Queen of Swords. The independent woman.

   Drawing the Queen of Swords completes for me the court cards of the suit of Swords. As with all the Queen cards she represents the feminine aspect of rulership. In this set she is the active competent while the King is the passive.
     The Queen herself is obviously an independent woman quite capable of taking care of the matters of the kingdom. She is facing to the right on the card and looking to the future, her hand raised as if bidding another to rise, or to gesture onwards or upwards.
   She wears a cloak of clouds which indicates that she is still connected to her feminine intuitive nature, even with the mantle of leadership placed upon her. The White robe beneath it shows the clarity and purity of her thoughts, but don't confuse that with naivete or innocence. The upright swords represents martial power and is reminiscent of the Justice card, showing she is quite capable to meting out force when necessary. One thing to notice is that the sword is creating a barrier between herself and whomever she is addressing.
    This figure still feels it necessary to keep people at a distance with a show of naked steel (her intellect). The clouds and wind behind her show there is still a great deal of emotional content, even though she is quite capable of rising above it when necessary (the gesture indicates this). The bird above her head shows that she occupies this space a lot of the time and can be solitary in nature. These aspects indicate the need to rise above emotional situations in order to advance.
    Again we can see a lot of butterfly symbolism showing transformation and evolution. In this instance I feel it indicates being able to transform emotionally volatile situations by rising above them. She is much more connected to her intuitive side than the King, shown by the face of the Cherub on the side of the Throne. In his card the cherub is small, whereas here he occupies a large place on the side of the throne and therefore in her methods of rulership.
  She wears a head scarf of orange and the lining of the cloak is also orange, though these are a subdued colour. This indicates she is still in touch with her emotions, even if they are somewhat hidden or covered by the trappings of rulership.
   In general this card I feel shows the modern ideal of a personally liberated woman as viewed by society. That she is able to hold her own in arenas that are often (myopically) seen to be the sole province of men. She is still able to firmly keep hold of her femininity in spite of the phallic nature of the suit of swords. Both this suit and that of wands are typically male elements (fire and air) and both Queens in those decks have mastered this energy without losing their innate nature as women.
      Whenever I have drawn this card before it has often symbolised my own wife Zoe. The idea of being an independently minded woman has figured very large in her life and like for many of us is a work in progress. Her chosen career is that of a writer, which fits in with the indications of this card, along with her Libran nature (again connections to the Justice card). At the moment she is reading a book which she is finding empowering for her femininity in a way that has not been present in her own life.
      I do think that there are a great many challenges to women who chose to rise above the legacy that patriarchy has left behind. I like to hope that there are less obstacles to women achieving a  level of personal liberation than there has been previously. It takes a level of courage, for both men and women to step beyond the roles that society defines for us. A good female friend of mine wishes to raise a family and struggles with the idea of being a mother and primarily a mother. She was a strong feminist for some years and the idea of setting down and raising a family somewhat chafes at her, even though she would make a great mother.
      It seems that for many women, that there is a constant struggle in many roles and regardless of what they choose have lots of extra barriers to overcome. I think her choice to be a devoted mother is a totally valid choice and a sacred trust. I see that this new-found independance for many women leaves them in a place in which there is no safe ground in which to feel comfortable, either they become career women and face the danger of trying to fit an old patriarchal model. Or if they decide to become a mother who wishes to raise their children they supposedly fly in the face of their independence.
         In the end the Queen of swords is showing us just one facet of female empowerment and it not so much matters if we are male or female, but whole.

Ace of Wands. Creative flowering.

   The Aces represent primal elemental energies. In this case it is fire. This is the first wand I have drawn so far and is one of the most potent wands.
   The Wands represent creative energy in its purest form. When an Ace arrives it heralds the dawning of something new and in this case it is usually a creative endeavor.
   The wand itself is very phallic in nature and looking at the symbolism of the card it is very difficult to ignore that. The vitality of the wand is so great that even though it is no longer attached to a tree, it is still sprouting leaves.
    This card is one of awakening and there is something that I read while researching about this card which seemed relevant.

And the day came

when the energy it took to remain tight in the bud

was more painful than the risk

it took to blossom.

