June 10th, 2011 § § permalink
There’s a Tarot film in the works. And after three and a half years, 22 different groups of people, and a journey across the United States, it’s almost done.
Maybe you’d like to help co-directors Zeljko McMullen and Severiano Martinez get it through editing and post-production?
‘We Are Fools’: A Visual Poem dedicated to the TAROT is one story with 22 parts. The actors were given bare bones direction in order let their own experiences fill in the meaning behind whatever card they were depicting.
Watch the clip below to see some of the film, and to hear what Zeljko McMullen has to say about it.
Then visit the Kickstarter page to help them out. They’ve got lots of ‘awards’ for those who do.
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June 10th, 2011 § § permalink
Queen of Wands
Friday, June 10, 2011
Queen of Wands
Be yourself and be it fully. This is a day for you to shine. You know yourself and you’ve been true to your soul. It’s always worth it and now you’re remembering why.
As you harness your energy to create your will, do so with compassion. Remember what you suffered to get to your present state. Have compassion for those that are still struggling. They can use your inspiration, but remember your strength. Be careful not to burn them.
Take pride in your self and your work, but don’t get carried away. You’re most beautiful when you’re humble, while letting your fire soar.
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June 9th, 2011 § § permalink
Empress as the Lovers' Angel
Venus moves into Gemini today and stays there until July 4th.
From a Tarot perspective, this transit is like the Empress is wearing the clothes of the Lovers’ Angel. She’s switched out her robes and grabbed some wings.
The Empress is the great mother of the deck. She’s devoted, nurturing and capable. Helping her children to flourish is her primary goal.
She’s Mother Earth, the source of all bounty. She celebrates the sensual, and creates beauty in everything she touches.
The Empress is fertility, fluidity, and passion. She’s a goddess of love.
The Lovers, of course, are also concerned with concepts of love. But they’re in love with each other and the thoughts they project back and forth like a mirror.
They want to express everything as openly and honestly as possible, hoping to find some sort of unity in all the contradictions life presents.
The Lovers want to commit to each other, and to the idea that two can indeed become one.
The Empress is thrilled to officiate at the Lovers’ union, but she’d rather be down on the ground giving the newlyweds a hug than floating above like a magical apparition.
And maybe she wouldn’t have chosen gray robes, but she has the knack for making all colours beautiful, gray being no exception.
Venus in Gemini, or the Empress in the clothes of the Lovers’ Angel, is a fantastic time to commit to someone or something you love, or care about greatly. The blessings of Mother Earth are on side.
Assuming of course, you’ve explored all aspects of the issue, be they romantic, familial, professional or academic.
The Lover’s might be in love, but they’re no fools. They insist on looking carefully before they leap.
And during this time, we’re all encouraged to do so as well.
Explore everything that makes up the sensual world. Take part in life. Revel in it even. Then give some serious thought to all that you’ve experienced.
Learning more about the magic of the world won’t break its spell. It’s beauty will only become more awesome through educated eyes.
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June 9th, 2011 § § permalink
High Priestess as Justice
The Moon moved into Libra today, and will stay there until Sunday.
Looking at this transit through the lens of the Tarot, it would be like the High Priestess is wearing Justice’s clothing. She takes on the mantle of the Karmic Decider.
With the High Priestess as Justice, or the Moon in Libra, we might be required to face up to something and decide.
Our emotions will demand respect. If we’ve leaned too far back or forward, we’ll probably find ourselves moving just as dramatically the other way.
It can be a slightly challenging period, perhaps a little manic. But by the time it’s done, something is likely to have been decided upon.
Don’t be alarmed by conflicting emotions. They’re there because you can see both sides. It’s not good enough though to just acknowledge them and walk away.
During this transit you’re being asked to take a stand one way or another. And you’ve got the wisdom and power to do so.
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June 9th, 2011 § § permalink
Six of Disks
Thursday, June 9, 2011
6 of Disks
The reckoning’s done and it’s finally time to dole out the rewards. Have you done your fair share? Are you ready to accept what’s due?
Success is coming to those who have done what they can to manifest their goals. It may seem like manna from heaven but look again – it’s more likely compensation for a job well done.
And don’t forget to thank those who have been helping you. We’re never alone in either our successes or our failures.
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June 8th, 2011 § § permalink
This time-lapse video shows the birth of a baby oak tree from a tiny little acorn.
It was shot by British filmmaker Neil Bromhall over an eight month period.
While I was watching it, I couldn’t help but think of the Aces in the Tarot. I often describe them as seeds, and here’s a seed, growing right in front of us.
Ace of Wands
I know this acorn is actually growing into the earth, so the Ace of Pentacles would be an obvious comparison. But I think of the Ace of Wands when I watch the film.
It’s the push up from the earth that impresses on me, the little tree’s stretch for the sky. It’s reaching towards the Sun, the home of all fire.
Whatever Ace you might think of, this acorn helps remind us that all great ventures start from the very tiniest of beginnings.
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June 8th, 2011 § § permalink
Page of Disks
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Page of Disks
It’s time to get down to the details. A new project is in the works and you’ve got the task of making it happen – or at least starting the process off.
Keep the reason you’re doing it in mind – that’s the fire that drives the whole enterprise.
