It’s T-O Sunday, already!  How time flies when we’re having fun.  Before I begin my usual post, I want to say that I have signed up for the Beach Ready Challenge on the Get Off Your Broom Witchy Fitness Blog (http://getoffyourbroom.blogspot.com/).  I am already exercising (metabolic discipline, remember?), but this might be fun, and encouraging too.  This fitness challenge runs from April 1 to June 30.  Check it out!

Okay, usual M.O.; I threw three cards after asking the question: “What do I need to know today?”  The three cards I got are:

35, Landscape: Forest (North).  North is the direction of Earth, and thus of the physical or physically formed or manifested world, and of nurturing, health, finances and security, and the wisdom associated with living simply, being well-grounded, and being in touch with our physical body.  A forest can take many years to grow, and everything that lives within a forest depends on everything else to survive.  This Forest card reminds us that good things often take a lot of time to manifest, and if we want the benefits we need to take responsibility for the whole process and be there as needed.  The Forest card also reminds us that there is value to be found in age, and in living a long and successful life; it also reminds us that a forest is a sanctuary, and its workings should be seen as a manifestation of Deity.

42, Guide: Angel (Above).  The direction of Above takes us up and out of the four traditional elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth, and reminds us that we are but a small part of the Cosmos.  Above also reminds us that while the Machinery of the Universe is huge, it does have an effect on each of us, and each of us is an important part of the workings of that Machinery.  The Angel card brings us a message: there very well may be a much higher significance in the events of the day than we consciously realize.  The Angel also reminds us of the saying “no pain, no gain,” and if challenges appear to us now, there will be important messages attached to them.

30, Elemental: Undine (West).  West is the direction of Water, and thus, of feelings and emotions, relationships of all kinds, cleansing and healing, the wisdom associated with natural endings, and the bubbling up of pure joy.  Undines are the elementals associated with the element of Water; they exist through the effects of Water, and thus have similar correspondences.  They also are aware entities, so they have the ability to use these correspondences for their own ends, if they so choose.  And so, Undines are about relationships of all kinds, about love and infatuation, about seduction and manipulation, and about an appreciation for beauty.  Like the ocean, the Undine can be calm and serene, or she can be rough and stormy; the ebbs and flows of emotions and feelings can bring good things, or destroy them.

I stacked the cards, and almost the entire circle of the mandala is filled with colors and shapes, which seem to be streaming outward from the pentagram in the center of the mandala (contained in its own circle).  The Undines are bridging the gaps between the wings of the Angels, and the Forest is like a garland that laces them all together.  Each of the faces, both of the Angels and the Undines, follow the lines of the Forest (with the Undines at the curves that change the direction of the shape of the Forest, and the Angels at the center of each side of the shape of the Forest) as if they were all using the trees for support, or maybe for grounding.  Perhaps this madala is reminding me that if I ground myself, the rest of the possibilities available to me will lace together and enable me to not only be aware of important messages that are presenting themselves to me, but also to feel good about them, even the difficult-to-manifest messages.

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Two of Pentacles reversed/Three of Wands. The Two of Pentacles (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution, cunning) reminds me that everything always ebbs and flows.  Dynamic balance is always moving, always changing, and it remains balanced because of movement and change.  However, I may feel unable to deal with change today, since my Two of Pentacles is reversed.  Rather, I may find that stability and predictability make me more comfortable. The Three of Wands (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, the deepest self and personal power, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive) tells of being successfully established after some effort expended.  In a way, this card kind of validates the message of the reversed Two of Pentacles.  Perhaps my Two is reversed because that “effort expended” is over, and the time has come to sit back and enjoy what I’ve accomplished so far.  If I like what I see, and if I believe I am in a position of strength, I will be able to accomplish even more!

