Alignment

There's a cosmic, astrological, and terrestrial event that began August 14th  to follow through the remaining days of August, where Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars are all going to be in alignment. These planets are pertinent to The Mythic Tarot, in that each planet is associated with a Major Arcana card in the deck.

This is a good time to get our lives in alignment, and here is my interpretation. It strengthens my faith giving me a deep sense of affirming clarity. I hope you will find meaning strength in this interpretation. 


Venus rules the Roman goddess of love and is symbolic of The Empress, the Great Mother, who is beautiful and bountiful suggesting luxury and abundance. We are reminded without this Great Mother within us, we can bring nothing to fruition.

Jupiter, the planet of expansion represents the Wheel of Fortune, meaning fortune, power, movement, sudden change and reminding us of the cyclical nature of life. Jupiter also connected with the Hierophant, the Higher mind, philosophy, and the wise teacher, that reflects an individual vision of the spirit.

Saturn the planet of time, age, decay, death, finance and also represents the goddess of fertility, Aphrodite. The Devil is the Major Arcana card associated with Capricorn, the goat, representing emotional, spiritual and physical bondage. Saturn serves as a model of discipline structure and commitment. It reminds us to work hard and reap the rewards, and to know we can be released from bondage and know freedom through love.

Mars the Roman god of war rules the Major Arcana card, The Tower, which signifies radical transformation.


Here's the down low, from the Old Farmer's Almanac about the alignment of the planets, using the moon as your guide, so you can witness this rainbow of of planets and brilliant stars.

• Starting with Venus in the southwestern sky, go left and a bit higher and you’ll see the blue star Spica. 
• Continue left and slightly upward to the brilliant white Jupiter, the highest point of the rainbow. (It’s not quite as bright as Venus.)
• Go farther left and a bit lower from Jupiter to the bright orange Antares. 
• Continue left and the next bright star is the colorless Saturn, which is actually a bit higher than Antares, spoiling the perfect rainbow arc. (Saturn is dimmer than the other three planets. Antares twinkles, while Saturn shines with a steadier golden light.)
• Now continue left and lower from Saturn to finish up with the very brilliant orange Mars, near the horizon in the southeastern sky, shining brighter than Jupiter.

If you counted six “stars,” you’ve succeeded, with four of them being planets, and three (Venus, Jupiter, and Mars) being super-bright. They’re each separated by roughly the same distance from each other. The only challenge is finding a site with an open, unobstructed view halfway around the sky from the southwest through to the southeast.

Follow the Moon as a Guide

From August 14 to August 23, the Moon passes all four planets in the evening sky, one after the other, following the same path!

• From August 14 to 16, the Moon passes Venus and moves toward Jupiter. 
• On August 17, the bright object nearest the Moon is Jupiter.
• The First Quarter Moon falls in the early morning hours of August 18.
• Around August 18/19, the waxing Moon passes red super giant star Antares.
• From August 20 to 22 look for the Moon to come very very close to planet Saturn.
• Finally, on August 23, 2018, the Moon is right next to brilliant red planet Mars. The two pair up all night from dusk to dawn.

Wheel of Fortune - To Everything There is a Season

I compare life to a garden. Both gardening and life are about growing and learning.

As the gardener. I have to make sure I've well prepared soil, sowing fertile seeds that can help one another to grow. Then I must tend to my garden regularly by attentively weeding. Then I can reap just what I've sown at the end of the season, barring any happenings like storms, floods and big bug infestations. But that's the thing, there are no guarantees in life or gardening. We have to learn to expect the unexpected.

I'm happy I've drawn this Major Arcana card today, The Wheel of Fortune, and the tenth card in the Tarot,  ruled by Jupiter and the planet of expansion.

This card indicates positive change,  growth, a new phase of life and coming to terms with our own inner journey within the cyclical nature of life, as there is a season and a time for everything.

The Wheel of Fortune urges and reminds me to not be complacent, otherwise the weeds will take over my garden.

Spring is not far away now, just 17 days! I'm really taking notice of the increasing sunshine everyday. I've planted my garden seeds early indoors, the first week of February and now I'm enjoying watching them break through the soil. Even my Christmas Cactus has decided to bare a few beautiful blooms again, which hangs above my big Calla Lily, and just in time for the coming Easter season, my very favourite time of year.


The Wheel of Fortune encourages me to be determined to put ever effort into growing my garden this year and intend to apply the same principles to my life, embracing growth, making changes for the better and shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.

