Three of Wands reversed/The Emperor. In an upright position, 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 effort, of being supported by others, of the next step of exploring possibilities, and the knowledge that it is personal strength that has allowed the success and support and new possibilities to happen. Because the card is reversed, I may be not quite sure of the value of my own efforts. But The Emperor (Fire, hot/separates and dry/shapes; Aries; Heh, 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, dynamic energy in the electric sense, the origin of vital force and polarity) tells me that the power of my own mind is the most important tool I have, and that I should believe in this power. The Emperor also reminds me of the value of structure, for every rule has a valid purpose, and law and order prevent anarchy. I am being gently reminded, though, that authority comes with responsibility, and I need to make certain that when I “own” something, I take care of it.

My Thoth card is a Major Arcana card, The Hierophant, reversed. “Offer thyself Virgin to the Knowledge and Conversation of thine Holy Guardian Angel. All else is a snare.” And, “Be thou athlete with the eight limbs of Yoga: for without these thou are not disciplined for any fight.” Unusual for the Thoth Tarot to give me a Major, and this one is interesting because of these two quotes. The first quote refers to the Holy Guardian Angel, and LOL I certainly am seeking information about Angels/Watchers/Elemental Guides. The second quote mentions being athletic with the eight limbs of Yoga, and Yoga and maintaining strength (and Vedic Thai-Yoga Massage!) are a big part of my life right now. Upright, this card tells of teaching and learning, of manifestation and of patience, and of help from superiors. The energies of The Hierophant (Earth, cold/binds and dry/shapes; Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn; Vau, the nail; and the Path between Chesed (crosses Da’ath, the place where forms and structures are stabilized and nurtured, and Chokmah) are the reflective or mystical aspect of the masculine, and he is the male High Priestess. He is the thinker as the Emperor is the doer; his colors, unlike those of the Emperor, vary considerably. This card frequently indicates the hidden guardianship of the Masters. Because the card is reversed, these energies are not an effective part of my focus today, and The Emperor and his energies are being supported and validated.

My Legacy card is the Ace of Swords reversed, flavored by the Seven of Wands. The Ace of Swords (Air, hot/separates and wet/adapts; Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces) in an upright position tells of mental sharpness and creative thoughts, and the ability to overcome challenges through personal growth. The Legacy Ace shows the sword pointing downward, bringing the inspiration of the Divine down to Earth. The power of this Ace is an invoked power rather than a natural power, and it can easily be used for either good or evil purposes. Because the card is reversed, I may have some difficulty accessing those Divine “downloads” today. Since this Ace is flavored by the Seven of Wands, it is handy to know this. The Seven of Wands (Mars in Leo) has a special significance for me (one of my Guides told me I needed to **be** this card, but I was not told if I was to be the Guardian or the person trying to access the Gateway), for it shows a Gateway and a Guardian. The Seven tells me of the value of courage, and it reminds me that I cannot know if I have courage unless I face real fear. Perhaps the two cards are telling me that I won’t need to face any intense challenges in order to pass through the Gateway?? *crosses fingers*

My 6-digit date number is 9, the number of completeness of experience. Yessss!!

My horoscopes: “Bask in the sunshine of today, Sagittarius. Focus on the positive aspects of your life and work to expand these energies. There's a great deal of opportunity open at this time. The key to taking advantage of this is to stay close to the things that truly bring you the most happiness. The details will work themselves out with almost no effort. Have faith that you'll succeed and you will.”

And: “Don't make any commitments to groups or organizations of any kind today. It may be that you are asked to do more than is realistic. If you accept you will be obliged to see the project through until the end, and that could be a long time indeed. You would be better of pursuing your own goals rather than helping others trying to attain theirs. At least this way you are in control of the outcome.”

Okay, as promised, just a bit of information about the four Royal Stars of Persia. This information is from Wikipedia.

The four royal stars with their modern and ancient Persian names were

Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) vernal equinox is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus.
Regulus (Alpha Leonis) summer solstice is the brightest star in the constellation Leo.
Antares (Alpha Scorpii) autumnal equinox the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius.
Fomalhaut (Alpha Piscis) winter solstice is the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus.
To medieval astrologers, Aldebaran was one of fifteen Behenian stars, associated with rubies, milk thistles.