 
        The card is one of awakening from limitation in a fiery column, bursting bonds with a strength that can only be understood by the way in which a tiny plant can push its way through solid concrete, cracking it open as it grows.
      In the card a glowing divine hand proffers the wand as it emerges from a cloud. That signifies a divine gift that has been offered directly from the universe itself. In the background of the card one can see a lush backdrop, verdant and green with a river running through it. Atop a hill stands a white castle, similar to the symbol of the lost Camelot. The white symbolising purity and the castle itself as being an end point and representational of prosperity, spiritual treasures and fulfillment.
      Powerful emergence is one way to describe this card, explosive flowering is another. Avoiding the sexual connotations of this card is almost impossible, as sexual energy is understood to be at the root of creativity and spirituality. It is not the staid passionless religion this card speaks of, but the vibrant, vital and the very much alive passion found in living creative essence.
     Similar to the Magician's wand, the wand in this card is a conduit for heavenly creativity. When one receives this card it shows that very soon there is going to be a creative rebirth occurring, a breaking free of the bud, so the flower can bloom in all its glory. There maybe a feeling of tension present which shows the need for the expansive release.
       There is a tendency to look for immediate correspondences in ones life when one draws a card. But in my experience the Aces tend to represent energy that is about to emerge into our lives breaking old patterns with their vitality.
    In my own life, things have been snowballing with my own progress of awakening. The kundalini energy is awakening and before it my old life is falling away, even if it is a scary process for me to behold in some areas of my life. But, in others I can only look with growing joy as the staid way of living is falling to pieces. At times it can be a little much, as over the previous weekend I woke up seeing migraine auras, with a headache and my eyes looking (According to Zoe) as though I had been given black eyes even though I had slept for over 11 hours. I have been taking a physical beating as this energy awakens. On Sunday I woke to a dream of someone getting their legs mangled and by the evening after a game of soccer I could barely walk.
    Another instance of this has been the increasing number of synchronicities that have been occurring in my life and even in the lives of others around me. Today, Zoe, M and I went down to Sedona to enjoy a day out in nature. M drove us to Red Rock Crossing and walked along the side of the creek...this of course is another synchronicity as you can see a river running through the lush green of the card.
     The entire area was buzzing with nature and animals. We saw spiders, lizards, bright green grasshoppers, damsel flies, ants and best of all for me a hawk. As we returned to our vehicle I saw a hawk land in a tree not 20 feet from us in the car park. It is unusual to see such a bird of prey in the sky, but for it to land next to us in a car park was a very unusual experience. It even allowed us to walk up and take several photographs of it as it flew down to eat a worm not 10 foot away from us. The hawk has always been my own particular spirit animal, often appearing during meditations or on shamanic journeys. So for it to appear so close to us and pose for pictures was a profound moment for me.
    The test for me in this is not to panic and to fall into old ways of thinking which have only held me back as the energy creates new opportunities for me in my life. The Ace of Wands asks us to grasp these new opportunities as they are presented.