The Wheel of Fortune - The Shortest Day

I was kind of hoping I might draw the Sun or maybe the Moon today, but the Wheel of Fortune is the most suitable card on this approaching Solstice, which arrives here in Nova Scotia at 6:44 am December 21st 2016.

Winter Solstice is the time of year I always look so forward to, more so than Christmas because my head is full of thoughts of Spring and light. Winter has never been my favourite time of year, perhaps because I was born in June, but I'll certainly celebrate the return of the light.

 I'll plant some garlic inside the house for my Solstice celebration and light some special bees wax candles in my Candelabras.

The Wheel of Fortune is a fitting card being the Major Arcana card that reminds me of the balance and the seemingly imbalances, our ups and downs and the ying and yang of our lives. Winter Solstice is paired for me with the Summer Solstice on June 21st, the day my late husband and I were married.

And so I'll say prayers for those of us who are thinking of loved ones we deeply miss, no longer with us on this mortal coil, but forever live in the light, close to our heart our hearts.



Samian Night - Loreena Mckennitt

When the moon on a cloud cast night
Hung above the tree tops' height
You sang me of some distant past
That made my heart beat strong and fast
Now I know I'm home at last

You offered me an eagle's wing
That to the sun I might soar and sing
And if I heard the owl's cry
Into the forest I would fly
And in its darkness find you by.

And so our love's not a simple thing
Nor our truths unwavering
But like the moon's pull on the tide
Our fingers touch, our hearts collide
I'll be a moons breath by your side.

The Moon - The Feminine Principle

One of the most archaic figures in Greek mythology is Hecate the moon-goddess. She presides over childbirth, magic, death, the underworld, fate and the depth of the unconscious imagination. She has been called The Invincible Queen.

The High Priestess, the Wheel of Fortune and The Moon, all three Major Arcana cards are directly linked.

Hecate embodies the feminine principle of life itself and the three lunar phases reflect her power over heaven, earth and the underworld. It's a card that represents confusion, fluctuation and uncertainty, a trans-personal journey, where a sense of direction and ego are lost and individual boundaries are dissolved.

This scenario describes where I am at right now. at this stage in life as a crone. I'm being tossed along the ocean waves of the unconscious, in what feels like a rather precarious boat. I'm not privy to knowing anything other than I must trust my intuition, to have faith and hope that I'll come safely to shore.

I'm not worried about the destination and have decided to enjoy the journey, come what may.

Geshtinanna

Wheel of Fortune - Love-Go-Round

Yesterday I saw this quote by Marianne Williamson.

" Until seeing someone's darkness, you don't really know who they are. Until forgiving someone's darkness, you don't really know what love is." - Marianne Williamson

This description parallels the Wheel of Fortune, in that we never know what we are going to get, when it comes to life, or love. It is in acceptance where love lies. I am not referring to accepting injustice. But knowing what we can and cannot accept or change, and knowing the difference. Loving means acceptance of the good, bad and the ugly. Acceptance, and forgiveness with detachment does not exclude love, but includes and precisely defines love, in a way that is healthy for all concerned, and brings peace if we make an effort to change what we can. The only person we can truly change is ourselves.

Wheel of Fortune - Change - I Want No Refund On My Misery

Life is hard, and a person has to be resilient. The one certain thing that never changes in life, is change. We are either moving forward or backward in our personal growth, we never are standing still. Our situation, behaviour, and lives are always changing, sometimes for the good, or not. Life is easier if I can find a way to accept, adapt and even welcome change.

The events that take place in life can feel very unfair, lucky, charmed, or just plain ruined, due to choices made, or circumstances that are beyond our control, and often, we are left with many questions, as to why this or that has happened, and wondering what the heck is going on, and what it all means.

In the Mythic Wheel of Fortune, this Major Arcana card speaks directly to this. The three women, the Moirai, are standing at the womb, and the tomb. These women represent the lunar phases, crescent, full, and dark, also symbolize the three stages of life, youth, middle and old age. They are performing different tasks relating to our lives, past, present and future.

Whatever happens in life, we can choose to believe that there is an orderly plan behind it all. If we choose to believe that these random events are not related to the idea of the 'Other' within our own psyche, it is difficult to make any sense of life, and can leave one feeling hopeless, and possibly bitter, looking for someone to blame. Regardless, the Wheel of Fortune heralds our inner journey, that brings growth, and creative change. There is a new phase in life, when we can create our own destiny, and a living a life we love.

My philosophy of life is to strive to be honest with myself, and with others, to keep an open mind, and to have a willingness to be willing. This approach enables me to feel confident in what the Moirai on the Wheel of Fortune have in store for me. If I change my mind, I am certain my misery will be refunded.

