Tarot Reflections

This full moon is a time to rejoice. That’s what the 4 of cups reversed is indicating. The moonlight is shining bright and it’s time to dust off any old grime and come into your full potency. Regardless of what’s going on in the outer realm (gray skies and choppy waters), fill your inner vessel with rays of sunshine. Let yourself bask in the joy and the warmth of summer. Perhaps that means enjoying a barbeque with loved ones, or it could be doing something loving for yourself like buying yourself flowers. Choose something that will help bring back your stability within. The full moon often brings issues to light, and sometimes that can bring up uncomfortable emotions. Ensure that you take good care of your inner vessel!

The Nine of Wands, reversed, is asking us to come back into our full energetic potential on this new moon. Often times, I find my energy is low around the new moon; however, I feel buzzy today. I’m attributing this feeling to the strength of the sun at this time. It’s light at 4am in the PST! We gain strength and vitality when the sun is strong, so amidst the “grey” in the background – the smoke that we’re seeing in the sky so early in the wildfire season this year – set a good intention for this new moon. Perhaps make it a goal that feels like a dream or a bit of a stretch in some way, and yet possible in some way too…then go out and plant some sunflowers. Now’s the time!

The 3 of Disks card in the Thoth tarot deck, nudges us to pay attention to what’s showing up in these next few days (April 19th is the new moon). It’s revealing a new journey, project, or a goal you’d like to materialize. As my mind consciousness mentor in Ecuador explained, “where your attention goes, energy flows, and results show”.

This card is about working for what you want to fulfill in your life. The image of the pyramid here symbolizes the focus, energy, dedication, and courage it takes to see something through…like building the Egyptian Pyramids! It’s a journey that may require great effort and yet the rewards are equally great. If/when you feel those swirls of green/grey clouds in the background, or you feel like you’re spinning out of control, come back to your feet on the ground and remember to breathe!

For the full moon in Virgo, I pulled the Princess of Wands card from the Thoth tarot deck. For me, Virgo relates to health and the body and this card is spot on for this moon. It’s about making movement in relation to spirit and/or where you feel energized. Or rather, acting in accordance with the body’s wisdom. What makes you feel energized? Getting out of the mind, letting go of fear, and moving towards what inspires you is the goal around this time. There’s a lot of energy and activity in this card; you may find you’re able to get a lot done on the day of the upcoming full moon (Wed. April 5th)….and perhaps even have a significant epiphany!

Happy New Moon…and Spring Equinox…and World Water Day! Things are certainly picking up these days. I completed my annual vision board a couple days ago, a ritual that began 10 years ago when I moved to British Columbia. The Aries new moon is the ultimate time for planting seeds (figuratively and literally depending on where you live), and new beginnings in the astro world. We also gathered with a couple other families to honour the spring equinox…another ritual created a few years ago. We helped the children make eggshell candles. It was really sweet.

As for the Tarot, I pulled the Priestess card for this new moon. The Priestess asks us how we can intend on this Earth from a soulful place. I’ll quote what I wrote in the “Offerings” page on my website. “Bringing the divine down into your feet!” Aligning with our soul’s highest purpose is the key to our own inner happiness and peace. Easier said than done! We are being asked what’s most important to us that needs our attention and intention right now? The Priestess takes the time to sit in reflection, to dream, to create the vision for what is to be, and this process is like the juicy grapes in the cards’ image – fruitful.

At the full moon on March 7th, the 5 of Wands asks us, “What stands in the way of your spritual greatness?”, “what zaps your energy?”, and “what needs to be let go in order for your spark to be reignited?” There are forces at work which are tamping down your quest for life – that fire within. This is the time for clearing out and releasing what’s not serving your highest good, so you can come to your natural state of coherence. Take a bit of extra time to nurture your spirit over the next couple of weeks. There are an infinite number of ways to do that – time in nature, meditation, dancing to name a few. Tending to our spirits at this time will help our best selves shine.

