The Cosmic Tarot – Intuition of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

In traditional decks, the Intuition of Virtues and Cosmic Principles would be the Queen of Cups. We have moved from Aspiration to Intuition and this card calls upon us to ‘know’ everything we need before we need it. It allows us to ‘see’ others as we have matured to love relating to others with compassion and mindfulness.

Let’s take a look at this card a little more closely.

The backdrop is a waterfall in a cave that resolves into a calm pool. The word is Intuition. This is a picture of what our intuition is. We channel flowing energies into a pool of calm so we can ‘see’ what we need to ‘know’ in a calm and peaceful way. Emotions and energies are under our control and we can ‘see’ everything we need in situations and people, relationships around us. We become intuitive.

The second image is a blade of grass covered in dew/condensation. The word is Resilience. As we mature, we realize the value of resilience. Our intuition gives us the opportunity to consider our responses, to be resilient. We recognize the cycles of the earth, the cycles of life and we know that resilience is an important part of keeping these cycles and honoring the changes they bring.

The third image is a stack of stones. The word is Mindfulness. This image reminds us that as we stack the stones in our lives, balancing them in the image of harmony, we must be mindful of every thing, small and large, that contributes to or hinders our progress and our balance. We are reminded that mindfulness starts within and our stack of stones is our external projection of our lives. Mindfulness is necessary for true maturity, intuition and resilience to be in harmony. Reach a state of balance and mindfulness by taking the time to meditate, to reflect, to create, to play…

The symbol above the ‘C’ is Cancer. The symbols above the ‘P’ are Water in Water.

The Tree of Life path is Binah (understanding) in Beriah (creation).

What do you see in this card? How would you interpret it?

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

 

The Contract Tarot – Four of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

Fours are about structure and stability. This card is about being detached to what has come before, being bored with the same old-same old and wishing for a bit of something else.

Let’s look at it more closely.

The background is a vast expanse of space. There is a star in the center – the Dog Star, Sirius. The word ‘detachment’ curves around it in a light embrace. Emotions are flat, we are detached from what was and really don’t have much emotion to invest in what will be.

Below this is a tiger resting his head on his paw. The word embracing this image is ‘bored.’ This guy is just that, bored. He has no interest in stirring anything up and all he wants to do is be left alone to take a nap. All is done and he’s in no hurry to move.

Below the tiger you find purple iris. Iris was a Greek goddess. Her name meant rainbow because she was the messenger between heaven and earth. I used this symbol to signify how our complacency affects our manifestation. We put in effort to accomplish something and, once it is accomplished, we are bored with it but, remembering how much effort was required, we are not interested in anything else quite yet. This is our break, our stopping point. Like momentum, when you manifest anything, if you don’t keep the momentum going, it requires more work to get close to where you were and accomplish something more or different. The key here is to push past our detachment and boredom and realize there is something more on the horizon.

The symbols above the ‘C’ are for the Moon and Cancer. The symbol above the ‘P’ is the symbol for water.

The Tree of Life path is Chesed (mercy) in Beriah (creation).

What do you see in this card? How would you interpret it?

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot – Three of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

Threes are about expansion. They expand on what has come before and, in this card, this means celebration, creativity and victory… this is a time to PARTY!

Let’s look at the card more closely.

The word at the top is Creativity. It appears on a background of stars and space. It is star dust and expansive thought that sparks creativity. It is thinking outside of limitations imposed by challenges and accepted thought. It is expanding your skills to explode your potential and talent to upon a much bigger world than before.

The next word you see is Celebration! It is that time… PARTY! It is full of all the brightness, joy, loving company and embracing fearlessness to celebrate, to revel in achievement through group efforts.

The next word that appears is Victory. Victory over self-imposed limitations and beliefs. Victory over the physical constraint and mindless expectation. Victory over our ego and judgment. This is demonstrated in the bronze statue of Victory.

Below this we see purple balloons. Not only does this hold to our PARTY theme, but it represents spiritual thought and hopes and dreams being carried on the wind. The red roses and white lilies stalwartly hold our desires and knowledge.

