Monday, October 31, 2011

Temperance/The Hierophant.  Wow, powerful pair! Temperance connects 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 it is one of the Major Arcana cards that presents the concept of dynamic balance.  This card tells me that I will be able to maintain my balance today, and lessen any harsh stances that will present themselves. 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 is a conservative card whose power is based on orthodox and proven systems.  It celebrates such systems, as well as learning, teaching, ritual and ceremony, and leading or being a part of a group.  The two cards work well together for The Hierophant infused with Temperance can lead without being a despot, and present culture and tradition without being a fundamentalist.  Cool.

My Thoth card is the Ten of Swords reversed.  “Ruin” is Crowley’s keyword for the Ten of Swords (the Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, talkative), which in an upright position is a card of interference and restriction.  The upright Ten of Swords tells of the total and complete breakdown of the thinking process but since my Ten is reversed today, my mind will be in good shape and I will be challenged by blockages rather than feeling martyred to them.

My Legacy card is the Queen of Wands reversed, flavored by the Nine of Swords. The Queen of Wands (cusp of Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, soul growth, spirituality, and Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive) in an upright position is energetic and enthusiastic; because my Queen is reversed, endurance just might be an issue for me. The Nine of Swords (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, social, dual) is flavoring my reversed Queen of Wands.  It represents brooding and worrying, particularly the brooding and worrying that happens in the wee hours of the morning and ends up giving you a headache.  While I may find that circumstances are making my mind tired today, I should accept these circumstances rather than trying to fix them, and I should attempt to not worry about them, because worrying just makes those circumstances worse.

My Pearls of Wisdom Samhain card is Death reversed.  How appropriate! The Death card corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, and sensitive, imaginative energy that strives to stay the same or take the same course), Scorpio, Nun (fish head; liberation), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Netzach (the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration), and tells of natural change that cannot be stopped.  We are programmed as human beings to fear Death, but actually this card represents a one-way trip into the unknown, which can be exhilarating.  My Death card is reversed today, so that change has happened, and I have survived.  The LWB with this deck states within the description for the Death card that we are “more alive without the body than with it”; an interesting and powerful concept to think about on Samhain.

My 6-digit date number is 7, the pause that comes with the end of growth as we transfer towards the beginning of degeneration.

My horoscopes: “Difficult tension may be frustrating for you to handle. You may wonder why everyone can't just get along. The answer may seem simple to you, with your easygoing attitude. Unfortunately, there are big egos and unrealistic attitudes involved that make it difficult for other people to see things so simply. You may find that the best you can do is take a step away from the fire.”

And: “The social agitation that has been in your life for the last three weeks is coming to an end. The celestial energy will help you to learn some lessons and prepare for the next cycle. It would be great if you had some success and honors because this would help you confront the upcoming weeks, which will be a time of meditation and feeling a little bit disconnected from the world.”

My Shaodwscapes Insight today is regarding the King of Wands. .  “He holds his staff aloft like a torch, a beacon of flame and light.  Or perhaps he himself is that beacon . . . .”  These words from the Shadowscapes Companion seem to best sum up the King of Wands.  He is the lighthouse, the big draw, and he knows what he is doing.  Ethical and energetic . . . the man to follow!

My Samhain has been intensely wonderful in so many ways!!  I spent the entire weekend with my 92 year old mother in law, Ellen, the two of us alone in Cape May.  What a perfect way to honor the Crone!!  Ellen and I spent much of the time in companionable silence, sharing coffee or sipping our wine; other times we reminisced about past vacations and holidays, and she told me stories of her youth and of her family members.  We weathered the nor’easter on Saturday nicely (a storm which dumped 7 inches of wet snow and more on North Jersey and which has caused power outages that are still in existence), sitting cozily in front of the fireplace.

After our Sacred Mists Reiki Share, I turned off the tv and the lights, and went up to my bedroom, to finally fulfill a request that Hecate had asked of me many months ago, a request that I was reminded of by Lady Lilyth during our WGW 2011 in Animal Kingdom.  So, this one’s for you, Lilyth! 

I sat cross-legged in the middle of my bed, facing East, and performed a full Sabbat Ritual with no script, no tools, and absolutely no pre-ritual preparations at all.

I began by taking several deep, cleansing breaths, and then opened and balanced my chakras.  Then, I closed my eyes, opened my third eye, and began.  I cast my circle, and once I was surrounded and protected by the glowing sphere of energy, I called each Watcher and each Elemental Guide using words from my heart.  I was able to visualize them all clearly, each Watcher in a black robe and hood, held closed at the neck by a brooch that symbolized the element and direction: a yellow tornado for East, a flame for South, a cauldron overflowing with water for West, and a tree for North.  My Elemental Guides appeared as well, clearly and in detail, stepping forward out of the billowing fog that surrounded the outside of my circle.

I invoked the Dark God, using words from my heart, and felt His presence clearly.  He was primitive and wild, filled with dark energy, advanced in years but still quite formidable because of His experience, knowledge and wisdom.  The Holly King was in my circle.

I invoked the Dark Goddess, once again using words from my heart, and felt Her arrival clearly.   Hecate had blessed me with Her presence, and by Her side were Her three dogs, their white fur with red points ghostly in the darkness.   The Crone was in my circle.

The room was positively crowded!  I soaked up the energy of Their presence, and then I began to speak. 

I acknowledged that these were the last hours of the Dark God, and I thought about Him gladly moving towards His death.  I thought about the concept of sacrifice; how powerful the sacrifice to be offered by Him!!  How must it feel to go forward to certain death?  I heard His words then, confidently speaking.

“My death is a natural part of My life.  This is the death that must be so that life can be immortal, and these moments of dark and rest are well worth spending in order to experience rebirth and renewal.  All true Kings are so much a part of Their Kingdoms, are so involved in the maintenance of Their Kingdoms, that they **become** Their Kingdoms.  And thus, I **am** life, all life.  How could I ask you to die if I, who represent life, am not willing to die?  Know that all life is eternal because we die; the night may be dark, but dawn will surely come and with it, new light and new life, and renewal for all.”

These words affected me deeply.  I realized that sacrifices are happening all around me, and I cannot exist but for the sacrifices made for my health, comfort and well-being.  I decided that I would be a bit more aware of these sacrifices, and a bit more grateful for them.

I thought about the Dark Goddess, and how She must feel, knowing that Her much-loved Consort would soon be sacrificed so that life would remain immortal.  I love the Winter and its time of inner focus, but I realized that in part, that darkness and coldness and silence happens because the Goddess is grieving the death of Her Lord.

I heard Her words then, confidently speaking.

“Yes, this is a time of grief, of grieving for that which must pass away and fade.  It is a time of anticipation of cold days and lonely nights, but these days and nights must happen.  We cannot know warmth without also knowing cold, and we cannot know companionship without also knowing solitude.  There is benefit to exploring our own Darkness, and the time for that exploration is upon us.  Through braving the Dark, we will become stronger, and better able to enjoy the coming Light.  Take this time to openly embrace the Dark within you.”

I was affected by Her words as well.  And I was reminded of the blessing of having a 92 year old mother in law who is so easy to be with.  For a moment, I honored, Ellen and I honored Hecate, and I felt rich with blessings.

I then said farewell to my Deities, and released the Watchers and my Elemental Guides, with gratitude and blessings.  What a beautiful experience!

