Bohemian Gothic - 7 Swords

Well, she certainly does look as thought she up to no good! The young girl is seen to be hurrying away (least I get the sense of hurried here) from what Karen Mahony describes as an old castle but it could also be a very large and old house. Her eyes seem to be looking furtively around as she clutches to her a very large book bearing the sign of a pentacle in a circle. Perhaps it is a book containing secrets of some sort or another — information that she may need or wanted to have. The sense of danger is achieved by the light in the upper window. Who did she disturb while obtaining the book?

To me this card is still delivering an overall message here regardless of the motivation, that is for every action there is a reaction or consequence if you like. Now the question here is whether she is being dishonest for the sake of just taking something that she wants, rather than needs, or whether she is being very brave and obtaining some information that would justify her means?

I think this card is warning one about taking unnecessary risks, or at least suggesting — with the light on in the window — one needs to consider the risk of what one does before actually taking the action. This does hint of slight underhandedness or deception — how you would interpret this card of course would depend on the question and cards around it.......… Now another way to look at this card of course is that it is a Swords card relating to intellect, thought, communication , etc., and perhaps it may be suggesting here that one is using their intellect to gain an advantage, which in itself is a cunning move!

Still if I was this little girl, I think I would have to consider carefully the course of my action in order to understand the consequences it may well bring me. ;)

Card: Bohemian Gothic by Karen Mahony & Alex Ukolov

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

Esoteric Title: Lord of the Hosts of the Mighty


Astrological Attribution: Mars - From the Everything Tarot Book

Mars is known as the god of war because it is his function to create separateness, in contrast to the function of Venus which is to create unity. Mars is energy, most particularly physical energy. It is everything we traditionally think of as masculine - assertiveness, aggressiveness, action, drive, ambition, initiative, combativeness and courage. Mars is where our primary energy to get things done resides.

Elemental Attribution: Fire Elemental Fire is hot and dry and its nature is energy.

Kabalistic Path:27: 7 Netzach to 8 Hod - Translation of Path: The Victory of Splendor - From the Tarot Companion by Tracy Porter

This pathway connects Sephira Hod with Netzach. The energy of The Tower combines splendor and victory to bring about radical upheavals.

Netzach is position 7 on the Tree of Life and has the Keyword Victory. It can represent the practical aspects of life and may indicate our desires and how we interact with those around us. It represents for us our attachment and feelings.

Hod is position 8 on the Tree of Life and has the Keyword Splendor. it can illustrate material values in life such as career, business and projects etc. and how we approach these aspects of life. It can represent for us our thought processes and how we go about evaluating and communicate these thoughts.

Maybe the two together relate to the Tower in a way that moves us to action in order to change things for the better.


Mr. Waite had this to say in the PKT Part II

Occult explanations attached to this card are meagre and mostly disconcerting. It is idle to indicate that it depicts min in all its aspects, because it bears this evidence on the surface. It is said further that it contains the first allusion to a material building, but I do not conceive that the Tower is more or less material than the pillars which we have met with in three previous cases. I see nothing to warrant Papus in supposing that it is literally the fall of Adam, but there is more in favour of his alternative–that it signifies the materialization of the spiritual word. The bibliographer Christian imagines that it is the downfall of the mind, seeking to penetrate the mystery of God. I agree rather with Grand Orient that it is the ruin of the House of We, when evil has prevailed therein, and above all that it is the rending of a House of Doctrine. I understand that the reference is, however, to a House of Falsehood. It illustrates also in the most comprehensive way the old truth that “except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”

This bit I found interesting too:

There is a sense in which the catastrophe is a reflection from the previous card, but not on the side of the symbolism which I have tried to indicate therein. It is more correctly a question of analogy; one is concerned with the fall into the material and animal state, while the other signifies destruction on the intellectual side.

Robert M. Place from Tarot, History, Symbolism and Divination has this to say:

The Tower itself is built on a mountaintop. Two figures are falling to either side. One in a crown and a long blue dress is female and the other in a red cape and blue tunic is male. They are like Adam and Eve being freed from the trap of egotism that was presented in the last trump.

I notice how small bits of fire fall to the ground in the shape of Yods. Yod is considered to be the Hebrew letter that all other Hebrew letters are a variation of or formed from. I believe it is the first letter in God's name, (but my knowledge on this subject is very limited). So falling like they do from the lightening strike, they hit the earth and cleanse it ready for new possibilities, they represent divine energy I think.

Karen Hamaker-Zondag in the Way of The Tarot has this to say from a psychological point of view.

If you are floundering in the desire world, in headstrong behavior, or in an accusatory attitude toward the outside world (either toward a single individual or toward society as a whole), then sometimes only a great fright or shocking experience can break through this attitude. This is the essence of The Tower: the sudden thunderbolt striking the "upper storey" so that your entire way of thinking and point of view are upset in an instant.

I also like this bit:

The Tower represents the inner urge to release ourselves from the fetters of our fretfulness, which, in this case happens through fierce confrontations, which need not necessarily come from outside. Deep depressions also belong to the domain of The Tower. The character of suddenness is central - The Tower brooks no delay.

Symbolism:

• The Tower itself: Could well represent the self, or ones persona - those aspects of the self that one builds up in order to protect themselves. Also it could symbolise those outside occurrences that can restrict one's internal development.
• Three Windows: May symbolise mind, body, spirit.
• Sandra A. Thomson in Pictures from the Heart says this of windows and in relation to the Tower card:

  "Windows represent a way in which we look out on and interpret, understand and perceive the world. The Black windows spurting flames mark the top ("above-it-all" position) of the RWS Tower card, where they carry out the theme of disintegration of present consciousness, and an inflated ego that is being challenged and cleansed by flames."

• Lightening: Could be the flash of realisation which reveals to us how things really are or should be - it shatters one's illusions.
• Hods: Explained above ^^
• Figures: Adam and Eve released from their bonds that they created. They could also represent opposites that have not as yet been reconciled. They could symbolise the masculine and feminine energy.
• Waite said of of the figures:

  "The one is the literal word made void and the other its false interpretation."

  Suggesting that the figures in this card represent intellectual destruction. In other words the changing of how one thinks, I suppose.

I think what Waite may have been getting at here is that in order to change our thinking and to expand spiritually we just may need to tear down those original thoughts, put the ego aside and start again.

Card: Original Rider Waite

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

The Esoteric Title for this card is Lord of the Gates of Matter Child of the Forces of Time Well Lord of the Gates of Matter has got to be referring to the material things in life. The second part I had no idea what it referred to, so I decided to ask my friend Mary Greer. I think it easier to quote what she told me.

I'm not sure what the original intention was. My own personal take on the term is twofold:

1) Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, known as "the ring pass-not" or the outer limits of what we can know in our physical form (the furtherist planet we can see with the naked eye). Therefore it marks the limit of our experience of time & space.

2) The sun's entry into Capricorn also marks the Winter Solstice and therefore the space/time gateway for the birth of the divine child. On the solar calendar it is the death of the old and the birth of the new light.

My thanks to Mary Greer for shedding some light on this for me.

Astrological Attribution: Capricorn - From the Everything Tarot Book

The Devil is related to the planet Saturn, know as "the Lord of Karma" and as the Teacher. Saturn is the planet of discipline and structure, time and ambition, and represents where we are tested by the Universe, bring tasks, and trials to the person in the form of obstacles, which are lessons to be learned. Saturn rules Capricorn."

Capricorn is a sign that is firmly grounded to the earth and therefore may well be considered materialistic.

Elemental Attribution: Earth - Earth is cold and dry and its nature is stability.

Kabalistic Path: Path 26: 6 Tiphareth to 8 Hod -Translation of Path: The Beauty of Splendor From The Tarot Companion by Tracy Porter:

This pathway connects Sephira Tiphareth with Hod. The energy of the Devil, which isn't really evil in itself, combines beauty with splendor to achieve materialism in the form of wealth.