Above the ‘C’ are the symbols for Mercury in Cancer. Above the ‘P’ is the symbol for Water.

The Tree of Life path is Binah (understanding) in Beriah (creation).

What do you see in this card? How would you interpret it?

Until Monday… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot – Two of Virtues & Cosmic Principles

Twos are about duality and within this essence is the notion of unity, cooperation and service. These are all tied to the emotions and our relationships. Let’s look a little more closely at this card.

We’ll work from the top down. You see the word duality and the yin-yang symbol beneath that. This symbol is demonstrating two parts to a whole and emphasizes that while things appear to be opposite they do, at some point, become one to create a whole: dark and light, west and east, north and south, etc.

Overlaying this symbol is the Maori twist symbol. This symbol is the bond between people and also reflect the eternal path of life. This path is much more rewarding and fulfilling when cooperation is displayed. The bond between people grows stronger through cooperation.

Underneath this symbol is a pink daisy and a bee extracting pollen. This represents service. The bee is doing a service to the daisy by sharing pollen between flowers and is also doing a service to its hive by taking pollen back to the hive. This service ensures the continuation of the cycle of life.

Below this, you see red roses (desire) and white lilies (knowledge).

The symbols above the ‘C’ represent Venus in Cancer. The symbol above the ‘P’ represents Water and the Tree of Life path at the top of the card is Chokmah (wisdom) in Beriah (creation).

What do you see in this card? How would you interpret it?

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot – Ace of Virtues & Cosmic Principles

The Ace of Virtues & Cosmic Principles (VCP) is the seed of the rest of the suit. This contains everything that you will see in the next 13 cards.

Let’s look at the card more closely.

The keyword you see is Love. Love encapsulates everything relating to emotions or relationships. It is the crux of all. You either have an abundance of love or an absence of love and this will be seen as we progress.

The heart (the organ most associated with love) on a background of celtic knots (endlessness) and the golden (associated with divinity) mandarin ducks (mate for life) fill the internal V-shape. A bed of red roses (desire) is at the base. Above the ‘C’ are the symbols for Pisces, Scorpio and Cancer. Above the ‘P’ is the symbol for Water.

The flower on each leg of the ‘V’ are white (wholeness, purity) and yellow (wisdom). These flowers stay the same throughout the deck.

The Tree of Life path is Kether (crown) in Beriah (creation).

What do you see in this card? How would you interpret it?

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot – Inspiration of Runes

The Inspiration of Runes represents the Page and/or Princess in other decks. These are typically thought to be childlike and messengers. If there is no young person in the Querent’s life or the Querent doesn’t have a childlike or youthful attitude, chances are this card will indicate a message(s) for the Querent.

Let’s look a little more closely at the card.

In the foreground, we see a tiger cub climbing out of the card. Flames rise behind the cub and an owl flies overhead. The background is the pale purple/lavender color of spiritual inspiration. It flows down to a pinkish (youth and purity) color before it is consumed by flames.

This suit represents taking action. You cannot use runes with casting them – you must act. While the background speaks of inspiration, the owl and the tiger are taking action in the foreground as are the flames because they are in the action of burning.

The owl represents wisdom and insight being brought your way. The tiger cub represents youth and Leo.

The symbols on the card at the top are Cancer, Leo and Virgo. The elemental symbols are Earth of Fire. The Runes below Cancer and Earth are Kenaz (transformation, offspring, new information) and Dagaz (bold change of illumination, invisible transforming power). The Runes below Virgo and Fire are Algiz (courage in the face of fear, protective teaching force that promotes independence) and Ansuz (Divine inspiration, open paths to communication).

The Tree of Life path is Malkuth (kingdom) in Atziluth (emanation).

What do you see in this card? How would you interpret it?

