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 – Wisdom of Runes

This is the Wisdom of Runes. It replaces the Kings/Knights in traditional decks.

Kings are about authority. However, this authority is full of wisdom, service, and action.

Let’s take a closer look at this card.

Immediately, you can see that it is evening in this card. There is a nearly full moon (wisdom of intuition) and a raven (intelligence, curiosity, keeper and bringer of secrets)  flying over a black horse wearing a pinkish (purity)/red (passion) cloak bowing in service. A golden (wisdom) flame (action) illuminates the night to such a degree that yellow (compassion) and red (perfect love) tulips (signify eternal life) are the blanket upon which this horse treads.

This King is wise. He knows his wisdom is derived from service to others, from passion and compassion, and from illumination through action. He is bold and decisive, confident in his passion and wisdom.

The symbols across the top of the card are Fire, Leo, Fire.

The Runes below the Fire sign on the left are Thurisaz (the warrior who combines consciousness and wisdom, awakening of the will to action), Ansuz (creative wisdom, inspiration and divine communication, order), Nauthiz (understanding resistance in the process of creating, mysteries of necessity), and Jera (understanding the natural cycles and rhythms of life, peace, prosperity and plenty). The Runes below the Fire sign on the right are Ihwaz (communication between levels of reality, mysteries of life and death), Berkano (hidden sanctuary in times of need, mastery of silence of listening and protecting), Laguz (mastery of emotion, development of prophetic wisdom), and Inguz (integration of the four selves – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – for wholeness, storage and transformation of power).

The Tree of Life path is Tiphareth (beauty) in Atziluth (emanation).

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

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot – 9 of Runes

Nines are cards of completion inasmuch as they are the integration of our journey manifesting now in our lives. Tens are also cards of completion but we’ll cover that on Monday.

This card is full to almost overflowing. There are bold keywords and images for you to consider here. Let’s look at it more carefully.

The scene is stormy and a plateau/meadow in the mountains. The lightning generates a force that is innate in its histrionic manifestation. There is electromagnetic energy in the air and hair rises on the back of your neck and goose bumps emerge as a shiver runs up your spine. You know the air is ripe for lightning but you don’t know where it will show up. This is not all bad. It is a signal that you have force at your disposal whenever you need it. It is deep within you and has helped you get this far on your journey.

It is the courage to start and take that one step forward, that raw energy found in the Ace of Runes; the life force found in the 2; the virtue and success found in the 3; the celebration of family in the 4; the conflict and discipline found in the 5; the balance and victory in the 6; the defiance, conviction and instinct found in the 7; and the freedom, progress and communication of the 8 of Runes. All of these are in the 9 of Runes manifesting as power, force and strength.

This is where you are now. You are in the power of your convictions, self-assured, strong and have the forces of your universe at hand. Lightning is a creative force as well as a destructive force.

The eagle tells you to defeat your fears and rise above them to see the horizon. He also knows that the good and bad in your life are there as balance and encourages you to engage your purpose and your faith to soar.

The bear tells you that there is strength and power to be gained by introspection, meditation and rest. It is important to look at your life and reflect upon what is there and what is needed and to move in your own time and your own wisdom.

Integrating all of these things in your now is what this card is about. There is completion, satisfaction, success and skill here.

The symbols across the top of the card are Moon, Fire and Sagittarius.

Below the Moon, the runes are Sowilo (success, life purpose, guidance), Kenaz (illumination, controlled energy, transformation), Fehu (new beginnings, control, money), Thurisaz (directed force, regenerative catalyst, constructive conflict), Ansuz (divine inspiration, synthesis, communication), and Nauthiz (primal truth, innovation, achievement through effort). Below Sagittarius, the runes are Isa (self-control, unity of being), Jera (peace, prosperity, plenty), Ehwaz (marriage of the mind and body, activation and use of instinct), Algiz (protective teaching force, awakening), Tiwaz (victory, self-sacrifice) and Othala (ancestral spiritual power, inheritance).

The Tree of Life path is Yesod (foundation) in Atziluth (emanation).

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

Until Monday… Love, light and blessings!

 

The Contract Tarot 18: The Moon

“Can you feel the pull Of the moon? The dog and the wolf Howl, their natural instincts rule. Be guided by your intuition Don’t let illusion deceive you. Beware your secret and hidden fears Develop your unknown talents Introspection leads to new consciousness Let the instinctive energy Overwhelm you! Meditate! Peace, be still.”

Let’s look at the card more closely.

The dominant thing is the full moon. The mountains provide a sheltered environment and a path can be seen winding its way into the distant mountains. Two pillars stand guarding the entryway to the mountains. Along the pathway, there is a dog and a wolf howling at the moon!

The moon is all about psychological and emotional development. It speaks to the innermost, primal parts of us and encourages us to follow the path through the pillars that guard the unknown. The dog and the wolf howl our fears as we walk that path. Our greatest fears can be conquered by facing them in the stillness of our soul as we allow the moon to reflect our shadow side  and cast silvery light upon it. This is the point of breathing into the soul and quieting the mind and emotions to hear that still small voice that guides us through unknown pathways. We are vulnerable here only if we listen to the fears pronounced in the howl of the dog and the wolf.

