The Hierophant
Taliesin
Fortune Cookie: Get to know in a much deeper way your nature as a magical Renaissance man or woman, and bring together all of your expertise and faculties.
It’s only been about three weeks since he was last around, so I guess we all need a reminder about who we may really be. Eh?
As I’ve said before, this is a card so dense with information and direction, I hardly know where to start. So hang on a minute while I think about it.
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Right. Thanks.
First, I have heard some people refer to this card as the older, more grounded partner to The Priestess . Fine, fine, fine with me. But let’s go beyond that.
Some readers find that this card betokens a marriage alliance or servitude, but also mercy and goodness. Others understand it as indicating the making of a long term commitment or that a new, helpful guiding influence is about to come into your life. So keep an eye out for that, especially if things have been bumpy or chaotic.
Anna-Marie Ferguson, creator of the Legend deck, sees The Hierophant in many lovely ways. Some of my favorites are a person with experience he or she is willing to share; a generous spiritual mentor; initiation; drawing security and comfort from one’s roots; but also, feeling constricted by conformity to orthodoxy.
You won’t find me negating any of those possibilities. But, still, I go in my own direction with a card as important as this.
When this card turns up for a client, I start off by reminding them that, in some Arthurian legends, Taliesin became Arthur’s magical helper after Merlin left the scene. (In some tales, Taliesin and Merlin together stand at water’s edge as the vessel bearing Arthur departs for Avalon.) So it’s a card of magical assistance or guidance.
Taliesin was one of the great, archetypal Bards of the Island of the Mighty. As such [at least as I understand it] he was a shapeshifter and wizard; a wisdom keeper; a singer; and a poet; and a musician; and he brought all those abilities together as a healer; and a teacher; and a community mediator. Not to mention being the power behind the throne, for − in some of what I have read – you couldn’t lead a Celtic clan or tribe unless the Bards declared you were THE ONE.
So I see The Hierophant as being a kind of super, magical Renaissance man or woman, who brings together and uses (brilliantly) not only ordinary reality skills, training and power, but magical, spiritual, sacred connections and capacities as well.
This can also be the keeper of ancient and hidden and powerful wisdom, not a bad thing to be or to look out for.
One thing more. In the first Tarot decks created LONG ago, there was no Hierophant card. There was instead… The Pope. Why? Because, at the time, the Pope was The Absolute Pinnacle of Power and wealth, not only materially but (as he was perceived at the time) also spiritually.
So when the Hierophant shows up, I often say, “Ya wanna really grow materially? Devote a lot more quality time and effort to growing spiritually. For you, the two must go hand in hand.”
So:
Be open to the possibility of a very beneficial new alliance.
Seek for (or perhaps seek to be) a generous spiritual mentor.
Get to know in a much deeper way your nature as a magical Renaissance man or woman, and bring together all of your expertise and faculties.
Own all of that, and move toward your highest and best both spiritually and materially.
Start today!
Brightest, most diverse and magical blessings!
Thought for the Day: I went to a restaurant that serves “breakfast at any time.” So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance. ~ Steven Wright
Today’s Whether: Equal parts Safari liqueur, Blue Curacao and Pisang Ambon; add passion fruit juice, pineapple juice, and a little egg white. You may in fact be able to show yourself proof of Leprechauns.
On Today’s Date: 1808 – Anthracite coal is first burned as a fuel, experimentally. [And away the whole mess went.]
And: 1964 – The Beatles hold their first concert in the United States at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C.
Four of Shields
King Mark
Fortune Cookie: Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. Help give them focus in ordinary reality by working closely and deeply with insights from someone who can help be an architect of their creation.
Oh.
Bugger.
It’s been over two months since we last had to face up to this guy, and I still wanna just say Argghhh!
[Spirit of full disclosure: you might wanna take a couple Tylenol before you try to wade through my interpretation of this card. Or a couple mushrooms. Quaaludes. Something.]
I suppose I say O. B. because this is a card that always gives me hives and reflux. No attitude to have, perhaps, but the card leads me to say rude things and argue with God when it turns up for me. So I suppose I better pay [even more] attention [than normal] here. And if I must, you must. I’m not dealing with this all by myself, so there!
I feel MUCH better now. Thanks!
Where were we?
The Four of shields is, in part, a card about strategic planning with really honest, true, deep objectivity. [I’m an Aquarian. Need I say more? See two lines in red above.]
As I have confessed before on this blog, I can come up with a brilliant, elegant project planning and tracking system for you if you like. Just don’t expect me to use the [bleepin’] thing. That scenario literally happened in an organization I worked for many years ago.
