A "dumb reading"* -- say what you see

CBD Tarot 

'How can I motivate myself to do a particular thing that I ought to do?'

Your desires and your actions are not cooperating. At some point they seem to have been moving together in the same direction, but both of them are now looking over their shoulder. At what? The direction from which they've come. The crossed wands show that earlier in the journey, they cooperated, worked together. But now, they are at an impasse. (A cross could be an alliance, or it could be an "X" as in "stop"). They're stalled out. If they were to turn their heads and look in the direction of travel, what would they see? 

They would see a man in a chariot. His gaze and the gaze of his two strange blue horses are toward the forward motion of the path. (The way the bodies, though not the faces, of King of Cups and Knight of Wands are facing). The chariot faces us, the viewer, but we see a wheel on the left and the horses' heads and the charioteer's gaze are to the left, so it looks to me like this chariot is being turned to the left, heading down the path, 'back on track'. The charioteer's left hand is coming up, elbow raised. I can just see him complete the motion to point his horses toward his right. The two horses that were pulling in opposite directions will come in line -- it's already beginning to happen, as their heads are both moving in the same direction. The King of Cups and Knight of Wands will hear the commotion, turn their heads, and follow his lead. 

The Chariot will surely be able to mow down obstacles in the way, and progress can be made, as long as the King and Knight follow in the path he clears. 

Will you allow yourself to take agency as the Chariot, or will you stay stalled out as the King of Cups?

(Notice my recent stalker cards of Knight of Wands and Chariot. Not surprising, as I keep reading about the same theme, using different decks on different days. And they say tarot is random. LOL)

*"Dumb reading" is a term of Enrique Enriquez - Eschew symbolism and esoteric knowledge in favour of looking at what's happening in the cards. 

The King of Cups - Fountain Tarot

Fountain Tarot, 2014

My card of the day is the King of Cups from the Fountain Tarot by Jonathan Saiz, Jason Gruhl and Andi Todaro.

This card depicts a man in a business suit, ankle across knee, a cup balanced on his knee. His hands are folded across his lap, and he smiles and looks to his left, as though another person were there with whom he is enjoying a conversation. He seems very personable. His bald head and glasses give him an elder, fatherly air. He seems to be a very powerful man, but one who is approachable. He is giving his full attention to the person he's speaking to; he is one whose 'open door policy' is genuine. His fine suit and casual posture, show us that he is confident, self-assured, diplomatic, and emotionally available. His demeanor is welcoming, but his body posture shows that he also knows how to engage in psychological self defense -- the crossed legs, the folded hands. He's open, but he's the one who is in control of the conversation. He's more of an empathetic listener than a sharer, just as he should be in his capacity as a professional man.

Traditionally, the King of Cups is seen as the father figure of the court cards. He is a loving and gentle male presence in the lives of his children and family.

Surprisingly, in its reversed position, the King of Cups can be reactive and veangeful, rather than, as one might expect, being depressed or self-condemning. This is explained by using a traditional way of determining the reversed meaning of  court cards, which is to look at their opposite elemental dignities -- The King of Cups is Fire of Water the opposite of Fire is Water. The opposite of Water is Fire. So that would be Water of Fire, or Queen of Wands, and she can be an absolute terror when crossed!

The companion book to Fountain Tarot doesn't give us any guidance on the geometric shapes that occur throughout the deck. I can't help but think there's some significance to the shapes. Here we have a circle on a triangle. The triangle inside a circle is a symbol that is more familiar to me, being used on US currency, a Masonic symbol, a symbol of creation, a symbol referenced in kabbalah, and in decorations in Catholic cathedrals (usually with an eye in the triangle). But what about a circle inside a triangle? In this card, the circle is slightly bigger than the triangle, but still. What is it? It is known as Solomon's Circle, or Solomon's Seal, which some occultists claim was on King Solomon's signet ring and contributed to magical powers.

Without going into it too much, you may notice that the inner circle spells out 'Mi-cha-el', or archangel Michael, and the lines represent Primeumaton, Anaphaxeton, and Tetragrammaton (AHYH, ADNI, YHVH). If you know the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, these will be familiar. If you don't and are curious, seek and ye shall find. (In other words, google it.)