If the less than exciting details are getting you down, remember that it’s the details that build the foundation to any project.
Don’t be afraid to sludge and trudge on through. It’ll be worth it in the end.
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June 7th, 2011 § § permalink
A new study led by psychologist Davide Rigoni of Italy’s University of Padova, suggests that just thinking that we have no free will causes us to to behave as if we don’t.
As the subtitle of the study says, “the brain minds whether we believe in free will or not.’
The study wasn’t trying to determine whether or not there is free will, a question still up for debate. It just looked at how the human brain reacts when we think we don’t have it.
Thirty people, between the ages of 18 and 24, were asked to read passages from Francis Crick’s 1994 book, The Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul.
Half the group read a passage that described free will as illusory. While the other half read a passage that didn’t mention free will at all.
testing the brain
Test subjects then sat in front of a computer screen and were attached to an EEG machine. They were asked to press a button whenever and however many times they chose, while indicating the time they became aware of their intention to act.
The researchers were examining the subjects’ ‘readiness potential’, or the brain activity that occurs in the moment we first think to do something, then send signals to our muscles to actually do it.
It’s that moment of ‘intention’ that researchers were particularly interested in. They thought that the strength or weakness of the brain activity right then, might reflect one’s belief or disbelief in free will.
As it turned out, the people who had read the passage rejecting free will displayed significantly lower readiness potentials. They appeared to have less voluntary control than the other group.
The study seemed to show that losing faith in free will impairs our brains’ readiness to act, even before we’re aware of the intention to move.
Other studies have shown that when people stop believing that they have free will, they’re more likely to cheat, less likely to be helpful and generally less motivated.
It’s an interesting and important issue for Tarot readers. Especially ones who use the cards to predict.
If these findings are correct, they point to why it’s so important that readers not give their clients the feeling that they have no control over their own future.
It’s true that many life events are outside of our control. But a reading should empower people to find a path through these uncontrollable situations. Not leave them cowering in fear, or dreaming of a miracle life raft that’s just around the corner.
#1 The Magician
Thinking about this subject of course brings me to the cards themselves. How does Tarot address the issue?
The first card that comes to mind when I hear the phrase ‘free will’ is the Magician. Sure the Fool is extraordinarily free, but he’s not trying to ‘will’ anything.
That’s the Magician’s domain. He’s interested in how to initiate action and manifest what he intends. For him, everything is in its ideal form. All is possible. And he’s in charge of the whole production.
It’s the Magician’s self-directed will that really starts the whole Tarot story. He and his will represent the initial driving force to life, our intention to manifest something, whatever it might be.
#15 The Devil
On the other end of the spectrum is the Devil, representing absolute lack of free will.
Other characters in the deck might want to exert power over others, ie. the Emperor and the Hierophant. Even Justice can be pushy at times.
But the Devil really likes control, going so far as to chain his victims to his pedestal.
When this card comes up in a reading, people are often facing some sort of compulsion, addiction or obsession. Lack of control, or the desire to control others is at issue.
The Devil can make people feel like there’s no point in even struggling. And he’s so convincing that he has no need to tighten his prisoners’ restraints.
They can clearly leave if they want to. The chains are loose. But as the study described above suggests, if you don’t believe you’re free, you’re unlikely to act like you are.
Free will, and the lack there of, seem to be coexistent states. Or at least that’s how it feels in my life.
I know I can’t control most of what’s going on around me. But in my mind, I like to believe I’m my own Magician, and my own Devil. It’s up to me who I let rule inside.
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‘Fate and Free-will’ is the topic at this year’s Omega Tarot Conference. If you’re interested in hearing what some great Tarot minds have to say about it and can get to Rhinebeck, NY at the end of July, check it out.
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June 7th, 2011 § § permalink
High Priestess as Hermit
The Moon moves into Virgo today and will be there until Thursday.
From a Tarot perspective, you might think of this transit as the High Priestess wearing the Hermit’s clothes. She’s putting on her cowl.
The Moon in Virgo, or High Priestess in the Hermit’s clothing, is a time for practical, quiet reflection. Seeking the advice of an expert, and listening carefully to what they have to say could be worthwhile.
Or maybe someone will be asking you for your advice.
Your home is more important now than the outside world. Start thinking how to make it more practical. You might not be ready to do the work just yet, but this is a great time to plan.
Emotionally, it’s a time of calm. Perfect for listening and reflecting rather than acting out in passion. Take your time. There’s no rush.
Study, organization, contemplation, solitude, emotional self-reflection. Don’t be afraid to be alone right now. There’s lot’s to do on your own.
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June 7th, 2011 § § permalink
#14 Temperance
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
#14 – Temperance
This is a great day to even things out. Balance and temperance are the energies surrounding you now. Can you bring your physical world into harmony with your emotional state?
Temperance is about that perfect mix, neither too much nor too little. It’s about becoming conscious of what you want to be both inside and out, and courageous enough to try.
You are responsible for any healing you might need. The first step is to acknowledge what might be out of balance and then start readjusting.
Sometimes it’s about finding a new way to meld your internal opposites; sometimes it’s about casting out what no longer works. In all cases though, it’s about being true to your self and connecting to the grander universe.
Try asking an angel for some help today. You might be surprised at the result.
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