Christmas Break

Tarot Notes - Major and Minor! will be taking an extended Christmas Break from the 20th Dec. 08 - 18th Jan. 09.

Both Zanna and I would like to wish you Seasons Greetings, may you all have a happy and safe Christmas and we look forward to your company again in the New Year.

Hope to see you all again here on Sunday 18th Jan. 2009

Helen

Bohemian Gothic - Lovers

This image does convey passion to me but not in the usual way, it is somewhat dark in its appearance, the passion and the image. The woman bares her neck to the good looking well dressed man — is he just an ordinary man or something more sinister? She actually looks more disturbing to me than he does, so who is the victim here..... Her or him? Does either of them have a choice here, or is one of them deciding to give way to the other, regardless of whether it is a good choice or not? Or are both of them in to this together.


The woman does look somewhat captured by the moment, so perhaps there is an underlying passion going on, one that makes you throw all care to the wind. Suggesting here that there may just be a strong and barely controllable emotion that is got out of hand. It is easy to see the darker meanings of this card, and is one of the few in the deck that lends itself more to the darker message of a relationship that is not quite balanced, that may just have some problems associated with it. It also points out here that if the man in the picture is actually a vampire, perhaps the wrong choice is being made in the name of love. It is a card that gives a warning about becoming too passionate about something or someone that may just lead to your own destruction.

Of course the lighter meanings are also attached to this card of important choices, passion within a relationship or for a particular project. But with that cool moonlight shining at the back of the dark clouds it does bring to the fore the feelings of fear and anxiety, after all isn't it in the moon light that Vampires are at their best! ;)


Bohemian Gothic Cards by Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov

The Tarot of Perfection

This arrived in the post for me today, having read the review my friend Archer of Archer Tarot gave it, I was inspired to buy it. As an early Christmas present to myself, I look forward to settling down to read what I am sure will be a captivating work by Rachel Pollack.

I will come back after the Christmas break and give you my review of what I am confident will be an interesting and entertaining book.

Weekly Walk in the World of Waite/Smith - The High Priestess

The Esoteric Title for this card is: The Princess of the Silver Star - I guess this reference alludes to the Moon.

Astrological Attribution: Moon
"The Moon is the largest satellite to orbit the Earth and can represent feelings and emotional reactions".( Tarot Companion - Tracy Porter) From what I can find out the Moon rules the sign of Cancer and the fourth house.
According to The Everything Tarot Book "Cancer is a water sign symbolising contact with the instinctive nature. The Moon becomes a metaphor for all that is instinctive, cyclical and constantly changing, the Moon is called 'the Soul of Life'. mediator between the planes of the spiritual (Sun) and material (Earth)". Now apparently Cancer can also symbolise "emotional relatedness or the 'invisible' side of life epitomized by feelings". So the Moon does have a hidden side that we may never see.

Elemental Attribution: Water - Elemental Water is cold and wet and its nature is union.

Kabalistic Path 13: 1 Kether to 6 Tipareth - Translation of Path: The Crown of Beauty
From the Tarot Companion "This pathway connects sephira Kether with Tiphareth. The energy of the High Priestess combines the creative flow with beauty to provide us with the secrets of the universe".

Kether - is position 1 on the Tree of Life its Keyword is Crown and it represents creative potential and new beginnings. Kether can represent for us in connection with the High Priestess our spiritual world, religious attitudes and general inner state of being.

Tiphareth - is position 6 on the Tree of Life and its Keyword is Beauty it is a symbol that represents for us our higher self. It talks about the higher meaning in our life and helps towards our defining our purpose, principles and objectives. I believe this sephira is in the middle of the Tree of Life and according to Tracy Porter can represent the center of our being.

So perhaps these two paths together may well being saying in the case of the High Priestess that she recognises that it is from within that she can give meaning to her outer world. - Just a thought.... very new to the ideas of the Kabala I am

Waite wrote about this card in Part 1: The Veil and its Symbols - PKT

The High Priestess, the Pope Joan, or Female Pontiff; early expositors have sought to term this card the Mother, or Pope's Wife, which is opposed to the symbolism. It is sometimes held to represent the Divine Law and the Gnosis, in which case the Priestess corresponds to the idea of the Shekinah - (just me popping in here to say that I think he may be referring to the divine feminine aspect) - She is the Secret Tradition and the higher sense of the instituted Mysteries.

Waite also wrote Part 2 of T V and its S -

The scroll in her hands is inscribed with the world Tora, signifying the Greater Law, the Secret Law and the second sense of the Word. It is partly covered by her mantel, to shew that some things are implied and some spoken.

I also like this bit about her:

She has been called occult Science on the threshold of the Sanctuary of Isis, but she is really the Secret Church, the House which is of God and man. She represents also the Second Marriage of the prince who is no longer of this world; she is the spiritual Bride and Mother, the daughter of the stars and the higher Garden of Eden. She is in fine, the Queen of the borrowed light, but this is the light of all. She is the Moon nourished by the milk of the Supernal Mother.

