11/23/15 Ace of Swords reversed and Three of Disks

The Thoth Tarot today!  I threw the Ace of Swords reversed and the Three of Disks.

The Ace of Swords (Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution authority, cunning, Aquarius and Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, soul growth, artistic) tells of the birth of ideas and concepts; it offers the power to analyze that is necessary in order to make good choices, to determine personal truth, and in order to react correctly to events in our day.   This card is about intellectual potential, and it is about that feeling that occurs when lightning strikes and a new idea is formed.  While not guaranteed, the ideas presented by this card just might last through to manifestation.

The Thoth Tarot Ace of Swords sets up Crowley’s interpretation of the entire suit, because the Sword in the image has the word “Thelema” (or “Will”) on its blade.  The intellect is about the Will, and the Ace provides the purest form of the intellect, undiluted by people, events, or even the effects of the physical body and the world around us. 

The Three of Disks (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, cunning, competence) tells of competence, planning and teamwork.  The skills presented here are not ordinary; this making use of talents and finding comfort in humble work is more an avocation than an ordinary job.

The Three of Disks in the Thoth Tarot is considered the most un-abstract of Crowley’s Minor Arcana images.  Uncle Al sees this Three as the “material establishment of the idea of the Universe, the determination of its basic form.”  Interesting that the sand dunes in this image appear to be radiating outward from the pyramid.

Well, that is a clear message for today.  I should not attempt to impose my own Will or my own intentions into the events of the day.  Rather, I should use my own abilities to make things turn out the very best that they can.  I should see myself today as an acolyte whose purpose is to serve, for anything that I focus on will have an effect, and that effect needs to be for the good of everyone.

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The Empress reversed/Page of Wands reversed. The Empress corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and stable, material, practical energies that are slow to change), Venus (beauty, allure, pleasure, relationships), Daleth (door or womb) and the Path between Binah (female receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) and Chokmah (dynamic male energy and the origin of vital force and polarity). In an upright position, this encourages us to listen to our senses, to connect with Nature and to look for fulfillment; however, again my Empress is reversed today, and perhaps I am being told that the energies of The Emperor are more important. I need to put structure, order and regulation into my day. The Page of Wands (Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody; Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic noble egotistical; and Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) in an upright position tends to be a free spirit who uses assertion and action to attract adventure and excitement. My Page is reversed, and could be warning me that taking risks is not advisable at this time. Hmmm . . . kind of validates the reversed Empress. Interesting cards for today, as we watch the course of Hurricane Irene.

My Thoth card is the Prince of Swords reversed. The Prince (Knight) of Swords (the cusp of Taurus, “I have,” sensual, stubborn, cautious, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, dual, intelligent) in an upright position is not afraid of taking action, not afraid of wading into conflicts, and not afraid to implement new ideas, the more the merrier. Because this card is reversed, it is validating the message of my first two cards. Risk may not be a good thing right now, at least contemplating taking risks.

My Legacy card is the Nine of Cups reversed, flavored by the Six of Cups reversed. Lots of reversed Cups cards lately! The Nine of Cups (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, soul growth, spirituality) in an upright position is about powerful satisfaction on all levels (emotional, physical and spiritual) and a fulfilling sense of accomplishment. The Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive) in an upright position tells of experiencing simple joys. Both of these Cups cards are about feelings and emotions, and both are reversed. There is some balance in that, but the feelings and emotions are not bringing about the satisfaction, fulfillment and simple joys that the upright cards might indicate. Instead, we are seeing cynicism, regret, and a lack of infusion of emotions. **scratches head** Well, these are feelings, after all, and they may be my perception of reality rather than what is actually true and happening.

Look at all those reversals! And repeats, the reversed Empress, the reversed Eight of Cups and the reversed Nine of Cups were in my card throws for yesterday. I guess my cards today are more about what is not happening. Since all my cards were reversed, I threw a clarification card, and got the Two of Wands. Whew!! A power card in an upright position, and sounds like I will need it! The Two of Wands (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive, enthusiastic) is an exciting card. It tells of being able to wield influence and have authority, and it tells of being able to think out of the box. This card as a clarification card is reassuring. Not that I am being told that trouble is going to be diverted, but rather, I am being told that I can handle whatever crosses my path. Okay, could be worse.

My 6-digit date number is 8, the number that tells of a focused response to the beginning of degeneration that is the number 7, with the intent of preserving the balance of the number 6.

My horoscopes: “You're at an emotional climax now, Sagittarius. Things are coming to a critical point. Little issues in your relationships that you've ignored are coming back to haunt you. Someone could be trying to cross you at this time, or maybe it just feels that way. Don't get overly paranoid. The whole world isn't out to get you.”

