8/23/13

Nine of Swords/Six of Pentacles reversed.  The Nine of Swords (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, social, dual) represents brooding and worrying, usually self-caused, and usually unproductive.  My buddy Crowley calls this worrying “cruelty of the mind,” and it is always important to remember that this kind of worry is a total waste of time and energy.  It may be far too easy today to become a slave to anxiety; I need to remember to keep my sense of humor.  The Six of Pentacles (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.  Perhaps my worrying is distracting me from the blessings in my life.  I am already sensing the approach of some kind of Aha! Moment, and I need to keep in mind that I have the resources I need to encourage the breakthrough. 

My Thoth card is the Two of Disks.  “Change” is Uncle Al’s keyword for this one.  The Two of Disks (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution, cunning) reminds us that everything always ebbs and flows, and we need to do the same in order to remain dynamically balanced.  Sometimes things move slowly when we want them to speed up, and sometimes things move too darned fast; if we go with the flow and make micro-adjustments, we can still benefit from any situation. 

My Legacy card is The Lovers, flavored by the Six of Wands reversed.  The Lovers (Air, hot/separates and wet/adapts, quick and animated, intellectual, problems or challenges; Gemini, “I think,” curious, talkative, sociable, dual; Zayin, double-edged sword; and the Path between Tiphareth, the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify, and Binah, female receptive energy and the origin of form and structure) tells of duality, union, and personal choices.  This card is about love, but it is also about our values and how they affect our choices, and the promises we make to others.  My own choices and promises are important today, and they will most likely have long-term consequences.  My Lovers card is being flavored by the reversed Six of Wands.  The Six of Wands (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, noble, authoritative) in an upright position expresses the celebration we feel when we have passed some test or successfully met a challenge. The upright Six of Wands celebrates personal victory, and because it is not only reversed, but also flavoring my Lovers card, I am being reminded that sometimes my choices and promises are not about me, they are instead about those I love and care for.  Important!

My 6-digit date number is 8, the number that tells of a conscious and deliberate attempt to slow the degeneration of the number 7 in order to maintain for a bit longer the harmony of the number 6.

My horoscopes: “Mercury enters incredibly efficient Virgo, and you get it right on the first try with straightforward, sharp-focused style. You can say, ‘We will find a way’ as you troubleshoot with confidence. Friendships blossom under the stars. Couples give inhibitions the evening off.”

And: “You may have to put a bit of restraint on your fun loving, adventurous attitude today. Regardless of how much you'd like to kick back your heels and say that it just doesn't matter, the truth is that it does. Everything matters. You may find it difficult to connect with people today, so realize that you may need to adopt your approach a bit in order to connect with others on the same wavelength.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Six of Wands.  I am being told that standing up and roaring while being filled with pride and arrogance is okay, as long as I’ve done the hard work to get to where I can stand up and roar, and as long as I don’t turn this into a perpetual rulership.  So, I will celebrate for a bit (because I **have** accomplished a lot!), and then get right back to work. 

Again I woke up this beautiful, breezy and sunny Friday morning with a sense of both a lovely grounding, and a combination of gratitude and expectancy.  This is my Second Saturn Return year, and yes, things they are a-changing, but thanks to the hard work I have done over the past decade, so far **knocks frantically on wood** I’ve been able to not only handle the challenges and restrictions, but also benefit from them. 

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8/22/13

King of Cups/Three of Wands.  What a difference a day makes! The King of Cups (cusp of Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation, and Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling mysterious, obsessive) is the expert on emotions and the subconscious, mainly because of his life experiences.  He is able to be calm, caring and diplomatic in order to keep people working together in a productive way, and thus people are eager to do as he wishes. 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) is a card of planning ahead that tells of the excitement that comes with good possibilities at hand.  This is a powerful card, filled with potential, but not completed manifestation.  This may be a good day to dream of future possibilities, for those dreams will be fertile, and very likely to manifest.

My Thoth card is the Seven of Cups reversed. Second day in a row! “Debauch” is the keyword.  The Seven of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, obsessive, mysterious) in an upright position represents the distraction, sensory overload and dissipation that can happen when we are presented with too many enticing choices.  The Thoth card arranges the Cups in the same configuration as the part of the Tree of Life below the Abyss, indicating that the pleasures experienced through this card in an upright position are cut off from Spirit, and thus these pleasures inevitably become diseased and corrupted.  The card is reversed, which means I should also have the will to pull myself out of the mire they could end up creating.

My Legacy card is the Queen of Cups, flavored by the Three of Cups.  Niiice!  Two Threes, and the King and Queen of Cups, all in one throw.  The Queen of Cups (cusp of Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, and Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody) represents the energies of Water and The High Priestess manifested into the Minor Arcana.  She tells me that no matter how I feel inside, the best way to handle my day is by being compassionate and loving, and striving to stick to the rules without ruffling feathers. The Three of Cups (Mercury, reason, intelligence, orderliness, communication, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody), which is flavoring my Queen of Cups, is about connections, emotional abundance, and about blessings.  This is seen as the friendship card, and it validates the message of the Queen: listen and sympathize without becoming anyone’s fool, and all will be well.

My 6-digit date number is 7, the number that tells of the pause that comes as waxing energies begin to slow and waning energies approach, often involving a choice or crossroad of some kind.

