Five of Swords/Death reversed. The Five of Swords (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, pleasure, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, cause-oriented, the group, aloof) focuses on victory and defeat, but not your usual, run-of-the-mill versions of these two results. This card tells of a possible attack of some kind (not necessarily originating from someone else) and of victory attained by unethical methods, and whether I am on the winning side or the losing side of the issue, this card is telling me that there is a potential for harm, or even for me to have to deal with vengeance. Another danger associated with the energies of this card is disillusionment. Death reversed again; the Death card corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, and sensitive, imaginative energy that strives to stay the same or take the same course), Scorpio, Nun (fish head; liberation), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Netzach (the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration), and tells of transformation or change, both voluntary and involuntary, the ending of an era and the fear of the unknown result of change. Because my Death card is reversed today and paired with the Five of Swords, I need to be very careful that I remain aware of consequences; while I should not fear change or even fear the presence of this Five, I do need to make certain that my intentions are good.

My Thoth card is the Four of Wands reversed. The Four of Wands (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, enthusiastic) in an upright position is about building enough to become established, as a beachhead, a pause before continuing, not as a finished product. Crowley calls this card “Completion,” and for a Wands/Fire card, it is pretty restricted. After all, Fire is not about order and rules; however, in order to tame Fire enough to work with it, I might need to tap into the energies of the upright card. A tiny bit of control won’t extinguish the flame.

My Legacy card is Justice, flavored by the Six of Coins. Justice is a card of adjustment, and isn’t that actually what justice is, in the end? Justice corresponds with the element of Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and quick, animated energy that usually brings problems or challenges that bring growth), Libra (“we are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation), Lamed (ox goad; training or teaching), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Geburah (the place where forms and structures are challenged or affirmed). This card is about cause and effect, and about the adjustments that happen when we think about causes, and try to make their effects as positive as possible. The Six of Coins (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Taurus, “I have,” Sensual, cautious, stubborn) brings an awareness of resources to the situation, both those that I have and those that I don’t have. The Six of Coins also reminds me to be generous; I have grown and evolved through the assistance of others, and now it is time for me to pay forward what I have received in the past. The success of this card is temporary, and I should not forget that, particularly because it is flavoring my Justice card today. No man is an island, and while my own actions have had a large effect on who I am at the moment, I have also been infused by the energies of others. Since I like who I am right now, I need to be grateful.

My 6-digit date number is 4, the number of depth and stability.

My horoscope: “Today may be serious, Sagittarius, with clouds looming over your parade. Although the clouds are dark and threatening, that doesn't necessarily mean that rain will pour down. Things are about to climax in your life. Today's message is that you should find the beauty and sensuality in yourself and others and renew your enthusiasm and sensuality in each new day.”

My Sun reading: “People remain happy and easy to communicate with under the Aquarius Moon. It's an opportune time to brainstorm ideas, bring them into reality, and solve outstanding problems. Tonight's social dynamic is about the spirit of genuine curiosity. Learn about and know where this new person is coming from.”

I read another article on the Alchemic Journal, and a single paragraph jumped out at me:

Water’s Divine Properties

Flower Remedies are traditionally prepared by placing the flower heads on top of water. The sunlight shines through the energetic field of the flowers and is imprinted on the waters own energetic matrix, the bonds between the molecules. Water has the unusual property that it can change its matrix under certain conditions. The water will maintain the energetic pattern of the substance being potentized even after the substance has been removed. There need not be any physical substance present to retain the energetic pattern, which is very useful when using substances or plants that might be considered toxic. This Divine property of water is what is utilized in making both Flower Remedy and Homeopathic preparation. The ability of water to shift its matrix under varying conditions is well documented by Dr. Masami Emoto in his book: Messages from Water.

Hmmmm . . . Cernunnos has been asking me to drink more water in order to flush out the lethargy that has been plaguing me this Spring. I wonder if I can make use of this? Yes, I have already been doing this, for each time I feel a bit lethargic, I pour myself a glass of water; thus, I am infusing the water with my intention, the washing away of the lethargy. But what if I consciously infused the water with this intent? Duh! I am a Third Degree Wiccan; I certainly should be doing this already. I need to also get a tumbled sunstone, so that I can infuse my water with the essence of Cernunnos. Time to “put my witch on.” LOL, thanks, Sherry, for that one.

