The Pot of Gold Princess

Today's card is the Page (Princess) of Pentacles.  She is the harbinger of opportunities, particularly economic ones.

In Kris Waldherr's Goddess deck, the Pentacles are represented by the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. Pentacles are luck, finances, comfort, and security, which are all in Lakshmi's domain. In the Goddess deck, Lakshmi also graces the Wheel of Fortune card. This is fitting, as finances can bloom and vanish at the drop of a hat.  There certainly is good fortune and bad fortune involved, but Pentacles, being aligned with the practical element of Earth, is quick to remind us that we can also create our fortunes, good or bad. Laziness, besides leading to no progress, also leads to no luck.

The Celtic Princess of Pentacles and the Robin Wood Page of Pentacles are both young girls. This is what the page/princess cards of any suit usually represent, if they are to represent a person. You must follow your instincts while reading these cards. They may represent the querent (the person the cards are being read for, including if you're reading for yourself), a person in the querent's life or about to come into the querent's life; events in the past, present, or future; or an abstract psychological quality or energy.

In the Celtic Princess of Pentacles card, drawn by Mary Guinan, the warmth and energy possible in this card are apparent. There is a glow about the card, and the girl's expression is one of excitement. She is dressed in fine clothes (the style is Roman, so she is probably a noble during the Roman occupation of the British aisles) and jewelry, showing her security and wealth.  If a Princess or Page of Pentacles shows up in your spread, you have opportunities for increase your wealth, or you may be enjoying it right now! Because of the happiness in these cards, I like to think the querent is going to make the money doing something he/she loves to do.

Robin Wood's Page of Pentacles is a great bridge to the Barbara G. Walker card. The girl in Robin Wood's Page of Pentacles is studious, as shown by the little book at her side, and is standing still and strong. This underscores the importance of hard work and learning to this suit, as well as steadfastness and reliability, all qualities of Earth. If the Page/Princess in your spread represents someone in your life, you're quite lucky. You have someone you can trust in your corner. If she represents you, you have a lot of potential!

I also think of healing with the Pentacles or Coins, as they are associated with the Earth, which is the element of physical strength and fertility (as seen by all the greenery in the Robin Wood card).  The person in question, or the questioner himself, may have the potential for being a healer, or being healed. This healing may be physical or psychological. 

Study and knowledge, though possibly of a different kind, are also evident in Barbara G. Walker's Princess of Pentacles. For this card, Barbara G. Walker chose Nimue, the consort of Merlin and a sorceress in her own right.  This card reminds us that Earth is a feminine element, and knowledge of the esoteric (dreamwork, magic, anything to do with the subconscious, intuition) were all the realm of the female. While Earth is practical, the choice of Nimue reminds us that luck also comes with knowledge of the self.

Archetypes and people associated with the Princess/Page of Coins, or Pentacles (Upright): 

Positive: 

A kind, down- to -earth young person 

A gentle soul who is loving to animals

A studious child who works hard

The Nature Child 

Negative Associations (reversed)

A crude young person 

a slow wit 

a stubborn child 

a gluttonous person 

What to look for in your dreams: A child, especially a girl child, out in nature, or one that has a soothing presence. 

Look out for green and brown colors. These are earth colors. 

Sea Goat

Capricorn is the sign of the Sea Goat (or just the Goat) and lasts from December 22 to January 22.  The ruling element for Capricorn is Earth. Earth lends a very practical, stoic quality to Capricorns. Capricorn also rules work and reputation. Capricorns, like the goats themselves, are steadfast. Like goats climbing--actually, forget climbing, have you ever seen rams lock horns?--on an almost perfectly vertical mountain, full of sharp rocks and sheer cliffs, they can accomplish what is seemingly impossible with focus and grace.  

Earth adjectives such as stony and steely are apt for Capricorn energy. Capricorn energy is taciturn and stoic. However, Capricorns can be quite intense. Like other earth signs, they are boulders. They hunker down into an idea or a goal and they shall not be moved. Their strength is a quiet, plodding strength, but underneath the solid exterior can be seething, swirling magma. Capricorns are good at keeping their cool and not blowing their tops--I apologize for the cliches--but unless the Capricorns can find an outlet, their repression and workaholism can eat them alive.