Waite calls the HP Shekinah and of her he says - Shekinah is the Spiritual Bride of the just man, and when he reads the Law she gives the Divine meaning. He also tells us that according to Kabalism there is a Shekinah both above and below.

Waite saying she is nourished by the milk of the Supernal Mother leads me to believe he is trying to say that she gets her strength from her recognising her spiritual side.

Lets take a look at the symbolism in this card:
• Dark hair -
I have read may symbolise she has a mind full of secrets
• Dark and Light Pillars -

Black Pillar of severity with the letter B for Boaz - Strength 
White Pillar of mercy with the letter J for Jachim - Establishes - apparently these are said to be the pillars of Solomon's Temple.
The Pillars also being opposite colours could represent, masculine/feminine - dark/light 
According to Robert M. Place the Pillars are important symbols in both Rosicrucian and Masonic ritual.
• White robes
could represent purity, pure spirit and illumination and as white comprises of all the colours of the spectrum it could represent light.
• Blue Cloak that flows like water,
the colour of the sky and may well indicate the spiritual process, now according to Pictures of the heart when its the colour of a garment could represent the emotions of the figure which appear to be peaceful. Last but not least because it looks like water flowing it could symbolise the unconscious process, reflection and intuition.
• The veil -
a veil usual conceals something and therefore could represent here the difference between the known and the unknown - in the HP's case maybe the conscious versus the unconscious.
• Pomegranates and Palms that decorate the veil 

Both of these may well be a symbol of fertility
Pomegranates could also represent abundance while the Palms represent suffering.
It is interesting to note that the pomegranates and palms seem to illustrate the Tree of Life - Robert M. Place in his book Tarot History Symbolsim and Divination has picked this up and says "The palms suggest the paths and the pomegranates the sephoroth".
• Cross on chest -
I have read that this can be described as the equal armed cross of equanimity maybe referring to her tranquil pose and calmness.
• Headdress
Ok is it triple moons, or is it the Sun with two Moons either side?
If its triple moons does it allude to life's cyclic nature and the ability to draw from within the knowledge one needs to remain clam within those changes.
Or is it as Robert M. Place suggest Sun and Moon and the connection between Mary and Isis - representing inner esoteric religious experience or mystery.
• Crescent Moon
at her feet links her to the Astrological attribution The Moon
• Water
represents the depths of the unconscious


The High Priestess is a card that represents our need to turn inwards and to release our logical mind and engage our inner senses. She is a card that encourages us to reach into those inner depths of knowledge, and let our intuition come to the fore.

Again I think the message Waite was trying to get over here was the link to as above so below, in other words, we need to be in-touch with our spirituality in order manifest those things for our greater good in the world.

Waite's High Priestess shows us that we not only need to begin but will need to continue our research into human, earthly and esoteric laws and she represents for us out attempts to come to terms with them. She brings to our attention the duality in nature and the choices we may make in response to those dualities.

I like to think of the HP as the person who not only recognises those dualities but is able to reconcile them.

I have a quote from Pollack (don't remember where from though, just a note in my notes - that I would like to share with you).

Pollack said - The secret of the High Priestess is simple - that no fixed rule defines existence, no absolute truth. To know reality we must flow like water and open our souls to the pulse of life

Waite already knew this when he suggests that she is "nourished by the milk of the Supernal Mother"

I think the overall message that Waite was giving us here is that we need to know that the real power lies within our depths and only by withdrawing from the conscious can we reveal these hidden secrets.

Getting to Grips with the Courts - Knight of Wands

I don't know about you, but sometimes I know exactly what these People cards mean and other times I stare at them and think what the heck is that all about!!! So I decided to have a little look at the Courts and see what I can make of them and perhaps even get to know them just a little bit better. Starting with the Knight of Wands - ('cause he's in a hurry and can't wait his turn! lol)

Knights deliver the message of their suit, but what is their message? I always think of the Knights as the teenagers, you know flexing their muscles and showing off a bit, wanting to get out there and prove themselves, but not necessarily having the maturity to see it all through. The Knight is the one's who take action on the message and also has some responsibility of delivering it! How he delivers it is quite another question.

The Knight I'm looking at today is one of my favourite's.. why? Well because he is so full of energy, devil may care attitude to him. If you met him you would love him, his personality would draw you in, his enthusiasm would excite you. He would whisk you off your feet and make you feel anything was possible, but he does have a down side, he probably won't be there in the morning.

The Druid Craft Prince (which is the card up there ^^) looks really enthusiastic, you can almost hear him shout "look out here I come!!" He definitely looks like he has the drive and energy to embark on new projects, but does he have the steadfastness to see them through? He's in a bit of a hurry I think. He may be eager and dynamic and this is this Knights problem, as this often outweighs his commitment to see things through to their conclusion. He is a rebel at heart and it is this resistance to rules that often get him into trouble.

Ok we know he is a charmer, but he may also be very superficial on the surface, yes, yes, he does love the challenge of something new, but alas he also lacks the staying power of his brother Knights. However, if he believes in something he will stand by it and defend it fiercely, he can be impetuous and at times very rash without thinking things through carefully.