And: “Happiness reigns in the home as you and the other members of your household embark on one or more projects that could make your home a more cheery place to life. Warm and companionable conversations involve sharing interesting information, Nancy, and also bring all of you closer together. Visitors could come by, and others could ring you up with interesting news. This is a good day to throw an impromptu party, such as a potluck. Enjoy your day!”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is about the Nine of Swords. The worry card, the brooding at 3 am card. I love the poem at the beginning of the explanation of this card in Shadowscapes Companion:

Stormcrows herald impending dissolution
with voices cawing raucous absolution
round and round and spiraling ever nearer
one future sought – one future feared.

Stormcrows indeed!! And the message of this card, and my insight (completely appropriate due to the approach of Hurricane Irene!) is that the stormcrows only have power if we listen to them. And in the end, as the stormcrows take wing and escape, it will be our fear that will ground us and bring about the very thing we dread. Perhaps this card has a more personal message for me today. After all, besides the Two of Wands clarification card, my cards are pretty oppressive. Will I listen to the stormcrows and manifest my fears into reality??

My last entry on the 11th Path, the Paths of the Tree, the Tree of Life, and the Qabala. Not that I won’t be talking about these things again, but this is the last of this round of study. The card that is associated with the 11th Path is The Fool. The Fool kind of is not expected to follow the rules that are imposed on the rest of the Tarot cards; the energies of this card are exempt from just about everything. This card is about potential, about having faith, about exploring the unknown, about taking a chance and trusting in fate and luck, about doing the unexpected, and about being watched over by a Higher Power. Even the ethereal nature of The Fool is not quite the pure potential of Force that is Chokmah and Kether, but it is close.

Nothing is certain when The Fool shows itself in a spread, and the beliefs of the Seeker receiving the reading will have a huge influence over how The Fool manifests. If the Seeker is optimistic, The Fool will have miracles drop into his lap; if the Seeker expects bad things, The Fool will trip and fall, skin his knees, and break that nice expensive bottle of single malt scotch in his backpack. The interesting thing about this card is that even if his adversaries are powerful and well prepared to put him down, if The Fool believes he will be victorious, those adversaries had better watch out.

The traditional image on this card shows a young man travelling along a perilous road, his dog by his side and a very small pack of his few worldly belongings on his back, smelling a beautiful rose in full bloom. The Fool does not need any physical belongings or fancy gear to find joy and serenity; and this Path of pure Force does not need the Form of the Sacred Feminine to exist as pure potential.

And here, I leave my formal study of the Tree. I have grown, increased my confidence, and deepened my understanding of Deity these past months. I am grateful for the glimpses of the Machinery I have seen, and I am grateful for the Cosmic Downloads that I am still installing. It has taken me nine months to get through the entire Tree, and during this time I have had my beliefs shaken, to my core, and then rebuilt, with even more strength.

And just in time! First, Brian is almost electrocuted, then my trip to the Dominican Republic is cancelled because of Tropical Storm Emily, then there was the Quake of 2011, and now Hurricane Irene is barreling up the East Coast, with a bulls eye pasted on Cape May. Such turmoil! But so far, I am calm. There are amazing energies to be tapped into, and amazing experiences to be had!!

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Judgement/Eight of Cups reversed. Judgement corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive and energetic change), Pluto (power, metamorphosis, cycles of dying and becoming), Shin (fang), and the Path between Malkuth (the physical world of action and physical, outer reality) and Hod (provides analysis and communication), and it usually tells of a coming change or opportunity to validate the good stuff and divest the stuff I don’t need any more. This card is about reaching a decision point, or about realizing what must be done. The Eight of Cups (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitation, law and order, in Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, suffering, soul growth) in an upright position tells of the need to move on or change of direction, but since it is reversed, this Eight is validating the message of the Judgement card. It is telling me that now is a good time for assess things for while the end or time of change has not yet appeared, it just might be on the way.

My Thoth card is the Nine of Cups reversed. The Nine of Cups (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, soul growth, spirituality) in an upright position is about powerful satisfaction on all levels (emotional, physical and spiritual) and a fulfilling sense of accomplishment. The card is reversed, so it is telling me to focus less on my emotions or my senses; this is supporting my reversed Empress below. I do need to be careful that I don’t get caught up in the illusion of emotions, but that does not mean I should ignore my Inner Voice. Balance!

