Mystical Tarot Realms
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Justice: Libra, Path 22
Mr. Mellifluous and the Allies of Libra
"Who is that, Mr. M?" Claire asks.
“Justice. Our friend is able to see everything: she is not a blind-folded figure of justice. In her right hand, she holds a sword, straight up and down, a symbol of the element of Air, for Libra is an Air Sign. The sword on one level symbolizes the mind’s ability to discriminate and find the truth and make appropriate choices. She holds a scale in her left hand to suggest the ability of the mind to weigh and balance issues and problems to create harmony. Libra is the astrological sign of balance; this path, in fact, balances the other Major Arcana paths on the Tree of Life.
"On another level, she personifies the soul, which sees clearly both with the physical eyes and the inner eye. The square in the middle of the crown symbolizes the third eye, the eye of inner vision. On her stable throne, she balances the pillars of the Tree of Life. On the personal level, she eliminates the unwanted negative energies and harmonizes all the energies of the self. On that level, she represents the will of the individual higher self.
“The 22nd path is daunting: you must face the discordant elements in yourself as you move from the Emanation known as Beauty to the one known as Power, or Severity. Our Queen presides over this path known as ‘Justice,’ and it refers to some degree to the kind of justice that you inflict on yourself, but it also suggests your ability to create balance and harmony on all levels of your being. Remember that Beauty is the center of equilibrium where you experience the Vision of Harmony and the Mysteries of Sacrifice. As you move toward the Emanation of Power, you experience what is out of balance in your own nature. This path is exactly at the midway point of the journey up the Tree, and you have to establish harmony within yourself before you proceed to the fifth Emanation of Power because the energies of Mars can easily turn to cruelty or destructiveness if your nature is unbalanced.
“The path might also be called ‘karma’ because you must determine which energies in yourself are attracting unwanted energies into your world. As I mentioned before, whenever you touch a higher Emanation, or state of being, you open up a spectrum of energy containing a virtue and a vice. When you enter Beauty, for instance, you experience a sense of oneness with the Source, which leads to devotion to the Great Work, culminating in union with God. The opposite is pride, a kind of selfishness, and that energy also rears its ugly head. Perhaps you know, as I do, devoted religious people who can tell you everything that is wrong with other religions and other sects and make you afraid that you will go to hell if you even think about them. That is a kind of pride that throughout history has led to great cruelty and destructiveness.
“The vices, or unbalanced energies within you, attract the same problems over and over into your life because you keep sending out thought-forms filled with those negative vibrations that keep drawing the same energy to you, resulting in a kind of cosmic justice that you inflict on yourself. You are faced with situation after situation, in this life and others, until you eliminate the negative thought-forms and establish harmony in yourself.”
“That's a hard way to learn!”
“The hardest, but perhaps the most effective. The great challenge of the path is using discrimination, represented by the sword of the figure of Justice, to determine what tendencies you must harmonize in yourself. Then you use the sword of your conscious mind to eliminate the negative energies and harmonize the vibrations within yourself, which of course requires the kind of discipline associated with Mars.”
“Seriously, Mr. M, that sounds too hard for me!”
“In many ways, this is one of the greatest challenges of the Tree because you learn not only to balance the energies within yourself but also to use them for the highest good. An important Egyptian Goddess is Ma'at. As you might recall, Ma'at is the Goddess who, in the Hall of Judgment, weighs the heart against a feather. If your heart is as light as a feather, then your soul may go to Osiris. She is the Goddess of order, of balance, of harmony, of truth and justice within the cosmos and the self. The Goddess Ma'at is much like our friend who is now before us."
Two of Swords, Moon in Libra, Zodiac in Chokmah (Wisdom)
"Is this a friend of the Queen, Mr. M? But she's holding two swords, and she is blindfolded."
