The New Moon in Leo occurred today at 11:54 am EDT (3:54 pm GMT), Friday, August 17, 2012, at 25 degrees. New moons signify a new cycle, new beginnings, and rebirth. This New Moon, along with the Sun (also in Leo) will highlight the fiery Leo qualities of leadership and courage, as well as fifth house themes of fun and entertainment. This Leo New Moon period is the perfect time to find more ways to integrate fun into your life, whether that be a new hobby, re-connecting with old friends, or simply finding the time to enjoy being alone with yourself. Mercury stationed direct early last week (August 7), so we are ending the wave of difficulties that came along with it. That said, Uranus is

When looking at new tarot decks, do you have a favorite card that you always check out first? I have several. One is Temperance. I love the Temperance card in the Witches Tarot, including Ellen's comments. The Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris, faces forward and stands at the edge of the water, her golden wings outstretched. Her sheer white gown has a golden triangle on the bodice, which signifies balance and creativity. Her gown flows softly around her, and one of Iris's feet is on land while the other dips in the water. Neither on shore nor in the water, she is in an enchanted location where she is in both worlds--an in-between place. In Iris's hands are two different goblets,

For many years I have stated that there are only two times you will read about magick and the occult in the media. The first time is around Halloween. The second time is when there has been some sort of crime that is even vaguely (or just supposedly) related to the occult. I think it's important to understand what is going on in these media appearances and how best to deal with them. I wouldn't have seen it if I didn't believe it. —Marshall McLuhan In the past, reporters were supposed to be honest and objective. Unfortunately, many reporters today have abandoned that approach. Even in the past when objectivity was the rule, and perhaps more so today, each reporter "comes to the

Because I am working on a presentation for a conference, I decided to ask the tarot for help in fine-tuning what I've done so far, using the Witches Tarot. Overall: 4 of Wands Strength: 5 of Cups Weakness: 7 of Cups I'm glad to see the overall message is a positive one. The workshop should be fun. I like the castle in the background, indicating goals achieved. But I'm not there yet. The 5 of Cups let's me know that I'm not quite satisfied with it and should work on it a bit more. The two upright cups makes me think I'm still missing some key elements. And perhaps there are some that should be removed, especially if I cannot get them to feel right. Edited to add: A