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the planet of limitations. Saturn is the archetype of Father Time, and he loves to give challenges. Capricorns, because of this, may seem prone to melancholy and pessimism. However, Saturn is also the planet of wisdom, and Capricorn energy can be radiate knowledge and serenity, like Yoda.  Many images depict the Goat, Capricorn's symbol, as a Sea Goat, with a goat upper body and a fish tail. The Capricorn personality can adapt to rather sticky situations, such as being a goat in the water, or a fish on a mountain. This is because Saturn is in Capricorn's corner, helping them through these challenges. Capricorns are adept at handling emergencies and inconveniences.

I must confess that whenever I think of Capricorns, I think of Rob Zombie. Rob Zombie is a Capricorn, and, according to Sean Yseult's I'm In the Band,  has a piercing focus and willingness, if the brick wall in front of him is miles long and miles high, to bang his head against it until he finds a weak spot. Though it may take a while, Capricorns have the practical knowledge, diligence, and instincts to be successful. Their greatest gifts, though, is having belief in their visions, even if they don't have faith in themselves, and their refusal to give up.

Another quintessential embodiment of Capricorn energy is Hephaestus, the Greek god of the foundry and lightning bolts (he was known as Vulcan in Rome.) Hephaestus was lame, homely, and frequently cuckholded by his wife, Aphrodite, to absolutely nobody's surprise. He was mocked and ridiculed by his comlier cohorts on Mount Olympus. And yet, when it came to his skill, nobody dared disparage him. He could make anything--Zeus's thunder, Achilles' armor, Artemis' arrows, and even Pandora, the perfect human. The main focus of his life was trying to prove himself, to earn respect. This is the main idea of Capricorn energy: having a good reputation, in spite of any defects one may perceive oneself to have (Kaldera 43-48).

Capricorns are little lambs when you get them in the right mood. A perfect, in the light Capricorn would probably, in my opinion, be voice actor Brad Swaile, who is sweet, gentle, and as happy as a little kid on a sunny mountain top of clover.

The Shadow side of Capricorns are indicated by a lack of humor. The really scary side of Capricorn is a hard, cold, human being, with no imagination, only ambition, like the antagonists in Charles Dickens' Hard Times. They can also be extremely stern and authoritarian. Also, the Shadow Capricorn can be unwilling to buck authority or convention. They would rather move up the ranks themselves, and then make changes, rather than go toe-to-toe with someone with more power (Kaldera 47). That might keep them from reaching their goals, and might tarnish their reputation.

Questions for consideration, to unleash healthy Capricorn energy:

1) What good, if any, have you received from the challenges in your life?
2) How are you specially adapted to challenges? What tools do you have in your arsenal against the inconveniences and emergencies of everyday life?
3) Where do you feel least comfortable nonconforming? Most comfortable?  Has this conforming served you? Why or why not? In what ways can you buck authority?

Source: Kaldera, Raven. Mythastrology: Exploring Planets and Pantheons. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

Sagittarius

Don't get me wrong. I love Battlestar: Galactica. But they have Sagittarians all wrong. Both my fiance and my older brother are Sagittarians, and they would be the first to tell you that refusing perfectly good medicine when you need it is ill-advised. Actually, they wouldn't say that. They would come right out and tell you to your face that you're stupid.

Sagittarians are known for being brutally honest. If you want to hear a certain answer, don't ask a Sagittarius the question. They find little white lies repugnant. That is the dark side of a Sagittarius, along with being ludicrously protective of their independence. My brother walked at ten months, which is pretty impressive, but my fiance crawled at four months and walked at nine months. I'm sure it's because they felt being carried about cramped their style and limited their exploration.

What is so beautiful about Sagittarius is its vibrant intellect. Out of all the fire signs, Sagittarius is the most philosophical. While Aries and Leo are symbolized by the Ram and the Lion, respectively, Sagittarius is the Centaur, or the Archer. Their animal magnetism (at least my fiance's, I'm not going to go there about my brother) and fiery physicality is balanced by an innate love of the abstract. They are curious and love adventure. Sagittarius, in this sense, is the bridge from the element of Fire to its natural companion,  intellectual Air. There's a reason why Captain Planet put those two Planeteers together. It's science. Air feeds Fire. In Sagittarius you get the best of both--elements, not Planeteers.

