The Chariot reversed/The Hierophant reversed. The Chariot corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, and sensitive, emotional and imaginative energy that likes to stay the same or follow the same course), Cancer (“I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody), Cheth (the fence), and the Path between Geburah (the place where forms and structure are challenged or affirmed) and Binah (female receptive energy and the origin of form and structure), and is related to emotional control and the training of our emotions so that we can use them to bring greater good into our lives. The Hierophant corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes), Taurus (“I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn), Vau (the nail which holds tradition in place), and the Path between Chesed (the place where forms and structures are stabilized and nurtured), and Chokmah (dynamic male energy, the origin of vital force and polarity).  This is a conservative card whose power is based on orthodox and proven systems.  Both cards are reversed, and I think they have an interesting message for me.  One of the interpretations of the reversed Chariot is **not** putting oneself first.  Upright, this card tells of using our skills and ability to focus in order to achieve goals, but reversed, it could very well be warning me today that my goals should not be first on my list.  The reversed Hierophant could be possibly reinforcing this interpretation of The Chariot; since The Hierophant is an expert in culture and tradition, and since the card is reversed, I might be being told today that I am not the expert I believe myself to be, and maybe I had better stop and listen to what others have to say.

My Thoth card is the Eight of Swords. “Interference,” and this is my only upright card today in my regular card throws.  The Eight of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable talkative, dual) shows the confusion and restriction that can result from actively seeking to use only the intellect to perceive reality.  I love Paul Huges-Barlow’s keyword for this card, “analysis paralysis.”  This card tells of a situation where I am not able to connect the results of my analysis process to the outer world.  Crowley sees the interference represented by this card as being strongly connected to pure bad luck; the blockages are probably not anything I could prevent, so I should try to ride the wave for today.  Maybe things will be clearer tomorrow.

My Legacy card is Temperance reversed, flavored by the Six of Swords reversed. Temperance connects with Sagittarius (“I seek,” philosophic, adventurous, blundering) Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive, energetic change), Samekh (the tent post), and the Path between Yesod (the place where patterns and images emerge that may manifest into the physical world of action and outer reality) and Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify), and it is one of the Major Arcana cards that presents the concept of dynamic balance. The Six of Swords (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, communication, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause oriented) is about hitting the reset button in order to move away from a problem or blockage and to begin to recover.  You could say that the upright Six of Swords is moving towards balance and away from imbalance, and since it is reversed and since it is flavoring my reversed Temperance, it could be seen as reinforcing that reversal.  Temperance is also a card of maintaining rather than actively moving, but reversed it can be seen as telling of some kind of motion or interference.  **scratches head**  “Interference”; now where have I heard that word?  LOL.  The reversed Six of Swords can tell of high spirits, which can be seen as an extreme rather than a situation of balance. 

My Pearls of Wisdom 11/11/11 card is the Six of Pentacles. The Six of Pentacles (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Taurus, “I have,” Sensual, cautious, stubborn) brings an awareness of resources to the situation, both those that I have and those that I don’t have. The Pearls of Wisdom Six of Pentacles tells of generosity, blessings, and joyous deliverance.  It tells of the coming resolution of a difficulty , or the approach of some breakthrough.  Oh-kay!

My 6-digit date number is 7, the number that tells of a pause and assessment which will require a choice: move on or stay as I am.

My horoscopes: “Practical, scientific, or spiritual ideas of all kinds are your life's blood. Today you might expand your knowledge. Much of what you learn may be based on technology such as telescopes or particle accelerators. You're only scratching the surface today. Much of what you learn may be confusing, but stay with it. It will make more sense to you later.”

And: “Balance out your boisterous, adventurous nature with a bit of discipline today. It is important for you to laugh, but it is also important for you to stay on task with your duties. The good news is that both of these things can work in tandem. They are not mutually exclusive. In fact, one will aid in achieving the other. Be serious, but feel free to have a good time and keep things in perspective, as well.”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is regarding The Chariot.  This lovely card tells of triumph, of self-confidence, and of the maintenance of discipline.  The Shadowscapes Companion says this about The Chariot: “Like the tenuous border where sea meets sky, a constant tension of push and pull of air against liquid is maintained, and to ride to victory, one must be able to achieve the confidence and knowledge to walk upon that fragile surface.”  I am reminded instantly of what the beach looked like tonight, as I waited for the sun to set.  It was low tide, and the waves were gentle but continuous, and large gobs of foam had piled up along the edge of the farthest reaches of the waves.  The foam serves of a reminder of the power of even gentle waves, and of the image of balance that was presented to me at dusk this evening.

The next part of The Emerald Tablet, “It ascends from the earth to the heaven. It extracts the lights from the heights and descends to the earth containing the power of the above and the below for it is with the light of the lights. Therefore the darkness flees from it.” needs to be examined carefully, because it is huge. 

This section tells of rising up, of being refined, of reflected back downward, being refined even more, and then rising back up once again.  I am being given the image of the cycles that happen when “as above” and “so, below” interact; these cycles are endless.  Interestingly enough, the quote from my Shadowscapes Companion seems to relate directly to this part of The Emerald Tablet.  Push and pull, above and below, image and reflection of that image, all keep cycling again and again. 

I am also reminded of the “information highway of lights” that I have been seeing for some time now, since July.  My “tether” to this information highway has grown thick and substantial, and to me, this part of The Emerald Tablet seems to be referring directly to that information highway.  Hmmmm . . . I have not been to the Ancient Altar in a while; maybe it is time that I go there. 

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