Death/The Hermit reversed. The Death card corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, and sensitive, imaginative energy that strives to stay the same or take the same course), Scorpio, 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), and tells of transformation or change, both voluntary and involuntary. Most of the time, this change is connected in some way to existing circumstances, and can seem to be brought about by destruction or endings, but the destruction or endings are not what they seem. Death is about leaving things behind, or alchemic putrefaction; the decomposed remnants of past events or effects act as wonderful fertilizer for the creation to come. 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. The card is reversed, so I am being told that at least for today, I should allow myself to connect with the outer world and the ecstasies available there. The Hermit has been showing up in a reversed position quite a bit for me lately; I need to listen to the message of this card, and I need to remember that while solitude does prevent the interference of distractions, sometimes interactions with others can bring balance and an objective input of information.

My Thoth card is the Four of Swords. “Truce” is Uncle Al’s keyword for the Four of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation), and the card tells of the need of some time of rest and recuperation, usually to be brought about by a time of truce or pause. This card is similar to some extent as The Hanging Man, but since it is of the suit of Swords, this pause is not necessarily about changing perception, but rather it indicates a pause that helps me to prepare to re-engage. It can also represent the balance of power that acts as a deterrent to attack.

My Legacy card is the King of Swords reversed, flavored by the Queen of Coins reversed. The King of Swords (cusp of Capricorn, “I build,” ambitious, cautious, cunning, authoritative, and Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, aloof) in an upright position is the expert at being impartial, precise and logical. His Queen understands people, but he understands things, as well as knowledge. Because he is reversed, he is reminding me that while knowledge is power, my instincts and feelings just might be worth listening to, even for the exclusively logical expert energies of the King of Swords. Besides listening to all messages, not only those from a logical or scientifically provable source, I need to also be less critical of myself. The Queen of Coins (cusp of Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering, and Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution, cunning, authoritative) in an upright position is very good at sustaining the physical world, keeping things dry and cozy and safe and orderly; her main weakness is that her focus on protecting and maintaining can sometimes cross the line into obsession. Because she is reversed, that tendency to obsess is holding me back, and I need to remind myself that while creating a strong and stable foundation is a good thing, sooner or later (probably sooner!) I will need to move away from the predictable and venture into the unknown. And I can’t allow her to do the inventory, or we won’t get rid of anything!

My 6-digit date number is 11 (Archangel Uriel), which reduces to the number 2, the number of polarity and balance.

My horoscopes: “Today marks the beginning of a new cycle for you, Sagittarius. Collect and consolidate your recent ideas and focus them outwardly. The time is right for you to act. Improve your surroundings and adjust your bed so that it faces east/west. (A north/south placement aligns you with Earth's magnetic field and causes you to lose energy at night.) Drink plenty of water to keep your mind clear.”

And: “Do you want to make your mark on the world? Of course you do. Today you just may get your chance to make something that no one can ignore, so be ready to act on a moment's notice. Seek out challenging situations, and you'll thrive. You have only tapped into a small percentage of what you're capable of right now ... if you've been waiting for the perfect time to make a major move, this is the day to do it. People will notice you in a whole new way.”

And: “Group activities or social events in your near neighborhood could put you in touch with new and exciting people who could eventually become friends, Nancy. Shared goals and interests could give rise to plans for ambitious projects. Whatever enterprises you start today are likely to prove successful if everyone involved pitches in. In the evening: Arrange for a quiet tête-à-tête with your romantic partner. Enjoy your day!”

I have had a lovely, quiet, productive day here at Cape May. I woke up to snow, fat white flakes floating downward, with no wind to bite. The world was silent, a silence that is unique to that time during which snow is falling, and the fireplace has added to the cozy isolation.

We had a great SMPDA Meeting this afternoon, with a productive Divination Department Meeting following. I am grateful to my Co-Facilitator and Co-Director; they both add their very useful talents and abilities to our efforts.

I have looked at my next Third Degree Lesson, and it is going to be awesome! I just love the way these homework assignments ask me to validate my own experiences, and to lace those experiences together with the knowledge I have gained through my Degree Training at Sacred Mists, through the exercises of the lessons, as well as my own personal studies and practices. I am pleased with how much I really have learned over the past eight plus years that I have been practicing Wicca.

The most wonderful yet incredibly elusive thing about Wicca is its ability to be a catalyst for inner transformation. The Mysteries of Wicca are difficult to understand, and it takes courage to walk blindly into the unknown that is found in the dark corners of my psyche, but shedding light into the darkness is leading to some wonderful self-understanding. I am learning to not fear the unknown, to trust in my own abilities and skills and yes, even talents. I am learning that I am a good teacher, and a good leader, as well as an enthusiastic student. And I am connecting in an ever-deepening way with my world and my Gods.

