It’s Leap Day!! The extra day we get every four years to keep our calendars in line with the seasons.
I was thinking about how interesting it is to have an extra day in the year and wondered how the cards might represent or describe it.
Obviously, the leap of the Fool came to mind, but he already has his own day on April 1st. And beyond the ‘leap’ how would the Fool represent this day?
So I asked my RWS deck what card it thought should represent Leap Day. I got the Lovers.
#6 The Lovers
I stared and stared at it looking for clues. How could this card be connected to Leap Day in any way?
There’s no leaping, no time keeping, no particular indicator of cycles. I was very confused, and a little disappointed. Tarot usually steers me right.
Then just for the heck of it I looked up Leap Year on Wikipedia. Scrolling down to the bottom of the page, I came across the answer.
According to British folk tradition, Leap Years are the only years when women are allowed to propose marriage to a man. And in some places, it’s only permitted on Leap Day.
To illustrate the point, take a look at this postcard from 1908.
With the encouragement her older lady friend or maybe her mother, Clara is about to catch her man.
The Lovers
It reminds me of the Lovers card from the Marseille Tarot, where a young man stands between a young woman, and one who looks a little older.
It’s often described as the man choosing between the two women, or the man leaving his mother for his new bride.
But now that I know about the leap year tradition, I’ve got a whole new perspective on this card.
It’s important to note though that Leap Years and Days might be good times for ladies to propose to their men, but according to Greek tradition, it’s not a good time to actually get married.
Ask today, but wait till next year to make it official.
And as far as my Tarot deck steering me right … wow, it’s amazing. Apparently it knew a lot more about Leap Day than I did.
The Moon moves into Gemini today and will stay there until Friday.
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.
This is a good day to get your thoughts as clear as possible. You’ve got some emotional issues that require honest focused attention. To move forward with your commitment to self, it’s really important that you get your thoughts straight.
What choices are you being asked to make at this time? Look them squarely in the face and choose. If you can’t choose now, when do you think you can? At least decide that. Ask yourself what will bring you closer to your own truth – a union of mind, body and soul.
You’re sharp as a tack today. Take advantage of the energy to decide what needs deciding. You can do it. How will you get to your next step if you don’t?
Take a look at the video below to hear fashion designer Nanette Lepore talk about how dandies, Oscar Wilde, and the Tarot inspired her 2012/2013 autumn/winter collection.
Lepore said the fluid iconic imagery in the Tarot influenced her prints, as did the bold colours.
She says she’s been learning about the cards lately and even had hers read in preparation for her latest show.
The clothes are simply gorgeous. And like the cards, both beautiful and yet remarkably practical.
I think the ladies of the Tarot would approve. I certainly do.
It looks like it’ll be a sweet day. Open communication full of love and tenderness. This is a day to make sure you tell the people you love how much they mean to you.
If you’re starting a romantic relationship, or in one, it can be especially delicious. Be romantic and enjoy each other. It’s a time of beauty, peace and innocence, the reason we love love so much.
If you’re not feeling romantic, take the energy and let yourself simply express how much you care about those around you.
It will be most powerful if you tell them one-to-one. Let them know they’re special, it’ll make you feel great too.
Known best for her popular Immortals After Dark series, paranormal and romance writer Kresley Cole is working on a series for young adults called The Arcana Chronicles.
The first book in the series is called Poison Princess and will be out in October. The plot centers around a 16-year-old girl from Louisiana who has visions of apocalyptic events that ultimately come to pass.
In her search to figure out what’s going on she discovers other kids with similar visions and powers, all of which prove useful in the shocking new environment they find themselves in.
Though the story line is interesting enough, what particularly attracted me to this series was the ‘Arcana’ part of the chronicles.
Kresley has given Tarot’s Major Arcana a leading role in her books.
She says she was inspired by the idea of the cards coming to life as real kids, each one with special abilities based on the Tarot.
And not only the characters themselves, but the plot too was determined using the Tarot as a guide.
As might be expected, I think that’s just wonderful. And though YA literature isn’t usually my thing, I think I’m going to have to check this series out.
ShadowFox has been busy making Tarot decks for the last 11 years, and his work is impressive – the Legends of Rock Tarot, the Minimal E. Stick Tarot, the Tarot Progressive, the Ultimate Tarot, the ShadowFox Tarot, and his newest, the Tarot Deck of Heroes.
And he’s not done yet … in 2013 he’ll be releasing the Tarot of the Night, followed by the Chromillennium Tarot and the Feminine Devine Tarot.
That’s a lot of decks for one man! I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about them all. Or at least what he has to say about his latest, the brooding and powerful Tarot Deck of Heroes.
The Moon moves into Taurus today and stays there until Wednesday.
If you look at this transit through the eyes of the Tarot, it would be like the High Priestess is dressed as the Hierophant. She’s sitting before two acolytes and sharing the secrets she usually guards.
The Moon in Taurus, or High Priestess in the Hierophant’s clothes, is a time of spiritual and emotional certitude.
There’s a sense that the truth can be explained, understood and incorporated into daily life. Rules can and should be followed.
Instead of trying to force others to recognize what you know to be certain, try using this time to simply share your emotional, intellectual and spiritual perceptions.
Celebrate the diversity of spirit in our world, while figuring out for yourself what rules, spiritual or otherwise, work best for you.
Most likely, this is an important time. You’re probably coming to the end of a long phase and are in the process of review.
Judgment might be a heavy word to use, but that’s likely the situation – you’re judging yourself and your progress to date. How do you rate yourself? How are you rating others? Where do you want to go next?
There’s a strong element of resurrection in this energy. As the phase you’re in comes to a close, you ready yourself for rebirth. Listen carefully to what your soul is trying to tell you. What have you learned through these last years? What might you want to try again? What might you want to let go of? The big question is how might you be even more alive going forward?
Enjoy this time for what it is, though it might feel confusing and even a little anxiety-ridden. Soon there will be movement. Take a good look at your past, a good look at your present and envision what you want to do next. What do you want your life to be like tomorrow? It’s up to you to make it happen.