Message from Robbi 

     I must say I am overjoyed that people are keen to discover more about this heavenly body, and I am  more than happy to accommodate. To add a second monthly newsletter means altering the current publication schedule. The New Moon and Full Moon are approximately 14 days apart, and do not occur on a consistent day of the week. So, to follow along with the natural flow, it makes sense to publish the blog on the alternate weeks to the Moons. Therefore those issues will no longer be posted consistently every other Thursday – but seven days after either the New or Full Moon publications. This new schedule begins with this newsletter so the information within covers today up until the New Moon in Taurus on May 11th. 

Astrology 101

     The other frequent request I received was to add in more information on astrology. Please note I am Tarot Reader, not an astrologer – just a keen student. When it comes to astrology, our universe is a never-ending and forever-changing classroom. There are copious amounts of books, websites and YouTube channels on this subject. There are also many brilliant astrologers much more qualified than me. If you are truly interested, I encourage you to discover more on your own. The two books that I returned to again and again when I first started my stargazing journey were: The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Astrology. I still refer to them to this day. 

     In the meantime, I am more than willing to share the little I do know. Which is why I call this Astrology 101, where we review the basics. Class is in session!

     What you likely already know is that the Sun is at the centre of our world. It takes Earth 24 hours to turn full circle and as she rotates, it takes her one full year to travel around (orbit) the Sun. Earth takes the same path every year through the sky, making it appear as if the Sun is moving relative to the stars of the zodiac (currently he is in Taurus - as all those born under this sign will tell you).

     The Moon orbits Earth and does so approximately every 28 - 29 days. She spends only about two days in each zodiac sign (our Full Moon is in the sign of Scorpio until the 28th and then moves into Sagittarius). If you haven't picked up on it yet, note that our Full Moon is in the polar sign of the Sun (six zodiac signs apart) as she is halfway through her cycle. 

     Astrologers will ask the exact day, time and location you were born to determine your Moon, Sun and Rising signs (along with the positions of the other planets) on the day of your birth. This is why we are all so different from each other. It is not unusual to hear: "That's weird, my sister's a Leo, and she is nothing like you."

While the bright radiant sun in centre glows,

The earth in annual motion round it goes; 

At the same time on its own axis reels,

And gives us change of seasons as it wheels. 

– Robert B. Thomas  

     You can see his  Taurean influence on the state of the world these last few years. It takes him 84 years to orbit the Sun, so he spends about 8 or so years in each zodiac sign. He is in his third year of Taurus. The last time he was there was during the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II .

     Also, I would be remiss not to mention Pluto. The Lord of the Underworld is in the process of stationing to go retrograde (backwards) on April 27th. Since he remains retrograde  until early October, it gives me plenty of time to expand on this god of War. For now, just be aware that retrogrades tend to take us back to the past. It is like a do-over. Retrogrades give you a chance to revisit, and then revise, reorganize and restructure. Pluto sits at 26 degrees Sagittarius and will travel back to 24 degrees. So the last time Pluto was at 24 degrees Sagittarius was at the beginning of 2021. Think back about all that was happening in your life in early January and then reflect, restructure and recreate a new plan moving forward. 

As Above So Below

Working with the Full Moon  

     The movements of the Moon are a natural guide for living in rhythm with the forces of nature. I wrote how growers used (and still use) Moon cycles for planting and harvesting in ‘Gardening by the Moon’ in the March Sugar Moon newsletter. Her whereabout are closely monitored by sailors because of her strong influence on the tides. And as you know, the  Moon (and Sun) positions are the very bases of the work done by  astrologers.  

     In total there are eight phases to the Moon's 28-day cycle, but you only tend to hear about four of them: The New Moon, First Quarter Moon, Full Moon, and Last Quarter Moon. 

     The Full Moon marks the climax of light before it begins to wane. It is the best time of the month to pause and reflect on all you have planned and taken action on since the start of the New Moon (I will expand further in the New Moon Newsletter). Think of the Full Moon as shining a light for you to clearly see where you're at with the goals in your life. Based on that, you determine what to change, continue doing, or need to release over the coming two weeks. What becomes illuminated is symbolic in nature. Because the Moon tends to be emotionally based, review and reflect on how you are feeling. Intuition plays a major role. Trust how you ‘feel’ about something instead of the concrete confirmations. 

Beltane

May 1, 2021 

     Beltane, also known as May Day,  is one of the four Greater Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year. This Celtic Pagan fire festival marks the mid-point between Ostara’s Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice.

     Fire is purifying and healing. It symbolizes the sun and at Beltane it represents the casting out of darkness and celebrating the return of light. Like all fire festivals, the bonfire was considered the most important element of the celebrations. Entire communities would attend the lighting and festivities around the Beltane bonfire. There was jubilant music as people danced and leapt over the fire, believing it would bring them good fortune and happiness.

     They even walked their livestock through it before setting them loose in the pastures. Before attending, all people would extinguish their hearth fires and then re-ignite them using a torch from the Beltane bonfire.  

      Earth exhibits her innate rhythm of life-giving energy through baby animals and nature’s new growth. Therefore fertility is inextricably linked with Beltane as it celebrates the coming together of masculine and feminine. And so Beltane was an overtly sexual festival with a focus on virility, procreation, and courtship. It was likely the most joyful of all the Sabbats. Young, unmarried men and women went together to collect flowers, shrubbery and wood for the evening fire with the intent of matchmaking – sometimes immediately that very night, other times in the months to follow.  

