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“mono”, Tarot, & the Art of Self-Reflection
A melancholy and reflective album, it was largely made up of songs that he began writing throughout 2016, a period of time that most ARMYs know was extremely difficult for the members of BTS. RM in particular has spoken quite openly about the heavy depression he experienced that year and still struggles with to this day.
Everyone Rejoice! Super Tuna is Streaming!
It’s a momentous day, ARMY! In preparation for the release of his new single “The Astronaut” at the end of the month, Kim Seokjin has blessed us all by releasing his past solos on all major music platforms. No longer will you have to re-download SoundCloud whenever you feel the urge to wallow in the delicious sorrow of “Abyss” or dance your fins off to “Super Tuna”. (Though, let’s be honest, how many of us were listening to 수퍼 참치 without the chaotically adorable music video to accompany it)?
SEVEN OF WANDS
The Seven appears as a reminder to be honest with yourself about the challenges ahead of you but not to dwell on them too long. There’s a difference between strategizing and spiraling, and you don’t want to lose the momentum you’ve built.
THE HIEROPHANT
The Hierophant is a card that represents tradition, belief structures, learning and growth. It tends to appear as a reminder that our inclination toward rebellion may not always serve us well — there are times when breaking the rules liberated us and there are times when it simply creates more work for ourselves. Why make things harder by reinventing the wheel when we can follow the tried and true patterns others have left for us?
THREE OF WANDS
Like all the Threes, the Three of Wands represents a foundation, specifically that which we build all our dreams upon. Because Wands are such an intangible suit, this tends to speak of our vision for our goals and what it looks like if we should reach them. Simply put, it’s difficult to make progress when one is wandering aimlessly or has a vague idea of what success would even look like; how can you break down the steps necessary to reach your dreams if you don’t even know what you’re dreaming of?
FOUR OF WANDS
Like all the Fours, the Four of Wands represents a natural pause. It’s a moment to breathe, to reflect, and appreciate your efforts thus far. Let’s face it - starting a new project or journey takes a lot of work and energy. It’s relatively easy to come up with new ideas and passing inspiration, but actually finding the motivation to put them into action is a feat in and of itself.
DEATH
It may surprise people, but Death is one of my absolute favorite cards in the tarot deck. There’s been a great deal of fear and superstition created around this card by pop culture and media - how many times have we seen an occult-inclined show where someone pulls the Death card and has their doom foretold?
Two Years with Map of the Soul: 7
It’s hard to believe it’s been two whole years since Map of the Soul: 7 was released. With the exception of The Remix That Shall Not Be Named (which I have hidden on all my streaming services so the album can end with Outro: Ego as nature intended), I truly believe MOS7 is a perfectly constructed album from start to finish, both musically and emotionally. The journey that it takes you on through different genres and different aspects of the self is devastating and uplifting all at once. Therapeutic, I would call it - which makes sense, given that the album’s entire concept was modeled off of Jungian psychology.
THE EMPRESS
Whenever The Empress appears in a reading, I take it as a sign that it’s time to get a little bit wild, to get my hands into the metaphorical dirt and see what grows. The Empress doesn’t search for beauty with the hopes of capitalizing on it, they indulge in beauty and pleasure for the pure joy of the experience. When they work on an artistic endeavor, it’s because they simply have the urge to create, not because they are working toward a larger goal. This card is a reminder to be in the moment, to see what gems you can unearth without even trying.
FIVE OF WANDS
No journey is ever completely smooth sailing, and Fives represent one of the most difficult points in any of the suits’ cycles, a moment of conflict, frustration, and tension. In the case of the Five of Wands, it’s a conflict of vision that can manifest in a number of ways - your goals not aligning with the goals or opinions of those around you. Your vision for what you want to create being out of sync with the reality of what you can currently achieve. Your own mind being pulled in multiple directions or being undermined by self-doubt, lack of focus, or any other internal demons that rise up to tangle the metaphorical bicycle spokes of your motivation.
AQUARIUS SEASON
Welcome to Aquarius season, ARMY! Broadly speaking, this is the season of originality, idealism, deep thinking, and visualizing for the future. Much to the annoyance of the Aquarians I know, most stereotypes of the sign portray them as alien oddballs who dance to the beat of their own drum and make little sense to other members of the zodiac. But in truth, Aquarius is a sign of revolution, of rejecting the conventions that exist only for the sake of the status quo, and of visualizing a more just collective future.
TWO OF WANDS
I was very excited when I was assigned the suit of Wands because it’s my favorite suit out of the deck and the one I relate to most, but I was also a bit intimidated. While the other suits relate to clearly defined realms of our life experience (Cups = feelings/the heart, Swords = the mind, Pentacles = the body/reality), Wands are more abstract and a bit harder to pin down. They refer to our passion, our creativity, our vision for our life, and our drive to achieve our dreams. I suppose you could relate them to the spirit, but even that is a nebulous concept without one agreed-upon meaning.
Happy Jin Super Tuna Solar Eclipse Day!
Happy Jin Day, ARMY, and greetings from the departures gate at LAX! What a day/week it’s been for each fan and all of the members. Four days of BTS concerts, one night of Jingle Ball, multiple vLives, WeVerse and Twitter posts, and of course the release of the masterpiece “Super Tuna” (#SOTY #GiveKimSeokjinAGrammy). Much like Kim Seokjin himself, there’s a lot happening all at once, and all of it is over the top.
Poppin’ Poppin’ (woah!) Our Way Into Sagittarius Season
Welcome to Sagittarius season, dear ARMYs! We’re moving out of the shadowy, transitional realm of Scorpio and into the season of inspiration and restlessness. Much like our resident Sag Kim Seokjin, Sagittarius energy is quick-witted, adaptable, and optimistic. It moves more quickly than the other signs and urges us to push forward with a belief in the possibilities before us and a thirst for adventure and knowledge. Basically now is the time to be your biggest, baddest, most ridiculous self and trust that the world will respond in kind.
“mono”, Tarot, & the Art of Self-Reflection
Hello, ARMY! Today marks the 3 year anniversary of RM’s second mixtape, mono. A melancholy and reflective album, it was largely made up of songs that he began writing throughout 2016, a period of time that most ARMYs know was extremely difficult for the members of BTS. RM in particular has spoken quite openly about the heavy depression he experienced that year and still struggles with to this day.