Nine of Cups/The Lovers. The Nine of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) is about emotional satisfaction and the ability to find pleasure in the effects of my senses and my emotions. This card is about realizing that I enjoy what I have, just the way it is. The Lovers (Air, hot/separates and wet/adapts, quick and animated, intellectual, problems or challenges; Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, sociable, dual; Zayin, double-edged sword; and the Path between Tiphareth, the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify, and Binah, female receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) is a very powerful card for me personally, filled with symbolism, the least of which is the presence of Archangel Uriel and His effects on my day. The Lovers is about love, connections, personal choices, determining values, and deciding what I believe. These two cards as a par are telling me that today might be an emotionally rich day, filled with fulfillment and satisfaction that are very personal in nature.

My Thoth card is the Prince of Swords reversed. The Prince (Knight) of Swords (the cusp of Taurus, “I have,” sensual, stubborn, cautious, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, dual, intelligent) is an Air of Air card (Crowley sees the rank of Prince/Knight as corresponding with the element of Air). In an upright position, this card represents a mind full of strong ideas, but also a mind without the ability to manifest those ideas before they become lost. Because my Prince of Swords is reversed, this mental intensity will not be totally in control today; yes, it will have an effect, but if I am in touch with my emotions and my spirit and my body, as well as my mind, I will head more towards balance.

My Legacy card is The Magician reversed, flavored by Faith/The Hierophant. The Magician corresponds with Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and quick and animated energy which usually presents problems or challenges), Mercury (reason, intelligence, orderliness, communication), Beth (house; builder) and the Path between Binah (female, receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) and Kether (the source, limitless possibility). The Magician has the power to transform his world through the use of his Will and his connection to the Divine; he holds and wields real power that he owns through discipline and practice. Because my Magician card is reversed, I may need to refrain from being forceful today, or from wielding my own skills and powers in the physical world. Today might be a day that is better for an inward focus, and for thinking rather than doing. 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), and this card is flavoring my reversed Magician. In an upright position, this is a conservative card based on orthodox and proven systems. The Faith card is reinforcing a focus on not acting alone or for my own goals without considering tried-and-true methods, and the effect of my thoughts, words and deeds upon others.

My 6-digit date number is 7, the number that tells of a pause (and possibly a crossroad), as growth slows and the beginning of degeneration approaches.

My horoscopes: “You have an exciting, intense day in store. Your curiosity is at a peak, and today it combines with a vivid imagination. This makes you ideally suited for medical research projects, as it gives you the ability to make connections among seemingly disparate themes. Regardless of your profession, you can expect to see the world in an entirely new way today.”

And: “It is time to loosen up a bit. The current planetary aspects will bring a new cycle of tolerance and understanding you way. You could use a little of both, if you don't mind our saying so. Take baby-steps as you begin to introduce the kinder and gentler YOU to your friends and co-workers. They won't accept a rapid transformation, but they will be agreeable to gradual changes. Start by listening more and speaking less. This little step can make a big difference in a relationship. Build from there!”

And my new one: “You'll probably grow frustrated today if you push too hard at work as bossy Mars squares the Sun in your sign. Instead of acting aggressively and trying to get others to do things your way, it's smarter to just work on your own now. Don't bother drawing up complex plans and procedures; just jump in and figure it out along the way. It's great if your friends join in to help, but don't count on their assistance or you could end up waiting all day. Simply show what you can do by setting an example that everyone will want to follow.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Eight of Pentacles. Patience, diligence and attention to detail are the gifts of this card. I am being called to absorb myself in whatever projects I am working on today, and to not only actively seek knowledge, but also to pursue a higher understanding. These projects may be connected to my physical world in some way, but if I can find joy and fulfillment from performing even the dullest or most uncomfortable tasks, I will have connected to the Purpose of this card.

Today, pain is on my mind, physical pain. I did experience discomfort last night after my oral surgery, and I am still experiencing it this morning, but it is bearable. And I am taking this opportunity presented by the presence of pain that is bearable, added to the disruptive and uncomfortable day I had yesterday, in order to explore this physical sensation (if that is what pain really is). In order to distract myself, and to understand just what physical pain is, I went to Wikipedia. Below is a summary of what I found; more than I expected!

The ability to feel or experience pain is essential for protection from injury. Pain allows us to recognize the presence of an injury or the potential to receive harm, in order to prevent said injury or harm, and it encourages us to protect a damaged body part in order to allow it to heal.

Philosophers, both ancient and modern, have often seen pain not as an effect of our physical senses but rather as emotions, or “passions of the soul.” Some believed that pain was an emotional state produced by stronger-than-normal stimuli, such as intense light, pressure or temperature.