I read further through this awesome blog and found this, within an essay called “The Alchemical Art” by John H. Reid III:

The first law of alchemy may well be stated “As above so below, as below so above for performing the miracle of the One Thing” (attributed to Hermes Trismegistus). One can expand the first law by enumerating what I call the five postulates of the First Law.

1) That the entire universe is divine in origin. Therefore Wisdom and Guidance must be sought from the source from which all creation flows.

2) All organisms, no matter how subtle or gross they are, have within them the divine spark of life and are interrelated with each other. It is therefore our task to understand this kinship, so that we may utilize inspired knowledge to aid in our understanding of how to prepare the quintessence of our matter.

3) All organisms are in a state of constant evolution as they continue their synthesis towards unveiling their inherent perfection. Upon reaching an understanding of postulate two (above), the true work begins, i.e., the aiding of nature by the art of alchemy to reach its highest point of perfection.

4) Humans are a part of the universe. Therefore, they are divine in origin and they can affect all organisms on all spheres of existence by their actions or inaction.

5) Humans, by understanding the basic laws that govern their beings and conversely the entire universe may learn to recognize the divine spark of vital energy in all organisms, isolate it, purify it, and manipulate it to speed up the processes of evolution.

While I am not certain that any human would have the authority to “speed up the process of evolution” in a general sense or for everyone, we certainly can affect ourselves this way, if we choose. But since the 22^nd Path has taught me about the importance of considering consequences, I am not certain that I would want to mess with things unless there was true need.

Consequences can go beyond me, affect others besides me, even if my intentions are focused solely on me. As I continue the work of the 22^nd Path and beyond, I need to remember that because I am connected to all, I have the ability to affect all. That is a huge responsibility.

I will end on a note of celebration (despite the reversed Four of Wands in my cards today): I have just completed Lesson 5 of Third Degree, and will be submitting my homework by the end of the day. Waahooo!!

Time for a bike ride.

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Ace of Pentacles reversed/Death. The Aces present potential only, unmanifested, and the Ace of Pentacles (Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive, Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, dual, social) in an upright position tells of the presence of potential that is connected in some way to the physical world of Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes; stable, material and practical energy that is slow to change), usually either through financial or career focuses, regarding the home, or connected to my physical body and its health and well-being. Today may not be a day for effectively making use of these energies, and Death kind of validates that. After all, Death is about leaving the physical world behind. The Death card corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, and sensitive, imaginative energy that strives to stay the same or take the same course), Scorpio, Nun (fish head; liberation), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Netzach (the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration), and tells of transformation or change, both voluntary and involuntary, the ending of an era and the fear of the unknown result of change. Death often brings a freedom that ends up initiating new growth, even if the attaining of that freedom is a bit frightening.

My Thoth card is The Fool reversed. The Fool is an Air card (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and challenges that tend to require the use of the intellect to solve), and it also corresponds with Uranus (technology, science, radical change), Aleph (the head, youthful learning) and the Path between Chokmah (male in the electric sense, dynamic energy and the origin of vital force and polarity) and Kether (the source; limitless possibility). The Fool has some pretty powerful energies at his disposal, not to mention his enthusiasm and optimism; because the card is reversed, I might do better today if I plan for all possible outcomes rather than assuming that things will just fall into place on their own. In an upright position, this card tells of unexpected happenings; perhaps there won’t be any unpleasant surprises for me today. Either upright or reversed, The Fool reminds me that power is neutral, it is the user who is either good or evil.

My Legacy card is the Three of Coins, flavored by Death reversed. Bookends!! The Three of Coins (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, cunning, competence) tells me that my own creativity can lead me to both hard and rewarding work, and renown, or a good reputation. I am being told by this Three that sometimes these things can’t be accomplished in a solitary fashion. Death this second time today is reversed. The upright Death card has a sort of tense and slightly frightening kind of anticipation attached to it; this tension and fear are nowhere to be found in the reversed Death card today. It is almost as if the other shoe has dropped. By flavoring this Three of Coins today, the Death card reversed is telling me to move forward with confidence, for the transformation has already occurred, and I am armed and dangerous.