Anyway, as I say pretty much every time the Four of Shields turns up:
This is one of those cards that clients, particularly intuitive, artistic clients, find incredibly less than charming when it shows in a reading.
It IS, after all a very
Be grounded in ordinary reality
as you work to take the next steps on your path
until you are soaring –
so eventually you CAN soar
as you deserve to
kind of messenger.
But remember, O artistes, intuitivoes and others of our ilk [and I use the term ilk with the greatest of affection], there are times grounded behavior can be beneficial. And hardly painful at all. Mostly. I’ve heard.
[By the way, on that grounded until you get soaring thing: if, as you’ll see below, a key element of this card is to get yourself a wonderful mentor, why do we sometimes have trouble with wanting to do that or following through on it?
Is it because we’re not clear enough about who we really are and what our goal actually is? Hmmmmm...?
And I ask again, Hmmmmm...?
Because, you know, part of the REASON to hook up with a mentor is so that you can take an honest look at what some realistic goals might be − for the next part of your path, anyway. And sometimes we’re afraid those goals won’t seem good enough, to us or to others.
Well… Phooey that Shitaki!!!! {Cleaned that one up. Yup! Yup! Yup!}
No matter how high or low the goal, it’s still a matter of one step at a time, over and over again. And the mentor can help you see that in a useful, perhaps even kindly and encouraging way. And perhaps help you get a handle on who you really are/who you’re trying to become as well.]
Where was I?
Oh. Okay.
For me the Four of Shields basically says:
~ Be prepared to become concrete in your planning,
at least for the moment
[and don’t beat up on yourself if it ain’t easy]
~ Do this in the following way:
~ Find someone who is an acknowledged expert in
what you seek to achieve, and/or who is a
respected (especially by you) wizard in the successful
laying out of the kind of path you seek to walk
~ Work together closely, over some time to develop
YOUR plan
~ Follow that plan. And follow it carefully,
at least for some time into the foreseeable future
until you will naturally and inevitably soar.
Once upon a time, this whole process was called, simply, Get yourself an amazing and powerful Mentor! And listen to that mentor’s guidance! AND FOLLOW THROUGH ON IT!!!! And that can still apply here.
In this blog, if you’ve been around for a bit, you know that I’ve used John Lennon and the Beatles as illustrations of following your bliss despite predictions of failure. (And if you’ve already read this story at least three times, READ IT AGAIN! Otherwise it’s back to hustling pay- as-you- go cell phones for you. Right?)
Well, aside from the fact that the Beatles were brilliant to the point of magical, they also were able to make some of their first huge leaps because of Brian Epstein.
He was a superb businessman and their manager beginning in 1962. He married his ordinary-reality-based magic to his aspirations to be a major player on the music scene and to the Beatles incomparable artistry and passion. And the world was changed.
Now, maybe you don’t have a Brian-the-Wizard to pull out of your hat. Yet. But who and what DO you have? How can you access him/her/them? Give it some thought today, and take that concrete and valuable baby step along the path by actually accessing them!
Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. Help give them focus in ordinary reality by working closely and deeply with insights from someone who can help be an architect of their creation.
Bright blessings and tremendous success! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! YEAH!!!
Quote for the Day: I say 20 words in English. I say money, money, money, and I say hot dog! I say yes, no and I say money, money, money and I say turkey sandwich and I say grape juice. ~ Carmen Miranda
Today’s Weather: Polaryishly. like, brrrrr. Try to hunker down with a slice of cinnamon toast and Frangelico coffee till they find you.
On This Date: 1895 – William G. Morgan creates a game called Mintonette, which soon comes to be referred to as volleyball. [And we all thought it was an ancient shamanic practice. Right?]
And: 1909 – Carmen Miranda, Brazilian actress is born.
King of Swords
Mordred
Fortune Cookie: What are your highest ideals? What are your deepest passions? Where do they intersect and support each other? What are the specific, definable, practical steps that will carry you to living them? How can you begin those steps TODAY? And how can you keep to them EVERY day?
No, he does NOT look like Johnny Depp. Not a bit. Not even a little. Hardly. At all. Really.
As those of you who are regular readers of the blog, AND have a fairly good number of still-functioning brain cells [which leaves me out (what does?) (never mind) (okay)] may remember, this was the card for New Year’s Day, and therefore for this entire year.
As I said then:
The King of Swords is one of those cards where each Tarot deck, each author writing about Tarot, and each reader has his or her own unique spin on what meanings are most truly representative and therefore accurate.