But an even more salient meaning for the King of Cups, to me, is this one:

This is the Al-Anon symbol. King of Cups, for many readers, is associated with alcohol and substance abuse. The circle-within-the-triangle symbol represents Al-Anon, the support group for those affected by another person's alcoholism. It is the reverse image of the AA symbol: 

In both logos, the three arms of the triangle represent unity, recovery and service. The circle represents serenity, perfection and the source of unlimited potential. 

The stable shape of the triangle envelopes the symbol of potential and serenity in the Al-Anon symbol -- stability, fortitude, those are the things that foster an environment that will allow perfect peace to grow. Whereas the peace and serenity bring the stability for the substance abusers. It's a great representation of the interlocking needs of all involved. 

The King of Cups in Fountain Tarot sits upon a throne made of these symbols -- stability, unity, support, service, peace, recovery, serenity. What a great guy. Great dad. Great friend. Great boss. He knows how you feel. He can help. 

We've got the power and we've got some teaching to do

Today's draw from Wicca Deck (Morningstar 2014) and Old English Tarot (Kneen 1997) continues giving us messages about taking our personal power. Good!

In today's card we see the Athame, or knife, a Wiccan tool, also used in witchcraft, Druidry and other earth-based spiritual traditions. It's a beautiful image. The hand clutching the athame rises through rings of air (athame is the symbol of the element Air, direction east), and reaches up into the starry night sky where a mystical spiral sun burns up the night, a crescent moon watching from above. What an amazing scene.

The card is called Commander of Power. In practice, the athame is ritually used much like a wand, to direct energy. In the Wicca Deck, it takes on more authority, possibly because it is associated with masculine energy. (It is a phallic symbol in Wiccan ceremonies, where it is ritually plunged into the chalice, a female symbol). The card represents a commanding presence, a strong sense of self, and being in charge of one's life. A blade cuts through things, and so this image represents healthy boundaries. Now, that's the real fire!

And so that leads us to our supporting card for the day, King of Cups. Another masculine card, another symbol of mastery. This card, from Old English Tarot, features the king on his throne, surrounded by clusters of grapes. (Many Cups cards in this deck feature grape clusters). The card shows us where we need to set boundaries in order to become Commander of Power in our own lives--our emotions and our relationships.

Maya Angelou said that we teach people how to treat us. We lead them by example, did you know that? The way we treat ourselves and they way we let them treat us -- that's the precedent we create.

Time to set some boundaries then, and the place to start is with ourselves.

Ask yourself:

• Do I put myself down in front of others (or even just to myself)?
• Do I take the blame for things onto myself? 
• Do I put myself last? 
• Do I think other people deserve better than I deserve?

Now you know you need to use your Athame to cut out that behaviour. Set a boundary with yourself -- STOP belittling yourself, labelling yourself, blaming yourself, failing to prioritise yourself and feeling undeserving! Instead:

• Compliment yourself on something -- anything! And instead of putting yourself down in conversations, catch yourself before you speak and instead, use that breath you drew to pay a compliment to the person you're talking to (or about the person you're talking about. You heard me!)
• Think logically when things go wrong. Could you really have 'caused' what happened? Even if you were actually at fault, can you go back and do it over? And in 100 years, will anyone care? Let it go!
• Do at least one thing today that is just for you--and don't wait until everyone else in the house is finally in bed. Tell them they can wait and go do something for yourself. You're teaching them how to treat you, remember?
• Read this out loud right now - 'I am a precious child of the universe and I deserve every blessing it can offer.'

You've given yourself some thought, now let's look at others. Please ask yourself: 

• Am I in any relationships in which I feel powerless?
• What boundaries do I need in order to feel more empowered?
• How can I do so in a way that is respectful toward the humanity of the person and of myself? 
• What is one boundary-setting action I can take today? 

Take up that Athame of Power and look after yourself, lovelies. 

The space men have landed

Once upon a time there was a Nobel Prize winning author called Doris Lessing. She wrote, amongst other things,  a series of five books called the Canopus in Argos series (1979-1983). The books examine the history of the earth (or earth-like planets) and humankind (or human-like beings), from the point of view of alien intelligences. Doris's readers were disappointed when she turned from literary fiction to what she called 'space fiction.'