I know that I have Death bookends, but I have spoken quite a bit about the Death card while working with the 24^th Path. The only new thing I can add about this card is that it focuses on both time and on limitations, and thus, the Death card teaches us patience, for things happen within their own time schedules. Also, the Thoth Death card contains an image of the snake which represents kundalini, the energy that is awakened by sexual pleasure and the pleasure of the senses. The reversed Death card talks of a fear of changes, which is obvious, but it also tells of the possibility that I am trying to mess with that natural time schedule. Dragging things out or forcing things faster than their natural time can both be damaging.

My 6-digit date number is 3, the number of new creation from the balance and polarity of the number 2.

My horoscope: “Don't keep playing along with the games if you no longer want to repeat the same drama, Sagittarius. By placing yourself in a victim role, you're opening yourself up to manipulation and control by others. To stop the repetitive pattern, it's crucial for you to stand up and recognize that you have an important part in the healing process. Recognize that you have the power and courage to change."

My Sun reading: “People feel happy and friendly toward others under an Aquarius Moon. It's a good time to network. Engage in stimulating communication tonight. If you're single, there could be some special and memorable connections. When the Moon sextiles Venus, sweetness and love are in the air for your significant other union."

So I took an alchemy test on the Alchemy Journal blog today. Here are my results:

The opposing forces within you, whose conflicts have kept you drained and confused for so long, are finally coming together as one.

You are about to experience a joyous and life-enhancing empowerment of your personality. If the preceding three operations (Calcination, Dissolution, and Separation) were successful, only the most genuine and essential parts of the matter at hand are left in the vessel of transformation. The next step in alchemy is the Conjunction, which is the recombination of those saved elements into an entirely new substance. Conjunction is the paradoxical union of the archetypal elements of Fire, Water, and Air to produce Earth.

Psychological Conjunction is the empowerment of our true selves, the union of both the masculine and feminine sides of our personalities into a new belief system or state of consciousness. The alchemists referred to this union as the “Marriage of the King and Queen,” and they referred to the result of the Conjunction as the "Philosopher's Child" or "Lesser Stone." After this new state of consciousness is achieved, you are able to clearly discern what needs to be done to achieve lasting enlightenment, and synchronicities begin to occur that confirm you are on the right track. In spiritual terms, the purified essences within are your very Soul and Spirit. It is now time for these archetypal forces to come together and nurture their newborn child, which is a refined and integrated personality. "Its nurse is the Earth," says the Emerald Tablet of this important juncture. At this time of renewed confidence, you should seek those activities that reinforce your peace of mind. It is an excellent time for a nature retreat or deep meditative session.

In many ways, the child of the Conjunction is like the creation of an "Overself" in which the ways of Spirit and Soul (rational, aggressive thought and intuitive, passive feeling) unite in a higher state of awareness that Egyptian alchemists called "Intelligence of the Heart." To create the Overself, you simply have to start practicing to maintain your "presence" no matter what happens, no matter how confusing things get, no matter what emotions swell up within you, no matter how cruel or thoughtless others are towards you. Every problem, every personal challenge, every nuisance or annoying person, is another opportunity for you to develop presence of mind and create the Overself. In trying to maintain your presence in all situations, you soon learn that you cannot rely on intellect or logic alone. To be really connected to what is real, you have to make use of talents and sources of knowledge that you cannot explain. Finally, you learn to value your feelings and intuitions as well as your rational judgments, and you will be able to work creatively with any challenge that comes along.

Do not forget that these two opposing ways of knowing only come together when they are used together. You have to practice personal Conjunction on a daily basis in the everyday world for the Overself to become part of your personality. The major effort in the alchemist's life is the creation of this unified self, which can withstand the onslaughts of ignorance, insensitivity, and illusion one encounters in the world. You actually can feel yourself coming together as one mind, one larger presence. Signs that Conjunction is taking place within a person are the growth of confidence, equanimity, and calmness. You start laughing at stupidity instead of getting angry. Within you, the feeling of an indestructible or "default" presence grows stronger every day. That personal presence is what the alchemists called the "Lesser Stone," which will gradually be perfected and emerge as an all-powerful state of consciousness they referred to as the "Greater Stone."

Before Conjunction, a person can be lustful and wanton in seeking their “other half” and jealous and possessive once it is found. On the other hand, the conjuncted person is appreciative of the alchemical forces at work in relationships and careers and tends to be considerably kinder and more sensitive. Such a person appears balanced and quietly confident, and that inner harmony is proof of the integration of the elements within.