And then, to assign Mordred (more about him toward the end) to the card. Man!
So here are some of the interpretations I’ve gotten from others:
~ the bloody bastard who never knows when to stop fighting
~ a ruthless and daring person (likely male)
~ one (usually a man or someone of strong masculine energy) who sits in judgement
~ the innovative but probably unpredictable leader
~ a revolutionary
So if any of those interpretations mesh with how it seems you need to be in your life just now and in the year to come (or represent the energy that’s intersecting/interfering with your life), then pay attention and act accordingly – i.e., if the interpretation accurately describes someone else, accept that your perceptions about the person are TRUE!, then figure out what to do from there.
I did a shamanic journey to determine how I should generally interpret this card for my clients. A spirit guide in the form of a great black and silver dragon came by. It said,
This is what you need to know about the King of Swords.
The King of Swords has three major characteristics:
First, he is so idealistic he often lets his head drift away into the clouds and he becomes flakey – which will often cause him to fail.
Second, he is so passionate he often loses track of what’s sensible, appropriate − or even legal − and he blows his own ass up by getting crazy-emotional about what he wants or hopes for – which will often cause him to fail.
As a result of the first and second issues, he has actually learned from the example of the Queen of Swords and he has FORCED himself to develop the will to become strategic about what he wants.
He asks himself what he would need to do in order to be true to his highest ideals AND his deepest passions. He determines how they would best blend together. He refines his goals, and then develops a specific, detailed plan that incorporates every major step necessary to take him from where he is to where his ideals and passions would have him be.
And then he exerts the will to hold himself to that plan, day by day, until higher ideals or deeper passions cause him to rethink his goals and start the whole process over again.
Hard work, but worth the effort.
Would your life be different if you had done that, and held yourself to it, twenty years ago? It’s never too late to start.
[About Mordred: pretty much everyone knows him as the 'illegitimate' son and only child of Arthur. According to most legends, Mordred, out of evil or just out of spite, plotted and schemed to displace The King and, in the process, brought down Camelot. Maybe that is how it was. There are a number of variations on that theme throughout the tales. But in one version of the legends, Arthur and Mordred were reconciled in the end; they died fighting side by side against foreign invaders. Maybe so.]
So: What are your highest ideals? What are your deepest passions? Where do they intersect and support each other? What are the specific, definable, practical steps that will carry you to living them? How can you begin those steps TODAY? And how can you keep to them EVERY day?
Bright blessings, high ideals, passion and success!
Quote for the Day: (Maybe Worth Repeating?)
The Eight Commandments
Today’s Waethyr: Wackadoo mackadoos bobbing and weaving. Sell a small senator or exchange him for a decent hot sandwich.
On This Date: 1855 – The Devil’s Footprints mysteriously appear in southern Devon. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Footprints ]
Lancelot in Exile
Fortune Cookie: Find the pure and beautiful light within you, acknowledge it, engage it, and begin bringing it out as a gift to and a healing for the world.
As I’ve said before whenever this card came up:
This would be a good time to remember that
~ each Tarot card has many facets to its meaning and
~ it can be important to tease out as many of the meanings as you can for yourself
~ including meanings that seems to contradict themselves
~ to get a sense of what you might need to be aware of on any given day
Is that sufficiently unclear?
Okay, let’s try it from another perspective. As I have also said before:
There are lots of different Yous going on during even a single morning, let alone a whole day, a whole career, etc.
Although you perceive yourself to be pretty much the same from morning till night, and day in and day out,
~ You’re likely a very different person with the paper boy who leaves your paper perfectly where you want it [you remember what a newspaper is, don’t you?]
~ than you are with the cats who keep lovingly flopping on the movie reviews as you try to read them.
~ And you’re a different person with them than you are with the partner who always manages to be just a few minutes later for everything than you would like.
~ And you’re different with her/him than you are with that whiney but important client who demands that you see her half an hour earlier than anybody else ever does (and then cancels)
~ or the lovely but dotty neighbor who always drives a bit over the edge of your lawn but gives you potted plants and flowers once a quarter in apology
~ and the other neighbor who is wonderful but keeps throwing peasants out for the weregoblins, who grab them and eat them on (and leave leftovers all over) your porch. Yech!
See? LOTS of different Yous.
And that’s not even on a day fraught with emotional charge, elevated hopes, escalated fears, fat, sugar and alcohol. Oh, wait. Valentine’s Day is next week.
