Sunday, January 31, 2021

January 31, 2021: 8 of Pentacles and 9 of Chalices

 

Interesting pair.  My Inner Focus card is the 8 of Pentacles. The image on this card shows a naked man and a naked woman on top of the covers of a bed.  He is on his back and propped up on pillows, and she has her back to him.  We don't see much of his face, but she appears to be in the throes of ecstasy.  Her knees are spread wide, and we can see that his right arm is under her body and reaching around to her pubis; it appears that one or more of his fingers are in her vagina.  It also appears that he is penetrating her anally.  The background is mostly in shadow, but the couple are bathed in sunlight and the light is shining through small windows that are creating shadows across both of their bodies, appearing like bars or bindings.  Also in this sunlight is a pike, which is leaning against the wall behind the bed.  The key phrase for this card is: use manual skills to arouse pleasurable sensations.  

My Outer Focus card also shows a naked man and a naked woman on a bed, this one more rumpled.  The man is laying on his back, with one arm up over his head.  We can't see his face but he appears to be relaxed to the point of near unconsciousness.  The woman is straddling him, and we see her from the back only.  She does not appear to be moving, so we can assume that they have both completed the sex act.  Again we see what appears to be sunlight shining through a window.  The woman's back is lit by the sun, but her shoulders are in the shade.  We can see the shadow of the open bed curtains against the wall behind the bed.  The key phrases for this card are: well-being, having more than enough, and the possibility of pregnancy.  

This pairing has a very personal message for me.  You see, in my physical world, I am very uncomfortable with change.  Home construction project?  Love the end result but anticipating the temporary upheaval?  Not so much.  Even driving by myself to a new place causes me to over-prepare, printing out maps and looking at online street views of my destination.  That 8 of Pentacles card kind of validates my preparations while at the same time encouraging me to not stress over what could go wrong.  Some things require skill and practice in order to manifest with pleasure to all, and making the effort to know what works and what doesn't is a worthy endeavor.  Being open to new experiences without doing the homework can also be scary, but if we partner with someone else who has done the preparatory work and who has earned our trust, we can succeed.  We should not allow our fear to imprison us, whether we are the person trying something new and a bit frightening, or we are the guide who is sharing a new and potentially scary situation with another with the goal of sharing pleasure, not fear.  

The 9's of the Tarot Minor Arcana represent the complete-ness of the manifestation of the suit (as compared to the 10's and complete-tion of that manifestation).  The completion of the manifestation of the suit of Chalices is imaged here: a man replete with pleasure, and a woman who successfully piloted the completion of the act.  The act was good, and both parties feel that the manifestations to come will be even better.  Those manifestations could even be fertile enough to create new opportunities for collaboration.  Reaching this stage requires an emotional connection of some kind, even if that emotional connection is just affection and trust.  These two, by embracing their inner opposites (submission by the man and control by the woman), have created a moment of balance, of Perfect Love and Trust, that very well may offer future pleasures.  Whew, it worked!

Saturday, January 30, 2021

January 30, 2021: Knight of Wands and 3 of Swords


So, it has been a bit chilly these past days and when it is this cold, all I want to do is sit in front of the fireplace with a good book.  I realized I haven't been here for a while so I dragged myself away from the warmth to write a post about today's cards.

My Inner Focus card for today is the Knight of Wands.  The image on this card shows a knight riding a galloping dapple gray stallion whose eyes are wide, with froth at his mouth (and we can tell the horse is a stallion because of his erect penis). Our knight is not wearing a helmet, and he is carrying a hefty club that looks like a shillelagh.  In front of him and facing him is a naked woman, her dress bunched up around her waist, her left leg hooked under the knight's right leg.  The knight's right hand is on her left buttock and she is looking down toward his hand.  The key phrases for this card are: a relationship that begins immediately, and elopement spurred by passion.

My Outer Focus card is the 3 of Swords, one of my least favorite cards in the whole Tarot deck.  The Decameron 3 of Swords card image shows a man with a smile on his face, looking through the keyhole of a stout wooden door.  The key phrases for this card are jealousy, the fight for possession, and morbidity.  

This is an interesting pairing.  Today I am being told that there is the potential for feeling strong passions, strong enough that I just might be swept up by them and carried away.  Because of the Inner Focus position of this card, those strong feelings could elicit a response from within me.  And "strong" is the word; just looking at this frothing stallion galloping forward with his eyes wide and his penis erect really explains the emotions well.  The shillelagh has some symbolism here; it was originally used to settle gentlemanly disputes, but it became associated with brawls and "shillelagh law." Our knight, while considered gentlemanly, is allowing his passions to control him.  He is not watching where he is going and instead, his eyes are closed and his face is buried in the woman's hair as his stallion runs amok.   The woman is not controlling things either.  Yes, she is wearing a dress, but it is bunched up around her waist; she does have shoes on though, which hints at some grounding.  But the shoes are not on the ground, so she is probably grounded in the knight and his passions, rather than what is happening around her.