Tiphareth: This is position 6 on the Tree of Life and has the Keyword Beauty and this is the path that represents the higher self. It sits in the middle of the Tree and can represent for us the center of our being. It is the path that discusses the higher meaning in our lives and shows for us our successes and achievements and how we present this persona of ourselves to the world.

Hod : This is position 8 on the Tree of Life and has the Keyword Splendor. This path illustrates material values in life such as business, career, artistic projects etc and how we approach those areas. It can represent our perception, reasoning and how we communicate this to others.

Maybe together they show us how those inner urges for the material things in life can drive us to create what we desire.

Mr. Waite has this to say about the Devil in the PKT Part I

In the eighteenth century this card seems to have been rather a symbol of merely animal impudicity. Except for a fantastic head-dress, the chief figure is entirely naked; it has bat-like wings, and the hands and feet are represented by the claws of a bird. In the right hand there is a sceptre terminating in a sign which has been thought to represent fire. The figure as a whole is not particularly evil; it has no tail, and the commentators who have said that the claws are those of a harpy have spoken at random. There is no better ground for the alternative suggestion that they are eagle’s claws. Attached, by a cord depending from their collars, to the pedestal on which the figure is mounted, are two small demons, presumably male and female. These are tailed, but not winged. Since 1856 the influence of Éliphas Lévi and his doctrine of occultism has changed the face of this card, and it now appears as a pseudo-Baphometic figure with the head of a goat and a great torch between the horns; it is seated instead of erect, and in place of the generative organs there is the Hermetic caduceus. In Le Tarot Divinatoire of Papus the small demons are replaced by naked human beings, male and female ‘ who are yoked only to each other. The author may be felicitated on this improved symbolism.

In Part II he says:

The design is an accommodation, mean or harmony, between several motives mentioned in the first part. The Horned Goat of Mendes, with wings like those of a bat, is standing on an altar. At the pit of the stomach there is the sign of Mercury. The right hand is upraised and extended, being the reverse of that benediction which is given by the Hierophant in the fifth card. In the left hand there is a great flaming torch, inverted towards the earth. A reversed pentagram is on the forehead. There is a ring in front of the altar, from which two chains are carried to the necks of two figures, male and female. These are analogous with those of the fifth card, as if Adam and Eve after the Fall. Hereof is the chain and fatality of the material life.

I also like this bit:

The figures are tailed, to signify the animal nature, but there is human intelligence in the faces, and he who is exalted above them is not to be their master for ever.

Meaning I think that the responsibility is theirs and they can free themselves when they choose to do so.

Robert M Place in Tarot ,History, Symbolism and Divination has this to say:

This card is connected to Capricorn, the goat, and this goat-headed image borrows from both Levi's Baphomet and the traditional Marseilles card. Waite says that there is a sign of Mercury at the pit of the stomach, but it is not there. It sems that he wanted it to be more like Levi's drawing of Baphomet, the Sabbatic Goat which has Mercury's staff, the caduceus, rising from his groin. Perhaps Smith left it out because they were using the Golden Dawn's correspondence with Capricorn for this card, and not Levi's correspondence with Mercury.

Sandra A. Thomson in Pictures from the Heart says this:

His raised palm bearing the glyph for the planet Saturn, ruler of Capricorn - tie him to this zodiacal sign.

She also says:

The satyr figure also connects him with Pan, depicted in the Renaissance and Mythic Devil cards

.

And this little bit is also interesting:

The arm positions of the satyr figure, similar to those of the RWS magician, suggest that this is the consequence of "worldly magic" - illusion - rather than understanding higher law.

For a psychological point of view Karen Hamaker-Zondag has this to say in the Way of the Tarot.

In principle, the energy of the Devil has to do with the instinct of self preservation. However, this easily gets out of hand. Hidden away in each of us is the ego-oriented drive that encourages us to satisfy our personal wants.

She also says:

Sooner or later we are going to stand face to face with the less ethical sides of ourselves. We may not be very aware of it, but there are numerous occasions when the Devil raises his head. For example, why have you such a need to meddle with certain affairs? Is it always from pure motives? Or is there a power-devil lurking in the background and the temptation to be manipulative. Not very pleasant questions to ask oneself, but necessary if one is to keep clear of troublesome complications and problems.

This last little bit is good I think:

The Devil confronts us with our Shadow, with all those things that we would rather not see or know about ourselves (anymore) but which we simply must pass under review if we are going to be able to integrate them.

Symbolism:

• Goats Horns & Glyph on Hand - Connects him to Saturn and Capricorn
• Sign that hand makes - distorted sign of the benediction the opposite to the one the Hierophant makes.
• Bat Wings: Creature of the dark
• Two People : Adam and Eve from the Lovers card now fallen
• Nakedness : Shows not their innocence but instead unconstrained passion.
• Tails on both figures - links them to their animal instincts and also links them back to the garden of eden and how they have fallen from their position. It shows how they are not balancing out their masculine, feminine energy with their higher self. The angle in the Lovers card that represented love now becomes the devil and represents the angel of darkness and one that is filled with self absorbtion.
• Loose Chains around their necks - representing that they are held by their own beliefs and desires.

I think what Mr. Waite and Pixie may have been saying here with this card is, that one has to confront their Shadow side in order to understand it and free themselves from it playing a prominent role in their lives. That we are free to do this if we choose.


Or because of its relationship to the Lovers card The Devil being 15 breaks down to 1+5 =6 it could also be suggesting that if we don't make balanced choices then we can trapped ourselves into a way of thinking that could be detrimental to us. But overall I still think Waite was really alluding to acknowledging and recognising the shadow elements of the self.

Card: Original Rider Waite

THE TOWER

I continue my astrological exploration of the Major Arcana with Trump 16, The Tower. The use of astrological associations with Tarot is completely up to the reader. This is merely intended to be interesting and fun.

Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley
Crowley attributes The Tower card to the planet Mars and writes: "In its simplest interpretation it refers to the manifestation of cosmic energy in its grossest form." Book T also associates Trump 16 -- "The Blasted Tower" -- with Mars, titling the card "The Lord of the Hosts of the Mighty." In their book about the Thoth deck, Banzhaf and Theler describe Mars applied to The Tower as "combative, destructive, rousing force."






One World Tarot by Crystal Love
In this deck, Crystal Love also associates The Tower (Trump 16) with the planet Mars. She writes: "The tower represents the human body, and the red sphere symbolizes the head, which Aries rules." The zodiac sign Aries is ruled by Mars, as is the sign Scorpio. Love adds: "Mars, traditionally the god of war, is strong, daring and brave, but can also be violent and cruel -- qualities shared by Scorpio whom Mars co-rules with Pluto. . . Dangerous is unleashed without wisdom, Martian energy should be used carefully and wisely so as not to mishap upon oneself or others."

A.E. Thierens, PhD. (Astrology & the Tarot)
Thierens associates Trump 16, The Tower, with the planet Uranus, commonly known as the planet of change and upheaval. Thierens writes: "The stone tower struck by a flash of lightning is another version of the legend of Ouranos [Uranus] mutilating his son Chronos, which means, that Heaven is not content with a body of fixed dimensions and form, nor any heavenly force with the limitations put to it by physical authorities or architects."

The Celestial Tarot by Brian Clark
Clark titles The Tower card "The Will of Mars." He writes: "In Celestial Tarot, we meet Mars the war-god, both destroyer and tower of strength. . . Sacrifices were made to Mars to avoid natural calamities, promote a bountiful harvest, and encourage prosperity. In classical astrology, Mars is lord of two zodiacal spheres, Aries and Scorpio, reflecting the dual paths evident in the Tower. Aries heralds spring and represents the renewal of life. . . Scorpio is the season of autumn when nature dies and goes underground." For Clark, Mars represents "aspiration, courage, enthusiasm, energy, and will. . . brute strength and aggressive instincts."



