earthstartarot

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Earthstar: An Astro-Botanical Tarot is a 78 card Tarot deck, also available in a book format: (https://amzn.to/3fdcdMQ) and as a physical deck: (https://www.makeplayingcards.com/sell/thestar17)

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Zero, the first and last card of the twenty-two major arcana in the Tarot, is associated with Uranus.

It’s the beginning and timelessness of the journey, a sense of a fresh start, a blank slate, naiveté or innocence. It’s guided and guarded by instinct and whim. It’s an intuitive connection and unity with the environment- even as one searches for and differentiates their identity from the whole. It’s an open mind, like that of a youth. It’s curiosity, exploration, movement or travel. It can be seen as the soul itself, rebirth, initiation a life; the inner being that goes through the phases of all the Tarot’s archetypes over the course of an incarnation. The zero is sometimes associated with the birth canal, the matrix, chaos, God energy, and blessing. The twenty-second letter of Hebrew alphabet, Tau, can mean signal or guidepost.

Thistle is a symbol of might, survival, protection, nobility or royalty. It’s associated with the moon (cool + moist/breasts, stomach, female reproductive organs) and Jupiter (warm + moist/liver, hips, thighs) though it’s a member of the sunflower family. The protective spines are similar to Cancer (ruled by the moon) the crab’s shell. It’s a potent cleanser of the liver, supports kidney and gallbladder health, is an antioxidant, antiviral and anti-inflammatory.

Carl Gustav Jung ( July 26, 1875 – June 6, 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung’s work was influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philosophy, and religious studies. Jung worked as a research scientist at the famous Burghölzli hospital, under Eugen Bleuler. During this time, he came to the attention of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. The two men conducted a lengthy correspondence and collaborated, for a while, on a joint vision of human psychology. Among the central concepts of analytical psychology is individuation- the lifelong psychological process of differentiation of the self out of each individual’s conscious and unconscious elements. Jung considered it to be the main task of human development. He created some of the best known psychological concepts, including synchronicity, archetypal phenomena, the collective unconscious, the psychological complex, and extraversion/introversion. Jung was also an artist, craftsman and builder as well as a prolific writer. Many of his works were not published until after his death and some are still awaiting publication.

Note: Astrology and Tarot were among Jung’s tools and fascinations.

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The first card of the Tarot is associated with Mercury. It’s about the power of the mind to create the experience of our reality. It says we have all the elements we need to build: fire/will, water/emotion, air/thought and earth/material. It advises us to be conscious of the content in our mind, which can bolster or undermine us. Practice positive affirmations and written intentions. The articulated word is influential. It has the butterfly effect. Words are seeds being planted. The pen is mightier than the sword. This card can also bring up the idea of what is real versus illusion. It could be a masterful speaker or a mercurial, trickster type. Maybe it’s a storyteller. The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Aleph, can mean power or leader. The oak and acorn symbolize fertility, potency, luck, money, wisdom and longevity. They’re linked to the planet Jupiter (warm + moist/liver, hips, thighs), Acorns are high in fat, protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamin content. They can protect the heart, increase energy, regulate blood sugar levels, build bone, aid digestion, and reduce inflammation.

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí Domènech, Marquis of Dalí de Púbol (May 11, 1904 - January 23, 1989) was a Spanish Surrealist artist. Born in Figueres, Catalonia, Dalí was a skilled artist draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his work. His painterly skills are often attributed to the influence of Renaissance masters. His best-known work, The Persistence of Memory, was completed in August 1931, and is one of the most recognizable Surrealist paintings. Dalí’s expansive artistic repertoire included film, sculpture, and photography, at times in collaboration with a range of artists in a variety of media. Dalí was highly imaginative, and also enjoyed indulging in unusual and grandiose behavior. To the dismay of those who held his work in high regard, and to the irritation of his critics, his eccentric manner and attention-grabbing public actions sometimes drew more attention than his artwork. Note: Dalí began to create a commissioned Tarot deck for the 1973 James Bond Film Live and Let Die. His fee ended up exceeding the film’s budget, but Dalí continued it over the years, eventually publishing it in 1984. It’s been re-released and is currently available to order. er.