My Thoth card is Aeon (Judgement) reversed.  Judgement corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive and energetic change), Pluto (power, metamorphosis, cycles of dying and becoming), Shin (fang), and the Path between Malkuth (the physical world of action and physical, outer reality) and Hod (provides analysis and communication) and it usually tells of an opportunity to validate the good stuff and get rid of the stuff I don’t need any more.  I think the key to the upright Aeon is the process of identifying the good stuff so it can be kept, and the bad stuff so it can be released.  This is similar to deciding to examine your backpack before a difficult clime to make certain you are only carrying what is absolutely needed.  This card can easily be associated with the process of Separation within the alchemic Great Work. Crowley sees it as a motivation; decisions can be made by examining the past, and enthusiasm can be increased by visualizing the possible future.  All that is left is to take the first step.  My Aeon is reversed today, and it is telling me that the time has come to leave the process of Separation behind because whether I realize it or not, that all-important first step has been taken.

My Legacy card is the Knight of Cups, flavored by the Nine of Swords reversed.  The Knight of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) is about feeling things strongly and about dreaming, but this Knight is not one to dash boldly into the fray.  Instead, this Knight reminds me of the powers of dreams and of imagination.  He also can act as a warning to me; Knights manifest their suits without balance, and being too emotional or not taking emotions into account at all can both be damaging. The Nine of Swords (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, social, dual) in an upright position represents brooding and worrying, usually self-caused, and usually unproductive.  Since the Nine of Swords usually shows what could be rather than what will be, and since my Nine of Swords is reversed and is flavoring my Knight of Cups, perhaps I have dodged a bullet.  Since worry seems to be fading, today might be a good day to dream about the future.  Sounds similar to the message of my first two cards.

My 6-digit date number is 4, the number of depth and stability; this can either be positive or negative (because depth and stability breed lethargy).

My horoscopes: “Work could be a real drag today, Sagittarius. You might be expected to put in more hours than normal. Your heart isn't in it right now. You have interests of your own that you'd rather pursue, plus you could be planning to get together with friends or your partner later. It's best to finish everything quickly, perhaps postponing nonessential tasks, and then go and enjoy yourself.”

And: “Do not downplay yourself or your abilities at this time. You are on the brink of greatness, so act like it. Things should be going quite well if you let them. Don't clog up the works by thinking that you are unworthy of the good luck that is sure to fall your way. If things don't work out exactly the way you wanted them to, take this as a sign that the situation was not right for you anyway.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Page of Pentacles, the Messenger that brings Earthly possibilities for my consideration.  This Page carefully guards the spark of creativity in the physical world, and today this spark is offered to me.  I have control over what happens to that spark, and I can have an effect on how it manifests.  Don’t waste this!

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

While visiting my friends in Delray Beach, Florida, we stopped in a small metaphysical shop.  It was almost closing time, so we literally had five minutes to peruse the entire shop.  But despite that limited shopping time, a beautiful piece of pink tourmaline ended up coming home with me. 

Now, I have lots of rose quartz, and I have a pair faceted pink stones set as stud earrings that could be either tourmaline or quartz.  I have never felt the need to keep any of those stones nearby, or to assign a purpose to them so that I may take advantage of their energy patterns.  But this piece of pink tourmaline seems to have appeared at the time that I need it. 

My piece of tourmaline is known as “elbaite crystal,” named after the island of Elba in Italy, the first place where colored and colorless tourmaline was extensively chemically analyzed.  All tourmaline is known to contain chemically bound water, and the pinks and reds contain lithium.  It is considered a trigonal crystal, and occurs as long three-sided crystals that actually do look triangular in cross-section. 

Generally, tourmaline brings increased inspiration, understanding and confidence.  It balances the male/female energies, and the mind.  Rubellite or dark pink tourmaline corresponds to the root and heart chakras, and to Scorpio and Sagittarius, and brings increased creativity, love and devotion.  Rubellite tourmaline can assist in uniting the heart and the body, to detox the blood and immune system, and stimulate fertility.  The lithium in all pink tourmaline brings emotional balance, and the ability to love and be devoted in a down-to-earth or grounded way.

