm giving it a try. A big part is enjoying the food you eat on weekdays and good recipes can help. Follow this link for more on the Weekday Vegetarian option, including a book by Graham Hill. 

Watch Graham's Ted Talk Here

That said, there has been a positive side to the industrial production of food the past century, as Louise Fresco demonstrates in her Ted Talk on Feeding the Whole World. While  developed nations may suffer from the too much food phenomenon, there are plenty of people in developing nations who would struggle to eat without it. Any solution would have to take them into account as well ... 

Watch Louise Here =)

 

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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to unlock your intuition. 

Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Youtube

> Español: @AngelMedium33

  

Tarot, Astrology and Birthdates (A Case Study)

I love connecting the dots and if there is one area where this OCD habit of mine comes in handy, it's Astrology and Tarot. There are Major Arcana cards for each of the signs and planets.  So for example, my Sun in Aquarius is represented by the Star in tarot; a card about listening to divine guidance and trusting that everything will be OK. 

My moon in Capricorn is represented by The Devil, an energy that makes you feel like you're chained to the material world, responsibility and work. The Sun sign represents your soul's essence and journey whereas the Moon Sign represents your emotional reactions or programming; how you're wired to react. I have always felt a certain repulsion to The Devil, but I have no problem with the Star card. I actually bought a book called Tarot & Astrology by Corrine Kenner because the cover image grabbed my attention, only to discover that it corresponded to the Star card in her Wizards Tarot deck. The book is fantastic and even though it may take a while for all of the information to sink in, it will add depth to your readings. 

There's one more sign that is relevant in all of our birth charts: the Ascendant. This placement refers to how we interact with the world, our user interface. I'm a Gemini Rising, so that makes me chatty and quick to jump from one place to the next (a trait that came in handy during High School; I went to four schools in three countries). The Gemini card is said to be the Lovers, about making choices and listening to that inner voice even though if I'm honest, I don't see the connection. 

I mention this now because we explored birthdates in my Tarot class  (taught by Avril Price), and would you believe these cards came up again! We each have a pair of Major Arcana cards that correspond to our date of birth. So for example, if you take January 18 1978, the digits add up up to Eight (1+1+9+1+9+7+8=8), which is the Justice card. My birthday adds up to Six: The Lovers. Avril then had us pair this image up with the other Major Arcana card that would have the pair add up to twenty-one (As an aside, there are twenty-two Major Arcana cards but the Fool begins the journey at Zero, and we count to twenty-one). My birthday cards are The Lovers (6) and The Devil (15). The image is striking, like two sides of the same coin. 

So how does this relate to my life? Sometimes it feels like I'm torn between hope and fear, reaching for the stars or throwing in the towel. Ultimately the cards are about choices and the emotions or reasons on which we base those choices. Our tutor implied that this could be a significant incarnation for me. There are so many ways to interpret this combination. I wonder if it is choosing one or the other, or trying to listen to both and not getting lost in either of the cards. If I add my Aquarian Star Card back into the mix, it makes me feel a lot better. 

There is something about that Moon in Capricorn that still doesn't click. Maybe it's the anchor that brings me back to Earth (Capricorn is an earthy, work sign). I'm also taking a great Psychic Astrology class this term where we explore our charts intuitively every week. I'm up to my neck in stars and cards, lol, it's a lot of fun actually. Our tutor is Demian Allan, the only astrologer I've come across who teaches both the intuitive and technical sides (makes it easier when you're stepping into the signs). The Moon in Capricorn is my awkward point, something to look at. If I weren't going back to Mexico I'd sign up for Part 2. It’s like getting life coaching from someone who already knows a lot about you, to the point and very accurate.    

My Angel and My Devil ...

 

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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to unlock your intuition. 

Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Youtube

> Español: @AngelMedium33

Image Sources:  Tarot & Astrology by Corrine Kenner (1) /  Rider Waite Tarot (2)

Co-Creating with the Archangels

In 2009, I discovered a book that made me take astrology seriously- Jan Spiller’s Astrology for the Soul. It uses reverse psychology to help us find happiness outside of our comfort zone. The path is found along the North Node of the Moon (your soul’s north star). It blew my mind; in my case, I had to be less of an Aquarius and let myself shine. Be more of a Leo. 

