The Hierophant/Five of Swords reversed. Faith/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).  This card is an archetype of Spirit (with The Emperor as archetype of the Sacred Masculine, The Empress as archetype of the Sacred Feminine, and all three representing the supernal triad) that reminds us of the value of tradition, ritual and ceremony.  Another cool interpretation of this card can be the words of Spock just before he died in The Wrath of Kahn: “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.”  This card is also about maintaining and sharing tradition, ritual and ceremony.  The Five of Swords (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, pleasure, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, cause-oriented, the group, aloof) in an upright position shows what happens when we insist that our way is right, or when we impose our needs or wants onto a situation. Because my Five of Swords is reversed, it kind of reiterates Spock’s words!

My Thoth card is the Five of Wands.  “Strife” is Uncle Al’s keyword for this one. The Five of Wands, which corresponds with Saturn (discipline, responsibility, law and order) in Leo (“I am, passionate, dramatic, egotistical) in an upright position indicates a struggle caused by annoying cross purposes.  Crowley feels that this motion is necessary, a sort of growing pain if you will, that reinvigorates us by clearing the ice from the windshield, so we can see more clearly.

My Legacy card is Temperance, flavored by the Page of Wands. Temperance corresponds with Sagittarius (“I seek,” philosophic, adventurous, blundering) Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive, energetic change), Samekh (the tent post), and the Path between Yesod (the place where patterns and images emerge that may manifest into the physical world of action and outer reality) and Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify), and is a powerful Major Arcana cards that presents one version of the concept of balance.  Temperance teaches us balance through the knowledge of extremes, and it reminds us that we can’t find this balance unless we have already experienced and come to understand those extremes, even if they are uncomfortable. The Page of Wands (Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody; Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic noble egotistical; and Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) is the spark that might end up creating a conflagration, and this Fire will most likely be internally focused.  These two cards together could be possibly hinting of an approaching Aha! Moment; we shall see.

My 6-digit date number is 5, the number that introduces motion into stability in order to prevent stagnation.

My horoscopes: “Remember all those resolutions you made in the past? It's time to recommit to them. All signs indicate that you need to take better care of yourself. You've been so busy working that exercising has begun to feel like a luxury you can't afford. Actually, exercise and proper nutrition are luxuries you can't afford to ignore. You're burning the candle at both ends. Stop before you burn out completely!”

And: “A social event involving a large number of your closest friends could take place in your neighborhood, and it should prove to be wonderful for you. You will be able to touch base with old friends and also make some new ones. One of these people might have been out of the country for a while. Some interesting and useful information could be offered to you. Make use of it!”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Ten of Wands.  This card reminds me that perhaps in fulfilling the many responsibilities that are mine, I may lose sight of which of these responsibilities absolutely need to be fulfilled, and which are sapping my energy needlessly.  I need to remember that my personal energy is not endless, and I should be careful as well that I am not inadvertently doing things the hard way.

My brother-in-law loaned me what appears to be a very interesting book.  It is called “A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe: The Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science (A Voyage From 1 To 10),” by Michael S. Schneider.  LOL, I haven’t even gotten out of the author’s introduction and I am already quoting.  This quote is about the concept of the One and the Many.  “The problem [with this concept] is that, whereas the Many are visible and tangible and can be examined at leisure, the One is never seen or sensed, and its very existence is only inferred through the evident effect it has upon its products, the Many.  Yet, paradoxically, the One is more truly real than the Many.  In the visible world of Nature all is flux.  Everything is either being born or dying or moving between the two processes.  Nothing ever achieves the goal of perfection or the state of equilibrium that would allow it to be described in essence.  The phenomena of Nature, said Plato, are always ‘becoming,’ never actually ‘are.’  Our five senses tell us that they are real, but the intellect judges differently, reasoning that the One, which is constant, creative, and ever the same, is more entitled to be called real than its ever-fluctuating products.”  Those words, written by a mathematician, sound suspiciously close to my own description of the Source and the interactions of As Above, So Below; As Below, So Above.

Numbers and shapes, or at lest the archetypal meanings associated with numbers and shapes, can be found within art, science, technology, religion, and everyday life.  The numbers from 1 to 10, and the simple shapes of circle, square, triangle, line and spiral are already a huge part of my metaphysical studies, across the board, but I think it is amazing that these concepts which fascinate me so much could be considered a part of my most dreaded subject in school: Math.  Schneider breaks Math down into three categories: Secular Math (the adding and subtraction and multiplication and division, the quantitative measurement, and the search for perfections, that I was taught in school), Symbolic Math (which talks of the reoccurring patterns and the synchronistic effects to be found across the board when dealing with numbers and shapes), and Sacred Math (which involves these patterns and effects and the way our consciousness perceives their patterns and effects as a profound mystery; this awareness is the true sacred wonder). If I had had Schneider as a Math teacher in school, I may not have had such issues with Math!

The patterns and effects found in numbers and shapes are like a language describing principles found throughout Nature and the Universe, such as wholeness, polarity, structure, balance, cycles, rhythm and harmony.  No wonder I keep getting this tickle in my brain!  This is the stuff of initiation!  To quote Schneider, this is “paying attention to paying attention.”  How cool is that?!  And Wicca is about living in accordance to these Universal patterns or principles.  Simple words, but lots of work to live in accordance with them.

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