Knight of Swords/Six of Cups.  The Knight of Swords (the cusp of Taurus, “I have,” sensual, stubborn, cautious, and Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, dual, intelligent) is brave, insightful, courageous, and logical.  Unfortunately, he is also rude, domineering, critical and sarcastic.  The Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive) tells of experiencing simple joys, innocent fun and being surrounded by blessings.  This card seems to specifically refer to the past, to those memories that are surrounded by a rosy glow, particularly because my Six of Cups is upright.  Now, obsessing on the past is never good, but taking a moment to remember happy times gone by can be refreshing and cleansing.  Since my Six of Cups is paired with my Knight of Swords, I am thinking that the influences of that knight will be more on the positive side, and they will be tempered with compassion and mercy.  Not too shabby!

My Thoth card is the Prince of Cups reversed.  Another Knight!  The Prince/Knight of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) feels things strongly, and is a dreamer.  Maybe it is the tendency to dream that makes this Knight appear calm on the outside, but those strong feelings are still churning, even if we can’t see them.  Because my Prince is reversed, today the amenable nature will actually fulfill its appearance because it really is there.

My Legacy card is the Two of Swords, flavored by the Seven of Coins reversed.  The Two of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) can represent a time of not looking or of shutting out the world.  This card tells of the presence of peace, but because of its nature, this peace has the potential to become harmful rather than relaxing because it exists because of barriers erected rather than because of true harmony.  The Seven of Coins (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, law and order, in Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn) in an upright position tells us that our efforts thus far may bring future rewards, but full potential has not yet been realized.  If it was upright, this Seven of Coins could be reminding me that the balance of my inner life with the demands of my outer world should be my focus during the pause.  However it is reversed, so the Seven of Coins could very well be warning me that if I pause too long within the peace of the Two of Swords, there may be unpleasant consequences. 

My New Moon Pearls of Wisdom card is the Nine of Pentacles.  The Nine of Pentacles (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) is a card of accomplishment through the imposition of discipline, and indeed the Pearls of Wisdom card tells of deliverance to a goal or the manifestation of a goal through the application of discipline, focus and hard work.  This is seen both as a card of harvest of the fruits of our labors ~and~ a card of potential of having both material security and creature comfort.

My 6-digit date number is 4, the number of depth, stability and the potential for stagnation.

My horoscopes: “Miscommunication with a romantic partner could have you either writing or reading love poetry or a story of some kind. It's more important that you clear up the misunderstanding with the special person in your life. Cheer up. Don't let your insecurity get the better of you. All isn't as bad as it seems. The end of the day could bring a passionate reconciliation.”

And: “The day ahead won't be easy. A glimpse at your love life reveals that you'll be bridling at certain inhibitions. You long for peace and stability, and at the moment everything is in suspense in that department. Use the day ahead to gain some perspective on the situation. Until the ice melts and the flow of events resumes once again, why not devote your energy to some other endeavor?”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is regarding the Knight of Pentacles.  This Knight is about striking with the weight and power of the element of Earth behind us.  This is about the ability to break open a mountain through an earthquake as well as the ability to crack open a boulder through the intrusion of tiny tree roots.  The power is there; all I have to do is access it.  But I do need to remember that this power is like a tractor trailer filled with heavy farm machinery: hard to stop once it is up to speed.  Paths must be chosen wisely.

Today is a day of absorption, not self-absorption, but a day to absorb my experiences of the past week.  Being with my fellow Sacred Mists students at WGW2011 always requires some processing time.  So much good stuff happens there that it can’t be processed until the “party’s over,” so to speak.  I work with the Student Council Members who attend WGW2011 every day; we all strive, mostly behind the scenes, to empower ourselves, each other, and every other student at Sacred Mists.  Much of what we do is truly behind the scenes; no one knows of these efforts, and this is mainly so because we are successful.  And I would not have it any other way.

Some changes in my responsibilities at Sacred Mists are upcoming, and I am looking forward to them.  **smile** I can’t mention most of these things quite yet, but the one thing I can mention is that I have volunteered to write and lead the Sacred Mists Yule Sabbat Ritual this year.  It has been a long time since I have led a Sabbat.  I am Director of the Esbat Program at Sacred Mists, and I do write and lead Esbats regularly, but I have not written and/or led a Sacred Mists Sabbat Ritual since the Third Degree Lesson requiring this.  It is time.

