Mystical Tarot Realms
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Four of Swords: Jupiter in Libra
Mr. Mellifluous and the Lord of Rest from Strife
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Claire continues her journey with Mr. Mellifluous through the realm of Swords and soon finds herself in a church, where a person, who at first seems a recumbent effigy, remains in deep meditation. Three swords point directly down at him, but a fourth horizontal sword rests beneath him.
Then Claire notices a brilliant stained glass window above him, which shows a mother and child. The vivid window suggests the vividness of a vision. Claire closes her eyes as if the knight is drawing her into a meditative state. After awhile—she is not quite sure how long—she has a vision of a crowned woman in a red robe holding a sword straight up and down in her right hand and golden scales in the other.
Justice: Libra
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Suddenly the woman speaks, “You can maintain balance deep in the soul even when conflict rages around you, but you must go below the conscious mind, which is so often full of strife and contradiction. Deep in the subconscious mind is a state where symbols--profound patterns of spiritual principle--manifest. In this state of deep transformation and regeneration, the higher self reveals patterns of the harmony, magnificence, and abundance of the spirit.
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The Wheel of Fortune: Jupiter
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“Here in this inner realm, you can have visions and hear wise voices. You can transcend time and the physical senses and establish balance within yourself so that you can then manifest harmony in yourself and your sphere of influence, which eventually results in greater harmony for your family and your community.”
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The King of Cups with Claire
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After leaving the church, Claire flies above a killer whale when she notices a King on a throne in the ocean. Since the whale apparently isn't in the mood to talk, Claire floats over to the King.
"Hello, your Majesty, how are you today?" Claire asks politely.
"Very well, my child. How are you?" the King of Cups replies.
"Fine, thank you," Claire responds. "I am just wondering why you sit on a throne in the ocean."
"Notice, my child, that water moves around us, but remember that it also moves within us. Most people don't realize that archetypal forces also move within them and around them. Most people don't know that they can access extremely powerful forces to maintain harmony and balance in their world.
"Unfortunately, to most people what I am saying probably seems as bizarre as finding a king on a throne in the middle of the ocean. They cannot believe it unless they experience it."
"I think I know what you mean, your Majesty," Claire responds.
"See the water in the cup and the water that surrounds you and feel the water within you. There is an underlying unity of consciousness, and you and I are drops within that ocean of consciousness. But also remember that there are subtle forces with vast power and knowledge that maintain harmony and balance within the cosmos. Most people won't believe it, but these powers of harmony work with us, if we have knowledge, to maintain harmony in our world...."
"Yes, your Majesty, I believe you," Claire replied as she gazed at the water in the cup, then at the water in the ocean, and felt the blood rushing through her heart and veins....
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All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
Five of Cups: Mars in Scorpio, Mars in Power
LORD OF LOSS IN PLEASURE
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As Nathan was riding his horse by a stream near the castle, he noticed a man staring down in sorrow at three cups that had tipped over and spilled their contents on the ground. Two cups were still standing, and a path led across a bridge to a building in the distance, but Nathan couldn't help but identify with the poor man's plight even though other possibilities still seemed to exist for him. Nathan had considered the possibility of returning to his troubled homeland, but he was afraid that he might lose a great deal in the process. Nathan had grown very attached to the Tarot Realm, but he had the nagging feeling that he might be able to do some good, at least for a few people, in the distant realm that he had once called his home.
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The King of Cups
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Nathan rode his horse along the sea and eventually found the King of Cups. Nathan dismounted from his horse and bowed. "I serve thee always, your Majesty. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask a question. I have never made a secret of my desire to return to my homeland, but I have grave doubts now about the reasons for my longing to return."
The King responded, "I understand. What is your query?"
Nathan carefully described the man staring at the overturned cups. Then he said, "Your Majesty, when I gazed at that man full of sorrows, a few memories came back to me. I realized that when times were good, I always convinced myself that nothing would ever change, yet change inevitably occurred. As I gazed at that man, the world around me seemed so light, so impermanent, yet somehow my memories just seem to keep growing heavier and heavier. Memories that flash through my mind sometimes feel heavier to me now than the physical world. People I once knew have vanished as if there never was any stability or permanence. I have become afraid that I will end up like that sorrowful man if I do return to my homeland. Perhaps I only want to return home to experience again the familiar patterns of what was lost long ago. Please tell me, your Highness, is all action vanity because of the ceaseless impermanence of this temporal world?"
