Tag: divination

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: Death

Notes on Death

(The Innocence of Death)

Artist’s Note on Death:
Death to me is a child eager for life. It wants to understand both the gift it gives and the gift it takes.
To others, it is a skeletal figure upon a white horse.
All will view Death differently, whether as a Threat or as a blessing or perhaps as just one more challenge to surpass and by doing so to grow
With each  person, a key is involved
How easily the key will move all depends on how open each person is to change,
Death, The Persona of Transformation is everchanging. Yet it is also one of the rare beings who can be said to be constant
 
About the Archetype:
 
In the Rider-Waite tarot deck, Death is shown riding a white horse. In its wake are the destroyed remains of a king and in its path is a praying clergyman, a young maiden with her body supplicating itself to the rider while her head is averted, and a young child offering death a flower. All of these are indicative of the various ways and stages in which we react to major life-altering changes. The king, by power and position, thinks he can command Death to stop only to get trampled. The Priest believes that prayer can avert the need to change and he is next to get trampled. The maiden offers herself to Death but only half-heartedly. She won’t survive so well either. It is the child who accepts whatever comes with an open heart that will survive.
 
Death is the transformation to a new stage through the purification of the old. We all go through these transformations. Our jobs become obsolete. Our relationships end. Our viewpoints and our lifestyles evolve as we grow. We have spiritual experiences that transform us. We fall in love. How we accept these changes goes a long way towards determining how far we can grow as people and as spiritual beings we are. The more we resist change, the harder the changes tend to be when they come, and the more we stagnate. It is only by being open to the flow of these changes that we can be open to the flow of life and spirit itself.
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
Scorpio (♏︎)-The Scorpio energy is one of intensity. It is passionate and lustful and yearns for knowledge. It is a secretive force and has a strong attraction towards the transformative. As such it has an attraction towards the mystical and may be drawn towards the mysteries of sex and death especially. While the scorpion with its regenerative powers and sting is well known as a Scorpio symbol, the snake and the eagle also are used to represent this energy. The snake represents both the sexual energy and the knowledge of life and death and the eagle which represents the spiritual life beyond transitory form. Scorpio is known for both its ability to see things through and its ability to see through things, penetrating them to their core.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When Death turns up in a reading, it usually indicates a major transformative change in the querent’s life or circumstances. Usually, one that demarcates a new chapter in their lives. These changes may include a peak experience, a divorce or break-up, the death of a loved one, or even a near-death experience itself. What is important is how the querent deals with the experience. Do they fight to kick and scream to hold onto life as they have known it or do they accept the changes and move on? Usually, when the Death card shows up it is a change that the querent cannot alter so coming to terms with it is necessary. The card can also indicate a fear of dying on the part of the querent. Carlos Castaneda’s teacher Don Juan, among many others has suggested that we keep in mind that we all will die someday and use our Death as an advisor and indeed it is just one more stage. Seldom tho does the card refer to the querent’s own Death tho it can often refer to the ending of a stage of their life. It can refer to a need for the querent to release the life they have lived to now in order to embrace the life they have.
 
 
 
Death reversed or badly aspected can often show a dramatic resistance to change. The querent may have grown complacent and lazy in their life holding back on living fully in order to stay safe and comfortable. It may also represent the querent refusing to acknowledge changes that have already happened and move on. It is almost as if they are haunting their past rather than living their present. It thus indicates the necessity for change. The reversed Death card can also represent a feeling of loss and grief. In this instance again it is mourning for the way things were.
 
–GR
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
Life and Death have always been dance partners who were inseparable. The aspect of life was usually depicted by a feminine figure while the aspect of death was usually represented by an asexual or masculine figure. Just like a dance, there is an equal push and pull as it persists. The idea of reincarnation was birthed from this philosophy. While it is argued what happens after death not a lot of physical proof exists to back a solid claim.
 
