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Greetings Friends, Are you ready for softness? The feel of warm dirt under your feet? A cool breeze on your skin? A long nap under a tree? After standing tall with the Emperor, we return to the Earth in Taurus season. In the Tarot, Taurus is associated with The Empress, the card that invites us to receive pleasure and security through our senses and the Earth. In readings, The Empress signals a situation where it's safe to let energy in, safe to listen, to feel, to eat, to drink, to rest, to enjoy.  In the gorgeous tarot deck, The Fountain, the color cloaked Empress stands at the center of  a verdant lagoon, becoming one with her surroundings. After the surge of individualism in Aries season, the Empress brings us back to our roots, reminding us that we are one with the Earth, our physical provider. And while we are meant to branch out in our unique self-expression, it is the Earth element that is nourishing us along the way.   Ruled by Venus, Taurus encourages us to open ourselves to love and nourishment. But receptivity requires trust, and for many of us, trust is hard won. The Empress teaches us to start with our senses, to trust the sunlight on our skin, the fresh fruit in our mouth. It is through trust that she reveals how receptivity and generosity are intertwined, and that true security is found by opening the heart. With love and trust, Lisa

Greetings Friends, Happy astrological new year! After surrendering to the Moon in Pisces season, we are reborn into the world with Aries! In the Tarot, Aries is associated with The Emperor, the card that reminds us of our right to exist as we are, without apology or explanation, the right to simply “be.” In the Northern Hemisphere, Aries season aligns with the beginning of spring, the radical rebirth of nature and all the mess and beauty that comes with it. In readings, The Emperor is often a sign of structure, a container that is strong enough to allow the creative fires of Aries to burn without getting burnt out. In her inspired nature deck, The Wild Unknown Tarot, artist Kim Krans casts The Emperor as a Redwood tree. The Redwood is known for it's longevity, softness, and ability to weather the fiercest of flames. Redwood saplings start out small and vulnerable, subject to being easily crushed on the forest floor, a reminder of the raw exposure of new life. Yet their energy wants to burst forth and fulfill its potential to be a giant. Aries is ruled by Mars, the planet of action but also conflict. As the charge of Aries seasons compels us to stand tall and take up space in the world, let it also teach us to respect the sacred space of others. Here we can take a lesson from the Redwood, whose power and glow is only made more magnificent by its fellow giants in the forest. With love and creative rebirth, Lisa

Greetings Friends, To those in the Northern Hemisphere, Happy Winter Solstice, a celebration of the returning of the light! After reconnecting with spirit in the Temperance card, we turn our attention to our place in the world in Capricorn season. In the Tarot, Capricorn is associated with the often misunderstood Devil card, depicted hilariously in Megan Lynn Kott's Cat Tarot, as a golden retriever. In the simplest terms, The Devil card teaches us not to give our divine power away. As spiritual beings, this may seem impossible. How can we deny our own essence? This is why the devil archetype is considered a trickster, a shadow energy that blocks our truth and makes us forget ourselves. This archetype can show up in many different ways. We may trick ourselves into believing we're only valuable if we are successful in our career. Or we may  feel powerless in relation to external things like shopping, drinking or, if you're a cat, golden retrievers. The levity of the Cat Tarot brings some much needed air into what can be a suffocating experience. Placing our power outside ourselves can leave us feeling helpless, trapped and alone. Known as the sign that "gets it done", Capricorn can and will achieve what it sets out to do. As we enter the New Year and the grounding, determined, power of Capricorn season flows through us, it's important to set goals that align with our true values vs. the values of others. When we direct this energy on course with our spiritual path, the path of the heart, we liberate ourselves from false constructs and step into our real power. A beautiful way to start the New Year. With love and liberation, Lisa

Greetings Friends! Tis the Season of gifts and renewal and YOU'VE EARNED IT!  After shedding our outworn skins with Scorpio, we celebrate our light with Sagittarius. In the Tarot, Sagittarius is associated with the Temperance card, number XIV, the archetype that combines opposites to create unity. In Chase Voorhee's visionary deck Tarot of the Holy Spectrum: Infinity Edition, we see the Temperance symbol through a boldly original lens. As the card after Death, Temperance reveals that we are more than the physical forms we take on and shed. Against a blanket of stars, the hand of spirit and the hand of form reach for each other and touch. Having let go of what no longer serves us, we are free to connect with our spiritual power and rejoice. It's no coincidence that Temperance appears during Sagittarius Season, the time of year when excess and obligation run rampant. Temperance encourages us to play with opposites without getting carried away in any one direction. This is the season of the humble feast and the light-filled dark. The season where the act of giving can be the gift itself. Ruled by Jupiter, the planet of generosity and expansion, Sagittarius and Temperance want us to have a good time, while reminding us that simply coming together can be the most miraculous gift of all. With love, joy and temperance, Lisa

