Look to the Stars....

January 7, 2012: Today we have drawn the Star, and the cards are from both the Utah Maninni Three (the Goddess Utah), and the Haindl Tarot. The Star may be said to be the avatar of one's personal interaction with one's deck and one's divination--in a very real sense, you are the "star" of your own life and therefore when the Star appears in a reading, it is all about you. I enjoyed comparing the two interpretations of these cards, the first by Aaron Sorenson, who created the Star Card for the Utah Maninni Three deck, and the second taken from Rachel Pollock's book on the Haindl Tarot. I believe they work very well together. My own interpretation follows:
Maninni Star: (for the sake of information, I have also included the reversed interpretation as given by Aaron) Media: Digital Photograph, words added in Paint. Taken at the Midsummer Campout, which is the connection to the Goddess Utah. Definition: The Star is a card of hope, may the Goddess bless you and bring hope and healing from unexpected places. The light of The Star shines to illuminate your path as you walk with the Desert Goddess through the trials; the desert winds will bring change, the fires will cleanse and the waters will heal. Allow time to run its course and see The Star as the Goddess' favor shining upon you. Reversed: The Star shines hope into dark places, but be cautious; just out of the light lies a deeper darkness. Stay closely on the path to receive the Goddess' blessing for hope and healing.
Haindl Star: The meanings for the Star are as direct as the picture. They speak of optimism, hope, openness. They say that you either already have these qualities, or that you can have them. Sometimes the Star comes after a period of troubles or a Tower-like upheaval in life.The Star is a card of renewal. You have a chance to start over in some long-standing situation, or a new beginning becomes possible. The Star may require that you go back to basic principles. If life has become over-complicated, then the card says to discover what really matters. What do you actually want? What has worked in the past? Can it work again? Have you cluttered your life with unimportant commitments, or with desires that only seem important? Has a relationship gotten bogged down in too many minor arguments, too much, "I did this, you did that"?

The Star says to find the most basic elements, the bare rock of reality and the flowing water of feeling. Notice that these recommendations go in a different direction than Justice, for example, which calls for a careful examination of history. The Star goes back before all the history to find what truly matters. Both cards are valid but at different times. One reason to do readings is to get a sense of what approach to take in a given situation or as situations change.This return to basics involves a cleansing. If you have suffered or feel wounded in some way, you may want to look for a way to wash away the pain. This may mean a ritual, done alone or with friends. Or perhaps it will mean finding good things in your life, especially things that give you a sense of simplicity and hope. The appearance of the Star means renewal. We need to allow ourselves to experience it.The Star means humility. It says to avoid acting out of pride or arrogance toward others. Humility does not require the attitude,"I don't matter. What happens to me is not important." Instead,humility tells us to recognize ourselves as part of something greater. This is the underlying basis of the optimism of the card. We can believe more easily in a future that does not depend entirely on our own efforts. When we see the Star, we know that life is on our side.
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Today is only today. But today is all there is, today. In a similar fashion, you are only you. But you are all of you, all that you are, and who and what you are is the central meaning of your life. It is time to look clearly at your own Shining, at the way you fit into the grand scheme of things. It is time to remember that you Matter, to the Universe, to your friends and family, to your Self. You ARE what you ARE. You are essential. You have the right to Be, and the need to Become.

"You are a child of the Universe. No less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy." (taken from "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann)

Father Knows Best

January 6, 2012: In the calendar of the Christian Church, today is Epiphany, the feast which commemorates the visit of the Three Kings, otherwise known as the Three Wise Men, to the Infant Jesus. It seems fitting in an ecumenical sort of way today that our daily Tarot draw is Brahma, the King of Wands in the Haindl Tarot. Brahma is the avatar of Wisdom, representing not only the equivalent of the Holy Trinity in Hindu theology, but also all four directions, the four Yugas (periods of eternal Time), and the innumerable gifts of the Father God--Brahma, in this deck, is called the "Father of Wands in the East", and in the East is the rising sun, the new Day, the beginning of life. An Epiphany, in other words. And, perhaps not so coincidentally, (do those with the Sight even believe in coincidence?) this day is also in the three-day arc of the Full Moon of Birch, the bursting forth of new beginnings. Indeed, every omen of this morning works together, indicating gifts, richness, beginnings, new life, achievement, and the sacred and holy in each and every manifestation of Living. There is no better way to interpret this confluence of omens than to simply say, "The All-Father, the Wise Man, is looking out for you, as you begin this day, this year, this Lunar Cycle, your own life, fresh and new each and every morning. Go forth, then, and BECOME!"

