New Moon and The Fool. Initiation, individuation.

Happy New Moon and welcome to ABRAXAS Intuitive Arts and The Alchemy of Tarot.  My name is Aria Michaels Paradise and I am a psychotherapist, Reiki Master, Certified Spiritual Counselor, Ordained Minister, and mystic.  I have always been fascinated by the mysterious, the numinous, the metaphysical, the occult. The word "occult" derives from the Latin "occultus" meaning secret, clandestine. The Tarot is often considered to be a tool of the Occult, primarily of divination. As a therapist, I have also found that the Tarot offers profound access to the unconscious, allowing us to gain deeper insight into long term patterns, relationships, dreams, and a channel to our own divinity.

 My own approach to Tarot involves an alchemical synthesis of elements including Jungian psychology, Transpersonal psychology, meditation, and intuition. Through this amalgam, I view the cards as archetypal symbols offering a microcosmic as well as macrocosmic lens. As Above, So Below, As Within, So Without. The world created within us is reflected in the world outside. Each card represents its own narrative, as well as being a link to the larger narrative of the deck... just as we each have our own stories, our own journeys, we are also a part of the collective that is humanity.

To begin our journey on this New Moon, it seems appropriate to start with The Fool, the zero

card of the Major Arcana. This card connects us with the beginnings of transformation, individuation, the journey towards wholeness.

Rider Waite Tarot

The Fool can connect us to our youth, allowing a sense of energy and excitement about the journey, rather than the destination. The Fool has no plans, no compass, no guide. The Fool simply trusts that the journey will offer safe harbor wherever and whenever he/she travels. We all have opportunities in our lives when we feel that what we had been doing no longer serves us. It is during these times that we can call upon the energy of The Fool to propel us forward. So many of us feel stuck in our daily routines. We feel the need to make changes, but for various reasons we choose to maintain the status quo. Perhaps we fear the unknown, and choose a lifestyle that is safe, albeit unsatisfying, rather than allowing ourselves to dream, to dare.

If we look at the Fool Card, we can see a visual representation of the unknown, as The Fool stands at the edge of a large cliff, with a rather dangerous looking chasm beneath him. His face, looks calm, serene, gazing upward, and is either unaware or unfazed by his journey. This figure symbolizes rebirth, manifestation of dreams, and a trust of the unknown. Some Tarot readers feel that this card represents an initiation of sorts. In Jungian psychology we might call this the beginning of individuation, when an integration of personality elements and the collective unconscious are assimilated into consciousness.

Tarot of Transformation (Willow Arlenea
& Jasmin Lee Cori)

Individuation signals the beginning of a more holistic approach to life, and looking through the lens of The Fool, we allow for more play and trust to come into our consciousness. To me the Fool card also represents mindfulness, and a focus on the present. How often do we get caught up in our fears of the future, or concern about the past, only to find entire days passing where we pay no attention to the gift before us, our "present." The Fool feels no need to perseverate over past deeds, or worry about what he/she might find on the journey. Like a child, or an animal companion (looking towards our furry friends as mentors is a wonderful way to learn how to stay focused on the present), The Fool does not fear, he/she simply IS. How often do we quiet ourselves, our thoughts and just breathe? There is a certain power to the quietness of breath, the quietness of simply being. It opens us up to our unconscious and the ability to evolve, individuate, transform.

ABRAXAS Intuitive Arts can be found on FB and Twitter! The webpage is currently under construction, and will soon be completed. To book a Tarot reading, Reiki session or Intuitive session with me, please email abraxasintuitivearts@icloud.com.