The Courts as we know can represent other people or parts of our own personalities, so if you feel this knight represents a person or our self, we can look out for this Knight's various qualities. 
  

In a reading this card can also tell us that its great to have ideas and to be stimulated, to be able to move quickly on these ideas, but it also cautions one not to be reckless and to charge ahead without due consideration to what you may be endeavouring to do. It's a card that suggest that it would be a good idea to curb the urge to act too quickly and to try to be focused enough to deliver what you promise.

Wands are a fiery suit and this Knight can be fiery, so if this cards energy is related to yourself or someone you know then it may well suggest someone who needs to control their temper.

This is a fast moving suit and this is the Knight that does have a passion for life and enjoys the living of it!

Ride On Knight!

Tarot Bella

I have had a request to show the deck that I am working on it is called Tarot Bella and its a work in progress - two of my cards are featured in the Tarot Lovers Calendar 2009.

I hope you like what you see and I would welcome your comments or constructive criticism .






















Copyright (c) Helen H.

The High Priestess

Order of the Golden Dawn (OGD)
The attribution for The High Priestess is the Moon, ruler of the zodiac sign Cancer (Water), a sign known for being sensitive, emotionally nurturing, protectiveness, moodiness, dependence, and a strong connection to the past.




One World Tarot by Crystal Love
The High Priestess is associated with the zodiac sign Virgo (Earth), a sign associated with efficient, precise, analytical, critical, introverted perfectionists.


A.E. Thierens, PhD. (Astrology & the Tarot)
The High Priestess, Trump 2, is associated with the zodiac sign Taurus (Earth), the second sign of the zodiac, a sign associated with sound, art, faith, and richness.



The Celestial Tarot by Brian Clark
The High Priestess is linked to the Moon, ruler of the zodiac sign Cancer (Water). Clark writes: "The Moon records out inner biography informed by the shades and textures of our familial inheritance and emotional responses." Clark uses Selene, the original Greek goddess of the Moon, to represent The High Priestess.





The Mandala Astrological Tarot by A.T. Mann
The High Priestess is associated with the Moon, along with the zodiac signs Cancer (which the Moon rules) and Taurus (in which the Moon is exalted).






The Whispering Tarot by Liz Hazel
This deck links The High Priestess with "the Moon; specifically, the waxing moon, from three days after new to three days before full."



Except for Love's One World Tarot, all of these decks indicate an attribution for The High Priestess related in some way to the Moon (Thierens chooses the sign Taurus, in which the Moon is exalted).

Personally I get a much more "Watery" feeling from The High Priestess than an "Earthy" feeling. The High Priestess seems to operate at a subconscious or highly spiritual level that can often seem as mysterious as the Moon.

I welcome your comments!

Zanna

Bohemian Gothic - Wheel of Fortune

Well, this is a very fitting image for the Wheel of Fortune - a young woman has visited an old card reader (I wonder if those cards are tarot *lol*) she is paying attention to what the old woman is saying to her - I wonder if it is her future she is asking about? In the background there is a painting of a winged skull Mahony tells us

"reminding us that time flies and life is short"

This young woman does not seem disturbed in any way, and has a calm demeanor about her, perhaps she is accepting what the woman has to say and will use it to balance and stabilise herself whatever fate may dish out.

The more I look into this deck the more I begin to feel it is not what I would call a really dark deck, it just has a little bit of shadow here and there, but this card again does not shout out any real dark meanings. It seems to go along with the traditional symbolism of the wheel in that when this card turns up it often means a change in ones luck, whether it is for good or bad depends on the other cards of course, and so it again speaks of things not being in our control, but also about being prepared . This girl has come to the reader to prepare her for an outcome, and so the card suggests that by becoming balanced and prepared whether it be mentally or physically you can withstand the turns of events that fate delivers and so you can enjoy the good times and not be depressed in the bad.

Looking for a shadow meaning this card may also say that you do not accept that you cannot always control your future, or perhaps by the girl visiting the lady she is actually saying she feels as though she has no control and expects the answers to come from someone else. There is again a candle alight on the table - another source of light and perhaps in the darker meaning, the girl is sitting in her own shadow and unable to see the light and so resists the changes that life dishes out. The moon light seems to shine through the window again giving me cause to think that perhaps fear and anxiety has a part to play here and so is the girl in control and here to prepare herself? Or is she here because she feels powerless and is looking for someone else to provide the answers for her, rather than accepting that life has its ups and downs.

The image on the back wall is a good reminder that we can waste so much of life worrying about unnecessary things and not accepting those that are out of our control.

Bohemian Gothic Cards by Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov

A Tarot Reading for Santa

This is an old poem I wrote but I have re hashed it a little and as the yule tide season approaches I thought it may make you smile:

A Tarot Reading for Santa - by Helen


On Christmas Eve I waited
for the jolly man, Old St. Nick!
With Tarot Cards in my hand
I wanted to give him a pick.


