Noticing (Mental Snapshots)

“It doesn’t really matter who said it – it’s so obviously true. Bevore you can write anything, you have to notice something.”
― John Irving

 

If I were to write about what I noticed, I would write about the cat, one princess by name and disposition, uncharacteristically quiet (she likes to call out both her needs and my inattention from the doorway) in my office looking for the right shadow to jump at. I notice my friends online joking, laughing, complaining, healing and hurting each in turn and cycle, all teaching me so much. I could write about the easy feeling I have from a rather wonderful evening of good food and conversation with some amazing friends from which my three notes to myself read
1) Right Use of Language
2) Game Theory and Schools
3) The Ivory Tower Force
each of which could lead to a short written piece.
I could contemplate the tarot reading I did today for friends. I tried something I don’t do very often. Rather than lay the cards out in any kind of tableau, I did a synchronicity reading, letting cards come as they would. I find this type of thing works well when I am doing an online reading where the person being read for can not shuffle the cards themselves. In this case the cards came out pertinent to the situation. I don’t do readings very often anymore, preferring to use the cards for purposes of meditation and contemplation. When I do a reading for someone I are giving them access to information that they have chosen not to give themselves in another way. The information is filtered through my consciousness which makes me responsible for what the person does with the information. But some people I don’t say no to and as I said this was one I feel relatively good about.
Blessings, G

 

Click on images to see full-sized

 

KnotsKnots by G A Rosenberg

 

HolographicHolographic by G A Rosenberg

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 –

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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.

Tarot Post – Six of Pentacles

Six of Pentacles (Success)

Six of PentaclesSix of Pentacles (Revised) by G A Rosenberg

 

An Act of balance

Receive then pay it forward

Move forward, give back.

 

Giving
I see a need
that I can answer
Question?
No! Value exchanged
transmission
balance maintained
Payment always forward
as we are never the same
we give and receive
which is harder?
grace or graciousness
It’s all flow
we assign the worth
and so transform lives
especially our own
Receiving
I see a need that I can answer
You appreciate the chance to give back
we both exchange value
and balance is maintained

— G A Rosenberg
 

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. Sixes represent balance and harmony. What does it mean to balance out practical matters? A large part of it has to do with how we interact with others, how we give and how we receive. Do we give because we perceive needs that we can fulfill and it only makes sense that we do so. Perhaps we remember when others have helped us out and by paying it forward we realize we can keep the cycle going. Perhaps we realize that even tho there is a perceived inequality that it is illusory, we gain as much in the giving as in the receiving. The scales balance out. Do we also realize that we need to learn to give in a way that will prove enabling and empowering to another as opposed to overbearing and disempowering. Sometimes in turn we help out more by not visibly helping. Determining those times requires discernment.
Can we receive without resentment? Can we admit that we are vulnerable and have needs that can only be fulfilled by others? Can we realize that in one way or another the scales always seem to balance and to realize we are custodians of the help received and will one day pass it on in turn?

 

Astrological Correspondence – Moon in Taurus – The Moon in Taurus energy is one that is confident and centred. It does not like interruptions to its routines but in its zone it excels. People with the Moon in Taurus in their charts tend to be generous with both their possessions and their advice which is often practical and methodical. It is an energy that tends to be resistant to change and to new things.

 

I Ching Correspondence – 42) Yi – Increasing –

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The trigram for wind is over that of Thunder. The image is that of something below increasing at the expense of something above to the benefit of all. It is beneficial for this gain to be done with a greater purpose in mind. It is a good thing to help others make it through the day. It is an amazing thing to help others either build or rebuild their lives from the ground up. This does not mean doing the work for them as much as giving them the opportunity to do the work on their own..
 

When the Six of Pentacles comes up in a reading, it most often means that there is financial help being offered to those who need it and that it is an equitable exchange. It can mean that the person involved , who is usually someone who has found some success in their life is letting money flow through them, ie giving so that more can be received. The card can refer to success earned and success shared tho the success may be a transitory one.

