King of Pentacles reversed/Judgement reversed. The King of Pentacles (the cusp of Aries, “I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive, competitive, and Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn, physically focused) is a steward of his kingdom, as well as a ruler who exhibits controlled strength, who is responsible for every physical manifestation as well as the end, tangible result. He is the ultimate Girl Scout, always prepared, always ready to lead and to take responsibility within the physical realms of resource allocation, finances, prestige, and craftsmanship or construction. Because he is reversed today, this King is telling me where I should **not** focus. He is telling me that I have not reached the point, for whatever reason, where I will be able to skillfully control and direct my physical world; not today, at least. He is telling me to focus elsewhere if I feel the need to take action. Judgement (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 outer, physical reality, and Hod, which provides analysis and communication) in an upright position tells of a time of reckoning which may end up being uncomfortable, however that discomfort will go a long way towards cleaning the slate. This card in a reversed position tells me that it is likely that I will not find the end resolution today that offers a glimpse of the big picture. But the card is there, and so is the potential, however hidden.

My Thoth card is the Seven of Wands. “Valour” is what Crowley calls the Seven of Wands (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, noble, egotistical), and it represents valor and bravery, having an effective defense, and the presence or possibility of experiencing animated discussions, negotiations and competition. Because this is a Seven card, in keeping with Crowley’s Naples Arrangement, this card also represents the beginning of the end of the cohesion of the group. Crowley uses a military group as his example, and he sees this card as foretelling a time of “every man for himself.” Is that effective for me, or destructive? That is the question to ask today. I also need to remember that victory in small matters may not carry the day in the end, so I should choose my battles carefully. This card could very well be offering more meaning to the King of Pentacles reversed and Judgement reversed above.

My Legacy card is the Four of Swords reversed, flavored by The Fool. The Four of Swords (Jupiter in Libra) in an upright position tells of the need of a time of rest and recuperation, usually to be brought about by a time of truce or pause. This card is similar to some extent as The Hanging Man, but since it is of the suit of Swords, this pause is not necessarily about changing perception, but rather it indicates a pause that helps me to prepare to re-engage. Because it is reversed, I am being told that the time of intellectual pause is coming to a close, and I should begin to gather my belongings in preparation for moving on. Aaaahhh, The Fool. An optimistic card. He corresponds with Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts, quick and animated, intellectual, usually presents problems or challenges), Uranus (technology, the future, innovation, radical change), Aleph (the head, youthful learning), and the Path between Chokmah (male active energy, the origin of vital force and polarity) and Kether (the source, limitless possibility), as well as the Sacred Child. He is flavoring my Four of Swords reversed, and he is indeed validating my thoughts today, for his presence tells of the potential of some new impulse originating from an unexpected source presenting itself to me today. Whatever happens, the glistening ribbon of Spirit will be laced throughout.

My 6-digit date number is 10, the number of completion of manifestation, which reduces further to the number 1, which represents position and new beginnings.

My horoscopes: “Are you entertaining tonight, Sagittarius? If so, you might be a little worried about what your guests think of your home and your skills as a host. Don't waste any time worrying. A good time will be had by all, including you. Everyone is likely to have a memorable evening. Just do your best, be your usual jovial self, and concentrate on having fun.”

And: “You are so serious and sober right now, immersed as you are in working out strategies and calculations aimed at enhancing your persona and personal power. But perhaps you should look up and see what's going on around you. Many people have been behaving irresponsibly. However, there may be one who has an ingenious idea to contribute. It is likely to be done in a joking way, so pay attention!”

I leave tomorrow for this year’s Witches Gone Wild 2010, in Florida’s Disney. I will be flying to Orlando tomorrow and staying with Lilyth and Keith, who have once again graciously offered their time share for the use of the Student Council.

I am looking forward to this long weekend. The members of the Sacred Mists Student Council work together intimately, sharing emails and board posts, Instant Messages and Private Messages, joys and stresses as we continue our efforts to maintain the Boards, Forums, Community and Coven of the Sacred Mists, and to help the entire shebang to continue to evolve and remain relevant to each of its many members. Our interactions are predominantly within that layer of the Astral Plane we call the Internet, and that certainly is an effective venue for the creative process. However, we all need a bit of grounding into the physical realms every so often, and this time of eye-to-eye and face-to-face contact is quite useful to us all; so are the processes of performing in-person rituals, magickal workings, and socializing (read: paaaah-taaayyy, snorts and giggles, and squishy hugs) of all kinds. I believe that the rest of the Student Council and the entire student body all benefit from this time-without-time in a place-that-is-not-a-place that is Disney World. After all, it is called the Magic Kingdom, isn’t it??!!

As I got ready for work this morning, I watched a program that talked about the rise of mammals in general, and of humanity in particular. Two things were talked about that really resonated as important to me.

Interestingly enough, the narrator equated words and the ideas and concepts represented by them to DNA. It was stated that words are actually a means of accomplishing evolution, for words convey information, just as DNA conveys information. DNA stores the “instruction manual” for the creation of a specific life form and a unique individual; words convey the patterns and images and information and knowledge and wisdom and experiences of the individual, and to an extent, the species. DNA changes with evolution, and so does the human mind and psyche. The cool thing is that thoughts, intentions, feelings and emotions have chemical effects on our physiology, and thus they have physical effects on our bodies.

That means that to an extent, the reverse is true. Our physical bodies have an effect on our thoughts, our emotions, our feelings and our minds. The chemical makeup of our body at the time a child is conceived, which to an extent would depend on our current non-physical state, would affect the building blocks of the new child.

LOL, I am certainly not a microbiologist, and I don’t have any proof that any of this is true. But I wanted to document my mental ramblings as I thought about the concepts presented in this program that resonated.

The other concept that seemed important to me was that we have affected the environment of our world, just as microbes did in the past. When our Earth was young, the environment was not hospitable to life as we know it now. It took many years and several ice ages, and the actions of microbes in the seas, to affect our atmosphere and make it supportive to life.

Humans are the only other life form that has exhibited the power to change the environment in a world-wide fashion. Yes, I have known this for a while, but somehow having this knowledge presented to me in this way has made me stop and think. Our world and life itself were permanently changed by the combined actions of those ancient microbes; somehow I get the feeling that we as a species just might be on the path to orchestrating our own extinction. Talk about consequences. Again, I am very aware of the effects of climate change and of the prognosis for the environment predicted by the experts, but seeing it this way, as more of a “big picture,” is pretty powerful. We are not Gods, and humans need to remember that we contain the light of Sacred Fire, not the Sacred Fire itself.