"I do not need to tell you that change is inescapable. The individual personality, which seeks security and continuity, often mourns change, yet our spirits are like the ocean. We cannot keep the waves from crashing on the shore. Each wave dissolves and forms into another wave. To know the unity within perpetual change, all we can do is become one with the ocean and experience the deep mysteries of Universal Consciousness. With that in mind, let me ask you a question. Did you sense any subtle forces when you gazed at the melancholy man?"
"Yes, forces associated with dramatic change and transformation, your Highness."
"Do you think Scorpio might be one of the subtle influences?"
"Well, your Majesty, the man wasn't in the throes of death, but he seemed at least to be experiencing a dramatic transformation due to his losses. Some other force seemed to be influencing the sorrowful man as well."
"Just as I suspected. Can you think of any disruptive force that can strike like lightning and shake up a person completely?"
"Mars can be a force that can lead to unexpected change for a higher good--or at least a force that shakes up a person so that to some extent he examines his behavior and his priorities."
"Yes, both Mars and Scorpio are subtle forces that can lead to transformation. The change might not be pleasant, and might not seem positive at first, but the reason for the transformation usually becomes clear after some self-examination."
"Yes, your Highness, I have a feeling that experiencing those two forces together might seem awful, especially at first."
"My brave knight, I ask you to consider how you can use all of your skills and knowledge in the face of inevitable change. Are you confident that you can affect beneficial change in a realm that remains so deeply troubled? You will no doubt sacrifice much if you return home, but now that you know the positive values of the Tarot Realm, perhaps you can do some lasting good in a place that now seems beyond all hope."
"Yes, your Highness, but I fear, at least at the moment, that I am not up to the task."
"Yes, I get the sense that the wave is about to crash and dissolve and form a new wave. For a wave, that crash might not be painful, but for the human mind that can be a moment of distressing uncertainty and sorrow."
Nathan thought for a moment. "Yes, your Highness, this is not an easy choice."
"Mars is associated with power and with the rigor of justice, and Scorpio with great transformation. The only question I have for you now is this: do you feel your sacrifice would be worth it?"
"Well, your Highness, whatever happens in that distant realm where I grew up might eventually affect this realm. I can't bear the thought of anything terrible happening in this realm."
The King gazed thoughtfully at Nathan for a moment. "I trust that you will make the right decision."
"Yes, your Majesty. I have faced my own fears many times before and survived. I serve thee always."
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The Tower: Mars
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Nathan found a Tarot card very similar to what he had witnessed in his vision: the Five of Cups. The decan association in the card is Mars in Scorpio, and the Tree of Life correspondence is Mars in Power (also known as "Severity"), the fifth Emanation on the Tree of Life.
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Death: Scorpio
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Nathan rode to a secluded area of the forest where he could perform a ritual with the Five of Cups.
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The Passive and Active Invoking Pentagrams
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Because Nathan was creating a living image based on the Five of Cups with the Tarot Pentagram Spread, he placed all the foundation cards down on his makeshift altar with the tops facing west on his altar. Since Water is a passive element, Nathan used the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram while laying down the cards, starting in the lower left corner of the pentagram, moving to the upper right corner and continuing from there. After he placed all of the cards, he tapped each card in the direction of the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram, making sure to tap the one in the lower left corner to complete the pentagram.
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Foundation Cards with the Five of Cups
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Then he placed The Five of Cups in the middle of the pentagram, saying, "The Five of Cups, Mars in Scorpio, Mars in Power." Then he tapped the card.
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Modifiers for the Five of Cups: Death and The Tower
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Next, realizing that he was grappling with a potentially eventful choice, he placed Death on the Ace of Cups in the upper right hand corner of the pentagram as a modifier. The card representing the zodiac sign goes first, he remembered. As he placed Death on the Ace of Cups, he stated while tapping the card, "Death, Scorpio, 'The Meeting with the Powers of Death.'" As he tapped the card, he remembered that the card known as Death can also suggest a dramatic change or transformation.
