7/16/13

King of Cups/The High Priestess.  The King of Cups (cusp of Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation, and Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling mysterious, obsessive) is the expert on emotions and the subconscious, mainly because of his life experiences.  He is able to be calm, caring and diplomatic, and still get things done.  He can keep people working together in a productive way, and he sees the world through his heart.  The High Priestess (Water; the Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination; Gimel, the camel who safely crosses Da’ath, the Abyss, and thus, has the secret of life; and the Path between Tiphareth, the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify, and Kether, the source, limitless possibility), is one-half of the Major Arcana representation of the Sacred Feminine, with The Empress being the other half. The High Priestess is the source of the power of The Magician, the feminine version of The Hierophant, and the Keeper of the Mysteries.  She reminds me to listen to my intuition, to be open and receptive to all messages, and to be aware of everything.  These two cards together tell me that at least for today, I have a powerful connection to my inner self, and in some situations I will be real good at connecting my inner self to my outer world.

My Thoth card is the Prince (Knight) of Cups reversed.  The Knight of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) in an upright position is about feeling things strongly and without restraint or grounding.  He is reversed, and I need to have a bit of care today, as any minor emotional imbalance could bring out the bad side of me. 

My Legacy card is the Ten of Coins, flavored by the Four of Cups reversed.  The Ten of Coins (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, communication, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) represents physical world wealth and bounty, usually achieved through the implementation of long-term plans, and the attempt to maintain the status quo.  It is important to remember that having bounty is not enough; we need to continue the plan into the future, too.  The Four of Cups (the Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, nurturing, tenacious, moody) in an upright position tells us that too much pleasure, or maybe too much nurturing or overprotectiveness, deadens the senses.  Because my card is reversed and flavoring the Ten of Coins, I most likely won’t get lost in dreams of what could be.  Instead, I will combine pleasure with bounty, and get some wonderful things happening.

My 6-digit date number is 9, the number of vertical and horizontal balance. 

My horoscopes: The high from your recent successes could make you want to purchase luxury items that you used to think were impractical, Sagittarius. This is fine as long as you're discriminating and don't give in to impulse buying. This also isn't a good time to overindulge in food or drink. You should let yourself enjoy your success while still using common sense. “”

And: “A disproportionate amount of communication via modern technologies such as cell phones, e-mail, fax, or the Internet could take place today. You may have discovered a new field that has captured your interest and seek to learn as much about it as you can. Or you may have heard rumors about someone you know, and you're trying to track down the facts. Either way, expect to spend a lot of time on the phone, or on the computer.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Seven of Wands.  This card is about defending what is ours.  There are all kinds of defenses, and today I may need to be more clever than usual; perhaps, I will need to actually draw a line in the sand.  I must make sure that my stand is right, and that I believe what I’m standing for!

My next Wild Unknown Tarot card: The Son of Pentacles.  Oh, I can feel the steely determination in this one!  The image shows the head of a young stag, bowed with effort, with a waning moon in the dark sky.  This one kind of feels like that moment just before you realize that the end is in sight, when you need every ounce of fortitude you can beg, borrow or steal so that you can see things through to the end.  Here is the challenge that will allow the Son of Pentacles to eventually lead, and to perpetuate the species.

It is hot.  I mean steamy hot.  Why do I feel as if I’m being distilled in some way?  I’m being boiled until I turn to steam; perhaps that steam is the purest essence of something important. 

As I review all of my information regarding the Alchemic Great Rite, I am drawn to remind myself of the step with that very name, “Distillation.”  Here is a section of a recent essay from the Llewellyn newsletter on this very subject:

Stage 6: Distillation.
When we have embodied the gifts of all previous stages, we are ready to refine ourselves to an even greater degree in the stage of Distillation.  In Distillation, we have reached the point of spiritual and emotional maturity. We can now merge with collective thought without being taken in or overwhelmed by it – in other words, what society says is true may no longer be true for us. We now think for ourselves, but without judging others' opinions or behaviors. In fact, we find them interesting and learn from them. Distillation melts away the final dregs of the ego's control so we are free and independent in thought and Spirit.

In Distillation, we may have sudden rushes of ecstasy and joy – and for no particular reason. We may see our own face – or even the face of the universe – in those of others. We may be drawn to some type of service to humanity with feelings of love and excitement.  A distilled person no longer responds to egoistic expectations, isn't devastated by challenge and crisis, is integrated with Soul, and responds to new, higher guidance while honoring Earthly existence.

Okay.  That makes perfect sense!

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