Divinations: Recent Episodes
Alyssa Polizzi
Dwelling on the threshold of the unconscious.
Audio offerings from Alyssa Polizzi's Substack - The Artemisian.
alyssapolizzi.substack.com
Today I was joined in conversation with Mariana Louis to discuss her new book, Tarot and the Psychology of the Soul, as well as themes of individuation woven through out the Major Arcana. Listen in as we explore the marrying of Jungian thought and the tarot :) Mariana’s new book comes out next year and is available for pre-order!
Connect with Mariana:
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Subscribe to her Substack Living the Questions by Mariana Louis
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Follow her on Instagram @persephonessister
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Check out her offerings at persephonessister.com
Join us in the membership for this month’s gentle read along of Jung’s Memories, Dreams, Reflections
This month in The Artemisian’s membership, we are engaging in a gentle read-along of Jung’s semi-autobiographical text — Memories, Dreams, Reflections. Reading the book is a recommendation but not a requirement. My greatest hope is that this will spark some curiosity into one of the most accessible of Jung’s texts that we have.
Last week I sent out the Oracle, a tarot-dreamwork divination inspired by Jung’s experiences, to prime and guide inner work this month — read it here.
Coming up next…
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Substack Live: Archetypal Guidance Readings — Wednesday, December 17th @ 12:30 PM PST: Tune in for a livestream as I offer members archetypal guidance on their inner work questions using a blend of the Uusi Supra Oracle (a Jungian-Gnostic inspired deck) and the RWS tarot. Submit your questions ahead or attend live!
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Solstice Gathering — Sunday, December 21st @ 11:00 AM PST: Attend a special live class marking the ending of the year. Together, we’ll explore the major themes from Memories, Dreams, Reflections and how it relates to core principles of Jungian psychology. A replay will be available the following day. Register here!
Thank you Emma | Psychology of Desire, Matt Stine, marietha conrado, Vicky Tate, Tom Donaldson, and many others for tuning into my live video with Mariana Louis!
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
Welcome to The Psychology of Tarot series, a Jungian reimagining of the cards as pathways into the psyche. Each episode draws on a key psychological concept and archetypal themes to offer insights that deepen both inner work and your tarot practice.
The IX of Swords is not a card most of us greet with enthusiasm. Its nightmarish image reflects the hauntings that stalk us in the darkness, the sleepless nights riddled with anxiety, overwhelm and despair.
What if we reimagined the card as a reflection of the archetypal dark night of the soul, honoring the painful and overwhelming experiences as an initiation into deeper psychic evolution? With this in mind, we can lean into and welcome the intensity, uncovering the fertile seeds of change that lie in the unconscious and the symptoms that plague us.
In this episode I cover:
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The classic definition and interpretations of the IX of Swords
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Quotes from 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack and Practice of Psychotherapy by C.G. Jung
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How the IX of Swords represents the archetypal dark night of the soul along with its mythic counterparts
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A Jungian perspective on meeting psychological darkness as part of the individuation process
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Example readings and approaches to interpreting and reimagining the card
Join the conversation
How do you typically read the IX of Swords? Which mythic dark night of the soul do you feel most drawn to? Which card should I explore next in the series?
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
Welcome to The Psychology of Tarot, a series that offers a Jungian reimagining of the cards as pathways into the psyche. Each episode draws on a key psychological concept and archetypal themes to offer insights that deepen both inner work and your tarot practice.
The Ace of Cups is usually read as a new depth of feeling and emotional resonance, a renewal of the heart bringing love, connection and relational unfolding. As an elemental card of water, we can connect it to the alchemical operation of solutio, the process of dissolution where the prima materia is submerged in a liquid and broken down.
Through this lens, the Ace marks the necessary softening of rigid attitudes, outdated beliefs, or stagnant elements of life. These are drawn into the dissolving waters not simply to be destroyed, but to be transformed, creating the conditions for renewal, openness, and the deeper gifts the Ace of Cups holds.