Then he placed his second modifier, The Tower, in the upper right hand corner on the first modifier, Death. As he placed The Tower on Death, he stated while tapping the card, "The Tower, Mars, 'The War at the End of the World." He realized at that moment how drastic the change might be.
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Spirit Pentagram
(Click on the Star Above to Revies the LBRP and the SIRP.)
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Then Nathan drew the Passive Invoking Pentagram and the spirit wheel in the air in brilliant white above the Five of Cups on the altar, charging the pentagram and the symbol in the usual way with the Sign of the Enterer.
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Invoking Pentagram for the Element of Water
(Click on the Eagle's Head to go to the Tarot Realms Store Page.)
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Then, he drew an Invoking Pentagram for Water directly over the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram, charging the pentagram and the symbol of the eagle, associated with Scorpio, in the usual way. At that point, he imagined the symbol of the eagle's head turning into a living image of the figure in the Five of Cups. As he visualized the living image, he imagined undines flowing from the Archangel Gabriel and filling the living image while at the same time bright points of Water flowed from his aura and filled the living image as well.
Then he stated, "I name you Lord of Loss in Pleasure."
Then he said, "Lord of Loss in Pleasure, help me to cope with the powers of death and to deal appropriately with inevitable change and transformation for the highest possible good." Then he humbly stated, "Perform this task and return to the element of Water, doing no harm. So mote it be!"
Before he finished the ritual, Nathan imagined for a few minutes the living image expanding his consciousness through the experience of the subtle forces of change and transformation so that he could make the best decision about whether or not to return to his homeland.
After that, Nathan knew that the powers of change and transformation were guiding him through difficult decisions and challenges as he journeyed through the Tarot Realm.
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All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
Nine of Swords: Mars in Gemini, Moon in The Foundation
Mr. Mellifluous and the Lord of Despair and Cruelty
The sun peaked through for awhile, but once again Claire finds herself in darkness. “There is much darkness in this part of the realm,” Mr. Mellifluous sighs. Claire and Mr. M find a castle and enter it through an unlocked side door. The castle seems deserted. As they struggle up a spiral staircase, Claire flings open a door, hoping to find shelter for the night.
A man sits up in a bed, his hands covering his eyes, as though he is trapped in deep despair. Nine huge swords, three of which almost seem to pierce him, hang upon the black wall. The scene is so depressing that Claire wishes that she were back in the garden with the lovers and the Archangel and the golden sun.
The Lovers: Gemini
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Suddenly Claire and Mr. Mellifluous are back in Eden. The Archangel speaks, “The lightning bolt of Mars can disrupt your world and leave you in a dark night of the soul, where you are cut off from the higher spiritual dimensions. In that dark night, you end up projecting your anger and fear outward at others, and your despair turns to cruelty and destructiveness. So much cruelty stems from this despair--from bigotry and discrimination to genocide.
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The Burners: Unbalanced Energies of Mars
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"The unbalanced force of Mars manifests as The Burners. Those fiery devils sear and scorch your very soul. They glow as they blister and broil you. Their flames ignite hatred and anger that smolders and smokes. They want to burn everything around you down to the ground. More than anything, they love ashes.
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The Tower: Mars
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“But Mars is also a God of the cleansing power of Fire, a force that can eliminate feelings of defeat and loss and conflict and inner poverty that keep you mired in darkness. The power of Fire can eliminate all negativity and open the higher dimensions of the mind and spirit so that you experience the freshness of the garden once again and know your immortal essence, your divine core.
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The High Priestess: The Moon
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“In the darkness, the Moon can guide you, illuminating the symbols of the subtle forces that connect you to the spiritual dimensions.” Suddenly Claire notices faint symbols interspersed with red roses on the blanket of the suffering man, and she unexpectedly feels hope that the man will overcome his despair and experience the regenerating powers of the dimensions of Universal Consciousness on all levels of his being.
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The Knight of Wands with Claire
(Click on the Knight to go to the Tarot Realms Store Page)
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After spending the night in the castle, Claire glides over the desert and notices a fiery knight down below her. She wings down to the ground, and his horse suddenly rears when she gets close to him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle your horse! Is that you, Nathan? You're in fiery armor now. I like it!" Claire exclaimed.
"Yes, Claire. Don't worry, my horse does that all the time. I think he's just getting used to my power."
