Seven of Wands/Nine of Wands. The Seven of Wands (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, natural leader, egotistical, selfish) is flavoring my Death card, and it is a significant card for me in its own right, besides its traditional meaning.  This card traditionally tells of having the courage to take a stand.  I see it as also presenting a gateway of sorts which involves the passing of a test.  Sometimes I am the gatekeeper and sometimes I am the person seeking admittance. While the Seven of Wands is about taking a stand and putting that stand out there, the Nine of Wands (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, adventurous, blundering) has more of an inner focus, reminding us that even when it seems that we are outnumbered and outmaneuvered, we do have the strength, courage, and stamina to win by the time the day is done.  I often find that these more difficult to achieve victories are the sweetest.

My Thoth card is the Seven of Cups reversed.  “Debauch” will not be a strong part of my day, The Seven of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, obsessive, mysterious) represents the distraction and dissipation that can happen when we are presented with enticing choices.  Uncle Al sees this card with even more strength, as representing drug addiction or being drunk on pleasure, almost to the point of being suicidal.  Thankfully my card is reversed, so I should be able to retain my grounding and sanity amid a morass of pleasure.  LOL, tough job, but I’ll try.

My Legacy card is the Ten of Wands reversed, flavored by the Nine of Coins reversed. The Ten of Wands (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering) is a card which tells of being taxed to some perceived limit.  My Ten of Wands is reversed, which is good.  I have a lot to get done today, and this card tells me that while I may be tired at the end of the day (sounds like a soak in my tub may be in order, eh?), I will accomplish much. The Nine of Coins (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) tells of accomplishment through the imposition of discipline.  My Nine is reversed, and flavoring my Ten of Wands, so I do need to It is flavoring my reversed Seven of Swords, and that is nice!  My good intentions and my focus and discipline, along with my attempts to work with others for the good of all, should bring some nice rewards.

My 6-digit date number is 3, the new creation out of the position and possibility of the Ace, and the balance, polarity, and understanding of “distance between” of the 2.

My horoscopes: “A close friend or member of your household could be having money problems, Sagittarius, and want to draw on your good business sense in order to understand the situation and find ways to put it right. As you're likely to be feeling especially sensitive to the needs of others today, you could be of valuable help to this person and anyone else who might need some insights.”

And: “You may feel like you have come out of the dark and into the light today. A weight has been lifted but there is still a great deal of emotional drama that needs to work itself out. Go for a long walk or jog this afternoon and increase your lung capacity. Get your heart rate up and feel your blood pumping. You will find that the more active you are, the more you will be able to sort through your emotional trauma.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Queen of Swords.  Ooh, a new one for me, at least lately!  The image on this card is refreshing, and it is meant to be.  After all, this Queen is of Air, and the fresh breezes of the early morning.  She is about purity, honesty, clarity, and uncompromising balance, but she is also about humor and wit.  Sounds perfect for today!

I just came back from a wonderful bike ride.  I got a real late start because we had a whopper of a storm pass through here last night, and I was up from about 12:30 to almost 2 am.  There really is something cozy about being safe in bed during a display of the elements! 

Anyway, I let myself sleep in, and got up and out in time to visit Elizabeth’s Breadstand.  Yum, freshly baked bread!  I bought a small loaf of my favorite, sage and polenta, as well as some beautiful freshly harvested carrots and purple string beans.   Because the day was so lovely, I decided to do my long bike ride (about 6.75 miles, not horrendously long), and hit every farm stand along the way. 

My next stop was Beach Plum Farm, where I picked up some beautiful sugar peas.  Methinks I’m going to make a great fresh veggie salad for my dinner tonight!  I got back onto my bike (thankful for my basket), and headed onward.  Anne Smith’s stand was not open yet.  Soon!  She grows the most awesome zucchinis and eggplants and tomatoes.  I then stopped at the stand on New England Road, don’t know the name of it.  Fresh eggs!  Berries!  I continued with my ride, and as I passed the canal I had a huge smile on my face, anticipating my dinner.  Bug, you would be proud of me!

I finished at Ducky’s.  I bought a lovely head of romaine lettuce, and one fat ear of New Jersey corn, still dewy from the fields.  With a bit of vinegar, mustard, and a dollop of my raw honey, and some fresh chives, parsley, basil, and sage, freshly harvested from my herb garden and whisked together as a dressing, I should end up with a nice, refreshingly cool veggie salad to have with whatever I decide to do as a protein for dinner.

As I sit in my back room, looking out the French doors into my garden as I sip my coffee and eat the last piece of sage and polenta toast, slathered with butter and raw honey, I am filled with gratitude and an awareness of my many blessings.  I have a roof over my head, delicious seasonally fresh food to eat, and a beautiful garden, into which I will soon plunge my Cutter-coated body.  There are baby birds on the porch, chirping for their lunch, and a multitude of bugs and worms for mom and dad to feed them.  I have roses and hydrangeas and bee balm and gladiola and black-eyed-susans blooming, and my dahlia has buds on it! 

What a glorious day!

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