In this episode I cover:
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The classic definition and interpretations of the Ace of Cups
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Quotes from 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack, Tarotby Library of Esoterica, Practice of Psychotherapy by C.G. Jung andAnatomy of the Psycheby Edward Edinger
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How the Ace of Cups represents the dual qualities of destructive dissolution and vivification
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Example readings and approaches to interpreting and reimagining the card
Join the conversation
How do you typically read the Ace of Cups? Are there any other principles or archetypal themes you would connect to the card? Which card should I explore next in the series?
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
Welcome to The Psychology of Tarot, a series that offers a Jungian reimagining of the cards as pathways into the psyche. Each episode draws on a key psychological concept and archetypal themes to offer insights that deepen both inner work and your tarot practice.
Today, I’m exploring the relationship between The Hermit and the Senex-et-Puer, drawing from James Hillman’s theory that these two figures exist as a dual-faced, interwoven archetype. Together, they represent the tension and interplay between permanence and possibility, structure and inspiration, withdrawal and expansion.
The Hermit is often read through a Senex lens — the wise elder, the solitary guide who withdraws from the world, the necessary boundaries to cut off and hold energy within. What if we viewed The Hermit as containing both, that within his lantern he holds the fiery spirit of the Puer, always nearby to bring forth renewal, openness, potential, and awakening?
In this episode I cover:
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The classic definition and interpretations of the The Hermit
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Quotes from 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack andSenex & Puerby James Hillman
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How the The Hermit embodies the dynamic interplay of the Senex and Puer
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A Jungian–Archetypal approach to balancing the Senex’s structure and wisdom with the Puer’s inspiration and openness via The Hermit
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Example readings and approaches to interpreting and reimagining the card
Join the conversation
How do you typically read The Hermit? Do you see elements of the Senex-Puer present? Which card should I explore next in the series?
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
Back in 2021, Chris Gabriel and I joined together (along with Arran Rogerson & Matthew K Johnson) in the Dialectical Tarot series, an exploration of the tarot from the perspectives of Rider Waite Smith, Thoth and Marseilles. Today we went live in a similar spirit, exploring The Moon card, its relationship to the unconscious, and its esoteric mysteries.
Some themes we explored:
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The classic symbolism of The Moon card in both Rider Waite Smith and Thoth traditions, including its links to illusion, the night realm, and psychic passage
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The Moon as an indicator of the unconscious and how it reveals shadow material through dreams, symptoms, and intuitive stirrings
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Related archetypal figures like Anubis, the High Priestess, the Hermit, and Ereshkigal, as guides through darkness and transformation
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Neptune’s connection to the Moon card, the trickster quality of fairies, and how the unconscious “plays” in the natal chart depending on Neptune’s placement
Chris is the creator of the MemeAnaylsis YouTube channel, writer for Rick Rubin’s Tetragrammaton.com, and writes Effluvia here on Substack. Check out his work for more insight into psychoanalysis, philosophy, and the occult.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
Welcome to The Psychology of Tarot, a series that offers a Jungian reimagining of the cards as pathways into the psyche. Each episode draws on a key psychological concept and archetypal themes to offer insights that deepen both inner work and your tarot practice.
Today I’m exploring the relationship between The Moon and the unconscious. Often associated with the chthonic underworld, dream-like states, illusion, distortion, and the imaginal realm, The Moon evokes the hidden and mysterious dimensions of the psyche.
Drawing this card hints to us that powerful forces of the unconscious are at work, shaping our perceptions, stirring our emotions, and inviting us into the unknown. It is a threshold moment, a movement into darkness that illuminates psychic life.
In this episode I cover:
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The classic definition and interpretations of the The Moon
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Quotes from 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack, Tarot for Change by Jessica Dore, Civilization in Transition by C.G. Jung and On Divination and Synchronicity by Marie-Louise von Franz
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How the The Moon reflects the unconscious aspects of the psyche
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A Jungian perspective on recognizing unconscious material and patterns
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The Moon as an opportunity to meet the unconscious and communicate with the deeper layers of the psyche
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Example readings and approaches to interpreting the card in a psychological context
Join the conversation
What are some of the ways you connect with the unconscious? How do you typically read The Moon? Which card should I explore next in the series?
