10/14/15 Queen of Wands reversed and Prince of Disks

I dusted off my Thoth Tarot, and threw the Queen of Wands reversed and the Prince of Disks.  I guess it’s a Court Cards kind of day! The Thoth Tarot handles the Court Cards a bit differently, especially the Knights and Princes.  The Princes hold the rank of Knight, however the definitions and correspondences are similar to the Kings of other decks.  When using the Thoth Tarot, it is easier to work with the elemental correspondences when interpreting the cards. 

The Queen of Wands (cusp of Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, soul growth, spirituality, and Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive) in an upright position is energetic, adaptable and enthusiastic; she is filled with persistent energy and calm authority at the same time, and because of this she draws others to her.  She is kind of a self-made woman, with her sense of humor intact. 

The Thoth Queen of Wands, representing Water of Fire, is surrounded by steadily burning flames and a leopard; she cradles in her arms a large wand with a heavy, bulky head.  She is adaptable yet is filled with a persistent and evenly flowing energy.  She has a huge capacity for love, but only when played out in accordance with her rules. 

The Prince/King of Disks (cusp of Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive, and Taurus, “I have,” sensual, stubborn, cautious, physically oriented) is the clever expert on managing resources, maintaining energy, and on the physical world manifestation of all kinds.  The Prince/King is the steward of Nature and the generous and supporting boss, but he is reversed today, which means his traits will manifest in a detrimental manner rather than a helpful one.  Yes, I may have resources and I may have the ability to allocate those resources in a good and effective way, but if I get caught up in that process, I will bog myself down with the details and everything will come to a grinding halt.

The Thoth Prince of Disks is Air of Earth, and he is a cool character.  This Prince is completely in control on the material plane; he is the ultimate handyman who tends to not put any effort into things he considers impractical.  He is very grounded, he is ingenious and thoughtful, but yet cautious (sometimes to the point of paranoia).  Uncle Al describes him as having “great energy brought to bear upon the most solid of practical matters.”

My Queen of Wands just might be reversed because I’m obsessing too much on what I should have done; hindsight is always 20/20, but the issues are over and done with, so they should be released.  No brooding allowed.  I should not allow myself to get caught up in details that just don’t matter!  There is so much growth and creativity around me, particularly in the physical realms, and right now I am in a position to take advantage of all of it.  The best thing to do is learn from the things that did not go as planned, and then let them go.  I need to remember that all that creative energy does not usually follow a plan.  Seeds don’t always germinate only in the places you planted them!

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8/3/15 The Knight of Cups and the Prince of Disks

I dusted off my Thoth Tarot today, and it looks like its Court Cards Day. I’ve thrown the Knight of Cups and the reversed Prince of Disks.  The Thoth Tarot handles the male Court Cards a bit differently.  The Knights hold the highest rank, however the definitions and correspondences are similar to the Knights of other decks.  The Princes hold the rank of Knight, however the definitions and correspondences are similar to the Kings of other decks.  When using the Thoth Tarot, it is easier to work with the elemental correspondences when interpreting the cards. 

The Knight [King] of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) is about feeling things strongly and without restraint or grounding.  When upright, this Knight/King appears calm to others, but inwardly he feels things strongly.   The message here is that I tend to respond deeply to life’s events, and that intensity will have an effect on my day.

The Thoth Knight of Cups is Fire of Water, and he is seen by others as being calm, cool and collected.  The surprise is that inwardly he feels things strongly, so there are lots of waves churning around out of sight.  He has a natural innocence that attracts others to him, and he will support your cause with enthusiasm; he just might not last until the end.  Indeed, Crowley describes this Knight as, “His name is writ on Water.”

The Prince/King of Disks (cusp of Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive, and Taurus, “I have,” sensual, stubborn, cautious, physically oriented) is the clever expert on managing resources, maintaining energy, and on the physical world manifestation of all kinds.  The Prince/King is the steward of Nature and the generous and supporting boss, but he is reversed today, which means his traits will manifest in a detrimental manner rather than a helpful one.  Yes, I may have resources and I may have the ability to allocate those resources in a good and effective way, but if I get caught up in that process, I will bog myself down with the details and everything will come to a grinding halt.

The Thoth Prince of Disks is Air of Earth, and he is a cool character.  This Prince is completely in control on the material plane; he is the ultimate handyman who tends to not put any effort into things he considers impractical.  He is very grounded, he is ingenious and thoughtful, but yet cautious (sometimes to the point of paranoia). 

I am being told that while I tend to feel things deeply, that intensity might have unexpected results.  I need to look for balance, for being cautious might cause me to miss good opportunities, yet throwing caution to the winds has its own danger.  Since my Court Cards cover all four elements (Fire of Water and Air of Earth), there is the ability for synergy, even though on the surface these cards don’t seem to mesh well.  After all, my Prince of Disks is reversed, so I’ve got that going for me.  **wink**

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7/1/15 The Hanging Man reversed and the Princess of Wands

It’s July already!  I can’t believe the year is more than half over.  I’ve pulled out my Thoth Tarot this morning, and threw The Hanging Man reversed and the Princess of Wands. 