Okay, I want to end on a less ominous note because I feel very empowered again today. I revisited Danu’s cliff. It turns out that the place I was standing yesterday was not really a cliff. When I stood there today, a slight breeze temporarily thrust back the fog and mist a bit, and I could see that I was standing at the edge of a well, a huge round hole edged with what looks like Belgian block, with a diameter about three times my height. I could not see down into the well because of the fog, but I got a sense of immeasurable depth. I looked around for a pebble to drop into the well, however the area was swept clean of even the tiniest shard of rock. What was this place?

$

Knight of Swords/The Tower. Oh, boy. Sounds like it is going to be an interesting day. I am being reminded that while sometimes problems get solved through an objective and emotionless approach, there are dangers to be guarded against. If we plunge forward with narrow sights and without a care for the feelings or needs of others, things might get ugly, ugly as in a total breakdown. The Tower corresponds with the element of Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes), the planet Mars (action, aggression, spontaneity) and the Hebrew letter Phe (mouth or speech). Looks like I had better also be careful what I say.

My Thoth card is the Princess of Cups. Soft, dreamy awareness for today. I may appear lazy to others, but that is not a true perception of me today. I am not lazy, I am simply enjoying every moment.

My Legacy card is the Page of Swords reversed. Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes) of Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts), and the season of Winter (Capricorn (“I build”), Aquarius (“I know”) and Pisces (“I believe”)), and the concept of being a student and learning are all brought to me by this Page today. I need to see the events of the day, even the difficult or challenging ones, as lessons.

I have a little bit of everything today, Air, Fire, Earth and Water. But I don’t sense that the day will be harmonious; more like “churning.”

My 6-digit date number is 8, the response to the beginning of degeneration of the 7. The energies of the number 8 move toward resuming the balance of the number 6, but because all life is in motion, that balance will not return within this cycle, and the 8 will fall short.

So much upheaval of late. I just found out that my neighbor, Marie Senior (Marie’s daughter also lives very near our house, and her name is Marie also), who had a massive stroke on Sunday night, passed away last night. I have been thinking of Marie Senior since last evening, and I sent her Reiki both yesterday morning and this morning. I feel Marie Senior’s energy field quite clearly today. Could that be because she has left her broken body behind?

I also had a lot of trouble booting up my computer this morning; LOL, some update must have been loading. Norfolk Botanical Gardens staff members were banding the three eaglets at 9 am, and of course I missed most of the procedure because I could not get onto the internet for almost an hour. But I did see the eaglets get put back into the nest; they are napping now. Mom and dad have not returned yet, but they were seen flying overhead during the banding process, and since the babies are old enough to be left alone for several hours, the people at NBG are not concerned with their absence.

There have also been some sudden changes within the Student Council again. I think that this will be the last sudden adjustment the Council will be making for a while. We certainly are “lean and mean” at this point, but as of our last Meeting, we seem to be pulling together as a group and lovingly and compassionately supporting each other as we all work towards keeping Sacred Mists the awesome spiritual sanctuary that it is.

I have learned several important lessons out of today’s changes within the Council. First, no matter how difficult someone can be to deal with, I am only responsible for my own actions and responses. Second (and this ties directly in with the previous statement), sooner or later the truth will find a way to be told, and if I have trouble coming up with another reason to take the high road, this one works well. To me, my spiritual path rests on a tripod, the legs of which are Knowledge, Wisdom and Compassion/Love. My Goddess expects that I live through these three tenets, equally, and She in turn judges me, my life and my choices through their essences. I try always to associate myself with people who feel the same way. I am very lucky that I have been successful in this regard. Love and hugs to you, and you know who you are. *wink*

I actually feel pretty good today at this point, despite the influences of The Tower upon my day, and the hurt and anger that were experienced by those who I love and respect. I am optimistic that I will be able to make the transitions needed to continue meeting my responsibilities at Sacred Mists, now being shared with a different Council Member, and I even did some work on the ritual Mystery and I are creating, and I have about 1300 words written of my next submission to Luna Station Quarterly. Now, all I have to do is get my Runes burned, and I will be happy. Even despite The Tower, or maybe because of it.

Blessed be!

$

Temperance reversed/Eight of Swords reversed. Hmmmm . . . is this a new pattern? Major Arcana card having a connection to Archangel Uriel reversed, and the Eight of Swords reversed. Temperance is the card of synthesis, of the alchemic process of coagula (which follows solve, represented by The Lovers, another card pointing to Uriel). Interestingly enough, Crowley saw the Temperance card as the Tarot representation of his definition of magick ( the Science and Art of causing change to occur in conformity with Will). Another card that focuses on Balance and synthesis, in a reversed dignity, combined with the Eight of Swords, also reversed. Okay, then. The Eight of Swords in an upright position represents the Dark Night of the Soul, and I am most assuredly smack dab in the middle of a Dark Night. However, the card is reversed once again, and I am seeing this as telling me that I may be turning away from this Dark Night instead of embracing it as a harbinger of good change. Temperance corresponds with my sun sign, Sagittarius (“I seek”), which is a mutable Fire sign (Fire being hot/separates and dry/shapes), in a mutable or flexible way, seeking change and renewal), and with Samekh, the tent post. I also see this card as pointing to the presence of Archangel Uriel, along with Justice and The Lovers. Interestingly enough, this is the number 14 card of the Majors, which reduces numerologically to the number 5, the number of movement and upsetting of stability before it turns to stagnation. Yep, I am being reminded that while Dark Nights may be frightening because they must be dealt with in a solitary fashion and in order to pass through a Dark Night I must release fear of the unknown, this is always worth the work. The realizations that occur during a Dark Night act as supports to the foundation that I will build upon once the Dawn reappears.

My Thoth card for today is the Six of Pentacles. Continuing the pattern from yesterday, a Pentacles card from the Thoth Tarot. Crowley calls this card “Success,” and sees it as a momentary pause through an awareness of what I have and don’t have, and an accompanying enjoyment of that awareness, for things are clear for the moment. But of course, this awareness is temporary, a brief halt on the Path of Labour.

My Legacy card for today is the Three of Wands. Again, continuing the pattern, a Wands card from the Legacy Tarot. Marchetti describes this card in this way: “The various balances and choices represented by the twos are now over. Three does not divide equally. There are no decisions to be made here, only results and conclusions. The man waits with optimism and anticipation.” [my emphasis added.]

