King of Wands/Judgment. Today’s focus will not be on thinking up the ideas or planning how to implement them. Rather, today will be a day of making reality match those ideas, of crossing the bridge from visualizations to actual manifestation in the physical realm. However, I must be at least somewhat cautious, for despite the fact that my plan feels sooooo right, others may have different views or ideas of their own, equally valid and important. This should not be a clearing of all else in order to build my vision, but rather it should be creation without destruction. I should not be discarding the negative, but rather integrating the negative into the rest of me, in order to create something new. And once again, I am being told that at least to some extent, the changes that are beginning are under my control.

My Thoth card for the day is the Six of Cups. LOL, back to the suit of Cups. My Thoth deck certainly likes this suit lately. Crowley calls the Six of Cups “Pleasure,” and while most of Crowley’s thoughts regarding pleasure tend to be warnings of the potential for excess, this card tells of balanced and harmonized energy. This Six corresponds with the sign of Scorpio (which plays a big part in my astrological self, as I am Sag just after the transformation from Scorpio, and my Moon sign is Scorpio), which is strange because Scorpio is strong in an earthy (LOL, read “stubborn”) way, but this card seems to be so placid.

My horoscopes for today: “You may feel as if you are out of your league today. The good news is that, thanks to your flexible and adaptable nature, any league can always become yours after you take those magical steps to work the crowd and convince them that you mean the best. Have patience and understanding as you learn a new set of rules and a new group of people with their own unique habits and behaviors.”

And: “Sometimes life just isn't fair, but that shouldn't stop you from trying to see justice done today. It's not silly to believe in fairness, it's admirable. Hang on to your idealism with all your might -- it will help you adjust to any unexpected situation, be more self-sufficient, and keep you safe from people who don't like to play by the rules. Everything cannot be completely equitable in every situation, but you can work to make it as close as possible.”

And: “Today could signal decisions about the changing or redirection of your career, Sagittarius. It has been on your mind for a while, and now you are tired of thinking and ready for action. You may realize that some of the recent relationship trouble is partially your fault, and, if you are single, today is good for making decisions about relationships. Your choice will probably be along the lines of making way for someone who is more aligned with your goals and values.”

And finally: “You have been working exceptionally hard lately, dear Sagittarius. Today would be a good day for you to recharge your batteries. It seems everyone wants a piece of you, and it could be that you have reached the point where you have nothing left to give. It's OK for you to say as much. If you can, take the phone off the hook and reserve the day for yourself. Take time to sleep in, to meditate, to go for a walk. You get the idea!”

It is a hot and steamy day in Cape May. Last night I sat on the porch until after 1 am, listening to the waves and smelling the fragrance of the ocean on the humid air. The stars were visible directly above, but I could see lightning flashes inland, and out to sea as the hurricane continued its path northward. The night was so full of the essences of Nature that I could hardly drag myself away. And when I got up to go to the bathroom at about 4:30, I smiled as I smelled the ocean’s fragrance, which had permeated the entire house.

I am sitting now in the kitchen, looking out at the back yard. Thanks to the bounty of rain and hot Summer sun, my garden is incredibly beautiful. The blossoms on the crepe myrtles are huge, and they are weighing down the branches. The honeysuckle is sending out long shoots with gorgeous pink blossoms on the end, and the similar shoots of the trumpet vine are weighed down by the huge waxy blooms. Hydrangeas are happy, and the morning glory in the front of the house is up into the wisteria, presenting each morning a waterfall of lavender. The hyacinth bean vine is aiming for the overhead wires; thank goodness it’s an annual, otherwise soon everyone on the street would need a machete to get into their houses. The bounty of nature is all around me, but I have not forgotten that the Sun Father has passed his prime and is heading towards old age and the transformation that happens at Samhain. I am taking many moments throughout each day to take mental snapshots, harvesting, if you will, special moments so that when the dark and cold of Winter is upon me, I can remember the glories of this Summer.

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