The Moon reversed/King of Swords.  The Moon corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, emotional and sensitive energy that strives to stay the same), Pisces (“I believe,” feeling, suffering, soul growth, duality), Qof (the back of the head), and the Path between Malkuth (the physical world of action and physical, outer reality) and Netzach (the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration), and talks about the imagination, perception, and fear of the unknown.  Upright, this card would be telling me that things might not be as they seem; because my Moon card is reversed, perhaps I will be able to see past the illusion to the truth at the core of the situation.  The King of Swords (cusp of Capricorn, “I build,” ambitious, cautious, cunning, authoritative, and Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, aloof) is a good judge of people and situations, and is good at articulating those judgments.  Perhaps it is my own intellect that will allow me to see past the illusion, and whatever I perceive, I should be well able to both benefit myself and benefit others.  This King paired with the reversed Moon is lovely.

My Thoth card is the Five of Disks.  “Worry” The Five of Disks (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, skill, communication, in Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn) traditional image shows a woman and a child, one of them injured in some way, travelling in the cold wind, with a church window behind them.  Crowley’s keyword for this card is “Worry,” as in to pick at; whatever blockages are occurring in my physical world may tempt me to feel out of control, but I do need to remember that testing the system is always of value, although the test may not be comfortable.

My Legacy card is the Knight of Swords, flavored by The Hermit reversed.  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.  He is much more enthusiastic than his King, and his enthusiasm can occasionally get him into trouble, but if a situation needs quick action and a strong hand, he’s our man.  The Hermit corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and material, practical and stable energy that is slow to change), as well as Virgo (“I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented, orderly), Yod (open hand, touch), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Chesed (the place where forms and structure are stabilized and nurtured), and in an upright position is about searching within for a deeper meaning.  The reversed Hermit is flavoring my Knight of Swords, and perhaps its energies will encourage my Knight to be more like the King, and take counsel from others before jumping into a situation.

My 6-digit date number is 8, the number that tells of a conscious response to the beginning of degeneration that is the number 7 in order to maintain the balance of the number 6.

My horoscopes: “Keep your eyes and ears open to all new possibilities, Sagittarius. Even if it isn't your habit to read the ‘Help Wanted’ section of the newspaper, do so today. You might be surprised at what you find there. Your skills apply to all sorts of jobs. You don't need to limit your search to one profession. You have a good mind that's working in overdrive now. Use it to figure out the next steps for your advancement.”

And: “Love matters may prove to be too intense for you today. You may be having a rough week, and your partner may be especially demanding of your time and energy. This might be a good day for you to specifically schedule some time alone. Go for a massage, a sauna, or a hot tub - by yourself - and simply relax. That way you'll be more refreshed when you meet with your beloved in the evening. Enjoy your day.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding The Lovers.  This is a card of union, of balance, of temptation and of choices.  And of course, what is created by the manifestation of all of these things.  Important consideration today!  There are all kinds of love, but finding that indescribable union with another that we all seek is the greatest blessing of life.

LOL, did not get much sleep the other night.  We have an in-ground pool in our yard, and the cover is still on the pool right now, with a large puddle of water in the center of the cover.  The neighborhood starlings come there every day to bathe, and mourning doves and sparrows come to drink.  We even get the occasional mallard duck.

I was awakened the other night at about 2 am by splashing and paddling sounds.  Turns out a pair of juvenile raccoons were playing tag in our yard, splashing and tumbling joyously through the little pond on the pool cover and then shooting into the shadows.  One would hide and wait for the other to be distracted by the water, and then dart out and jump on top of the unsuspecting raccoon.  They chased each other up and down the blue spruce in the corner of the yard, and then back into the water to tumble over each other again.  Needless to say, it was a while before I fell back to sleep.

Tonight I will be meeting with my much-loved Pagan Brain Trust.  Time to spend another great evening sitting around The Table, feeding our minds, our souls and our sweet teeth!

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