May 31 2021

GrannyMoon’s Weekly Feast: Sunday, May 30 2021

**GoddessSchool High Priestess Firefly**

Blessed Be my little Witch. To those who came before and those who will come after, know that the Goddess is with you always. Thank you all my dear readers…be blessed. ~GrannyMoon

Dark Moon – Time to Rest

New Moon – Time to Begin New Projects; Birth; Attraction

Waxing Moon – Time to Grow; Increase

Full Moon – Time to be Fulfilled; Abundance

Waning Moon – Time to Banish; Decrease

Last Sliver of Moon – Time to Die; Letting Go

Dark Moon – Time to Rest Again

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Light A Candle Today!

In many different traditions lighting a candle is a sacred action. It expresses more than words can express. It has to do with gratefulness. From time immemorial, people have lit candles in sacred places. You may want to begin or end your day by the sacred ritual of lighting a candle on this gratefulness. Or you may want to light a birthday candle for a friend. One single guideline is all you need: Slow down and do it with full attention.

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Herb of the Year for 2021: Parsley (Petroselinum crispum, named by the International Herb Association.

May

Goddess Month of Month of Hera begins 5/16 – 6/12

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Celtic Tree Calendar: Uath (Hawthorn) May 13 to June 9

May 30: Norse Feast of Frigg

May 30: EInherjar, Norse Day for Valhalla’s Warrior

May 31: Feast of Triple Goddess, Old European

May 31: Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) is observed on the last Monday in May. Remembrance is symbolized by the red poppy.

May 31: 3-Day Blessing to mark the birth of Buddah

May 31: Feast of Mjolnir the Hammer

May 31: Joan of Arc burned at the stake for Witchcraft

June 1: Festival of the Oak Nymphs

June 2: Shapatu of Ishtar

June 5: 8498 BC, Atlantis sank beneath the Atlantic Ocean, caused by an angry Zeus

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Our Current Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous

From three-and-a-half to ten-and-a-half days after the full moon. From the Full Moon to the New is a time for study, meditation and magic designed to banish harmful energies and habits, for ridding oneself of addictions, illness or negativity.

Waning Moon: Symbolic of letting go, surrender, release, quiet time, contemplation, and a time of incubation. The Moon is less than fully but more than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is decreasing.

High Priestess Training with GrannyMoon

http://GoddessSchool.com

The entire course takes 15 months to complete (four levels). Tuition covers lessons, assignments, and instructor feedback. In addition, students may download guided meditation exercises and be eligible for Sabbats, Esbats, and retreats with the Sisterhood. The entire fee for each level is $120 (payment plan available), sixteen lessons in each level, except the last.

Ceremonial Cords and frame-able Completion Certificates are awarded as members complete each level.

Level I – Initiate of the Sisters of the Burning Branch – White cord

Level II – Adept of the Sisters of the Burning Branch- Red cord

Level III – Priestess of the Sisters of the Burning Branch- Black cord

Level IV – High Priestess of the Sisters of the Burning Branch – Green cord

You Might Also Be Interested In:

http://goddessschool.com/Paganstudies/index.html

http://www.goddessschool.com/courses/natural/naturalwitch.html

http://goddessschool.com/Paganstudies/healingarts.html

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Learn About Herbs with GrannyMoon!

Treat headaches with herbs. You’re reading, driving, working, cooking—and whoomf! a headache happens. For ordinary headaches caused by the stresses and strains of daily life, a calming cup of herbal tea may be all you need to restore your equilibrium. Use these dried headache herbs, brewed with 1 cup boiling water and sweetened with honey:

Lavender, lemon balm, meadowsweet, ½ teaspoon each

Sage, rosemary, mint, ½ teaspoon each

Rosemary, marjoram, peppermint, ½ teaspoon each

A cool lavender compress for the temples and a quiet rest in a dark room may also give you the relief you need.

There is so much to learn about herbs! In Herbalism 101, we cover 21 herbs, and you will start your own personal Materia Medica, which we will build throughout the next levels. We will cover the basic aspects of herbs. From culinary to magickal, medicinal to ornamental. As well as the many modalities of herbs!

During this course, in addition to the online lessons and hands-on projects that you do at home, I will be sending you articles, and information, as well as questions about your own personal use and research.

I look forward to walking this green journey with you! I love herbs and I hope that you do too or will learn to!

There are 10 lessons in each level and there is no time limit for completion. You may study at your own pace! There are no texts to purchase.

For more info or to join my class, click here!

http://goddessschool.com/Paganstudies/healingarts.html

The cost for Level 1 is $50.00 or the entire Healing Arts Course (1-3) for $150.00, which includes a free Reiki certification course when all three are ordered!

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The Goddess School Grimoire

http://www.lulu.com/shop/sotbb-Goddess-school/the-Goddess-school-grimoire/hardcover/product-762380.html

Hardcover: $39.45

Softback: $26.95

eBook (PDF): $6.25

The Goddess School Grimoire is a collection of recipes, artwork, poetry, prose, prayers, rituals, spells, and practical Goddess wisdom put together by the teachers, students, alumni, and friends of The Sisters of the Burning Branch Goddess School. The sisterhood is dedicated to restoring spiritual balance by returning the Divine Feminine to her rightful place and by assisting women in their personal and spiritual development. Since being founded by Head and High Mother Priestess Grandmother Moon in 2000, The Goddess School (www.Goddessschool.com) has grown into a large and beautiful global community of women.

Biddy Tarot

http://www.biddytarot.com

Card of the Week: Death

What have you realized isn’t serving you?

The Death card symbolizes the end of a major phase or aspect of your life that is no longer in your Highest Good. This allows you to open up to the possibility of something far more valuable and essential.

You must close one door to open another. It’s time to put the past behind you and part ways so you’re ready to embrace new opportunities and possibilities. It might be difficult to let go of the past, but you will soon see the importance of this transition and the promise of renewal and transformation that will come from it.

Welcome this time of significant transformation as it brings positive, cleansing forces into your life.

The clearing away of limiting factors can open the door to a broader, more satisfying experience of life. What new possibilities can you imagine?

Ask Your Tarot Cards: “What is ending and beginning in my life?”

📸 @cosmic_chica using The Muse Tarot by @pixiecurio

#biddytarot #tarot

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Motor City Hoodoo

Stacy Adams <retail@coventrycreations.com

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Heartwings Love Notes 984: Remembering the Fallen

Heartwings says, “Memorial Day is for remembrance of those who have fallen in life, regardless of the reason.”

My father used to decorate two special graves on Memorial Day. While he also honored those of his ancestors, he made a special effort to place flowers at the base of two pink granite headstones in the Manchester Cemetery where two friends of his were buried. They were a man and his wife who were originally from England and had no relations in this country. Although they were only friends, not relatives, he felt it was important to pay his respects and to honor their passing.

I met them when I was around four. I remember their names as Lord and Lady Lindsey. They must have been members of the British aristocracy, and why they had emigrated to the USA I have no idea. I remember their kindly smiles and white hair. For many years, two ornaments they gave me: a parrot and a small penguin of china or porcelain, sat on a shelf in my bedroom. I wish now that I had thought to ask my father about them before he passed. Sadly, there are now many questions I wish I had asked him that I did not.

Life holds much to keep us busy while we live it. Some describe it as a struggle, others as a tale. Some are heroes, some villains, others live their lives in anonymity, yet are precious to friends and family. All are deserving of remembrance, for even a villain most likely did his or her best. Our choices are key to how we may be remembered, and these are often driven by forces beyond our control. Cemeteries are places to honor the fallen, and once Memorial Day was called Decoration Day.