Join the membership to deepen your inner work
The Artemisian is a school of inner work and archetypal study. Membership gives you access to immersive workshops, guided study paths, and a vibrant community designed to help you understand the psyche, work with symbolic systems, and navigate your journey of becoming with clarity and depth.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
Alchemy’s metaphorical language and concrete practices offer a way to re-imagine inner life and the process of psychological growth. Its arcane symbols, various stages and operations, and mysterious hermetic philosophies invite us to stand between the worlds of spirit and matter, to bridge conscious and unconscious.
In this episode, I introduce the Jungian and Archetypal psychology foundations that inform the Alchemical Inner Work technique, a framework I’ve developed and will be guiding members through in our upcoming workshop series. I reflect on how Jung and Hillman each approach alchemy, sharing select readings from Psychology and Alchemy and Alchemical Psychology.
Listen in as I explore how weaving their perspectives opens both practical and imaginal pathways for deepening inner work and examples of the technique in practice.
Register for Alchemical Inner Work: Relationships
One of the core principles of alchemy tells us that only separated things can be joined, that a process of differentiation is key to a successful and long-lasting union. In this workshop series, we’ll explore relationships through this lens, applying the technique of Alchemical Inner Workto re-imagine the complexities of intimacy and connection, and to discover paths towards resolution and transformation.
Focusing on the operations of separatio and coniunctio, each class will explore their depictions in alchemical manuscripts, their core symbolic and archetypal themes, and how they manifest in the relational field. Over the course of two months, you’ll have the opportunity to work with a specific relationship dynamic, learning how to enrich it with imaginal depth and apply the principles of alchemy to deepen connection and foster harmonious union.
What you’ll learn:
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An overview of alchemy from a Jungian and Archetypal psychology lens
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A Jungian view of relationships as containers for transformation
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The operations of separatio and coniunctio and their relevance to relational dynamics
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Symbolism, psychological meaning, and archetypal themes of each operation
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How to apply the Alchemical Inner Work technique for relational growth and personal development
Join the conversation
Which approach of alchemy do you resonate with, Jung’s or Hillman’s? Is there an alchemical symbol, operation or concept that you feel most drawn to?
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
Welcome to The Psychology of Tarot, a series that offers a Jungian reimagining of the cards as pathways into the psyche. Each episode draws on a key psychological concept and archetypal themes to offer insights that deepen both inner work and your tarot practice.
Today, I’m exploring the relationship between the VII of Cups and projection. This card, rich with images of fantasy, desire, fear, and overwhelming choices, is often read as a call to get grounded, to see things as they truly are.
But what if, instead, we viewed this moment as an encounter with our projections? An invitation to sit with the images, not dismiss them, and to trace them back to their psychic origins.
In this episode I cover:
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The classic definition and interpretations of the VII of Cups
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Quotes from The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite, 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack, The Symbolic Life by C.G. Jung and Psychotherapyby Marie-Louise von Franz
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How the VII of Cups connects to projection and the challenge of discernment
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A Jungian perspective on working with and withdrawing projections
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The VII of Cups as a call to engage with, rather than turn away from, fantasy, illusion and images
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Example readings and approaches to interpreting the card in a psychological context
Join the conversation
How do you navigate working with projections? Does the imagery of the VII of Cups remind you of another psychological concept? How do you typically read the card?
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
In mythology, the descent to the underworld is often seen as the most harrowing part of the journey, an ordeal that strips away old identities, attachments, and ways of seeing the world. Psychologically, this mirrors periods of crisis, overwhelm and encounters with the unconscious. However, the ascent is often the greater challenge.
To rise again, one must integrate what was revealed in the depths. True transformation demands synthesis, a genuine release of what no longer serves, to be profoundly changed. Only then can we return to the world above, not as who we were, but as something new. The ascent is not simply a return; it is a rebirth.
In anticipation of the upcoming workshop, Persephone’s Ascent and Springtime Renewal, I look at the psychological, mythic and archetypal themes that surround these dynamics. Listen in for my reflections as well as a personal sharing on emerging from the underworld.
Join the conversation
Which descent/ascent myth do you relate most to? How have you navigated out of personal underworld experiences? Which resources do you draw upon to make the journey?