So what does that have to do with The Hermit?
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
It’ll come to me. Oyeah.
So…
As I’ve said before, you’d assume a card with a name like The Hermit would be pretty self-evident in its meaning, right?
Well, sort of. For once. In this case, anyway. I mean, if you’ve been aching for some alone time away from the madding crowd to recuperate, get grounded and centered, this is definitely your card of permission in that regard. [So, yeah, you can tell your boss it was all Neal’s fault you didn’t show for mandatory fun with your coworkers at the company blueberry fest and witch hunt this weekend.] But be sure to create and take advantage of favorable energies if you let yourself have the time and space this way. It will be valuable and helpful.
But the more specific applicability of The Hermit on any given day is that, when this card shows up in a reading, I’m most likely to say to a client,
Ah. Yes. Hermit.
It’s time to go really deep within yourself and do some much needed soul-searching.
The intent will be to find the pure and beautiful light within you, acknowledge it, engage it, and begin bringing it out as a gift to and a healing for the world.
Please see whether you don’t really resonate to that aspect of the card today. In fact, go out of your way to try to resonate with it. It’ll help you get through the day. And your vibe will probably help everyone else in the process.
By the way, this card can also indicate a meeting with a wise person. So don’t let that slip by if you perceive a likely opportunity. [Maybe you know, like, a pretty good Tarot reader or somethin'? Or a Magic Eight Ball? ]
Find your light. Shine it in the world.
Bright BRIGHT Blessings!
Quote for the Day: I’ll develop my own image. I’m an original man. A one and only. I just need some help. ~ Sam Shepard, from The Tooth of Crime
Today’s Weather: Cowboy shepherds transmuting rock n’ roll syntax into the portrait of a generation. With fries.
On This Date: 1497 – The bonfire of the vanities occurs in which suppoters of Girolamo Savonarola burn thousands of objects like cosmetics, art, and books in Florence, Italy.
And: 1812 – Charles Dickens, English novelist is born.
Picture of the Day
The Dragon
Symbol of the Pendragon Kings
Fortune Cookie: Happiness, health, wealth, peace and power… IF you own your power!
Wow! A card that has only appeared once before on this blog. And one that does not exist in any other Tarot deck!
Okay. In the spirit of full disclosure, I guess I should say that, in some decks, an extra card − beyond those in a standard Tarot deck – would probably be treated like the Joker in a deck of playing cards. Well, not this card. Not in this deck.
The card portrays a beautiful, winged dragon holding a scepter. He is surrounded by apple blossoms − apples are a Celtic symbol of immortality, perhaps a nod to the “King who was and is to be.”
So listen up [lookee here, whatever], because this is a very, very important card.
It promises
Happiness
Hope
Health
Wealth
Peace
Power
IF YOU OWN YOUR POWER!
Regular visitors to this blog know there are several cards which betoken power struggles or owning power and ability in specific ways.
Today’s card says Hey! You! Everything you could hope for! All that is good and kind and loving that you could wish! It will ALL be yours, fully, joyfully, healthily
IF YOU OWN YOUR POWER!
So, today: Spend some time dreamweaving what your life would be like if everything were absolutely, totally, perfectly the way you always wished it would be.
Where would you live?
How would you live?
Who would you hang out with?
What would you give to the world?
Who would you be?
Why?
NOW…
How do you need to more fully
Believe in yourself?
Believe in your ability to create what you’ve always longed for?
Own your power to create it fully in the ways you’ve dreamed?
DO IT!
DON’T WAIT!
DO IT NOW!
OWN YOUR POWER!
Brightest, BRIGHTEST blessings!
Quote for the Day: Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. ~Anaïs Nin
Today’s Weather: Zaphods multiplying throughout the koi ponds of frozen rustbelt condo backyards. Tacky.
On This Date: 1952 – Elizabeth II becomes Queen upon the death of her father George VI. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a treehouse at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya.
And: 1945 – Bob Marley, Jamaican musician is born.
Ten of Spears
The Green Knight
Hmmm… We last saw this fellow back in September
But what I want you to really latch onto for today is this:
Tens in any Tarot deck betoken the end of one cycle and the beginning of another, or even the end of one way of life and the beginning of another. So, if I were reading for you today and this card came up, I’d ask:
How do the things you have been experiencing – and more importantly, how do the things you have begun to long for in life just now – represent a strong message to you that you must allow yourself to acknowledge the end of a cycle and the powerful potential for you to move into something wonderful and new, even miraculous? How can you keep that in front of you not only today, but all through the year?