My 6-digit date number is 4. This is a number of stability, depth, solidity, and of course the possibility of straying into stagnation.

My horoscope: “Are you feeling a little under the weather, Sagittarius? You may have been burning the candle at both ends. The obvious tip would be to slow down, but you might feel it isn't possible now. Get as much rest as you can and be sure to eat right. Ask for help if urgent work needs to be done. That way it will get done quickly even if your energy level isn't up to snuff.”

Okay, I think the aha! moment is almost upon me.

Our Student Council Meeting last night was very much needed. We did not accomplish anything as far as the ongoing business of maintaining the health and vitality of our Community. Instead, Lady Raven led us to focus on maintaining the health and vitality of our Council by reopening the lines of communication between the Council Members, and strengthening and tightening the “entity” that is the Council, effectively eliminating the gaping holes left by the departing Members. All of this was done with honor to those who have left the Council, and we acknowledged the value and the contributions of each person who is not gone. But in the end, we reaffirmed our own value and effectiveness, and we each attempted to heal our own wounds and those of our fellow Council Members. I think we did a pretty good job with this.

At one point we talked a bit about our upcoming Samhain in Orlando (yes, I know; it is only the end of March, but October will be here before we know it, and reservations need to be made). Because Lilyth is on my mind this morning, I went back to her Blog and re-read her entry on the Great Work. The funny thing is that as I read her entry, sitting next to me was my book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Alchemy, given back to me by Lorraine, my fellow Pagan Brain Trust-er, this past Thursday night at our meeting.

As I re-read Lilyth’s entry, these words seemed to become backlit, and they raised up from the page: "citrinatis, yellowing: spiritualisation, enlightenment." Spiritualization?? Spiritualization!!!

Frantically, I grabbed my Idiot’s Guide To Alchemy, and thumbed through the pages. Words swirled in my mind . . . “the White Phase . . . Albedo . . . begins at the darkest moment of the Black Phase . . .” I paged back. “The Black Phase that involves dissolving . . . personal calcination involves burning up artificial psychic structures . . . ego complexes . . . personal dissolution frees subconscious energy trapped in mental habits, . . . rigid beliefs.” I sat back, and thought for a moment; then I paged forward again. “Separation . . . removing surviving components from contaminated and impure environment . . . conjunction . . . recombine purified essences into a new compound or higher manifestation . . . personal separation . . . personal conjunction . . . essences of the true self . . . uniting them in a new level of consciousness and spiritual awareness.”

Oh boy, I feel dizzy. I am sitting here with another one of those “holy shit, that is it; it was right in front of me all along” moments. This is the focus. This is what I need to learn in order to manifest and live my next step. I looked back at my Tarot cards of today and yesterday, and even they are pointing me in this direction, pointing with subtlety, but pointing just the same.

The Rubedo is separated into two short stages, the first of which is the Citrinatis, the sign that the golden stage of transformation is coming. And what is one of the symbols of this process? The Phoenix. **takes several deep breaths** The Phoenix is also on my mind today, as Mystery and I perform the first foundational working that will eventually lead to our magickal partner ritual.

Sometimes synchronicity and its workings can be minor, but sometimes they can be incredibly powerful. This moment is one of those powerful ones, a moment that causes me to sit back and look with new and more aware eyes at the events of the recent past, for through the awareness of the guidance of synchronicity and that lovely **palmface** that is an aha! moment of awareness, even the simplest of events from the recent past are now filled with new meaning.

I need to digest this a bit, as I perform my mundane tasks of the day. I will be carving out some time to pick up The Idiot’s Guide To Alchemy, probably before I head to the beach for sundown. Connections, oh my. . . .

What an awesome day this is turning out to be!!!

$

Eight of Swords reversed/Justice reversed. In an upright position, the Eight of Swords usually represents self-imposed restrictions, a Dark Night of the Soul if you will. And the Justice card (Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts), Libra (“we are,” partnerships balance cooperation), Lamed (ox goad, train and teach) also deals with the symbolism of the sword (as well as presenting the reminder that in the end, we get what we deserve), so my cards today are telling me that these concepts are blocked or not supposed to be taken into consideration. Lots of Air in these cards, but presented within reversals. Swords represent the element of Air, and Libra is a Cardinal Air sign. I guess that today is not supposed to be about taking the initiative and using my intellect.

My Thoth card is the Queen of Pentacles. Interesting card to throw today. Crowley sees this Queen (Water of Earth), as possessing the finest of the quieter qualities. She is filled with compassion and affection for those around her, and relies more upon the messages of her instincts and Inner Voice than she does on the recommendations of her intellect. The image on this card is interesting, for the Queen of Pentacles is facing away from us, looking back upon the desert valley below and the river threading through it (Water and Earth). She is quiet and contemplative as she looks back, but this image that appears so serene is actually pretty powerful. The Queen holds a staff that is topped with symbols of both herself and her King, and there are other representations of masculine creative energies surrounding her in the foreground. Interestingly enough, though, is the fact that while she knows these representations of the catalyst that is the masculine sacred are there with her, she is looking back at her own symbols, Water and Earth. The entire image has a melancholy about it that resonates for me today, and like the Queen, I may need to use outside sources in order to find serenity.

My Legacy card is the Nine of Wands. “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” LOL, didn’t I just think about this yesterday? This card is less about being “in your face defensive” and more about acting with integrity, and knowing that there is an untapped well of reserve to be found within, ready to aid and support all endeavors.

Water, Earth and Fire, with Air blocked. And lots of validation!! Time to listen to my Inner Voice, connect with my Core Value Anchor, and embrace Change, without worrying too much about the end result.

My 6-digit date number is 3, the number of “surface” and of the creation of something new within the knowledge of “position” and “distance between.”

My horoscope: “The study of psychology might be especially appealing today, Sagittarius. Some new discoveries that you may have heard about in the media could have piqued your interest and might propel you to the library to find books on the subject. This is a good time to pursue this. Your mind “

Last night, the Pagan Brain Trust met, and this meeting was about sharing laughter. LOL, a healing session, fer sher! Every one of us is dealing with some kind of major challenge, from marital problems to spiritual challenges to physiological focuses to career choices, but we were able to forget all of those for a few hours, and focus instead on our evolution as an individual and as a group, and on laughter. We broke records as far as lateness of stay, but I felt very awake as I drove home because of the laughter and humorous events that we shared.