More and more, I am convinced that the time has come for me to learn how to be The Magician. I need to create a bridge that will connect all the inner work I have done over the past year as The High Priestess to the outer world, in order to assist others as they learn of their Craft, but also in order to manifest what I have learned into my own physical environment. I don’t only want to know what a Witch is, I want to be one. To live my Craft. Totally and completely. In doing so, I know that I can, by example, be a catalyst for Balance to others. And when I say “by example,” I do not mean that I am so wonderful that I need to be imitated; not at all. What I mean here is that if I can talk the talk and walk the walk, and in doing so, become a happier and healthier person, then others will see that their own efforts are not wasted. They can, in their own unique way, become happier and healthier.

When I first dedicated myself to Wicca, there were those who I chose to use as examples. This did not mean that I imitated their methods completely; rather, it meant (and still means) that I look to them as encouragement to continue my own explorations, encouragement to make my life, my way of living, and my methods for exploring the Mysteries, my own. To my surprise, I now feel the need to pay those gifts forward. I did not expect this to happen.

It is time to begin working with the Paths of the Tree of Life. First, a bit of general information about Pathworking.

It is suggested that a study of the Paths and Pathworking begin on the 32nd path that links the Sephiroth of Malkuth to Yesod (Earth to Foundation), as these are the ones that link closest to the material world. As work is done on the Tree of Life we “climb” higher and higher, and the energy encountered is believed to become more spiritual, until the Supernal Triangle is encountered. The Supernal Triangle is where the aspects of Deity and the sacred energies are their purest, and are believed to transcend thought.

The Paths of the sephiroths of the Tree of Life are supported by both the Major Aracana of the Tarot (*grin* which is why I am here, standing at the gateway of the “temple” of Pathworking) and the Hebrew alphabet. Each Path explores different parts of the psyche, our connection to and understanding of the koshas of living (and pardon my mix of metaphors and spiritual traditions here, but the koshas resonate for me), as well as our connection to and understanding of Deity.

Paths 32 through 30 are seen as steps in initiation.

Paths 29 through 27 explore personality.

Paths 26 through 24 explore the differences between materialism and spirituality.

Paths 23 through 19 explore the qualities of higher spirituality.

Paths 18 through 14 view ways to transition to the Supernal Triangle, crossing the Abyss.

Paths 13 through 11 consist of the highest and most abstract qualities of Deity.

Just for my own ease of access to info regarding the koshas, the five sheaths, from gross to fine, are:

Annamaya kosha: food-apparent-sheath (physical body): Living through the Annamaya kosha only causes man to identify himself only with his skin, flesh, fat, bones, and filth, while the man of discrimination knows his own self, the only reality that there is, as distinct from the body.

Pranamaya kosha, air-apparent-sheath (prana, vital force of life): Pranamaya kosha connects and holds together the body and the mind. As long as prana exists in the organism, life continues; the one physical manifestation of the Pranamaya kosha is the breath.

Manomaya kosha, mind-stuff-apparent-sheath (person-hood, personality, mind): Manomaya kosha represents the personality, the diversity of “I” and “mine.” It represents the mind and the sense of self; interestingly enough, our bondages are usually caused or created by the mind, but so, too, is real liberation.

Vijnanamaya kosha, wisdom-apparent-sheath (Vijnana) (Will, intellect, perception, the facility which discriminates; connected to five sense organs): Vijnanamaya kosha is connected to the Will, but also to the ability to analyze and discriminate. This is the kosha that holds the potential to bring transmigration of the soul (Buddhists actually don't see the life force as the soul, but rather as a stream of consciousness that links life with life and allows one to “become again.”

Anandamaya kosha, bliss-apparent-sheath (Ananda) (the causal body which stands between the finite world and the self, the innermost kosha): Anandamaya kosha is composed of ananda, or bliss. To me, this kosha is the spark of the Divine that is in us all, and our connection to the Divine. The Anandamaya kosha only partially manifests during a waking state, and normally has its fullest manifestation during deep sleep. Ananda was first cousin of Buddha, and after many years he became the personal attendant to Buddha, accompanying him on most of his travels. Ananda is seen as being kind, unselfish, well liked, and thoughtful of others.

I have a feeling that my striving to understand Pathworking and the Tree of Life is going to have some amazing consequences!

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