In September, I wrote about Tommy and Marie Costello’s suit against the City of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
They argued that the fortune-telling ban that forced them to shut down their business last December is an illegal restraint on their rights to free speech and due process per the US and Mississippi constitutions.
Last week, the city responded with their answer, claiming that the present law does not violate US or state constitutions.
They also contend that in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents of their city, Hattiesburg has a legitimate interest in regulating, or in this case outlawing, psychic businesses.
This sounds a lot like the argument made by Chesterfield County, Virginia a few weeks ago.
In that case, the Virginia Federal District Court upheld the right of Chesterfield to heavily regulate what they describe as ‘fortune-telling’.
It flies in the face, however, of the 2010 decision by the Maryland High Court that prohibitions on such businesses are in fact violations of the federal constitution.
It’ll be interesting to see how the courts decide. As might be expected, I’m rooting for free speech.
Charge forward with strength and vitality. This is a day of power, passion and growing energy. Your plan is in place and now’s the time to take it to the next step. Use your internal fire to take you where you’re tying to go.
You don’t need to wait till everything’s perfect to start moving. In fact, more often than not, things don’t start falling where they should until you start shifting them up and get some excitement going. Take a chance that you know what you’re doing and act on it. Believe in yourself and don’t be shy.
On Saturday morning I discovered that The Tarot Room had suddenly disappeared. It wasn’t anywhere to be found no matter how many times I clicked on the link.
It was a Tower situation, or maybe the Wheel of Fortune going the wrong way (as demonstrated by my cat Carl). I was very concerned.
Was my blog gone forever, with all my Tarot musings? How about my email … did people know I was still here?
I wrote my web mistress to ask her what was up, only to discover that I wouldn’t have my site back till some time on Tuesday. At least she sounded sure.
And I guess she was right – because here it is. Posting will be back to normal tomorrow and I apologize for the disruption.
If you tried to contact me and your message bounced back – please try again. I’ll respond as soon as possible.
The Moon moves into Cancer today, and stays there until Thursday.
Looking at this transit through the lens of the Tarot, you might describe it as the High Priestess dressed in the clothing of the Charioteer. She’s left the safety of her pillars and veil, and has hit the road.
The Moon in Cancer, or the High Priestess dressed as the Charioteer, can be a powerful time of comfortable change and emotional resilience.
Knowledge gathered in silence has coalesced and it’s time to share without fear of being hurt.
Emotional loyalty, intuitive direction and strength of character can give you the resolve to go forward. Even into the unknown.
Try not to coddle yourself. You can only win if you have the courage to play to the end.
Compassion, emotional strength and mature love are key energies today. The King of Cups understands well the joys and sacrifices involved in relationships of all kinds.
Concern yourself with how others are feeling, what they need for support and how you might help. Through concern for the needs of others you might unexpectedly fulfill your own.
And if you know you’re needing some assistance yourself but have been afraid to ask – get over it. Emotional generosity and support are there if you’re willing to let someone help. But they have to know you need the help before they can offer it.
This is a great day to take the leap and do something different. It might seem crazy and you have no idea how it’s going to turn out, or maybe even how you got on this path in the first place, but here you are. It’s time to make your move and do so without fear.
The Fool card isn’t telling you to be an idiot, but rather to stop double thinking yourself all the time and worrying that every single thing is in order before you can make a move.
Life isn’t really that logical. There’s no way to prepare for all eventualities, no matter how smart you are. Do what you can and let the universe take care of the bigger story.
Tonight’s Beyond Worlds is the first of our Minor Arcana Tarot Intensives.
As might be expected, we’ll be starting with the Aces, the new seeds from which all things grow. And tonight we’ll be looking at the masculine ones – the Ace of Wands and the Ace of Swords.
We’ll be discussing traditional and not-so traditional interpretations, both upright and reversed, as well as looking at what the cards might represent in an actual reading.
Different artists and designers have varying takes on the energies in these cards, so as usual, we’ll be taking a peek at a number of different versions both old and new.
It’s going to be a lively show with four hosts and a wide array of perspectives. Join us in the chat room or call in at (646) 200-0765.
If you miss this class, or any of the Tarot Intensives, you can always find them at Donnaleigh’s website.
Click on the radio link at the upper left side, and you’ll find all of the shows neatly arranged by date, ready to be listened to 24 hours a day.
Spiritual questions and tradition are highlighted during this period. It’s probably important to you now to look carefully at the spiritual structures in your life. Why do you believe what you do? Who are your spiritual authorities and what gives them their legitimacy? Who decides issues of morality for you, your family and/or your community?
Many of these questions are answered with cultural traditions. Today, you’ll probably be examining whether or not the answers you’re accustomed to are still satisfactory. They might be or they might not be. Don’t be afraid to seek out your truth simply because it rubs against your comfort zone. Sometimes growth hurts a bit.
You might be asked to judge someone else’s dispute, or find the need to go to an authority for answers yourself. Keep your mind open, but your skepticism on. Ultimately, you’re the only one who can decide whether something makes sense for your life or not.
There’s a new Tarot book out this month by Dr. Roopa Patel called Experiencing Tarot: A Book of True Stories and Healing. From the looks of it though, it’s only available in India right now through Harper Collins.
Patel, an astrologer and Tarotologist, is perhaps the first Indian to write about Tarot for the Indian audience. She’s been doing it since 1995, through newspaper columns, magazine articles, TV, and the internet.
When she started with Tarot, there wasn’t a lot of research material available in India. And apparently there’s still not. To fill the gap, and clear up some of the misinformation surrounding the cards, Patel has stepped in to write her own book.
She takes a rational approach to her topic, looking at Tarot’s history, how it works, and how it connects to other new age sciences. It’s important to her that people understand how the cards can be used for both spiritual growth and alternative healing.
Illustrations by master miniaturists Amrit and Rabindra Singh, are an added bonus to Patel’s book.
The Singh Twins, soon to be honoured by Queen Elizabeth with the Member of the Order of British Empire, created the 22 original major arcana cards pictured in the book.
They said they didn’t know much about Tarot before this project, having connected it with the occult. But after researching, and actually working on the cards, they discovered they liked them and might even take Tarot forward into their next exhibition.
They’re thinking of using contemporary figures from show business and politics to highlight concepts in the cards. I really hope they do, I bet it would be amazing.
And I wish I knew where I could get a copy of the commemorative deck made to accompany the release of Experiencing Tarot. I’m going to try to hunt it down.
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Here’s an interview with the Singh Twins from 2009, shot and edited by Joe Eshwar.
The Moon moves into Gemini today and will stay there until Tuesday.
From a Tarot perspective, this transit would be like the High Priestess is dressed as the Lovers’ Angel. She floats above the naked couple, blessing their sacred union.
The Moon in Gemini, or High Priestess dressed as the Lovers’ angel, can be an emotionally confusing time, one where internal conflicts arise in order to be reconciled.
But it can also be a time of clarity, honest communication and almost intuitive understanding about yourself and those around you.
Quiet faith teams up with commitment and the Angels approve of the whole thing.
Try to keep your emotions in line with your reason. Going too far either way could disturb a really nice balance.