The Clock ticked on,
the wind did blow.
and Still Old St. Nick
he did not show!



At last I heard a rumble,
Old St. Nick and his sleigh were here!
Then came a crashing stumble
and down the chimney he appeared.



I waved the cards at him
and exclaimed with glee.
I have the very thing for you,
a Tarot Reading by me!



I shuffled the cards expertly
and piled them in a heap.
'C'mon Santa make your choice,
you're not allowed to peek'.


He put his sack upon the floor,
with fingers very nimble.
He pulled three cards from the pack
and placed them with a tremble.


I turned them over carefully
and what a great surprise.
For the cards that he had chosen,
well - I couldn't believe my eyes!


The Fool was the first to appear
and he looked very merry.
I told Santa what he should know,
lay off the pies and sherry!



The Devil was the second to show,
his lesson should make you think.
Santa , ruin's just a short way off,
with only one more drink.



The Last in view was Temperance
displaying all her talents.
So I told dear Santa what to do,
'Get the pies and sherry in balance!'


He smiled at me and nodded his head
and uttered a Ho ho ho.
Then with a wink and a flash of his teeth,
he said it was time to go.


So up the chimney with a puff of smoke
he disappeared with his list.
Maybe at LAST this Christmas Eve
Santa won't get Pis.....ed!!!!

Death & The Ten of Swords - What's the Difference?

Behold a Pale horse and his name that sat on him was Death! - Revelation 6.8
That is always what I think of when I see the Rider Waite Death Card - although I never think that hell follows him! lol

I have been thinking about the difference between the Death Card and the 10 Swords, both portray death, that is for sure, both indicating an ending of some sort, but is one more final than the other? Is one more imminent than the other? Or are they symbolising exactly the same thing here?




All these questions, lets see if I can find some answers.

Well the first difference that comes to mind for me is that one is a Major and one is a minor, so the major is more life changing in its event and the minor is more small details if you like.

The next aspect that seems to jump out to me is that the Death card seems to tell us that something has already come to an end, it is finished, dead, over, you know when its dead, its dead! Whereas the 10 seems to lean more to the fact that something is coming to its end, it just needs to be accepted in order for it to end.

I think the minor card is really not the equivalent of the Major card but can be looked at as a smaller part of death, the realisation part or the acceptance part of it, illustrating that perhaps you have not been able to do this yet.

I think the Death card is showing us that in order to progress one needs to allow certain aspects of the psyche to die in order to be able to see the transformation into the next stage. It's a cyclic card that says all things go on even in death, its just that they may not go on in the same way as before.

I guess a way to look at the Death card is to say time to toss out the old and make way for the new. However I do think the thing that makes this card different from the 10 is that it signifies that death has arrived, and there is no escaping it.

The esoteric name for Death is The Child of the Great Transformers: the Lord of the Gates of Death





The 10 Swords on the other hand is called The Lord of Ruin this does seem very apt for this card, and seems to be saying that the worst is now over - how much worse can it get than laying there with10 swords stuck in you!!! This is a card that clearly show us that pain is endured, maybe in the shape of words, negative thoughts and of course actions, like being stabbed in the back etc. The thing about this card though, is that unlike the Death card, one can escape accepting this ending by just remaining laying there with the swords in one's back, there is no one arriving to gather you up and move you on. It is over, but not necessarily finished and I think that is a major difference between the two cards.

It's interesting to note when looking at the RW 10 swords that the man lays there with his hand behind him appearing to give the sign of the benediction or blessing and this links him to Christ and more so to the forgiveness that Christ would have bestowed on those who hurt him. The major part of accepting the ending in this card is being able to forgive whoever or whatever caused you the pain in the first place.
What's the difference then between these two cards, I think Death tells us that something is drawing to its natural close and that's where the transformation will happen. The 10 tells us that something has come to an end, but we need to make the effort to bring it to its conclusion before the transformation occurs.

Both endings and beginnings but maybe one is more in our control than the other...


Cards: Death:

• Rider Waite
• Tarot Bella
• Old English

10 Swords:

• Druid Craft
• Guilded Tarot
• Rider Waite
  

Deviant Moon WorldCard

The LWB says of this card -

The young mermaid has made her way around the world. She ends her journey where she started it. However, experience has transformed her. Around her, a large snake complete the circle by devouring it own body. Below her, sit the beasts she has overcome on her travels.

I really like this image the mermaid looks happy to have completed her journey I notice she has wrapped around her a blue scarf of sorts, perhaps reflecting her emotional state. Blue being the colour of the sky and related perhaps to the heavens, this could be showing us that her journey has bought her closer to connecting her higher self with her physical self.

The snake eating his tail not only shows us here that she has completed this cycle, but also that as one ends another begins. There is an aspect being represented here of a circular symbol of time and a connection to timelessness. In other words the journey continues, it just may take a different form the next time round, but it goes on and on even after death.