Isn’t this card a beauty?! Even though I find this card so serene and calming, not everyone may feel the same way. After all, there are those wild yellow shooting star-like zigzags dancing around the cross. I think the focus here is on the inner gem – the mandala of the mind – that the swords are all pointing to. It’s what we need to focus on among the chaos of the outer world. It’s about coming to one’s centre and refocusing and refraiming your intention moving forward as we come into the speediness of March that spring brings (particulary for this March according to astrologer, Pam Gregory). Supermoons are always more powerful as the moon is real close to Earth, and it matters, regardless of whether you can see it or not. In whatever way, find your centre, what creates balance for you, and in that space you can confidently seed your intention/s for the coming months. From this inner soul sancuary, you will be well positioned to move out into the world with more ease and calm.

It’s happening!  I started working with Tarot cards in 2009, and after taking a professional hiatus to birth and nurture my young ones, I am feeling ready to offer myself up again in this way.

The Tarot for me has been a source of solace, a means of self reflection and guidance, and a way to find new perspectives and awareness in situations and challenges.

Here are my current offerings:

1) 3-card Tarot reflections via phone, skype, and in-person for localites, lasting a 1/2 hour, and

2) 9-card comprehensive readings plus a “wild card” via phone, skype, or in-person for localites, lasting up to 1.5 hours.

The comprehensive session includes an audio recording.

I’m also available to do Tarot reflections at gatherings.

Gift cards are an option as well, and are sent by email for you to forward or print.

Please email ashleyhain@pm.me with enquiries and/or to make a booking.

On this frosty new year’s day I was inspired to attend to our sheep wool from this past summers sheep shearing. It is amazing what insight can be found in the simple act of working with wool.  While my younger son and I were sorting and prepping the wool for carding, I felt like I entered into an alternate reality.

We were out on the porch – as raw wool is mega messy – filled with bits of hay and dirt and poop galore.  I emptied out a huge sack stuffed with the stuff and it looked so dirty I considered tossing out the whole bag.  It was from our ram Reuben, and it was the dirtiest wool of the lot!  I decided to see if there were any parts worth saving so with bare hands, enabling us to navigate the scissors safely, we proceeded to cut the poop parts out of the wool.  All of a sudden, the epiphany came.  Here was this disgustingly dirty pile of wool, and yet as we started to cut the poo and goo out I noticed that there was actually alot of beautifully creamy clean(ish) parts underneath.  It was like, ‘sometimes you have to give some care and attention and look deeper at what first appeared so dirty and ugly to really see the potential and beauty of what’s in front of you.  Be open, there is beauty everywhere’.  

What a beautiful gift for the first day of 2023.  Thanks, Creator. 

Yesterday I spontaneously took my horse out on a trail ride on the outskirts of our land.  Spontaneous it was – I put her in a hackamore (essentially a bit-less halter with a rein) and that was it.  I hopped on her bareback and away we went.  I’m lucky as she’s the easy-going kind of horse that one can do that with safely.  

We rode up the road by our small local airport, meandered around the airstrip, and then began making our way back by way of the forest trails.  Last fall there was a bunch of logging done around our property, and there were a few big trees down right in front of where I would normally enter the trails leading back to our land.  So I walked her around the area slowly, and I could feel her agitation as I fumbled to control where we were going, thinking we would perhaps bump into a tree or one of the numerous stumps.  There was so much brush and trees and logs everywhere – it was a bit of a maze!  After what felt like five minutes of blundering around in the bush, and becoming increasing agitated and frustrated with the situation, I just let go.  I received the message, “just let her lead the way”.  So I did.  She proceeded to walk forward fully confident of where she was going.  She walked away from where we were, started down a nearby hill, one that I thought led somewhere else, and then turned left and led us to the “new” entrance to the trails.  I was in awe and complete amazement of what had just occurred.  Just then a big swell of love burst forth from my heart.   I won’t go into the details, but suffice it to say, I have been working with the concept of letting go and allowing Creator (in this case my horse) to lead the way.  Sometimes the best things us humans can do is to get out of our own way.   And that’s what I did.  That evening, I was reminded of the magic of horses to help us heal in the most graceful way.  <3