"Our friend crosses her arms, grasping a long sword in each hand. Since the swords are so long, this balancing act obviously requires great strength and concentration. She wears a blindfold, which perhaps is helping her to focus. So our friend appears to represent something besides the force of karma. Since she is in the second Emanation known as Chokmah, or Wisdom, a state of almost unimaginable power and energy, she is concentrating on balancing forces, a quality of Libra and an act of great discipline. In the scheme of cosmic evolution, on the Tree of Life the second Emanation balances the great energies of the Source, establishing equilibrium. Your ally wears a blindfold to suggest that the force of equilibrium is at this stage a blind, primal state 'outside' of nature, just as Wisdom is a supernal Emanation 'above' the planes of manifestation, and she wears white to suggest how all colors together form one unified state transcending the planes of manifestation, hence another reason for the blindfold. The primal unity, balance, and stability within the dynamic energies and flux of creation, suggested by water and the Moon, is what our friend represents.
Three of Swords, Saturn in Libra, Saturn in Binah (Understanding)
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"This vision is terrible, Mr. M. How can this be connected with the Queen?"
"I know, this reminds us all of the suffering that we experience in the world. Three swords have pierced a heart, two crossing each other and one straight down through the middle. Strangely, little blood flows from the heart; only rain falls from the clouds. The storm is not raging; the rain gently falls and continues the cycle of life within the physical realm. The Threes correspond to the third Emanation on the Tree of Life, known as Binah, or 'Understanding.' Binah is the celestial Mother of creation--the second Emanation, Wisdom, being the celestial Father. Binah is the female principle still 'above' manifestation, but from her womb, all of creation issues forth on the lower planes. The third sphere restricts free-flowing force, a quality of Saturn. From the perspective of spirit, the limiting boundaries of form create a kind of imprisonment. The third Emanation in cosmic evolution also ushers in death because everything that is created on the physical plane is eventually destroyed, hence Saturn’s association with the grim reaper. From this knowledge comes the Vision of Sorrow. Suffering is inevitable because destruction follows creation. But regeneration follows death in an endless cycle. The symbol is simple and balanced, a quality of Libra, like the cycle of birth, death, and regeneration itself. The cosmos would remain static without this cycle, and the soul would not experience the contrasts that enable it to know true joy and to understand the meaning of harmony and beauty as well as to gain wisdom from suffering. The suit of Swords represents the element of Air, the plane of the conscious mind, which is keenly aware of change and loss, an awareness that leads to sorrow. But though suffering may be painful and debilitating, from the changes--and the recognition of our own mortality--we slowly learn to accept and establish balance and harmony within ourselves.
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Four of Swords, Jupiter in Libra, Jupiter in Chesed (Mercy)
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Mr. M and Claire continued on the path of Libra. "Is that man sleeping on a coffin, Mr. M?"
"Let's just say that our friend is resting upon a slab of stone with his head on a pillow and his hands arranged in prayer. He is in a deep meditative state even though three swords point straight down at him. Despite any conflict that he has experienced in his conscious, waking life, he is able to still his mind in meditation. The state of stillness suggests death, but the stained glass window suggests the vividness--and perhaps the sacredness--of his visions. This is a state of deep mental clarity associated with the fourth Emanation on the Tree of Life known as Mercy, or Chesed, a state that enables you to shape the future, clarify the past, envision symbols and internalize spiritual principle. But it is a state different from the normal flow of consciousness that often contains transient and conflicting thoughts and desires. This deep meditative state is a rest from the usual strife of the conscious mind, which allows us to experience a lucid awareness of the higher self, a state of knowing linked to the level of spirit transcending the normal, limited awareness of the five senses. Our friend is quiet, revealing that magnificent patterns, associated with Jupiter, and balance, associated with Libra, often first manifest deep in stillness.
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All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
Five of Wands: Saturn in Leo, Mars in Power
LORD OF STRIFE
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Nathan was riding through town when he heard clattering and clashing sounds nearby and turned to find five boys fighting each other with long wooden wands. He paused for a moment and smiled. He remembered the days, which seemed so long ago, when he had fought other boys in his neighborhood. They had occasionally hurt each other, but never seriously. He suddenly longed for the time when skirmishes and battles resulted in greater strength and courage instead of bloodshed and death. For Nathan and for the other knights of the realm, all battles and skirmishes were a matter of life or death, victory or defeat. Sometimes as a boy, in the realm where he grew up, Nathan had pretended to be a knight during neighborhood scuffles, and he suspected that those skirmishes had prepared him for his future in the Tarot Realm, but as he nostalgically observed the rough-and-tumble fight, he was suddenly no longer sure that it was in his best interests to be a warrior on the physical level. He wondered if instead he could be a warrior on the spiritual level.