While it is obvious we will all die eventually it is overlooked that we have an enormous amount of micro deaths while we live our lives. Every change for better, or worse, requires we lose something so we can make room for it. This means every change we undergo is the death of part of our being or ego. This card shows that a part of our life is coming to an end. So this begs a question. How are you changing for better or worse?
 
  — NF

 

Four Pillars Society Tarot: The Hanged Man

Notes on The Hanged Man

(Sacrifice and Surrender)

Artist’s Note on Card:
The last trump Justice had more than a little to do with the idea of Personal Responsibility and the necessity of owning up to our past so that we can transcend it. The Hanged Man takes that idea and moves forward with it, asking if we are willing to give up what we have to get to where we want to go.
 
The card depicts a man hanging upside down from a tree suspended over water. His reflection almost seems to be coming out and emerging though that surely is a trick of the mind. After all when hanging upside down with blood rushing to your head, can you trust anything you sense? Most likely, before too long you would find yourself in a state of heightened reality.
 
Odin sacrificed an eye and hung upside down from the world tree for nine days and nights in order to receive wisdom and for his sacrifice of himself to himself, he received the wisdom of the runes. That is an interesting turn of phrase, isn’t it. Sacrificing oneself to oneself. Isn’t that something we each do in order to grow and develop almost every day? We sacrifice who we are for who we may become. It is only when we refuse to make this sacrifice and try to avoid growth that we find ourselves in difficulty. We start to stagnate and become caricatures of ourselves. The operative word there, being become for in the refusal to accept change and growth, we still change as we degrade further and further. Instead, let us die each day or even each moment so that a better us can constantly evolve.
 
–GAR
 
About the Archetype:
 
The Hanged Man is one of the most powerful images in the Major Arcana. In Norse mythology, Odin hung upside down from the world tree for nine days and nights in order to achieve wisdom and received the runes as a reward. In Christian lore, Peter insisted on being crucified upside down because he didn’t feel he was worthy of dying the same way as Jesus. The Hanged Man implies the sacrifice of the self to become something more. In many religions, there is the idea of the sacrificed deity that brings about the redemption of his followers.
 
What does sacrifice mean? It means giving up something to achieve something more. In this case, we give up something of ourselves to reach some kind of understanding.
 
If the Lovers represented the first meeting of the opposites in a relationship, then the Hanged Man represents the knowledge that in the relationship we must be willing to sacrifice who we are to join with our beloved and become something more. The ‘I’ must give way to the ‘We’. If the Lovers represents leaving home and building a life outside of the society we grew up in, the Hanged Man takes it to a deeper level where we must examine our internal values and determine which of them come from cultural conditioning and which are truly part of ourselves. In order to become who we truly are and who we are meant to be, we must be willing to sacrifice who we were. The self-reflected in the water symbolizes the image of who we could be if our external self and life truly reflected the internal. Thus in many ways, it is the realization of a need to change which leads to the path of enlightenment.
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
Water(▽) Planet Neptune (♆)-The Hanged Man, like The Fool and Judgement (or Aeon) cards, has a double astrological attribute, a planetary one and an elemental one. One of the reasons for this is that in the Hebrew alphabet (used in the tree of life) the letters are split into three groups. These are the three Mother letters (Aleph, Mem, and Shin which represent the elements Air, Water, and Fire), Seven Double letters (Beth, Gimel, Dalet, Koph, Peh, Resh, and Tau which represent the seven known planets Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Sun and Earth) and twelve Simple letters which represent the 12 signs of the zodiac. It all works rather nicely. However since these assignations were made three more planets were discovered in our solar system Uranus (whose astrological nature fits well with Air), Neptune (a planet with a decidedly Watery nature and influence), and Pluto (a fiery influence). Some readers, deck designers, and students of the tarot have connected the three planets with the three elemental cards. Since there is such a close fit and examination of any correlation can bring insight I include both possible influences in this writing.
 
Neptune’s influence is dreamy and illusory and governs among other things, insight and awareness that comes from a state of heightened or altered consciousness. This can be double-edged resulting in transformative experiences but also in its more negative form can lead to addiction and hitting the well too many times with little to show for it. Neptune influences our spirituality and beliefs and our intuition. It’s important to develop the discernment to know the difference between when our intuition and heightened states reveal the truth and when it reveals a message that is personal to our own development. Neptune also influences psychic receptivity and visions.
 
