February 4, 2022: IV of Wands and IV of Cups; Elemental Dignities 12

The card image of the True Black IV of Wands shows a beautiful wild golden bird flapping its wings as it breaks free from bindings that have held it prisoner.  Leaves and flower petals knocked loose by the flapping of the bird’s wings float down like confetti.  The keywords for this card are celebrating, events, freedom, and possibility.   

The IV of Cups card image shows four Cups filled with clear water partially hidden beneath weeping willow branches.  The water in the Cups is completely still; above the uppermost cup and also hidden within the willow branches is a white flower.  The keywords for this card are withdrawn, passive, introspective, and hidden.

 

The IV of Wands tells of a release from bondage, probably not physical bondage, as we are talking about the suit of Wands, but rather bonds that are caused by stress or worry, or challenges that hold us back from our goals.  The IV of Cups energy is more still and quiet, and the water is lifeless and without movement.  The surrounding willow leaves create a curtain of sorts, hinting at withdrawal or indifference. Together they seem to be asking me to use the suit of Wands to escape from the lethargy of the IV of Cups. Lethargy can certainly bind, and breaking free can be difficult.  

 

We are talking about the elemental dignities associated with the elements of Fire and Water.  Fire and Water are unfriendly; Fire is an active element representing heat that separates and dry that shapes, and Water is a passive element representing cold that binds and wet that adapts.  In nature, Water affects Fire by extinguishing it; moisture will put out even the most powerful flame.  Fire affects Water in nature by turning it into steam, and steam can power generators and disinfect surfaces.  Within the concept of “unfriendly” is the idea that these two elements could very well cancel each other out.  This means there is a danger that the drive and passion of the IV of Wands could be cancelled out by the lethargy of the IV of Cups.

 

The other dignity we are working with is numerical.  Both of today’s cards are numbered 4, and today is the 4^th day of the month.  The number 4 represents stability, practicality, calmness, caution, and slow.  This number can represent self-imposed boundaries, tunnel vision, imposing discipline, or creating a strong foundation.  

 

While the dignities seem more weighted toward lethargy, that does not mean the image on the IV of Wands is an impossible dream.  Just before the bonds were broken, that beautiful bird would have reached the limit of the strength of those bonds, and if the bird had given up then, it would still be chained and unable to be free.  I must also continue striving, continue accomplishing what needs to be done, for even the heaviest lethargy or the deepest rut can be overcome.  

 

February 2, 2022: II of Pentacles and Anant

The card image on the II of Pentacles shows a playful white ferret playing on top of a precarious arrangement of gold coins, balanced on top of three gold nuggets (with the smallest nugget at the bottom, adding to the precariousness of the image).  Ferrets are playful and this one is showing us that he is able to balance and still move around, shifting his body and his attention as needed.  The keywords for this card are fun, indecisiveness, juggling, and finances. 

Anant is an extra Major Arcana card unique to the True Black Tarot.  The card image shows a golden fetus surrounded by two coils of a golden serpent; behind them both is a black star field.  "Anant" is the name of the serpent surrounding the fetus, and it means "remainder," representing that which exists when all else ceases.  Anant is not a temporal being but rather, exists outside of the rules and constraints that apply to temporal beings and the physical world (and all of its rules).  The golden fetus acts as a bridge between the ending and the beginning.  The keywords for this card are endless, infinite, exempt, and cyclical.

 

Another important message.  Anant is a serious card that hints at messages for physical-world beings that just might change the way we perceive our world.  In our day-to-day existence, we don’t always remember that there is so much more to experience than what can be perceived by our physical body senses.  These other perceptions exist through higher vibrations, which is a “woo-woo” term that has been co-opted by the fluffy.  However, those of us who are aware of the subtle body and the unseen but still powerful energies around us understand that the physical world is heavier and thus slower-vibrating.  Earth is the most stable of the elements; water has some movement and is a bit lighter because of that.  Air is even more light and is filled with vibrations of all kinds (sound is vibration), and is also a sort of “carrier” for energies such as speed and force, as well as sound.  Fire is not stable at all and only exists while combustion is happening, and since combustion involves heat, Fire is the fastest or highest vibrating of the elements. Spirit or Deity vibrates at a higher level because it only exists in a pure form that does not contain essences of the physical world (although Spirit or Deity can reach downward in an attempt to connect with the physical world by slowing down their vibrations, just as we can reach upward and commune with Spirit or Deity by deliberately raising our own vibrations).

 

Today we also need to keep in mind the correspondences of the number 2; after all, today is 2/2/2022.  The number 2 is about balance, creative partnerships, duality, polarity, comparison, tension, partnership, cooperation, diplomacy, and decisions, and it offers both direction and connection.  The number 2 can be considered a gateway.  In the Tarot, this number represents the first time the element appears as itself, manifested.  