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I- The Magician

  The Magician card stands near the beginning of the Major Arcana (The Fool is actually first). He is a primal masculine energy, that of the active principle. He is the Fool's first encounter along the path, that of the first conscious step forward.
    Let us have a look at some of symbolism before we look in greater depth. He stands facing forward with one arm raised to the heavens holding a vertical wand to serve as a divine lightning rod. The wand is phallic in nature, which would actually fit in well with this card given its links to active energy. His left arm points to the earth below in which he is going to ground the energy. He himself is simply a conduit for the energies of heaven passing through him to the ground. His arms create a slanting angle which is reminiscent of the kabbalah's lightning flash.
     The lightning flash is the way in which energy travels through the tree of sephiroth from high to low in a zig-zag fashion. This lightning flash shows how heavenly energy moves through the layers of creation from idea to construction to completion. Every single act of creativity requires that these steps are followed. First there must be space in which an idea can be born, then comes the flash of inspiration which fills that void. This in turn is followed by a process of limitation which defines the concept with realistic boundaries before it can make its way into the world. It is then follows the zig-zag of expansion and contraction, until it is fully constructed.
     The Magician card represents that instantaneous generative force, completely active in nature, the flash of inspiration which is then channeled into form. The magician himself is the conduit or channel for that power.
    He wears a white robe, which represents his purity of purpose along with a red cloak above it symbolising vitality and the connection with the material. White and red are often seen as powerful symbols of creation. In the Grail legends Merlin was believed to have remarked on the forces of creation as being a white and red dragon eternally locked in twisting battle. They are also the colour of blood, milk and seminal fluids, which are all connected with the act of creation.
     Above the Magician's head is a lemniscate, which is a the symbol representing infinity. This symbol actually appears over the heads of several of the figures in the Tarot. It represents the divine forces sublimated into the characters of the cards and the universal binding of forces. The energy systems of the body create a upright lemniscate, circulating universal life force around our beings.
   Around the Magician's waist is a belt in the form of a snake biting it's own tail also known as an Ouroboros. This symbol is known to represent the eternal ring of life, where the end is only the beginning and so forth. Anyone who has seen the Neverending Story will have seen this before! In the Nordic legends Yggdrasil the World Tree's roots are encircled by a huge snake or dragon called Nidhogg whom holds its tail within its mouth. When it wakes it will evoke the end of the age through Ragnarok.
    The table represents an earthly plane on which all the four elements are lain out before him. A Chalice representing the element of water. A pentacle representing earth. A staff representing fire and a sword symbolising the mental plane of air. This shows the magician's mastery of all the elements in the service of the divine. It is also connected with the use of ritualistic magic, through the careful application of elemental energies.
  Beneath the table flowers bloom, both lilies and roses..again the red and white. They represent divine love, purity and innocence.
   The card holds a great deal of symbolism and each aspect could be taken further and further. There is a great profusion of information here and just absorbing the symbols within this card gives some clues to its many mysteries. The main element revealed within this card is that of the connection from heaven to earth. The Magician himself is a very strong archetype that is found within mythology and stories the world over. Just think of Gandalf, Merlin or Dumbledore! He is the active principle of the divine, able to conjure flowers or fire from the very air through his knowledge of the workings of the cosmos. He is not the passive mystic who sits and ponders and asks the universe for its bounty. Instead he is the active element who literally draws forth the elements to do his bidding.
   One may be tempted to believe that the modern scientist is an example of this card, but this archetype has one distinction that the modern scientist is yet to understand. His will is also that of the divine and that is why he is able to draw forth such power. He is cosmically connected and serves through his application of will.
    For me, that is the essence of this card and what it has to teach me. I have taken mainly the path of the mystic, who follows in the pathway that is shown to me. That one should remain open and passive in order to best serve.
   The Magician is the complementary of that. He applies his will and force knowing that because he is a servant of the divine that the way will be opened. He is placed where he needs to be in order to function effectively. His acceptance of ritual magics shows he does not doubt his own effectiveness and is capable of changing elements to suit his will, which is tied to the divine. In doing so he becomes the very elements themselves.
    Another important principle within this card is that of the linking of Above and Below. Hermes Trimegistus (The Thrice greatest) was reputed to have created the Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet) in which he wrote "What is above is also below and what is below is also above". This linking principle connects the heavenly and earthly realms, that there are correspondences both in heaven and earth. Through the Magician's application of this knowledge he is able to alter one to influence the other.
     Of course, outside of all this symbolism what is one to take from this card? It shows a great deal of the mysteries, but how to apply this knowledge in the earthly realm we live in? Once we are done with looking at the symbols, what can we then take home?
     For me it shows it is time to apply the knowledge one has to create something in line with the divine. It does not mean waiting for the universe to hand you the solution, but to take the tools you have at your disposal and do something with them. It means taking a step forward and actively using what you have to achieve what you want.
   I find that this card brings up a feeling of trepidation. I am so used to waiting for the correct time, or waiting for the right opportunity, that to act without "waiting" carries a seed of fear.
   Yesterday I spent the day playing football (soccer) with some friends. I happened to find that there was a muscle that was very tight in my right leg and I was unable to stretch it out fully before the game began. As the game went on it got worse and worse. I found myself unable to kick with any power or to move with any speed. It was as though every time I tried to move, there was a delay or hesitation before I could get moving. This second of slowness meant that my opponents could run circles around me and I would miss simple passes because I couldn't get started quick enough.
    This injury reminds me of my own hesitation before embarking on any endeavor of my own making. Every time I want to take action I hesitate to make sure it is the right thing and often end up messing up my footing. Some people are so confident that whatever they do is the right thing that they never stop to consider it, much less fumble their footing trying to decide which way is best to go. The Magician is the perfect example of someone so attuned and confident in their own actions that there is no hesitation and their timing is right because of this. For some, life is a constant hesitation as they try and figure out the best way to move without stepping on toes, crossing someone's line or upsetting emotions.
   It is not a constant for me, but it is enough to cause me to often question my instinctual impulses so that the moment is lost. The balance between active and passive is weighed too heavily on the passive side for me and the Magician is here to remind me that that balance needs to be redressed. That I am aligned with the universe, I do have the tools necessary and there is no need for hesitation....Lightning does not ponder before it strikes!