The symbols at the bottom of the scroll (left to right) are: the Hebrew letter Qoph (back of head), the elemental sign of Water and the zodiacal sign of Pisces.

The Tree of Life pathway below the scroll is from Netzach (Victory) to Malkuth (Kingdom).

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!

The Contract Tarot 2: The Priestess

“The silver star Points the way Thru Da’ath to Tiphareth. The veil hides secrets Sacred knowledge Hidden power Listen for the soundless Look for the invisible In your dreaming hours. The Priestess lives In the Hall of Wisdom She controls unconscious mind. She allows you passage Over the threshold What is it you will find? Beginnings, hidden mysteries, Aspiration, stability, Intuition, creative potential, Intelligent unity.”

This is a card with a blue night sky, crescent moon, and water. You can see two pillars, Jerochim and Boaz, a camel, keys, two palm trees, geometric shapes, a salmon-coloured flower, a yellow flower, pomegranates, pine cones and, behind all this, there is a veil. Behind the veil, there is a throne, with a closed book, a lyre and an arrow.

The symbols on the scroll are the moon, water, and the Hebrew letter, Gimel (camel).

The crescent moon is the silver star that points the way. The two pillars are the pillars of Solomon’s temple, Joachim and Boaz or establishes and strength. The camel is the animal (emissary of the Priestess) that crosses the Great Abyss. The keys are what you need to enter. The palm trees represent what the Priestess is about – mixing the seen with the unseen. The geometric shapes and the flowers represent manifestation. The pine cones represent the creative potential of unity. The veil is the veil of the Abyss. The closed book is the Book of Mysteries. The lyre is an enchantment played by the Priestess. The arrow refers to Sagittarius and this ties this card to the Art card.

These explanations cover just the surface of the meaning behind the symbols on these cards. A more in-depth explanation will be seen in the book as the story unfolds.

Until Monday… have a fabulous weekend! 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!

28: Trailblazing… a different perspective

I started today quite pleased that I had successfully created 3 out of 78 of the Tarot cards. The Fool, Death and The Universe cards are three of the main characters in the book I am writing.

Several things struck me about these three cards.

They are all part of the same endless cycle.

There is newness in every day, in every task we undertake, in every breath, in every person we meet.

There is death in every day, in every occurrence of surrender, in everything we throw away, in every character we delete from the page, in every day when we arise.

There is completion of tasks, a finality to every day, to every project, to every endeavor, to childhood.

The perspective is different every single time. Nothing is the same except the cycle. How you choose to enjoy this never ending journey is where true joy or deep despair can be found. Do you embrace newness, change, difference, breathing? or do you find yourself rigid, resisting and holding your breath? Give yourself permission to breathe! Give yourself permission to experience and find wonder, beauty and joy!

Today, I have drawn the 6 of Disks – Success! I am using the Thoth Tarot illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris.

This card is beautiful and full of magick!! Just look at it… it looks like a supernova! Can you see the layers, the depth, the beautiful colours and striking textures? The sharp stiletto of the points of the star… the soft, rounded edges to the circles… the beautiful rose in the centre is so full of brilliant!

There is so much to see here in this dominantly hexagram shaped image. First, the Rosy Cross in the centre. This is the Sun in Tiphareth showing 49 blue-lined petals on five red-lined squares. This is surrounded by the six planet orbs arranged in a formation reminiscent of the Tree of Life. The energies of Geburah (severity) and Chesed (mercy) within Tiphareth (beauty). This is the Moon in Taurus in a happy arrangement.

This card is all about success. There is balance and fertile energies manifesting in the material world.

This card speaks to me about success but not in a get-rich-quick way. The layers I see are bubbling with energy and lie behind the brilliant image to which our eyes are immediately drawn.

This card is telling me to lay firm foundations (the very deep colours of the background in this card – it looks like the colour of soil that has been furrowed and plowed).

This card also tells me that great energy is required to get things going (the red-orange colour of Taurus) and to keep things sustained (the blue colour of the Moon) before, in a brilliant explosion of everything coming together to transform action into something of substance (the stiletto rayed explosion of the star), success can be manifest and found (the brilliant image of everything ordered to produce the light of the Sun – the Rosy Cross representing Tiphareth).

Success can be sweet but it can also come with thorns and needs to be respected and handled carefully. All the energy expended to create success can exhaust and weaken the participants to a point where success cannot be maintained. Weeds will grow and choke off further growth and development if success is not tempered with planning for viability and sustainability. Fertiliser is occasionally needed, hoeing is required, sometimes supports are required to help hold up the heavy blooms that sweeten our garden. Watering is needed, praise from the light of the sun and cool breezes to temper the heat of the day.

How do you perceive success? Is it a brilliant explosion borne from energy and action? Is it the end result of laying a good foundation and planning for viability and sustainability? How do you measure success? What does it look like to you?

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!