Greenwood Week - Day 5 - Stones and the Maiden

Greenwood Tarot, Ryan & Potter 1996

Another card about ancient wisdom. 'The ability to relate to ancient knowledge and pass on the lessons of ancestral memory and ritual,' according to the Greenwood guidebook by Mark Ryan.

On her website, Potter writes, 'Be aware of the patterns of connection linking you and nature around you to the past, present and future. Deep learning. The memory of much that has been revered in the landscape can be retrieved in periods of respectful stillness. Learning from elders.'

Celtic Shamans Pack, Matthews 

Hm, another card about learning from elders. I really need to find what wisdom this is point to.

Does Celtic Shamans Pack help? I've drawn The Maiden. 'The manifestation of young and burgeoning life. She is the lost innocence we all seek, and which is strongly present within us at the time of spring.' I suppose I could do with some of that.

Today's just a Thursday, though, and at the moment, I have no idea how these cards might play out in my day.

I'll report back at the end of the day with an update.

The lady of the house

She's back! 9 of Pentacles from the Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Tarot.

This lady has turned up at least three times since we started our search for a house.

'A message from this card is to make your home a place of peace, comfort and renewal. This card reminds us that our "outer space", the world around us, plays a part in our spiritual progress, too. No matter how modest your home is, it can be all that, for the size and budget of your home are not important. A small cottage can be a warm, soothing environment, while a mansion can seem cold and sterile,' James Ricklef, The Soul's Journey: Finding Spiritual Messages in the Tarot, p. 256. 

Tonight we view a house. Perhaps it will become the place of peace, comfort and renewal Ricklef refers to here. It is up to us to decide if those particular floors, walls and ceilings will be transformed by us into such a refuge.

I will enter the space with clean hands and a clear mind. After all, we have a viewing of a different house scheduled for tomorrow. There will always be houses. And we will find a house.

Reading using directionality and reversals

Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Tarot  

This is the reading I've been exploring in my journal for the last few days. I'd drawn cards of the number 5 two days in a row (not pictured). Five being associated with finding balance, I asked 'What is attempting to find balance in my life right now? What is out of balance? and What is maintaining equilibrium?' I drew Magician Rx, Strength, Star.

So, a weakened Magician is attempting to find balance right now. Personal power is not being used to bring my needs into reality. I am not identifying my true needs. Strength has come forward as what is out of balance right now -- again a card of personal power and taking the bull by the horns (or lion by the jaw). The Star has maintained equilibrium -- hope has not been lost. I have felt all along that there is plenty of time to address my issues. I just haven't done anything about them. (The reason why is seen in 9 of Pentacles later).

To rectify the reversed Magician, I drew Hermit and placed it above Magician. I can identify my true needs and establish balance in my personal power within myself, or with the help of a mentor, or in a spiritual tradition or practice. wondering what the Hermit's lamp was lighting, I drew another card to see what was in his line of sight. Queen of Cups. Her posture echoes that of the Hermit -- both facing to the left, both intent upon the item they are holding, for the Hermit, the lamp of enlightenment, for the Queen it's the world's craziest cup, shaped like the Ark of the Covenant with the seraphim on either side (if the Ark of the Covenant were made of spare pipe and hood ornaments nicked from the cars of pimps in Starsky and Hutch.)  Queen of Cups is Water of Water -- and so was the daily card that prompted this draw (not in the photo), 5 of Cups, another Water of Water card. This imbalance or disturbance is in the realm of emotions and relationships and personal power.

 Looking at the Queen of Cups and Hermit makes one long to know what is in their line of sight -- so I drew another card to see what they are looking at and got 8 of Cups reversed. Another Water of Water card! 8 of Cups is recognition of time to move on; reversed suggests confusion or delay in making that move.

How can I overcome this confusion, find some clarity? I drew a card to rectify the 8 of Cups reversed and got -- King of Swords reversed! Fire of Air, reversed. I am Aquarius, and King of Swords is the card associated with Aquarius. He's sort of my default setting. But here, to overcome my confusion about what needs looking at and changing, I can't do it through King of Swords, but through King of Swords reversed. Usually, I tend to be rational about things but now that is not what is needed. To clarify this, I remembered a technique of identifying reversed court cards by identifying their elemental opposite. If King of Swords is Fire of Air, his opposite would be Air of Fire --Knight of Wands!

Knight of Wands, that maker of 'down and dirty' plans, that explorer and adventurer, that risk taker! Knight of Wands? How the heck do I access Knight of Wands energy when I don't even feel that I remotely have it right now?

