Queen of Wands/Wheel of Fortune reversed. The Queen of Wands (cusp of Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, soul growth, spirituality, and Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive) is an exciting person to be around; she is warm and outgoing, cheerful and assured, without being vain or overbearing. She has a naturally optimistic view of the world, and LOL, considering my two Swords cards below, I might need that today. The Wheel of Fortune (Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive and energetic change), Jupiter (expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune), Kaph (grasping hand), and the Path between Netzach (the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration) and Chesed (the place where forms and structure are stabilized and nurtured)), tells of destiny and fate and their ebbs and flows, and their effects on our lives. This card in a reversed position is telling me that I may be trying to walk against the current today without realizing it. I might do a better job if I try to sense which way the wind is blowing before I decide to speak or act.

My Thoth card is the Knight of Swords reversed. The Knight of Swords (the cusp of Taurus, “I have,” sensual, stubborn, cautious, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, dual, intelligent) is brave, insightful, courageous, and logical. Unfortunately, he is also rude, domineering, critical and sarcastic. He is reversed, which means one of two things: either I will be dealing with his negative traits, or I will be able to ground myself and not only hear my Inner Voice, but listen to what it is saying to me, as well. I choose door number 2!

My Legacy card is the Three of Swords, flavored by the Ace of Swords. Eeep and double eeep! The Three of Swords (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) indicates the possibility of experiencing sorrow or betrayal or isolation of some kind. I really don’t like this card, and I must say, it is the only card in the entire deck that makes me think “oh, shit!” when I see it. **deep, calming breath** This, too, shall pass. The Ace of Swords (Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution authority, cunning, Aquarius and Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, soul growth, artistic) tells of the potential for using the intellect or the mind; the focuses associated with this Ace are connected to reason, intelligence, clarity, truth and hanging in there. I’ve got lots of Fire and Air in my cards today, and I need to be careful that all this focused power doesn’t run amok. “Calm and centered” are the watchwords for today.

My 6-digit date number is 8, the number that tells of an active and conscious response to the pause and onset of degeneration offered by the number 7.

My horoscopes: “Arts and crafts may hold your interest today, Sagittarius. Even if you lean more toward sports, an artistic streak likely runs pretty strong in you. Creating can be richly satisfying, both in the process and in the finished product. Allow yourself the opportunity to explore this part of you. The day's energy will lend much to your abilities.”

And: “Generally you love talking, and don't usually tire of it, but right now you've probably exhausted your limit. You've attended a number of gatherings and talked to a lot of people over the past week or so, and now you just want to sit quietly at home. If friends or family members insist on your going out with them, don't be afraid to say no. Everyone knows how busy you've been! Take some time to yourself and relax.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is The Fool. No amount of cleverness or learning or attainment of knowledge, or even wisdom, for that matter, can teach us how to take the leap of faith that is represented by this card. The question we need to ask ourselves is who exactly is The Fool? The person who acts with blind faith and an assumption that things will happen as they are supposed to happen, with a happy ending? Or the person who is deeply rooted in logic and the intellect, and physical proof? There really is no hard line wrong or right answer, and each time we ask the question the answer may be different. But if we don’t ask, we won’t know, will we?

What a great Labor Day Weekend I had. I walked several times, biked several times, and even biked to Sunset Beach and walked on the beach. Fader River has survived Hurricane Irene, and Higbee Beach is pretty much intact. I was glad to see this. We attended a Labor Day picnic, had an unplanned (but delicious!) dinner with neighbors, and I even did a Thai Massage!!

My next occult endeavor will be to study the Emerald Tablet (also known as The Tabula Smaragdina). The Emerald Tablet is said to be the work of Hermes Trismegistus, or Hermes the Thrice-Great, an Egyptian sage or god. The Emerald Tablet is one of the better known Hermetic texts; it is said to contain the secrets of enlightenment, the alchemic Philosopher’s Stone. Of course, there are several translations, and oh boy, I guess I’m going to have to choose one. Wikipedia shows one by Isaac Newton, one by Giorgio Beato, a “contemporary rendering of the Latin text,” whatever that means, and a new translation (bypassing Latin) from Arabic, which I think I will use for the most part. If I depart from this one, I will so note.

Here is the text I will use:

1. It contains an accurate commentary that can't be doubted.
2. It states: What is the above is from the below and the below is from the above. The work of wonders is from one.
3. And all things sprang from this essence through a single projection. How marvelous is its work! It is the principle [sic] part of the world and its custodian.
4. Its father is the sun and its mother is the moon. Thus the wind bore it within it and the earth nourished it.
5. Father of talismans and keeper of wonders.
6. Perfect in power that reveals the lights.
7. It is a fire that became our earth. Separate the earth from the fire and you shall adhere more to that which is subtle than that which is coarse, through care and wisdom.
8. It ascends from the earth to the heaven. It extracts the lights from the heights and descends to the earth containing the power of the above and the below for it is with the light of the lights. Therefore the darkness flees from it.
9. The greatest power overcomes everything that is subtle and it penetrates all that is coarse.
10. The formation of the microcosm is in accordance with the formation of the macrocosm.
11. The scholars made this their path.
12. This is why Thrice Hermes was exalted with wisdom.
13. This is his last book that he hid in the catacomb.

I am going to ask Merlin for help with this one, and since I haven’t worked too much with Merlin, I decided to find out a bit about him. Here is some information from Wikipedia about Merlin:

Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard of the Aurthurian legend. Myrddin Wyllt, Merlinus Caledonensis or Merlin Sylvestris (c. 540 - c. 584) is the most important prototype for the modern composite image of the wizard Merlin. This historical Merlin served as the bard and advisor of Gwenddoleu (who was killed in 573 in the Battle of Arfderydd), who was lord of the area of southwest Scotland and northwest England that is near Hadrian’s Wall and Carlisle.

Merlin is said to be a cambion, born of a mortal woman, usually said to be a nun, and sired by an incubus. It is through this non-mortal lineage, connected to both the Christian God and what the Christians would call a demon, that Merlin finds his own strong magickal powers and abilities. The legendary Merlin is said to have engineered the birth of King Arthur through magick and intrigue.

Merlin spent years living as the Wild Man of the Woods, during which he experienced visions, learned to speak to and live as an animal, and honed his magickal gifts. He was a wizard, a prophet, a bard, an advisor and a tutor.

By the way, any of my Followers (either official or otherwise) who are Pagan and on FaceBook, please visit the One Million Pagans FB page and “like” it. Thank you, and Blessed Be!

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