1st- Lammas or Lughnasadh, First Harvest
12th- New Moon in Leo, Solar Eclipse, Vulcanalia,
21st- Festival of Hecate
28th- Full Sturgeon Moon in Aquarius, Partial Lunar Eclipse
In August, the Wheel of Fortune turns again. With this, we transition into a stage of widening our capacity for pleasure (a hint of the coming month). We are steadily increasing our tolerance to spend more and more time embodying our heart’s desire. We devote ourselves to tending the tree of our long-term practice, our personal garden of Edenic bliss. As the first fruits begin to yield, we allow ourselves to taste them. Fruits are something to savor while they are ripe and delicious, before they prune and drop. August is not a season we want to hold out on as we wait for September’s harvest.
On the first of the month, we experienced Lammas or Lughnasadh, the First Harvest. This was the perfect time to celebrate and attract the abundance in our lives. Mid-month or August 12th brings the New Moon in Leo, the solar eclipse, and Vulcanalia. Here, we can quietly work on our heart-based project in the safety of our creative garden. It grows lush and wild, hidden from civilization’s inclinations to manicure it into a sterile yard. This is presented as the desired form, but as our garden grows we see it is wild, disruptive, and healing. Vulcanalia, the ancient Roman celebration of the god of fire, further encourages us to stoke our fiery nature.
With the 21st comes the Festival of Hecate, in honor of the triple goddess maid-mother-crone who stands with us at the crossroads. Per Friends of the Forest, if we ask her to in ceremony, Hecate can help protect our harvest and the season ahead. Finally, on the 28th, we have a Full Sturgeon Moon in Aquarius and a partial lunar eclipse. Our individual passions bloom under the collective web, to alchemize humanity as a whole.
This month we use the original spread called “Widening Capacity.” In it, we use the analogy of a picnic basket. Where the hand meets the handle lies the power of one, “where I begin.” The handle splits into the power of two, “where I engage.” The bottom row is likened to the basket, or the power of three, “where I expand.” Here lies our growth and presencing within the communal sphere, where our magic takes the greatest effect.
Power of One - Where I Begin
Present: ~Eight of Swords~ to be free by the Night Tapes
There is a star within, to grant our wishes and make them flourish. We have the power to do that, if we can free it from the rational confines of what can and cannot happen. These narratives are internalized societal and ancestral limitations, but our spirit contains everything we need to break out. To do so we must center in our desire, and feel it so strongly that we are willing to overcome anything and everything, even reason itself. It can be painful, to become aware of our confinement and those who kept us in it. To see the blades we and others were hurting us with, to prevent us from our fullest expression because it disrupts old survival patterns, and makes us (and the collective) vulnerable to the unknown. Like a stack of cards, it would all fall apart. But our heart’s desire lies on the other side.
Power of Two - Where I Engage
Internal: ~Knight of Swords~ Groove is in the Heart by Deee-Light
Our innate will is expressed by the Knight of Swords. This knight is future-forward, has all the courage and strength we need to break loose from the prison of the Eight of Swords. There is no fear of failure or of what the future holds, because we are guided so firmly by our purpose that we cannot go wrong. Our mistakes and imperfection are all a part of answering the call. We feel clear and empowered, certain now of the direction we want to go. We see the star within us and want to fight for it. Guided by the Knight, we no longer feel hemmed in by old narratives. We no longer see our prison as law. Because we know it isn’t Love, and Light, and Truth.
External: ~Five of Wands~ The Moth & The Flame by Les Deux Live Orchestra
Though we have great conviction when we tune into the self, we forget our cause when we engage with others. We may feel some resentment towards those we felt kept us blind and entrapped for so long. But this is something that we have all done to each other. We’ve all played the part of oppressor, victim, and bystander. We’ve all pitched our wills against one another, and fought with swords, in one karmic loop after another. Per Between the Worlds, we step out of this cycle when we step back and consider everyone’s perspective and everyone’s desires. We engage in difficult conversations so that we can reach a resolution for everyone as a whole. This creates a tonal shift in the environment, from one of conflict and obstacles, to one of powerfully aligned force.
Power of Three - Where I Expand
Leadership: ~Seven of Pentacles~ Just a Girl by No Doubt
The opposite of a prison is a garden, which we realize in the Seven of Pentacles. The unruly, untamed, is where we can flourish. We find abundance in spaciousness, not constriction. Where our roots can expand as wide as they need, our branches and our flowers loosened from wires that would twist us into a small conforming bonsai tree. Just as a goldfish can grow twice as big when released from the fishbowl, so too can we. This is when we learn what we are truly capable of. Free of “shoulds” or comparison, free of judgment and expectations. Where our heart and our body serves as the guide. When we grow into our pleasure and what feels right. This is how we know we’re on the correct path. How everything we desire is becoming, even if we can’t see it yet. This is where we can lead by example.
Reach: ~Two of Pentacles~ Funnel of Love by Wanda Jackson
We have greater reach when we can find balance. Weighed down by too many things, our actions are limited in power and strength. This isn’t to say we should avoid commitments, or not try different things. Often we learn our true capacity through trial and error. We are encouraged to add things on and drop them as we please, be it passions, interests, or groups. Only through practice can we increase our capacity, and learn what our sweet spot is. As we do so, we learn and grow, and become more confident in our ability to manage our time and energy. When in doubt, we can distill it all down to two main things, before we add more on and try again.
Growth: ~Magician~ Fragile by Ha Vay
Finally, this month, we grow in our capacity as the Magician. When we step beyond the confines of the Eight of Swords, we become attuned to ourselves and what we want. We play, tinker, and create, much as a child fearlessly draws beyond the lines with their crayons. Unburdened by a concern of what others may want or think, theirs is a true expression. If we lean into what brings us joy and intrigues us, we know we are acting from the spirit of the Magician. Without worrying about the mess we’ll make, we can lay out all our supplies on the table, experimenting in the ways that make us happy. The secret, we learn, is that we are all beginners. None of us started out knowing what we were doing. We simply picked up something we enjoyed, and kept doing it because we liked it. We improve through fearless repetition. This is how we become and create our heart’s desire.
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Zoe