I took the card out of the pack and looked at it for a while. I noticed the pyramids in the background. The Knight of Wands is not drawing energy from his surroundings, which are dry and barren. His passion is inside him. So it must be somewhere inside of me, even when there is nothing in my environment or situation to feed it. What is the Knight of Wands charging toward? What is he charging away from?

I put the card back in the pack and shuffled to find out which cards he would end up between. I found the Knight of Wands and laid him out with the cards on either side of him: Chariot, Knight of Wands, 9 of Pentacles.

The Knight of Wands is moving away from 9 of Pentacles (Air of Earth), whose energy and line of sight are directed away from him (though her body posture is still open to his direction). Her attention is definitely elsewhere, focused on her bird (Air) of prey (Earth). As Air of Earth, she contemplates the material/physical realm. Her satisfaction with her status quo is evident. She is complacent, self-congratulatory, self-satisfied. These are not bad things, but the way she spends her leisure time may no longer be balanced -- too long standing still. Too long watching others move (her bird of prey, which she will presumably set loose to watch fly).

How does the Knight of Wands move me from too much physical luxury? What does he move me toward? The Chariot, a Water card, associated with Cancer and the Moon. Okay, so the Water of Water cards led me to draw a variety of Water cards that have laid me a path to -- a Water major! The emotional plane is dominant in this issue. Not the material plane or the logical plane, but the emotional plane, and how to take action with balanced emotions.

'Cancer is the gateway to incarnation, as Capricorn (its opposite) is the gateway to ascension. Cancer's energy guides us to learn the distinctions of our emotional and logical reasoning so we can recognise how they don't always agree' - agent64.com/cancer-the-chariot

Like a Cancerian crab, the Chariot has a hard shell and a soft centre -- appearing tough on the outside but deep down quite sensitive and vulnerable.

The Chariot card is full of this tension between opposing forces: black and white sphinxes, male and female, facing in opposite directions, meant to be pulling the chariot but not hitched to it and lying down (they seem ambivalent), the lingam and yoni on the shield (which to me looks like a top that spins in place but doesn't actually get anywhere), the chariot is a conveyance but is built like a cube of concrete, no reins and no motion in the charioteer who is encased in the concrete cube (he seems ambivalent), chariots are often associated with the sun ('chariots of fire') but this one is decorated with moons and starry night skies and is associated with the moon.

In other words, the Knight of Wands is me progressing, through my own inner drive,  toward a state of balance created by acknowledging that there is always a state of perpetual tension, and harnessing that tension to drive my life forward. I have been looking for balance rather than acknowledging constant tension. In fact, I have turned from acknowledgement of tension, turned from the areas that need attention (Water and Fire) and settled into some complacent wallowing in the material realm. And there I've wallowed for quite some time.

'To be useful, either to herself or any higher purpose, she had to use her ambivalence as a driving force in her life, a force that would power the Chariot' (Rachel Pollack, The Forest of Souls, 75).

Much to ponder. The Chariot and the Knight of Wands are going on my altar.

Some of these techniques were shared by Caitlin Matthews in a session at the UK Tarot Conference, October 2015. A webinar and DVD of line of sight and rectifying reversals, etc,  may be available at some point. Visit her website at Hallowquest.

Other techniques seen herein have been shared by Alison Cross in TABI conferences, by Benebell Wen in her book Holistic Tarot, and many others.

That autumn feeling - 9 of Pentacles - Tarot of the Hidden Realm

Tarot of the Hidden Realm, 2013

Tarot of the Hidden Realm by Barbara Moore and Julia Jeffrey, Llewellyn 2013

I have a new tarot deck for the autumn season, and I'm very eager to get started looking at it! Today is the first draw from Tarot of the Hidden Realm (Moore & Jeffrey 2013). I've got 9 of Pentacles!

Here we see a lovely faerie lady standing amongst rosehips and brambles,  holding a robin on one hand and a blackberry in the other hand.To me, she seems like the perfect embodiment of the bounty and satisfaction of the harvest season. She isn't standing in a fine, cultivated garden in fancy clothes holding a costly bird of prey, as in the traditional RWS. She is closer to the true treasures of the earth, as they come naturally, without intervention on our part.

Rosehips, brambles and robins are all very commonly seen growing wild in the UK, in what is known as the 'hedgerows' (pretty much the only 'wild' places left on this crowded island, to be honest). As such they are often overlooked and undervalued by those who are not consciously tuning in to earth's bounty.

