New Moon in Taurus - The Courage to Stand Up

 On Sunday April 27 we have a New Moon at 7 degrees of Taurus. New Moons occur when the Sun and Moon are in the same sign of the zodiac, so represent the conscious mind (Sun) working with the subconscious mind (Moon). It is also the start of a new lunar cycle, with the Moon growing, or waxing. in the sky until it reaches the Full Moon. That is why it is great for setting goals as we are at the beginning of a growing cycle and can use the energies of the Sun and Moon to focus both our emotions and rational mind towards a goal. This New Moon is in Taurus, which is a fixed earth sign. This makes it great for setting long term goals, particularly those of a practical nature. This is also an excellent time to set goals for topics like finances, material goods, beauty, nature, food or gardening as these are all Taurean topics.

Moonology Oracle

 

This New Moon is more dramatic than most as it will be forming a square, a 90-degree stressful aspect, with both Mars and Pluto, who are opposite each other. This is what is called a T square and is a time of tension and potential confrontation. Something has to give, and often this can lead to a breaking point where a decision of some kind has to be made. Mars represents our drive, ability to act and how and what we fight for. He is in the fiery and proud sign of Leo, showing that we are driven to take the lead, express ourselves and are called to take courageous action. Mars is opposite Pluto, the planet of the underworld, the dead and of power. In Aquarius this can represent the power of the collective, and of technology, but also how those powers can be abused. We may see those in leadership positions trying to assert power over the collective. Another possible interpretation is that individuals will take action to express themselves against the oligarchs in charge of technology. The Mars Pluto opposition goes exact the day before on April 26 but will be in effect still and possibly triggered by the New Moon on Sunday. There may be events that challenge our values, finances or sense of beauty and comfort that spur us to take courageous action. Even on a personal level, you may be forced to choose or find a balance between self expression and conforming with the group.

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is "A Sleigh Without Snow." This symbol is about planning for the future and anticipating change. When there is no snow on the ground the sleigh may seem useless, however given time, snow will fall again, and the sleigh will be needed. This asks us to think long term about our plans and choices. It is about acting in the best interests of tomorrow, rather than the immediate. This symbol is also about creativity. How can we use the resources we have now to help us today. This New Moon we are asked to think creatively and to use our gifts with courage and foresight to create a better tomorrow, even if it is challenging today. 

 

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Top 5 Tips for Choosing a Beginner Tarot Deck

Thinking about getting into tarot? It can be intimidating knowing where to start. There's so many different decks on the market now, which can make one feel overwhelmed trying to pick one. Just a few decades ago you would go to a metaphysical store and there might be a small handful of decks to choose from. Now you can walk into any major retail chain bookstore and find dozens of different tarot decks on the shelves in a wide variety of themes. So where does one start? How do you choose the right deck to begin reading the tarot? Picking the right deck to start with is important because if you pick the wrong one and get frustrated, you won't stick with learning how to read them. Below are some tips for picking the perfect deck for you to start your tarot journey with.

The Rider Waite Smith Tarot

1. Find a Deck With an Art Style or Theme You Like
   It only makes sense that if you don't like the art, you are less likely to work with the deck. With so many decks out there these days, there really is something for everyone. You can find decks with themes from unicorns to panda bears, from fairies to aliens. There's also pop culture themed decks like Disney Villains and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For beginners I recommend staying away from the pop culture themed ones as they can be a little too much on the collector's side and less on the practical side of actually reading a deck. Look for an art style that you like or a theme that you resonate with. Something that sparks your imagination and makes you want to pick it up even to just look at the cards. The deck should be something that inspires you and gets you excited to read cards.

2. Stay Away From "Pip" Decks
   A "Pip" deck is one where the cards in the minor arcana (the suit cards) do not have fully illustrated scenes on them. Instead, if say the card is the 5 of Cups, the card depicts just 5 cups. Or if it is the 7 of Swords, the card has 7 swords on it and little or nothing else. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this kind of deck, they are not beginner friendly. Look for a deck where all the cards are fully illustrated. You want a deck where the images clearly depict the cards meaning. This way the images tell you a story and will help you to remember the card's meaning so you can interpret it accordingly. On the other end, stay away from decks that appear esoteric or are overly mysterious in their symbolism. When starting to read you want clarity not confusion. You can always move on to pip decks or esoteric decks later, if that's what you are interested in.
   
   
3. Look for Decks With Key Words
   One of the easiest ways to start reading tarot is to find a deck you like that has key words or phrases on the cards. This gives one the ability to read the cards right away, rather than struggling to memorize the meanings of each card before reading for yourself or others. This can also help you with memorizing the meanings as the more frequently you read with them, the less and less you will find yourself relying on the key words and then you can make the jump to a tarot deck without them.
   
   
4. Get a Deck With a Good Guidebook
   Back when I started reading cards in the mid 90s, most decks came in a little box with a small flimsy guidebook. The LWBs (little white books) had tiny print and only a few pages of information. Most were next to useless for learning to read the cards. These days there are loads of tarot decks that come in big sturdy boxes with full colour large guidebooks included. Most include not only the card meanings, but also basic tarot info like shuffling and caring for your cards, along with spreads for laying out the cards and reading them. These kinds are great for getting started with learning tarot. If you have your heart set on a deck that doesn't come with a good guidebook, fret not, as there are lots of books on the market now with information on how to read the cards.
   
   
5. When in Doubt, Stick With the Classics
   With the variety of decks on the market, it can be overwhelming knowing where to start. If you are unsure, you can't go wrong with a classic deck, especially the Rider Wait Smith (also known as the RWS for short). This is the most common deck you will see referred to in beginner tarot books and is the stye of tarot deck that most modern decks are based on.  Once you know how to read the RWS, you can read almost any other tarot deck on the market. Other good options are the Morgan Greer Tarot and the Aquarian Tarot. They have both been around since the late 1970s and are other decks commonly referred to in tarot books. For beginners I advise staying away from the Thoth deck and Marseille style decks. Both are classics but are not very beginner friendly.

In short, you want a deck with artwork you enjoy, where the pictures clearly show the meaning and/or have key words or phrases. Having a great guidebook or stand along tarot instructional book is also a must. Another option for learning the tarot is to take a beginner tarot course. There are lots of great courses out there both online and in person. If you like in person courses a great place to start is your local metaphysical shop. They may have courses they are running themselves or know who is teaching one locally. There are also lots of courses online, but make sure to do your research to find an instructor whose approach you like and who is knowledgeable about the tarot, and is in your budget.

If you would like to learn tarot with me, I am currently teaching beginner tarot on my Patreon, in the Academy level. My approach is to use keywords to get your reading the tarot quickly. We'll start with the Majors and reading with them alone before moving on to each of the four suits one by one, and finally the court cards. I also offer monthly personal readings on my Patreon in the Grove and Temple levels, or you can purchase individual readings on my Etsy shop.