Tag: I Ching

Tarot Post – King of Cups

 

King of Cups (Fire of Water)

 

KIng of Cups (N)King of Cups (Reimagined by G A Rosenberg)

 

Father of Wisdom
let me drink from your deep cup
and so, gain insight

The Cup King’s Lament

Another person helped.
They all speak to me
tell me their secrets
who they are
in their secret  hearts
They ask me ‘how?’
They ask me ‘why?’
and they ask me
‘what should I do?’
Most often when they talk
they tell me what they need to hear
I repeat it to them
and they leave
smiling
calling me wise
calling me understanding
calling me knowing
yet where are the words
I tell myself?
I listen and I understand
but I can’t act
tho the need for action compels me.
I consider and I feel
sometimes I even know
or understand
but what are the words
that will move me?
— G A Rosenberg

 

The suite of Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions.Kings are the leaders, the shakers, the initiatory force or person that get things moving. The King of Cups is thus active in receptivity. He listens with patience and tolerance and is known for his wise council. He moves with grace and lives up to the Bruce Lee adage “Be Like Water”. He flows this way and that and finds many things he enjoys but few either deep or lasting. He is calm, honest and understanding and often is a healer or therapist. He also tends to be very self-contained. So contained in fact that tho he may feel the need to take action, he often finds it difficult to do so preferring his internal life. He may dream of a life of action but lives it vicariously through the help he gives to others.

 

Astrological Correspondence: 21° Aquarius – 20° Pisces Elemental: Fire of Water – This combination of Aquarian and Piscean traits tends to be romantic and visionary tho may find things of a practical nature to be more of a challenge. They would have amazing insight tho be rather difficult to move when they do take a stance. There may be a tendency towards escapism with this combination as well, either in chemicals or alcohol or in the drugs of romance and sex. Because there is an aspect of their nature that is both attracting and attracted, they may find themselves often in romantic understandings. Still they have an intuitive knack for finding their way through difficult conversations with others.

 

I Ching Correspondence – 54) Kwei Mei – The Marrying Maiden

___ ___
___ ___
_______
___ ___
_______
_______

 

The trigram for Thunder is over that of the Lake . The Lake is still, open to the stirrings of the Wind and the Thunder and yet mindful of how it is influenced by them. There is a need to balance the external force and fury with internal calm and forbearance and be fluid enough to bear whatever may be encountered while having his essential self unmoved by it. There is an intuitive grasp of relationships both internal and external and a realization how they may be affected by external forces.

 

When the King of Cups turns up in a reading, it may be speaking of someone who is looking to you for advice and objective council. It may also refer to someone who can advise you and who may be able to influence your situation for the better. The King of Cups may also refer to a time when you find yourself frustrated because you desire to take action but either cannot decide what action to take (especially in a romantic situation) or cannot bring yourself to do so. The card may also refer to a time when things are very romantically fluid for you.

 

The King of Cups reversed in a reading may be referring to someone in your environment who is unreliable and untrustworthy or very manipulative. While they may be quite charming they may also be quite moody. The card may also be speaking to someone who is being unfaithful or a time when we may have been unfaithful in our relationships. The reversed King of Cups may also involve a time in our lives when we or someone close to us are letting our emotions control rather than having any kind of equanimity.

 

Like Me on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/WakingSpirals

Tarot Post – Prince of Wands

 

 

Prince of Wands (Air of Fire)

 

Prince of WandsPrince of Wands (Revised) by G A Rosenberg

 

Burning to create
His passion fueled by new thought
The eternal quest

 

Self-directed
Beholden to no one
I build my flame
and speed of movement
I devour everything in my path
yet do it with a love and passion
deeper than any you’ve known

 

Mind-stimulating
Seducing your senses
I tell you reasons
that lie beyond madness
I dance swiftly body and mind
yet do it with logic and voice
sweeter than any you’ve known

 

All-Sides Seeing
Committed to Nothing
I argue any position
and take it in stride
I glow with brilliant intensity
yet do it with humour and jest
warmer than any you’ve known

 