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
Today I am excited to welcome back Chelsey Pippin Mizzi for a discussion of her book, Tarot for Creativity, which approaches the classic 78 cards of the Tarot as a powerful tool to tap into your imagination, overcome blocks, and deepen your relationship with your art. In the conversation, we explore:
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What inspired Chelsey’s approach to the cards
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How we can tap into the creative energy of life
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Viewing the Major and Minor Arcana through this creative approach
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A live tarot reading and interpretation
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The meaning of the Knight of Wands and The Fool
Next month I’ll be guest teaching over at Chelsey’s Tarot Journaling Club—a member exclusive offering—guiding attendees through the Connecting to Archetypes spread first introduced here. Join us for a deep dive into the archetypal realm via tarot!
Chelsey Pippin Mizzi is a writer, tarot reader, and creative facilitator. Equal parts spiritual and skeptical, she applies a grounded approach to helping witch-curious writers, artists, and small-business owners unlock their creative magic. She writes The Shuffle, a bestselling Substack at the intersection of magic and muse, and is the author of three books: The Tarot Spreads Yearbook, Tarot for Creativity, and The Shadow Path. Her writing has also been featured in BuzzFeed, New York Magazine. LitHub, The Bookseller, and other titles.
Follow Chelsey on Instagram atpipcardstarotandSubstack atThe Shuffle.
Join the conversation
Do you utilize tarot for creative inspiration or to support your art? Which card are you curious to see through the lens of creativity?
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
In celebration of the upcoming Dreamwork Foundations program, I am sharing a pivotal dream that I had in the midst of creative burnout two years ago. I had been contemplating abandoning my work, unsure if I could continue, but a seemingly simple dream arrived that changed my point of view.
Listen in for the full dream, my interpretation and experience of it through a Jungian and Archetypal psychology approach, details on the program, and more.
Register for Dreamwork Foundations
Join The Artemisian’s membership community for an immersive two-month program to help you develop a dreamwork practice. Rooted in Jungian and Archetypal psychology, this program will teach you how to interpret the language of your dreams and apply the insights to your inner work. It includes monthly workshops, practice circles, discussion threads, and more!
Join the conversation
Do you work with your dreams? Have you had a dream that made a deep impact on your life?
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
In this divination I utilize the Odyssean Tarot, a deck based on the stories and figures of Greek Mythology, to explore inquiries submitted from members of the Artemisian. Through out the readings, I draw upon mythic symbolism and narratives to amplify the traditional tarot meanings for insight and guidance.
Reading #1
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Question: I’m in a life transition between working as a self-employed person and retiring. I’ve been scaling back my work slowly; full retirement would mean selling my business. I’d like to be free to travel more , but don’t have enough in savings or retirement not to work part time. I’m not sure how to proceed. What can the cards say about my situation?
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Card drawn: The Fool - Odysseus -
Reading #2
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Question: How do I connect back to the creative flow that once served me so abundantly?
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Card drawn: The Devil - Prometheus -
Reading #3
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Question: Every time I approach an important project I find myself hesitating, delaying, or avoiding. How do I approach resolving this so I can finally make progress?
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Card drawn: 5 of Wave - Demeter -
Join the conversation:
What do you think of the cards drawn? How would you relate the classic tarot themes to the mythic figures and their stories?
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
Today I am joined in conversation with astrologer Cristina Farella who runs and is co-host of the Soror Mystica podcast.
Cristina and I have been weaving a discussion on the symbolic themes of the labyrinth myth since she first posted about it on her Substack. In today’s episode, we journey deeper into the archetypal threads, exploring Cristina’s recurring series of airport dreams, the psychological dynamics present in the ancient Greek myth, how the figures of the Minotaur, Ariadne, Poseidon, and Theseus are represented in astrological work and more.
Cristina offers a variety of consultations and classes for those seeking a mythopoetic approach to astrology. I’ve had the pleasure of receiving 1:1 sessions and attending her classes, all of which have enriched my understanding of cosmic archetypes and their psychological equivalents.
Check out Cristina’s work at the links below:
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Website
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Instagram
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Substack
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Podcast
Join the conversation
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Which mythic figure of the labyrinth myth do you feel most drawn to?
