Welcome to Cast Iron! A weekly newsletter that talks fitness, tarot and current events that hits inboxes every Monday. Each issue features a workout based on a tarot card, a tarot pull related to current events and, sometimes, a blog post or journal prompt. You’ll also find a list of my current favs at the end of each email, so be sure to check those out if you’re low on inspiration or energy. If you like my work, connect with me on Instagram and Twitter @byAlissaSmith or visit my website.
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The Emperor is about order, structure, stability and authority.
As you can see in the above card, this deck shows the Emperor as a ram, which represents his connection to the astrological sign of Aries. The sign of Aries is ruled by the planet Mars, which correlates to the militant Roman god of war. This card is about refusing to move and drawing boundaries that you defend until your last breath.
The Emperor’s stubborn refusal to adapt or change course is a double-edged sword. His attitude inspired me to create a workout completely made up of closed kinetic chain exercises, which will work multiple muscle groups and help increase joint stability.
As always, please keep any injuries or health issues in mind when attempting this workout. Sharp pain means stop, dizziness means stop, feeling lightheaded means stop. And, when in doubt, check with your doctor before starting any new workout program.
Fit tip: Any method of eating that requires the strict avoidance of necessary nutrients, such as carbs and fat, is unsustainable. Of course, there are times when doctors may recommend such eating methods for people struggling with very specific health issues. But those diets aren’t for the general population, which likely includes you.
Reading (the) Room
You’ve probably heard about Amy Coney Barrett, who is President Donald Trump’s SCOTUS nominee to replace RBG. Remember when Republicans argued in 2016 that sitting presidents shouldn’t be able to appoint anyone to the Supreme Court during an election year? Me neither.
You may also have heard that Barrett is a member of a charismatic Christian group called People of Praise. She previously was a People of Praise “handmaid,” a term for high-ranking female members of the group, which purports that men are divinely ordained “heads” of family and faith to whom wives must submit.
The group nixed that term in 2017 after the release of HBO’s “Handmaid’s Tale,” inspired by Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel about a totalitarian and anti-woman government brought about by an extremist Abrahamic group.
Thousands marched over the weekend to protest Barrett’s nomination. The Republican-led Senate is set to hold its first vote on the nomination this week.
Here’s the card I pulled when I asked for a representation of Barrett.
The great thing about the Queen of Swords is that she is supposed to be fair, ethical, honest and intelligent. The nearby butterflies represent transformation, a reference to how the Queen’s opinion transforms whenever new facts arise. I believe the delicate nature of the butterflies speaks to the Queen’s ability to articulate harsh truths without being cruel. Unfortunately, Barrett is represented by the inverted Queen of Swords.
A malicious creature marred by her own harsh critique, the inverted Queen of Swords has a sharp tongue and is extremely judgmental. Her words have the ability to cause a lot of pain.
What is the potential effect if Barrett is confirmed? And if she isn’t?
If Barrett is confirmed, the cards say the effect will be the Star, a major arcana card about hope and renewal. As Melissa Cynova says in “Kitchen Table Tarot,” the Star is the “first drink after days, months, years of being thirsty.” Perhaps this means that Barrett has been fighting for a position like this for as long as she can remember, and this might be the first moment she can take a breath and recover from her journey.
The Star also represents faith, which Barrett apparently has in spades. If Barrett’s impact is informed by her faith, then women, people of color, LGBTQIA folx and many others have a lot to lose.
If Barrett is denied the SCOTUS seat, then the Five of Wands will come into play. The Five of Wands represents competition and conflict. Michelle Tea writes in Modern Tarot that the Five of Swords doesn’t represent conflict in a heroic way but “like the soul-deadening, annoying competition we experience in work and social circles.” I think the message here is pretty clear. Barrett losing the seat leads to a mad scramble to fill it as quickly as possible — because it’s smart to move fast when you’re appointing someone to a lifelong role, right?
The biggest thing to know right now is the Lovers. Anyone who's gotten a reading with me knows how I feel about this card. In this case, the Lovers may represent a choice that has yet to be made. It may seem like the decision is already concrete but the facts of the matter still are being mulled over, so things can go either way at this point.
The Lovers also represents the idea of union and corresponds to the astrological sign of Gemini. The union brought about by the Lovers often is fiery and hurts all involved. In the RWS deck, the Lovers appear later in the Devil card, where each is trapped in a destructive and painful cycle. The Lovers card may bring to mind the words “soul mate” or “twin flame,” and it often signifies that the people involved in this union overlook red flags because of the idea of what this monumental union could and should be.
I think the Lovers card answers this question in several ways. It tells us where we’re at in the decision-making process and how the decision truly is being weighed.
What I’m loving this week:
This book was dreamy and refreshing, though it starts off dark and includes some self-harm. If you need a reminder of why the world is beautiful despite the constant shit storms, check this out.
This was recommended to me by a friend, and it is so, so, so good. In fact, I was told about this last week and I’m already on episode two of the sequel.
That this issue is being covered
Yes, click this. Read about it.
This deck was recommended to me by Jenn at Citrine Circle Healing, and I find the guidebook absolutely wonderful. The guidebook provides different meanings than typical RWS clones, and they are lovely. Unfortunately, the deck is mostly white with very few people of color who aren’t blue or red. Releasing a deck that falsely shows the world as predominately white in 2020 is equivalent to releasing a new foundation with five various shades of alabaster.
I know Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot was predominately white and is getting an update to show how the world — surprisingly — isn’t one shade. Hopefully, this deck’s creator and author take note.
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