Today, I got up, got on the road, and took Ellen home to North Jersey.  I gave her an extra hug, in honor of Samhain, and kissed her.  I arrived home just in time to attend the Sacred Mists Sabbat Ritual in the afternoon.  I was honored by Lady Raven, who asked me to do the pre-ritual meditation.  LOL, I had nothing prepared, but I was confident that after my intense focuses on Samhain this entire weekend, I would be able to lead a fitting meditation.  I was pleased with the result, and I was certain that I was being offered words by Someone.

During the ritual, I once again felt the energies of the Dark God and the Dark Goddess; the Watchers and my Elemental Guides were also clearly present.  How nice that those energies from my ritual last night were still with me, and were renewed and reignited within the Sacred Mists Sabbat!

Happy Samhain to all, and blessings of the Third Harvest to each of you!

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Ace of Swords reversed/Seven of Swords reversed.  This makes perfect sense to me! The Ace of Swords (Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution authority, cunning, Aquarius and Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, soul growth, artistic) indicates the possibility of situations that will require some effort to solve, but it also tells me that I have the tools to solve the situations.  Because my Ace is reversed, I may find that any challenges may stump me, at least for a bit, because I am not tapping into my intellect and my problem solving skills in an efficient way.  But the card is there, even if it is reversed, so the energies are there, too.  The Seven of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, cause-oriented, the group, aloofness) in an upright position tells of the effort to maintain things as we want them, usually through the use of deception and usually to the point of using unethical means.  Since my Seven of Swords is reversed, while I may begin my day feeling the urge to be aloof or to hold myself away from situations and challenges, I just might still be able to accomplish a “synergy of the intellect.”  Perhaps because both of these Swords cards are reversed, I may need to look into myself for the root of any problems, and for the solutions.

My Thoth card is the Eight of Swords.  “Interference,” and I get this one, too.  The Eight of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable talkative, dual) shows the confusion and restriction that can result from actively seeking to use only the intellect to perceive reality.  I may find that circumstances are causing me to assume that I am being trapped or confined, or to assume that there is no solution.  All three of my Swords cards today show a progression: first there is the inability to connect to the skills necessary to solve problems, then there is the potential of feeling the need to isolate myself (which just might be the wrong decision), and then there is the warning of what will happen if I follow the tendencies of the first two Swords cards: isolation, confusion and hopelessness.  I think I would like to pass on those, and the way to do this is to stop thinking and analyzing so much.  That will be tough to do today, but not impossible.

My Legacy card is Justice reversed, flavored by the Page of Coins. 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), and is about cause and effect.  Because it is reversed, and being flavored by a Coins card, my reversed Justice card is reminding me to seek the cause of any effect, and to perceive and attempt to understand all things and events, especially those things and events of my physical world, objectively and with honor and equality.  I just might find myself prejudging and that is not a good thing. The Page of Coins (Aries, “I want,” assertive, action oriented, Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual) is a listener, and this Page listens to both sides of an argument because he is also a student, and is eager to learn.  My Page is reminding me today that there are important considerations I need to be aware of: I need to spend some time tapping into the energies of Nature, I need to make plans and then activate them, I need to work with what I have now rather than dreaming about what I don’t have, and I need to learn and grow.  Sounds like my Page is offering me something else to focus on rather than the challenges my mind and intellect are seeing.  Good.

My 6-digit date number is 6, the number of vertical and horizontal balance.  LOL, I hope that is a prediction.

My horoscopes: “A passionate letter or call from a romantic partner could have you longing for an encounter. You're likely to make a night of it this evening. You're both feeling happy, glowing in each other's company. One or both of you will have career success to report. Relations with co-workers and superiors should be cooperative and congenial. This bodes well for your future.”

And: “Vast amounts of information could come to you today through e-mail, fax, the Internet, or phone. Expect to hear from groups whom you may or may not be affiliated with. You could make new friends, possibly in your near neighborhood, as changes could be taking place in your community. You could hear of some classes you might want to take. Books or magazines may bring valuable information your way. This could well be a very stimulating and significant day.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding The Lovers.  “In one of the oldest tales there is the Choice: knowledge and fulfillment of worldly senses, or the simplicity of an ever-present now.”  From the Shadowscapes Companion.  The Choice presented by The Lovers is always difficult because each option has its benefits.  I think the lesson here is that sometimes, if our intentions are pure and our hearts are open, we can find a way to combine them both, or the best of each (and that “best” would be different for each of us), in order to create a new reality.  What a lovely card to think about on Samhain Eve as the God prepares to die and the Goddess prepares to withdraw into the darkness.

Today is Samhaim Eve.  Here is what I wrote about Samhain in my First Degree Lesson that covered the Wheel of the Year: “Samhain is the cross-quarter between the Autumn Equinox of Mabon and the Winter Solstice of Yule.  Samhain is considered a time of endings and beginnings.  For some this is the last Sabbat of the year, and for others the first Sabbat of the year.  The cycle of growth ends; nights are longer than days.  Samhain is a time to celebrate the past year, and to celebrate the year to come.  It is also a time to deal with death; this is the night that the old God dies, and the Crone Goddess mourns him deeply for the next six weeks.  We should remember our ancestors this night, and say farewell to those who have died this past year.  But in a more lighthearted vein, it is the time for harmless pranks and merrymaking; the time of the Lord of Misrule, and the Norse trickster god, Loki.  It is also said that the veil between the worlds is thin at this time, and the night abounds with spirits passing through, some with only harmless fun and pranks in mind, but some bent on more harm.  A tradition arose of leaving small gifts of food at one’s doorstep, and wearing costumes and masks to scare away the spirits meaning harm.  Also helpful was a jack-o-lantern on your door step: the scary face would chase away the hostiles, yet the candle within would be a welcoming light to those you know.

That was a good start.  Samhain is considered a Greater Sabbat because it is a cross-quarter.  The solstices and equinoxes are considered Lesser Sabbats, not because they are of any less importance than the Greater Sabbats, but rather because the flows of energy associated with the Lesser Sabbats are at a time of transformation, and thus are ebbing rather than flowing at peak.  The Greater Sabbats, on the other hand, are the peak of the seasonal energies, the culmination of the effects of those energies.

And thus, Samhain, the Third Harvest, can be likened to the number 9 and the Nine cards of the Tarot Minor Arcana.  This Harvest Sabbat ties everything up, not only for the harvest season, but for the year as well.  This is the time when we are seeing evidence all around us in the physical world of the effects of the Waning Year and its ebbing energies. 

Because Samhain represents the final harvest and the windup of gathering the fruits of our labors, it is also the Sabbat most representing death of all kinds.  In our creation myth, this is the Sabbat when the God dies and retires to the Summerland in order to rest and prepare for rebirth; this is the Sabbat when the Goddess is Crone, the elderly Woman who sits by the fire to warm Her bones, wrapped in a blanket as She talks of the year gone by, interprets the important events, and laces all with Her wisdom, wisdom attained through living.

I look forward to the Waning Year.  Spring fills me with hope and renewal; as my beloved garden awakens, I am filled with enthusiasm for the coming light.  Summer is marvelous; it is an opportunity to walk on the beach and hike in the mountains, and to be outside under the hot sun and the warm rain.  Fall is beautiful; the angle of the sun and its light, and the colorful leaves flying in the air during a nor’easter, are unique to the year.  But Winter, with its times in front of the fireplace as the snow flies, brings more time for contemplation.  I am very much ready for that time this year.

Today will be my day to wind up and prepare for release those things that need to be left behind.  Tonight, I will finally perform the specific ritual that Hecate has been requesting of me.  After I perform that ritual, I will spend some time thinking about and honoring my Ancestors.  Tomorrow, I will attend the Sacred Mists Samhain Sabbats, hopefully both of them but at a minimum, one of them.  And I will offer treats to the trick-or-treaters with honor to Samhain and my Craft in my heart.