The cool thing is that as soon as I picked up this tourmaline, I felt a grounded sort of love and compassion from it.  I am working hard to absorb all I need to learn on my Path of the Teacher, so that I can begin manifesting my lessons and initiating an effect on my Coven and my Wiccan Community.  The ability to show love and compassion in a grounded manner, so that I am protected as well as those with whom I interact, would certainly be desirable in a Teacher.  And so, this rubellite pink tourmaline will now be my Leadership Stone.

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Six of Cups/The Star. The Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive) is a card of emotional balance, simple joys fun and blessings.  I am being told to look back today at the good stuff that has happened, so that I can feel optimistic about the future. The Star (Air, hot/separates and wet/adapts; Aquarius; Qof, back of head; the Path between Malkuth, the physical world of action and outer, physical reality, and Netzach, the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration) is the “good will to all” card.  This one is another optimistic card, only instead of looking back, The Star is telling me to look forward.  This is a card of optimism, about paying things forward and feeling good about it, and about manifesting love.  What a nice combination!

My Thoth card is the Six of Disks reversed.  “Success” The Six of Disks (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Taurus, “I have,” Sensual, cautious, stubborn) brings an awareness of resources to the situation, both those that I have and those that I don’t have.

My Legacy card is the Ace of Wands reversed, flavored by the Four of Coins reversed. The Ace of Wands (Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical, Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, sensible, orderly) tells of the first spark of a new and exciting creative process.  All Aces offer potential only, and this one offers the potential to create, to experience courage, to have confidence, to be filled with enthusiasm.  My Ace is reversed, so those things may not be readily apparent today, but the card is there, and so is the potential.  The Four of Coins (the Sun, the inner core of a person or situation or the deepest self, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, authority, caution cunning) in an upright position tells of very solid foundations and an awareness of the value of our possessions.  This Four is reversed, and that may be a good thing.  Perhaps thinking out of the box that is stability could re-ignite the potential of that Ace.

My 6-digit date number is 4, the number of depth and stability.  This number brings security, but it can also create the perfect breeding ground for stagnation.

My horoscopes: “Be careful of gossiping too much with your friends and colleagues, Sagittarius. It's fun to laugh and exchange stories, but remind yourself of the fact that the truth in a story is diminished and changed each time it's repeated. If you gossip too much, your friends may begin wondering what you say about them when they aren't there. Ultimately, this isn't healthy behavior for your friendships. Think about it.”

And: “There is a special power to your words today, and an internal confidence that rarely comes around this strongly. You should be noticing a strength to your emotions and your basic personality. Take this opportunity to get one step ahead in the game. You have a special influence that cannot be matched by anyone today, so don't let others convince you of anything that you aren't one hundred per cent sure of yourself.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Knight of Swords.  This Knight boldly enters any fray to powerfully defend his beliefs.  He will not allow emotions to interfere with his purpose, and he will not stand down until his goal is achieved.  He is a Seeker, surging forward; unfortunately he does not see the storm of eddies that he leaves behind, but even those dust devils bring clarity.

Back to my study of psychological alchemy.  Separation and then Conjunction, and then back to Separation, are what I have been seeing of late.  In an effort to move forward, I will think a bit about the next step in the alchemic process, Fermentation.  Interestingly enough, this process is about putrefaction, about death and the return of ingredients to a natural state, and it is about examining the Shadow Self, newly denuded from all that distracts, in order to accept and love this part of me.  The only way that regeneration can begin again is by taking this step. 

Dealing with the Shadow Self is not an easy task.  Our Shadow can distract us from our real selves, and can cause us to project our own shortcomings onto others rather than owning them.  And this is the most important task I can undertake right now: owning my Shadow Self.  After all, I create my own environment and my own reality by the strength of my Will and the expectations of my mind, so this means I not only create the good times, but the bad times too.  If I don’t own my Shadow Self, I will be giving up the power to be found within this part of me, and I will be doomed to being stuck in an illusion without substance, but that has uncomfortable power over me.

