March 30, 2022: VII of Cups and V of Swords; a hint at the 7 steps of the alchemical process

I just love the Tarot Minor Arcana Seven of Cups card!  The True Black version of the VII of Cups shows seven Cups arranged in front of a beautiful golden castle.  The seven floating Cups each contain a manifestation of desire: a hummingbird, a butterfly, a snake, a fish, a salamander, and a mouse or rat, with vapors rising up out of the seventh Cup and surrounding the castle, as if it had risen out of that seventh Cup.  The keywords for this card are fantasies, daydreams, illusions, and procrastination.  

The V of Swords shows a large sickle-shaped golden Sword with the handle down; the base is surrounded by white flowers which are healthy close to the golden Sword but the ones farther away are drying up.  Behind this Sword are four other Swords with points down and handles up; these Swords are cracked and broken.  Each of the four Swords is attached to the larger Sword by a gold cord.  The keywords for this card are selfish, criminal, immoral, and conflict.

We have several things to consider here.  Numerically, the number 7 is a passive number, passive for the moment anyway as it indicates some kind of pause while we consider our options, and the number 5 is an active number which imposes action onto stability in order to prevent stagnation.  Elementally, Water is a passive element that represents the cold that binds and the wet that adapts, and Air is an active element that represents the heat that separates and the wet that adapts.  These two elements are neutral and can tend to cancel each other out, but they do retain their individual energies, effects and consequences.  Both Air and Water are adaptable and if used with balance, the intellect and the emotions can coexist in a beneficial way.  

The V of Swords to me always warns of some kind of selfishness or devious action, but that is not necessarily sourced from within me.  What I need to remember whether I am on the doing end or the receiving end is that selfishness is promoting one's benefit at the expense of others; not an ethical thing at all even if it appears beneficial.  Forewarned is forearmed.  

The VII of Cups is a fascinating card.  It reminds us that dreams can sometimes blind us to reality, that too many possibilities could mean we end up with nothing, and that if we allow any one dream to shine brighter than the others, we might miss something important.  There are Major Arcana correspondences to the contents of each of the seven Cups, with the castle connected to The Tower, the veiled figure with The High Priestess, the jewels with The Wheel, the laurel wreath with The World, the woman with The Empress, the snake with The Magician, and the dragon with The Sun.  Thus, the VII of Cups is connected to each of these Majors, or at least connected to the possible manifestation of each of the Majors, if one or more is chosen. 

 I just read that the seven steps of the alchemical Great Work can be connected to the seven Cups of this card!!  The article did not offer which alchemical step was connected with which Cup, so I am off to travel down a new rabbit hole.  I am gathering together correspondences of the Major Arcana cards and the seven steps, so I can determine the commonalities.  Don't worry, I will share the fun once I get a grasp on things.

March 28, 2022: Knight of Cups and II of Cups

 Beautiful but cold sunny day today.  My son's solar return is today; Happy Birthday, My Dear!

The Knight of Cups wears beautifully designed armor fashioned from gold that looks dramatic and eye-catching but that might not work so well in a battle.  Our Knight wears a mask of gold that completely covers his eyes, with double wings and a stylized halo made of golden vines above and behind his head.  He wears fancy epaulets made of gold on his shoulders and a stylized golden kilt with many strands of gold coins hanging like a fringe at the front closure.  He has one hand on his heart, and the other hand holds a golden rose which is beginning to lose its petals.  Beside him floats a dagger made of water, which is beginning to drip into a cup floating just below the dagger's point.  The water in the cup appears to be sloshing about.  The keywords for this card are emotional, brooding, artistic, and dreaming.

The image on the II of Cups shows two Cups of clear water tilted toward each other, as if they were clinking together in a toast.  Above them circle two golden fish; above the fish is a golden arrow, broken in half.  The keywords for this card are connection, partnership, union, and romance.

My Knight of Cups hints at an intensity of feelings that could be associated with the physical world; after all, Water is one of the two elements that can be perceived by our physical senses (the other element is Earth).  The Knight of Cups is a dreamer whose mind is filled with all kinds of exciting ideas and possibilities.  However, because he is a Knight, he tends to carry his suit to an intensity that just might separate him from reality.  We have only to think about the purpose of the Knight in the hierarchies of his world to understand this.  He is a soldier, but usually he is not free to indulge his own needs or values.  Rather, he is pledged to a Liege or Lord.  He receives support, arms, armor, etc. as well as payment from his Lord, and in return he works to the benefit of that Lord.  Our Knight of Cups might not be the best soldier, but his ability to visualize, create, and think out of the box would be quite valuable.

