Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Ten of Swords reversed/Four of Swords reversed. The Ten of Swords (the Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, talkative) tells me that failure is not fun, but we can’t release the failure unless we play it through to the end, without feeling sorry for ourselves. Since the card is reversed, I am being told that now may be the time to pick myself up, or at least begin the process. The Four of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) in an upright position it tells of the need of some time of rest and recuperation, usually to be brought about by a time of truce or pause. It is one of the few positive cards of this suit, for it represents mental serenity; since this card is reversed today, while the problems may be fading, the serenity will be slow to develop.

My Thoth card is the Eight of Swords reversed. “Interference,” thankfully reversed. I think. 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. If it were upright, I would be asking myself if I was thinking too much, getting caught in a spiral or loop of thought that ends up being distracting; however, the card is reversed, so today, I shall be able to overcome the potential for interference presented by this Eight.

My Legacy card is the Ace of Swords, flavored by The Devil reversed. The Ace of Swords (Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution authority, cunning, Aquarius and Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, soul growth, artistic) can be seen as the birthplace of ideas and concepts, and of challenges which offer the opportunity for growth, and also the beginning of the development of a sense of identity. The element of Air, which corresponds with the suit of Swords, does not have self-generated impulses, but it can easily have an effect when influenced by the other elements. The Devil corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and stable, material, practical energies that are slow to change), Capricorn (“I build,” ambitious, competent, cautious, cunning), Ayin (the eye, senses), and the Path between Hod (which provides analysis and communication) and Tipareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify). It represents bondage and addiction, which can also be seen as a lack of choice. This card can also represent blind ambition, and the secret plans that usually need to be in place to manifest that ambition. In some situations, The Devil can represent the primal impulses that are a part of our survival instinct. The reversed Devil is flavoring my Ace of Swords, so I need to remember that choice is particularly important today.

My Pearls of Wisdom Beltane card is The High Priestess. The Pearls of Wisdom High Priestess is different from most versions of this card. It is filled with color and movement, and much more active energy than is usual for this inner focused card. The High Priestess (Water; the Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination; Gimel, the camel who safely crosses Da’ath, the Abyss, and thus, has the secret of life; and the Path between Tiphareth, the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify, and Kether, the source, limitless possibility), is the source of the power of The Magician, the feminine version of The Hierophant, and the Keeper of the Mysteries. This version tells me that the Sacred Mysteries flow from me and to me, and I am the source.

My Pearls of Wisdom New Moon card is the Nine of Swords reversed. Like the rest of my cards today, this one has a powerful message for me. The Pearls of Wisdom Nine of Swords shows a woman walking through a dark castle; behind her is her Shadow, holding a bouquet of dead flowers that are drooping sadly. The strand of the Pearls of Wisdom has broken, and she is filled with despair. The Nine of Swords (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, social, dual) in an upright position represents brooding and worrying, the kind that takes place in the wee hours of the morning. Thankfully, the card is reversed, and it is telling me that these worries are fading.

Seven of my nine cards today are of the suit of Swords. Sheesh, I guess I need to go into a bit more detail regarding this suit. The suit of Swords is filled with amazing power, but this power has two edges, like the suit that is named for it. If the power of the intellect is used towards achieving a negative outcome, the power itself becomes totally negative; if used for justice, it will strive to become just. However, its influence can easily be swayed toward the unethical. It is important to always remember that it is the bearer of the sword who determines the final outcome. The forces connected to the suit of Swords are not natural ones, and instead must be invoked by the user. The light at the end of the tunnel is that the intellect often leads us to spiritual insight, and clear and logical mental reasoning can often be brought to bear under the influence of this Suit.

My 6-digit date number is 10, the number that tells of completion of a cycle; this number reduces to 1, the number of beginnings, of potential, and of position.

My horoscopes: “You have a sharp, inquisitive mind, Sagittarius. Today you're likely to put it to good use exploring some arcane fields. It's likely your chief area of interest is scientific. You will find that if you get online, your research will be particularly fruitful. See if you can link to university sites for some real high-level information.”

And: “There's no risk in letting your curiosity drive you today -- you'll find great satisfaction in even the most minor investigations. It's time to explore all the things you've wanted to investigate for so long . . . so use your free time to feed yourself the images and information you seek. Your curiosity will also come in handy in the romantic realm of your life. Ask the questions you've been dying to ask . . . swallow your shyness and take the plunge!”

