The height of this moonth’s cycle comes with the full moon arriving on May 5th (exact at 1:34 pm ET, time zone converter), and offers a revelation about how the lunar energies initiated on the April 20th new moon are developing. The new moon, guided by its association with The Emperor, invited us to be conduits of Power. Out of the full moon revelation about this developing energy, we are issued an invitation to return a gift to the world in the final weeks of the lunar cycle.  

The exact moment of the moon’s fullness comes in the sign of Scorpio associated with the Tarot’s Major Arcana’s Death card. In this full moon time, Emperors can learn how to make Death a partner rather than an adversary to fulfill their highest purpose.

At the new moon, we were offered a vision of Power different from what we more commonly receive from mainstream culture:

In this vision of Power, our power grows because we are constantly releasing it. In flow, we don’t hold on, but instead open to receive but then let go, passing the power on. Once we’ve let go, we are open to the next wave coming to fill us. In this vision of power, a scarcity mindset and need to control are replaced with a dynamic relationship to the flow of power.

Welcoming Death as transformation and necessary change helps us achieve this vision of Power. We see this happening, for example, in institutions where leaders mentor newcomers and younger people to move into positions of more responsibility, eventually taking over their own roles.

Sadly, the first examples of Emperors encountering Death that leapt to mind were not of leaders who could embrace transition and generational change, but those who are holding rigidly to Power:

• Legislators and judges blocking access to reproductive health for women.
• Politicians and political action groups that are leading book banning drives and meddling with curriculum development to keep us from learning true history, to keep white supremacy in place.
• Republican supermajorities in state legislatures in Tennessee and Montana using their power to expel Democratic lawmakers representing the demands of their constituents– especially their young constituents–on the house floor.

This is a disturbing pattern of Emperors here in the US that resisting change, and thus failing in their purpose of serving the people. They are holding on to Power for themselves and only those few who look like them and believe as they do.

In past posts I have shared the Doing Democracy model that shows the stage right before a movement wins big successes is when activists believe they have lost. I wonder if the inverse is true. If when Emperors believe they have consolidated power is when their encounter with Death begins. Their removal from power might not be immediate but it is assured.

We may already be seeing this in the United States where reproductive rights are driving election outcomes. Even in conservative-leaning states the organizing of grassroots groups is leading to wins for policies and people upholding reproductive rights.

And expelled lawmakers in Tennessee and Montana are showing up for each other despite their policy focus on gun violence and transgender health  being different. They know their work exists in a wider context of defending democracy and human rights.

I actually have to thank the Republican legislators for making sure I learned of Justin Jones and Justin Pearson of Tennessee and Zooey Zephyr of Montana. I have been so inspired to hear them say that they will show up for each other and anyone else targeted because: An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.

They are Stars now. They are shining in this time when old Emperors are trying to turn off the lights so people can’t see what is going on. The numerology of the Tarot make this connection.

The 4 of the Emperor + the 13 of Death = the 17 of The Star

The thing about stars is that individually their light is small and static. But many stars together create a map that can be followed toward a renewed world. So as we continue our long encounter with Power begun on the March 21st new moon, the call goes out to you: How will you embrace your Power? How will you let it be transformed to increase the overall flow of Power? What kind of Star are you? How will can you join your star power with other stars to open up the way toward what better serves the Whole?

To encourage a revelation on these themes of Power and Transformation as we journey through this moonthly cycle, you are invited to one, some, or all of these practices:

• Moon bathe by sitting or lying under a window or outside on the ground. Let go of your thoughts and soak in the light.
• Take out any reading or your reflections from the new moon and look at them in a new light. How does your understanding of the cards shift now that time has passed and light has shifted? (If you haven’t done a reading yet, no problem, just do it now under the light of the full moon. You can try the one from the new moon.)
• Bring out your Emperor and Death cards from your Tarot deck and connect them to your new moon reading / reflections. You could place/imagine these cards on either side of your reading or above and below, and then look at how they add meaning into the story your original cards offered you.
• Reflect on questions above about your star power. You could, of course, also pull cards as responses to any of these questions. You may want to engage in Visio Divina to find the layers of wisdom within the cards.

When you are done, remember to offer gratitude for what you have received. Consider what gift you now want to return to the world. Pulling a card for guidance on the gift is always a fine thing to do. In the coming weeks and before the moon returns to dark around May 16 offer your gift to the world.

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Power and its multitude of manifestations is our theme for the 8th year of Walking the Ways of the Summer Light, a retreat in everyday life that takes the Solstice as its hinge.

Walking the Ways Retreat supports you to travel this path by:

~ Creating support for pausing within our daily lives for reflection and gathering inspiration from oracles like the Tarot.
~ Cultivating a connection to the Greater Than ourselves to receive guidance for going beyond our current limitations, including about what we believe is powerful.
~ Supporting us to connect with the Power of the elements through prompts for nature practice and wisdom wandering along with drinking teas crafted to attune us to Earth, Air, Water, and Fire.
~ Connecting us to a community of fellow seekers through our weekly virtual tea parties and sharing circles.

Yes, new for this year we will prepare teas specially crafted by Yesbelt Fernandez of Yes Spiral to attune us to the elements. The power of the elements will flow within us! 

You are invited to join us. Registration is open.