Transparent Oracle Tuesday!  Because of the effects of Hurricane Sandy, I postponed my Transparent Oracle reading until today.  So here we go!

37, Guide: Raven (North). North is the direction of Earth, and thus of the physical or physically formed or manifested world, and of nurturing, health, finances and security, and the wisdom associated with living simply, being well-grounded, and being in touch with our physical body.  Raven is a clever bird, often portrayed as a trickster.  Raven is also known for assisting us in the transformation from one realm to another, and known as a skilled communicator.

16, Guide: Snake (South). South is the direction of the midday sun and the peak of power and illumination; this direction is associated with passionate drive and creativity.  Snake has powerful symbolism in our world; it is seen to represent many medical/healing modalities, and the Kundalini energy.  Snake corresponds with the dragon, and is seen as a mundane representation of that mythical beast.  Because Snake can shed its skin and appear renewed, it is associated with healing, fertility, regeneration and rebirth.  Snake can access places that would be out of reach for most of us, and so Snake can share both knowledge and wisdom.  However, the knowledge and wisdom owned and shared by Snake is neutral, and we need to be careful what we choose to do with what we learn.  Eve learned that lesson in the Garden of Eden.

54, Guide: Giant (Below).  The direction of Below is not easily associated with spirituality, yet it is a powerful symbol representing the opportunity to create a strong foundation, and to connect to the tools and powers of the Underworld.  Giant corresponds quite a bit with the element of Earth and Earth energies, and is about the stability of the ground below us, and about the huge geological forces that formed our world and even now, changes it.  In most fairy tales, the Giant ends up being a great big bump in the road for the hero of the tale, and without these kinds of challenges, we would never get the chance to be brave or to see if we have courage.

I then created my mandala.  This one is tight, very tight; all the images pile on top of each other in a triad.  Mainly, what is visible are the horns of the Giants, and the Snakes, bisecting each of the three shapes, like the Kundalini energy.  The beaks of the Ravens are pointing to the center, connecting each of the three shapes with a physically perceivable form, and the Snakes swirl around it all, connecting together and radiating outward at the same time.  The cards even go from North to South to Below; an easily discernable energy flow.  I think the message of this mandala is that yes, we can bludgeon our way to our goal with purely physical tools, but when the energy self and intentions and the Will are involved, along with an awareness of where I have been, where I am now, and where I am going (and how movement has happened at all) it will be difficult to turn the tide and bring success. 

Today is election day in the US, and this has been quite an intense election.  At this point, I just want it to be over.  I don’t like lies; seeing lies being perpetuated makes me a tiny bit nauseous, and both parties have been guilty of lies and of spinning issues without really saying anything.  I pondered my own vote for a while.  Do I manifest my displeasure by not voting at all?  No, I could not do that.  The ability to cast a vote is a privilege, and I won’t surrender that privilege.  Do I manifest my displeasure by voting for a candidate from one of the other parties, rather than voting for Obama or Romney?  I did consider that.  For a long time.  But in the end, my concern for women’s rights, for Social Security and Medicare, and for the possibility of four Supreme Court Judges being appointed over the next four years have all pushed me to choose between the two main candidates.  Romney’s choice of a running mate has had an influence on me, because while Romney seems able to move a bit towards the center, Ryan absolutely cannot, and that is a huge concern for me.  And while I like a lot of the basic focus of the Republican Party (at least, I liked it before the religious nuts and the Tea Party co-opted the Party for their own purposes), I cannot in good conscience vote for this pair.  And this is the second time in a row that the Republican candidate’s choice of a running mate has been a deal breaker for me.

Do I believe Obama is perfect?  Not by a long shot.  However, he is pro choice.  And I feel the need to clarify that and say that I can’t think of many situations where I would have an abortion, but I don’t want government making that choice for me.  I certainly do NOT believe that a zygote is a person. Obama is not against Planned Parenthood and his insurance plan will bring equal opportunities to all to have birth control if so desired.  Obama is pro same sex marriage.  Again, I feel the need to clarify and say that I do not believe that all churches and religious organizations should be forced to perform same sex marriages, but the opportunity should be there for these couples.  And Obama will not appoint very conservative Supreme Court Judges, which is huge for me.  Romney/Ryan will end up bringing The Handmaiden’s Tale to life, and this is frightening to consider.  My vote has been cast for Obama. 

