My Inner Focus card for today is 1/Ace of Chalices. The image on this card shows a naked man wearing only a turban-like headdress struggling mightily to carry a huge silver Chalice. His eyes are scrunched closed and his mouth is wide open, as if he is crying out, and both of his knees are bent as he tries to keep control of the Chalice. In that Chalice is a naked woman, with her hands cradling her head as if relaxing and her eyes closed. Despite the fact that in his efforts, the man appears to be rocking and rolling that Chalice (so much that her legs appear to be swinging wildly), she is still relaxed to the point of being asleep. The key phrase associated with this card is: masculine force is not enough to control desire.
My Outer Focus card is I The Magician. The image on this card shows a somewhat scruffy and stocky man in a white alb or cassock and a brown vest, with turquoise shoes (one of which has a patch), a lavender hat, and messy red hair; he is slouched down on a chair and wearing a smirky smile while looking at the viewer. His right ankle is resting on his left knee, somewhat similar to the pose taken by The Emperor in many decks, of course without the slouching. There is a red curtain or drape behind him that is covering the back of the chair; the background appears somewhat shadowy. In the foreground and next to his chair is a table containing a wooden mallet and several different-sized cuffs and rings that appear to be made from gold or brass, some studded with stones. His left elbow rests on this table, and in his left hand he holds an awl. On the other side of him is a naked woman. She is facing the opposite direction from The Magician and is bent forward with her back arched, presenting him with her naked bottom. His right arm is draped casually over her hips, with his right hand resting on her buttock. Her head is turned to face him, and she also appears to be smiling or smirking. We are left to wonder exactly what our Magician plans to do with the woman at his side. The key phrases for this card are: keep both feet planted on the ground and set aside illusion, and work and love are the secrets of life.
It is interesting that these two cards are paired today. The image on the 1/Ace of Chalices certainly portrays the key phrase associated with it. The man is getting no pleasure at all from his efforts to lift and carry this Chalice, despite his efforts. He appears to be perspiring and he is crying out. His uncircumcised penis is not only soft, but the stem of the Chalice appears to be resting or pressing against it. Despite the fact that it appears he just might lose complete control of the Chalice and the sleepy woman within it, he still hangs on to the potential she presents, but who knows whether he will be able to avail himself of that potential. Indeed, masculine strength alone is not enough in this case.
The Magician is a card to which I have a personal connection. In most decks, The Magician gives the appearance of skill and mastery; he handles the tools of his art with seriousness and stands straight and tall in order to be a conduit between the Above and the Below. This Magician, however, is not about appearances. Yes, he is confident; that crossed leg, echoing the posture of The Emperor, hints at the number 4 and thus, the four classic elements (and the power and authority to be had from wielding them), but his rounded belly, scruffy unshaved jaw and relaxed posture make us wonder if he might not be too confident. Within some Tarot decks, The Magician is seen as The Juggler or The Trickster, the mountebank or sleight of hand artist that fools us into believing that he wields true magick. In the game of Tarocchini, this card is the lowest-ranking trump, but it can serve as a wild card. Perhaps that is the meaning to take away from the Decameron Magician!
In either case, male energy (not gender, but rather outer and active energy) is not helping the situation. Confidence can cause us to bite off more than we can chew, and when that happens we have a choice: admit defeat and start over, or bluff our way out. Wild card, anyone?
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