The Mandala Astrological Tarot by A.T. Mann
Mann associates Trump 16, Tower, with the planet Mars. He writes: "Mars shows that keeping tension inside leads to forced changes in one's condition as the urge to change the world starts with oneself. Scorpionic strength is created through unavoidable difficulties." Characteristics Mann associates with Mars include "will, desire, energy, enthusiasm, temper, arrogance, passion."

The Whispering Tarot by Liz Hazel
For The Tower, Liz Hazel lists the Golden Dawn attribution of Mars but notes "Pluto and Uranus are also used." Her DMs include "an abrupt or unexpected event. . . upheavals, rude surprises, accidents. . . inexorable change. . . erupting awareness. . . breakthroughs and breakdowns."









We see a strong preference among this group of Tarot writers for using Mars as the astrological attribution for The Tower. With the exception of The Whispering Tarot, every card is dominated by the color red, the color of Mars. Other astrological influences include Pluto and Uranus. I can readily accept the idea of Pluto (typically associated with death and rebirth) and Uranus (change and upheaval) as attributions for The Tower along with Mars.

I welcome your comments!

Zanna

Deviant Moon - The Hermit

From the LWB

The hermit hides from the world in his alcove. Even though he shuts himself off from the city, he is never truly alone. The rotted fish beside him is a reminder that we can never hide from ourselves.

This Hermit reminds me of being alone with one's thoughts, now whether those thoughts are good or bad, who can say. But whatever they may be they remain with us wherever we choose to go! This figure turns his back on the city, and the smoking chimney of the working factory. Smoke combines the elements of air and fire, thought and action. He may still have the thought element but it is action he is turning his back on? Is he subduing the physical in favour of the spiritual I wonder?

The fact that the fish is rotting at his feet makes me think that he needs to be sorting out a few things here. Or maybe his loneliness is not of his choosing and therefore that is making his thoughts rot....... Now there's a thought!

Notice how he casts a large shadow to our right and his left. Overshadowing, maybe his higher thoughts here, adding to the feeling of isolation perhaps. Fish are also associated with water and the emotional and spiritual aspects of the self. They can indicated a deeper part of the unconscious aspect of the self. This fish is rotting and so it seems to be saying to me some element inside is dying a little, you know decay has been allowed to set in, the train of thought he has is not necessarily positive.

Don't you love his red toe nails! :D Feet can connect us to the earth. They may well represent the physical here and the fact that his toe nails are painted in red, a colour that symbolises, among many things, action, passion, blood, life force. Also the fact that one foot presses the other down and restricts its movement, could just indicate here that he knows that he physically needs to take action, but just now he is suppressing that drive for whatever reason.

Does this Hermit choose to be alone, or has this been forced upon him is the question I have going around my head?

Solitude or Outcast, which do you think he is?

Card: Deviant Moon By Patrick Venleza

Page of Swords

The Page of Swords is the one who shows us the potential he has in the area of thought. He indicates the ability to demonstrate original and clear thinking. He is the Page who knows how to use what he discovers, but he, like the other Pages' lacks the maturity to always make the best judgement.

I have chosen the Princess of Swords from the Druid Craft to be the illustrative card this time. I feel she shows in her image the elements that exist within this Page, of reflection, intuition and ideas. I also think that they way she holds her sword apart from her, can symbolise for us, that she is learning to look at her thoughts and ideas more objectively and remove her decision making away from her emotions. She is learning to use her mind in a way that will benefit her.

In a lot of Page illustrations we often see him swinging his sword about quite precariously. This is where the immaturity aspect comes in with this Court and his ability to make mistakes through impulsive actions. In a reading he may suggest to you that you need to research your facts before acting, and don't jump to any conclusions!

I quite like this Page because he has not yet learnt diplomacy and will call a spade a spade! :D He is eager to learn and will grab any opportunities that come his way. You will find that this young lad or lady has a way with words and is more than able to communicate their ideas clearly.

As a person in a reading he may well be suggesting that they have a reasonable balance between their emotions and their thinking but that their emotions will never rule when it comes to making a decision.

As a facet of yourself in a reading he may just be suggesting that it could be time to view things in a fresh and new light. He could be saying that its time to take up some more study, expand your mind and learn something new. But remember he could also be cautioning you to ask yourself, if you are in a difficult situation, "what knowledge do I have and how can I best use it to solve my problems?" The Page also reminds us to asks ourselves how we can apply our objectivity best.

Pages are the messengers of the suit and the message this one may be delivering will be based in truth and facts. So if he shows up for you he may just be bringing that piece of information you need! Or at least showing you how to find it.

The thing to remember about this chap is that he is always searching for information, eager to learn what he can.

Card: Druid Craft

THE DEVIL

I continue my astrological exploration of the Major Arcana with Trump 15, The Devil. The use of astrological associations with Tarot is completely up to the reader. This is merely intended to be interesting and fun.

Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley

Crowley attributes The Devil card to the zodiac sign Capricorn (a cardinal Earth sign ruled by Saturn), which he describes as "the most exalted of the signs; it is the goat leaping with lust upon the summits of earth." Crowley further states that Capricorn is "rough, harsh, dark, even blind." Book T also associates The Devil card with Capricorn, titling it "The Lord of the Gates of Matter: the Child of the Forces of Time." Crowley tells us that this card "represents creative energy in its most material form." In their book Keywords for the Crowley Tarot, Hajo Banzhaf and Brigitte Theler describe Capricorn as "the sign of the greatest darkness of the year, when the Sun is reborn at the Winter Solstice." (This, of course, ignores parts of the world in which Capricorn is a summer sign!)

One World Tarot by Crystal Love

In this deck, Crystal Love titles Trump 15 "Deliverance" and associates it with the planet Saturn. She writes: "Saturn rules the sign of Capricorn. The winter solstice occurs on December 21st, when the solar day is shortest, and night longest." Love notes that Saturn is often identified with Kronos, the Greek god of time (see reference to Book T, above). Saturn's rings symbolize human boundaries. Love writes: "When we are engrossed in the materialism of Saturn, we lose our light and become enslaved to the material world, forgetting our divinity. (It is interesting to note that this card has always been known as The Devil card, the Devil being another name for Satan. Satan is a derivation of the word Saturn.)"

A.E. Thierens, PhD. (Astrology & the Tarot)
Thierens associates Trump 15, The Devil, with the planet Mars, which is exalted in the sign Capricorn. Thierens writes that Mars is the "planet of pain and struggle, passion and sex-nature, but also of the energy necessary for the process of formation and generation in Nature." He adds that Mars "has a special connection with the animal kingdom and animal passion. . . We shall be safe in interpreting this card as energy, desire, lust, war, struggle, difficulties, pain, loss, etc. But also as exercise, training; tests to which the personality will be subject."

The Celestial Tarot by Brian Clark

Clark titles The Devil card "Capricorn's Instinctual World." The god Pan portrays The Devil in this deck. Clark writes: "No doubt Capricorn is an 'old goat,' as the zodiacal constellation of either a horned goat or a sea goat was recognized as early as the second millennium B.C.E. . . . After centuries of sin projected onto the goat, it became aligned with the Devil, who was depicted with the horns and feet of a goat, similar to Pan."


The Mandala Astrological Tarot by A.T. Mann


Mann associates Trump 15, Devil, with the zodiac sign Capricorn. He writes: "Capricorn shows the dominance of worldly power and the difficulties of withstanding temptation. The ruling Saturn is embossed on the wings as the conflict between egocentricity and self-restraint, while Mars exalted is the necessity to resist ambition turning to arrogance. The Devil as the god Pan is temptation and attachment to the delights of the material world of the senses, but the weak chains show the potential to overcome self-inflicted bondage."

