Hierophant – Daily Draw
The problem with pulling a Major Arcana card for a daily draw is that the issues it addresses are so huge. The daily draw is meant (for me) as a meditation on the events in a given day. When I am visited by an archetype, I have a hard time rendering it in terms of a twenty-four hour period of minutiae, and making sense of the randomness of life.
Or seeming randomness.
The Hierophant asks me to teach, or to learn something, of a holy nature. He brings with him a moral sensibility, ideas of right and wrong, deeply rooted traditions, and reverence for concepts of Truth and Beauty that are so much larger than our individual selves.
Of course, that must be the message for today.
While I look to the daily draw for the everyday, sometimes the Tarot wants to give me a nudge. Drifting off course can be disastrous. A tiny deviation from a set course can eventually bring you to a place that is miles away from your intended destination. As it is in the physical life, so it is in the spiritual (as above, so below). I have certainly veered away from my spiritual studies, meditations and prayers, due to various stresses and distractions. Today the Tarot tells me, ‘enough excuses’. Truth and Beauty are calling, and it’s time once again to strive to put my feet back on the path that leads to them.
Harmony
This card’s primary meaning for me is harmony.
Cups deal with matters of the heart and emotions. This card quite often reflects a romantic relationship, although that is not the only meaning. As with all the other cards, context is important. It can also mean a harmonious partnership between friends or business associates. It can represent an arrangement between siblings or other family members in caring for parents, grandparents or children, who may not be cared for adequately by their own parents. I have found this to represent the bond between a human and a beloved pet on more than one occasion. The important thing to keep in mind is that it deals with emotional bonds and relationships. These can take many forms.
It can also represent a unity of opposites, as with the energies of Yin and Yang in Chinese philosophy. In this case it may represent opposing forces within a single psyche, as when an individual must find peace within themselves over an issue, and is striving for inner harmony. Between two or more people, it may mean a striving for balance among opposing personality types. But it is a favorable sign that folks are willing to work together to achieve this harmony among themselves. The opposite might be found in the Five of Wands which usually represents competition among associates, sometimes a healthy competition and sometimes contentious. In the Two of Cups, this would indicate a non-competitive effort to resolve differences and find common ground.
In most cases it is a positive card, reflecting love, friendship and cooperation.
Lemniscate in the Sky
A lemniscate is the mathematical symbol for infinity. A mobius strip can be used to demonstrate the idea of infinity, in a strip of paper which is twisted and attached at the ends, forming an ‘endless’ two dimensional surface.
In the Waite Smith deck it can be seen above the head of the Magician. Here it can be understood to symbolize the fact that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed. Energy lasts forever, in whatever form it takes. The Magician channels this energy to manifest his will upon the world around and inside himself. Once he has learned to master this energy, he has an infinite resource at his disposal to effect these changes in accordance with his will. (In the Waite Smith deck this symbol can also be found over the head of the woman in Strength, at the top of the wreath in the World, and featured as the juggling motions of the figure in the Two of Pentacles).
In this photo, you see what appears to be a string of pearls, with a twist, hanging in the sky. It’s called The Analemma. We say, ‘the sky is the limit’, as a way of suggesting an ‘infinite’ number of possibilities in a given situation. It is fitting then, to find the symbol of infinity in the sky.
You would expect that if you looked at the Sun at the same time each day, from the same place, it would appear at the same location in the sky. You would be correct, if the Earth were not tilted, and if its orbit around the Sun were perfectly circular. Because neither of those things are correct, what you get in this case is this pattern in the sky.
The Sun will appear at its highest point in the sky, and highest point in the analemma, during summer. In the winter, the Sun is at its lowest point. The remainder of the year makes up the rest of the analemma pattern.
Photographing the analemma is a daunting challenge, simply because it takes an entire year to get the complete image. According to Sky and Telescope Magazine, more men have walked on the moon than have successfully photographed the analemma. The very first successful image of it, was taken by Dennis di Cicco.
Grasping infinity is difficult for the human mind. Meditation on the lemniscate can help us to grasp and understand it. In the Tarot it points to the endless energy available to us once we learn to tap into it. And in the Analemma, we have another of nature’s wonders to remind us of the infinity of energy in it’s many manifestations.
Darkness and the Devil
I love this card. It’s from the The Halloween Tarot, and it’s probably the only Devil card I have ever seen that I would describe as cute. But in reality, there is nothing really cute about the Devil.
There has been an interesting discussion going on in one of the Tarot forums I use. Someone started a thread concerning the Devil, and the ensuing discussion got me thinking about it. This card has rarely come up in any reading I’ve done so far, and when it has it’s been pretty straightforward in meaning. But I think it goes a lot deeper than issues of personal bondage or enslavement to material things.
In this forum discussion, questions were raised as to the nature of the Devil and whether he is ‘within’ or ‘without’ ourselves. I think it can be both, and sometimes at the same time. But more often than not, I see it as a tendency inside oneself to be destructive and negative. It is the desire to turn away from the light, because it is the easier path to take in a given situation.