When I was almost home, suddenly He appeared again. Archangel Uriel, with the piercing golden eyes. Again He stared, as if He was patiently waiting for me to do something. I nodded, and to my surprise, He came closer to me, and then handed me something. It was the Justice card of the Tarot, showing the typical blindfolded angel holding scales and a sword. I looked at the card for a few long minutes, and then raised my eyes back to His. He then stepped forward again, this time to blindfold me with a white strip of cloth. I can still feel that tug of the cloth being tied at the back of my head, and I imagined that I looked a lot like I belonged in one of those photos of the Iranian hostages. The big difference is that I opened myself to this blindness. Interestingly enough, Justice did appear in my cards for today, but reversed, or blocked (or blindfolded??). I cannot help but remember those traumatic meditations of the recent past when Uriel blinded me in more, shall we say, dramatic ways.

Since last night, the background noise of energy that is always there has become more noticeable. I feel Danu with me, but what is more important (and unusual) is that I feel Cernunnos as well. I keep getting those teasing, fleeting threads of sensation and awareness that usually surround aha! moments, and I am opening myself to them, fondling and probing them, hoping that I will make the connection, whatever it is. And I can still feel that blindfold.

I am beginning to think that all of humanity is experiencing the last painful parts of a collective Dark Night of the Soul; is what I am experiencing now a part of that, or am I travelling through my own Darkness? Somehow I think the answer is both. A Dark Night begins gradually; the tendrils of Fog that is a Dark Night creep up on us and gradually muffle the effects of the world without us even realizing it. Slowly but surely, this disconnect continues, and it becomes more and more of a narrowly focused effort to function in the most basic fashion. The Dark Night continues until one of two things occurs: either the Seeker gives up entirely on trying to see through the Fog and lives the rest of his or her days within a physical/logical world existence only, or the Seeker fights the “big battle” and uses every tool available to blast that Fog away. True, there will be collateral damage done within this effort, but the end result will be that the Fog is pushed way back and for a time, vision will be clear.

The sides are gradually being drawn. Hurtful things are being committed, from the person uncaringly cutting me off on the highway to the ugly words and deeds of world leaders. In my opinion, the final battle will be between those who cling to the physical and the logical and what has been known to them in the past, and those who understand that life is more than a chance to accumulate a nice car and that expensive handbag and that cool iPhone because three-quarters of what life is all about happens **within** us and not **around** us. There is a battle coming between the “my way or the highway” forces and the “your way is good for you and my way is good for me, and we are both right” forces, and the big question is will humanity evolve, or will it attempt the fruitless task of keeping things as they are? LOL, of course, I think in Tarot analogies, and I keep seeing The Tower in my mind. And The Tower always makes me think of Stuie Wilde’s book, The Art of Redemption. By the way, Stuie also feels that some big shift is coming.

Part of me is excited that I am alive right now, and that I get to experience this turbulence within the psyche of humanity. LOL, I hope that statement doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass, but I feel as if I want to learn more about the final moments of the “dark moon” of humanity as we move into the “new moon” stage, and are presented with the opportunity of doing the work that will enable us to evolve, as individuals and as a species.

Mystery and I are working on an Extension Class Proposal that I feel is an important part of my striving to bring on this latest aha! moment that is hiding in the dark corners of my awareness. I will be working with Mystery on this proposal this weekend, and I am pretty excited about it. And I also noticed that Sacred Mists offers within the Advanced Training Courses a potential course on the Dark Goddess and the Dark God. Could this be the direction I need to think about and focus upon? Could the creation and presentation of an advanced class focusing on the Shadow and the Dark as they relate to Deity be my next step? Part of me says that I can’t even begin to think about looking into this right now, but then I remember Uriel’s blindfold; maybe I am not supposed to “see” but rather to “feel.”

I plan on doing a lot of “inner housecleaning” this weekend, for I will be alone in Cape May. I have a Student Council Meeting this evening, and I look forward to interacting with my fellow Council Members. And I have other responsibilities to attend to, such as Tarot homework and First Degree Homeworks, and two new Second Degree Lessons to review. But all of that can be done on a schedule that I can make up as I go along. And perhaps the result of my introspection will be that I will see up ahead that cool, clear pool of healing water that Lady Raven described, just waiting for me. Maybe Lilyth will already be there, with a pitcher of pomegranate raspberry martinis.

$

The Tower reversed/Three of Swords reversed. Oy, and oy. Yes, I know; the cards are reversed, but they are there just the same, which means the energies of the cards are a factor for today. The Tower corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes), the planet Mars (action, aggression, spontaneity), and the Hebrew letter Phe (mouth, speech), the last correspondence being very strange upon first examination. In an upright position, The Tower shows us what happens if we insist on resisting change, and the Three of Swords in many ways is a Minor Arcana version of The Tower, as it represents hurt and betrayal on an intellectual level.

My Thoth card is the Four of Disks reversed. This is the “Power” card in that the heavy stability of the energy outweighs any weaknesses. It is the card of the perfect defense, pure Law with no aggression. Is that good or bad? Because the card is reversed, this heavy stability may end up being a liability today in some way.

My Legacy card is the Nine of Cups. Whew, that is a relief. Jupiter (expansiveness and growth) in Pisces (I know), and “completeness” of Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts), tells me that no matter what realms the challenges of the day present themselves, I will be pretty happy with the ways that I deal with them.

My 6-digit date number is 8, which is about responding to the beginnings of degeneration that is the number 7. The number 8 is an echo of the vertical and horizontal Balance of the number 6; not quite as powerful, but pleasant just the same.

My horoscope: “Too much mental or physical exercise could have you feeling a bit burned out today, Sagittarius. You could be considerably slower on the uptake than usual, and those around you could be surprised that you, normally very energetic, seem to be moving like a snail. Spend as much time resting as you can, because you'll need to recoup your stamina. If you must work, concentrate on routine tasks requiring very little conscious effort.” LOL, ya think??!!

I slept with my black amethyst crystal last night. Oy, I had a night of very deep, almost drugged, sleep, and I am still bouncing off walls a bit, even after two cups of coffee. I did feel a bit more alert after my usual application of Reiki into my chakras, but I am very sluggish today. Could I be detoxing in some way? Or is this sluggishness due to burning the candle at both ends, as suggested by my horoscope? I will sleep with the crystal again tonight, and see how I feel tomorrow.