Simple ways to celebrate Beltane: 

• If being outside is possible, have a bonfire and share a meal with family and friends. Bring out the musical instruments and encourage singing and dancing – better not to jump over the pyre.
• If you need to stay indoors break out the candles. Place them wherever you want to remind you of this magical time. Gather a bunch in the middle of the dining room table and enjoy your meal by candlelight. 
• Spring is all about blossoms and blooms. The summer flowers are poking their heads out of the dirt. Bring some of these beauties in the house either potted or in vases. Get creative and make a crown of flowers.  
• Prepare a May basket of healing and give it to someone. It could be a self-care basket filled with soaps and aromatic bath salts, or a culinary basket filled with fruit jams and fresh bread. Add flowers or a spring-flowering bulb. 
• Plant bee and butterfly-friendly shrubs and flowers in your garden
• Scatter seeds on the ground for the birds and squirrels. 
• Enjoy the foods of the season: salads with fresh berries, seeds, quiche, apricots, chives and kiwis.
• Plan a spicey evening with your romantic partner, or instead, plan a self-care ritual bath complete with candles.

Mother's Day

May 9, 2021 

     Mother’s Day honors motherhood. It is a holiday observed in a variety of forms all over the world. You can trace the origins of celebrating mothers and motherhood to the ancient Romans and Greeks when they held annual festivals to pay tribute to the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele. 

     The Christian ‘Mothering Sunday' grew from these traditions. It was held on the fourth Sunday in Lent in parts of Europe and the United Kingdom, but it was more to symbolize the need for Christians to attend the special service at their local ‘mother church’. Over time, the tradition of Mothering Sunday shifted in recognition to the more secular holiday of today. Instead of attending church, children presented gifts of appreciation to their mothers. Their custom began to merge with the Mother’s Day in America when it rose to distinction and popularity in the 1930s.  

     The dynamic Ann Reeves Jarvis turned social activist when she responded to the needs in her community. Prior to the American Civil War, she helped start ‘Mother’s Day Work Clubs’ to teach local women about health and sanitation in an effort to reduce disease and infant mortality. Her drive and passion were a result of her own personal losses and tragedies. Out of multiple births (11 – 13), only four of her children survived to reach adulthood.  

     During the war, the region in West Virginia where Jarvis lived was very much divided between north and south. Jarvis resolved to stay neutral and changed the Work Club mission to provide safety and care to the wounded. She declared the Clubs a safe zone for both the Confederate and Union Soldiers. True to her word, Jarvis and her club members cared for both sides when wounded or dying, or struck down by measles and typhoid fever.

     After the War, strong sentiments continued to divide local communities as unrest and warfare continued. So, Jarvis turned her Clubs into places of unification. In 1868 she organized ‘Mother’s Friendship Day’ inviting the soldiers and families from both sides to spread the message of reconciliation and unification. By the end of the day, people were talking, forgiving and moving on. 

     Ann Reeves Jarvis passed away in May 1907. Her daughter, Anna Jarvis planned a memorial service in her mother’s name the following year. With financial backing from a store owner in Philadelphia, she organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration in both West Virginia and Philadelphia. The day was so well attended Jarvis resolved to see the holiday added to the national calendar. She continued to hold the annual event while executing a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and politicians. 

     Because of her diligence, by 1912 many states had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual celebration. But in 1914 Woodrow Wilson made it official by establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. 

     However, Mother’s Day today is a fair bit removed from the original tradition. Jarvis, who remained unmarried and childless, intended Mother’s Day to be a personal celebration between mothers and their families. Her vision was to see people wear a white carnation as they either visited their mother or attended a church service in honour of. Initially she worked with the floral industry to help raise the Mother’s Day profile. And it was not long after that merchants like card companies and chocolatiers began to commercialize and capitalize on its growing popularity.

     By 1920 Jarvis had become so disheartened, she outwardly denounced the monetized variations and made a public plea to not purchase items as gifts on behalf of Mother’s Day. As her appeal fell on deaf ears she resorted to an actual campaign against all retailers who profited from Mother’s Day, including charities.  She spent most of her personal wealth launching lawsuits against merchandisers who used ‘Mother’s Day’ in their advertising. She even lobbied the government to get Mother’s Day removed from the American calendar. By the time Jarvis died in 1948 she had disowned the holiday altogether. Today, Mother’s Day continues to be one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending. 

     l feel for Anna Jarvis' sentiment and can relate. It was Christmas Eve, 2017. Things were not easy for me as I was getting acquainted with my autoimmune journey-from-hell. That evening we were at a family dinner and somehow one of my sons overhead me saying how much I missed seeing my Inukshuk every day. My husband had built one along the path of the woods for me. Because of my physical limitations, I was not walking there and missed seeing it. We returned home late, and I immediately went to bed as I was exhausted. 

That Christmas morning, when I woke up, I saw my husband’s Inukshuk standing in the front garden. Mystified, I asked my boys and they nodded saying they had moved it the night before. In order for them to have pulled that off, it meant they dragged a wheelbarrow across a farmer’s field and into the woods, follow the trail, found my husband’s Inukshuk and drag the wheelbarrow, now weighed down with large rocks, back to the house – in the dark, at midnight, on Christmas Eve. That gift meant more to me than I have words to express. It brings me to tears when I retell it, and as I write this now. So in the spirit of Anna Jarvis’ original and pure intent behind Mother’s Day, here are some suggestions to recognize the woman or women in your life: 

• Surprise her with a nature walk - pack a picnic with all her favs – be romantic
• Plant a beautiful flowering plant or tree in the garden near a window so she can see it every day.  
• Prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner - or all three
• Clean the house
• Give a wildflower bouquet
• Make a card
• Create a poem
• Write a letter
• Recite said letter
• A day of favourites: meals, music, movies
• Make it homemade: soaps, bath bombs, candles, photo frames
• Build an Inuksuk

TAROT CARD

For The Full  Moon In Scorpio

The Hanged Man

               The Wild Unknown Tarot by Kim Krans