 'I would so like it,' Doris said, ' if reviewers and readers could see this series, Canopus in Argos: Archive, as a framework that enables me to tell (I hope) a beguiling tale or two; to put questions, both to myself and to others; to explore ideas and sociological possibilities. What they don't realise is that in science fiction is some of the best social fiction of our time.' 

One of the series is called The Sirian Experiments (1980). In this book, the Sirians have become quite advanced; in effect, immortal. So they get bored and develop a case of 'the existentials', and decide to go off and seed new worlds and have meaningful new spiritual and existential experiences. Of course the worlds are all ostensible versions of earth. A cult seems to have grown up around this.  Lessing said in an interview that its followers had written to her and asked, "When are we going to be visited by the gods?", and she told them that the book is "not a cosmology. It's an invention", and they replied, "Ah, you're just testing us."

Then along comes Patricia Cori, 'Scribe to Speakers of the Sirian High Council', in 1996, claiming to channel messages from a 'Sirian High Council'. I'm not entirely sure this comes directly from Lessing's books, but I strongly suspect so. Here's where I lose the thread a bit because this sort of stuff involves a lot of densely written text on websites having lots of flashing effects and scrolling messages and exclamation points, and reading it all makes me lose the will to live. Suffice to say that in 2012 Patricia Cori created a tarot deck, and in 2014, in a curious departure from the norm, I bought it. 

And guess what?  I really like it. No, really. I do. 

We'll have to turn to the LWB for more about the Sirians. Apparently, we are all 'starseeds' who have chosen to inhabit earth in this incarnation. I can't really tell if that makes us Sirians or if we are little starseeds in their cosmic petrie dish. The tarot structure can encompass the Sirian Starseed story the same as it can encompass any story, though, and it does fit beautifully. The majors of course contain the archetypes of any sort of journey, spiritual or otherwise, and they will fit anything, I'm convinced of this. They are the archetypes of every story. That's all there is to that.

The four suits have the names changed to chalices (cups), orbs (swords), crystals (pentacles) and flames (wands). The courts are called 'people keys' and are seeker, adept, sage and master (page, knight, queen, king). 

The art of the deck is photocollage. Some images are a bit clunky, but overall, I really like these cards. They are huge and very pretty and easy to read right out of the box, or at least that has been my experience. 

Sirian Starseed Tarot

Today's card is Master of Chalices (King of Cups). The People Keys 'can't be interpreted in simplistic terms and finite descriptions,' says Cori in the LWB. 'To understand them you will need to explore the essence of each suit' and then consider how each People Key embodies that essence. Masters (Kings) have complete authority over the suit and carry significant social responsibility for them. The suit of chalices represents 'the subconscious, emotions, love and relationships, sensuality...illusions, intuition, blissful celebration' -- and so the traditional card meanings exist very strongly in this deck. To me, the imagery is just a rather new way of evoking the traditional essence of each card. I like that. 

This the kind of deck that doesn't take a lot of wordy analysis. It can be experienced. Stare at the Master of Chalices. There is the ocean in all its depth, and the sky is filled with a pair of knowing eyes. It's all you need, really, to get a feel for the King of Cups. Very powerful card. 

I will master my emotions today. Particularly as I have had a toothache in that  demon seed tooth that caused me so much angst and misery in March and April. I am going to believe in my heart that this discomfort is nothing and will pass. I am not going to let my imagination or my emotions run away with me about it. 

A personal reading: leaving a job

I have requested to go back to my regular job 6 months early. Even though my regular job has its problems, too, and has its own risks, and even though the secondment paid a bit more, I really don't want to spend a full year doing that work. I certainly know that I would not wish to ever do the job permanently. There seemed little point in prolonging the matter. And so I decided to pull some cards, now that I've taken official steps to end the thing early: 

What results to my advantage from leaving this job?

I decided to focus my question on the positive side of this move. The cards I've drawn are tremendously encouraging. 