Keeping It In Balance

January 5, 2012: Today, we are using the Haindl Tarot, and the attributions of Wands and Swords are reversed from those we have used in the Mannini Tarot. Here, Wands are Fire, and today's card is the

Four of Wands

Herbert Haindl was a visionary artist, and his cards are paintings he has created. In this card, the four wands are alternating upright and reversed to illustrate the Hermetic axiom, "As above, so below." There are several other interesting symbols which are used throughout the entire deck, which reappear in certain spots in different parameters. Among these are the bubble and the eye. I can do no better, if you use this deck, than to point you to the masterful and thorough interpretation done by Rachel Pollock in the book that was published at the same time as the deck was released. Here is a portion of her chapter on divination of this card in a reading:

"In the painting, Kathedrale. a tree grows in the center of the broken church. The trunk of the tree appears like stone, as if new life grows from the ruins of the human construction. The bubble, too, indicates new possibilities...The eye, too, reminds us of Aeon,with the ancient eye looking out from behind the clouds. This eye has not quite opened, not quite emerged from the stone.Though the hand coming down signifies a gift, it also recalls the hand in the Wheel of Fortune. That image symbolizes the need to take our fate in our hands. Here we should realize that if a hand reaches out to us with a gift, we need to extend our own hand in order to take it. If life gives us new opportunities,we need to act, in order to take advantage of them.

For readings,the meanings of the Four of Wands includes the idea of new life, new possibilities. The card tells us to look out for opportunities,and to make sure we take action at the right moment. More broadly, it signifies a feeling of renewal in a person’s life. This is a feeling of excitement, of growth. If action is necessary, so is humility. The powerful Fire energy can lead to arrogance. The spears pointing down remind the person to keep a sense of balance. Otherwise, the possibilities can be lost."

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My own interpretation of this card in a Witchy sense includes a correspondence to the "as above, so below," the concept of Paying Coin. Here, the Air cards, which symbolize thought and ideas, are represented by Fire, reminding me of the concept of the "spark of inspiration" or that light bulb going off over the head of a cartoon character when he/she finally "gets it." But Four is about balance, always, and I am also, here, irresistibly reminded of the rune "Gyfu", which is an X, four lines reaching in the four directions, as a crossroads, leading one in any direction one chooses--but leaving the other three directions unexplored. Gyfu can be taken as a gift, or a curse, and Haindl's Four of Wands reminds us that energy moves both ways. We will pay Coin for the decisions we make, we will choose something but that means we do not choose something else, we will walk one path down the crossroads, but the other paths remain unexplored. In a reading this card may be an illustration of this truth--remember, you are choosing here, and therefore, by Naming your choice, you are also Naming all the things it is not. Make certain you are ok with that.

Something A Little Different

Today's draw was, I believe, guided by other forces than my own--of course, the Tarot has a tendency to do that, doesn't it? Today, numerologically, is a 10. The card is a 10. The focus of our community at this time of the year naturally falls to the upcoming anniversary of the death of Cuchulainn, Roy Moorman, whose legacy is our community center, Crone's Hollow. Seeing this card fall made me feel that I could do no better for today's entry than simply to post the entire comprehensive description and interpretation written by my dear friend and fellow Crafter, Griffin ap Ced, upon submitting this card for the Maninni Three. So--here it is, and well done by all concerned. Bears thinking about...

January 4, 2010

10 of Coins (Earth Suit)
(This card is dedicated by EarthHaven Coven to our beloved Brother, our Man in Black and Elder of the Ced Tradition…Roy “Cuchulainn” Moorman Born Nov 18th 1957 Died March 1st 2010

The card is a modification of the 10 of Coins from the Ced Tarot Deck, concept conceived and designed by Griffin Ced, Magister of EarthHaven Coven and Father of the Ced Tradition.

Illustrated by Arnett Taylor, from the Clan of Tubal Cain.

This version is made specifically for the Utah Maninni Three Tarot Project.
The Utah Maninni Three Project. “The Goddess Utah”) How this card represents a part of the Goddess Utah is that this card is representative of Home, Hearth, Family and its Legacy being passed on. The Ced Tradition follows a family structure, headed by Tradition Clan Mother and Magistra Rita “Morgan” ap Ced, at Ced’s Mother Coven, EarthHaven, in SLC. Within the Goddess Utah EarthHaven Coven, as the oldest publically known Coven in Salt Lake City and perhaps all of Utah, is rightly seen to be a Hearth of one of the established families of Goddess Utah.

Description of Card:

The Card is set as the Sun goes down and a Silk Moth (psychopomp) flies in the winds of change. Below the sky, the wealth of the Hearth, Home and Family is depicted with the family assembled at a rich feast, with both the youngest and the oldest sitting at the table. The bald head of the old man sitting at the head of the table could indicate him as Father Time, Saturn himself who always presides over the passing of family legacies.

