Page of Cups - Love Vs Ego

This Page gazes into the Golden Cup, seeing his mirror image. He is transfixed and enchanted by the beauty of his reflection. Seated on the bank of the river, he appears to be harmoniously surrounded by abundant, lush greenery, and flowers, with trees that look like they are embracing and drinking in the water, representing the spiritual realm.

Cups are connected to emotions, relationships, friendships and romance.
The Page of Cups is living in what looks like Paradise, but he does not take notice, as he is completely absorbed in looking at his own image in the cup. This Page is the young nymph Narcissus, who has fallen in love with his own reflection. He has been unaware of his own identity until now.

Trees for me, always symbolize friendship, and like the trees the roots of friendship run deep, and are all connected deep within the earth. Humans have a direct relationship with nature, which transcends into a spiritual relationship, as we are all part of the earth. It is impossible to separate ourselves from this fact, though in today's world, there exists a big disconnect, as we humans see ourselves as superior to nature. We some how believe that our primary purpose is to use, abuse, and exploit the natural world, and the good earth in whatever ways that are expedient to us.

The Page of Cups embodies the gentle beginnings of self-love, as opposed to the vain love that Narcissus represents. It is true, we are not able to love another, nor fully participate in a loving relationship, if we cannot love and accept who we are. The other extreme is about our egos being so self-absorbed, thinking we are superior, which never allows for happiness, peace of mind, or living a life in harmony with nature, where we are caring for and being good stewards of the world we live in.

Three of Pentacles - Compentent Professionalism

The Three of Pentacles is always a good reminder to have integrity, not just toward having a work ethic but in all aspects of my life.This card always speaks to me of completion, with the knowledge that there is still work and effort needed, to be put toward the tasks ahead. In other words, it is having a professional standard and attitude. This card also speaks of competency and hitting your stride.

I can't afford to take my successes for granted, and think I can now simply sit on my laurels. I must understand that I can not do whatever I want, whenever I want, without consequence, as this is a fatal flaw in any early success. At the same time I need to be cognizant of my limitations.

In today's world it seems difficult to find those who have a competent professional attitude toward the work they do, living life with integrity and principles. Many are very happy to take your money without completing a job or doing a task that is well done. We cannot however expect others to have professional integrity if we don't expect this from ourselves, and manifest it in our lives.

The King " Gimme " Pentacles

When I draw the King of Pentacles, embodied by the mythic King Midas, my mind promptly goes to the materialistic, capitalistic, corporate, money mongering, fat cats. There is more to this card than meets the eye. Oh there are those that are greedy, craving status, power and position, that seemingly have the Midas touch, similar to the King of Pentacles, and these types fit my description well, however there always exists two sides to every coin and card, both positive and negative.

King Midas was wise and pious, so it is said, and everything he touched turned to gold. He was ambitious and more that willing to work hard for what he wanted, in terms of material comfort and wealth. He was certainly never apologetic for his materialistic nature, and generally put this ahead of everything else, in particular his relationship with himself, others and with the gods.

He showed kindness to a drunk, Silenos, who was tutor to the god Dionysos, The Fool, so in my estimation he can't be all bad. However Midas seemed oblivious or in deep denial  about his own dark temptation toward corruption, and living the 'high' life that has preoccupied and consumed his thoughts.

Although he wanted recognition from others, which is what we all want, simply to be accepted by our peers,  loved by those we have relationships with. We all need to have our most basic and strongest human need met, and to have a sense of belonging, but King Midas got his priorities all screwed up, and has lost his perspective.

After showing kindness toward this drunk, Silenos, King Midas was rewarded by Dionysos, who granted him one wish. He wished for everything that he touched would turn to gold. Midas gave no thought, and had no foresight into what he was wishing for. The great King was starving to death because even his food and drink was turning to gold. Finally after some amusement by Dionysos he took pity on Midas and released him from the golden touch. He had learned the lesson about his own greed and reaching out for help, he managed to save himself from himself.

Love those you belong to.

Strength In Numbers - Kindness Can Turn Into Miracles

I drew the Strength card this morning after asking a question on behalf of a life long friend, who is going through some serious health problems.

When I see this Strength card I immediately relate it to having a personal strength of character, and having the ability and presence of mind to overcome adversity. After some very hard lessons and many years of trying to do things on my own, coping and fighting against weakness, I finally realized I didn't always have to be strong, and that it was perfectly acceptable, and even desirable to allow myself, and more importantly to accept my own weakness, and to ask for help when I needed it.

People are mostly, and usually more than happy to help in whatever way they can, if we will only ask. Suddenly we find that our weakness becomes strength, because we have had the courage to reach out.

