5/14/14

Ace of Swords/The Wheel of Fortune. The Ace of Swords (Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution authority, cunning, Aquarius and Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, soul growth, artistic) tells of the birth of ideas and concepts. This Ace certainly offers the power to analyze that is necessary in order to make good choices, and in order to react correctly to events in our day. The Wheel of Fortune (Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive and energetic change), Jupiter (expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune), Kaph (grasping hand), and the Path between Netzach (the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration) and Chesed (the place where forms and structure are stabilized and nurtured)) tells of sudden movement, but not movement caused by us or controlled by us.  The Wheel reminds us that nothing is permanent and everything is always in motion, motion that we can’t control.  All we can do is ride the wave, and I think my Ace of Swords will help me with that.  Nice pair!

My Thoth cards are the Seven of Swords (“Futility”) and the Nine of Wands (“Strength”) reversed. The Seven of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, cause-oriented, the group, aloofness) tells of the effort to maintain things as we want them, often through the use of deception and without considering the wants or needs of others.  This card can also be referring to the effort necessary to maintain, or lack thereof.  There is an imbalance here, and it may be the effort that is in trouble rather than the needs being imposed on myself or others. The Nine of Wands (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, adventurous, blundering) in an upright position tells us that the final challenge approaches, and we need to ready ourselves so we can guard our assets.  This card also tells of order and control, and it suggests that we plan for possible hostilities to come, the way a seasoned warrior would plan.  Crowley feels that the upright card reminds us that stability needs change in order to be effective.  I might be missing the fact that muscles need to be stressed in order to grow stronger.  An inability to be strong could result in the choice to maintain things as they are, even though change would be healthy.  Hmmm . . . .

My Legacy card is the Ace of Wands, another Ace, flavored by The High Priestess reversed. The Ace of Wands (Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical, Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, sensible, orderly) tells of the initial emanation of enthusiasm or inspiration that could very well energize an entire process or project.  Lots of Fiery energy here, but in the early stages; Will has not yet been manifested.   My Ace of Wands is being flavored by The High Priestess reversed. The High Priestess (Water; the Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination; Gimel, the camel who safely crosses Da’ath, the Abyss, and thus, has the secret of life; and the Path between Tiphareth, the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify, and Kether, the source, limitless possibility), is one-half of the Major Arcana representation of the Sacred Feminine, with The Empress being the other half. The High Priestess is the source of the power of The Magician, the feminine version of The Hierophant, and the Keeper of the Mysteries.  She is the Gatekeeper who determines whether I am ready to experience the Mysteries, and because she is reversed, I am being told, “Not yet.”  Today, her calm serenity will not be useful to me, maybe because of all the Fiery energies in my spread.

My 6-digit date number is 7, the number that tells of the pause that occurs as growth slows and degeneration approaches, usually requiring a choice of some kind. 

My horoscopes: “Your creative talents should be operating at an all-time high today, Sagittarius. You might be offered an opportunity to earn some money putting them to use. Your excitement and enthusiasm are likely to ensure that you'll do the best you possibly can and earn a lot of approval from those around you. Your intuition is also operating at a high level, boosting your imagination and relations with others. Enjoy your day!”

And: “Regardless of the situation you are in, you will want to take the easy way out. There is a sense of laziness seeping over you, and you may be trying to find a way to sneak out of certain responsibilities. Even though this idea seems terrific now, it is likely to get you into serious trouble later on. Be careful of cheating the system and then expecting the full benefits of hard work in return. You will earn exactly what you deserve.”

My next Wild Unknown Tarot card!  The Nine of Wands.  This one shows a view from the bottom of a stairway made from nine Wands; the stairway reaches far upward, and it appears that if I can find the strength and stamina to climb to the top, I just might be able to touch the beautiful golden crescent in the sky.  To me, this is an optimistic metaphor for the Nine of Wands.  When I look at the image on this card I feel confident that if I can keep myself focused on my own inner Fire, and if I can fine-tune my ability to direct the resulting energy for a sufficient amount of time and in the correct manner, I will make it to the goal.  Mental discipline and focus, and the right amount of exertion, will do the trick. 

I just stumbled upon a very interesting new Tarot deck, called The Magdalene Legacy Tarot.  Oh boy, this one is really calling to me!  It is based on the Grail mysteries, containing lots of Judeo-Christian mysticism with all its esoteric and Hermetic focuses.  Oooooooh, can’t wait to receive my deck.  Because of course, I ordered it.

