Knight of Cups reversed/The Horned One.  The Knight of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) in an upright position is about feeling things strongly and without restraint or grounding.  He may appear calm, cool and collected to others, but my Knight of Cups responds deeply to life, and dreams big dreams.  He is similar to the Queen of Cups (who has shown up in my throw today, too) except his focus is more outer, and optimistic to the point of being unrealistic.  Because feelings are sourced from the heart, my reversed Knight of Cups is offering a warning today: be careful, don’t let emotions rule.  It is so easy to justify the causing of harm if we are hurting, and even allowing ourselves to be dreamy without restraint can trip us up.  Since the Knight is more about emotions that instincts, I will need to attempt to keep my emotions balanced today, and that may very well be a struggle. The Devil (Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and stable, material, practical energies that are slow to change), Capricorn (“I build,” ambitious, competent, cautious, cunning), Ayin (the eye, senses), and the Path between Hod (which provides analysis and communication) and Tipareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) tells of being caught up in the physical world and the effects of the physical senses, to the point of being bound or addicted to those things. And oh boy, that is just what I don’t need with that reversed Knight.  The Llewellyn Welsh card is named “The Horned One” because it presents a more natural, physical world energy based Devil, without chains and bindings.  This version of the Devil is more about the alluring call of the wild, which in itself can be addictive.  In our modern world, we need to balance civilized behavior with basic instincts, and The Horned One speaks for those basic instincts!

My Thoth card is the Queen of Cups.  I love the image on this card!  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 is very in touch with her emotions and her Inner Voice, sometimes to the point of seeming detached; she’s not detached, though . . . she is tranquil.  This Queen is soothing to be around, despite her dreaminess, and she is a natural healer.  She is more about inner experiences than the Knight of Cups, and she encourages us to accept our dreams and visions as valid, and to see the world through acceptance and love.

My Legacy card is the Page of Wands reversed, flavored by Death reversed.  The Page of Wands (Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody; Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic noble egotistical; and Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) is a fun guy to be around, unless you have a migraine.  This Page offers an exciting message that tells of the coming of a spark that could create a mighty flame, if there is enough kindling and air to feed it, and he wants to be a part of every step in the manifestation process because he loves experiencing new things.  My Page is reversed today, and thus I may be dealing with issues such as inconsistency of effort, being too active or impulsive, or being too moody (sound familiar?).  My Page of Wands is being flavored by another reversed card, Death.  Death corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, and sensitive, imaginative energy that strives to stay the same or take the same course), Scorpio, Nun (fish head; liberation), and the Path between Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) and Netzach (the stimulating factors of emotion and inspiration), and tells of natural change that cannot be stopped.  This change usually involves the potential to step upward on the evolutionary ladder, but we never know for sure.  My Death card is reversed, and since it is flavoring my reversed Page of Wands, I am interpreting this card to be letting me know just what I may be blocking by my reversed Page of Wands behavior today: exciting new things.  Time to focus on being aware of the perils of my reversed Page of Wands (and my reversed Knight of Cups!), and be more like the Queen of Cups.

My 6-digit date number is 5, the number that tells of motion that may be uncomfortable for the moment but in the end will dispel stagnation.

My horoscopes: “The planetary energy leaves you in a contemplative mood, Sagittarius. A lot of different possibilities have opened up for you recently, and you're trying to figure out which is the most appropriate now. Sometimes it's better to let things churn around in your subconscious for a while, and this could be one of those times. Forget it for now and have fun.”

And: “Don't be surprised if you receive some intriguing news today, either in the mail or over the telephone. It may be that a dear friend from far away is planning on coming for an extended visit. Or perhaps you receive word of a compelling career opportunity. Keep your eyes and ears open, as much interesting news is likely to come your way. Travel is indicated, so make sure your passport is up to date.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Ace of Swords.  Perfect!  A bit of astringency to counter all the Earth and Water in the rest of my cards today.  The energy of this suit is powerful, yet neutral; it is our own input that chooses the use of the power being offered.  The Ace of Swords tells me that something has begun that may offer this choice to me.  Which side of the sword, and the workings of the mind and the intellect associated with it, will I choose to use? 

Slow start today, for sure.  But coffee works, and as the day passed I became gradually more productive. 

