Thursday, April 7, 2011

Ace of Pentacles/Queen of Cups reversed. 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) 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. I need to be aware that this day contains such Earthy potential, and do my best to manifest it in a positive way. The Queen of Cups (cusp of Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, and Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody) is Water of Water, and thus is quite deeply connected to her feelings and her Inner Voice; she has learned to not only trust her intuition, but also to interpret its messages. She is reversed, so there may be some form of disconnect or imbalance today as far as my connection to my feelings.

My Thoth card is the Three of Swords reversed. Uh oh. The Three of Swords (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) is named “Sorrow” by Crowley, and while I do see this card as definitely indicating the possibility of experiencing sorrow, I think this card also tells of the potential for experiencing the isolation that comes when we are excluded from something. This card is more than just about stubbing your toe on the shoes that your husband left in the middle of the hallway, it’s about feeling a more universal type of angst that is not caused by one small event. Thankfully, the card is reversed; I need to remind myself, often, that it’s not as bad as it looks; confusion, misinterpretation or isolation could be what I will be dealing with today.

My Legacy card is the Two of Coins reversed, flavored by Strength reversed. **Sigh.** The Two of Coins (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution, cunning) reversed reminds me that everything always ebbs and flows, but I am not always required to follow the prevailing tides. Not following those tides might be a more difficult choice, but I need to dispel the sludge of this reading today, and maybe going against the tide will at least help me to be more aware. The traditional meaning for the Strength card (Fire, hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive and energetic energy; Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical; Teth, sieve or basket, digestion; and the Path between Geburah, the place where forms and structures are challenged or affirmed, and Chesed, the place where forms and structures are stabilized and nurtured) is the presence of the ability to tame our primitive and wild emotions. This card can also be seen to represent magickal power and sexual power; however, it is reversed. Again, I am sensing some isolation and a sense of disconnect. Might not be a pleasant day.

My 6-digit date number is 4, the number of stability and depth. Well, I hope so; but so far, a big “not”!

My horoscopes: “Try to stay on the lighter side today, Sagittarius. This may be easier said than done. You're the bridge that connects an island to the shore. The water is rising and the island is about to be completely submerged. People are scrambling to reach you. Be careful that the situation doesn't become an issue of self-sacrifice. The bridge is apt to sag or even break under so much weight and pressure.”

And: “Itchy fabrics, spicy foods and atonal music -- any (or all) of these off-kilter experiences will be just the ticket for you. What you need most is stimulation! Seek out things that rub you the wrong way and challenge your tolerance; it will help reinforce what you're tuned into and will help you expand your horizons. In your free time, sit still and watch the world go by. The people you see will bring entertainment, confusion -- and more of that stimulation you need.”

And: “Today you might take up some sort of occult study such as astrology, numerology, or alchemy that seems like Greek to you at first. As a result, you could be tempted to abandon it. Don't! Once you get past the jargon, you'll probably find it fascinating. Keep a dictionary handy, and don't feel like an idiot if you have to go over something several times. You have the brains to do it. Now just put in the time!”

My Sun reading: “Venus aspects Saturn. The latter organizes while the former plays the role of money planet. Balancing accounts is the thing to do. Asking for a raise isn't. Tonight, the vibe is light, lively, and carefree. Anything goes when the Moon connects with Uranus energy. It isn't the time for anything serious.”

More on the 24th Path. The Major Arcana card associated with this Path is Death. The Death card is about the actions of Nature upon us from below to above (The Hanging Man is the card that represents the actions of Spirit upon us from above to below). It often connects to a person’s secrets (or a partner’s secrets) in a reading, sometimes regarding money or sex. Sexual orgasm is often named “the little death,” and like sleep (and its time of darkness and the end of the effects of the senses), is associated with the transformation of death and dying.

But the Death card, despite its name and traditional appearance, is not a bad card at all. If Death is surrounded by Pentacles cards, it usually is predicting some positive change in the physical world; upon completion of some big and meaningful transformation, sure, but still, the end result is a good one.

The Death card also indicates the removal of some kind of mask or false persona. This is most interesting to me, because as I work through the Paths of the Tree, particularly this one, I am thinking of the choices I have made in the past and will be called upon to make in the future, that will present some opportunity for transformation. And yeah, that word “transformation” is very over-used, but here, in regard to the Death card and the 24th Path, it is the correct word to be applied. This transformative process usually has something to do with time or linear time lines.

I am thinking often these days about the time in the not too distant future, once I complete my Third Degree Training, and I am called upon to receive my Third Degree Initiation and formally dedicate my life to the Goddess and God. That Initiation, more than the other two, which I have already experienced, is about an irrevocable change. I understand more and more why a symbolic death is such a huge part of an Initiation Ritual.

Because the message of the Death card is that we must pass through an unexpected threshold, and we must do so without any foreknowledge of what lies on the other side (if anything is there at all), we instinctively fear death, and any transformation which is this total and which does not offer the opportunity of a “redo.” The threshold is one way only, no exceptions. We could see Death as the death of thought, when that thought becomes an action; death in one place brings birth in another, and a completion of the circle of life. This “big move” makes us also think about what we are carting around with us through our life, both literally and figuratively. If we are going to make the big move, we certainly don’t want to carry around any unnecessary baggage. Time to get rid of what we don’t need any more.

It is important to remember that matter always exists; it may blink in and out of different forms and different dimensions, but whenever there is a blink out of something, there is a blink into something in another place.

Each of these three Dark Night Paths attaches to Tipharoth, the sephiroth of balance. The 26th Path attaches to the bottom of the Pillar of Form, and it taught me that reality is an illusion built of potential. The 24th Path, which attaches to the bottom of the Pillar of Force, is teaching me that even when my life force exits my physical body, potential is not gone. It is already manifesting into a new existence.

That actually makes me feel a bit better.

I’m heading over to the Wayne Contingency of the Pagan Brain Trust this evening, to give my “coffee connection” some Bodywork. I always feel good after visiting the Wayne Contingency, and I always feel good after giving someone a Thai Massage, so I am anticipating that I will end the day on a much more comfortable note.

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1 comment:

  1. Coffee Connection agrees: day ended very nicely with Thai Massage and PBT!
    Thank you for sharing all this wonderful work. Inspiring to see you dance with the cards.

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