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Have you noticed similar themes in your own dreams?
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What are your thoughts on the blending of astrology and mythology via asteroids?
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
Arran Rogerson (who writes The Torch here on Substack) joins me in conversation to celebrate the launch of our co-authored Alchemical Inner Work Guidebook.
Arran and I have been creative partners for years, most notably in our podcast, the Golden Shadow. Although it has been on hiatus for sometime, our partnership continues behind the scenes. As the logos to my mythos, Arran’s perspective, structure and approach has always grounded and helped shape my intuitive inclinations and archetypal approaches.
In our discussion, we offer insight into the ideas behind the technique, then demonstrate what it looks like in practice.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theartemisian.com/subscribe
In this divination I utilize the tarot deck Terra Volatile to explore inquires submitted from readers. I draw each card from a fifth suit unique to this deck, the Vessels, an alchemical inspired set of cards that focus on the elemental quintessence. In the readings, I reference alchemical symbolism from the manuscript Splendor Solis alongside traditional tarot interpretations for insight and guidance.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alyssapolizzi.substack.com/subscribe
In this divination I demonstrate the technique of Alchemical Inner Work.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alyssapolizzi.substack.com/subscribe
Today I am joined in conversation with , writer of The Shuffle, a Substack that explores the intersection of spirituality and creativity. She’s also the author of two books: The Tarot Spreads Yearbook and the forthcoming Tarot for Creativity.
Last month, Chelsey wrote a thought-provoking article on the shadow artist, a concept from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. While appreciating the book's exploration of lost creative impulses, Chelsey critiques its narrow perspective. The article questions the hierarchy Cameron establishes in creative pursuits and challenges the notion of a "pure" artistic dream. It highlights economic and social constraints on artistic endeavors and argues for a more compassionate understanding of the creative self, emphasizing the value of diverse paths.
Inspired by these ideas, we entered into discussion to explore a more nuanced understanding of the shadow, how conventional careers helped Chelsey and I both step into our creative vocations, the gradual unfolding of the artistic path and much more! To close out the conversation, we drew a tarot card — Judgement — and offer reflections and considerations for the shadow artist based on the archetypal themes of the card.
Check out my collaboration over on The Shuffle
In addition to this discussion, I was featured on Chelsey’s series, Creative Arcana — an interview where the line of questioning is informed by a series of tarot card pulls.
Check out the collaboration and subscribe to The Shuffle for more:
Join the conversation
All comments are welcome, but here are a few prompts to consider:
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What are your thoughts on the shadow artist?
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How do you navigate the balance between pursuing your creative passions and meeting the practical demands of everyday life?
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What are your reflections on the tarot card pull of Judgement in relation to the shadow artist concept?
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alyssapolizzi.substack.com/subscribe
In this divination I explore the significance of dreams that follow intense days, when emotions are running high. Whether it is a fight with a loved one or the rush of excitement of a first date, these heightened states tend to excite unconscious material, resulting in dreams that resonate with greater depth and potential insight.
In the recording, I reflect on my own dream following a heavy analysis session, tracking important images like driving in my car (a symbol of will, movement, and autonomy) and how helping figures can represent resources we are yet unaware of. Also included are a few journal prompts at the end for deeper contemplation of this topic.
Join me in the comments section
All comments are welcome, but here are a few questions to consider:
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What are your dreams like after a particularly intense or emotional day?
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Has an image, symbol or aspect of a dream helped you reframe, process or further consider a situation?
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Do you notice any other patterns after these days of intensity?
Listen to another Dreamwork in Practice:
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alyssapolizzi.substack.com/subscribe
In this divination I weave the themes and symbolism of the 2 of Pentacles with a technique called pendulation from Somatic Experiencing therapy. This is inspired by a recent period where I felt ungrounded, prompting me to seek insight in a tarot reading. I drew the 2 of Pentacles which, for me, emphasized the need for balance, movement, and adaptability in the material realm. Following this thread, I began working with pendulation and found it helped restore a sense of equilibrium. Listen in for musings, reflections and practical ways to work with these ideas.