Another way I see it, is a need to confront something dark and scary about our own nature. To accept it and shed light on it. If you drag your inner demons into the light and fresh air, they often shrivel up into nothing and blow away. Sometimes they may put up a struggle, but you will have the advantage when they are in the open like that. In some cases, they may never go away, but they become so small and powerless that you can easily control them. The important thing is to bring them into focus and shed Light on them so that you can see them for what they are. If you can do this, you will no longer fear them. Even better, you will no longer project that fear outside of yourself. Essentially and eventually, you will fear nothing. (This card is from the Universal Waite Tarot Deck.)
Now that sounds very simplistic, and I don’t mean it to be. It’s very hard work to confront your own darkness. There is a spiritual healing process called Shadow Work. It’s not easy, and it may take years to complete. Christien Jette has written a very good book about using Tarot for this work, called Tarot Shadow Work: Using the Dark Symbols to Heal.
Powers of Dark and Light exists in each of us. The Yin Yang symbol depicts this. It is human nature to contain both, and this is often a theme in stories.
There is an interesting passage in one of Terry Pratchett’s witch books, Wyrd Sisters.
I find this an intriguing theme in stories, movies, poems and songs. As I am fascinated by the complexities of human nature, I also find the Devil to be one of the most intriguing cards in the Tarot.
Ten of Swords
Few cards are more dreaded than the Ten of Swords. The one shown here is from the Waite Smith deck.
It graphically illustrates a man on the ground, in a spreading pool of blood, with ten swords sticking out of his back from haunch to neck. Unarguably the most gruesome of the Seventy-Eight. At least, in this deck. Even understanding the nuances of the image, I still tend to cringe when you see it, especially as an ‘outcome’ card.
But what does it mean; endings, finality, complete annihilation? Yes, it does. But it can also mean ‘relief’. It can mean ‘overkill’. Imagine you are in an intolerable situation and you are at wits end regarding how to end it. When you see this card as the ‘outcome’ or ‘answer’ in a spread, you might think that you are simply going to die from the stress. But what if the card is telling you that the situation is coming to an end? Relief. This situation has run it’s course, and will be ending soon. Or what if this is a case of you brewing a tempest in a teapot, and the card is telling you to stop worrying yourself sick about something over which you have no control? Overkill. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy, making matters far worse than they need to be.
We tend to identify with the figure being pinned to the ground by many blades. But what if the figure represents something that is causing pain, suffering, trouble or anxiety? If that is the case, then this card is a welcome sight.
I know that many of us, myself included, tend to think the worst when reading for ourselves. It’s overcompensation in and effort not to sugar-coat a reading by seeing only what you want to see in the cards. So it is important to remember what you would tell a client when this card appears. And yes, sometimes this card is indicating negative things. But you would try and explore ways in which this card could be a positive message for your client before assuming otherwise, so why not do so for yourself? And even if the message is one of failure or disappointment, there is almost always a silver lining. After death comes rebirth or resurrection. There are no truly final endings, not as long as Time continues to flow.
As with the other ‘dreaded cards’ there are always positive ideas to be found in their seemingly negative meanings. It’s just a matter of being open to them.
The Tower – Liberation
Yesterday I finally quit my job.
Today I pulled the Tower as my daily card. How appropriate. Giving notice at work has certainly resulted in a release from stress and anguish. Nevertheless I still feel out of sorts. The decision to quit came rather suddenly, however timely it may be.
It was cathartic to stand up to my abusive boss. It was also cathartic to type up my letter of resignation. I felt renewed, cleansed and energized afterward. I feel that I am ready to face new challenges.
Because things have been shifting and changing so rapidly in my life lately, I was curious about how the planets may be affecting me. So I took advantage of the free natal chart and forecast info offered at astro.com.
Saturn conjunction Uranus: Fundamental changes: Beginning of September 2006 until beginning of June 2007: This is an extremely powerful influence, for it represents powerful internal forces for change colliding with powerful resistance from the external world. You are trying to escape the routine, dull and ordinary aspects of your life. You try to find new things that will make your life more exciting and stimulating. But with every effort of this kind, circumstances, duties and obligations seem to hold you back and keep you stuck in an oppressive situation.
You may get to a point where the pressure is unbearable, and then you will make a sudden break for freedom. You may suddenly leave a relationship, an oppressive job or your place of residence, without warning anyone.
No kidding.
The Tower is one of those cards that can be scary. But, in fact, it can be a card of liberation. It can be a sign that freedom is imminent. It can represent risk-taking, powerful drive, and fast and fierce changes in any situation. The Tower is a Major Arcana card associated with Mars. Mars is the planet of drive and leadership.
Any major change in your life can be scary. But it can also be exactly what you need to free you from whatever has been keeping you from growth. Sometimes the Tower can be exactly what you need.