In the foreground we see the Guardian or Man in Black standing ward at the threshold of this happy family scene. In the background we see the Castle; a Home structure that is defendable and expresses physical as well as financial security. However, this is a liminal transitional period where the Legacy is to be passed on and as such the home, hearth, family and related events must be well guarded.

In the Ced Tradition the circle with the cross is the symbol for Earth, and its color is White. Within the card ten such white crossed circles illustrate the ten coins of earth. This color choice for earth goes to our quarter system and basic cosmology as well as the system of magic we work. In Ced we view “Earth” not in the elemental sense, but rather as the expression of Spirit within Manifest Life and therefore represented by the color association of that Spirit, it being the color holding the most manifest quality of Light, that being White.

White being the Ced color for Earth, it also becomes the color associated with the Suit of Earth and for this reason the frame around the card is white. The upper left and lower right medallions within the frame depict the number 10. The upper right is the symbol for Virgo and the lower left is the planetary ruler for the Virgo Decan that this card is associated with. The top centre medallion depicts the symbol for Mutable, the quality associated with this specific card’s Decan. And of course the lower centre simply states Coins, the name of the Earth Suit in the Ced Tradition.
As this card of Earth is mediated through the Ced Tradition of EarthHaven, it seemed correct to call this card the Ten of Coins. The Coin being associated with finances of course, but also associated with the incurred cost of action and karma or cause and consequence which is central to the ongoing building and manifestation of a Family Hearth and Legacy.

The Home, Hearth and Family could be interpreted in a myriad of ways. The Home could be any structure, vessel, lair, cave or enclosure that holds the financial security of a tribe, family or group of some sort. An upright and/or well-aspected card shows all the positive qualities associated with the concepts presented within this card . A reversed or ill-aspected card would emphasize negative qualities. The instability of the transitional state latent within the card, opens the possibility for the hand of fate interfering in an unexpected manner. For example, gambling problems in the financial arena or an unexpected or unhappy event that could unsettle the harmony of the family, such as a fatality.

Card Associations:

This Minor Arcana Card is associated with the Mutable Decan of (Earth) Virgo.

20-30 degrees Virgo.

Virgo = Mutable Earth.

Planetary Rulership of Virgo = Mercury.

Planetary Rulership of Decan = Venus.

Uniting these associate qualities lends this card the quality or expression of Venus within a Mercury ruled Mutable Earth Arena/Context.

Associated Decan interpretations:

Financial security, money and home are predominant themes. However, this decan is artistic and more loving and friendly or less self-centered than the other decanates of Virgo. Uninterested in routine, this decan needs a creative outlet. The Picatrix interpretation is that the third Decan of Virgo is associated with slothfulness, old age, loss and even depopulation.

Additional Card Interpretation;

The strong House or Household focus, especially the economic aspect, in conjunction with the slothfulness, old age and even loss, leads me to view this card as one of an established and secure legacy being passed to support the family’s interests in a positive manner. The Decan influence of Venus within a mutable earth Mercury setting leads me to see this card as also having aspects of artistic expression and even inspiration or insight that liberates this castle, home or hearth from the black and white world view that imprisons the fate of so many. There is life here and riches of one sort or another within this happy family.

The mutable aspect of this card indicates transition, which is further confirmed by the numeric influence of 10. The quality of this number expresses the completion or end of the first Decad numeric sequence, as well as the beginning of the next Decad set. This repeating of Decad sequences (0, 10, 20) expresses the repeated return to the fulcrum point of zero, between the end of each numeric Decad sequence and the start of the next Decad set.

This brings to the 10 of Coins card, as with other cards associated with 0, 10 or 20, a liminal quality rightly interpreted as an association with a threshold of some sort. For this reason there is a Moth depicted in this card, as the Moth is a psychopomp. With this card having such a strong sense of the Hearth, Home and Family, along with a strong transitional threshold quality, it is only fitting to place the Guardian of the Threshold as the foreground focus. Protection and warding of the wealth associated with the hearth, home and family is extremely important in transitional periods, such as the completion yet liminal point in time this card depicts.

Seven Lights, Seven Directions

January 3, 2012: Again, from the Utah Maninni Three tarot project, today's draw is the Seven of Desert Fires (seven of swords, or rods, depending on how you use the attribution--in this deck, "fires" equals "swords"). Here is the attribution from the creator of the deck, and then the interpretation by your Tarot Witch:
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From Anissa Ward (Melusine): "I attended Aspen Grove's Yule when I was home from school for Winter Break, and forgot my camera; but I found this photo on the witches meetup. It was perfect for the Seven of Desert Fires, and it did the thing I wanted to do in my card, which was recognize the Goddess Utah in a particular way...to acknowledge that for over 20 years, to my knowledge, there has been at least one group holding a public celebration for every one of the eight Sabbats here in Utah. As I am no longer in Utah, and the people here in Seattle don't really believe there can be Pagans in such a repressive culture as Utah is seen to be, it's important to me to be able to acknowledge that. I started attending Quickbeam when I was a little kid, and things have only gotten better since.