One of the things that I truly love about our WGW events is that my own enthusiasm for what I am doing at Sacred Mists, and what I belong to as a member of the Community, the College and the Coven, is renewed.  I work with some wonderful, caring, wise, knowledgeable and hard-working people, and I am honored to be associated with them.  There is all kinds of crazy information out there about Sacred Mists, unfortunately most of it is bad.  There is a reason for this: most of us are too busy learning and growing and sharing with others to spend time defending the value and validity of Sacred Mists.  We don’t really want to associate ourselves with those posts and threads that are just not fair because we don’t want to be dragged down by the negative focuses.

Is Sacred Mists perfect?  I’ve answered this question before.  No, it’s not perfect.  Do situations get mis-handled?  Yes, they do; none of us are perfect.  But I do know, because I am privy to and witness of many attempts to handle situations, that no one in Administration or the Student Council has ever mis-handled a situation and remained in either Admin or the SC.  We are all most definitely held accountable for the effective meeting of our responsibilities, and we all take those responsibilities quite seriously. 

For me, these responsibilities are serious because of who I am and because of the way I practice my Craft.  I have gained so much from everything about Sacred Mists, and I know that this is so because I strive to always go above and beyond what I perceive as the minimum requirement.  Can I pass a lesson by answering a homework question with only one or two simple but correct sentences?  Yes.  Can I progress through my Degree Training by not volunteering to help or teach, or by not posting in our Forums, or by not showing an interest in my fellow students?  Yes.  But sooner or later, I will reach a brick wall because the training I am receiving requires that I do more than the minimum amount of work in order to get the most out of each lesson, no matter how simple, and also requires that **I** take responsibility for my own progress or my own failures, rather than blaming others when things don’t end the way I want them to end or expect them to end.  And from my perspective, many of the former students of Sacred Mists who have issues with how things were handled have those issues because they did not own those issues, but rather shifted all responsibility for resolving issues exactly as requested, and in many cases, divining out of the air just what the problems were in the first place.  Especially when participating in an online community, assuming that not receiving a response means that we are being ignored or disrespected is usually a recipe for disaster.

I am proud of how much I have grown during these years of being associated with Sacred Mists.  I would not be who I am today without the influence of this wonderful Community.  I love the way we are offered through our training the opportunity to advance our own growth by serving others, and my only wish is that there were more hours in the day, so I could volunteer for all the programs I would love to be associated with.  And I am grateful to be associated with those who lead me and those who work alongside me.  Where will my studies at Sacred Mists bring me?  I don’t know.  But thanks to those who have gone before me and thanks to those who walk the Path beside me, I have faith that even though I can’t see ahead, I will end up where I am supposed to be.

Okay, back to work; the digestive process has officially begun.  I have a new task this weekend: I am going to create and sell (**crosses fingers**) wire-wrapped hand collected sea glass charms that are Reiki charged.  I’ve gotta get some samples made and some descriptive information to enclose with the charms created.  I am excited about this!!!

Blessed be!

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Nine of Cups reversed/Eight of Pentacles reversed. by the Nine of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth), which is about emotional satisfaction of the best kind: the kind that comes due to the actions of luck. My Nine is reversed today, so satisfaction will not be coming to me through my senses or my feelings.  The Eight of Pentacles (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, sensible, orderly) is about paying attention to details in the physical world.  This card is about attaining knowledge and then working through it so it becomes wisdom.  But my Eight is also reversed.  This is not necessarily telling me that today is a waste, and perhaps I am being shown these two cards from this vantage point (late in the afternoon) because I need to realize that there is always a way to get to the problem or issue, even if the most logical paths are seemingly blocked.

My Thoth card is the Four of Swords. The Four of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) tells of the need of some time of rest and recuperation, usually to be brought about by a time of truce or pause or quiet. In fact, “truce” is Crowley’s keyword for this card.  It is about a pause, but the pause is more about mutual deterrence so it is temporary in nature.  I need to take advantage of it. 

My Legacy card is Temperance reversed, flavored by the Six of Cups reversed. Temperance connects with Sagittarius (“I seek,” philosophic, adventurous, blundering) Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive, energetic change), Samekh (the tent post), and the Path between Yesod (the place where patterns and images emerge that may manifest into the physical world of action and outer reality) and Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify), and it is one of the Major Arcana cards that presents one form of balance.  Temperance is about maintaining the balance of extremes, but there is an important message in this reversed Temperance today.  Sometimes discord can expose.  If I look at the card flavoring my Temperance reversed today, the Six of Cups reversed, I can understand that dark clouds do have silver linings. The Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive) tells of experiencing simple joys, innocent fun and being surrounded by blessings.  It is reversed and flavoring my reversed Temperance.  Discord can sometimes expose the difficulty.  Granted, we want to try other methods first, but sometimes being “in your face” is the way to get it done.  LOL, way to turn lemons into lemonade.