Sagittarius shows its fire in any competition. The Sagittarius wants to be the best, but while Leo tends to go for the gold in theatrics and socializing, and Aries in sports and physical bravado, the Sagittarius wants to be the top of the class--and this includes gym and theater. When a Sagittarius is motivated, it's best to just step back and watch. You'll thrill at how much they accomplish, and the diversity of their interests. One Sag I know changed has changed his majors several times. Sagittarius, in balance, can love learning for its own sake, and not just to gain accolades.

With this competition, however, comes an obsessive need to be right. A Sagittarius will break hearts and balls over an idea. They're like Artemis, who, after catching Actaeon looking at her while she was bathing, turned him into a stag to be ripped apart by his own dogs. Artemis took the idea of virginity so seriously that she was willing to kill over the tiniest insult to it.  In fact, if she found out that one of her nymphs had slept with a man, even through rape, she would kill her. This is the darkest side of Sagittarius.

That said, Sagittarius is charming, even with the bluntness. Sagittarius is a quick wit, and, because they love to travel and explore, always have something interesting to say. Also, since Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion, they have an attractive quality, a charisma.  And, although it is hard for a Sagittarian to fall in love (except with independence, the feel of their feet moving along a road, and learning itself), once it happens, there is no love truer. I know this from personal experience.

Archetypes, people, and objects associated with Sagittarius:

Artemis, the Greek Archer goddess of the Moon, known as Diana to the Romans. Although you've probably heard of her, there's many things about her you might not know, such as she helped her mother give birth to her twin brother, Apollo:  really detailed biography of Artemis.
Wikipedia article

World Travelers/Gypsies

Horses--animals known for movement and power

Taliesin, the Welsh hero, who started out as a little boy named Gwion Bach, who ate a potion he shouldn't have, and, to make a long story short, turned himself into a piece of corn and was eaten by his witch foster mother. She ended up giving birth to him nine months later. At birth, Taliesin speaks like a Rhodes scholar, and so is named Taliesin, or "bright brow," referring to his intelligence and precocity, something Sagittarians are known for. He also travels the world and has many adventures, as Sagittarians do, all in search of truth. And, the cool part is, he's based on a real guy! You can read more about him here:  http://www.pantheon.org/articles/t/taliesin.html

Vainamoinen, the Finnish hero, whose magical voice created, manipulated, and destroyed, and whom Gandalf was modeled after. His end was brought by his hubris. Sagittarian tongues can also be balms or scalpels, and must take care not to become to arrogant. Read more about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Väinämöinen

Wild Star

I decided we would break from going in order and just pick a random card. I pulled The Star, which is FANTASTIC, given the obvious holiday synchronicity.  What is not so in keeping with the holidays is the nudity. Two of my Star cards have nudity, and two don't.

Barbara G. Walker's Star

Nudity is symbolic of shamelessness and openness. You have nothing to be ashamed of if you have reached the level of joy and perfection The Star represents.  This is truly a happy, lucky card.  It is a card of peace, and I would add euphoria.  It is a card of dreams coming true. The naked girl could be the Blue Fairy.

Robin Wood's Star

Robin Wood's picture for The Star is, like all her cards, chock full of fabulous details. Today, I happen to notice the bluebells in the corner. This is because I am not a heterosexual man. To me, bluebells represent childlike whimsy and fun. Robin Wood calls them "Fairy Bells" in her book about her deck, and writes that as a child she firmly believed that the fairies use them as instruments (73). The bluebells represent magic and innocence. Actually, many types of joy are represented on The Star card. The water represents the unconscious, as water is wont to do, and the grass is earthly reality. Pagans have a saying--as above, so below, and the subconscious manifests in reality, just as reality manifests in the subconscious via dreams. The Star card shows that all is right both above and below, sub and super.  The Star shows this balance also in the stars shining so brightly at night. The sun, the symbol of the conscious mind, is after all, a star. So, even though it may seem like I'm stretching, the bright stars in the clear, deep blue night are also indicative of this balance. What do you see? Besides the naked chick, that is.

Celtic Star

Now here's something a little more festive! Here, The Star shows hope and a happy future. The man is following his dreams, and letting his heart be his guide. If you look at the star long enough, I swear to God it starts to pulse and twinkle. Just go a little cross eyed and soft focus, like the Magic Eye. What is that star leading the man? Where is it leading you?