The Whispering Tarot by Liz Hazel

For The Devil, Liz Hazel lists the Golden Dawn attribution of Capricorn but notes "Pluto is also used." Among her divinatory meanings for the card are: "trials and temptations. The use and abuse of power. Corporations and organized religions. Relentless drive to accomplish goals to the exclusion of all else. Hard reality checks that one cannot avoid or ignore." Reversed meanings include: "trapped by prior commitments with little hope of release. Use of excessive force, unrestrained hostility. Without remorse, predatory, a lack of conscience."

Among this group of Tarot writers, astrological attributions for The Devil (Trump 15) center around the zodiac sign Capricorn and its ruling planet, Saturn. Mars, exalted in Capricorn, gets some playing time -- and Pluto (no longer considered a planet by astronomers) gets a nod from Liz Hazel. All of these associations work quite well for me. Did I mention that my ex-husband is a Capricorn? LOL.

I welcome your comments!

Zanna

Bohemian Gothic - Knight of Swords

This Knight of Swords is not portrayed in a good light, he stands in a room which Mahony describes as a "torture chamber" well you only have to look around at the unsavory instruments that hang on the wall not to mention the poor skeleton of some poor soul still hanging from the rafters.

The Knight himself looks very fierce, somebody who is not afraid to do what it takes if he thinks it the right action. On the desk behind him there is a book indicating that he is a man of knowledge and can use this to cut through any situation he may face.

This image may well be suggesting to us here that this is a strong willed and ruthless person, great to have on your side but beware if the coin flips! He is a figure who conveys that he is able to lead, use his intelligence with the addition of that energetic force that most of the Knights possess.

However the darker meaning of this card is warning us against the personality who like to start an intellectual debate for the sake of it and who if they believe they are right will fight to the end not hesitating to use cutting and sharp words. He may well be self motivated, and not show any understanding of someone else's feelings....You may have cooked a lovely meal, set the table. Lit the candles and awaiting his arrival, you await, and await and finally he turns up two hours late totally unable to understand why you are upset and simply saying "well I'm here now aren't I". - That's your Knight of Swords.

Just look at his face in this card doesn't it shout "you just dare argue with me!" — no I won't I promise. :o

Card: Bohemian Gothic by Karen Mahony & Alex Ukolov

Weekly Walk in the World of Waite/Smith - Temperance

The Esoteric Tile for this cards is Daughter of the Reconcilers, The Bringer Forth of Life. The first part obviously refers to being able to reconcile opposite. The Bringer Forth of life may well refer to the balancing out of the physical with the spiritual elements in order to create a higher consciousness.. Waite said of this Angel:

It is held to be pouring the essences of life from chalice to chalice. It has one foot upon the earth and one upon waters, thus illustrating the nature of the essences.

Astrological Attribution: Sagittarius: From the Everything Tarot Book:

"Sagittarius, which symbolizes the seeker after truth. It is concerned with all manifestations of the higher mind and universal values. "

Also:

A fire sign, this third mutable sign is far-reaching conceptually and intellectually, eclectic in the quest for knowledge, wisdom and experience with the aim of achieving balanced actions, adjustments, self-control, and guidance by the Higher Self.

Kabalistic Path 25: 6 Tiphareth to 7 Yesod. Translation of Path: The Sovereignty and Beauty of Foundation.

From The Tarot Companion by Tracy Porter:

This pathway connect Sephira Tiphareth with Yesod. The energy of the angel of Temperance combines beauty with foundation to provide temperance and balance in lifestyle.

Tiphareth is position 6 on the Tree of Life with the keyword Beauty. It represents for us our higher self and how we can give a higher meaning to our life, it helps us interpret our purpose and our objectives. It shows us our success and accomplishments and how we present who we are to the world. This position sits in the center of the Tree of Life and therefore can represent the center of our being.

Yesod is position 9 on the Tree of Life with the keyword Foundation. Yesod represents for us the unconscious thoughts we may have, whether they be hopes, desires or fears and so may also give an awareness to the patterns of our life, because of its connection to the unconscious.

Looking at these two together how we can relate it to Temperance is that it is through our higher self that we learn to balance out those underlying thoughts, desires and fears in order to bring harmony into our world.

Mr. Waite says in the PKT: Part II The Doctrine Behind the Veil:

"A winged angel, with the sign of the sun upon his forehead and on his breast the square and triangle of the septenary. I speak of him in the masculine sense, but the figure is neither male nor female. It is held to be pouring the essences of life from chalice to chalice. It has one foot upon the earth and one upon waters, thus illustrating the nature of the essences. A direct path goes up to certain heights on the verge of the horizon, and above there is a great light, through which a crown is seen vaguely. Hereof is some part of the Secret of Eternal Life, as it is possible to man in his incarnation. All the conventional emblems are renounced herein."

Like the Star card this angel has one foot on land and the other in the water and this again represent a balance of emotional and physical states. He pours water from one cup to the other and these two cups could well be representative of these elements, conscious and the sub-conscious, the masculine and feminine, the spiritual and physical, the active and passive.

I also like this bit of what Mr. Waite has to say:

It is called Temperance fantastically, because, when the rule of it obtains in our consciousness, it tempers, combines and harmonises the psychic and material natures. Under that rule we know in our rational part something of whence we came and whither we are going.

Now in Robert M. Place's book the Tarot, History, Symbolism and Divination he informs us that Waite acknowledges that the angelic figure is neither masculine nor feminine and he goes on to tell us that his red and violet wings + the symbol of the sun on his head gives him a connection to both the Archangel Michael and the Goddess Iris. I think in older prints of cards there is a rainbow arching across the sky, but Pixie seems to have left that element out but has added yellow Irises to the side of the angel.

There is a quote in Places book that I think is relevant to the connection:

In Revelation 10:1-2 there is a great angel, thought to be Michael, who stands on the sea and the land with a rainbow on his head and a face that radiates like the sun.

Now for a little bit of information about the Goddess Iris: This is what I could find out.

Apparently in Greek Mythology Iris was the goddess of the rainbow and the messenger of the Olympian gods. She was also a goddess of sea and sky and the daughter of Thaumas "the wondrous" a marine god and Elektra her mother "the amber" a cloud-nymph. Apparently for those Greeks who lived in the coastal areas the rainbow's arc was most often seen spanning the distance between cloud and sea. Iris was believed to replenish the rain-clouds with water from the sea. She was also the messenger of the gods and could I think be considered the female equivalent of Hermes.

According to Pictures of the Heart

"She carried a pitcher which contained water for putting perjurers to sleep. The rainbow is considered both the essence of Iris and the pathway by which she traveled."

Apparently the Iris flowers on this card could then be connected to her by relating to her qualities as a divine messenger.


The Square on the Angel's chest is a symbol of spirit contained in matter, and Roseanne a friend who is far more knowledgeable than I, explained the symbolism of the square and triangle to me. My thanks to Roseanne!

"The square is matter-the world-everything we can feel, taste and see and is like the number four; four winds, four directions four Apostles, four elements etc. etc. The triangle is the three nature of everything - Mother/Father/Child - Heaven/Earth/Man-body/soul spirit. It is an upward triangle, so it is Fire-Solar, like the pyramids. The trinity or three person with God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so it is the fire of the Spirit in the world."

Another interesting aspect of this card is that on his head we see the Sun and in a light in the sky where we would expect to see the sun we see a gold crown. The Crown and the Sun have swapped places. I wonder if the Sun could be seen to be an expression of the human soul and the Crown an expression of the physical, by actually changing their places it shows us how Temperance is mixing these two aspect of human existence in order to make a balanced whole.

