The Star reversed/Queen of Swords.  The Star (Air, hot/separates and wet/adapts; Aquarius; Qof, back of head; the Path between Malkuth, the physical world of action and outer, physical reality, and Netzach, the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration) is the “good will to all” card.  The Star is about optimism and faith, synergy with the world, and an awareness of that synergy.  Perhaps my reversed Star is telling me I am missing something important today: happiness and optimism are universal and omnipresent; all I have to do is open myself to them, and they will be mine.  The Queen of Swords (cusp of Virgo, “I serve,” practical, sensible, work and service oriented, and Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation, grace) can be considered a Minor Arcana representation of the Justice card.  She is open and honest and forthright, speaks her mind and yet doesn’t lose her sense of humor.  She is telling me that mercy and compassion may not come easy for me today, but I certainly will be able to see things clearly and choose accordingly.  This Queen is not about getting out there and imposing her will on others, though; she serves all who come to her with justice and ethics and a clear mind, but she does not go out and look for those opportunities to serve.  Perhaps these two cards are telling me not to get lost in dreams of the future, but rather to look around me, right now, with alert and clear eyes.

My Thoth card is the Four of Disks.  “Power” is Uncle Al’s keyword for this one.  The Four of Disks (the Sun, the inner core of a person or situation or the deepest self, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, authority, caution cunning) tells of very solid foundations and an awareness of the value of our possessions.  All the Fours are well-grounded cards, but this one is particularly heavy.  This Four is about ownership in the physical realms, either regarding my surroundings or my body, about control, and about keeping things the same.

My Legacy card is the Six of Swords, flavored by The Lovers reversed.  The Six of Swords (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, communication, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause oriented) is about balance, healing, moving towards a better place, and even about learning the science behind things that work (because understanding why they work makes them more effective).  Knowledge can bring healing, and I am being told that I should actively seek harmony and balance.  The Lovers (Air, hot/separates and wet/adapts, quick and animated, intellectual, problems or challenges; Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, sociable, dual; Zayin, double-edged sword; and the Path between Tiphareth, the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify, and Binah, female receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) in an upright position tells of duality, union, and personal choices.  My Lovers is reversed, and perhaps I had better remember that even though emotions and feelings and love are important, so is discernment.  I must not allow myself to end up in a situation that will end up my own undoing

My 6-digit date number is 7, the number that tells of the slowing of growth, the approach of natural degeneration, and the need of assessment and choice.

My horoscopes: “If you've asked your employer for a raise recently, Sagittarius, the astral energy indicates that you can expect to receive one soon. Your employer is greatly impressed with your efforts, and probably thinking that you might be setting your sights elsewhere. Opportunities may certainly appear, although this is obviously not the time to make a decision. Take some time to really think and consider everything carefully.”

And: “Miscommunications with a romantic partner could have you trying your hand at either writing or reading love poetry, or perhaps even a story of some kind. This is fine, but it's more important, that you clear up the misunderstanding with the person in your life. Cheer up, and don't let your insecurities get the better of you. All is not as bad as it seems, and the end of the day could bring a passionate reconciliation.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Queen of Swords.  Looks like it’s going to be a Queen of Swords kind of day, eh?  The Shadowscapes Companion reminds me that while this card is about cutting through to the truth in order to achieve and enforce a kind of unyielding balance (which sounds like an oxymoron, but is not), this is achieved through the application of inner knowledge and powerful integrity.  The Queen of Swords has no trouble looking at herself in the mirror, because her thoughts, words, deeds and choices are all attained and offered through knowledge attained through Will and effort, and a soul that is pure and unstained.

I read the most awesome one-sentence description of just what a Tarot reading is from the perspective of the reader.  The quote is from “The Reluctant Tarot Reader: Adventures in the Gypsy Trade” by Raven Mardirosian, and it goes like this: “Reading cards for a stranger is like walking a marked train through unfamiliar woods, following the bread crumbs of their soul toward some modicum of truth.”  I love that!

Now, I should explain.  To me, a Tarot reading is more like a counseling session than an opportunity to show off some psychic talent.  I like to know as much information as possible about a Seeker’s focus before I shuffle and throw the spread; I believe the clearer the question is in both my mind and my Seeker’s mind, the clearer the answers will be.  I also believe that cards appear because they are supposed to be there (and I’ve had proof of that!), but the messages of each card needs to be received, digested, and thus understood, by both of us.  Do I believe I get help or guidance from Someone?  Yes, I do.  But even if you believe the interpretations come from the Higher Self of the mind, and not from some Guide or Divine Essence, a good part of a Tarot reading involves sitting for a moment, clearing the mind, and “listening.”  We do need to look for those bread crumbs, because otherwise we will be merely presenting a list of card keywords to our Seeker, rather than offering a detailed, caring, and personal message that is relevant to our Seeker.

My daily message from Touchstones today offers me some wisdom that can be directly applied to Tarot readings.  The quote at the top of the page, said by Shunrya Suzuki, goes directly to the point: “You should not have your own idea when you listen to someone . . . . To have nothing in your mind is naturalness.  Then you will understand what he says.”  The little essay goes on to remind us that when our awareness is focused on our own self, we have trouble really hearing others.  We end up reacting to the words of another through our own feelings and expectations, rather than the person we are attempting to read for.  Or, we may be so worried about maintaining control of the reading, or of the Seeker’s perception of our abilities and skills, that we miss the important messages being offered by the spread, our instincts, and the responses of our Seeker. 

Intimacy, the kind of intimacy necessary to provide a valuable reading, only happens when we begin with an open and clear mind; our own ego cannot be involved.  After all, the reading is about the Seeker, not about us.  If we are not able to listen with an objective mind and an open and compassionate heart, we might as well put the cards back into their bag, because we will end up lost in those woods ourselves, rather than offering guidance to another.

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