The Contract Tarot – Wisdom of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

We are coming to the end of our journey through Virtues and Cosmic Principles. Today is Wisdom of Virtues and Cosmic Principles. In traditional decks, this would be the King of Cups! This is the ultimate in self-control and self-awareness. Wisdom is about experience, knowledge, good judgment, and discernment. It requires perceptiveness and dignity, a state of holding one’s self apart and seeking the highest good for all concerned.

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

The background is a rainbow sky. The rainbow is a covenant of grace, a bridge between heaven and earth, a symbol of hope and a bringer of peace. Within this context, it is an encouragement to seek the treasure within and Wisdom sees and identifies this treasure.

The next image is a Sphinx Cat. Perceptiveness runs down it’s back. The Sphinx is the guardian of mysteries and cats are independent, stealthy, intuitive and perceptive. Perceptiveness is significant here because it admonishes the reader to use discernment, insight and knowing and to look for understanding.

The next image is a peacock and the word Dignity runs down its back. The peacock is an animal of immortality, renewal, resurrection, potentiality, awareness, manifestation and healing. Dignity is defined as worthy of honor or respect.  Wisdom encourages us to see these qualities in others and in ourselves.

The next image is Lavender. Lavender is commonly thought to express purity, silence, devotion, caution and healing. Here is that healing word again. Wisdom cultivates these qualities. Purity leads to clarity, silence to knowing, devotion to awareness, caution to discernment and healing to renewal.

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

The Tree of Life path is Tiphareth (beauty) in Beriah (creation).

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

Until tomorrow, when we look at the next suit of Gemstones… Love, light and blessings!

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 – Aspiration of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

In traditional decks, the Aspiration of Virtues and Cosmic Principles would be the Knight of Cups.

This is a card that sees us going through growing pains, understanding more sensitive topics like loyalty and surfing the nuances of emotional relationships, creating definitions of our own emotional states and how we perceive the emotional world around us.

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

The background is quite clearly the solar system and space. The keyword is Loyalty. This is the time when we explore our relationship by looking at relationships in the world around us including our planet within the solar system and the galaxy. This is where we can look at something more vast and conceptual to glean some understanding. We know that planets orbit the sun and that moons orbit planets and there is the asteroid belt and the belt that makes up the ring of Saturn. We know that these orbits are fairly loyal with little deviation. We know that we can see the Sun rise every day and the Moon rise at night. We are familiar with the cycles of day and night. They are loyal and constant and remain ever faithful. We think that loyalty is reflected well here and we expect our world and the planets in it (the movers) and the moons that orbit these planets (the hangers-on) to stay constant and remain ever faithful. This is where the basis for loyalty is established… in the constancy of what we find in the world around us.

Then, we see the word Sensitivity above a Mimosa Pudica, more commonly known as the touch-me-not plant. The second this plant is disturbed the brilliant blooms snap shut and hide away. It is a very shy plant. Left undisturbed, you enjoy the brilliant blooms. When we become sensitive and moody, we are like the Mimosa Pudica. The slightest disturbance sets us off and we do everything we can to hide away. Defensively, this is what a lot of animals do in nature… they shy away from any disturbance and take flight. It is what we learn as children to do when we are unsure or are disturbed by something in our environments.

This card addresses the extremes of emotional confidence. It also gives us a message that, where possible, stop and pause to consider your course of action and where your loyalties lie. As we mature, we realize that loyalty is, most often, an overrated concept and our loyalty should be to ourselves and our measure for other things should be what serves us best… our highest good.

The symbol above the ‘C’ is Pisces. The symbol above the ‘P’ is Fire and Water.

The Tree of Life path is Chokmah (wisdom) in Beriah (creation).

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

Until Monday… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot – Inspiration of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

In traditional decks, the Inspiration of Virtues and Cosmic Principles would represent the Page of the suit of Cups. Inspiration, like the Page, is a messenger. This card is about the messages in our emotions.

Let’s take a closer look at the card.

The background shows the dendrites and nucleus of a nerve cell. The word is Empathy. We feel empathy when we connect with the energies of others. We vicariously experience what they are feeling.