Upright: It's hard to fit all those tealights on the mirror without coming very close to the edge. The seven of fires indicates a change of direction. Your Will has been focused on the original idea, but things have mutated, and now there are new angles to consider. What might you be missing if you don't step back and reevaluate the situation?

Reversed: If you turn a candle over it goes out, doesn't it? You're getting lost in the trivia, and you've lost sight of what you originally Willed to accomplish. Too many details, not enough focus. Unclutter yourself."

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Seven fires seems a bit excessive, but sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees, and we keep planting more and more trees, because they take so long to grow. You're becoming distracted by details, and that's making most of your efforts useless. If you really want to create something in accord with your Will, you have to focus long enough to figure out just what your Will is. Sit back, in front of your ONE fire, and think about the real issue, the underlying energy of the thing you are trying to achieve. Then go forth, ignoring the distractions, and do that thing. Your fire will begin to burn far more brightly if you tend it a bit.

Fire to Fire...

Here is the description of this card as submitted by the artist, followed by today's interpretation:

Card Meaning: I like the symmetry of this. I have been around the community a very long time, and these two fires were both lit in honor of the Goddess Utah at community Sabbat rituals, one at a CUUPS Samhain and one at a Quickbeam Beltaine at Just Past Bluffdale. Two fires, two festivals, exactly across the wheel from one another, both representing the power of the Goddess Utah as She has influenced our community for almost 25 years of public paganism. The 2 of fires is about balancing your passion, as the festivals of Beltaine and Samhain balance one another across the wheel. And there is not any reversal, because the reversed meaning is in the card itself.(card and description by Patric).

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The Suits for the Utah Maninni Three deck were the Elements of the Goddess Utah, who was our theme idea, so the Two of Desert Fires is the equivalent of the Two of Swords. There is in the card the same idea of balance and opposition...and the context of "a choice must be made, and neither side bespeaks itself more strongly than the other." Bealteine fire and Samhain fire--across the Wheel from one another, and seeming similar, yet could not be more different in attribution. Will and Emotion do not always make good bedfellows...a clear head might be needed here, not the "head filled with smoke" that is spoken of in the Rune Poem of Amairgen. Do your fires burn for fertility and growth, or is this flame the consummation of the issue? Take a really good look at the situation in the cold hard light of day, and let yourself be led by the illumination which will guide you where you really want to go.

It's All In The Cards...

This is the beginning of publicizing an ongoing endeavor that has been private Craftworking for some time. Daily draws are a part of my life, but this is going to be the year that I begin becoming a Taroteer in earnest. Draws and interpretation to be shared with the world from a Witchen perspective.

Cards for these daily readings will be drawn from the three cycles of the Utah Mannini Tarot Project, a tarot deck created by the Utah Pagan Community in the years 2000, 2005, and 2010, and from the Haindl Tarot, my personal deck of choice, as well as from other decks I may be dealing with at any given moment (I own 23 Tarot decks, so the word here is "variety"!). The card for this draw is from Utah Mannini Three, created in 2010. Enjoy!

This card was created from a photo and pen-and-ink drawing focused on the red-rock country of Southern Utah, in the Arches:
Emperor meaning: When we see the Emperor in the arches we think of time, wisdom, grand authority and grounding. He sits atop the mountains and in the arches carved away through natural forces and over long periods of time, he's been there done that so to speak. Listen to his advice. He is strong, powerful and scrutinous; though comforting and practical he is an elder to be learned from. He calls to us from inside, take a moment to recognize your own strength as a leader and take charge of your life! (Work and interpretation by Lissa Snellman)

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Here it is the first of January, 2012, so what better time to begin? And today's draw is: The Emperor. The avatar of care in spending, husbandry of resources, owning your "shit", however you define that, and Fathering those things that you consider important. And what better way to begin the New Year than with the Emperor's circumspection, taking a close look around at all there is to hold, to have, to do, to attain? If there were ever a denizen of the Tarot Universe that practically screams "NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS!!" it is this guy. SO--look about yourself. Regard your circumstances. What is there to care for? What is there to attain? What is there to pay attention to? What is there to achieve or to adjust? All of it falls into your hands. It's a new beginning. It's a new year with no mistakes in it yet. And his Lordly energy will do what is possible to make sure there are none....Hail the Emperor! He marches to his throne under the New Year's Sunrise. Go on, join him. He's waiting for you!