Monday, December 20, 2010

Six of Cups/The Hermit reversed. The Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive) is a great way to start a spread; it reminds me that happiness comes from within me, and happiness needs no expensive surroundings in order to manifest. Instead, this happiness may come from memories of the past, or that happiness may come from seeing things from the viewpoint of a child, with the expectations and optimism of The Fool of the Major Arcana. Whether the happiness comes from memories of the past or anticipation of the future, it is filled with fertility. The Hermit in an upright position corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and material, practical and stable energy that is slow to change), Virgo (“I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented, orderly). Yod (open hand, touch), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Chesed (the place where forms and structure are stabilized and nurtured), and points to hidden knowledge, attained through seclusion and tough introspection. Just like The Hierophant, The Hermit offers an example of how to be or what to strive for, but The Hermit’s lessons are not presented through established tradition, for he is not a priest, but rather, a philosopher. However, in a reversed position, The Hermit can represent concealment, disguise, unreasoned caution, or a need for policy and established tradition. He could also be pointing toward the study of past events, as they are solid, as is tradition, rather than pondering of the future.

My Thoth card is The Emperor reversed. The Thoth Emperor (Fire, hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive, energetic change; Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive; Heh, window, illumination; and the Path between Tiphareth and Chokmah, dynamic male energy and the orogin of vital force and polarity) is filled with the symbolism of his rank. He is facing profile, and thus represents the Magickal Image of Chesed; light streams down upon him from the upper right corner, representing the influence of Chokmah, the archetypal father. He holds a scepter in his right hand that is crowned with a ram’s head, representing Aries; in his left hand he holds an orb topped with a Maltese cross, symbolizing dominion. The colors of the card are predominantly red, representing Mars. The arms and legs of The Emperor represent the symbol for sulphur, which is masculine, active and fiery in nature, and represents antimony (a metallic element found in stibnite, which is a sulfide, used in flame retardants and microelectronics) and calcination (the first of the 12 vital processes for transformation of a substance, basically burning or applying high temperatures) of the Great Work of alchemy. He is surrounded by bees (order and industriousness) and fleur-de-lis (the monarchy, the union of the lingam and yoni). In an upright position, he represents paternal love, which usually is seen as a stern love, an authority figure, and the enforcement of rules and regulations that maintain order. Because The Emperor is reversed, today may not be a day filled with easily imposed (or obeyed) rules or authority, and I may find it difficult to bring structure to situations. I should attempt to not take things too seriously today.

My Legacy card is the Seven of Cups, flavored by the Ten of Wands. The Seven of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, obsessive, mysterious) has been appearing for me lately. This card lets me know that there are messages out there to pick up, and choices or opportunities to access. But I can’t take them all, and must select the one that works for me. I must remember that not all the information is in front of me, and I may want to do a bit of digging before deciding. The Ten of Wands (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering) could very well be warning me that now is not the time to make major choices, even if my emotions are telling me to do so. The fires of new ideas and enthusiasm are burning a bit low right now, and perhaps I need a bit more fuel on the fire before I make any choices. This way, the flames will light up the choices so no subtle nuances are hidden in the shadows.

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

My horoscopes: “Today is a fantastic day for you, Sagittarius. You should enjoy a good mood and positive experiences with others. There's most likely a slow-moving, transforming energy in your life right now that's touching off your emotions. You will find that there is a great deal of fire and passion fueling your heart, so be generous with your kind spirit and follow through with your promises.”

And: “You are way ahead of the game when it comes to communicating with your fellow humans. Not only do you understand that it's an important thing to do for logistical reasons, but you also understand that communicating with others is one of the fundamental elements of human life. Our selves are, in some ways, inseparable from our interactions with each other. Picking up the phone is a profound act. And you get that.”

And: “A rosy glow over your recent career successes could cause you to congratulate yourself over your growing bank account. This trend should continue for a while if you keep on working as you have and maintain a positive and optimistic attitude. Your relationships with others around you, particularly the opposite sex, should be especially warm and loving right now. This should prove to be a thoroughly gratifying day. Use it to your advantage.”

Today is Yule Eve. There is a full moon, plus a lunar eclipse, and so I brought a whole bunch of crystals, including my large clear calcite scrying sphere, and some water to be charged with lunar energies, for use in my personal rituals, and put them on the table on the deck, so they can all rest in the moonlight. I have my alarm set for 3:15 am, when totality will end, so I can go out and bring all the crystals and the water back in.

I believe strongly that as soon as I decide to perform a ritual or working, that ritual or working has already begun. Carolyn and I have decided to do a Yule meditation together, and that meditation began this morning when I decided to do it. The meditation, named Solstice Meditation Spell For Universal Peace, is from the internet, focusing on world peace, and will be performed by many of us around the world.

The Meditation Spell involves gathering some herbs, lighting a candle and braiding three cords, which are then burned. I began by casting a circle around myself, and then I called my Elemental Guides. I opened my chakras, and then visualized the full moon shining in a dark and clear Winter sky. I felt Carolyn’s presence; she sat next to me and took my left hand in her right hand, and soon I felt others join us, too. And so, I began to chant:” Goddess, Mother of peace and light, bring together the world tonight.” Again and again, I whispered the chant, and I could hear other voices joining me. I could actually feel the moonlight, shining upon me as I sat on the floor in my ritual room. The silvery light fell on me with a light yet discernable pressure.

To my joy, I felt the presence of the Goddess, and Her energy was warm and sweet, like coming into a warm house after spending time outside in the Winter cold. She was the purest of Sacred Feminine energy, strong and pure, and Her silvery light filled the room; the swirls of energy caused my candle to flicker madly.

For a time She stayed with me. Her eyes met mine, and She smiled. “Do not worry,” She said softly. “The die has been cast, and the time for preparation is at an end. If you have not done it yet, you will need to do without it. You will need to focus ahead now to the immediate future, and take the next step. Do not fear, for I will be with you, always.”

Although I felt as if I was with Her for hours, actually only about 15 minutes had passed. Once I sensed that She was beginning to withdraw from me, I raised both of my arms to her and offered my gratitude for Her presence. I then whispered the closing chant, “Goddess of the land and sea, by Thy love so shall it be!”

I then ended the meditation. Glorious! My next step is to get up at the end of totality, and then, I will wake up for sunrise. Blessed, blessed Yule! Welcome, Sun Father!!

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