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot 7: The Chariot

“Cross the Abyss Travel to new beginnings Harness your energy To self-assertion and victory The Chariot waits For you to begin it. Get clear on your goals Set your plan Obstacles crumble With spiritual growth at hand. Introspection is your driving force Achievement is your aim You have the vision of artistic expression To create and live The life of your dreams.”

The Chariot is a card about movement, transportation, motivation, choice, etc. Let’s look at this card more closely.

The environment may be what you first notice. The scene is a beach. There is a ship in full sail on the water and an airplane in the sky. There are crabs scurrying on the beach. Movement is everywhere here. Sand moves across the globe in wind and water. The water is not still – there are tides, ebbs and flows. The sky is orange and heavy with cloud. There is movement in the atmosphere. Movement in the crabs, movement with the ship and with the airplane. The crabs are also symbolic of Cancer. The crabs are red, the colour of Mars exalted in Cancer.

Looking at foreground we find a crab that looks as if it is examining something with great interest. It is the urim and thummim resting on the sand, waiting for something or someone to come along and move it to its next resting place. The urim and thummim leave nothing unchanged as they reveal truth!

The pillars/column support a canopy of moon and stars. Cancer is ruled by the moon and this canopy is more about wishing about achievement rather than the action of achieving. This canopy protects the hourglass (indicative of our inability to control the passing of time), the lingam and yoni (indicative of creativity) and the magickal sceptre (replaces Abrahadabra which usually appears written on the canopy and aspires to self-actualisation). The chariot and the horses are interesting as well. The chariot represents that part of us we must release to travel across the Abyss. The horses, in this instance, are behind the chariot. They are also statues. This signifies that we must take action and submit ourselves in compassion and love to free the horses and then harness them to our chariot. It is action that is needed whether in thought, word or deed to fulfil our ambitions for this card. The chariot is sometimes pictured with wheels that only allow it to move sideways. This is to signify its connection to the zodiacal sign of Cancer.

The ship and the plane are red and white. Red represents Mars, the planet that is exalted in Cancer. They represent movement in what some will see as the great abyss of the sea and sky.

The scroll shows us the symbols of (from left to right) the Hebrew letter Chet (fence), the elemental symbol for Water and the zodiacal symbol for Cancer. The Tree of Life path is from Binah (understanding) to Geburah (severity).

What do you see in this card? How would you interpret it?

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

29: Trailblazing… knowledge is power?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about knowledge. I often hear that ‘knowledge is power’ and yet, I can’t help to think that knowledge, in and of itself, is not power. When I come to this realisation, what follows is the question, ‘When is knowledge power?’

I’m sure you can figure this one out for yourself. But, to help this post along, I will presume to answer the question myself. ‘Knowledge is power only when it is acted upon/applied.’

What does this mean to you? How are you applying or acting upon the knowledge you possess? Do you share it? Do you keep it silent? Do you apply it in a way that alters something else to improve it or destroy it?

Today, I have drawn the 4 of Cups – Luxury. I am using the Thoth Tarot illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris.

This is such a lovely card! It reminds me of a Tiffany lamp.

Let’s look at it a little more closely. Look at the background sky… it is dark and foreboding, like a storm is on its way. The water is vast and there is no hint of stable ground. The Moon is in Cancer in this card. The pink petals of the lotus open and water bursts forth filling the top two cups with square bases firmly resting on lily pads. These cups fill and overflow, filling the bottom two cups with square bases resting on very little and suggesting instability. There is the infinity symbol in the bottom fretwork suggesting the sea is infinite.

This card is all about water/emotions. It is a card suggesting hedonism, addiction, escapism and these can create a huge weakness as they overwhelm the emotions. This card is a warning to moderate and beware attitudes towards seeking pleasurable pursuits. It is easy to be so consumed by pleasure and pleasurable things that , life strides boldly into our existence and announces itself with little warning unsettling our cups of luxury to the abyss of lack and poverty.

Wow! Okay, I think I get this message and will heed it! Today, I will be about working and keeping a balance in my activities, thoughts and deeds. How about you? What will your day bring? Will you luxuriate in your past accomplishments at the price of future endeavors? Will you succumb to pleasure and forego balance?