As Nathan rode back to the castle, he thought about the subtle forces that were influencing the five boys during the rumble. Many boys constantly jockeyed for power, trying to be top dog, but it seemed more than just an instinct for combat or dominance. The fights often ended up being fun to some degree, but they also built confidence and courage and strength. Sometimes a trivial fight could bring a deep inner power that he didn't even know he had into consciousness.
The holy man smiled as he approached Nathan, "Good to see you again, my friend."
Nathan smiled. "Good to see you again as well. Thank you for coming to see me."
"My pleasure," the holy man replied.
"While you're here, can I ask you a question?" Nathan asked.
"Of course, my friend."
"While in town, I saw some boys fighting each other with long wooden staffs. The fight took me back to my childhood, but instead of seeming like just a free-for-all stimulated by mere instinct or hormones, the fight seemed to have a deeper spiritual purpose. I began to suspect that strong spiritual influences were at play."
The holy man smiled. "The instinct for combat is often extremely strong, especially in teenage boys, but I think you're right. Can you think of any subtle forces that might have been influencing them?"
"Well, when I was a boy, I often pretended to be a knight ruled by the God of war, but there seemed to be something more than the subtle influence of Mars. Is it possible that Leo was influencing them as well?"
"Ah, yes, the force of Mars can give you great courage and strength, but the force of Leo can give you something just as powerful. Do you remember the mythological principle associated with Leo?"
Nathan thought hard for a moment. "Aw, I remember now, we have discussed this before. The mythological principle of Leo is 'Meeting with the Other Self.'"
"Do you remember what 'the Other Self' is?"
"If I am not mistaken, it refers to the higher self."
"On the Tree of Life, the higher self consists of six Emanations. Within personal consciousness, the three supernal Emanations at the top of the Tree represent the divine core of the individual. The Kingdom, or tenth Emanation, represents the the physical reality where the subtle spiritual forces manifest. Do you remember the six Emanations of the higher self?"
"They would have to include the ethical triangle represented by Jupiter, Mars, and The Sun and the magical triangle represented by Venus, Mercury, and the Moon."
"Together, the six Emanations form the soul of the individual, the higher self, which is also known as the evolutionary Individuality, the unit of consciousness that survives after the body turns to dust. Eventually, after many incarnations in the physical realm, the soul experiences union with the Divine Source."
"So, in the physical realm, by learning to fight and then by fighting for a higher cause, a person can get in touch with his higher self? That isn't limited to physical fighting, is it?"
"You can become a spiritual warrior as well, but it takes great discipline. Which Gods are the great taskmasters?"
"Both Mars and Saturn are great disciplinarians."
"Okay, let's tease this out a bit. Some believe that martial discipline is the most effective way to develop self-restraint and control in the physical plane. Mars is a God of justice and courage and strength and remains on the side of underdogs who fight for a righteous cause. The mythological principle of Mars is "The War at the World's End,' which sounds apocalyptic, but an apocalypse can be a prophetic disclosure or revelation, a great shift in understanding that enables the heart and mind to open to the energies of heaven, in other words, to enable individual consciousness to experience the dimensions of Universal Consciousness. The experience of an apocalypse can be individual or collective, like the experience of any of the subtle energies of the Tree of Life. What is the mythological principle of Saturn?"
"'The Descent into the Underworld,' which can be a cleansing and enlightening experience that burns away negativity and opens the heart and mind to Universal Consciousness."
