The Emperor/Eight of Pentacles reversed. The Emperor corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes), Aries (“I want,” action oriented, assertive, enthusiastic), He, the window (illumination), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Chokmah (male in the electric sense; dynamic energy and the origin of vital force and polarity). The Emperor is about order and structure and responsibility, but they are presented in a loving and firm manner, the way a father will offer structure and discipline to the children he loves. In an upright position, the Eight of Pentacles in an upright position tells of hard work that will most likely not show a reward, at least not until maybe the very end. Because the card is reversed, and combined with the effort to impose order and structure in authoritative manner, I am being told that any efforts to act with authority today in order to bring about structure and order will most likely offer some reward equal to or maybe even greater than the efforts expended.

My Thoth card is the Eight of Cups. “Indolence” and a lack of interest are what Crowley sees in this card, and while it tells of success, it also predicts that the achievement of success will not remain quite so interesting once it is in hand. The success could possibly loose its thrill because of some excessive journeying from place to place that may be a part and parcel with the success being achieved. Interestingly enough, hermaphrodites are associated with the number 8, and I have two 8’s today, one upright and one reversed. Sine the number 8 tells of the pause that comes with an attempt to restore balance, it appears that the pause will be more beneficial on the emotional plane than on the physical, for whatever that is worth.

My Legacy card is The Emperor (again!), flavored by The World reversed. Hmmm . . . The World reversed has been showing up quite a bit for me lately. And today, **two** Emperors. Okay, then. Marchetti has this to say about The Emperor. His job is to bring structure and order to the creations of The Empress, and he does so because he has the authority to do so. The Emperor has sufficient force to instill and maintain law and order, and he presents rules and structure to every situation. He leads with confidence, supervises with intelligence, and counsels with wisdom. He is the archetype of the Father, and I think he has a specific message for me today as he appeared twice. However, his purpose will probably not have anything to do with winding up, not quite yet, for although The World has appeared today and thus, its energies are present, the card is reversed.

My 6-digit date number is 5, the number of motion that is uncomfortable but prevents stagnation.

My horoscopes: “Sagittarius, if there's something interesting that you've wanted to try, this is a great day for it. Adventure brings excitement, creative flow, and energy, which are essential to you. You're highly artistic. Continual stimulation is required to keep your psyche healthy. Experience something new today, even if it's a walk in a new place. You'll get the adrenaline you need.”

And: “You've worked hard for quite a while on a big project that you can hardly imagine ever finishing, but endings can be good. That's especially true if you're in a hurry to move on to something new -- which is so often the case with you. If you're still vying for the attention of someone in authority, you need to start dropping hints. Let them know you're getting close and you need their expertise.”

And: “A strong desire to get away might be plaguing you throughout the day, though responsibilities at home might prevent you from doing so right now. Don't allow yourself to get too frustrated. If you really want to get away for a while, set a future date and plan for it. Sometimes the planning can be as exciting as the going! Also, you might receive some information that sparks a new interest. Enjoy it!”

Well, it has certainly been an interesting couple of days. My Patroness warned me on Friday that a Challenge (and LOL, the way She said it, the word had a capital “C” fer sher) was on its way, and sure enough, an old ugliness from the past has attempted to reinfect me. I am angry, but hey; I’ve grown a lot since then, and I am determined to let it all fade away.

I also had some exciting stuff present itself to me, and I believe I have found the focus for the next round of The Great Work. I am reading Wiccan Mysteries: Ancient Origins and Teachings by Raven Grimassi (thank you, Storm, my Sister!!!), and while I don’t necessarily agree 100% with everything that Grimassi presents in this very valuable book (which in itself is pretty darned incredible), I am being drawn with amazing strength to probe deeper into his chapters on Watchers, Elementals and the Wiccan Rites. I am still in my first read of these chapters, but there is much food for thought to be found there, and I am pretty certain that with some work, I will be able to add to my own experiences with the Elementals (and the elements) in ritual. More to come on this.

We have an emergency Pagan Brain Trust meeting tonight. One of our members needs support and protection, and that is what we will offer. I have some ideas myself for some supportive workings, and we will be making use of the Interwebs as well; I am convinced that we will create something incredible.

$