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

23: Trailblazing… distilling elements

Yesterday, I focused on productivity. I was engaged in distilling elements to put on to the cards I am making for the deck to accompany the book I am writing. It is a work of fiction and it is taking shape.

It is difficult to distill information in such a way as to release the extraneous until the purest elements remain. There is a conflict that ensues as you ‘weigh up’ what you will keep and what you will throw away. There is a ‘gray space’ that rises up to meet you as you begin separating out information. There will always be imperfect items that, in some instances, are vital but, in most instances, are not.

This seems to exist in any project-oriented task. What do you keep and what do you throw away? How do you ‘weigh up’ the value of any single element? How does the single element co-exist with the many pieces that give form and shape to an idea? Is consistency key to carry through the project? What elements need to appear in every instance? What elements can you pick and choose without losing the integrity of the project?

Okay, now I’m exhausted from just the thought of what lies ahead. This is where I remind myself to just take one step at a time and to trust it will all come together the way it should… without worry… without stress. (Breathe, remember to breathe!)

Today, I have drawn the Princess of Cups. I am using the Thoth Tarot illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris.

Now, she’s a beauty! She’s a bit green, but I love her gown!  Wow!

Let’s talk about what she really is about. She has the swan as her crest and this is attributed to Venus (Libra). Ten rays emanate from this crest and this is the number of Malkuth and the Earth. She is the Princess of the Earth, the base and primal bit, tied to fantasy and dreams. She holds a cup containing a turtle in her left hand and a lotus in her right hand. The turtle is tied to Cancer and demonstrates the influence of her father, the Knight of Cups. The lotus symbolises that she accepts expression of the emotional realm.

There are 11 hexagonal crystals on her gown. This not only symbolises Earth and Water but the hexagonal shape is symbolic the balance of Tiphareth and 11 is the number of magick. The fish is a stylized dolphin and this represents the influence of her mother, the Queen of Cups, and ties to the Empress (4 pectoral fins) linking her to Venus.

She is all about imagination, intuition and grace. She is emotionally unstable, childish and unrealistic. She is quite social.

So, what is the message for me today? Perhaps, it is about being realistic with what I can accomplish in one day or not being emotionally tied to the project I am undertaking. Perhaps, it is about allowing my imagination and intuition room to play.

Today promises to be quite an interesting day with this young lady in my cards. How will your day unfold? Will you allow time for play as well as work? Will you be realistic about what and how much you can accomplish without becoming emotionally unstable, tied to outcomes and putting yourself under pressure?

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

13: Pathfinding… reflection

I find myself in a state of reflection today. There is so much joy in the process I am undertaking and there is so much joy in what is happening in my life. I reflect because there is also grief and bereavement and it is this tragic suddenness that catches my breath and elegantly halts my joyful meanderings to reflect.

My niece lost her son today… tragically… unnecessarily… suddenly. It is a stark reminder of how fleeting how time is on this planet and how our lives impact others – knowingly and unknowingly – that leaves me breathing deeply and appreciative of this life that is no longer physically present.

So, reflection… balance in my world in sharp and defining ways.

Today, I have drawn the 3 of Cups – Abundance. I am using the Thoth Tarot illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris.

Due to the events that have transpired over the past 24 hours, I am reminded that this card is in the suit of Cups – emotions. There is an abundance of emotions running throughout today. The full range is in play. I am blessed to be able to experience them all.

But, needs must… and I am reminded that I need to look at this card more fully.

This is Mercury in Cancer and it is overflowing and plentiful. It is full of symbolism suggesting that life is full and positive. There are the pomegranates, the lotus, the full cups overflowing… this is a card of celebration and fullness. It is also a reminder that excess should be welcomed with caution as overindulgence is usually our undoing.

I can fully understand this card today and will continue to reflect and appreciate a life, short-lived and a life yet to reach the fullness of its being.

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!