The II of Cups shows an awareness or initial manifestation of emotions or feelings or visions.  The number 2 represents balance, polarity (such as night/day), duality (such as yin/yang), comparison, and bonding, and it offers both connection and direction (because it represents "distance between").  The number 2 can also be seen as a gateway (two pillars can represent a gateway), and in the Tarot the Minor Arcana II cards show us energy that is pure or at face value, without the influences of such things as catalyst, motion, stillness or action taken.

Using Elemental Dignities to bring more understanding, we find that the rank of Knight corresponds to the Element of Fire (which is active and represents heat that separates and dry that shapes).  Both of our cards are from the suit of Cups which corresponds with the element of Water (which is passive and represents cold that binds and wet that adapts), which has nothing in common with Fire.  Our Knight of Cups is in conflict because his mind is filled with dreams and ideas and creations and elegant stories, yet he exists within a rank that is about bravery and passions and dominance and power.  Oh, our Knight of Cups understands the passion part of this, just not the use of power to dominate others.  Our II of Cups reinforces this misunderstanding of dominance because the number 2 represents partnerships, and this encourages another skill of our Knight of Cups: the ability to ease tensions and find commonalities that will bring lasting peace, so everyone can prosper.  

March 27, 2022: Destiny and the VIII of Pentacles

We're bracing for a cold front here, and I fear that my camilla blossoms will not survive.  Thankfully I have plenty of daffodils to enjoy.

The True Black Destiny card is the equivalent of The Wheel of Fortune of the Major Arcana.  The image on this card shows a near-human entity, seated with his legs folded in a lotus position.  Destiny, interestingly enough, has four arms and extremely powerful shoulders and chest, but those are not the most alien traits.  His face, what we can see of it, has a beast-like snout and the top of his head is actually a multi-dimensional infinity portal filled with dancing orbs and strands of fate that weave a future which cannot be predicted.  Destiny's two upper hands weave strands of fate from that portal, and his lower hands each hold a triangle, one upright and one reversed, representing opposition: good and evil, heaven and earth, beginning and end.  Below him floats the golden sphere that represents our world.  The keywords for this card are reversal, fate, luck, and inevitability.

The image on the VIII of Pentacles is of a worn and heavily used hammer or metal mallet; the two faces of the hammer are red, as if the metal was super-hot because of excessive use.  Floating around the hammer are eight golden coins, each embossed with a part of a star map.  The keywords for this card are crafting, work, quality, and diligence.  

Destiny represents the things that could happen to a person or thing in the future, things that are currently at least partially hidden but could present an almost unstoppable power to affect how things play out, although this power is not completely beyond our control.  All we can do here is prepare for the likely future that Destiny foretells so that we can get the most benefit (and the least discomfort) from the events to come.  

The VIII of Pentacles tells of action and effort applied to a situation in order to manifest something, even if that thing being manifested is a repeat or something already in place and just needs active maintenance.  In the Naples Arrangement, the number 8 tells of the effort to maintain balance as stability begins to erode and stagnation begins to appear.  In the image of the True Black VIII of Pentacles we see a hammer or mallet that is worn and heavily used, but still strong and effective.  This is a great metaphor for the energies of this card.  

As a reminder, Fire is an active element representing the heat that separates and the dry that shapes, and Earth is a passive element representing the cold that binds and the dry that shapes, making these two elements neutral toward each other.  Destiny (The Wheel) is associated with the element of Fire.  Since it is a Major Arcana card that is transformative and focuses on long-term effects, Destiny may not be particularly affected by my Pentacles card and the element of Earth.  Earth is a passive element, and while it offers fertility and stability, and the fuel that Fire needs to burn in order to exist, too much Earthly energy will snuff the Fires of Destiny.  

The message here is that I need to embrace the exploration of the unknown offered by Destiny, but I should keep a small part of my brain focused on being realistic and practical.  I don't want to allow that practicality to inhibit the benefits of experiencing what might occur (and what I might learn from that process), and while I need to keep in mind that Destiny offers me the opportunity to grow and benefit from a possible future, the way I minimize any discomfort in that manifestation is to be a Girl Scout, and be prepared.  

March 25, 2022: King of Pentacles and The Empress

Interesting pair.

