Healing In the Balm Yard with Samantha Jo

Welcome Back Ep. 12

Welcome to Healing in the Balm Yard with Samantha Jo — in this episode, we honor the start of the astrological new year, reflect on the magic of the Beaucoup Hoodoo Festival in New Orleans, and tap into the spirit of nature as a guide. Tune in for a glimpse of what’s blooming this summer in the Balm Yard.

Neptune's Notes: The Fool

The Fool represents new beginnings, trust in the unknown, and the freedom of stepping into uncharted territory. For Pisces placements, this card is a reminder that your dreams require faith—leaping forward without needing all the answers. Under Neptune’s influence, this energy feels natural, but the challenge is releasing fear, doubt, and hesitation.
Following the Seven of Wands, where you stood your ground and defended your truth, The Fool is the next phase—stepping into the unknown with full trust. You’ve fought for what you believe in, and now, the universe is asking: Are you ready to fully embrace the path ahead?
This card marks a spiritual reset after the intensity of the Virgo Full Moon & Eclipse on March 14. That lunation illuminated what needed to be released, cleared distractions, and refined your vision. You may be feeling lighter, more aware of your purpose, yet also a little uncertain—what now? The Fool answers: Now, you leap.
With Mercury Retrograde active, there’s a need to move forward, but with awareness. The Fool urges you to take risks, but double-check your steps, listen to your intuition, and be mindful of repeating past mistakes.
Are you stepping into something brand new, or are old patterns disguised as new opportunities?
Venus Retrograde reflections: What do you truly desire, and is this new beginning aligned with your heart?
Mercury Rx asks: Are you moving forward impulsively, or have you learned from your past?
The Spring Equinox (March 20) is bringing a major energetic shift—it’s the true astrological New Year. The Fool’s energy is deeply connected to this moment, symbolizing rebirth, fresh starts, and a release of what has held you back. It’s time to embrace your next chapter with open arms, trusting that the universe is guiding you exactly where you need to be.
Advice: This is your time to embrace the unknown with confidence. You don’t have to have it all figured out—you just have to trust yourself. After standing firm in your truth (Seven of Wands), now comes the reward—the freedom to step into something new, untethered from the past.
Let go of overthinking. Move with faith. The new version of you is waiting.
Affirmation:
"I trust the path ahead, knowing that each step is leading me toward my highest good. I embrace new beginnings with courage, joy, and faith."

Neptune's Notes: Seven of Wands

The Seven of Wands represents standing your ground, protecting your vision, and maintaining your personal power. For Pisces placements, this card is a reminder that your dreams, boundaries, and truth are worth defending. Under Neptune’s influence, you may feel the urge to retreat or avoid confrontation, but this card encourages you to hold firm in what you know is right for you.
Following Strength, which reminded you of your inner power, the Seven of Wands is the next step—applying that power in the face of resistance. You’ve been moving with clarity (Knight of Swords) and manifesting personal fulfillment (Nine of Cups), but now, there may be doubts, external pressures, or challenges testing your commitment.
This is not a time to fold. You’ve worked too hard to let fear or outside voices shake you. Even if others don’t understand your path, stay firm in your truth. Strength taught you patience and trust—now, Seven of Wands teaches you persistence.
This Virgo Full Moon Eclipse is illuminating where you need to stand up for yourself, set boundaries, and claim what is yours. Virgo energy refines and sharpens, helping you cut away distractions and focus on what truly matters.
Where have you been doubting your worth or position?
Who or what is challenging your growth, and how can you hold your ground?
Are you defending what truly matters, or wasting energy on unnecessary battles?
Eclipses bring fated shifts, and this one may test your resilience—but it’s also an opportunity to show yourself just how strong you are. This is your time to reaffirm your path, block out the noise, and move forward with unwavering faith.
Advice: Not everyone will understand your vision, and that’s okay. You don’t need validation—you need conviction. Protect your energy, trust your process, and remember that every challenge is proof that you are leveling up. Stay rooted in your purpose, and don’t let anything shake your belief in yourself.
Affirmation:
"I stand strong in my truth, trusting that I am on the right path. My energy is sacred, and I protect it with confidence and grace."