Exciting news!  I’ve been offered a Tarot column in a Pagan eMag, an unsolicited offer, and I am real excited about this!  I’m working out the details with my potential Editor, Jenn, and will keep you posted.  But food for thought: isn’t it interesting that the first name of my publisher is Jen.  She spells it with one “n” instead of two, but there’s some synchronicity, eh?

I am also having trouble staying away from my new deck, the Wild Unknown Tarot.  I’ve already thrown another card to contemplate, but I will wait until tomorrow to post my thoughts.  Today, I am still recovering from and absorbing everything we covered at the YTT Intensive 2 yesterday.  The human body is an incredible machine!!  Sorry for the repeat, but enthusiasm is a good thing.  I am particularly fascinated by the way our spinal column works.  Have you ever looked at the human vertebrae??  Have you ever examined how those strange-looking bones interact when we move?? 

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Transparent Oracle Sunday!!

8, Guide: Eagle (East). East is the direction of the rising sun, and thus of new beginnings and fresh ideas, as well as knowledge, intellectual ideas and thoughts.  Eagle is considered the King of Birds, and often is seen as a Divine Messenger because he can fly to such amazing heights.  He tells of being able to see into the distance, and of achievements (and associated honors) gotten through courage and focus.  When Eagle is around, courage and perspective and vision will bring great results.

29, Guide: Turtle (West). Water is emotional and sensitive energy that strives to stay the same; its dignities are cold/binds and wet/adapts.  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.

9, Guide: Wren (East).  The element of Air represents quick and animated energy that usually presents problems or challenges, the solving of which offer opportunities for growth and evolution.  The dignities associated with the element of Air are hot/separates and wet/adapts.   Wren is pretty amazing; she is a combination of ambition (sometimes ambition that seems on the surface to be out of reach) and cunning (which enables Wren to surprise us as she attains the unattainable), which allows her to think out of the box with amazing results.  Wren tells us that bigger is not necessarily better, and often it is the seemingly insignificant contribution of the most invisible of players that allows us to win the game.

I then stacked my cards and created my mandala.  This one is full of eddies of motion!  When you think about it, this should not be a surprise; after all, we are working with both Air and Water, two elements that ebb and flow and eddy.   The flow here feels like a dancer doing spotting turns while revolving in a circle; a similar image would be our solar system, with the revolving planets circling around the centrally located sun.  But there is more a feeling of centrifical force in the larger circle; the only gravity present seems to be between the individual triads.  Hmmm . . . perhaps that means they are working together to crate that larger clockwise circle (which direction usually has an outward or emanating or creating intent, as opposed to a counter-clockwise circle, which is more about drawing in or undoing).  We also have opposites here: we have Eagle, the huge bird who soars the highest and sees the farthest, and we have Wren, the tiny bird with big ambitions and the cunning to achieve them.  And Turtle is able to navigate through these churning waters,

I’ve also thrown my first Wild Unknown card, and here is the system I will use (LOL, just so I can remember): I will describe the card, describe how it makes me feel, and describe the energies or message I get from the image.  My card for today: the Son of Swords.  The image on this card is an owl with a sword in its talons, point facing in the direction he is moving; the owl appears to be in a dive, rapidly flying from upper right to lower left.  My initial feeling upon looking at the image is that I am totally on the sidelines here, watching some intense event happening; this owl does not see me and in fact, does not even know I’m there.  The energy of the card seems quite focused, as if the owl was hurrying to bring the sword to someone, or maybe he is taking the sword to safety.  Whatever is happening, it is very urgent that the owl gets to wherever he is going, a matter of life and death if you will, and he knows this.  He is focused, focused to a narrow beam, almost like the laser sight on a gun.  I don’t sense anger or fear, just extreme urgency and powerful focus.  I’ve watched countless ospreys dive like this to catch a fish; if you look away at the wrong moment you miss the whole thing, but the power in those dives is incredible.  That is what I feel when looking at this card.

Today I spent the day at Yoga Teacher Training Intensive 2.  Another awesome day; I learned some incredible things about the ways our bodies work.  Our bodies are absolutely amazing.