Cemeteries are places to honor the fallen, and once Memorial Day was called Decoration Day. Observance of this day originated when some women went to decorate the graves of Civil War soldiers and didn’t know which side any of them had fought on. They decorated them all without regard, and the custom spread until it became law. Perhaps all of us are soldiers of life, making our way as best we can, fighting if we need to, seeking peace when we are able. Those that fall, whether young, old or in between will be remembered for their deeds, for their gifts, and for the part they played in the lives of others. A day to remember all of them at once seems fitting.

May you commemorate those you have loved and lost in ways that soothe your heart.

Blessings and Best Regards, Tasha Halpert

How will you observe Memorial Day? Do you practice special customs or ceremonies? Do write and share your stories with me. I so love to hear from my readers. Please write to me at tashahal@aol.com, and for more love notes you might enjoy visiting my web pages at www.heartwingsandfriends.com.

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Llewellyn’s Spell A Day

Spell to Reveal a Mystery

MAY 30, 2021 BY STORM FAERYWOLF

The purpose of this spell is to inspire a dream to reveal a mystery that has been locked away from you.

You will need these materials:

* A purple candle

* Some ground cinnamon

* A pen or pencil

* A piece of unlined paper

* A piece of chalk

* A key to an unknown lock

In the dark of night, gather your items and focus on your mystery. Sprinkle the candle with some cinnamon and light it with a silent prayer. With the pen or pencil, write your mystery on the paper, then use chalk to draw a large circle around it. Place the key in the center of the circle, saying:

A mystery in a circle of chalk,

A key that goes to no known lock.

What has been locked away, concealed,

My dreams now open and reveal.

Allow the candle to burn down safely, then sleep with the key under your pillow. The next morning, bury the key on your property. Watch your dreams for an answer to your prayer!

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Contentment Stone

MAY 29, 2021 BY ESTHA MCNEVIN

It can be hard enough to accept life on a good day, but it’s on the really difficult days that we need hope and luck the most. Cast the following spell on a found stone, anointing it with lavender oil and speaking to it this incantation:

A rolling stone gathers no moss, about

the world it is effortlessly tossed.

But this little gem took an

adventure again, standing before

my toes, as lost as Faust.

From the greatest mountain to

the smallest stone, I am content

with all that I have known.

Keep the stone in your wallet to remind you to be grateful for every little thing you have. Use the luck that is all around you. Learn to see it and appreciate it by recognizing the value and sentient consciousness in everything that exists.

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De-stress Meditation

MAY 28, 2021 BY EMBER GRANT

Many people use lavender to alleviate headaches or to create a calming atmosphere. Inhale the aroma of lavender, either by using essential oil in a diffuser, applying it diluted to the skin, or crushing some dried lavender between your fingers. As you breathe in the scent, visualize yourself being calm and centered.

Chant this three times:

Lavender, lavender, bring me peace.

Lavender, lavender, stress decrease.

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Cell Phone Protection

MAY 27, 2021 BY ELIZABETH BARRETTE

Most cell phones are fragile. A brisk bump, a shortfall, or more than a few drops of rain can ruin one. Yet people take their cell phones everywhere, in all kinds of conditions, which leads to accidents and broken devices.

For this protection spell, you will need a cell phone case printed with a spider and/or a spiderweb. Think of Grandmother Spider, whose sphere of influence includes all webs and networks, along with communication from afar. Hold the spiderweb case between your hands and say:

Grandmother Spider, spin your web,

Subtle and silken, line by line.

Spin your magic across this case,

Keeping this cell phone working fine.

Put the case on the phone. Visualize the web protecting the cell phone from all harm, and trace over the web with your finger. Say the spell again. The cell phone is now protected. If you ever need a boost of protection, repeat the spell.

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Flower Moon Bath

MAY 26, 2021 BY SAPPHIRE MOONBEAM

The full moon in May is known as the Flower Moon. In the spirit of the season of flowers, it is a perfect time to have a full moon bath. Water not only cleanses our spirit but also heals us.

Prepare a bath after the sun goes down by adding petals from your favorite flowers. You can also add drops of essential oils to uplift and enhance the energies you want to grow and bloom in your life. Add drops of lavender or lemon oil for peace, rose oil or ginger for love, and vanilla, parsley, or thyme oil for happiness and joy.

As you soak in the fragrant water, focus on your dreams and desires and envision them manifesting in your life. Remove the petals before draining the water, but let the water completely drain as you remain in the tub. This bath can be done again up to two days after the full moon to increase the effectiveness of the spell.

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Lucky Coin Spell

MAY 25, 2021 BY KATE FREULER

For this spell, you will need a shiny coin and three drops of sunflower oil.

Take the coin and oil to a sunny place outdoors if possible. Hold the coin in such a way that it reflects the light of the sun. Imagine the sun filling it up with warmth, joy, and positivity. Place the oil onto the coin and rub it in with your fingers. As you do so, imagine a bright yellow sunflower, its open face basking in the sun. The coin is now imbued with bright positive vibrations. Carry it with you and pay attention to what happens throughout your day. Take notice of any seemingly lucky or especially nice or pleasant situations you experience—including the small things.

The following day, place the coin on a sidewalk or path where you know someone will find it and pick it up, passing on the good luck to whoever carries it.

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New Life for Hand-Me-Downs

MAY 24, 2021 BY EMYME

Physical objects retain the energy of those who created or used them. When bringing any piece of furniture into your home, it is always wise to cleanse it. Family furniture passed down through the generations may be infused with considerable and varied forces. When bringing in items from relatives we know and love, the cleansing may be less stringent. A simple request and a “blessed be” might suffice, or only a light saging may be needed. One way to be sure the positive essence remains and impart your own energy is by refinishing or refurbishing the piece. Many items will most certainly benefit from a sprucing up. When you are done, offer up this heartfelt spell:

This (name of item) has served

the family well. I’ll give this

piece a newer face and keep it

with care in a special place.

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Bless and Multiply My Money

MAY 23, 2021 BY DALLAS JENNIFER COBB

What we focus on grows, so create a prosperity altar to bless and multiply your money.

Gather coins and bills, flowers, herbs, stones, fossils, and other energized, magical objects. On a flat surface, create a spiral with about an eight-inch circumference. Lay the coins, bills, and other sacred objects down in ever-smaller revolutions of the spiral. As you do this, think about how much money has been given to you throughout your life. Say:

Lucky me.

As you place the objects in smaller revolutions of the spiral, recognize how much money you currently have. Say:

Blessed me.

Recognize how, through employment and self-employment, you have money flowing regularly. Say:

Wealthy me.

As the spiral grows tighter and more condensed, incant:

Bless and multiply my money.

Make a small cluster of money at the center of the spiral and say:

Money flows to me easily and fluidly.

Over time, add found money and money-shaped candy to your altar. This will keep your attention focused on the growth of your money. Each time, say:

Bless and multiply my money.

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Knowing Your History

Knowing where you came from helps bridge the gulf that divides your past from your future.

Each of us is a piece of a larger puzzle. We are all born into the unique and complex network of individuals, settings, and circumstances that constitute our heritage. Whether or not you are aware of your ancestors, your family’s country of origin, the cultural history of your people, or the trials faced by the people responsible for bringing you into the world, these forces have had a hand in shaping your values. Knowing your family history and reflecting often upon your own personal history as it relates to your heritage empowers you to look at your life in a larger historical context and to understand that you are a vital part of an ongoing drama greater than yourself.