This Tower card is from the Universal Waite Tarot Deck
Three of Swords
This will be the first post in a series I’m calling Dreaded Cards. There are cards we all hate to see turn up in a reading, be it for ourselves or others. My idea is to take each of these cards and see what I can discover about them that will take some of the fright out of them.
I use the Tarot as a tool for insight and answers. I like to think that there is always something positive in every card no matter how negative it may first appear.
This is the Three of Swords from the Rider Waite Smith
My initial reaction is to cringe. It hurts to look at it.
Here is part of the interpretation to be found at tarot.com:
General Meaning: Traditionally, the Three of Swords signified separation or the breakup of a significant relationship, including the tragic emotions that come along with such an event. Some cards show the horizon filled with storm clouds and flashing lightning.
This past week I read a book called Stories in Stone
A particular passage caught my attention in the section on religious symbolism. It states,
In religious and cemetary symbolism, a flaming heart symbolizes religious fervor, a pierced heart indicates repentance and devotion, and a heart wrapped in thorns is associated with the Great Promise of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. (Italics mine).
It got me thinking about the Three of Swords in a different way. Yes, it would still represent pain or difficulty but not necessarily sorrow or grief. If you see it as repentance and devotion, perhaps it symbolizes this to a degree of completeness signified by the number three – as represented by the three swords that pierce the heart. Maybe in a spread it could be speaking of self-sacrifice because of devotion to the point where it hurts. It could also be speaking of true and absolute repentance that affects not only the mind but the heart as well. That the heart is seen in the clouds could show that it takes place on a higher level of consciousness. The rain can represent tears, not of sorrow, but of true repentance that truly seeks forgiveness. The tears could be of the higher joy that comes from sacrificing everything out of devotion to a person or a higher cause, or of the kind of religious devotion that strips away everything but the love that emanates from God.
Depending on it’s position in a spread it could be asking the querent to make such a sacrifice or choose a path of devotion. It could the cause of a situation, the reason things are happening they way are. It could be warning, if someone is giving too much in a relationship out of a false sense of devotion, not realizing they are hurting themselves in the process.
These are just a few ideas, and I’m sure it could be elaborated on with further study and reflection. I find comfort in this new way of seeing this card, because it can mean something positive resulting from something that may seem at first read to be negative. That pain and difficulty can sometimes serve a purpose for good. It’s the silver lining I was searching for in this particular cloud.
Secrets, Lies and Promises
This is a really neat spread, created by Corrine Kenner, that you can find in the 2007 Tarot Reader
When I saw this spread I couldn’t wait to try it. It’s fairly simple, yet promises to reveal more complex ideas than “past, present and future”. It has twists and turns. It sounds like an adventure.
The first card, above the other three, is Your Situation. I felt it could be something you could choose to look at, which the card would address, or you can leave it up to the cards to tell you what situation they will concern. I chose to let the cards decide. Upon seeing the King of Pentacles I knew that the spread would be about my desire for financial security and organization. My husband and I had just been discussing our business, our plans to move next year and how we can get better control of our financial situation. The way I read court cards they can be people or energies. In this case this card represented to me the mastery of material and financial part of my life.
The following three positions, from left to right, are A Secret; Something You Don’t Know, A Lie; something you believe that is not true, and A Promise; A promise to you from the universe.
My quick take on these three cards was that I need to put more emphasis on listening to my heart and inner guide and less on material comforts and desires, and that the way to achieve the success and security I want is by using my mind. In essence, listening to my heart and mind to achieve my goals and not be so concerned about immediate comforts and possesions.
Well, duh. That’s basically common sense isn’t it? But sometimes you need the clarity that Tarot can offer to cut through confusion and anxiety – two things I seem to have in abundance these days.
I think the Moon is also telling me that there is something important I am not allowing myself to be aware of. Something below the surface of my consciousness that I need to understand. I have not been meditating as much as I’d like lately, simply because I am not making the time for it. It’s time to change that.
The Ace of Swords shows the power of the mind cutting through the crown of materialism. The crown is not unlike that worn by the King of Pentacles. The universe promises me that my mind can overcome any material concerns. This is something easily forgotten in our possession-driven society, where much emphasis is put on “what you have” rather than “who you are”.
This is an interesting and powerful spread, and deceptively simple. I had fun trying it out.
A Small Assortment of Decks
I just ordered my third Universal Waite
Some decks I outgrew. For a while I really loved the Osho Zen Deck
My current favorite for personal use is the Fey Tarot
I’ve been using the Gilded Tarot
I recently received the delightful Bohemian Cats Tarot
Two others that I use occasionally are the Tarot of the Cat People
I’ve had other decks that have moved on to other households, and there are many, many that I still wish to acquire. I think it may be a form of addiction, as I know some people who two or three hundred decks in their collections. I really would like to keep it under a hundred myself. So I will likely continue weeding them out occasionally. But these decks will likely always form my core collection with a handful more that I still need to purchase – ones that I think are likely to be “keepers”.