The Moirai - Wheel of Fortune

The Moirai or Fates are fascinating symbolic images found in the Wheel of Fortune, and were the incarnations of destiny and life. They remind me of the Three Graces or Muses,  and I suspect the Moirai carried over into the three theological Christian virtues, Faith, Hope, and Charity. Clotho was the Spinner, Lachesis the measurer and Artrpos the cutter whose name means 'she who cannot be avoided.'

Greek Mythology is about as confusing as family genealogy but even more so. For instance Uranus which symbolized the sky, was the primal Greek god. He was the son and mate of Gaea who symbolizes the earth and mother of all. Uranus had no father. According to Hesiod's  creation myth, Uranus was born of Gaea alone. Gaea was his sole parent. Weird eh? Makes no sense, but is all symbolic creation myth. But I do so love that Gaea was the mother of all.

The Moirai are the three deity sisters born of Zeus, the god of the sky and ruler over the gods of Olympia. It has also been said they had no father, but were the daughters of Ananke, the primeval goddess who was self-formed, as a Mother Goddess.
According to another myth, their mother was Themis the goddess of the divine order, and was " the messenger of the very first rules of conduct, established by the elder gods, and in the role of divine voice, she first instructed the primal laws of justice and morality to mankind."
 Themis was also the daughter of Uranus and Gaea. I think it would be safe to say that the Moirai had a rather divine mission.

Moirai-Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos

Predestination VS Empowerment - The Wheel of Fortune

Random or predestination is not something I don't believe in. Fate or chance is not the way I see things pertaining to my life. I am of the opinion that we make our own 'destiny ' in that I alone control what I choose to do with my life, and I make my own decisions.

We've all heard the old adages and cliches about destiny, but for me it is more helpful for me to concentrate on living in the present, understanding what I can or cannot control. Having a grateful attitude I can move forward and be happy. I can change and empower myself, so I am prepared for the what life has in store.

The Wheel of Fortune is the card I drew today. It makes me reflect on life, and how we all sometimes feel tossed on the sometimes calm or stormy seas. We wonder, " How the heck did I get here?, and where are we going to end up? There really is no firm or known answer to this question, but we can try to prepare ourselves, as best we can, not allowing fear of the future, or worry about the past  just prevents us from living life fully, in the present. This does not mean  I have no thought or concern for either the past or present, but I need to see it in a balance perspective, learning from the past, and being positive about the future, to enable constructive change and empowerment.

My hope, and prayer is that the decisions I make, and what I decide to do with my life, is and will be, in sync with what the God of my understanding knows what my future holds, and what changes lie ahead, whether these be 'good' or 'bad'.

 Regardless of which way the Wheel of Fortune turns, I want, and need to believe that it will bring growth. and a new phase in my life.

*I have an addendum to this post, as I started it yesterday and I didn't get to finish it. I had to go to town pay make a partial mortgage payment. I could not afford to  the whole remaining amount left, $297. Little did I know what was waiting for me. One of the loans officers saw me in line and we exchanged greetings, then disappeared. She came back out and showed me a note that she had written, and told me this is what was the remaining balance owing on my mortgage. It was 179$! I just about passed out, I stood there stunned not daring to think of the immediate possibility of actually being able to pay off my mortgage right there and then! I finally got up to the teller and showed her the note. She double checked it and everything was in order. I knew I had a share of what I thought was approximately $150 as I am a member of this local Credit Union. My immediate thought was to withdraw that and put to toward my remaining payment. The teller then informed me it was actually $240! Holy Magoly. So, I applied this to the $179 and withdrew the rest and closed that mortgage account! I was stunned with the realization that this had happened and I no longer had a mortgage! Free at last, free at last! Good God Almighty, free at last!

What a feeling! Talk about the Wheel of Fortune, and feeling empowered! I ran off to the grocery store got myself a good order of grub, even picked up a whole chicken,  and a whole flat of eggs, which I have been able to do for a long time!

After paying at the counter in the grocery store, which is a little mum and pop place with great deals, I had two boxes to carry out to the car, and a lovely young gentleman who didn't work there, offered to help me carry out the boxes. What a lovely day. The Wheel of Fortune turned for me the right way yesterday and I am so grateful for the big and the little blessings. The best Christmas present ever! I am more than ready for growth and that new phase of life!

This is my house in the middle, my little piece of Paradise.