Researching your heritage can prepare you to meet the future. The traits of your ancestors can give you insight into how your character has developed and the beliefs that form the foundation of your worldview. The knowledge you gain can help you appreciate your values and your character, giving you the confidence to be more expressive where both are concerned. At a cellular level, you carry a genetic code from your family determining things like how you age, your blood type, and personality traits. But as a spiritual being, you bring in what you chose to do with that genetic coding, your free will. Unearthing your heritage is not simply about uncovering who did what when or reconnecting with long-lost relatives. Rather, it is a method of building self-awareness and bridging the gulf that divides your past from your future.

In researching our individual histories, however, we may encounter relatives who made interesting choices or were involved in traumatic events. It’s easy to overestimate the importance of these pieces of our past and to cling to them. Balance is key. While your heritage has influenced the development of the person you are today, you are more than an ethnicity, a culture, or a family name. You should not feel driven to alter your likes and dislikes, dreams, preferences, or values because you feel your heritage demands it. Knowing your history is about loving who you are, understanding where you’ve come from, and preparing for your future.

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Hugging a Tree

If you are feeling anxious, sad, or drained, try hugging a tree and allow her vast amount of grounding energy to assist you.

Trees are among the world’s greatest givers. Their slow and gentle life cycles provide the world with clean air, their roots filter water, and their majestically spreading branches provide shade. Full of vibrant, natural energy, trees can also give us the gifts of peace and nurturance. Hugging or sitting with your spine against the trunk of any tree can ground your body and inspire a profound closeness with nature as the energy of the tree connects to you. Making physical contact with a tree can help you relax, alleviate stress, sleep more deeply, and hold on to more positive energy. Trees can absorb great amounts of energy and have the ability to soak up harmful energy from deep within you. If you are feeling anxious, sad, drained, or tense, then try hugging a tree.

Go to the woods, a garden, or a park, and find a tree that you would like to hug. Stand next to the tree and close your eyes. Relax your senses while breathing in the scent of leaves and bark. Listen to the creaking of the branches. When you feel settled, open your eyes, keeping them unfocused, and walk around its trunk. Feel the unique energy of the tree as your auras meet each other. Ask the tree for permission to touch it. If you feel the tree saying yes to you, begin breathing in its energy. Put your arms around the trunk and press your face to its bark. Embrace the tree for as long as you wish, feeling the roughness of its wood and the strength of its years. Relax into that strength and let the tree support you. You may even be able to physically feel a cyclical flow of energy taking place between your body and the tree.

You can sit with your back pressed to the tree for the same effect if you feel more comfortable doing so. Likewise, if you are seeking greater comfort, you may want to wrap your legs and arms around the tree, either at the base or by straddling a branch. Remember to thank the tree because by hugging your tree you are drinking from the well of natural copious energy cultivated by the tree’s many years on this earth.

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NATIVE AMERICAN BURIAL RITUALS

~ Cathy Wallace

Native American burial rituals can help us to understand the values of unique groups of people.

In the early 1900s, when my grandmother was about five years old, she was playing outside with her twin sister in rural Michigan when a Native American man came into their yard holding a large package wrapped in brown paper. She stopped her play as he approached and carefully put the package into her arms. Then he gestured for her to take it to her father.

Later her daddy asked her if she knew what was in the package. She shook her head no. “It was a baby papoose,” he explained. “The chief was bringing the baby to me to prepare it for burial.” Such was the life of an undertaker’s daughter.

Some Native American tribes preferred not to touch the bodies after death and turned that task over to others. Others tenderly spent days preparing the deceased for the afterlife. Native American burial rituals were as diverse as the tribes themselves. To cover them all could take volumes but here is a sampling of a few.

Note: These rituals are focused on pre-reservation time periods.

Aleut Native American Burial Rituals

Aleutian Islands, between Alaska and Russia

The population of the Aleut people numbered about 25,000 prior to contact with Europeans.

When one of their loved ones passed on, the body was placed on a frame covered with skins and kept in the very spot where they had died for 15 days. The family began a long process of mourning that included fasting and chanting. On the 16th day, the body was embalmed and buried.

In the Aleutian Islands, ancestors were buried close to their villages. There were traditionally four main types of burials: umqans, caves, sarcophagi, and community houses.

Umqans were rock burial mounds or markers that were placed at the edge of a cliff. They were the most common type of burials among the Aleut.

Others were buried in sarcophagi, coffins that were made of whalebone or hewn wood topped with sod and left above the ground. Inside, the deceased were dressed in their best clothes and wrapped in swaddling clothes like a baby.

The deceased were also buried in shallow graves at the back of caves. Sometimes grave goods were placed in the cave with the departed such as a boat or wooden hunting hat trimmed with ivory, feathers, and sea lion whiskers.

Many were buried within the main areas of activity in the settlements in small pits adjacent to the houses. Mass graves were typical for women and children.

Arapaho Native American Burial Rituals

Northeast Rocky Mountains and Great-Plains

The Arapaho usually buried their deceased on the same day that they died. The body was dressed in their finest traditional clothing.

A spacious grave was dug into the ground and some of their personal belongings such as clothing and blankets were placed with the body. If the deceased was a warrior, his best horse was killed and placed in the grave. Then the gravesite was covered with rocks.

The rest of the person’s belongings were either divided up among close family members or burned. Their tipi was also burned, destroyed, or abandoned.

Mourning among close relatives involved wearing old clothing or rags, cutting their hair, and wearing no paint.

The spirit was thought to linger for four days and then journey to hiyei’in, meaning “our home”.

Apache Native American Burial Rituals

Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico

When someone in the Apache tribe died, the women immediately began to wail.

Family members cut their hair to shoulder length with a flint knife or heated horse bone. Then the hair was hung in a tree.

The deceased’s body was washed, hair was combed neatly, and the face was marked with pollen and red ochre. It was then placed on a horse and taken to the hills, along with their favorite possessions.

The body was placed in the crevices of the rocky hills. The horse was killed and placed in there too, as well as their belongings. Items that wouldn’t fit in the cracks were broken into pieces and left on the ground nearby.

The mourners returned to their village by another way and never looked back. After four days the soul was set free to make its way to the “Land of Endless Summer” with the Great Creator.

Cherokee Native American Burial Rituals

Southeast United States

When Cherokee fathers were convinced they were going to die soon, they gathered their children to give them advice for their future and to speak to them of ancient Cherokee traditions and customs that they should always remember.

Earlier Cherokees (about 1500 A.D.) were buried in earthen mounds. The mounds were created by placing rocks in a large circle and burning the ground in the center of the rocks. Then the bodies of the departed were placed inside the circle, with heads together.

Finally, the women brought baskets of earth to cover the bodies, creating a hill-like mound.

Cherokees of later periods were usually buried close to their homes or beneath the floor of their homes. This may have suggested that the family wanted the deceased buried close by for spiritual reasons or that it was too dangerous to venture far from home during times of warfare.

Grave goods included shells, shell bowls, turtle-shell rattles, shell beads, and animal bone jewelry. Seashells are sometimes still used today to decorate gravesites.

Following the death, there was a seven-day mourning period during which no one was to get angry or speak in a light manner.

Everything in the house was considered unclean – even the family members. The deceased’s personal belongings were buried with them or burned. Food and furniture were smashed and discarded. The hearth was cleaned and the family members were ritualistically washed.

Creek Native American Burial Rituals

Georgia and Alabama

At first glance, newly deceased Creeks may have appeared more like they were getting together for a visit or having a party than being buried.

The corpses were wrapped in blankets and propped up in a sitting position. Then eating utensils, dishes of food, pipes, tools, or instruments of war were laid out in front of them.