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The second card of the Tarot is associated with the Moon. It’s symbolic of relationships, receptivity, nourishing, emotion, intuition and memory. It represents the gateway between the conscious and subconscious mind, and our ability to access deeper levels of information and understanding. There’s a sense of mystery, secrecy or knowledge that isn’t always on display- possibly needing an intermediary of some kind to penetrate. This could be a tool like meditation, a hypnotist or medium. It could also suggest guidance that isn’t rational- that comes more through inner knowing than logic. It could be direction from tuning into visceral sensations experienced when imagining one path or another. As a person, the High Priestess could describe someone sensitive, empathic, possibly introverted, interested in healing, counseling, or metaphysics. The second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Bet, can mean home or family.

Mallow is a symbol of love and protection. It’s linked to the moon (cool + moist/breasts, stomach, female reproductive organs). It contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, selenium, vitamins A and C. It’s soothing and healing to the skin, a remedy for coughs and colds, and helps reduce inflammation of the digestive, urinary and respiratory organs.

“Elsie Wheeler was born Elsie May Wheeler on September 3, 1887 at 9:39 pm in Norris City, Southern Illinois (died November 26th, 1938). Not a great deal is known about her life, but the legacy she left behind lives on through the gift that is the Sabian Symbols.” (www.sabiansymbols.com)

The Sabian Symbols were created by Marc Edmund Jones with the assistance of the clairvoyant Elsie Wheeler, in one day-long sitting in 1925. In 1953 Jones published The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, a book that renders a specific written symbol and interpretive character for each of the 360 degrees of the zodiac that are found on the astronomical ecliptic.

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The third card of the Tarot is associated with the planet Venus. This is unbounded, rich and fertile growth. It’s automatic proliferation. It’s communicative exchange and creative expression. It represents beauty, pleasure and sensuality. It’s linked with intelligent design, the consciousness and spirit of nature. It’s the power and authority of mother earth. It can suggest conception, pregnancy, and motherhood- or female energy, literal or figurative. It’s also associated with foraging the fruits of the land. It could be the muse or the artist. The third letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Gimel, can mean to gather or carry.  

Fennel is a symbol of strength, courage, praise-worthiness, flattery and cleansing. It’s linked with Mercury (dualistic + dry/hands, arms, shoulders, lungs, nervous system, brain). All parts of the plant are rich in antioxidants. Fennel contains fiber, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, potassium and magnesium. It can function as an appetite suppressant, anti-inflammatory, benefit heart health, and may improve mental health and memory. Fennel has properties that act similar to estrogen; its essential oil may alleviate symptoms of menopause, but interfere with pregnancy. It’s best that women who are trying to conceive or are pregnant avoid consuming fennel oil or supplements.

Pamela Colman Smith (February 16, 1878 – September 18, 1951), nicknamed Pixie, was a British artist, illustrator, writer and occultist. She is best known for illustrating the Rider-Waite tarot deck of divinatory tarot cards (also called the Rider-Waite-Smith or Waite-Smith deck) for Arthur Edward Waite. This is the first popularized deck to have pictoral images for the minor arcana as well as major arcana. This tarot deck became the standard among tarot card readers, and remains the most widely used today. Colman also illustrated over 20 books, wrote two collections of Jamaican folklore, edited two magazines, and ran the Green Sheaf Press, a small press focused on women writers. She exhibited work with Alfred Steiglitz and collaborated with W.B. Yeats. Yeats introduced Smith to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which is where she met Waite.

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The fourth card of the Tarot is associated with Aries. This is the structure action takes, authority and leadership. It’s idea manifested into form. It could represent an employer, a parental or political figure. It might also be natural law/physics. It’s a strongly masculine energy, linked with fire. It might suggest drive, agency and power, or could be a feeling of subordination to a person or system. It’s a need for desire, clarity, firmness and dedication to a goal. Be confident and act, but strategically, with economy. There’s a foundation to build upon and the resources required to do so are present. The fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Daleth, can mean movement or enter.