Kris Waldherr's Goddess Deck: Inanna=Star

For her Goddess Deck, Kris Waldherr chose Inanna to represent The Star. Inanna was the Sumerian Queen of Heaven and Goddess of Love. Inanna, according to Raven Kaldera in his book MythAstrology, writes that Inanna is a goddess who is both Leonine and Scorpionic (160). Here, we see her with her majestic lions. I think that the fact that she is both Leo and Scorpio (although strictly speaking, when she is Leo she's more like Ishtar, a version of the same goddess), shows, again, this harmony. Scorpio is feminine, water, the subconscious, dreams, and deep, emotional intensity. Leo is masculine, fire, energy, sunlight, and fun. It is fitting that this goddess was chosen for The Star card, as she shows affinity with both these vibrations and marries them into something beautiful. When someone has The Star card, it shows that different aspects of their life are making beautiful music, or are about to. It shows talent and ability to make dreams come true, any dream.

I think my decks wanted to give you all an early Christmas gift. I wish you all the Stars!

The Empress

I felt that it would only be fitting to write about the lady of fertility and blessings around the time of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The woman in the picture above is the Navaho and Apache earth goddess of change. According to the theology, she created mankind from white flour and corn meal she dusted from her chest. The chest is the place where we, from the time we are born, receive food and comfort. The Empress is a mother archetype, making sure all have all they need. Estsanatlehi (pronounced broken down into syllables--est-san-at-lah-hee) has the ability to age, but then grow young again by walking toward the East, the place of creation.  So, she never dies. This immortality is granted to the Empress archetype. The Mother is as old as time, and will last until the end of time. It is the same with generosity, I think.  The Empress can represent a person in the person's life who is extremely generous and is waiting to give blessings to the person. The Empress usually represents a mother figure, or a man who is very supportive, caring, and giving. It is also very fitting that Estsanatlehi is associated with the Earth, as is the Empress. There is a reason we call our planet Mother Earth.

When the Empress shows up, it means blessings are in the offing.  These blessings can be material--traditionally, a good harvest, but today it could mean a raise, or a new house.  The blessing could also be one of fertility. This could mean the obvious conclusion that a new baby is coming, but it could also be a new creative project--especially one that's more crafty and hands-on.  I also think that the Empress gives blessings of family, especially if it appears with one of the Cups cards. If the question is about marriage or adoption, this is a good card to get!  The wedding will be happy, the marriage will be loving, and the in-laws will be welcoming.  The adoption will be joyous and smooth.  The Empress can also represent a comfortable, loving home, contentment, and security.

The generous energy of the Empress, when in balance, is unconditional. There are no strings attached to the gifts, except perhaps gratitude, and taking the Empress' cue and sharing what you have in turn. Gratitude is generosity's twin, I think, and so the Empress represents gratitude to me, as well as generosity.

The shadow, unbalanced side of the Empress is someone who is stingy, someone who is incapable of giving, an abusive mother, or someone who is ungrateful. She can also represent someone who is giving too much, at the expense of his/her own well-being, or someone who is smothering instead of mothering.

In more esoteric views, the Empress is all about the fecundity--meaning the sex. As you can see in the Barbara G. Walker interpretation above, the Empress is seated in a very generous posture, if you know what I mean. This hearkens to a time of the temple prostitutes, who were treated like queens for providing not only sexual but spiritual services. They were the conduits of the ultimate empresses, the goddesses. In this context, the Empress is less mothering and more sex queen, but she is still an empress, in every sense of the word. Sexual power is also another meaning for the card, but it is up to you to determine whether this energy is strictly femme fatale or a combination of lover/possible wife/future mother to the children.  Even as I type this, that is not a very accurate way to describe it. It's just that the energy is not just about sex--it's about a deeper bonding where the beloved takes on multiple roles, each of them extremely important. If you are familiar with the Maid/Mother/Crone triad seen in matriarchal religions, it's like that--this is a woman of such powers she juggles various life roles seemingly effortlessly.

Questions for consideration:

1) Think about the women in your life, and their various roles--girlfriend, wife, mother, sister, best friend.  Which relationships are positive and which are negative? What have you learned about being a woman, or relating to women, from these relationships?
2) Who nurtures you in your life? Whom/what do you nurture? What defines "nurturing" for you, as opposed to smothering? On the flip side, who leaves you feeling neglected and abandoned?
3) What creative ideas, projects, or dreams are you incubating? What are some steps you can take to make the dream real, or to move it to the next level?
4) Are there any dreams that you may have abandoned, but still think about? How can you nurture them back to life?

