7/21/13

Transparent Oracle Sunday!

55, Guide: Mermaid (Below).  Ascension and escape from the physical world seem to be our tasks for this life; however, in order to ascend, we need to first understand this word we are attempting to grow out of.  The cards of Below assist us in that endeavor.  Mermaid tells us of many non-physically manifested concepts: feelings, emotions, love, compassion, and healing.  Like Water, none of these can be held in place by our hands, and yet all are important ingredients within a balanced and harmonious and satisfying life.  Learning to access these ingredients and use them for our benefit without “over-spicing” the recipe takes focus and Will, and loss of control can bring obsession and destruction, but it is well worth the risk.

1, Gateway: Spring (East).  East is the direction of the rising sun, and thus of new beginnings and fresh ideas, as well as knowledge, intellectual ideas and thoughts.  The Gateway of Spring brings us fresh new beginnings and the first blossoming of creativity.  There is an innocence about the energies of this Gateway, and an optimism, and perhaps these lovely energies will bring new insights, as well as new creativity.

53, Guide: Sidhe (Below).  The cards of Below assist us in understanding our foundation.  There are entities who dwell there who can also assist us with that endeavor, if we approach them correctly.  The Sidhe can be a wonderful Guide when we are attempting these things, for she is both a source of creation and of responsibility.  The Sidhe cares for the earth and Nature; just like us, she is a part of that realm.  But the Sidhe is also connected to the non-physical world more than we are, and thus can be a Guide who teaches us how to see things in a different or unique manner.  And if we work hard and are true to our Purpose, we just might get some support along with our guidance; this partnership can achieve extraordinary things!

Oooh, interesting.  Another very “tight” mandala!  The face of Sidhe on top of the face of Mermaid, a potent and compelling spiral in the center and emanating “rays” moving outward, and the wreath of Spring (with a beautiful flower on each Third Eye) connecting everything together.  That spiral is compelling for a reason: inspiration and feelings and emotions all come from within us.  I am being reminded today of my own Purpose, and I am being encouraged to give my inner Self another look.  Perhaps things have changed or become more interesting there.  Perhaps I will be able to understand a bit more.

Another Wild Unknown Tarot card!  The Five of Wands.  Five wands, each facing a different direction, and each sending out different energy patterns from each side.  This card kind of puts me in a daze because of the different directions in which the energy is moving.  These conflicting flows don’t feel dangerous, but they certainly are distracting!  Not one energy flow supports another, and they all may very well cancel each other out in the end, kind of like the way a strategically set fire can help tame a fire that is out of control.  Then, we will have stillness!  Not very Fire-y, eh? 

I am just back from YTT Intensive 6.  I’m tired, but this was another great day, learned a lot and practiced like crazy.

And yes, true to my spread today, I’ve had several Aha! Moments. 

The first has to do with Ayurveda.  The book on our required reading list presents a new way of viewing the human being.  I have thus far been seeing the life essence as the animating force of the physical body, but now I am seeing that the physical body is also the manifestation of the life force.  Some may say I’m splitting hairs here, but this is important to me.  Yes, the life essence **is** the animating force of the physical body, and that animation is the Effect that creates the Cause that is the physically alive entity that is “me.”  But according to Ayurveda, that physical body is also an Effect, an Effect that is being created by the workings of the Cause that is the life force!  I am sitting here, typing this blog entry because my life force is causing my physical body to do so.  I have brown hair and brown eyes, a craving for soft ice cream and cake icing, and a tendency for wide hips because **that** is how my life force manifests itself.  That is such an interesting Cause/Effect relationship!

The second Aha! Moment of the day happened while I was watching a Leslie Kaminoff video on the Koshas.  Kaminoff stated that anyone can benefit from Yoga; as long as you breathe and move, Yoga can help better your life.  Then, he explained and demonstrated how simple arm movements can connect the different Koshas (or “sheathes”; Annamaya or food-apparent sheath, Pranamaya or air-apparent sheath, Manomaya, or mindstuff-apparent sheath, Vijnanamaya, or wisdom-apparent sheath, and Andanamaya, or bliss-apparent sheath) and thus, reduce blockages and imbalances.  Yesss!  Okay, my mind knows this to be true, but there is a difference between “knowing” and “getting” the concept.  Now I get it!

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Four of Wands/Nine of Pentacles. The Four of Wands (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, enthusiastic) is about building enough to become established, or celebrating the successful efforts of the Three of Wands.  My Four of Wands is reminding me of the Justice card, and that work has its rewards. The Nine of Pentacles (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) also tells of accomplishment through the imposition of discipline, and the enjoyment of the fruits of our labor.  Okay, I like this theme!

