The Magician/Five of Wands reversed. The Magician corresponds with Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and quick and animated energy which usually presents problems or challenges), Mercury, Beth (house; builder) and the Path between Binah (female, receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) and Kether (the source, limitless possibility), and he has the power to transform his world through the use of his Will. The biggest lesson The Magician needs to learn is that his skills and talents and abilities do not come from within him; rather, he is the conduit between earthly manifestations and the Divine. The Five of Wands in an upright position represents Saturn (discipline, responsibility, law and order) in Leo (“I am, passionate, dramatic, egotistical), and it indicates a struggle that appears at cross purposes. This Five can represent either outer conflict or inner conflict, but since it is reversed, today things might run much more smoothly. That conduit will not contain any blockages!

My Thoth card is the Prince of Cups. This is the fourth time this year that I have thrown the Prince of Cups with my Thoth Tarot. The Prince of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) tells of a person who focuses intensely on feelings and emotions and the Inner Voice, which can either be a good thing, or it can tell of a time of imbalance with too much emotion and not enough grounding. Crowley sees this Prince as showing a person who has the ability to be amenable but who has a secret, and sometimes selfish, agenda, so from Uncle Al’s viewpoint, this card might be better reversed. However, sometimes things need to be kept secret for a bit. He owns his feelings and emotions, but he can’t forget that with that ownership comes responsibility. This Prince is also good at creating and working with illusions, which can again be either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the circumstances.

My Legacy card is The Hermit, flavored by the King of Coins. The Hermit, which 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), has also been appearing quite a bit lately, just about 10 times since the beginning of the year. The Legacy Hermit stands in the wild, mountains behind him; he looks like he has had somewhat of a difficult time of it, and yet he is not surrendering. Rather, he is using his own time of isolation so that he can search for a deeper meaning without distractions. The King of Coins (cusp of Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive, and Taurus, “I have,” sensual, stubborn, cautious, physically oriented) is the expert on physical manifestation, and this is the second time in three days that he has been thrown. He is able to work independently and still be effective, he is very good at managing resources and overseeing growth, and he is very good at being patient. Sounds like this King is reinforcing my Hermit today.

My 6-digit date number is 8, the number that tells of a focused and conscious effort to achieve balance.

My horoscopes: “Sagittarius, if there's something interesting that you want to try, go for it. Adventure brings excitement, creative flow, and energy, and these are essential to you. Yours is a highly artistic nature. Continual stimulation is required to keep your psyche healthy. Experience something new today. Even if it's just a walk to a place you've never been, it will give you the adrenaline you need.”

And: “If a partner in your life or business just doesn't seem able to get revved up and get active today, try to encourage this person to pick up the pace. It might be tempting to let him or her rest while you burn rubber, but teamwork is important -- and you're not part of a team if you're doing all the work, now are you? It may be time for you to work on your motivational skills. Having the right priorities will earn you respect, so go ahead and be the boss.”

And: “A trip to the library could be on your agenda for today, as you may need to track down some intellectual, spiritual, or practical information required for a task or project you're working on. You may find yourself spending more time there than you'd originally planned, as you might discover new facts or ideas that open up fascinating new trains of thought. If your time is limited, make sure you keep track of the hour! If not, have fun!”

My Sun reading: “Mars and Pluto supply raw power for enhanced opportunities today. The planets help you cut through red tape and attack matters with decisive action and resourcefulness. Tonight couples experience sentimental moments under a Pisces Moon. You and your significant other should abandon yourselves to passion.”

I have been drawn to Danu’s Well since I first opened my eyes this morning. Her energy is filling me, infusing my entire energy body and being laced into my physical self. Something is happening to me, I am being prepared for something wonderful. I don’t know what it is, but so far, it feels really good. Tonight, I perform my usual Dark Moon connection with Hecate; somehow I get the feeling that this one is going to pack a punch in some way.

I have been thinking quite a bit about the 28th Path, both on its own and in comparison to the 30th Path. This has led me to compare each of the Paths I have worked with so far. After all, the Law of Opposites is a wonderful learning tool, and by comparing the two Paths to each other, I can learn new nuances of meaning.

Malkuth is the root of the Tree, firmly grasping the physical world. It is about stability and discipline, each of which can be said to be the end product of a full experience of each effect of the two outer Pillars. The 32nd Path, between Malkuth and Yesod, is about trusting enough to open myself to perceiving new experiences. The 32nd Path is the trunk of the Tree, the main support, but it is not the only support.

The 31st Path is about understanding that we each have an impact on others, and about striving to make that impact a balance of kindness and restriction. It is about understanding how I got to where I am, and it is about using that knowledge to strengthen my Will. This Path connects the bottom of the Pillar of Restriction with the physical world of Malkuth, bypassing Yesod. Why is this, I wonder? Perhaps because Yesod has a sense of serenity and completeness about it that would diffuse the need to know who I am, why I am and where I’m going? The 29th Path is about seeing past the sense of entitlement that comes with being civilized in order to understand the eternal, primordial cycles that are the main support of that veneer of civilization. This Path connects the bottom of the Pillar of Expansion with the physical world, and it also bypasses Yesod. This one is easier to understand, for the illusion of security that comes with “civilization” can be like a drug to us, shutting us away from the untamed energies of our world and ourselves.

The cool thing is that in order to move forward, I need a balance of both of these Paths.

The 28th Path has a huge connection to the intense energy that I feel when I connect with Danu in any way. Yes, Cernunnos packs a punch, too, but His energies seem to be more related to the 29th Path, with its connection to evolution and the physical world. The 29th Path is not of the physical world, rather more about making the connection between physical and astral with more learned “eyes” after experiencing the first three Paths.

Hod, the bottom of the Pillar of Restriction, wants us to learn. That is what The Sun and the 30th Path show us as well; shedding focused light on the shadows creates stability. Netzach, the bottom of the Pillar of Expansion, wants us to be responsible. That is what The Moon and the 28th Path show us; getting past the illusion of differences enables us to feel a connection to all life. **smile** Isn’t that what is expected of us, anyway? Restriction or Form can focus us, teach us; Expansion or Force need a sense of responsibility and an awareness of consequences in order to function properly.

Once again, a balance of both of these Paths is necessary, in order to understand what has come before and in order to move forward.

It seems that the first three Paths show me how to know that some thing or effect exists, and to believe that it exists; so far, the next two Paths show me how to actually experience or feel that thing or effect. What a powerful combination! Balance is the key. Learning each extreme, learning the effects of each extreme, and then using the knowledge of that polarity to achieve balance.

My aha! moment has arrived. I am indeed becoming The Magician!

$