The Contract Tarot – Seven of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

Sevens… a magic number that invites us to choose. We have achieved balance and harmony with the celebratory sixes. Now, after all the hooplah is finished, we sit back and look at the options before us and make a choice. Whatever choice we make affects how we progress as we move to the eights. So, this seven is about choice.

Let’s look at the card more closely.

We see an optical illusion at the top of the card and the word is Illusion. When we focus and concentrate on any one thing, we do not see what it is, we see what we think it might be. If you look at the pattern here long enough, you will see the pattern is like a massive system of cogs, turning individually yet being driven by another. This is an illusion. It is not as it appears to be. It is like looking at a dark spot, seeing only that dark spot, until it moves and we realize it was part of a leopard. Be careful, beware! Be sure to look at all sides, all angles and all possibilities before you decide what it is you’re seeing!

In the middle we see two die. They have ‘yes’ on one side and ‘no’ on the other side. The word above is Discernment. Discernment is about choosing yes or no. It is about taking a stand and deciding that yes, this is a leopard or ‘no’ this isn’t only a spot. It is about seeing things as they really are and being wise enough to know that even that, in itself, is an illusion. Discernment, therefore, is an illusion. It is really only our best guess given the information we have to hand. There are no absolutes. (pun intended).

The bottom image is a maze. The word is Indecision. We find ourselves at the point of indecision when we are flooded with information we need to process and store away in respective places before a decision or choice can be made. This is the research stage; the stage where we look for as much information as possible about a given idea or concept. It is the limbo state. It is where we are in overwhelm because we haven’t had time to process what we need to know. Indecision is just a stage. It is okay to be indecisive as long as you move toward Discernment and don’t languish in the mire of Indecision.

The tree is a monkey puzzle tree. I chose this conifer as it is, literally, a puzzle. Scientists have found fossilized remains of this evergreen. It is a survivor of forest fires and almost thrives on them as they trigger it to grow. It has triangular-shaped, overlapping leaves that coat it in armor. It is not a dense tree. You can see clearly through it. A young tree is pyramidal and the branches start off with a spiral-shape (sacred geometry here). Older trees usually flatten on top and spread horizontally. It is an interesting illusion – a tree that is not a typical tree.

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

The Tree of Life path is Netzach (victory) in Beriah (creation).

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

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot – 7 of Runes

Sevens are about control, power and authority. These concepts can be displayed in a variety of ways. I chose the images and the words you see in an attempt to take in the breadth and scope and show you how you can see this card in nature.

Let’s look a little more closely at the card. There is no one dominant image here. This card shows different seasons, spring and winter, and various stages of those seasons. We’ll start with the background and bring ourselves forward.

In the background, we see elk. Two males are fighting for control of the females, which look on with feigned interest. Each male is standing his ground and is full of conviction that he is the strongest and most dominant. This is a power play and it is all about control. Control of territory, control of seeding genes, control of being the male others will have to fight to usurp and take control of all he has. There is authority here. Conviction is the strongest word I can use to illustrate this. I use this because not all males will fight. It will only be those that have a chance, those that are in their prime, those that convict themselves to the task. Losing separates the loser from the rest of the herd and sometimes costs him his life. It is a huge price to pay for his convictions.

Coming a bit forward, we see a pack of wolves. Two of them are fighting. It is defiance at its best. The alpha male will have control of the pack until he grows old or gets wounded and can be challenged defiantly by one of the younger males. It is the age old struggle, literally. Youth, virility and defiance against age, decaying virile reserves and control. It is another power play in a different way. The pack contains young males and females. Only one defies the aged alpha male and only one will test him. If he loses, he becomes an outsider, relegated to find a foreign pack or to trail this one at a good distance until the time is right to try again. Defiance comes with a price.

Coming forward a bit more, we see the bare branches of early spring and the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Instinct is at play here. Instinct for the caterpillar that spins a cocoon and surrenders to the forces of nature, losing himself to magically change into a butterfly. I put this here because it is the ultimate of power, control and authority. It is nature that controls and has power and authority over all things. This instinctual act of a small creature is so beautifully sacrificed and changes into a beautiful butterfly with such fragile control over the air as it flits from flower to flower until such a time that it is no more. This is ultimate power, control and authority demonstrated by paying the ultimate price twice in this cycle of birth, death, resurrection and then death, birth, death and resurrection. It is the greatest cycle displayed brilliantly and beautifully. Instinct, the need to follow and exhibit certain behaviors and displays and willingly lay down your life knowing that something more beautiful follows is the most profound example here.