The suite of Wands deal with force-creative, spiritual, and vital and are associated with the element of Fire. Princes deal with the transmission and the endurance of the energy, the result of the union of the King’s Force and the Queen’s generative and nurturing of the energy. He combines the spirituality intrinsic to Wands with the quality of intellect inherent to the Princes. He is generous and honourable yet mischievous and tormenting. He is swift in movement and in his interests and his energy can cover a lot of diverse ground very quickly. He has an amazing and constant sense of humour and sees the funny side to just about anything and while he may seem cruel in his jests he is seldom ill-intentioned. Due to his innate ability to read others, he can often sense just how far he can take the joke without going overboard. He is romantic and loves to be exposed to anything that is novel and new including cultures and beliefs. At his worst he will descend into cruelty and sadism and leave behind scorched wreckage in his wake.

 

Astrological Correspondence: 21° Cancer – 20° Leo Elemental: Air of Fire – This combination of Cancer and Leo qualities could be seen as a mystical extrovert. Ever able to create spiritual connections and then communicate them outward. He would have a love and appreciation of beauty but due to his ability to see beyond the surface he would be able to perceive beauty where others would not. He may be seen to have many ideas that are extreme and unusual in nature tho due to his charismatic nature he will always have people who will listen to him.

 

I Ching – 56) Lu – The Wanderer

_______
___ ___
_______
_______
___ ___
___ ___

 

The hexagram for Fire is over that of the Mountain. As fire spreads over the mountain swiftly, this hexagram speaks about constant movement as a way of continuing abundance. In this way more can be learned including the ways in which one must modify their behaviour when among strangers. Usually this hexagram speaks of things of short duration such as lawsuits but can also represent that once we have experienced what we have come to any particular place to experience then it is time to continue onward.

 

The Prince of Wands in a reading can often refer to a person or energy who is going to change your world oft times in a very literal sense. This card can often signify a change in residence or environment. It often refers to an energy that springs into your life with little or no warning. This energy is often difficult to resist so it is best to let ourselves get swept up into things so that they can be taken care of in the best way possible.The Prince of Wands can also refer to a new project that we should approach with lots of enthusiasm but not so much that we lose sight of the objectives. With this energy, honest and realistic communication oft becomes a necessity

 

When the Prince of Wands turns up reversed in a reading, it can mean that things have gone awry and are in a state of confusion. It may mean that we have been expecting things around us to fall into place and have become thrown when we have not met with the cooperation that we have been expecting. Usually this happens when we have failed to pay attention to details. The Reversed Prince of Wands may also mean that we find ourselves facing unexpected delays

 
Like me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WakingSpirals

Tarot Post – Queen of Wands

 

Queen of Wands (Water of Fire)

 

Queen of WandsQueen of Wands (Revised) by G A Rosenberg

 

Passionate Goddess
whose strength eases troubled souls
take me to new heights

 

I stand here guarding her heart
the heat almost more than I can stand
She contains the universe
and I hungrily await her command.

 

She is the fire that brings warmth
Creative urges ignite by her glance
Yet her eyes fall on others never me
Loyally I hold my stance

 

Still I dream of what could be
Our passions burning in the long night
My soul inspired by her touch
Her heat my being does ignite

 

My vision will remain just that
A goddess cares not for one knight’s passion
I stand her guarding her being
My fantasies left ashen..

  — G A Rosenberg  “Volcano Queen’s Knight”

 

Note: Tho I may use the words she and he when speaking of the court cards, a Queen can often refer to a man as a King or Prince a woman.
The suite of Wands deal with force-creative, spiritual, and vital and are associated with the element of Fire. Queens are the receptive and nurturing form of the energy. The Queen of Wands is a creative and enticing muse. She can adapt to almost anything and has an appreciation for life lived to its fullest. She is generous and kind tho she is very used to having her own way through sheer presence. When she is opposed she can become quite vicious especially once she has a chance to brood on it. She is great in crisis situations due to her unflappability and take charge attitude.