"Yes, my friend. Through Saturn we are disciplined by form, which ultimately is even more severe than martial discipline, but 'The Descent into the Underworld' can help us to release and burn away the negativity caused by conflicts and limitations. Throughout history, conditions have often seemed to indicate that the world was about to end, and if you return to your homeland, you might experience a heightened sense of fear in many people about the future of humanity and the planet, for good reason, but remember that a spiritual apocalypse is a shift in understanding that links the consciousness of the incarnated personality with the higher self, which in turn is linked to the divine core and Universal Consciousness. That understanding enables you to be a powerful spiritual warrior even if the world is ending. That is why I have have taught you rituals that can establish and maintain those links even in the most dire circumstances."
"Thank you, my friend, I will always remember."
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Strength: Leo
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Nathan pulled out the Five of Wands from his Tarot deck. As he gazed at the card, he remembered that the decan association of the Five of Wands is Saturn in Leo, and the Tree of Life correspondence is Mars in Power, the fifth Emanation of the Tree of Life. He chose the Five of Wands as the central card, and he included as modifying cards Strength, which represents Leo; The World, which represents Saturn; and The Tower, which represents Mars.
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The World: Saturn
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Then he created an artificial elemental, also known as a living image, with the Tarot Pentagram Spread, using those cards.
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The Tower: Mars
First, since Fire is an active element, he used the Active Invoking 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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Active and Passive Invoking Pentagrams
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After he placed all of the cards, he tapped each card in the direction of the Active Invoking 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 Five of Wands
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Then he placed the Five of Wands in the middle of the pentagram, saying, "Five of Wands, Lord of Strife, Saturn in Leo, Mars in Power," and tapped the card.
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Modifying Cards for the Five of Wands
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Then, since Leo is a Fire sign, and the Five of Wands represents Saturn in Leo, Nathan placed Strength as a modifier on the Ace of Wands. As he was tapping the card, he stated, "Strength, Leo, 'Meeting with the Other Self,'" After that, he placed The World over Strength and stated, "The World, Saturn, 'The Descent into the Underworld." Then he placed The Tower on The World and stated, "The Tower, Mars, 'The War at World's End."
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Pentagram for Spirit
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Then Nathan drew the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in brilliant white above the Five of Wands on the altar, charging the pentagram and the symbol in the usual way with the Sign of the Enterer. Next, he drew an Invoking Pentagram for Fire directly over the Spirit Pentagram, charging the pentagram and the symbol of Leo in the usual way. At that point, he imagined the symbol of Leo becoming the living image of the Five of Wands, and the warriors came alive as full-length figures. As Nathan visualized the living image, he imagined that salamanders filled the living image while at the same time tiny points of light flowed from his own aura and filled the living image as well.
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Invoking Pentagram for Fire
(Click on the Star Above to Review the LBRP and the SIRP.)
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After gazing at the cards for a moment, he stated, "Lord of Strife, I humbly ask thee to help me to remain conscious of the links between my incarnated personality, my higher self, and my divine core, and help me maintain the discipline I need to function in my higher self even in the worst circumstances."
Then he ended by saying, "So mote it be!" Before he finished the ritual, he performed the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and he imagined how he could help others by living in his higher self.
From that point on, Nathan often felt a sense of living from the perspective of his higher self.
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All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
Wheel of Fortune: Jupiter
Mr. Mellifluous and the Allies of Jupiter
"Mr. M, why are all those things floating in the sky. It looks kind of weird!" Claire exclaims.
"On this path, you see a wheel revolving around and around and feel the innumerable changes of the world and the soul. The life-force pours down through the planes, manifesting in diverse forms, from angels to bacteria, and our experiences help us to expand and grow more knowledgeable until we feel the harmony and beautiful simplicity of the wheel itself. We are like the golden snake of regeneration on the way down the wheel. We are like Anubis, moving from subconscious depths to super-consciousness heights. We are like the sphinx at the top of the wheel, containing all of the elements within us. The higher self knows harmony and balance on all levels, the pure, incorruptible gold of the spirit.