In the end, the spin presented by both parties regarding the economy has ended up canceling both parties out in my mind.  I believe that Congress is broken, and regarding the economy, in the end it will take more than the victory of either Obama or Romney to fix things.  I just hope that my fellow Americans, no matter what their party affiliation (or lack thereof), vote with intelligence after considering true information and real facts, and NOT through the application of the lies that are out there.  No matter who you vote for, if you base your vote on facts, then you have my admiration.

Today, Mercury goes retrograde in Sagittarius, my Sun sign.  LOL, should be another very interesting day!

Blessed be!

Two of Swords/The Lovers reversed. The Two of Swords is a card of balance, but its message is that sometimes balance is not about motion, but rather it is about shutting out the motion around us. Shutting out the world can be a good thing because sometimes we need to take that kind of a rest. But if we are shutting out the world because we refuse to see it, the harms far outweigh the benefits. The Lovers in an upright position corresponds with Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts), Gemini (“I think,” curious, sociable, dual), Zayin (the two-edged sword), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Binah (female, receptive energy; the origin of form and structure). It has two meanings, which is appropriate for a card which focuses on duality and polarity, LOL. The Lovers has an obvious meaning, deep and strong relationships involving love, but it also has a less obvious correspondence, the concept of personal choices and the effects of our choices. These two cards together tell me that I may be uncomfortable facing some personal choices today, and I need to make certain that my avoidance of facing these choices remains for positive reasons.

The Lovers has a personal significance to me, and usually tells me that one of my Guides, the Archangel Uriel, is watching me or trying to tell me something. Of course, the question is am I blocking His voice, or is He not yet ready to contact me? Add to that, this is the 111th post for this year; any groups of digital 1's always shout "Uriel is here!" My eyes are open, and I am watching.

My Thoth card is the Eight of Disks reversed. The “Prudence” card, corresponding with Sol (the heart of a situation and personal power) in Virgo (“I serve,” practical, sensible, work and service oriented), and it tells of putting things away for a rainy day, of the knowledge that the work is done and we have merely to wait for the right moment to harvest, and of the value of doing nothing. Because it is reversed, those concepts may not be easily applied today, and I may need to remember that being penny wise could also be pound foolish.

My Legacy card is the Three of Wands reversed, flavored by The Star reversed. In an upright position, the Three of Wands (Sol in Aries (“I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive)) is about establishing personal power, and about using confidence in one’s own abilities to plan for the future. The Star in an upright position corresponds with Air, Aquarius (“I know,” friendships, the group, society), Tsadi (fish hook; experience or thought), and the Path between Yesod (emerging patterns and images which may manifest into the physical world of action and outer reality) and Netzach (the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration), and foretells the potential for a new dawn to appear after darkness and destruction. Since the Three of Wands is reversed and it is being flavored by The Star reversed, I need to remember that the plans and choices already made may not be manifesting quite yet, and I will need to be patient; also, I will need to expend every effort to **not** allow pessimism to rule the day.

Well, that Two of Swords sure seems to be ruling the rest of the cards I threw today! Some additional information about the Two of Swords: it can represent contradictory characteristics in the same nature, strength gained through suffering, and pleasure after pain. Sacrifice and trouble may be affecting the day, yet strength arises from those sacrifices and troubles. This Two can also indicate a truce created, or peace restored, a satisfactory arrangement of differences, or justice. Twos are dual and polarized, and the Two of Swords can tell of truth and untruth, of doing injury while meaning well, or of repeating errors after being pardoned. Interestingly, the Two of Swords also indicates the feeling of sorrow and sympathy for those in trouble, the offering of aid to the weak and oppressed, and unselfishness.

My 6-digit date number is 8, which represents the response to the beginning of degeneration of the number 7, and the attainment of a lesser, more temporary balance.

My horoscopes: “Some new information about an interesting field could have you browsing the Web and looking through books to learn more, Sagittarius. This could involve law, philosophy, history, or spirituality. You could find so much that you want to take notes or make a lot of photocopies. Don't tire yourself out, and try to keep track of time. You might miss dinner or get to bed very late.”

And: “Softening your bluntness with humor is great today -- if you can hold your temper long enough, that is. You're more inclined to be combative than usual, and you might also exaggerate things a bit more. You want things your way and you're more than willing to work hard. It's an active position that helps you move forward and get tons done. Try to keep your cool!”

