Tarotscopes with Brandon Alter—December 2019
By Brandon Alter:
For all its Cosmic significance, the Zodiac is as terrestrial as dirt. It grounds us on Earth and plants us firmly in our bodies and our lives. We look to the stars, not as an escape but rather, to illuminate our life here, on this planet. The story Astrology tells is our story, including not just our ancestors and descendants but all living beings. If we can harness its wisdom, this ancient system orients us to be in right relationship with the seasons, our diverse communities (human and otherwise), and (of course) ourselves. It is not an esoteric practice to be left to mystics and magicians—the Zodiac is for all of us to use practically, to build our lives out of its bricks of wisdom.
Sagittarius Season is here, inviting us into wisdom and philosophy but also celebration and expansion. If you know a Sagittarius, you know they love a party; which makes sense because this is holiday party season. We kindle the lights to stave off the darkness, we gather together and tell stories to keep our inner fires lit. This is a season presided over by Jupiter, Sagittarius’ ruling planet. Currently, Jupiter is in the last degrees of Sagittarius, its favorite corner of the sky. It won't return here for thirteen years, and so we best make the most of it. Whatever Jupiter touches expands. And so, this Sagittarius Season in particular is a perfect time to ignite your own expansion. Whether it’s getting your real estate license or getting a therapist, the time is ripe for personal growth through learning more about yourself and the world around you. Whatever you start now (right now!) will be blessed by Jupiter: remover of obstacles, great goddess of beneficent blessings.
It comes as no surprise that Sagittarius is a difficult energy to pin down. It’s mutable fire, meaning it dances in many directions all at once. This is a response to the depth of Scorpio Season. Remember that the Zodiac is a progression, each sign evolves out of the one that precedes it. With Scorpio Season behind us, the deep dive into our inner selves is empowered to spread out and explore the breadth of our interests and interconnections. Simply put: it’s time to come up for air! I’ve come to believe that Sagittarius is the Air Sign of the Fire Signs, it rules over all the great intellectual achievements of the modern world: philosophy, religion, higher learning, theatre, libraries, and travel. These are things that expand our worldview and, in turn, our view of ourself. As the days grow shorter and the weather less hospitable, we find ourselves traveling from the seat of our favorite chair, disappearing into favorite books, and pouring over old photos. Sagittarius Season comes just in the nick of time to re-inspire us and re-ignite us before the winter doldrums set in.
At its core, Sagittarius is the sign of the ultimate truth. The symbol for this sign, a centaur holding its mighty bow and arrow, says it all.
The centaur—half man, half horse—represents the blending of our primal intuitive instincts with our human capacities for intellect. Intuition + Intelligence = Wisdom, which is why the bow and arrow represent this Archetype's striving for universal truth.
Sagittarius is a seeker, following its fiery arrow wherever it may lead, all in the name of irrefutable knowledge. The New Moon in Sagittarius, which takes place on Tuesday morning around 7 a.m. (PST), is a gentle push in the direction of our own search for a larger truth.
The tricky thing about the truth is that it changes based on where you’re sitting. Consider that for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, Sagittarius Season is the precursor to Winter, whereas for those in the Southern Hemisphere, Sagittarius Season is the time to break out your swimsuits and tank tops. So which is true? Is Sagittarius a Winter Sign or a Summer Sign? Well . . . both and neither. The truth is a story we tell ourselves based on the position from which we view it, and there are constantly higher and more complex truths available for us as we become ready to receive them. Sagittarius seeks the truth because it knows the truth evolves. This New Moon wants us to tell ourselves a new collective story about the truth of where we are heading. It’s a much-needed opportunity to meditate on what story we are willing to commit to for the next year, for the next thirteen years, for the next twenty-nine years.
As the great storyteller of the Zodiac, Sagittarius energy will demand you to consider what larger stories are you co-signing:
Have you already given up on the planet?
What about the 2020 election?
Are you resigned to a premature apocalypse?
Have you made up your mind that humanity is doomed?
Have you made up your mind that humanity is rotten?
What stories are you telling yourself about the wider world?
This New Moon is a portal in which to be a playwright and write some new scenes with some new parts you actually want to be playing.
Gemini is the sign which sits directly opposite Sagittarius. We always look to the polar sign to round out our understanding of the sign in question. Gemini is our neighborhood, Sagittarius is our global community. Gemini is our personal story, Sagittarius is our collective story. Gemini is the question, Sagittarius, the answer. This is a season to tap into the big picture. The story we choose to tell with our lives isn’t a story about just you and me, it’s about all of us. And since our beliefs empower our visions, it’s crucial we start writing stories we can believe in, with our whole hearts. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty sick of the story that we are powerless to change the future. And I’m getting fed up with the old stories of misogyny, racism, homophobia, greed, and every “man” for himself.