 

Convoluted road toward a specific message.  Anant exists outside of our physical and linear world, and thus Anant is not subject to its rules.  The process of understanding this is life-long and challenging as this is part of the knowledge guarded by The High Priestess and can only be learned in layers.  Our brains, our processing “computers,” are biological after all.  My II of Pentacles is reminding me of one important process within this journey toward understanding: playfulness.  I’m not talking about playfulness that erases responsibility, although that kind of playfulness can be healing when applied in small doses.  Rather, my II of Pentacles is reminding me that visions don’t have to be realistic in order to have a powerful effect.  Allowing visions of the unrealistic, of the fantastical, to happen just might allow those playful visions to manifest in some valuable way.  If we maintain awareness of the forces in play, we will remain balanced and in touch with reality, and yet get a glimpse of the Machinery of the Universe.

 

Happy Imbolc!

February 1, 2022: Ace of Swords and The Hierophant

The image on the Ace of Swords shows a beautiful Sword emerging from golden flowers, and is topped by a flaming golden crown of leaves.  A few of the leaves and a few of the flower petals have been cut or sliced off and are falling downward.  The keywords for this card are truth, reasoning, objectivity, and breakthrough. 

The True Black Hierophant card image gives us lots to think about.  Our Hierophant is seated on a platform of large bricks, situated in a manner that provides the most support to the whole structure.  His elaborate golden headdress is made of interlocking pieces; the front of that headdress comes down over his face with stylized eye and nose openings allowing him to see and breathe and at the same time, hide his personal identity.  He holds a large open book in his right hand and his staff of office topped by a large bee's nest in his left.  Behind The Hierophant is a hologram of Australia's Lake Mungo, the location of the world's oldest ritually cremated remains.  The keywords for this card are belief, cooperation, community and tradition.

 

These two cards together are pretty powerful, especially because the have appeared on Imbolc Eve.  All of the Aces are powerful cards that represent the idea or possibility of the suit manifesting, rather than an actual manifestation.  The possibility presented by the Ace of Swords might not be visible to others because that spark of newness is happening within the workings of my mind.  My Ace is reminding me that now is not the time for emotions, but rather for clear thinking and reality.  

 

The Hierophant is about the good of the group rather than the good of the individual, and he believes that he knows what I should do with this burst of mental and intellectual possibility.  The Hierophant is about knowledge, about learning and about teaching, and about the importance of culture and beliefs and their ability to support amazing civilizations.  His mask hides his identity, and that mask reminds me that what I perceive with a quick glance is nowhere near all there is to learn and know. 

 

My Ace offers me wonderful potential, and The Hierophant asks me to look beyond myself and make good use of what is being offered. 

 

January 31, 2022: Knight of Cups and X of Pentacles; Elemental Dignities 11

Yes, I’ve been MIA.  Work got super busy, and just as things were slowing down, we got a nor’easter/bomb cyclone that dumped over a foot of snow on us.  We are still shoveling out, but I missed being here, so I’m back.

 

The Knight of Cups wears beautifully designed armor fashioned from gold that looks dramatic and eye-catching but that might not work so well in a battle.  Our Knight wears a mask of gold that completely covers his eyes, with double wings and a stylized halo made of golden vines above and behind his head.  He wears fancy epaulets made of gold on his shoulders and a stylized golden kilt with many strands of gold coins hanging like a fringe at the front closure.  He has one hand on his heart, and the other hand holds a golden rose which is beginning to lose its petals.  Beside him floats a dagger made of water, which is beginning to drip into a cup floating just below the dagger's point.  The water in the cup appears to be sloshing about.  The keywords for this card are emotional, brooding, artistic, and dreaming.

 

The True Black X of Pentacles shows a beautiful white elephant rearing up triumphantly and reaching upward with trunk and tusks, his hind legs upon a square raised platform of stacked gold bricks.  Behind him are ten golden coins arranged in a circle along with two well-established trees with straight and thick trunks.  The keywords for this card are prosperity, stability, family, and longevity.

 

Both of these cards hint at a sort of intensity of feelings that could be associated with the physical world.  The Knight of Cups is a dreamer whose mind is filled with all kinds of exciting ideas and possibilities.  However, because he is a Knight, he tends to carry his suit to an intensity that just might separate him from reality.  Using Elemental Dignities to bring more understanding, we find that the rank of Knight corresponds to the Element of Fire (which is active and represents heat that separates and dry that shapes), and the suit of our Knight is Water (which is passive and represents cold that binds and wet that adapts), which has nothing in common with Fire.  Our Knight of Cups is in conflict because his mind is filled with dreams and ideas and creations and elegant stories, yet he exists within a rank that is about bravery and passions and dominance and power.  Oh, our Knight of Cups understands the passion part of this, just not the use of power to dominate.  