Let’s look at the symbols on the card.  Across the top are the symbols for Mars, Fire and Leo. Under the Mars symbol are the runes Algiz (the divine plan, awakening) and Tiwaz (self-sacrifice and victory). Under the symbol for Leo are Uruz (raw primal power, survival) and Nauthiz (force of growth, short term pain for long term gain).

The Tree of Life path is Netzach (victory) in Atziluth (emanation).

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

Until tomorrow… 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 17: The Star

“The Star shines upon us In its infinite splendor Thought radiates and Spirit manifests The external world fades Be inspired, connect with the Divine Be true to yourself, your star will shine Life is wisdom, clear vision, revelation Find your soul’s purpose, use your gifts Surrender to your destiny With faith, hope and peace All is soul, all is life.”

Here you see the Star, Sirius, in its heavenly home. This picture is a basin. It is an environment in the valley of mountains. There is a stream in the foreground and a pitcher fountain can be seen sitting at the edge of the stream. There is a butterfly in the wildflowers and the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil can be seen in the background.

This is a serene, womb-like setting. The mountains aren’t obstacles but are beckoning us to climb and see ourselves from an entirely different perspective. The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil appear here to let the viewer know they have everything they need already inside of themselves. The pitcher fountain feeds the stream and delivers the waters of Life and the gifts of Spirit. The butterfly represents the soul alighting on wildflowers and being fed and touched by the wild things, nature, the things that nourish and give it rest. The Star shines over all of this. This Star illuminates all the dark places of our shadow side and let’s us see ourselves clearly. It is thought that radiates and calls to the Divine in all of us encouraging us to love and nurture our souls and shows us the mysteries of the Universe that exist in all of nature and ourselves.

The symbols at the bottom of the scroll (left to right) are: the Hebrew letter, Tzaddi (fish hook), the elemental symbol for Air, the zodiacal symbol for Aquarius. The Tree of Life path just below the scroll is from Netzach (Victory) to Yesod (Foundation).

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

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot 13: Death

Death is here! Death is now! Turn your scythe Into a plough! Rip open your soul Transform your will Let go of ego Renew your self. Change, grow, Behold Death!”

While this card is seemingly light on imagery, there is enough here to help anyone understand the basics of this card. Let’s dive into it!

There are a few images competing for dominance here. The scythe, the eagle, the skull and the blue lotus  are all vying for the eye, albeit in a rather balanced and comfortable way.

The scythe represents the figure of death. The skull indicates the physical body once decay has finished. The snake, scorpion and eagle are the tripartite Scorpio. They represent the cycle of life and death: creation and incarnation. The scorpion is trapped between the lily and the lotus and represents the mortality of the  body between the alpha and the omega. The snake is the kundalini energy that sparks creative energy. The eagle represents the energy involved in the creation of life. The tripartite images also represent stages of matter: scorpion (ice); snake (liquid) and eagle (gas).

There is a storm brewing in the background and the ploughed earth is eager for a drink of water. The brown earth is ready to germinate seeds that lie just below the surface. Just as we are eager to fulfill our potential through change and transformation, a sip of imagination and creativity is all that is needed to spark change and transform ourselves and our environment. Small things (changes)  make big impacts (transformations). The sacrifice we make to this transformation is to let go of our ego, to be vulnerable and malleable.

The symbols at the bottom of the scroll (left to right): the Hebrew letter Nun (fish), the elemental sign for Water and the zodiacal sign of Scorpio. The Tree of Life path is from Tiphareth (beauty) to Netzach (victory).

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

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

27: Trailblazing… news of progress

I started researching and learning Tarot to write a book based on the Tarot. However, the more I look, read, research, the more I really love Tarot.

I’m still writing a book… the muse has spoken and will not leave me alone until I do. As part of this project, however, I realised I would need to create my own deck and it’s a bit radical. Again, these cards have been inspired by my muse and I have seen them in my dreams.

I have created three cards so far: The Fool, Death and The Universe. I thought I’d share them with you here. Please note that while this deck is based on Thoth Tarot, it is a blend of Tarot and Lenormand Oracle and, if you are familiar with Lenormand decks, you’ll understand what I mean as soon as you see the cards.

I’d love your comments and/or thoughts about them. As I progress with the project, I’ll share more here just so you know why I haven’t been posting for a day or two (bar health issues).

Okay… here comes The Fool

the next one is Death:

and the final one is The Universe:

Until tomorrow…Love, light and blessings!