Major Arcana: Follow the Light - Inner Light Tarot by Lisa

Stonehenge and The Moon: Walking the Path Between Mystery and Meaning

May 8, 2026 by Lisa

After months of planning, I was finally here, walking among the stones at Stonehenge.

It felt surreal standing beside stones that had remained in place for thousands of years. There is something difficult to explain about being there in person. The scale, the silence, the mystery…all of it creates a feeling that is both grounding and deeply reflective.

The Symbolism of The Moon

As part of my daily tarot practice, I often pull a card for reflection and insight. In the days leading up to the trip, I pulled The Moon on three separate occasions. I didn’t see it as a prediction, but I sensed there was something in the symbolism I had not fully understood yet.

Once I arrived at Stonehenge, the connection felt immediate. Built around celestial cycles and seasonal shifts, the monument carries the same emotional atmosphere as The Moon itself: uncertainty, transition, intuition, and moving forward without full clarity.

An Ancient Awareness of Cycles

All of the stones felt powerful in their own way, but I found myself especially drawn to one particular trilithon. According to the tour guide, it aligns with the Altar Stone during the winter solstice. The entire monument was carefully aligned with celestial events, marking both the summer and winter solstices. Many archaeologists now believe the winter solstice may have held even greater significance for the people who gathered there.

That connection stayed with me because the winter solstice reflects many of the same themes found within The Moon card:

Darkness before the return of light
Transition and renewal
Liminality and the unknown
Trusting cycles during uncertain times

Mystery Without Certainty

I sat quietly near the stone for a while, simply taking in the experience. As I often do, I laid my tarot cards out on the ground beside me. I pulled a few cards, but more than anything, I wanted to absorb the moment.

What struck me most was how much Stonehenge itself mirrors the emotional landscape of The Moon card. Archaeologists understand pieces of its purpose, but no single explanation fully defines it. Some believe it was ceremonial. Others see it as astronomical, agricultural, or connected to burial and ancestor rituals. What we do know is that it was intentional, deeply meaningful, and designed to connect people to something larger than themselves.

The Moon card asks for a similar kind of trust. It reminds us that we do not always have full clarity and that sometimes wisdom comes not from certainty, but from continuing forward anyway.

Ancient Ritual and Modern Reflection

Humans have always searched for meaning in uncertain times. Long before modern spiritual practices, people gathered in places like Stonehenge to observe cycles, honor transitions, and connect with the Divine. Thousands of years later, many of us are still doing the same thing in our own ways.

For me, tarot is not about having every answer. It is about reflection, symbolism, intuition, and learning to navigate uncertainty with greater awareness. Standing among the stones, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I felt connected not only to the past, but to something both deeply human and deeply spiritual. The stones may belong to the ancient past, but the search for meaning continues within us today.

Stonehenge: April 27, 2026

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The Hermit and the Lighthouse: Finding Light in the Darkness

March 16, 2026 by Lisa

During a recent vacation in San Diego, I pulled The Hermit as my daily tarot card — two days in a row and three times in one week! At first, the message puzzled me. The Hermit traditionally speaks of solitude, contemplation, and withdrawal from the busy world. Yet here I was on vacation, exploring a vibrant coastal city, certainly not retreating into isolation.

Later that day, I found myself visiting the Old Point Loma Lighthouse at Cabrillo National Monument with a friend. Suddenly, The Hermit made perfect sense. Standing on the windswept cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the symbolism became unmistakable.

The lighthouse keeper was, in many ways, a living reflection of The Hermit - tending the light, keeping watch through the night, and quietly guiding others through darkness.

The Lantern and the Lighthouse Beam

In the traditional Rider–Waite–Smith tarot deck, The Hermit holds a lantern containing a six-pointed star. The lantern does not illuminate the entire landscape. Instead, it lights only a small portion of the path ahead. When you think about it, a lighthouse works in much the same way. It does not light the entire ocean. Instead, it sends out a focused beam across the darkness, just enough to guide ships away from danger and toward safe passage.

What a beautiful metaphor for the wisdom we can offer others. Insight rarely arrives all at once with every answer neatly in place. More often, it appears as a small light that reveals the next step. Indeed, The Hermit does not promise certainty for the entire journey, only clarity for the moment directly in front of us.