The Student Council met last night strictly for ego boosting purposes. We have been really working hard to assess everyone’s roles within the Council, and this assessment is at times painful. But the good thing is that we are dredging up all the stuff that has been pushed into dark, dusty corners, whether because no one has the time to deal with it or because no one is brave enough to deal with it. We are being asked to look at ourselves, our attitudes and our performance with a microscope, and also to look at each other in the same way, and assess with brutal honesty in perfect love and trust. Talk about walking a tightrope over a chasm! Last night was all about focusing on the good things that we each bring to the Council, and I think we each needed that. In any event, I believe that working through these sometimes difficult issues will make us stronger and more effective as a Council, because in order to work through them, we need to increase our confidence in each other and ourselves.

This is going to be another busy week for me. I have three things on my To Do List, and if I can cross them all off by Friday, I will be very happy indeed!

$

Six of Wands/Eight of Pentacles. Today I will be feeling victorious for I have mastered my own Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes). I have worked hard, often without acknowledgement, but that is fine for I am able to receive much fulfillment from the knowledge that I have given my all to a particular project. But today those efforts will be legitimized.

My Thoth card is the Three of Swords reversed. “The Lord of Sorrow” does not reign over any lowly conflict between individuals, but rather he rules universal sorrow and melancholy. This card being reversed today tells me that while there is or has been the potential for these energies to affect me, I will be able to overcome them.

My Legacy card is The Lovers reversed. The suit of Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts), the sign of Gemini (I have; interactions and connections), and the Hebrew letter Zayin (the two-sided blade) are the correspondences of this card; The Lovers also represents to me the presence of Archangel Uriel, who has been appearing to me of late. The card is reversed, so the personal choices involved in its energies are not a factor today. I should not be worrying about myself today, but rather I should be thinking about the benefits needed by the group.

My 6-digit date number for today is 4. The number 4 is about stability and depth; it tells of stillness and its only danger is stagnation.

I had my Peer Review Interview with Lady Raven last night. I am pleased that nothing bad has come to light, and that I am seen by the other Student Council Members as being as fulfilled and excited about my responsibilities as I actually feel. It turns out that my worries did not manifest, but that brief yet intense Dark Night of the Soul was not wasted. Not only did my self-examination assure me that my spiritual path is still the right one for me, but I have proved to myself that I have pretty much conquered the “you are a failure” monster. I am more confident than ever, and more fulfilled. Lady Raven and I talked about possible goals for me, and together we put three of them in place.

What a weekend we had!! We lost power during the night, at about 4 am, when a tree fell on to a wire. We had left our computers and our cell phones charging before going to bed because we thought the power might go out; when I woke at 4 am, I decided to go down and unplug them. My goodness, it was like a lightning storm, except the flashes of light were live wires! Needless to say, the power was out.

It snowed all day on Saturday. We spent the day shoveling, and checking on our elderly neighbors. We cooked on the stove top (darned new fangled oven pilots!), and Saturday night we stepped outside; what a beautiful sky! With no background light, the stars were incredible. Sunday morning we got up to a fantasy world! Two feet of snow, still no power! We shoveled our cars out again, and left for home before dark. Our house ended up getting power back on Sunday evening.

I am home today because the New York area is experiencing its own blizzard, after having dodged the bullet last weekend, when Cape May received two feet of snow with power outages. We are expecting anywhere from 10 to 18 inches of snow in Hackensack, but what worries me is the snow is wet and the winds are coming, so we may end up with power failures.

Cape May is on the fringe of this storm, hopefully not receiving more than 10 inches total with much of that being rain, but oy, there is still the two feet from last weekend, on top of the 15 inches from the weekend before!

Bob and I went to see Avatar, and I was deeply affected, moved to tears to such an extent that I was having trouble talking about the movie without sobbing. Don’t get me wrong; I fully understand that this is a work of fiction and that these beings are created through computer animation, but the message of the movie was so much in line with my recent glimpses of the Machinery of the Universe and the Cosmic Downloads that are even now being processed by my brain that if I had written the script myself, I could not have made it better.

Several images within the movie haunt me with their accuracy as far as how I see the world. Two in particular stand out: first the aerial view as the hero is officially made a member of The People, where those closest to the hero reached out to touch him and then each layer moving outward touched the persons in front of them until a living and energetically connected “tribe” was show, with everyone either directly or indirectly connecting simultaneously with each other and the new member. The second was both times in the move where ill or injured beings were brought beneath the tree and everyone joined hands and pulsed like one giant beating heart.

We are indeed all connected. All life on our world is dependent on all other life to some degree in order to exist and in order to reproduce and continue onward. In previous journal posts I mentioned the connection between pond scum and Stephen Hawkings, and how each of those extremes have been created in the image of Deity. I have never been more aware of the sacredness of both all life and the cycles that serve to keep life immortal.

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The Sun/Four of Cups. The Sun card corresponds with our sun, and with the deepest self, inner core, and influential powers. The Four of Cups corresponds with The Moon (feelings and the subconscious) in Cancer (I feel), and offers the stability of emotions that has a great potential to turn to stagnation. Both cards offer a pause, and both cards remind me that while it is certainly healthy to bask in the glory of my recent efforts, I need to remember that even maintaining my current level of evolution takes conscious effort rather than just coasting along on the currents.

My Thoth card is the Five of Disks reversed; again. Thankfully, reversed again, which tells me that I am making good progress in preventing myself from brooding about any challenges or issues. This card has been showing up for me, though, which means that I do need to be careful that its energies do not weigh me down.

My Legacy card is the Nine of Cups. Jupiter (growth, expansion, justice, fortune) in Pisces (I believe), and this card tells me that at least for today, I will be filled with peace, I will both give and receive love, and I will feel valuable and validated. Oh-kay!!

My horoscope: “Love blossoms today as communication with your beloved is enhanced by an increased understanding on both your parts, Sagittarius. You feel more at ease in each other's presence, and you project a united front in the company of others. At some point, both of you will probably go out with a group of friends. Expect some exciting and fascinating discussions with the others, which you'll probably continue once you're alone together. Have fun!” **smile** Looks very accurate to me!

I can’t believe it is Thursday already; what a busy week it has been. Sunday was a busy day! I attended the Sacred Mists Reiki Share in the morning, and did my final Reiki treatment for my Reiki III Assessment in the afternoon. At the end of the Sacred Mists Reiki Share, I received a lovely gift from my Reiki Guide: instructions for a Reiki Circle for use by the Pagan Brain Trust! We were working on offering Lorraine protection during a difficult time, and we will be able to use what I was given for that, and for any other workings we decide to do together. I emailed a description of my vision (which took place on the beach in Cape May) to the PBT members, and after they all approved the working, I posted the instructions on the BPT site.