The traditional key phrases of the 3 of Swords are heartbreak, betrayal by others, and isolation.  Here in the image of the Decameron 3 of Swords we see that betrayal in action, a betrayal committed by one person that could bring heartbreak for all.  A simple action, looking somewhere that we are not supposed to be looking, if done on purpose and with malicious intent can cause pain everywhere.  The warning is clear: be aware of how my mind and intellect are working and apply ethics to whatever I do.  After all, even an unethical act performed with good intentions is still unethical.


Thursday, January 21, 2021

January 21, 2021: 8 of Swords and The Emperor


Today, my Inner Focus card is the 8 of Swords.  The image on this card shows a head shot of a man wearing rough clothes and a straw hat that has seen better days.  His jaw is grizzled and sweat is dripping from his temples and splattering his face.  He is just stepping from the blazing sun through a doorway, wiping his brow with his wrist.  He looks spent and exhausted.  The key phrase associated with this card is: even though you are tired, react to adversity with self-confidence.

My Outer Focus card for today is The Emperor.  The Decameron Tarot Emperor is a mature man, not yet gray, who is seated. Behind him is a wall or tapestry showing antlered deer and fruit-laden trees. Before him is a jester who fits the archetype: he is a gray-haired dwarf dressed in full harlequin with bells on his shoes, his hood and his hat.  The jester holds a multi-colored staff of office; on top is a naked woman seated with her knees spread wide. Behind the Emperor is a young and naked woman with a smile on her face; she has her arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders, affectionately holding him in place, and the Emperor's head is resting between her substantial breasts.  The jester is in the process of removing the Emperor's ermine-fringed robe, and the Emperor looks quite startled.  The key phrase for this card is: don't be ashamed of young ardor, old age brings power but refusing to love is the beginning of the end.

Clear message here.  Inside, I may feel as if my well of energy is almost dry, but as I step into the cool shade for a brief respite, I should remind myself that giving up is not an option.  Perhaps today I need to look around at the possibly unorthodox tools that are available to me that will re-ignite my enthusiasm.  I have a responsibility to maintain order and keep the trains running on time, and I need to remember just how lucky I am because I have this kingdom to care for.  Both of these cards present the concept of being stoic and focused and confident, and yet each card presents that respite, the cool shade for the man on the 8 of Swords, and the reminder of the joy of being pleasantly surprised for the Emperor.  

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

January 20, 2021: Knave of Swords and 5 of Chalices

 

My Inner Focus card today is the Knave of Swords.  The image on this card shows a man wearing a helmet, an unbuttoned shirt, a belt under his shirt, and shoes; no pants.  There is a sword scabbard attached to his belt, and he holds the sword, point down, leaning on the hilt with his left hand. Behind him is a naked woman; she is looking over his shoulder with her arms wrapped around him, one hand on his upper chest and the other gripping his penis, with his right hand gripping her wrist.  Her right leg is wrapped around his right thigh.  He is smiling, and her eyes are open wide.  In the background is a stairway leading up to a door that appears to go outside. The key phrase for this card is: pleasant surprise but check for misleading information which might hold you back.

My Outer Focus card today is the 5 of Chalices.  The image on this card shows a woman sitting on a chair with a man kneeling at her feet.  The woman's clothes are in disarray, with her breasts showing.  One of her knees is up and the man kneeling before her has one hand cupping her bare heel and the other on her shoe; he looks like he is trying to convince her to allow him to remove the shoe.  She has her head turned away from him and her hand up with her palm facing him as if to say stop; her other hand is pulling the bottom of her dress down to hide her pubis. The key phrases for this card are: try new ways of loving, seduction, awakening, and fetishism.

In the Decameron Tarot, the Knave holds the position usually held by the Page.  Yes, the word "knave" does have a bit of negative baggage (a knave is seen as a rogue, a scoundrel, or an unreliable or dishonest person; in playing cards the Knave is represented by the Jack, usually imaged as a young prince).  I don't see the Knaves of this deck as children, but rather more in keeping with the Jacks of the playing cards.  The Knave of Swords, therefore, would be seen as a Prince, someone with authority that he might not be ready for, someone who is still a student even though he has a higher rank than the Knight.  

Our Knave of Swords looks like he has a dilemma: this naked woman has wrapped herself around him and he is not sure if he is okay with that.  She is holding his penis, and that feels good.  But his sword, while the point is grounded, is a reminder of his responsibilities.  He has her wrist in his grasp, but his grip is loose, as if he might allow her to continue.  I am reminding myself that the suit of Swords has to do with the workings of the mind, and perhaps today I need to be wary of pleasures that distract me from planning for my day.  Discipline can certainly be boring, but it is a necessary skill.  While the woman in the image on the Knave of Swords is a bit more insistent than the man in the image on the 5 of Chalices, that card also hints at being convinced to do something I believe I shouldn't, but that I am not protesting too strongly.  Of course, the seduction of the 5 of Chalices does not appear to be luring the woman to ignore her duties, but ignoring ethics and morals are dangerous, too.  However, not being open to trying something new can very often lead to stagnation, not something we want in either the workings of our mind, or in our soul.  As always, we need to look before we leap and understand that there are consequences, always.


Tuesday, January 19, 2021

January 19, 2021: Queen of Swords and Queen of Chalices


I had a busy few days, but I'm back, and what an interesting return!  Two Queens, one representing the element of Air, the mind, and all qualities of thought, and the other representing the element of Water, and the Soul.  As a reminder, in the Decameron Tarot the Queens are listed as the highest-ranked Court Cards, but they still present their suit in an inner fashion.