Canes were laid across the top of the grave opening until it was nearly covered. Then a firm layer of clay was packed onto the canes, thick enough to support the weight of a man.

Meanwhile, mourners covered their faces with bear grease and wood ashes as they howled loudly with grief for four days.

Navajo Native American Burial Rituals

Northeast Arizona and Northwest New Mexico

The Navajo took precautions during the burial process to ensure the spirit of the deceased did not return to the world of the living.

The body was to buried as quickly as possible after death so the dying person was washed and dressed in their finest clothes while they were still alive.

Once the person had died, the Navajos were reluctant to look at the body. let alone touch it. Contact with corpses was limited to only a few individuals within a village – slaves or funeral conductors.

An extra set of clothes, food, water, and favored belongings were placed in the grave. At the burial ceremony, mourners walked around the grave counterclockwise and sprinkled dirt into the hole.

Great care was taken to ensure that no footprints were left behind at the gravesite so that the spirit who came to guide the deceased into the afterlife did not mistakenly follow the wrong person and take their spirit instead.

Sioux Native American Burial Rituals

Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Canada

The most prominent subcultures of the Sioux people are the Lakota, the Santee, and the Yankton-Yanktonai, reflecting the dialect that they speak.

The Sioux painted the deceased’s body red, dressed it in fine clothing, and wrapped it in a buffalo robe. Food was placed inside of the robe, near the head.

The body was then placed in a tree or on an elevated platform about eight feet above the ground. And there it would remain for a year, after which time it would be buried in the ground.

Give My Body to the Birds: The Practice of Sky Burial

These were called sky burials. The Sioux believe death is not an end of life, but the beginning of another journey for the spirit.

Healing came into the grieving hearts of the Sioux as they worked together to prepare the body, build the scaffold, paint the poles with black and red stripes, lift the deceased into place, and then sit a vigil while waiting for the spirit to leave on its journey back to the Great Spirit, the Creator and Preserver of the Universe.

That’s what all the Native American burial rituals were about, weren’t they? Healing hearts. In fact, it is what burial rituals are about in cultures all around the world. Healing hearts and allowing our spirits to journey onward.

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Gilberto Rides Again Chapter 3

by Stephen Halpert

Gilberto hated hospitals. He remembered from his boyhood the small shack smelling of disinfectant that served as a makeshift hospital near where he had lived in Puerto Rico. It was said the people went there to die. Fortunately, his parents moved to Florida then he was six and could avoid such circumstances. They would drive to Miami for medical consultations, but the fear of hospitals had dominated his youth.

The austerity and hushed stillness of today’s gigantic modern medical centers did little to afford him confidence in today’s health care system. The brisk nurses reminded him of the nuns he remembered from his boyhood. Deep down he still believed that many doctors were swindlers, out to get as much money as they could. He railed about this as he and Maria drove to the hospital and parked.

Once in the waiting room she said, “Please be optimistic, and don’t let your boyhood prejudices get in your way.” She kissed him. “I know you’ll come through this unscathed. He kissed her back and followed a dour looking nurse to his examining room. He removed his trousers. Dr. Fletcher greeted him absentmindedly and went right to work. He didn’t care for the doctor, who was short with a ruddy complexion, and eyes that Gilberto thought had seen too much and now no longer cared.

The smell of antiseptic cloyed at his nose. He had never experienced anything like the catheter that invaded his genitals. There must be another way, he thought. This is barbaric. Didn’t the Nazi’s do torture like this?

Invasive and cold, it probed deep inside his groin. The doctor worked silently; his eyes focused entirely on the device. It seemed to Gilberto he took no interest in him as a person, only in that part of his body. Gilberto almost said something, but he was too uncomfortable to speak.

After what seemed an eternity, the doctor removed the catheter.

Finally, Gilberto found his tongue. “What did you find?”

The urologist’s expressionless face was upsetting. “You’ve a cancerous tumor growing on your bladder.”

Gilberto gulped. Fear froze his mind. “Cancer! Will I die?”

“Not from this,” Dr. Fletcher sounded indifferent. “It can be removed during a day surgery. Then six sessions of immunotherapy are

administered to make sure it doesn’t come back.”

“Just like that!” Gilberto wanted a longer more comprehensive explanation. He felt confused and fearful. “How’d I get cancer? I take good care of myself.”

Doctor Fletcher shrugged. “Environmental. Happens a lot. More common these days than you might think.”

“That’s all you can tell me?” The doctor seemed so unfeeling.

“We’ll keep checking you afterward. You could be lucky. It could stay in remission. You’ll be put out during the surgery.”

“For how long?

The day surgery lasts around twenty minutes.”

“But you know it’s cancer?” That word freaked him out, taking away his usual swagger.

“Common,” Doctor Fletcher reiterated. “Environmental, happens a lot.”

“Not fair,” Gilberto said. He hoped for a shred of empathy from this man, who seemed impatient to send Gilberto on his way. Maybe he had a golf date later that morning.

“No, it isn’t. Cancer’s out for its own survival.”

That something foreign was attached and eating at the wall of his bladder was horrifying.

The doctor turned to leave the examining room. “Set up your day surgery sooner than later. “

“Just like that? That’s it?”

He nodded and left. Gilberto dressed. He took deep breaths, wanted to be brave when he told Maria.

He went to the desk and made an appointment for the procedure. He was fortunate he could be operated on within two weeks. They left the waiting room, and as they waited for the elevator, he filled her in. She listened. When he said that ominous word, cancer, she gulped and nodded. “Aren’t you glad you let me bring you this morning?”

He sighed. “Probably; glad it was discovered. Personally, I’d feel safer with a tribal witch doctor, someone who uses herbs as medicine.”

She frowned. “Gilberto, be glad modern medicine is here to save you.”

He shook his head. “That doctor was so indifferent, like this was nothing more than a loose filling or an ingrown toenail.”

“To him that’s probably what it was. I fear over time doctors get hardened by life’s ultimate reality. You’ll be fine, I’m sure.”

He continued to rail. She didn’t respond. She knew to give him his space, regardless how irrational he seemed. Why quibble? Over the years he’d accused her of quibbling. She knew even though he’d ultimate agree with her, her exacting nature could annoy him.

He sighed. “After the day surgery I have to go back for six treatments. I hate that catheter, six treatments.”

“That’s a lot better than painful chemo or radiation. Personally, I think you’re getting off easy.”

“I hate that catheter,” he repeated, “It’s invasive, barbaric.”

She nodded. “You’d have to be crazy not to, but it’s only a momentary discomfort; besides we don’t remember pain regardless how invasive.” She smiled at him. “Where would you like lunch. My treat.”

He disliked this talk. The whole experience was like losing a big game, a championship. Obviously, his ego took a big hit proving he was human, not a living God, immortal. He felt oddly vulnerable. “I’m starved but don’t feel hungry. He called it environmental whatever that’s supposed to mean.”

“You need to eat.”

He nodded. “I’m not hungry, maybe a beer to cool me out. I feel like going to work, throwing myself into what’s at hand. I don’t want to wait. Couldn’t they remove it now, today?”

She frowned than smiled. “Sure. That makes sense but you have to wait. Fortunately, you have a mild case. It could have been a lot worse You need to eat. Let’s get a burger and I’ll drop you off at Atlas.”

“Maria, I don’t want to eat a dead cow, not now, not anymore. I couldn’t hold it down.”

She nodded and smiled. “You might eventually change your mind. “But how about a gooey ice cream sundae instead; loaded with hot chocolate, marshmallow, strawberries and nuts.”