And: “Don't take things at face value today. There are unexpected elements brewing below the surface that you might not recognize at first, yet that need to be noticed at some point. There may be a temptation for you to be superficial about certain things that actually call for a deeper understanding. Open your eyes up a bit wider to realize what is truly going on.”

Mercury is in retrograde, and I have been trying to hold myself back from beginning the next phase of personal study that synchronicity is indicating is correct. The need to get to work is becoming overwhelming, and so this morning I did a little research about just what we should and should not be doing in order to take advantage of the energies associated with Mercury’s retrograde phase.

The planet Mercury corresponds with reason, intelligence, writing, orderliness, education, skill, and communications of all kinds. The planet itself is Airless, and it is the fastest moving planet; Mercury revolves around the sun in about 88 days, and only spends a fraction more than a week in each astrological sign. Mercury is only visible with the naked eye for a short time, either around sunrise or sunset, each day. Thus, Mercury can also be said to influence those events and effects and concepts that are in our immediate vicinity.

Mercury is said to be cold and dry, and medically, it is associated with the nervous system, the brain, the respiratory system, the thyroid, and the sense organs. It is linked to animal spirits, day-to-day influences, and the third and sixth houses of astrology. Its energies are unemotional, opportunistic, and curious; in fact the action associated with Mercury is taking things apart and then putting them back together again.

Here is some information I found on a website called “Astrostar”:

When Mercury moves retrograde, it appears to move backwards - as seen from our perch on planet earth. The key is to remember the significance of Mercury's retrograde motion. Mercury is the planet of communication, thought, and mental energy. During Mercury retrograde periods, the energy is flowing inward and backwards. As a result, it doesn’t function as efficiently in the everyday world as it normally does.

There are many reasons why the Mercury retrograde period is not a time to push forward. Your mental energy is channeled into an inward direction now. As a result, communications are less clear. There is a greater tendency to hear what we think we heard rather than what the other person said. Items involved with communication and local transportation, such as telephones, computers and cars, are more apt to have glitches. (Remember to back up the computer and double-check your appointments). Lastly, your perspective is likely to change when Mercury changes direction and resumes its direct motion.

Which is why most astrologers counsel their clients not to sign important contracts during that period.

But Mercury’s retrograde energy is an asset for many things. Use it for what it is designed to do and Mercury becomes your ally.

1. Re-connect.
This is the time to look up old friends and family. Chances are they will be receptive and you’ll be glad you did. And you, yourself, may hear from long lost pals now.

2. Re-search.
While it is not the time to go forward with grand plans, this is a superb time to research facts and ideas you can use later.

3. Re-view.
Take that application or take your business plan and give it a second look. Chances are you will see things in a different light, and that can give you ideas to strengthen it. And that second look will ensure you have covered the bases.

4. Re-do.
If you were too hasty the first time, or you chose not to follow my advice, you may find yourself having to redo that report. But each time you redo, you refine.

5. Re-fresh.
Your brain and your body were not designed to function 24/7. Taking a little time to kick back and relax refreshes you and ultimately makes you far more productive than trying to plow straight through.

6. Re-solve.
Go back and clean up old relationships that ended badly. You can resolve many issues now – even bury the hatchet.

7. Back Burner items.
Now is the time to get to projects that have been pushed into the background.

8. Re-organize.
Mercury Retrograde is an excellent time to clean out old closets, old files, old agendas, throw out what is no longer useful to make room for the new.

9. Re-contact.
Are you in sales? Then, this is the perfect time to re-contact old leads.

Taken from www.astrostar.com.

Well, no wonder I am having trouble holding myself back from beginning a new phase of learning! I feel the need to reconnect with the elements and their effects within rituals and workings, and this would be a complete review of my current information and an augmenting of my understanding of the elements by researching them. Okay, sounds like this is the perfect job for me during Mercury’s retrograde phase. I just need to remember to re-check every theory that I come up with some time after Mercury goes direct on September 12th!

There are several interesting concepts to be found in my Tarot cards of the day, and in keeping with the energies of Mercury’s retrograde phase, I took care to add as much detail to my card interpretations as possible today. I learned some new shades of meaning for the Thoth Eight of Disks, and the Welsh Two of Swords. Yessssss!!

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