The image on the King of Pentacles shows a ruler who is strong and sturdy.  His clothes are embellished with gold coins, and above he's head are huge golden antlers also decorated with gold coins.  He is leaning on a massive stone boulder, and holds a forging hammer in one hand with a large gold coin floating over the other hand.  The keywords for this card are entrepreneur, forging, supportive, and successful.

The image on The Empress shows a beautiful woman lounging comfortably and confidently on a luxurious golden throne consisting of flowering plants and lushly growing vines, with her knees together and pointed toward the viewer's right.  Her hair is the same color as her throne.  Her body posture is relaxed and she seems aware of how good it feels to enjoy the pleasures of her physical senses.  Her right hand is beginning to pull the white tunic she wears off of her shoulder and she allows her fingers to trail against her skin.  Her left hand cradles a golden, perfectly ripe melon, a symbol of mothering and birth.  Behind her head is a hologram of a diagram of the hormone Oxytocin.  The keywords for this card are mothering, riches, pleasure, and sexuality.

The King of Pentacles of this deck is reliable, sturdy and successful, and he is a master at playing the long game and planning ahead.  His forging hammer symbolizes his ability to create his own opportunities, his own wealth.  He is relaxed and confident enough to lean on that huge boulder, someone who can be depended on during difficult times. 

The Empress is a representation of the fertility and cycles of Nature, wild and free and beautiful.    The Empress manifests fertility and growth of all kinds, and growth cannot happen without change.  Thus she encourages me to let go of the need to dominate or control and instead embrace the pleasure to be had in experiencing life's experiences freely, and through love and honor rather that deceit and betrayal.

While we are dealing with The Empress, we are not dealing with her partner, The Emperor, but rather a segment of The Emperor.  The four Kings can each be seen as a part of the powers and abilities of the Major Arcana card.  The segment that our King of Pentacles controls is the stability he brings through being an expert caretaker and provider.  

We have lots of Earth energies in these two cards.  The Major Arcana Empress corresponds with the element of Earth, which gives her practicality, security, and fertility.  Earth brings increased manifestations, including increased wealth, health, or practicality.  Earth is one of the two elements that has a physical existence which can interact with our physical senses, and The Empress is certainly bringing that pleasure and sensuality.  We also have some Air as well because the rank of King represents the element of Air. Air offers increased logic, intelligence, and clarity.  Air may be intangible, but it can be affected by heat, cold, moisture or dryness.  Temperature and humidity changes can bring movement to Air.

Earth and Air have nothing in common and within Elemental Dignities that means they weaken each other or at the very least, cancel each other out.  Of course, each element has its own effects individually. Earth represents cold that binds and dry that shapes, and Air represents heat that separates and wet that adapts. This means my King of Pentacles represents the effects that Earth has on Air.  Air is an element whose energies like to move; the energies of Earth are more solid.  The King of Pentacles needs to be able to reconcile the Air energies which do not like the heavy slowness of Earth, and the Earth energies which do not like the restless and easily-moved Air.  There is a solution here and it is the talent the King of Pentacles brings to my card pair today.  This King is very able to use the resources at his disposal as King, such as growth, health and wealth, in order to manage the physical resources of his kingdom and to hold together the different peoples of his realm.  Pairing this King with The Empress brings some really potent energies to the day!

March 24, 2022: IV of Wands and V of Cups

Another rainy day in a string of rainy days.  

The card image of the True Black IV of Wands shows a beautiful wild golden bird flapping its wings as it breaks free from bindings that have held it prisoner.  Leaves and flower petals knocked loose by the flapping of the bird’s wings float down like confetti.  The keywords for this card are celebrating, events, freedom, and possibility. 

The image on the V of Cups cards shows Cups with cracks and leaking water, with a few seeming to be already empty due to a massive crack.  The image itself is pure black and white and seems depressing, desolate and "blah."  The keywords for this card are loss, defeat, sorrow, and difficulty.

Let's look at these two cards.  The IV of Wands tells of a release from bondage, probably not physical bondage but rather bonds that are caused by stress or worry, or challenges that hold us back or distract us from our goals.  The V of Cups is a card of painful emotions that might include despair, failure, arguments or discord, or the end of a relationship.  There certainly is no reason these two cards couldn't be telling the same message.  After all, the end of a relationship could also be a release from bondage, if the relationship was a toxic one.  The failure of one effort could offer possibilities to be obtained in a new direction.