Tarot Illuminati by Eric C Dunne, companion book by Kim Huggens Llewellyn 2012

Despite my strong Queen of Swords aspect, I became more acutely aware of some things about myself over the last few months, and these are well represented by the King of Cups. As Fire of Water, the King of Cups is the action of emotion. My first (and hopefully last) taste of life in a corporate office has brought home to me my need for work based on my strong feelings about something. I have mentioned that all my work has been in helping professions - teacher, customer service, librarian. It's true that a Queen of Swords tendency to be organised and self-controlled certainly helps in these roles, but the crux of the matter is King of Cups. Without a deep conviction that the work I'm doing matters in a meaningful way to other people, I cannot muster enthusiasm for a task. I need to help. I need to be of service. Healer, counsellor, advisor, compassion, active emotions, care, spiritual wisdom, emotional experience -- all these are associated with the King of Cups, who in his most positive aspect represents all these things (and in the company of the two following cards, he is most definitely positively aspected).

'Mine is the power of active compassion,' the King of Cup declares in the companion book, 'the power to see pain and suffering and heal it, to purify the wounded and injured, and to guide the lost soul in times of trouble. I travel upon the ocean, because to swim in it would let it overcome me; I rule my emotions, not the other way around, and it is this which allows me to heal the wounded feelings and souls of others.'

It is a strong indication to me that I belong in work where I feel that I am helping other people -- directly helping other people, not doing back room work for an organisation that ostensibly helps other people. I need to be able to look in the eyes of the person I am helping, to see the connection I am making, to see that the work I do has a direct positive influence on someone's life. Dealing in abstractions about 'big work for a bigger good' is not fulfilling for me.

It's true that these things are more immediate and apparent in the jobs I will be returning to, but even more so in pursuing other goals -- and these goals are to expand on my deep interests and skills. The Alchemist, or Magician, is highly supportive of new beginnings, new projects and goals. The Alchemist has all resources at hand -- earth, water, fire and air -- and this is representative of having everything you need within you and without you to make your dreams reality. What you imagine can happen. The Alchemist tells me to direct my energy toward my goals. 'Sometimes it can indicate that something the querent is doing or working on seems to be inspired by or linked directly to a higher cause or power, as if they are channelling it and they simply are the messenger or means by which it reaches manifestation,' writes Huggens. Now is the time to pursue these goals, becoming more fully committed to helping others directly. So this would be another advantage of making this change in jobs - it provides opportunity to move in this direction. Just how it does remains to be seen...

Finally, the 2 of Wands is a card that shows possibility and forward momentum. I was struck by the words of the 2 of Wands in the companion book: 'The strong will, by necessity, must be expansive in nature, not happy to be cloistered and shut away...I know the limits of my dominion, and therefore I know what is not my dominion, and what is waiting for me. But knowing is not enough, because I also know that I have not yet expanded my will and desire far enough. I am the explorer, the entrepreneur, the leader, the conqueror. I do not seek to take from others, but my influence will be felt...' That is how I felt in a corporate office, cloistered and shut away, certainly not my dominion. And so, this card represents the expansion of will into action. The card encourages me to move in the direction of my will -- and my will is to do work that is truly and directly helpful to others. That is where my passion lies. It must said that 2 of Wands is a very auspicious card to draw in relation to business endeavours, and I so very strongly wish to do work that makes a difference in people's lives, that brings them comfort and enouragement and builds them up and makes them feel good and strong. I know that my gifts lie in that direction, and are manifested in card reading and spiritual counselling.

This is the direction I want to take. This is direction I will take.

Flying reindeer

More cups. We're off from work all week in honour of our big anniversary so this looks like a loved up thing...

Yep...Chesca Potter's comments bear this out: 'Drawing this card denotes companionship, deep friendship. A sharing of profound understanding, a mutual love of knowledge from the past. Possible creation of a home together, a sense of home-coming and enduring friendship.'  

Awww!

The two reindeer stand nose to nose in front of a tent made from wooly mammoth fur, tusks and bones. Wisps of homey smoke rise from the tent. You may wonder why there are fly agaric mushrooms featured in the card. Check out this clip from BBC Weird Nature:




That's pretty freaky! So maybe that happy home with the smoke coming out the top could also be a sweat lodge with a shaman inside having a vision of some type. Maybe that little bowl is his reindeer urine receptacle. LOL How silly. But I wouldn't be surprised at all, as the Greenwood Tarot is considered to be a shamanic deck. Let me just go check the book...