That made him smile. “Yes, the perfect comfort lunch after being told I have cancer.”

“Please Gilberto don’t be dramatic. You’re fortunate. You’ll survive this regardless how you feel about that poor doctor. He’s just doing his job. Be charitable Gilberto. It could be a lot worse.”

(To be continued)

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Kitty Kat’s Korner

How to Make Your Cat Your Workout Buddy

~Mary Tan

Boost your feline’s fitness routine by exercising together

Jafari Jamison Underfoot is a cat like no other. He’s not only mastered the art of wearing a harness and leash but takes walks daily with his owner that often turn into short sprints. Living in picturesque Vancouver, British Columbia, the handsome Abyssinian cat has access to beautiful trails and the Pacific Ocean. “People just stare in disbelief. They’re not used to seeing a cat run,” says his owner, Christopher Weeks.

How did Jafari get to be such a great role model for active felines? Christopher says he began training his pet as a kitten. He taught Jafari to wear a harness using positive reinforcement, by associating the harness with treats and positive praise.

After he got used to the harness and leash inside, the two moved outside. “We would walk regularly, and Jafari always kept up. Then one day he started picking up the pace. That’s when we started running,” says the cat dad proudly.

Jafari doesn’t run long distances, but Christopher says the two are short-distance runners who take lots of breaks. “We walk, run, stop, scratch and sniff, then we do it all over again.”

Exercise with your cat by tailoring workouts to personality

Dr. Liz Stelow, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist at the University of California, Davis, says Jafari is unfortunately not the norm. “Most cats don’t get sufficient exercise. I don’t think most cat owners think about training their cats. It doesn’t even occur to them that their cat would find it rewarding.”

The veterinary behaviorist advocates that people and their cats exercise together. “We all need exercise for our physical and mental health,” she says. “Felines and humans need exercise to keep our muscles in shape, our bodies lean and our brains well-supplied with blood.” But while some cats can go outdoors, the veterinarian says that decision should be based on your cat’s personality. A scared cat that hides underneath the bed probably isn’t going to want to go on outdoor adventures.

Dr. Stelow insists that’s not a problem. There are still plenty of things you can do together, especially using toys. Wand toys are a universal favorite of all cats. She personally uses the Go Cat Brand wand toys, especially the Cat Catcher Mouse Wand, although she stresses that each cat is an individual, so experiment to see what works with your little lion.

With so many people working from home, the veterinarian says running through your house with your cat chasing you and the toy is great exercise. Doing this just once a day for five minutes is an awesome exercise routine for you and kitty.

She also stresses when choosing toys, pick ones that won’t fall apart and cause choking or end up in your feline’s stomach:

Avoid yarn, elastic cords, strings, threads, bells, or other small pieces that can come off or be chewed off.

Never let your cat use hanging toys when you’re not there, as they can be a strangulation risk.

Avoid cheap catnip toys due to the possibility of mold issues.

Dr. Stelow also gives Doc and Phoebe’s Indoor Hunting Feeder ($19.99, Chewy) high marks. The interactive feeder made of little plastic mice you fill with kibble will give your kitty a higher calorie workout as he tries to find the kibble. The ever popular Cat Dancer is also a favorite of the California veterinarian.

Kick it up your exercise routine

Besides running, walking, and toys, what else can you do with your kitty? More and more cat owners are getting creative:

Stroller Walks/Runs: Can’t get your cat in a harness or they get cold outdoors? Walks or runs in strollers are perfect, as they exercise your cat’s mind. Your cat can feel more secure zipped up in a stroller, and you can walk or run! Gradually build your cat’s time in the stroller and put treats and toys in it before you take them out so they associate the stroller with positive things. The Couch to 5K run/walk programs you find online are great for building endurance for you and your feline partner.

Cat Yoga: Meowmaste! Get out your mat and your cat and put on your favorite online yoga class. Kitties are curious and will try to get your attention when you start doing the downward dog. They’ll interrupt you, but know you’re going to get in some stretching while your cat jumps and climbs all over you.

Cat Weight Lifting: Use your cat as dumbbells or a medicine ball. Actor and weight lifter Travis DesLaurier uses his cat Jacob as his workout buddy. Whether doing leg lifts or pushups, the orange tabby helps his human keep his abs in rock hard shape. Travis even has a Youtube video that will show you exactly what you need to do for great strength training.

Burn calories outside

Trends of people exercising their cats also caught the attention of Laura Moss, the co-founder, and editor-in-chief of Adventure Cats, a website to celebrate the outdoor feline lifestyle. She began the website as a resource and community for cat owners. “Kitties have defied my expectations. They’re capable of doing so much more than they’re offered,” says the outdoor enthusiast.

Her book, website, and social media pages show cat lovers all over the world getting active with their living room lions. You can see cats visiting every national park in the country, felines paddle boarding, and kittens going hiking, but the Atlanta-based writer believes you need to respect your cat. “If they don’t like being outside or doing a certain activity, don’t force them; that just hurts your relationship with your cat.”

Christopher echoes that statement. But luckily, his active Abyssinian loves the outdoors and can handle their adventures. “He’s converted people from not liking cats to liking cats. We’re so proud of him that he is a cat ambassador that can show the world the wonderful things you can do with a cat. Cats need exercise, and it’s always best when they can do it with you.”

Georgia Nichols Weekly Horoscope

May 30, 2021

All Signs

This week there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that leading up to Thursday, fair Venus will dance with lucky Jupiter, which will promote good feelings and fun times for everyone! Some will attract money, gifts, and goodies to them! Nevertheless, by Saturday, fiery Mars will oppose big daddy Pluto; and this is a tough scene. It can trigger power struggles and encourage ruthless behavior and in rare cases, violence. Obviously, we have to take the bad with the good. We can either turn up our eviction speakers or someday in the future, look back on this and plow into a parked car.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

This will be a curious week dealing with home, family, and perhaps parents. For most of the week, you will enjoy redecorating your place and making things look better. You will also enjoy entertaining at home. Family relations will be upbeat and positive and people will be generous to each other. (We like this part.) However, something will definitely go off the rails at the end of the week because, by Saturday, power struggles, chaos, and crazy activity seem to be the order of the day. Gone are the smiles that are now replaced with gritting teeth and daggered glances. (Oh yeah, the Brothers Grimm are watching from afar saying, “No way!”)

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

There is no question that this week has a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde overtone. Definitely a time of contrasts! In the beginning of the weekend, leading up to Thursday, your everyday relations with others are wonderful! You are happy with your surroundings. In fact, you appreciate your surroundings and you even appreciate your warm relations with others. (How cool is that?) But something will happen that suddenly pits you against others by the weekend. This confrontation will not be nice. You won’t be happy. In fact, stay away from dangerous areas or violent neighborhoods because people are on the warpath on Saturday. Better to be safe than sorry.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

In one way, this is a powerful time for you because the Sun is in your sign boosting your energy and attracting people and favorable situations to you. Admittedly, Mercury retrograde is also in your sign attracting old friends, ex-partners and triggering goofy mistakes and misplaced items (to name a few glitches). The contrast of the good news/bad news (see All Signs above) will impact you in a financial way. Initially, you can boost your earnings this week. You can attract money to you. You might also buy beautiful things for yourself and loved ones. However, by Saturday, you’re at loggerheads with someone about shared property, shared responsibilities, or how to use a particular possession. Grrrr. Patience is your best ally.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