The Keeper’s Vigil

While walking the lighthouse grounds, I noticed a sign whose message felt deeply connected to the meaning of The Hermit.

"Throughout much of history, the soul of lighthouses has been the keepers whose dedication and attention to detail kept the lights shining night after night."

For more than a century, lighthouse keepers carried out a quiet but vital task. They cleaned lenses, maintained the lamp, monitored weather conditions, and ensured the light never went out. Their work required ^*discipline, patience, and unwavering attention.

In many ways, the development of spiritual wisdom follows the same principle.

The Hermit’s wisdom develops slowly through observation, reflection, and inner work. Intuition and insight grow in much the same way. These gifts remain within us, but without attention and nurturing they can easily fade into the background. Like the lighthouse, these gifts must be tended with patience and thoughtful intention.

A Lighthouse is Built to Serve Others

As I walked further through the museum, another sign caught my attention. It quoted the playwright George Bernard Shaw:

"I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse. They were built only to serve."

This observation captures the deeper spirit of The Hermit. A lighthouse does not demand recognition or reward. Its sole purpose is to guide strangers safely through dangerous waters. The Hermit carries a similar role in the tarot. At its highest expression, The Hermit becomes the teacher, guide, or mentor who illuminates the path for others. The wisdom gained through solitude eventually becomes something that can be shared. The Hermit withdraws not to escape humanity, but to better serve it.

For this reason, drawing The Hermit can be understood as a gift, an invitation to pause, reflect, and deepen our understanding of the path we are walking. In that quiet space, insight begins to take shape. And when the time is right, that inner light can become a source of guidance for others.

Taking a Deeper Look

As I continued walking the lighthouse grounds, I began to notice more parallels between The Hermit and the quiet work of a lighthouse keeper. One by one, deeper layers of symbolism began to reveal themselves.

Life on the Edge

Lighthouses are built at the boundaries of the world. They stand on cliffs and rocky shores where the land meets the sea , places where navigation becomes uncertain and danger increases.

It is at this threshold that wisdom becomes necessary.

The Hermit appears in tarot readings during moments of transition, when the path forward is not yet fully visible. Like the lighthouse on a stormy coastline, The Hermit shines when clarity is most needed.

Waiting for Those Who Seek the Light

One of the most powerful lessons of the lighthouse is that it does not seek out the ships.

It simply shines.

The responsibility lies with the sailor to notice the light and adjust course accordingly. The Hermit offers guidance in the same way. Wisdom cannot be forced upon someone. It must be sought, recognized, and embraced by those who are ready for it.

Like the lighthouse, The Hermit waits quietly, lantern raised, for those who are seeking the light.

Climbing the Spiral

Like many lighthouses, the Point Loma lighthouse has a spiral staircase that leads upward to the lantern room. Spirals have long been recognized as symbols of transformation and growth, representing an inward journey toward deeper understanding.

Climbing a lighthouse tower is not unlike The Hermit’s path. Step by step, we move away from the noise of everyday life and toward a broader perspective. When we reach the top, the view expands dramatically. What once seemed chaotic or overwhelming suddenly becomes clearer from a higher vantage point. The Hermit’s wisdom often comes from this shift in perspective.

Becoming the Lighthouse

When we pull The Hermit card in tarot, we often assume the message is to withdraw from the world. Sometimes that is true. But the lighthouse offers another interpretation.

At times we search for light to guide our way. At other times we are called to tend our inner light that can illuminate the path for others.

The Hermit reminds us that wisdom gained through reflection can become a guiding light for others. We do not need to chase people or force answers upon them. We simply hold the lantern high and let the light shine.

And somewhere out in the darkness, someone searching for direction may see it.

^*A Deeper Tarot Connection

In tarot symbolism, this dedication also echoes the Eight of Pentacles, a card associated with steady effort, mastery, and the quiet commitment required to refine one’s craft. Astrologically, the Eight of Pentacles corresponds to the first decan of Virgo, ruled by the Sun (hello lighthouse!). Virgo is also the zodiac sign traditionally associated with The Hermit.