Here are the 2 quotes I reference in the recording:
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“For what is the body? The body is merely the visibility of the soul, the psyche; and the soul is the psychological experience of the body.” - C.G. Jung, Nietzsche’s Zarathustra: Notes of the Seminar Given in 1934–1939
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“This shifting evokes one of the most important reconnections to the body's innate wisdom: the experience of pendulation, the body's natural restorative rhythm of contraction and expansion that tells us that whatever is felt is time-limited ... that suffering will not last forever. Pendulation carries all living creatures through difficult sensations and emotions. What's more, it requires no effort; it is wholly innate. Pendulation is the primal rhythm expressed as movement from constriction to expansion—and back to contraction, but gradually opening to more and more expansion.” - Peter A. Levine, In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness
For further listening, check out my podcast episode on Somatic Experiencing:
Join the conversation!
I invite you to join me in conversation by sharing any thoughts, questions, or feedback in the comments.
Thank you for reading The Artemisian. This post is public so feel free to share it.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alyssapolizzi.substack.com/subscribe
Join me next month for a new online class, Archetypal Encounters: Persephone, a gathering to explore the images, symbols and patterns of the psyche. The recording included here shares my thought process behind the class and insights for what to expect from the session.
Further details:
In the upcoming event, we will unravel the mythological threads surrounding Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld, and consider the symbolic and psychological layers that accompany her journey.
We will begin with a lecture that delves into a range of thematic concepts, offering educational insights and serving as a foundation for our inquires. Discussion, interaction, and written prompts will be woven throughout the session. While participation (such as sharing reflections, asking questions, and offering viewpoints) is welcomed, it's not mandatory.
We will contemplate:
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The mythology of Persephone
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The Jungian concept of introversion
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Renewal via descents to the underworld
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The symbol of the pomegranate
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How to apply these archetypal themes to our own lives
Archetypal Encounters will be held online via Zoom from 11:00am PST - 12:30pm PST on Sunday September 17th. Space is limited, so I recommend signing up ASAP. You can attend live or watch a replay after the event is over.
Special Discount Paying subscribers can enroll at a 50% discount (increased from the usual 10%). Head to the paid subscriber chat for instructions here. If you’re a free subscriber, you can upgrade before the class to enroll at the discounted rate.
Get full access to The Artemisian at alyssapolizzi.substack.com/subscribe
In this divination I recount a profound experience I had while backpacking through Yosemite National Park. Half-asleep, I found myself in the midst of a near full moon that illuminated my surroundings with a haunting beauty and intensity. Inspired by this memory, I trace the archetypal landscape of lunar consciousness from the Moon tarot card to the alchemical stage of the albedo.
Here are the 3 quotes I reference in the recording:
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“...The situation is now gradually illuminated as is a dark night by the rising moon. The illumination comes to a certain extent from the unconscious, since it is mainly dreams that put us on the track of enlightenment. This dawning light corresponds to the albedo, the moonlight which in the opinion of some alchemists heralds the rising sun.” - C.G. Jung, Mysterium Coniunctionis
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“The alchemical albedo is hardly a shadowless innocence. Tho' the sigh of despair may turn to a sigh of relief, the blue stain remains. There is now more psychic space to carry the shadow's full, mysterious structure, a higher sky and deeper sea. The soul whitens as the shadow comes out of the repressed and is aired in life.” - James Hillman, Alchemical Psychology
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“The white world is called albedo. Its metal is silver. The heavenly body of the dark night is the moon. The albedo is a moon consciousness, light cast in the darkness, the cool, reflecting light of the eye of night. It is not a sharply circumscribed world with clear forms, but a consciousness of imagination and adaptation to darkness. Mercury, god of thieves in the night, he who accompanies souls to the underworld, is at home here like a night wind by a full moon….Reflecting in a dawning consciousness of fluttering night moths, here everything that had been taken literally now becomes metaphor. It is a world of poets, thieves, lunatics, an figurative language; an intermediate realm between bright, clear daylight and pitch-black night; the mediumistic worldwhere one thing can also be another.” - Robert Bosnak, A Little Course in Dreams
Join me in the comments section
All comments are welcome, but here are a few prompts to consider:
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How do you typically interpret the Moon card?