 

Astrological Correspondence: 21° Pisces – 20° Aries Elemental: Water of Fire
The influence of the third decan of Pisces gives the Queen of Wands a visionary quality and the drive to be recognized tho a bit of cognitive dissonance between the world imagined and the world lived in.
The influence of the first two decans of Aries gives the drive to constantly push forward and be in the forefront. The Queen of Wands also gets the quality of attraction from this influence and a relentlessness for the world around her to acquiesce to her vision of it and a combination of dismissal and depression when it does not.
Like the combination of Water and Fire, that she is, the Queen of Wands may be a study in contrasts, generous and impatient, lively but with the tendency towards brooding and depression, good-humoured except when crossed.

 

I Ching Correspondence – 17) Sui – Following –

___ ___
_______
_______
___ ___
___ ___
_______

 

The trigram of the Lake is over that of Thunder. This hexagram talks about learning to lead by following and persevering in what is right. By serving others (including our own impulses) we learn to pay attention to what is essential. This same attention to detail and steadfastness will help us achieve our goals which will result in others wishing to follow our success in order to achieve their own. Also by impressing others with the qualities we bring in our service to them, we inspire them to follow to learn how to develop these inner qualities in themselves. Sometimes when one has achieved success the only challenge that remains is inspiring others how to do the same.

 

When the Queen of Wands shows up in a reading, it possibly refers to someone who is willing to nurture us in our artistic and generative capacities. This may refer to someone who will either inspire us or give us good advice. It may refer to a time in our life when we are more inspiring than we are steadfast or loyal and our patience may possibly be tested by those around us. It may refer to a time of crisis in which we are keeping our heads and helping others or we have someone around willing to take charge for us

 

The Queen of Wands reversed in a reading may be speaking about someone who has been unfaithful to us. It can also refer to a time in our lives when we have had way too much put upon us and while normally good in a crisis, we are losing it out of frustration. This may refer not to ourselves but to someone in our environment. This card may also refer to someone who is possessive and controlling, vindictive and / or unable to trust.

Tarot Post – King of Wands

King of Wands (Fire of Fire)

KIng of Wands (N)King of Wands (Reimagined) by G A Rosenberg

Lead with passion’s grace
Mastery of the fire
tempers rulership

 

Come join me
You know your way will fail
while mine is glorious!
I will create our futures
and blaze a wide trail
doing things in ways
No one else has conceived of.
Let’s go!
the quest awaits
and yes there’ll be danger
but we’ve seen worse
Are you coming or not?

 

The suite of Wands deal with force-creative, spiritual, and vital and are associated with the element of Fire. Kings are the leaders, the shakers, the initiatory force or person that get things moving and are associated with the element of Fire. The King of Wands is someone who will gladly sweep you along in his path. He will pull you along on adventure after adventure and after you encounter him you will see life in a totally different way. He is a leader and wants everyone to come along on his journey. You may easily find yourself consumed by his intensity. He may not follow the adventure through to the end or want to stick around very long before beginning a new endeavour. His inspiration is likely to be in the area of spirituality, teaching, challenging and infuriating those he encounters with both his brilliant insights and his brutal putdowns of those with whom he disagrees.At his worst, the King of Wands can be quite intolerant of the views of others with a cruel and bigoted streak. Despite these tendencies tho, the King of Wands is difficult to dislike as we all tend to be drawn towards his bright flame.

 He has amazing ideas even if he hasn’t laid the groundwork for them and lacks the steadfastness to follow them through to the end. He will be on to something else fast enough.

Astrological Correspondence: 21° Scorpio – 20° Sagittarius Elemental: Fire of Fire
The Court cards according to the Golden Dawn among other sources have a corresponding influence that goes from the third decan of one sign through the second decan of the next.
Thus the King of Wands has a Scorpio influence that gives him his strong will and generous and caring nature that tempers his Sagittarius love of adventure and impetuosity.
The King of Wands therefore will care deeply about whatever adventure he is currently engaged in and then in a lightning flash will switch to another endeavour of which he is equally passionate about.