Water is the elementary influence over the signs, of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Water has an emotional, sensitive influence with hidden depths and currents. It can be dreamy and moody, compassionate or brooding, empathetic or self-indulgent all in its cycle. It flows into everything around it and can be boiled by fire (or extinguished by it), damned by earth (or interdependently nurturing towards it), and dispersed or interwoven by air.
 
 
In a reading:
 
The Hanged Man in a reading may indicate someone who is very independent with a unique take on the world. It may refer to someone who is breaking free of old conventional ways of being and becoming themselves. The Hanged Man can also mean that there is a delay and hold up in plans and the querent may need to reflect on whether what they are hoping for is really true to themselves or not. It may also indicate a transformative relationship for the querent where they will have to surrender a bit of how they see themselves in order to make the relationship work. This does not mean becoming someone who they are not but more a realization of how by bending they may become something more than they had known. The Hanged Man may also mean that the querent has to sacrifice something in order to get another thing that they want. In all of these cases, there is a vulnerability but also an opportunity for growth if one is willing to stretch and bend. The card can also represent delayed rather than instant gratification or surrendering of momentary pleasure for joy.
 
 
 
When the Hanged Man comes out reversed or badly aspected in a reading, it may indicate someone who is conforming to social expectations rather than living their more unconventional dreams. It may refer to inflexibility or moving forwards. It may also refer to the querent feeling as if they are sacrificing a lot and having nothing to show for it. It may mean a time in the querent’s life when they are reacting passively, waiting for life to happen rather than making it happen especially if they have to give up the comfort of their everyday life to do so. The inversed Hanged Man may also mean that someone is dwelling at the shallow end of their life and needs to find a deeper purpose.
 
Fate’s Whisper:
A lot of mystery surrounds the Astral Planes. Like any piece of complex machinery, we must understand that it is not a single construct but a series of smaller ones that work in harmony. Each realm, resident, and the part has a function to play in maintaining the balance of it all. When things don’t work their part it causes a ripple and chaos in its wake. To keep the chaos and order in check things are sometimes sacrificed to keep them in balance.
 
As you can see in the card a being’s projection is split in two and mirrored. Caught in the web he/she must sacrifice something to get out. The idea of getting out without consequence is not an option here. In life, we are faced with a decision to make a choice. Every option will take something from us so we must ask what do we want in the end. By looking at it this way we can choose the path that best suits us. The greater the height we strive for the more we will have to sacrifice to reach it. So what path will you pick?
 
–NF

 

Four Pillars Society Tarot: Justice

 

Notes on Justice

(It Comes and Goes)

 
Artist’s Notes on the Card:
The wheel is in motion and we chose to either spin it or spin on it. The question is this. Are we willing to take the consequences of our actions? For me, the concepts of Justice and Personal Responsibility tend to be entwined. Everything we do has consequences and none of our actions takes place in a vacuum. That being said, we all have the freedom to do anything we want. As long as we are willing to take responsibility for it. In the end, everything becomes part of the balance.
Yes, there is humour in this card. The Goddess of Justice is shown to be a chameleon, still blind and if you want to know her name, pay attention to the colours of the card. Those are the colours of this particular dream.
The ancient Egyptians believed that after they died, the jackal-headed god Anubis would weigh their hearts (representing their sin) against the weight of a feather. If the heart was too heavy, the afterlife would be rougher. Interesting how the only sins that count are the ones that weigh heavily on our hearts. Here, in place of the heart is a pregnancy test showing positive. Given how messed up, the average person in today’s age is around topics of sex and pregnancy, it seemed an appropriate representation of those sins.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
When we find ourselves on our own in this world we are faced with a number of choices. Even the smallest decisions can have lasting ramifications on our life. Occasionally we will make ones that seem to damage us in some way. We choose the wrong job or partner or develop habit-forming indulgences. We end up having to face the consequences of these decisions either circumstantially, emotionally, or mentally. Do we learn from our past missteps and take more responsibility for our choices armed with that knowledge? Do we overcompensate by choosing the exact opposite only to suffer a different set of consequences? How do we find a balance between the two and take full charge of our lives? This is the lesson of the Justice card.
 