That the human body must be perfected, as well as the mind and spirit, is a basic tenet of alchemy. Yet how do the King and Queen manifest in the body, and what exactly is the Child of the Conjunction in terms of human physiology? According to Tantric alchemists, the phallic-shaped pineal gland at the center of the brain and the bilobed pituitary gland play the roles of King and Queen. Their union, achieved through meditative exercises, produces a Pill of Immortality, which is released at the back of the throat and is activated when it reaches the stomach. This inner sex act initiates a Second Puberty that perfects and rejuvenates the body.

This is quite interesting in its timing; this is actually what I am getting from the 22^nd Path. I see this as validation, validation that I am doing the right work, and manifesting the right effects. I feel as if I have left anger behind, and I am dealing well with the lethargy, which is fading with each day.

What a glorious weekend this has been. Today was a warm day filled with Spring sunshine. My garden work is done (LOL, at least until next week, when I will certainly need to mow the lawn). Flowers are planted, grass seed is down, bushes are trimmed, and I pulled out the bikes, cleaned them up and pumped up the tires. Tomorrow, I am going to work on my Third Degree Lesson 5.

And maybe, I will take a bike ride.

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Strength/Three of Cups. The traditional meaning for the Strength card (Fire, hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive and energetic energy; Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical; Teth, sieve or basket, digestion; and the Path between Geburah, the place where forms and structures are challenged or affirmed, and Chesed, the place where forms and structures are stabilized and nurtured) is the presence of the ability to tame our primitive and wild emotions. This card can also be seen to represent magickal power and sexual power, both of which require internal “strength.” The Three of Cups (Mercury, reason, intelligence, orderliness, communication, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive tenacious, nurturing, moody) tells of the possibility of experiencing emotional abundance, emotional connections to others (mainly due to things in common), and emotional support as a part of the day. It tells of working and accomplishing things through love, and since it is combined with Strength, any sense of connection or any abundance just might happen because I am visualizing it.

My Thoth card is the Five of Disks reversed. “Worry” reversed; the Five of Disks (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, skill, communication, in Taurus, “I have,” sensual, stubborn, cautious) in an upright position is a focus on charity; sometimes we are in need of it, badly, and sometimes we are gifted with the opportunity to offer it to another. Charity is paired with dire need, and since this is a Coins card, that need will most likely appear in my physical world, either regarding money, security or health. Crowley sees the “worry” associated with this card as a strangling worry, the way that a sheep dog worries sheep. Thankfully, the card is reversed, so any worries I have will be baseless.

My Legacy card is the King of Cups, flavored by the Ten of Cups. 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 good at tending others, but is sometimes not so good at being in touch with his own feelings. The Ten of Cups (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, spirituality, suffering and growth) offers happiness, and a good lesson: achieving happiness takes work, which is to be expected, but maintaining that happiness also takes work, hard work. These two cards together have a real, nice, serenely happy feel to them. Put all three Cups cards together, and the day seems to indicate lots of happy connections and companionship.

My 6-digit date number is 11 (Archangel Uriel), which reduces further to 2, the number of both balance and polarity.

My horoscopes: “You may join hands with a spokesperson who's willing to attest to your honesty and good nature, Sagittarius. This person is happy to step up and toot your horn for you. You've earned a space in the spotlight, so don't shrink into the background when your name is called. Graciously accept the praise you receive - you deserve it. Next, learn how to toot your own horn."

Okay, one of my horoscope sources is doing server maintenance, so these horoscopes are it for today.

My Sun reading: “Yay! Aries Mercury turns direct today. You've backtracked, and now you can play catch-up. What's been on your creative mind lately? You will find people ready to hear your new ideas. Singles mix and mingle and enjoy more direct communication - not a lot of small talk with Mercury direct.'

I started my day with a walk to the beach. It was not quite as windy as last week, but there was a healthy gust blowing. Once again, the sea was roiling, slate gray and covered with whitecaps. The sky was overcast and gray as well, and the air was bracing. I found that breathing deeply cleared the fog from my brain, and by the time I got back home, I was ready to do some more yard work. My muscles were warmed up and feeling powerful; of course, I dedicated some of that lovely energy to Cernunnos.