Wild Lettuce is a symbol of tenacity. It’s linked to Saturn (cool + dry/joints, bones, skin, gallbladder). It can provide pain relief from migraines and menstrual cramps, has sedative properties, relaxes the body, treats insomnia and anxiety, counters asthma and bronchitis.

Dane Rudhyar, born Daniel Chennevière (March 23, 1895 – September 13, 1985), was a French-born American author, modernist composer, transcendental painter, and humanistic astrologer. He was a pioneer of modern transpersonal astrology.

Most of Rudhyar’s more than forty books and hundreds of articles concern astrology and spirituality. The book that established his reputation in the astrological field was his first on the subject, The Astrology of Personality (1936). Arguing that astrology is not essentially predictive but rather productive of intuitive insights, The Astrology of Personality was one of the most influential tracts of “free-will” astrology,  despite being written in the dense, circuitous style that characterizes much of Rudhyar’s writing. Rudhyar’s astrological works were influential in the New Age movement of the 1960s and 1970s, especially among the hippies of San Francisco, where he lived and gave frequent lectures. Rudhyar regarded the ‘true early hippies’ as potential harbingers of a New Age.  In 1967 the scene reached its peak in the Summer of Love in San Francisco. Most notably, Dane Rudhyar predicted in 1972 that the Age of Aquarius would begin in 2062.

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The fifth card of the Tarot is associated with Taurus. In some decks, this archetype is called Shaman. It carries the energy of a spiritual leader or guide, one people seek for wisdom, information or connection to higher perspectives. It could be a figure within a religious institution, suggesting tradition, or it could suggest alternative beliefs and practices. It’s a medicine person. I imagine it linked to the centaur Chiron, the ‘wounded healer,’ which some astrologers now see as the modern ruler of health-conscious Virgo. It’s the cooperation of spirit and body- holistic health. It’s an intermediary, like the High Priestess, but leans more toward communication with the super conscience than with the subconscious- although they’re facets of the same whole. It has a more masculine and yang character. The High Priest can also simply be a teacher.

The number five is mental, and also related to the fiery vibration of the fifth zodiac sign, Leo. A connection between the High Priest and Taurus may come from the fact that Venus (Taurus’ ruling planet) creates the shape of a five pointed star as it travels through the sky. The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet can mean behold or reveal.

Passion flower symbolizes sleep, peace, desire, other-worldliness and friendship. It’s linked with the moon (cool + moist/breasts, stomach, female reproductive organs). It contains vitamin C, dietary fiber, many minerals and fatty acids. It reduces inflammation, anxiety, improves sleep quality, lowers blood pressure, addresses ADHD symptoms, helps reduce insulin levels, may reduce effects of menopause, and is used to help people come out of addiction to narcotic drugs and alcohol.

Arthur Edward Waite (October 2, 1857 – May 19, 1942) was an American-born British poet, scholarly mystic and member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters. He was the co-creator of the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, illustrated by Pamela Coleman Smith (Pixie). As his biographer R. A. Gilbert described him, “Waite’s name has survived because he was the first to attempt a systematic study of the history of western occultism-viewed as a spiritual tradition rather than as aspects of proto-science or as the pathology of religion.”

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The sixth card of the Tarot is associated with Gemini. It’s not only concerned with romantic partnerships and sexuality, but equality and balance. It’s having differently functioning roles that are both necessary. It reflects the conscious, subconscious and super conscious minds in harmony. A sum that’s greater than the whole of its parts. It’s connection to the divine through love. The card also represents two diverging paths and a choice to be made. It’s being able to consider several sides of a situation, and through this, making the decision. It’s the duality inherent in the human experience. Many decks depict the angel Raphael in the sky. The sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Kaph, can mean hook or secure.