My Inner Focus card is the Queen of Swords.  The image on the Decameron Queen of Swords shows a Queen seated own a throne; there is a sword next to her, leaning against the arm of her throne with point downward, and two crossed swords hanging on the wall behind her, with points facing upward.  Our Queen has dark hair and is wearing a crown; her clothes are open at the waist and one breast is completely bare.  Her eyes are closed, her lips are parted, and she appears to be enjoying herself. She appears to not be wearing shoes, but we can only see one foot.  Before her kneels a naked woman with blond hair.  She is leaning toward the Queen with her eyes closed and is sucking on one of the Queen's nipples; her other hand is reaching under the Queen's skirt.  The Queen has one hand at the back of the woman's neck, supporting and encouraging; the Queen's other hand is gripping the arm rest of her throne, supporting herself. The key phrases associated with this card are: confront your responsibilities and defend your choices, and women choose women because they do things men don't even realize are needed.  

My Outer Focus card is the Queen of Chalices.  The image on this card shows a man and his Queen on a rumpled bed, both naked.  The Queen is wearing shoes and a crown studded with different-colored gemstones, and his gripping his erect penis while looking back at the viewer.  The man (whose rank is not apparent) has one hand on her hip and the other on the back of her thigh, and his tongue is reaching toward her pubis.  The couple are performing oral sex on each other, and both appear to be having a good time.  There is a Chalice balanced precariously on the Queen's lower back, with red liquid splashing upward because of her movement.  In the background is a window made of glass blocks, glowing with daylight. The key phrases associated with this card are: affectionate lovers exchange pleasures, and a recognition of the partner's right to orgasm.  

The Queen of Swords is traditionally seen as being straightforward, independent-thinking, and unbiased.  Our Decameron Queen appears to be receiving pleasure from a willing partner.  Despite the crossed swords, representing battle or conflict and the readiness for battle or conflict, on the wall behind her, our Queen's sword is leaning against her throne with point down, representing peace or the end of conflict.  Our Queen has put conflict behind her and is embracing peace, although she is still ready to deal with any conflict that might appear in the future.  This is a personal message to me today, telling me that I need to let my mind stand down and instead of looking for conflict, I need to become aware of the pleasures around me that are willing to connect with me.  I also need to understand that what pleases me is unique to me, and I should accept that I have those needs.  One of those needs should be to handle my responsibilities; after all, the Queen is the head of the household.

The Queen of Chalices (or Cups) is traditionally seen as being empathic, intuitive, and spiritually-minded.  The thing about the 69 position is that the couple are giving and receiving at the same time, equally.  In order to be successful, this needs to be a bit of a balancing act.  Each needs to know, either generally or specifically, what pleases the other, and each needs to accept that both need to reach fulfillment.  Our Queen of Chalices may be enjoying herself, but she has her shoes on.  She is in the dominant position so she does have a bit more control of the action, but she is letting the viewer know that she is happy.  However, the Chalice on her back is not overflowing with its red liquid but instead is on the verge of spilling.  This suit can represent shallow, deep, chaotic or calm emotions, and both love and lust.  The color red represents passion, and we are being told that despite the mutual-ness of this image, strong passions are at play and may be ready to spill over.  To me this is a warning, not an "oh my god the world is ending" warning but rather, "there are some strong feelings here, even if they are not apparent" kind of warning.  

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

January 13, 2021: XIX The Sun and XVII The Stars


Major Arcana focus today.

My Inner Focus card is XIX The Sun.  The image on this card shows two naked soldiers, their armor and weapons discarded around them as they lay on a sandy dune. A spear is thrust into the dune, point into the sand.  In the background is a smooth ocean lit by the sun, which is low on the horizon yet shining very brightly.  The soldiers are young and fit, one with dark hair and one with blond hair.  They are facing each other.  The blond soldier has his head at about the level of the groin of the dark haired soldier and his hand appears in that groin.  The dark haired soldier's hand is resting on the head of the blond soldier.  Both have their eyes closed and their lips parted.  The key phrases for this card are: being naked allows us to stop pretending, and affection and love grow through truth, not pretense.

My Outer Focus card is XVII The Stars.  A naked woman is squatting on a branch of a tree, holding onto another branch at shoulder level with her right hand and holding a two-handled pot in her left hand.  She is urinating into that pot. Behind her is a dark, star-filled sky, and shadows of leaves are on her back.  Her eyes are downward, watching the soldier who is laying on the ground under her, his helmet, sword and spear laying around him, watching the woman above him.  The key phrases for this card are: the woman is the goal to be achieved, and if her carnality causes disgust, the love is not sincere or complete.  

These messages are clear, even if the images could cause discomfort to some.  The Sun represents our individuality and the identity we show to the world.  In the Decameron Sun card, these two young soldiers have discarded their outer identity (the armor and weapons that are scattered around them) in order to allow their true selves to emerge, at least to each other.  The light of the sun shines down on them, illuminating rather than hiding their interactions and reactions to each other.  This kind of personal revelation needs to happen in order to create the trust between two people necessary for true love to grow.  While some cultures would frown upon this kind of union, these two soldiers are not hiding from each other and have accepted each other completely and openly.

