Dear Followers..
Please be patient for new posts. Two-weeks out from a total hip replacement but on the mend and soon back to posting and sharing. In the meantime, there is plenty to read in the archives. Enjoy!
Blessings …Robin
About this spread:
With the dawning of a New Year, there are many ways to welcome this fresh start. This astrological spread is a way of accessing information that can be used throughout the year as the Sun transits from one astrological sign to the next. The emphasis is on you standing at the center of the Great Wheel as the Sun and Moon. I’ve chosen to share and use this spread as the start of the New Year, but you can begin the process or start anew at any point in time during the year.
Although the Sun transits into the next astrological sign around the third week of each month and extends into the next, for simplicity I am using the calendar month as the place of focus:
January – Capricorn
February – Aquarius
March – Pisces
April – Aries
May – Taurus
June – Gemini
July – Cancer
August – Leo
September – Virgo
October – Libra
November – Scorpio
December – Sagittarius
Something that I like about this spread is the longevity and opportunity each month to use what has been drawn as I carry forward from the previous Solar Months and look forward to what is coming ahead, by way of preparation through the current month’s choices.
What You Will Need:
Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Lay out your cloth and th0roughly shuffle your Tarot deck. Sit for a moment and breathe into the deck you are holding. Formulate the intention of seeking guidance for the upcoming year and each of the Solar Months that will occur.
As in the picture….
Place your cards face down, beginning in the Center.
Lay one down-this is your Natal Moon Card.
Lay a second car on top – this is your Natal Sun Card.
Then, in the order as pictured place your 12 (twelve) cards face down in the pattern of the Great Wheel of the Zodiac, beginning at Capricorn (for this reading and unlike the natural order of the Zodiac beginning at Aries).
Reading Your Cards:
When all of the needed cards have been placed, take a moment to breathe into what you have out-pictured and hold the intention that you have created the vision of cosmos and the energy that flows as each Solar Month takes on the mantle of its astrological ruler.
These are some basic keywords that will help in your interpretation. To read a little more about each check out the link at the bottom of this page for a good resource..
Card 1 – January – Capricorn
Manifest earth energy that has the ability to reach towards its highest aspirations as well as diving deeply into the stores of experience and foundations. Whatever is placed here has potential for slow-moving firmly rooted growth. This is a solar month of reaching and stretching as you seek those sure-footed capabilities that are yours to claim.
Card 2 – February – Aquarius
Visionary communication of airy mind that can see a broader and far reaching out-picturing of what can be conceived. Whatever is placed here will stimulate the creative process by thinking outside of the box and being aligned with the good for “all” not the the individual. This is a solar month of thinking outside the box and creating the vision of your place in the greater world.
Card 3 – March – Pisces
Compassionate waters that expand and contract as needed to serve the greater whole. Whatever is placed here has ability to heal and to course correct but only if care is taken not to allow yourself to drown in the overflow of emotion. This is a solar month of forgiveness and compassion for yourself so that you may be the buoy in the storm that others may need.
Card 4 – April – Aries
Enthusiasm and fresh perspective that imagines all is possible. Whatever is placed here is renewed by the Fire of Youth and optimism that any thing can be accomplished,. This is the exuberance of the child that sees no limitation. This is a solar month of reinventing yourself and seeing the possibilities.
Card 5 – May – Taurus
Strength and stability that is loyal and steadfast. This is a formidable energy that will hold strong and steady. Whatever is placed here deserves a closer look at what deserves protection and safe guarding. This is a solar month of identifying what in the material and manifest world is worth your safeguarding.
Card 6 – June – Gemini
Communication extraordinaire flows like the winds as the course of direction changes swiftly and with agility. Whatever is placed here needs to be communicated in all manner of ways. This is the opportunity for dialogue and creating new lines of communication. This is a solar month of not shying away from connection and interaction. Speak from the heart and be open to the dialogue that ensues.
Card 7 – July – Cancer
The emotive ebb and flow of the Moon flows through this space. Home, family and the definition of what feeds our soul is the desire. Whatever is placed here, highlights where you will find solace, comfort and support. This is a solar month to offer up appreciation for those people and things that are your unconditional support. Gratitude births more of its kind.
Card 8 – August – Leo
Charismatic Fire that is stable and unrelenting in its outpouring. This is the electromagnetic quality of the Sun itself. Whatever is placed here will shine front and center in the spotlight. This is a solar month to allow your gifts to shone and to become comfortable in being the leader and light of your destiny.