The red rose symbolizes passion, true love, marital bliss and mutual respect. It’s linked with Venus (warm + moist/kidneys, throat, skin and hair). It’s also sometimes connected to socialism. The rose has cooling, soothing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiseptic and anxiety reducing properties. It’s often used in tonics for the skin, as eye drops, to reduce excessive sweating, and to improve heart health by regulating blood pressure.  

In June 1966, while still a member of the Beatles, George Harrison met Indian classical musician Ravi Shankar in London and became a student of the sitarist. Harrison later said that, for himself, the music was “like an excuse,” and that in reality he was searching for a “spiritual connection” with the culture of India. The association immediately brought Shankar and Indian music unprecedented popularity in the West, while Harrison’s introduction of the sitar into the Beatles’ sound inspired a new genre known as raga rock. Twenty-three years older than Harrison, Shankar described their relationship as, variously, that of father and son (with each one adopting either role); close friends and brothers; and teacher and student. While their collaborations continued only intermittently after the mid 1970s, the depth of their friendship remained, such that Harrison would credit Shankar as being “the person who has influenced my life the most.” When Harrison died in November 2001, following a four-year battle with cancer, Shankar was at his bedside, along with members of Harrison’s family.

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The seventh card of the Tarot is associated with Cancer. This card often reflects overcoming distractions and obstacles in order to progress toward one’s goals. It happens through creating focus of mental, emotional and spiritual energy. When unified in purpose, they’re the perfect compass. The path of least resistance appears. Action starts within. The inner state automatically attracts the needed ingredients and takes form. This card is sometimes called ‘Victory.’ It also involves being able to properly shield oneself from outside influences that are depleting or scattering. Proper attention to and caring for oneself and one’s family are highlighted, too. Cancer always conveys nurturing, protection/armor and boundaries. The seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Zayin, can mean harvest or nourish.

Chia comes from the Mayan word for strength, and can also represent/provide endurance and sustained energy. It’s linked to the sun (warm + dry/heart, back, spine). Chia is packed with fiber, protein, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, amino acids and antioxidants. Primarily, the seeds are consumed for their nutrients. They have also been used to lower fevers, treat gastrointestinal problems, for heart health. Used topically, it can sooth skin conditions and treat wounds.

George Washington Van Tassel (March 12, 1910 – February 9, 1978) was an American contactee, ufologist and author. Van Tassel started hosting group meditation in 1953 in a room underneath Giant Rock excavated by Frank Critzer. That year, according to Van Tassel, the occupant of a space ship from the planet Venus woke him up, invited him on board his space ship, and both verbally and telepathically gave him a technique for rejuvenating the human body. In 1954, Van Tassel and others began building what they called the “Integratron” to perform the rejuvenation. According to Van Tassel, the Integratron was to be a structure for scientific research into time, anti-gravity and at extending human life, built partially upon the research of Nikola Tesla and Georges Lakhovsky. He hosted “The Giant Rock Spacecraft Convention” annually beside the Rock, from 1953 to 1978, which attracted -at its 1959 peak- as many as 10,000 attendees. Van Tassel founded a metaphysics research organization called The Ministry of Universal Wisdom, and The College of Universal Wisdom.

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The eighth card of the Tarot is associated with Leo. It brings up the relationship between spirit-energy and the material world. It reminds us of the power of our hearts and emotions to influence the physical. It suggests the beneficial interaction between the two, resulting in the harmony, protection and enhancement of all parties. It evokes the need for courage, and gives the promise of being guided by faith and instinct. It may show affection and the power of animals to bring joy and healing. It can also indicate a high level of animal magnetism, creative expression, individuality and originality.  The eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Chet or Cheth, can mean divide, half, or inside versus outside.  

St. John’s Wart symbolizes light and levity. It’s linked to the sun (warm + dry/heart, back,spine). It’s fairly widely known to counter anxiety, depression, poor appetite and insomnia.