The traditional image of The Star shows a naked woman kneeling at the edge of a body of water (or standing with one foot in the water and one on land), holding two pitchers of water.  She pours one onto the land and one into the water.  The card's traditional keywords include hope for the future, serenity, and freedom, and since this Major Arcana card is immediately after The Tower, the hope, serenity and freedom are a relief.  The Decameron Stars card shows a woman who, with a smile on her face, presents herself openly as she indulges in a natural bodily function usually performed in private.  The soldier on the ground has put aside his spear, his sword and his helmet; he lies on the ground with one arm cushioning his head, watching the woman above him.  We can't tell by his facial expression what exactly he is feeling, but he is watching.    

I am being shown today that each of us has the right to be an individual, to find pleasure in whatever pleases us whether socially acceptable or not, and to love whoever we wish to love even if some would condemn that love.  As long as our hearts and minds are acting with Harm to None and in Perfect Love and Trust, we should be allowed to be who we are.  Being who we are should not be seen as an attack on others, even if others believe we are wrong in loving who we love, or wrong in taking pleasure in what pleases us.  We should never deliberately use pleasure or love as weapons to hurt others, but we have the right to openly be ourselves.  

So do the people who disagree with us.  The same restrictions apply; they can disagree as long as they do so with Harm to None and in Perfect Love and Trust.  These days, with the extreme political differences even between immediate family members, it is important to remember that everyone has a right to be their own self.   I needed that reminder today, and as always, the Decameron Tarot came through for me.

  

Sunday, January 10, 2021

January 10, 2021: the King of Wands and the Queen of Wands


Well, I guess today is a Court Card kind of day, eh?

My Inner Focus card is the King of Wands.  The image on the Decameron King of Wands shows a gray-haired and bearded man dressed in kingly clothes, wearing a crown, holding with his right hand a staff topped by an erect penis (that is also wearing a crown), and taking a naked woman from the rear.  He is reaching around her with his left hand to grasp her left breast; his eyes are closed and he appears to be roaring with pleasure.  The woman that kneels before him is wearing only a gauzy veil or wimple; her eyes are open and rolled back and her mouth is open, as if she too is experiencing intense pleasure.  Her left arm reaches behind her, pinning his left hand against her breast in the process; it appears that she is assisting him to penetrate her.  The key phrases for this card are: absolute power without questioning, and the weakest partner must surrender.

My Outer Focus card is the Queen of Wands.  The image on this card shows a naked woman wearing only her shoes, on her knees before a naked man man wearing only a barrel; his penis is thrust through a knothole in the barrel and she is pleasuring him.  The woman is kneeling on her dress, which has a white ermine collar and appears to be royal in nature, and she has her arms around the barrel for support.  The man being pleasured by our Queen of Wands is holding her crown in his right hand; his eyes are slitted and his lips are pursed, as if he was moaning.  In the background are stairs going up, and a doorway through which another man wearing a barrel is running or falling; this man wears a head covering and a shirt, but appears to be naked from the waist down.  The key phrases for this card are: love dies without initiative, so be aware of your partner's unique needs and know when and how to satisfy them.

These two cards are connected in interesting ways.  They both are of the suit of Wands, which in the Decameron Tarot stands for the element of Fire and all of its correspondences, strong passions, and extreme experiences.  Most LWBs included with a Tarot deck present the Court Cards in order of rank, either from the lowest to highest, or highest to lowest, and the Decameron LWB is no different.  It is interesting that the Queens of the Court are the last meanings presented (the Decameron Court consists of Knave, Knight, King, and Queen).  Upon initial review, it appears that both of my cards are about surrendering to authority, but that is not an automatic given.  

The king of most cultures is at least the apparent head of the monarchy, so it makes sense that the message of this Inner Focus card is that surrender to stronger forces is the best way to exist.  But the King of Wands card is clearly indicating that surrendering to the strength and skills obtained over a lifetime of learning about and experiencing interactions of all kinds does not mean that the person surrendering does not receive any benefit.  The same holds true for my Outer Focus card, the Queen of Wands card.  In this image, the Queen sheds the outer representations of her rank, even her crown, in order to enthusiastically pleasure the man in the barrel.  We don't know much about this man or his rank, but we could wonder who is surrendering here.  Both parties in this image are receiving pleasure, no matter who is in control, one by dominating and one by submitting.

One more comparison: the image on the King of Wands grasping his symbol of power as he takes a naked woman from behind is not startling in any way, unless one would be startled by stumbling upon the King having sex.  However, the Queen of Wands, the superior Court rank in this deck, is doing something startling.  She is naked before a man whose rank we do not know, enthusiastically baring her body and offering him oral sex while he holds her crown.  He is naked, but safely covered (as is the King in the image on the King of Wands), while she is wearing only her shoes, perhaps hinting that despite her feet being off the floor, she is still grounded in her actions.  Perhaps today I need to think about this.  Our culture is such that it is not startling that a man in a position of authority would openly have sex in a dominant way with a beautiful woman whose rank is unknown.  It is, however, startling that a woman in a position of authority would willingly and openly offer sexual gratification to a random man whose rank is also unknown. And yet, she appears to be at the very least a willing participant.  Perhaps she feels she is able to indulge because of her rank.

