Ace of Pentacles reversed/Death. The Aces present potential only, unmanifested, and the Ace of Pentacles (Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive, Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, dual, social) in an upright position tells of the presence of potential that is connected in some way to the physical world of Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes; stable, material and practical energy that is slow to change), usually either through financial or career focuses, regarding the home, or connected to my physical body and its health and well-being. Today may not be a day for effectively making use of these energies, and Death kind of validates that. After all, Death is about leaving the physical world behind. 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, the ending of an era and the fear of the unknown result of change. Death often brings a freedom that ends up initiating new growth, even if the attaining of that freedom is a bit frightening.

My Thoth card is The Fool reversed. The Fool is an Air card (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and challenges that tend to require the use of the intellect to solve), and it also corresponds with Uranus (technology, science, radical change), Aleph (the head, youthful learning) and the Path between Chokmah (male in the electric sense, dynamic energy and the origin of vital force and polarity) and Kether (the source; limitless possibility). The Fool has some pretty powerful energies at his disposal, not to mention his enthusiasm and optimism; because the card is reversed, I might do better today if I plan for all possible outcomes rather than assuming that things will just fall into place on their own. In an upright position, this card tells of unexpected happenings; perhaps there won’t be any unpleasant surprises for me today. Either upright or reversed, The Fool reminds me that power is neutral, it is the user who is either good or evil.

My Legacy card is the Three of Coins, flavored by Death reversed. Bookends!! The Three of Coins (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, cunning, competence) tells me that my own creativity can lead me to both hard and rewarding work, and renown, or a good reputation. I am being told by this Three that sometimes these things can’t be accomplished in a solitary fashion. Death this second time today is reversed. The upright Death card has a sort of tense and slightly frightening kind of anticipation attached to it; this tension and fear are nowhere to be found in the reversed Death card today. It is almost as if the other shoe has dropped. By flavoring this Three of Coins today, the Death card reversed is telling me to move forward with confidence, for the transformation has already occurred, and I am armed and dangerous.

I know that I have Death bookends, but I have spoken quite a bit about the Death card while working with the 24^th Path. The only new thing I can add about this card is that it focuses on both time and on limitations, and thus, the Death card teaches us patience, for things happen within their own time schedules. Also, the Thoth Death card contains an image of the snake which represents kundalini, the energy that is awakened by sexual pleasure and the pleasure of the senses. The reversed Death card talks of a fear of changes, which is obvious, but it also tells of the possibility that I am trying to mess with that natural time schedule. Dragging things out or forcing things faster than their natural time can both be damaging.

My 6-digit date number is 3, the number of new creation from the balance and polarity of the number 2.

My horoscope: “Don't keep playing along with the games if you no longer want to repeat the same drama, Sagittarius. By placing yourself in a victim role, you're opening yourself up to manipulation and control by others. To stop the repetitive pattern, it's crucial for you to stand up and recognize that you have an important part in the healing process. Recognize that you have the power and courage to change."

My Sun reading: “People feel happy and friendly toward others under an Aquarius Moon. It's a good time to network. Engage in stimulating communication tonight. If you're single, there could be some special and memorable connections. When the Moon sextiles Venus, sweetness and love are in the air for your significant other union."

So I took an alchemy test on the Alchemy Journal blog today. Here are my results:

The opposing forces within you, whose conflicts have kept you drained and confused for so long, are finally coming together as one.

You are about to experience a joyous and life-enhancing empowerment of your personality. If the preceding three operations (Calcination, Dissolution, and Separation) were successful, only the most genuine and essential parts of the matter at hand are left in the vessel of transformation. The next step in alchemy is the Conjunction, which is the recombination of those saved elements into an entirely new substance. Conjunction is the paradoxical union of the archetypal elements of Fire, Water, and Air to produce Earth.

Psychological Conjunction is the empowerment of our true selves, the union of both the masculine and feminine sides of our personalities into a new belief system or state of consciousness. The alchemists referred to this union as the “Marriage of the King and Queen,” and they referred to the result of the Conjunction as the "Philosopher's Child" or "Lesser Stone." After this new state of consciousness is achieved, you are able to clearly discern what needs to be done to achieve lasting enlightenment, and synchronicities begin to occur that confirm you are on the right track. In spiritual terms, the purified essences within are your very Soul and Spirit. It is now time for these archetypal forces to come together and nurture their newborn child, which is a refined and integrated personality. "Its nurse is the Earth," says the Emerald Tablet of this important juncture. At this time of renewed confidence, you should seek those activities that reinforce your peace of mind. It is an excellent time for a nature retreat or deep meditative session.

In many ways, the child of the Conjunction is like the creation of an "Overself" in which the ways of Spirit and Soul (rational, aggressive thought and intuitive, passive feeling) unite in a higher state of awareness that Egyptian alchemists called "Intelligence of the Heart." To create the Overself, you simply have to start practicing to maintain your "presence" no matter what happens, no matter how confusing things get, no matter what emotions swell up within you, no matter how cruel or thoughtless others are towards you. Every problem, every personal challenge, every nuisance or annoying person, is another opportunity for you to develop presence of mind and create the Overself. In trying to maintain your presence in all situations, you soon learn that you cannot rely on intellect or logic alone. To be really connected to what is real, you have to make use of talents and sources of knowledge that you cannot explain. Finally, you learn to value your feelings and intuitions as well as your rational judgments, and you will be able to work creatively with any challenge that comes along.

Do not forget that these two opposing ways of knowing only come together when they are used together. You have to practice personal Conjunction on a daily basis in the everyday world for the Overself to become part of your personality. The major effort in the alchemist's life is the creation of this unified self, which can withstand the onslaughts of ignorance, insensitivity, and illusion one encounters in the world. You actually can feel yourself coming together as one mind, one larger presence. Signs that Conjunction is taking place within a person are the growth of confidence, equanimity, and calmness. You start laughing at stupidity instead of getting angry. Within you, the feeling of an indestructible or "default" presence grows stronger every day. That personal presence is what the alchemists called the "Lesser Stone," which will gradually be perfected and emerge as an all-powerful state of consciousness they referred to as the "Greater Stone."

Before Conjunction, a person can be lustful and wanton in seeking their “other half” and jealous and possessive once it is found. On the other hand, the conjuncted person is appreciative of the alchemical forces at work in relationships and careers and tends to be considerably kinder and more sensitive. Such a person appears balanced and quietly confident, and that inner harmony is proof of the integration of the elements within.

That the human body must be perfected, as well as the mind and spirit, is a basic tenet of alchemy. Yet how do the King and Queen manifest in the body, and what exactly is the Child of the Conjunction in terms of human physiology? According to Tantric alchemists, the phallic-shaped pineal gland at the center of the brain and the bilobed pituitary gland play the roles of King and Queen. Their union, achieved through meditative exercises, produces a Pill of Immortality, which is released at the back of the throat and is activated when it reaches the stomach. This inner sex act initiates a Second Puberty that perfects and rejuvenates the body.

This is quite interesting in its timing; this is actually what I am getting from the 22^nd Path. I see this as validation, validation that I am doing the right work, and manifesting the right effects. I feel as if I have left anger behind, and I am dealing well with the lethargy, which is fading with each day.

What a glorious weekend this has been. Today was a warm day filled with Spring sunshine. My garden work is done (LOL, at least until next week, when I will certainly need to mow the lawn). Flowers are planted, grass seed is down, bushes are trimmed, and I pulled out the bikes, cleaned them up and pumped up the tires. Tomorrow, I am going to work on my Third Degree Lesson 5.

And maybe, I will take a bike ride.

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