Karen Hamaker-Zondag in The Way of The Tarot has this to say from a psychological point of view:

Although we have taken off our masks in the previous phase and are now looking for a fresh stance, the confrontations we experience, and the problems we encounter, are enough to be going on with. We are still undergoing an inner change while learning to cope and that is what we see in Temperance: a placid frame of mind in which we review current conflicts and problems of every variety in order to resolve them.

Symbolism:

• Red and Violet wings + symbol of Sun on angels head: Explained in Robert M. Places quote:
• White Robe: Pure spirit, wisdom, illumination.
• Blending of Water from different cups, balancing out opposing elements.
• Two Cups: Possibly conscious & sub-conscious
• Iris: Discussed above in Goddess Iris segment.
• Water: Emotional/Spiritual
• Rock: Physical
• Sun & Crown - discussed above.
• Triangle within Square - discussed above.

What I think Mr. Waite and Pixie were getting at with this card was that old adage of 'As above, so below' again in that it is by creating a balance between our spiritual and physical selves that we bring harmony, wisdom and illumination into our every day lives. I think he may just also be saying that it is by allowing our higher self to guide us that we reconcile those opposing forces that exist within us.

Card: Original Rider Waite

TEMPERANCE

I continue my astrological exploration of the Major Arcana with Trump 14, Temperance. The use of astrological associations with Tarot is completely up to the reader. This is merely intended to be interesting and fun.

Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley
Crowley titles Trump 14 "Art" and attributes it to the zodiac sign Sagittarius, "the Archer" (a mutable Fire sign ruled by Jupiter). Book T does likewise, also titling the card "The Daughter of the Reconcilers: The Bringer-Forth of Life." Crowley tells us that this card foreshadows "the final stage of the Great Work" and directs our attention to the act of Fire and Water being harmoniously mingled at the bottom of the card. In their book Keywords for the Crowley Tarot, Hajo Banzhaf and Brigitte Theler describe the energy of Sagittarius as a "force that strives for something higher."

One World Tarot by Crystal Love
In this deck, Crystal Love associates Temperance (Trump 14) with the zodiac sign Taurus, a mutable Earth sign ruled by Venus. She writes: "Taurus creates the structure required for the materialization and maintenance of material form. As Taurus is ruled by Venus, it also produces fine artists, dancers, and craftspeople." Love notes that Taurus can also be "lazy, stubborn, insensitive, greedy, grasping, and self-indulgent." Temperance, according to Love, "symbolizes wealth, material success and material possessions. . . It also indicates a need to stabilize and to develop a solid base from which the self can operate."

A.E. Thierens, PhD. (Astrology & the Tarot)
Thierens associates Trump 14, Temperance, with the planet Mercury, "lord of the sphere of Virgo, surrounding the solar Leo-sphere." He tells us that "the function of Mercury is that of the mind in its concrete activities and imparts knowledge, learning, which after all is the beginning or potentiality of all our further relations in this world."

The Celestial Tarot by Brian Clark
Clark titles Temperance "The Spirit of Sagittarius." He writes: "Sagittarius embraces spiritual ideals, morality, ethics, justice, and temperance. . . The pursuits of knowledge, understanding and wisdom are virtues for Sagittarius. . . A common theme underlying Sagittarian myths contrasts the barbaric, stormy, wild side, with the pursuit of higher vision, knowledge, and ethics. Similarly, the card Temperance implies moderation and balance, finding the middle path, and discerning between right and wrong."






The Mandala Astrological Tarot by A.T. Mann
Mann associates Trump 14, Temperance, with the zodiac sign Sagittarius. He writes: "Sagittarius indicates the necessity for high mindedness and religious contemplation, acting through its ruling planet Jupiter, the planet of moral aspiration and transcendence."


The Whispering Tarot by Liz Hazel
Liz Hazel lists Sagittarius as her attribution for Temperance, Trump 14. Keywords she associates with this card include renewal, successful expedition, high expectations, a blending of opposites (or of taking diverse elements and mixing them successfully), blending the old with the new, learning foreign languages or being influenced by what is seen and experienced in foreign countries, people who use a variety of disciplines in their work. Reversed characteristics are very much in keeping with the less desirable traits of Sagittarius: refusal to gain maturity, pessimism, bitterness from past struggles, reluctance to reach for new possibilities, lack of poise and dignity, refusal to ask for or accept help.



As usual, we have many sources agreeing on the same astrological association for Temperance: the sign Sagittarius. The fact that Sagittarius is a dual sign -- with a highly philosophical component and a highly physical component -- corresponds nicely with the idea of Temperance representing balance or blending of diverse energies. I am not completely opposed to Love's association of Temperance with Taurus. Certainly both represent keeping things on an "even keel." The Mercury/Virgo connection proposed by Thierens doesn't work well for me.

I welcome your comments!

Zanna

Deviant Moon - The Empress

The Empress looks as though she is one with nature. She shows three breasts, this would certainly make her one with the ability to nurture wouldn't you say?

Patrick says of these three breast:

"The empress is blessed with three breasts, showing she is more than capable of fulfilling the needs of her people."

The vine seems to be part of her, or at least closely bonded with her, as it's tail weaves around her ankle and through her legs like a phallic symbol and on up and around her arms to blossom into an orange rose. Now we have to decide here whether this beast like quality of the vine is part of her and it is she who gives birth to the beautiful flower. I personally think it is part of her and represents here that baser instinct, sexuality, desire , etc.

Patrick says of the vine:

"A vine emanates from her body, as a type of tail, showing she is truly mixed with nature, yet there is a struggle within. The vine wraps around her arm as her claws attempt to dominate."

That sort of fits in with my idea of thinking it represents that baser instinct within her, that she must keep control of.

Her feet look like bird type feet, perhaps linking her to the idea of heaven and earth, as in birds fly and can be thought of the messengers between spirit and the consciousness — so here this may be suggesting that the growth of the earth depends on the heavens?

She sits again on a stone seat which looks like it too could be a cube and a symbol for stability, and she has beneath her feet just like the HP a checkerboard pattern — this may well symbolise the duality between the two of them. The HP who by her very stance appears to be concealing, while our Empress here is completely open, showing all aspects of herself. Therefore she connects us to the earth and our everyday lives by revealing herself, while the HP conceals some of her secrets and offers to take you beyond the normal boundaries. So this checkerboard pattern seen in these two feminine cards can elude here to the contradictory and contrasting forces of life.

She sits in a garden that blooms with more of the roses that she holds in her hand, showing us how fertile she is and that she is the mother of creation. Also showing us that she is able to establish a sound footing for further growth. She acts as a symbol for potential fulfilled. Yet all those roses do have thorns! She needs to be ready to meet the challenge of harvesting them. I guess our Empress here does need to be focused. Perhaps this shows that the Empress knows that you have to reconcile opposites (beautiful roses and nasty sticky thorns) in order to create something else.

She wears that cloak of purple, a colour that combines the active energy of red and the passive energy of blue. It is a colour associated with wisdom and insight, this too is edge in what looks like silver. Silver being the colour associated with the moon but also a colour that can be a symbol of purity and maybe marks her oneness with nature. She wears a crown of blue also edge in this silver which may just indicate her ability to reflect, and being sky colour, her inner spiritual processes.



The fact that she looks away from what she has created, caught my eye and I wonder if she is tiring of it all. Perhaps it doesn't hold that wonder for her in quite the same way any more. Her black hair seems to hang down like tentacles of an octopus and could well reveal here a darker side to her.

She may be the mother of all creation and the symbol of potential fulfilled, but that black hair does make me wonder what she keeps hidden from the world beneath that crown of hers?

