September 2nd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink
There’s no new Beyond Worlds episode tonight, but here’s a little treat from the grand mistress of the Tarot airwaves, Donnaleigh de LaRose.
It’s a beautiful meditation on the Death card by the expert Tarot reading puppet Tarot Pete.
From what I understand, this is his first video and it’s a great one!
I can’t wait to see what he has to say about the rest of the deck.
March 21st, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink
The moon moves into Scorpio today at 3:17 pm EST and stays there until Wednesday, March 23rd at 4:07 pm.
If you translate this transit into the Tarot, you could say that the High Priestess is dressed as Death. She’s in the midst of a great transformation.
The High Priestess represents receptive wisdom and reflective emotionality. She learns through wide open perception, and feels by reflecting the feelings of those around her.
She sees the world as it is, awesome in both beauty and cruelty. And understands that life flows, is cyclical like the tides.
One day you’re an acorn, another a tree, and finally the ashes where the new seed lands.
The High Priestess is okay with it all. Since life is what interests her, all parts are sacred and worthy of contemplation. Being heavy, doesn’t scare her.
And that’s a good thing when she’s dressed as Death. There’s nothing light about those clothes.
Death in the Tarot describes the process of decomposition, the decay of what once was, into the fertile soil that incubates what’s to grow.
Death isn’t concerned with good or bad, left or right, green or purple. It takes it all down. Whatever’s run its course is open game for transformation.
The High Priestess is comfortable in this environment. She can cope with deep feelings and isn’t frightened by a little pain.
Compassionate detachment and emotional depth allow her to grow when the big changes take place.
The Moon in Scorpio, or High Priestess in Death’s clothing, suggests a time when feelings run deep. The ability to end relationships that don’t work, or release stagnant emotions is accentuated.
If there’s a situation in your life that’s nearing its completion, especially if it’s emotional or relationship-oriented, this might be a good time to let it go. At least explore it with emotional clarity.
This isn’t a time to be afraid, but rather a time to face your fears with equanimity and intelligence.
You’ve got what it takes. Don’t back down from the scary stuff.
January 26th, 2011 § 8 comments § permalink
#0 The Fool
Inspired by Donnaleigh de LaRose’s post “The High Priestess’ Scroll – What’s In There?”, I decided to ask the cards, “What’s in the Fool’s Satchel?”
Was I ever in for a surprise. For some reason I thought he’d be carrying around fun stuff. But no. At least not on this trip.
5 of Swords
Using the RWS, I pulled four cards.
The first I got was the 5 of Swords. This is about conflict. Winning the battle, but losing the war.
Defeat is the key word on the Thoth Tarot’s version. A defeat that comes from forcing your way, leaving no options but yes or no.
3 of Swords
Next was the 3 of Swords. Sorrow. This is one of the most painful cards in the deck. It’s deep sadness, carried in the heart and too often in silence.
After that came #13, Death. What’s there to say here except that the Fool carries one scary satchel!
#13 - Death
The final card I drew was the 8 of Disks. There’s nothing overtly disturbing about this card. In fact it can sometimes be quite pleasant.
Given what else was in the bag, however, I can’t help but read it as tedium.
It’s the work you have to do but really don’t want to. A reminder that nothing good comes without some effort.
8 of Disks
Why would the Fool carry these things around? He’s such a lighthearted guy and has such a small bag. Why fill it with the hard stuff?
Maybe part of the answer lies in what’s in his other hand. It’s a white flower, symbol of purity, openness, unsullied ideals.
It’s the colour of the dog beside him, free, enthusiastic and running on instinct.
He holds the flower playfully with his fingers, touching it directly. These energies are how he expresses himself to the outside world.
The dark stuff is hidden in a bag at the end of a pole, slung over the side we don’t see. It’s in the deep recesses of his subconscious, not even connected directly to him.
What’s in the satchel balances out the flower, could be its shadow. Notice that the bag and the flower are both directly below the sun.
I was surprised by what the Fool carries around, but with some reflection it makes a lot of sense. The seed of all things is part of what he stands for.
Though innocence, openness and the ideal are at the forefront, conflict, pain and tedium are part of life as well.
On a more positive note, you could also think of the Fool’s satchel as a medicine bag. He’s carrying around a bit of the bad stuff in case he needs it as an antidote.
Either way, now that I’ve taken a peek inside, I’m thinking it’s probably best to just keep this satchel closed.