Aldebaran

The name Aldebaran is the traditional Arabic (الدبران al-dabarān (ad-dabarān)) name which literally translates as “the follower.” The name probably refers to the way this bright star follows the Pleiades star cluster in its nightly journey across the sky. In Persia it was known as Sadvis and Kugard. The Romans called it Palilicium. In Chinese it is known as Bìxiùwŭ, the Fifth Star of the Net. In Hindu astronomy it is identified as the lunar mansion Rohini and as one of the twenty-seven daughters of Daksha and the wife of the god Chandra.

Astrologically, Aldebaran is a fortunate star, portending riches and honor. This star, named “Tascheter” by the Persians, is one of the four “royal stars” of the Persians from around 3000 BC. These stars were chosen in such way that they were approximately 6 hours apart in right ascension. Each of these stars was assigned to a season, Aldebaran was prominent in the sky of March and as such, it was associated with the vernal equinox.

In Inuit astronomy, Aldebaran is called “Spirit of a Polar Bear.” For the Seris of northwestern Mexico, this star is providing light for the seven women giving birth (Pleiades). It has three different names: Hant Caalajc Ipápjö, Queeto, and Azoj Yeen oo Caap (“star that goes ahead”). The lunar month corresponding to October is called Queeto yaao, “Aldebaran's path.” For the Dakotas (a branch of the Native American Sioux tribe), Aldebaran took on a heroic aspect. The young star was the child of the sun and the lady Blue Star.

Aldebaran is one of the easiest stars to find in the night sky, partly due to its brightness and partly due to its spatial relation to one of the more noticeable asterisms in the sky. If one follows the three stars of Orion’s belt from left to right (in the Northern Hemisphere) or right to left (in the Southern), the first bright star found by continuing that line is Aldebaran.


Regulus

Regulus (α Leo, α Leonis, Alpha Leonis) is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the night sky, lying approximately 77.5 light years from Earth. Regulus is a multiple star system composed of four stars which are organized into two pairs, with Regulus A a blue-white main sequence star, and its companion which has not yet been directly observed, probably a white dwarf star. Located further away is the pair Regulus B and Regulus C, which are dim main-sequence stars.

Rēgulus is Latin for “prince” or “little king.” The Greek variant Basiliscus is also used. It is known as Qalb Al Asad, from the Arabic قلب لأسد or Qalb[u] Al-´asad, meaning “the heart of the lion.” This phrase is sometimes approximated as Kabelaced and translates into Latin as Cor Leōnis. It is known in Chinese as the Fourteenth Star of Xuanyuan, the Yellow Emperor. In Hindu astronomy, Regulus corresponds to the Nakshatra Magha.

Persian astrologers around 3000 BC knew Regulus as Venant, one of the four “royal stars.” It was one of the fifteen Behenian stars known to medieval astrologers, associated with granite and mugwort.

Regulus is closest to the ecliptic, and is regularly occulted by the Moon. Occultations by the planets Mercury and Venus are also possible but rare. The last occultation of Regulus by a planet was on July 7, 1959, by Venus. The next will occur on October 1, 2044, also by Venus. Other planets will not occult Regulus over the next few millennia because of their node positions. Although best seen in the evening in northern hemisphere in late winter and spring, Regulus can be found at some time of night throughout the year except for about a month on either side of August 22, when the sun is too near.


Antares

Antares (α Scorpii, Alpha Scorpii) is a red supergiant star in the Milky Way galaxy and the sixteenth brightest star in the nighttime sky (sometimes listed as fifteenth brightest, if the two brighter components of the Capella quadruple star system are counted as one star). Along with Aldebaran, Spica, and Regulus it is one of the four brightest stars near the ecliptic. Antares is a slow variable star with an average magnitude of +1.09. Antares has a hot blue companion star, Antares B.

Antares, the proper name of this star, derives from the Ancient Greek Άντάρης, meaning “(holds) against Ares (Mars),” due to the similarity of its reddish hue to the appearance of the planet Mars. It is the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius. However, it is also thought that Antares may have been named after the ancient Arab warrior-poet Antar. Its distinctive coloration has made the star an object of interest to many societies throughout history.