These three steps together, Separation, Conjunction and Fermentation, allow me to see and recognize all parts of my Shadow Self, allow me to decide which parts are worth saving and which should be released, and allow me to release the undesirable parts so that they can putrefy and decompose.

Sounds easy-peasy, eh?  Not!

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Eight of Cups/The Chariot. The Eight of Cups (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitation, law and order, in Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, suffering, soul growth) tells of an ending or a change of direction, often one associated with emotions.  The ability to move on can be hard to come by, but today I will be able to deal with one-sided relationships and lethargy.  The Chariot, which corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, and sensitive, emotional and imaginative energy that likes to stay the same or follow the same course), Cancer (“I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody), Cheth (the fence), and the Path between Geburah (the place where forms and structure are challenged or affirmed) and Binah (female receptive energy and the origin of form and structure), tells of having the control necessary to focus on my goal and steer myself away from distractions.  If I can control both positive and negative emotions, and know when to walk away from a non-productive situation without feeling bummed out, it just might be a good day.

My Thoth card is the Two of Swords.  The Two of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) can represent a time of not looking or of shutting out the world.  Crowley’s keyword for this one is “Peace,” and I think he means the peace that comes because we are preventing things from happening.  Crowley also feels that this card can indicate a deception of some kind, which is a bit different from other interpretations of this card.  Crowley is focusing on what is going on inside the barrier of the swords, as well as what is being shut out.

My Legacy card is the Ace of Coins reversed, flavored by the Three of Swords reversed. Aces present potential only, and the Ace of Coins (Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive, Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, dual, social) tells of the presence of potential that is connected in some way to the physical world of Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes; stable, material and practical energy that is slow to change). Upright, this card presents the possibility to experience prosperity, security, stability, trust and a connection to Nature. The Three of Swords (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) usually indicates the possibility that logic and the intellect could end up causing harm, but my Three of Swords, which is flavoring my Ace of Coins reversed, is also reversed.  Perhaps I will have trouble grabbing prosperity or stability today, but it won’t be as bad as it seems.

My 6-digit date number is 11 (Archangel Uriel), which reduces further to 2, the number of balance, polarity, and the concept of “distance between.”

My horoscopes: “You may feel anxious today, even more so than usual, Sagittarius. Your nerves may be quite jittery, and there's a feeling that you may not be on exactly the right track. More than likely, what you need to do is simply calm down and relax. Let your brain slow down and think clearly without the distraction of many people telling you what to do.”

And: “Inside information may come your way today that might start you thinking about improving your financial standing. You might hear of career and investment opportunities that you would never have considered before. What the heck - you're an adventurous soul! You might even consider occupations that would have your mother reeling! The coming months show a lot of promise for you; good fortune is looming over the horizon. Go for it!”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding The Star.  The Star represents hope manifested into physical form, and the image on this card is so delicate.  She hardly creates a ripple as she walks through the water, her hair flows as well as her gown.  She does not need to be in-your-face because she has faith in her own abilities, and faith in the silvery starlight that illuminates her way. 

Okay, how can I go away for three days, and come back to a week’s worth of catch up?  What is wrong with this picture?  But this trip was worth every minute sitting in the airport, and every minute I spend catching up, and if I had to do it all over again, I would not change a single thing.

I arrived at Kennedy Airport at 6 am on Saturday morning.  I had listed myself as standby on the 8:15 am flight to Ft. Lauderdale.  When it took me an hour to get through security I should have known that nothing was going to go according to schedule.  What I had not taken into account when I chose this weekend to visit Lilyth in Florida was that March is pretty much spring break month.  And so, instead of arriving in Ft. Lauderdale at lunch time, I did not get onto a flight until 3:30 pm, and arrived in time for dinner.  But it was an adventure!  Two other standby people and I moved from gate to gate as we tried to get onto flights, and I was proud of myself because I did not get frustrated at all.  I like to think that my good attitude helped the other two standby passengers to not get frustrated either.

