Like a master craftsman and his apprentice, a father teaches his young daughter to drum. He is a mentor and role model to her, and the devotion between them seals the lessons of rhythm and tempo.
The test of this Eight speaks to the long apprenticeship that is sometimes required when we work to manifest our vision in the world. We must learn our craft and practice it diligently, reaching a high level of skill, before we can walk the path of right livelihood.
Just finished the 8 of Water . . .
A woman swims upstream in a river, intent on reaching her destination. She is taking action to live her dream and to live authentically, even though at times it is very difficult to go against the current. This current may symbolize an outmoded way of doing things that no longer serves her. Or it may represent mainstream, “accepted” values and standards, and she is drawn to live her life in a more unique way. As a water card, there are many emotions involved here. There may be times when she feels like she's in over her head, when she wants to turn around and let the current take her swiftly and easily downstream. But then she'll just have to pick herself up and head upstream again, after having lost a lot of ground.
“Stay true to yourself,” the River whispers. “Keep to your course ‘til you make landfall.”
My 8 of Fire is a simple card, that echoes the RWS imagery of eight wands flying through the air.
Meteors with trails like sparkling diamonds, streak swiftly towards the earth. Meteor showers are spectacular sights that fill our hearts with awe and wonder. The ancients believed they were portents of great change, for good or ill. They can inspire us to move quickly and burn brightly, as we move towards making our visions a reality.
On to the 8 of Water!
Somewhere online I stumbled across Animoto, a great little service that allows you to make your own music videos — or rather they make them for you. It's free if your video is 30 seconds, or $3.00 for a full song. Such a deal! You can upload your art or photographs and add a tune, and they do the rest. How cool is that? (Of course you need to be sure you have the permission of the copyright holder for both music and images.)
So here's my Gaian Tarot video, set to Craig's "Circle Song," which he recorded about ten years ago on his CD "Beyond the Cedar Moon." Enjoy!
Are you wondering why this 8 of Air is so different from the RWS 8 of Swords? It’s because I’m looking at the energy of the number (8) and how it’s expressed in its element (in this case, Air — which is about communication, conversation, making plans, study, talking and listening — all that good Gemini/Sag/Aquarian stuff!).
If you remember, I’m following Teresa Michelsen’s vision of the numbers as 3 sets of 3 mini-dramas, plus the transitional 10. The three middle cards (2, 5 and 8) are the challenge cards in each of these mini-dramas. I see the 2’s as a test of choice; the 5’s as a test from the world outside; and the 8’s as a test of transforming the vision or intention of the 7 into reality.
In the 8 of Air, we see a small group of people sitting in circle. They’re holding council. One man is talking while the others are actively listening. Perhaps they are planning a political action, remembering the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt the ability of a small group of concerned citizens to change the world.” Perhaps they are working to achieve consensus on an issue that is important to their bonds as a spiritual group. Maybe they are a peer counseling group. Or they could be participating in the deep transformation that can happen when we tell our authentic stories, and others listen deeply from their hearts.
In the RWS 8 of Swords, we may feel blind and unable to move. It’s more of a challenge from the inside out. In my 8 of Air, the challenge has to do with making a vision into a reality, with the help of others. But it’s also about the challenge of working with other people in small groups. Anyone who has spent hours in circle, attempting to reach consensus, will understand the shadow side of this card!
May we all learn to give good attention to others, to listen deeply and to listen well.
This card is dedicated to James Wells and his work with council circle.
Yes I'm back on track with the Sevens and feeling so good about it!
For me, the Sevens are about: being focused on your path (like that Major 7, the Chariot); initiation; setting a goal; inner work. Water of course is the suit of dreams, compassion, spirituality and love, as well as fantasy and illusion.
Here we see a fellow who has chosen one dream out of many possible dreams, and is drinking it down. It's the moment of commitment for him.
In a nice bit of synchronicity, this week I initiated a new goal for myself: an early morning water aerobics class. How's that for a literal reading of this card!
Finally! This poor piece languished on my drawing table throughout the winter holiday season and again while I travelled to Maine. Rather than thinking of it as neglected, I prefer to think of it as having aged, like fine wine. I spent the last two days tweaking the background, focusing on the skin tones and most especially the face. This jpg is a little bit lighter than the original; the darker shadows provide more contrast to the bright fire in the background and the glowing tip of the metal rod.
Thanks to my fabulous model Heidi, who didn’t have to do anything but just be herself, and my fabulous photographer friend, Paul. What would we do without community?
I wrote a bit about my vision of the Sevens here. “In the Sevens, we set a new goal for ourselves, one that reflects our inner work (as opposed to a goal in the everyday world). Sevens are numbers of initiation.” Since fire is symbolic of personal power, creativity, energy and passion, I see the meaning of the Seven of Fire as: taking risks for personal growth, standing up for your authentic self, expressing your sense of self creatively, and trusting your own sense of personal power.
When I chose this photo out of the dozens of photos that Paul took of Heidi, the cliche’d phrase “strike while the iron is hot” leaped to mind. Of course. Don’t miss an opportunity when it presents itself, for that’s when transformation can occur.
In the spirit of "Modern Magick: Reduce - Reuse - Recycle!" — I thought I'd offer you a few gifts from Yuletide seasons past.
At our Santa Lucia party Saturday night, Craig brought down the house with his rendition of "In the Bleak Midwinter" with his revised Gaian lyrics. I posted a link last year to an MP3 file of the song, and here it is again. We hope it blesses your heart.
About a thousand years ago (okay, only 7 or 8 years ago, but it seems much longer) . . . I designed some free Solstice ecards, which have been very popular on my old website. The JPC Artworks site is in dire need of an overhaul; I haven't posted anything new on it for years. But the Solstice ecards? They're holding up pretty well. Please visit and enjoy.
Then there's an article I wrote, The Magical Giftbringers of Yule: St. Lucia and the Holly King, which was published in PanGaia magazine back in the Winter 2000/2001 issue. I'm still quite fond of this article and hope it illuminates the season for you.
We walk between the worlds during the season of Yuletide, especially during the Thirteen Nights of Solstice. If we keep our senses sharp and our imaginations lively, we may encounter many strange and wonderful beings during this liminal time instead of a tired old department store Santa . . . (keep reading . . .)
Cheers!
Recent Comments