Do you like those two fish at the top of the card, each with a drip of water falling off them? - Their faces really make me smile. Of course they are fish and can be associated with Water and water with emotions in tarot. In the book Pictures of the Heart it speaks of myths that tell the stories of people being chased and leaping into the water in order to save themselves and being transformed into fish. Perhaps here they could symbolise the transformation that takes place when one has completed their journey and has a new and fresh understanding of the self.
Their connection with water may well indicated that in that transformation, one has managed to search deeper into the depths of their unconscious in order to reveal those inner secrets and emotions.

The two beast that sit below her and according to the little white book are the animals she has overcome, could well refer to the beasts within and the duality that exist. Perhaps this is what needs to be mastered and understood before one can gain balance and harmony within their life.

I just see in the background a sailing ship, sailing smoothly towards a city, does this mean that the end is in sight? That the achievement of one's goals is more likely when we get to this card.

Traditionally this is a card that heralds the arrival of what you have been hoping and working for or towards, it marks the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. - This card number breaks down to a 3, and three is in my tarot sequence a number of creation and integration - it shows growth and expansion and how the 1 and 2 have come together to create a third.

Threes then can show the creative energy by the combining of different elements.

The world shows how we have put together all that has gone before, in order to have a greater understanding of ourselves and our situations.

This is the card of achievement, success and fulfillment, and this Deviant Moon card seems to illustrate that sentiment well!

What do you think? :)


Deviant Moon Tarot by Patrick Valenza

Weekly Walk in the World of Waite/Smith - The Magician

Time for another stroll for those of you who like to walk.




The Esoteric Title for this card is: The Magus of Power - from Dictionary on Line " a magician or sorcerer of ancient times"


Astrological Attribution: Mercury Again forgive my lack of astrology, according to My Tarot Companion - "Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and has the fastest orbit of the nine known planets, Mercury is quick, witty and communicative". From the The Everything Tarot Book , M.J. Abadie - "Mercury mediates, or delivers messages between the conscious mind. altered states of consciousness and the unconscious mind." and also "Mercury determines our level of ability to communicate both what we think and what we feel. It illustrates the process by which we link our internal realm of both feeling and thought to the external world."

Elementally Attribution: Air Elemental air is hot and wet and its nature is separation.

Kabalistic Path 12: 1: Kether - 3 Binah - Translation of Path: The Crown of Understanding From the Tarot Companion by Tracy Porter "Pathway 1 connects sephira Kether with Binah. The energy of the Magician combines understanding with creativity to give us the tools necessary to manifest and create our own reality".

Kether is apparently position 1 on the Tree of Life and represents for us creative potential and new beginnings, Its keyword is Crown - Kether is about our inner state of being and our spirituality - and this sephira is supposedly indivisible and therefore complete in itself. Again in my Tarot Companion it says of this "It shows what we have chosen to manifest and what we desire to accomplish through our life experiences." - This also fits in with the Magician as he symbolises "as above so below" - the action of manifesting one's spirituality into their physical world - recognising his power to create.

Binah is position 3 on the Tree of Life, its keyword is Understanding, and again if I have understood what I have read it represents the feminine energy within and our inner knowledge. It shows our intuitive ability and apparently it highlights for us those experiences we have chosen to manifest and can indicate for us those areas that tend to limit us - thus giving us a better understanding of how we should deal with these aspects of life.

I think that these two together may well be saying that the power is within the Magician's own hands to not just create his reality but to understand how he should approach this.

Waite wrote about this card,

The Doctrine Behind the Veil: " A youthful figure in the robe of a magician, having the countenance of divine Apollo, with smile of confidence and shining eyes. Above his head is the mysterious sign of the Holy Spirit, the sign of life, like an endless cord, forming the figure 8 in a horizontal position. About his waist is a serpent-cincture, the serpent appearing to devour its own tail. This is familiar to most as a conventional symbol of eternity, but here is indicates more, especially the eternity of attainment in the spirit".

I like this bit too because I think it is the essence of the card;

"In the Magician's right hand is a wand raised towards heaven, while the left hand is pointing to the earth. This dual sign is known in very high grades of the Instituted Mysteries; it shews the descent of grace, virtue and light, drawn from things above and derived to things below. The suggestion throughout is therefore the possession and communication of the Powers and Gifts of the Spirit"

Lets look at the symbols in this card:

• Lemniscate
• The Magician has above his head the sign of the mystical lemniscate - which looks like a number 8 on its side. It is also the mathematical symbol for infinity and therefore connects the Magician to timelessness.
• Ouroboros
• Around his waist is a belt which resembles a snake eating its tail, this becomes a circular symbol of time and reinforces the message of the lemniscate.
• Roses & Lilies
• Red roses could symbolise desire and action while the White Lilies could stand for truth.
• The Table/Alter

• Could the table itself stand for the potential in one's life? its where the Magician stands the tools....
• Magical tools
• On his table are four magical tools and these have come to represent the 4 elements in the pip cards.
• An interesting snippet here from Robert M. Place's book Tarot History, Symbolism and Divination "The Magician's relationship with these symbols aligns him with the fifth element, the Spirit".
• Position of his hands
• The Magician stands holding his wand pointing to the heavens while his other hand points to the earth symbolising "as above, so below" - meaning our spiritual should be manifested in our reality.
• Yellow Background

• Again just applying what the colour yellow can suggest in tarot, it is usually attributed to mental activity, solar energy willpower, awareness and intention.

