Star

This blog entry is from a while ago on a TABI (Tarot Association of the British Isles) Conference I thought it would be useful to post it here for people to refer to and for those who weren’t there. TABI is an excellent organisation for tarot readers from all over the world to gather and discuss tarot – The membership is very active on the forum you gain access to when you join – it is extremely reasonable to join too.. So if you are not already a member take a look over there and join up – I may see you on the forums. 😀

17-Major-Star

This was the card we journeyed into on the workshop I delivered for the Tarot Association of the British Isle conference last weekend. It was a great couple of days and I felt you all might like to receive the handout from the conference here.
17 The Star
Key words: inspiration, channeling, spiritual connection, faith acted upon, connection to universal intelligence, self trust, clear vision, transformation through connection with spiritual realms, higher self acting through physical form, hope, peacefulness, insight, freedom in relationship, lightness, spiritual love, love coming from spirit to person, grace, magnetism, abundance through spiritual trust, innovation, expansion of aura, nurturing from spiritual sources, emotional renewal, rising above the group mind, heaven on Earth
General Text:
The main figure is Nuit – the sky goddess manifested in physical form. She bridges the gap between the spiritual realms and the Earthly realm. Much of the symbolism on this card is concerned with this concept. The water in the background is the sea of binah – high up on te Kabbalah, the crystallised forms are the energy of Binah being crystallised and coming down the pillar of mercy to physical form, so again an image of spiritual reality becoming a physical reality – the manifestation of heaven on Earth.
Nuit pours her water from the golden cup of the soul onto herself and then allows this light and love to flow through her to be delivered to the earth through the silver cup below. Snuffin likens this to the incarnation of our soul onto Earth. The water fertilises the earth and from this the energy of spirit is harnessed and used for growth on the Earth. It is also a symbol of renewal and the idea of inexhaustible nurturing. That state we can come close to experiencing when we seek our own source of renewal, comfort and love from spirit rather than people so we can then give more to others and be less attached to the judgments Earthly people and realms place upon us.
The seven pointed star of Venus is shown on the Globe represents the love in this card as does the roses below. The butterflies show the lightness of spirit (and there are 5 of them – spirit is 5th element) and the transformation power of this card – change through joyfulness rather than the struggle, pain or destruction that is seen in other cards.
The Globe itself is the celestial skies we see from Earth so there is the sense there is so much more beyond this and this gives us the intensely spiritual and vast feel this card has.
The card is associated with Aquarius which is a sign concerned with innovation, inspiration and the positive advancement of the human race, all things connected with ‘saving the planet’ originate with this Aquarian energy of inspiration. The action is started through this card, and continued on often through more earthly energies. So with both a representation of Venus and Aquarius this card can also be considered to represent an unconventional relationship – one where friendship is strong and there is a great deal of independence and freedom within it. Higher ideals are held above the need to be together.
The star behind sends out rays beyond even what we can see – so this card is showing what we see manifest is only a small portion of the spiritual energy in action and available – there is an abundance of spiritual help and love .
In the figure of Nuit we also can see desire – desire for spirit, in the manner we as babies desire the breast there is the archetypal feeling of desire for ultimate protection, nurturing and the perfected mother. (the Empress is more about the many facets of motherhood – this is an idealised and impossible in some sense, form)
General Indications
This card shows a time where you are able to put dreams into action. Also a time where your own inspiration and higher self guides you more than the opinions for others. A time where you are doing the work you are here on the planet to do. I governs all work about making the planet a better place and being more in harmony with the natural world rather than. Your chanelling ability is at a high point and much of your inspiration may come from dreams and reveries.
Relationship Text:
As mentioned above the relationship you are in is unconventional and involves the need for large amounts of independence for each person – there is loyalty though and love of a spiritual kind though at times you may feel that passion is lacking. You may however have join tasks together which benefit the wider community. Your relationship provides an opportunity to reach higher than you have been able to before in your spiritual connection. You may find yourselves working together in activities which enhance the ability to channel spirit and to receive intuitive information and then act on it to improve your life together overall. Allow your positive relationship to touch all other relationships around you – be involved with the wider community so you can share your insights and ideas and spiritual love with all those who can benefit from it.
Relationship Indications .
Take time in meditation to receive insights about your life together – share your insights with each other and act upon them. You may find they require some increased distance in your physical connection – however the love you share will remain strong despite any increased independence.
Questions:

How can you trust your self more in your life?

What inspiration are you I drawn to act upon right now?

Where do you fear letting go so you can be more independent?

Are you ready to deal with this now?

What transformation through joy do you need to embrace right now?

Are you ready to let go of looking to people for approval and look to spirit instead?

What are you being called to do now?

Does your intuition say you need to work more closely with your partner on a project or do you need to follow your own insights more?
Suggestions:

Write down all the inspirational ideas you have at this time, so you can begin to bring them into being.

Answer the above questions – if necessary draw more cards to come to clarity about them.

Meditate every day to cleanse yourself and tune to the highest energies.

Focus on trusting that everything you do is the right thing to do at that time.

Fortune

Fortune
This card is one of, often good, fortune, luck and the sense of being able to have your prayers answered. It is a card that also emphasis’s your own power in the situation – you can make this situation be good for you – it is in your hands to make the intention of what you want to happen and them allow the events to unfold as by your Will. A very magical card and be experienced often as a miraculous result.

Fortune

The symbolism on the card:
The wheel is symbolic of movement and the changes, ups and downs we experience in life – the goal of the card is to allow yourself to be centered in the middle of the wheel – where regardless of the external situations you face the inner core of you is stable and centered. As we come to this in ourselves so our lives flow more – we resist difficulties less and cling to the good times less too – as the ‘times’ no longer affect our sense of who we are or our self value.