As Star Child Herbs points in in the link above, rosehips are a bit of 'doormat plant', but they are packed with goodness, and really are little treasures. From a magical point of view, the rosehip belongs to Jupiter and is associated with health, wealth, prosperity, fertility, and prevention of nightmares.

Bramble is featured in the Druid Plant Oracle (Carr-Gomm and Worthington, 2007), and the companion book describes bramble as 'the perfect symbol for tenacity and rootedness...holding your ground and protecting all that you hold dear' (21-22).

The above link about the robin proclaims it a 'year round bird whose presence is cheering and comforting.' The website universeofsymbolism.com has this to say about the robin: '[The] special totem energy for the robin is abundance...a gentle reminder to us that one does not need money to enjoy the abundant beauty Mother Nature has bestowed upon us.'

So despite the fact that the Tarot of the Hidden Realm companion book says that the figure in the card has donned her finest gown and jewels and is standing in her private garden preparing for the year's harvest revels, I see it differently. (I'm sure the faeries do, too--what is 'bounteous' and 'personal property' to us must surely mean different things to them!)

I'm certainly starting to get that 'autumn' feeling. It's that time of year!

Rita Hayworth and the Cosmic Redemption

Hey, it's Rita Hayworth! I mean, 9 of Pentacles from the Cosmic Tarot. Everyone is familiar with the interpretation of 9 of Pentacles, enjoying the good life. I know it's my favourite card in several of my decks -- and my very favourite of them all is the 9 of Pentacles from the Morgan Greer Tarot. But this one is really nice, too. Our lovely lady is enjoying all the pleasures of success -- she's young, she's beautiful, she's got great hair, she has a mansion, a fleet of expensive cars, a lovely rose garden right outside her window, and a table laden with the luscious fruits and wine that traditionally symbolize wealth. She's got it all, and has nothing to do but enjoy it (for the moment anyway).

That's great, but there are other ways of looking at the 9 of Pentacles. In the Golden Dawn tradition, it is 'Lord of Gain,' and so all those wonderful meanings of success are there, but it might surprise you to find that the astrological association is Venus in Virgo, and what that implies. Have you ever wondered why the card symbolizing reveling in success depicts a lone woman?

'Venus influences the way we relate to one another, what we find beautiful and what brings more sweetness and light into our lives. When Venus takes residence in earthy Virgo -- the sign ruling work, health and daily routine -- we feel more related to such practical matters. It is an excellent time to fall in love with the simplicity of your daily regimen. We may crave time alone to tend to such things as catching up on our sleep, vitamin taking and attention to details. Work feels more satisfying if we apply ourselves wholeheartedly now. In relationships, honouring each other's need to take space and focus on perfecting our craft is immensely healing now. Virgo emphasizes the process and every beautiful detail involved in acts of refinement. Instead of smothering other people with demands for attention, allow and encourage others to take time for solitude and reflection.' ~ Sherene Schostack 

So that's why there's a lovely lady on her own in the 9 of Pentacles. Because she's representing Venus in Virgo. Cool.

And what can I do today to bring pleasure to myself and also impact positively on my future? The 9 of Pentacles encourages me to bring projects to conclusion (number + suit) and that I will be happiest doing so in a quiet environment on my own (astrological association). I should look for opportunities to resolve issues and then remember to reflect on and enjoy the results of my efforts.

Time to grow

Today will be less frantic, as my calendar is much clearer than yesterday's. I have only two meetings, then the rest of day I will be allowed to get on with reading my induction documents and sitting amongst members of my business unit, near my assigned buddy. I intend to make a study of the documents and create a list of questions for my manager, who will be away in another city on business for the whole of the afternoon. Fingers crossed that I will be left in peace to try to make sense of my role and work load.

The 9 of Pentacles from the Druidcraft Tarot is the card of the day. I love the lady in her pure white dress, with her bird of prey. She stands in a garden that is just enjoying the first flush of spring, which is unusual, as the 9 of Pentacles card often depicts lush harvest and the meaning is usually along the lines of reveling in one's accomplishments or the secure position of one's material life. 'Generally this card indicates a productive, active and settled life, which is self-assured and spiritually aware,' says the Druidcraft companion book. That's nice, particularly coupled with the early signs of life on the card, which I can't help of course but to relate to my new job. The card does seem to be pointing toward time and space to actually explore the early details of my role, and begin to see the buds of understanding come to life, which eventually will take shape in material reality. 'You may now have the opportunity to pursue solitary interests or paths you have previously be unable to explore' takes on an immediate meaning -- yesterday I was booked solid from 8.30 -5.00 with no time allowed for me to examine my materials or do any reflective thinking. Altogether, I'm unimpressed with the induction program that has been created for me, but there's nothing I can do about it but make the best of it. It will be nice to have the entire afternoon to myself to plow through and make sense of all these notes I was given yesterday and told to read!