We can add a twist to the interpretation of the Queen of Wands: what if the crown being held by the man wearing the barrel and being sexually pleasured by the Queen actually belongs to the man, who is her King?  After all, one of the key phrases of this card talks about being aware of and satisfying your partner's needs.  We have a bit of kink here, but whose kink is it?

Another unanswered question is, who is the man who appears to be tumbling down into the room presented in the image of the Queen of Wands?  He appears to be a bit late and rushed to get into the room, as he is not yet fully naked.  His arm is raised and his mouth is opened as if he were crying out.  Is he crying out because he is falling?  Or because he fears he is missing out?  Is he startled because the sex he was coming to join ended up being performed by his Queen, and possibly his King?  

This is exactly what I love about the Decameron Tarot.  It always makes me think.



Saturday, January 9, 2021

January 9, 2021: VIII Justice and 9 of Pentacles


My Inner Focus card for today is VIII Justice.  This card has been around before, and at the Inner Focus position.  The image on the Decameron Justice card shows a woman with her back to the viewer, naked except for shoes on her feet and a belt around her waist, kneeling on two rose-colored pillows with her knees spread wide.  Beneath the pillows are piles of human skulls.  The woman is blindfolded with her head turned to the right, and her lips are parted.  In her left hand is the center pole of scales of justice; she is holding the pole so the scales are at shoulder level.  There is a statue of a naked woman with her arms around her stomach in the left bowl of the scales and a statue of a naked man gripping his erect penis in the right bowl.  We can't see where Lady Justice's right hand is, but it appears to be near or on her pubis.  The key phrases for this card are: commitment and trust are the qualities necessary for a successful solution, and loving justice.  

My Outer Focus card for today is the 9 of Pentacles, another card that has been around more than once.  The image on the 9 of Pentacles shows a naked woman laying on a made bed with her eyes closed and a smile on her face, her arms behind her head and her knees and lower legs are dangling off the mattress.  Spread beneath her are what appear to be her multi-colored garments ( in the harlequin style) and a belt.  She is wearing a hat that covers most of her hair and a mask over her eyes and nose.  She is smiling and appears pleased with herself. The key phrases associated with this card are: a pleasant surprise and long-lasting situation.  

It is interesting to me that each time I gaze at an image on a Decameron Tarot card, my eyes are drawn to different elements of symbolism.  This time, the blindfold stands out and I am being reminded once again that justice needs to be blind in order to be fair.  But what almost overshadows that is the fact that the blindness of Lady Justice may be allowing her to only focus on her own pleasure, even if beneath the outward appearance of the peace and love of the rose-colored pillows lies a foundation built upon dead people.  Lady Justice is not focusing on the scales in her left hand; rather she is focused inward, and those shoes that should be grounding her are not on that foundation (so she can be reminded of her own mortality, and those who sacrificed so she could be where she is).  She has become distracted from her commitment to justice, despite the reminders that surround her. 

The last interpretation of the 9 of Pentacles seems to apply here as well.  The woman in the image looks like she has expended a bit of energy in order to achieve a goal, and she believes she has been successful.  But she is alone; did she achieve the goal on her own?  Did she do the work by herself because she alone has the skills to get it done?  Or is she alone because no one chose to help her? Like Lady Justice, her feet are not grounded and she appears lost in a dream.  I again wonder if that belt is actually a serpent, ready to bite the unsuspecting woman as she remembers a time when she succeeded beyond her expectations.

Justice needs to be blind, but not blind to the law, only the application of the law to the individuals who are disputing.  We may end up feeling that our efforts have created a great result, but usually there is a supporting staff involved.  Very little is accomplished alone, and we need to keep in mind the pleasure of others as well as our own.  Perhaps today while I strive to apply my focus objectively, I should allow myself to enjoy the sense of well-being that comes from a job nicely executed, but also remember to be alert to my immediate surroundings.  Sometimes that belt looks like a serpent preparing to attack, but sometimes it is just a discarded belt.  



Thursday, January 7, 2021

January 7, 2021: 10 of Wands and 9 of Wands


I am seeing once again how connected I am to the Decameron Tarot.  Yesterday was a traumatic day in our country, and watching the assault on our Capital play out on tv was troubling for me.  But I don't want to get into the political weeds here, rather I just wanted to describe my mindset as I threw today's cards.

My Inner Focus card is the 10 of Wands.  The image on this card shows a man (who appears to be the same man on the 8 of Chalices from a few days ago) and a woman.  The woman is naked and it appears that the man is in the process of tossing her onto a bed.  That bed is not rumpled, so this appears to be just beginning.  He is looking toward his right hand, which is still on her right calf. The woman does not appear to be fighting back at all; her hip and elbow are on the mattress and she appears to be allowing her body to tumble onto the bed. The key phrases for this card are indiscretion, uncertainty, and tiredness.  