7 of Swords. Deceit and dishonesty.

  This card is called the card of dishonesty and is the latest in a run of swords I seem to be pulling out of the deck. This rather innocuous card has open up a Pandora's box of different ideas and emotions in me. Before we get into that, I would like to look at the general theme of the card.
    The suit of swords as been established is related to the mental realm, thoughts in particular. The large number of swords is at this point still an unwieldy amount and creates an element of density in thought. The character  in the card appears to be in the process of making off with a bundle of swords from a camp. He is clearly sneaking away while the others are gathered in the distance unaware of his actions. The colour of the card..a sickly yellow suggests cowardice and his polka dot robe is reminiscent of a clown's attire, or the spots of the pox.
   Rather strangely his eyes are closed and an expression of pleasure is pasted over his face, almost as if his deceit is giving him a thrill. His face is pressed close to the blades and his hands and fingers clutch the naked steel in a way that would likely cause cuts and pain. There is an air of sadistic pleasure from this betrayer as he steals away what is not his.
    He wears a rather unusual hat, similar to a Morrocan fez which adds to his somewhat comical appearance. There is definitely an element of the trickster in this card, although it is without the wisdom of that archetypal being. His closed eyes show that he is not conscious of his misdeeds and may in fact say it was a joke or that he was not meaning to do harm, although the glee evident of his face suggests a sadistic pleasure in taking the power of others.
   The card suggests trickery, betrayal and malicious mischief. It can mean dishonesty and in-genuineness in someone you are dealing with, or in the way you are dealing with others.
   I drew this card late last night, just before I went to sleep and was asking for guidance with an issue that I am discovering with the Sahasrara chakra (Crown) which is at the top of the head. I have felt a great deal of issues bubbling to the surface after I have open up to the kundalini energy more and started to feel greater motivation. Doing this blog also brings things up almost continuously for examination.
   The issue with my crown chakra goes back a long way and in all honesty I have grown so used it that I have somewhat ignored the issue. I used to work for a bank in the UK and it was a job that was very stressful, my job was answering calls relating to the bank software which was usually failing to run people's wages. This meant most people who called were already stressed from their employees wages not being processed and often I had to inform them it was actually their error in not using the software correctly. At one point I was moved to a new section for which I was not trained because of some issue within the corporation. I was forced to deal with high value payment transactions with a very small window of time to fix them. I got calls from major corporations, often from all over the world trying to trace their lost payments which usually were valued in the millions. I was unfamiliar with the software and with the protocols and there was little to no supervision with managers passing off the problem. These calls would come in continuously, one after another with no break allowed between.
      I woke up one morning to find my pillow covered in hair and realised that I needed to get out of there. I walked in and found the head manager and told her either I get moved to a new department, or I would walk out. She moved me to another section and the hair loss stopped. From that point on the hair on the top of my head is a little sparser than I would like.
     This is what was connected to the issues with my crown chakra, but I could not work out how to remedy it. There is no reason why the hair should not grow back. There has been instances of hair loss in my family due to stress and I had passed this off as being the same thing. They had not found solution by leaving the job behind and neither had I..I gave it no further thought. Until now that is.
     That this card would appear in conjunction puzzled me. I could see no immediate connection between dishonesty and my situation. Yes, the bank had treated me badly..but they were hardly dishonest in their actions (those actions anyway!). I could not see me being dishonest in this either. I poured over the books I have on the cards and one detail stood out to me which was about in-genuineness. Did I really genuinely believe it was the right place for me to be? No..I didn't. It was in fact as far from being genuine to myself as I could get. Coming from an artistic and creative perspective, it was nothing like what I would hope for myself.
    With that I realised that I was being in-genuine with myself and that has never stopped. Sure..I understand my tolerances a little better now and know when to lay off a job that is no good for me before it develops into illness or stress. But that is hardly being genuine, it is simply flying under the wire of dishonesty with myself. All I was doing was flitting from one ill fitting position to another until I became too stressed to continue in any of them. This was not remedying the problem, but simply avoiding letting the symptoms get to an unmanageable level.
   The hair will not grow back, until I find something that genuinely fits with me. I can feel the heaviness on my crown chakra and I have felt the stagnant energy flow passing through that region. This of course leads to want to find out what it is that IS genuine for me. I already have a clue simply by where the issue is located...the crown...and no it is not being a King...even if I am a Leo...