And then my own harvest will be complete.

Samhain Blessings!!

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Saturday, October 29, 2011

Nine of Pentacles/The Magician.  Woohoo!  Power to the people.  Nice pair of cards here. The Nine of Pentacles (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) is a card of accomplishment through the imposition of discipline.  The number 9 always gives fruit to itself ( 9 + 9 = 18, 1 + 8 = 9), and since the suit of Pentacles is also filled with fertility, this is an awesome card.  While the Pentacles brings the focus of the card mostly to lovely manifestation in the physical world, this Pentacles card also tells of the spiritual as well, and the satisfaction of a job well done. 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), has the power to transform his world through the use of his Will and his connection to the Divine.  This is such an excellent card to be paired with the Nine of Pentacles.  The Magician of the Tarot, particularly the upright Magician, holds and wields real power, power that is attained through discipline and practice.  Probably the only down side of this card today is the tendency to be focused on the attainment of the goal regardless of the consequences.  But the Nine of Pentacles balances that out soooooo well, because the Nine is about the outcome of using abilities and discipline in an ethical way, without indulging the “wild side.”  Perfect!

My Thoth card today is the Two of Cups.  “Love” is Uncle Al’s keyword for the Two of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, family and home oriented, tenacious, moody) is also about love, usually about relationships and commonalities.  These two cards together are telling me to love myself, to accept and enjoy the benefits of my physical body as well as the nourishing emotions associated with love.

My Legacy card is the Five of Wands, flavored by The Hermit reversed. The Five of Wands represents Saturn (discipline, responsibility, law and order) in Leo (“I am, passionate, dramatic, egotistical), and indicates a struggle caused by cross purposes.  Sometimes the conflict represented by this card is between the inner self and the outer self.  But what we need to remember is that while it is a bit uncomfortable, the energy of this card is useful, particularly when upright!  The mild churning of the Five of Wands is fuel, and it also burns away “impurities” that cloud the vision. The Hermit, which corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and material, practical and stable energy that is slow to change), 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), is reversed, and it is flavoring my Five of Wands.  If it were upright, my Hermit would be telling me that the lessons to be learned today are discovered through an inward and solitary focus, but my Hermit is reversed, so I am being told that the annoyances of my Five of Wands are indeed presenting positive opportunities to me today, so I should embrace them rather than avoid them.  Connections to others are important!

My 6-digit number is 5, the number of motion that dispels stagnation.  This could very well be supporting the Five of Wands.

My horoscopes: “Mild cold symptoms could affect your ability to tend to your chores today. You're an active person, so this could affect your self-confidence and ability to do what you want to do. Upsets beyond your control within your circle of friends could also affect your concentration. Don't dwell on them. Dose yourself with juice and tea and get through the day.”

And: “You have a promising day ahead. Finally, you'll advance by leaps and bounds with whatever needs to be done. Whatever has been causing the delays will likely be revealed today. You return to the skill and professionalism you so value after several weeks of halting progress. Don't tolerate any violations of your professional ethics, either now or in the future.”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is regarding the Three of Cups.  This card is about the exhilaration to be found within lively connections to others, to groups that are filled with emotions and feelings of all kinds.  This card is reminding me that the songs of life are filled with a variety of tones; on their own, some may be pleasant, some may be boring, and some may be discordant, but put them all together and you get a symphony!

Last night, the Pagan Brain Trust had its first Reiki Share in Skype.  Meebo is gone, so we moved up in the world.  LOL!  Seriously, the Reiki energy seems to like Skype; the experience was cleaner, clearer and there seemed to be less static in the exchange.  Veeeery powerful!  And this Share was only done in the Skype chatroom!

The next focus regarding The Emerald Tablet is: “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.”  The first part of this is a continuation from the last part. If you look at the Tree of Life, Kether, at the top of the Tree, can be considered Fire, Sacred Fire.  The bottom of the Tree is Malkuth, which is the final, physical world manifestation of all of the other sephiroth, the ultimate physical manifestation of Kether.  The next part of this section brings alchemy into the picture.

From “The Tabula Smaragdina: An Interpretation,” by Catherine Glashan: “In the Inner Laboratory, one examines both or all sides of an issue. The nature of our three dimensional reality is opposites and correspondences. Discovering the dichotomy or opposites and naming them is the first step (Calcination). In life, there are usually a myriad of more than two sides of an issue to consider. We have to be willing to look into all aspects of ourselves and look for the hidden truths (Dissolution). In the steps or process of thorough examination and discernment, that which does not pass the test of truth is released and let go of; thus separating the chaff from the wheat (Separation). In the engraving: ‘The empowered alchemist is symbolic of a successful integration (Conjunction) of the opposing forces to his left and right. Half his frock is black with white stars and other half is white with black stars.  In other words, each side contains the seed of its opposite, so he has neither denied nor destroyed the compelling powers of the opposites, only integrated them into his own being.’ (from The Emerald Tablet by Dennis William Hauck)”  In one simple phrase, we cover the entire Great Work of alchemy! And LOL, if you don’t know what that is, be sure to say tuned, for the Great Work will be my next focus once I complete my work with The Emerald Tablet.  This will be my second trip through the Great Work, so it should be interesting!

Perfect thoughts for a stay-at-home, comfy-cozy day of rain and wind, just before the Sabbat of Samhain!

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Friday, October 28, 2011

Knight of Swords/Six of Cups.  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.  The Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive) tells of experiencing simple joys, innocent fun and being surrounded by blessings.  This card seems to specifically refer to the past, to those memories that are surrounded by a rosy glow, particularly because my Six of Cups is upright.  Now, obsessing on the past is never good, but taking a moment to remember happy times gone by can be refreshing and cleansing.  Since my Six of Cups is paired with my Knight of Swords, I am thinking that the influences of that knight will be more on the positive side, and they will be tempered with compassion and mercy.  Not too shabby!

My Thoth card is the Prince of Cups reversed.  Another Knight!  The Prince/Knight of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) feels things strongly, and is a dreamer.  Maybe it is the tendency to dream that makes this Knight appear calm on the outside, but those strong feelings are still churning, even if we can’t see them.  Because my Prince is reversed, today the amenable nature will actually fulfill its appearance because it really is there.

My Legacy card is the Two of Swords, flavored by the Seven of Coins reversed.  The Two of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) can represent a time of not looking or of shutting out the world.  This card tells of the presence of peace, but because of its nature, this peace has the potential to become harmful rather than relaxing because it exists because of barriers erected rather than because of true harmony.  The Seven of Coins (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, law and order, in Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn) in an upright position tells us that our efforts thus far may bring future rewards, but full potential has not yet been realized.  If it was upright, this Seven of Coins could be reminding me that the balance of my inner life with the demands of my outer world should be my focus during the pause.  However it is reversed, so the Seven of Coins could very well be warning me that if I pause too long within the peace of the Two of Swords, there may be unpleasant consequences. 

My New Moon Pearls of Wisdom card is the Nine of Pentacles.  The Nine of Pentacles (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) is a card of accomplishment through the imposition of discipline, and indeed the Pearls of Wisdom card tells of deliverance to a goal or the manifestation of a goal through the application of discipline, focus and hard work.  This is seen both as a card of harvest of the fruits of our labors ~and~ a card of potential of having both material security and creature comfort.

My 6-digit date number is 4, the number of depth, stability and the potential for stagnation.

My horoscopes: “Miscommunication with a romantic partner could have you either writing or reading love poetry or a story of some kind. It's more important that you clear up the misunderstanding with the special person in your life. Cheer up. Don't let your insecurity get the better of you. All isn't as bad as it seems. The end of the day could bring a passionate reconciliation.”