My Outer Focus card is the 9 of Wands.  This card showed up in my Wheel of the Year spread as the Energy of the Year card, and here it is again.  The image on this card shows a naked man and a naked woman on top of a rumpled bed in the shadows.  She is on her hands and knees and he is behind her. They both appear to be in the throes of pleasure and not paying attention to their surroundings.  He has one hand on her shoulder, holding her in place, and the other hand on her breast, caressing her.  She has her head turned toward him as he penetrates her from behind, with one of her hands on her pubis, pleasuring herself.  The key phrases for this card are good stimulation but watch your back, and defense and vigilance are important.  

The suit of Wands is connected to all the correspondences of Fire, as well as to strong passions and extreme experiences.  The message of these two cards is pretty clear to me.  I may be feeling battered and not in control of my immediate circumstances.  I may be feeling that I am helpless and that there are no options immediately available that will assist me in taking control.  But I do have options.  I can make certain that I am not allowing my emotions to blind me to everything but my feelings, or distract me from the things happening around me.  I alone have the power to find enjoyment and peace (whether offered by the efforts of another or by my own efforts), and I alone have the power to be aware that I can choose to not allow events to control me.  I may feel internally like the woman in the 10 of Wands, but actually I am the woman in the 9 of Wands.  She has agreed to have sex in a position that allows her to control her own experience.  I can do that, too.

This interpretation is very focused on my current state of mind.  But these, after all, are cards I threw to better understand what I am feeling.  Again the Decameron helps me to find my way through the distractions.


Tuesday, January 5, 2021

January 5, 2021: VIII Justice and 8 of Chalices


Back to daily throws.

Inner Focus Card: VIII Justice.  The image on this card shows a woman with her back to the viewer, naked except for shoes on her feet and a belt around her waist, kneeling on two rose-colored pillows with her knees spread wide.  Beneath the pillows are piles of human skulls.  The woman is blindfolded, with her head facing to the right; her lips are parted.  In her left hand is the center pole of scales which she holds at shoulder level, with a statue of a naked woman with her arms around her stomach in the left bowl and a statue of a naked man with his hands gripping his erect penis in the right bowl.  We can't see where her right hand is, but it appears it is near her pubis. The key phrases for this card are: commitment and trust are the qualities necessary for a successful solution, and loving justice.  

Outer Focus Card: 8 of Chalices.  The image on this card shows a man and a woman.  The man has a knife (a single-edge blade, as opposed to a dagger or sword, which usually has two edges) in one hand, held up threateningly, with his other arm around her neck from the back, gripping her chin and lower cheek.  His eyes are open, his brows are furrowed and his mouth is open, as if he is angry and shouting.  The woman has her eyes half closed and her mouth open and she looks like she is startled and calling for help. Her blouse is pulled off one shoulder and her breast is visible.  The key phrases for this card are deceit, threats, shame, and change of plans.  

The scales of justice have represented the balance between truth and fairness since the legal systems of Ancient Rome.  The traditional image on the Tarot Justice card shows Lady Justice seated on a throne, dressed as a queen and carrying an upheld sword in one hand and the scales of justice hanging downward in the other hand.  Lady Justice hears both the support and the opposition, weighs the two, and reaches a fair and just verdict.  Our Decameron Lady Justice is blindfolded like many representations of Justice, indicating that even though she may be pleasuring herself, her findings will be fair and balanced for all.  We are being reminded that in the end the power interactions between male and female need to balance out for a relationship to prosper.  Our Decameron Lady Justice is kneeling on piles of skulls.  Besides death, the skull has an interesting and relevant symbolism here: "memento more," which means "remember your mortality."  The sharpness of that message may be dulled a bit by those plump pillows, but the skulls are there and they create a foundation for her existence.  Her shoes also represent foundation, another reminder of its importance.  Lady Justice is wearing a belt, a belt that looks similar to the belt laying on the bed in the image of the Decameron 9 of Pentacles.  The belt gathers up, holds, and secures things that would otherwise be scattered. In the Justice card, the belt is another reminder to Lady Justice, binding her to her intent of fairness.  

The traditional key phrases for the 8 of Cups are letting go, abandonment, and escapism, similar to the key phrases for the Decameron card.  The Decameron 8 of Chalices could be telling us what happens when we don't listen to that little voice inside of us warning us that things are getting out of hand and perhaps the time has come to walk away.  While the image appears physically threatening, this card does not necessarily warn of physical violence.  After all, the suit of Chalices corresponds with the element of Water, and the soul.  Water is about feelings and emotions and illusions. Our soul can certainly be damaged without the physical body being harmed.  The angry and threatening man in this image is holding a knife.  The knife is used for cutting and it represents liberation, sacrifice, division, severance, betrayal, survival, and death; any of these could apply to our image.  We also need to remember that while it appears the man is the threatening one, he could represent a woman if that woman was the dominant one in a relationship.  

Also, we are working here with a Major Arcana card for the Inner Focus and a Minor Arcana card for the Outer Focus, which can hint that the Inner Focus message is more archetypal or far-reaching, while the Outer Focus message is more day-to-day.  Of course, day-to-day events can also have long-term consequences, but these two cards together make me feel that the Outer Focus card has an immediate nature to it.

