The Emperor/Justice. The Emperor corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive, energetic change), Aries (“I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive) and the Hebrew letter Heh (window, illumination), and represents confidence, authority, and the archetype of the Father.  I am being told that today, order and structure and a willing acceptance of responsibility need to be the themes. The Emperor is reminding me that rules are there to support and guide me, and plans are meant to be followed.  Justice is a card of adjustment, and it corresponds with the element of Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and quick, animated energy that usually brings problems or challenges that bring growth), Libra (“we are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation), Lamed (ox goad; training or teaching), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Geburah (the place where forms and structures are challenged or affirmed).  This card is a powerful pair to The Emperor because it focuses on cause and effect.  This is also a card of karma, and of being accountable for our decisions and actions, in other words, of a willing acceptance of responsibility.  Each of these cards taken alone has a powerful, outer, active message; having both of them appear together is a very clear indication of how this day should progress. 

My Thoth card is the Two of Wands.  “Dominion” is Uncle Al’s keyword for this one, and it is another active card. The Two of Wands (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive, enthusiastic) tells of power, influence and authority.  This card is related to the Will, and it tells me to actively manifest my authority.  This one is one of the Minor Arcana cards related to The Emperor, and thus is validating both cards above. 

My Legacy card is The Magician, flavored by the Nine of Swords reversed.  Whoooeeeee!  More active, outer power!! The Magician corresponds with Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and quick and animated energy which usually presents problems or challenges), Mercury (reason, intelligence, orderliness, communication), Beth (house; builder) and the Path between Binah (female, receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) and Kether (the source, limitless possibility).  The Magician is a card of action, and of confidence, and it is another of the cards that have a personal significance to me (it symbolizes the gifts I was given after Hurricane Sandy).   The Magician is a bit more metaphysical than The Emperor and more likely to use unusual methods rather than tried-and-true methods, but it is cool that both of these cards have appeared in my spread today. The Nine of Swords (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, social, dual) in an upright position represents brooding and worrying, usually self-caused, and usually unproductive.  My Nine of Swords is reversed, and it is flavoring my Magician (and due to the relationship between The Magician and all the other cards above, it is flavoring my entire spread), and since it is reversed, this card is reminding me that if I feel the need to be a bit cautious today, this need just might be a bit reasonable.  After all, the other cards are all out there and active and filled with authority and power.  None of my other cards would sit up at night worrying about what they did yesterday or what they need to do tomorrow; so just a bit of worry could be the balance and objectivity I need. 

My 6-digit date number is 9, the number of the horizon that tells of the completeness of manifestation or effect. 

My horoscopes: “Today's energy will help you take steps toward getting things in order, Sagittarius. Tackle the drawers, closets, storage rooms, and cabinets. Organization is a good activity for today. Creating order brings a sense of peace and personal control. Mental organization like goal setting, budgeting, or scheduling will add to this feeling. Sift through and clean out as many corners as you can”

And: “A lot of phone calls or e-mails could come your way, perhaps involving conversations about spiritual, metaphysical, humanitarian and/or astrological matters. Friends could refer you to books or websites that could prove especially informative for you. Don't be surprised, however, if some of them seem a bit too way out for you right now. Remember that you're only gathering information. You don't necessarily have to accept it all as truth.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Seven of Cups.  This card lets me know that I may be tempted to indulge in fantasies today.  This is not in itself a bad thing, for visualizing goals in detail can encourage us to work to attain those goals.  However, keeping my entire focus on the possibilities of the future could end up causing me to step into a hole in the ground and break my ankle.  That ouchie will prevent forward motion.  Be careful!  Be aware!

Since my recent Shadow Work, I have been experiencing spinning, wandering, pushing-and-pulling, and confusing energies.  Lots of challenges and bumps in the road, both physical world and emotional/spiritual, are appearing all around me.  The uncomfortable and unpredictable eddies of energy swirl around me, bringing new sludge and discomfort, stirred up from the depths, for my consideration.  I do understand that things can’t be all roses all the time, and I accept that these periods of discomfort are necessary.  As I am fond of saying, these discomforts scour away the bugs stuck on the windshield of life, so that I can see more clearly where I’m going.  I am doing my best to not take these inconveniences and bumps in the road as personal assaults, but sometimes it’s not easy to remain optimistic. 

Could this be a test?  A chance for me to determine if the things I’m focusing on are reeealllyyy what I want to do or create or manifest?   I like this idea.  If I accept the discomforts as having a purpose, it makes them a bit easier to bear.  I have handled much worse, and the idea of testing each of my focuses to determine which ones are worth maintaining and which ones need to be gently released just might be a good plan for today.  Talk about turning lemons into lemonade, eh?

$>