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Two of Swords/Six of Cups reversed.  Yep, I understand this one. The Two of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) represents a time of not looking or of shutting out the world.  Sometimes shutting ourselves away is actually hiding from responsibility, but sometimes we need or deserve this time of peace.  Today, I have carved out a bit of time to prepare for my YTT Intensive 2, which is tomorrow.  The energies of this card are exactly right; I will be using my mind, shutting out distractions. The Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive) in an upright position is a card of innocence, emotional balance and harmony, of simple joy that begets even more simple joy by infecting all around us.  This reversed Cups card is kind of validating the temporary isolation and seriousness of focus of my day today.  Yep, sometimes the meanings of the cards really are that simple and uncomplicated!

My Thoth card is the Princess of Cups. 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 a card of soft and tender energies; upright it indicates the possibility of getting fulfillment through connections to others, and through innocent and simple joys.  What I need to determine is whether this dreamy gentleness is a help to me today, or if it is a distraction, and thus, a hindrance.

My Legacy card is the Knight of Wands, flavored by the Four of Cups.  Interesting pair, eh? The Knight of Wands (cusp of Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, deep, obsessive, and Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, blundering) usually represents a person of passion, courage, enthusiasm and boundless energy; most definitely not background-type efforts.  The Knight of Wands is a warrior, but his mission is not one of battle, it is of energetic and creative change.  These energies can be impulsive, and impulse is not always good, so there is a danger of causing some kind of alienation, or change of position. The Four of Cups (the Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, nurturing, tenacious, moody), which tells us that too much pleasure, or maybe too much nurturing or overprotectiveness, deadens the senses, is flavoring my Knight of Wands.  The Four of Cups is in many ways opposing the Knight of Wands; the Four of Cups tells of stillness to the point of the beginning of stagnation, while the Knight is about boldly going forth.  Perhaps I am being offered a hint as to how to interpret the Princess of Cups above.

My 6-digit date number is 3, the number that tells of a new creation out of the potential and position of the Ace/1 and the balance, polarity, energy and “distance between” of the 2.

My horoscopes: “Are you interested in psychology? If so, you might discover some information that clues you in to your mental and emotional history. Such disciplines as past-life regression or rebirthing could be especially appealing. What you learn today could enable you to understand yourself better and release remnants of past traumas. The future will fill the gap with new, wonderful things!”

And: “Communication should flow freely and openly between you and a love partner. A lot might be said that needs to be said, and thus a number of issues that exist between you could well be resolved and expunged. However, don't get carried away. Be discriminating about what you bring up. Otherwise you might step over the line and say too much. Sometimes total honesty is NOT the best policy. Be careful!”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Four of Swords.  The Shadowscapes Tarot sees this card as representing a self-imposed exile, or a time of inner contemplation.  It has a very peaceful feel about it, this card, and it reminds me that if I take the time to connect with that peaceful and serene place within my core, I will be able to find my way back there no matter how many distractions are pulling at me.

I have had a productive day.  It is late afternoon, and I am listening to the neighborhood robins as they sing their farewell song to the sun, about an hour away from setting.  I’ve made myself some ginger tea, and I am just about ready to review my homework in preparation for tomorrow’s YTT Intensive 2.  I am looking forward to this one, immensely.

There is one small distraction, though.  My new deck, the Wild Unknown Tarot, has arrived, and it is pulling at me.  No big surprise, this; after all, this deck grabbed me, sunk its talons into my brain, almost immediately.  It will be challenging to make mine, mainly because using this deck will require me to tap into my intuition with more intensity than any other deck I own or have worked with.

I am sooooo up to the task.

I’m not sure how I’m going to get to know this deck, but I will document my experiences here.  My usual procedure is to throw cards with a new deck every day and interpret them.  But somehow that procedure just does not feel right with this deck.  Instead, I think I will throw just one card, whenever I am moved to do so.  And then I will talk about how the image makes me feel, and I will talk about what the image seems to be saying to me.  We’ll see if this less structured approach works.

But for now, I’ve got to step away from the Tarot deck, and begin to prepare for tomorrow’s YTT Intensive.

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Nine of Cups reversed/Six of Cups. The Nine of Cups (cusp of Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause-oriented, and Pisces, “I believe,” feelings, duality, suffering, soul growth) in an upright position is about emotional satisfaction and the ability to find pleasure in feelings and emotions, and in our expectations for the day. My card is reversed, however, and perhaps self-satisfaction could be a danger today.  Focusing on what I want to happen rather than what is actually happening could pull me away from more effective emotional experiences.  The Six of Cups (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, compulsive, deep, obsessive) is a card of innocence, emotional balance and harmony, of simple joy that begets even more simple joy by infecting all around us.  This Cups card could be explaining why my Nine is reversed.  Today should be about emotional balance and simple pleasures of connection, rather than self-satisfaction and making the expectations of the day about me.