Then I’d say:
Beyond that general information about cycles, I believe the Ten of Spears says in no uncertain terms, “You. Yeah, you! Go on a spiritual adventure. Let yourself be open to new and incredibly transformative experience. Keep a sharp eye out for integrity, in yourself and in those around you – particularly teachers, leaders and spiritual directors. And seek spiritual renewal through the wondrous. Yes, starting RIGHT NOW. Get going! Do IT!”
So, in consideration of the fact that it’s time for you to begin an entirely new phase of your life, and in consideration that I’m reading for YOU today, let me be a little pushy and ask a couple readerly but obnoxious questions. [Doofus reader clears throat, straightens vest, cleans french fry grease from shirt, clears throat again]:
What ARE the spiritual adventures and transformative experiences and magical evolutions you’ve always hungered for but never really had the courage, or cash, or whatever to pursue? Now, given that you and I are
~ a.) Looking at the specific energy you are being asked to embrace to start this (suddenly new) cycle, and ~
b.) Bearing in mind that you are being asked to accept, own and foster this energy and therefore this transformational nature of yourself over an extended period (so you don’t think you hafta have it all together by dinner tonight) ~
c.) What dreams, hopes, changes will you PLEASE actually give yourself permission to believe in and REALLY pursue so as to have achieved them by, say, a year-and-a-day from now?
(Okay, for you Capricorns, Virgos and Aquariuses {Aquariusae?} [Ohyeah, Aquarians], you have my permission to take a minute and write the answers down in a list on paper. Aquarians will have lost the list by dinner anyway.)
d.) And what are one or two baby steps you can take today and this week to begin the concrete process of demonstrating your commitment to this new cycle and beginning your quest? (Aquarius, that would mean finding the list. Or even typing/printing out the questions and taping them above your desk.)
So, will you love yourself and the world enough to take those questions on for the “New” You (new cycle, new way of life, whatever)? We’d all sure appreciate it!
By the way, here’s some info about how other folks see the Ten of Spears:
Some view the Ten of Spears as a card of
~ oppressive energy that is overcome to achieve success (So know that you may feel challenged by the nature of the changes or goals you give yourself permission to go after, or perhaps by those around you who don’t get the point.)
~ disguise or false seeming (That’s why it’s important to keep an eye out for integrity in those you connect with, and perhaps even in yourself and your own motives.)
~ an awesome task which is successfully accomplished through perseverance (You deserve to take on something awesome. That’s what’s worthy of you and your true nature. Besides, that’s why you’re HERE right now. Right?)
So, for today and for this “New” You:
How will you (how would you wish to) end one cycle and begin another?
How will you go on a wonderful, transformative spiritual adventure?
How will you be open to miraculous experiences, and recognize the miraculous nature of yourself?
How will you guard your integrity and seek for it in others?
How will you make this the most beautiful and wondrous of times starting today, starting now?
Bright blessings and miracles!
Quote for the Day: I would give up all the accolades – people have occasionally written and said nice things – of my showbiz career to play just once for the senior Munster team. I will never win an Oscar now, but even if I did I would swap it instantly for one sip of champagne from the Heineken Cup. ~ Richard Harris [Now THERE'S pursuing a dream!]
Today’s Weather: Fried asiago on triscuits before 11; groom your clownfish.
On This Date: 62 AD – Earthquake in Pompeii Italy.
And: 1958 – A hydrogen bomb known as the Tybee Bomb is lost by the US Air Force off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, never to be recovered.
Farewell, dear Lady Lils. You dance free among the stars.
The Hanged Man
Castle Perilous
Fortune Cookie: Stay much more aware than normal. Know that positive energy and opportunities are there and will benefit you. Reach out and take hold of them, one by one, to get you where you intend.
“So, Whaddya doin’, Neal?”
“Aw, nothin’ much. Just hangin’ around.”
Not!
Okay, we last saw this fellow back in September. Let’s see how much we learned from the good advice he brings.
Or… any other options, ya think?
In any case, here’s what I normally say about the Hanged Man. Let’s all take a look, and maybe even I’ll pay a little attention this time.
Here we go: [Gonzo Tarot reader slowly and carefully sidles to far end of table, humming "Bells of Rhymney" or some other pleasant but innocuous tune.]
[As Sir Terry Pratchett put it in his book, The Light Fantastic, “He moved in a way that suggested he was attempting the world speed record for the nonchalant walk.”]
