Ten of Wands/Ace of Cups reversed. The Ten of Wands (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering) tells of the blocking of the creative power of the suit of Wands, most likely because the Fire of creativity has run out of fuel.  This card is also about being held accountable, about pushing against the current flows of energy, or attempting to do so, beyond the time I have the ability to accomplish anything. The Ace of Cups (Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation, Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, deep, mysterious, obsessive, Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, adventurous, blundering) in an upright position tells of the possibility of the beginning of a relationship of some kind, one that may be filled with the potential to bring enlightenment and understanding, as well as love.  Because the card is reversed, I might not be able to determine the emotions of others or tap into my Inner Voice very well.

My Thoth card is the Seven of Cups reversed.  “Debauched” is the keyword Crowley assigns to  The Seven of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, obsessive, mysterious) is letting me know that there are messages out there to pick up, and choices or opportunities to access.  Each of the seven cups contains what appears to be a gift which corresponds to a planet and a Major Arcana card; the Wreath corresponds with Saturn and The World; the Castle corresponds with Mars and The Tower, the Woman corresponds with Venus and The Empress; the Snake corresponds with Mercury and The Magician; the Veil corresponds with the Moon and The High Priestess, the Jewels correspond with Jupiter and The Wheel of Fortune, and the Dragon corresponds with our Sun and The Sun.  Since this is a Cups card, in order to understand each of these gifts I need to also understand how I feel about the potential that each offers.  I need to also remember that sometimes each of the choices offered, or the possibility of choosing at all, is an illusion.

My Legacy card is the Ace of Wands reversed, flavored by Death. The Ace of Wands (Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical, Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, sensible, orderly) tells of the first spark of a new and exciting creative process, and an encouraging and empowering awareness of my own valuable creative talents.  I should feel ready to tackle the world, but I may not be tapping into the confidence in myself that is needed.  But the card is there, so the confidence is there, too.  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 is irreversible, but its effects can be liberating, and perhaps my two Aces are reversed today because the transformation of Death is in-progress.

Aces present seeds, potential and possibilities.  Both of my Aces are reversed, so those seeds are not yet sprouting, but they are there.  I need to think about the suit of Wands and the suit of Cups, and the possibilities offered by each of them, in order to access those possibilities or become more aware of them.

My 6-digit date number is 7, the number that tells of a pause (and possibly a choice to either accept what has been accumulated as sufficient, or strive for more) which occurs before the beginning of degeneration.

My horoscopes: “Spare no emotional or monetary expense today, Sagittarius. Whatever you put into this day will come back to you tenfold. Feel free to indulge and delight in your fun-loving nature. This day speaks of freedom from restraint of all kinds. Break the chains and explore new worlds in your mind and your physical surroundings. Don't say no when the adventure bus comes around to pick you up."

And: “With all the masculine energy that's in your life right now, you're going to feel very challenged during this day. Everything will feel like a competition to you, a call to step up and show everyone what you're really made of. You can have a lot of fun with this type of energy today, especially if you don't let things get too competitive. Just keep a good attitude, and don't be afraid that your status will be affected by your performance. It's all a game."

And: “Your sensual side might show itself today, and you might find yourself viewing young men in tight jeans more appreciatively than you usually do. Racy novels and movies may suddenly seem appealing, and you might want to make some purchases at the perfume or lingerie counters. Romantic encounters are intense and passionate - so make sure you allow plenty of time for them! Don't be surprised if you turn into a Siren! Enjoy yourself!"

My Sun reading: “A Sun/Uranus square contributes an element of surprise, not to mention stirring energy and excitement. Tonight's new romance could be a strong "love at first sight" attachment. The caveat here is that it's best to let things blossom. Start with friendship. Build for the present and don't focus on the future."

After walking this morning, I sat on the front porch for a bit with a cup of coffee (Starbucks Vienna; thanks, Curly!) and the magazine section of the New York Times.  I found an interesting article called “An Accidental, Experimental Masterpiece” by Sam Anderson which compared the Farmer’s Almanac to the Internet.  Now, I firmly believe that the Internet is a part of the astral realms.  I have performed workings and attended and led rituals in chat rooms with amazing results; I participate in Reiki Shares performed either by everyone having a particular page open on their computers, or by everyone entering a private chat room.  One of the Pagan Brain Trust members is an Internet Shaman who performs the most amazing and powerful workings by creating and then releasing sigils into the Internet. 

I found some interesting concepts in this article, concepts which tickle my brain, which call me and lure me to think about them further. 

One concept originated in part through a debate between Wikipedia editors.  Basically, the discussion revolved around the “deletionists,” the ones who feel that not every speck of information should be placed on the web, and the “inclusionists,” who feel that there should be no limit to what information gets placed on the web.  Mind you, this does not necessarily include pornography or other unethical actions, but it does include seemingly useless information.  Like our minds, our ability to visualize and imagine, it appears that the Internet is without true boundaries; each time that humanity believes it is approaching the far edge of its capabilities, the Internet expands once again. 

Is this a good thing?  The “deletionists” would say no; they would say that having access to limitless amounts of information could destroy the concepts of meaning, proportion, and even authority and validity.  Too much of anything, they say, is no good. 

I am tending to agree with the “inclusionists.”  In his book, “The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood,” James Gleik describes the Internet as “a vast, interlocking set of databases growing asymptotically toward the ideal of All Previous Text.”  The Internet, it seems, gives us so much control over what we can access and upload that we end up loosing control.  But again I ask: is this a good thing? 

Every culture felt fear when new technologies appeared.  Early critics of the telegraph machine felt that all this instant communication would create shallow thinkers who would loose the ability to write and compose because fees for messages were based on the number of characters being sent, and so abbreviations became the norm.  When the telephone became available, everyone feared that the emotions communicated by voice inflections would blind us to facts.  And so on.  Here we are, accessing an Internet that seems eternal, a hard concept to wrap ones brain around.  Anderson puts this into words nicely.  He says: “The Web itself is an eternally unfinished monument to inclusion – a text that aspires to be as big and involved as the world it describes.”  Now, how cool is that?  Having access to that kind of information source could actually enable us to . . . evolve!!

But a diet of massive information only, without a pause, is not healthy either.  And so, I will post this entry, and then turn off my computer and walk to the beach.  The only way all this information can be assimilated is by alternating the times of Cosmic Downloads with times of disconnection. 

Glimpse of the Machinery of the Universe?  Check.  Time to carry water, chop wood, and walk on the beach.

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