Run for cover! (Really, just kidding.) Mercury turns retrograde tomorrow (August 20) at 19 degrees in Virgo, and will remain retrograde until September 12, when it turns direct again. Since Mercury is so slow-moving, the effects of this retrograde period could potentially be felt for a few weeks afterward (until the end of September). I've stated many times before that Mercury retrograde is truly not to be feared; instead, it is a time of "re-s:" renewal, reflection, redoing, recovery, etc. This is a time to use the powerful planetary energy to the fullest. Mercury retrograde in Virgo favors learning and attention to detail. This is a time to question just about everything: "Why do I

I cut my tarot teeth on 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack. Ever since, I’ve waited for what I thought of as her “sequel” to be published. It has finally happened and is called Rachel Pollack’s Tarot Wisdom: Spiritual Teachings and Deeper Meanings. Isn’t that title divine? The book is, too. Every word of it is wonderful and the interior design as well as the cover make an altogether creative and magical package. Toward the end of this book, Rachel poses the question “how does tarot work?” She writes: The answer to this is very simple: no one knows. People will say various things—the person’s unconscious or “higher self” guides their hands while shuffling, a