 

The X of Pentacles tells us that we have worked hard and focused with diligence, successfully making it through the challenges presented in this cycle of the Minor Arcana cards.  Our foundation is strong, and it might be time to begin visualizing some evolution that will build upon the wealth, health and security already created.   

We are combining the elements of Fire, Water and Earth.  As stated above, Fire and Water weaken each other.  Fire (Knights) and Earth (Pentacles) are neutral; both represent dry that separates, but one is active and one is passive.  Water (Cups) and Earth (Pentacles) support each other.  They are both passive, and both represent cold that binds; that is as close as two elements can get without being clones of each other.  We have one pair that weakens, one that is neutral, and one that supports.  We just need to decide which direction that Fire/Earth pairing can be best used.  Perhaps because we have done the necessary work with the necessary focus and we have used a long-term plan that looks to the future as well as the present, we can allow our Knight of Cups to bring enthusiasm, pleasure, and visions of an exciting future into our day.

January 15, 2022: Queen of Swords and King of Wands; Elemental Dignities 11

Wow, must be a Court Card kind of day.  Let's get to it!

We've seen the Queen of Swords before.  The image on this card shows a woman with her arms out to either side, one palm facing up and the other facing down.  Beside her are two Swords, the one on the right is floating in front of her downward-facing palm with the point also facing down, and the one on the left is point-up and has pierced her upward-facing palm.  She wears a golden crown made of double-edged blades, and she is surrounded by golden butterflies, one of the symbols of the element of Air in this deck.  The keywords for this card are just, honest, straightforward, and sharp.

We've seen our King of Wands before, too.  The card image shows a man standing tall and proud, wearing a golden robe and a crown of golden peacock feathers, holding his staff of office in his right hand and raising his left hand in a gesture of power and greeting.  He is stepping forward with confidence, eyes gazing directly at the viewer.  The keywords for this card are commanding, inspiring, uniting, and creating.  

It is said that the Queen of Swords is the Minor Arcana equivalent of the Justice card of the Major Arcana, and that makes sense for she is honest and strives to play by the rules always, even if those rules are not in her favor.  This Queen does not nurture; instead she shows us how to be independent, to hone and sharpen the intellect, and to practice the art of choosing with knowledge, all in order to deal successfully with the challenges presented to us by life.

The King of Wands is about status and honor that bring both personal achievement as well as contributions related to creativity, knowledge, and quality of life.  This King effectively combines the passion of Fire with the stability and wisdom of Air.   He is a charismatic leader who inspires others and who thrives on challenges and because he is fascinated with the ideas of others, he is not afraid of trying new things.

We've got two Court Cards today, a perfect chance to play with Elemental Dignities.  First, our Queen of Swords.  The rank of Queen corresponds with Water and the suit of Swords represents the element of Air, so we will be thinking about Water being affected by Air.  Water is passive, and represents cold that binds and wet that adapts.  Air is active, and represents heat that separates and wet that adapts.  Both of these elements are wet, but one is passive and the other is active.  Thus they are neutral, which means our Queen is good at analyzing without the interference of emotions, but can also be merciful or caring by putting analysis aside.

Our King of Wands has the rank of King, which corresponds with Air and the suit of Wands, which corresponds with Fire, so we will be thinking about the element of Air as affected by Fire.  Air is active, and represents heat that separates and wet that adapts.  Fire is also active, and represents heat that separates and dry that shapes.  Both of these elements are active and hot.  These two elements have a common or joint focus and can build each other up.  This combination is what makes our King of Wands so attractive to his followers, who are eager to follow his idealistic and passionate lead.  

Both the Queen of Swords and the King of Wands have something in common: the element of Air (Swords and the rank of King). This commonality strengthens all the correspondences to the element of Air in this reading, both the desirable and undesirable correspondences, and it increases the ability of both the Queen and the King to manifest.  This is indeed a power couple because of that Air commonality.  My goal today is to access each of their desirable traits and allow the inspiration of Fire to move me, while keeping that bucket of Water around just in case the flames become too hot.  The element of Air and the workings of my mind and intellect will guide me.  

January 14, 2022: V of Pentacles and IX of Wands; Elemental Dignities 10

 A big storm is coming this weekend.  So far, we are getting rain but if it gets cold enough to snow, we may get buried.  My two cards today are not that happy; I will definitely be keeping watch on the weather.

