The Emperor reversed/Three of Swords reversed.  The Emperor, which is a Fire card (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive, energetic change) that corresponds with the astrological sign of Aries (“I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive) and the Hebrew letter Heh (window, illumination), represents confidence and authority.  The Emperor actively seeks balance by imposing order on his world, and it makes sense that my Emperor is reversed because that is exactly what I needed to get through yesterday.  The Three of Swords (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) usually indicates the possibility that logic, rationalizing and the intellect could end up causing harm if they are not used with balance and compassion.  All of the Swords cards offer a sometimes painful lesson, but this is the one that I like the least. My Three of Swords is reversed, and I am hoping this means that my likelihood of receiving or causing sorrow is fading away.  The card is here, so I will continue to be careful about how I use my intellect.

My Thoth card is the Five of Cups reversed.  “Disappointment” The Five of Cups (Mars, action, aggression, drive, in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, mysterious, obsessive) tells of an emotional setback or a lack of support. The suit of Cups is about feelings, and about pleasure, and when we have the calm pleasure of the Four of Cups (almost to the point of being hypnotized by that pleasure) and we stir those waters, it is like being woken suddenly from a nap.  Not comfortable at all.  However, we need to remember that once we get over the shock of the rude awakening, we just might find out that we are glad we are up, awake and aware.  My card is reversed, and I am taking this to mean that my shoulder has already been shaken and today is a day to look for reasons to be glad that I was awakened.

My Legacy card is the Four of Coins reversed, flavored by The Chariot.  Well, that Chariot card is showing up a lot.  The Four of Coins (the Sun, the inner core of a person or situation or the deepest self, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, authority, caution cunning) in an upright position tells of very solid foundations and an awareness of the value of our possessions.  When upright, this card hints at a need for control, mainly due to that awareness I just spoke of.  My card is reversed today, and since it is paired with The Chariot, it is telling me that I don’t need to focus too much on my physical world maintenance right now.  At least not directly.  The Chariot, which 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), tells of having the control necessary to focus on goals, and to avoid distractions.  Even though I feel better today, the presence of this card tells me that I still need to be aware of what I’m feeling.

My 6-digit date number is 3, the number that tells of new creations from the potential and position of the Ace, and the balance, polarity, and “distance between” of the number 2.

My horoscopes: “You tend to think that you're the only person on this planet born under a lucky star, Sagittarius. Try to trust the ones you love, because they might not appreciate having to deal with your anxiety. Don't forget that they also know how to fend for themselves. They, too, have had to adapt to this world we live in. They can stand up for themselves.”

And: “Remember that you are put on this Earth to have fun, and that happiness is your true destiny. Keep this in mind today as forces may tend to pull you off track from the fun you've been having. There is likely to be a rather sobering tone to the day that is stubbornly at work trying to rain on your parade of fun. Recognize the need for structure and stability but don't let it bring you down.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the King of Pentacles.  This King is about a strong and confident connection to everything in the physical world, and an ability to manage the resources all around me.  Reliability and hard-won skills are the tools of the day, and after the work is done and completed, the perfect ending would be to share the bounty.

Almost done with the gunas! I’ve talked about the gunas of Heavy and Light, Liquid and Dry, Hot and Cold, Easy and Difficult, Clear and Gooey, and the tastes of Sweet, Bitter, and Salty.  Next up: a bit about the taste of Sour.  My source once again is the Joyful Belly website.

Sour is mostly a good thing, except when we are using the word Sour to represent food that has gone bad.  Sour increases secretions, both saliva in the mouth, digestive fluids in the stomach, and a more moist colon. 

Basically there are two kinds of Sour: fermented Sour and astringent Sour.  Fermented Sour foods include yogurt, wine, beer and pickles.  Since fermented foods are pretty much pre-digested by microbes, these foods are absorbed easily into the system.  Astringent Sour include acidic fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, cranberries and pomegranates, which cleanse the palate and are cooling to the system.  Middle-of-the-road Sour foods include peaches, apricots, cherries and apples.  Astringent and middle-of-the-road Sour foods are also valuable digestive tonics because they aid our digestion, the coolness soothes inflammation, and the astringency restores tone to distended tissues.

Sour pacifies Vata, and aggravates Pitta.  It also aggravates recovering Kaphas like me, so if I indulge in anything Sour, I need to balance that Sour out with tastes that are drying.

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