"What kind of power? If you don't mind me asking...." Claire's voice suddenly trails off as the horse rears again.
"It's an awesome spiritual power, a kind of passionate willpower, I think." The horse rears again. "I'm not sure that I am totally in control of it yet!"
"Oh, my! You sure this isn't my fault?"
"Oh, no. It's this wand!" he yells as his horse rears again. "It's kind of complicated. I am a Knight of the Element of Air, which means I use my conscious mind, my intellect, whatever you want to call it, all the time. But this wand--when I hold this wand, I feel the element of Fire, which gives me passion--it's a kind of passionate spiritual will, which I can use for the highest good--if I can control it!" His horse rears again. "Whoa!" he shouts several times until his horse settles down again.
"But why are you here--in the desert?"
"I have searched many days for the pyramids so that I can study the great mysteries and learn secret spiritual knowledge. As you can see, the pyramids are right over there, and I plan to head over there as soon as I can control my horse!"
"Okay, good luck!" Claire shouts as he rides off, his horse rearing several more times as he nears the pyramids.
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All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
Three of Swords: Saturn in Libra
THE LORD OF SORROW
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As Nathan was riding during a rainstorm through the Tarot Realm, he envisioned three swords piercing a heart that was floating in the sky above him. The heart was not bleeding, and the swords were perfectly balanced, with one straight up and down and two crossing each other diagonally. Despite the balance, Nathan felt a deep sense of sorrow for the human condition and for himself. He felt confused because of the contrast between sorrow and balance. He just could not understand how terrible pain and grief could exist in a harmonious state.
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Queen of Swords
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After the rain ended, Nathan found the Queen of Swords. Nathan dismounted and bowed as he approached the Queen. "I serve thee always, my Queen, but I have a question."
The Queen gazed at him. "Yes, my devoted knight. What is your query?"
Nathan carefully described his vision of three swords in perfect balance piercing a heart. Then he stated, "I confess that when I looked upon the heart I had an overwhelming feeling of grief and loss, yet I also felt a sense of peace. I was hoping that you might help me understand my strangely conflicting emotions."
Holding her sword straight up and down, the Queen responded, "Bleeding Hearts are reminders to be compassionate for the suffering of others, and they are also symbols of undying love. The bleeding heart flower is often used in floral arrangements at both weddings and funerals. All people experience sickness and suffering and loss. Through love and compassion, we neutralize the negativity of suffering and create harmony for ouselves and others. Do you remember the mythological principle of Saturn?"
Nathan thought for a moment. "I do, your Highness. The 'Descent into the Underworld.'"
"Do you understand its significance?"
"Perhaps, your Majesty. I know that Saturn is the Father of the Gods. On one level, the God Saturn limits free-flowing spiritual force in physical form, and physical form always eventually breaks down, which can result in suffering and loss for human beings. Through suffering, we develop compassion, which helps us to understand that we are all part of the collective consciousness of humanity. In the process, many of us also come to understand that we are also part of one Universal Consciousness."
"What do you think the 'Descent into the Underworld' means?"
"Well, your Highness, in my personal experience, the 'Descent into the Underworld' means a descent into the subconscious mind. Personally, during meditation, I empty my mind. Sometimes I cleanse my consciousness by entering the void, and sometimes I purify my chakras by mentally draining negativity from my energy centers into the fires below the earth. At one point during the mental purification process, I realized that the energy centers in the aura are associated with the Tree of Life, and I also realized that by purifying our energy centers, we create harmony within the self and within our sphere of influence even if we have experienced great loss and suffering."
"Yes, my friend. What is the mythological principle of Libra?"
"Your Majesty, I know that the 'Justice of Heaven' is associated with Libra."
"What does Libra mean to you?"
"To me, Libra means harmony and balance even within constant change and suffering. Justice means the continual attempt to maintain harmony and balance for the highest possible good."
"Yes, my friend, and the establishment of harmony within our sphere of influence helps us to experience the energies of heaven."
"I think I understand, your Highness. Through loss and suffering, we develop compassion and learn how to neutralize negativity and maintain inner harmony, which tends to manifest also as external harmony within our individual personal life and within the realm."