My Legacy card is The Empress reversed, flavored by the Knight of Coins. The Empress corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and stable, material, practical energies that are slow to change), Venus (beauty, allure, pleasure, relationships), Daleth (door or womb) and the Path between Binah (female receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) and Chokmah (dynamic male energy and the origin of vital force and polarity). In an upright position, it encourages us to listen to our senses, to connect with Nature and to look for fulfillment; however, my Empress is reversed today. Instead of free-flowing energies, I might to better to impose a bit of order and predictability into the day. My Knight is validating this. The Knight of Coins (cusp of Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical, and Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented), like all Knights, represents extreme manifestations of his suit, Coins or Pentacles. He is careful, sometimes to the point of being obstructive, but perhaps today that attention to detail is needed. He is realistic, but I do need to remind myself (especially with those reversed Cups showing up today) that I need to visualize the good things in order to manifest them.

My 6-digit date number is 7, the number that tells of the pause at the beginning of degeneration, sometimes requiring a choice: accept what is or strive for more.

My horoscopes: “The fire within you may be burning brightly, Sagittarius, but unfortunately, there isn't a great deal of fuel available to keep it going. It may seem as if people are trying to rain on your parade, but they're just trying to do their duty. Relax and contemplate what's going on around you. This may not be the best day to implement change and promote new ideas.”

And: “Give people the benefit of the doubt. Don't be so hasty in your actions and take the time to think things through. You have a special connection with your feelings today that can aid in clearing some of the fog in your mental processes. Your sensitivity toward others is remarkably strong and you will find that people will be particularly drawn to this side of you - especially tonight.”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is about the Five of Wands. This card is about what happens when power gets combined with self-interest, and it reminds us to always ask the question “Does the end justify the means?” Sometimes we need to be single-minded, but that kind of self-righteousness is awfully addictive. This card could be warning us of what might happen if we embrace the Two of Swords as our right. Like the Five of Wands, this Two is double edged, and both of these cards could easily be either good or bad. Worse, they can both easily feel good when actually, they are quite bad.

I spent quite a bit of time last evening with my lower three chakras, cleaning them out, balancing them and grounding myself. Once I had completed this self-maintenance, I thought a bit more about the experiences of the day yesterday, and tried to connect those experiences to the 11th Path. And lo and behold, I ended up with some insight!

It is difficult to visualize the energies and correspondences of the 11th Path, because this Path is a catalyst, not an actual manifestation. I compared this to the earthquake of yesterday. While the force that caused yesterday’s earthquake was surely building for some time, none of us were aware of its presence. It was only once that Force (the eruption out of the chasms of the Atlantic and subsequent Westward movement of the tectonic plate) had been subject to some kind of Form (the surrounding plates, pressing against each other) that we were able to sense its presence and effect.

The energies of the Sacred Feminine are easy to be aware of, and the effects of the manifestation of those energies are within the workings of Nature and our world and universe. But those effects would not happen without the catalyst of the Sacred Masculine; they would only be possibilities and potential if they are not activated. Even the Aha! Moment and the glimpse of The Source that are indicated by the 11th Path are actually the initial results of the action of Catalyst on Potential; the Form has already been imposed or I would not be able to sense these lovely Glimpses of the Machinery of the Universe. We don’t know the Catalyst is there until it has completed its job and begin activating Potential into actual manifestation.

Okay, I think I get it now.

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King of Wands/Knight of Wands.  Sheesh; a bit of Fire today?? The King of Wands (cusp of Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, nurturing, moody, and Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic egotistical) has a Fiery nature, particularly if you see the rank of King as corresponding with the element of Fire.  This King is confident, brave, passionate, and good at transforming his world to match his vision. The Prince/Knight of Wands (cusp of Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, deep, obsessive, and Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering) is a person of passion and courage as well, but he is not quite as good as the King is at manifesting these traits. He is a bit unpredictable, and his courage can be sometimes a bit foolhardy in the end.  Because I have both the Knight and the King of Wands today, I must guard against ending up feeling addicted to my passions.  But the cool thing is that Knight will light a fire under the more conservative King, and perhaps I may end up with some balance after all.

My Thoth card is the Four of Wands reversed.  Reversed Fire this time.   “Completion” is Uncle Al’s keyword for the Four of Wands (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, enthusiastic) which in an upright position is about building enough to become established, as a beachhead, a pause before continuing, not as a finished product.  Usually the reversed Four of Wands tells of a sense of bondage or of lethargy,

My Legacy card is the Queen of Swords reversed, flavored by the Three of Swords.  Eeeep!!!  My least favorite card in the entire deck is the Three of Swords, and oh boy, it sounds like it is going to be a volatile day. The Queen of Swords (cusp of Virgo, “I serve,” practical, sensible, work and service oriented, and Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation, grace) in an upright position tells of being up front and open with everyone, of being quick on the uptake, and of making use of the experience I have gained.  But, my Queen is reversed today, so I just might find that I am not detached enough to be clear-headed.  The Three of Swords (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) indicates the possibility of experiencing sorrow or betrayal of some kind.  Because it is flavoring my reversed Queen, the hurt or betrayal presented by the Three of Swords may very well have something to do with my use of my intellect or the way I am perceiving events and effects and emotions that are in play.  There may be some real danger here with the combination of the outer and active King and Knight, the sense of not having established my own place, and these two Swords cards.  **deep, calming breath**  This, too, shall pass.