Look around and love what you see

Morgan Greer Tarot

When I first started buying tarot decks, I used to frequent a few online tarot communities where I picked up various ideas about the 'right' way to do things...and one of those things was to get rid of the box a deck comes in and get or make a bag for the deck. Ideally with a silk lining, or at least have the deck wrapped in silk before you put it in the bag. Consequently, most of my earliest acquisitions are lacking a box. I stopped buying tarot bags after the first 10 or so, and now they all stay in the box they came in...but this was the third deck I ever bought, so -- no box. Pity. (I didn't save the boxes. I don't have storage space for both decks and their boxes, separated. The point of throwing out the box was to save space...)

This week I'm using one of my old work horse decks, Morgan Greer Tarot, by William Greer and Lloyd Morgan (US Games 1979). I love this deck. It was one of the first 'borderless' decks, and is famous for its close-up variations on RWS images, groovy colours and very 70s-looking characters. (The deck contains my favourite Queen of Swords of all time.)

Today's card, 9 of Coins, is the only purple card in the deck, and in fact is my favourite 9 of Coins of all my tarot decks. I broke it down pretty well in a previous entry: Tarot Blog Hop-- Lammas. I do love the messages of this card, the sumptuous luxury of our daily life, enjoying what we have, allowing ourselves to recognize abundance in our lives. However modest the details of our lives may appear to the outside world, it can still be a robe of purple and a golden bowl of fruit to us. Indulge yourself in the joy of loving your life today. I think I will do that!

The saddest cow in the history of cows

Book of Shadows, LoS 2012 

Wouldn't you know I would draw this card on the last day of our week with Book of Shadows Vol 1 by Barbara Moore. It's got to be my least favourite card and 'almost' a deal breaker for me.

The Earth suit of this deck is meant to embody the magic and wonders of the earthly realm, and the 9 of Earth is supposed to represent land animals. I cannot for the life of me figure out why 1) the deck creator chose domesticated animals to represent all land animals, 2) only cows and sheep stand in for domesticated animals, 3) the whole card is dominated by one huge cow, 4) this  cow has such a weird expression on her face; and 5) what the heck those gnomes are doing. But then to be honest, I don't even want to figure it out. I am so put off by this card that I don't even care what it means.

 But for the sake of continuity, let's have a go. Okay, 9 of Earth is the 9 of Pentacles. The 9 of Pentacles is a card that represents security on the physical, material level. The LWB says, 'The wisest thing to do is nothing but savour the moment and all its sensual pleasures.' Right, let me get this straight. A cow with a completely gormless expression on its face, standing in an empty field chewing its cud, watched at close range by a gaggle of crouching gnomes, is supposed to make me think of 'the moment and all its sensual pleasures.' Sorry. So not working for me. If I turned this card over, my first thought would be, 'Oy, wake up! Stop standing there in a stupor like some stupid cow!'

However, the savouring of sensual pleasures I am happy to indulge in. It's Friday, and tomorrow is my actual Saturday off! (I only get two a month). So bring on the choccies and the movies, time to settle in with the Hubby for some quality cuddles.

Have a great weekend, everyone. :D

Posh Pumpkin

West, US Games 2008

Friday with the Halloween Tarot by Kipling West

I'm so glad to see this card today. It's one of my favourites, as it is about abundance, security and  contentment. It looks to me like Our Lady of the Nine Pumpkins bought out Mr Turnip Head from yesterday's  Four of Pumpkins, chopped down that silly little tree that was blocking the view of her stately home, and is now reveling in her rich harvest of...Pumpkins. Well, this is Halloween Land, where they set great store by such things.

She is very much like the lady from the RWS 9 of Pentacles. She's got 9 pumpkins in her patch. Her robes are a striking combination of orange (of course) and that colour of royalty and riches, purple. I like her 30s-style bobbed hair and hat, and the red gloves and feather. Her kestrel is an owl. I notice some autumn leaves nestled among the pumpkins. And of course that black cat is there, as always!

I fervently hope that this card indicates a DELIVERY will arrive for me today, my long-awaited John Matthews & Will Worthington Camelot Tarot. Fingers crossed!