My Thoth card is the Ace of Cups.  Lovely!!  “Love” is Crowley’s keyword for the Ace of Cups (Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation, Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, deep, mysterious, obsessive, Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, adventurous, blundering) tells of the potentials available to me for experiencing deep emotions, a connection to my Inner Voice, compassion for myself or others, attunements and connections.  This is a very spiritual, compassionate and empathic card, and Crowley sees it as not having very much manifestation in the physical world.  Yet.  This is the seed of emotional and intuitive experiences, and the seed could germinate into an awesome beginning!

My Legacy card is the Two of Swords, flavored by the Page of Wands.  Hmmm . . . an inner-focused card, flavored by an outer-focused card.  Balance, perhaps?? The Two of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) can represent a time of not looking or of shutting out the world.  This one can also refer us to the Justice card; after all this one represents two ideas in equal yet opposite balance.   The Legacy Two of Swords is less negative than the same card in most decks; for this version, the time of shutting out the world is necessary.  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) encourages me to use assertion and action to attract adventure and excitement. Totally opposite to the Two of Swords, LOL but then again, my Page is flavoring the solitude of the Two, telling me to be excited and enthusiastic, and to be a catalyst. Perhaps that quiet time will be a stepping stone to move forward.

My 6-digit date number is 9, the completeness of manifestation, experience or effect.  Cool!

My two horoscope sources apparently have combined; my horoscope today: “You may feel like a skipping record, Sagittarius. You've been scratched and mistreated, and now you continue to repeat the same thing over and over until you've driven your point home. This isn't your doing, so don't be concerned if you hear protests that you're sending others over the edge. This may be the very thing necessary for all of you to advance to the next step”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Queen of Cups.  What an appropriate card!  The Shadowscapes Companion says this about the Queen of Cups: “She heeds her intuition and follows her heart.  She listens to the whisper of the stars, for she knows they are much wiser than any being on this earth.”  Very personal message for me today!  This Queen tells us that those voices we hear have validity (unless they are telling us to cause harm), and today we need to be aware of them.  We need to coast between the physical world of logic and the astral realm of the subconscious, and we need to listen!

I just finished reading a very interesting book called “Wicca 404: Advanced Goddess Thealogy,” by Esra Free and the Cosmic Goddess Coven.  This book asks important questions about the future of Wicca, and offers a possible answer to those questions, an answer that seems to resonate for me.  Particularly right now.

I have been experiencing some difficult times over the past few months regarding my spiritual path.  I’m not leaving Wicca, but I have reached a point where I am feeling a sort of “general malaise” about my chosen Path.  I’ve been asking myself some important questions, and they seem to revolve around achieving a greater understanding of Deity, and discovering the next level of understanding of what Wicca’s Purpose (yes, with a capital “P”) is, going forward.  Is there a unifying core belief we can all embrace?

And oh boy, I may have found an answer.

Esra Free offers a tantalizing explanation of how she perceives Wicca and Deity (and my description is short; I apologize to Ms. Free if I misstate any part of her book).  The Cosmic Goddess Coven sees our Earth as being alive, and that is not an unusual belief within Wicca across the board.  We humans, and all life on our world, can be seen as cells in the “body” of the entity that is our planet.  This makes sense to me, for I have always seen Nature and our gloriously beautiful world as a perceivable manifestation of the workings of the essence of Goddess.  And that metaphor, of being cells in Gaia’s body, works for me. 

But this book takes all this a step further.  Think about the human body for a moment, the physical body, made of countless cells.  They are alive, but do they have an awareness?  Not that we can perceive, but does that mean there is no awareness?  After all, each cell in my body has a Purpose, and that cell manifests in the physical plane its specific Purpose, and lives out that Purpose.  Not the Purpose of the cells a few inches away, but its own Purpose.  That is a kind of awareness, even if I can’t perceive it.

Now think again about humans being cells of the body of Gaia.  We do have an awareness of who we are and where we are going.  If Gaia is made from cells with awareness, does Gaia have an awareness, too?   According to the Hermetic concept of “As Above, so Below; as Below, so Above,” the answer to that question would be yes. 