The connection feels almost poetic. Just as the craftsman in the Eight of Pentacles carefully shapes each coin, the lighthouse keeper tended the lamp night after night, polishing lenses and maintaining the mechanisms that allowed the light to shine. Wisdom, like a lighthouse beam, does not sustain itself. It requires patient, devoted work.

Libra Season and the Justice Card: Finding Balance at the Equinox

September 21, 2025 by Lisa

Libra and Justice card blog post image Many of the links between zodiac signs and tarot cards can feel abstract, layered with symbolism that takes time to unpack. But none are more immediately clear than the connection between Libra and the Justice card. Both are represented by the scales, both speak of fairness and balance, and both ask us to consider not just ourselves, but the harmony we create in relationship with others.

It’s no coincidence that Libra season begins with the fall equinox, when day and night are in perfect equality. This natural moment of balance mirrors Justice’s place at the center of the Major Arcana, card XI, reminding us that balance is not just a concept, it’s a lived practice, one that begins within and extends outward into every choice we make.

From Virgo’s Lantern to Libra’s Scales

Last month, under Virgo’s influence, we walked with the Hermit - seeking solitude, clarity, and the quiet truth that can only be found within. The Hermit asked us to pause, to simplify, and to listen deeply.

Now Libra arrives, bringing us back into relationship. If Virgo season was about discovering inner truth, Libra season asks: How will you carry that truth into the world? The Justice card reflects this shift, weighing what we’ve learned in the Hermit’s lantern against the choices, relationships, and responsibilities that shape our lives.

The Nature of Libra

Ruled by Venus, Libra is often called the peacemaker of the zodiac. But this peace isn’t about avoiding conflict, it’s about facing life with a sense of fairness, dialogue, and balance. As an air sign, Libra lives in the realm of perspective, teaching us to step outside our own view and ask: How does this look from the other side?

In daily life, Libra shows up whenever you play mediator between friends, restore balance in a partnership, or notice that fairness matters more than winning an argument. At its best, Libra energy helps us see clearly that harmony is not about sameness but about honoring differences with respect.

Justice: Libra’s Tarot Reflection

The Justice card shows a figure seated between two pillars, holding scales in one hand and a sword in the other. The scales weigh truth, while the sword cuts through illusion. Justice reminds us that balance is not passive, it requires discernment, clarity, and sometimes the courage to face uncomfortable truths.

This is where Justice and Libra overlap. Both remind us that harmony is built on truth, not on polite silence. Real balance comes when we stop pretending, when we let the scales reveal what’s out of alignment, and when we choose integrity even if it’s difficult.

Walking the Line of Balance

Libra and the Justice card both teach that balance isn’t a fixed state. Like the equinox, it’s a fleeting moment that immediately tips toward change. Our task is not to cling to perfect equilibrium but to keep adjusting, to keep choosing truth and fairness, again and again.

Each small choice matters. Every time you act with integrity, you restore a little balance in your world...and in the collective. And that is the gift of Libra and Justice: the clarity of seeing that true harmony begins with truth.

7 Card Equinox Spread

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Unmasking the Devil: Releasing Shame’s Grip

September 20, 2025 by Lisa

Blog post image for The Devil tarot card article Shame is one of those emotions that creeps into the corners of our lives and makes us feel small. It whispers that we are unworthy, unlovable, or somehow broken. Unlike guilt, which points to something we did, shame convinces us it’s about who we are. Left unchecked, it keeps us trapped in a box, afraid to shine, afraid to live fully.

When it comes to understanding shame, The Devil card shows us not just the chains, but also the key.

The Devil and the Chains of Shame

The traditional Devil card shows two figures bound in chains at the feet of a horned figure. They look trapped, enslaved, powerless. But look closer: the chains around their necks are loose. At any time, they could slip free.

This image is a perfect mirror for shame. When we carry shame, it feels like an unshakable weight, a permanent sentence. But often, the chains are not locked at all. They’re stories we’ve been told, beliefs we’ve internalized, or self-judgments we’ve repeated until they feel like truth.