The Wheel of Fortune - Hubris & Humility

Oh I had a feeling, and was hoping for a "good" card today. This is it I thought, The Wheel of Fortune! I haven't drawn this before for myself. I was excited or maybe I just had too much coffee!
A Major Arcana card, cause and effect, along with Karma are the operative words. Reaping what we sow, bla, bla, bla. Sorry, I know I sound jaded, and cynical but please hear me out.

Unknowingly until now, I've been thinking about all this meaning, present in the Wheel of Fortune, really, since yesterday, and today. Perhaps because I've been doing some readings for folks lately, that have caused me to contemplate my own life, but I do this a lot, in one way or another, because I am involved with reading the cards everyday, but I've always been introspective. I got that contemplating my navel thing, down pretty good!

The Wheel of Fortune's meanings makes me think, yes I agree, we do reap what we sow. But what about those of us who seem to frequently get more of our share of suffering, and difficulty? It is hard to make sense of it all. We can feel even like, there has got to be some kind of person responsible for this, and when it all goes bad, we want to lash out in anger, and find someone or something to blame, because it is unjust, unfair and even cruel. When it goes well, sometimes we forget to be grateful, to really appreciate what we do have.

I think it's important to acknowledge the unfairness, and the unjustness of life, and allow ourselves to be angry. Anger is a feeling and I think it is more productive to simply feel and accept our anger in order to let it go, so we don't live in the problem and allow resentment to enslave us, our attitude toward life, and the universe. But it is just as important to see and exemplify fairness, justice, kindness and mercy in the world.

Life certainly is not all flowers and roses. We don't want or need to hear a bunch a platitudes and psychobabble we find condescending, and that minimizes what we are going through. Usually, when we are  experience hard times, we just need someone to hear us, and listen, we don't want advice or and philosophical gobbleygoop. My spell check won't even accept that word! 

 I heard a program today on the radio about aging. This older gentleman called up, and said he uses a slogan often to help himself wade through the messes of life. " Now Here This ". This isn't a spelling mistake,  here refers to the here and now. He compared the past and future as being swamps, that we get stuck in, and can create more unhappiness than what we are already experiencing. What this wise man in his eighties said, gave me serious reflection.

There are definitely laws of nature we can't deny, mostly we don't understand them, and it requires a faith and trust in something mysterious, unseen and seemingly unknowable. There is nothing we can do to control these laws. I wonder, if we could in fact control these laws, and the cycle of life, what would happen?
 It probably wouldn't work out so well in the long run, I strongly suspect. Human beings don't seem to be able to make good choice when left to their own devices and without the help and guidance of a power greater than ourselves.

The Wheel of Fortune depicts the Moirai, the three fates, daughters of Mother Night, conceived without a father. They wove the thread of life in the darkness, and in the secrecy of a cave, symbolizing the womb. They represent the source of life itself, older than the oldest gods, with so much power, the king of gods Zeus, dares not to challenge them. The profound inner journey is heralded. and coming to terms with one's life, past, present and future.
 The Fool is now shaken from complacency and begins the inner journey of humility, that will lead him to his own source.

The Wheel of Fortune is a card of sudden change in fortune, be it bad or good. Rest assured, whatever way the Wheel turns, there will always be growth. I think this is the positive bit. Granted we must dig in to our inner resources personally. 

If we refuse to accept or challenge our circumstance by shaking our fists at God, we may be afflicted with what was called hubris, compounded with even more problems, due to our false pride, and even arrogance. What ever we are in denial of, becomes a harmful nemesis. You don't want to mess with a nemesis, believe me , I know. She is the spirit of divine retribution for hubris. She is a real drag, and will bring you down.

                                                            Nenesis - 1837 - Alfred Rethel

The Wheel of Fortune - Life-Death-Life Cycle

 In The Wheel of Fortune, the twelfth card in the Major Arcana, and ruled by Jupiter, it is the planet of expansion. We find of course of sudden fortune, power, movement and positive change . 

There is a cause and effect, as well, there is Karma. The old adage of what goes around comes around, is how I see the definition of Karma. The future depends on that which has gone before, according to the cyclical laws of nature and probability. There is a continuation of an ongoing pattern.

 Not unlike The Tower card there is a reaping of what is sewn, and there is an opening of a new cycle of fortune. The wheel turns, revealing the cycle of nature and life. We see in the Wheel of Fortune, (Fortuna) the three goddesses of Fate called Moirai. They have also been referred to as the mind, body, and spirit, or referring to the of life-death-life cycle. I am not one to believe in fate, or even luck. I do believe, we make our own destiny, though the Creator is always the One under control, if we turn our will over to the God of our own understanding.

Endless Cycle - Life and Deathby G1mm1ck