I had a great drive home Sunday night; Uriel visited me. He came to me in a dark place; I could barely see the white of His wings. Then He opened His eyes. They were like golden lighthouses, with golden beams piercing the dark! He closed His eyes again, and it was pitch black; He opened them, and it was like two golden flashlights were being shined at me. I do not yet know what this means, but if this visit is anything like Uriel’s other visits, He will keep reminding me that there is something I need to understand. He has been appearing every now and then for a moment, in the same way; first I become aware of His presence, then I hear His wings rustle and see hints of the white feathers in the dark. Then He slowly opens His eyes and golden beams shoot out into the dark; He turns to look at me and then slowly closes His eyes. Because my eyes had adjusted due to the light of His eyes, I am plunged momentarily into darkness, but as my eyes adjust to the dark, I can once again see hints of Uriel’s wings.

We had some Student Council changes this entire week; three Members have advised that they need to step down from the Council, and two of those are leaving the College entirely, at least temporarily, to pursue Solitary Paths. The Council has already been instituting many changes, streamlining some procedures and adding layers to others, and defining responsibilities, among others. The changes have the potential to be unsettling, but I believe that they will also encourage each member to engage with more awareness.

Last night, Brian and I watched “What the Bleep Do We Know?”; he had never seen the movie. We had a discussion afterwards; LOL, Brian is certainly fulfilling the words of my Ancestress, who told me that I have a legacy of power within me, and that Brian is more powerful that I am.

I submitted my Reiki III Assessment yesterday (the Client Treatment Forms from 10 Reiki Treatments)!!!! Yay!! Cross that off my “to do list.” And Mystery received her Reiki I and Reiki II attunements last night. I gave her Reiki before going to bed, and she performed cleansing and preparation of space as well. I can definitely feel a difference in her energy this morning, right from when I woke up, but even more so as I sent energy to her this morning. My own top three chakras were very much open as well, which is unusual for me early in the morning, as I am not a morning person. I look forward to hearing about her experiences with her attunements.

Lisa encouraged me to reserve a table at the Hudson Valley Social Pariah Festival at the end of February, but I know that I will never have enough product ready by then. However, I am going to use this as a “wake-up jolt” in order to take part in the Central Jersey Pagan Pride Festival in August. I am affirming my intention by typing it here, and this gives me plenty of time to get some saleable items created. One of Brian’s friends from the Dominican Republic has asked that I make him a pendant, and I have one other wrapping job to do for myself (my Sacred Masculine Wand), but once those are accomplished, I will be good to go. And Lisa, I will be keeping in mind that the Social Pariah Festival is in February, and next year we will both be there.

We are going out to dinner tomorrow night, and will not get to Cape May until Saturday. I think it will be just Bob and I this weekend, and I plan on getting more things crossed off my to-do list.

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High Priestess/Strength. The Moon (feelings and emotions), Gimel (the camel that can cross the Abyss) and Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts) ~and~ Leo (I am, passion and drama), Teth (sieve, digestion), and Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes). Although these cards appear to support each other on the surface because they both have an inner focus and advise me to make use of patience, the conflict is there, but hidden. The High Priestess is **not** about conscious control or manifestation in my world, she is about the subconscious and the “other” realms. Can I mesh the two energies, or will one overpower the other?

My Thoth card for today is the Four of Swords. Crowley’s “Truce” card tells of the moment of pause that happens when equal yet opposing forces confer. This could very well be referring to the conflict of interests that is hinted at in the two Welsh cards above.

My Legacy card is the Six of Swords reversed. Mercury (intellect, learning and skill) in Aquarius (I know), a turning point for the better, and feeling in control of one’s destiny, in an upright position. The card is reversed, so I need to be alert because my plans may change and those changes could happen due to events beyond my control.

Wooohooo, what a card throw!! Even Uncle Al was kind to me today; it is going to be a veeery interesting day. I will be careful to remain alert, and I won’t set any plans in stone so that if things change unexpectedly, the whole day won’t end up in the trash can.

My horoscope: “It's very difficult for you to reconcile your desire for creativity and originality in your life to the constraints that society puts on you to be an efficient, productive person, Sagittarius. This is one of the great dilemmas facing a lot of people these days. It's as if you have to hide your real personality in order to live up to what other people expect of you. Some advice for today: don't be so hard on yourself. You're only human.”

Busy weekend ahead of me; Student Council Meeting tonight, lots of work on Second Degree Lessons tomorrow, and Reiki Share on Sunday. I am revved up and ready to get stuff done!!

Update, later the same day: Isn’t it truly awesome when the cards really do tell what is going to happen? I am leaving shortly for Cape May. I thought I was going to be alone for the entire weekend, but I received a phone call this afternoon from Bob, who called to tell me that Sean and some of his friends are going to be down for the weekend. LOL, this is no trouble at all, but I will have to re-arrange a few things because I thought I was going to be alone.

I am listening to the advice of the cards, and I am seeing this as a positive change for the weekend; I am going with the flow, with a smile on my face. **smile** I will have fun company for the weekend, and the bonus is they all love to cook!

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Four of Wands reversed/Knight of Swords. Progress has been made, but it is not yet time for me to pause and rest for relaxing now may very well negate the opportunity to celebrate in the future. This need to keep trying may bring out the beee-och in me, and I need to be aware that my instinctive reaction to the unexpected may appear hostile to others. Force may very well be necessary, but I need to make sure that it is the right thing to do.

My Thoth card is the Ten of Cups. “Satiety” and all of its dangers and pleasures will be infused into my day, in typical pessimistic Crowley fashion. Achieving pleasure and enjoying pleasurable effects can be a good thing as long as I don’t allow pleasure to become a drug of stagnation. Achieving one’s heart’s desire is not always what we expect it to be, so I need to be careful what I wish for today because I may very well get it.

My Legacy card is the Three of Pentacles. This card tells me that the balancing act of the Two, which required focus and effort, is a thing of the past. I have gathered enough actual skill to now make a project a labor of love, and I will receive rewards on many levels, some of them not understood or verifiable by others.

My horoscope: “You will find that disciplined actions are the best way to go about your day today, dear Sagittarius. Stay focused on your path. You will find that you can accomplish many tasks at the same time if you play your cards right. Try not to get bogged down with details. People might cause you to worry too much. Don't let their energy get in the way of your progress.”

