The Magician/Two of Swords reversed.  Magician corresponds with Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and quick and animated energy which usually presents problems or challenges), Mercury (reason, intelligence, orderliness, communication), Beth (house; builder) and the Path between Binah (female, receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) and Kether (the source, limitless possibility), and he has the power to transform his world through the use of his Will and his connection to the Divine.  Today I will know what to do and how to do it, and better yet, I will get it done!  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.  Because the Two of Swords is reversed and paired with The Magician, things may really open up for me today.  Lots of movement in these two cards, and I had better look carefully and remember that I am responsible for my actions, s well as the consequences of those actions.

My Thoth card is The Aeon, or Judgement, reversed.  The Aeon/Judgement corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive and energetic change), Pluto (power, metamorphosis, cycles of dying and becoming), Shin (fang), and the Path between Malkuth (the physical world of action and physical, outer reality) and Hod (provides analysis and communication) and it usually tells of an opportunity to validate the good stuff and get rid of the stuff I don’t need any more.  This process, which often is spiritual in focus, allows me to understand who and where I am in life, so that I can see the bigger picture and thus, break from the past and make the right choices that will allow me to move forward.  Since my card is reversed, I need to be reeeeeaalll careful today about deciding what to keep and what to get rid of because there could be some cloud affecting my ability to see.  Perhaps that cloud is connected to some psychological issue that is trying to derail this process.

My Legacy card is the Three of Wands, flavored by the Ten of Wands.  The Three of Wands (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, the deepest self and personal power, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive) tells of being successfully established after effort, of taking a position of responsibility and of being supported by others.  This is a wonderful card to offer influence to The Magician, who is good at taking action but may not be good at remembering that his actions have consequences to others.  The Ten of Wands (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering) in an upright position tells of being taxed to the limit, but it is reversed, so my sense of empowerment will not be a flash that dies out quickly due to lack of fuel.

My 6-digit date number is 5, the number of motion that dispels stagnation.

My horoscopes: “A small sum of money could come today, possibly through the efforts of a woman. You may have been waiting for this for a long time, so expect to feel relieved. You may have some definite plans for the money. Perhaps it's meant for a specific purpose, or maybe you'll invest it. Whichever it is, you'll want to celebrate.”

And: “Your spirit is sparkling, and you may feel yourself filling up with tremendous energy as you go about your day. Your sense of adventure is at a monthly peak, and there is very little that can get you down. One area of your life that might be slightly difficult for you to deal with right now, though, is your world of love and romance. For some reason, you may feel like this is the one domain in which things aren't going the way you would like them to. The secret is to be patient.”

My Shadowscapes Insight for today is regarding the King of Pentacles.  This powerful King is calm and steady, and confident in his ability to achieve success and manifest an idea tangibly into the physical world.  He is well-grounded, yet he can reach towards the stars, and the added bonus is that just by being who and what he is, the King of Pentacles inspires others to dig deep for stability and then reach upward to touch our dreams.

My days have been incredibly busy; productive but busy.  It seems that the few projects I keep placing at the top of my “To Do” list get pre-empted in favor of other things that need to be done.  But I am enjoying these other things, too!  Last night’s Tarot Chat, part four of a series I am calling “Tarot and the Tree of Life,” was amazing.  I am truly enjoying the discussions that happen during the Chats on this subject. 

The other Tarot Class Facilitator and I are in the process of updating the Tarot Extension Class, and what a wonderful experience this is!  The lessons in this Class are great, and they really do help students to connect with their Tarot cards (LOL, I am trained through this class, and look where I am now), but they are sorely in need of updating.  Plus, the other Facilitator has images of the cards to be inserted in each of the lessons. 

We are working on bringing in some new members for the SMPDA also.  This is taking time as well, but since our membership has dwindled greatly, this is a necessary task.  We have some great new potential members and one returning member, and once they are on board the energy of the group will be back to its normal exciting levels. 

