Seven of Swords reversed/Two of Pentacles reversed. The Seven of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, cause-oriented, the group, aloofness) tells of the active effort to maintain things as we want them, often through the use of deception and without considering the wants or needs of others.  Upright, this card can show us just what an empty victory is, but since my Seven of Swords is reversed, perhaps I will be able to catch myself in time so as to prevent this situation from occurring.  That is, after all, one of the more difficult skills to maintain as it involves thinking outside of ourselves. The Two of Pentacles (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution, cunning) reminds me that everything always ebbs and flows.  This card, whether upright or reverse, is one of several cards in the Tarot that addresses balance, and my Two is one that is about dynamic balance (which is always moving, always changing, and in fact remains balanced because of movement and change).  This is a Pentacles card, so it is addressing my physical world, and because it is reversed, I need to think carefully about what new tasks I am taking on, and what tasks already in play need to be addressed, because a snag could happen.

My Thoth card is the Six of Cups reversed.  The upright Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive) is a card of emotional balance, simple joys fun and blessings which reminds us to enjoy the blessings of the past, be aware of the blessings of the present, and anticipate with pleasure the blessings of the future. My Six of Cups is reversed, and this tells me that perhaps I may be distracted from the harmony of this card, which should be a part of my day.  Yep, maybe distracted, but all is not lost, for the card is there, so there is always the hope that I will be able to turn it around.

My Legacy card is the King of Swords, flavored by The Fool.  Hmmm . . . interesting pair. 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.  This King probably has the highest ethical standards in the entire Minor Arcana, but the thing that makes him very cool (and very effective as a leader) is that he does not just sit there giving orders.  No sitting around and waiting for others to get things done for this King!  His only real problem is that he is not real good at compassion.  However, my King is being flavored by The Fool. The Fool corresponds with Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and challenges that tend to require the use of the intellect to solve), Uranus (technology, science, radical change), Aleph (the head, youthful learning) and the Path between Chokmah (male in the electric sense, dynamic energy and the origin of vital force and polarity) and Kether (the source; limitless possibility).  The Fool is similar to my King of Swords in many ways: he does what he thinks should be done without hesitation, and he is very much a creature of Air (as is the suit of Swords).  However, there is one big difference between these two cards.  My King is an expert, through a lifetime of accumulated knowledge, wisdom and experience.  My Fool is the opposite of this fulfillment and completion of manifestation; he is the spark that begins the idea, the first step that begins the Journey.  And The Fool knows this; he is aware of his unmanifested potential (which is not yet either good or evil), and in fact, revels in it.  LOL, and he is probably reminding my King today to lighten up and have some fun, and maybe even learn something new in the process!

My 6-digit date number is 7, the number that tells of the pause that happens when growth slows and degeneration begins; this number usually offers a choice or crossroad of some kind.

My horoscopes: “Don't run away from tension today, Sagittarius. Any sort of emotional stress you feel will be compounded tremendously if it isn't dealt with right away. Be in the moment while the moment is here. The more you face in the present, the less you'll regret in the future. Clear up any sticky situation that arises and move forward. People may not understand your needs and concerns until you verbalize them clearly.”

And: “It may be hard for you to feel connected to anyone today. You are probably better off just keeping to yourself. If you are feeling sad or depressed, it is best to work through these feelings on your own. Other people are not apt to be too sympathetic to your situation. You are better off sticking to your work to keep the demons out of your head.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Nine of Wands.  The Shadowscapes Nine of Wands is about vigilance.  We keep watch and attempt to keep our lives and those we love safe and sound, and the energies of this card are about using your mind and your intellect to accomplish this.  According to the Shadowscapes Companion, the LWB that comes with this deck, the energies of this card have not yet been tested, and even so, they prepare and watch, wondering if today will be the day. 

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, Pungent, Salty and Sour. The last Taste is Astringent.  My source once again is the Joyful Belly website.

Astringent cleanses the mouth but causes difficulty swallowing because it makes the mouth feel dry. Leafy greens, green bananas and cranberries are Astringent, and it is Astringent that makes an apple crunchy and makes lentils and peeled potatoes stick to each other.

Astringent causes a tightening of tissues and an obstruction of lymphatic flow, causes the cells of the body to withdraw, and may cause constipation.  However, a great cure for diarrhea is a good Astringent like cranberry or pomegranate juice.  Astringent is also helpful to counteract inflammation (both on the skin and in the gut).  Astringent also cools of and collects scattered or hot thoughts.

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