Seven of Cups/Three of Pentacles reversed.  The Seven of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, obsessive, mysterious), which represents the distraction and dissipation that can happen when we are presented with enticing choices.  This card can tell of the danger of indulging in wishful thinking and the dissipation that can happen from it. The traditional image of the Seven of Cups shows seven cups, each filled with what appears to be a wonderful gift: the Wreath (Saturn and The World); the Castle (Mars and The Tower), the Woman (Venus and The Empress); the Snake (Mercury and The Magician); the Veil (the Moon and The High Priestess), the Jewels (Jupiter and The Wheel of Fortune), and the Dragon (our Sun and The Sun).  The Three of Pentacles (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, cunning, competence) in an upright position tells of competence, planning and teamwork.  Oh boy, two cards that tell of the possibility of dissipation.  Choices are going to be real important for me today, and I need to really try to keep my nose on the grindstone, because I just might be easily distracted.  Now, where did I put that “To Do List”??

My Thoth card is the Six of Disks.  “Success”!  LOL, after those two, I need the Six of Disks (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Taurus, “I have,” Sensual, cautious, stubborn) which brings an awareness of resources to the situation, both those that I have and those that I don’t have. Resources are important, because they bring both knowledge and power.  Options are important too, but I need to remember the presence of the Seven of Cups in my spread. 

My Legacy card is the Two of Wands, flavored by The Empress.  Oooooh, baby! The Two of Wands (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive, enthusiastic) tells of power, influence and authority.  Because my Two of Wands is flavored by The Empress (which 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)), my power, influence and authority will be connected to creativity within the physical world.  Life and living, and the effects and experiences of living that life, are my forte today.

My 6-digit date number is 11 (Archangel Uriel), which reduces further to 2, the number of balance, polarity, location, and distance between.

My horoscopes: “Finding the answers you seek is easier when you take a more adamant position about where you stand now and where you want to be later. If you continue to be uncertain and relaxed about which way to proceed, others may take advantage of you. You have the strength and power to fuel your desires. It's time to put these into effect.”

And: “There is more than meets the eye to your money situation today. Errors may have been made in your financial records, or someone is not telling you the truth about an important factor. You are by nature a caring and trusting person, but this is not the day to blindly accept anyone's statements as reality. Check into the facts and see for yourself. Then act according to the facts in order to maintain your own best interests.”

And the new one: “You have plenty of great ideas today and, fortunately, the energy to turn some of them into reality. Although you might not be quite as charmed as King Midas, you could create fantastic opportunities everywhere you go. Your high spirits can inspire your co-workers to support you, even if your vision seems overly ambitious. Don't let this bountiful day pass without moving ahead on your next journey.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Nine of Pentacles.  This card is about striving to perfect the balance of spiritual and physical, but it is also about taking the time to enjoy the fruits of my labors.  Since I’ve got several fertile cards today, I am seeing this card as telling me to enjoy the many blessings I have achieved.  I can do that!

I have been given the Transparent Oracle as a birthday gift by my dear friend, Carolyn.  Oh my, I am hypnotized by this lovely Oracle.  I love, love love the idea of stacking these cards.  And guess what, Tara??  You can use them to create sigils!!!

But oh boy, I’m gonna have to start from scratch with this deck, because it is not a Tarot.  But it is perfect for me! The 70 circular transparent cards (did I mention that they are transparent??) are divided into seven categories: East, South, West, North, Above, Below and Within. Absolutely awesome!!  Within those categories are several sub-categories.  For the four cardinal directions, we have element, weather, time of day, season, elemental, and several guides.  Above connects to the stars and planets, Below offers guides and grail hollows, and Within offers connection to our senses.  Talk about a meditation tool!!!

I don’t know yet how I am going to learn this deck, but I’m going to.  I will probably post info about the cards on my in-between days, but I have to decide if I’m going to throw them randomly or work through the directions.  LOL, it’s going to take a bit of practice to be comfortable shuffling a round deck.

But I do want to jump right into the deep end of the pool, so I will shuffle (or LOL, attempt to shuffle) and throw three cards, no positions assigned, after asking the question “What potential can this new Oracle bring to me?”

Okay then, cool.  Three cards: #69, DNA/Labyrinth (Within), #56, Grail Hollows: The Cauldron (Below), and #45, Mars (Above).  And isn’t that a cool start!  These cards are not going to work like a traditional Tarot deck for me.  None of the cardinal directions have shown up in this initial card throw, and the answer to my question is that this Oracle will offer me potential regarding learning about my own senses and inner world, they will offer me guides and tools to assist in exploring both spiritual realms, the Underworld below us ~and~ the realms above and beyond the four elements.

DNA/Labyrinth is a Within card, and DNA is very symbolic for me.  LOL, go back to my Aha! Moment regarding DNA and life being created in the image of Deity, and you will see that I perceive DNA as the “image of Goddess.”  The image on this card is based on the Cretan Labyrinth, the one that kept the Minotaur captive.  This Labyrinth kind of looks like a many-lobed brain, which makes sense when you look at some of the keywords for this card: identity, self-exploration, secrets, potential, mystery, code.  Ancient wisdom and modern science, all rolled into one lovely card. 

