Knight of Cups

Galahad

This fellow is back again after only nine days.  Do ya suppose it might be attempting to remind us of what’s REALLY important at this sacred and magical time of year? [WHO said a Razor Pocket Rocket mini electric bike? Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeze.  Why don't you just go watch that smarmy blonde doofus on Fox so I can talk to serious people here?]

The Knight of Cups is always a good energy & good advice card.  I think of this as the card of the sacred quest. 

[Razor Pocket Rocket my astilbe!]

Therefore, if you have been feeling that your life really isn’t going in the direction you and God (or The Universe, the Universal Life Force, the Big Enchilada, Beyonce, The Voice of John Cleese, Brangelina – whoever) agreed to before you accepted birth this time around:

HEY!  YOU! 

Don’t you think it’s time to reconnect and GET GOING?

Some readers might interpret the Knight of Cups as the coming of a messenger, advancement in the world, or a graceful but not warlike person of great masculine energy [think Baryshnikov, I guess. Or George Clooney.  Or Madonna?].  Others could say it indicates someone (maybe you?) ingenious, full of original ideas.

Anna-Marie Ferguson, creator of the Legend deck I use, feels this card betokens a tempting proposal which deserves serious consideration. [Avoid snakes in apple trees.  Things rarely work out.]  Also, an approaching opportunity for advancement.  Or an unexpected gift.  So if something like that crosses your path today, assume you deserve it, accept it fully and gratefully, and run with it! 

I still like my intuitive interpretation best.

Think upon the commitments for this lifetime

              that you made before you came into being. 

 Determine the next few steps

                        to keep you moving along that path –

 or the first steps that will be necessary

                                to move you back onto that path. 

And GET GOING!

Bright blessings and remembrance of your sacred self!  

Quote for the Day: Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art. ~ Claude Debussy  

Today’s Weather:  Swooping fotheringays jolting up against post-holiday primal precognitions.  I have no idea what that means.  

On This Date: 1582 – In Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway pay a £40 bond for their marriage license.  [Do you have any idea how much that is in 21st century bucks?  Like... a lot!]

And: 1893 – Women vote in a national election for the first time: the New Zealand general election.

  Goodbye, Ko-Z.  You dance free among the stars!

Four of Shields

King Mark

Oh. 

Bugger. 

It’s been about 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 first two lines 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 Baetles 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:  A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men. ~ Roald Dahl 

Today’s Weather:  Polar bearly.  Tofu nuggets from heaven right out the gazebo.  Kiss your rosemary goodbye.  

 On This Date:   1895 – At the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris, Alfred Nobel signs his last will and testament, setting aside his estate to establish the Nobel Prize after he dies. [There's a Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris?]  

Four of Spears

La Cote Male Tale & Maledisant

Yipes!  A card we haven’t seen since mid-January.  And a perfect card for Thanksgiving Day in the US.  Unless you’re a turkey. 

In most Tarot decks, the Four of Spears would be seen as a card of harmony, prosperity, happy social occasions and perhaps even romance.  So, because most of those things will, or at least should (at least in theory), be on tap for today, by all means go after them in any way that won’t get anybody arrested.  [Ask boozy Uncle Fred for a loan during your joint after-dinner barbershop quartet rendition of "I'm a Lumberjack."  That should cover everything.] 

When I’m working with a client, I tend to perceive the card as having a stronger energy those attributes listed above, wunnerful though they are.  In fact, I feel this card makes makes a really powerful demand on the person I’m reading for. 

Because of Anna-Marie Ferguson’s illustration for this card in her Legend deck, and the story it portrays, I call it “The Card of the Perfect Marriage.” 

If I were reading for you − as I am, now that I’m sober enough to think of it – I’d suggest you take a few minutes on this holiday for a good, hard, close look at all the major areas of your life, especially the ones that register as REALLY important to you just now – whether business, spiritual path, health, and yeah, even relationship – and ask yourself honestly:

What it would take — from everyone involved — to help the situation so that it can evolve into a “perfect marriage?”  Or, what will it take to be honest with yourself and accept that it probably just ain’t gonna happen?  And what are all the implications either way?

And remember that, at least as it is represented archetypally, marriage is a coming together of opposites.  So think about how something that seems completely the opposite of what you’d normally expect — or would want to try or would think could succeed — might create the harmony, the prosperity, the health, the partnership, the opportunities, the ”perfect marriage” you seek.

In the areas of your life most important to you today: What is your perfect marriage?  What steps will it take to get you there?  How can you begin, at least with a baby step, today?

Bright blessings and happy realizations!

And a beautiful, hope-filled, happy Thanksgiving to all!

Quote for the Day:  There is hope for the world.  ~ Pete Seeger

Toady’s Whether:  Frogpossum spoonerisms pitched at the cerebral cortex of the Vast Machine, tra la! Carry an aperitif. 

On This Date: 1789 – A national Thanksgiving Day is observed in the United States as recommended by President George Washington and approved by Congress.

Wheel of Fortune

Arthur’s Dream

 A really good card for a Saturday, ‘cos we can spend the weekend thinking about it, practicing a little bit and working out how to implement its advice scme the new week. 