Once Lilyth and her husband, Keith, picked me up, we headed to Delray Beach; we stopped for dinner (Mexican . . . yum!), and then hung out for a while.  Sunday morning, we got up and out early so that we could meet three friends for brunch at the Sundy House.  The Sundy House is a beautiful historic inn and restaurant, surrounded by the exquisite Taru Gardens.  The Taru Gardens were installed in 1998, but the Gardens include a few trees that must have been old in John Sundy’s time.  I walked the paths through the Gardens, and found a woodsy blend of tropical fruit trees, small edible plants, bamboo groves, flowering trees, vines, and tropical foliage envelopes two large fish ponds, streams, waterfalls, and the “Cenote” naturalized bathing place.  The design of the garden and the density of the plantings give the illusion of a really large space in which I felt at times as if I could get lost, even though the premises only take up half a city block. 

I could not find any history of the house and the Inn, but I did find out that John Shaw Sundy became the first mayor of Delray Beach in 1911, and served seven terms.

We got home from brunch in the early afternoon, recovered from our unlimited mimosas, and then Lilyth and I spent the afternoon and early evening playing with Ariyana, their beautiful dog (and my new BFF), and then sitting by her altar and talking about Coven business and my Third Degree Training.  Lilyth and I work very well together, and we tweaked some of my current Leadership efforts, and then talked of the future of my own Path and training at Sacred Mists, and of Sacred Mists itself.  Lilyth describes our connection as “spirits in sync” and that is exactly what we have!  Trust and love, and a deep and long-lasting friendship, allow us to bare our hearts and our souls to each other.  We also have in common a love for our Coven and our High Priestess, and a desire to manifest the philosophies of our Coven into reality in order to serve its members. 

We ordered Chinese for dinner, but we were all still full from brunch!  We all crashed early, anticipating another full day on Monday.

Monday morning we got up early again, had breakfast at a great bagel place, and then spent several hours at Flamingo Gardens.  Another exquisitely beautiful garden!  The Wray Botanical Collection at Flamingo Gardens is one of the oldest botanical gardens in South Florida.  I was treated to 60 acres of gardens, literally thousands of beautiful plants and unusual flowers, including 21 of the oldest trees of their species, along with a huge collection of permanently injured and non-releasable Florida native birds and animals in the Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a part of the Gardens.

I have a deep connection to trees of all kinds, large and old or small and young.  Many spiritual traditions associate trees with the gods, or with their world view.  The roots of trees plunge deep into the heart of the earth, spreading toward its center while their branches soar towards the sky.  Trees literally carry the life of the earth in their cores, and each tree holds a piece of the universal spirit that binds all worlds and creatures together.  Trees are composed of three of the four basic elements: Air, Water and Earth.  And when we burn wood, we unite those three elements with the element of Fire.  Needless to say, touching the old trees (literally hundreds of years old) in both the Taru Gardens at the Sundy House and the Wray Botanical Collection at Flamingo Gardens was spiritually moving for me

We went right from the Gardens to Ft. Lauderdale Airport, where I began the next chapter of “Adventures In Standby Travel.”  Five flights later, I got on a plane and finally arrived home in the wee hours of Tuesday.

And now, it is catch-up time, time to get back to my duties and get my mind back to reality.  But I keep stopping and remembering the huge ficus trees and their beautiful air roots, the “dance of the flamingos,” my awesome afternoon with Lilyth talking about our Paths and our Coven, and Ariyana waking me up each morning, with her tail wagging and her tennis ball in her mouth. 

Thank you, my friends, for a great weekend!

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Hello from sunny Florida!!  Okay, today is T-O Sunday!  Once again I am throwing three cards from the Transparent Oracle, with only a general “what do I need to know” question.  My three cards are:

42, Guide: Angel.  This is a card associated with the direction of Above, which focuses on the planets and their effects on our lives.  Angels are divine messengers, and when this card appears, it could be telling us that there is a higher significance to events over the past few days, and I should be aware of that.  This card also can appear at a time of great change or transformation, either my own, or the world around me.