And still, my Lesson Six of Third Degree is waiting patiently for me.  I was really hoping to have this done before leaving for the WGW 2011 get-together.  It still may happen, but I am not so sure at this point.  I am still hopeful that I will have it completed by Samhain, though.  Darn it!!

Okay, break over.  I will hopefully get back to The Emerald Tablet tomorrow.

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The Empress/The Sun. Woohoo! Nice pair! The Empress corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and stable, material, practical energies that are slow to change), Venus (beauty, allure, pleasure, relationships), Daleth (door or womb) and the Path between Binah (female receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) and Chokmah (dynamic male energy and the origin of vital force and polarity). She represents creativity, fertility, abundance, the physical body and its senses, and the material world and the workings of Nature. She is also the first place in the Major Arcana that we see love. The Sun corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, spontaneous, impulsive and energetic change), our Sun (the inner core of a person or situation), Resh (the face; reason), and the Path between Yesod (the place where patterns and images emerge that may manifest in the physical world) and Hod (provides analysis and communication) and tells of the presence (or the coming) of a period of light that will dispel the darkness. The Sun card can be seen as the halfway point between the blinding flash that is The Tower and the soft, gentle and subtle glow that is The Star. This is the dynamic balance first hinted at in Temperance, but now fully manifested. These cards together tell of a nice balance between the pleasure of my own physical senses and the pleasure to be had from connecting to my world.

My Thoth card is the Seven of Disks. “Failure” today; yep. Feeling out of gas, and this lethargy is the sensations hinted at in Crowley’ Seven of Disks. The Thoth Seven of Disks (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, law and order, in Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn) tells of a heavy pause that just might be hard to counteract, due to the Earthiness of both the number 7 and the suit of Disks. The disks in the image are arranged in the shape of the form “Rubeus” (Latin for “Red” and shaped like an overturned glass). Rubeus represents an inversion, meaning good in all that is evil, and evil in all that is good, and if I was using the geomantric shapes as divinatory tools and threw Rubeus first, the reading would end. On a low note. This inertia is not yet total stagnation, and if I remain aware of its dangers, I should survive intact. Time for some charged water.

My Legacy card is the Page of Coins, flavored by the Five of Wands. The Page of Coins (Aries, “I want,” assertive, action oriented, Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual) is a listener, and this Page listens to both sides of an argument because he is also a student, and is eager to learn. Like all Pages, this one likes to learn; however, he is a bit of a skeptic. He needs to touch or see in order to believe, and I might have trouble taking things on faith today. The Five of Wands represents Saturn (discipline, responsibility, law and order) in Leo (“I am, passionate, dramatic, egotistical), and it indicates a struggle that appears at cross purposes. This Five can represent either outer conflict or inner conflict, not earth-shattering but filled with the potential to derail and debilitate. I should be careful that my need for proof does not become a jihad. Balance is needed.

My Full Moon Pearls of Wisdom card is Strength. The traditional meaning for the Strength card (Fire, hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive and energetic energy; Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical; Teth, sieve or basket, digestion; and the Path between Geburah, the place where forms and structures are challenged or affirmed, and Chesed, the place where forms and structures are stabilized and nurtured) is the presence of the ability to tame our primitive and wild emotions. The Pearls of Wisdom Strength card tells of the Ego bowing to Spirit or the Higher Self. This potential to overcome resistance happens not through the application of force, but rather, through the application of love. There is nothing so strong as gentleness, and nothing so gentle as strength.

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

My horoscopes: “If you've been tired lately, Sagittarius, it may be due to stress. Today's aspects bring an added energy to communication. It would be wise to talk about some of the stress. Worry, anxiety, and fear are huge drains on physical and emotional health. Exercise can alleviate some of these. For others, talking is key. Find the most effective ways to rid yourself of such energy drains and feel better.”