All it says is: 'The picture shows male and female reindeer as both have antlers. Male reindeer rut in autumn and the antlers are a potent symbol of sexual power. The fly agaric is also found at this time and the reindeer appear to eat this highly toxic  red fungi and seem to get 'drunk'. Some shaman drank the purified urine of the reindeer for its hallucinatory properties once the toxins had been removed.' Hmmm.  A little clicking around on the internet led me to some musings by a contemporary shaman who uses the Greenwood deck, Mi-shell of Aeclectic Tarot.

Mi-shell suggests that you should ask yourself this when you draw this card: What do you envision for the forthcoming future of your family -- your wishes, dreams, 'pipe dreams' and what should go to project status toward realization, how would you go about it and what help could the reindeer guardians offer?

At this 10th anniversary of our marriage, it's a good time for such stock take. And also a good time to appreciate all the positive aspects of the King of Cups, the master of emotions and relationships, the 'Lord of the Waves and Waters.'

I'd like to be, under the sea...

Spiral Tarot, 1997

...in an octopus's garden, in the shade.

He'd let us in, knows where we've been 

In his octopus's garden, in the shade.

I'd ask my friends to come and see

An octopus's garden with me

I'd like to be under the sea

In an octopus's garden in the shade.

We would be warm below the storm 

In our little hideaway beneath the waves

Resting our head on the sea bed

In an octopus's garden near a cave.

We would sing and dance around

Because we know we can't be found

I'd like to be under the sea

In an octopus's garden in the shade.

We would shout and swim about

The coral that lies beneath the waves

Oh what joy for every girl and boy

Knowing they're happy and they're safe

We would be so happy you and me

No one there to tell us what to do

I'd like to be under the sea

In an octopus's garden with you.

~The Beatles

I finish work early today and everything's fine. :D Have a nice weekend, everyone! 

Ancient Italian Tarot Pairs: Day 4

'Nobody's life is entirely free of pain and sorrow. 

Isn't it a question of learning to live with them rather than trying to avoid them?'

~ Eckhart Tolle 

King of Cups                                        The Emperor

Today the Ancient Italian Tarot (LoScarabeo) advises me to embrace the King of Cups and release the Emperor. It's more important to master interpersonal relationships and my own emotions than to take a distant, perhaps lofty or superior stance.

Perhaps the draw is a simple message:  feel more, suppress less. There's a difference between mastery and control. The King of Cups is a man in authority, a man of mastery, but he has not lost touch with his emotions. He acknowledges and accepts them. The Emperor, on the other hand, is in a position of authority, but handles it differently. He doesn't like to be seen as a creature of emotion, with possible exception of wrath. He can be dictatorial, ruthless, unbending. He takes pride in showing little emotion, in his iron rule of his empire.

Of course this draw must have to do with my own personal 'tapes' and thoughts about myself. But it could also be in my dealings with others.

What does the King of Cups mean in my life right now?

Alison at This Game of Thrones asks a new moon question: What does the King of Cups mean in your life right now?   For her, he means to 'go with the flow, endeavor to be kind and considerate, accept people and be diplomatic.'

What does the King of Cups mean in my life right now?

Michael Landon 

In my tarot courts world, the King of Cups is epitomized by Charles Ingalls from 'Little House on the Prairie' -- or at least Michael Landon's portrayal of him on the TV show. In most episodes, Charles has at least one scene in which he is overwhelmed by the beauty of life and/or the goodness of his fellow man and has a teary-eyed close-up, usually with a wry grin twisting one side of his mouth upward. Though his faith in the world and in man had been tested through the episode, at the end, everything works out. He knew it would. I thought for a long time about what TV/Film character to attach to King of Cups, and finally realised that he fits my idea of this tarot court character very well indeed.

Prairie Tarot 

What does the King of Cups mean in my life right now? It's telling me to be willing to reach out to other people. Don't be suspicious of people. Even if you feel the world's let you down, it's still more good than bad. Don't be so self-absorbed that you can't see other people in the world. Allow yourself to feel what you feel, and allow some of those feelings to be good ones about humanity. Be on the lookout for stories of triumph of the human spirit, and don't be so cynical about them! ('Oh, they always tack those on to the end of the news to try to make us feel better after spending the last hour telling us the world's going to hell and we're too broke or bent to fix it'...)

Give in to joy. It's okay. Be happy. Just stop being so analytical, critical, cynical and Queen of Swords-ical!