We are dealing with two consecutive numbers, 4 and 5.  The number 4 tells of foundations being made, discipline, and some kind of authority created or dealt with.  The number 5 tells of movement that upsets stability and makes us defend our position in order to determine if it is strong enough.  A progression could be indicated here as well.

As far as Elemental Dignities are concerned, Air (Wands) and Water (Cups) are neutral.  Air is an active element representing heat that separates and Water is a passive element representing cold that binds, but they both represent wet that adapts.   They can tend to cancel each other out, but that does not erase the individual powers each element and suit has.  While Air is active and Water is passive, they both in their own way are able to adapt (with Air adapting in an outer and active way and Water in an inner and passive way).  

All together, this information tells me that the flows of energy and effects of my IV of Wands are a bit stronger than my more passive V of Cups.  There may be emotional discomfort today and perhaps, a bit of pessimism, but by the time I go to bed tonight, all will be optimistic again.  I need to be wary and aware of the power of emotions to distract.  Water affects Air in a passive manner by humidifying it, which could mean there will be a struggle to look past the uncomfortable emotions that might cloud my perception of possibility, but that possibility is there even if it is hidden in the fog.  After all, if we look closely to that V of Cups card, one of those 5 Cups is unbroken and filled with clear water.

March 22, 2022: VIII of Cups and IX of Pentacles

 Hmmmm . . . more Watery-Earthy combinations.

We've seen the VIII of Cups before, but not since last year.  The image on this card is somewhat striking because there is so much light within the image, a rarity in this deck.  The image shows a dark crevice in which a female octopus has laid her thousands of eggs.  The beautiful strands of eggs hanging from the ceiling of the crevice are golden and appear lit from above.  Below the eggs are bubbles of air, eight clear glasses, and one tiny baby octopus, the first hatchling to emerge.  The keywords for this card are discovery, journey, loneliness, and moving on.

The True Black Tarot IX of Pentacles image shows a beautiful serval cat sitting on a gold fabric draped platform, viewing the floating golden pentacles as well as birds and a mouse, prey animals and food for the cat.  Rather than hunting the prey, it sits gazing into the distance with an air of confidence, class and style.  The keywords for this card are restraint, luxury, abundance, and sophistication.

The VIII of Cups tells of an exiting time, a time when we must move on to newer and better things because we have outgrown our surroundings and must release them because they no longer serve us. The number 8 in Crowley's Naples Arrangement tells us that we must act in order to prevent stagnation from rotting the pause and deliberation that is the number 7.  The baby octopus is the first of its nest to hatch, but in order to take advantage of this new life, it must not wait for its siblings but rather strike out on its own.  The IX of Pentacles is a card that traditionally tells of luxury that has been gathered through hard work, discipline, and the taming of our baser instincts.  The image on this card is a good one, for the serval cat could easily snatch a bird or mouse, but instead it sits proud, enjoying the luxury of the moment.

The elements of Water and Earth are both passive but they do passively support each other (while Water is wet that adapts and Earth is dry that shapes, they both are cold that binds).  Since we have two Minor Arcana cards, the card numbers will play an equal role in interpretation.  Our two card numbers are in a sequence, 8 moving to 9, and while the Watery Cups card could erode the possibility of the Earthy Pentacles card, there is the potential to allow enough moisture to cleanse but not so much that all will be washed away.   The VIII of Cups tells of action that must be boldly taken without fear or any other emotion that will cloud the water, and the IX of Pentacles tells of a possible result of that bold action and the luxurious sensations that would come with success.  

I'm going with that interpretation.

March 21, 2022: X of Pentacles and The Star

 Another really lovely pair!

The True Black X of Pentacles shows a beautiful white elephant rearing up triumphantly and reaching upward with trunk and tusks, his hind legs upon a square raised platform of stacked gold bricks.  Behind him are ten golden coins arranged in a circle along with two well-established trees with straight and thick trunks.  The keywords for this card are prosperity, stability, family, and longevity.

The Star in this deck is the bringer of hope and a light in the darkness.  She is wearing a black dress and she is pouring clear water from two bowls.  Each stream of water drifts off into the night sky behind her, transforming into a field of stars.  She stands at the intersection of the sea (the endless possibility) and the earth (the physical manifestation of that possibility), and she seems to dance in a lighthearted way. Behind her is a holograph of circling stars (as if in a time lapse photo), with Polaris at the center.  The keywords for this card are hope, goodwill, guidance, and optimism.  