I think this Magician says to us "you have the power to create" and what he does is point the way in which further development can take place - he is able to expand his energies on his vision and ideals to which he is committed.

I think that he says also to us that if you bring your higher self through, it will help you understand the tools that you have available to you in order to create the reality you are looking for. His other message seems to be to me, that in order to create you have to have the awareness, and intention and willpower in order to see it through, that no body is going to do it for you, only you can do this for yourself.

It is to me a card that asks you to be aware of the power in your life. I think this relates very well to what Waite said about the symbol of eternity "but here it indicates more, especially the eternity of attainment in the spirit". It tells us that we have to be more aware that we are more than just physical beings, and this realisation is what gives us the power to create.

I also think what Karen Haymaker-Zondag in The Way of the Tarot says about this card is interesting:

The Magician is the urge to give our lives directed activity. Energetic action, target setting and self realisation for the sake of gaining insight into reality

I Think what Waite and Pixie may have been saying with this card is that we are all Magicians if we recognise that we are more than just flesh and blood - I could be wrong though *lol* - - - - - - - - - -

Past, Present & Future Spread

Here's a little spread I made up that helps one take a look into where they have come from and where they hope to be, I have called it the Past, Present and Future Spread.

The Layout is fairly simple:

1..........2

3..........4

5..........6
7
8

The Positional definitions are as follows:

• 1: This is the lesson/s I have learnt from the past.
• 2: This is how I can allow them to help me right now.
• 3: This is the direction I need to move in.
• 4: This is the foundation I need to build.
• 5: This is the obstacle/s I may have to face.
• 6: This is how I can assist myself to overcome those obstacles.
• 7/8: This is where the lessons of the past and the present can take me in the future.

Again I would be interested to hear your comments on what you think of this and indeed if you have tried it out and how it worked for you.

Helen

Astrology and Tarot - The Magician

Order of the Golden Dawn (OGD)
The attribution for The Magician card is the planet Mercury, ruler of the zodiac signs Virgo (Earth) and Gemini (Air).





One World Tarot by Crystal Love
The Magician is associated with the planet Mercury, ruler of the zodiac signs Virgo (Earth) and Gemini (Air).





A.E. Thierens, PhD. (Astrology & the Tarot)
The Magician is associated with the zodiac sign Aries (Fire), the first sign of the zodiac.

The Celestial Tarot by Brian Clark
The Magician is linked to the planet Mercury, ruler of the zodiac signs Virgo (Earth) and Gemini (Air). Clark's astrological keywords for this card are "Communication, Learning, Agility." To me, these apply more to Gemini than Virgo.


The Mandala Astrological Tarot by A.T. Mann
The Magician is associated with the planet Mercury and the zodiac signs Gemini and Virgo. Mann explains that Mercury is "the planet of instinctive mind which may either be discriminating in Virgo or adaptable and versatile in Gemini."



The Whispering Tarot by Liz Hazel
This deck links The Magician with the planet Mercury, ruler of the zodiac signs Virgo (Earth) and Gemini (Air). Hazel also points out that Mercury is exalted in Virgo.



Here we see a consistent connection between The Magician and the planet Mercury. Thierens is the only source in this set who departs from that association by making The Magician an Aries card, a card of Fire. As we will see in future installments of this discussion, Thierens goes right down the line of signs in order, linking Trump I (The Magician) with Aries, the first sign of the zodiac; Trump 2 (The High Priestess) with Taurus, the second sign; and so on.

When pushed to give The Magician an elemental attribution, I tend to go with Air (Mercury/Gemini) rather than Earth (Mercury/Virgo). I can't explain why. It just *feels* right to me!

I welcome your comments!

Zanna

Bohemian Gothic - The Hierophant

Some of these cards in this deck just do not seem dark to me, and this is one of those! Here we have an image of someone in authority deep in contemplation, he holds a scroll in one hand, perhaps it contains the information he is pondering about, or perhaps it contains some news that has altered his perception. Mahony says of this card

"The scene feels enclosed and slightly oppressive. Also she says - He wears buttoned up robes and a tight red cap and appears altogether immobile, held down by his own clothing. - The last thing I note of interest that she says is - Looking further into the background we see a nun walking behind the gridded window behind the main figure. Is she, literally or metaphorically trapped?

I see in this card all the traditional meanings for the Hierophant, leader, mentor, establishment, rules, organisation and hierarchies but working on Karen M's description perhaps the darker side of this card is an inability to break free from those hierarchies, or to even form one's own truth but to follow those who lead blindly. I like Mahony's analogy of the nun feeling trapped and within this prison maybe it signifies a rigidity.