The Cauldron is a Below card, and the keywords for this card are: abundance, initiation, healing, transformation, rebirth, inspiration.  This card expresses the element of Water at its most sacred level, as divine healer and provider of the needs of the soul.  We all need healing, each of us; and our souls have needs, just as our bodies have needs. 

Mars is my third card, from the realm of Above, and it is the only male card here.  This one corresponds to the element of Fire, and the keywords associated with the Mars card are: aggression, power, conquest, courage, passion, energy.

When I pile the three cards on top of each other, I see that Mars is being contained by The Cauldron, and the arrow of the Mars sigil is pointing to the “brain” that is the Labyrinth.  To me, I am being reminded by these three cards that Initiation is the “container” but in order to truly “see” the Divine, I must have the courage to “look.”  Here is the possibility being offered to me by the Transparent Oracle!!

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Page of Cups/Justice. The Page of Cups corresponds to Libra (“we are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation), Scorpio (“I desire,” intensity compulsion, mystery) and Sagittarius (“I seek,” philosophic, adventurous, blundering); this Page is intuitive and dreamy, easily touched, and very social in nature.  He is at the mercy of his feelings because of his openness, but seeing the world through the open expectations of a child can be a good thing. Justice is a card of adjustment, and it corresponds with the element of Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and quick, animated energy that usually brings problems or challenges that bring growth), Libra (“we are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation), Lamed (ox goad; training or teaching), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Geburah (the place where forms and structures are challenged or affirmed), and is about cause and effect.  The familiar figure of Justice is blind, but the image on this card shows Justice looking straight into my eyes, so I need to look carefully at my world today.  Indeed, she carries a sword, representing the element of Air and the Intellect, as well as the scales.  I will need to balance every factor, including what I believe.  That Page of Cups is a great card here, because he tells me to be compassionate, a nice emotion to add to the analysis connected with Justice.

My Thoth card is the Queen of Disks reversed.  I love the image on this Thoth card! The Queen of Coins (cusp of Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering, and Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution, cunning, authoritative) is very good at sustaining the physical world, keeping things dry and cozy and safe and orderly.  My Queen is reversed today, and she presents a warning: be very careful that I do not allow myself to be reduced to going through the motions like a robot, without infusing my own energies into a task, and without being aware of the effect of that task on my subtle and physical bodies.

My Legacy card is the Queen of Wands, flavored by Strength reversed. Lots of feminine Court Cards today!  The Queen of Wands (cusp of Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, soul growth, spirituality, and Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive) is energetic and enthusiastic; she gives 100% of herself into any situation, and does so with a smile on her face.  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) traditionally tells of emotional endurance and control, rather than physical endurance and control.  In the past, I have described this card as taming the wild emotions, but I can see now that this is not necessarily correct for every situation.  Sometimes we don’t need to tame our wild emotions; rather we need to direct them.  There is a difference here, and since my reversed Strength card is flavoring my Queen of Wands today, I will need to be very careful about plunging myself into any situation 100%, or I may end up on a windy downhill road, without brakes.

My 6-digit date number is 8, the number that tells of a conscious, sometimes powerful and sudden, response to the beginning of the degeneration of the number 7, striving to maintain for a bit longer the balance of the number 6.

My horoscopes: “If you've been thinking about writing, this is the day to get started. Your mind is particularly sharp and your imagination rich. Unusual developments, mostly positive, could take place in your neighborhood. You might not know the facts about exactly what's going on, and a lot of unfounded rumors could be circulating. Reserve any opinion until you know the truth.”

And: “You will find that you can soar to great heights today on a moment's notice. There is a fast-paced, socially minded quality to the day that will encourage people to share more of themselves with others. You will find a great deal of support from many different people at this time. Welcome this help with open arms. Don't try to do things by yourself when you are surrounded by such a strong team spirit.”

And a new one: “You enjoy taking a sweeping philosophical approach to life, but today's data-gathering Gemini Moon prompts your interest in just about everything. Unfortunately, you might appear scattered as your attention jumps from one fascinating topic to another. But the Sun's presence in your 12th House of Soul Consciousness reveals an intense inner world in contrast to your outer appearance. Slow down and choose a spiritual path now, since it can lift you out of the mundane world and take you to a more magical space.

My Shadowscapes Insight for today is The Emperor.  Oh, I am drawn to this card for some reason today.  The Emperor is about the man-made world.  Yes, much of what man creates is an imitation of the sacred, or an attempt to replicate a sacred process or effect, but this attempt to create and to be his own sacredness is man’s way of attempting to control his own destiny.  There is heavy responsibility irrevocably infused into this attempt, and The Emperor wholly accepts that responsibility and completely lives by his rules and regimens without exception, because he believes his rules and regimens are of the highest good for all, and are the best way to do things.

After yesterday’s entry regarding The Emerald Tablet, I decided that today I would meditate and go to the Ancient Altar.  And so, after breakfast and coffee, I headed for the beach. 

It is a lovely Fall day, breezy, with a blue sky and fair weather clouds.  Once I got to the beach, the breeze was stiff and blowing on shore.  Once again the waves were gentle but relentless, one after another they rolled on shore, pushing globs of foam up onto the sand.  LOL, I came to one place where the foam had collected in a large area and gotten covered by a thin dusting of sand; it looked like the beach was jiggling and dancing.