In the long run the decisions we make really don’t matter as much as our willingness to claim them. Life will work with whatever we give it to teach us the lessons we need and growth is unavoidable. The greater our ability to take on the responsibility for our own spiritual and emotional growth, the faster it will happen. By accepting what life has taught us so far and using that to govern our further actions we find that balance within ourselves.
 
There are certain things that will happen to us such as natural disasters, injury, or sickness that we aren’t responsible for yet still have to deal with. Part of learning responsibility is realizing what is and isn’t our fault. While we might not be able to control these events, we can still control our response to them instead of falling into pits of self-pity or remorse. It is both in the act of response and how we respond to everything that we face in life that determines our growth. How fast can we adjust to the changes and regain our equilibrium?
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
Libra (♎︎)-Libra, symbolized by the scales, is the sign of harmony and balance. The Libra energy wants things to stay in balance and on an even keel and will do anything possible to reestablish things that have gone awry. Libra works best when it is in tandem with another. The Libra energy is intensely curious, especially about others and can be extremely charming. At times tho there is a tendency towards gossip, perhaps causing a bit of disharmony that can later balance out. Libra’s planetary ruler is Venus and love and beauty are strong motivators. The sign is the diplomat of the zodiac and works hard to find the best compromise between disputing factors. As an air sign communication is one of Libra’s gifts and it will talk its way out of difficulty.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When Justice turns up in a reading it can often mean that things are working out in a fair and balanced way. The querent is facing the natural consequences both positive and negative of his actions. It would benefit them to realize exactly how their past choices have brought them to this point. It can also mean that the querent is facing a decision that will have both major and minor consequences for them and they need to be very conscious of the direction that they choose. Justice means that it is time to be honest with oneself and others and encourages the querent to be fair in their dealings. It is a great opportunity for self-knowledge. It can also mean that there are legal issues at hand for the querent and that the outcome will be a fair one.
 
Inversed or badly aspected, the Justice card may indicate that there are ways in which the querent is being dishonest with himself and others. It may mean that they are refusing to take responsibility for what is happening and seeking to place the blame elsewhere. It may mean tho that the querent is facing dishonesty or unfairness from an outside source and is trying to deal with it as best as possible. Reversed Justice can mean that they need to take the high ground and act honourably even if others around them aren’t. It may also mean a legal decision that is not in the querent’s favour.
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
Karma originated as a force to assist the agents of death in judging souls after they died. This being would later be adopted in many cultures as many reincarnated souls would tell their recount in their encounters with this being. Born as one of the many tools the Spider of Fate used to enact change in its wake. While controversial among the higher brass nothing could be done since it was used within the confines of Energy’s Will.
 
If you will notice a pregnancy test took the place of the heart on the Scales of Judgement. In modern times this became the object of determining a time-chosen responsibility. Regardless of how it was made, just like Karma’s position to its creator, it is time whoever is involved it faced with a choice. To take responsibility for your actions and take the current state of consequences, or run and potentially make the end result better or worse based on your actions. Look at your options before you act after all justice is watching you carefully.
 

