New Storm Moon

It's a new moon today. Some people call each moon of the year by a traditional name. I like the English medieval names. This moon, the second moon of the year, is the Storm Moon, so-called because of the unpredictable and changeable weather. It is certainly appropriate today -- the weather forecast snow, and instead it's been raining steadily. Throughout this moon, we will be tantalised by the signs of spring, but also threatened by ice and snow. It's a stormy time. As Melusine Draco says, 'February is the shortest month of the year -- and a good thing, too, in view of its weather and the lack of any distinguishing features.'

So, since outside can be grim, we turn our focus toward the inside, but instead of climbing back onto the sofa to wrap up in the blanket, something stirs, and we find ourselves wanting to put things in order. The Storm Moon is a great time for cleaning our homes, and I mean deep cleaning, like clearing out the medicine cabinet and washing down the shelves, dragging all the canned goods out and giving the cupboards a good wipe, washing the fronts of all the cabinet doors and drawer fronts, and cleaning all the handles in the kitchen. (When was the last time you counted all the handles in your kitchen? I have 12 in mine, and I live in a teeny tiny flat!)

This made me think of a Storm Moon spread:

1. What areas of my life are in need of a good cleaning? -- Death
2. What aspects of my life should I shine up and put in pride of place? -- Prince of Cups
3. What should I throw out? -- Magus
4. What will I find that has been hidden that I really ought to use (like that sandwich press you find every couple years on top of the refigerator, under the cereal boxes) ? -- 4 of Swords

1.  Death himself is actually a darn good cleaner, so I take this card to mean that pretty much every aspect of my life could stand a thorough going over. I am seeing Death swinging a broom instead of a scythe, and all those circles are clouds of dust he's stirring up. Well, great! If you know me, you must know by now how much I just LOVE stirring things up. (Not!) So this could be a big month when it comes to giving my life a thorough inspection. Fortunately, it's good to also remember that the Storm Moon is a month during which we are to love ourselves, accept responsibility for past errors, forgive ourselves, and make plans for the future. A good time for purification, growth and healing. So Death doesn't have to be about making huge changes on the mundane level. It could all be going on inside, no one else would even have to know. Except maybe to say, 'Something looks different about you, did you have your hair done?' :)

2. Well... I just looked up Prince of Cups in DuQuette's book, Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot. 'I have to believe Crowley had an unpleasant experience with a Prince of Cups. If everyone born between 13th October and 12th November manifested all the dark and chilling qualities Crowley ascribes to this card, then 1/12th of the planet's population would be melodrama villains.' Crowley himself wrote that the Prince of Cups is 'completely without conscience in the ordinary sense of the word, and is therefore usually distrusted by his neighbours.' haha! I am just going to have different with Mr Crowley on this card (and believe me, I've been reading his biography and I can assure you that I differ with Mr Crowley on nearly every point there is in the universe!)--the Prince of Cups is not like that at all. As air of water, he is the dreamy, air-headed aspect of emotion. I have difficulty reconciling myself to Cups nature, and it is true that air and water don't mix well. This is why the Prince of Cups can be in a bit of turmoil. However, bubbly water can be fun. Like champagne...bubble baths...and even stirring up water, metaphorically speaking, can be good for the spirit. So I believe this draw is saying, that I should a bit more romantic, spontaneous, dare I say 'bubbly' --

3. I totally laughed when I turned over The Magus card, because I have been so immersed in reading the biography of Crowley, and today I sat and watched two documentaries about him on YouTube. Yes, this card is telling me THROW OUT CROWLEY. Don't worry, Mr Tarot, he is being thrown out bit by bit; the more I learn about him, the more gets thrown out. Oddly enough, as the personal mystique of Crowley is destroyed, my sense that something sinister exists inherently in the Thoth Tarot diminishes. More and more, it becomes just a tarot deck. More and more, the images become beautiful to me.

4. I should really rediscover and put back into use a regular meditation practice. It's what I instantly thought of as soon as I turned over the 4 of Swords.

So, I have one moon to follow the advice of this spread. 10th Feb - 10th Mar. Why not try this spread and see what you might ought to work on during this moon?