And: “The day ahead won't be easy. A glimpse at your love life reveals that you'll be bridling at certain inhibitions. You long for peace and stability, and at the moment everything is in suspense in that department. Use the day ahead to gain some perspective on the situation. Until the ice melts and the flow of events resumes once again, why not devote your energy to some other endeavor?”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is regarding the Knight of Pentacles.  This Knight is about striking with the weight and power of the element of Earth behind us.  This is about the ability to break open a mountain through an earthquake as well as the ability to crack open a boulder through the intrusion of tiny tree roots.  The power is there; all I have to do is access it.  But I do need to remember that this power is like a tractor trailer filled with heavy farm machinery: hard to stop once it is up to speed.  Paths must be chosen wisely.

Today is a day of absorption, not self-absorption, but a day to absorb my experiences of the past week.  Being with my fellow Sacred Mists students at WGW2011 always requires some processing time.  So much good stuff happens there that it can’t be processed until the “party’s over,” so to speak.  I work with the Student Council Members who attend WGW2011 every day; we all strive, mostly behind the scenes, to empower ourselves, each other, and every other student at Sacred Mists.  Much of what we do is truly behind the scenes; no one knows of these efforts, and this is mainly so because we are successful.  And I would not have it any other way.

Some changes in my responsibilities at Sacred Mists are upcoming, and I am looking forward to them.  **smile** I can’t mention most of these things quite yet, but the one thing I can mention is that I have volunteered to write and lead the Sacred Mists Yule Sabbat Ritual this year.  It has been a long time since I have led a Sabbat.  I am Director of the Esbat Program at Sacred Mists, and I do write and lead Esbats regularly, but I have not written and/or led a Sacred Mists Sabbat Ritual since the Third Degree Lesson requiring this.  It is time.

One of the things that I truly love about our WGW events is that my own enthusiasm for what I am doing at Sacred Mists, and what I belong to as a member of the Community, the College and the Coven, is renewed.  I work with some wonderful, caring, wise, knowledgeable and hard-working people, and I am honored to be associated with them.  There is all kinds of crazy information out there about Sacred Mists, unfortunately most of it is bad.  There is a reason for this: most of us are too busy learning and growing and sharing with others to spend time defending the value and validity of Sacred Mists.  We don’t really want to associate ourselves with those posts and threads that are just not fair because we don’t want to be dragged down by the negative focuses.

Is Sacred Mists perfect?  I’ve answered this question before.  No, it’s not perfect.  Do situations get mis-handled?  Yes, they do; none of us are perfect.  But I do know, because I am privy to and witness of many attempts to handle situations, that no one in Administration or the Student Council has ever mis-handled a situation and remained in either Admin or the SC.  We are all most definitely held accountable for the effective meeting of our responsibilities, and we all take those responsibilities quite seriously. 

For me, these responsibilities are serious because of who I am and because of the way I practice my Craft.  I have gained so much from everything about Sacred Mists, and I know that this is so because I strive to always go above and beyond what I perceive as the minimum requirement.  Can I pass a lesson by answering a homework question with only one or two simple but correct sentences?  Yes.  Can I progress through my Degree Training by not volunteering to help or teach, or by not posting in our Forums, or by not showing an interest in my fellow students?  Yes.  But sooner or later, I will reach a brick wall because the training I am receiving requires that I do more than the minimum amount of work in order to get the most out of each lesson, no matter how simple, and also requires that **I** take responsibility for my own progress or my own failures, rather than blaming others when things don’t end the way I want them to end or expect them to end.  And from my perspective, many of the former students of Sacred Mists who have issues with how things were handled have those issues because they did not own those issues, but rather shifted all responsibility for resolving issues exactly as requested, and in many cases, divining out of the air just what the problems were in the first place.  Especially when participating in an online community, assuming that not receiving a response means that we are being ignored or disrespected is usually a recipe for disaster.

I am proud of how much I have grown during these years of being associated with Sacred Mists.  I would not be who I am today without the influence of this wonderful Community.  I love the way we are offered through our training the opportunity to advance our own growth by serving others, and my only wish is that there were more hours in the day, so I could volunteer for all the programs I would love to be associated with.  And I am grateful to be associated with those who lead me and those who work alongside me.  Where will my studies at Sacred Mists bring me?  I don’t know.  But thanks to those who have gone before me and thanks to those who walk the Path beside me, I have faith that even though I can’t see ahead, I will end up where I am supposed to be.

Okay, back to work; the digestive process has officially begun.  I have a new task this weekend: I am going to create and sell (**crosses fingers**) wire-wrapped hand collected sea glass charms that are Reiki charged.  I’ve gotta get some samples made and some descriptive information to enclose with the charms created.  I am excited about this!!!

Blessed be!

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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Nine of Cups reversed/Eight of Pentacles reversed. by the Nine of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth), which is about emotional satisfaction of the best kind: the kind that comes due to the actions of luck. My Nine is reversed today, so satisfaction will not be coming to me through my senses or my feelings.  The Eight of Pentacles (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, sensible, orderly) is about paying attention to details in the physical world.  This card is about attaining knowledge and then working through it so it becomes wisdom.  But my Eight is also reversed.  This is not necessarily telling me that today is a waste, and perhaps I am being shown these two cards from this vantage point (late in the afternoon) because I need to realize that there is always a way to get to the problem or issue, even if the most logical paths are seemingly blocked.

My Thoth card is the Four of Swords. The Four of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) tells of the need of some time of rest and recuperation, usually to be brought about by a time of truce or pause or quiet. In fact, “truce” is Crowley’s keyword for this card.  It is about a pause, but the pause is more about mutual deterrence so it is temporary in nature.  I need to take advantage of it. 

My Legacy card is Temperance reversed, flavored by the Six of Cups reversed. Temperance connects 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 it is one of the Major Arcana cards that presents one form of balance.  Temperance is about maintaining the balance of extremes, but there is an important message in this reversed Temperance today.  Sometimes discord can expose.  If I look at the card flavoring my Temperance reversed today, the Six of Cups reversed, I can understand that dark clouds do have silver linings. The Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive) tells of experiencing simple joys, innocent fun and being surrounded by blessings.  It is reversed and flavoring my reversed Temperance.  Discord can sometimes expose the difficulty.  Granted, we want to try other methods first, but sometimes being “in your face” is the way to get it done.  LOL, way to turn lemons into lemonade.

My 6-digit date number is 10, the end of a cycle, which reduces further to 1, position, potential and new beginnings.

My horoscopes: “Have you been thinking about working toward a career as a writer or teacher? If so, this is the day to start. Perhaps you need to sit down and start writing, or you want to take some courses to improve your skills. A number of communications from out of state or even distant lands could come your way from people with information that might change your life in some way.”

And: “Consider planning a romantic interlude. With the influence from the day's planetary aspects, connecting with that special someone will be easily accomplished. Go out for dinner with your partner or partner or make a date with someone new that's caught your eye. Don't let shyness or insecurity stand in your way either. If you are single, consider loving the most important person in your life by doing something special - you.”

My Shadowscapes Insight for today is the King of Pentacles.  To me, the words in the Shadowscapes Companion describes this card perfectly: “When he lays his hand upon a venture, it is bound for success.”  The King of Pentacles is so very talented in tapping into physical world resources and bringing them into every venture.  He’s got just the right balance, not too grounded and not too “out there”; what else can you ask for?