Four Pillars Society Tarot: Wheel of Fortune

Notes on The Wheel of Fortune

(Wheels Within Wheels)

Artist’s Notes on the Card:
 
To exist in space and time is to be caught up in cycles. There is the cycle of the seasons that is a reflection of the zodiacal cycles. There are the cycles of Morning, Noon and Night and cycles of the Moon. Each of these cycles comes with high points and low points and where we are in our own personal cycle can often feel like it is a random chance. Yet, if we can follow the signs and keep our wits and our humour about us, we can more easily navigate through the hard times and even enjoy their lessons. We can also deal with the easier times without expecting them to last or allowing them to make us soft for that is also a challenge. The more we can keep our inner selves in balance, the less we become slaves to circumstance.
For ultimately we embody the cycles as much as we are prey to them. This is as true in the greater game of life as it is in the games of chance that we play. Ultimately we make and generate our own luck as long as we realize that no matter how high a peak we reach, the nadir is just as low.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
There are many cliches about the cyclic nature of life. How season follows season and how what goes around comes around. One day we are on top of the world with a great job and relationship and the next this has all disappeared. These expressions like all cliches have a good deal of truth to them. Action follows consequence (and sometimes vice versa). Shiva continues his dance and the cycles continue. This is the lesson of Fortune’s Wheel.
 
Life is always in motion. Everywhere we look things move in a cyclic way. Whether it be our own biorhythmic cycles, seasonal changes, political changes (the rise and fall of countries and kingdoms) nothing stops. We need to accept that our lives work in a similarly cyclic way and try to gain perspective from outside the wheels that we find ourselves on. Otherwise too often it may feel like we are hamsters forever on the wheel subject to blind instinct and blind fate.
 
It is difficult at times to perceive our own responsibility in the constant spinning. It is our hands that often keep the wheel in motion and our actions or lack thereof may determine the consequences.
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
Astrological Correspondence-Jupiter (♃)– Jupiter guides our fortune and the areas in which we can be the most successful. Its energies point to the areas of interest that make our hearts sing. Jupiter’s location in our charts can be a strong indicator of where we wish to expand and our interests of exploration and study.
 
Jupiter encourages us to think deeply about our lives and to see where our strengths are. It helps us to determine our personal philosophy and spirituality. Jupiter is the force that encourages us to question deeply and to search for answers. It is an optimistic force that encourages our growth, expansion, and sense of adventure and play. Jupiter encourages us to experiment with ways of expanding our consciousness either chemically or with techniques such as yoga, tantra, or other forms of ritual. At its worst Jupiter can lead us to over-indulgence. It is at times associated with weight gain.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Wheel of Fortune occurs in a reading, it normally means that things are cycling around for the querent and that their circumstances are changing. Perhaps they have found themselves busy with little time for fun and now their schedule is opening up. Perhaps a relationship or a job is ending. How do they accept the changes that life brings them? This idea of acceptance is a major lesson of this card. For people who like to feel in control, the Wheel can be a bit uncomfortable as it means that the changes are unlikely to come from anything that they are doing but rather from forces outside of their control. Yet it is when the querent can roll with whatever has come around for them and they can keep their equilibrium no matter what happens that they can find themselves the happiest. Most often tho when this card is upright, it means that the changes are beneficial ones. Even when they do not seem so based on other cards in the reading or position, patience is always advised for the wheel never stops spinning.
 
 
 
Inversed or badly aspected, the Wheel can mean that the querent is struggling against the changes in their life. There seems to be a run of bad luck that can be due to either past choices that the bill is coming due for or outside interference. Either way, it is best to accept the change in circumstances and deal with how things are rather than try to recreate the past. This does not mean ignoring the examination of the sources of the change as much as it does dealing with the present. Reversed the Wheel can also mean that the querent needs to take responsibility for their lives as opposed to letting circumstances happen as they will. This can mean an examination of how the querent may be causing their own fortune or misfortune and seeing how any action may have far-reaching implications.
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
Every civilization and race or being is given the same cycle to redeem itself. When it is in the paradise phase, a time when prosperity is at its peak for everyone, the Dragon of Reality will send an emissary to gently warn of the danger ahead if a troublesome action keeps occurring. The Descent Phase, a time when the rift between beings isn’t as obvious but is more apparent in comparison to the previous phase, is when the Fish of Time sends prophets to instil fear so the event can be possibly be prevented words alone won’t solve anything. The Usurper Phase, a time when emotions are present about the rift between beings is noticeable but not at a problematic peak, is when the Tiger of Chance will awaken the insecurities of those who are struggling to bring a change for the better due to their circumstances. The Judgement Phase, a time when change is needed no matter the cost due to extreme stagnation being present, is when the Spider of Fate indiscriminately starts purging all living beings using anything and everything till the needed change happens.
Regardless of how big or small, we are all given a personal cycle. Some need harder measures to break out of these cycles while others learn quicker. Identifying what you cycle is key to your growth. After all the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. When change is needed this card can show you are working in the same cycle you have been running in. While this is neither good nor bad stagnation will eventually bring about problems regardless of how sweet the circumstances are. Change and grow into your personal “Infinity” there you will find the greatest source of fulfilment.
 