 In pretty much any reading, Wheel of Fortune augurs well, especially for the immediate future.  It usually betokens a happy change of fortune and the beginning of a positive cycle. 

 Some readers would say, hop on!  Make the most of your life, NOW!!!!

 I agree with those interpretations, but my work with clients has prompted me to put a particular spin on that energy, no pun intended, for a change.  When the Wheel turns up I usually say something like,

 Look.  Take a moment.  Pay attention here. 

 You’re finally in a position to really be on top of the world, in the way you have wanted to be. 

 So first of all, let yourself believe in that.  Let yourself KNOW it.  Do what you need to do to move beyond doubt.  As I’ve said before, doubt kills more dreams than anything anyone else could possibly do.

 A special tweak to this, though, and it takes a bit of explanation. 

 The card says that over the years, and perhaps particularly in the recent past, you have learned tough lessons in hard ways. [Whenever I mention this aspect to a client, I almost always hear, "Damn right I have."]  

One positive result of that is that you’ve developed a refined ability to pick up on and read the subtle vibrations of a situation – of situations in general – to a much greater extent than most people. 

This is a very effective tool for you right now. 

I repeat:

This is a very effective tool for you right now!!!! 

Honoring it, using it will be to your advantage.  Okay?  Are we on the same page here?

In fact, giving yourself permission to read and trust and use what you perceive about those subtle vibes (in an intelligent, I’m not gonna overload my mouth and blow my asshole up kinda way) is key to keeping yourself on top of the world. 

It will help you if pay attention to the fact that the Wheel of Fortune is always in spin, and remember you can move along with it at the right moments and in the right rhythm. By doing so you can keep yourself from losing your footing and being dumped into the moat.

As I’ve said before with this card, one of these days I’ll have to do an article listing some of the excuses I’ve heard, and… used, for not going with what we KNOW from reading the vibrations of a situation. [Like, "My boyfriend will find me annoying.  He doesn't like to be contradicted."  Get a clue, M'Dear.  He already finds you annoying.  And he's gonna find you annoying ANYWAY!]  [Or, "She would never do that to me.  She's my FRIEND.  She TOLD me so!"  Oyeah?  Betcha she already has.  Twice.] 

I’m not asking you to be paranoid — just honestly connected to the intuitive insights that come to you AS THEY COME TO YOU!   

There’s an old shamanic saying: “You know what you know.  Do what you know.” 

With the Wheel of Fortune, I’d tweak that a touch to say, “You know what you know.  Believe in what you know.  Act − in a skillful, respectful, savvy way − on what you know.”

Make sense?  Please?

Top o’ the world to ya!  Permanently!!

Bright blessings, joy, success and light!

Quote for the Day:  I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don’t have as many people who believe it.  ~ George Carlin

Today’s Weather:  Lemur-like wazzawiris.  Lumicate your panjandrum and keep it near the door. 

On This Date: 1877 – Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a machine that can record and play sound. [Tommy can you HEAR me?]

40 days remaining till the end of the year

Temperance

The Cauldron of Annwn

This card came up almost exactly a month ago. It’s not necessarily an Aquarian’s favorite card.  But it is good advice.  This card says very directly how it would have you go about the day:  

temperately, calmly, easily,

neither striving to leap over tall buildings in a single bound

nor being a slug and hiding under the covers till nightfall. [I've already got dibs on that space.]

It’s a card that counsels you to guard against those little wee tendencies to go to extremes − even supposedly positive ones.  Seek moderation today, and patience, and perhaps even a touch of diplomacy, no matter how much you might wish to just nuke the silly m#%@%@f**&##@s and be done with it!

When this card shows up in a reading, I often suggest that the client may be on the cusp of a substantial change.

BUT the way to best and most positively bring the change into being is to go about the transformation slowly, thoughtfully:

braiding or blending together the old with the new until, over an appropriate time, the new alone becomes who you are and what you do. 

It’s a card of making profound and helpful changes slowly, by not throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  [But for pity's sake, DO let yourself begin the process of change.  Don't let yourself be a sitting duck where you are.]

So, let yourself explore how you would like your life to be, and how you would wish to move in positive new directions. 

Then stop and honestly take stock of who you are, where you are and how you have gotten there.   

Specifically acknowledge the good parts, the successful aspects, the skills, abilities and characteristics that are worth keeping and using and developing as you go forward. 

And blend them into the new you that is coming onto being.

Bright blessings and timely, comfortable and comforting emergings!  

Thought for the Day:  Inward calm cannot be maintained unless physical strength is constantly and intelligently replenished.. ~ Buddha

Today’s Waether: Dithermebobs and phalangial wispgizzler cowboys.  Wear a canvas poltroon in a seasonal color. 

On This Date: 1820 – An 80-ton sperm whale attacks the Essex (a whaling ship from Nantucket, Massachusetts) 2,000 miles from the western coast of South America (Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick is in part inspired by this story).

Joke for the Day: A guy comes upon a box of apples.  Upon it is a sign that says:  “Please take one apple — God is watching.” He takes an apple and hikes on down the road.  About twenty minutes later he comes upon a big box of cookies with a sign that says:  “Take all the cookies you want –  God is watching the apples.”  [Thanks, Mike!]