This is one of those cards whose visual depiction can set a client whimpering and collapsing into themselves in a repetitive rocking fugue the moment it’s seen. I suppose I can understand that. The name alone is enough to cause mewling in all of the hardiest guys I’ve read for − god bless both of ’em.
Some decks picture a fellow hanging by a rope upside down by one leg from a tree, possibly with his head about to take a deep dunk in a fast flowing river.
Even my deck, Legend by Anna-Marie Ferguson pictures a passle-o-knights left hanging in a grove, one leg and both arms tied behind their backs to show that they were rendered powerless and had failed in a quest.
So I get why some readers interpret the card as indicating restriction, sacrifice or − at best − feeling drained. Sort of an Eeyore before Prozac kinda energy, you see.
As the regular blog crew expects by now, I see the card differently. When it turns up for a client, whatever area of his or her life we’re examining, I usually say something like,
“Okay. Right away now. Keep breathing. Nice deep breaths. Good! Not too much. Don’t hyperventilate. Have a little brandy or a shot o’ Jack Black, maybe a little Cuervo action. Try some flower essences. Take a hit off this bong. Good.
“Now. There are several levels of meaning to this card.
“First, what the card is saying to you is. ‘If you’ve been feeling stuck in place or like you’re so deep in a rut you can’t see over the edge… Guess what? Good news! You really have been. You aren’t just a whining, puling little twit. And knowing that should actually make you feel better, Spunky!
“‘Second, it’s time for you to move up and out of that stuck space. And very soon, if not immediately!’”
And this is How.
So pay attention.
The Hanged Man asks that you be extra vigilant in keeping your intuitive antenna up for strong, wise, functional, interested and caring energy that can and will help pull you out of your rut.
The help may come in small chunks, like a better-paying job that can move you forward − as opposed to winning the Mega Millions lottery. [Sorry! Remember, I’m just the messenger here.] [Dammit!] But the help will be there, maybe even is already here, and be there in the ways that can really, truly benefit you.
Your mission then is to stay tuned in, be aware, notice the positive energy or helpful opportunity, reach out for it and grab onto it when it shows up, and use it to move you along to where you really want to be.
There is an additional directive from the Hanged Man.
The card basically says that, in those moments when the new, positive, helpful energy and opportunities aren’t readily apparent – and those moments happen to all of us − your mission is to refuse to get sucked into the old It sucks to be me! I’m hopeless! I’m helpless! whirlpool.
Rather, use the time for prayer, meditation, shamanic journeying, etc.
Go deep within, embrace your own spirituality, guidance, wisdom, and healing.
Use the “fallow time” in practices that will help you become more fully connected to your truer, deeper, self and to the channels of spiritual power and assistance around you.
So:
Stay aware.
Stay much more aware than normal, in fact.
Know that positive energy and opportunities are there and will benefit you. Reach out and take hold of them, one by one, to get you where you intend.
If nothin’s shakin’, use the time for prayer, meditation, magical studies and spiritual practice to increase those elements that are of and for your highest and best.
Bright blessings and beautiful positive flow upward and away!
Quote for the Day: If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that’s what He’s getting. ~ Jack Handy
Today’s Weather: Frodo rings bouncing jolly great rainbows from the mountains to the seas. Get yer share!
On this Date: 1794 – The French legislature abolishes slavery throughout all territories of the French Republic.
And: Across the Universe Day – On 4 February 2008, at 00:00 UTC, NASA transmitted the interstellar message “Across the Universe” in the direction of the star Polaris, 431 light years from Earth.
Six of Spears
The Return of Ambrosius
Fortune Cookie: What IS the seeming defeat that you would turn into a victory FOR THE HIGHEST AND BEST today?
Hmmm… We didn’t see this guy for over six months, and now he’s back after only two weeks. Maybe I need to lubricate my shuffling knuckles.
As I said other times this card has shown up for the Blog, it’s one that requires a Nealio’s fracturized-and-beat-all-to-hell faerystory version of the legend behind the card. That will help you understand my interpretation of the Six of Spears, which – as ever – varies a touch from the norm.
By the way, my intuition-based recounting of the story of Ambrosius also varies a tad from anybody else’s, historical or otherwise.
So, gae we noo taegether, aye. Or some twaddle-e-o like that.
The Story:
Just as Arthur had to deal with a rebellion of the lesser kings at the start of his reign, and Arthur’s father Uther had to deal with a rebellion of the lesser kings at the start of that reign, Arthur’s uncle Ambrosius had problems from the git-go.