My horoscopes: “Perhaps you can't believe it, but it's time to say goodbye to your rigid attitude. A little pleasure among all that seriousness and responsibility won't do you any harm. This day could help you change your point of view on life. This will feel great.”

And: “Your footloose and fancy-free nature is feeling extra frisky today, so give yourself room to explore and expand. Your spirit is feeling quite generous, free, and loving, so take this opportunity to extend this feeling out to others. Your smile is priceless today. Make sure to keep it shining from ear to ear as you walk down the street. Project your energy outward and see how far you can expand your range of influence.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Four of Wands.  Perfect!  A momentary respite that will allow us to celebrate that we made it through yesterday’s storms and upheavals.  We are not finished with challenges, not by any means.  But that does not mean we can’t celebrate a bit!  More excitement to come; and that is part of the celebration of today!

For some reason, I am feeling expectant in a good way, as if my subconscious knows that just beyond the horizon, just out of sight, is something really and powerfully positive, just waiting for me to find it.  I can’t pin down one single reason for this beautiful state of being, so I’m going to not look this gift horse in the mouth, and just enjoy the day.  I will remain open to all these Cups energies, and hopefully the lovely experience waiting just beyond my field of vision will be drawn to me by my actively positive attitude. 

And just to capture a bit more of this lovely energy, I threw another Wild Unknown Tarot card: The Father of Cups.  The image on this one is a bit different than that of the Son of Cups, yet there are similarities too.  This card shows a black swan, seated in the same way that the Son is seated, yet the Father appears much more alert.  His wing feathers are erect, giving him a commanding and alert appearance.  He seems to be making eye contact, unlike the Son, who is gazing off to the side.  The Cup, the symbol of his suit, is above him, as if it was something within both his conscious mind and subconscious mind.  The background lines are vertical, yet they are not restricted to being straight and solid; almost as if we are being shown a way to see straight lines in a different, more valuable way that does not restrict us.  This card evokes a strong sense of authority, and a sharp awareness of what is going on in all directions.  This swan is watching over his family, calm and serene yet ready to defend those he loves.  He makes sure they are well taken care of.

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Six of Swords reversed/Ace of Swords reversed.  The Six of Swords (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, communication, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause oriented) is about balance, healing, moving towards a better place, and even about learning the science behind things that work (because understanding why they work makes them more effective).  Because my Six is reversed, I may not be real good at mixing logic and intuition today, and the journey from negative to positive may not go smoothly.  I may need to second-guess any bad feelings I have and I should make certain that I don’t take anything too personally. The Ace of Swords (Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution authority, cunning, Aquarius and Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, soul growth, artistic) is about potential within the mental or intellectual realms.  The power associated with this card in an upright position is not of the natural realm, but since my Ace is reversed, working with my Will may not be real easy; better that I have a more grounded focus.

My Thoth card is the Princess of Cups reversed. The Princess/Page of Cups corresponds to Libra (“we are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation), Scorpio (“I desire,” intensity compulsion, mystery) and Sagittarius (“I seek,” philosophic, adventurous, blundering) is very emotional, dreamy, social, and connected to the inner voice.  My Princess/Page is reversed however, and so there might be a bit of selfishness or immaturity laced into the emotions, dreams and connection.

My Legacy card is the Five of Coins reversed, flavored by Strength. The Five of Coins (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, skill, communication, in Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn) traditional image shows a woman and a child, one of them injured in some way, travelling in the cold wind, with a church window behind them.  This card in an upright position tells of the loss of financial or physical world security that might be a bit humbling, but because my Five of Coins is reversed, the spiritual fulfillment will be greater than the need. 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 flavoring my reversed Five of Coins; it tells of emotional endurance and control, and of being able to even rise above disturbing emotions in order to manifest both courage and patience.  Yessss!

My 6-digit date number is 3, the number that tells of a new creation out of the potential and position of the Ace, and the balance, polarity, and understanding of the concept of “distance between” of the number 2.

My horoscopes: “Take time out from your work today and relax a little, Sagittarius. Let your romantic nature have some fun and don't feel guilty about not being as serious as you think you should be. The winner of the day is the one who can smile the most, so enter this contest with the intent of coming out on top. The rewards will last a long time. Those you encounter won't be able to help smiling back.”

And: “Move right in for the kill today, and don't stop until you have made a successful slaughter. Don't let other people's insecurities become your insecurities. Have confidence in yourself and the way you conduct yourself around others. Just because someone else is feeling sad, doesn't mean that you have to as well just to make them feel better. The best thing you can do for the situation is turn it around by exhibiting sheer happiness and a fun-loving attitude.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Nine of Pentacles.  This is such a lovely card, and it tells of a lovely time that is created and manifested through disciplined efforts that are usually performed in a solitary and self-sufficient manner.  While the manifestation of the Nine of Pentacles is found in the physical world, it is attained by creating and maintaining a balance between that physical world and the realms of spirit and the Sacred, or at the very least, our personal ethical code and our Higher Self.

I am striving to get back to my routine, after the double distractions of a vacation and a heat wave.  I feel good because through my efforts to keep a bit of discipline in play, I have managed to maintain the status quo, but now it is time to start making progress again.

Both of my horoscopes seem to be saying “don’t worry; be happy” today.  Interesting that my Touchstones daily meditation mentions fun, as well.  “Creative play involves trusting that every activity doesn’t need a worthy goal, doesn’t need to be planned out.”  Now there is an interesting challenge! Not planning, not having a goal.  Interesting!

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