This also means that like us, the entity that is our world is also growing, maturing, and evolving.  And here is the cool part.  Our planet is also one of the cells that makes up our Solar System, and that Solar System also has an awareness.  The Solar System is one of the cells of our Galaxy, and our Galaxy is one of the cells of our Universe, and our Universe, along with every other Universe in every other possible dimension, are cells in the body of the Great Goddess, All That Is.  Now THAT is a Deity!  Ms. Free calls this the “Ladder of Being,” and that is a perfect name

I think I’ve been circling around this idea since I first considered the concept of humans being made in the “image of God,” and how ridiculously vain that concept was.  That was when I realized that all life was an “image of Deity,” that actually DNA could be considered an “image of Deity,” for all life has DNA and it is that DNA that is an “instruction booklet” for the creation of that individual life form.  I circled around again when I wrote that essay on the Royal Stars of Persia, and began evoking the Watchers using their Persian names when casting a Sacred Circle.  I even circled around this when I wrote my own first book, “The Emerald Tablet: My 24 Day Journal To Understanding” [http://www.lunastationpress.com/book/the-emerald-tablet-my-24-day-journal-to-understanding/].  And all this circling was done with the goal of achieving a more complete understanding of Deity, and of my chosen spiritual path, Wicca.

Could I have found the answers?  Was it that simple? 

I no sooner had that thought, when I heard my dear Lady Danu’s delighted laughter.  “Is it that simple?” She asked.  “Yes, it is.  Life is that simple.  It is humans who make it all complicated.”  My Patroness smiled, and then continued.  “Humans are programmed to ask ‘Why?’ and ‘How does it all work?’  You are supposed to ask these questions, for it is through seeking their answers that you evolve.  But when humanity asks the question, and then actually perceives the answer, the tendency is to proclaim that personal version of the answer to be the only valid answer.”  Danu sighed, and continued.  “This way of behaving is holding humanity back.  As you can see, Others depend, at least to some extent, on humanity’s progress.” 

I asked Danu what I could do.  What steps do I take to help humanity fix itself?  Her response was that I can’t fix humanity; I can only fix myself.  “I want you to prosper, My Daughter.  However, like the cells in your own body, you must manifest according to your own Purpose.  I am with you always, and you may always ask for help; after all, if your physical body is ill or injured in some way, the cells of your body rush in to help.  As Above, so Below; you will get a response if you ask.  But you are responsible for your life.  It is what it is.”  And She smiled; that last phrase, “It is what it is,” is an inside joke, and it really tickles me that Danu used it.  Just goes to show; She’s always listening.

I thought for a bit about my own body.  I can consciously connect with the processes of my physical body (and I am always in awe of those processes and their efficiency), but I don’t think I can be aware of every cell at once.  However, I care for each of those cells, and the “communities” they form within the “world” that is my physical body; I love them and nurture them to the best of my ability.  After all, they are me.

If we see Deity as being the same, as perceiving Her cells the same way, that means even when I am not in direct communication with my Goddess, She is loving me and nurturing me.  I was suddenly filled with the most amazing warm, vibrating pressure emanating into and from my heart chakra, so beautiful that I was moved to tears.  Oh my . . . an Aha! Moment!  I have not had one of these for a long, long time, but they are back.  I have found new meaning to my Path, and things to ponder that are filled with amazing possibilities.

Does all this make me feel small and insignificant?  Not by any means.  I feel a part of something valid and valuable. 

Validation that I am on the right track once again!

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Four of Wands reversed/Queen of Cups.  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, but my Four of Wands is reversed today.  This could be indicating to me that today is not a day to plan for the future or to look ahead, or it could be indicating a mild funk, or even a sense of restriction. The Queen of Cups (cusp of Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, and Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody) is Water of Water, and thus is quite deeply connected to her feelings, her spirituality and her Inner Voice. She is sensitive and caring, in touch with her own senses and eager to create harmony around her.  Whatever my reversed Four of Wands brings to me, I will need to be certain that I am realistic.

My Thoth card is the Six of Cups.  Yes!  “Pleasure” is the keyword for the Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive), which tells of experiencing simple joys, innocent fun and being surrounded by blessings.  I am being reminded today that pleasure comes from within, at least the most long lasting pleasure, and pleasure that is rooted within is fertile as well as long lasting, with “volunteers” springing up all over the place.  LOL, garden metaphors.

My Legacy card is the Ten of Swords reversed, flavored by the King of Wands.  The Ten of Swords (the Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, talkative) in an upright position is a card of interference and restriction.  This card upright represents a more powerful restriction than that of the Four of Wands reversed above; this is the restriction we create in our own minds.  Thankfully, my Ten of Swords is reversed, so not only do I have the power to make the ending as I want it, but I will also be satisfied with the end result. The King of Wands (cusp of Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, nurturing, moody, and Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic egotistical) has a Fiery nature, and he is flavoring my reversed Ten. This King is good at using self-expression in useful ways.  His charisma will be a good addition to the reversed Ten.