 

I Ching Correspondence – 51) Zhen – Taking Action / The Arousing (Thunder) –

___ ___
___ ___
_______
___ ___
___ ___
_______

 

The trigram for Thunder is doubled. This hexagram represents the energetic older son who powerfully seizes the reins of power. Thunder when its doubled doubles its energy. Tho the sound may startle, it is a temporary fear that fills us with joy as it passes, the equivalent of the universe jumping out from behind a corner and yelling “BOO!”. How many of us were told as little kids that when we heard thunder it was the angels bowling. My sister and I would gleefully call out whenever we heard something loud enough to be a strike. Sometimes in order to accept the new, we must first be shocked out of our complacency with the way things have been. After the shock, we need to take stock and see how our perspective has changed before continuing onwards.

 

Quite often when the King of Wands shows up in a reading, it refers to someone who is very creative and intense and who carries us along in his (or her) wake. It may also mean that these are qualities that we need to find within ourselves during this period of our lives. This energy is visionary and conceptual rather than detail oriented. If this refers to a person in our lives, it may be someone who is expecting us to take care of the details while they do the creative work.

 

When the King of Wands shows up reversed, we may be encountering someone who cannot see beyond their own vision. They may be selfish, greedy, bad-tempered and bigoted not wishing to either share credit or see value in the ideas of others. It may also mean that we have temporarily lost sight of our objectives and are not listening to others.

Tarot Post – Ten of Pentacles

 

Ten of Pentacles (Wealth)

Ten of PentaclesTen of Pentacles (Revised) by G A Rosenberg

Fulfillment of life
Living as wishes come true
Forever after

 

All dreams have come true
Honour the source in your heart
continue in grace

 

Having it all
this life, this land, this house
this tree that grew from seed
is more abundance than I ever dreamed.
What shall we do with it?
If we horde it it will turn to stone
as will our hearts
what good is a well that is only filled?
or a vine never allowed to seed?
Our channels must be clear
and abundance shared.
From the tree must come the seeds of many
as the cycle begins anew.

 

The suit of Pentacles refers to the element of Earth and of practical matters such as money and partnerships both of a business nature and of the home. They can also represent nature, the Earth itself as well as our bodies. Tens show the ultimate completion of the energy involved leading ultimately to a new beginning. Here the seed that was the Ace of Pentacles has bloomed into a mighty tree and material goods and nature are in abundance. Yet what good are riches that are never used? What good is an abundance of fruit and vegetables if none are fed by them? Everything that we have that remains utilized for the good of all may as well be stone and fields left unharvested will putrefy. Eventually out of the rot and through the stone a seed will push its way through starting off a new cycle.

 

Astrological Correspondence – Mercury in Virgo -This is a deliberate detailed energy that tends to be very self-contained yet often loses the forest for the trees. While good at communication the Mercury in Virgo energy seeks to know the full-story before it will be helpful. It tends towards sterile abstract thought more than creativity or practical matters. In its best aspects once it has seen the whole story, it can then see how all the puzzle pieces fit together. The biggest drawback with the Mercury in Virgo energy is that it tends to over intellectualize and this can block its sense of compassion

 

I Ching Correspondence – 19) Lin – Approach

___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
_______
_______

 

The Trigram of Earth is over that of The Lake. The Lake nurtures the earth and as long as those who have abundance in either knowledge or material goods has a way of sharing what they have with others less fortunate than all will prosper. Indeed, not only is it necessary to share the goods that one has, but a good leader shares the knowledge of how to have abundance with all. This generosity of knowledge and goods must be as inexhaustible as the Lake is in its feeding of the earth.

 

The Ten of Pentacles in a reading means often that the cycle has come to a successful conclusion and all the effort has borne fruit. It is now a period to enjoy the fruits of our labour and to savour every moment of it. With this energy we have a keen appreciation for the beauty in our life and our surroundings. We feel the pride and enjoyment of what we’ve accomplished and that provides impetus for the next cycle to come. This card can also indicate that we have given up risk for security as in avoiding adventure by remaining in the comfort of one’s home and family.