I walked over to the jetty, and sat in line with it so I could watch the waves hit its end and then split and roll to shore.  I brought my awareness to my astral self, made sure I had matches, pine needles and pine branches and pine cones in my bag, and began the climb to the Ancient Altar.

I reached the last stairs, and stepped onto the top of the mountain.  The breeze was stiff and brisk here, too, coming directly out of the East.  I undressed and piled my clothes neatly, then got out the matches and pine fuel for my fire.  As usual, I started my fire in the rock bowl before the stone altar.  The flames took quickly and soon were hissing and crackling as they consumed the pine needles, branches and cones.  I cast my circle, evoking each Watcher and Elemental Guide; then I invoked the Sacred Feminine and the Sacred Masculine, lighting each of the ancient candles with a pine branch from my fire. 

I stood there with eyes closed, facing East, allowing my awareness to fill with the essences of Those who had joined me in my circle.  I felt the wind grow stronger, buffeting my body, and as the gusts pushed against me and then passed through me, I felt bits of myself being blown away.  These bits were dried out and used up, and I actually felt lighter as they were unattached from my subtle body and carried away. 

Finally, I opened my eyes and looked upward; there it was, just as I expected, the “information highway.”  The tether that had attached itself to me was strong, several strands of different colors were twisted together and they pulsed with activity as information streamed down into my crown.  I was thrilled to see how potent the “downloads” appeared to be!  As I watched all the activity, I thought about the phrase from The Emerald Tablet that I was working on, and thus, I thought of the cycles that are created by the concept of “as above, so below.”  Suddenly, I realized what was missing here.

I gathered energy from my sacral chakra and spun it into an orange thread; I did the same with my heart chakra, spinning a green thread, and my crown chakra, spinning a purple thread.  Then, I allowed the three to twist together.  As soon as they touched, the three strands knotted and twisted around each other, moving ever upward on their own, until the triple strand finally reached the information highway, and “plugged into” it with a solid clunk. 

And suddenly, I understood this part of The Emerald Tablet.

“It ascends from the earth to the heaven. It extracts the lights from the heights and descends to the earth containing the power of the above and the below for it is with the light of the lights.”  There it was, all along, the instruction I needed. 

First, “It ascends from the earth to the heaven.”  Okay, that is what we all should be striving to do, because that is the process of evolution.  We should be striving to purify our own essence, to “lighten” our energy selves and to “raise” the vibrational levels; not that “heavy” or “lower” are bad or undesirable.  They are necessary effects and provide a foundation, as well as an extreme that offers the possibility of balance.  But the Purpose (and I capitalize that “P” in order to indicate the importance of the concept) of life is to strive upward, to accumulate experiences that are not of the physical world and the physical senses.  Those are the lessons presented by an upward climb of the Tree of Life.

Next, “It extracts the lights from the heights and descends to the earth . . .”  This is what I accomplished today.  The connection moving downward is important, as I will explain in a moment, but I needed to consciously achieve an upward connection as well as consciously open myself to the downward connection, in order to comprehend the message.  I knew there was a message here, I could perceive it, but I could not comprehend it.

Once I reached up and consciously achieved an upward connection, I finally “. . . contain[ed] the power of the above and the below,” for that connection is two way, as is every process and operation of the essence of life. 

So, here is where the real Aha! Moment came for me.  As I stood on the Ancient Altar, watching the flames of the Goddess and God candles dance in the brisk wind, feeling the presence of my Elemental Guides, the Watchers, the Sacred Feminine and the Sacred Masculine, and the Source of all, I understood the upward motion of those who live within a physical body, for that is the direction our essences are drawn.  Life after life, we are offered lessons and challenges to assist us in our evolution; we sometimes reach the point where we begin to attempt to create futures for ourselves, futures that we believe will bring some value to us.  The physical world, the effects of matter and of the Elements, and the challenges that attempt to weigh us down or the physical effects that try to lure us from our Purpose are necessary to this process, for they serve as a foundation for us to stand upon as we look for the next step upward, and they serve as an abrasive of sorts that cleans the tarnish and oxidation from the windshield, so we can see more clearly what lies ahead and thus, make better choices. 

But assuming I would eventually approach the end of this process, why would I cycle back downward?  If life is eternal, then this process should be eternal, too.  Is that the prize?  If I win the game, do I get sent back to Go, without collecting my $200?

The downward process is explained by thinking about the nature of Deity.  I believe that my life force and the life force of Deity both consist of the same essence, with my life essence being infused with the “impurities” of the physical realm (and I don’t mean that in a negative way; after all, impurities can create the most awesome crystals and gemstones!), and Deity’s life essence being the purest and farthest removed from those physical realm impurities.  To me, it is this similarity that manifests “as above, so below,” and that manifests the reflective nature of this phrase.  And just as my physical realm laced subtle body is naturally drawn upward (with “upward” meaning “drawn to purify itself from the effects of the physical world”), the subtle body of Deity (and of every life essence that has succeeded in moving towards a level that leaves behind the distractions of the physical world) is drawn downward.  It is this very effect that causes Deity to respond to an attempt to interact, to respond to a prayer or a request for intervention.