48, Venus.  Another Above card. This one represents important relationships that are supported by some kind of love, romantic, platonic or spiritual. It can also indicate beauty or an appreciation of beauty.  This is a card that is connected to sensuality and lust, but it is also connected to motherhood and children.  When taken to extremes, the influences of this card can lead to vanity, self-absorption or over-indulgence. 

4, Time of Day: Dawn.  This is an Air card, and Air can be seen as a “cousin” to Above.  Dawn is a time of peace, of renewal, and of memories of the day gone past; the light a dawn gives our environment an otherworldly feel.  Dawn is a crossroad, and thus important to Hecate, one of my Patronesses.  This is a time when the secrets of the night are revealed, as the light of the sun chases away the shadows.

When I create the mandala, my initial perception is of all these energies radiating from the dawn, from the rays of the rising sun.  The alchemic symbol for Venus overlays the pentagram at the center of the Angel card perfectly, directly connecting the two cards, Angel and Venus.  It is also interesting that the representation of the planet Venus is in the sky, just above the rising sun.  Venus is often known as the Evening Star or the Dawn Star.  Because Venus is between us and our sun, it often appears in the sky just as the sun is rising, or as it is setting, so it seems to make perfect sense that this planet is above and to the right of the rising sun.  My right hand is my power hand, so this is validation that the energies are beginning and are waxing.  But they are also powerful.  What secrets are the rays of the sun revealing?  They are big ones, these secrets, and they will provide a strong connection to something, or to someone.

Wow.  Boy, do I understand what this is talking about!!

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Ace of Cups reversed/Nine of Wands.  The Ace of Cups (Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation, Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, deep, mysterious, obsessive, Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, adventurous, blundering) tells of the potentials available to me for experiencing deep emotions, a connection to my Inner Voice, compassion for myself or others, attunements and connections.  Aces represent potential rather than actually manifested energies, but my Ace is reversed so I should be aware that my day may be filled with the potential to experience deep and possibly fruitful feelings.  The Nine of Wands (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, adventurous, blundering) represents being defensive or closing off.  Usually the presence of this card indicates the presence of a difficulty of some kind, but it will in all likelihood be a difficulty I can handle, so I should not avoid it.

My Thoth card is The Sun.  The Sun corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, spontaneous, impulsive and energetic change), our Sun (the inner core of a person or situation), Resh (the face; reason), and the Path between Yesod (the place where patterns and images emerge that may manifest in the physical world) and Hod (provides analysis and communication), and tells of a time of enlightenment, and of good times after dealing with some challenge or ordeal.  My Sun tells me that those ordeals offered a chance for me to grow and learn, and that is exactly what I was able to do.

My Legacy card is the Ten of Wands reversed, flavored by the Two of Wands.  Nice!!  The Ten of Wands (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering) is a card which tells of being taxed to some perceived limit.  Upright, this card would be warning me that I am spinning my wheels, but my Ten of Wands is reversed, so I have not yet reached that point.  The Two of Wands (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive, enthusiastic) is flavoring my reversed Ten of Wands, and it tells of power, influence and authority.  Could be why the Ten is reversed, eh?  All in all, pretty powerful cards today.

My 6-digit date number is 6, the number of vertical and horizontal balance.

My horoscopes: “You're apt to go in circles if you only see the negative side of every situation, Sagittarius. Your lack of perspective could keep you from seeing an answer right in front of you. Your mind is your greatest asset and your worst enemy. Don't become a victim of its automatic bias toward the negative. Once you take control and start looking at the positive aspects, the answer will become clear.”

And: “Things may come to you more easily than usual today. This is a signal that you are on the right path and doing things correctly. Life shouldn't need to be full of stress and heartache. If something is not flowing smoothly for you, you should consider taking a new approach toward it. Keep a smile on your face at all times, and be respectful of the people around you.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is the King of Pentacles.  LOL, these Pentacles cards keep showing up.  While the Knight of Pentacles is striving to achieve his goal, the King has strived and has learned in the process.  He is now ready to manifest what he has learned.  The cool thing about the King of Pentacles is that his purpose for achieving his many bounties is to share them all!