You are keeping a low profile, choosing to be alone or work behind the scenes. Unlike many signs, you can use Mercury retrograde to your advantage because it will help you research issues or dig into the past for solutions and answers. In the beginning of this week, Jupiter will dance with Venus in your sign making you feel contented and happy with social interactions. It’s an ideal time to take a vacation and enjoy socializing with others. You might also feel lazy and self-indulgent. (“Will someone peel me another grape?”) However, by Saturday, you might be involved in an intense power struggle with someone, perhaps a partner or close friend? You’re playing Gary Cooper in High Noon.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

This is a popular week for you. People want to talk to you, especially young people. On the whole, you will be happy because you have a feeling of inner contentment and you feel good about yourself and good about life. You might even have a spiritual epiphany of sorts. (It’s all great.) However, by the weekend, an element of confusion can contribute to a nasty power struggle taking place. Initially, you might feel some kind of resentment building up in you. That feeling of “This is the last straw!” Your best option is not to act out any feelings of resentment because you might do or say something that you later regret. After all, future experiences are largely shaped by present actions.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You look great in the eyes of others because the Sun is still at the top of your chart casting you in a flattering spotlight! This happens only once a year for four weeks so make the most of this. Now is the time to make your pitch and ask for what you want, especially between now and Thursday! In fact, during this window of time, you will get along famously with others. Creative, artistic people will enjoy your company. However, for some reason, by Saturday, you’re at odds with a member of a group or a friend and it’s a real ego battle. (The worst.) “It’s my way or the highway.” Generally, ultimatums with others never work and you know this. Try to find a win-win solution, which is a compromise for everyone. Life is all about accommodation.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Your desire for travel and stimulation, change, and a chance to learn something new and exciting continues to be strong this week. You might meet people who are “different,” and possibly learn new things from them. You will also enjoy any kind of study or exploration into new ideas and new ways of thinking. Relations with bosses and parents are excellent this week until Friday. In fact, some lovely, positive, planetary aspects will guarantee that you look fabulous to others and you relate well to parents and bosses. However, on Saturday, the bottom falls out of everything! Whaaat? Now you’re at odds with a family member. Strife, arguments, or power struggles will be a challenge. Avoid angry people and dangerous places. Do what you can to maintain the peace.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

You have lots of passionate energy lately, which some of you have directed into dealing with shared property, taxes, debt, and red-tape issues. But not all of you. Some of you are channeling this passion into an exciting relationship! Meanwhile, this week you have lovely opportunities to travel or explore avenues in publishing, the media, the law, medicine, or perhaps higher education. You might strike up a new relationship with someone different. All of this will be exciting and gratifying. However, by the weekend, arguments about ideological differences, politics, racial issues – something – will ruin your enjoyment of good times. Stay away from dangerous neighborhoods and potentially violent people. Definitely.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Your focus on close relationships is strong, perhaps due to ex-partners and old friends who are back in your world. One thing that will please you this week is that gifts, goodies, and favors from others will come your way. You might even receive money. (Money is always the right color and the right size.) Likewise, a passionate, sexy relationship might flourish! This is an excellent week to negotiate any kind of financial deal or discussion about how to divide or share something including an inheritance. Unfortunately, by Saturday, everything seems to go south and you find yourself quarreling with someone about money, possessions or property. In other words, it goes from very good to very bad! (It happens.)

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You’re in work mode this week. Stay focused and accomplish as much as possible because this will make you feel rewarded and gratified. Relations with those who are closest to you will improve. Nevertheless, by the end of the week, a confused communication with a coworker might occur. Or perhaps this confused communication is related to your health or a pet? The upshot of this is that you will be at odds with a partner or close friend on the weekend. Basically, it will be a power struggle, which means you can step back and give the situation some space. After all, you want to be happy, not angry.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

You’re in a playful mood, which means you want to have fun! Anything to do with the arts will delight you, especially if you can express your creative talents. You will enjoy interactions with kids, sports events and social outings. All fun choices! Work-related travel might occur for some. All of you will have excellent relations with work colleagues this week. You might also feel healthy in a vigorous, vital way. Nevertheless, by the end of the week, some kind of confusion, perhaps with your kids or a social event might lead to a power struggle that affects your health or your relations with a coworker or even a pet. Tread carefully!

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Home and family are where it’s at this week. Home repairs and improvements along with family discussions will take place. Many of you will be involved more than usual with a parent. Meanwhile, this is a playful, fun-loving week in terms of the arts and good times with kids. It’s also a romantic week! New love will blossom for some of you. Nevertheless, a misunderstanding with a family member might trigger arguments with your kids or a romantic partner by Saturday. These difficulties with others that take place at the end of the week, will require diplomacy, sympathy, and understanding of human nature – all of which you have in abundance. Good luck!

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Weekly Horoscopes beginning Sunday, 30 May 2021

https://groups.io/g/CelestialPrognostication

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If you’re born within a cusp period (16 to 26 of any month); you’re advised to read horoscopes of both signs covered by that period. You’re on the border; you may have influences from houses within those signs.

Outlines are longer versions; consists of every possible detail of everyday and based on three parts of each sign: 1st, 2nd & 3rd Decan; that is, any of three divisions of 10° within a sign of the zodiac. Even if you know or don’t know your Decan; I recommend, please read all three Decan.

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Aries

Personal theme: I am!!

Fire & cardinal sign: March 21 — April 19

Your horoscope for this week:

Recent unsettling developments forced a rethink of a range of plans, some longstanding. While annoying at the time, the solution seemed clear. You’re now discovering that, despite a sense of urgency, you need to be patient and, even more, explore options that either you’ve previously dismissed or regard as pointless. Once that was true. Now, the more you learn, the broader your range of worthwhile options.

You’ve given so much time and energy to other people that you have been neglecting your own needs. Now is a good time to work on yourself. Whether this means taking a self-development course, going to see a therapist or a healer, don’t feel guilty that the attention is now on you. You are worth it. Treat yourself to something nice. A strange twist of fate suggests you stand to benefit from the good luck of a partner or relative.

The cosmic weather is now very different to what it was just a few weeks ago. Mercury is retrograde in one of the Air signs. we are between eclipses and Jupiter has made entry into neighbouring Pisces. This is so very different to the start of the year. It would be understandable if people felt they were running round in circles still unsure of precise direction. There should be more clarity after the Solar Eclipse on June 10. Until then, Aries are best suited to soaking up information from new sources whilst going back over past decisions. It may be that you are now out of step with a team that craves your leadership but perhaps more than anything also needs your sense of style. Priority might need to be given to building bridges. The optimum time to do this will surely be after Venus changes signs on Thursday. Though full progress can’t surely be made for another week after that, preparations begin now.

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Taurus

Personal theme: I have!!

Earth & fixed sign: April 20 — May 20

Your horoscope for this week:

While nothing can undermine the potential of the events, ideas or offers indicated by this week’s planetary activity, surprises are inevitable. With eclipses, last week and on 10 June, triggering shakeups, you’re urged to embrace what’s appealing but, equally, ensure plans are flexible. This gives you room both to rethink your options and, where possible, to turn already exciting arrangements into something even more promising.

A text message or e-mail might contain news you won’t be pleased to hear. This could turn out to be a blessing in disguise as not everything will be as it first appears. It will mean a lot to you to be asked to join a community project designed to help a special group of people. Your contribution will be appreciated and you will get to make a big difference to the lives of others.