 

When the Six of Pentacles is reversed in a reading, it may mean that the current period of success is coming to a close and it may help to look for a way to make it last, such as investment. It can also mean that one has gotten too caught up in material values and needs to attend more to higher pursuits as well

Tarot Post – Six of Cups

Six of Cups (Pleasure / Happiness)

 

G`Six of Cups (Revised by G A Rosenberg

 

A beautiful moment

Memories that colour all

the future brightens

 

Natural Pleasures

Hold my hand and
Let me taste of your willingness
as we eagerly  explore inner and outer beings
The music starts
We take the first steps moving in rhythm to a dance
older than our souls,
a dance not performed with limbs
or tongue or organs but with our very beings,
Masculine and Feminine energies
combining within ourselves and each other
a love letter written from eternity
to that which always was.
– G A Rosenberg

 

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The light reflects on the water
as our bodies reflect on each other
a coming together of elements
yearning for something new to come of it…
We may have met this way before
on this beach or another
in another time or existence
but every moment is NOW
and every beach this one
Fall into my body
as my spirit touches yours…..

 
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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.Sixes represent balance and harmony. Mix balance and harmony with love and you end up with one of those magic moments. You know, the kind that you want to remember and take out and replay in your mind because you know it will help keep you going through the rough times. Love is and you are and the universe is right and good and nothing can take these moments away. Memories of them can heal you during the rough times. Knowing that they are possible can keep us going until the next one.

 

Astrological Correspondence – Sun in Scorpio – This energy involves powerful sensual feeling and transcendence, One of its symbols is the phoenix rising from its own ashes. The energy is passionate, sexual and consuming. Few things are as memorable as making passionate love with someone who has entered your heart. The Sun in Scorpio energy involves depth of experience and depth of learning and knowledge.

 
h4>I Ching Correspondence – 20) Kwan – Contemplating –

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The Trigram of the Sun is over that of the Earth. It means both contemplative and being seen . The image is of a Vast Tower on a Mountain with a view of the countryside around It. From the Tower the ruler can be aware of both Heaven above and the people below and set an example for the people.
The time period that this hexagram is linked to is September-October where the dark is on the rise once more and the light subsides…
A couple of other images associated with this hexagram
The time in a ceremony in between when the ablution, ritual cleaning has been done, yet before the sacrifice has been made….(in a sexual context, the sexual act before climax (the rising and uniting of energies))
When the wind blows across the earth, the grass and trees etc, must give way before it…and it blows everywhere
When the owner or ruler pays a visit, everything is set in order to make the best impression possible.
 

When the Six of Cups turns up in a reading, it usually signifies an unusually happy time. The happiness of this period usually stems from a feeling of loving and being loved. This may have to do with past memories being rekindled tho it can also be a time for making new lasting memories depending on where the card falls in the reading and the other cards involved. This is a time that will be remembered for its feeling of peace and balance no matter how long it may last.

 

When the Six of Cups is reversed in a reading, it is possible that for various possible reasons, tho it is a happy period in our lives, we are unable to see it. It can refer to someone who is so focused on the future, that they forget to enjoy the present moment. The reversed Six of Cups may also refer to unpleasant associations from the past

Tarot Post – Five of Wands

Five of Wands (Conflict / Strife)

 

Five of WandsFive of Wands (Revised) by G A Rosenberg

 

 

Conflict Has Risen
Voices Cry Out To Be Heard
Defend Your Passion

 

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Let’s Play War
We’ll make forts
and attack each other
with sticks and shields
rolling around we’ll wrestle
until you’re pinned
then we’ll get up and do it again
Our energy cannot be contained
Want to have a go?
After all its only a game
Isn’t it
and in our youth we are invulnerable.

 

Wands deal with force-creative, spiritual, and vital. Fives stand for conflict, change and a breaking through to higher thought. With the Five the spiritual force that was so uneasily contained in the Four breaks through.
Much in the way that adolescent energy in a teenager breaks through with lots of energy that needs to have an outlet. These outlets can get a bit aggressive such as fighting with sticks but they are games and a means of directing the energy externally, testing one’s power or force against that of another.

 

Astrological CorrespondenceSaturn in Leo – Saturn in Leo energy has a strong need for recognition yet does not necessarily seek the spotlight. It is a very autocratic energy who’s main lesson is learning how to compete fairly with others instead of ‘winning at any cost’. It is an energy of absolutes and can be pretty inflexible, preferring to fight (and win) rather than yielding. The Saturn in Leo energy can also be the force needed to jar us out of our complacency when we have been too long in a situation that needs changing, especially when the situation involves how we view ourselves by bringing it to a breaking point.