I planted the last of my annuals, and Bob and I laid some grass seed in anticipation of some rain. Needless to say, as soon as the seed hit the ground, the clouds dispersed and the sun came out. LOL!! Oh well, if necessary, I will water on Tuesday morning, before heading North.

I’ve been still sipping a lot of water, still flushing my system. I am also trying to do more waking.

And I’ve been thinking about the 22^nd Path. The 22^nd Path brings abstract knowledge to power; in order to keep ethics in the picture, we need to always focus on cause and effect, and this is the job for the Justice card of the Major Arcana, the Tarot card that corresponds with this Path. While Justice can sometimes refer to the “laws of the land” that keep society from becoming anarchy, more often this card is talking about the sometimes less clear-cut laws of the Universe which keep the cycles moving. These are the cycles which remind us that all things are connected, and this simple concept is one to keep in mind when dealing with the imposition of justice.

The present is built from the past, and this is what I am trying to integrate into my awareness as I work with this Path. Dealing with the past means that I need to keep in mind the effects that have manifested due to past actions, and I need to learn from both successes and failures. This would also be the time for me to release dead weight in order to be more conscious of spiritual virtues; in order to evolve and in order to truly understand this path (and bring the abstract knowledge into power or force), these spiritual virtues need to be applied not only to me, but also to others around me.

Besides embracing spiritual virtues, this Path reminds me that although sometimes Karma feels like a punishment, it really is a result. If I am being “punished,” in the end it is my doing that has brought the punishment; if I am being “rewarded,” this too is a direct result of my own efforts. This is not a one-time thing, either, but rather, a dynamic and ongoing process. Just because I make it past one period of being judged does not mean that I don’t have to be aware any more.

And finally, the Justice card and the 22^nd Path remind me that if I learn from my mistakes, I transform then into lessons.

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The Devil/Ten of Wands. The Devil corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and stable, material, practical energies that are slow to change), Capricorn (“I build,” ambitious, competent, cautious, cunning), Ayin (the eye, senses), and the Path between Hod (which provides analysis and communication) and Tipareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify). It represents bondage and addiction, which can also be seen as a lack of choice. This card can also represent blind ambition, and the secret plans that usually need to be in place to manifest that ambition. In some situations, The Devil can represent the primal impulses that are a part of our survival instinct; this is particularly true with the Welsh Devil, who is portrayed as The Horned One, a God of the earth, rather than the traditional Christian Satan. The Ten of Wands (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering) tells of the blocking of the creative power of the suit of Wands, most likely because the Fire of creativity has run out of fuel. Perhaps this is one time where a small does of The Devil will reignite those Wands.

My Thoth card is the Seven of Swords reversed. “Futility” reversed The Seven of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, cause-oriented, the group, aloofness) in an upright position tells of the effort to maintain things as we want them, usually to the point of using unethical means. Crowley sees this card as weak; it tells us that cunning will work better than forcing the issue, but often when we use cunning, ethics become blurred. In an upright position, this card could very well represent the lethargy I have felt of late; it is reversed, so things are looking up.

My Legacy card is the Page of Coins reversed, flavored by the Six of Cups. The Page of Coins (Aries, “I want,” assertive, action oriented, Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual) is a listener, and this Page listens to both sides of an argument because he is also a student, and is eager to learn. He watches his world with curiosity and wants to learn how everything works. Because this Page is Earth of Earth, in an upright position he is practical and cautious, but will actually take risks on occasion. Because the card is reversed, today’s learning focus, if it exists at all, won’t have much to do with the physical world. The Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive) tells of beneficial connections with others. This card reminds me that happiness comes from within me, and happiness needs no expensive surroundings in order to manifest. This happiness may be fed and supported by memories of the past, by sharing my bounty with others, or by seeing things from the viewpoint of a child, but no matter what, there is potential to be had.

My 6-digit date number is 8, the focused and active response to the beginning of degeneration represented by the number 7.

My horoscopes: “You have a lot to celebrate, Sagittarius, especially where your love life is concerned. Today you may receive a communication from your loved one that makes you yearn for this person's company. You've been together a lot recently, attending many dinners and social gatherings, but you've had little one-on-one time. Do what you can to rectify that tonight!”