In order to communicate, we need to know a bit about the language spoken by the entity we wish to communicate with.  This is why we physically-focused beings meditate and strive to “see” beyond what our physical eyes show us; this is the way we learn to communicate using the language of symbols, which is the language of our Higher Self (“Higher” meaning less physical, not necessarily better), who is able to communicate with Deity.  This means that in order to respond to a request for communication, Deity must remind Itself/Herself/Himself of our language; Deity must immerse a part of Itself/Herself/Himself in the physical realms and “lower” Its/Her/His means of communication (with “lower” meaning closer to the physical, not necessary worse) in order to use the language of words. 

The cool thing is that while this instance describes the movement of the highest and purest essence of life downward to the lowest and physical world-infused essence of life, anyone who teaches or leads is “walking in the footsteps of Deity.”  If we reach the point where the higher vibrational tone of our subtle body draws to it others who are also striving to evolve, we are presented with an opportunity to light the path of another.  In doing so, we are adding to the downward motion of the “so below” part of this cycle.  There is danger here, because it is sooooo easy for us to assume that as Teacher, we are God, or at least the mouthpiece of God.  And this is sooooo not true!  The only reason I am where I am is because someone else went before me, and took the time to look backward and to plant the seeds and challenges that have guided me.  These realizations, this Aha! Moment I had this morning and am attempting to document using the ineffective language of words, have only come to be because I have followed the training of others.  Yes, I myself have opened to the message, and that is not a skill to belittle, but receiving the download and installing the program and then starting the program so it can run does not make me God. 

It only makes me someone who can occasionally manage to tap into the Sacred Essence of the Source, and actually understand the glimpse I am given.  

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The Chariot reversed/The Hierophant reversed. The Chariot corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, and sensitive, emotional and imaginative energy that likes to stay the same or follow the same course), Cancer (“I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody), Cheth (the fence), and the Path between Geburah (the place where forms and structure are challenged or affirmed) and Binah (female receptive energy and the origin of form and structure), and is related to emotional control and the training of our emotions so that we can use them to bring greater good into our lives. 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 is a conservative card whose power is based on orthodox and proven systems.  Both cards are reversed, and I think they have an interesting message for me.  One of the interpretations of the reversed Chariot is **not** putting oneself first.  Upright, this card tells of using our skills and ability to focus in order to achieve goals, but reversed, it could very well be warning me today that my goals should not be first on my list.  The reversed Hierophant could be possibly reinforcing this interpretation of The Chariot; since The Hierophant is an expert in culture and tradition, and since the card is reversed, I might be being told today that I am not the expert I believe myself to be, and maybe I had better stop and listen to what others have to say.

My Thoth card is the Eight of Swords. “Interference,” and this is my only upright card today in my regular card throws.  The Eight of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable talkative, dual) shows the confusion and restriction that can result from actively seeking to use only the intellect to perceive reality.  I love Paul Huges-Barlow’s keyword for this card, “analysis paralysis.”  This card tells of a situation where I am not able to connect the results of my analysis process to the outer world.  Crowley sees the interference represented by this card as being strongly connected to pure bad luck; the blockages are probably not anything I could prevent, so I should try to ride the wave for today.  Maybe things will be clearer tomorrow.

My Legacy card is Temperance reversed, flavored by the Six of Swords 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 the concept of dynamic balance. The Six of Swords (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, communication, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause oriented) is about hitting the reset button in order to move away from a problem or blockage and to begin to recover.  You could say that the upright Six of Swords is moving towards balance and away from imbalance, and since it is reversed and since it is flavoring my reversed Temperance, it could be seen as reinforcing that reversal.  Temperance is also a card of maintaining rather than actively moving, but reversed it can be seen as telling of some kind of motion or interference.  **scratches head**  “Interference”; now where have I heard that word?  LOL.  The reversed Six of Swords can tell of high spirits, which can be seen as an extreme rather than a situation of balance. 

My Pearls of Wisdom 11/11/11 card is the Six of Pentacles. 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. The Pearls of Wisdom Six of Pentacles tells of generosity, blessings, and joyous deliverance.  It tells of the coming resolution of a difficulty , or the approach of some breakthrough.  Oh-kay!

My 6-digit date number is 7, the number that tells of a pause and assessment which will require a choice: move on or stay as I am.

My horoscopes: “Practical, scientific, or spiritual ideas of all kinds are your life's blood. Today you might expand your knowledge. Much of what you learn may be based on technology such as telescopes or particle accelerators. You're only scratching the surface today. Much of what you learn may be confusing, but stay with it. It will make more sense to you later.”

And: “Balance out your boisterous, adventurous nature with a bit of discipline today. It is important for you to laugh, but it is also important for you to stay on task with your duties. The good news is that both of these things can work in tandem. They are not mutually exclusive. In fact, one will aid in achieving the other. Be serious, but feel free to have a good time and keep things in perspective, as well.”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is regarding The Chariot.  This lovely card tells of triumph, of self-confidence, and of the maintenance of discipline.  The Shadowscapes Companion says this about The Chariot: “Like the tenuous border where sea meets sky, a constant tension of push and pull of air against liquid is maintained, and to ride to victory, one must be able to achieve the confidence and knowledge to walk upon that fragile surface.”  I am reminded instantly of what the beach looked like tonight, as I waited for the sun to set.  It was low tide, and the waves were gentle but continuous, and large gobs of foam had piled up along the edge of the farthest reaches of the waves.  The foam serves of a reminder of the power of even gentle waves, and of the image of balance that was presented to me at dusk this evening.