I am in Florida, in Animal Kingdom, with the giraffes and the zebras and the buffaloes and the storks and the ostriches and the elands (what I can see right now from the terrace) and all kinds of animals, and with my much-loved Sacred Mists Witches.  We do this vacation every year because it is the rare opportunity for face time for us, and since we all work together so hard, and depend on each other so much, we need this.

So, my blog posts are a bit late.  But my experiences are so very necessary for my well being as a witch, a Wiccan, and an Initiated Priestess of the Sacred Mist Tradition.  So please bear with me.  Here is what I intended to post yesterday:

It is a little after 7 am, and I am sitting at Gate 15 of the JetBlue terminal, watching the sky turn to flames of orange and pink, and now yellow as the sun rises.  I am on my way to Florida to partake in a bit of WGW2011 in Disney.

My weekend in New York State was wonderful.  We stayed in a house on the top of a mountain outside the small hamlet of Copake, not far from Copake Lake.  We were there to attend an auction that is run by friends of ours, the Copake Auction.  This month was an exciting event for our friends, because they were auctioning off a painting done by a relatively well-known modern artist named Gunther Uecker.  I’ve never heard of him, but since I don’t follow the art world, that is not surprising. 

The piece was apparently commissioned by a gentleman over 40 years ago, and hung over that person’s mantle all this time.  It was expected that the piece would sell for anywhere between $100,000 and $180,000!  We were there, four rows from the front, as the piece was sold.  The bidders were from around the world, participating by internet and through several telephone lines.  To our surprise (and delight for our friends), the Uecker sold for $330,000!  The bidding was very exciting to watch; I can only imagine how excited each of the bidders were.

We took a walk on Saturday afternoon through the Bash Bish Falls State Park.  The Bash Bish Falls is the highest waterfall in New York State. The falls are made up of a series of cascades, nearly 200 feet in total, with the final cascade being split into twin falls by a jutting rock, dropping in an 80-foot “V" over boulders to a serene pool below.

The waters of Bash Bish Falls begin at a spring in Mount Washington and after the falls, Bash Bish Brook continues on a gentler course through New York State until joining the Hudson River and flows through Copake. The waterfall is at the mouth of a gorge formed during the last ice age. At the rear of the gorge, opposite the waterfall, is a 194 feet sheer rock wall. 

The walk up the gorge is positively magickal.  Scattered through the river and the sides of the gorge were huge ice age boulders; ferns and trees created a moist and cool surrounding, and I could really feel the presences of Earth elementals around me.  The water was crystal clear, and flowed, danced and roared around and over the rocks and boulders, filling the air with mist and sound. 

The falls themselves are breathtaking! More than 25 deaths have occurred at the Falls in the past century. Some were due to drowning, but most were due to rock climbing or rock jumping. This is a very dangerous area as pools are shallow, and swimming is not allowed. In October 2009, AOL Travel named Bash Bish Falls as one of the “Most Dangerous Tourist Attractions” in the U.S. and in 2010 AOL travel again named it one of the ten “most dangerous travel” destinations, this time in the world!  No wonder the energies were so interesting!

By the way, happy solar return, my Bobby!!

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Friday, October 21, 2011

Four of Wands reversed/Knight of Pentacles. The Four of Wands (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, enthusiastic) in an upright position is about building enough to become established, as a beachhead, a pause before continuing, not as a finished product. Usually the reversed Four of Wands tells of a sense of bondage or of lethargy, and this makes sense because it is paired with the Knight of Pentacles. The Knight of Pentacles (cusp of Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical, and Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) tells of persistence to the point of being stubborn, and caution to the point of being boring. Since the Knight is upright, I am going to assume that the persistence and caution are beneficial today, but I will be real careful about allowing lethargy to get a foothold.

My Thoth card is the Princess of Cups. Third time this month. The Princess/Page of Cups corresponds to Libra (“we are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation), Scorpio (“I desire,” intensity compulsion, mystery) and Sagittarius (“I seek,” philosophic, adventurous, blundering); this Princess is intuitive and dreamy, very social in nature. But she can be a bit too unrealistic or overly sensitive, too. So I must try to remember that!

My legacy card is the Eight of Swords flavored by The Hermit reversed. The Eight of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable talkative, dual) shows the confusion and restriction that can result from actively seeking to use only the intellect to perceive reality. How easy it is to be deceived by circumstances! The Hermit, which corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and material, practical and stable energy that is slow to change), 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), is reversed, and it is flavoring my Eight of Swords. Perhaps the message of this reversed Hermit is that today needs to be about my outer world, not my inner feelings, because my inner feelings may not be accurate. Seems to be the theme of the whole reading!

My 6-digit date number is 6, the number of vertical and horizontal balance. Good!

My horoscopes: “Your energy could be low today, making this an ideal day to stay in and read or get any paperwork finished. It isn't glamorous, but at least it doesn't require much energy. Any writing you need to do will be clear and fluid. You have a gift, and today it's magnified. You should make good use of this auspicious day.”

And: “You may have been having a hard time lately reaching the objectives you had set for yourself. Unfortunately for you, today will be no different, and you may begin to feel a bit dissatisfied with the way your life is going at the moment. You will be asking yourself certain questions about your life goals. Does your personal life live up to those goals, and are you able to express your wonderful creativity as much as you would like?”

My Shadowscapes Insight for today is regarding the Ten of Pentacles. This card tells of the efforts we expend to create and maintain the reality that we desire, and the sense of fulfillment and accomplishment that fills us once we realize that we have accomplished this goal. I am reminded of my many blessings when I look at the image of this card, and I am also reminded that I need to look at what I’ve done, what I’ve accomplished, for it is worthy of being viewed.

I am leaving in a few hours for a weekend with friends in Copake, NY, and I am looking forward to spending some time in the woods, soaking up the Fall energies. I don’t know if I will have an internet connection, so I won’t be posting until the weekend is over. But rest assured, I will pull my cards! You will be in for a “Tarot Bonanza Treat”!!

Blessings!

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Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Magician/Two of Swords reversed.  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), and he has the power to transform his world through the use of his Will and his connection to the Divine.  Today I will know what to do and how to do it, and better yet, I will get it done!  The Two of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) can represent a time of not looking or of shutting out the world.  Because the Two of Swords is reversed and paired with The Magician, things may really open up for me today.  Lots of movement in these two cards, and I had better look carefully and remember that I am responsible for my actions, s well as the consequences of those actions.

My Thoth card is The Aeon, or Judgement, reversed.  The Aeon/Judgement corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive and energetic change), Pluto (power, metamorphosis, cycles of dying and becoming), Shin (fang), and the Path between Malkuth (the physical world of action and physical, outer reality) and Hod (provides analysis and communication) and it usually tells of an opportunity to validate the good stuff and get rid of the stuff I don’t need any more.  This process, which often is spiritual in focus, allows me to understand who and where I am in life, so that I can see the bigger picture and thus, break from the past and make the right choices that will allow me to move forward.  Since my card is reversed, I need to be reeeeeaalll careful today about deciding what to keep and what to get rid of because there could be some cloud affecting my ability to see.  Perhaps that cloud is connected to some psychological issue that is trying to derail this process.

My Legacy card is the Three of Wands, flavored by the Ten of Wands.  The Three of Wands (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, the deepest self and personal power, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive) tells of being successfully established after effort, of taking a position of responsibility and of being supported by others.  This is a wonderful card to offer influence to The Magician, who is good at taking action but may not be good at remembering that his actions have consequences to others.  The Ten of Wands (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering) in an upright position tells of being taxed to the limit, but it is reversed, so my sense of empowerment will not be a flash that dies out quickly due to lack of fuel.