 

When the Ten of Pentacles turns up reversed, it may mean that we have left our comfortable life behind to partake of a new adventure. It may also mean that there has been a delay in realizing the full potential of our dream or something that is blocking us from realizing it. Ten of Pentacles in the reversed position may also mean that we have this beauty and abundance all around us but we are taking it for granted or not utilizing it to its best potential. The card may also mean that out of boredom and entitlement we have been taking foolish risks or behaving badly.

 

Like me on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/WakingSpirals

Tarot Post – Ten of Swords

 

Ten of Swords (Ruin)

 

Ten of SwordsTen of Swords (Revised) by G A Rosenberg

 

The swords have fallen
Painful wounds from head to toe
Better luck next time

Coda
lying here
in blood my own
I didn’t see that one coming
I guess
you miss
the signs
sometimes
tho I set it up
My life
always thinking
my way out
of trouble
and into worse
loving conflict
a disaster waiting to happen
and it DID
Now the puppet
with strings cut
has reached the end
At least
now suspense has gone
of when and who and where
Ruined
here now me
with nothing
yet now
something new

— G A Rosenberg

 

The suit of Swords represents thought, ideas, plans and conflicts. Tens show the ultimate completion of the energy involved leading ultimately to a new beginning. The energy of the Ten of Swords is somewhat reminiscent of the cliche “Live by the sword, die by the sword”. If conflict is all you ever know then ultimately it will end with ruin as every aspect of your life results in a conflict that can’t be won. Likewise the ultimate result of being in a state of constant internal conflict is a ruination of thought especially when we ignore how the inner conflicts impact on our external lives. Nothing is ever permanently destroyed, however. Ruination leads eventually to a new beginning with a clear playing field. After all after ruin, there is nothing else to lose

 

Astrological Correspondance – Sun in Gemini- This energy is an extremely mutable and active one, ever dancing from one idea to the next never stopping to rest. Sun in Gemini loves to reinvent itself, establishing a new way of being even as it leads the old one to fend for itself even if it means leaving it to ruin. Gemini being the sign of the twins tends to be of two minds in just about every area often in conflict with itself tho very rarely is the conflict taken as seriously by the Sun in Gemini as it is by the others drawn into the conflict.

 

I Ching Correspondance – 29) K’an-Abysmal

___ ___
_______
___ ___
___ ___
_______
___ ___

 

The Trigram for Water is doubled. In this case K’an is not only thought of as water but as a pit or darkness. In this case it is a double case of danger where conflict after conflict rears its head. It feels like one has fallen and kept falling where there may be no foreseeable end in sight but we know when we hit, we are going to hit hard and probably fatally. In this situation where we know that things are about as bad as they can be, about all we can do is hold on to anything good and positive within ourselves and follow it through to the end.

 

When the Ten of Swords comes up in a reading, it means that things have become about as bad as they can be. Almost anything that we’ve considered important has been taken from us and there is very little if anything left to lose. In some cases, it may be a matter of disappointment as something that we have set up for ourselves has failed to materialize but then how realistic were we in the first place? This card may be reflecting worries and fears that we have rather than the actuality of ruin so it is good to see both the position and the other cards surrounding the Ten of Swords to gather more insight. However the best thing about the feeling that there is nothing left to lose is that if we’re still here than there is the chance of rebuilding again from the ground up and establishing a new life, informed by our past, without the circumstances and problems that led to things collapsing in the first place.

 

The Ten of Swords reversed in a reading may mean that the collapse has happened and the new beginning has started. It can also mean that we have been managing barely to stave off the total disaster that is hovering over us and either we need to extricate ourselves from either the situations or mindsets that are causing conflict or things will become dire. In either case Ten of Swords reversed shows a need for clarity on how we want our lives to be and the follow-through to take the necessary steps to avoid the circumstances that we have just come through.

Tarot Post – Ten of Cups

 

Ten of Cups (Satiety )

 

G`Ten of Cups (Revised) by G A Rosenberg

 

Joy is in the house
Love and happiness in tune
Celebrations start.