Last night, I spent the evening with my beloved Pagan Brain Trust, at the Wayne Contingency.  We miss you, Phillie!!  This visit was very much needed, because Tara is recovering from orthopedic surgery on her wrist, performed on Wednesday.  We sat around the Sacred Table and did our Work, as usual, along with sharing a delicious vegetarian meal, and The Cake.  LOL, chocolate, of course.

I really feel that I am finally of use to my husband.  I have been working for him since the beginning of February because my hours at my day job have been cut drastically.  It has taken me a few weeks, but for the first time, this morning I felt confident.  And oh boy, was this a busy morning!  I am leaving early tomorrow for a quick visit to Lilyth, Third Degree Initiated Priestess of my Coven.  Part of this trip is regarding Coven business, but this is mostly about spending quality time together.  You all know Lilyth; she is the person I visit around Samhain each year, when I stay at Disney in Orlando.  I am looking forward to this brief respite from reality.

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Five of Cups reversed/Knight of Cups.  The Five of Cups (Mars, action, aggression, drive, in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, mysterious, obsessive) tells of a setback or a lack of support, often happening because people or events are not being focused on correctly.  My card is reversed today, so I should feel as if I am getting the right support without that support ever forcing me into anything I don’t want to be involved in.  The ATA Website says this about the Five of Cups:  The Knight of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) is about feeling things strongly, and about dreaming, and perhaps it is his energies that have caused the Five of Cups to be reversed.  After all, he is a compassionate helper and a seeker who strives to bring harmony, and he won’t let anyone play with his feelings!  Hopefully that Five being in a reversed position will help to balance out the intensity of the Knight a bit.  We don’t want to end up feeling sorry for ourselves, now, do we?

My Thoth card is the Knight of Disks.  The Knight of Disks (cusp of Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical, and Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) tells of persistence to the point of being stubborn, and caution to the point of being boring. This Knight gets things done, and will persevere to the end, but he won’t think out of the box or use his imagination to make things easier for himself.  I guess his motto is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”  He needs to be watched for he is both ambitious and possessive; those qualities can be either good or bad, depending on the situation.

My Legacy card is Temperance reversed, flavored by the Ace of Coins reversed.  Temperance corresponds with Sagittarius (“I seek,” philosophic, adventurous, blundering) Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive, energetic change), Samekh (the tent post), and the Path between Yesod (the place where patterns and images emerge that may manifest into the physical world of action and outer reality) and Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify), and it is one of the Major Arcana cards that presents the concept of dynamic balance.  Temperance teaches us to be balanced by encouraging us to experience extremes so we can learn from them.  Well, my Temperance card is reversed, so I may not do well with those extremes today.  LOL, must be all those Knights! Aces present potential only, unmanifested, and the Ace of Coins (Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive, Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, dual, social) tells of the presence of potential that is connected in some way to the physical world of Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes; stable, material and practical energy that is slow to change) represents the potential to experience prosperity, security, stability, trust and a connection to Nature.  My Ace is reversed, and since it is flavoring my Temperance reversed, it may very well be indicating where my imbalance may be today: in the world of Earth.

My 6-digit date number is 3, the number that tells of a new creation from the potential of the Ace and the balance, polarity and understanding of the concept of “distance between” of the 2.

My horoscopes: “Reward yourself for all the great things you've done for you and other people, Sagittarius. You deserve to be treated like royalty, so make sure that you do. There are many times when you get so critical of the things you do that you end up punishing yourself unnecessarily. Give yourself a treat for being good instead of chastising yourself for being bad. At all times, however, you must remember that you're perfect just the way you are.”