I am still experiencing changes and manifestations from our Student Council Orlando trip. I thought that these changes were mostly internal ones, but I think I am beginning to see evidence that these changes are visible to others. My focus within Sacred Mists has broadened, and I really do feel more confident taking on behind the scenes and administrative duties. My other focuses and responsibilities seem to be settling into schedules, which is a good thing. I have actually begun to work on my Third Degree group assignment again!

I am very excited about the things that my fellow Divination Director and I are working on for the entire Divination Department. We are overhauling and reassessing and formalizing the goals of the entire Department and taking the divination extension classes that fall under the umbrella of the Divination Department to new levels that will offer increased encouragement for students to learn about and work with different methods of divination. Leadership opportunities, in the form of apprenticeships and internships, will be offered wherever possible; these personal empowerment opportunities are what the classes are all about!

My Mediation Program responsibilities are offering me a chance to learn firsthand of the power and effects of the written word, and of the malleability and far-reaching manifestations of the online self. As Sacred Mists becomes larger and our student body becomes more varied, we are experiencing more and more situations where the written word is being misinterpreted, and we are experiencing more and more situations where the impact of the online self is being used as a weapon, many times without premeditation or conscious intent.

How the heck do we get people to realize that the written word is sterile and thus, attracts the emotions of the reader even though these very emotions were far from within the intent of the writer? How do we get people to realize that they impose their own expectations upon the online self of another, and thus **change** that online self from what its creator intended it to be to what they expect it to be?

*sigh* Food for thought for the day. Honor to the Vets!

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Ace of Pentacles reversed/Four of Cups. Today will not be a day filled with skillful initiation of projects in the physical world. Perhaps I have become complacent or dare I say it, lazy. I can’t allow myself to become numb to the many gifts that I have in my life. Just because the day is not one filled with energy and accomplishments does not mean that I can shut off my mind and make my way through my day on autopilot.

My Thoth card is the Seven of Disks reversed. Crowley calls this card “Failure,” and he sees its energies in a more negative way than most. Rather than the pause and assessment of many decks, this card in this deck tells of passivity and stagnation, Crowley’s banes apparently. The productivity of the suit of Disks has become lost in this pause, and sloth’s heaviness rules the day.

My Legacy card is Temperance. This card tells of the maintenance of balance and equilibrium through the moderation of opposing forces. It tells of the presence of alchemy and all of its potentials, and it tells of a harmony between spiritual and physical existence. This card also tells me that I am becoming stronger because I am exposing myself to extremes.

My horoscope: “Today, dear Sagittarius, you might attend a group event of some kind, and while there you could encounter an old friend who suddenly seems to have changed. As a result, you might find this person very attractive and, and you may direct a rush of physical passion their way. This might be disconcerting, but don't brush it off because you've always thought of this person as a friend. Statistics show that the most successful marriages are those that started out as friendships.”

We had a wonderful weekend that combined fun with work. LOL, we ate way too much good food, and except for Thursday night when we walked for five hours, we spent most of our time sitting around the kitchen table, talking into the wee hours of the morning.

Thursday night we went to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. Lil and Keith's accommodations were in the Park itself, so we got around by bus, water taxi, ferry and monorail, which is cool. We took a bus to the Magic Kingdom for the Halloween party on Thursday, and walked around the Magic Kingdom until midnight (they kept the park open extra late). We went on rides, saw the awesome firework display, and had a great time.

Friday night was our fancy dinner, at a restaurant called Artists Point, which is in another of the Park accommodations, called Frontier Lodge. We took a ferry across Lake Buena Vista to get to the Frontier Lodge. LOL, we did not think we would be at the Sacred Mists ritual that afternoon, because both Lilyth and Brianna are employed by Sacred Mists, and they were working on Thursday and Friday, but at 2:57, Lady IM'd Lilyth and asked us to all come to the ritual. That is why we popped into the ritual at the last moment.

Saturday afternoon, we did our own ritual in honor of the Sabbat. Saturday night was a big surprise to us. Lil and Keith are good at keeping a secret, and we did not know that we were going to see the Cirque do Soleil show until we were standing outside of the venue. This is the second of their shows that I have seen in person, and oh boy are they awe-inspiring. The human body, in its most perfect form; every one of the performers is incredibly talented.

I think the transformation that happened for me this weekend was that in a sense I became a Student Council Member. I became a leader. I was interacting with those who I hold in high regard; Lilyth has been with Sacred Mists since before I became a member, and she has been an informal mentor for me the whole time. I feel that I officially "came out" to my fellow Student Council Members as a Mediator, a healer of sorts, and I voiced for the first time, using my actual voice, my vision of what my place at Sacred Mists will be, in both the short term and the long term. And my vision was accepted as right for me, by my peers. That is the icing on the cake.

I know that in doing this, in acknowledging my place, I am upping the level of what will be expected of me. But I am fine with this added expectation. I am embracing this added expectation. I am ready to **be** the person I am becoming, and I am proud of what I have accomplished.

Now, it is time to once again become a little fish in a big pond.

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Seven of Pentacles/Three of Cups: Today will be a day of assessment for I have reached a point in my physical life where I need to choose; either I have done enough and can move on, or there are still things that need to be addressed. My process should **not** include interaction with others; at least for today, this assessment should be a solitary pursuit.

My Thoth card is the Ace of Wands. The energy of the Divine will be shooting through me today, and infusing everything I do. I need to remember that!!

My Legacy card for today is the King of Coins. This King is the ruler who connects the realms. I may find that I am a conduit today of information or manifestations from both the earthly realms and the Divine.

I am sitting at the kitchen table in the apartment at Disney, with Lilyth, Brianna and Storm along side me. Last night we spent the evening in the Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. We rode the rides, saw the parade and the firework display, which was awesome and lit up the night with glorious colors and loud explosions. We arrived back to the apartment at about 1 am, and sat up laughing until almost 3 am.

The sun is shining again today, and I look forward to whatever the day holds in store. Tonight we are going to Epcot for dinner; I can hardly wait.

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Four of Cups/The Wheel of Fortune. Today I will be surrounded by love and by feelings and by connections to my inner self, possibly to the point that my connection to the outside world may be impaired. And there are important messages to be had, messages that tell me that cycles are happening, things are moving up and down, and in order to effectively access the energies of these cycles, I need to be awake.

My Thoth card is the Queen of Disks. Today I will find that I display the finer of quiet qualities. I will enjoy all of my senses, and I will deal with my responsibilities at the same time. I just need to be careful that serenity does not turn into indolence.