My Thoth card is the Seven of Cups reversed.  Another Cups card! “Debauch” is Crowley’s keyword for the Seven of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Scorpio, “I desire,” intense, controlling, obsessive, mysterious), which in an upright position represents the distraction, sensory overload and dissipation that can happen when we are presented with too many enticing choices. 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). Yep, all Major Arcana cards, so these choices are important.  The Thoth Seven of Cups also tells of being mired in pleasure, or addicted to it; this is so easy to understand.  Just remember the lovely sugar rush you get from eating something sweet, followed by that sugar crash.  My reversed Seven of Cups is validating my interpretation of my reversed Nine of Cups above.  Today is not about me, or about indulging in my own wishes or cravings!

My Legacy card is the Four of Wands reversed, flavored by the Two of Cups reversed.  And yet another Cups card, also reversed. 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, about the results of harmony and effort and creativity combined.  I may find that I have difficulty building a foundation today, and the card flavoring my Four of Wands, the reversed Two of Cups, may be hinting why my Four of Wands is reversed, and why my Nine of Cups above is reversed. The Two of Cups (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, family and home oriented, tenacious, moody) in an upright position tells of about love and connections, usually having to do with feelings, relationships and commonalities. My Two is reversed, and offers a simple message: no man is an island.  ‘Nuff said.

My 6-digit date number is 11 (Archangel Uriel, a personally important symbol), which reduces further to 2, the number of balance, polarity, the line (an image of energy and force) and “distance between.”

My horoscopes: “A task that requires a lot of writing might have you discovering a new talent you never knew you had. You might be surprised, but you will want to develop this new skill. It could involve technology in some way, or it could entail working with money. A number of people could confer with you at some point during the day, Sagittarius, perhaps asking advice about future business trends.”

And: “Is there a neighbor or sibling in your life whom you feel you know very well? If so, prepare for a shock today. Your intuition could cause you to pick up on some thoughts and feelings of which you would never have considered this person capable. Possibly this person is longing for some sort of highly unconventional adventure! Encourage them to share their feelings with you. It might help to get everything out in the open that's been hidden until now.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding Judgement.  This card tells me that the time has come to evaluate the phase of life just passing in an honest, objective and unbiased way, while still being true to myself.  Every thought, word and deed has consequences, and in order to clean the slate so I can begin again, I must accept reward for the good I have generated, and atonement for the bad I have generated (whether either was accomplished deliberately or by accident, I am still responsible).  The carrot on the end of the stick that encourages us to accomplish this sometimes uncomfortable task is the metamorphosis and evolution of the soul.

Friends of ours closed on a house yesterday, and tonight we will be celebrating with them.  I’ve had a good couple of days.  I’m ready to review for my YTT Intensive this Sunday, and I’m watching for the delivery of my new Tarot deck.

Humming “Anticipation” . . . .

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Two of Pentacles reversed/Ace of Wands.  The Two of Pentacles (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution, cunning) in an upright position reminds us that everything always ebbs and flows.  This card presents a form of balance, and a logical reversed meaning would be that today will be about being imbalanced.  I may not be very effective in the physical world, but that does not mean today won’t be good.  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.  Like all the Aces, this emanation is presented as potential only; I need to have the courage necessary to own this emanation, and effectively use it to manifest my goals.

My Thoth card is the Eight of Swords.  The keyword for this one is “Interference.” The Eight of Swords (Jupiter, expansiveness and growth, justice, fortune, in Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable talkative, dual) tells of a confused and restrictive response to obstacles, or particular to the Thoth Eight of Swords, the interferences that happen when we just have bad luck.  The interference presented by this card may very well have an emotional connection, with the emotion either a subconscious cause of the sense of bondage, or the response to the sense of bondage.  Understanding the cause for any feeling of helplessness when faced with a challenge will certainly help to reduce that challenge down to a manageable size.