Discord happens in any relationship.  We need to be aware of our surroundings, for sometimes discord seems to come out of the blue.  However, if we examine the situation, even if that examination happens through hindsight, we will usually find hints and signs of the approaching discord.   If we remind ourselves to respond only with fairness and objectivity, we might be able to make that discord be transient in nature.  If we remember the importance of Justice, if we commit ourselves to using justice as our lens through which we see the world, and our mouthpiece through which we communicate with others, and if we trust that our partners will do the same, our end result will be good. 


Sunday, January 3, 2021

January 3, 2021: Month of January 9 of Wands and 2 of Pentacles


So, I was talking with a dear friend and sister-of-the-heart yesterday, and she had an awesome suggestion: that I do a Calendar Year spread with these cards, and see how my interpretations hold up over time.  I love this idea, so here is what I did.  I threw 13 cards using the image of a clock face as a spread, in the center was the Energy of the Year card, and then I began with January in the 1 o'clock position, all the way to December in the 12 o'clock position.  I am pairing each month's card with the center Energy of the Year card, and will present each month's reading within the first few days of the month.

Here are my cards: Wheel of the Year for 2021: Energy of the Year: 9 of Wands.  January: 2 of Pentacles.  February: King of Wands.  March: The High Priestess.  April: 7 of Wands.  May: 5 of Pentacles.  June: 5 of Chalices.  July: The Star.  August: Ace of Pentacles.  September: 4 of Swords.  October: The Lovers.  November: The World.  December: Death.

My January reading is as follows:

Energy of the Year: 9 of Wands.  The image on this card shows a naked man and a naked woman on a rumpled bed in the shadows.  She is on her hands and knees and he is behind her, and they both appear in the throes of pleasure, with eyes closed and mouths open as they both cry out.  He has one hand on her shoulder, holding her in place, and the other hand on her breast, caressing her.  She has her head turned toward him as he penetrates her from behind, with one of her hands on her pubis, pleasuring herself.  The key phrases associated with this card are: good stimulation but watch your back, and defense and vigilance are important.

My January card is the 2 of Pentacles.  The image on this card shows a man and woman making love in the missionary position on a rumpled bed in the shadows.  We cannot see his face at all, and we can only see a corner of her face over his shoulder; her eyes are closed.  He is bracing himself on his elbows, with his chest resting against hers and his pants around his thighs.  Her arms are around him, with one hand on his upper back and one hand on his buttock.  They both appear glistening with perspiration, and her legs are relaxed and open, which makes me think they have both had their orgasms and they are catching their breath.  There are shadows across their bodies and the bed, as if a light was shining through a window with many panes of glass separated by some opaque material, so the shadows almost look like bars holding them in place.  The key phrases for this card are: voluptuous excitement, fun, and orgasm.  

Taking the 9 of Wands and the 2 of Pentacles as a pair and keeping in mind that Wands represent passions and extreme experiences and Pentacles represent the body and material goods, I am being told that January will be about pleasures and maybe nice surprises or opportunities to accomplish good things, possibly connected to home, health or career, and be rewarded with a sense of accomplishment and well-being.  However, I should not be distracted by all the good stuff.  If I don’t watch where I’m going, I could end up tripping over a crack in the sidewalk, and breaking my face.  I would rather spend January having fun but holding back just a bit so I can be aware of my surroundings, than nursing an injury that prevents me from enjoying life.


Saturday, January 2, 2021

January 2, 2021: 3 of Wands and 4 of Pentacles


Today I have thrown two Minor Arcana cards.  My Inner Focus card is the 3 of Wands.  The image shows a fully dressed man from the shoulders down; he has his shirt pulled up and his pants opened.  Kneeling before him is a woman who appears to be naked but we can only see her from the shoulders up.  She has her eyes closed and the man's penis in her mouth, and one hand on the waistband of his pants as if pulling them down further.  The man is holding his penis at the base, guiding it as she pleasures him; his other hand is on her head, not grasping her hair but resting there and offering more gentle guidance.  The key phrases for this card are: initial success, and give joy and act boldly.

My Outer Focus card is the 4 of Pentacles.  The image on this card shows a naked woman laying back on a rustled bed in what appears to be a dark room, resting on her elbows with her eyes closed and her lips parted as if gasping.  Before her and between her knees is a naked man; his eyes are also closed.  He is enthusiastically sucking on one of her nipples with one of his hands grasping her other breast; his other hand is on her pubis.  The key phrases for this card are: greed, selfishness, and intentionally lustful life.

Both of these cards show one person being pleasured by another person, but there are differences to be seen.  The image in the 3 of Wands appears to be in the daytime.  The interaction appears to be in its early stages, for the man has not taken off any of his clothes, although the woman's shoulders are naked.  There is a power dynamic here because the man is clothed and the woman is not, and the man is standing and the woman is kneeling.  However, she does not appear uncomfortable, and in fact is grasping his pants as if to move them out of the way.  The suit of Wands in the Decameron Tarot represent all of the correspondences of the element of Fire, as well as strong passions and extreme experiences.  I think those last two are the ones that get applied to the messages of this card; after all the experience presented is extreme and the passions are strong, apparently in both.  