My 6-digit date number is 5, the number of motion that dispels stagnation.

My horoscopes: “A small sum of money could come today, possibly through the efforts of a woman. You may have been waiting for this for a long time, so expect to feel relieved. You may have some definite plans for the money. Perhaps it's meant for a specific purpose, or maybe you'll invest it. Whichever it is, you'll want to celebrate.”

And: “Your spirit is sparkling, and you may feel yourself filling up with tremendous energy as you go about your day. Your sense of adventure is at a monthly peak, and there is very little that can get you down. One area of your life that might be slightly difficult for you to deal with right now, though, is your world of love and romance. For some reason, you may feel like this is the one domain in which things aren't going the way you would like them to. The secret is to be patient.”

My Shadowscapes Insight for today is regarding the King of Pentacles.  This powerful King is calm and steady, and confident in his ability to achieve success and manifest an idea tangibly into the physical world.  He is well-grounded, yet he can reach towards the stars, and the added bonus is that just by being who and what he is, the King of Pentacles inspires others to dig deep for stability and then reach upward to touch our dreams.

My days have been incredibly busy; productive but busy.  It seems that the few projects I keep placing at the top of my “To Do” list get pre-empted in favor of other things that need to be done.  But I am enjoying these other things, too!  Last night’s Tarot Chat, part four of a series I am calling “Tarot and the Tree of Life,” was amazing.  I am truly enjoying the discussions that happen during the Chats on this subject. 

The other Tarot Class Facilitator and I are in the process of updating the Tarot Extension Class, and what a wonderful experience this is!  The lessons in this Class are great, and they really do help students to connect with their Tarot cards (LOL, I am trained through this class, and look where I am now), but they are sorely in need of updating.  Plus, the other Facilitator has images of the cards to be inserted in each of the lessons. 

We are working on bringing in some new members for the SMPDA also.  This is taking time as well, but since our membership has dwindled greatly, this is a necessary task.  We have some great new potential members and one returning member, and once they are on board the energy of the group will be back to its normal exciting levels. 

And still, my Lesson Six of Third Degree is waiting patiently for me.  I was really hoping to have this done before leaving for the WGW 2011 get-together.  It still may happen, but I am not so sure at this point.  I am still hopeful that I will have it completed by Samhain, though.  Darn it!!

Okay, break over.  I will hopefully get back to The Emerald Tablet tomorrow.

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Monday, October 17, 2011

Knight of Wands/Three of Cups. The Knight of Wands (cusp of Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, deep, obsessive, and Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering) is a person of passion and courage, but he is a bit unpredictable, and his courage can be sometimes a bit foolhardy in the end.  The Three of Cups (Mercury, reason, intelligence, orderliness, communication, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive tenacious, nurturing, moody), which tells of the possibility of experiencing emotional abundance, emotional connections to others, and emotional support as a part of the day, is one of the most energetic of the Cups cards.  These two cards together predict an exciting and fulfilling day, but there won’t be much grounding to be had, at least from these two.  While I certainly can allow myself to be consumed by good spirits, I should strive to keep a small part of my brain in touch with a bit of grounding.

My Thoth card is the Eight of Cups. The Eight of Cups (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitation, law and order, in Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, suffering, soul growth), which Crowley names “Indolence,” tells of an ending or a change of direction, often one associated with emotions.  Crowley also associates this card with a lack of interest.  I need to be careful today that I don’t get bogged down by low expectations; instead, I should aim for the sun!

My Legacy card is the Ten of Swords reversed, flavored by the Nine of Cups.  Look at all that Water today!! The Ten of Swords (the Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, talkative) is a card of interference and restriction, but my Ten of Swords is reversed, so it is empowering me.  No matter what challenges come before me, in the end I will be satisfied with the results.  Particularly because my reversed Ten of Swords is being flavored by the Nine of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth), which is about emotional satisfaction of the best kind: the kind that comes due to the actions of luck.

My 6-digit date number is 11 (Archangel Uriel), which reduces further to the number 2, balance and polarity. 

My horoscopes: “Over the past few years you've been aware that both you and your chosen life path are changing. This hasn't always been easy for you, because it sometimes means saying goodbye to parts of yourself that you're rather fond of. Today the tension of the past week may get to you. Defuse the tension. Go for a workout, shop, or clean the house. Keep the emotions in check.”

And: “It isn't because your new projects demand such precision that they are causing you problems, Nancy. You still have a tendency to think that details impede you from having a global vision but this is simply not the case. There really is no conflict between the long-term view and the short-term needs. You just think that the latter gets in the way of the former. Try thinking of the details that you find so annoying as stepping stones to your larger vision.”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is regarding the Nine of Pentacles.  Oh, this makes so much sense for me today.  The last time this card appeared for me, I said: “Balancing spiritual needs with the requirements of the physical realms takes focus and the imposition of Will.”  Yes, the spiritual being that is me needs to be in contact with my physical life, for that is what life is.  But what I also need to do is connect to the gifts I already have.  I worked hard to bring them to me, and just for today, I will not worry about the stresses of tomorrow.  Just for today, I will experience my blessings.

I have learned an amazingly important lesson today.  Healers need healing, and sometimes they can’t heal themselves. 

I do a lot of energy work on myself.  I open and balance and cleanse my chakras, I apply Reiki to myself.  I meditate.  I walk.  These are all wonderfully healthy practices.  I know, in my heart and in my mind, that these kinds of connections to my subtle body help to keep me healthy and balanced. 

I am a Reiki Master, and as of this date I have 48 hours of training as a Vedic Thai-Yoga massage therapist.  I bring healing to others on a regular basis, and I am fed by this healing.  I love the way I feel after giving someone bodywork.  But here is the thing: no matter how much I work with my energy body and no matter how much I balance and cleanse myself, there are things that I just can’t do for myself.  Heck, I tell my clients this all the time.  The asanas I offer within the bodywork can’t be self-applied.

Tonight, I received a session of IGM acupressure and energy healing from two people.  It wasn’t until they started working on me that I realized how much “stuff” had accumulated within me, despite my efforts to keep clean and balanced.  Now I know why I’ve felt so heavy.

Maintenance is important.  I do need to remember this.  And sometimes I can’t do it all for myself.

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Friday, October 14, 2011

Page of Wands/Queen of Wands.  Cool!!  I’ve got the immature and the mature inner manifestations of Fire!! 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) tends to be a free spirit who uses assertion and action to attract adventure and excitement.  This Page brings to me the message of the Ace of Wands, and tells me to use its effects because I can! The Queen of Wands (cusp of Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, soul growth, spirituality, and Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive) is energetic and enthusiastic; she isn’t noisy and she doesn’t jump up and down and wave her arms, but her energy is up beat, confident, and willing to give 100%.

My Thoth card is the Seven of Swords.  “Futility”; oy.  The Seven of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, cause-oriented, the group, aloofness), is a weak card in Crowley’s eyes.  The energies are incredibly passive, and what little energy it has is connected to the Moon, so it is very dreamy.  I need to watch out that I don’t get tempted to be a bad girl, as this card is about maintaining what we have, at any cost.

My Legacy card is the Knight of Coins reversed, flavored by the Page of Coins reversed.  Okay, not going to do too well with the physical realms today.  Slight imbalance, eh?  The Knight of Coins (cusp of Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical, and Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented), like all Knights, represents extreme manifestations of his suit, Coins or Pentacles, whether upright or reversed.  He is careful, sometimes to the point of being obstructive, and I might want to be aware that obstruction might happen for me. The Page of Coins (Aries, “I want,” assertive, action oriented, Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual) is a listener, and this Page listens to both sides of an argument because he is also a student, and is eager to learn.  Because my Page is reversed, and flavoring my King, that obstruction I talked about?  It might be connected to finding solutions that work or using common sense.