My Legacy card is the Two of Wands, flavored by the Four of Cups reversed.  Nice pairing!!  The Two of Wands (Mars, action, spontaneity, aggression, drive, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive, enthusiastic) tells of power, influence and authority.  This card is related to the Will, and it is my second card today numbered 2; my first was reversed, and since in a sense the suit of Pentacles and the suit of Wands oppose or balance each other, there could be a bit of an imbalance today. The Four of Cups (the Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, nurturing, tenacious, moody), which tells us that too much pleasure deadens the senses, is flavoring my Two of Wands.  My Four of Cups is reversed, and it shows me that sometimes a bit of imbalance can be helpful.  Allowing the Fiery energy of that Wands card to flourish for a bit may end up chasing away the lethargy caused by too much Water, too much ease, too much pleasing of the senses.

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

My horoscopes: “Are you sometimes afraid of appearing silly in front of people, Sagittarius? The fear of failing in the eyes of others might be holding you back from real progress. The celestial energies are asking you to think about this carefully today. With all of your analytical strengths and abilities, just think of all that you could accomplish if you had the courage to take more risks!”

And: “You're likely to be feeling strong, focused and enthusiastic today, and you could well be looking toward the future and making new plans for yourself. You might be contemplating some major changes, perhaps an entirely new career, or perhaps a move to a distant state. Creative activity, possibly writing or speaking, could also be an option open to you right now. Don't plunge ahead indiscriminately, however. List your options and consider carefully the pros and cons of each.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Eight of Wands.  This is one of the Shadowscapes cards that I love because the image on the card sums up the meaning of the card, in a nice, neat package.  I should be on the lookout for sudden gusts of energy today, because these gusts could have fertile consequences.  And they don’t need to be volcanic in level either; nice little nudges in the right place can offer subtle yet effective encouragement.

I am determined to get my YTT homework, at least the reading and taking notes portion, done before tomorrow, so that I can enjoy reading about the Yoga Sutras without stress.  I am also feeling a pull to do more work on my Third Degree Lesson 8, and should be able to get back to that after this weekend’s Yoga Intensive. 

I ordered a new Tarot deck a few days ago; yep, I really don’t need a new deck, but thanks to my dear friend, Bug (of the Pagan Brain Trust), I just had to have this one.  It is called the Wild Unknown Tarot, and the images on these cards are positively divine!  This does not appear to be a beginner’s deck, and I can hardly wait to get my sweaty little hands on these cards.  I’ve been stalking the UPS site, tracking the deck’s journey from the creator; delivery is scheduled for Saturday!!

The lethargy of Spring fever threatens, but so far I’ve been able to banish it.  My cards today give me good advice in that regard!

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Three of Wands reversed/Nine of Wands. 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) in an upright position tells of the excitement of seeking out uncharted areas with an optimism that says that no matter what happens, it will be good.   My Three of Wands is reversed, and perhaps I won’t be too good at planning the future today. The Nine of Wands (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Sagittarius, “I seek,” philosophic, fun-loving, adventurous, blundering) tells us to prepare for the worst, but to wait before being aggressive.  But this card also tells me that waiting does not mean being weak, or surrendering.  Instead, I need to hold fast, even if I end up creating my own mistake.

My Thoth card is the Six of Swords.  “Science” is Uncle Al’s keyword for this one. 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).  If I am brave enough to stand in front of the crowd and use my mind and my Will in order to do my best, I may be able to move towards a better place. 

My Legacy card is the Nine of Coins reversed, flavored by he King of Coins reversed.  Well, no fertile Earth energy, eh? The Nine of Coins (Venus, beauty, allure, relationships, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) in an upright position tells of accomplishment through the imposition of discipline.  But like my ability to plan ahead, my ability to stick to a plan may not be too effective today.  The King of Coins (cusp of Aries, “I want,” action oriented, assertive, competitive, and Taurus, “I have,” sensual, stubborn, cautious, physically oriented), also reversed, is flavoring my reversed Nine of Coins; this King in an upright position is the expert on physical world manifestation of all kinds.  Because my King is reversed, I am being told that today is not the day for me to be responsible for  maintaining resources or assessing value.  What can I focus on?  I can understand that things may be uncomfortable, and I can be brave and do my best.  As long as I can do that, I’ve done well.