In a common version of the wheel of fortune, popularized in the middle ages, a king sits at the top of the wheel and the destitute are at the bottom, but of course the wheel keeps turning, so the symbol suggests inevitable changes of fortune, the vicissitudes of life. You can be a king one moment and a beggar the next, and the wheel just keeps on turning. In esoteric terms, the wheel is suggesting something deeper: each soul throughout its evolution has countless experiences, some good, some bad, and eventually achieves the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, who is really the 'higher self.' The symbols on the Wheel evoke the alchemical process of dissolution and regeneration. The symbols of the snake, the God Anubis, and the sphinx also suggest the process of death and rebirth. The snake is associated with the God Set, who murdered Osiris; Anubis is the God of the Dead who helps souls transition to other dimensions; and the Sphinx is associated with Horus, the symbol of the higher self manifested on the material plane, a God conceived by Isis after she resurrected Osiris. Associated also with Jupiter, The Wheel of Fortune, the Sphinx, and the golden symbols of the four elements reveal integration of the psyche, the spiritual harmony, abundance, and magnificence of the spirit.
"'The Wheel of Fortune' as a path connects the Emanation of Venus with the Emanation of Jupiter, and this path is all about the dance of the life-force within creation and within you. Jupiter, as you recall, is the great benefic in astrology, and symbolizes the up-building, creative power of the Source. Life issues forth in abundance and thrills through all of creation in forms too numerous to measure, but remember that the life-force flows through every level of your being as well, from your divine core to your bones, or, in other words, from the highest spiritual vibration to the densest physical matter. At each corner, we see again the symbols of the elements, which are essentially symbols not of the elements that science currently recognizes, but of the states of manifestation, the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical levels.
"The Emanation of Mercy, or Chesed, emanates from Binah, or Understanding, just as Jupiter was born of Saturn, and it might prove beneficial to compare 'The World,' the 32nd path associated with Saturn, with 'The Wheel of Fortune,' associated with Jupiter. The most obvious similarity is that each path contains the same elemental symbols, but in 'The Wheel of Fortune,' each elemental figure is golden and each one is reading a book. Gold is associated with spirit because it is incorruptible, so this path is revealing the beginnings of manifestation in the planes below the Abyss. Above, the Emanations are primarily archetypal or abstract, at least to our way of thinking. As far as the golden books are concerned, everything that happens on every level exists in what might be called 'The Book of Life,' the mind of God, sometimes called the Akashic Records.
"Another similarity is that the dancing woman in 'The World' is inside of a round figure, an oval. An oval is an elongated circle, essentially one line that goes around forever. The circle in 'The Wheel of Fortune,' though, symbolizes transformation, the innumerable transformations within eternity.
"There is always the sense, as we move up the Tree, of evolution, of improving until the realization of the Great Work. But there is also a very deep lesson about attachment and desire here. There is nothing wrong with desire because it is an essential aspect of the life-force, but remember that the wheel keeps turning. You keep realizing one goal and moving on to another, but if you become too attached to any particular result or outcome, you might end up disappointed. In a sense, lusting for a particular result is the worst thing you can do. It is a secret of magic that you should create a thought-form of what you desire, fill it with emotion, and release it into the universe--and then forget about it. If you lust for a result, you will inevitably focus on the lack of what you have, instead of the fulfillment of your desire. If you focus always on the lack of peace in the world, you will never have peace; you will always experience the lack of peace because the universe is always saying 'yes.' In magic, whatever you desire is ideally based in spiritual principle and eventually manifests as action or form of some kind in the physical world. At some point, the higher self becomes completely detached from the outcome of desire, becoming an open channel that allows the forces of the Source to manifest for the highest possible good. More and more, the self becomes refined, until the higher self desires the gold of spiritual principle, instead of the forms of illusion. The higher self simply becomes a co-creator with the Source, knowing that spirit will manifest in magnificent and stunning ways. Human consciousness, unfortunately, can distort and pervert creation in countless and sometimes even horrific ways. It is then the goal of the co-creator with the Source to neutralize evil and negativity and establish harmony."
Two of Pentacles: Jupiter in Capricorn, Zodiac in Chokmah (Wisdom)
As Mr. M and Claire continue through the realm of Jupiter, Claire exclaims, "Look, Mr. M! There's that juggler again!"