Edgar Cayce (March 18, 1877 – January 3, 1945) was an American self-professed clairvoyant who gave more than 14,000 psychic readings while allegedly in a self-induced sleep state. Cayce maintained his subconscious mind (which he identified as the “mind of the soul”) would leave his body and retrieve knowledge from the spiritual realm where all subconscious minds are connected. He is the most documented psychic of all time, with more than 300 books written about him and his material. A nonprofit organization, the Association for Research and Enlightenment, was founded to store and facilitate the study of the Cayce material. A biographer gave him the nickname The Sleeping Prophet. Cayce is also notable for his contributions to the notions of diet and health, particularly the issues of food combining, acid/alkaline diet, and the therapeutic use of food. Some consider him the true founder and a principal source of the most characteristic beliefs of the New Age movement.

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The ninth card of the Tarot is associated with Virgo. Here we have a literal message about taking time for oneself. It reminds of the importance of rest, solitude, silence, meditation, studying, connecting with the inner self. It may be advice to spend more time outdoors, in nature. Virgo is also about tending to physical nutrition, fitness and overall health and well-being- the mind-body-spirit interconnection. It brings up holistic healing, energy work, alternative and plant medicines. It’s the ability to discern. It implies maturity, wisdom, spiritual light, and the responsibility to share it with others. However, it also warns against taking on too much, or diffusing one’s energy by giving without receiving. The number nine is linked to humanitarianism, belonging and contributing to the collective family. It’s also the near end of a cycle. The ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Teth, can mean to surround or contain.

Juniper symbolizes cleansing and purifying, good health, strength, fertility, love, and protection against theft. It’s linked to the sun (warm + dry/heart, back, spine). It’s a strong diuretic, cleanses the system and stimulates the kidneys. This can help alleviate arthritis, gout and kidney stones, as well as flush out bacteria from the bladder and speed recovery from urinary tract infections. It can also help treat heartburn, upset stomach, gastrointestinal infections, and remove intestinal worms. The berries may also increase insulin production in the body and combat diabetes.

Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky (born February 17, 1929) is a Chilean-French filmmaker and artist. Since 1948, Jodorowsky has worked as a novelist, screenwriter, poet, playwright, essayist, film and theater director/producer, actor, comics writer, musician, philosopher, puppeteer, mime, psychoanalyst, visual artist and spiritual guru!

Note: Jodorosky is also known for doing Tarot readings and incorporating its symbolism into his work. He wrote a book with Marianne Costa called The Way of Tarot: The Spiritual Teacher in the Cards, published in 2004.

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The tenth card of the Tarot is associated with Jupiter. It reflects times changing, new cycles beginning, unexpected doors opening. It’s movement, travel, adventure, expansion, good fortune. It can suggest a period to take risks and have more faith in the power of our beliefs. It represents apparent luck that comes through preparation, openness, wide circulation and clarity of purpose. This energy recognizes what feels dynamic, invigorating and right, and pursues it. The tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Yod, is associated with the divine, omnipresent energy of God and creation.

Wild rocket, or arugula, symbolizes energy and initiative. It’s linked with Mars (hot + dry/head, muscular system, blood, immune system, libido). It’s said to be a good tonic and detoxifier. It can aid eye, skin and respiratory health. It contains fiber, iron, copper, potassium, vitamins A, C and K.

Kenneth Anger (February 3, 1927) is an American underground experimental filmmaker, actor and author. Working exclusively in short films, he has produced almost forty works since 1937, nine of which have been grouped together as the “Magick Lantern Cycle.” His films variously merge surrealism with homo-eroticism and the occult, and have been described as containing “elements of erotica, documentary, psychodrama, and spectacle.” Anger himself has been described as “one of America’s first openly gay filmmakers, and certainly the first whose work addressed homosexuality in an undisguised, self-implicating manner,” and his “role in rendering gay culture visible within American cinema, commercial or otherwise, is impossible to overestimate,” with several being released prior to the legalization of homosexual acts between consenting adults in the United States. He has also focused upon occult themes in many of his films, being fascinated by the English gnostic mage and poet Aleister Crowley, and is an adherent of Thelema, the religion Crowley founded.