My 6-digit date number is 10, the end of a cycle, which reduces further to 1, position, potential and new beginnings.

My horoscopes: “Have you been thinking about working toward a career as a writer or teacher? If so, this is the day to start. Perhaps you need to sit down and start writing, or you want to take some courses to improve your skills. A number of communications from out of state or even distant lands could come your way from people with information that might change your life in some way.”

And: “Consider planning a romantic interlude. With the influence from the day's planetary aspects, connecting with that special someone will be easily accomplished. Go out for dinner with your partner or partner or make a date with someone new that's caught your eye. Don't let shyness or insecurity stand in your way either. If you are single, consider loving the most important person in your life by doing something special - you.”

My Shadowscapes Insight for today is the King of Pentacles.  To me, the words in the Shadowscapes Companion describes this card perfectly: “When he lays his hand upon a venture, it is bound for success.”  The King of Pentacles is so very talented in tapping into physical world resources and bringing them into every venture.  He’s got just the right balance, not too grounded and not too “out there”; what else can you ask for?

I am in Florida, in Animal Kingdom, with the giraffes and the zebras and the buffaloes and the storks and the ostriches and the elands (what I can see right now from the terrace) and all kinds of animals, and with my much-loved Sacred Mists Witches.  We do this vacation every year because it is the rare opportunity for face time for us, and since we all work together so hard, and depend on each other so much, we need this.

So, my blog posts are a bit late.  But my experiences are so very necessary for my well being as a witch, a Wiccan, and an Initiated Priestess of the Sacred Mist Tradition.  So please bear with me.  Here is what I intended to post yesterday:

It is a little after 7 am, and I am sitting at Gate 15 of the JetBlue terminal, watching the sky turn to flames of orange and pink, and now yellow as the sun rises.  I am on my way to Florida to partake in a bit of WGW2011 in Disney.

My weekend in New York State was wonderful.  We stayed in a house on the top of a mountain outside the small hamlet of Copake, not far from Copake Lake.  We were there to attend an auction that is run by friends of ours, the Copake Auction.  This month was an exciting event for our friends, because they were auctioning off a painting done by a relatively well-known modern artist named Gunther Uecker.  I’ve never heard of him, but since I don’t follow the art world, that is not surprising. 

The piece was apparently commissioned by a gentleman over 40 years ago, and hung over that person’s mantle all this time.  It was expected that the piece would sell for anywhere between $100,000 and $180,000!  We were there, four rows from the front, as the piece was sold.  The bidders were from around the world, participating by internet and through several telephone lines.  To our surprise (and delight for our friends), the Uecker sold for $330,000!  The bidding was very exciting to watch; I can only imagine how excited each of the bidders were.

We took a walk on Saturday afternoon through the Bash Bish Falls State Park.  The Bash Bish Falls is the highest waterfall in New York State. The falls are made up of a series of cascades, nearly 200 feet in total, with the final cascade being split into twin falls by a jutting rock, dropping in an 80-foot “V" over boulders to a serene pool below.

The waters of Bash Bish Falls begin at a spring in Mount Washington and after the falls, Bash Bish Brook continues on a gentler course through New York State until joining the Hudson River and flows through Copake. The waterfall is at the mouth of a gorge formed during the last ice age. At the rear of the gorge, opposite the waterfall, is a 194 feet sheer rock wall. 

The walk up the gorge is positively magickal.  Scattered through the river and the sides of the gorge were huge ice age boulders; ferns and trees created a moist and cool surrounding, and I could really feel the presences of Earth elementals around me.  The water was crystal clear, and flowed, danced and roared around and over the rocks and boulders, filling the air with mist and sound. 

The falls themselves are breathtaking! More than 25 deaths have occurred at the Falls in the past century. Some were due to drowning, but most were due to rock climbing or rock jumping. This is a very dangerous area as pools are shallow, and swimming is not allowed. In October 2009, AOL Travel named Bash Bish Falls as one of the “Most Dangerous Tourist Attractions” in the U.S. and in 2010 AOL travel again named it one of the ten “most dangerous travel” destinations, this time in the world!  No wonder the energies were so interesting!

By the way, happy solar return, my Bobby!!

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