The Hanging Man corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, and emotional, sensitive and imaginative energy that tends to move deep, and attempts to take the same path as in the past), Neptune (inspiration, spirituality, magick, enchantment, dreams, altered states), and the Hebrew letter Mem (water, stability and balance, the reflective quality of thought), and presents the kind of balance that comes to us through surrender, and through deliberately attempting to see things in a different way.  This card tells of destiny, as well as sacrifice and loss, and passive or mystical initiation.  All of these do not have an accidental feel about them at all. Crowley warns us that the suspension brought by this card can either hint that we are waiting for someone else to take charge, or that we are sacrificing for the benefit of others.  Either of those interpretations can either be appropriate or harmful, depending on the situation.

The Thoth Hanging Man (called The Hanged Man) is pretty traditional.  It shows a figure hanging upside down, arms out to either side (reminding us of the crucifixion of Christ), but the Thoth Hanged Man and his body placement reminds us of another card: The Emperor.  The traditional image on The Emperor shows a kingly man seated on a throne, with one leg crossed over the other, and The Hanged Man is reminding us that often, the structure and order of The Emperor is counterproductive.  The Thoth Hanged Man represents sacrifice or loss (either willing or enforced), suffering, defeat, and even death.  It also can represent the kind of surrender that happens when we wait for events to unfold with a sense of fatalism.

The Page of Wands (Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody; Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic noble egotistical; and Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) is fun to be around, unless you have a migraine. He is about being open to new experiences and about being enthusiastic about whatever is happening, and his optimism just might tip things into the right direction.  He can be a bit scattered though, and easily distracted.

The Princesses in the Thoth Tarot are equal to the Pages; this Princess stands facing a huge flame, almost like a wave ready to overcome her.  The Golden Dawn calls her the Princess of the Shining Flame, and this image really does personify that name.  She appears to be dancing with the Fire, and she literally has a tiger by the tail.  Look out world, here she comes.

I am being told today that I need to make my efforts for the good of all, rather than just in furtherance of my own needs and desires, and this might be difficult.  I may have trouble understanding just what to do, and my ambitions, enthusiasm and instincts might be pushing me to act anyway, not such a good plan.  Stillness is difficult to achieve at times, particularly when we are truly enjoying or getting fulfillment from what we are doing.  However, a time of inward focus might bring both balance and clarity.

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5/18/15 Ace of Cups and Ten of Cups

Today I’m back to the Thoth Tarot and the teachings of Uncle Al.  My cards are the Ace of Cups and the Ten of Cups.  Interesting!

The Ace of Cups (Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation, Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, deep, mysterious, obsessive, Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, adventurous, blundering) tells of the potential to experience deep emotions, a connection to my Inner Voice, and a connection to those around me.

The Thoth Ace of Cups, like all the Aces, is about potential and possibilities.  Crowley believes that the Aces contain all the other numbered cards of the suit, or at least the potential to become them.  The beautiful Cup on this card is surrounded by ripples of water, and a light shines upward, sourced from whatever is in that Cup. 

The Ten of Cups (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, spirituality, suffering and growth) in an upright position offers the manifestation of happiness, simple joys, and fulfillment. The number Ten is about the completion of a cycle or manifestation, and the suit of Cups is about emotions, feelings and the inner self, so this card offers the bounty that comes with the successful experiencing of all the lessons of the Cups cards.

The Thoth Ten of Cups shows ten Cups (set up like the Tree of Life) with the upper Cups overflowing into those below.  These Cups have lights shining from them, but those lights are all aimed downward, giving the card a somewhat heavy feeling.  Cups running over can make a mess, so the emotional completeness being signified by this card might not be pleasant.

The day seems to be filled with Watery possibilities, as well as Watery manifestations.  I will need to remember how much feelings and dreams will come into play today, and perhaps I can ride this wave onto shore without falling.

I’m going to be away for Memorial Day Weekend, so you might not see me for a week or so.  Don’t worry, though; I’ll be back!

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4/6/15: Prince/Knight of Cups reversed and Ten of Cups reversed

Back to the Thoth Tarot!  The cards I threw today are the Prince of Cups reversed and the Ten of Cups (“Satiety”) reversed. 

The Prince/Knight of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) is about feeling things strongly and without restraint or grounding.  This Prince appears calm to others, but inwardly he feels things strongly. This makes sense when you consider that within the Thoth Tarot, he represents Air of Water.  The message here is that whether upright or reversed, my Prince indicates that I tend to respond deeply to life’s events, and that intensity will have an effect on my day.

The Thoth Prince of Cups is not a comfortable card.  You would think that all those blues and greens would be serene, but actually the image of this Prince bursts out towards us.  This Prince is riding on a vehicle powered by what looks like a huge eagle, for Pete’s sake.  How serene could that possibly be?!  I love the way DuQuette characterizes this image: worthy of a comic book cover. 