And: “Your actions may be erratic and spontaneous, but they will also most certainly be powerful. You may find yourself being driven by a sharp intellectual mind. Perhaps there is someone near you who has great cunning. You yourself may be feeling brainier than usual. Genius ideas are apt to surround you and your actions today, as long as you keep an open mind about how and when they manifest.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Knight of Pentacles.  Wow, lots of Pentacles cards lately.  This one is about focus, about not giving in to distractions, and about seeing a task to its end by working hard and doing the best I know how to do.  This Knight would fit in well with many politicians these days because he is conservative and prefers to use tried-and-true methods rather than venturing out into the unknown.  Is this good or bad?  Depends on the situation.  If I’ve got a job that needs to be done and done right, the Knight of Pentacles is my man; but if I’ve got a problem that needs to be solved now and I am out of ideas as to how to solve it, he might not be very effective!

I cannot stop remembering my time yesterday at the Ancient Altar, standing in the middle of a circle made up of my Guides and Ancestors, and other entities of the astral realms.  I can still feel that sense of waiting, waiting for something important to happen.  I don’t get the impression that I was on the hot seat at all, nor do I feel that I missed an opportunity.  I am still guessing that this experience was mainly so that I could get used to the presence of these entities.  They are to be witnesses of something, and uh oh, wonder what that might be.  Since I am assuming this experience occurred in part because of my work with psychological alchemy, perhaps a bit of a review is in order, maybe not from the very beginning, but back a bit.

Psychologically, Dissolution breaks down the artificial structures of the psyche by total immersion in the unconscious, non-rational, feminine or rejected part of our minds. This is for the most part an unconscious process, however the results of the process do surface. Dissolution can be experienced as “flow,” the bliss of being well-used, and of being actively engaged in creative acts without prejudices or hang-ups getting in the way.   Physiologically, Dissolution is the continuance of the kundalini experience, the opening-up of energy channels in the body to recharge and elevate every single cell. Dissolution takes place in the Genital or Tin Chakra and involves the lungs and spleen.  More metabolic discipline!

The Separation process within psychological alchemy is the rediscovery of our essence and the reclaiming of dream previously rejected by the masculine, rational part of our minds.  Unlike Dissolution, Separation is mostly a conscious process in which we review whatever has been stirred up to the surface, so we can decide what to discard and what to reintegrate into our refined personality. Separation is letting go of the self-inflicted restraints to our true nature, so we can shine through; it is not a fun process, but it is necessary.  Physiologically, Separation is following and controlling the breath in the body (as it works with the forces of Spirit and subtle body) in order to give birth to new energy and physical renewal. Separation begins in the Navel or Iron Chakra located at the level of the solar plexus.

Conjunction is empowerment of our true selves, the union of both the masculine and feminine sides of our personalities into a new belief system or an intuitive state of consciousness.  Once truly achieved, we are able to clearly perceive what needs to be done to achieve lasting enlightenment (which is union with The Source).  I should be alert, for this is when synchronicities begin to occur that help to confirm I’m on the right track.  Physiologically, Conjunction is using the body’s sexual energies for personal transformation. Conjunction takes place in the body at the level of the Heart or Copper Chakra.

In researching Conjunction, I found an interesting term: inner-conjunction!  This is described as an intense kundalini experience or kundalini awakening, also associated with an intense non-physical world experience.  Inner-conjunction is said to be the “peak event” of an awakening; I guess this could be another term for an Aha! Moment.  Another way that this event is described is as a reconciliation of the positive/negative, left/right, male/female sides of one person.  Wow, Conjunction!

It is quite interesting to read that during a moment of inner-conjunction, it can seem as if there is white light flowing inside the body and illuminating the world. This sense of whiteness may be due to a general increase in nerve action potential and the increased ionization of cerebrospinal fluid. Then the energy collects and nitric oxide permeates through to the central channel of the spinal column creating the “principle charge” itself, which is experienced as the “Silver Cord/”  The Silver Cord, which represents the peak of the experience, usually only lasts for a minute or less, but the entire inner-conjunction can last a half an hour.

Okay, this all sounds very similar to what I experienced at the Ancient Altar.  Could this be what my experience was preparing me for?  This really makes sense, and it feels right!

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