My 6-digit number of the day is, thankfully, 4.  The number of stability and depth.  I might need some, with these cards.

My horoscopes: “This will be a great day for you! Your children, grandchildren, or siblings may have a lot of excess energy. It's up to you to take care of them, Sagittarius. It's your turn to plan things in the family. You won't have any trouble with this task. Have you ever thought about being a planner or organizer for a living?”

And: “Today you might experience strange feelings that something is wrong, perhaps in the neighborhood, perhaps with a friend or relative. This is probably going to bother you all day today, Nancy, so it might be a good idea to ring this person up, or otherwise look into the matter, as soon as you start having these feelings. Probably there is nothing really wrong, but someone close to you may have just experienced a shock of some kind.”

I have been working hard these past two days, getting the house in order after our most awesome family vacation, and spending some great time in my much-loved garden.  I am typing this entry as some pretty intense thunderstorms are approaching.  The wind is picking up, and the sky is heavy and threatening.  Hopefully I will be able to get this post up, and then I am going to pour myself a glass of wine and sit on the front porch, and watch Nature’s show.   We are going out to dinner later (hopefully the rain will pass by then), and I have to get up and out early tomorrow, as I have two Thai Massages to do!  Yay!

My Shadowscapes Insight today is related to the Page of Wands.  Another Fire card, but balanced out a bit with some Earth (Page).  And how nice, it seems to also be related to the 11^th Path!  Mind you, the “official” Tarot card associated with the 11^th Path is The Fool, but this Page is quite similar, in a Minor Arcana way.  The Page of Wands tends to be outspoken about personal beliefs, makes a great student ~and~ a great teacher, and challenges us to examine the things that frighten us but are filled with potential.  This card tells us that in order to learn, we’ve gotta push ourselves to the limits of comfort and beyond.  That is the only way we can experience the Aha! Moments.

And of course, this is what the 11^th Path is all about.  The epiphanies of the 12^th Path can involve recognizing patterns, but not the 11^th Path; this one is about being open to experiences and effects without any expectations at all.  Each morning is a fresh, new beginning, filled with unknown potential, and we can’t perceive this potential unless we bring ourselves back to the beginning and start over again.  The energy of this Path is not shaped in any way, and each of us must strive to find our own meanings and our own applications for the knowledge and wisdom we receive here.

This Path is the moment at the end of The Celestine Prophecies, when many had learned to raise the vibrations of their own energy body to a level that transported them completely out of the physical realms, that made them invisible and unable to be seen with physical eyes.  This is the energy that is pure catalyst, that sets everything else in motion.  This is the cause behind all effects, the power behind all manifestations, and the seed of the end result which is sown at the very beginning.  This is Perfect Love and Perfect Trust, with complete innocence and harm to none.  This is not about the destination, it is about the very first step of a journey, a small step for sure, but the journey could not exist without it. 

The power of the 11^th Path has no Form; it is the purest of Force, and it is neither positive nor negative.  However, I do need to remember that this Path does contain the potential to be either positive or negative, and in order to experience its effects, I must always be aware of consequences. 

Or, I can trust in the goodness of the Universe and my own heart, just like The Fool, and step forward into the unknown.

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Ace of Wands reversed/Page of Cups. The Ace of Wands (Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical, Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, sensible, orderly) tells of the first spark of a new and exciting process for self-expression; because the card is reversed, I just might have a bit of trouble feeling confident in my abilities, feeling faith in the rightness of my path, or feeling the courage necessary to step into the unknown. The Page of Cups corresponds to Libra (“we are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation), Scorpio (“I desire,” intensity compulsion, mystery) and Sagittarius (“I seek,” philosophic, adventurous, blundering), and corresponds to my connections to others and to my own inner self. I like having this Page showing up with the Ace of Wands reversed, because the encouragement of this card to feel, to care, and to connect with my Inner Voice might be just the ticket to turn that Ace around.