 

Four Pillars Society Tarot: The Lovers (Angelic Folly)

Notes on The Lovers (Angelic Folly)

Four Pillars Society Tarot by Gary Rosenberg (GAR) and Nyxsaurius Fallsong

Artist’s Notes:
 
Yang and Yin, Positive Space and Negative Space. The traits we exhibit and the Traits that we keep hidden within. What is the key to achieving the full manifestation of our potential? Can we indeed confront that shadowy being that is our compliment, our other self, the player on the other side?
 
Some of the oldest versions of this card show a man torn between two women. An older woman, representing the mother and the bubble of existence many of us find ourselves in our early years where we become formed and defined and a younger woman representing that attractive being who represents everything outside of the world we have known.  It has been theorized that the end goal of the rest of the Fool’s Journey is a reconciliation of these two opposites, introduced here.
 
As decks have evolved and changed, the cards are likely now to show some kind of union of these two opposites under the watchful gaze of an angel. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck shows Adam and Eve in the garden under the watchful eyes of the angel. Why not? Many of us who have married have found out that we have not begun to meet the stranger whom we have chosen until after the ceremony.
At any rate, growth continues and is accelerated through relationships particularly if they are healthy ones with both parties developing and evolving.  Thus in the picture, I show a wedding of a kind, with both participants only partially formed and the angel presiding it a bit more literal in shape. This is the key to the alchemical joining and only through time will both evolve.
–GAR
 
About the Archetype:
 
As children, we are governed mainly by those around us whether it be our parents or the society in which we are raised. These are represented in the tarot by The Empress, The Emperor, and the Hierophant. These influences act on us and give us a particular lens on the world. They tell us what is expected of us and almost everything we do is either in concordance or rebellion with these influences. Then one day we meet each other. We feel an intense attraction towards them. It may be either a sexual attraction towards someone of the opposite (or same) sex or just an intense interest. They were raised under a different lens than us with different influences. They are built differently and have different expectations of life. That can make everything we have believed up to this point come into question. Do we continue to endorse the viewpoints of our family and the society that raised us or do we embrace these new points of view? How can we continue to live in the manner that we are used to when we know that there is another, maybe a better way? We start to see the flaws in our parents’ outlooks and methods and challenge those whose authority we have never challenged before. We have come to a point where we recognize the need to make our own choices. Ultimately this may mean leaving home and going out to the other. It may mean finding a way to encompass both.
 
This time of choice is represented by The Lovers card. In older versions of the tarot, the card showed a young man choosing between an older darker-haired woman and a fair-haired younger woman. This represented the choice between his family and his lover. In Waite’s deck, as well as the picture here, this card was shown to represent a mature man and woman standing together (suggesting Eden). Aleister Crowley’s Thoth deck depicts an alchemical wedding which is also at its simplest, a joining together with the other.
 