My 6-digit date number is 6, the number of vertical and horizontal balance. 

My horoscopes: “The day ahead should be fairly positive. You'll begin to feel the faintest hint of a major change beginning. This new phase will last seven months. As it progresses, you'll find greater freedom of expression. You can expect to shift into high gear on subjects you used to avoid in the past. Some friction with siblings may arise in the next few months.”

And: “You might be distracted all day by daydreams of a trip you're planning to take. A friend might phone you up and want to discuss it, which doesn't help. Visions of faraway places and exciting pastimes may be dancing in your head, and routine tasks might seem incredibly tedious and not worthy of attention. However, it's best to get them done if you can. Then you can fantasize about your vacation guilt-free!”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is regarding The Hierophant.  The Hierophant has strived to learn the secrets and traditions and now has a grasp on their intricacies.  But he does not stop learning ever, because there is a thrill connected to learning something new.  This is why he makes such an effective teacher!  He combines knowledge and wisdom with ritual and ceremony, and builds a bridge so that Deity can come to earth.

I have been pondering the last part of the section of The Emerald Tablet that I have been working on: “Separate the earth from the fire and you shall adhere more to that which is subtle than that which is coarse, through care and wisdom.”  Yes, this describes the Great Work of alchemy, but somehow I get the feeling that there is more to be had from these simple words. 

This process sounds as if it would be ponderous and destructive; after all, how else can you separate earth from fire?  Wouldn’t you need to destroy them both in order to separate them?  But perhaps not, because the instructions also say this process should be done through “care and wisdom.”  I wonder if maybe there is a warning here, and a presentation of some kind of responsibility.

If the “earth” represents the physical self and the world that is perceived through our physical senses, and the “fire” represents the other realms, the non-physical planes that cannot be perceived through physical senses (or at least, they can’t be measured and proven to exist via physical measuring devices, including the physical senses), then the separation of the two would need to be done delicately.  Or the result would be death.  Hmmmm . . . am I being directed to the concept of physical death?  Or to Death, the Tarot Major Arcana card?  Both of these would represent the separation of the earthly from the firey.  Even this does not feel quite right.

Okay, let’s approach this from another direction.  I am working on a Tarot Chat about the Tree of Life, so I have “Sephiroth on the brain” tonight.  The Sephira of Yesod can be seen as the process or effect or skill or trait that separates (or allows us to rise above) the physical body from the non-physical body.  Here is some information I have compiled about Yesod:

Yesod (Foundation ) is the ninth Sephira on the Tree of Life, the third down on the Pillar of Balance, and like the Moon, which is the heavenly body most easily reached from our Earth, it is the most easily reached non-physical sephiroth of the Tree.  Yesod provides the life force that animates our physical selves, so in a sense, we are always experiencing Yesod.  Yesod contains the astral or etheric plane, and it is within Yesod that we build thoughtforms and intentions.  It is the sphere of illusion, and like the Moon, which appears to grow and shrink but actually stays the same size, Yesod is the whole of our visualizations of that which is not yet manifested in physical form.

Yesod is not only the last step before physical manifestation, but it is the first step after physical manifestation as well.  Our physical bodies are born and die within Malkuth, but our personalities are born and die within Yesod.  This sphere is the home of the Self, and of the Dark Night of the Soul.  Only after we dispel the illusion of failure and do the work to achieve forward motion once again will we truly understand the energies of Yesod.

My correspondence list for Yesod is: Magickal Image: Beautiful Naked Man, Very Strong; Planetary: Moon; Vice: Idleness; Virtue: Independence; Deity: The Moon, Fertility; Spiritual Experience: Vision of the Machinery of the Universe; Briatic Correspondence: Receptivity, Perception; Illusion: Security; Obligation: Trust; Path: Path 9, the number of completeness of experience.

The Paths on the Tree that are connected to Yesod are 32 (The World, connects to Malkuth, represents the bridge between the physical body and the astral planes) and 30 (The Sun, connects to Hod, represents scientific discoveries that validate spirituality), both seen as steps to initiation, and 28 (The Star, connects to Netzach, inspiration, aspiration, messages of the senses and universal love) one of the Paths that explores the personality. 

Is this sentence encouraging me to “rise up” out of my body?  Could it be reminding me that the messages of my physical senses are merely one small part of reality?  Is it another way of describing the Law of Attraction?  I smell wood burning . . . .

I feel like I am circling the Aha! Moment.  And I’ve felt it approaching, since Friday.  Just can’t find the doorway in!  Right now, I’d settle for a window.

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