The Tower/Seven of Swords. The Tower corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive, energetic change), Mars (action, spontaneity, aggression, drive), Phe (mouth or speech), and the Path between Hod (which provides analysis and communication) and Netzach (which offers the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration), and its presence in my spread today tells me that there are some outdated facets of my life that need to be demolished and swept away. This is usually a difficult concept to wrap my brain around, because it means taking risks and leaving behind the security of the known. But clinging to the things that are familiar to me will only result in tragedy. I am better off seeking the wisdom on my own, and I am better off voluntarily releasing the things that are no longer helping me, rather than fighting the process and having them taken from me. Destruction is the first step of creation, and it would be easier for me to stop the sun from rising than for me to stop this cycle. The Seven of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, cause-oriented, the group, aloofness) validates this, and acts as a further warning, for I may think that I need to do everything in my power to hold my position, but I might be wrong. Forcing the issue, forcing the security of the known onto my life, will become more and more difficult as I fight the natural flows of energies; if I continue this way, I will end up needing to use unethical means to hold my position. Better to allow the current to bring me forward!

My Thoth Card is The Star. Well, that is a relief!! The Star corresponds with Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and quick, animated and intellectual energy that may present problems or challenges), Aquarius, Tsadi (fish hook, experience or thought), and the Path between Yesod (the place where patterns and images emerge that may manifest into the physical world) and Netzach, and it tells me that when all seems lost, if I look carefully I will see that really, nothing was lost at all. I may have lost sight of the path to enlightenment, but that was a temporary condition, and the path is before me once again. All I need is the courage to take the first step. Crowley sees this card as representing Hope, unexpected help, clearness of vision, realization of possibilities and spiritual insight. The Star is one of the great cards of faith, and it tells me to believe, for what I believe to be true is what I will create.

My Legacy card is the Eight of Swords reversed, flavored by The World. In an upright position, the Eight of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable talkative, dual) shows what happens when you abuse the power of the Swords through the intellect: that power turns against you. Logic can be twisted, and often the only person we end up confounding by our mental contortions is ourselves. Thankfully, the Eight is reversed, so I will be able to avoid and release the more negative powers of the intellect today, and instead choose to bring serenity and mental clarity into my world. The World, which corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and stable, material and practical energy that is slow to change), Saturn (discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance), Thav (mark or sign), and the Path between Malkuth (the physical world of action and physical, outer reality) and Yesod), validates this, for The World is the card of integration that tells me I have used my mind to learn my lessons well, and it reminds me that there is one final lesson to be tackled: union with the Divine. If I choose to see all the challenges and blockages, both powerful and in my face and subtle yet difficult to solve, as rungs on the ladder that brings me closer to the Divine, then they are all worth the efforts and tears and despair that came along with them.

Lots of similarities lacing through these cards! Aquarius appears more than once, as do Yesod and Netzach. Yesod is about understanding what we want and need, and Yesod is the place where our intentions and visualizations begin to transform to physical reality. Aquarius is about the group or society, so those manifestations may have something to do with the correspondences of Aquarius.

My 6-digit date number is 9, the number of completeness of manifestation or experience. Wow, The World, The Star, and the number 9!!

My horoscopes: “There's a great deal of grounding energy in your world today, Sagittarius, which might work to smother your fire. Whatever happens, don't let the embers burn out. One of the assets you bring to the group is a strong dynamism that gives people the courage to change. Be a fighter in the ring. Remember that at the end of the day, you need only be satisfied with the performance of one person -- you.”

And: “You understand the value of exercise. It's not just for your body, but for your body, mind and spirit that you jog, box, walk, do martial arts, take yoga or do whatever it is that you do. Today is a particularly good day to follow through on your drive to get in touch with each and every little tiny muscle in your entire body (if at all possible). You'll feel terrific, both during and afterward.”

And: “If you aren't currently romantically involved, today you could meet someone that shows a lot of promise. Work might be involved in some way, and it's also possible that this person has been living in your neighborhood for a long time. A friend could introduce you to each other. You'll probably spend at least an hour talking, and will probably make arrangements to meet again.”

This morning, I woke to our first snowfall. Really, it was just a dusting, but because the ground is so cold, the snow stuck. Even the roads were covered with white. It is amazing to me how quiet the world gets with even just a coating of snow. I knew as soon as I opened my eyes this morning that there would be snow on the ground; everything just felt blanketed, cozy, silent.

Since first thing this morning, I have been drawn to Danu’s Well. It is quiet there, twilight (either just before dawn or just after sunset; I can’t tell which time), damp (the dead trees are dripping with moisture), with a bit of fog hugging the ground here and there. It is totally silent, no breeze blowing and no movement at all. The sky is gray and overcast, and everything else is brown and black and taupe, the colors of Winter.

And I am alone. Oh, I can feel the energy pulsing from the Well, pushing rhythmically against my own shield, but no one and no thing else is visible to me.

A sensation of waiting fills me as I sit by the Well, as if something is expected of me. I don’t know what is expected, or who is expecting something from me, but one thing I know for certain is that figuring this out is a part of the task. No one else can tell me the answer to the question “what am I supposed to do?” Only I can find this answer, only I will know if the answer I find is the correct one for me. I spoke the other day about connections, and this connection, this figuring out of what is expected of me, is important for me to achieve. Just typing my thoughts here is validating the presence of a message for me, and so, today I will look, I will strive to be aware.

I am in the process of bringing my knowledge of Thai Massage to the next level. I received two books on Thai Massage as an early Yule gift, and they have shown me that I need to not only learn about sen lines, and where they are and how they work, but I need to at least understand the basics of the spiritual disciplines that are the root and foundation of Thai Massage. I think I will be able to bring even more balance and healing to my clients if I become comfortable with this knowledge, if I make it my own. Plus, I benefit myself, for learning of the sen lines adds to my knowledge of the personal energy field, and gives me another tool to use toward increasing my own health and well-being. Cernunnos will be back soon, one week from today is Yule, and since He really pushes me to be aware of my own body, and he challenges me to make the effort to keep my body, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, as healthy and strong and flexible and coordinated as possible, I am making the effort now to be in top form, as good as I can with all the holiday parties scheduled.

This year, Yule is going to be incredibly powerful, energetically. Early Yule morning, at 3:14 am, is the moment of Full Moon. Totality begins at 2:41 am and finishes at 3:53 am, so I won’t be getting a lot of sleep on Monday night. But the eclipse will take place while the Moon is in Taurus, and Taurus is my rising sign in my astrological chart! And so, I begin my preparations for Yule 2010. If Wicca is a Path of inner transformation, then I am surely smack dab in the middle of the road, and my Journey is moving the way it is supposed to.

Today, I keep hearing the Charge of the Star Goddess in my mind, maybe in support of my Thoth card of the day, The Star. All of the words are important to me today, and I am placing my favorite version here, by Doreen Valiente, adopted by Starhawk.

“Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of Whose feet are the hosts of Heaven, Whose body encircles the universe:

I Who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters, I call upon your soul to arise and come unto Me, for I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return. Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.

And you who seek to know Me, know that the seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am That which is attained at the end of desire.”

Tiphareth, indeed!

Blessed be!

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