I was so enchanted with Astrology for the Soul that I read another book of hers on New Moons. Here Jan teaches us to time our vision boards and affirmations so they correspond with the Moon’s zodiac sign. So for example, if you want to give your love life or social life a boost, you would wait for the Moon in Libra or Taurus, as Venus rules both. The Moon gives us an extra oomph. 

After a few months I went back to the Archangels - they can help us 24/7. I am not discarding moon phases because they can be powerful, but we might as well call on the Archangels to get traction with our plans. There are a whole host of angels that we can call on, today I'll focus on the ones that support our efforts with courage, synchronicities and healing. Enjoy! 

Finding Your Courage

It should come as no surprise that courage is Archangel Michael’s domain. He is the patron saint of armies, police officers and firefighters, bringing courage and also honesty and integrity to professions of service and protection. Michael can give us a friendly push when we are stuck in our comfort zone. Ask him to ground your energy and fill you with courage, direction and clarity. He can also grab our attention when an opportunity arises so that we don’t miss out. If we are doing too much he will give us a time out, as pushing too hard can be counterproductive. Michael can help us find that delicate balance. 

Catching the Wave

As a kid I loved boogie boarding. It's like surfing, only you lay flat on your stomach even after you’ve caught the wave. Being in the right place at the right time often meant catching a big enough wave and riding it to shore. If you were too far out, no amount of paddling would get you there in time. The universe works in a similar way with different forces carrying us forward, or passing us by if we are no where near enough when the wave breaks. This is where I like to call on Archangel Raziel for help. Raziel is the keeper of secrets, especially where universal energy, metaphysics and astrology are concerned. He can teach us to work with these energy currents, bringing them closer so we can ride that wave. 

Archangel Raziel is an expert magician who works closely with Archangel Orion. I have an odd story about Orion. Two years ago I went on a workshop where the facilitator tried to make her job more interesting by poking fun at us during group readings. I left after that session because it made me feel very uncomfortable - in school, we were taught to be mindful of how we did readings in public. Before she began her reading, she did tell me that I had a team of star guides who were popping in to say hello. They wanted to say that I was a Teacher and not to forget them. She suggested I connect with the star Sirius, but when I tuned later, I got the word ORION. 

This was two years ago and I hadn't given it much thought. Last week I went for a power walk before my angel intuition class and the Sirius vs Orion question came to mind. Once again, my intuition pointed me towards Orion, and a few seconds later I turned a corner to see a construction truck with the name ORION spelled out on the side. What a coincidence! A few hours later I went to class. We were connecting with an angel that I had never heard of: Archangel Orion, the Manifesting Angel. He is associated with the Orion belt, and we can work with him to tap into the star power in the Universe. 

According to the Sefer Yetzirah, an ancient Kabbalistic text, angels work through stars and planets to reach us. I believe the team of star guides above were angels of the stars *

Be Ready to Receive

The last point is about feeling worthy of the things we desire, and this is where a lot of us trip up. The good news is we can work with Archangels Haniel and Chamuel, the Angels of Healing and Unconditional Love to boost our self-esteem, our sense of worth and heal our Heart Chakras. Energetically we tend to receive anything "good" through our Heart Chakras, and we can also learn to co-create with the Heart by meditating with pink crystals. Archangel Haniel is also linked with the Moon and we can connect with her to get a better understanding of how our energy stands. You could say that grounding your energy and healing the Heart should be first on our list, without it we risk creating wonderful things and not allowing them into our lives. 

If you're not sure what to manifest, 

ask Archangel Sandalphon for advice

Blending Intuition & Logic ... 

Our intuition is the gateway to creativity and problem solving, giving us ideas that we can pursue. Those intuitive visions give us glimpses of potential futures and solutions - but it’s on us to follow through with practical assessments before taking a leap. There have been plenty of times where my intuition gave leads that didn't work out, and I wound up going down another route. At the end of the day, we are each responsible for our lives and reap the rewards of the work and gutsiness that we show. The idea is to blend intuition, logic and action as we take take the lead in our lives.  

Reiki hugs, 

Regina 

> Connect with the angels: 1st Steps in Psychic Awareness.

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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to unlock your intuition. 

Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Youtube

> Español: @AngelMedium33

 

 

* 2021 Update: I added the phrase in italics after reading Aryeh Kaplan's Sefer Yetzirah. 

Image: www.canva.com