The True Black V of Pentacles shows a torn and shredded burlap sack with five dull and broken coins spilling out of it.  The keywords for this card are poverty, sickness, hardship, and rejection.

The image on the IX of Wands shows a pure white wolf crouching defensively and aggressively with teeth bared and ears laid back in a threatening manner.  Behind him almost like a protective wall are nine white beech trees.  Around the wolf in the shadows are several arrows with points in the ground, as if someone had shot them at the wolf.  The keywords for this card are wary, guarded, mistreated, and persevering.    

Let's think about Dignities for a moment as we look at these two cards. First, we look at the elements.  We are dealing with an Earth card (Pentacles), a passive element which represents cold that binds and dry that shapes, and a Fire card (Wands), an active element which represents hot that separates and dry that shapes.  These two cards are not considered unfriendly because they both share the trait of dry that shapes, however Earth is passive and Fire is active, so they are considered neutral because the passive element and the active element cancel each other out.  These cards don't support each other, but they don't take away from each other, either.  Of course, this does not mean that their respective elements have no power here, they just don't have much of an effect on each other.  

In nature, Fire and Earth can affect each other.  Fire uses Earth as fuel, and chemically transforms what it burns.  Earth may sustain Fire, but too much Earth will suffocate Fire.  

Numerically, the number 5 brings motion into stability in order to prevent stagnation.  Here we see the reason for the discomfort of the Fives of the Minor Arcana, but that discomfort does not offer failure that is written in stone.  Rather, we see the V of Pentacles as a wakeup call that reminds us that we need to be careful with resources because there may be tough times ahead.  The number 9 tells of completeness of manifestation of the effects of the suit; we can see this in the traditional image of the card, which shows a man bandaged and weary, leaning on a Wand for support, with a wall of eight other Wands behind him.  The message of this card could be that we need to stay strong because the challenges have reached their peak.  If we can hang on for just a bit longer, difficulties may begin to ease.

Let's bring that all together.  These two cards both seem to be cautioning me.  Vigilance and perseverance are suggested by the IX of Wands.  I should also be careful not to distrust too much, but still be alert and on guard.  The V of Pentacles suggests that the effects I may be fearing and guarding against could very well be connected to my physical world, or my body and its health.  Now is not the time to be cavalier or to take a gamble; rather I should check things twice and assume that I forgot something anyway.  There is an optimistic part of the IX of Wands: even though the wolf may have taken some blows, he is still on his feet and able to protect himself.  That means that while I need to be aware of my health and my physical world resources, I should not allow worry to degrade into panic.  That would be a distraction, an untimely one because the sources of my physical-world worries should be peaking and then beginning to fade away.  I'm still standing strong, and that is a good thing.

January 12, 2022: The Hanged Man and The Moon

Looks like my Moon card is turning into a stalker!  We've seen both of these cards before but let's look at the images again.

The image on the True Black Hanged Man shows a man with legs suspended in the air and his face and shoulders resting in a field of mature golden grasses or grains.  He is slowly disintegrating or decomposing, with golden liquid dripping from his lips that is pooling below his head and soaking into the ground below him.  A cloud of white butterflies surround his feet.  Behind his feet is a hologram, a schematic view of the city of Teotihuacan, an Aztec city considered to be the birthplace of the 5th sun.  The keywords for this card are surrender, faith, sacrifice, and perspective.  

We just saw The Moon yesterday.  The image on this card shows a large crescent Moon acting like a conduit for a strong flow of water that is pouring from the conduit.  Below and in front of the flowing water is a woman, seated with her left leg crossed over her right and lit dramatically from above.  One hand holds back her long hair so she can gaze downward unimpeded and the other hand reaches down toward a glass bowl on a three-legged stand at her feet.  The glass bowl contains still water in which we can see a reflection of her hand.  Above the large crescent moon is a large hand ominously gesturing over the whole image.  The keywords for this card are intuition, psychic, fear, and illusion.

Yesterday we talked about illusion and the vantage point of perception, and how that vantage point can affect our understanding of a situation.  What better way to change our vantage point than to view things upside down?  I did a little reading about The Hanged Man, and found that an alternate name for him is The Observer.  We learn through even a brief check into the correspondences of this card that The Hanged Man gains knowledge and wisdom through trials and sacrifice, but it takes a bit of thinking to realize that he accomplishes this goal through the enhanced perception he attains by changing his vantage point.  

Both of these cards are associated with the element of Water.  We have learned that Water is the cold that binds and the wet that adapts; it is considered passive and thus it adapts to its environment, focuses energies inward, and is indirect and reactive.  Isn't it interesting that The Hanged Man can effectively use the power of surrender as an action?