The next image is a goldfish in a lightbulb. The word is Creativity. Creativity opens us up to possibility thinking. It subdues fear and explodes potential. It is counter-intuitive at some levels and shows us a different perspective. It is unique, inspired and feels good.

The image at the bottom is the Tree of Grief. The word is Grace. While Grace in itself is not an emotion, grief is. We find Grace when we experience grief. Grace is mercy, it is protected and sanctified by God. It is the bittersweetness that follows heavy grief as we dwell on what we have lost but know, really know, that whatever is lost is now at the mercy of the Divine. It is the bridge between grief and peace.

So, this card is about the messages of our emotions. It is how we connect, not only with the Divine, but with all things. It is Love on every level.

The symbol above the ‘C’ is for Pisces. The symbols above the ‘P’ are Earth and Water.

The Tree of Life path is Malkuth (kingdom) in Beriah (creation).

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

I have appointments tomorrow, so, until Friday… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot – Ten of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

Tens are about ends and beginning again. They are the bridge between the culmination and fulfillment of the journey ending in success, showing us lasting relationships and testing our endurance and that of the beginning of a new path, a different journey which will begin as soon as our awareness reaches completion of the old.

Let’s look more closely at this card.

We see a waterfall as our background. It flows quickly and over different layers of rock. Water is a universal solvent. It operates to break down and break through anything over time. We have come through this journey and it’s many layers and are breaking down our relationships and becoming aware that the lasting relationships, through all of what has come before, are the most important and they will sustain us as we go.

Below this is the word success and, if you look closely, you will see figures helping each other reach success. This is celebrating the success we find together. Family groups or groups of friends that have a common focus or goal reach success together. Consider collaboration and cooperation; true success is forged in the fires of both.

Below this figure is the picture of a Yew tree and the word here is Endurance. Yew trees are usually found in graveyards. They are toxic to most animals and humans and yet, there is medicine to be found in them as well. They signify danger and death on one hand and long-life and rebirth on the other. Yew trees have been known to survive many centuries. They endure. This tells us that we can be toxic on one hand and yet, healing on the other. Our enduring relationships work in spite of the toxic features of our personality. Some relationships survive centuries through generations honoring family ties.

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

The Tree of Life path is Malkuth (kingdom) in Beriah (creation).

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

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot – Nine of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

We are quickly moving along our path. We have left the eights and are now at the nines, cards of harvest and fulfillment. Nines are powerful cards because they are full of potential and possibility. They are, some would say, really the journey’s end ~ we’ll look at tens tomorrow ~ but I feel they are more the integration of what has come before, powerful as they are overflowing and our awareness cannot help but be piqued.

Let’s look at this card more closely.

In the background is the night sky and Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius outshines almost any star that is around it. It is full to overflowing with presence and the more you look at it, the more you fill with joy; hence, the word here is Joy.

Below the star you see two butterflies alight on an orange gerbera daisy. Not only is orange a featured color here – it stands for power, vitality, endurance and innocence; but the butterfly also signals the end of the transformation process, the fool becoming more individual, more secure and more mature.

Directly below the daisy, we see the 100% satisfaction guaranteed symbol. This card is about satisfaction. As we have made our way through the ups and downs, we are now to a point of being satisfied with our progress and all we have learned and let go. This, in turn leads directly to the Gratitude rock you see below this symbol. Gratitude is our overarching emotion in this card. If we haven’t been cultivating an attitude of gratitude before we reach this point, we are reminded to begin. An attitude of gratitude is like armor and will protect us as we continue on our path until this journey’s end.

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

The Tree of Life path is Yesod (foundation) in Beriah (creation).

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot – Eight of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

Welcome to the Eight of Virtues and Cosmic Principles! Eights are about rebirth, revision, something more… We have come from the sevens where illusion reigned, discernment was necessary and indecision was the traditional modus operandi and we have come to the eights.

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

The first thing you notice is the background is otherworldly. It is a nebula, a cloud of possibility. In front of this backdrop are two swans and the word Commitment between them. Some of you will see this as commitment to another, a partner, and be satisfied. I encourage you to look beyond this however and notice that the swans are mirror images of each other… the commitment is to yourself, the inner you, the REAL you.