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What are your thoughts on the albedo stage of the alchemical opus?
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What does developing lunar consciousness mean to you?
If you’re curious to explore the bridge between tarot and alchemy further, you can check out the replay of my class on the subject here:
(p.s. paying subscribers, you can use the provided discount code for 10% off this class!)
Get full access to The Artemisian at alyssapolizzi.substack.com/subscribe
Today I am joined in conversation with to discuss our upcoming event, The Shadow in Dreams. Maria runs a community for dreamwork where each month, participants attend thematic workshops, practice circles, and more.
I’ll be guiding the class through a lecture and discussion on the nature of the shadow and how it typically manifests in dreams. We’ll learn how to identify and work with shadow figures as well as how to remain grounded and safe while doing shadow work. The class will be held online on Sunday August 20th @ 11am PST.
Since this is a membership model, you’ll need to join the Visionary (£25/month) or Alchemist (£35/month) tier to attend the class (cancel anytime). This also gives you full access to the recorded library of previous courses by Maria.
Get full access to The Artemisian at alyssapolizzi.substack.com/subscribe
In this divination I do 3 readings with the 16th century Le Minchiate tarot deck, demonstrating how the cards can be used for guidance with an archetypal approach.
Interested in getting a tarot reading?
Head to my website to learn more:
Reading #1
Question: What will move me towards my life purpose?
Card drawn: Le Trombe (The Trumpets/Judgement)
Reading #2
Question: How can I connect in a deeper way to the other?
Card drawn: La Prudenza (Prudence)
Reading #3
Question: What should I do to overcome stagnation?
Card drawn: Scorpione (Scorpio)
Share your thoughts and feedback:
What did you think of the cards drawn? Have any thoughts or insights you’d like to share?
Listen to more Archetypal Tarot Insights:
Get full access to The Artemisian at alyssapolizzi.substack.com/subscribe
In this divination I do 3 live tarot readings, demonstrating how the cards can be used for guidance with an archetypal approach.
Here is the quote I read from von Franz’s book:
Very accurate thinkers get irritated with oracle techniques because they are so indefinite. Naturally anything can be read into them, and because it is all so vague, foolish superstitious people always see a connection and after the event say that it was in the oracle. One might say it is all so vague that practically anything could happen, but that is just not true, that is an emotional argument born of a prejudice. It is true, however, in so far as an oracle technique is never quite accurate and cannot predict exactly. Just as a physicist cannot predict a unique event completely accurately, an oracle cannot predict a precise psychological event. But it can give an "expectation list," which can cast an image of a certain area or qualitative field of events and predict that something is going to happen within that field. There is a certain psychological probability because of what Jung calls the collective unconscious.
-Marie Louise von Franz, On Divination and Synchronicity
Reading #1
Question: How can I be sure that a change towards becoming a psychoanalyst is my soul’s path?
Cards drawn: 10 of Wands, The Moon (reversed)
Reading #2
Question: I’m stuck in a past life and looking for solutions. What blockage stops my progress?
Cards drawn: Queen of Swords, 8 of Cups (reversed)
Reading #3
Question: I am processing a divorce and trying to become the new breadwinner as a single mom. I’m looking for advice as I am very overwhelmed.
Cards drawn: 2 of Swords, Ace of Cups
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In this divination I walk through various reader submitted dreams, providing archetypal insights and tips for working with the images of the unconscious.
Included:
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The significance of recurring themes and images in dreams.
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How to approach analysis and interpretation.
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Questions to facilitate deeper engagement with dreams and their meaning.
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Insights on dream symbols:
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The ocean, sacred gardens/the temenos, celebrities, credit cards, descending downhill, the great mother archetype, family members
Read more on dreams:
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In this divination I do a live tarot reading for one of my patrons. The reading, including prompts and cards drawn:
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Where do I find my strength? King of Cups (reversed)
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What is in shadow? The Magician
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Practical steps to move forward: 4 of Pentacles
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alyssapolizzi.substack.com
In this divination I share an excerpt from Robert Bosnak’s book A Little Course in Dreams. Followed by a deep dive into the alchemical concept of the nigredo and a live tarot pull.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alyssapolizzi.substack.com