My Thoth card is the Four of Cups reversed. “Luxury” is Uncle Al’s keyword for the Four of Cups (the Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, nurturing, tenacious, moody), which in an upright position reminds us that experiencing too much pleasure can desensitize us to its effects, and blind us to everything else going on around us. Because the card is reversed, I should feel able to make the effort to shrug off lethargy so that I can focus on what needs to be done. This reversed Cups card is also validating the message of my Page above; it is telling me that now is the time to reach out and make fulfilling connections. Satisfaction is available for me, if I open myself to it.

My Legacy card is the Queen of Wands reversed, flavored by the Knight of Cups. Active Cups cards today! The Queen of Wands (cusp of Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, soul growth, spirituality, and Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive) is about being warm and outgoing, cheerful and assured. Because my Queen I reversed, she is validating the possible confidence issue presented by the Ace of Wands reversed, above. I need to be aware that any enthusiasm I may feel today may not be appropriate; I might appear as a bit nutty to others. Granted, most of the time that is not an issue, but there are times where I need to act like a grownup, and today may be one of those days. The Knight of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) tells of a person who feels things intensely, and that is a two-edged sword. Paired with the reversed Queen of Wands, this Knight of Cups is warning me that my sensitivity could be a negative thing today. I may see hurt being perpetrated when there is none, I may find that any enthusiasm I do happen to feel is empty or does not go the distance, or I may focus inward to the point that I am not effective at all. My Knight and my Queen need to look to my Page for a bit of optimism and healthy anticipation.

My 6-digit date number is 10, the number of completion of a cycle, which reduces further to 1, the number of position and potential.

My horoscopes: “Watch the sunrise today, Sagittarius. Open your eyes to the beauty around you and let it inspire you to take action. Someone may be trying to throw you a curve ball, so be ready. You have a generous heart that you should share freely. Your helpful nature will draw others to you and help you skate effortlessly through your day. Teach someone a lesson that you know they need to learn.”

And: “Don't be surprised if a lot of visitors show up at your door today. Perhaps you're hosting an impromptu social event, or neighbors bring news of changes nearby. You should be brimming over with energy, so this isn't anything that you can't handle, but you could find it a bit unnerving if it gets to be too exciting. In situations like this, it's best just to go with the flow and enjoy it. You can think about it later!”

My Sun reading: “Mars and Jupiter stimulate activity and vitality, so get ready to seize opportunities. Couples feel like young lovers, and the feeling should be enjoyed. Plan something special. If you're single, you're a smashing success when you attract moths to your flame.”

Another Shadowscapes Insight today. I threw the Six of Cups, a truly lovely card, and had a nice moment of a light bulb being lit. This card is described in the Shadowscapes Companion as presenting a moment when “the mind has not yet been chained by boundaries of ‘what must be’ and definitions of impossibility.” What a perfect description of the innocence and optimism of this card! Not quite as active as The Fool, who is boldly going forth with the optimism that can create the world he expects; this card is more about pushing back the narrowness that is created by the complexities of life and living, and then sitting back to see who we attract to this pleasant environment with absolutely no expectations of results at all.

**drum roll** On to the 11th Path!! I began working with the Paths of the Tree of Life way back in the end of January (I began studying the Sephiroth in the middle of November, 2010); it has been a long time, but oh boy, has this study of the Tree of Life been useful!! And now, I begin my examination of the last of the Paths.

The 11th Path connects Chokmah (Wisdom), the sephiroth of the Sacred Masculine, to Kether (Crown; The Source), the most pure of the sacred essences that can be perceived by humans. This is the lightning flash of intuitive insight, raw potential that is not even tweaked enough to be called an Aha! Moment. This Path is named “The Spirit of Ayther” and “The Threshold of Nothingness,” and its message is mostly symbolic, hard to put into words, and not even close to being manifested physically. And yet, it is the end, and the beginning. In “The Witches Tarot,” Ellen Cannon Reed describes the 11th Path as representing “both our starting point and our goal: reunion with our Source.” Indeed, travelling up the Paths towards Kether has ignited within me an unquenchable thirst for interaction with Deity; I would think that travelling down the Sephiroth towards Malkuth would bring a need to understand physical existence.

Of all the Paths, this one seems to require the ability to take a leap of faith. The energies that surround and infuse this Path may be erratic and unpredictable, at least from my lower-vibrating, human perception, but I need to believe that whatever happens here is meant to happen. Understanding this Path and the 12th Path, and the three Sephiroth of these Paths (as well as Da’at) will be the closest I can come to understanding Deity and the “negative” emanations (not “evil” rather not manifesting) above the Tree.

It is interesting to me that one of the correspondences of this least manifested Path is technology, but then again, invention requires the ability to see things that don’t yet exist in the physical world.

Off to a good start!! Soon, I will be leaving to rejoin family vacation, already in progress.

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