My New Moon Pearls of Wisdom card is Judgement. Judgement corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive and energetic change), Pluto (power, metamorphosis, cycles of dying and becoming), Shin (fang), and the Path between Malkuth (the physical world of action and physical, outer reality) and Hod (provides analysis and communication) and represents an opportunity to tally up and pay the bill so we can have a fresh start.  The Pearls of Wisdom Jodgement card tells me to look at the past so that I can identify and release whatever is holding me back from the Initiation to come. 

My 6-digit date number is 9, the number of completeness of effect or manifestation.

My horoscopes: “Take a leap of faith today, Sagittarius. Consider taking two or three. Trust that things will follow through perfectly. You will be drawn to those who put a smile on your face. These are the people you need to stick close to now. A positive attitude will lead you in a positive direction. Have fun with your life instead of getting depressed by it.”

And: “An old friend, possibly someone you knew as far back as your childhood, could come on the scene. You should be glad to see this person, and will have a lot of catching up to do. Stimulating conversation and exchanges of ideas with anyone should bring you information that could get your mind going. Write down what you hear that impresses you the most. It could be of use to you later.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding my old friend, the Page of Pentacles.  This Page holds the spark of creation in the physical world, and offers the spark to me.  If I take it, I will be responsible for nurturing that spark so that it germinates and blossoms.  I will need to care for it over time, but I will be rewarded by its beauty.

What a lovely day.  I worked for my Dahling, gave a Thai Massage to my sister-in-law, and then went to a great Yoga class.  Did my first demo tonight as a YTT!!

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The Hierophant reversed/Temperance. 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 upright reminds us of the value of tradition, ritual and ceremony.   My Hierophant is reversed today, and that fits perfectly with the way I am perceiving my own subtle body.  Yes, tradition and ritual and ceremony are important and valuable, but sometimes we need to connect to the wild and unchoreographed energies of Nature, and a sunny Spring day is a perfect time to do that. Temperance corresponds 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 this card presents one version of the concept of balance:  balance achieved through knowledge and experience of extremes.  I’ve had my experiences with some of the extremes of Nature, but today I can use those memories to tap into the more subtle yet equally as fertile energies being offered today. 

My Thoth card is The Magus.  Ooooh! The Magus/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 Magus is a card of action, and of confidence, and it is another of the cards that have a personal significance to me (it symbolizes the gifts I was given after Hurricane Sandy).  Crowley sees this card as representing much-honed skills, flexibility, communications or Aha! Moments, and the process and benefits) of learning.  The Magus is more occult in his focus than The Hierophant, and less concerned with ethics.  I sense a theme here. 

My Legacy card is The Lovers, flavored by The Wheel of Fortune.  Five Major Arcana Cards!!! 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 personal values and personal choices.  My own choices are important today (ya think??), and they may have consequences, long term ones, and this card is reminding me of this. 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)), which is flavoring my Lovers today, tells of sudden movement, but not movement caused by us or controlled by us.  This card foretells change, but it also tells of the presence of a bit of anxiety; so, too, does The Lovers (after all, choices present the possibility of choosing right, but also of choosing wrong).  Both cards are upright, so perhaps the chances are good that the outcome will also be good.

My 6-digit date number is 7, the number that tells of the pause that occurs when growth slows and degeneration approaches; often this number tells of a crossroad or a choice to be made.  More choices!!

My horoscopes: “You may get a bit frustrated in the morning because of a lack of commitment on the part of others, Sagittarius. You may find it hard to pin down an answer when everything seems to be up in the air. The good news is that things should run much more smoothly by this evening and well into tonight. Note a major boost in emotional self-confidence now. After dark is definitely your time to shine.”

And: “Some annoying paperwork regarding money might need to be cleared up today. You are by nature quick-minded and a fast worker, but take care that you don't get so much in a hurry that you skip important details. This will be counterproductive, as you'll have to go back and do it again. Be careful - then put it behind you. You won't want it hanging over your head.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Knight of Pentacles.  Unlike the rest of my cards today, which are pretty much open to whatever presents itself, the Knight of Pentacles keeps his eye on the prize and does not allow himself to be distracted.  Yes, he assesses carefully before beginning his efforts, but once he’s begun, he keeps his eyes on the prize, come hell or high water!

Great day today.  The sun was shining, and I felt filled with energy.  Finished the day with a Yoga class; now for some YTT homework.

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