But Ambrosius was literally overpowered and driven completely out of Britain, to Brittany in France. And the people who stole Britain from him were a bunch of real slimebuckets (I believe that’s a French term), you bet!
Now, that made our guy Ambrosius a King in Exile, which could be a pretty cushy lifeback then: Small but scenic and well-appointed castle, nice lands, good hunting, splendid French wines − there could be a real temptation to just put your feet up, marry or tarry with a French princess, become a semi-powerful courtier and suck down the oysters of life, washing them down with champagne.
Not for Ambrosius.
He gathered, from ALL around the world, the finest strategists, armorers, teachers, mages, alchemists, trainers, warriors, etc., etc., etc. and put them all to work for him, on him, on his forces and on his hopes. So that, after a while, it became generally acknowledged that he had the finest army, guided by the finest advisors and the finest king, in all the world.
Then, in his own chosen time, he and his army went back across the English Channel and literally blew through the opposing forces like wind through a cane break.
Which brings me to the card. [Yeah. Finally.]
To most readers, the Six of Spears betokens a victor triumphing, or great and important news. Others see it as the final, finishing touches on a long project, or perhaps a surrender by the competition.
Anna-Marie Ferguson, creator of the Legend deck, sees this card as a well-earned victory, change for the better, and “passing through a gateway to a new era.” No. Passing. With an a.
I won’t go against any of those interpretations. I could use a touch of that stuff lately, meself. Couldn’t you?
But to me, Six of Spears goes a tough farther. It represents utter, total complete victory after what seemed to be utter defeat.
And the victory comes, not instantly, or even easily, perhaps, but after careful planning and the marshalling of THE BEST people who can help make the desired success and/or reversal of fortune possible. (Attention, please: That means you’re not SUPPOSED to try to handle it all-by-yerself-alone! But don’t settle for help from any doofus who happens to wander by with a card that says $$Consultant$$ either!)
So:
What IS the seeming defeat that you would turn into a victory FOR THE HIGHEST AND BEST?
Who are the friends, associates, helpers, consultants (good ones!), managers, healers, intuitives, artists, teachers, spiritual directors OR WHATEVER who would be THE BEST to help you take back what seems lost?
What must you do to involve them in your cause? And what can you do to start on that today? Go! Go! Go!!!
Bright blessings and victory that is for the Highest and Best!
Quote for the Day: You live and learn. At any rate, you live. ~ Douglas Adams
Today’s Weather: Brisk buskers, masterful mountebanks and the odd baboon in black tie. Mind yer wallabees.
On This Date: 1959 – A plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa kills Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and pilot Roger Peterson and the incident becomes known as The Day the Music Died.
Eight of Cups
Chapel Perilous
Fortune Cookie: refuse to be confined, repressed, dimmed by anything or anyone – especially yourself!
This card last popped up for the blog, around the end of December. It’s one that has a lot of helpful direction to it. It is, however, another one of those cards that sets clients awhimperin’ just from the visuals. [Except for those who are superGoth. They just ask for directions so they can find the place.]
The card, you see, (at least in the deck I use) portrays a wayfaring knight who has ridden into a lonely chapel to protect himself and his steed from a furious storm. He notices that the altar is without any adornment, save for a large, brightly flaming golden candle. As he waits, and drips, he sees a giant, clawed, monstrous hand reach in through the window high above the altar and make to extinguish the light.
What a swell and encouraging image. Yes?
Anyway, some readers believe the Eight of Cups conveys either turning away from felicity and celebration, or the exact opposite [I guess it depends which side of bed the reader fell out of]. Others believe this is a card that calls for the querent (questioner) to look for a deeper meaning in life; it betokens a time for soul searching.
Anna-Marie Ferguson, creator of the Legend deck, finds this card to be about abandoning a path, a change of plans, and escaping an unhealthy situation, among other things. I can work with those meanings.
Of course, I have my own particular take on the card. When it turns up for a client, once I have gotten them to calm back down from the impact of the visual, I usually say things like
~ Do not let anyone or anything – especially yourself − put a bushel basket over your light.
~ Do not allow anyone or anything – especially yourself or your perception of your self − hold you under its thumb.
If necessary:
Leave.
Move.
Go elsewhere. Hastily.
Try something else.
Reach out for other options.
Rework your priorities and take life from there.
SET YOURSELF FREE!!!
So:
Today, refuse to be confined, repressed, dimmed by anyone or anything – especially yourself!
Bright blessings and an open path to your true self!
Thought for the Day:
Winter is in my head
But spring is in my heart!