And: “Motivation must come from within. The only thing that can pull you out of bed today is your own inner drive. Too much partying may leave you spent to the point that you don't even want to move. Remember to be moderate. Be good to your physical body. Go outside and let your mind radiate outward like the rays of the Sun. Feel the grounding of the Earth below.”

My Sun reading: “People wear hearts and sensitivity on their sleeves, yet they aren't given to talking about feelings. You and those close to you could carry inhibitions home, creating a rather quiet evening. The words ‘I understand,’ can be important. Sincerity can be expressed without words, if necessary.”

It has been a wonderful weekend, filled with time spent with good friends, good food, and lots of fun. Time spent walking on the beach, watching the sun go down, and listening to good music, far into the night.

It has been a weekend of connection to the Sacred. I attended both of the Sacred Mists Beltane Sabbats, and was honored with a surprise request to lead the pre-ritual meditation. As frightening as this sounds (LOL, I do still have a bit of stagefright), it is actually a vote of confidence when my High Priestess, Lady Raven, asks me to lead a Sabbat meditation at the actual ritual, without time to prepare. Lady Raven would not ask if she did not trust that I would be able to deliver. And I believe I did deliver. I brought my fellow students to the ancient altar at the top of the mountain, the altar that I was led to by Goddess and God, and by the Sacred Source that is Divine energy. Once my fellow students and I arrived, we lit the pine boughs and pine cones, and then both candles. Then, we all stood under the light of the sun and felt our bodies tingle and vibrate with power and creativity.

I also attended both New Moon Esbats. Yes, I do need to attend as many as possible because I am the Co-Director of the Esbat Program, but I also attend because I feel that it is very important that I go to as many rituals as possible. It is through these rituals that I connect with strength to the larger ebbs and flows of energies that are the solar year and the lunar cycle. Yes, I can connect to the background hum of energy with ease, and my own solitary rituals are powerful and fulfilling, but there is also much to be gained from being a part of group rituals.

And after all of those wonderful things, I am once again wowed by the words of my dear friend, Curley. She spent the weekend at a marvelous place called Spring Farm, and the story of her experiences have brought me to tears, several times.

Now, my friend Curley is, to me, The Empress. She is capable of offering such amazing love and compassion to those in need. She is not a doormat by any means, and she wisely does not waste her efforts on those who have harm in mind, but in many ways she manifests The Goddess, even if she does not realize it. And she has a way with words, Curley does. Maybe it’s just because she is experiencing similar challenges and joys as I am, but her words affect me deeply.

I found out that one of the miracles was that the highest point I ever thought I could achieve - which was being able to believe in spirit - was only the first step. Can you believe that I thought I would go my whole life, and that the most I wanted, and could hope for, was to hold on to the idea that maybe it was real? Oh my; yes, I have experienced this ecstasy as well, and I love the fact that you are saying this now, Curley. We all doubt sometimes, and in fact, the doubt is worth it because it allows us to experience the reconnection again and again, the validation that all we hoped to be true is actually true, is actually real.

But I am going to finish this post not with Curley’s words, rather, with the words of another. Spring Farm offers courses in animal communication, and my final offering today is the words of a very wise cat named Velvet.

I have nothing but trust that life is always continued even when we cannot see it. I know this because I can feel it. It is such an easy thing to feel and to know. My heart knows it without question. Life is love and love is life. Death is a misconception. Your concept of death is the equivalent of believing that nothing exists at night because you can't see it in the darkness. You don't question that the trees behind our house aren't there on a moonless night. You know they are there, don't you? How do you know? Do you run out each time and touch them to be sure? Do you stand there in the darkness hugging the tree for dear life until morning comes, just to be sure? Of course not. You simply trust that it's always there. That the trees stand tall even when you can't see them and when you awaken each morning, you see them again. Yet when you see them, you don't proclaim each day that it's a miracle. You simply accept that is how it is, without question. Then why do you question a life that is always there but that you can't see when the body moves into spirit? Certainly spirit is still there, just like the trees at night. I simply know this is true. By Velvet, cat

Beltane Blessings.

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