The Hanging
Man/The Emperor. The Hanging Man corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, and
emotional, sensitive and imaginative energy that tends to move deep, and attempts to take the same path as
in the past), Neptune (inspiration, spirituality, magick, enchantment, dreams,
altered states), and the Hebrew letter Mem (water, stability and balance, the
reflective quality of thought), and presents the kind of balance that comes to
us through surrender, and through deliberately attempting to see things in a
different way. This card tells of
initiation and destiny, as well as sacrifice and loss, but the interesting
thing here is that in many situations, the face of the Hanging Man is not
distorted by pain or suffering, as we would expect. Instead he is serene, as if he was experiencing a quiet
epiphany. This card has a “wait
and see” feel about it, or maybe a fatalistic acceptance of what presents
itself. The key to The Hanging
Man’s evolution is his ability to see without expectations, and without
including the input of his body or his physical world, and those are important
focuses for me today. 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), represents confidence, authority, and the archetype
of the Father. The Emperor
instills balance, form and structure onto the fertility and creations of The
Empress, an important task. The
Emperor says that the best way to make the day have a happy ending is to follow
the rules, get things done on time, and encourage others to do the same, and he
does his best to guide and protect others so they may do so. It appears I am being offered a choice
here: perceive the world by surrendering my own Will, or take on the
responsibility of my environment by imposing my own Will for the good of
all. There is one common thread
through these two seemingly opposing cards: sacrifice. Perhaps their opposing natures are
there to teach me that there are many ways to sacrifice for the good of a
group, or a desired outcome.
My
Thoth cards are The Hermit reversed and The Magician reversed. The Hermit corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes,
and material, practical and stable energy that is slow to change), as well as
Virgo (“I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented, orderly),
Yod (open hand, touch), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation
process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and
Chesed (the place where forms and structure are stabilized and nurtured), and in
an upright position is about searching within for a deeper meaning, often
through solitude bordering on discomfort.
The Hermit tells us that in order to release the past and achieve
something of value, the work must be done internally, usually involving
solitude to the point of discomfort, and with an outward mantle of “business as
usual.” Like The High Priestess,
he deals with hidden or not obvious knowledge, however The Hermit understands
that his knowledge is insignificant when compared to what he does not know. He also acknowledges that the maintenance
of his solitude requires Will power.
Once again, the Will and the concept of sacrifice have appeared, but
since my Hermit is reversed, he is suggesting that seeking a deeper meaning
just might distract me from things.
Better I should surrender without an expectation of ever understanding
why. 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 works hard to perfect his
abilities, to make use of those abilities in unexpected ways, and to focus and
carry through to the end of a task (which is pretty important to him). This card is personally significant to
me, and since he represents the manifestation of tangible knowledge (and the
ability to control that manifestation), and since he is reversed, I am once
again being sent back to The Hanging Man (who, after all, is the opposite of
The Magician).
My Legacy
card is the Queen of Cups reversed, flavored by The Emperor reversed. Bookends! The
Queen of Cups (cusp of Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, and Cancer,
“I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody) represents the energies of
Water and The High Priestess manifested into the Minor Arcana. She is comfortable with her own
feelings (whatever they are), and she is comfortable dealing with the feelings
of others (whether serene or uncomfortable) without losing her own
serenity. She nurtures and
encourages the serenity and dreams of others, too. She is able to maintain her serenity no matter what outside
discomforts may appear, and because she is reversed, that kind of emotional
groundedness might be a challenge for me today. My reversed Queen of Cups is being flavored by The Emporer
reversed. The Legacy Emperor in an
upright position is about glorious civilizations and dominion over surrounding
lands, and the ability to bring everything together in order to create a strong
foundation and then act as a catalyst for orderly growth. My Emperor is reversed, and he is
flavoring my reversed Queen. No
emotional serenity and no predictability or ability to manifest dominion in a
balanced manner. Looks like The
Hanging Man is my best option today.
More
about my Bookends card, The Emperor.
The Emperor is an interesting card. He has the vision necessary to create a dynasty, and the
power, authority, experience and wisdom to manifest that vision. In a way, we each are one version of
The Emperor, because whether we know it or not, we control our immediate
environment. The best way to
exercise this control is by imposing the laws of the Divine and the human laws
of civilization. The Emperor also
reminds us that the good of the many must supercede the good of the few, and he
reminds us that authority comes with responsibility, and even personal
sacrifice. In order to be a good
ruler, we sometimes need to put aside our personal needs in order to lead and
serve others, and The Emperor is good at sacrificing yet still inspiring others
to reach upward and evolve toward fulfillment.
My
6-digit date number is 4, the number of depth and stability.
My
horoscopes: “You already have that wild-child streak, Sagittarius, but
you might lose all your self-restraint today, as the Moon in your danger-loving
eighth house forms a tangled angle with rebellious Uranus. You won't be able to
say no to temptation—whether it's a liaison with that emo loner, the cigarette
you promised you'd never touch again or one too many macarons from the corner
bakery. Be extra careful that you don't do something just for shock value or as
a cheap thrill, since you'll be the one paying the price for that.”
And: “Who
IS that intriguing person who's just moved into your neighborhood? What is it
about your new neighbor that makes it impossible for you to stop wondering
about them? Quit obsessing over it! Get your courage up, and the next time this
person is outside, go over and introduce yourself, using the pretext of a
"welcome to the neighborhood!" Maybe you'll find this person likable,
maybe not, but give it a shot, anyway! Enjoy!”
No comments:
Post a Comment