Astrological Correspondence:
 
Astrological Attribution – Gemini (♊︎) – The Gemini influence is that of intellect and analysis. It loves to take things apart and discover what makes them work. Part of this is distinguishing one thing from another and Gemini is a very analytical sign. Gemini’s symbol is the twins and it can easily see both sides of a question and can vacillate between the two sides. Gemini’s Mercurial nature is shown by how quickly it moves from one subject to another, ever probing and learning more before it moves on to another. This may make it appear superficial tho with time Gemini’s understanding deepens. Gemini is quick to act and quick to react but no reaction no matter how infuriating is ever the last one.
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Lovers card shows up in a reading it can definitely indicate a strong romance that is either ongoing or on the horizon. This relationship goes well beyond the physical and can mean the type of lessons in understanding and harmonizing with one another that only such a relationship can give. It can also indicate a time of choice between two paths that are both compelling. This may be due to the prospect of such a relationship and can often mean choosing between the life that the querent is living now and a path totally new to them. The Lovers can indicate how important and essential your current relationship is to your life. The Lovers card may also represent any major choice that involves several layers of the querent’s life. Upright this often means they can choose confidently knowing that their decision will be the correct one. The card may indicate that the question is one of trust in one’s partner.
 
 
Reversed or badly aspected, the Lovers can mean that the querent is doubting the choices that they have made or is being tempted to make a choice that will ultimately prove challenging if not damaging. It may mean disharmony and temptations to split up. This may be due to trust issues. It may mean that a partnership is splitting up because the people involved have lost sight of the things that have brought them together in the first place. In a position in the reading indicating the past, the Lovers may refer to bitterness over past relationships that are hurting the querent now.
 
Fate’s Whisper:
The first thing one can see is a key. Is this one of the keys to the greater future or is it to an inevitable demise. Above it is easy to see the eyes of angels shrouded by lighting.
 
Loyal the the Dragon of Reality, their pride is only matched by their need to guard what they define as order. Originally they served the dragons used to carry out important messages, they served dragons till they would vanish from existence. With nothing to suppress them their ego became an insurmountable wall of virtue and pride. Thus becoming a true representation of choice.
 
Growing up we all hold that same key but we are suppressed by those above us, whether they mean to or not. Only when we stand for ourselves is when can use that key to form that future. So how will you use your key? Will you stay suppressed or will you let your colors out for all to see.

Our Unforeseen Paths

 

“If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it’s not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your path.”
― Joseph Campbell

 

Coming from a background of someone who has worked with and at divination with tarot cards and with other methods such as the I Ching, Bibliomancy, Tea Leaves and Runes, I have a rather strange relationship with the future. If I thought that what I was being shown was the definitive future by any of these methods I don’t know that I would continue using them. Oh I get a lot of insight for sure and most times I can tell what the most probable outcome of the situation will be. However there is always the chance that the person getting the reading will alter their trajectory, change their routines, learn from advice given and the outcome will change. Our paths are up to us to find and to make and to create each step of the way. Is some of it foreseeable? Yes for sure but we can always hit that unexpected moment and create something new. We do it all the time.
Blessings, G

 

Click on image to see full-sized:

 

A Satyr's DreamA Satyr’s Dream by G A Rosenberg

 

Green Midnight At the OasisGreen Midnight at the Oasis by G A Rosenberg

 

Unraveling the Fractal Patterns

 

“What we call chaos is just patterns we haven’t recognized. What we call random is just patterns we can’t decipher.”
― Chuck Palahniuk

 

The other day a friend of mine was talking about divination and how he was responsible for his future. I surprised him by agreeing. I do believe that the most that any form of divination be it tarot, astrology, i ching or oxen entrails can and will show us is the most likely thing to happen. We all tend to follow patterns that play out in all aspects of our lives. If you know someone’s patterns and at what point they are in them, it is very easy to see both what will probably happen next and what it would take to break the pattern. I have found that the tarot cards help me to intuit a person’s pattern and how it is playing out for them fairly easily. Depending on the spread and how well I am tuned into the reading, I can also see what is needed to break the pattern. This normally takes a strong effort of will and a lot of work as most of us develop our patterns at a very early age. I have worked hard at discovering and understanding my own patterns. While I have come a long way, I still have far to go at breaking some of the more destructive ones.
Blessings, G

 

Click on images to see full-sized:

 

Expansion ZoneExpansion Zone by G A Rosenberg

 

A Separate ExpansionA Separate Expansion by G A Rosenberg