 The holidays. Omicron. A new year: we’ve all been on our toes with everything this winter has brought us. We’ve lost beloved pop culture icons and, perhaps, gained perspective on ourselves and our neighbors - just in time to run headlong into Mercury Retrograde, which started January 14 and continues until February 3. This week, we’re using the New Era Elements Tarot by Eleonore F. Pieper, PhD. Published in 2018, this deck applies diverse people and global culture to create a more modern view of Tarot. It features realistic hand-drawn images, suits named for the elements instead of symbols, and court cards reflecting family roles (mother, father, daughter, son).  The Minor Arcana “pip” cards are each assigned a keyword. As for the court cards, New Era Elements represents Fire with the Maasai, a people whose traditional lands cover parts of Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. Water depicts the Maori people of New Zealand and Polynesia; Air, people from various Asian countries; and Earth, people from across Europe. If you’re seeking a deck that will help you cultivate greater awareness and understanding of the world around you, New Era Elements Tarot may inspire your curiosity. Based on both the Smith-Waite and Crowley Thoth Tarot traditions, it’s one of many available in-store here at Indigo Moons. Let’s take a look at what it has for us this week. Mother of Fire (Queen of Wands) When you’re preparing to face down challenges and find the best in a situation, this is the Queen you want to emulate. This Fire monarch has a confidence and a spark of warmth that puts her ahead of the game. But under her wit and creativity, there’s an unstoppable strength of character. She knows who she is and what she is willing to do to accomplish her goals. It’s a combination we’d all be wise to apply right now. Creative Fire energy will bring us the boldness and adaptability to conquer a “backwards” Mercury and come out the winner. Wheel of Fortune It doesn’t get much more direct than this: our deck depicts a roulette wheel at the center of the Wheel of Fortune card. Alongside it is a strand of DNA, representing those elements of ourselves we’re born with. Latin text at the bottom means “everyone is the maker of their own fate.” What a perfect card for Mercury Retrograde! Everything is up in the air and things we thought were behind us come back around. But the leading Queen sets an example we’d be wise to follow - be aware of your surroundings and expect the unexpected. Fate may throw us curveballs, but it’s what we do with it that matters. Will the unexpected happen? Good or bad, the answer is likely yes. So be prepared - be alert - be grounded. If the Wheel throws things off balance, you can rest assured that it will all turn around soon enough. Eight of Pentacles Here, the deck brings us a heartfelt, steady image: a herd of elephants make their way down a well-worn path. They travel driven by the wisdom of conscious effort and the harmony of natural development. Many of us have recently spent a lot of time away from our normal routines. Sometimes these things can’t be helped, but the Eight of Pentacles tells us it’s time to refocus and find our way back, because there is work to be done. This may refer to our jobs, projects, or assignments, but it could just as easily mean our mental, physical, or spiritual health. These are challenging times, and that calls for attention and focus. Put your best efforts into improving yourself - because starting from within will help the world around you, too. Susan (aka the Dragonfly Charmer) is an Indigo Moons staff member and an intuitive reader with over 25 years of experience. She also teaches Tarot classes at the shop. Visit her Linktree for all the other places you can find her.
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