The next part of The Emerald Tablet, “It ascends from the earth to the heaven. It extracts the lights from the heights and descends to the earth containing the power of the above and the below for it is with the light of the lights. Therefore the darkness flees from it.” needs to be examined carefully, because it is huge. 

This section tells of rising up, of being refined, of reflected back downward, being refined even more, and then rising back up once again.  I am being given the image of the cycles that happen when “as above” and “so, below” interact; these cycles are endless.  Interestingly enough, the quote from my Shadowscapes Companion seems to relate directly to this part of The Emerald Tablet.  Push and pull, above and below, image and reflection of that image, all keep cycling again and again. 

I am also reminded of the “information highway of lights” that I have been seeing for some time now, since July.  My “tether” to this information highway has grown thick and substantial, and to me, this part of The Emerald Tablet seems to be referring directly to that information highway.  Hmmmm . . . I have not been to the Ancient Altar in a while; maybe it is time that I go there. 

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Knight of Pentacles reversed/Two of Cups.  The Knight of Pentacles (cusp of Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, egotistical, and Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) tells of persistence to the point of being stubborn, and caution to the point of being boring.  Since the Knight is reversed, I am going to assume that the persistence may be causing me to be overextended, and the caution may be turning into lethargy.  The Two of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, family and home oriented, tenacious, moody) is about love, usually about relationships and commonalities.  This is a strange pair; I am going to assume that the persistence/overextension is needed, perhaps by someone I care for, and in going the extra mile I will be offering support and a strong foundation.  Okay then.

My Thoth card is the Prince of Cups 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) feels things strongly, and is a dreamer.  The upright Prince is good at hiding his feelings, but since the card is reversed, perhaps I need to let my feelings show a bit today.  Not too crazy, though; don’t want anyone to drop a net over me.  Since this is a Prince/Knight, and it is reversed, I need to be aware of a potential for imbalance.

My Legacy card is the Eight of Coins reversed, flavored by The Emperor.  The Eight of Coins (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, sensible, orderly) in an upright position is about being prepared, studying or learning new things, and doing your homework, and because it is reversed, I may find that I am not able to focus on the details that need to be attended to. The Emperor is a Fire card (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive, energetic change) which corresponds with the astrological sign of Aries (“I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive) and the Hebrew letter Heh (window, illumination) that represents the power of the mind and of intentions to shape the world.  My Emperor is flavoring my reversed Eight of Coins, and he is telling me that the details I am having trouble connecting to are important. The authority of The Emperor is gained through knowledge and experience, which is transformed into wisdom; looks like education is important to me today, even though I may not want to hit the books.

My Pearls of Wisdom Full Moon card is the Page of Cups.  Look at all the Court Cards!!  The Page of Cups corresponds to Libra (“we are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation), Scorpio (“I desire,” intensity compulsion, mystery) and Sagittarius (“I seek,” philosophic, adventurous, blundering); this Page is intuitive and dreamy, very social in nature.  He is at the mercy of his feelings because he is not yet mature enough to handle them.  Okay, gotta be careful about my feelings and emotions today.

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

My horoscopes: “Matters of the heart are in your favor today. You should prepare for a day full of social activities and good conversation. Your creative spirit may also be heightened. You can't go wrong picking the right item in a clothing store or flea market. Your taste for the elegant is impeccable, so feel free to indulge.”

And: Things should be going well for you today, so don't miss out on the opportunities that await you. There is a sparkle in your eye that is unmistakable, and you will find that issues regarding love and romance are especially potent at this time. Love is on your side, and you should take this opportunity to delve deep into a love affair. Take a trip with the person or people you enjoy the most.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Queen of Pentacles.  Another Court Card!  “‘Carry this as a token and a reminder that I am always here,’ she says, taking a leaf from the boughs that whisper a singing susurrus from around her.”  This one has a very personal message for me.  This evening, I performed a solitary Oak Moon Esbat, during which I made a tether, using an oak leaf, a green and fresh oak leaf, that I found on the ground.  Thank you, Queen of Pentacles.

It has been a busy, busy week.  But I feel great.  I gave some Vedic-Thai Bodywork to a friend of a friend.  Awesome.  I wrote a Full Moon Esbat and a New Moon Esbat, connected by a related pre-Esbat meditation and a magickal working.  And I wrote a Yule Sabbat ritual and a pre-Sabbat meditation, which need review but the main work is done.  **smile**  I am pleased and proud of what I have accomplished.  But LOL, I think I am done with typing.

Tomorrow is 11/11/11; should be an interesting day. 

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Nine of Pentacles/The Universe/World reversed. 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. This card also reminds me that in the end, I need to rely on myself.  I need to attempt to handle the situation on my own, and have confidence in my ability to do so.  The Universe/World (Earth, cold/binds and dry/shapes, stable, physical, material, slow to change; Saturn, discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance; Thav, mark or sign; and the Path between Malkuth, the physical world of action and physical reality, and Yesod, the place where patterns and images emerge that may manifest into Malkuth) is about synergy, integration and fulfillment, and my card is reversed today.  Okay, more isolation, but not necessarily bad isolation

My Thoth card is the Two of Cups reversed.  “Love” is Uncle Al’s keyword for the Two of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, family and home oriented, tenacious, moody) which in an upright position is also about love, usually about relationships and commonalities.  My Two of Cups is reversed, and so it is telling of . . . drum roll . . . a sense of isolation.  Sound familiar?  The thing about this card is that in a reversed position it has a flavor of self-absorption; that could make things difficult.

