Two of Wands/Knight of Swords reversed. The Two of Wands (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive, enthusiastic) tells of the concept of applied power, and today I may find that not only am I able to tap into my own energy, but also that I will be able to effectively make use of that energy. This is not about the final manifestation, however, but rather about perceiving the initial vision. It is not the right time to deal with every issue, solve all the problems, and make choices and impose judgments regarding every single detail, because now is not the time for me to be able to see things clearly and up close. Rather, now should be the time of visualizing dreams, and if I need to be detailed and purposeful in my thoughts, I should impose that type of seeing upon my dreams of the future, rather than on the workings of the manifestations of my goals. **smile** So says the Knight of Swords reversed (the cusp of Taurus, “I have,” sensual, stubborn, cautious, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, dual, intelligent).

My Thoth card is the Nine of Cups reversed. “Happiness” reversed; in an upright position this card tells of the happiness that is present when I am feeling particularly lucky. The good thing about the Nine of Cups (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, soul growth, spirituality) card being reversed is that it is telling me that powerful satisfaction (which tends to slow down an ongoing effort and bring on stagnation) will not yet be a part of the processes of the day. I have not reached the achieving part yet, but because the card is present even though it’s reversed, I am being told that the potential to achieve is not bad.

My Legacy card is Death, flavored by the Three of Cups reversed. I am actually very excited to see the Death card in my spread today. Death corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts), Scorpio (“I desire,” intense, controlling, deep, compulsive), Nun (fish head, liberation), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify), and Netzach (the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration), because this card tells of a major threshold. No looking back! The Three of Cups (Mercury in Cancer) reversed tells me that this transformation is not about the group; LOL, it's all mine!

My 6-digit date number is 10, the number of completion, which reduces to the number 1, the number of awareness of position and of beginnings. Wow, everything ties together nicely today.

My horoscopes: “An intense card, e-mail, or phone call could come from a sibling or other relative today. Perhaps this is a good chance to patch up an old quarrel with this person, but don't be tempted to start another! Emotions are running high now, Sagittarius, and it wouldn't take much to set someone off. You might want to go out and do a little shopping, but be careful. Traffic could be bad.”

And: “Heaven help anyone you're around now who decides they're going to take you to task in public. Whether it's in front of a cast of thousands or an audience of two, they'd better be careful. Not only will it not happen, but they'll probably end up extremely sorry they mentioned the subject in the first place. You won't hesitate to mention each and every incident they've ever been involved with that might look less than exemplary on a resume -- and that's just for starters.”

And: “The changing celestial configurations are encouraging you to ponder your purpose in life. You should find many possibilities and opportunities to finding some sort of balanced course toward attaining your professional and personal goals. Don't rule out the spiritual side of things, and don't be reluctant to imagine far-fetched solutions; this is a time of great transformations.”

I am making progress in increasing my understanding of the Watchers. While my research certainly did not leave no stones unturned, I think I have achieved a much better understanding of them by reading about the opinions of others. Here is what resonates as true and right for me; of course, these are my feelings, and what is right for me may not be right for others.

Watchers are not Elementals, although they have connections to Elementals because Watchers each rule a cardinal direction, a season, an astrological time and an astronomical event, as well as each of the many correspondences associated with each of those concepts; elements are listed among those correspondences, and thus, so are Elementals. Watchers are complicated and intelligent beings or entities (which could have originated as thoughtforms but which have been in existence long enough for them to attain a high level of independent awareness) who have completed evolving as to their own “rules of being” (for lack of a better term); they have risen as high as they are able to. They are pure energy, and while they can certainly make use of a body or a vehicle of some form if desired, they don’t need to do so in order to exist and function.

Like those highest and purest forms of sacred feminine and sacred masculine energy, our Goddesses and Gods, the nature of Watchers causes them to respond to attempts to interact with them. When I cast a circle, I call the Watchers to each of the cardinal directions for several purposes. I call them to protect my circle in accordance with each of their “specialties.” I call them to ask for their support and guidance regarding a ritual of worship or magickal working, and their intervention in support of the ritual or working (or to nullify it, if nullification is in my best interest), again in accordance with each of their specialties. And I call them to alert them to the fact that I am initiating the formal process of performing a ritual of worship or a magickal working, so that they can offer their protection, guidance and support. The Watchers come when I call because it is of their nature to come, just as it is of my nature to desire their presence; I may in a sense “command” them, but I am no better than they are and I treat them with respect. I like to think that we all feel that any ritual or working is made more complete and perfect by the inclusion of each of our essences.