Many of the old Egyptian temples are oriented so that the light of Antares plays a role in the ceremonies performed there. Charles François Dupuis, a French astronomical writer, mentioned that Antares was known as Satevis, one of the four “royal stars” of the Persians around 3000 BC. In ancient India, Antares is of the nakshatra (Hindu lunar mansion), known as Jyeshthā “Oldest,” and Rohinī, “Ruddy.” In the religion of Stregheria, Antares is a fallen angel and quarter guardian of the western gate.

In astrology, Antares is one of the Behenian fixed stars. The Wotjobaluk Koori people of Victoria knew Antares as Djuit, son of Marpean-kurrk (Arcturus); the stars on each side represented his wives. The Kulin Kooris saw Antares (Balayang) as the brother of Bunjil (Altair). Alternative name of this star, meaning “the Heart of Scorpion.”

The best time to view Antares is on or around May 31 of each year, when the star is at opposition to the Sun. At this time, Antares rises at dusk and sets at dawn, and is thus in view all night. For approximately two to three weeks on either side of November 30, Antares is not visible at all, being lost in the Sun's glare; this period of invisibility is longer in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere, since the star's declination is significantly south of the celestial equator. Antares is one of the 4 first magnitude stars that lies within 5° of the ecliptic and therefore can be occulted by the Moon and rarely by the planets.


Fomalhaut

Fomalhaut (α PsA, α Piscis Austrini, Alpha Piscis Austrini) is the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus and one of the brightest stars in the sky. Fomalhaut can be seen low in the southern sky in the northern hemisphere in fall and early winter evenings. Near latitude 50˚N, it sets around the time Sirius rises, and does not reappear until Antares sets. Its name means “mouth of the whale,” from the Arabic فم الحوت fum al-ḥawt. The Latin names are ōs piscis merīdiāni, ōs piscis merīdionālis, ōs piscis notii “the mouth of the southern fish.” It is a class A star on the main sequence approximately 25 light-years (7.7 pc) from Earth. It is classified as a Vega-like star that emits excess infrared radiation, indicating it is surrounded by a circumstellar disk.

Fomalhaut holds a special significance in extrasolar planet research, as it is the center of the first stellar system with an extrasolar planet (Fomalhaut b) imaged at visible wavelengths. The image was published in Science in November 2008.

Fomalhaut has had various names ascribed to it through time. One such name in common use is the Lonely Star of Autumn, because it is the only first-magnitude star in the autumn sky of mid-northern latitudes. It has been recognized by many cultures of the northern hemisphere, including the Arabs, Persians and Chinese. Archaeological evidence links it to rituals dating back to about 2500 BC. It is one of the Persians’ four “royal stars.”

The name Difda al Auwel comes from the colloquial Arabic الضفدع الأول aḍ-ḍifdiˤ al-’awwal “the first frog” (the second frog is Beta Ceti). To the Moporr Aboriginal people of South Australia, it is a masculine being called “Buunjill.” In Walter Tevis' novel “Steps of the Sun,” Fomalhaut is visited by the protagonist and two potentially inhabitable planets are found (and described).

Fomalhaut is located south of the celestial equator, and is best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere. It passes virtually overhead from places just south of the Tropic of Capricorn, for example Brisbane, Johannesburg and Easter Island. However, its southerly declination is not as great as that of stars such as Acrux, Alpha Centauri and Canopus, meaning that, unlike them, Fomalhaut is visible from a large part of the Northern Hemisphere as well. South of latitude 40˚ north it can be viewed on autumn evenings; further north it is low on the southern horizon. It reaches a maximum altitude of only 9˚ from London, 4˚ from Edinburgh or Copenhagen, and it just barely rises from around latitude 60˚ north; Oslo, Helsinki or southern Alaska. Fomalhaut can be located in these northern latitudes by the fact that the western (right-hand) side of the Square of Pegasus points to it. Continue the line from Beta to Alpha Pegasi towards the southern horizon; Fomalhaut is about 45˚ south of Alpha Pegasi, with no bright stars in between.

LOL, that is a lot of information to absorb. I will be thinking about what I have posted over the past three days as I drive to Cape May tonight and through the weekend, hoping for an “aha!” moment. We shall see if I am worthy of that Seven of Wands in my spread today and the Gateway it hints at!!

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