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1/22/14

The Hermit/The Empress reversed.  Strong message! The Hermit corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and material, practical and stable energy that is slow to change), as well as Virgo (“I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented, orderly), Yod (open hand, touch), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Chesed (the place where forms and structure are stabilized and nurtured), and in an upright position is about searching within for a deeper meaning, often through solitude bordering on discomfort.  My Hermit is reversed, and the reversed Hermit in the Llewellyn Welsh Tarot tells of suffering and a sense of exile being created by the effect of philosophies that are limited in some way.  The isolation of the reversed Hermit is not a calm soul-searching but rather created out of desperation, and perhaps isolation is not the solution. The Empress (my significator card, which corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and stable, material, practical energies that are slow to change), Venus (beauty, allure, pleasure, relationships), the Hebrew letter Daleth (door or womb) and the Path between Binah (female receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) and Chokmah on the Tree of Life (dynamic male energy and the origin of vital force and polarity)) is one half of the Major Arcana representation of the Sacred Feminine, the half that is about creativity, fertility of all kinds, a deep connection to Nature and the nurturing of others, and an enjoyment of the senses.  Because she is reversed, and because she is paired with The Hermit, she is reminding me that sometimes the effective choice is expansion, but at other times it is more effective to contract or withhold. 

My Thoth cards are the Nine of Wands (“Strength”) and The Hierophant reversed.  Validation, anyone? The Nine of Wands (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, adventurous, blundering) tells us that the final challenge approaches, and we need to ready ourselves so we can guard our assets.  This card also tells of wisdom that is only obtained by long-term focus.  I am being reminded that there is strength to be had from facing (and surviving) opposition.  The Hierophant corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes), Taurus (“I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn), Vau (the nail which holds tradition in place), and the Path between Chesed (the place where forms and structures are stabilized and nurtured), and Chokmah (dynamic male energy, the origin of vital force and polarity).  This card is an archetype of Spirit (with The Emperor as archetype of the Sacred Masculine, The Empress as archetype of the Sacred Feminine, and all three representing the supernal triad) that reminds us of the value of tradition, ritual and ceremony.  The Hierophant is both the authority and advocate of tradition, but today, tradition, ritual and ceremony may distract me from the message of my Inner Voice.  These two cards together are telling me that what I have been through these past few weeks may allow me to see things from a new and personally valuable way. 

My Legacy cards are the King of Swords reversed, flavored by The Magician reversed.  Aaaand clarification of validation. The King of Swords (cusp of Capricorn, “I build,” ambitious, cautious, cunning, authoritative, and Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, aloof) is a good judge of people and situations.  He uses his intellect to analyze, so he may not be compassionate but he is trustworthy, and he can be trusted to fiercely stand by his decisions.   My King is reversed, and I am being told that I won’t be effective in understanding those around me.  My reversed King of Swords is being flavored by another reversed card, The Magician reversed. The 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).  The Magician works hard to perfect his abilities, to make use of those abilities in unexpected ways, and to focus and carry through to the end of a task (which is pretty important to him).  This card is personally significant to me also (a second reversed significator), and since he represents the manifestation of tangible knowledge, and since he is reversed (and flavoring another reversed card), he is validating in a major way the message of the reversed King of Swords.  Sounds like today needs to be a quiet and inwardly-focused day.

My 6-digit date number is 10, the number that tells of a completion of a cycle, which reduces further to 1, the number of position and potential. 

My horoscopes: “This could prove to be a very busy day, Sagittarius. Someone close to you might come to you for advice on how to manage their resources, perhaps because of successes you've had in the past. This might take up more time than you'd planned for, but you'll enjoy helping your friend. Information received from TV or newspapers could bring a new interest into your life and spur you on to do some research on the subject.”

And: “News about possible developments regarding the progress of projects, perhaps job-related, perhaps personal, could come your way today. This could require further effort that could be unexpected. Perhaps some additional research is needed, or you might have to make a lot of phone calls. A journey of some kind may also be indicated. Move now, while your confidence, optimism and enthusiasm are still high. Success and good fortune could well result.”