Card Deviant Moon by Patrick Valenza

Weekly Walk in the World of Waite/Smith - Death

The Esoteric Title for this card is: The Child of the Great Transformers Lord of the Gates of Death. I wonder if this first part can be referring to the idea that death transforms us from one state to another. The second bit might just be referring to the fact that death comes to us all. If you have any better thoughts on this please do add them

Astrological Attribution: Scorpio From the Everything Tarot Book: "Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, the most recent discovery of the inhabitants of our solar system. Found in 1930, it symbolizes the transformative processes of both the inner psyche and outer form. Another word for transformation is regeneration, which essentially breaks down the previous form and turns it into something else." - Very apt for Death don't you think!

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

Kabalistic Path 24: - 6 Tiphareth to 7 Netzach. Translation of Path: The Beauty of Victory

From The Tarot Companion by Tracy Porter: "This pathway connect Sephira Tiphareth with Netzach. The energy of the angel of Death combines beauty and victory to transcend physical boundaries and emerge reborn."

Tiphareth is position 6 on the Tree of Life and has the keyword Beauty. This Sephira is the center of the Tree of Life and according to Tracy Porter "represents our center of our being." It is a symbol of our higher self and points towards giving a higher meaning to our life by assisting us to define our purpose and our objectives.

Netzach is position 7 on the Tree of Life and has the keyword Victory. This can represent for us our feelings and attachments and the emotions we give them as well as how we interact with those around us. In our everyday life it can represent those practical aspects.

Perhaps together they are saying about the Death card, that it is through truly understanding ourselves that we can move beyond the limits we set for ourselves in order to experience a spiritual change in our life.

Mr. Waite had this to say in Part 1 of the PKT

The method of presentation is almost invariable, and embodies a bourgeois form of symbolism. The scene is the field of life, and amidst ordinary rank vegetation there are living arms and heads protruding from the ground. One of the heads is crowned, and a skeleton with a great scythe is in the act of mowing it. The transparent and unescapable meaning is death, but the alternatives allocated to the symbol are change and transformation.

I also like this bit:

In the exotic sense it has been said to signify the ascent of the spirit in the divine spheres, creation and destruction, perpetual movement, and so forth.

In Part II The Doctrine Behind the Veil he says this bit

The mysterious horseman moves slowly, bearing a black banner emblazoned with the Mystic Rose, which signifies life. Between two pillars on the verge of the horizon there shines the sun of immortality. The horseman carries no visible weapon, but king and child and maiden fall before him, while a prelate with clasped hands awaits his end.

And also this bit which I find interesting:

The natural transit of man to the next stage of his being either is or may be one form of his progress, but the exotic and almost unknown entrance, while still in this life, into the state of mystical death is a change in the form of consciousness and the passage into a state to which ordinary death is neither the path nor gate. The existing occult explanations of the 13th card are, on the whole, better than usual, rebirth, creation, destination, renewal, and the rest.

Robert M Place in the Tarot, History, Symbolism and Divination makes this observation:

Death is holding a flag emblazoned with the white rose, the Golden Dawn symbol of rebirth. In the distance a ship, a symbol of the afterlife, sails toward a sun rising between two towers, the new dawn. Here the two towers are the equivalent of the twin pillars. This is the logical conclusion to the Hanged Man. Death is not the end but a new beginning.

From a psychological point of view Karen Hamaker-Zondag in The Way of the Tarot says this:

Say goodbye to those things that have served their purpose, give up attitudes that are no longer helpful, and discard whatever is superfluous. That is the message of Death, the inner drive to have done with attitudes, behavior, things, and situations that will hinder us if they continue to be a part of our lives. In a positive sense, this also means removing the masks behind which we like to hide. If we now confront the insecurity that these masks allow to build up, we will observe that we need to adopt a more sober, unaffected and unceremonious attitude with out airs and graces.

She goes on to say.

Whether we want to or not, we have to abandon tried and trusted behavior and quit a familiar situation, and we just do not know what will take its place.

This bit resonates with the card for me:

In a deeper sense, Death is saying, "Come on and throw your ballast overboard, for you are sailing toward further self-development and it is time to steam ahead."

Symbolism:

• White Rose on Banner: Mystic Rose, Golden Dawn symbol of rebirth. White is a colour signifying freedom from those baser forms of desire and passion.
• Roses on Bishop's robe, in woman's hair: Could well represent the mystic path or initiation: a death like experience, forthcoming change.
• Five Petals on Rose: According to Mary Greer -

  "five petals correspond to the five virtues which lead to perfection; these virtues are mystic paths;"

• Black square flag: Also by Mary Greer -

  The black square flag represents the four-square material world, the black earth out of which the mystical life emerges. It is a hidden (occulted) cube, which unfolds into a cross, so that the white rose on the black flag represents the central ritual in Rosicrucian (rose-cross) rituals - the death-in-life of the initiate. Spiritual light rooted in the subconscious.

• Death Moving from left to right: From Pictures of the Heart, Sandra A. Thompson -

  moving from the unconscious towards consciousness, from the imprisonment of the past toward the rising awareness of the future.

• Water: May symbolise the emotions involved in the changes taking place.
• King, child & Woman: Death does not discriminate, it can touch all from all walks of life.
• Rising Sun: New dawn, new beginning.
• Two Towers: May well represent the gateway to new spiritual existence.

Waite and Pixie do seem to be referring to the initiation of exchanging the physical for a greater understanding of the spiritual here. I think what he is trying to say is that it is in letting go of the old self that a transformation can be achieved.


This card does get the message over, at least from my point of view, that in all endings we make the way clear for renewal.

Cards: Original Rider Waite

DEATH

I continue my astrological exploration of the Major Arcana with Trump 13, Death. The use of astrological associations with Tarot is completely up to the reader. This is merely intended to be interesting and fun.

Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley

Crowley attributes this card to the zodiac sign Scorpio, as does Book T, which titles it "The Child of the Great Transformers: the Lord of the Gates of Death." Crowley describes the sign Scorpio as "one of the two most powerful in the Zodiac" (the other is Leo). Crowley goes on to say that Mars, ruler of Scorpio, is "the planet of fiery energy in its lowest form, which is therefore necessary to provide the impulse." The Death card also incorporates a skeleton and scythe, which are associated with the planet Saturn (representing "the essential structure of existing things"). The fish -- representing resurrection or re-incarnation -- is sacred to Mercury, the guide of the dead. Crowley sums up his description by writing: "This card must then be considered as of greater importance and catholicity than would be expected from the plain Zodiacal attribution. It is even a compendium of universal energy in its most secret form."

One World Tarot by Crystal Love

In this deck, Crystal Love departs from occult tradition by titling Trump 13 "The Rebirth" and associating it with the zodiac sign Aries (ruled by Mars). She writes: "Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. It symbolizes new beginnings, new cycles, and the beginning of a new astrological year." Love altered the title of the card because "the Rebirth card reminds us that in life, at a spiritual and cellular level, nothing ever actually dies, but is transformed and reborn."

A.E. Thierens, PhD. (Astrology & the Tarot)

Thierens associates Trump 13, Death, with the planet Saturn (see Crowley's comments, above). Thierens notes that the picture on the card "is a sort of allegorical representation of Father Chronos, Time." Saturn is "the planet or cosmic function of Formation, which means also determination in Place and Time, limitation, definition, etc." Thierens also writes: "Death certainly is only relative and the death of the form may mean the commencement of life on another plane."

The Celestial Tarot by Brian Clark

Clark titles Death "The Regenerative Cycle of Scorpio." Clark writes: "The ancients observed that when the Sun passed through Scorpio, the solar force was waning and dying in preparation for winter." Depicted on Clark's Death card is Hecate, goddess of the nether world and the crossroads. Clark notes: "Scorpio represents self-mastery and the emergence of a more authentic self."