Cutting my nose off to spite my face, having a stiff upper lip, or a stoic attitude, is not strength, it is false pride. We delude ourselves into thinking that we can do everything all on our own if we are just self-reliant enough. No one can be strong all the time, and no one is an island. We need one another, and we need to care for one another, as the Creator loves and cares for us. The old adage 'Strength in numbers' is very true, as is 'United we stand, divided we fall'. You often hear these repeated time and time again, because they are so very true.

Although it is important, that we ourselves ask for help, we in turn do not have to wait for another, to ask us for help, if it is needed. Never underestimate kindness. Kindness can turn into miracles, and we all could use a miracle, and it is a good thing to ask for one, or why not even ask for two?

Seven of Swords - Walk a Mile in My Guile

The Seven of Swords represents the application of mental energy toward what is called guile.This word caused me to look up it's meaning, which is often defined as having a negative connotation, related to treachery, lies, deceit and dishonesty to gain a desired end.

This card shows Orestes creeping into the palace at Argos, and about to commit matricide.
That said , the Seven of Swords gives a more accurate portrayal, and embodies the word guile. Here it is ambivalent in it's meaning, neither positive nor negative. Depending on the situation, and the individual's intentions, this is what the definitive answer is based upon. The Seven of Swords is calling for using brain over brawn.

I tend to like this definition of the word guile, from the Oxford Dictionary.

"Sly or cunning intelligence: he used all his guile and guts to free himself from the muddle he was in."

Most everyone at one time or another has had to use their guile and guts to free themselves from their muddles. I know I certainly have, on more than one occasion. Life can often require us to do this, where we need to be cautious, and sometimes the means can justify the ends, regardless if there exists a question of whether it is wrong or right. In some instances it may very well save our lives, or possibly the life of someone else.

I am not referring to destructive or immoral, manipulation, using or taking something good, and making it bad for our own purpose, especially when it involves taking advantage or victimizing others who are innocent. 

We may find ourselves feeling uncomfortable and conflicted ethically, but sometimes life may require that we develop the attributes of compromise, in order to survive, or to be successful. 
Taking the tactic of bullying our way through, will guarantee that we will achieve nothing. Or we can choose  diplomacy, tact and wit, as being the better option, that will likely prove to result in a best outcome.

 

Three of Swords - Recovery

A very disturbing and sorrowful image, is the Three of Swords. Initially you may wonder, what in the heck has gone wrong here? Why in the world has this individual (King Agamemnon) laying in his bath, been impaled by three swords, and he obviously has been murdered. It looks like a very abyssal and hopeless scenario, however this card is about moving beyond pain and suffering. It doesn't mean it won't be painful anymore, but it's about healing.

It is a relief to have everything out in the open, and recovery is not only possible, but has now begun, because the facts have been faced, though still painful, we can find strength, become more compassionate people, having made way for restoration and healing as we are no longer in  that state of paralysis, as embodied in the proceeding Two of Swords.  There is no room for continued resentment. It is a time for forgiveness toward others, and especially toward ourselves.

Our experiences help us to accept and love ourselves as whole people, with strengths and characteristic defects. We are not waiting for someone else to rescue us, and can now begin to learn what it means to become the heroine or hero of our own lives. Resolution is now possible, and the healing begins.

The Moon - Hecate The Goddess of Enchantment

Drawing the Moon card gives me a very good feeling. I've always been in love with the Moon. I think it may have something to do with the fact my Moon is in Pisces, according to my astrological chart, which makes intuition my best friend when I am right, and my worst enemy when I am wrong. Oh how true it is!
My Gemini Sun sign causes me to perhaps appear as a little eccentric or what I call a little wiggy.
The faces of the Moon is associated with self-esteem or one's identity, but I am quite comfortable in my wigginess, and don't much care about what people think. My loyal friends accept me as I am.

Finally the full moon is coming up this first week of March, on the 5th. I don't know exactly why, but I feel relieved and am looking forward to it. It has to do with the unconscious and intuition, which I am feeling very connected with these days. I've been trusting both more, and with more trust, comes an increase in intuition.


There is nothing certain in this card as Hecete, the goddess of the Underworld, and Apollo’s twin sister as Artemis, embodies confusion, uncertainty, the changing faces of life involving past, present and future, even the dark night of the soul, which we all experience at some point in our lives. From out of our confusion, the crab of truth will emerge.

Hecete controls the hidden things of nature. The light over her head symbolizes how she illuminates and brings wisdom, through faith and hope.

The Moon




ND, like a dying lady lean and pale,

Who totters forth, wrapp'd in a gauzy veil,

Out of her chamber, led by the insane

And feeble wanderings of her fading brain,

The moon arose up in the murky east

A white and shapeless mass.

 

II.

 

Art thou pale for weariness

Of climbing heaven and gazing on the earth,

Wandering companionless

Among the stars that have a different birth,

And ever changing, like a joyless eye

That finds no object worth its constancy? 

 

- Percy Bysshe Shelly