 

Being
here with you
with them
is everything I ever dreamed
and carried inside of me
fulfilled
I’ve been swept by a wave of expression
in beauty
with you
What else could I dream for
or hope for
or yearn for
For what should I strive?
I was told
that I could live my dreams
with work and perseverance
and here we are
Life has filled me to the brim
No hunger from the past
remains unsatisfied

 

The suite of Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions. Tens show the ultimate completion of the energy involved leading ultimately to a new beginning. The Ten of Cups shows the complete fulfilment of our emotions. We have everything we may have wished for in our lives and everything that we believed would fulfill us in terms of family life and appreciation of the beauty around us. We feel as if we’ve been touched by grace. However, satisfaction in one area of our lives is not the same as self-actualization and there is that in us which strives for more than ‘Happily ever after’. Eventually this satiation will yield to a hunger for something greater.

 

Astrological Correspondence – Mars in Pisces – This energy is quiet almost passive seeming to have no wants and a willingness to go along with whatever it encounters. Its not that it has no wants as that its wants are fleeting things, momentary itches as opposed to burns and easily sublimated to the happiness of others around it. However if these desires are too often frustrated without any outlet, this energy may respond in a passive-agressive manner. Quite often Mars in Pisces can be quite scattered if it does not have some form of higher purpose or deeper meaning inspiring it and giving it purpose. This energy quite often desires nothing more than a total merging with another.

 

I Ching Correspondence – 58) Dui – Joyful

___ ___
_______
_______
___ ___
_______
_______

 

The trigram of the Lake is doubled. Two lakes that run together constantly refresh each other. People in harmony and joy do the same especially when each of them keep bringing new things to the table in order for there to be further growth and greater understanding and yes continued joy. If there is nothing new fed into the situation than even combined bodies of water will stagnate. Joy is not an end result as much as it is a new springboard.

 

The Ten of Cups in a reading can show that this is a time of harmony and enjoyment particularly in the areas of love, relationships and family. This often comes as a culmination of a long series of events. This care may also hold the promise for this type of fulfilling relationship. The Ten of Cups may also indicate that there is a commitment and marriage in the offering. This card may indicate a need to take the surface enjoyment of love and family and use it as a springboard to a new level of awareness.

 

When the Ten of Cups turns up reversed in a reading, it can mean that something is blocking the happiness shown in the card. Perhaps we have developed a problem with how we related to our loved ones and family. Perhaps we feel like we have lost the ‘closeness’ we once had or that there is something lacking in our life that we need to pursue separately from the family unit. The card reversed may also mean that we are neglecting our family in pursuit of material or other goals. It is often a call to introspect and discover what our values are or have become.

Tarot Post – Ten of Wands

 

Ten of Wands (Oppression)

 

Ten of WandsTen of Wands (Revised) by G A Rosenberg

 

Carying too much?
Continuing to the end
inspires others

 
__________________

Feeling Life’s Burdens?
Remove Problems From The Top
Avoid The Collapse

 
___________________

Tho I am weary
My Duty will keep me here
eternally trapped

 

Vanquished by my own success
Foes conquered and kingdom won
I thought I’d leave when all was done
I was begged to stay and rule
I said yes, Oh what a fool
Short time only, then I’d leave
When I told myself this, did I believe
that conflicts end when enemies dead
Diplomacy rears its ugly head
Aristocrats, Politicos
The people, yes what of those
Every day a new decision
every day some new derision
from trying to please everyone
and failing, oh what had I done?
Tyrant, now they call me
why didn’t I just flee
when I still had the chance
to continue on the adventurer’s dance
and monsters slay and maiden’s win
but here I stay would be a sin
to abdicate responsibility
would mean surrender what is me
So burdened now I rule unwell
and can’t escape this royal hell.

 

The suite of Wands deal with force-creative, spiritual, and vital. Tens show the ultimate completion of the energy involved leading ultimately to a new beginning. Here the creative spirit and force has no new battles to be won. The creative work has been accomplished. All the burdens we’ve taken on are there but none of the challenges that have brought us here. Our routine has become a burden to us and in many cases it has made us bitter towards those around us adding still more to the burden. If only we could lay everything down (throw it away or even let it collapse) and just take off to when every day was new and unexpected and we had to work for everything. But no, we tell ourselves, we have responsibilities. We know this can’t go on forever that one way or another it will collapse but even though we may be happier if we did, we dutifully stave it off as long as we.