Below this, you see a labyrinth. A telescope has emerged from it and the phrase that appears is Search for More! This image I use to signify how easy it is to get lost in the mire of our own making, the illusion, discernment and indecision from the sever preceding, and how we need to rise above it all and search for more.  Note, however, that the telescope is being positioned toward the swans (your mirror image). Perhaps this is soul searching, deep and expansive, full of possibility thinking and considering our unlimited options.

Traveling up one leg of the ‘V’ are 3 ants. The word on one of the leaves they carry is Purpose. I chose this to help you understand that allowing possibility thinking to blossom will help you release your self-imposed limitations and find your true purpose! You don’t find your purpose by being narrowly focused on what you think is expected of you or what you expect of yourself. You find your true purpose by challenging everything you believe, value and expect and holding it up to the light of unlimited possibility thinking to find what truly, passionately and positively moves you forward. It is an exercise in true self soul-love first that will allow universal love for all things to be a natural evolution of your experience.

Below this is a blooming pink dogwood tree. The general symbolism of the dogwood is one attributed to sacrifice. It is a smaller tree that is twisted in appearance. The wood is dense and fine grained. It is deciduous and a perennial.

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

The Tree of Life path is Hod (splendor) in Beriah (creation).

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

Until Monday… Love, light and blessings!

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 – Six of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

Welcome to the Six of Virtues and Cosmic Principles! The fours were full of doldrums, the fives were stark and the sixes bring things back to balance and allow us to breathe! Inhale… exhale… ahhhhhhh!

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

The background is sunlight, bright and beaming. The word is Joyful. It is bright, beautiful and joyful when this card is drawn. There is a woodpecker joyfully doing what it does best… making holes in a tree. Oblivious to most anything else as it does what it was designed to do… following its purpose.

The image is that of a puppy… contented and smiling. The word is Contentment. We can feel the contentment here in the image and the card.

Below the puppy is a bonsai tree. Carefully tended and manicured, this is a handcrafted tree, a world in miniature. It is a reminder that we craft and create what we see in our lives. Tended lovingly and with great care, we can create a life of contentment and joyful happenings, we can fulfill our purpose.

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

The Tree of Life path is Tipherath (beauty) in Beriah (creation).

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

Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!

The Contract Tarot – Five of Virtues and Cosmic Principles

Most people really hate drawing a five of any suit! Fives are about instability and counter-intuitively, strength. It is as if the fours set us up to really gnash our teeth in the fives before we find balance in the sixes!

Let’s look at this card more closely.

The background is the familiar pictograph for the matrix of technology. The word is Idealism. We are still in the grips of the boom in technology. We are striding ahead in leaps and bounds as it spreads its roots into more and more areas of our lives. It is the idealistic panacea for everything that ails us. We are beginning to lose sight of our human skills and replacing them with something synthetic and false. From the four, we are now trying to find solution through idealism as we process what was pulling us down.

The next thing we see is a grey angel. The word is Mourning. We all mourn what has past. We look backwards thinking this will propel us forward without realizing that where the head goes the body must follow. If we are looking backwards, we will keep ourselves immersed in the past. We must look forward to immerse ourselves in the present and the future. Mourn if you must but keep it short and make it useful for you. Take note of what went wrong and build in to your present and future ways to overcome obstacles. Take note of what you will miss and creatively resource and expand on it in your present and future. There is always a solution. Nothing is impossible.

The next thing we see is a glass being filled with wine and multicolored tablets. The word is Addiction. Keep in mind that when we are bored, depressed or in mourning, we look for ways to escape the pain. When we avoid something, we must always keep it in focus to ascertain our position to it so we can avoid it successfully. That, or we live in it and immerse ourselves in reliving the pain over and over and use addiction to help us become numb to what we do not want to face. Alternatively, we can choose to face our fears and overcome them without addiction to numbing agents. The warning here is that anything in our lives can become something to which we become addicted. The line is crossed and we wallow, obsess, become gluttonous and fat on our escapism. Strength can be found when we choose to live a healthy, balanced life and put our addictions in their place. What will your choice be?

The yellow daisies signify innocence, loyal love and an I’ll never tell position. They are used as diuretics and astringents, as poultices and to wash sores and swelling. Given all this, I thought they were an appropriate representative for this card and its energies.

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

The Tree of Life path is Geburah (severity) in Beriah (creation).

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