Neptune's Notes: Strength

The Strength card represents inner resilience, emotional mastery, and quiet power. For Pisces placements, this card is a reminder that true strength isn’t about force—it’s about patience, self-trust, and the ability to move through challenges with grace. Under Neptune’s influence, Strength speaks to the balance between your deep emotional world and the discipline needed to navigate it without being consumed by it.
Coming after the Knight of Swords (determined movement) and the Nine of Cups (personal fulfillment), Strength is the missing piece—it asks you to hold steady, believe in yourself, and not let self-doubt, impatience, or fear derail you. You’re in a season of powerful transformation, but Strength reminds you that moving quickly is one thing—moving with intention is another.
This is not a test of external power but of inner control. You don’t have to rush. You don’t have to prove yourself. You only need to trust the process and remain anchored in your truth.
This Virgo Full Moon & Eclipse is bringing deep clarity, revelations, and an emotional reset. With Virgo’s energy opposing Pisces, this is a time to integrate intuition with practicality. Pisces dreams—Virgo executes. Strength is your anchor between the two.
Where have you been doubting your own resilience?
What emotional cycles need taming, not suppressing?
How can you refine your dreams (Nine of Cups) with focused, sustainable effort (Knight of Swords)?
This eclipse will illuminate where you’ve been holding yourself back—whether through fear, overthinking, or hesitation. Strength tells you that you already have what it takes. Don’t shrink yourself. Don’t second-guess your path. Move forward with calm, steady confidence.
Advice: Strength is knowing when to act and when to pause, when to push and when to flow. Pisces, your softness is not weakness. Your dreams are not illusions. This is the moment to trust in your power, move with grace, and embrace the next phase of your journey with quiet certainty.
Affirmation:
"I trust in my inner strength, embracing my journey with patience, confidence, and grace. Everything I desire is already unfolding for me."

Neptune's Notes: Knight of Swords + Nine of Cups

The Knight of Swords is back, reinforcing its message of bold action, clarity, and mental sharpness. This time, it comes with the Nine of Cups, the card of wish fulfillment, emotional satisfaction, and deep personal joy. For Pisces placements, this means that what you desire is within reach—but it requires decisive movement. Under Neptune’s influence, it’s easy to linger in dreams or second-guess your next steps, but this Knight is here to say: The time for waiting is over. Move with confidence.
Trust that your desires are within reach, but they require action. If you have been hesitating, waiting for the "perfect" moment, know that the time is now. This is not a season for second-guessing—it is a season of claiming. The eclipse will clear distractions, and your only job is to step into the path that is unfolding before you.
When we first pulled the Knight of Swords, it was a call to step forward with certainty and claim your dreams. Now, with the Nine of Cups, the message is clearer—you are aligning with something deeply fulfilling, but it will not come to you without effort. This is the follow-up confirmation you asked for: are you ready to actively pursue your happiness, or are you waiting for the perfect moment?
The Three of Pentacles pulled prior highlighted the importance of collaboration, skill-building, and working with the right people. This new combination suggests that while teamwork is valuable, the final push toward your dreams must come from you. The Knight of Swords reminds you that now is not the time to hesitate. Your vision is valid, your desires are real, and you have everything you need to make them happen.
Eclipse, Retrogrades, and Cosmic Alignments
This reading arrives just as March’s eclipse energy intensifies. Eclipses are powerful moments of destiny, realignment, and major shifts. If you have been unclear about your path, the eclipse may suddenly reveal an opportunity or challenge that forces you to make a choice.
Mercury Retrograde (March 14 - April 7, 2025): Be mindful of miscommunication, delays, or second-guessing yourself. The Knight of Swords demands action, but Mercury Rx asks you to double-check your plans. Move forward, but do so with awareness and refinement.
Saturn in Pisces: This continues to be a test of discipline vs. dreams. Saturn reminds you that wishing (Nine of Cups) is not enough—you must commit to the journey (Knight of Swords). Additionally, If the Knight of Swords has returned, you are being asked to balance speed with wisdom. Move forward, but do so with clear strategy and purpose.
Venus Retrograde Reflection: With Venus’s influence still lingering, the Nine of Cups also asks—what does true happiness mean to you? Are you chasing something because it looks good, or because it truly feels right in your soul?
Advice: You are in a powerful manifestation window, but clarity alone is not enough—you must take bold, determined steps. The universe is pushing you to claim what is yours. Trust your instincts, make the move, and don’t wait for permission to step into your happiness.
Affirmation:
"I move forward with confidence, knowing that my dreams are within reach. My clarity, action, and faith bring my desires to life."

