Temperance reversed/Eight of Swords reversed. Hmmmm . . . is this a new pattern? Major Arcana card having a connection to Archangel Uriel reversed, and the Eight of Swords reversed. Temperance is the card of synthesis, of the alchemic process of coagula (which follows solve, represented by The Lovers, another card pointing to Uriel). Interestingly enough, Crowley saw the Temperance card as the Tarot representation of his definition of magick ( the Science and Art of causing change to occur in conformity with Will). Another card that focuses on Balance and synthesis, in a reversed dignity, combined with the Eight of Swords, also reversed. Okay, then. The Eight of Swords in an upright position represents the Dark Night of the Soul, and I am most assuredly smack dab in the middle of a Dark Night. However, the card is reversed once again, and I am seeing this as telling me that I may be turning away from this Dark Night instead of embracing it as a harbinger of good change. Temperance corresponds with my sun sign, Sagittarius (“I seek”), which is a mutable Fire sign (Fire being hot/separates and dry/shapes), in a mutable or flexible way, seeking change and renewal), and with Samekh, the tent post. I also see this card as pointing to the presence of Archangel Uriel, along with Justice and The Lovers. Interestingly enough, this is the number 14 card of the Majors, which reduces numerologically to the number 5, the number of movement and upsetting of stability before it turns to stagnation. Yep, I am being reminded that while Dark Nights may be frightening because they must be dealt with in a solitary fashion and in order to pass through a Dark Night I must release fear of the unknown, this is always worth the work. The realizations that occur during a Dark Night act as supports to the foundation that I will build upon once the Dawn reappears.

My Thoth card for today is the Six of Pentacles. Continuing the pattern from yesterday, a Pentacles card from the Thoth Tarot. Crowley calls this card “Success,” and sees it as a momentary pause through an awareness of what I have and don’t have, and an accompanying enjoyment of that awareness, for things are clear for the moment. But of course, this awareness is temporary, a brief halt on the Path of Labour.

My Legacy card for today is the Three of Wands. Again, continuing the pattern, a Wands card from the Legacy Tarot. Marchetti describes this card in this way: “The various balances and choices represented by the twos are now over. Three does not divide equally. There are no decisions to be made here, only results and conclusions. The man waits with optimism and anticipation.” [my emphasis added.]

My 6-digit date number is 4. This is a number of stability, depth, solidity, and of course the possibility of straying into stagnation.

My horoscope: “Are you feeling a little under the weather, Sagittarius? You may have been burning the candle at both ends. The obvious tip would be to slow down, but you might feel it isn't possible now. Get as much rest as you can and be sure to eat right. Ask for help if urgent work needs to be done. That way it will get done quickly even if your energy level isn't up to snuff.”

Okay, I think the aha! moment is almost upon me.

Our Student Council Meeting last night was very much needed. We did not accomplish anything as far as the ongoing business of maintaining the health and vitality of our Community. Instead, Lady Raven led us to focus on maintaining the health and vitality of our Council by reopening the lines of communication between the Council Members, and strengthening and tightening the “entity” that is the Council, effectively eliminating the gaping holes left by the departing Members. All of this was done with honor to those who have left the Council, and we acknowledged the value and the contributions of each person who is not gone. But in the end, we reaffirmed our own value and effectiveness, and we each attempted to heal our own wounds and those of our fellow Council Members. I think we did a pretty good job with this.

At one point we talked a bit about our upcoming Samhain in Orlando (yes, I know; it is only the end of March, but October will be here before we know it, and reservations need to be made). Because Lilyth is on my mind this morning, I went back to her Blog and re-read her entry on the Great Work. The funny thing is that as I read her entry, sitting next to me was my book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Alchemy, given back to me by Lorraine, my fellow Pagan Brain Trust-er, this past Thursday night at our meeting.

As I re-read Lilyth’s entry, these words seemed to become backlit, and they raised up from the page: "citrinatis, yellowing: spiritualisation, enlightenment." Spiritualization?? Spiritualization!!!

Frantically, I grabbed my Idiot’s Guide To Alchemy, and thumbed through the pages. Words swirled in my mind . . . “the White Phase . . . Albedo . . . begins at the darkest moment of the Black Phase . . .” I paged back. “The Black Phase that involves dissolving . . . personal calcination involves burning up artificial psychic structures . . . ego complexes . . . personal dissolution frees subconscious energy trapped in mental habits, . . . rigid beliefs.” I sat back, and thought for a moment; then I paged forward again. “Separation . . . removing surviving components from contaminated and impure environment . . . conjunction . . . recombine purified essences into a new compound or higher manifestation . . . personal separation . . . personal conjunction . . . essences of the true self . . . uniting them in a new level of consciousness and spiritual awareness.”

Oh boy, I feel dizzy. I am sitting here with another one of those “holy shit, that is it; it was right in front of me all along” moments. This is the focus. This is what I need to learn in order to manifest and live my next step. I looked back at my Tarot cards of today and yesterday, and even they are pointing me in this direction, pointing with subtlety, but pointing just the same.

The Rubedo is separated into two short stages, the first of which is the Citrinatis, the sign that the golden stage of transformation is coming. And what is one of the symbols of this process? The Phoenix. **takes several deep breaths** The Phoenix is also on my mind today, as Mystery and I perform the first foundational working that will eventually lead to our magickal partner ritual.

Sometimes synchronicity and its workings can be minor, but sometimes they can be incredibly powerful. This moment is one of those powerful ones, a moment that causes me to sit back and look with new and more aware eyes at the events of the recent past, for through the awareness of the guidance of synchronicity and that lovely **palmface** that is an aha! moment of awareness, even the simplest of events from the recent past are now filled with new meaning.

I need to digest this a bit, as I perform my mundane tasks of the day. I will be carving out some time to pick up The Idiot’s Guide To Alchemy, probably before I head to the beach for sundown. Connections, oh my. . . .

What an awesome day this is turning out to be!!!

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