And: “Today your focus (and the focus of everyone around you) should be on putting your ideas to work. So if you're in a collaborative environment, use all of your clout to get everyone going and on task. Too many outside voices are holding up your progress right now. Getting a consensus is important, but it isn't always necessary. If you need to push to get things moving, just do it -- no one will be annoyed. In fact, they'll be grateful for your leadership.”

And: “A chance to earn a small amount of money, perhaps by putting in a little extra work at home, might come your way today. You could hear about it through a friend or colleague. A visitor might come to your home at some point, perhaps to help with something that needs to be done. This promises to be a very exciting day, with a lot of stimulation that could keep you occupied late into the night!”

My Sun reading: “The Sun entering earthy, steady Taurus increases desire for improvements and motivates you to work hard. If you're single, Venus changing signs isn't the time to start anything new, but you can make potentially faithful and loyal friends. Dating someone special? Tonight could be a turning point in your relationship.”

Through the intense water cleanse that I performed this past weekend at the request of Cernunnos (and while working on the 23rd Path, which connects to Water through The Hanging Man), I realized that the lethargy I have been experiencing is connected directly to my sacral chakra. I still believe that this “disconnect” has happened because of the large amount of time I am spending interacting with the Sacred. These higher and purer sacred energies are affecting my own energy body, throwing it out of balance, and thus throwing my whole self off balance.

Here is some information about the sacral chakra that I compiled while working on my Reiki Assessments: Sacral chakra, below the navel, the color orange, element of water, my keyword “physical sensations.” This chakra to me is about physical sensations and the connections these sensations bring about. Yes, this chakra is about sex and physical sexual pleasure and physical or chemical attraction or lust, but it is also about the pleasure of the sun on my skin, the taste of a piece of chocolate, the smell of a turkey just taken from the oven, the sound of the crickets and tree frogs on a summer evening. It is about physical awareness and sensations of all kinds, and it is about self-gratification and self-esteem. We connect with others through touch, through hearing, through seeing, through smelling, and even through tasting. We use the physical of the root chakra through the physical sensations of the sacral chakra to connect with the entities and the physical world around us. Physically, this chakra is associated with our reproductive organs. Psychically this chakra is connected with psychic taste.

I spent a lot of time with my sacral chakra yesterday and today, cleaning it out, balancing it with the rest of my chakras, as I continue to drink more water. I realized that while I do spend a lot of time with my throat chakra, which is also connected to my energy body, the focus for that chakra is communication of all kinds with the outside world. On the other hand, the sacral chakra is about communication with my own body, and it is in this focus that I am lacking.

I am also focusing on my breathing. The alchemy blog that I have been following states that we are all trees without roots or branches, and it is our breath and our breathing that provides the grounding, provides the branches that reach for the sun, and that provides the circulation necessary for our bodies to live and be healthy. This makes sense, and I am reminded of the many meditations that I perform which involve breathing (such as the Three Breath Meditation I do each morning) or not breathing (such as the microcosmic orbit).

Plus, I spent two whole days working in my beloved Cape May garden, doing a Spring cleanup and moving a few plants, and I brought squirrels number 7 and 8 to Higbee Beach. LOL, my sore muscles are a lovely reminder to me, to pay attention to what I feel like on the inside.

I think the work with this Path started a few weekends ago, on March 13th, while I was working on the 27th Path. I had an Aha! Moment, where I totally left my physical body and temporarily connected with an extremely rarified, highly vibrating sacred energy. It has taken me this long to make the connection, and I have struggled quite a bit. But now, I’ve got the answer, and of course, it is Balance. Even my dearest Danu has told be since that day in March that I need to go within to find Balance.

And so, on to the 22nd Path. This Path is the first that comes out of Tiphareth, and it corresponds to the Dark Night of the 26th Path, the destruction of form, which is replaced by the concept of abstract. The 26th Path connected Hod, the bottom of the Pillar of Form, with Tiphareth, the sphere of balance and wholeness. This path, the 22nd Path, brings that balance and wholeness to the middle of the Pillar of Form, to Geburah, the sephiroth that tells of the sacrifices that are necessary to keep things going.

The time has come to move away from the abstract, and to begin rebuilding after the three Dark Nights. Like Sunday morning, when I walked to the beach under a clear sky as the birds chirped, after the deluge and chaos of Saturday’s storm, it is time to see what is left; it is time to see what was strong enough to survive.

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