11/5/14

Eight of Swords/The Sun reversed. The Eight of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable talkative, dual) tells of a confused and restrictive response to obstacles, or maybe perceived obstacles.  The blockages or restrictions represented by this card exist only within the workings of my mind, though, and just because I feel powerless does not mean I am trapped by the influence of others. The Sun corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, spontaneous, impulsive and energetic change), our Sun (the inner core of a person or situation), Resh (the face; reason), and the Path between Yesod (the place where patterns and images emerge that may manifest in the physical world) and Hod (provides analysis and communication), and it tells of a time of enlightenment and peace that comes after the completion of some ordeal.  Even reversed, as it is today, The Sun is not a bad card, just a bit less intense in its illumination.  The traditional image on this card usually includes a wall, reminding me that the light is not eternal.  An appropriate card on this rainy, chilly, Fall day. 

My Thoth cards are the Two of Swords (“Peace”) reversed and the Eight of Swords (“Interference”) reversed.  Bookends!! The Two of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) in an upright position  represents a time of not looking or of shutting out the world.  Crowley sees this process as sometimes being useful (hence, the keyword chosen for this card); a bit of disconnect from the world can be helpful.  However since my card is reversed, this shutting out could present a dangerous situation involving deception of some kind. The Thoth Eight of Swords in an upright position tells of Interference, Interference that exists within the workings of my mind; I can overcome it but I must do so in a balanced way.  And because my card is reversed, I won’t be overwhelmed or bound by this sense of restriction.  However, once again, there could be some kind of hidden danger, and since both of these cards are about the intellect, that danger will be connected to the workings of the mind.

My Legacy card is the Two of Cups reversed, flavored by the Eight of Cups reversed.  Hmmm . . . a few reversed cards today; the pair of reversed Swords cards with my Thoth Tarot, and these two reversed Cups cards with my Legacy Tarot. The Two of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, family and home oriented, tenacious, moody) in an upright position tells of love and connections, usually having to do with feelings, relationships and commonalities, and a recognition or acknowledgement that a bond is beginning to happen, or is beginning to be restored after forgiveness is offered and received. This card is similar to the Six of Cups, except that its energies usually focus on one other person, rather than the group hinted at by the Six of Cups.  Because my card is reversed, one-on-one connections that happen through emotions or feelings might not happen easily or appear strained, at least on the surface.  My reversed Two of Cups is being flavored by the reversed Eight of Cups.  Another 8 card.  The Eight of Cups (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitation, law and order, in Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, suffering, soul growth) in an upright postion tells of an ending or a decline or a change of direction, often one associated with emotions, and it offers one possible response to that decline or change: moving on.  Looks like I won’t want to release or let go of feelings today, even if those feelings are not bringing the connections I’m looking for, or think that I need. 

More about my Bookends card, the Eight of Swords.  This card is of the number 8, a number that tells of a conscious and deliberate action, usually in response to things happening around us, and usually in an attempt to maintain some kind of balance or serenity.  The suit of Swords is about the mind and the intellect, and so the balance or serenity this card tells of is related to the thinking part of us. The traditional image on this card is of a woman, sometimes blindfolded, bound by rope and surrounded by 8 Swords with their points stuck into the ground.  There are similarities to the Two of Swords, at least on the surface, but this one has less of a peaceful feel about it.  Here, the isolation is being forced upon us.  It is the response to that isolation that our card is hinting at.  The woman in the image may be bound and blindfolded, but it looks as if she could easily break away.  Those swords are stuck point-down into the ground, but they could easily be knocked down.  And thus the Eight of Swords reminds us that if we allow ourselves to be trapped, we should not complain.  It also reminds us that while a brief period of solitude can benefit us, if we allow that solitude to continue too long, it will become a prison of our own making.

My 6-digit date number is 3, the number that tells of a new creation from the potential and position of the Ace, and the balance, polarity, and energy of “distance between” of the 2. 

My horoscopes: “Ready to take a leap of faith and jump on the healthy living bandwagon, Archer? Today brings the moon into Taurus and your sixth house of wellness, making it hard to ignore the bad habits that have crept back into your life now that summer is a fleeting memory. Get moving--anything you enjoy and can stick to is perfect! And think in terms of healthy comfort food too. Gluten-free pasta with a mound of veggies or a rich butternut squash soup sounds good, no?”

And: “Today could be a banner day for you, as your spiritual and career goals come together in such a way that both are enhanced and neither is compromised. It's a neat trick that you managed to pull off. You can expect the opportunity to "practice what you preach" to come to you via a close friend or colleague. Don't discount any schemes that are presented to you today, as one of them will contain the key ingredient to meshing two of the most important parts of your life together.”

I have been away from this blog for a while, enjoying my first trip to California.  Oh, what a beautiful place!  I spent time in San Francisco, Vallejo and Oakland.  Everything is breathtakingly, gloriously beautiful, the people are friendly, and I can’t wait to go back.

I’m struggling to get back to normal, but making progress every day.  Please bear with me; I’ll be back to throwing cards and posting on a regular basis soon.  Promise!

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