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Word Magic

Essence of Presence

Jen Yi

• 6 min read
Essence of Presence
Photo by Gareth Harper / Unsplash

The heaviness of Scorpio has lifted as the Sun has moved into Sagittarius, the zodiac sign symbolizing the adventurous, seeking spirit. In the U.S. this coincides with the start of the holiday season and celebrations. I'm shedding the seriousness of many of my past writings and sharing things in my life that are bringing me joy and feelings of gratitude.

It was my spouse's birthday a few weeks ago and we celebrated with a trip to Chicago. We spent a whole afternoon at the Art Institute of Chicago and were able to see the Remedios Varo exhibit. It was just as magical as I expected it to be. I was surprised by the size of her artworks. So much detail packed into a small space. I didn't take many pictures as I was trying to be respectful of the space and other people. Plus, the internet has much better images than I can take with my iPhone. I am not a photographer.

This picture of Varo from 1958 in her Mexico City studio greeted us as we entered the exhibit. The nurse in me cannot help but notice the cigarette she is holding. Varo died of a heart attack at age 54. Tobacco smoking is linked to heart disease. Please don't smoke, Friends.
Creation of the birds, 1957. This work of art is only 22x25 inches. The attention to minute details is incredible. The exhibit included a few of her finely bristled paint brushes.
Carta de Tarot (Tarot Card), 1957, oil on hippopotamus bone. It is speculated that this is Varo's interpretation of the Magician. My initial reaction was Temperance as it appears this figure is able to alchemize the energies of the serpents. The serpents intertwine and cross 14 times. Temperance is the 14th card of the Major Arcana.
Figure with Meat, 1954, artist Francis Bacon. Link to image description. Batman was the second Tim Burton movie I saw as a child and one of the 1st movies I remember watching in the movie theater. This is the only painting spared by the Joker when his thugs are vandalizing the Gotham Museum. As an 8-year-old, I loved that scene. My inner rebel hadn't developed an appreciation for art yet.

When we returned from Chicago, we cut down our Yule tree. Typically, we would wait until after Thanksgiving, like most people, but our work schedules got in the way. Usually there's snow on the ground and we are bundled up, but this year it was warm and sunny. Our Samhain snowfall only lasted a few days. It is the first of three trees will decorate. We will burn this tree at Beltane 2024.

Our real Yule tree is an eclectic mix of ornaments. I hang every ornaments my kiddos have ever made. My travel keepsake of choice is ornaments so we can reminisce about our family trips as we decorate together.
Faux tree decorated with old ornaments from my father-in-law's collection.
Our dedicated Star Wars faux tree. My husband and son are huge Star Wars fans and we gathered enough ornaments through the years to decorate a whole tree. This tree sits in our sunroom.
We actually have four trees this year as my son decorated this mini-tree for our dog Allie. The round ornament with a pitbull and her name is from the cutest Christmas shop in Provincetown, MA. I wish I could remember the name. On the right is Allie, our 5-year-old mini-pittie mix, on her bed in front of the Star Wars tree.

What Am I Listening To?

It is officially time to listen to Christmas music! As much as I am still a brooding, angsty teen with my listening habits, I effing love Christmas music. Yes, even that Mariah Carey song. I am currently listening to Matt Rogers' Have You Heard of Christmas? and it is the perfect amount of stupid humor mixed with pop. Did you know that Santa and Jesus met in Bethlehem at college and that's how they became best friends? Have you ever wondered how much lube Santa carries on their sleigh? Want a recipe for arson that involves a pickle jar and newspaper? If you are more SLAY than sleigh, this is your Christmas album.

What Am I Reading?

Memoirs are my books of choice, especially ones from comedians. I find real lived experiences more interesting than manufactured drama. If I do read fiction, I read mythology, horror, and sci-fi. I recently read/listened to both of Gary Janetti's books, Do You Mind If I Cancel? and Start Without Me. Janetti is a TV writer and producer. His IG is delightfully, sarcastically antisocial which I appreciate as an introvert. In his books, he writes about his lonely childhood, early adulthood living as a closeted gay man, and how he learned to open up to others through a series of essays. I read one of them and listened to the other book. Highly recommend the audiobook version as the humor and sarcasm becomes more apparent with Janetti reading his own words.

Aspects of Magic

I added Caroline Myss' Archetype Cards to my deck collection. Each card has a different archetype– Messiah, Artist, or Engineer for example. I have been using them like oracle cards to add flavor to my tarot pulls. For my last weekend of work I pulled the Judge archetype. This was a suitable guide as it emphasizes using your power with fairness, compassion, and constructive criticism. These are all qualities needed when working in a high stress ICU. Manners can get lost when you're trying to keep your patient from dying. I try to remember to use mine and not judge others harshly when they forget theirs.

November was a confusing month for me. Saturn in Pisces formed a conjunction with my natal Mercury and Mars. I feel like having my Mercury (mind) and Mars (actions) conjunct in Pisces makes me prone to delusions, fantasies, and indulgences. The cosmic adviser Saturn is now here with a lesson plan. The last time Saturn was in Pisces was from 1994-96 when I was 13-15 years old, a formative times in most people's lives. I think my current confusion stems from realizing these lesson plans continue in middle age. I am still trying to develop healthy boundaries that do not involve instant gratification, substance abuse, or maladaptive daydreaming.

The Full Moon in Gemini on Nov 27 was a turning point for me. It illuminated more of my path. Mercury entered Capricorn Dec 1 and is the grounding energy I need right now. It will turn retrograde this month, giving us space to reflect on 2023. Venus will be in Scorpio, my 1st house, on Dec 4 which will boost my self-love and nurturing my values. I will be basking in the glow of my Yule trees and cherishing time with my family.