And: “Applying greater force will not get you farther toward your goals today. Right now, it's more about nuance than about brute strength. Your charms are intoxicating, and people will be eager to comply with what you want, once you show them what is in it for them. True, this tactic will take some time and patience, but the outcome will create much more harmony and affection in your future. So avoid the hard sell, and don't tell anyone what to do. Just show them how fun your way is!”

And: “It may be hard for you to feel connected to anyone today. You are probably better off just keeping to yourself. If you are feeling sad or depressed, it is best to work through these feelings on your own. Other people are not apt to be too sympathetic to your situation. You are better off sticking to your work in order to keep the demons out of your head.”

My Sun reading: “A sensitive Mercury trines Neptune, creating both receptive and resourceful energy. You can create magic with this imaginative duo. When you add them to tonight's Moon/Venus transit, the Universe supplies you with an abundance of people, places, and things you love. It doesn't get better than this!”

I taught my first Sacred Mists Tarot Chat last night on the Qabalah and the Tree of Life. Yep, me, Miss “Elements Are My Thing” taught a Tarot Chat on the Tarot and the Tree. My, my; Uncle Al is probably laughing right now. But I will be the first to stand up and say “yep, I was wrong; there are good things to be learned from the Qabalah”; my Pathworking is having awesome effects.

Speaking of Pathworking, since I have reached the point in my Pathworking where I need to learn about the methods for crossing The Abyss, I think it is time to learn of Da’at. “Da’at” can be translated as “knowledge” or “consciousness.” The interesting thing about the knowledge associated with Da’at is that it is knowledge not of the outside world, but of the one who is knowing, knowledge of the self.

“Nothing is more frightening than this knowledge of ‘I’ -- yet nothing is more empowering. Without it, there is no accountability, no freedom, no way to take your life into your own hands. All of these things become possible only once you can look back at your own self and say, ‘Why did I do that and not this?’ ‘Is this really what I want to do?’ ‘Is this really who I want to be?’ Only then can we call you a bar mitzvah.” And “. . . Da’at unravels from its cocoon and a human being emerges. For that is a human being: A being that knows itself.” From the essay, “Da’at: The Knowing I,” by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, from the Chabad.org website.

The knowledge and consciousness offered by Da’at cannot be obtained by one pass through the Tree; of this I am certain. If I had not done the hard work I have done over the past eight plus years, I would not be finding such resonation in this understanding I am gaining by looking at Da’at. This is not the time of the initial opening of the mind, but rather it is a time of realization.

Da’at is also associated with the cerebellum and the powers of memory and concentration. Memory and concentration happen because I am able to recognize and sense the potential meaningfulness of the ideas and concepts I am learning through both Binah (receptive energy and the sacred feminine) and Chokmah (active energy and the sacred masculine). This recognition and sensitivity happens because of the two levels of Da’at: the higher level (which secures the continuous bond between Chokmah and Binah) and the lower level (which connects the intellect as a whole with the realm of emotion, allowing me to act in accordance with the essential truths integrated into my intellect).

Da’at is seen as the reflection of Kether within the realm of my consciousness. It is the inner dimension (“inner” in a literal sense, within me) of Kether, my own unique connection to Kether and my own unique perception of and personalization of Kether. To some, Da’at is an empty slot which can be filled by any of the other Sephiroth, but in actuality, Da’at is filled with Divine Light that is always shining. It’s just that not everyone can see this Divine Light. The concealment of this Divine Light does not happen through the workings of Da’at, but rather through my own ability to “see.” If I strive to give of myself, the Divine Light will be revealed; if I allow myself to become selfish, this Light will be hidden from me.

And if I am able to see that Divine Light, The Abyss is not a dark and frightening place.

Tonight I meet with the Pagan Brain Trust. IQ is leaving for the UK in one week, so this will be the last gathering for a few months with all four of us being face to face. I am jealous; I wish I had the ability to be footloose and fancy free for a few months, free to indulge myself and follow my heart and my mind.

I feel good. Sore from my weekend still, and a tiny bit lethargic; but good.

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