The Devil shows us that the prison of shame is real, but also illusory. It is sustained by our willingness to keep wearing those chains.

Reframing Shame as a Teacher

Instead of seeing shame as a life sentence, what if we reframe it as a life lesson?

Shame often arises where we’ve absorbed the rules of family, culture, or society, and we have tried to fit into boxes that were never meant for us. Feeling shame is a signpost: it shows us where we’ve been living under someone else’s script.

Stop and ask yourself: Whose voice is speaking? Where did this belief come from? In that moment of awareness, shame begins to lose its grip, shifting from a burden you carry into a teacher that guides you forward.

Reflection Prompts

To help you reframe shame in your own journey, here are some questions inspired by The Devil:

Where do I feel most bound by shame, and what story keeps me chained there?
Are these stories truly mine, or did I inherit them from someone else?
If the chain around my neck is loose, what step can I take to slip free?
What light in me is ready to shine once shame is no longer holding it back?

Stepping Into Freedom

Shame wants to keep you small. But The Devil reminds us that bondage is never a given - the keys to freedom are always in reach. By seeing shame, not as proof of failure, but as a signal for growth, you reclaim your power.

You don’t need to carry shame like a burden. You can set it down, slip off the chains, and step into the life that’s waiting for you - the one where your inner light shines without apology.

A Tarot Spread for Releasing Shame

Here’s a simple but powerful 5-card spread you can use for releasing shame.

Significator (Center) – Choose a card that represents you right now. Place it in the middle of the spread to anchor the reading.

The Chain – What shame am I carrying right now?
The Voice – Where did this belief or story come from?
The Key – What truth will help me loosen the chain?
The Light – What part of me is ready to shine once I release this shame?

Lay the cards in a square around the significator, like the four walls of a box. Imagine that by reading them, you are opening those walls and stepping free.

Four card tarot spread for releasing shame

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Virgo in the Tarot: The Wisdom of the Hermit

August 23, 2025 by Lisa

Woman holding a lantern while looking across the mountains Each zodiac sign finds its mirror in the tarot. For Virgo, that mirror is The Hermit, a cloaked figure standing alone with a lantern, illuminating the way through the dark. At first glance, Virgo’s detail-oriented, service-driven nature might seem far from the Hermit’s solitude. But look deeper, and you’ll see their shared truth: wisdom comes through reflection, refinement, and the quiet work of aligning with what matters most.

Virgo’s Essence

Virgo, ruled by Mercury, is often misunderstood as merely the “perfectionist” of the zodiac. In truth, Virgo’s energy is about discernment, healing, and alignment with higher purpose through the details of everyday life.

Virgo notices what others overlook. It organizes, filters, and improves, not for vanity, but out of devotion to service and healing. Through patience and small, consistent refinements, Virgo shows us that the sacred is often born in the details.

The Hermit as a Virgo Archetype

The Hermit mirrors Virgo’s spirit of reflection and refinement. Cloaked in solitude, she carries a lantern to light the way, first for herself, then for others. Her wisdom comes through retreat, patience, and careful listening to the inner voice.

Like Virgo, the Hermit values detail and clarity, teaching us that service begins with inner work: stepping back to discern, refine, and restore before sharing wisdom with the world.

Together, they embody the sacred balance of introspection leading to meaningful service.

The Numerology of the Number 9

In tarot, numbers carry meaning, and IX is the number of completion and wisdom. It gathers the lessons of the past and prepares the soul for transformation. Across traditions, nine is also a sacred number of initiation, symbolizing the elder or teacher who carries wisdom forward. Fittingly, the Hermit stands at this threshold, a guide holding her lantern after cycles of learning.

The Hermit follows Strength (VIII) and precedes the Wheel of Fortune (X). After Strength’s lesson of mastering impulses with compassion, the Hermit withdraws to integrate what has been learned. Only then can the Wheel turn, marking the shift into destiny.

Stepping Back Moves Us Forward

The Hermit represents Virgo because both archetypes are about reflection, refinement, and the wisdom that comes from completion. They remind us that service begins within: through patience, discernment, and a devotion to truth. Stepping back is not withdrawal, it is sacred preparation.