Perhaps as a daily draw this card may just suggest on the darker side, that one needs to look at their thinking, ask themselves where they may not be being flexible. Or even if one feels oppressed and trapped by their circumstance, and what if anything can they do to change that.

As this Hierophant sits in contemplation with the scroll in his hand, one wonders if he is discovering for himself a whole new truth!


Bohemian Gothic Cards by Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov

Victory, Defeat or Neither - 5 Swords

Oh no not the five of swords, we might say when it turns up for us in a reading, does it shout out arguments, disagreements, somebody trying to get one over us perhaps? Is this card showing us that we should stand up for ourselves or is it saying very clearly that retreat may be your best option.

Going back to the Rider Waite deck, mainly because this is the mother of most modern clones, Mr. Waite clearly states of the man who holds all the swords "He is the master in possession of the field" (PKT) He lists for us the meanings as degradation, destruction, revocation, infamy dishonour, loss, with the variants and analogues of these. Doesn't sound very promising does it?

Swords as we know in a lot of decks represent the power of discrimination through thought and logic, they are very often associated with yang energy or active energy and therefore can differentiate on their own initiative. I also see this as the suit of communication and this card does seem to indicate a breakdown of that.

When I look at this card I see a victor, but do I? Walking away are those who are defeated, but are they? What this card seems to be showing me here is that there is no connection, both elements have been separated, the victor and the challengers if you like. What does seem to be lost to me in this card is stability and that leads me to think there is no victor in this card at all.

When I look at the main figure who has supposedly won the battle through the use of his mental strategies, I actually wonder if he has won at all! Yes he does have all the swords, this is true, but he is separated from the rest, this is now also true!

Is this card then suggesting I wonder, that the Victor led by his own insecurities, was driven to prove himself, which really ended up by isolating him, which may well leave him to wonder if he has achieved anything here.

I have come to the conclusion with this card that its main message here is not so much one of victory or defeat, but more one of indicating the need to acknowledge one's limitations within a situation. This whole scenario in the symbolism of this card seems to indicate that there is a need to accept those things that block us in order to be able to change something into a successful result.

Victory or defeat - I tend to think it is a no-win situation - you must make your own minds up.















Cards: From the following deck:
Napo
The Pamela Colman Smith Tarot of 1909.Aquatic
Victorian Romantic

Weekly Walk in the World of Waite/Smith

Some time ago I started a series of write ups on the Rider Waite/Smith cards, trying to take a more deeper look into those cards and what Pixi and Waite were trying to convey. I would like to carry on with this series here but for the sake of continuity and for those who have not read the ones I have already done, I will over the next couple of weeks post the existing ones before carrying on with the journey.  I hope you enjoy the stroll!

THE FOOL

The Esoteric Title for this card is Spirit of Aether (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:- Aether originally was the personification of the "upper sky", space and heaven, in Greek mythology. - could also refer to: Any number of aether theories in alchemy, natural philosophy, and modern physics which suppose a "fifth element".

Astrological Attribution : Uranus I am not very astrologically minded but from what I can find out Uranus is a bit unpredictable - In my Tarot companion book it says of Uranus "Only the unexpected can be expected."

Elemental Attribution ~ Air Elemental Air is hot and wet and its nature is separation

Kabalistic Path: 11: 1 Kether to 2 Chokmah - Translation of Path: The Crown of Wisdom Now I don't pretend to know anything about the Kabala but again according to my Tarot Companion it says "The energy of the Fool combines wisdom with creativity to provide new beginnings, unconditional love and sometimes even a choice that needs to be made in this life."

Kether is apparently position 1 on the Tree of Life and represents for us creative potential and new beginnings. What I was reading about this is interesting in that if I have understood it right, Kether is about our inner state of being and our spirituality - and this sephira is supposedly indivisible and therefore complete in itself. Again in my Tarot Companion it says of this "It shows what we have chosen to manifest and what we desire to accomplish through our life experiences." - This sounds very much like the Fool to me who wants to experience.

Chokmah is position 2 of the Tree of Life and is associated with the word Wisdom apparently this path relates to our ability to use rationale and logic thought and to be able to make choices and decisions - maybe this is the link to the Elemental association of Air Looking at these two then perhaps how we can relate it to the Fool is that through his desire to experience his world, he is able to make the decision to take that risk, try that new beginning, not necessarily over think it, but nevertheless apply a certain amount of logic to his action........ just a thought

Waite in the PKT says of this card " With light step as if earth and its trammels had little power to restrain him, a young man in gorgeous vestments pauses at the brink of a precipice among great heights of the world." He also says "The edge which opens on the depth has not terror; it is as if angels were waiting to uphold him, if it came about that he leaped from the height. His countenance is full of intelligence and expectant dream."

I really like this bit that Waite says " He is the prince of the other world on his travels through this one all amidst the morning glory, in the keen air. the sun, which shines behind him, knows whence he came, whither he is going, and how he will return by another path after many days. He is the spirit in search of experience."

