The phrase "once in a blue moon" is used to denote the happening of a very rare event. Blue moons, by definition, are when there are two full moons in a single month (the term "blue moon" applies to the second full moon). Since the moon has a cycle of 29.5 days and our calendar months are generally 30-31 days in length,  the cycle only catches up about once every three years, and we have a "blue moon." This year, however, our blue moon (a full moon in Cancer) happens to fall on New Year's Eve, which hasn't happened since 1971 (and only four times since 1900); there will not be another blue moon on New Year's Eve until the year 2028. In addition to our New Year's blue Moon, we also

That crafty trickster Mercury has again gone retrograde, this period (entirely in Capricorn) lasting from December 26, 2009 through January 15, 2010. Perhaps it is because the new year is just days away that this particular retrograde period I'm focusing on rebirth and renewal. Mercury retrograde is synonymous in popular culture with a time of messy communications, lost items, frazzled travelers, and altogether, frustration. But while Mercury retrograde may provide us with an inconvenience or two, it also gives us a time to step back and re-evaluate our lives. That's right. However harried Mercury retrograde has the potential to make us, it provides us with a valuable time of "re."

In Modern Magick I stress the importance of working with the Tarot. There are a variety of reasons for this, ranging from the way it helps develop visualization and intuition to how it can be used to determine the value of working any particular magickal ritual. In this post I'd like to talk about a different aspect of the Tarot: giving Tarot readings. For many years I worked as a professional Tarot reader. Sometimes, at "psychic fairs," I'd give twenty or more readings in a day. I've studied the Tarot for years with various teachers, through many dozens of books, and by taking courses. I've been honored with the title of "Certified Tarot Grandmaster" from the American Tarot Association