The X of Pentacles tells us that we have worked hard and focused with diligence, successfully making it through the challenges presented in this cycle of the Minor Arcana cards.  Our foundation is strong, and it might be time to begin visualizing some evolution that will build upon the wealth, health and security already created.  In Hindu culture, the keeping of an elephant in a healthy environment requires a massive amount of wealth, so the white elephant in the image of The Star not only symbolizes this wealth, but also the sacredness of this time of acknowledging accomplishments.  The Star is the symbol of hope, a hope that inspires a great journey and encourages us to take new action.

The suit of Pentacles represents the element of Earth, and The Star is connected to the element of Air.  Earth represents the cold that binds and the dry that shapes; Air represents the heat that separates and the wet that adapts.  That means the slowness and stability of the element of Earth does not mix well with the lightness and motion of Air.  This could mean that these two elements weaken each other's ability to affect the environment.  So while these two cards seem to be completely positive, when taking into account Elemental Dignities, they may cancel each other out.

We are also dealing with the number 10, an indication of an end of a cycle which in turn reduces to the number 1, and the number 17, which reduces to the number 8.  The number 1 represents a new beginning, or a point or location; it represents authority and individuality.  The number 8 tells us that we have the skills and knowledge to move forward, so we must act. The X of Pentacles acknowledges the stability and prosperity created in my physical world through this last cycle of effort, and The Star encourages me to use my intellect to see my accomplishments as placeholders or guideposts, to support me going forward. Perhaps the Elemental Dignities are telling me that I should not allow the mental processes to distract me from the physical world concerns, and I should not allow physical experiences to pull me away from the workings of the mind.  It appears that on this day after Ostara, the Sabbat of balance and of turning our awareness from the dark and cold toward the light and warmth, moving forward with action, focus and awareness will be the key.  

March 19, 2022: The World and the II of Cups

 It has been a busy month and more, filled with doctors' appointments and medical procedures, but things are winding down so I am back, on the Eve of Ostara, the Sabbat of balance that tips toward longer, brighter and warmer times.  It feels good to be working with my True Black Tarot on this blog once again.

The World is such a beautiful card, from a deck that is filled with beautiful and meaningful images.  The World shows a woman holding a perfect golden sphere and wearing a crown made of laurel leaves, with an incredibly peaceful look on her face.  She is surrounded by The True Black Tarot's symbols for the four elements, butterflies for Air and knowledge, feathers for Fire and passion, plants for Earth and physicality, and fish for Water and emotion.  Combined, they make a good representation of the achievement of an understanding of the human condition, its motivations and its pitfalls.  Centered on the golden sphere and behind the woman is a holograph of a star map showing the interstellar coordinates for Earth and our solar system.  This is the star map included in the Golden Records carried by Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, each already more than 13 billion miles away.  These spacecraft represent humanity's hope that we are not alone in the universe, and that the other life forms out there are also ethical and good.  A great summation of this card.  The keywords for this card are wholeness, completion, travel, and understanding.

The image on the True Black II of Cups shows two Cups of clear water tilted toward each other, as if they were clinking together in a toast.  Above them circle two golden fish; above the fish is a golden arrow, broken in half.  The keywords for this card are connection, partnership, union, and romance.

The World is associated with the element of Earth, and this makes sense because the element of Earth is the repository of life and the catalyst that takes what is no longer needed and transforms it into fertile food that supports new life.  Earth represents a connection between the old and the new, and The World tells us that we have completed this round of The Fool's Journey and have successfully absorbed an abundance of insight offered through both successes and failure, and are ready to move on to the next level.

The II of Cups of course is connected with the element of Water, and thus with emotions, visions and perceptions.  I think that last word, perception, is important for this card in particular because the number 2 brings balance as well as an awareness of polarities.  The broken arrow at the top of this card, signifying that the emerging partnership represented by the II of Cups could be formed due to a ceasing of hostilities.  

As far as Elemental Dignities are concerned, these two passive and friendly cards can be supportive, with caveats.  After all, plants can't grow if the soil is too dry, and moisture can stabilize the soil and prevent it from blowing away.  However, too much moisture creates a swamp, and too much soil can prevent the flow of moisture.  Earth balances the emotions and empathy brought by Water, yet too much stability can bring lethargy or passivity, leading to stagnation.  

Together, these two cards tell me that I have reached a pause that will not be permanent but that will be enjoyable.  Things are calm, I am filled with a sense of well-being, and of accomplishment.  Rest today, because tomorrow may bring movement of a different kind.