Greetings Dear Ones, Happy Spooky Season, for those who observe. After finding equilibrium in our partnerships with Libra, we explore our emotional depths with Scorpio. In the Tarot, Scorpio is associated with the Death card, number XIII, the archetype of radical transformation, alchemy and our capacity to feel into the truth. In Megan Wyreweden's stunning nature deck Anima Mundi, we see the Death/ Rebirth archetype in deceptively simple form. The Death Adder sheds its outworn skin through movement, giving birth to its new self. While not necessarily painless, this process is necessary and non-negotiable for our evolution. The white roses evoke both a funeral and a christening, thresholds where the veil to the unseen are exquisitely thin. Scorpio is ruled by both Mars and Pluto, planets known for decisive, relentless action. In its most evolved expression, this energy boldly reveals buried secrets, wounds, and truths that need to be unearthed for us to move forward. Like all water signs, the language of Scorpio season is emotional, intimate and intense. It's also the language of the healer. If the truth sets us free, then the Death card can be seen as one of our greatest liberators, reminding us that we must witness our wounds in order to heal them. We must feel what needs feeling in order to transform the pain into the sweetness of rebirth. With love and sweet release, Lisa

Greetings Beauties, Happy Fall Equinox, a time of balance between the dark and the light. After taking stock of our internal landscape in Virgo season, we’re prepared to honor our partnerships in the sign of Libra. In the Tarot, Libra is associated with the Justice card, the archetype of equality, accountability and the capacity to see “the other” as oneself. In Cedar McCloud’s lush, expansive deck The Numinous Tarot, we see the concept of equality illustrated through the Justice archetype on multiple levels. The most obvious being the scales, and the understanding that to strike a balance, we must stay centered. While the scales are traditionally depicted in Justice's left hand and the sword in Justice's right, here we see them incorporated into the sword's handle, giving the sword a stabilizing purpose, rather than being used as an instrument for separation. McCloud also casts a non-binary figure in the role of Justice, challenging dualism and inviting us into the wisdom of this card and this season. While Libra is an air sign relating to the intellect, it’s also ruled by Venus, the planet of love, beauty and connection. Thus, Libra’s approach is one that balances the head and the heart, aiming to unite rather than divide us. Likewise, McCloud’s Justice is not blind, they look at us directly, tenderly, welcoming us into our deeper reality, reminding us that, in the spiritual sense, we are inseparable. What we do to others, we do to ourselves, Justice teaches. Equality is a beautiful thing. With love and balance, Lisa

Greetings Friends, I invite you to slow down, brew up your favorite beverage, turn your phone on silent and let the outside world fade away. This is your time, to do your work. Its Virgo Season and the distractions can wait. Virgo is often associated with The Hermit in the tarot as they both embody the wisdom of solitude. In fact, Virgo’s symbol, The Virgin, was originally understood as one who is whole within themselves. This clues us into the nature of the season, one in which we discern what is useful and necessary for our earthly creations versus what is no longer of service. The Hermit learns these lessons by pulling back from societal narratives and listening to the teacher within. Often depicted as an old man on a mountain top, Elizabeth Haidle interprets The Hermit in the form of a child in her tender, whimsical deck Tarot for All Ages. This depiction refreshes our sense of what it is to be wise, reminding us that, like our inner child, our inner light has always been with us. If you look closely, Haidle’s mountain is both a summit and a refuge, with a set of stairs tucked inside. This illustrates how the Hermit’s solitude is not lonely, but full of intricacies and details we only notice when given the space. In readings, the Hermit suggests a need for time alone and a reassurance of the fertility that lies within. Virgo is an Earth sign, one that rules the digestive system, the gut, the place in us that sorts through everything we take in, discerning what is nourishing and what can be released. Virgo is the energy that creates the space for life to be honored and upheld, for the Hermit to experience the luminous nature of their inner truth. S0 enjoy your earthiness this month without being too hard on yourself or others. The Hermit returns to the light within so they can then share it with the world. With love and inner light, Lisa

Hello Friends, Welcome to the first installment of The Shortest Prayer, Astrology and Tarot newsletter! Thank you to all who have encouraged this offering and this work. My intention with this newsletter is to enrich our relationship with these tools and keep you up to date on how we can work together, one on one, or in community. This space will also serve as a container to celebrate and honor the changing seasons and rhythms that unite our lives. And with that in mind, Happy Leo Season! As a Leo, this time of year is dear to me. Thus it feels fitting that we start with the tarot card most associated with it, Strength. Not to be confused with brute force or aggressive physicality, the Strength card symbolizes the wisdom that comes from leading with the heart. The image above is from Kim Krans' modern classic, The Wild Unknown Tarot. This deck is wonderful for those who want to move away from a human-centric tarot practice and see themselves through the imagery of our plant and animal kin. What I love about Krans' interpretation of Strength is the kindness and beauty it conveys. The lion comes out of the darkness with a rose in their mouth and an infinity symbol at their third eye. This card appears when we are called to overcome adversity by maintaining an open heart.  For many, this is one of the most difficult cards to embody, and likewise, the most transformational. In most modern decks, Strength appears as the eighth card of the Major Arcana. In numerology, eight is the number of transformation, the infinity symbol turned on its head. In The Wild Unknown Tarot, it appears as number eleven, a more traditional placement, as well as the midway point of the Major Arcana, the threshold to the deeper mysteries. Wherever you find your Strength, the meaning remains the same, true courage comes from opening emotionally, not closing down. In fact, the word courage comes from the French “coeur”, which means heart. In readings, I’ve seen this card appear when someone is starting to date again after a long hiatus and has fear about putting themselves out there. It has also appeared as a call to practice emotional mastery and the soft will of compassion in the face of systemic oppression and leaving an unhealthy job. In every circumstance, Strength reminds us of the unbreakable power of our own inner beauty. When you see this card, take the rose it offers you, unfold your heart, and let yourself be transformed. With Love and Strength, Lisa