Watchers rule the elements and their effects, among other things. They would not replace the Elemental Guides who have come to me through my studies and training at Sacred Mists, and under most circumstances they would not dictate the contributions or actions of those Elemental Guides, although Watchers could certainly short circuit an entire ritual or working if absolutely necessary. Elemental Guides bring much to my efforts and insert their specific energies into my workings, my rituals and my cast circle; of course, what they bring is completely connected with their individual element. Plus, Elemental Guides help me within other focuses, such as in my chakra work.

Watchers, true to their names, would watch both what is happening within my circle and what is happening outside of my circle. They can also have an affect on me directly because they are connected to times and seasons, astrology and astronomy. The presence of each of their stars, the Royal Stars of Persia, in my astrological sign can have a direct affect on me just as the presence of one of the planets in our solar system in my astrological can have a direct affect on me.

You may ask, why bother? Well, Watchers are fully-evolved entities from the stars; not so shabby to have them on your side. Plus, they guard powerful vortexes or portals, and cultivating a relationship with them might allow me to make use of the energies associated with those portals. Watchers are also vast reservoirs of information concerning the development of our civilization; many believe that they were sent to teach and guide humans as they developed.

Yes, like any other astral entity, Watchers may have their own agendas, and by many tales they are easily corrupted by we humans, so I will need to be certain of my intentions when working with them. But I try to be certain of my intentions whenever I mess with the ebbs and flows of energies around me.

Here is how I see each Watcher:

Aldebaron (“the Follower”), Persian name, Tascheter or Tishtya (also associated with Sirius and Arcturus), reaches dominance at the Spring Equinox, and thus it is associated with sunrise, the cardinal direction of East, and the season of Spring. It is found in Taurus, and has a possible planetary companion; it is associated with Archangel Michael (who is associated with Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, orderliness, and The Magician in the Tarot), and eloquence, integrity, courage, agitation, loss and violent death. This star is probably the source of the phrase “hitting the bull’s eye,” and is said to predict riches, honor and integrity, but those benefits are usually presented through the passing of some kind of test.

Regulus (“little king” or “prince”), Persian name Venant, Vanant or Wanand (also associated with Vega, Altair, Corvus, Sirius and Procyon), reaches dominance at the Summer Solstice, and is found in Leo; it is associated with the Archangel Raphael, and nobility, ambition, great power, alertness, leadership, sudden downfall, accidents and violence. Metaphysically, because I associate the element of Fire (heat, Summer, daylight) with the direction of South, my first instinct is to place Regulus in the Southern quarter. This star predicts success within your chosen field, even fame, however it also tells of the good possibility that you will be tempted to take revenge. The warning is to be listened to, for if you give in to the temptation, all that you have strived for will turn to dust.

Antares (“holds against Ares (Mars),” and “the heart of the Scorpion”), Persian name Satevis, Sataveaesa or Sadwes (also associated with Aldebaron, Crux, and the stars of Musca Australis), reaches dominance at the Fall Equinox, and thus it is associated with sunset, the cardinal direction of West, and the season of Fall. It is found in Scorpio; it is associated with Archangel Uriel (plus my sign, Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, adventurous, blundering), and adventure, obstinacy, stubbornness and violence, as well as injuries to eyes and sudden loss. This star can also indicate trouble dealing with emotions because they are easily triggered.

Formalhaut (“mouth of the fish,” and “the Star of Alchemy”), Persian name Haftorang, Haftoreng or the Haptoiringas (also associated with Ursa Major), reaches dominance at the Winter Solstice, and is found in Pisces; it is associated with Archangel Gabriel, and magic, fame, the occult, faith, alchemy, addiction, undesirable associates and congenital birth defects. Metaphysically, because I associate the element of Earth (cold, Winter, nighttime) with the direct of North, my first instinct is to place Formalhaut in the North. This star is associated with creative mental energy, which can either have a positive effect or a challenging one.

That is a large depository of power!

We had a totally awesome Pagan Brain Trust get together last night, as always. We ended up watching a DVD on the art of Alex Grey after our usual intense discussions (watch for future information about a new and exciting form of Shamanism!) and delicious vegetarian meal. How truly awesome to see this man’s incredible work, and hear him describe each piece. If you are a healer or an energy worker and have never seen his work, you need to get yourself to his website, called The Chapel of the Sacred Mirrors (http://www.cosm.org/). Believe me, you will not be sorry!

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