Hello Friends:

It's Saturday at 9:45 a.m and the weather has turned cold over the past two days. Artists and craftspeople are unpacking crates and rubber bins filled with their prints, jewelry, candles, and oils. We are at The Brewtorium Brewery & Kitchen, which hosts a monthly Witches Market organized by Jessica Beaver, owner of Yarrow and Sage. The markets have been steadily growing with new locations over the past few years, providing artists of this particular genre of the occult and magick a way to connect to their audience.

I have been participating in curated Witches Markets to keep my intuitive skills sharp and to hear what is happening in the zeitgeist. Having my midheaven in my 11th house of Scorpio puts my work in the places of deep and intimate community. I am fascinated by folks who are not afraid to work with shadow, scary, or uncomfortable material. Like in scary movies, they allow fear to be expressed and often alleviated. As something beautiful.

Alex and Noble of Laid to Rest Art find carcasses and with care for the sacred, clean the bones, skin, and sinew to make art and jewelry, giving the animal new life. Bex Baker Art creates gorgeous prints on vintage maps and music sheets. There is a strong theme of justice in her work. She inspired me to take printmaking classes at The Contemporary in Laguna Gloria.

As an archetypal Taroist, who gives 'AstroTarot' readings, incorporating sky and seasons, my offering is a little different. Mine is an excavation of the unconscious unlike the other Tarot readers, who may answer some future outcome. In 10 to 20 minutes, we get to the core of the matter, mostly the obstacles and patterns for the frustration or the confusion. I'm always amazed at the interaction when someone chooses to sit in my wrought iron chair with hearts and swirls and an uncomfortable seat. The querents often bare their deepest secrets within anonymity and the time constraint to get something heavy in their heart or mind seen and observed. Sometimes they come with curiosity to "see what the cards have to say." All of the time, there is something they want to know...or rather, remember. I believe they know more about themselves than I ever will.

But what do you do when someone sits down and begins with..."I have a curse that no one can get off of me. I've been to shaman and healers and they say they can't do it." The querent continues by recounting all the deaths that have occurred, the patterns of dates and timing that she sees in their passing. She wants to know specifically why her brother decided to end his existence.

Where do you begin?

I start with what's helpful. "Let's see what the cards have to say."

From a depth psychology lens, we talk about the suits through the functions: feeling, sensing, thinking, intuiting. We explore the meanings of cards like the three of cups (celebration), the page of wands (focused efforts), the seven of swords (betrayal and stealing). We discuss what is happening in the cosmos that may be eliciting tension. Little by little, her story unfolds as I ask about what the symbols mean to her and if what I am noticing tracks. When she crosses her arms or interrupts, I notice and breathe through what is being protected. Another card turned over feels more truthful but hard to hear. But there is medicine in it. She notices where she is controlling situations because she doesn't feel safe and exhausting herself.

She finds it hard to take time for her well-being and what she loves. The message about her brother may not have been what she was expecting. Some validation she wanted to surface. Instead, we talked about how she might find a lighter way to live and how much love is actually available to her, just by focusing on what nourishes her. She couldn't think of anything, even when her daughter came to hug her lovingly. She had been living in the identity of being "cursed" and was making decisions from that cloak of role and responsibility. Perhaps something has cracked open a tiny bit so that she is able to wear a different adornment of self-love.

The people who come for a reading are always different. As you can imagine, those drawn to a Witches Market may have a different perspective about life than the "norm." Or maybe, like for me, it's a unique outlet to continue to expand my experience so my life is as big as it can be. So that I can connect more dots when I most need to innovate or come up with a different solution. It's weird in these spaces, but it gets you out of linear, logical, and cause-and-effect thinking.

At this market, couples approached my table and each asked for their own reading. The pattern I noticed from the men was a strong sense of obligation, support, and over-giving that was leading to emptiness and not feeling valued or loved, but afraid to ask for more or move on. The women were longing for love and intimate partnership, but were conflicted about their wanting.

It's a privilege I don't take lightly when someone chooses to sit across from me to play in the liminal space between us. Each pick or turn of a card weaves a story that gets to the hidden fear or shame because I listen more that I speak. I point and ask what they see. They get access to their own wisdom. They see what has been humming under the surface. Then it unravels. Then a new story begins to form, which is much more helpful and enlivening. The spaciousness allows for better choices and decisions. And there's a felt sense that we are not alone.

The Italian Connection

Just for fun, I wanted to share my latest decks that I feel very fortunate to have. When I was making my AstroTarot messages cut from a poster I found at the Paper Source, I was struck by the Naibi Tarot deck images. It sent me down the rabbit hole of researching its origins and seeing if they are still available. They are! They are printed and hand-painted, by Il Meneghello, a studio in Milan, Italy. Each deck is sealed and numbered. The studio was founded in 1974 by artist and publisher, Osvaldo Menegazzi, who recently passed and is now being stewarded by art historian and researcher Cristina Dorsini. The historic decks are revived using the same production techniques the cards were originally made. Both the Soprafino and Niabi decks are from the mid 1800s.