My Legacy card is the Seven of Coins reversed, flavored by the King of Wands reversed.  The Seven Coins (Saturn, discipline, responsibility, law and order, in Taurus, “I have,” sensual, cautious, stubborn) in an upright position tells of isolation.  LOL, no, only kidding.  Actually, the upright Seven tells of pauses and assessments and choices, but since the card is reversed, it is indicating action and direction change, and possibly hardship of some kind in the physical world.  Which indeed can sometimes be isolating.  My King of Wands reversed is flavoring my Seven of Coins reversed. The King of Wands (cusp of Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, nurturing, moody, and Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic egotistical) in an upright position is charismatic and forceful in an admirable way.  He is reversed and flavoring my Seven of Coins reversed with his drama, and this might not be good drama.  Making a splash certainly gets everyone’s attention, but that attention may not be good.  Be careful!

My 6-digit date number is 10, the ending or completion of a cycle of effect or manifestation, which reduces further to the number 1, potential, beginnings and position.

My horoscopes: “Someone who may be something of a local celebrity might suddenly be attracted to you, although at this point neither one of you may be inclined to pursue it. Don't expect much from this person beyond conversation, although this should be very stimulating now. The energy should be strong enough to last beyond the day, so don't be shy about exchanging names and phone numbers.”

And: “Communication with others could be extremely rewarding today - especially later on in the day. Project more of your energy outwards and join with others in projects that you might otherwise try to tackle on your own. Things should flow smoothly today, as long as you take a lighthearted and optimistic approach. Move forward with projects instead of just thinking about them and contemplating their completion.”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is the Knight of Swords.  This Knight is the brave hero who rushes in to save the day.  He does not allow emotion to sway him from his task, and this means that he knows no fear.  He won’t stop until the prize is won and the maiden is saved.  A storm may gather in his wake, born of the turbulence of his fervor, but his sword glows like a beacon to his followers.

Last night, as my Dahling and I stood in our yard, cooking a pair of awesome bone-in ribeyes (yes, while I tend towards being a vegetarian, I can be lured by a big, beautiful, well-marbled hunk of red meat!), I waited patiently for the ISS.  The moon was up, waxing beautifully, and the western sky had lost its reds and oranges, and then suddenly there it was.  A brilliant reddish tinted star, moving across the sky, almost directly overhead!

I thought it would pass into the Earth’s shadow and fade away before passing behind the roofs of the houses to our East, but instead the ISS glowed brightly until I couldn’t see it any more.  What a piece of work is man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties.  I won’t go further with that quote by the Bard, which ends in not so admirable a manner, because I am in awe of this handiwork of man.  I feel the same way, every time the glowing ember of the ISS passes over my head.

Today is my absolute favorite “holiday” of the year: Fall Back Day.  For a few short months, my body clock will be much more in tune with my time pieces.  This really does have a huge influence on my alertness, and my energy level, and this influence gets greater as I grow older.  I am spending the day tapping into these lovely, balanced feelings. 

We just took a nice bike ride down to the Cove, and stood for a while beneath a Fall-blue sky, our cheeks warmed by the blazing sun, and watched the waves.  We both inhaled deeply, breathing in the crisp, clean air rich with the essences of sand and surf.  And then we returned home; hubby is watching the Giants, and I am typing this post.

And I am still filled to overflowing with lovely balance.  Happy Fall Back Day, everyone!!

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Seven of Swords reversed/Two of Pentacles.  The Seven of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, cause-oriented, the group, aloofness) in an upright position tells of the effort to maintain things as we want them, usually through the use of deception. It tells of going it alone, and hiding from the truth.  But since my Seven of Swords is reversed, this just might be a kinder, nobler and more innocent day.  My bonding with others should be open minded and flexible, thanks to the presence of the Two of Pentacles.  The Two of Pentacles (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution, cunning) reminds me that everything always ebbs and flows.  Growth and caution may seem like polar opposites, but actually they are both necessary, together, for true balance.  My Two of Pentacles also tells me that there is a good possibility that any interactions I do have with others today will have a party atmosphere; okay then.

My Thoth card is the Queen of Cups.  The Queen of Cups (cusp of Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, and Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody) is Water of Water, and thus is quite deeply connected to her feelings, her spirituality and her Inner Voice.  This makes her seem a bit passive, but actually her intense awareness of her own feelings and her ability to control them allows her to be objective. I’ve gotta listen to my intuition and to my Inner Voice today because they just might have important messages for me. 

My Legacy card is The Fool reversed, flavored by the Seven of Wands reversed.  The Fool corresponds with Air (hot/separates and wet/adapts, and challenges that tend to require the use of the intellect to solve), Uranus (technology, science, radical change), Aleph (the head, youthful learning) and the Path between Chokmah (male in the electric sense, dynamic energy and the origin of vital force and polarity) and Kether (the source; limitless possibility).  Upright, he tells of new beginnings and of the unexpected, and because he is reversed, he is bringing to me a sense of closing down today.  He is also telling me that this is not the day to blaze a new path; instead I should surround myself with familiar processes and rituals.  These are the things that will be most comfortable for me.  Since my reversed Fool is being flavored by the reversed Seven of Wands(Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic, natural leader, egotistical, selfish), a very significant card for me in its own right, I think I had better take this time to choose non-action, because perhaps some big events are just over the horizon.  I really do feel that these two cards, both in reversed, and both appearing for me today, are letting me know that something big is coming.