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The eleventh card of the Tarot is associated with Libra. This card relates to the law, fairness, order, check and balance. It suggests impartial cause and effect- rewards and consequences. It’s also connected to education and teaching. It’s about diplomacy, contracts and possibly marriage. It can be the arts and humanities, a judge, lawyer, ambassador, critic, interviewer or writer. The air signs are mental and have a certain amount of objectivity, ability to detach thought from emotion as needed. The number eleven is also a ‘master’ number, about great inspiration, brilliant ideas, channeling, intuitive knowledge and creativity. The double ‘1’ looks like a doorway. It’s often said to remind us that what we form in our minds comes through into the material world. The eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Kaph, can mean to allow or tame.

Sage is symbolic of protection, healing, longevity and spiritual awareness. It’s linked with Jupiter (warm + moist/liver, hips, thighs). Its aroma is sometimes used to promote memory and brain function. Some inhale it to treat asthma. It may help prevent or reduce symptoms of depression and Alzheimer’s Disease. Sage can help balance hormones in both men and women. It can ease digestive and stomach problems, reduce sweating, and fight colds and sinus infections. Topically, it can help to heal gingivitis, cold sores or sores in the mouth and throat area. It may help to regulate blood sugar. The smoke of sage can almost entirely eliminate bacteria in the air for up to 24 hours.

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, often known as Madame Blavatsky (August 12,  [possibly July 31] 1831 - May 8, 1891) was a Russian occultist, philosopher, and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875. She gained an international following as the leading theoretician of Theosophy, the esoteric religion that the society promoted. Blavatsky was a controversial figure during her lifetime, championed by supporters as an enlightened guru and derided as a fraudulent charlatan and plagiarist by critics. Her Theosophical doctrines influenced the spread of Hindu and Buddhist ideas in the West as well as the development of Western esoteric currents like Ariosophy, Anthroposophy, and the New Age Movement.

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The twelfth card of the Tarot is associated with Neptune. This energy is removal from mundane concerns. It’s shifting one’s perspective. It’s tapping into the collective consciousness, other dimensions of reality or modes of perception. It’s the concept or practice of meditation, Vipassina, a vision quest, or simply solitude for reflection. It’s letting go, surrender to the higher intelligence of life.  It can mean spiritual discipleship, or sacrificing something for a person or cause. It could imply a martyr energy, or lack of boundaries. It's associated with the world of dreams, surrealism, hypnotism, film, photography, animation, painting, poetry and music. The twelfth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Lamed, can mean shepherd or guide.

Poppies symbolize memory, the subconscious, sleep, visions, regeneration and luck. It’ s linked to the moon (cool + moist/ breasts, stomach, female reproductive organs). Its seeds contain zinc, magnesium, calcium and iron. It‘s an immune system booster, improves vision and heart health, increases blood flow, optimizes digestion, strengthens bones, regulates the nervous system, and can help prevent type 2 diabetes. The seeds are a pain reliever, and can speed healing and recovery.

Dr. Marc Edmund Jones (October 1, 1888 – March 5, 1980), was an American writer, screenwriter and astrologer. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, as a child Marc Edmund Jones was interested in complex patterns observable in the environment, and he gradually developed a distinctive personal system of thought that later produced notable perspectives on occultism and the cabalistic worldview in general. He grew up in Chicago in the social framework of a rather formal, late Victorian parental style. Other early influences were the Christian Science neighbors who moved next door and an aunt who introduced him to theosophy. In 1913 his lifelong interest in astrology was kindled, leading to further investigation into occult principles, and an interest in spiritualism that developed later on.

Note: Jones was the co-creator of the Sabian Symbols with psychic Elsie Wheeler.