My Legacy card today is The Sun. How fitting. Today will be a day of relaxation when everything will work the way it is supposed to. There is no guaranty that tomorrow will be the same, so I need to enjoy every moment!!

I am sitting at the kitchen table in Disney, with Liyth, Brianna and Isleen, waiting to go to the airport to pick up Storm. It has been an incredibly busy week, but I think I got all the loose ends tied up so that I can enjoy these few days with very dear friends.

My flight last night was without a hitch, and I am looking forward to three full days with my Coven Mates.

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Queen of Wands reversed/The Hermit. Now that is a clear message! Time to suspend my natural tendency to have an effect on my world, and turn my focus inward to examine the “big questions.”

My Thoth card for today is The Emperor reversed. “Use all thine energy to rule thy thought: burn up thy thought as the Phoenix.” This card looks like fire and transforming heat, and it represents the power of thought to rule and control and bring order. However, it is reversed; I am being told that my focus should not be outward. I sense that this reversed Emperor is supporting The Hermit!

I am having an interesting discussion with another Sacred Mists student, MysticTigersEye (now Mystery) as she makes the transition from First Degree Dedicant to Second Degree Dedicant, involving Merlin and divination and the search for a new name (and the lessons and challenges that are a part of that search). Mystery’s searching was directed at some point towards the Thoth Tarot in general and the three Magus cards to be found in this deck in particular. I had read that those two extra versions of the card were included because of the peculiarities of printing; eight cards per page and ten pages equals 80 cards, so there are always two extras, usually filled with card meanings or advertisements. Mystery had found some information regarding those two other images included with the Thoth deck. In this regard, The Magus card that is a part of the actual deck is ruled by Mercury and is said to indicate communications problems, and is known as The Entrepreneur; the second image is said to be ruled by Neptune and indicates a need to go within and communicate with the self, and is known as The Bear or The Dreamer; the third version is ruled by Uranus, tells us that unreliable people are deceiving us (or we are deceiving ourselves) and warns us to be careful, and is called The Trickster. Since I have the deck, I asked Bob to scan the three versions and I sent them to Mystery. We both were able to instantly identify the other two cards. Now comes the fun part!

Once I realized that these cards had originally been included with the deck as a curiosity only, I never gave them too much thought. But now, thanks to Mystery, I will look at them and try to discern the meaning of the symbolism of each version. I get the feeling that my recent exploration of alchemy happened for a purpose, as well as my connecting with Skylark at Saturday’s Student Counsel Bonfire (which, by the way, was such a great experience and a useful opportunity for the Student Counsel Members to informally interact with students), who is studying astrology. I think I will email Skylark the three Mages as well, and see what she sees in those images.

I did my “supercharging the chakras and the aura” cleansing again today, with two additions that have added to the effectiveness of the exercise. I added the mudra that encourages the voiding of extra fluid in the body (which can have effects beyond the physical), and once I began allowing the energy to wash my aura clean (before I closed the bottom and began to “fill the tub”) I did some core muscle stretches. Wow!! Talk about supercharging! Once I actively plugged into my own energy field the effects seemed to be tripled! I feel quite a difference today after that exercise! Not quite back to normal yet, but great strides in the right direction have been accomplished. Hooray for Sacred Movement!

It dawned on me last night that the energies at this particular Litha are certainly interesting. This year the Summer Solstice, the longest day at the peak of masculine energies, takes place on the night before the New Moon, or in other words, the peak of the dark feminine energies of the lunar cycle. No wonder I have been feeling so energetically discombobulated! I am curious to see what I experience over the next few days, now that I am aware of the conflicting energies swirling around me.

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Nine of Pentacles reversed/The Star.  Today I am being told that I need to let my wild or untamed nature out to play.  LOL, my definition of the word “maturity” is having the ability to recognize those few moments in life where we must act like adults in order to prevent harm to others.  But the rest of the time, our Inner Child should be allowed to voice opinions.  That is the kind of day I should look to have today.  I am also being told to have faith in both my own power and in the presence of Deity in my life, for if I believe in my own power and the presence of Deity, I will manifest both.

My Thoth card for today is the Queen of Swords reversed.  In an upright position, this card tells of the combination of Water and Air, of intellect laced with compassion, but it is reversed.  Oy.  This could be a warning of the presence of some deceit or unreliability within my day.  I just need to be certain that the deceit or unreliability is not coming from within me.

Well, I am back to my old self.  Two nights of sleep, and a day working in my garden in Cape May, and I am raring to go.  I had a cool meditation last night.  Uriel came to me, and very gently touched my third eye chakra and whispered “Awaken.”  And I felt, starting with where he touched me, a tingling that spread through my body, and out into the mental/emotional layer of my aura.  I could feel a connection all the way out to the outer reaches of that layer.  Then I opened and balanced each of my chakras, and pulled divine energy down through my crown chakra, through my body and out my feet, and allowed the energy to flow as it washed away my tiredness.  

There is an area on the Parkway, right around mile marker 54, that always makes me think of Cernunnos.  There are tall pine trees and dark shadows, and for some reason there is a masculine feel about that area.  Last night as I reached that part of my journey to Cape May, I thought about Cernunnos.  This is His time after all; I see the weeks from before Beltane to after Litha as being the peak of masculine energies in Nature and within the Wheel.  So I was not surprised to feel a deep connection to the Sacred Masculine as I drove through this area.  

I always watch for deer.  I usually see a group of female deer, but never a buck.   I am always optimistic that some day I will see this physical representation of my Patron God, but it has not yet happened.  This trip, I heard a soft voice, saying “Don’t look for me with your eyes.  I am in the shadows under the trees.”

I smiled when I heard that voice.  Maybe because I am just coming from a time of connection to primitive energies and primitive Nature after my trip to the Dominican Republic, and maybe it’s just this time of year, but since last night, I can feel a change in the background hum of energy.  It has a more masculine flavor to it.  

Soon we will make the transformation from the waxing year to the waning year, and we will once again look towards the coming dark and cold, but at least for now, my focus is outward, toward the peak of masculine and active energies during this time of maximum ripening.

I went to the Student Council Bonfire this afternoon, and had a really great time.  This relaxed open forum is a great opportunity for students to ask questions and interact with the Student Council, and with Lady Raven.  I was encouraged by the number of students who attended, and their enthusiastic conversations.  One of the students, Skylark, mentioned astrology, and I asked if she would be willing to work with me on the Tarot Board, maybe with some essays combining astrology and Tarot.  I think, between the two of us we should be able to post some interesting info.  Skylark is willing, and I am excited.

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