​Book a reading if you'd like to experience their art, symbolism, and energy. They are quite revealing. This link gives you the Witches Market discount :)

A Unique Moment In Time

I have hosted a yoga retreat in Torre, Italy, bringing along my San Antonio students, some of whom had never traveled abroad. We delighted in learning about ceramics in Deruta, praying at Assisi, picnicking in Orvieto, and walking the hilly villages. We practiced yoga and meditated on the wooden deck to braying donkeys and croaking bull frogs. At night we would sit on the patio and watch the fireflies below mirror the stars above in the indigo sky.

In 2014, I hosted a culinary retreat with Chef David Bull, staying at a boutique vineyard and visiting markets, restaurants, Sienna, San Gimignano, Florence, Siena, and more. We lived like locals and learned to cook through the eyes and techniques of Chef Bull.

Throughout the years, I've offered retreats closer to home for focused writing, wellness, and creativity. This time, I'm doing something completely different. Whereas the landscapes and excursions were a big part of the experiences, I wanted to provide something that combined Soul to Soul Commons with Ritual Resonance. A return to the land and the inner landscapes as we contemplate how we want to move forward.

There is a big shift happening in the collective as well as within us, but the news, socials, and the conversations are loud with worry, anger, and anxiety. So many are feeling a call to end an irreconcilable partnership, improve a health condition, or to launch that really big project while letting go of a successful career.

I want to provide a space to do that. I want to keep it really small so that everyone feels seen, heard, and witnessed while still offering a great deal of spaciousness. The farm apprenticeship at Wild Candy Farm back in July changed me and gave me both the physical and mental confidence to remember what I'm capable of. Sharing that embodied experience can shed light and owner, Sky Cutler is so passionate about what he does.

Each day includes movement, nourishing meals, art and creativity, and lots of lingering conversations. We can explore your astrology, Human Design, or the unconscious through archetypal Tarot. The 51-acre farm hospitality has trails on which you can ride mountain bikes, a lake to swim in, and a forest for walking or hiking. Each beautifully decorated room has its own bathroom and kitchen or kitchenette. I have curated a gift of local products for you to savor while helping our Texas producers.

We are given windows of insight, which are infused with opportunity. The silence and sacred space are the way in. If this speaks to what you are needing to nourish your spirit and allow you a distraction-free moment to hear how you want to move forward, please consider applying to The Clearing. November 6-8, 2026 at Wild Candy Farm in Wimberley, Texas. Bring a friend or let a friend know. Thank you.

Cosmic Weather & Events

With Venus still retrograde in the depths of Scorpio, I wonder how your relationships are going? On the 23rd, there's a beautiful opportunity for a celebratory ceremony to plant a seed that will grow for the next 18 months. I will be in New York City at Stone Barns and visiting Gabe!!!

I happened to see this Fallstreak or hole punch cloud as I was packing up my car after the Witches Market on Saturday. I love how the heart or angel wings are at the center. There is also a dot of iridescent light. Don't forget to look up.

October 23 — Sun enters Scorpio; Venus Star Point: Venus meets the Sun: a symbolic turning point in our re-evaluation of love and value. Give an emerging desire some attention before before deciding how to act on it.

October 24–25 — Mercury turns retrograde; Venus returns to Libra: Revisit conversations and assumptions. What is a better question?

October 25–26 — Full Moon in Taurus: Return to the body, the land, and what sustains you. What helps you feel supported enough to do something difficult?

Soil to Soul Commons Update

I know some of you signed up for this newsletter for news about Soil to Soul Commons and are likely wondering why I'm writing about Witches Markets and not Farmers Markets.

Over most of the year, I have been looking for a location and have negotiated seven leases with little success. Whether the rent was too high, the proper permitting was not possible without great expense, or the rents ARE REALLY HIGH. However, I've returned to the very first property that I envisioned for our farm stop and cafe and am back to renegotiate. The experiences of understanding both farm lands and retail spaces have equipped me with better skills and expert collaborators.

Steph Steele of Tiny Grocer and her team are helping me. We're helping one another with our projects. We are doing the preliminary assessment of the space I have chosen and will have some updates in an upcoming newsletter. You can help invest in her MLK location with a DM in their IG. She and Brian create some pretty hilarious posts.

Thank you for reading this far. I know your time is valuable and I hope you have found something here that is helpful on your path.

As always, you can Book a session if you'd like some cosmic guidance or strategy. Past and recurring clients get 20% off all single sessions. Reply to this email for the code :)

Love, plants, & planets,

Monica