 

Astrological Correspondence – Saturn in Sagittarius – This energy takes itself very seriously. It works hard and wishes to provide for others especially when it comes to imparting knowledge. It is resistant and slow to change. Saturn in Sagittarius has a strong sense of duty and can appear rather humourless at times. It can paint itself into a corner with its own logic but it will stay in that corner believing that to adapt a different viewpoint would be to abandon what it always believed and.

 

I Ching Correspondence – 54) Gui Mei – Marrying Maiden

___ ___
___ ___
_______
___ ___
_______
_______

 

The trigram for Thunder is over that of the Lake. Much as the water of the lake follows the force of the thunder and a secondary wife is under both the primary wife and her husband, this hexagram speaks of following one’s duties responsibly and submitting to them no matter what we may really wish to do. For the young wife to leave would throw the household into chaos and bring dishonour to her family. So she feels she must sublimate herself to her responsibilities.This hexagram says no favourable outcome and indeed it is the type of situation that will either end in unhappiness or misfortune.

 

When the Ten of Wands turns up in a reading it often means that we have taken too much on ourselves and find ourselves unwilling or unable to drop anything. Eventually if our burden is not lightened, we will collapse under the weight of what we have to get done. Sometimes when this card occurs it is more of a feeling of being overwhelmed more than a fact that we cannot do what is expected of us. Quite often this card tells us to drop what we are doing if only for a moment, step back and see whether there is really something that we can delegate to someone else.

 

The Ten of Wands reversed in a reading may mean that the oppression has been lifted and the responsibilities seen through. Will we dive right back into the fray and overburden ourselves again or will we have learned from the situation. The reversed Ten of Wands may also mean that the burden has been increased to the breaking point where if something isn’t lifted off of our shoulders, it will soon become disastrous.

Tarot Post – Nine of Pentacles

 

Nine of Pentacles (Gain)

 

Nine of PentaclesNine of Pentacles (Revised) by G A Rosenberg

 

Residing in peace
Fulfillment well becomes you
On to the next thing

 

Once all your needs are fulfilled where will you go?
What new roads may you find in your garden?
New seeds sown and new thoughts planted
new paths sought
yet still the old beauty remains
Who else could have achieved this perfection?
Who else now to enjoy what you’ve earned?
Your hard work and  careful planning
inner beauty directed
and now the enjoyment begins.

 

The suit of Pentacles refers to the element of Earth and of practical matters such as money and partnerships both of a business nature and of the home. They can also represent nature, the Earth itself as well as our bodies. The Nines represent a coming to completion of the energy involved if not the completion itself. The Nine of Pentacles shows us a time when we have achieved our material goals through a combination of discipline, hard work and harmonizing with our environment. We can now enjoy the products of our labour at our leisure. We can also share with others this bounty and enjoy their appreciation. However there is only so long that we can sit and reflect on what we have done. Old achievements may pale without new challenges to guide us onward and we may need to go beyond the world of the senses to find this challenge. All of this we contemplate while walking in the beautiful garden of our success.

 

Astrological Correspondence – Venus in Virgo – This energy is attentive in all ways large and small. Venus in Virgo is always willing to help in practical matters. It is not overly emotive but it loves beauty and harmony and order. Venus in Virgo tends away towards spontaneity, believing that steadfastness is a more important virtue. It does not need a partner to achieve success, balance or harmony. Through attention to detail, it knows how to do the little things that matters to another so much and will often seem to be several jumps ahead in any relationship it finds itself in.

 

I Ching Correspondence – 51) Jian – Gradual Development –

_______
_______
___ ___
_______
___ ___
___ ___

 

The trigram of Wood is over that of the Mountain. This hexagram talks about a gradual growth and development until fullness is reached. Everything comes in its time and once it is reached then it can be truly enjoyed (appreciated in its fullness). If things are still for too long then stagnation can occur but as long as a steady progress continues then there is benefit. There is much in this hexagram that speaks of enjoying everything in its proper order and sequence including the end result.

