Hello again my readers,

So far, 2013 has been one strange, spooky year. Tons of weird astrology and odd eclipses have resulted in huge life changes. I knew it was coming. I sensed it back in October, smelled it on the autumn air.

It started with weird dreams about water… oceans full of sharks… murky ponds hiding dead bodies… falling down the face of a waterfall.

Then the déjà vu started… three, four, five times a day.

I started meditating. Reading my tarot cards. Searching for answers in the falling leaves. Looking to the moon for guidance.

I consulted numerology and found out that, for me, 2013 is a year that corresponds to the number 1. A beginning year. A new cycle. I learned that astrologically, I was experiencing both a Saturn return and a Pluto transit. It was going to be a tumultuous New Year.

The clock struck midnight on Dec. 31st and things started to fall apart. Not in a sad or tragic way. I was expecting it, after all. I knew it was the right thing. But the right thing is rarely easy. I’d spent 2012 in a constant state of itchy discomfort, like a snake needing to shed her skin. Feeling wrong and not knowing why or how to fix it.

In January, the layers of my life began to fall away. A relationship I’d outgrown, old career aspirations, the home I lived in for three years… There were many sleepless nights and bargains struck with the Universe. I prayed to every deity in every pantheon. I lit candles. I charged citrine crystals in the moonlight. I begged for an easy transition or a miraculous solution but the Universe was unmoved.

As of this exact moment, I’m basically a ghost, wandering around in a weird No Man’s Land of time and space. It’s exciting and terrifying, as freedom always is. I feel like the Universe is in charge. I can try to plead my case. Curse the sky. Sob on the shower floor. Scream into my pillow. But the Universe will not be moved. It’s doing its thing. A Spring Cleaning of cosmic proportions.

Now, I’m waiting. Everything’s been cleared away. Will the Universe rush to fill it? With what? With whom? Or will I just float around in Ghost Town for awhile longer? These are exciting times. I’m anxious but aware. I’m waiting for a sign. Preparing for a journey. And so many other cliches.

I’ve been waiting for the Ten of Swords for months now. The card of Rock Bottom. The “you have nothing left to lose” card.

It finally appeared.

I was relieved to get the message. The old cycle has ended. A new one is on the horizon, blossoming with the magnolia trees down the street.

Close-up of some of the art you will see on the new site.

Head over to RandiMinerva.com and look around the new site!

XOXO,

Randi

It’s been fun but it is time to move on.

XOXO,

Randi

From now until March, I’ll be offering Valentine’s themed tarot readings at the shop. This reading will answer such valuable questions as:

Does he like me?

But does he like like me?

Who of my many suitors should I take to the Valentine’s Ball?

And also serious questions like:

Why don’t I have a girlfriend?

Is this chick I dig bad news?

When am I going to meet somebody who doesn’t smell/live with their parents/reference Frida Kahlo every 5 minutes….

(Frida Kahlo is the bees knees.)

You get the idea. So head over to the shop and ask me questions about your love life before you annoy your friends with them.

Also…

You can now view the TarotReadingSample and see what my clients are talking about. This sample is a preview of the PDF document you’ll receive, complete with sample photos and information about what you’ll learn in each section of your reading. The content, however, is a secret that can only be revealed in your personal reading.

XOXO,

I hope you stayed up late, said your good-byes and welcomed 2013 with open arms.

In the spirit of newness, I am embracing a new online home. The launch date of the new blog is officially Saturday January 26th, 2013, the first full moon of 2013 and an auspicious date for Pisceans like me. So, when you look up at the full moon that night, with your drunk/sleepy eyes, know that both our lives are moving forward in directions only the stars could fathom.

If you find yourself in need of direction, tarot is always illuminating, like the stars themselves.

XOXO,

Happy Yule!

Today (December 21st) we celebrate the longest night of the year and the return of the Sun as the days begin to lengthen.

For witchy/New Age/metaphysical people, today is an especially celebratory occasion. It marks the end of a 5,125 year cycle in the Mayan calendar and the beginning of a new reality.

It’s very esoteric and “Crazy Psychic Lady” but basically, we magical folks/weirdos/sages think that a new era is dawning. This era could be called the Age of Aquarius or the 4th Dimension Reality and it pretty much means that humanity will turn away from the greed and violence that have characterized the current era (the Age of Pisces) and embrace a more peaceful existence.

Humans will put down their weapons and re-connect with nature. We’ll learn to trust our intuition instead of our smartphones. We’ll embrace other cultures as part of our Global Village. There’s already evidence of this mindset in the “eco-friendly” and “local eating” movements, as well as certain political advances for human rights.

Here’s an article on the Mayan beliefs about December 21st and how people are reacting.

It all sounds like the talk you’d hear on a hippie commune but it’s interesting, yes?

XOXO

Yesterday, December 10th, was Emily Dickinson’s 182nd birthday.

Of all the women who have existed on this planet, she is one of my favorites.

Emily-inspired Reading

This article is superb

I wrote this post awhile back.

The Dickinson Museum site

Emily’s personal letters

Happy Birthday, Miss Dickinson!

XO,

It’s holiday time again!

In honor of this festive season, I’m offering a holiday themed tarot reading on my Etsy shop. It’s good to get some clarity in December, it sets you up for success in the New Year.

Here’s how it works:

The cards are dealt in an Evergreen spread (seen in the photo above)

Card 1 – Roots
Your foundation, what’s going on around you, what you currently believe

Card 2 – Star
What’s guiding you through the holidays and into the New Year. Spirits, guides and universal forces that are at your disposal.

Card 3 – Hope
What to look forward to in the New Year

Card 4 – Peace
What to keep in mind to remain healthy in mind, body and spirit

Card 5 – Family
People in your life (including friends and lovers) who are influencing you for better or worse

Card 6 – Gifts
What surprises, developments and unexpected events are coming to you this holiday season

So check it out at http://www.etsy.com/shop/RMinerva

XO,

I’ve been very busy this month. I re-designed my Etsy Shop and I created a new PDF template for my readings:

I’m in the middle of a re-brand, switching over accounts to the Randi Minerva name. I’m working on a new website as we speak. It will be unveiled in the New Year, but for now, please check out the new shop. There are tarot readings available for as low as $5 and gift certificates for the Holidays.

Change is good.

XOXO,

Today is the Mexican Day of the Dead. Technically, this observance goes from midnight October 31st to the night of November 2nd. The fist day honors children who have passed on and is called Dia de los Inocentes. The second day, Dia de los Muertos honors the adults who have passed.

Dia de los Muertos is a mixture of the ancient Aztec celebration for the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead, and Catholic holy days, All Souls Day and All Saints Day.

Read more about it here.

Here‘s a really beautiful gallery of Dia de los Muertos photographs. (It’s the really fast-loading, easy to flip through kind, not the reload a new page for every image kind. Because I love you.)

Maybe you’d like to incorporate this holiday into your life?

You can light a candle and pour a shot of liquor for your relative/ancestor/hero to enjoy. Leave both on the windowsill overnight for any wandering souls to enjoy. I like to pour a shot of tequila for Frida Kahlo. If the person you choose to honor didn’t drink alcohol, you could leave an offering of coffee, tobacco, perfume or candy. Traditionally, spirits tend to like those things.

You could also build an altar or decorate a mantle for the dead. Like this one for Frida:

Or, go to the cemetery where your ancestor is buried, light candles and place flowers on their grave:

Baking is another component of Dia de los Muertos celebrations. Pain de los Muertos is baked and sugar skulls are sculpted out of marzipan or fondant: