The Tarot Garden

Artist Niki de Saint Phalle has created a magnificent Tarot Garden with mosaic sculptures that represent the Major Arcana.

Situated in the Italian village of Capalbio, it started in the late nineteen-seventies when Saint Phalle had a vision to create mosaic representations of the tarot. What Saint Phalle, who died in 2002, left behind in Tuscany is, according to the New Yorker magazine, "dazzling or deranged, transcendent or tawdry, depending on whom you ask. Amid peaceful olive groves and ochre fields grazed by horses and sheep sits a house-size sculpture of a sphinx, with mirrored blue hair and a bright-red crown, a flower blooming on one of her breasts and a lavender heart on the nipple of the other. The interior is covered in shards of mirror, as if a colossal disco ball had been turned inside out. (During the two decades that Saint Phalle worked on the garden, her bedroom was inside one breast, her kitchen in the other.) A sprawling, fantastical castle, with a rainbow mosaic tower, sits near a blue head some fifty feet high, sprouting a second, mirrored head crowned by a huge hand. Downhill, the Devil stands amid some shrubs, a rainbow-winged hermaphrodite with a sweet face, womanly hips, and three gold penises. It is as if a psychedelic bomb had exploded in the most picturesque part of Tuscany."

For me, it would be something amazing to see!

 

Horoscope for the Week of March 20, 2023 - Sun in Aries

The Sun enters Aries and sends an energetic zetz that is guaranteed to move us forward. Whatever you need to do or to get done, do it now.

Here is my favorite book on astrology and a "must" for anyone interested in learning more: Secrets from a Stargazer's Notebook: Making Astrology Work for You and here's a guide to the best books available this month. This column is (c) 2023 MADAM LICHTENSTEIN, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. Madam Lichtenstein is the author of the best selling astrology book “HerScopes ” now in its 12th printing and available as an eBook.

ARIES   (MARCH 21 - APRIL 20)

This is the time of year when you feel especially robust and confident, Aries. Future plans look attainable and the crowds love what you are doing. So get out into the scrum of all of the activity and command all of the attention. You wow others and they, in turn, help you in anyway they can. You can even be a bit demanding…

TAURUS (APRIL 21-MAY 21)

There is so much activity swirling around and behind you that you may be tempted to take a chance based on intuition alone. Should you go with your gut feelings, Taurus? They are fairly on target and background forces appear to be working in your favor. Assess the risk, test the atmosphere and go forth to spread your inspiration.

GEMINI   (MAY 22 - JUNE 21)

Your social life gets an added oomph of energy, filling your calendar to overflowing. The post pandemic list of things to do opens up many possibilities with not only interesting but also exciting stuff. The temptation is to accept all invitations but try not to over-extend. You want to be able to fully enjoy every encounter, Gemini.

CANCER   (JUNE 22 - JULY 23)

This is a great time to implement any long term plans or focus on professional goals. What is it that you really want to achieve, Cancer? You have clarity of vision and the ability to maneuver through any confusing or challenging landscape. Be strategic and go forth. The time to accomplish what you need to accomplish is now.

LEO   (JULY 24 - AUGUST 23)

If you have been feeling a little stuck-in-place, you can now break free and explore. Your life needs some excitement, Leo. Find ways to experiment, break out of old patterns and routines and otherwise refresh your perspective. Travel or take a new route home. There are wonderful life experiences becoming apparent.

VIRGO   (AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23)

Explore what is going on in your love life, Virgo. There may be wonderful opportunities to enliven any routine relationship or otherwise expand your capacity to express love and a bit of lust. Let your emotions guide you and see where you can find deeper emotions and discover more about yourself in the process.

LIBRA   (SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 23)

You can meet people where they are mentally, Libra. That means that any confusion or disagreement can be overcome and clarified. The results are very satisfying and lead you to a new and stronger understanding with others. Build your alliances and strengthen links. Your net becomes stronger and more expansive.

SCORPIO   (OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22)

You are especially efficient and productive, Scorpio. Whatever projects that have been dormant and gathering dust can now be handled and finished off once and for all. Great! Roll up your sleeves and get to work. The amount of effort will not seem too great while your sense of accomplishment will feel very great!

SAGITTARIUS   (NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22)

Whatever creative thoughts and inspirations you have can blossom and grow as time goes by, Sagittarius. Get deeply involved in a great effort by either joining others in a large artistic festival or leading a group yourself. The main idea is to have fun, inspire others, decompress, relax and make the world more beautiful.

CAPRICORN   (DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20)

Focus more on what needs to be done around the house to make it more comfortable and useful to you. Capricorns may have a long to-do list of things they want and need to tackle. Now you have the energy and creativity to accomplish even the most detailed of tasks. The possibilities are endless as is your ability to achieve.

AQUARIUS   (JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19)

Whatever opinions you have on a subject can be shared and acted upon. Aquarians often have expansive and wide ranging ideas that can transform a landscape. Now there are no restrictions on what you can accomplish and who you can reach. Start on the local level and expand from there. Your influence grows.

PISCES   (FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20)

This can be a wonderful time to plan for the future, Pisces. Find ways to solidify your holdings and create a more secure financial arrangement for yourself and loved ones. You have the ability to think more strategically and have the confidence to make some momentous decisions. Assess the risks and do your homework first.

(c) 2023 MADAM LICHTENSTEIN, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. @thestarryeye Find astrology readings on tinyurl.com/TheStarryEye and a great sun sign book at tinyurl.com/Herscopes

Lucky Numbers for the Week of March 17, 2023

Lottery ads tell us you only need a dollar and a dream. But it is also helpful to have a list of lucky numbers to help spur the good fortune ... or fortunes. So with that in mind, here are some lucky numbers that can be used in any helpful way. I gazed into a pool of water, Nostradamus-like, and contemplated the cosmos. Then I mixed the tarot cards and allowed the spirits to guide me to the cards that represent the lucky numbers for this week. Nothing is guaranteed but who knows ....?

I choose eight numbers because 8 is the number of of wealth.

Here are the lucky numbers for the week of March 17-23, 2023:

6, 11, 15, 30, 32, 62, 75, 78

There are many ways to delve into your own consciousness to find luck and intuition. Try reading Dream Power/Improve Your Luck (Super Strength Series) and see if your dreams give you any clues and premonitions. Here's a guide to the best books available this month

Elijah Bond's Ouija Board Grave

In Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, rests Elijah Bond, the man who first patented the Ouija board. He rests in peace beneath a headstone that playfully reflects that achievement. 

 

Atlas Obscura reports:

The concept of a Ouija board is fairly simple: ask questions into particularly haunted air, then wait to see which letters on a board your involuntary motions end up pointing to for the answer. The creepy notion of not being fully aware of where your own hands are going to point, nor why, has fascinated paranormal enthusiasts and psychologists alike for years, and it’s all thanks to one man: Elijah Bond.

Bond patented one of the world’s first commercially sold talking boards, which was trademarked as Ouija, and immediately captured people’s imaginations with his claims that it could help one speak to people from beyond the grave. One can only imagine how well the one on his own gravestone works, since it’s obviously already very close to the deceased.

However, such was not always the case. In one of the last century’s most intriguing (and perhaps intentional) ironies, the man responsible for bridging the communication gap between the living and the dead was buried in an unmarked grave, making him nearly impossible to find years later.

But in 2007, Robert Murch, a paranormal enthusiast and Ouija board collector, located the grave and Elijah Bond finally got the acclaim for his invention. Murch claims it took him 15 years to locate the precise grave in Baltimore’s Green Mount Cemetery, several of those spent working closely with the cemetery owners.

Volunteers and donation funds were pulled together to create Bond’s truly memorable headstone, which bears the traditional name, birth and death dates on one side, and a replication of a Ouija board carved into the other. The grave is now a popular destination for nostalgia fans and people interested in the supernatural. After years of resting in obscurity, Elijah Bond himself is finally being communicated with, one way or another.

Know Before You Go

Green Mount Cemetery is open from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. every day except for Sunday. Once in the cemetery, make your way toward the large building in the middle. On the north side is section P, and its located right across the street from the section P marker. The gravestone itself almost seems out of place, so its fairly easy to find once you're in the right area.

Horoscope for the Week of March 13, 2023 - Mercury Enters Pisces and Conjuncts Saturn

Mercury and Saturn enter Pisces and conjunct this week. Life lessons are reviewed and an emotionally satisfying solution can now be reached. Put on your thinking cap today.

Here is my favorite book on astrology and a "must" for anyone interested in learning more: Secrets from a Stargazer's Notebook: Making Astrology Work for You and here's a guide to the best books available this month. This column is (c) 2023 MADAM LICHTENSTEIN, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. Madam Lichtenstein is the author of the best selling astrology book “HerScopes ” now in its 12th printing and available as an eBook.

ARIES   (MARCH 21 - APRIL 20)

Even though you usually think of yourself as more logical than emotional, this week changes your perspective. Maybe it’s because you feel a bit more intuitive or maybe your level of awareness is reaching a high. Whatever sharpens your knowledge, use it to heal the world around you and spread the good karma, Aries.

TAURUS (APRIL 21-MAY 21)

Friends are not only there for you, they provide a protective emotional structure around you. Allow others to give you their perspective and use what they tell you to expand your social network. There is nothing you can’t do, Taurus, to strengthen your influence and create a personal circle of pals who lift you to greater heights.

GEMINI   (MAY 22 - JUNE 21)

Whatever you need to accomplish professionally, do it now, Gemini. Not only are you more aware of what steps are necessary to excel, you use past experiences to smooth your path. Make yourself more accessible and connect on a more meaningful level with decision makers, movers and shakers. Then shake ‘em all.

CANCER   (JUNE 22 - JULY 23)

The world opens up for you, Cancer. The possibilities are endless and the opportunities to expand your space are limitless. So what do you want to do to get on a new, more exciting and enriching set of experiences? Think of what inspired you in the past and plan a successful course of action. It may be travel or it may be study.

LEO   (JULY 24 - AUGUST 23)

Leos know how to play the game of love. Your past experiences give you a good road map to amours and deep emotional experiences. Your ability to ascertain true from false is on target. Find your sweet spot and the perfect person. It may be a current romance or a new one. Only you know who is best for you.

VIRGO   (AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23)

The careful balance needed in certain relationships is often a mystery and a lesson of give and take. But you have all of the knowledge to know which ones work and which ones need more work. Go forth and explore the possibilities, Virgo. Connections made now have the ability to last because you know what they need.

LIBRA   (SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 23)

Emotionally you may feel more in balance and less stressed, Libra. Your ability to better prioritize any detailed or work project is based on accumulated knowledge over the years and work well for you. Do what you need to do and delegate where you can. Allow yourself the time to decompress and rejuvenate.

SCORPIO   (OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22)

Find ways to spark your imagination and do something totally out of the ordinary, Scorpio. Fully express your creativity and see where your various projects can take you. It is so easy to fall into familiar patterns and stick to the tried and true but life is much more than that. Spread your wings and become an artiste.

SAGITTARIUS   (NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22)

If your domestic space has been undergoing a bit of an upheaval, embrace the change and make your surroundings more in tune with who you are today, Sagittarius. You know internally that things were getting staid and dusty. Sometime we need a little change-up to see things in a fresh and more pleasantly livable way.

CAPRICORN   (DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20)

You not only sound wise and knowledgeable, Capricorn, you are also much more compelling and eloquent. What will you do with all of this fabulous energy? Use it to create a base of support for any personal project. Get out there and meet those who can make things happen for you. Then take it to the highest heights.

AQUARIUS   (JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19)

What do you need to feel secure, Aquarius? I think you know exactly what to do. Find ways to plan for the future that are in sync with where you really want to be long term. Do the necessary research and ask advice from respected and vetted experts. You have accumulated the knowledge and now you put it all into action.

PISCES   (FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20)

Pisces are ready to make their mark on the world. Your preparation has taken a while and came with a series of life lessons. Good! Now is the time to step into the limelight and gather all of the deserved glory. You know what to do to reach your personal goals and who to reach out to make it all happen. Meet and mix now.

(c) 2023 MADAM LICHTENSTEIN, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. @thestarryeye Find astrology readings on tinyurl.com/TheStarryEye and a great sun sign book at tinyurl.com/Herscopes