My 6-digit date number is 8, the number that tells of a conscious and deliberate attempt to maintain the vertical and horizontal balance of the number 6 and postpone the pause and degeneration of the number 7.

My horoscopes: “Today you might want to spend some time gardening. In fact, you might have a number of tasks to perform around the house and yard, but you may also have friends waiting. You may get your chores done quickly, and even create new and innovative ways of doing them! Interesting conversations feed your curiosity when you spend time with your friends.”

And: “Devote the day ahead to your children or your partner. You may protest that it's too hard to find the time to give them the quality attention they deserve. You don't even have enough time for yourself, much less anyone else. In any case, you'll probably feel torn between what is expected of you and what you feel you can realistically give. If you want to dispel the inner tension you are feeling, take great care in the choices you make in the next few weeks.”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is regarding the Queen of Swords.  She is intelligent, charming and witty, but her most valuable asset is the ability to see the truth.  The Queen of Swords not only sees truth in the world around her, but she is also able to peek within her own self and find truth there, too.  Because she has learned to do this through trial and error, others are drawn to her; perhaps this is because truth has become an extension of her very soul.

I spent last evening with the PBT.  As usual, we had some very powerful discussions, part of which concerned an upcoming Healing Journey.  The Team’s Reiki practitioner cannot attend, and I have been asked to stand in and take part in the Journey as a member of the team.  I am honored, and excited, about this!  I always feel both grounded and empowered as I drive home from a visit with the Wayne Contingency, and somehow, baring my soul to these much-loved Fellow Travelers, and being trusted with their souls in return, serves to validate who I am and where I am going.  Maybe this is so because I know that I am not alone; there are others, sprinkled throughout my life, who are also Travelling in the same direction. 

Tomorrow, I will be hopefully attending an event at Mystics Cottage, presented by the South Jersey Shore Paranormal Society at Mystics Cottage, the adorable little shop of my friend, the lovely Wendy.  It looks like this group is more Ocean County, but they do have the words “South Jersey Shore” in their name, so this should be interesting.

Again, I am pondering the words: “Separate the earth from the fire and you shall adhere more to that which is subtle than that which is coarse. . .”  These are instructions, and today they are telling me that in order to know my energy body and in order to “hear” the “words” of Deity, I must separate myself from my physical self and from the information, feedback and guidance of my physical senses.  If I practice this, I will become better at it, and if I connect with (and thus, feed and energize) my subtle body (and **duh** sometimes the message is that obvious!) with frequency, it will be drawn to Deity, and Deity will be drawn to me, to my subtle body.  I will be able to hear and to speak, without my physical ears and vocal cords, and the messages both sent and received will “stick” with me and be easier to understand if I deliberately shut off my connection to the messages of my physical body. 

Okay then; I understand that.  And the rest of the section, “. . . through care and wisdom,” is easy enough to understand.  This process needs awareness and focus, and for me at least, it is a delicate process which requires knowledge and an understanding and acceptance of the validity of my own level of experience and expertise.

Finally, some inspiring words, selected from a complete Charge of the God, written by a Sacred Mists First Degree student, SilverTigerLuna.  Her entire Charge of the God is lovely, but these sentences seem to jump out at me.  It is strange that I would be connecting to a Charge of the God at this time of year, between Samhain and Yule, when the God is resting, but I never look a gift horse in the mouth.  They are a fitting finale to my entry; thank you SilverTigerLuna!

I am one with the Lady, the Great Mother, and together we share the secrets of the past, present and future.  Just as I protect and hold dear all livings things beneath the sea, soaring high in the clouds, running free on the earth, the wintery nights, the green of spring, the crops you harvest . . . so you are also precious to Me.  I am your Father, your Protector and Guardian. I will always be with you until the end of time.  Live your life in a state that honors Me and all that is good and worthy. Together we will honor the Great Mother. It is I who dies and is born again to return each year. And as I do, so shall you be born again, and together we will guard the Earth for all eternity.

Selected text from Charge of the God, by SilverTigerLuna”

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Four of Wands reversed/Queen of Cups.  The Four of Wands (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, enthusiastic) in an upright position is about building enough to become established, but my Four of Wands is reversed today.  This could be indicating to me that today is not a day to plan for the future or to look ahead, or it could be indicating a mild funk, or even a sense of restriction. The Queen of Cups (cusp of Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, and Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody) is Water of Water, and thus is quite deeply connected to her feelings, her spirituality and her Inner Voice. She is sensitive and caring, in touch with her own senses and eager to create harmony around her.  Whatever my reversed Four of Wands brings to me, I will need to be certain that I am realistic.

My Thoth card is the Six of Cups.  Yes!  “Pleasure” is the keyword for the Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive), which tells of experiencing simple joys, innocent fun and being surrounded by blessings.  I am being reminded today that pleasure comes from within, at least the most long lasting pleasure, and pleasure that is rooted within is fertile as well as long lasting, with “volunteers” springing up all over the place.  LOL, garden metaphors.