"Yes, he is very entertaining, isn't he? But remember that the golden pentacles contain the energies of the basic elements and the zodiac and their ruling planets. He is juggling those energies within a green ribbon in the shape of an infinity symbol. As he juggles, he is balancing those energies in the eternal dance of being. He responds with skill and resilience, an eternal child, to the rhythms and vicissitudes of life, balancing powerful life-forces as they manifest in all of their diversity."
"Wow, he's good. I wonder if he would teach me how to juggle."
"You never know. He just might!" Mr. M chuckles.
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Eight of Swords: Jupiter in Gemini, Mercury in Hod (Splendor)
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"Mr. M, did that poor woman do something wrong?" Claire asks.
"She seems to be in a terrible predicament. Her bonds, however, are so loose that they seem about to fall off, and the swords, though long and sharp, do not actually imprison her. Behind her looms a castle on a cliff, but no one is guarding her. It appears that she could easily escape bondage. The castle in the distance suggests some authority that demands obedience, keeping people down by conditioning them to believe in their own powerlessness and limitations."
"Is somebody punishing her, Mr. M?"
"The eighth Emanation on the Tree of Life is associated with Mercury, a God who 'shortens force' through thought. Thought-forms can establish splendor, but they can also create 'mind-forged manacles' that bind us in unproductive and limiting--even self-destructive--behavior. However, the influences of Jupiter and Gemini can be felt here as well. Jupiter is the God of expansive, orderly, upbuilding force, and Gemini is a zodiac sign that symbolizes the dual nature of the mortal and immortal within us. The vast sea suggests the potential for expansiveness through contact with cosmic forces.
"The restrictions of the intellect in the material realm can blind a person to the dimensions of Universal Consciousness and the creative expansiveness of the spirit, but for our friend, the bonds are loosening and the blindfold might be about to fall off. Whatever authority put her in that position is off in the distance on a cliff. The forces of Jupiter might eventually liberate her so that, aware of the infinitude and magnificence and harmony within, she frees herself and lives a spiritual life of abundance."
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Four of Swords: Jupiter in Libra, Jupiter in Chesed (Mercy)
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"Look, Mr. M. That man is still resting. He isn't dead, is he?" Claire whispers.
"Remember that we are seeing him again because he is an ally of Jupiter. He is, of course, also an ally of Libra. He is in a deep meditative state even though three swords are pointing straight down at him. The state of stillness suggests death, but the stained glass window suggests the vividness of his visions. This is a state of deep mental clarity associated with Jupiter and the fourth Emanation on the Tree of Life known as Mercy, a state that enables you to shape the future, clarify the past, envision symbols and internalize spiritual principle. This state is a rest from the usual strife of the conscious mind--it is in reality the lucid awareness of the higher self, a state of knowing linked to the level of spirit that transcends the normal, limited awareness of the five senses. He has stilled his conscious mind to comprehend the magnificent patterns of creation and to establish balance in his own sphere of influence."
"Oh, good. I'm glad he's not dead, Mr. M."
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Nine of Cups: Jupiter in Pisces, Moon in Yesod (The Foundation)
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"This guy seems pretty happy with himself, Mr. M."
"A table laden with golden cups forms a semicircle around him. To some, the smile on our friend's face and the abundance of golden cups might suggest happiness achieved through materialism or hedonism. Our friend is feeling the influences of the Moon and Jupiter in Pisces. Our friend is not surrounded by a banquet or emblems of wealth and power but by cups that, like the grail, represent spirit manifesting in matter. Our friend's brand of hedonism, in other words, leads to joyful spiritual inebriation in the material realm. Our friend realizes that the physical senses are not evil but can be channels for spiritual enlightenment. The physical senses and the subtle senses can both be affected at the same time, the way a piece of music can ravish the ear and at the same time have a profound effect on the spirit. Jupiter represents expansive, orderly development, which, when associated with Pisces and the Moon, suggests the expansion of awareness through exploration of the subconscious and the imagination to achieve a higher state of spiritual understanding. In other words, the influence of Pisces and the Moon suggests that material happiness is not just linked to possessions but to an opening of the subtle senses, which leads to an expansion of consciousness that occurs through the exploration of the senses, the emotions, the intellect, and the imagination together. Your ally is very much like a ritual magician who uses the imagination and engages the senses with incense and music and color and dance to concentrate the emotions and the intellect on the spiritual force of Jupiter in order to experience inner qualities such as magnificence and harmony, with the aim of living a more abundant life."