My 6-digit date number is 8, the number that tells of a conscious response to the beginning of the degeneration of the number 7, and an effort to maintain for a bit longer the balance of the number 6.  Perfect description of my focus today!

My horoscopes: “Transformation of your life, even your very being, may have been in the works for some time. Today you could finally see it made manifest. Dreams come true, perhaps in an unconventional and unexpected manner. Don't move too quickly or eagerly. Think carefully before committing to any plans. Don't be afraid to consult others. Move cautiously and good fortune will follow.

And: “You should be feeling great and looking beautiful today. Your charm and social skills are at a very high level, and your innate joviality and gift for conversation should make you a welcome guest at any social event. And you should be invited to a lot of them - perhaps too many! Enjoy this special time of sociability and friendship.”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is regarding the Ten of Swords.  The Shadowscapes Ten of Swords is a lot nicer to look at than the traditional image of the prone figure with ten swords buried in his back!  However interesting this card is to look at, the message is the same: a crashing downward to destruction that cannot be stopped by anything.  Or . . . is this all in my mind?

The next section of The Emerald Tablet is “Perfect in power that reveals the lights.”  In “The Emerald Tablet” by William Hoper, Mr. Hoper states that it is “[o]nly by exercising ones power in the manifesting of the imperfect is it possible to perfect ones power.”  He goes on to ask an important question: is Deity’s power perfected by its manifestation?  Hmmm . . . if the creative force or essence of Deity is only perfected once it is manifested, it could mean that life must happen.  Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that humans are perfect or that they are here because Deity deemed their manifestation as necessary.  I’m talking about all of life here, and not only physical world life.  Could it be that another basic trait of Deity (besides being drawn to interactions with lower-vibrating entities, especially those lower-vibrating entities that either ask specifically for the interaction or that strive to raise their own vibrational tones and levels) is that it must follow through on a pattern or recipe, with the last step of that pattern or recipe being manifestation?

Assuming this is true, then the sentence above also fulfills the reciprocal nature of “as above, so below; as below, so above.”  Just go back and read it again, and you will see.  The power is perfected by its manifestation into life forms; the living of those lives presents opportunities to “see” the light.  Don’t most spiritual paths or religions describe enlightened beings as being lit from within?   

Another circle, and I am seeing this common denominator again and again.  We are not required to believe in the existence of Deity, we are not required to interact with Deity.  We can live our physical world lives as we wish.  But if we call out, we will be answered.  If we reach our hand out, it will be taken.  We have only to believe, to believe that the inner experiences, the non-provable interactions, are real, and we will receive the validation we seek because Deity is programmed to respond, just as we are programmed to ask if it is all real.

**smile**  I already know it is real; I just can’t prove it to you.  You must find your own way, but once you do, as you try to describe to me the indescribable experience of conversing with Deity, I will nod and smile.  Perfection.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Nine of Swords reversed/Nine of Pentacles. The Nine of Swords (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, social, dual) represents brooding and worrying, the cruelty of the mind that takes place in the wee hours of the morning and ends up giving you a headache.  Thankfully, my Nine of Swords is reversed today, and thus I will be offered serenity and absolution in stead of brooding and worrying. The Nine of Pentacles (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) is a card of accomplishment through the imposition of discipline, and I like that it has paired itself with my reversed Nine of Swords.  Through sticking to the plan and overcoming inertia, I will feel calm, serene and fulfilled.  That I like. 

My Thoth card is the Princess of Cups. The Princess/Page of Cups corresponds to Libra (“we are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation), Scorpio (“I desire,” intensity compulsion, mystery) and Sagittarius (“I seek,” philosophic, adventurous, blundering); the emotions and feelings associated with this Cups card are a bit dreamy and serene, the Page is not as proficient as the Queen at interpreting things.

My Legacy card is the Five of Cups, flavored by the Queen of Wands. The Five of Cups (Mars, action, aggression, drive, in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, mysterious, obsessive) tells of emotional down time, a setback, a feeling of regret, or a lack of support.  Because my Five of Cups is flavored by the Queen of Wands (cusp of Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, soul growth, spirituality, and Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive) who is real good at having faith in herself, perhaps the emotional isolation presented by the Five of Cups will end up to be the first step of rejuvenation.

My Pearls of Wisdom Full Moon card is the Queen of Cups.  Oooh, nice! The Queen of Cups (cusp of Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, and Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody) is Water of Water, and thus is quite deeply connected to her feelings, her spirituality and her Inner Voice. She is about gentleness and serenity, and she tells me to trust my emotions and my intuition.

My horoscopes: “A surprise in love and romance is on its way to you. Things are coming full circle, and the investment you made in this realm is finally paying off. Something new is cropping up, but in reality, this is a result of things you set in motion long ago. Be open to embracing the tremendous flow of love and beauty that's coming your way.

And: “This morning, go through your house and check everything in order to make certain that it's working. There are indications that small accident hazards could exist that need to be corrected. Tension might run high among family members and quarrels could result. Don't waste your time trying to mediate; they will just have to work it out for themselves. This is a great day for study and solitude, as your mind is especially sharp. Go for it!

My Shadowscapes Insight today is regarding The Chariot. Emotions and feelings buffet us constantly throughout our days, both the emotions and feelings that we are consciously aware of and those that are more subtle, that are hidden within our aura or subtle body, and the subtle body of others.  But if we maintain discipline and establish the validity of our authority, we will be able to not only ride the wave, but direct its path.

I am thrilled to say that Miss Pauline visited me for the first time in months, in the wee hours of Sunday morning.  What ended up waking me was the sound of a large fly circling the room.  Loud buzz in my ear, and I could hear the fly pass from one side of the room to the other; I actually heard the Doppler effect as it passed by!  Never did see or hear the fly again, up to now.  But then, I felt her sit down at the foot of the bed, felt her weight and her warmth.  I smiled without opening my eyes, and whispered, “Hi, Miss Pauline.”  Then I felt her lean towards me, and as usual, pull on my covers.  After teasing me a bit, she actually tucked the covers back around me!  Oh, how I love when she wakes me up that way!!

I took another walk on the beach Sunday morning; I walked to the beach and then turned right, and walked up through Poverty Beach.  What a beautiful morning!  The sky was clear, the sun was warm, and the tide was low, with gentle waves.  During my one-hour walk, I saw two hawks, three turkey vultures, countless dragonflies, and fifty-two monarchs.  The monarchs are not done yet!!

I came back, brewed some coffee, and threw my cards for the day.  Then, I headed out to my beloved garden.  Sunday’s sunset was very different than Saturdays’ there was a gossamer layer of light clouds and the sky was filled with yellows, pinks, oranges, reds, blues and violets!  Then I gave a Thai Massage to Anne Marie, who seems to also have issues with the lateral muscles in her back.  I gave her some of the stretches that helped Andrew, my regular client, and will be giving Anne Marie more bodywork in a few weeks.  Excellent!!

Monday Helen and her sister-in-law and I walked the North Wildwood sea wall.  It was positively steamy in the sun!  Nearly 80 degrees!  I headed North last night, in order to be here for Andrew’s bodywork today.  My two belly dance classes are tonight, and despite spending a lot of time catching up on computer stuff this weekend, I still have lots to accomplish.

But as the song says, “I feel good!”