My Legacy card is the Ten of Swords reversed, flavored by the King of Wands.  The Ten of Swords (the Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, talkative) in an upright position is a card of interference and restriction.  This card upright represents a more powerful restriction than that of the Four of Wands reversed above; this is the restriction we create in our own minds.  Thankfully, my Ten of Swords is reversed, so not only do I have the power to make the ending as I want it, but I will also be satisfied with the end result. The King of Wands (cusp of Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, nurturing, moody, and Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic egotistical) has a Fiery nature, and he is flavoring my reversed Ten. This King is good at using self-expression in useful ways.  His charisma will be a good addition to the reversed Ten.

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

My horoscopes: “The day ahead should be fairly positive. You'll begin to feel the faintest hint of a major change beginning. This new phase will last seven months. As it progresses, you'll find greater freedom of expression. You can expect to shift into high gear on subjects you used to avoid in the past. Some friction with siblings may arise in the next few months.”

And: “You might be distracted all day by daydreams of a trip you're planning to take. A friend might phone you up and want to discuss it, which doesn't help. Visions of faraway places and exciting pastimes may be dancing in your head, and routine tasks might seem incredibly tedious and not worthy of attention. However, it's best to get them done if you can. Then you can fantasize about your vacation guilt-free!”

My Shadowscapes Insight today is regarding The Hierophant.  The Hierophant has strived to learn the secrets and traditions and now has a grasp on their intricacies.  But he does not stop learning ever, because there is a thrill connected to learning something new.  This is why he makes such an effective teacher!  He combines knowledge and wisdom with ritual and ceremony, and builds a bridge so that Deity can come to earth.

I have been pondering the last part of the section of The Emerald Tablet that I have been working on: “Separate the earth from the fire and you shall adhere more to that which is subtle than that which is coarse, through care and wisdom.”  Yes, this describes the Great Work of alchemy, but somehow I get the feeling that there is more to be had from these simple words. 

This process sounds as if it would be ponderous and destructive; after all, how else can you separate earth from fire?  Wouldn’t you need to destroy them both in order to separate them?  But perhaps not, because the instructions also say this process should be done through “care and wisdom.”  I wonder if maybe there is a warning here, and a presentation of some kind of responsibility.

If the “earth” represents the physical self and the world that is perceived through our physical senses, and the “fire” represents the other realms, the non-physical planes that cannot be perceived through physical senses (or at least, they can’t be measured and proven to exist via physical measuring devices, including the physical senses), then the separation of the two would need to be done delicately.  Or the result would be death.  Hmmmm . . . am I being directed to the concept of physical death?  Or to Death, the Tarot Major Arcana card?  Both of these would represent the separation of the earthly from the firey.  Even this does not feel quite right.

Okay, let’s approach this from another direction.  I am working on a Tarot Chat about the Tree of Life, so I have “Sephiroth on the brain” tonight.  The Sephira of Yesod can be seen as the process or effect or skill or trait that separates (or allows us to rise above) the physical body from the non-physical body.  Here is some information I have compiled about Yesod:

Yesod (Foundation ) is the ninth Sephira on the Tree of Life, the third down on the Pillar of Balance, and like the Moon, which is the heavenly body most easily reached from our Earth, it is the most easily reached non-physical sephiroth of the Tree.  Yesod provides the life force that animates our physical selves, so in a sense, we are always experiencing Yesod.  Yesod contains the astral or etheric plane, and it is within Yesod that we build thoughtforms and intentions.  It is the sphere of illusion, and like the Moon, which appears to grow and shrink but actually stays the same size, Yesod is the whole of our visualizations of that which is not yet manifested in physical form.

Yesod is not only the last step before physical manifestation, but it is the first step after physical manifestation as well.  Our physical bodies are born and die within Malkuth, but our personalities are born and die within Yesod.  This sphere is the home of the Self, and of the Dark Night of the Soul.  Only after we dispel the illusion of failure and do the work to achieve forward motion once again will we truly understand the energies of Yesod.

My correspondence list for Yesod is: Magickal Image: Beautiful Naked Man, Very Strong; Planetary: Moon; Vice: Idleness; Virtue: Independence; Deity: The Moon, Fertility; Spiritual Experience: Vision of the Machinery of the Universe; Briatic Correspondence: Receptivity, Perception; Illusion: Security; Obligation: Trust; Path: Path 9, the number of completeness of experience.

The Paths on the Tree that are connected to Yesod are 32 (The World, connects to Malkuth, represents the bridge between the physical body and the astral planes) and 30 (The Sun, connects to Hod, represents scientific discoveries that validate spirituality), both seen as steps to initiation, and 28 (The Star, connects to Netzach, inspiration, aspiration, messages of the senses and universal love) one of the Paths that explores the personality. 

Is this sentence encouraging me to “rise up” out of my body?  Could it be reminding me that the messages of my physical senses are merely one small part of reality?  Is it another way of describing the Law of Attraction?  I smell wood burning . . . .

I feel like I am circling the Aha! Moment.  And I’ve felt it approaching, since Friday.  Just can’t find the doorway in!  Right now, I’d settle for a window.

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