The Ten of Cups (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, spirituality, suffering and growth) in an upright position offers the manifestation of happiness, simple joys, and fulfillment. The number Ten is about the completion of a cycle or manifestation, and the suit of Cups is about emotions, feelings and the inner self, so this card offers the bounty that comes with the successful experiencing of all the lessons of the Cups cards.

To Crowley, this is not necessarily a happy card.  He saw this one as “sinister,” and representing a sort of “morbid hunger”; not quite the fluffy joy-joy-joy interpretation offered by many, eh?  Again, DuQuette hits the nail on the head when he says that “[t]he Ten of Cups could have been filled with the realization of the potential of the suit of Cups.  Instead, it is just filled with the concept of fullness.”  So perhaps in a reversed position, this one is not too bad, eh?

Okay, there is a clear message for today: don’t let my emotions take control, because they might be a bit out of balance.  Because my Prince is reversed, I do need to keep in mind that the “cartoon-like” emotions of the day just might be detrimental.  I should not rely on my ability to see the truth in any emotions that present themselves.  Because my Ten of Cups is reversed, there is the potential for the possibility of emotional exhaustion at some point, which could make my emotional tolerance reach the end of it’s rope (and I apologize for the mixed metaphors).  All this emotional bouncing around could set up stress or crankiness.  Take a breath, and step away.  I just read this one on the internet, and it applies here: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”  Time to unplug.

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3/27/15 The Sun reversed and the Three of Cups

Back to the Thoth Tarot today.  I threw The Sun reversed and the Three of Cups. 

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 it tells of a time of enlightenment and peace that comes after the completion of some ordeal.

The Thoth Sun card is brilliantly lit, and includes a pair of dancing figures and the signs of the solar zodiac.  Crowley sees this one as representing truth, glory, pleasure, gain and riches, as well as shamelessness and vanity. The Sun is about manifestations of all kinds, as well as recovery from sickness.  The reversed Sun is not a bad card; we modern humans understand that our sun does not blink out at night, nor does it die as the Fall comes to an end.

The Three of Cups (Mercury, reason, intelligence, orderliness, communication, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody) is about connections, emotional abundance, and about blessings.  This card shows what could be born from the potential to experience potent emotions and feelings of the Ace, and the caring, attraction and chemistry of the Two.

To Crowley, the Three of Cups represents abundance of all kinds.  It is a card that reminds us that love is fruitful, and dreams do come true.  The Thoth Three of Cups is also about hospitality, eating and drinking, and even new clothes.

Today will be a good day, filled with abundance and pleasure.  The clouds may be covering the sky (it is a cold, rainy day, so The Sun is literally reversed), but the Spring flowers are just poking their heads up from the cold, wet ground.  Even with The Sun in a reversed position, its golden light enriches us all. 

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3/18/15 Six of Disks reversed and Five of Wands reversed

I’m feeling the urge to pick um my Thoth Tarot (let’s be honest, my deck has been yelling and screaming and stamping its feet because it feels ignored!), so that’s the deck I’m using today.  My cards are the Six of Disks (“Success”) reversed and the Five of Wands (“Strive”) reversed.  LOL, are my cards still having a tantrum?  Let’s interpret, and see.

The Six of Disks (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Taurus, “I have,” Sensual, cautious, stubborn) brings an awareness of resources to the situation, both those that I have and those that I don’t have, in both the upright and reversed position. This card shows us what happens when we don’t let the apparent failure of the Five of Disks hold us back.

Crowley sees the Six of Disks as a card of balance, and while that balance is fertile, it is also temporary.  The Thoth Six of Disks offers a brief reward for our efforts, and a glimpse of a possible end result that will bring success.  My card is reversed today, and while I do need to remember that resources are important, it is more important to remember that those resources are not the be-all and end-all of the project. 

The Five of Wands, which corresponds with Saturn (discipline, responsibility, law and order) in Leo (“I am, passionate, dramatic, egotistical) in an upright position indicates a struggle caused by annoying cross-purposes, or this discomfort could be caused by growing pains. The traditional image on this card makes me laugh, and makes me remember setting up a tent in order to camp.  LOL, talk about cross-purposes!

The Thoth Five of Wands shows ten flames separated by Wands.  DuQuette describes this one as “a picture of hot, pressurized magma struggling to reach the surface of the volcano, but frustrated by the sheer weight of the mountain itself.”  That makes sense, in a unique “Uncle Al” way. 

Things can get done, and done in a beneficial way, without any resources at all, so I can’t allow myself to become too dependent on the resources.  This is the lesson that all mages need to learn once they accumulate their personal tools.  Don’t become dependent on them!  I also need to remember that growth involves discomfort as well as euphoria, and it involves the overcoming of inertia.  This last concept could be the message of both of my cards today.  Struggling against insurmountable odds, even if I fail, is a good way to add to my strength and focus.

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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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