 

The Nine of Pentacles in a reading may show that material success and enjoyment of this success is now a possibility in our lives. Through self-discipline and attention to detail we can now achieve our goals. This card may also mean that a project we have been working on is close to completion. The Nine of Pentacles in the past may refer to someone who ‘has it all’ but is not satisfied in their lives. They may need to seek something of a more spiritual nature to fulfill them.

 

When the Nine of Pentacles turns up reversed in a reading we may have reached a time when despite our best efforts, our work is not paying off. It can also refer to difficulty with learning to discipline ourselves and developing focus. This may be as a result of lack of confidence in ourself. Another meaning of the Nine of Pentacles reversed is that we have come to value spontaneity over careful planning and attention to detail.

Tarot Post – Nine of Swords

 

Nine of Swords (Cruelty)

 

Nine of SwordsNine of Swords (Cruelty) by G A Rosenberg

 

Waking to despair
Swords of fear pointed towards you
Acceptance brings hope.

 

Awake with the horror
of what may happen
of what did happen
and feeling unsafe
and unwell
frightened and lost
It’s all in my head
that does not stop the visions tho
Why do I do this to myself?
All these little things that can happen
I pick them apart and find still more.
self-doubt, anxiety
circle like sharks
hungry to feed
It all can be lost so easily.
What if it is?
What if every disaster
I can see so clearly
were to happen?
What remains when all
the fears have run their course?
— G A Rosenberg

 

The suit of Swords represents thought, ideas, plans and conflicts. The Nines represent a coming to completion of the energy involved if not the completion itself. These energies come together in that dark night of fear and anxiety. The night that many of us experience when we lay awake with every doubt, fear and recrimination that we can muster. During these nights we tear apart every event in the past and milk it for shame. We look at tomorrow and see every possible misstep that we can make, every disaster that can happen and every way in which we feel unsafe. We clutch at straws looking for temporary safety, fully realizing that that is what we do. Eventually we give up even trying to do that. It seems that only way through this dark night is eventual resignation to whatever is to come.

 

Astrological Correspondence – Mars in Gemini – This energy loves to keep busy. As long as there is a lot to do, Mars in Gemini will run around getting the job done, figuring out the next step on the fly all while engaging in vigorous debate on any subject with anyone they encounter. It is when it is in rest that the difficulties come. The same mental acuity that is used to get the job done turns inward and enervates itself in downtime. The same rapier with that it uses to win discussions and debates become poniards with which it stabs itself.

 

I Ching Correspondence – 6) Sung – Conflict –

_______
_______
_______
___ ___
_______
___ ___

 

The Trigram for Heaven is over that of Water, two energies moving farther and farther away from each other leading to further rifts. This hexagram speaks of one who is always looking for conflict either with legitimate claims of injury or with an underhanded sneakiness and wit. When this is applied within, it leads to a constant undermining of the self where no matter what plan of action we have come up with, we immediately come up with all the ways in which it can fail. This can have its uses. If we know all of the possible arguments against our plan of action than we can learn how to counter them and avoid outer conflict. It is a matter of harnessing this energy in a positive way rather than using it to forever make us feel lesser than we are.

 

When the Nine of Swords turns up in a reading it often points to a lot of anxiety and sleepless nights. It can possibly be pointing to unresolved guilt from the past or a feeling that we deserve whatever abuse has come our way in the past. It can mean that we are going through what is known as the “dark night of the soul” where we are facing our shadow selves the most intensely. It may mean that we are torturing ourselves for the problems that caused a recent relationship to break apart. When this energy comes up for us, the best course of action is to let these feelings flow through because the more we feed them and try to argue against them, the longer and more intense the conflict may become.

 

The Nine of Swords reversed can mean that our inner conflicts have come to an end and we can now give ourselves a bit of a break. It may also mean however that we have been acting cruelly towards others perhaps without even realizing it. The Nine of Swords reversed may also mean that someone with cruel intentions is acting uncharacteristically nice to us to catch us off our guard.