The 4 of Pentacles image appears to be at night or in shadow.  Because both the man and the woman seem to be glistening with perspiration, I'm guessing that this interaction has been going on for a while.  The mussed sheets support this.  However, the woman's hair is not mussed, while the man's hair appears to be disheveled, hinting at the power dynamic that could be within this image.  The suit of Pentacles in the Decameron Tarot represent the correspondences of the element of Earth, as well as the body and material goods.  Here, the woman is the one being pleasured, but instead of supporting her partner, she is laying back and allowing him to do the work.  

This is an interesting message.  I may feel that I am offering support and encouragement, but perhaps the message is not being received and someone else might believe the work load is not balanced.  This is something we all need to remember, for merely having the right intentions is not always enough.  If the message does not come through, our intentions are wasted and their energies dissipate.  We need to do the work to get out our message, even if it is only a message of gratitude and appreciation.  Sometimes all it takes is a simple gesture to change everything, like the woman in the 3 of Wands grasping the man's pants to move them away so she has greater access, or the man's hand resting gently on her heading that same image, even as his other hand holds his penis steady so he can better penetrate her mouth.  She is participating and indicating her willingness to participate, rather than laying back and letting her partner do all the work.

Collaborations can be stronger than their individual parts.  


Friday, January 1, 2021

January 1, 2021: 6 of Wands and Knight of Chalices


Happy New Year!  Welcome, those who are just joining me.  A bit of a recap: I am back and blogging again because I stumbled across a really powerful Tarot deck called the Decameron Tarot.  I have been looking for an erotic deck to add to my collection for some time, and I had just about given up hope of ever finding one that spoke to me.  This deck, published by Lo Sarabeo, is an erotic deck based on a collection of novellas of the same name (The Decameron) written by 14th century Italian author, poet and Renaissance humanist Giovanni Boccaccio.  The Decameron (the book) takes place in Florence during the Black Death.  There is a great Wikipedia entry that explains the book in more detail, if you want to know more about the background behind the deck.  The Decameron Tarot deck has awesome erotic Renaissance-style artwork by Gracinto Gaudenzi.  I really like this deck because of its erotic imagery, and because the card meanings are just different enough to make me think.  If you are uncomfortable with erotic or sexual imagery, this may not be the blog for you right now.

Onward!  I am throwing two cards a day, an Inner Focus card and an Outer Focus card.  While I am throwing cards each day, I don't think I will make it here every day, but as you can see by my entries so far, I am here often.  

My Inner Focus card for today is the 6 of Wands, one of the two cards I threw on December 11, when I started blogging about this awesome deck.  On that day, the 6 of Wands was my Outward Focus card, so we will be perceiving its message in a different way today.  The image on the card shows several well-maintained structures with thatched roofs, one of which appears to be a church, all located on a hill covered with healthy growth, appearing green and golden as if late Summer.  A tree to the left of the image is heavy with fruit.  A figure walks up the hill toward the structures, carrying some kind of took, with his or her back to the viewer.  The key phrases for this card are: married life, privacy, and everyday love.

My Outer Focus card is the Knight of Chalices.  This card image shows a fully armored knight with his visor down and gaze forward, riding a brown steed with white socks, holding a spear.  He does not appear to be in a hurry but he is moving forward steadily along a path strewn with a few stones, but nothing too dangerous.  Riding behind him with her hands on the knight's waist is a naked woman.  She is turning back to look at the viewer, and she has a smile on her face.  In the distance are green hills; on top of one of the hills is a large castle surrounded by a strong wall and corner towers.  In the foreground on a large flat stone in an area that the horse and riders have already passed is a silver Chalice; around the Chalice is coiled a green snake.  The key phrases associated with this card are: your lover is defenseless and must cross hostile lands to be with you; watch for betrayal, for the future is risky.  

My Inner Focus card is verifying that with me I see my marriage and my home life as a good one.  I work for The Hubs, and we work well together.  We are both doing okay despite Covid, and we are both very aware that our money situation could change on a dime during this pandemic, so we are being careful.  We are surrounded by friends and family.  All is good as far as my own well-being.  It is the Outer Focus that makes me sit up and take notice, for although it is not telling me to panic, it is telling me that something might not be as perfect as it seems.  The path on which the couple are traveling is pretty well cleared, and on either side of the path are grasses and wildflowers.  It is hard to tell if they are heading toward that castle on the hill in the background, or just traveling past it.  Either way, we can assume that moving forward, things should be pretty safe in the area of that castle.  The chalice and snake in the foreground, however, send a different message.  In the Tarot, the snake can represent sexuality and temptation, but it can also represent having authority over energy; the traditional images of several other cards contain a snake, such as The Magician, The Lovers and The Hermit.  Since the snake is actually coiled around the Chalice, it is obvious that in this card the snake is connected to the basic meaning of the suit of Chalices, which in the Decameron Tarot is all the correspondences of the element of Water, and the soul.  

The knight is facing forward with his visor down, and that means his vision is limited.  The woman is facing backward, and that means she cannot see where they are going, only where they have been.  I need to be aware that temptations will present themselves and try not to let them blindside me.  I can't be overly confident right now or assume that things are going well just because I feel safe and secure.  I need to be aware of the danger of temptation of all kinds, and I need to have a clear plan moving forward, a plan that is created with past experiences in mind, but also with a broad view of the future and with the ability to adapt to whatever shows up.