Like Virgo, the Hermit clears away the unnecessary so what remains is pure, whole, and ready to guide others.

When the Hermit appears, she invites you to pause, align, and carry your lantern of wisdom into the world, not just for yourself, but for those still finding their way.

Tarot Spread: Illuminating the Virgo Within

If you’d like to explore these themes in your own life, try this 4-card spread designed to illuminate the Virgo within:

The Lantern – What truth am I currently being guided toward?
The Path – Where do I need patience and refinement in my life?
The Cloak – What protection, boundary, or solitude do I need right now?
The Offering – How can the wisdom I discover within be of service to others?

This spread invites you to pause, look inward, and discover the light you carry, not only for yourself, but for those who may one day walk the path you’ve illuminated.

Four card spread, Illuminating the Virgo Within

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Soft Power, Fierce Heart: Living the Strength Card in Leo Season

July 23, 2025 by Lisa

Blog post image for Leo - Soft Power Fierce Heart Leo season (July 22 – August 22) brings a surge of solar energy, inviting us to lead with confidence, creativity, and heart. As a fire sign ruled by the Sun, Leo encourages bold self-expression, authentic leadership, and the celebration of what makes each of us unique. This is a time to take up space...not with arrogance, but with radiant presence. Whether it’s through creative projects, meaningful connections, or simply allowing yourself to be seen, Leo season asks you to honor the light within and let it shine outward.

The Strength Card: Power with Grace

In the tarot, Leo is symbolized by the Strength card which depicts a woman gently taming a lion, not with force, but with calm, compassionate presence. This card reminds us that true strength isn’t about control or domination. It’s about emotional resilience, self-trust, and the courage to stay grounded in moments of challenge. Just as Leo energy teaches us to lead from the heart, the Strength card teaches us to meet life with both courage and kindness.

Everyday Strength: Living the Lesson

Strength isn’t always loud. Often, it’s quiet and deliberate, something that happens in a single breath before a response. It might look like this: your toddler knocks over a full cup of milk at dinner for the third night in a row. Your instinct is to yell - but instead you pause. You exhale. You remember that they’re still learning, and so are you. You clean it up together, turning what could have been a moment of frustration into one of connection.

Or maybe you're at work, behind the counter or on the phone, and a customer comes in already upset, rude, impatient, ready to pick a fight. You feel the tension rise in your body, the urge to defend yourself. But instead, you pause. You stay steady. You listen, let them vent, and respond calmly, without feeding the fire. In that moment, you’ve tamed more than just the conversation, you’ve tamed your own reaction. And that shifts everything.

This is Strength. It’s staying with yourself in moments of tension so you can respond instead of react. It’s choosing patience when it’s hard, choosing love when it would be easier to shut down. Strength also means honoring your own needs...saying no, asking for help, walking away from what isn’t aligned. It means showing up for your healing, not just once, but again and again. Leo season and the Strength card together remind us that soft power is still power and that our inner light becomes a guiding force when we lead with heart, not ego.

Tarot Spread: The Heart of Strength

As Leo season turns up the heat, the Strength card reminds us that courage doesn’t have to roar - it can whisper, soothe, and steady. This 5-card spread is designed to help you explore where your light wants to shine, what fears are ready to be softened, and how to lead yourself (and others) with love. Let this spread be a mirror for your inner resilience and a guide toward empowered self-expression.

Be The Light - Where am I being called to shine?
Ignite the Fire Within - What creative fire wants to be ignited in me?
Tame the Beast - What fear is ready to be tamed?
Find Hidden Strengths - What inner strength needs to step forward in my life?
Lead with Love - How can I lead with love, not fear?

The Grace of Inner Strength

As Leo season unfolds, it’s easy to think of strength as something bold and dazzling, center stage, full of fire. But the Strength card teaches us that our truest power lies in how we carry ourselves through the quieter, harder moments. It’s in the pause before the reaction, the breath that steadies the heart, the choice to meet challenge with compassion. This season, let your light shine, not to overpower others, but to illuminate your path with courage, warmth, and grace. That is the essence of Leo. That is the quiet brilliance of Strength.

Image of The Heart of Strength, Leo tarot spread

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