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The thirteenth card of the Tarot is associated with Scorpio. This energy is of deep and complete, permanent transformation. It originates in the soul and subconscious mind, and changes from the inside out. It reminds us that we create from within, and all is birthed from the psyche. It’s like a cocoon, the place where deconstruction and reconstruction are underway. While it can refer to the death of the body, most of the time it reflects a significant psychological or circumstantial shift in progress. It’s evolution-the rising phoenix. It’s not a fast moving energy, but one that plays out over a long period of time- possibly a lifetime. It’s also associated with incisive intuitive ability, mediumship, detective work, remote viewing and other extrasensory perception, the paranormal, maybe criminal justice or forensics.The thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Mem, can mean mighty or water.

Moonflower symbolizes magic and spiritual vision. It’s obviously linked to the moon (cool + moist/ breasts, stomach, female reproductive organs). It’s a highly poisonous and potentially fatal plant that should only be used under the guidance of a very knowledgeable practitioner. It has traditionally been part of Indigenous American spiritual practices, as well as medicine. It’s been used as anesthesia when setting bones, to purify the blood, treat hangovers, hemorrhoids, hair loss and dandruff.

Frida Kahlo (born Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón;  July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Influenced by the country’s popular culture, she employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, post-colonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society. Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy. In addition to belonging to the post-revolutionary Mexicayotl movement, which sought to define a Mexican identity, Kahlo has been described as a surrealist or magical realist.

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The fourteenth card of the Tarot is associated with Sagittarius. It suggests the presence of faith, divine protection and the assistance of angelic spirit. It guides us to the way of balance and moderation. It’s recognition that more or less are not in themselves better- the ideal is to find the middle ground that generates the highest quality of pleasure and reward. It brings to mind the image of a chemist in their lab, experimenting with the perfect list and amount of ingredients for the most effective formula. It’s both philosophical and grounded. It honors and accesses both the mind and emotions as navigational tools.  Many decks include an image of the angel Michael. The fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Nun, can mean continuity or heir.  

Sow Thistle symbolizes eccentricity and boundlessness. It’s linked to Venus (warm + moist/kidneys, throat, skin, hair). It’s a mild diuretic, can calm the stomach, and is beneficial in the treatment of urinary problems. The white sap from the stem is thought to be healing to the skin, and can be used as a pain reliever.

Manly Palmer Hall (March 18, 1901 – August 29, 1990) was a Canadian-born author, lecturer, astrologer and mystic. He is best known for his 1928 work The Secret Teachings of All Ages. Over his 70 year career, he gave thousands of lectures, including two at Carnegie Hall, and published over 150 volumes. In 1934, he founded The Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles, which he dedicated to the “Truth Seekers of All Time,” with a research library, lecture hall and publishing house. Many of his lectures can be found online and his books are still in print.

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The fifteenth card of Tarot is associated with the sign of Capricorn. The card is about the contracts, obligations and bonds we have with others and situations. It’s also what we do out of instinct, for grounding and physical comfort, gratification or security. It’s sensual, earthly pleasures and rewards. It brings up the question of our autonomy and free will. We may feel locked into something, forgetting we’re there because we chose to be. We could elect to walk away, but there’s something we’re gaining through it. Stay conscious of the power of decision, always determining what’s truly wanted. Is it worth its price? If not, what steps can be taken to change the reality? Addiction can be implied by this card, or simply habit, deeply ingrained patterns that hold sway. One step at a time we can cover much ground, climb mountains, make ‘miracles’ happen. The fifteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Samekh, can mean to grab or protect.  

Wood sorrel symbolizes good fortune, goodheartedness, joy and maternal love. It’s linked to Venus (warm + moist/kidneys, throat, skin, hair). It’s high in vitamins A and C, is a diuretic, can reduce fever, increase appetite and topically reduce inflammation.

Aleister Crowley (October 12, 1875 – December 1, 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the prophet entrusted with guiding humanity into the Æon of Horus in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, he published widely over the course of his life. Crowley gained widespread notoriety during his lifetime, being a recreational drug experimenter, bisexual and an individualist social critic. He has been called “the wickedest man in the world” and labeled as a Satanist by the popular press. Crowley has remained a highly influential figure over Western esotericism and the counterculture, and continues to be considered a prophet in Thelema. He is the subject of various biographies and academic studies.