 

I Ching Correspondence 49) Ko – Revolution

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This Hexagram is comprised of the trigram for Joy over the one of Fire. As anyone knows, when fire is underneath water, things will soon come to a boil. The two are opposites so there is bound to be some conflict and yet we harness the combination to work in tandem all the time especially in cooking, using the two opposing forces to good effect. Nature often seems to made up of forces in a very natural opposition to each other (ie the changes of the season with its interplay between light and darkness) Indeed without this natural opposition of forces life would become stagnant.

 

When Five of Wands shows up in a reading, there may be conflict or competition underway in the person’s life but it is more playful and creative conflict rather than a full-out war. It is good to keep it light and playful because in such situations, it is easy to misunderstand and start taking things way too seriously and make it about winning rather than about resolving the conflict at hand

 

When the Five of Wands is reversed in a reading, conflicts have gotten out of hand, what may have started out playful has become bitter and nasty and all rules have been thrown out of the window.

Tarot Post – Four of Pentacles

Four of Pentacles (Power)

Four of Pentacles (N)Four of Pentacles (Reimagined) by G A Rosenberg

Holding too tightly
coins slip from an old man’s grasp
order tossed aside.

Power contained not held
not grasped
willing to let it pour forth
and rise up and out at any moment
All comes from this moment
once embedded in matter then
only liberation remains
power when wielded becomes force
Rise up oh serpent mother
through this material form
as green springs up through snow
reborn
Let the spirit flow forth
from fractured shell

–G A Rosenberg

The suit of Pentacles refers to the element of Earth and of practical matters such as work and partnerships of a business nature and of the home. They can also represent nature, the Earth itself.  Fours express a stability and manifestation of the energy involved. The Four of Pentacles represents a grounding of energy and taking comfort in control of our environment whether it means holding on to a schedule or our possessions. We clothe ourselves in our idea of order. While this can give us some necessary structure if we adhere to rigidly to either what we have or where we have to be, anything that throws it can make us feel insecure and there is always something that can come along and throw off our sense of order, so some flexibility can be a good thing.

 

Astrological Correspondence: Sun in Capricorn-The Sun in Capricorn energy is known for its ambition and control. It tends to take charge and like a goat feels that only by controlling the situation fully that it can make it to the top of the mountain. It is an energy that achieves but one that can be all too ready to engage and defeat anything that stands between it and its ambitions even if in the long run, that challenge can be a positive thing.

 

I Ching Correspondence: 2) K’un – The Receptive
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This hexagram comprised of upper and lower trigrams of Earth refers to nature as opposed to space. It works best when it nourishes all and recommends letting go of the reigns of control and yielding at times. Tho it is important to be self-sufficient no one is an island and others are needed in order for our ambitions to be realized and that sometimes it is beneficial to yield control to those who can best help us realize those ambitions. Sometimes letting things happen can be as necessary as making things happen.
 

When the Four of Pentacles occurs in a reading, it can tell us that we are holding on too tightly to external control structures and possessions rather than grounding ourselves securely within ourselves and our relationship to nature. In other cases, the card can also represent generosity and sharing what one has.

Reversed the card can refer to a breaking down of our lives structure and a need to connect more to our inner selves where the real power lies through meditation or contemplation of nature. It can also refer to a hesitation to help another.

Tarot Post – Ace of Swords

Ace of Swords

 

Ace of SwordTarot- Ace of Swords (Revised) by G A Rosenberg

 

A new thought’s dawning

Separate from past errors

Embrace future’s hope.

 

Excalibur
I drew you in the darkness
when I had lost my way
With no hope
one road looks much like another
Now I have drawn you
and all false paths fade away
and my destiny is clear
Onwards!!

 

The suit of swords represents thought, ideas and plans. The Ace of Swords reveals a new way of thinking and a clear direction. It represents discernment and new insights into which way to go.  In discernment, we transcend duality. No matter how clear the path our discernment shows us we still need to follow through. The aces are after all but seeds. How well we are prepared and whether we find our way to its end is up to us.

 

In a reading the Ace of Swords can represent both a new way of looking at things or seeing something that we were missing before. It can show a new clarity of thought or perception. It can also represent a new conflict that has arisen and a new challenge to be faced.

 

When reversed the clarity of the sword has been obscured. There may be confusion where the path cannot be seen. The Ace reversed can also represent delusional thinking where our prejudices and preconceptions are interfering with clear thought.