"I'm glad he's happy, Mr. M."
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Six of Wands: Jupiter in Leo, Sun in Tiphareth (Beauty)
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"Has that man on the white horse won something?" Claire asks.
"In a way, our friend has won a great battle. His wand and his head are both adorned with victory wreaths. In his moment of glory, our friend is feeling the influences of The Sun and Jupiter in Leo. In grandeur of manner, splendor of bearing and magnanimity of personality, the Leo type is a monarch, in attitude at least. Leo types are ambitious, courageous, dominant, strong-willed, positive, independent, and self-confident. These qualities are beneficial in many arenas, of course, but in terms of the Tree of Life, our friend is experiencing the spiritual will in the sixth Emanation known as Beauty. Together with the expansiveness and abundance characteristic of Jupiter, the qualities of Leo are beneficial on the spiritual level in the process known as the Great Work--the transformation from the "lower" or "conditioned" personality to the higher self. The unsung inner work of regeneration is often more difficult than any external battle could ever be, but the transformation often results in a victory for both the individual and the community, for when one person wins through to the knowledge of the harmony and understanding of the higher self, then others in the community, because of our basic connection at the spiritual level, find it easier to attain higher awareness."
"Why, that is a beautiful victory, Mr. M."
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All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
Four of Wands: Venus in Aries, Jupiter in Mercy (Chesed)
LORD OF PERFECTED WORK
Nathan one day ended up as a guest at a wedding ceremony performed by the holy man in the castle. Nathan was impressed by the deep sense of continuity and magnificence, harmony, and abundance within the ceremony. After the wedding, Nathan was able to exchange a few words with the holy man.
"Thank you for the wonderful ceremony," Nathan confirmed.
The holy man smiled. "So many people helped to put it all together. I was only the one performing it, which was probably the easiest job of all."
"I doubt that, but I know you have had a lot of practice."
The holy man suddenly became serious. "Let's talk for a moment." He grabbed Nathan by the elbow and took him aside. "You know that in the Tarot Realm, many people work on a spiritual level to create harmony, magnificence, and abundance. Some of these people are empaths, in other words, they are people who take on the negativity of others and neutralize it. Some of them take on the negativity of individuals, but a few are able to neutralize the negativity within groups and communities. And a few are even able to neutralize the negativity of humanity as a whole. Even in the Tarot Realm, few people acknowledge their contributions to society, but without the spiritual support of empaths, we would not experience the harmony, abundance and magnificence and the deep sense of human continuity from one generation to another that we experience at significant ceremonies such as this wedding. In the realm you came from, empaths are rarely acknowledged at all, and sometimes they are even attacked because to some domineering people they seem vulnerable. But empaths are able to experience the dimensions of Universal Consciousness as a natural part of their normal existence. They feel the subtle forces behind existence and strive for the highest good of others. They are so keenly aware of the negativity within others that is it almost in their best interest to neutralize negativity for the highest possible good of everyone around them."
"That sounds almost more like a curse than a blessing."
"In a way, it is a kind of curse, but empaths take on the negativity of others as their sacrifice so that we can all feel a deep sense of connection and continuity and know the magnificence, harmony, and abundance of the human spirit. This sacrifice is an aspect of the ethical triangle comprised of Jupiter, Mars, and The Sun. I'm just curious. Did you feel any subtle forces during the ceremony?"
Nathan thought for a moment. "I did. I suppose that during a wedding it was fitting that I experienced the marriage of heaven and earth, in other words, the influence of Venus, the Goddess of Love."