The figures on the wheel are the sworded Sphinx, The Hermanubis or Ape of the Magus, and the Typhon.

The Hermanubis/or Ape of Magus is connected with Mercury in Alchemy and is ascending the wheel – it represents the unifying of opposites. He is also the initiator – the one to set things in motion. And here is the intentions we put out for our lives and the actions to this point that influence the current trends. Hence breakthroughs this card can bring are often the result of your own inner work, now manifesting externally.

The Sphinx represents the energies of Magick and Will – being able to put your Will into action in the world and it having an effect – there is a lot of potential when this card comes up for you to make the situation how you would like it to be if you take the required actions and set things in motion to your favour. Conversely you can also set up things to play out a pattern for you to learn from, so it can sometimes be a test time where you could make a decision for the new you (set in motion with the ape) or retreat into the safety of old familiar patterns. You can follow through on the good works you have set in motion in the past However there is a certain amount of ‘push ‘ from the universe towards being the best you can be rather than returning to old familiar ways. Alchemically this creature is connected with Sulphur

The Typhon represents the energies of the underworld and of darkness and is connected with salt alchemically. It is like the darkness has passed for the moment – possibly to return again later on when things unfold more. It is also representing what has had to be destroyed in order to bring you to this place. It is the death you have recently experienced in yourself that has allowed you to get the possibility of dramatic change for the better that this card heralds.
The stars are representing the universal force acting upon the Earth miracles can be expected with this card, divine intervention can be seen. Often though set up as the result of a series of personal actions and intentions, the universe then comes to meet us at the last stage of the journey.

This card is about the changes that happen all the time in the universe – our cells die and are renewed, rivers flow to the sea become cloud and then rain and form rivers. Cycles of life are represented here in all forms.

7 Swords

This month I am looking at the 7 swords. The 7 is Netzach on the Kabbalah this is the sphere of Venus it is the place of victory over things. It is also a place of illusion – things not being quite how they seem. This card is the 7 swords so it is an imbalance in one’s thoughts and the mental realm. However there is a sense of victory and these low expectations, and illusory thoughts can be overcome if one puts one’s mind to it. The larger central sword representing the will to overcome the smaller, yet many, objections to the idea, plan or situation. This card is very much about overcoming a negative attitude and forging onwards with your plans despite there being a bit of a mental struggle.

42-Minor-Swords-07

Looking at the card each sword has a symbol on its hilt and represents a style of objection to the will of the Self – The sun on the main sword hilt. So starting from the left we have

Two rings – Snuffin sees these as representing the moon and the influence of the unconscious hidden feelings and motives within us holding us back, where as Hajo Banzhaf sees this as representing the illusion from Neptune, intuitively I sometimes see this as representing two rings of thought – two visions on what is needed in a situation and the fluctuation from one to another.

Venus – objections of beauty – how things will seem, what will it/I look like if I follow my plan

Mars – It’s too much energy – you are doing it for the wrong reasons – self attack and anger turned in preventing you from moving forwards

Jupiter – The desire to expand and the impatience of it not happening now, also the feeling of it being too big a goal or task to achieve, its impossible

Mercury – Everything is slipping through your fingers – it’s too late – you have already got too far behind – you will never catch up.

The final sword is also in dispute about what it is ‘supposed’ to mean with Snuffin suggesting it represents a link to the higher realms of the Kabbalah, and as such is even understanding and intuition is affected by the struggle, it is the time when you don’t know whether your intuition is speaking or whether it has been affected by fears and want to achieve in equal portion leaving you unable to truly connect with the pure source. Hajo Banzhaf sees this symbol as representing Saturn and so it represents a stubbornness and inability to set oneself free from the negative thoughts and influences.

This card is about this inner struggle we have at times, but the strongest force – our true selves – can indeed win over as we realise our objections and those we have heard on the outside are just reflections of our fears and negative expectations. We can rise above it and move forward with ease as we let go of our fears. In many ways we can see this as being representative of our shadow selves wanting to be heard, whilst we ignore them and battle on it is hard work, however if we turn to listen to each objection in turn and hear it understand its fear and foundation and then say I hear you and I am going to continue with the plan so you transmute the difficulty and become the wise leader of your inner selves.

Ace Cups

This months Thoth tip is centered around the Ace of cups. This card is very bright and shows an overflowing cup surrounded in many colours, blues and reds and spiritual whites. It is fed from the source by a brilliant white light. In many ways this is like our own deep souls, fed from the source and lighting the way in the darkness.

50-Minor-Cups-Ace

There are three interlocking circles in the center of the cup and these can be seen as ideas of the triple Goddess, the trinity, the upper triangle of the tree of life, Isis Osiris and Horus and other ‘tri’ aspects of the God head – The card itself being the highest potential of the emotional world and the top of the Tree of life – love connected to the highest source.

I have often seen this as a commitment to love in a relationship and the possibility of children from that union. The very beginning of things – the emotional desire for union with another. Love and new relationships are also very frequently shown through this card. It is primarily the connection with the source of all love though, our own high self-esteem and unconditional love of oneself. When you find yourself in this place it is like nothing external can touch you as you know you have all you need for joy within you. One of my favourite cards and a good one to meditate upon when you are feeling low. It can also mark the start of an important love relationship where love is the foundation and that each person has love for themselves as the root of love for the other and so the relationship loses its needy feel.

Suggestions with this card, if it comes up for you:
Meditating on Love as an energy source to motivate all action.
Focusing on unconditional love of yourself, even just to acknowledge that this is possible even if you are in a place of feeling low can help you move towards it.
Copy the card with paint or other colour medium to bring its energy into your life
Imagine yourself sitting in the center of the cup and allow yourself to receive its healing energy from the course and rebuild you.