The Queen nodded. "Understanding is the name for the third Emanation on the Tree of Life, the realm of Saturn and our beloved celestial Mother, and understanding includes sympathy for the pain and suffering of others. Understanding requires imagination, in other words the ability to imagine what it is like to be in someone else's position. We develop sympathy and understanding through the experiences of illness and pain and suffering and loss. The justice of heaven stems from this understanding, in other words, from sympathy and compassion and love. Without understanding and without the experience of the justice of heaven, we cannot neutralize evil and negativity to create and maintain harmony.
"My friend, I know that you are thinking of returning to your homeland. I would like to remind you that a great deal of unnecessary pain and suffering exists in that realm. For instance, if you become seriously ill or lose your job, you can lose your home and your access to health care. You can find yourself in a position where you can no longer put food on the table. Tyranny prevails in that realm, and the people there struggle constantly with fear and negativity, but they are conditioned to blame themselves for their misfortune. I know of people in that realm who have lost their job simply because they have told the truth or have fought to protect their environment and their community. The people with wealth control the levers of power and usually do not tolerate truth or equality or the attempt to protect the community and the environment because that threatens their wealth, so they purposely create divisiveness, which manifests in horrible ways. The people with wealth and power do not live with sympathy and imagination. They do not know the justice of heaven. They often invade our realm to enslave our people and plunder our resources. They are polluting the entire world and sowing the karmic seeds of disaster. Returning to your homeland will require a great deal of courage on your part, for the powerful in that realm often harm those who live for the justice of heaven. If you stand up for the oppressed, you will become one of the oppressed."
"Thank you, your Highness, I will remember your words of wisdom. I serve thee always." Nathan bowed and mounted his horse.
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Justice: Libra (AI Version)
The holy man in the castle had once told Nathan that when dealing with a Tarot card associated with the same God or Goddess representing the Emanation on the Tree of Life as well as the the decan, only two modifiers can be used. Knowing that the Three of Swords has a Tree of Life correspondence of Saturn in Understanding and the decan association of Saturn in Libra, Nathan chose two modifiers: Justice, representing Libra, and The World, representing Saturn.
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The World: Saturn
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Nathan got ready to create an artificial elemental of the Three of Swords with the Tarot Pentagram Spread. First, since Air is an active element, he used the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram while laying down the foundation cards, starting in the lower right corner of the pentagram, moving to the upper left corner and continuing from there.
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The Passive and Active Invoking Pentagrams
After he placed all of the foundation cards, he tapped each card in the direction of the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram, making sure to tap the one in the position of Fire in the lower right corner to complete the pentagram.
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Foundation Cards with The Three of Swords
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Then he placed the Three of Swords in the middle of the pentagram, saying, "The Three of Swords, Lord of Sorrow, Saturn in Libra, Saturn in Understanding," and tapped the card. Next, he included the two modifiers on the Ace of Swords: Justice, representing Libra, and The World, representing Saturn.
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Modifiers with The Three of Swords: Justice and The World
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As he placed the first modifier on the Ace of Swords, he said, "Justice, Libra, 'The Justice of Heaven.'" Then he tapped the card. As he placed the second modifier on Justice, he said, "The World, Saturn, 'The Descent into the Underworld.'" Then he tapped the card.
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Pentagram for Spirit
(Click on the Star to go to the Tarot Realms Store.)
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Then Nathan drew the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in brilliant white above the Three of Swords on the altar, charging the pentagram and the symbol in the usual way with the Sign of the Enterer.
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Invoking Pentagram for Air
(Click here to Review the LBRP and the SIRP.)
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After that, he drew an Invoking Pentagram for Air directly over the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram, charging the pentagram and the symbol of Aquarius in the usual way. At that point, he imagined the symbol of Aquarius becoming the living image of the symbol in the Three of Swords, and it came alive in his imagination. As Nathan visualized the living image, he imagined that sylphs flowed from the Archangel Raphael and filled the living image while at the same time tiny points of winged light flowed from his own aura and filled the living image as well.
After gazing at the cards for a moment, he stated, "Lord of Sorrow, help me to experience the descent into the underworld so that I know the justice of heaven." Then, he finished with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
From that point on, Nathan often in meditation experienced the descent into the underworld to neutralize negativity so that he experienced the harmony and balance of the justice of heaven.
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All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