"Yes. Venus is the Empress who reveals that love prevails."
"And she is married to the Emperor, the Monarch of the Golden Ages. Perhaps without the marriage of heaven and earth, we would not have any golden ages at all."
"True, my friend. Did you feel the magnificence, abundance, and harmony of the human spirit during the ceremony?"
"Yes. I think everyone at the ceremony did. So I was also feeling the influence of Jupiter?"
"When the Emperor and Empress come together, it is only fitting that the great God Jupiter should be present as well."
Nathan smiled. "So does that mean I am an empath?"
"Most people are empathic to some degree. Some have that empathy beaten out of them. In the realm where you came from, many people are severely harmed and have great difficulty experiencing any empathy at all. A few who have been beaten down, however, allow themselves to experience empathy anyway because they have experienced the ethical triangle and know that neutralizing negativity is necessary for the greatest possible good of us all."
"Thank you, my friend, I will remember your wise words if I return to my homeland."
"All Gods are One God, and all Goddesses are One Goddess, and there is only One True Initiator."
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The Emperor: Aries
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Nathan pulled out the Four of Wands from his Tarot deck. The card revealed harmony, abundance, and magnificence. As he gazed at the card, he remembered that the decan association of the Four of Wands is Venus in Aries, and the Tree of Life correspondence is Jupiter in Mercy, the fourth Emanation on the Tree of Life. He chose the Four of Wands as the central card, as well as The Emperor, who represents Aries, and The Empress, who represents Venus, and The Wheel of Fortune, which represents Jupiter, as modifying cards. He remembered that the holy man told him once that the Empress, Emperor, and Jupiter are all connected with the second Emanation on the Tree of Life known as Wisdom.
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The Empress: Venus
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Then Nathan got ready to create an artificial elemental, also known as a living image, with the Tarot Pentagram Spread.
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The Wheel of Fortune: Jupiter
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First, since Fire is an active element, he used the Active Invoking 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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Active and Passive Invoking Pentagrams
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After he placed all of the cards, he tapped each card in the direction of the Active Invoking 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 Wands
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Then he placed the Four of Wands in the middle of the pentagram, saying, "Four of Wands, Lord of Perfected Work, Venus in Aries, Jupiter in Mercy," and tapped the card.
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Modifying Cards for the Three of Wands
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Then, since Aries is a Fire sign, and the Four of Wands represents Venus in Aries, Nathan placed The Emperor as a modifier on the Ace of Wands. As he was tapping the card, he stated, "The Emperor, Aries, 'the Monarch of the Golden Ages.'" After that, he placed The Empress over The Emperor and stated, "The Empress, 'the Marriage of Heaven and Earth.'" Then he placed The Wheel of Fortune on The Empress and stated, "The Wheel of Fortune, Jupiter, 'Aspiration.'"
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Pentagram for Spirit
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Then Nathan drew the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in brilliant white above the Four of Wands on the altar, charging the pentagram and the symbol in the usual way with the Sign of the Enterer. Next, he drew an Invoking Pentagram for Fire directly over the Spirit Pentagram, charging the pentagram and the symbol of Leo in the usual way. At that point, he imagined the symbol of Leo becoming the living image of the Four of Wands, and it came alive in his imagination. As Nathan visualized the living image, he imagined that salamanders 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.
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Invoking Pentagram for Fire
(Click on the Star Above to Review the LBRP and the SIRP.)
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After gazing at the three cards for a moment, he stated, "Lord of Perfected Work, I humbly ask thee to help me feel a sense of continuity as well as the magnificence, harmony, and abundance of the human spirit. Help me to know the energies of the ethical triangle of the Tree of Life so that I feel compassion for the community of all life and understand selfless sacrifice."
Then he ended by saying, "So mote it be!" Before he finished the ritual, he imagined for a few minutes feeling the energies of the ethical triangle and manifesting self sacrifice and harmonizing love.
From that point on, Nathan sometimes felt a greater sense of continuity and the magnificence of the human spirit.
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All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