Neptune's Notes: Three of Pentacles

The Three of Pentacles represents collaboration, skill-building, and recognizing the value of teamwork. For Pisces placements, this card is a reminder that your dreams don’t have to be carried alone—support is available if you allow yourself to receive it. Under Neptune’s influence, there can be a tendency to retreat into solitude, but this card encourages you to embrace the power of shared efforts.
Following the Two of Swords, where indecision and hesitation created stagnation, the Three of Pentacles shows that clarity may come through seeking guidance and collaboration. If you’ve been feeling uncertain about your next steps, trust that working with others, sharing ideas, and allowing different perspectives into your process can help you find direction.
The upcoming eclipse energy in March 2025 further amplifies this message. Eclipses shake foundations, revealing truths and shifting us into new paths. Suppose you’ve been unsure about your role in a team, a creative project, or even how to integrate your skills into the world. In that case, this eclipse may bring a moment of revelation—a push toward the right people, the right opportunities, or the need to release what isn’t working. Eclipses realign us with destiny, and this one may highlight where your true support system lies.
You don’t have to do everything alone. Be open to mentorship, community, and co-creating with those who genuinely support your growth. Neptune’s energy may sometimes make you feel like you need to have all the answers before moving forward, but the best way to learn is through experience and collaboration. Honor your skills, stay open to feedback, and trust that what you’re building has value.
Advice: If you’re feeling disconnected or struggling to work with others, ask yourself if fear, self-doubt, or perfectionism is keeping you from accepting help. Not everyone will understand your vision, but that doesn’t mean you have to isolate yourself. Seek out those who align with your energy and trust that real support is available when you are willing to receive it.
As the March eclipse energy stirs transformation, any collaboration difficulties may reveal what is out of alignment. If certain partnerships or dynamics feel strained, pay attention to where the universe is nudging you to reassess, restructure, or step into a new phase of working with others.
Affirmation:
"I trust in the power of collaboration. My gifts grow stronger when I share them with those who uplift me."

Neptune's Notes : Two of Swords

The Three of Pentacles represents collaboration, skill-building, and recognizing the value of teamwork. For Pisces placements, this card is a reminder that your dreams don’t have to be carried alone—support is available if you allow yourself to receive it. Under Neptune’s influence, there can be a tendency to retreat into solitude, but this card encourages you to embrace the power of shared efforts.
Following the Two of Swords, where indecision and hesitation created stagnation, the Three of Pentacles shows that clarity may come through seeking guidance and collaboration. If you’ve been feeling uncertain about your next steps, trust that working with others, sharing ideas, and allowing different perspectives into your process can help you find direction.
The upcoming eclipse energy in March 2025 further amplifies this message. Eclipses shake foundations, revealing truths and shifting us into new paths. Suppose you’ve been unsure about your role in a team, a creative project, or even how to integrate your skills into the world. In that case, this eclipse may bring a moment of revelation—a push toward the right people, the right opportunities, or the need to release what isn’t working. Eclipses realign us with destiny, and this one may highlight where your true support system lies.
You don’t have to do everything alone. Be open to mentorship, community, and co-creating with those who genuinely support your growth. Neptune’s energy may sometimes make you feel like you need to have all the answers before moving forward, but the best way to learn is through experience and collaboration. Honor your skills, stay open to feedback, and trust that what you’re building has value.
Advice: If you’re feeling disconnected or struggling to work with others, ask yourself if fear, self-doubt, or perfectionism is keeping you from accepting help. Not everyone will understand your vision, but that doesn’t mean you have to isolate yourself. Seek out those who align with your energy and trust that real support is available when you are willing to receive it.
As the March eclipse energy stirs transformation, any collaboration difficulties may reveal what is out of alignment. If certain partnerships or dynamics feel strained, pay attention to where the universe is nudging you to reassess, restructure, or step into a new phase of working with others.
Affirmation:
"I trust in the power of collaboration. My gifts grow stronger when I share them with those who uplift me."

