Friday, December 16, 2011


Five of Cups reversed/Five of Pentacles reversed.  Wow!  No motion today, eh?  The Five of Cups (Mars, action, aggression, drive, in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, mysterious, obsessive) in an upright position tells of emotional down time, a setback, a feeling of regret, or a lack of support.  The Five of Pentacles (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, skill, communication, in Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn) in an upright position tells me to expect some challenges in the physical world, maybe connected to finance, health, or family, that might bring a sense of isolation or of lacking approval or support.  If they were both upright, I would not be in a good mood right now, but thankfully, they are both reversed.  This means that I should experience quite a bit of resolution, absolution and recognition today.  Sounds like any hard work I’ve been doing either regarding my emotions or my physical world just might start showing some results.  Since the number 5 represents motion, and since both of my cards are reversed, there may also be a bit of stabilization happening today.

My Thoth card is the Knight of Swords.  The Knight of Swords (the cusp of Taurus, “I have,” sensual, stubborn, cautious, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, dual, intelligent) is brave, insightful, courageous, and logical.  Unfortunately, he is also rude, domineering, critical and sarcastic.  Today I may find that focusing is easy for me, and finding the answer to a question is a breeze.  I will be able to determine what needs to be done and then take action, but I should be aware that my passage may knock things for a loop. 

My Legacy card is the Queen of Coins, flavored by the Six of Swords.  The Queen of Coins (cusp of Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering, and Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution, cunning, authoritative) is resourceful in the physical world.  She is good at breaking the confusion down to its simplest denominator, and she just might be able to calm that Knight of Swords above.  The Six of Swords (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, communication, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause oriented) is flavoring my Queen of Coins.  This Swords card is about balance, healing, moving towards a better place, and even about learning the science behind things that work (because understanding why they work makes them more effective).  If I had to choose a second Swords card in my spread today, this one is it.  In flavoring my Queen, and taken with my two reversed Fives, the Six of Swords balances out that Knight of Swords better than I could have planned.

My 6-digit date number is 3, the number of a new creation out of the potential of the Ace and the balance and polarity of the 2.

My horoscopes: “Good news about money could fill you with ideas about how to spend it, particularly on your home. Maybe you need new furniture or have been thinking about painting or redecorating. This is a great time to do it as long as you're careful and not to let your exuberance get the better of you. You don't want to have to repaint or take unwanted furniture back to the store.”

And: “Today you might feel especially inspired, both intellectually and creatively, and you could find yourself discussing your ideas with others. The process of communication could open up new doors in your mind, and result in some fascinating insights concerning whatever you're pursuing at this time. Sometime in the course of your conversations with others, don't be surprised if you find that one of your friends needs a sympathetic ear. Enjoy your day.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Three of Cups.  This is the card of connections and friendship, and it represents the love and caring that lace through any relationship.  Pondering relationships can be a serious business, but not through this card.  Instead of wondering why things are working, my Three of Cups is just telling me to enjoy the moment.

The next part of The Emerald Tablet is: “This is why Thrice Hermes was exalted with wisdom.”  Perhaps this is a good time to talk about Hermes Trismegistus, and how and why he is associated with The Emerald Tablet.  Not an easy question to answer.

There are all kinds of myths associated with The Emerald Tablet.  Was it written by a son of Adam as an instruction for redemption from the first sin in the Garden of Eden?  Was The Emerald Tablet taken onto the ark by Noah and then after the Flood, hidden in a cave near Hebron? Was it rediscovered by Abraham’s wife, Sara, or by Miriam, daughter of Moses? Is the original Tablet stored in the Ark of the Covenant?  Or was the Tablet found in 1350 BC, in a secret chamber under the pyramid of Cheops?

The text of the Tablet may be at least 5,000 years old, and most Egyptian records point to the author of the Tablet as Hermes the Thrice Greatest.  Some say that Hermes was actually Agathodaimon, the great Thoth, the Egyptian god of magick, learning and hidden knowledge who offered the Tablet to humans over 12,000 years ago; others say that Hermes was the son of Thoth.  Hermes, the child of a God and a mortal, had a son, Tat, who was a scribe who lived in Alexandria at about 250 BC.  Interesting that there is a progression here, from god to god/man to man.  Also interesting that in the Greek Pantheon, Hermes is a god of magick, learning and hidden knowledge.

The Hermes associated with the Tablet is also associated with Amenhotep IV, later known as Akhenaten (or “He Who Serves The Aten”), and with a young Syrian named Balinas, better known as Apollonius of Tyana (after Apollo, the Greek god of enlightenment and brother of Hermes).  Both Akhenaten and Apollonius are said to have had in their possession the original Tablet made/given by Hermes.

The many writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, called the Hermetica, became popular in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The “Hermetic Tradition” consists of practices regarding alchemy, magick, astrology and other occult subjects, and is usually broken down into two basic categories: philosophical and technical.  “The Kybalion,” by The Three Initiates, is a description of Hermetic principles.

No matter which version of Hermes resonates as truth, there is a common denominator to them all.  Hermes, no matter when, where or how he appeared, was always revered as a philosopher and a teacher.  Whether Hermes Trismegistus was a god, was born of man, or was from another world, most cultures elevate him to the status of a god; in fact, both Akhenaten and Apollonius were also elevated to the same status.  Another way of saying that they were “exalted with wisdom.

$>

No comments:

Post a Comment