Card 9 – September – Virgo
Manifesting what is desire through analysis and detail. This is the energy that calculates, plans and reassesses in order find the most productive outcome. Whatever is placed here can be refined and retooled as excess and the unnecessary components that prevent strong foundations can be released. This is a solar month to look closely and long at what you have gathered to yourself, and be ruthless in leaving behind what no longer serves.
Card 10 – October – Libra
Harmonious balance that is beautiful and refined in its construct. This is the blueprint for having just enough without the need for more. Whatever is placed here can be brought to a state of equanimity that is not bound by equality. It is the concept that create the beauty of harmony, not the desire to over reach superficially. This is a solar month of finding the beauty in everything simply because you have changed the thought of what true “beauty” is and where it may lie.
Card 11 – November – Scorpio
Transformation that is catalyzed by intuitive and deeply held revelation within the waters of rebirth. Whatever is placed here has ability to offer choice of drawing into the light what has lain dormant and hidden perhaps even from you. This is the opportunity of the Phoenix rising from the ashes reborn. This is the solar month to remove the mask that you have become accustomed to as it burns in the flames of beauty reborn.
Card 12 – December – Sagittarius
Connection and networking through the reaching out of actions fiery striking of the match. Whatever is placed here calls to community and the will-filled action of pausing, taking precise aim and then letting loose of control trusting that these extensions of yourself will take hold. This is the solar month to seek out community, become the catalyst for change and hope and step into your gifts as a bridge of connection.
Your Natal Sun represents the light that you show to the world. It is your place of strength and could be equated to Inspired Mind of action.
Your Natal Moon represents the space of your emotions, feelings and what you desire. This card is the heart-felt energy that is intuitive and sensorially based.
For each solar month and the dynamics that are represented by the Card for that month, your natal Sun and Moon cards will describe how this energy may be used to align Mind and Heart as the gnosis of wisdom and intelligence of the heart are synthesized.
Natal Sun Card – The Top Center Card
Natal Moon Card – The Bottom Center Card
Pay particular attention to the Solar Month Cards that correspond to the astrological signs of your Natal Sun and Moon in your birth chart!
Blessings of a spectacular Solar Year!
Resource for your Reading:
Temple of the Sun
Begin with Capricorn-As Above, So Below:Sun in Capricorn
** You can obtain this information online easily. There are several free sites like:
What you will need:
A solid color cloth to place the 4/Tarot Cards on….
Key O – The Fool
Key 1 – The Magician
Key 7 – The Chariot
Key 8 – Strength
Take a moment to shuffle the 4 cards, holding the intention of opening to your inner strength and courage. Breathe your energy into them and envision that what you need will be shown to you. After shuffling place the cards face down in the pattern below.
My suggestion is to turn each card over, individually, rather than turning all face up at the onset. In having this intention you are scribing what will become an energetic signature of Alchemical Fire and its image as an upward pointed Triangle.
Breathe deeply into what you wish to receive and turn over Card 1…
Card 1- represents the aspiration you have towards stepping into the fullness of who you are. This is the space of intention and idea working together to formulate the plan that will support you as you move towards anchoring and stabilizing the power you hold within.
Card 2 – represents where your intention is most strongly rooted in what holds you grounded and centered. This is the gift of being able to remain fully present and in so doing using this gift as the buoy that holds you aloft despite the turbulence surrounding.
Card 3 – represents what fuels your passion and desire to awaken to what provides the foundation in support of standing in your power. What spurs you on and what stimulates you to move with purpose?
Now, before you turn over the last card, take a moment to think back on the image of the cards with arrows forming a Triangle. This is the Triangle of Transformation and Will to Action that has enlivened by the cards placed and your interpretation. This scribing is the alchemical symbol for the element of Fire which represents our will, action, change and the strength of burning away the dross that holds us inert. Now this transformative Fire will be drawn within the 3-sides of power and wisdom as the fourth card is revealed.
Card 4 – represents the action that you are called to that reflects the plan formulated, the anchored place of standing strong and the gift of passion and purpose as co-creator of the change you wish to effect.
The combined energy of these cards tells the power of your own journey. Wherever The Fool shows up in your spread indicates the potential to begin anew or where the origins of where you are now have evolved. One of the gifts of claiming your power is that of free will and choice. Choice to go back at any given point in time to craft a new plan of action, heart or intention.
To Review the Energy of the Cards:
Key O – The Fool
Key 1 – The Magician
Key 7 – The Chariot
Key 8 – Strength
Another Spread:
I Am Faith Personified!
Our last draw was Key I-The Magician who reminded us that we are the masters of our emotional and intellectual nature. We may either become the conduit that draws its inspiration from a resource that is limitless in its power for change or we can choose to turn away from that power and in the place of discipline allow the magick to rule us.
Tarot Key 0 – The Fool
I am the bridge between completion and new beginnings.
I stand at the precipice of the world, willing,
ready and able to take that leap of faith.
About this Key:
The Tarot Key 0- The Fool is the first of the Major Arcana cards. This key is the zero of creation and the limitless source of all life. The Fool moves forth trusting that all will be as it should and that there is no need to fear stepping into the unknown. The energy is that of ultimate faith and from the vision of this faith all barriers are removed and the Divine flow steps into the potential of its own being.
The trust and faith that is inherent in the Fool can be drawn upon as the challenges and grief in the world crowds in. We are called to remember the power that we have and and free will and choice. When we honor that power we are able to overcome doubts and fear and move forward trusting our experience.
Rider-Waite Symbols:
The image of the Fool is one of an elegant and carefree nature. No worries in the world or concerns for the end goal are markers of this car. The Fool looks out and beyond, rather than down and appears poised and ready to step off what appears to be a cliff. The point of this “cliff” is that we really don’t know how far down the fall would be or iff from the limited perspective we see this may simply be a drop off to a much nearer slope of ground than is imagined.
The Sun is pure and brilliant white with the sky being the traditional sun imagery of yellow. Esoterically the color yellow aligns with either the Earth (yellow fields) or Air (the mental process). This support behind the Fool of the white Sun could be interpreted as the light of the Divine. The light body of purity and illumination. If we use the yellow of mind, the Fool is cloaked in the mental process that evolves once it allows awareness of the Light of self to support all the “next steps” taken.
The white rose is yet another call to the opening of the self, in devotion and purity. The rose, a symbol of love, is offered to what may follow the Fool in the journey of no steps taken in a leap of faith.
The staff slung carelessly over the Fool’s shoulder holds a purse, perhaps filled with coin and everything needed for the journey ahead. Traveling light is the point here and the knowledge that all will be provided for. And, man’s best friend, a playful white dog follows at his heels. Obedience and unconditional trust and love are the keynotes of this four-legged companion.
Practical Application:
Tarot Key O-The Fool resonates with finding courage and acting on the strength of faith. The number “O” is one of cycles, endings and beginnings. It is the limitless source from whence everything emerged. It is the number of the Divine in all of its forms and the possibilities that flow from that place of creation.
In many studies of Tarot you will find the meanings of the Major Arcana cards told using the “The Fool’s Journey” as the starting point that descries the interconnectedness and relationship of one card to the other. This attribution allows us to create our own story of our personal journey of faith and understanding.
The last draw of the Magician required us to step into our mantle of power and the responsibility that comes with that mantle. The Magician reminded us that we are the masters of our emotional and intellectual nature. We may either become the conduit that draws its inspiration from a resource that is limitless in its power for change or we can choose to turn away from that power and in the place of discipline allow the magick to rule us.
The focus now is on how we move through the world and not only where that adventure will take us, but with what attitude we choose to approach, even what appears to be the unsurmountable. How do you walk with grace and trust that any fall from that grace will not be the final steps taken? Take a moment to pause and look behind you to see the brilliance of what provides your support. Take a moment to look down and despite the descent continue to move forward knowing that every beginning has an ending and in every ending there is the power of faith’s new creation.
Next Post:
A Spread of Power
I Will Be The Catalyst!
Last month the draw was Key VII-The Chariot and the need for control in all of our endeavors was paramount to the successful navigation of whatever these future months may bring. This next draw reveals Key I-The Magician, one who bends and shapes energy, time and space to their will and becomes the natural catalyst for transformative change.
Toth Key I – The Magus
Open your mouth
Speak the truth.
Stretch and reach
Beyond what you know.
You stand at the edge
Of what you can become.
Steady now
Steady now.
Open your mouth
Speak Your Truth.
Now, that is real magick
Woven by a true Magician.
The Toth Key I of the Magus is the quintessential Mercurial energy that stirs up creativity, attention and communicates the power of its essence as the magick flows. Mercury is borne aloft , the breath of action and communication pushing front and center; a Being of both force and form and holding the mystery of the word of creation within.
The depiction of the Deity, Mercury on this card speaks to flexibility and an ease of speaking what you believe, and remaining open to the possibilities that provide more information and bring clarity to what you “really” believe to be true. Although, we often consider this style to be one of duality and indecisiveness, it is the exact requirement of productive change and self-awareness.
The Magus is the adept, who has found resolution in the nature of his/her own humanity and has found the path within to the Higher Nature of Divinity that is his/her birthright. Having claimed this space of dual exchange, the magick flows and what is created actively becomes the catalyst for continued work.
The Numerologic Values…
The Toth key of the Magus is attributed to the number one (1). One (1) is the number of the individual,the line of continuum, energy held and gathered back to itself. One is the continuum of having been birthed from the limitless Source of the “O”.
The number One (1) is the first product of what was a void of potential (O/zero). It is the singular point and the individual place of new beginnings and energetic growth. From the place of the One is the straight path from which at any point of that path divergence, split and detour can be taken. I think of one as being the singular “I”. This singular “I” is man/woman in his prime form and depending on the spiritual evolutionary state of that man/woman it is either Higher, Lower or combined Selves. This is the state of awareness of your own ‘beingness’ before embellishment or enhancement, relationship or possession, outward identifiers or things that would define you as something more than the prime nature of yourself. Additionally, because the number “one” is the starting place it is also the energy of action and taking steps towards the product of that action.
The planetary energy of the Sun is attributed to the number One. The Sun is the central and prominent cosmic body of our universe. It is life giver by virtue of its heat and the place of quickening or beginning for much of life on our planet. It is the electromagnetic force that if we venture too close we are blinded by the blinding light and heat that pervades. This is similarly the same principle of our own Divine state of being. In truth we are as bold and enblazened as the Sun itself, but as humans in physical form we fail to realize the brilliance of our inner state.
The goal is one of actualizing the self and ego to shine as brightly as the Sun in human form and draw to itself the boons of all that surrounds.
In looking at the shape and form of the number l, it is not difficult to visualize the concept of a singular point reaching downwards towards extension as the other point of origin reaches upwards towards expansion. Each point of origin blends seamlessly into a single line of continuous movement of return and release that holds within its structure the potential for movement in any direction and creation of something new. The Magus is one who has mastered the gift of synthesis.
In the lower right corner is a Hebrew letter, Bet(h):
The Hebrew letter Beth
……translates to the word House. The house is a place of sanctuary. The house is a place of becoming who you will become through the experiences of what is enacted in that setting. A house is support and protection from outward occurrences and is the place of rest, renewal and healing. Our spiritual house is our manifest vessel. This is the sanctuary we return to at every step and when we prepare this inner house in accord with welcoming our Divine nature the house becomes the transformative Temple.
On the Qabalistic Tree of Life, the letter Beth is placed on the 12th Path of connection between Kether and Binah and gives clue to what the primary function of this coalesced energy will be. Binah as the Great Mother and the cosmic womb becomes the house from which life will be quickened. This house is the sacred home for what has been divinely created.
Read more about the Hermetic Qabalah here:
Geburah’s Might: Part One
Qabalistic Journeys
The Magick of Our Lives…
In these troubling times, bringing balance and alignment to who we are, what we (truly) believe and the resultant actions we chose to engage offers us the ability to wield a magick that affects change and places us as the powerful catalyst for that change!
Resources:
Read more about astrological Gemini here..
Full Disclosure-The Sun in Gemini
Read more about Mercury here:
In Communication: The Temple of Mercury
Companion Post:
Read the Rider-Waite Key I Post
I Will Be The Catalyst!
Last month the draw was Key VII-The Chariot and the need for control in all of our endeavors was paramount to the successful navigation of whatever these future months may bring. This next draw reveals Key I-The Magician, one who bends and shapes energy, time and space to their will and becomes the natural catalyst for transformative change.
Tarot Key 1 – The Magician
I am the master of two worlds
I am the conduit of Divine Inspiration and physical Desire
I have passed through the veil of the Fool
And have emerged transformed.
The perfect synthesis of As Above So Below
I am that which is attained at the end of Desire.
About this Key:
The Tarot Key I- The Magician, represents the perfect union of Divinity and Humanity. He has successfully traversed the leap of faith of the Fool- Key 0- and made the choice of pursuing the Path of Divine Inspiration, open and ready to serve as both conduit and generator. This card speaks to both the virtues and the vices of the mundane and the spiritual.
Without control over one’s lower nature, the Higher Self will never be realized. And, Ego driven spiritual practice will result in short-lived control, anchored neither in the real world or the higher realms of the spiritual. The Magician reminds us to look more closely at what energies you are sending out at an overt or physical level of effort and what messages are being sent more subtly, at the level of mind and Spirit. Perhaps the course of action requires a combining of energies to produce a new outlook or approach that will give issuance to that “magical” blending that is appropriate to making manifest the desired outcome.
The Magician is needed now more than ever. Being able to gain control over our knee-jerk reactions and sending them through the tempering and filtering of highest outcome for all catalyzes our will to action in an appropriate way of response. We become the Magician who has tapped into the mysteries of the collective and directs the flow of informed awakening where it will have the most impact and affect the largest change.
Rider-Waite Symbols:
When looking at the picture on the card we see the adept, poised and centered at the altar of magick. The tools of the four elements- the chalice of water; pentacle of earth;sword of air and wand of fire- are placed on a simple altar in what appears to be a lush and fertile space. Each of the elements are inert without the catalyzing direction and touch of the Magician’s direction and focus. The same elements- earth, air, fire and water are the components of manifest form and matter and in the hand of the Magician, become resonant and aligned with those parts within. Above the head of the Magician is the Lemniscate, the symbol of eternity and timelessness. This is an energy that moves with the expansive gates (opening) of past and future crossing and intersecting at the mid-point of the present. The message here is the continuum of conscious will and intention that is required to stimulate the flow of the celestial down into the manifest realm and be made useable for transformative work.
The right hand of the Magician is head aloft and holding a double pointed wand and the Left hand points downward a single finger extended in acknowledgment and release of the the energetic flow that falls from the great above and seeds the great below. The background of the card is colored Yellow, the color of intellect and mind. In weaving the magick and mastery of its downpour, the mind must be open and fully engaged in creating the blueprint for what will be evoked by will and intention.
Practical Application:
Tarot Key I-The Magician resonates with the control and Spirit of the individual- the singular one (1). The accomplishments are solely the work of the individual exploring and accessing the higher nature of their consciousness, awareness and resultant actions.
We called forth the state of control in last month’s draw of the Chariot. And, although the perception of mastery is inferred in the regal and commanding stance of the Charioteer, true mastery over one’s self is the ultimate state of both control and the birthing of a magic that will stand the test of time and be in accord with the natural cycle of all things.
The Magician reminds us that we are the masters of our emotional and intellectual nature. We may either become the conduit that draws its inspiration from a resource that is limitless in its power for change or we can choose to turn away from that power and in the place of discipline allow the magick to rule us.
Focus this month on where your magick lies and what you can do to bring into balance a stream of consciousness that draws from the highest and feeds the fertile earth below to seed it with new growth and life. Will you call all parts of yourself into working tools that wield the power of understanding how the mind, will, heart and body may become one in unison with what is right action?
Next Post:
Key I-The Magician in the Toth Deck
Where Do I Have Control?
Last month the draw was Key VIII-Strength and that set the tone for what was needed in this coming year. The second draw brings us to Key VII-The Chariot (and, yes, I promise that I did shuffle adequately). All in all this key following that of Strength is a call to learning how to navigate successfully as we stand anchored between polarized forces.
Toth Key VII – The Chariot
Stand strong as the ground
Beneath shifts in the journey.
Stand strong as the four
Guard and guide this journey.
Stand strong as the holiest
Of the Holy’s radiates out.
Stand strong knowing that you
Have control of the outcome.
And the victories that you
Bring into realization
Are no longer bound by
Heaven or Earth.
The Toth Key VII of the Chariot speaks to the mysteries of bringing into the place of glory the lessons learned from the journey taken.
The Chariot, Key Seven, is a call to justifiable victory. Unlike the Rider-Waite image depicting a handsome young man crowned with a celestial diadem, this warrior is fully cloaked in armor, mysterious and hidden and almost robotic in position. His/Her adornment being the crab as the Key is attributed to the astrological sign of Cancer.
There is a sense of collaborative opposition that speaks to the ease of alliance that may be obtained in bestowing the healing and nurturing waters of the place we call home and family (Cancerian) and bringing it to the overt victory of an armored and assertive being. This hints at Mars energy that is comfortable in testing the limits and asserting itself, especially when what it holds near and dear are threatened.
The wheels of the chariot are large and red, a color of action and movement and the canopy is sky-blue and dome like extending up beyond the end of sight. The Chariot rests on what look like wooden slats of flooring, The canopy of sky/heavens above and the strength and foundation of earth below. In comparison, everything about this Key as depicted in this deck is softened and rounded in contrast to the angular lines of R-W. Here, the inference of continuum and movement elevates the image to one of potential, rather than completion.
The Numerologic Values…
The Toth key of the Chariot is attributed to the number seven (7). Seven (7) is the number of opportunity and choice in what path will be taken and what new layers of learning are to be had. Having come from the space of six (6) a double trinity of harmony and balance all of the efforts that were given towards that harmony can be used as guides and markers of what additional learning is to be had moving forward.
The Four Holy Creatures
The Toth Chariot boasts 4 guardians as those who have the potential to pull/guide the Chariot and its master to those intended realms of conquest. The Four Holy Creatures sit at the front, each a representation of a fixed and synthesized state of ascended understanding. Each also representing control of the elements and their nature within us.
The Four Holy Creatures are astrologically aligned with:
Taurus – Fixed Earth – The Winged Bull
Leo – Fixed Fire – The Winged Lion
Scorpio – Fixed Water – The Eagle
Aquarius – Fixed Air – The Winged Man
The winged nature of these beings offering the vision of having risen to the Highest/Divine nature of each.
The Bull – fecundity and strength of the primal nature – ascended to Divine creation and anchored Will.
The Lion – predator and fierce protector of its pride and territory – ascended to claiming what is Divinely your “territory” and standing as king within it.
The Eagle – keen of sight and able to select for its feeding what lay below it and often unnoticed by what is on level with its prey – ascended to rising above and consuming the shadow that lay beneath the wing that soars resplendent in its clarity.
The Man – Divinity encased in corporeal form – ascended to acceptance and individuation of the personality allowing the “perfected” or one of gnosis to emerge.
The Bull and the Lion face outward, almost like bookends for the Eagle and Man, who stare at the seeker, full frontal and lighter in coloring. If we are to rise to the occasion, in full control and fully protected we must rely on the guidance of support that flows from our place of anchor and earthly roots (Bull) and the claiming of our place and kingship as protector of our Divine world (Lion). Then, we are able to align with what looks ahead as we move on our path of victory, seeing out as the heart of keen sight (Eagle) rides the changing currents of air (mind) that hold aloft the perfected man of Divine light and vision.
The Holy Grail that Contains the Sun of Life
What appears as an amethyst colored disc held by the charioteer is intended to be the vision of looking into the Holy Grail. The chalice of life and womb of life blood’s flow and strength of a radiating sun ablaze with vitality, magnetism and renewed energy. Remember the attribution of Cancer, the dynamic of home-nurturing and the sacred feminine (ruled by the Moon), and what better vision as centerpiece for one who holds the mystery of life well-guarded than that of the Holy Grail!
In the lower left corner is a Hebrew letter, Chet(h):
The Hebrew letter Chet translates to the word Fence. It is often our beliefs of limitation that bind us and keep us fenced in, no longer allowing us to move beyond the minimum of what we have collected as our base of experience and knowledge. This is also the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the number 8 being the representation of timelessness and coalescing of past and future into the mid point of the present. Think lemniscate ( a horizontal 8):
This state of timelessness and continuum of movement and cycles that flows through the images of the Chariot Key, numerologically is the outcome of a well used number 7 (the number of the Tarot Key, itself). This is the promise that if we claim control as the Charioteer, bound by the principles of our ascended nature of Divinity (the Four Holy Creatures), holding to the principles of the sacred Grail of life’s blood ad using as our armor of defense all that has protected and shielded us in our journey to this space of mastery and control, we will have as our ally time itself and the ability to draw from our past, informing our future and remaining the one in control of our present.
In these troubling times, self-mastery and determination that
is informed will serve us well. Blessings of Control!
Resources:
Read more about astrological Cancer here..
Read the Rider-Waite Key VII Post
Next Draw: March
Where Do I Have Control?
Last month the draw was Key VIII-Strength and that set the tone for what was needed in this coming year. The second draw brings us to Key VII-The Chariot (and, yes, I promise that I did shuffle adequately). All in all this key following that of Strength is a call to learning how to navigate successfully as we stand anchored between polarized forces.
Tarot Key VII – The Chariot
Let me guide the task at hand
I hold within my center
All that is needed to
Produce what you most
Desire.
About this Key:
The Tarot Key VII- The Chariot – speaks to control and mastery that is hard won and only emerges when you step into your own power. Who and what you exert that mastery upon is guided purely by past experience and being anchored and centered in the space of balance acquired from the synthesis of opposition. The Chariot has come to a stopping point, the victory achieved and the charioteer stands comfortable in his own skin and needing no reins; holds instead, a wand of Higher Will. This Key is the story of your personal journey that has brought you to your current state of mastery of will and action.
Rider-Waite Symbols:
When looking at the picture on the card we see a draping of canopy patterned with six-pointed stars. A reference to the union of “as above, so below” and the fires of refined will that are born from the polarities of expansion and contraction, elevation and submersion.
This Key is abundant in symbology that sets the tone of celestial matters that have been brought into the arena manifest form (the charioteer, himself) and the vehicle-a four-sided cube-that offers the foundation of earth and the master of that realm-man/woman. The sphinxes sitting in front of the chariot are those pillars of polarization that are necessary to remain centered and synthesized so that mastery of Higher Will to action may flow from the tension between the two. They are mirror reflections of one another; each containing a portion of the other’s light or dark; distinct and separate; yet inherently one and the same.
The Hindu symbol on the face of the chariot; the red lingam and the yoni echo the nature of duality as the male and the female are united by the passion of will and action to recreate. The force of the male must have the form of the feminine to incubate a creation that is the higher expression of the other’s singularity.
On the shoulders of the Charioteer are two crescent moons. Looking at their placement and the diadem on his head holding the brilliant starlight the vision of the phases of the moon and the process of new beginnings (and reinvention) that bring the central visage of fullness to stand as master and holder of an equilibrium that must, in its cyclical nature, cull away and release in the waning darkness all that is non-productive towards Higher Will and the ultimate expression of self-control.
Practical Application:
Astrologically, Tarot Key VII-The Chariot has correspondence to the sign of Cancer. Cancer is of the Cardinal (initiating and catalytic) modality and is of the Water (emotion and soul) element. This sign is strongly tied to loyalty and commitment to those considered family and home. The ruling planet of Cancer is the Moon, Herself and in the realm of the Chariot, mastery of self so that the willful intention of our Higher SELF may come forth from the depths of our Soul’s Being is the goal.
We aligned with the strength within and now self-control must be maintained, lest we fall prey to distraction and squandering of our energies. This Key is a reminder of all the challenges that have befallen us on our journey towards self-expression. All of the challenges that have taken us off-course and all of the challenges that have forced us to favor one polarity over the other imbalance and scattered energy.
The Chariot tells us that we are able to remain firmly anchored in the foundational vehicle that carries us forward trusting our innate and intuitive nature to relinquish the tight hold of reins that give the illusion of control. And, in their place we stand under the blessing of the universal laws of the celestial as above, so below; as within, so without the unity of my power in all of the worlds holds dominion.
Focus this month on where your Chariot has taken you and how you have come to master what would unseat you. Do you stand centered by the disparate parts of yourself that have found their balance in the polarized truth they have revealed? How will you use this mastery to refine the road ahead?
Dig Deeper:
To strengthen your resolve, try out the Knot of Time Spread using the Key VIII-Strength.
Next Post:
Key VII-The Chariot in the Toth Deck
The Knot of Time Spread (rcf)
This spread is useful in acquiring information about the fears and courage we have. The image of the Lemniscate is one of infinity and eternity. By weaving through the portals (or open loops of the symbol) and accessing the past and future scheme we can continually
remain in a state of openness and receptivity to the natural cycle of loss, anchor and return to Source. This spread uses the Strength card at the central point of overlap and crossover as a funnel or gateway that must always be passed through to reach the gifts or
challenges of the other side.
Six active cards are used indicating the double triune of harmony that is the necessary balance to every action or reaction. The energy held within cards 3 and 4 is that of the outer most reaches of extension or expansion on either end of time. Cards 5 and 6 are the controlled container of contraction. Cards 1 and 2 are the polar opposites of whatever is held at any given moment within the space of the loops of time, will and action. In this case they are Strength and Weakness.
To begin:
Place the Key of Strength Tarot card in the central position. This is the place of nothing
and everything, openness and anchor of both return and outpour. This is the place of final
mastery or the taming of the “beast” that concerns you.
Card 0 – The Point of Control and Anchor
Card 1 – The Place of Your Greatest Strength. This is the core of who you are and the place of strength
and anchor.
Card 2 – The Place of Your Greatest Weakness. This is the core of your nature and the place of your
weakness.
Card 3 – The Fears You Are Holding On To. These fears keep you from moving forward
Card 4 – Where You Will Find Your Courage.
Card 5 – The Action Required.
Card 6 – The Challenge to be Faced.
Card 7 – The Final Resolution. This is the place of synthesis, when taking into account the informed past-the anticipated future and the present of becoming.
Toth Key XI – Strength/Lust
Lose yourself in loosening the reins of weakness
Use your power to affect change
See the full vision of many paths and many ways of being
Trust in your instincts as….
The Strength Within You Grows
Wait, what? Why are the Strength and Justice Keys reversed in Rider-Waite vs. Toth? These are the numbers:
Rider-Waite: Key VIII – Strength
Toth: Key VIII – Adjustment/Justice
Rider-Waite: Key XI – Justice Rider-Waite
Toth: Key XI – Strength/Lust
The sweet irony of this draw is…
Strength and Justice make wonderful bedfellows. What we lust after is fueled by action, desire and determination. Strength benefits from these attributes when they are in balance – the necessary component to ensure that Justice is exactly that.
In drawing a comparison on this first draw between the Rider-Waite and Toth decks there is immediately an anomaly. The other cards within these decks parallel of one another. But, not so regarding the Strength and Justice cards. It is unclear why Crowley chose to switch these two cards in number and name, but for our purposes this differing assignation offers some interesting thoughts to be used in answering the initial inquiry.
The Numerologic Values…
The Rider-Waite key of Strength is attributed to the number 8 (VIII).
Eight (8) is the number of time, longevity and the ability to take knowledge acquired and give it practical application. Some fairly relevant correspondences for the Strength Key.
In the Toth deck this same card is given the value of 11 (XI). Eleven is considered a master number holding the replication of the singular one as it echoes back to itself. The “one” of self-identification and self-awareness. I consider the number 11 as the opportunity for awareness of the “I” that is human and fully embodied and the “I AM” that knows of its Divinity. And, having that knowledge rises into the space of power and cooperative dialogue with both the mundane and spiritual aspects of “itself”. Another excellent correspondence for a Key that speaks to the strength inherent in control and right action.
Read about the meaning of the individual numbers here..
Toth’s Key of Strength is one of Lust…
The Tarot Key of Strength is named Lust in the Toth deck. Lust, by (modern) definition is used to describe intense or unbridled sexual desire. But, there are other definitions that should be considered…..
Looking at the similar (Rider-Waite) image of Strength on the Toth Key is taking strength one step further.
The feminine is naked and astride the wildness that could easily claim her life. There is strength in the vulnerability displayed. Unlike the Rider-Waite Key that has a connotation of strength being found in quieting the primal using a genteel quality, Lust unabashedly claims its strength through in becoming a part of what is instinctual rising up on the back of what it feels no need to tame, nor is threatened by.
The lion in this Key is multi-headed and loosely resembles an actual Lion. Seven heads, seven different paths, seven different perspectives. The tail a lion headed serpent. The serpent of wisdom, the lion is a beast of courage and fierce protection of what is its own. Strength takes courage and following the wisdom of the strength is one that is fueled by lust for power and control. And, if we wish to hold onto the sexual attribution given Lust, there is no more powerful or potent force than the energy that arises from the act(ion) of sex fueled by Lust.
Symbols…
The reason I chose the Toth Tarot to use in tandem with the more traditional Rider-Waite is the rich and varied symbols that are presented in the images and as part of the Key itself.
In the lower left corner is a Hebrew letter, Teth:
The Toth Keys make use of the Qabalistic discipline, astrology and hermetic symbology in an overt and pictorial way. Teth in english means Serpent and in Qabalistic practice the letter assigned to one of the Paths of the Qabalistic Tree of Life-the Nineteenth-19- the path of the Serpent. This is a path that is one of creativity and necessary destruction. Polarities that are co-dependent on the other in order to cultivate a strength that can survive and surmount any difficulty. The serpent sheds it skin as it outgrows and outwears what no longer serves. This is the transformation needed- the shedding of old beliefs that have we have outgrown- so that strength can give us the courage to speak our truths and live our philosophies.
Read more about the Qabalah here…
Strength Aligns with the astrological sign of Leo
The other symbol on the Tarot Key is that of the astrological sign, Leo. The power of the Sun, the charismatic and magnetic resonance that draws to itself the power of action and the potential for strengthening this light. Leo is a fixed sign of the Zodiac meaning that its energy is one of synthesis and stability. It aligns with the element of Fire and this Fire is one that burns brightly with intention to overcome and reform what holds us fearing our instinctual and more primal self.
Read more about astrological Leo here..
You say Strength, I say Justice…
Here we go back to the beginning and the switch up of the Keys and their numeric assignment that differ. Although this is not a necessary component in comparing the two keys in the differing decks, I found it interesting that looking at the number of the Keys and having two different cards representing that number’s energy just happened to be two principles that are in such support of one another.
Justice and Strength- the courage to stand strong in your beliefs and the strength to take justifiable action towards change. Although, the Key of Justice was not drawn for this first endeavor, it is exactly the underpinning that is needed for these Troubling Times.
Blessings of Strength!
Next Draw: February 1st
78 Keys of Tarot 