~ Victor Hugo
Today’s Weather: Black mustachios descending like Little Debbie Pumpkin Muffins upon a fair and unsuspecting land. Throw old Van Morrison LPs at the suckers.
T
On This Date: 1709 – Alexander Selkirk is rescued after being shipwrecked on a desert island, inspiring the book Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.
And: 1650 – Nell Gwynne, English actress and royal mistress is born.
Most obscene thing I’ve seen today:
Hostess Twinkie Wedding Cakes
Eight of Swords
Guenevere at the Stake
Fortune Cookie: Reach out. Ask for help. Let yourself receive help − help of all kinds from all appropriate levels. Especially seek assistance from those who are extremely capable of helping you understand, take on and overcome the difficulties [or go after the new goals] that may be trying to creep up [or emerging].
Okay. For those of you who weren’t paying attention on January 10th and 11th…
Yo! Yo! Ovah Heeeyah! Yeah. Heeeyah! I’m tawking to you!
PAY ATTENTION!
[And by the way, what DIDN'T you ask for help with back then that you might have. Eh?]
As I said the last couple of times this card showed up, this is really one of those cards that a client only has to see for about a second before they start whining and puling. Can’t say I blame them, based on how the Eight of Swords is usually depicted.
Even in my Legend deck, the largest elements are Guenevere tied to the stake, wood piled about her, the executioner (looking very much like Lurch from the original Adams family) ready to set the pyre alight. Charmin’ all ’round, ’tis.
So when intuitive consultants (Tarot readers) typically offer interpretations along the lines of bad news, conflict, slander, crisis, regret and being held at a disadvantage − I suppose I can see why a client might whimper some.
However − as most of you have already begun to say under your breath – Nealio don’t see it THAT way.
Let’s think about something for a second. [Yes, you have to. Have another coffee or a strawberry cough pancake for pity’s sake.]
Why do people come to guys like me for a reading? [Be nice. Remember, I still know your email address.] [And besides, I need that info for a marketing blitz.]
They should NOT NOT NOT come to a Tarot reader just to hear what’s gonna happen. They SHOULD work with people like me to learn what THEY need to know that will help THEM maximize success and optimize outcomes! BIIIIIIIG difference!
I like a phrase my wife shared with me. “Some American Indians think of prophecy as that which can be changed.”
So, you come to me for a reading. The Eight of Swords turns up. You start looking for a place to hide. You find you don’t fit under the table and you can’t leap from the window because we’re in a basement.
So I say,
Wait a minute! Wait! Wait! Wait!
[Wait!] Don’t leap (or claw your way up) to conclusions!
The first thing this card is telling you is that, if you’ve been feeling bound, trapped, concerned that there’s some negativity trying to bring you down, you’ve been right. You’re not just being a wuss.
But! BUT!!!!! Look carefully at the card, Watson. The Queen is tied to the stake and about to become an order of crispy-crunchy, dipping sauce upon request, no vegans please. However, peer more closely [I'm exerting peer pressure] and you’ll see there are knights coming over the hill, riding to her rescue. And, if you remember your old Richard Harris movies, they will succeed.
This card is a gift to you, warning you in advance of possible crisis and other down-side realities. And sure, if you freeze like a deer in the headlights, you will become Highway Delight.
How should you deal with this card? Do what Guenevere did.
Reach out.
Ask for help.
Let yourself receive help − help of all kinds from all appropriate levels.
Especially seek assistance from those who are extremely capable of helping you understand, take on and overcome the difficulties [or go after the new goals] that may be trying to creep up [or emerging].
That will lead you to the most positive outcome possible, and even to a successful turnaround of the situation.
This card offers an end to adversity and a new beginning.
Let me repeat that for greater effect:
This card offers
an end to adversity
and a new beginning.
But you have to reach out for it and grab the help when it’s there. (After all, don’t you owe it to all the rest of us to make your life, and thus the greater vibration, better?)
Feeling tied down or tied in knots? DON’T try to handle it alone. Reach out. Get general support from all those who care about you. Engage those who have the strength, skill and wisdom to help you free yourself and move on to new, bright possibilities. And make it a habit not to go solo any more. Reach out. Ask for help − of the highest and best kind.
Bright blessings, hope, peace and joy!
Quote for the Day: I find letters from God dropt in the street—and every one is sign d by God’s name… ~ Walt Whitman, from Leaves of Grass
Today’s Weather: You are an incomparably accurate weather report. READ YOURSELF: FOR A CHANGE.
On This Date: 1884 – Edition one of the Oxford English Dictionary is published.