In modern times, pain is described in terms of three dimensions: “sensory-discriminative” (sense of the intensity, location, quality and duration of the pain), “affective-motivational” (unpleasantness and urge to escape the unpleasantness), and “cognitive-evaluative” (cognitions such as appraisal, cultural values, distraction and hypnotic suggestion). It is theorized that pain intensity (the sensory discriminative dimension) and unpleasantness (the affective-motivational dimension) are not only determined by the magnitude of the painful stimulus, but are also influenced by “higher” cognitive activities.

Indifference to pain can be induced by medication; rarely, this indifference is present from birth. Some people have normal nerves and find pain unpleasant, but do not avoid repetition of the pain stimulus. Others experience indifference because of abnormalities in the nervous system.

Pain that lasts a long time is called chronic, and pain that resolves quickly is called acute.

Nociceptive pain is caused by stimulation of nerve fibers. The accepted categories are “thermal” (heat or cold), “mechanical” (crushing, tearing, etc.) and “chemical” (iodine in a cut, chili powder in the eyes). Nociceptive pain can be further divided into “visceral,” “deep somatic” and “superficial somatic” pain. Visceral structures are highly sensitive to stretch, ischemia and inflammation, but relatively insensitive to burning and cutting. Visceral pain is diffused, difficult to locate and often referred to a distant, usually superficial, pain; it may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Deep somatic pain is often related to sprains and broken bones, and is usually experienced in ligaments, tendons, bones, blood vessels, fasciae and muscles, and is dull, aching, poorly-localized pain. Superficial pain is often related to minor wounds and first degree burns, and is usually experienced in the skin or other superficial tissue, and is sharp, well-defined and clearly located.

Neuropathic pain is caused by damage or disease affecting any part of the nervous system involved in bodily feelings or sensations. Peripheral neuropathic pain is often described as “burning,” “tingling,” “electrical,” “stabbing,” or “pins and needles.” Bumping the “funny bone” causes neuropathic pain.

Phantom pain, which is a type of neuropathic pain, is pain from a part of the body that has been lost or from which the brain no longer receives signals. This pain is often described as shooting, crushing, burning or cramping. If the pain continues for a long period, parts of the intact body may become sensitized, so that touching them evokes pain in the phantom limb. Local anesthetic injections into the nerves or sensitive areas of the stump can often provide relief, but so can mirror box therapy (which allows for illusions of movement and touch in a phantom limb, which in turn can reduce pain).

Psychogenic pain is caused, increased, or prolonged by mental, emotional, or behavioral factors. Headache, back pain, and stomach pain are sometimes diagnosed as psychogenic. Sufferers are often stigmatized because both medical professionals and the general public often believe that pain from a psychological source is not “real,” but specialists consider this type of pain as no less real or hurtful than pain from any other source.

Iopathic pain (pain that persists after the trauma or pathology has healed, or that arises without any apparent cause), may be an exception to the idea that pain is helpful to survival, although some psychodynamic psychologists argue that such pain is psychogenic, enlisted as a protective distraction to keep dangerous emotions unconscious.

Breakthrough pain is pain that comes on suddenly for short periods of time and is not alleviated by pain suppression management. This type of pain is common in cancer patients who have thier background pain controlled by medications, but the pain periodically “breaks through” the medication. The characteristics of breakthrough cancer pain vary from person to person and according to the cause.

Incident pain is pain that arises as a result of activity, such as movement of an arthritic joint, stretching a wound, etc.

The human body has natural pain killers, called endorphins (which act in a similar fashion to codeine or morphine, but without negative side effects or withdrawal symptoms). Endorphins not only relieve pain but bring about a temporary sense of well-being. Endorphins are neurotransmitters made of amino acids that cause a reaction in the opiate receptors within the human body – they block or interrupt the signals going to the brain that indicate pain or stress.

Beta-endorphins, which are produced by the pituitary gland, create the strongest amount of pain relief and the greatest euphoric response within a person. It is believed that beta-endorphins allow persons who have sustained a grave injury to sometimes endure until help arrives or to accomplish a heroic feat in saving themselves or others.

Pain is the most widely accepted and known trigger of an endorphin reaction, but there also some types of food and stimulus that elicit a similar physical response. For example, chocolate has been known to cause a release of endorphins, as have chili peppers. Laughter also generates production. A runner’s high or the euphoria felt after strenuous exercise is known to be a result of endorphins. Sun and the tactile touch of massage therapy are known contributors, as well.

Okay, then. Nietzsche summed it best: “What does not kill me, makes me stronger.” So did Gloria Gaynor: “I will survive!”

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