By next weekend, your ruling planet, Venus, will have moved from neighbouring Gemini and into Cancer. Meanwhile, Mercury will still be retrograde in Gemini. So, it could easily feel as though for every two steps forward there is one step back. Full progress probably can’t be made until after the Solar Eclipse on June 10. The present could be viewed as a time of intense preparation. Don’t be at all surprised if others look to you to take the lead and to help them negotiate a tricky few days. It’s likely that there is still much clearing out to do. In recent times, pruning and reorganisation have likely been made necessary by local restrictions. This though, is one way of paving the way for the new. By next weekend it should be obvious what you need to keep and what is now absolutely redundant. Career wise it seems that after Thursday, and even though we are still between eclipses, that you will be cautiously steering in fresh direction.

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Gemini

Personal theme: I think!!

Air sign: May 21 — June 20

Your horoscope for this week:

As a Gemini, you’re inquisitive by nature. So, while you’ll be fascinated by the events triggered by the current pair of eclipses, especially the Gemini solar eclipse on 10 June, you’re urged to explore absolutely everything. At minimum, you’ll learn a lot. Also, however, seek others’ guidance regarding your options. The resulting combined wisdom will enable you to turn unruly changes into stunning and, often, lasting, arrangements.

Personal plans have come to a halt. You can’t continue with these until you receive a message or find the information you need. You could never be happy sitting around yawning and waiting for other people to get back to you. Instead, you will make use of any time you have to catch up on a few odds and ends. As long as you are making good use of your time, you will be happy. Take any chance offered to show the world how good you are at what you do.

Mercury is now retrograde and in your sign. The last time this happened was in 2015. The cosmos doesn’t do exact repeats but it is worth reflecting on that earlier time and the use you made of it. What plans have been shelved since then and what could yet be revived? Recall that Saturn is now moving through another of the Air signs and that the desire for Gemini to acquire professional expertise is much increased. Know too, that with Jupiter now at the apex of your solar chart, thirst for travel, for adventure and for gaining more knowledge is very much more increased. True this likely requires major investment and yes, you may feel that that’s not possible. However, by Thursday, you may find that you have more support than you thought and that way forward can be found. True this likely requires a diligent approach to paperwork and considerable focus. The good news is that someone (a Cancer or Capricorn?) could help you negotiate this hurdle with success, thanks to this alliance, realised soon after the solstice on June 21.

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Cancer

Personal theme: I feel!!

Water & cardinal sign: June 21 — July 22

Your horoscope for this week:

Between now and mid-June, stand back an observe the influence of each day’s twists and turns. With two eclipses, and Mercury retrograde, do the minimum. This enables you to make necessary changes without worrying about long range plans. In the meanwhile, explore intriguing developments. Still, ensure you’re free to respond to the stunning and, often, unexpected events triggered by the Cancer New Moon in mid-July.

Keeping control of a challenging situation will also mean keeping some thoughts to yourself. Try not to let emotion get the better of you. A friend or colleague’s careless behaviour will irritate and annoy you. Unfortunately, they have friends in high places who will stand up for them. It seems unfair that some people seem to get away with anything but remember the law of karma. As they sow, so shall they reap. Keep calm and leave it to karma.

You may remember that we are between eclipses. This is a curious time when many people alter direction, break habits and generally reassess. This trend will likely be enhanced by Mercury turning retrograde this weekend. Don’t view this as a negative, or an indication that all communications will break down. True, there may be greater susceptibility, or awareness of things not running smoothly. However, the week is not full of such obstacles. This is probably a time for reflection and you might feel the need to prune your wardrobe or reconsider your presentation style before Venus enters your sign on Thursday. That this transit happens ahead of your birthday, suggests that a relationship might also gather speed. A working partnership may be much discussed and formalised after the Sun enters your sign on June 21. Midweek, the drive to get rid of no-longer used items and to see what can be created ‘on a shoestring’ could lead to acquaintance with someone you worked with roughly 2 years ago and who is now headed on new career path and who would value your advice and support.

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Leo

Personal theme: I will!!

Fire & fixed sign: July 23 — August 22

Your horoscope for this week:

As a creative Leo, you’ve an instinctive knowledge of how to make the best of this exciting but tricky period. While others may be distracted by setbacks, instead, you’ll focus on whatever is working well. Better yet, your optimism will inspire others. If there’s any challenge, it’s facing frequent changes in plans. Once you’re able to do that, the rest will be huge fun.

You’ve been through many trials and tribulations. It’s important to learn from these so you don’t repeat the same mistakes again. Focus on your strengths. Make choices that enable you to make better use of your skills and knowledge. Your intuition will be a helpful guide in financial and business matters. Listen to your inner voice. Medical news you have been waiting for will soon be received. This will help you discuss this matter further with your family.

Mercury is retrograde in Gemini. Focus on this sign is enhanced by the coming Solar Eclipse (June 10), and draws attention to the networking and distribution area of your solar chart. It’s time to review friendships and group associations. You could overhaul your network and general connections – a process that will likely take until the early part of 2022. It’s probably apparent that your thinking has altered. Recall that Saturn is now passing through your opposite sign and that others will want you to view the world differently. Property matters will almost certainly have continued attention. What’s different now is that what you thought you wanted last year is likely to very, very different to what is priority now. You may have reason for intense dialogue with those born under the Water signs of Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces.

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Virgo

Personal theme: I analyse!!

Earth sign: August 23 — September 22

Your horoscope for this week:

Nobody is better at untangling confusion and turning even tricky situations into promising arrangements. This is one of your strengths, one that will come in handy when facing the disarray triggered by your ruler Mercury’s retrograde cycle, until 22 June. While you can’t escape this temporary chaos, what you learn while organising things will be interesting now and, equally, will be unexpectedly profitable over the coming months.

Time spent alone will give you a chance to decide on your priorities. You aren’t wasting time if you’re considering new ways to help others. You’re also looking at how to increase your earning power. Don’t tell yourself you aren’t capable of handling new responsibilities. Instead, be ready to pit yourself against any competition. A comment made by a friend or workmate will help you see a dilemma in a different way and from this point you will find it easier to plan your future.

Your ruling planet, Mercury, is now retrograde and in the other sign to which it has affiliation, Gemini. This draws attention to the career, aims and objectives area of your solar chart. Given that there is a solar eclipse accenting this point on June 10, it’s probable that you’ll be reviewing career path and making adjustment. This might lead to joining forces either with a sibling or someone who has a close family and whose siblings have a business. They might benefit from your expertise. Wednesday’s last Quarter Moon is in your opposite sign suggesting that one working partnership may be coming to its conclusion. It would be understandable if you were looking for new partnership. An offer could be so much closer than you think. There’s arguably little need to worry about given that others are well aware of your competence and efficiency. An offer may be on the horizon.

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Libra

Personal theme: I balance!!

Air & cardinal sign: September 23 — October 22

Your horoscope for this week:

You’re in a cycle of change, and will often be making far-reaching decisions. However, there’s no avoiding the unsettling circumstances shaking things up, for you and others. The trick? Organise plans; but, also, ensure they’re flexible, enough you can easily make frequent, and unavoidable, changes while retaining your vision. Achieving this balance won’t be easy, but once you do, the rest will go smoothly.

You might sense a younger colleague is making a mistake. They’re trying to hide the fact that they’re out of their depth. Trust your intuition if you feel you can help them. Question their decisions in a way that they won’t feel you are interfering or criticising. Check they’ve understood what they have been asked to do. Activities with children and younger people will drain your energy but the fun you get out of this will make it all worth it.