The Mandala Astrological Tarot by A.T. Mann

Mann associates Trump 13, Death, with the zodiac sign Scorpio, which "has domain over the process of testing, separation, death and putrefaction. Its rulers are Mars indicating change, breakdown and fighting spirit, and Pluto the transformer, bringer of war and large-scale change." (Whereas traditional astrologers assigned rulership of Scorpio to Mars, modern astrologers sometimes assign rulership of Scorpio to Mars and Pluto jointly or to Pluto alone.)

The Whispering Tarot by Liz Hazel

Liz Hazel lists attributions for Death as "GD (Golden Dawn) - Scorpio. Also Pluto, sometimes Saturn." She notes that this card may appear on the occasion of death, endings, birth, or beginnings -- a significant change in the life cycle -- leaving the past behind, rebirth of hope, marriage (change of identity), becoming a parent or grandparent, a life-threatening situation or illness.

Scorpio is the 8th sign of the zodiac, associated with the 8th house, house of death and regeneration. I find it quite natural to think of Scorpio in connection with the Death card. I find that I think of Death as more of a "Pluto" card than a "Mars" card, although I certainly understand the reasoning for both. Love's association of the card with Aries is interesting, and she makes a good case for it, but not good enough to overthrow my inclination to use Scorpio. I confess that I have not really considered the planet Saturn in connection with this card in the past, but I believe I will from now on.

I welcome your comments!

Zanna

Deviant Moon - The Chariot

From the LWB:

The charioteer prepares to venture out of the city. Overcoming past adversities has made him strong; now he takes his experience to new lands.

Well, it certainly does look like he is on the move and he looks determined. He seems to be completely clothed in armour. Is this to protect himself? Or is he still not quite revealing everything to everyone? I notice in the helmet there are two horn like funnels, reminds me of the steam whistles that use to blow at the end of a working day in a factory. :) Now I had a think about steam and what it is. It's the vapour into which water is converted when it is heated. Here in his steam whistle helmet we just could have the elements of water and fire - I wonder if that shows us that our Charioteer is aware that he has to learn to steer a steady course between his feelings and his actions. Water and fire are antagonistic and so oppose each other, I guess it indicates that to keep on course he must learn to control those feelings and actions, reconcile them in some way.
Perhaps also those two chimney like horns are there to allow him to get his thoughts out into the open, where he can examine them and balance them more carefully.



Notice how he seems to be traveling on a rounded surface, perhaps indicating here the world, and his determination to seek out new areas. He really does look focused to me with his head facing straight forward. Notice all the factory chimneys smoking in the background. What is smoke, but a combination of air and fire. Here we have thought and action, and a suggestion that they may just be being combined. It could also suggest that there is a union achieved between the higher self and the physical self. The Charioteer is very physical but he needs to allow his spiritual side to assist him in achieving his physical side.



On his chariot he has we assume two big wheels and one small guiding wheel. Wheels represent movement, the turning of the cycle of life. They also can represent a completeness/wholeness and perhaps here they are showing us his desire to perfect the self through movement. The charioteer is venturing out although he still maintains some protection in the form of his armour. He takes this step to translate his thoughts into action and maybe to attempt to complete himself.

This mechanical looking Charioteer in the Deviant Deck, does seem to suggest that what is needed is a sustained effort in facing any challenges that may come up. The image shows us that he is on a straight course, not being pulled to one side or the other as is usual. Also it seems to say that this little man on his three wheels, realises that necessity in balancing out opposing forces in order to steer that course to victory.

He has the courage and willpower I think to keep on rolling on! ;)

Cards: Devian Moon by Patrick Valenza

Looking for Love

Everyone loves "Love Spreads" :L so I decided to design one. I showed this one at AT quite a long time ago, but I thought I would give it a second airing here. If you do try it out, be sure to let me know how you think it work for you.

LOOKING FOR LOVE

1........2
....3.....
4........5

....6.....

7........8
.....9....
....10....

1: What do I Want out of a relationship?
2: What do I Need out of a relationship?

3: How do I block love in my life?

4: What aspects of myself work for me?
5: What aspects of myself work against me?

6: How can I bring these two aspects into harmony?

7:What should be my first step towards finding love?
8: How do I follow on with this step?

9: How can I increase my chances of finding love?
10: What I really need to know. (One last piece of advice).


Card: Deviant Moon by Patrick Valenza

Weekly Walk in the World of Waite/Smith - Hanged Man

The Esoteric Title for this card is The Spirit of the Mighty Waters ~ I wonder if this refers to the emotional spiritual side of things and how those flow through one. He is also associated with Neptune which is a watery fluid planet, which again I think links to the spiritual and intuitive aspects of the HM.



Astrological Attribution: Neptune - From the Everything Tarot Book

The Hanged Man is related to the planet Neptune, a planet difficult to define for it symbolises all that is unreal, ethereal, mystical, otherworldly invisible and inspirational — in short imaginative and creative.
Neptune is said to be the planet that inspires visions and whose influence can also bring about an understanding of Universal Truth which is impossible to gain by reason alone. Neptune is the ruler of Pisces and symbolises for us here the desire to connect with that cosmic awareness.

Elemental Attribution ~ Water Elemental Water is cold and wet and its nature is union.



Kabalistic Path: Path 23: 5 Geburah to 8 Hod - Translation of Path: The Severity of Splendor From the Tarot Companion by Tracy Porter

This pathway connect sephira Geburah with Hod. The energy of the Hanged Man combines severity and splendor to provide spiritual awareness.

Geburah is position 5 on the Tree of Life and has the keyword Severity. Gebruah represents the challenges and the conflicts that must be overcome out of which there are lessons to be learned. How we look at these challenges depends on how they affect us, unless one is able to appreciate them for their teaching qualities, the ways in which they strengthen one, then they will be seen as trials and tribulations. This path can suggest to us that by using these challenges in a more constructive way we can take more responsibility for ourselves and use these to our advantage.



Hod is position 8 on the Tree of Life and has the Keyword Splendor. This is the path that illustrates material values in life such as business, career, artistic projects etc. and how we approach those areas. It is a path that represents our perception and our logical reasoning and how we communicate this to others.



These two combined together in the Hanged Man may well be saying that in an effort to understand and perceive the truth there may well be a sacrifice that has to be made.



Mr. Waite says of The Hanged Man in Part I of the PKT

The Hanged Man. This is the symbol which is supposed to represent Prudence, and Éliphas Lévi says, in his most shallow and plausible manner, that it is the adept bound by his engagements. The figure of a man is suspended head-downwards from a gibbet, to which he is attached by a rope about one of his ankles. The arms are bound behind him, and one leg is crossed over the other. According to another, and indeed the prevailing interpretation, he signifies sacrifice, but all current meanings attributed to this card are cartomancists’ intuitions, apart from any real value on the symbolical side. The fortune-tellers of the eighteenth century who circulated Tarots, depict a semi-feminine youth in jerkin, poised erect on one foot and loosely attached to a short stake driven into the ground.

Also in Part 2 he informs us

The gallows from which he is suspended forms a Tau cross, while the figure–from the position of the legs–forms a fylfot cross. There is a nimbus about the head of the seeming martyr. It should be noted (1) that the tree of sacrifice is living wood, with leaves thereon; (2) that the face expresses deep entrancement, not suffering; (3) that the figure, as a whole, suggests life in suspension, but life and not death

.

and I find this bit rather interesting

It is a card of profound significance, but all the significance is veiled. One of his editors suggests that Éliphas Lévi did not know the meaning, which is unquestionable nor did the editor himself. It has been called falsely a card of martyrdom, a card an of prudence, a card of the Great Work, a card of duty; but we may exhaust all published interpretations and find only vanity. I will say very simply on my own part that it expresses the relation, in one of its aspects, between the Divine and the Universe.

A bit of information about the Tau Cross and Fylfot Cross courtesy of Wikipedia on line

The Cross of Tau; also called the Tau Cross, St. Anthony's Cross, the Old Testament Cross, the Anticipatory Cross, the Cross Commissee, the Egyptian Cross, the Advent Cross, "Saint Francis's Cross" or the Crux Commissa. Hence, this cross is often used during the Advent season.
As with Christianity, other ancient societies who used the "Tau" symbol also expanded upon its symbolism to include life, resurrection, reincarnation, and blood sacrifice.[citation needed] These crosses are rare, and only a few are left in the world, the most well known being the cross on Tory Island in County Donegal, Ireland.




The Tau Cross in Christianity dates back since the latter's beginnings. Today, its most common use is in reference to Saint Francis, who proclaimed to his fellow friars in his hometown of Assisi (Italy) that their monastic habit was the Tau Cross.
Note: monastic habit (robe): When the arms of the one wearing it are outstretched to the sides, it roughly creates an image of the Tau Cross. If one then includes the body of the one wearing it in the imagery, the wearer becomes a living, walking crucifix. St. Francis is said to have reminded his followers of their role by reminding them of this imagery.


The Tau cross, named after the Greek letter it resembles, is a very old symbol.


Fylfot or fylfot cross is a synonym for swastika, sometimes used in Britain.

Robert M. Place in History, Symbolism and Divination has this to say

The Hanged Man is related to water, the second elemental correlation, and he is, therefore symbolically connected to the Fool and Judgement, the other elemental Major Arcana. Waite sees the Hanged Man as a key figure in the soul's journey. He represents initiation. He also says The giblet of the traditional card has been transformed into a tau cross, a symbol that unites the man's suffering with the martyrdom of Christ.

From a psychological point of view Karen Hamaker-Zondag in The Way of The Tarot said this

The Hanged Man is the desire to retire into ourselves and to experience, realise and, above all, to integrate, the humility acquired in the previous phase. It is also the willingness to accept the ups and downs of life as a natural rhythm.

On to symbolism:

• The Cross - is a living tree showing this is act of life not death, growth not stagnation

• Red leggings — the colour of fire, active, life force, energy
• Blue tunic — the colour of water, passive , reflective, inner spiritual process
• **These two show that the Hanged Man is balancing out these elements, the active/passive.
• Light around head -relates to martyrdom of Christ, as it simulates a halo but also it can symbolise awareness and illumination.
• **This takes the symbol back to spiritual enlightenment, cosmic truth.

I think the message here that Mr. Waite and Pixie may well have been trying to convey was one of exchanging the mundane for the spiritual and this does seem to be a main theme for this card. Waite also said

He who can understand that the story of his higher nature is embedded in this symbolism will receive intimations concerning a great awakening that is possible, and will know that after the sacred Mystery of Death there is a glorious Mystery of Resurrection.

This seem to point toward the message that in order to gain spiritual enlightenment, one may well find it necessary to make a sacrifice and do it willingly.

Card: Original Rider Waite

Divining Myself!

I first saw this Spread from The Tarot Bible by Sarah Bartlett. -Divining Myself!, at the blog 78 Whispers in my Ear, where Manda posted it. I was so impressed with this that I thought I would give it a try even though I do not usually post up much in the way of personal readings and this one is quite personal, but I'm feeling brave enough to share it with you. :)


Well this is certainly an eye opener spread, if you can be brave enough to read what the cards are trying to tell you... I like it very much and will no doubt do it again in some months to come to see what if any changes I have managed to make.

Divining Myself!


3........................8
1.......2......5.........7
4..........................6

Using the Alchemical Renewed Tarot Deck:

1. I am this now ~ The Star

Now this is the card that appeared for the Month of March my birth month! Yes I do feel I am right in the Star mode. I am more hopeful about my future and definitely more optimistic. Not just that I am more comfortable with myself now and confident which has renewed my faith in life. But I am also beginning to understand those opposite forces that not just exist within myself but also around me and they trouble me no more. I have reached a higher level of understanding and this has helped my spiritual growth, I forgive myself for my mistakes and I now am ready to forgive those who I have perceived to have hurt me.






2. This is what bugs me ~ Eight of Swords


That there have been times in my life where I have felt that I have had to hold back how I really feel and what I really think about situations and certain people. This has allowed an inner anger to raged within me for not allowing myself to express those feelings. But I have tried to temper that beast within by listening to my higher self, and not allowing those baser instincts to emerge. Although the feelings of anger have bugged me, I have gained far more by not expressing them. Things like self respect and knowing that I have not in a moment of weakness and fury inflicted the wounds that words are so capable of doing onto another, who must then bear the scars.




3. What I like about myself ~ The Magician


I like how I am able to express myself and communicate well with others. I like that I have a diversity of skills and that I can make them work for me. I am proud that I try to bring my spirituality into my everyday world, even though I make mistakes sometimes and slip up, I can recover and use those skills to explore my possibilities in life. I like that the magician in me gives me the desire for directed activity and the will power to try to achieve self realisation.









4. What I don't like about myself ~ Seven of Wands



That I can at times be competitive, and that drive to stay on top can take over. No matter what I do I have always got to push myself until I am good at it, this can be rewarding but it can also be crippling!













5. My talent - Chariot



Is that I can usually find a balance between what and how much is enough. I recognise that 7 Wands element in me and I try to steer a steady course between what I feel I want to do and what I know I should do. I do have the ability to recognise a goal and the will power to stay with it until it reaches a successful conclusion. But also the wisdom to know that sometimes you just can't hurry things, so charging off can lead you up the wrong path!







6. My temptation ~ Eight of Coins




My temptation is to keep working at something, perfecting it over and over again, but I guess the question I really need to keep reminding my self of is, 'when will it be good enough?' Something is only useful when you actually use it. What good is perfection if it never sees the light of day?










7. My personal quest ~ Lady of Vessels


Is to find the right balance between my emotions and my mind, so that I may experience growth and expansion both physically and spiritually, and allow that inner beauty to shine through. I quest to master those aspects of myself and to remain in control at all times of those baser instincts.










8. My curent guardian angel ~ Two of Wands
My current guardian angel Is there to show me that like behaviour reproduces itself then it has the tendency to spread. It is how we act or what we do that then spreads to the next person and so on and so on. It reminds me to use my creativity to its best purpose and to respond to those around me in a way that I would like them to respond to me. When you smile at someone, do they more often than not smile back, smiles just seem to spread! and so does any other way one wants to behave too.








The shadow card, at the base of the deck, for this reading is - Queen of Coins
Yes well I should nurture myself a bit more, take care of my body better, this is all true. I also need to resist the urge to loose myself in my 'work' when things are not always as they should be. She is a reminder to me to remember to take pleasure in the ordinary things in life and to stop a little more and appreciate what I have already got. I guess she is reminding me what I am questing for, and that is to achieve a balance in all things.....









It is interesting to look at the number sequence that goes with these cards. I start with 17 which reduces to an 8 and the next is an 8 too and this indicates that movement and gaining control is what's going on. This is followed by a 1 and shows the possibilities of a new beginning provided I take control. 7 fell in the slot about what I don't like about myself and shows here that there is insight and personal growth that can be made by understanding this element of myself. Coupled with the Chariot also a 7 says that it is from reflection that wisdom and confidence will come. Tagging on to this is another 8 which again is about movement power and in this position it suggests a new start by taking what has not worked before and applying it in a more practical way. The last cards are the Lady of Vessels is 11 and which breaks down to a 2 and the 2 Wands and this points strongly towards balance, union and choice. The shadow card breaks down to a 4 which reminds me of the things I must do in order to maintain stability and a good firm structure from which to work. This card acts like my bridge to being able to complete my journey.


Cards: Alchemical Renewed by Robert M. Place.