The Shamans and poets have always known that the only way we change our world is to change the stories we tell about it. Storytellers have more power than kings and queens. Even if you’ve never taken a creative writing class in your life, you have the power to tell a new story for all of us to hang our wigs on-—and in each retelling of this new story, we call the new world closer and closer to us.
For more specific Cosmic Updates and Tarot Wisdom,
I highly encourage you to tune into The Spiritual Gayz. This twice monthly podcast that my husband, Angel, and I offer up is dedicated to exploring the wide reaches of spirituality without pretending that it all makes sense. We have tons of episodes on astrology but also Tarot and Shamanism and healing and magic. Not to mention fascinating interviews with groovy cosmic queers like Steven Canals, writer/co-creator of the hit TV show POSE, actress/icon Lena Waithe, and beauty/make-up expert Lihja Stewart. If you’ve been looking to expand your spiritual horizons in a fun, accessible way, look no further!
You may have noticed I’m no longer pulling a collective card for these moonthly Tarotscopes. That’s because I’m pulling a card for the collective every week and doing a video reading. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll find these videos on my stories every Thursday and in my Highlights. But you can also find them on The Spiritual Gayz Youtube page, here!
For the Holidays (a.k.a. Sagittarius Season only), I’ve decided to reward your generosity of spirit. I’m going to offer a “Buy One, Get One Half-Off” special on readings and healings. If you give someone a reading as a gift, you will receive a coupon code to purchase one for yourself at half the price. Or if you buy a reading or a healing for yourself, you’ll get a code to give one to a friend or lover and save some serious dough (they’ll never know you bought theirs on sale!). Or if you’re really wanting some serious spiritual guidance, you can purchase a Tarot reading for yourself and get an Astrology reading for half-off, or vice versa. This is my way of helping you double down on your own self-care in the midst of a season where we tend to burn the candle at both ends.
Below you’ll find your individual Tarotscopes for the complete lunar cycle. Read for your SUN and your MOON . . . and if you don’t know your moon, look it up, gurl, that’s part of your personal power waiting to be claimed!
SAGITTARIUS
Knight of Wands
When a court card shows up, it’s because we need to step into an aspect of ourself that hasn’t been fully expressed in some time. This moonth, you are being challenged to embody your most charismatic, explosive, and enterprising self. The Knight
of Wands is you whenever you are feeling like a badass. Some people feel like a badass in the boardroom or the bedroom, others in the classroom, the laboratory, or the kitchen. The
point isn’t where you feel your power, the point is that you start to feel your power immediately.
This is your season, Sagittarius. It should feel like a homecoming to be in your own sign. And perhaps, in this homecoming, you remember who you really are. It’s your time to take up space, to be the star of the show. Maybe you’ve been lost in the shuffle of the seasons. Perhaps you’ve gotten swallowed up by the energies that swirl around you. Now is the time to shuffle off all that doesn’t light you up and make you shine. The Knight of Wands is fire + air, there is no more volatile combination—you are ready to combust in a glitter bomb of brilliance and inspiration. Don’t isolate and explode all over yourself, get out into the world where your power can be mirrored back to you.
The Knight of Wands is you whenever you are feeling like a badass. Some people feel like a badass in the boardroom or the bedroom, others in the classroom, the laboratory or the kitchen. The on even addiction. Of all the Knights, the Knight of Wands moves the fastest. You must move your own energy this month, put it to good use before you become a victim of your own magnificence. Don’t let your talents turn against you!
CAPRICORN
Three of Cups
The Three of Cups is the sisterhood card. It shows up when we need to be reminded of the simple medicine hanging out with our nearest and dearest brings. Sometimes this means getting together with our literal sisters or brothers—but more often than not, our sisters are not related to us by blood. Think of those in your life who really get you; when was the last time you put yourself in their presence? As human beings, we require connection to survive—isolation will inevitably unravel our psyche. So this moonth, it’s time to host a kiki for your favorite people and remember the sweetness that comes from heartfelt connection.
This card can also indicate new friendships coming in. Especially if you’ve been undergoing some major psychological renovations, your old friends may no longer reflect you back to yourself. That’s ok, too. It’s only natural that as we change and evolve, the circle around us will shift as well. If you can keep your eyes peeled and your heart open this moonth, you might end 2019 with a brand-new set of sisters. But the key is to stay open. Don’t judge a holiday party before you get there; you never know where you might meet your new best friend.
Have you ever heard the theory that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with? Who are those five people for you? Is this an encouraging thought or a chilling one? Even if that’s not true, there’s no denying the profound influence our nearest and dearest can have on us. And let’s be real, everyone is a mirror, reflecting our true self back to us. So make sure you like what you see in the reflections around you-—and if you don’t, no need to be bitchy. Just start clearing your social calenda