Mercury is retrograde in another of the Air signs, Gemini. This last occurred in 2015. It might help to think back to that time. What were you busy working on then? What was in the pipeline? Specifically, what did you want to learn and which overseas relationships were developing? True, this time is different. For the moment, we are also between eclipses. This is important given that the Solar Eclipse on June 10 is also in Gemini. A New World beckons. First though, you need greater expertise. It may be that you already have it but haven’t flaunted it. Perhaps you are aware of just how much more there is to learn? This could though be a question of ‘seek and you will find’. Support will most likely from those born under either Sagittarius or Pisces from whom you could learn a great deal. In fact, by early June and with growing confidence, you could set your stall out in such a way that others feel compelled to do business with you.

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Scorpio & Ophiuchus

Personal theme: I desire!!

Water & fixed signs: October 23 — November 21

Your horoscope for this week:

As a Scorpio, you carefully organise arrangements, for the day and the coming weeks, months and, sometimes, years. Consequently, once things are organised, they stay that way. However, with the retrograde Mercury triggering confusion, errors could slow progress. If so, recognise that as a well-timed opportunity to review your original vision and rethink, if not substantially alter, plans. While unsettling, each change will bring unexpected benefits.

A big decision is causing you some hesitation. Normally your intuition tells you that you’re on the right track. These days you can’t get a feel for what could lie ahead. Steer clear of people who are known to use others for their own ends. A friend who has known you for years wants to give you some advice. Don’t act as if you resent this. It could be they know you better than you think they do. You just might be grateful for their words of wisdom.

Jupiter recently entered the research and development area of your solar chart. Exciting as this is, you now have almost too many things on your plate. This weekend, Mercury turns retrograde in Gemini brining potential irritation with those who you thought were working with you but who now seem to be flitting around directionless. They may be looking to you to take the lead. This though, is not your natural place. So, it would be understandable if, before the Last Quarter Moon on Thursday (which happens to coincide with Venus’ move into another of the Water signs), you felt disorientated. From Thursday, some clarity is possible. More than that, you may be almost but not quite ready to make clear what your plans are. There’s also the need around the Last Quarter Moon, to say goodbye to old ways of working and to make clear your growing confidence in new systems and schedules.

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Sagittarius

Personal theme: I see!!

Fire sign: November 22 — December 21

Your horoscope for this week:

You’ve no objection to changes, even those that are sudden. However, the twists and turns triggered by the Sagittarius eclipsed Full Moon, on last Wednesday, the 26th, will have been as unsettling as they were puzzling. The secret? Do the minimum, at least until 10 June, when the second of the current pair of eclipses takes place. After that, the path ahead should be clear.

An offer to get involved in a group project may sound exciting at first. This opportunity may not live up to your expectations and the satisfaction you expected to get out of it will be minimal. Worrying about a coming event makes you tense and nervous. Focus your mind on something else. Keep yourself occupied and spread your thoughts around a little more. You will soon be able to push negative feelings from your mind.

Mercury is retrograde in your opposite sign and will be in this condition until just after the June solstice. This does not mean that everything will go awry with relationships, but it does imply that you are likely to be looking back rather than moving forward. There may be very good right reason for this with realignment may be made necessary in light of new information. Recall that we are between eclipses and that altered direction is more likely than not. Note too, that since Jupiter, your ruling planet, arrived at the base of your solar chart just two weeks ago, your window on the world has no doubt altered substantially. You need to rethink and redefine aims and objectives. That might mean thinking about presentation, and, specifically, anything to do with the Internet. By the time that Venus joins Mars in Cancer on Thursday, and just following the Last Quarter Moon, collaboration could take shape. This might have something to do with publication or legacy.

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Capricorn

Personal theme: I use!!

Earth & cardinal sign: December 22 — January 19

Your horoscope for this week:

As a down to earth Capricorn, you’ve always understood that with determination, you could achieve your goals, even in the trickiest of circumstances. That’s what you’re facing now, yet you’re making progress in plans, some new and others as longstanding as they are crucial. While certain individuals insist you wait or even give up, believe in yourself and you’ll achieve wonders, now and over the coming weeks.

Relationships are generally harmonious but there is someone you are trying to avoid. A recent argument preys on your mind. If this friendship is important to you, it may be time to forgive and forget. Are you single? Someone will make it clear they are attracted to you. You have a magnetic personality and they seem to be finding you irresistible. If you already have a partner, don’t be tempted to stray.

Both your ruling planet, Saturn, and Mercury are now retrograde. The implications of this are that work needs to be gone back over and over and yes, yet again. It may be that someone significantly younger has misunderstood the terms of an arrangement. They may need extra guidance. You could find yourself in the role of tutor. It might also be that you do a little more travel than usual or engage with those who live and work some distance away. At a different level entirely, you may be called upon to protect someone: possibly a relative who, in this period between eclipses is unsure of which direction to follow. Balancing head and heart could prove a challenge. Yet a decision could easily be made by next Friday but require some form of investment. A distraction may be that someone from an older generation needs extra care and seems oblivious to the pressures you are under.

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Aquarius

Personal theme: I know!!

Air & fixed sign: January 20 — February 18

Your horoscope for this week:

The most important thing to keep in mind as you move into June is to ensure that plans are flexible, enough you can easily make frequent changes. True, initially, this may seem a nuisance; but as the foundation on which arrangements are based shifts, probably often, you’ll be relieved you can easily rethink things. Better yet, each version will be better than those before.

Taking on extra work, whether it is an evening job or weekend job could be the answer to your financial problems. Studying for a higher qualification could help you advance in your chosen career. Look around at the opportunities that are opening up for you now. If there’s something you really want to do, don’t wait for anyone’s permission. Assert yourself to the full. Keep a clear head in readiness for the challenges that are ahead.

Saturn, one of your ruling planets is now retrograde in your sign. Mercury too is retrograde in another of the Air signs, Gemini. You won’t be the only sign required to rethink and to look back. Relationship issues will doubtless require most careful consideration. This is at every level: at work and at home and yes, could be disorientating. Yet perhaps you know a decision really has to be made – and soon. By the time that Venus joins Mars in one of the Water signs, Cancer, on Thursday. plans could be made. Resistant as you may be to upheaval, it’s likely essential before moving forward. What’s clearly important is that others here your fears – and demands. You can get your points across as the Moon moves through your sign between Sunday and Tuesday. Tempting as it may be to point out all the things that have gone wrong in recent times, what you really need is to be assured of loyalty.

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Pisces

Personal theme: I believe!!

Water sign: February 19 — March 20

Your horoscope for this week:

The secret to navigating through this exciting but complicated period is to regard even seemingly simple arrangements as more of an experiment than anything final. True, for you, as a perfectionist, this won’t be easy. However, once you achieve a balance between getting things organised yet ensuring arrangements are flexible, you’ll enjoy improving on already exciting plans and, equally devising new ones.

You’re holding back your thoughts because you and a partner or best friend don’t share the same views. You would rather not admit to how you really feel as it could cause contention. Instead, this is causing confusion. Some people will assume you agree with them if you don’t say otherwise. You need to stop going along with others because it suits them. If your life revolves around keeping people happy you need to make some changes.

This week’s Last Quarter Moon is in your sign and marks the next step in a project that began around two years ago. A farther change of pace is likely after the Solar Eclipse on June 10. With Mercury now retrograde at the base of your solar chart, the need to move things around at home (perhaps to create greater working space) seems probable. There’s also the possibility of your home being used as a base for meetings to incubate a business plan. There are also however health issues to consider. Jupiter entered your sign just a couple of weeks ago. This is the planet with a reputation for beneficence but which also brings exaggeration. It’s not necessarily the case that there is anything wrong with you, but that small niggles will require attention before they become bigger issues. This is perhaps something that could be set in motion before Venus joins Mars in another of the Water signs on Thursday. What seems clear is that one way or another, you need to focus on you and your long-term needs.

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