Neptune's Notes: Five of Swords

The Five of Swords represents conflict, miscommunication, and the challenge of knowing when to walk away. For Pisces placements, this card highlights a struggle between wanting peace and needing to stand up for yourself. Under Neptune’s influence, it can feel confusing—are you being too forgiving, or is this a battle not worth fighting?
Following the Three of Cups, which celebrated connection and joy, the Five of Swords warns of potential relationship discord. Not every bond is built to last, and not every disagreement is meant to be resolved. Venus Retrograde’s influence continues, pushing you to reevaluate who is truly in alignment with you. Are there people in your circle who undermine you, drain your energy, or create unnecessary tension? This card asks you to discern between healthy disagreements and toxic cycles.
Advice: Choose your battles wisely. You don’t have to prove yourself to those who refuse to see your truth. If a conversation leaves you feeling defeated rather than understood, it may be time to step back. Neptune’s energy can make it tempting to sugarcoat situations or avoid confrontation, but sometimes, the most powerful move is to reclaim your peace by walking away.
Affirmation:
"I choose peace over proving myself. I release what drains me and trust that true connections uplift my spirit."

Neptune's Notes: Three of Cups

The Three of Cups represents community, celebration, and emotional connection. For Pisces placements, this card highlights the importance of soul-aligned relationships and the healing power of shared joy. Under Neptune’s dreamy influence, this is a reminder that your energy is lifted when you surround yourself with those who truly see and support you.
Following the Knight of Swords, which encouraged decisive action, the Three of Cups now calls you to pause and reconnect with your people. You’ve been moving forward with clarity and purpose, but true success isn’t just about the journey—it’s about who you have beside you. This is a time to celebrate victories (big or small), collaborate, and allow love to flow freely between you and those who nourish your spirit.
As Venus Retrograde begins (March 1, 2025), this card takes on deeper meaning. Retrogrades reveal truths about relationships—who is truly aligned with you and who is not. The Three of Cups encourages you to cherish the friendships and connections that uplift you, while releasing those that drain your energy. Old faces may return, offering a chance to reflect on past emotional patterns—will you welcome them back, or have you outgrown them?
Advice: Let love, joy, and connection be your compass. Trust your intuition when it comes to relationships—Neptune may blur the past, but your heart knows what feels right. Celebrate the bonds that make you feel seen and valued, and don’t be afraid to create new spaces of joy with those who truly resonate with your spirit.
Affirmation:
"I honor and celebrate the soul connections that bring me joy, love, and support. My heart knows who is meant to walk this journey with me."

Neptune's Notes : Knight of Swords + New Moon

The Knight of Swords represents mental clarity, decisive action, and the pursuit of truth. For Pisces placements, this card signals a shift from dreaming to doing—where emotions and intuition are now met with the power of focused intention. Under Neptune’s influence, there is often a tendency to drift, but this Knight urges you to cut through illusions, act on your insights, and move with conviction toward your goals.
Coming after the Ten of Cups, the Knight of Swords reminds you that happiness and fulfillment require action. You’ve stepped into emotional alignment, but now it’s time to protect and sustain the vision you’ve built. This is about moving forward with confidence, speaking your truth, and clearing away any lingering doubts.
The New Moon in Pisces today magnifies this energy, creating a cosmic moment of deep intention-setting, intuitive downloads, and bold new beginnings. The Knight of Swords urges you to write down your dreams, speak them into existence, and chase them with unshakable faith. The New Moon provides the canvas—you must take the first stroke of the brush.
Advice: This is your call to be fearless. Don’t hesitate, don’t second-guess yourself—move with certainty. Your heart knows where you need to go, and your mind is now sharp enough to lead you there. This is not a time for passive waiting; it’s a time to claim what’s yours.
 
Affirmation: "I move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose. My dreams are real, and I take bold action to bring them to life."