My next Wild Unknown Tarot card is **drum roll** The Hermit.  Once again, the image on this card really does capture the essence of its energies.  Here we see a turtle, pulled safely into his shell and isolated from the effects of the world, but with a hurricane lamp perched on his back, flame blazing high.  Yes, he is protected by a defense that can deflect most challenges, and yes, he can see his world very clearly, despite that effective defense.  He is not so much shutting out the world as he is shutting out the distractions of the world; he is still peeking out of his shell and observing, just not actively interacting.  Also, much of the turtle is hidden from view behind that effective shield.  It must get hot in there in the Summer, and cold in the Winter, yet those effects are not an issue to him.  We can see the working parts of his limbs, and his head and the senses he uses to absorb and digest his world, but we can’t see much of who he is or how he operates.  Yet, he is effective, despite being a conundrum and a mystery . . . maybe, because of it. 

I am being pulled into finding more out about Tao Yin, or Yin Yoga.  I’ve been including Yin in my personal practice since before the first of the year, and I love the deep stretches and inner tranquility this version of Yoga brings.  I have spent hours looking at videos of Yin practices, and I am even substitute teaching a Yin class.  Now, comes the typical “Raushanna Response” to something that calls to me: research.  I have some reading to do, and I am excited.  Yin is beneficial, especially when it is balanced out with a nice, strong Yang practice.  Could this be my calling as far as a Yoga teacher?  I will keep you posted.

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7/28/13

Transparent Oracle Sunday!

42, Guide: Angel (Above).  The direction of Above takes us up and out of the four traditional elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth, and reminds us that we are but a small part of the Cosmos.  Above also reminds us that while the Machinery of the Universe is huge, it does have an effect on each of us, and each of us is an important part of the workings of that Machinery. Angel is the Guide for the Celestial Realm, and you could say that Angel is one of the messengers who bridges the gap between us and the vast expanses of the Universe.  When Angel appears in a spread, some event or effect may have more significance than I think, and I had better pay attention.

29, Guide: Turtle (West). West is the direction of Water, and thus, of feelings and emotions, relationships of all kinds, cleansing and healing, the wisdom associated with natural endings, and the bubbling up of pure joy.  Water is Turtle’s environment, but not only Water, for like Otter, many Turtles are at home on Earth (and in fact, Turtles lay their eggs on Earth).  Turtle offers us an opportunity to learn about protection; not the kind of protection that shuts out the world but rather, the kind of protection that allows us to dive deep and explore the unknown without fear.  Turtle is also slow and steady, is patient, and endures; Turtle has a long lifespan, and has existed relatively unchanged since ancient times.  Turtle’s shell shows us how to exist in spite of the churning eddies of life, without being affected by them.  After all, she is able to safely travel between the worlds because she is well-protected.

19, Guide: Bee (South).  South is the direction of the midday sun and the peak of power and illumination; this direction is associated with passionate drive and creativity.  Bee is about teamwork and harmony and a sense of community, and about service to that community.  The service is performed for the greater good, and without an expectation of acknowledgment.  Bee is not about the individual’s needs, but rather it is about the needs of the hive, and often the individual is sacrificed in order to allow the hive to continue.

I then stacked my cards and created my mandala.  The Turtles each cover the faces of the Angels, and the Bees each connect the wings of the Angels. The center of the mandala is the pentagram in a circle of its own, surrounded by alternating Turtles and Bees, each facing outward as if on guard duty, with the Angels hidden, supporting but not being seen.  The energies of these cards do support each other; Turtle is about enduring and remaining true to myself over the long term, despite the churning eddies of life, and Bee is about the needs of the hive, which are often maintained by personal sacrifice.  Angel is telling me that today, these concepts are quite significant for me, and they could be bringing about a huge change of some kind. 

Awesome weekend.  Started both mornings off with a walk on Sunset Beach, then time in the garden, then off to the beach with company.  Two awesome dinners, now quiet time.  Pretty much unplugged most of the weekend, and I am better for it.

My next Wild Unknown Tarot is a lovely one: The Lovers.  This card shows two Canadian geese flying wing-to-wing, with a blue sky and lovely rays coming from a point of infinity.  The image exudes love and supportive connections and blessings being showered upon those who love and have loving and supportive connections.  Geese mate for life; I’ve heard stories of pairs of geese getting separated and the efforts they put forth to find each other.  Geese support each other when raising a family, and they look out for the entire group.  Every time I pass a large group of geese on a lawn somewhere, there are always one or two members of the group who are watching and guarding as the rest eat.  This card is about love and caring, and about choosing to nurture and value that love and caring.

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