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Saturday, October 8, 2011

The Empress/Two of Cups.  Ooooh; lovely!  And The Empress again! The Empress corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and stable, material, practical energies that are slow to change), Venus (beauty, allure, pleasure, relationships), Daleth (door or womb) and the Path between Binah (female receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) and Chokmah (dynamic male energy and the origin of vital force and polarity), and is about the physical body and the material world.  This card encourages me to be very aware of my senses today, and to look to the workings of Nature for fulfillment. Most of all, The Empress reminds us of the power of unconditional love.  The Two of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, family and home oriented, tenacious, moody) is also about love, usually about relationships and commonalities.  These two cards together are telling me to love myself, to accept and enjoy the benefits of my physical body as well as the nourishing emotions associated with love.

My Thoth card is the Eight of Swords reversed.  “Interference,” and it’s reversed.  Yesss! The Eight of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable talkative, dual) shows what happens when you abuse the power of the Swords through the intellect: that power turns against you.  Thankfully my Eight of Swords is reversed, so today I will be able to get beyond that mental loop that holds us back; I will be able to plan effectively, and I will be able to implement my plans in a successful manner.

My Legacy card is The Tower reversed (whew!!), flavored by the Ten of Coins reversed. The Tower (Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive, energetic change), Mars (action, spontaneity, aggression, drive), Phe (mouth or speech), and the Path between Hod (which provides analysis and communication) and Netzach (which offers the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration)) in an upright position tells of a violent or explosive correction.  Thankfully, my Tower is reversed, so whatever comes my way today, whether it be serene or topsy-turvy, I will not be ruffled. The Ten of Coins (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, communication, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) is flavoring my Tower reversed.  Many people see this card as representing physical world wealth and bounty, and it does represent these things.  But that does not mean that a reversed Ten of Coins is a bad thing.  Yes, it is telling me that maybe because the influences of The Tower are muted, money won’t come pouring in, but the reversed Ten of Coins and the reversed Tower can combine to bring me lots of opportunities to take advantage of unique situations.  LOL, talk about boldly going where no man has gone before!!

My 6-digit date number is 11 (Archangel Uriel), which reduces further to 2, the number of balance and polarity.  I like this, both the influence of Archangel Uriel, and the encouragement to focus on both balance and polarity.

My horoscopes: “This is a great day for you. You may feel like you can exercise more of your freedom. Break any shackles that seem to be holding you back. There's no reason to feel hindered. Your adventuresome attitude is brave, and there's a great deal of territory to conquer. Get focused and go. You have the green light.”

And: “You may be asked to make an important decision today, Nancy. It has come to one of those points where someone draws a line in the sand. They have challenged you to cross it. Do you stay where you are and continue on without that person, or do you join them and support their goals and actions? The conflict today is between your head, which may be telling you one thing, and your gut, which is telling you another. Don't limit your choices to two. There are always compromises that can be made.”

My Shadowscapes Insight for today is the Ten of Pentacles.  This card shows the end result of the ability to root ourselves into in-place and already tested methods in order to find success.  The success associated with this card is not the result of random impulses (although the process may have begun through the light of a spark of unique creation), but rather through recognizing patterns and adjusting our processes to take advantage of those patterns.  The blessings that are a part of this card do not come to us in a flash of light, but rather through our own hard work and our own belief in the rightness of our goals.  They happen over time and through sustained effort, but they are long-lasting. 

I have decided that since I am alone in Cape May this weekend, I would treat myself to a “catch-up” weekend, catching up in many ways; I needed to give myself some time to recharge my batteries.  Last night I made it for sunset, and then spent the evening catching up on laundry, and grading homeworks.  Today, after taking a nice walk on the promenade towards the Cove, I went and visited my friend Wendy, who has a cute little shop called Mystics Cottage.  I had given Wendy a Thai Massage, and she had taken a few business cards to give out at her shop.  She needed more, and she had also gotten in some new smudge sticks and sweet grass, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone because I want to smudge the entire house after I get things back in order. 

I ended up coming home with the most lovely amethyst crystal, along with my smudge stick and sweet grass.  It is truly unique!  The bottom half of the crystal is amethyst, but there is a horizontal white stripe meandering around the purple; the top half of the crystal is white quartz.  I love it!  I am going to dedicate it to Hecate, and place it on my altar, since I don’t have anything there yet in Her honor. 

I came home and finished the laundry (last load is in; yay!!), and then took my bike down to the Cove for one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen.  Really, this one is in the top ten.  Again, the sky was clear, the colors brilliant.  The nearly full moon was in the sky, just a bit lower today.  The Belt of Venus was vibrant!  Dark grey-blue, then beautiful pink, then a bit of creamy yellow, and then the darkening blue of the sky.  Once again, the sun was an orange ball of flame.  There was even a wedding just starting; I watched with a smile as a young boy in a tuxedo led the bride, his mom I assume, towards the waiting people by the water’s edge.

I walked out to the end of the jetty at the Cove, and sat down.  I was about ten minutes early, so I took a few deep breaths and then I cast a circle around myself.  As the sun moved closer to the horizon, I opened each of my chakras, and then allowed myself to be filled with the essences of the elements.  I had the earth below me, I had the soft sound of the waves (which even came up to kiss my toes once or twice), I had the gulls and oyster skimmers flying across the Cove and over my head through the clear, crisp evening air, and I had the fire of the sun before me.  I had Deity, the fifth element of spirit, all around me.

I watched the burning orb touch the horizon and then slowly sink out of sight.  Hail fair Sun, ruler of day, rise on the morn to light my way! Then, I turned my back on the still-glowing sky and looked at the moon.  I whispered softly, Hail fair Moon, ruler of night, guard me and mine until dawn’s light!  And then, I honored Hecate.  At the gateway of dusk I stand; behind me, sunshine lights the land.  Guard me with Your magick power; guide me through the crossroad hour between the glory of the light and the beauty of the night!  Blessings to you, Hecate.

My bike ride back was slow and serene.  By the time I turned into my driveway, the sky was dark, and the moon had risen above the roof of my across-the-street neighbor’s house.  I am sitting in front of my computer, surrounded by lit candles, sipping a glass of wine and listening to Pandora radio.  And I feel good.

Life is good.  We have money worries, but who doesn’t these days.  But I am rich, surrounded by blessings and companionship and caring and love.  I have many opportunities to share my riches, not my money but rather the gifts I have been given.  Things that money can’t buy.  My heart overflows with warmth as I think about how wonderful life is, and how happy I am to be alive right now, in this time of stress and worry, as the news is filled with the cries and demands of strange people who want all the toys, and who want to tell the rest of us what we can play with and how the game absolutely must happen.  Part of me fears that my country will experience another revolution; perhaps this is what 2012 is all about.  And part of me fears that we won’t experience that revolution, and instead, we will hide in our basements and allow the crazies to make the rules. 

My Goddess tells me that I have a Purpose.  I am not a special person, I am just a regular girl, but I have a Purpose.  We all have a Purpose, unique to each of us and our abilities and skills and talents.  We have only to open ourselves to the manifestation of that Purpose to access it.  To use it.  To live it.

My God tells me to not worry; He says that life is immortal, and humanity cannot destroy life. Humanity can certainly destroy itself, but life is immortal and will continue.  He tells me that it is right for my heart to ache when I think about the huge potential of humanity that seems to be mostly wasted on trivial things and on achieving power.  But my job is not to change the world, it is to change my own space.  I need to be conscious of my own subtle body and the vibrations it contains, and thus the vibrations it emanates into my own world.  That is what I can control.  That is my Purpose.

As I sit here, with the memory of the glory of tonight’s sunset, I know that I have no hesitation about opening myself to this manifestation. 

Blessed Be. 

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