• Ok lets take a look at the symbols in this Fool Card, the first that comes to mind is the stick, which Waite refers to as "a costly wand from which depends over his right shoulder a wallet curiously embroidered." I prefer to call it a bundle, this bundle could represent all his previous knowledge and past experiences, and they are now over his shoulder or behind him, because he doesn't want them to influence his future.

• He carries a white rose and this could symbolise here his innocent approach to life.

• The dog could be said to represent his instinctual side but also may well symbolise his unconscious.

• He wears a hat of interwoven laurel leaves - laurel leaves have been a symbol of success

• Red Feather in the hat - could be associated with the element Air and the passion and energy and desire within his thoughts that drives him on.

• Behind him are mountains maybe representing the boundaries of his mind, but these mountains are soft green topped with white - green typically symbolises growth, potential, adaptability,and looking how green is made which is a mixture of blue (associated with the sky and heavens) and yellow a more earthly colour, perhaps it alludes to combining spirituality with earthly pursuits - topped with white could show an innocent spirit, searching for his own truth.

• The Sun shines in the sky above him and could well represent here illumination and enlightenment. • Yellow boots on his feet also the colour that can be associated yet again with solar energy (enlightenment) and mental activity (physical) perhaps indicates that he is walking with his mind.

• Last but not least the ground and cliff itself is an earthy brown connecting him to the practicalities of his physical life.

Looking at these symbols and in particular the dog, if makes me think that if this dog represents his unconscious, is the Fool aware of this, he may be looking upwards and not directly see this dog, but the dog is still in his field of awareness, this leads me to the question are the Fool's actions 'foolish' or is he someone who is 'calculating foolish'. I feel with the way the symbolism is that this Fool is foolishly 'serious' about his play.
So the rose may say that he has an innocent approach to life but that doesn't necessarily mean that he is innocent it may just mean that he is ready for a new and fresh approach and may well open himself up to all the possibilities in life.

The red feather and the red on his garments show his passionate approach and energy and the bundle shows us that he is prepared not to be restricted by past experiences, he is that drive that influences us to break free of restrictions in search for new enlightenment.

The mountains show us that he is willing to expand and grow those boundaries in his search for his own truth. His yellow boots show us that he is ready to use his mental abilities but not allow them to bind him, he is the one who says to us "don't over think it, instead experience it." - He knows and shows us here, in his leap of faith, that gaining knowledge doesn't just come from written material but through life itself.

I think the Fool and the Magician are related to each other and may well reflect certain aspects, as both carry a wand and the Fool does seem in his message and symbolism to be saying manifest those spiritual desires in your physical world, the Magician carries a wand and has his arms in the symbol of 'as above so below' - they do both seems to be advocates of our inner spiritual journey.

Karen Hamaker-Zondag in the Way of the Tarot says of this card "When The Fool occurs in a layout it's position shows where far reaching developments can occur, sometimes it means the imminent start of a whole new life."

and Robert M. Place says of the Fool in The Tarot History, Symbolism and Divination "The feather in his cap is a symbol of air and it points to the sun, a symbol of enlightenment. The Fool looks away from the sun. Is it because he is foolish and ignores wisdom or is it because he has absorbed its lessons and does not need to look directly into the light?"

I think the Fool does not look directly into the light, because he knows enlightenment is to be found beyond the obvious - - - - - - - - - -

A Weekly Plan

Here is a little spread of my own, called Illuminate - A Weekly Plan

I have use this spread over a long period of time and I find it works very well, if you do happen to try it, let me know how it works for you!

The layout is one of a candle and the light around the flame {use a little imagination here :) }

........4.......

..2........3...
........1........

Card 1: This is what I need to be aware of in preparation for the coming week.

Card 2: This is what my emotions tell me.
Card 3: This is what my thoughts tell me.

Card 4: This is how I combined my emotions and thoughts to assist me through the week.

Copyright (c) Helen H. 2008

Bohemian Gothic - 10 Wands

Well, in this card we see an old woman carrying a heavy bundle down a dark road, the only light in the picture is coming from the window - it gives the impression of having a heavy load to carry, which of course is what the traditional meaning of this card is all about, taking on too much or being weighed down by your responsibilities.

But we are looking for the darker meanings in these Gothic cards and if you look carefully at the picture you will notice the strange shadow that the old woman is casting - Karen Mahony in her accompanying book says

"We feel sorry for her until we notice a curious feature of her shadow, the head has horns. Is this really an old woman struggling with some foodstuffs or firewood? Or is it the Devil in a deceptive form, off to hell with a sackful of lost souls?"

I don't think this old lady really represents the Devil here but she does look a bit sneaky doesn't she! Perhaps the darker side of this card warns against doing something that is not all together above board, it may just be saying that you think you can get away with it, but can you? It could also be alerting you to somebody who is coming into or who is already there in your life, who may just not be what they appear to be - perhaps someone is in disguise for some other reason that is not honest.

This dark side says to you think before you take on something that may just turn out to be a big burden!

Or quite simply there are consequences for actions that you take, are you prepared to face them !


Bohemian Gothic Cards by Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov