Monthly Archives: March 2011

Message in a Bottle 13

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This weeks cards are the Six of Swords, the Eight of Pentacles and the Three of Wands.

The message in the bottle reads
“Practice Your Art – Shine your Light”
Six of Swords, Eight of Pentacles, Three of Wands

The Six of Swords is on unfriendly terms elementally with the Eight of Pentacles. The Eight of Pentacles is neutral to the Three of Wands. This makes the Three of Wands the strongest card in the set.

As I look at the Six of Swords today, he doesn’t feel quite so relaxed as he does sometimes. It feels like he has his head up looking at the trees in the distance and that he’s paddling quite fast. I look at the huddled figures in the boat and they seem rather cold. I find myself wondering whether he has blisters on his hands.

Mercury in Aquarius (the astrological counterpart to this card) can be slightly anxious and wired). It feels electric.

I have a new pair of boots and I find that these are gathering static, giving me little electric shocks as I walk around the office. Perhaps it is the ‘unfriendliness’ of the Earthy Eight of Pentacles sitting beside the swords that is prompting me to remember this. The combination is producing static and interference. I feel like the man in the boat is irritated by the wind. He is trying to protect his family by getting to the shore as fast as possible but their distress hampers him. There’s a sense that he has bundled them into the boat insisting that this is a great idea and he’s trying not to notice that they aren’t very happy.

I think the problem is that he is focusing on the goal too much. The tree tops continue to leap out at me. He wants to get there, build a nest, settle in and to know he has achieved what he wanted to achieve. Aquarius in astrology rules the 11th house of friends, group work and goals. Normally the skills we have learned in our career, the success we have achieved in the 10th house of the astrological chart then moves to the 11th house where we distribute what we have learned. Instead of working for ourselves we begin to work for the community.

But I don’t think the boatman has done this. He’s aiming straight for the top
without doing the ground work and this is causing distress.

The Eight of Pentacles as the centre card reminds us that it is important to learn to do the job well. With the Sun in Virgo, this young man willingly gives of himself. There are no airs and graces, no delusions of grandeur. The Eight of Pentacles shows that it is only by hard work, dedication and practice that we can achieve competency and eventually skill. The pentacle on the floor may be flawed but it has not distracted him. He has recognised his mistake and now works hard to correct it and perfect his art. Unlike my feeling of the boatman, this young man has his eyes fixed firmly on the task at hand. Nothing distracts him. He is in the moment and devoting all his concentration to his work. The message from the Eight is practice makes perfect.

It reminds me of playing the guitar and learning new songs. With a lot of fire in my chart I tend to want to be able to do things straight away! I can become irritated with my fingers not moving quickly enough or accurately enough. But I know that repeated practice will fix the problem however dull it may seem.

Malcolm Gladwell postulated in his book ‘Outliers’ that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something. So for example if you practice something for 3 hours a day it would take around 9 years to become an ‘expert’. This is the kind of detail the Eight of Pentacles is interested in. Whilst the Six of Swords just wants to get there (wherever ‘there’ is), the Eight has a very clear idea of what it will take to get there. Much like the calluses on my guitar fingers, the apprentice in the card has taught his hands to do the work they need to do. He has worked through the soreness and mistakes to create the perfect piece over and over again.

With this solid growth behind him, the Eight can move on to the Three of Wands. We see the character in this card from behind as he stares out across a wide river into the distance. We wonder if he is waiting for his ship to come in. A mountain range gently peeks across the horizon. There is an expansive feel to the card which suggests to me the openness of the man in the picture. He is open to what may happen on the journey and the journey itself is something to desire. Unlike the Six of Swords, it’s not all about the end result. The Mountains are so far away that it may take many years to reach them but this character seems courageous enough and inspired enough to cross the river into the lands beyond. He is supported by all that he has learned so far (symbolised by the wands) and willing to branch out.

The three wands behind him are strong and in bud symbolising he is embarking on a journey of growth. Three’s also tend to suggest being open to the ideas of others and being willing to share and develop ones own ideas in a supportive environment. Three is a number of creativity – when two people come together and create a child, they become three. This card relates to the creative spark, the urge to spread your seed, vision, the ability to look ahead. Astrologically this card is the Sun in Aries so we have two cards representing the Sun in this spread.

The Sun is about our life purpose. In an astrological chart it’s position shows where we ‘shine’. The Sun is exalted in Aries which means that it works extremely well in this position. The sense of purpose of the Sun filtered through the courageous, go getting, pioneering energy of Aries can be very powerful.

These three cards together seem to be reminding us to be willing to put the work in, in order to reach our goals. Sometimes there is no substitute for hard work. Whilst it is important to be aware of our final goal, it is our actions in the present that will carry us there. Sometimes being overly fixed on an exact vision can hamper growth. We need to be humble and realistic of the skills we have now and what we need to develop and master. By focusing on the now and not just on the future, it is possible that our final goal may shift into something better than we ever dreamed of initially.

Each of us has a purpose and we have an obligation to ourselves to fulfil our
potential. By mastering our skills, the world is opened up to us. We don’t know until we try, how far we can go and how much we can grow.

Note – My reading of the Six of Swords in this spread is based on intuitive impressions. For a more traditional exploration of the card check back to Message in a Bottle 7.

Message in a Bottle 12

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This week’s cards are The Four of Wands, the Four of Swords and the Ten of Pentacles.

The message in the bottle reads:-
“Be in the moment”
Four of Wands, Four of Swords, Ten of Pentacles

After last week’s major card reading, this week is balanced by a rather less dramatic minor card readings. The Four of Wands is the strongest card in the reading as it is elementally on friendly terms with the Four of Swords. The Four of Swords however is on unfriendly terms with the Ten of Pentacles, leaving the latter the weakest card in the reading.

What is noticeable straight away is the presence of two 4′s in the readings. Whenever a reader lays out the cards, it is important to take note of repeated numbers as these have special significance. Sometimes a number will be repeated through the Minor Arcana as we have here. At other times they may show up with Major Arcana cards. For example, the constellation of 4 in the tarot connects to The Emperor and Death as well as the four 4′s in the suits.

Four is a number often used to denote a sense of stability and protection. We talk about being ‘within these four walls’. Four also represents the four elements which are the building blocks of life (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) and the Four Seasons.

Yet Four can also be stifling, suffocating and stagnant. Think of the Four of Cups and the Four of Pentacles. Both show a need for change yet neither are moving towards that change.

In this reading there seems to be a weight on the idea of stability through the reoccurance of the number 4 and the final Ten of Pentacles.

The Four of Wands often comes out to show a celebration, typically a birthday or a wedding. It can also simply represent ‘Spring’ when timing is requested. The card itself shows four wands struck into the ground which are adorned with flowers and ribbons. They form a gateway into the card. In the distance we see a happy couple waving festive wreaths. Nearby, people are gathered together talking or perhaps dancing. In the background is a huge castle. There is a sense that everyone is protected by the King and there is much to celebrate.

It’s funny, as I look at the Four of Wands today, it feels as though the couple in the card are happily waving goodbye – as if I have been at their wedding party. I’ve had a good time, people are still having fun but I’m leaving early because I have work tomorrow and I need to sleep (Four of Swords). Perhaps I am overly concerned about my health or perhaps I am anticipating a long and healthy life with plenty of time to enjoy other things when I’m older…

The Ten of Pentacles represents security. It is a culmination of a lifetime’s work, achievement, reaching the top, stability and tradition.

In the card we see an elderly man with two adoring dogs at his feet. He wears a highly adorned cloak and fruit sits on the table behind him. The fruits of his labours have paid off. This home (his castle) is strong, fortified and opulent.

The memories of his journey and his triumphs are rendered into paintings on the walls. In the grand archway entrance stands a middle aged couple. A young child cheekily reaches to pull a dogs tail. All are overarched and therefore protected by the bounty of a lifetime’s work.

The cheeky child perhaps represents the mistakes we all make when we are young. The older generation can pass down everything they have learned as well as the financial stability/inheritance in order to secure a fruitful future for the child. This card is represented by Mercury in Virgo astrologically and therefore says something about communicating our life skills.

What stands out to me however is that the middle aged couple in the Ten of Pentacles seem like they are an older version of the happy wedding couple seen in the Four of Wands. Perhaps there is something here about valuing our health (Four of Swords) as much as we value our material achievements. Possibly it is about holding a more humble mindset to what we consider to be financial success (Ten of Pentacles/Mercury in Virgo).

But with the Ten of Pentacles being the least well placed card in the reading, I am drawn back to the Four of Wands, back to the feeling of leaving the party early in order to be ready for work the following day. In one way of course this is sensible but there is a strong suggestion that I may be deferring happiness for a future that may not come.

In old age, it is doubtful that we will recall the daily grind. The stories we will tell and the memories we will treasure are those which were full of celebration and joy: moments when we kicked back and relaxed with friends and family. Whilst it is wonderful to have an inheritance to pass down, the greatest gift we will give to our loved ones is our presence in their lives. Perhaps one of the greatest life skills we can offer is the knowledge of how to simply be in the now and enjoy the moment. The party is only just beginning!

Message in a Bottle 11

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This week’s cards are The Tower, The Star and The Devil.

The message in the bottle reads:-
“A test of faith”
The Tower, The Star, The Devil

Eek! That was my first thought when I laid down these cards. Three major, MAJOR Arcana cards. I actually walked away and went into the other room for a few minutes to try to collect my thoughts.

“Come on universe…what do you want me to say about this?” I murmured.

I doubt anyone has not seen the news about Japan. I just watched the reports, the shocking satellite before and after shots. I watched with tears in my eyes as an elderly woman talked about her daughter being washed away. She was still praying she’d be found alive.

The Tower has been vividly in the human psyche in the last few days. We have witnessed cataclysmic destruction, seen the powerful hydrogen explosions in the power plant towers. I wonder if anyone else is wondering why on earth humans decided to build a nuclear plant in an area known for serious earthquakes but I digress…

What always comes to mind when I see events like this is the video footage of a man who lived through the tsunami in Indonesia in 2004. He was sat in the middle of a road, keening with grief saying,

“I have lost everyone and everything.”

Every person in his family, every friend had died. Even now it makes my heart twist to have witnessed such grief. I often wonder what happened to him.

The Tower corresponds to Mars although I have to admit to always connecting it to Uranus – a bolt from the blue, absolute awakening, shocking change. The combination of the two planets is interesting given that the Earthquake happened as Uranus moved into Aries (ruled by Mars). Mars however has his place here in his aspect as warrior. During a Tower experience our courage is tested to the maximum. We either stand or fall, and sometimes we have no choice as to which it will be.

What matters is the aftermath and how we respond. The Star represents renewal of faith. Perhaps on a global level in the current circumstances she relates to how we must pull together as a group – as one human to another.

In a reading, ruled by Aquarius, it is almost as if she returns us to our humanity, reminds us that we are part of the whole. Water from the jug in her left hand pours onto the land, some of it trickles back into the pool. There is a sense of cycles with this card, a feeling that everything returns to the source. The main character is naked showing how the Tower has stripped us of everything that was inessential leaving us with only what we truly need. She balances with one foot in water and one on land showing she is connected to her spirituality as well as her material life. The eight pointed eight stars connect to strength (as does the overall number of the card (1 + 7 = 8). Eight is also the number of heaven and earth “as above, so below”. Often with the star comes acceptance, a sense of meaning, the dawning of a new era.

But then in this spread comes the Devil.

“You’re out of place” I want to shout at him but he just smirks.

It doesn’t matter to him that the numbers don’t fall into line…16…17…15 -
that’s what he does – he likes to surprise. Life doesn’t always follow the path we expect it to. He raises his ugly head when we least expect him, and especially when we ignore him.

Studying the card you can see that the two people at his feet seem oddly content. Sometimes it is easier to be chained to the fears we know. The human character’s heads are at genital height to the Devil indicating that are being driven from base instincts. Most often the Devil drives us with fight or flight. The Devil can represent madness, lust, greed, revenge, hate – dark emotions that twist and feed upon themselves.

Here though I keep looking to his raised right hand. It reminds me of an old
children’s television program called ‘How’ that used to be on in the 70′s. I keep hearing the theme music it as I write this. The Devil seems to be asking

“How do you keep your faith when everything around you is chaos”?
How can you control your fear?
How can you trust?”.

 [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4afjWwb5vQ?rel=0&w=425&h=349]

Whether it is faith in yourself and/or faith in a higher power, there are moments in life when our faith and trust leaves us. I have been through the dark night of the soul. I have been beyond despair. I remember the moment when I knew I had lost my faith and the moment it came back.

When I lost my faith I found myself suddenly in a very quiet world where the universe no longer seemed to speak to me, spirits no longer whispered in my ear. Instead everything was replaced by a screaming rage, keening grief that ripped my soul apart.

It was only when I realised one day that I was screaming in my head at some force I definitely, absolutely, utterly no longer believed in that I realised how ridiculous that was. I realised that I was screaming at something because I knew it was still there and I was so angry with it I didn’t WANT it to speak to me. I DARED it to just damn well try!

So in that moment I realised that my faith and the universe had never left me, I had simply turned my back on it. I clawed my way back from the darkness. But it’s like they say – once the Devil knows your name, he can call you day or night.

Why?

Because we must know the dark in order to understand the light. Without darkness there is no light. The Devil is ruled by Capricorn who is in turn ruled by Saturn in astrology. The Devil is a teacher in disguise. Our fears test us, stretch us, push us to overcome, to try, to keep trying, to get up.

Life can sometimes smash us to pieces – metaphorically and physically. Terrible things can and do happen. Sometimes our faith is tested to breaking point. Sometimes all we can do is surrender to the process, know that we did all we could with the information we had at the time. There are times when we must know the depth of our darkness in order to see the brilliance of our light.

I will leave you with the last three lines of The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer which bubble up from my subconscious as I bring this post to a close.

“I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.”

Message in a Bottle 10

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This week’s cards are Justice, the Two of Cups and the Ace of Cups.

The message in the bottle reads:-
“Let go and let flow. ”
Justice, Two of Cups, Ace of Cups

One of the most fascinating things about using the Tarot regularly is how cards shift their meaning depending on the message. Sometimes it can be neighbouring cards that influence what we see, other times it is just a deep ‘knowing’. Practising with your cards on a regular basis is like getting to know someone – the transformation from stranger to lover. When we build a friendship, it is based on trust; trusting that we can open up enough to allow the other person to see all sides of us. This is like the Tarot cards. Over time they too let you see different sides of them. Each card may well have a main meaning but it also has hidden aspects to its character that unfold over time. Justice is of course about Truth, balancing the scales, fairness and being able to make a decision ruled by logic. Astrologically this card relates to the sign Libra. With the Two and Ace of Cups following, this reading speaks strongly about relationships.

As I glance at the Justice card, I am suddenly incredibly aware of the sword and the scales in her hands. They feel so heavy. In a relationship perhaps she’s the one who always feels like she must compromise in order to maintain the status quo. I look at the beautiful couple in the Two of Cups. They each hold a cup representing what they have to give. Each has a hand free to be able to take the other’s cup. The picture capture the moment of exchange. How can the woman in the Justice card accept anything in return for what she does if she doesn’t have a hand free?

It is important to remain independent in a relationship, but sometimes, if we hold on to it too tightly, it becomes hard for the other person to give anything. Essentially we stop letting them in for fear that the balance of power will fall out of our favour. The caduceus in the Two of Cups suggests that in a good relationship where there is equal give and take, true healing can take place. Love and healing are the same energy. Venus in Cancer (the astrological correspondence to the Two of Cups) shows the gentle love we experience towards our significant other, the fierce desire to protect, the sense of homecoming as we walk into our lover’s arms.

As I look into the Ace of Cups I am struck by the movement of water. It reminds me that water always finds it’s own equilibrium whether it be a vast ocean or a dribble of water from the kitchen sink. Water will lend itself to it’s container shape. The droplets in the card may be moving up or down. Is rain falling or is this card showing the process of evaporation? Water never disappears, it simply transforms from steam to rain to a river to ice. The waters of the Ace of Cups remind me that sometimes you must let go and let flow, trust the process of transformation that love will inevitably bring.

And that’s how we know it’s true love – when we trust enough to put down the tools we usually carry to defend ourselves, when we put our heart in another’s hands, when we return to deep instinct, when we allow love to contain us and hold us.

I look back to the figure of Justice holding the scales that seem so heavy and compare it to the cup balanced in the angelic hand in the Ace of Cups. The dove reminds me that love is as light as a feather.

If love is weighing you down, look to what you are carrying, not to what the other person needs to let go of. What do you have to offer from the well of your soul? Is your hand open to receiving love?

Message in a Bottle 9

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This weeks cards are the Knight of Pentacles, The Tower and the Six of Pentacles.

The Message in the bottle reads:-
“Repay kindness with kindness”
Knight of Pentacles, Tower, Six of Pentacles

The moment I laid these cards down, I recognised a story from my own life.
Today, a loan I took out five years ago will be repaid. The loan was granted at a time when I needed it, for good reason and I have never defaulted on a payment. But it has been one long, hard slog to reach the end of the road! The loan was given to me when I was experiencing the worst chapter of my life, a catastrophic breakdown and all hell breaking loose. In some strange way, the repayment feels like a closure on that chapter. Finally I am lifted from the obligation. In some way I feel like the scales have finally been rebalanced.

The Knight of Pentacles relates to Virgo which presides over the 6th house in astrology. His black horse looks strong and alert, eager to get the job done.
The large ploughed field in the distance shows that this knight is a hard-working man. In his left hand he holds the reins of the horse showing that he is firmly and intuitively in control of the situation. His upraised right hand supports a pentacle, symbol of financial security and achievement in front of him. The knight knows the value of hard work.

Virgo rules over the day-to-day obligations of everyday life, the routines we create in order to get things done. Virgo understands that an act of service is an act of giving. The knight is humble in his approach yet clear of where he is going. The yellow sky could represent the gold of late evening or the brightness of early dawn. He is willing and able to put in the hours to complete a task.

When he appears in a reading I hear him whisper ‘just keep going!’. He is dogged and seemingly tireless and when he is tired he will push through to make sure others are provided for, the bills are paid and the harvest gathered. He reminds us that the hard work has a purpose.

The Tower is interesting as a central card. Whenever a Major Arcana card shows up in a reading it ‘trumps’ the others. Often it suggests that there is a higher pattern at work. The Tower tends to appear when the universe intervenes on your behalf. The shock associated with the card often comes from simply not being able to see it coming. At other times we fight to stop whatever we can see coming but the universe won’t let us side step our spiritual growth.

Often the Tower falls because it was built on shaky ground. The ‘crown’ of the Tower shows us that it doesn’t matter what our station in life is, disasters can happen, life changes and sometimes when we least expect it. The Tower is not always ‘bad’. It can often bring things to a head, stimulate a crisis point that must happen for everything to move forward. Remember that the Tower follows the Devil (facing one’s fears) and is followed by the Star (the dawning of hope). It is through the Tower that we break out of hell.

The TowerOne of my favourite Tarot cards is the Tower in the Hallowquest pack by John and Caitlin Matthews. As you can see, it shows the physical Tower being destroyed by
lightening yet the spiritual tower is energised by the strike. Sometimes our lives must be torn apart in order rebuild and restructure. Pluto eliminates that which is no longer needed. Mars as a battle trained warrior defends what is worth defending and lets the rest go.

It is as though the Knight of Pentacles knows he must work through the crisis ahead
but he is well prepared, even eager for the challenge.

What captures my attention is that in the first card the Knight carries a single coin. In the last card however, he has become a wealthy man who is now in a position to help others.

The Six of Pentacles often comes up in a reading to show a gift coming to the
Querant. It can be anything from a gift from a friend to an unexpected cheque, or a lottery windfall.

In the context of this reading however, it is about the sharing of resources. Ruled by Moon in Taurus, emotional contentment is found in sharing the fruits of one’s labours. The wealthy character holds the scales in his left hand showing that he is aware that he is equal to everyone else and there must a fair distribution of resources. Debts of all kinds must be repaid whether financial or karmic. The fact that he faces the Tower (as does the Knight of Pentacles) shows that he has not forgotten the trials he experienced, nor the suffering he endured to get to where he is today. Knowing the twists and turns of life has made him compassionate towards others.

These three cards show that by being open and willing to work at life and deal with its challenges, we have more to offer others as well as ourselves. We have all experienced crisis point, fumbled through the darkness and come out the other side. Our story may one day help another. We must repay kindness with kindness.

“Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles, and kindnesses, and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort”
~
Humphrey Davy

PS – Well, I wrote this post above at around 9pm Monday evening. The funny thing is that the Tower kept catching my eye. I knew on a personal level it can mean crisis but the reference to money didn’t add up in my head.

This morning, shortly before I had scheduled this post to publish on my blog, I checked my bank balance – something I never do on a weekday. Partly it was to see that final loan payment leaving my account, partly a tarot niggle. Well – the SHOCK was I had forgotten a quarterly bill was due out today as well as that last loan payment! With Virgo on my 2nd house I am extremely conscientious when it comes to money so this is completely out of character for me! Worse still was that the bill left my account in the red, three days before any money was due to hit my account.

As chance would have it, a friend heard my shocked exclamations (!) and immediately lent me the money to pay into my account so that I wouldn’t incur any bank charges – how’s that for a Six of Pentacles resolution!

This is what I love about the Tarot. Despite asking for a reading for my site that I hope would mean something to my readers, my cards and the Universe collaborated to give me a message as well. My immediate associations to my own loan situation and the central Tower showed the situation was imminent. The Six of Pentacles was there to show me that the money would come to me and I was in receipt of kindness from another :-)