O' Death

Death is the 13th card in the Major Arcana. We are jumping ahead a bit, but it is Autumn, and we are in the sign of Scorpio, so it is only fitting that we should give Death a little attention.

Creepy Celtic Death is staring at YOU. 

Barbara G. Walker's Death

As you can see in the both the Barbara G. Walker and the Celtic deck, Death is not wearing his customary robe. Yep, he's just standing there in all his bare-bone glory. And why shouldn't he? Death is inevitable and sometimes ugly to look at. It's best to be honest about it. 

However, this card is not so much about literal death as it is about profound change.  Death can actually be a very positive card to receive in a spread. It strips you down to bare-bones basics, slashes and burns with its scythe, and lays the ground for new fertility.  It's a good card for detoxing.  

Like the sign of Scorpio, the Death card is about rebirth and regeneration.  When a baby is born, the parents "die" in their former identities as people without a child, and they are reborn as mother and father. When two people get married, they cease to be who they were when they were single; they are reborn as a couple.  

However, change is not always pleasant. Even good stress can tax the body, and even good changes bring stress.  But Death can bring a calm, dark energy, and energy of rest and respite.  Even though the Tower, or House of God, is the 16th card and comes after Death in the order of the Major Arcana, the vibrations of the Death card can be a balm after the devastating change of the Tower. 

      

The energy of the Death card can be one of peace, an eye in the storm of change. Examine Robin Wood's Death, above.  What do you notice about it? Do you see any violence, or hopelessness? Or do you see symbols of transformation and purity? 

Now, please don't think I'm telling you what to see in the cards. As always, go with your first instinct. Go where your eye draws you, and trust your intuition about what it means.  

In the Goddess Deck, the 13th card isn't even called Death.  It is called Transformation, as you can see, and it is represented by the Shinto goddess of food, Uke Mochi. When Uke Mochi was murdered by the Moon god, Tsukuyomi, her body was transformed into livestock and fields of rice, grains, and beans. Good things come from endings. 

Martha Beck says that all good things can be traced back to a loss. That is the message of the Death card. Peace can be found in the center of the Self during times of change. Change and loss are inevitable, but it makes room for beautiful, vibrant possibility.  

Scorpio--Mysterious. Alluring. Deep. John Cleese.

Scorpio is the sign of people born between October 22 and November 22, but anyone can access Scorpio energy. The animals associated with Scorpio are the Scorpion, the Eagle, and the Phoenix. 

Oh, I love Scorpio. I am a Jupiter in Scorpio. Jupiter is the planet of luck, so my luck comes from Scorpio energy. Plus, five of my most favorite people are Scorpios. They are all loving, vibrant people, which is interesting when you think that they are born under the sign that rules death. And sex. Lots of hot sex.

That is because, I think, people misunderstand the archetype of death, and its multiple meanings.  Think of your friendly neighborhood rotting tree stump. It is home to myriad life forms of flora and fauna. They also misunderstand Scorpio. Scorpios are not all sociopathic sex maniacs. They are creative, hilarious, and have great taste in literature. At least, the ones I know and love do. If it helps, John Cleese is a Scorpio.
One meaning for Death is change--a cleansing away of the old for the new, or using the old to nourish new life. Scorpio energy is adept at changing the old and dead into something new and flourishing.


Scorpio is charged with the heavy elements of sex, death, and rebirth. This is why the Phoenix is associated with Scorpio--it dies, but then rises again, from the ashes of the fire that killed it.  Scorpios can take pain and transmute it into something beautiful.

As for sex, the French nicknamed the orgasm "le petite mort" or "the little death." While Virgo rules the intestines, and cleans up the body, and Libra runs the lower back, keeping the body in balance, Scorpio rules the genitals. Scorpio's colors are crimson--for blood and passion, and black, for death and the deep mysteries of the subconscious. After all, Scorpio is a water sign, the element associated with the subconscious. Unlike Pisces, however, who rules spiritual secrets about the meaning of life, Scorpio knows all our dirty, sexy little secrets.

Scorpio energy is stereotypically all brooding and aristocratic and eccentric, like famous Scorpios Pablo Picasso, John Keats, and Sylvia Plath. And it can be that way, but it can also be hysterically funny. Come on people, Scorpio energy has to deal with death and rotting and squeamish sex. It's important to laugh.

Scorpios can be very convincing. This is because the energy, if handled right, can be seductive and magnetic. I find myself telling my Scorpio loved one's my life's secrets, while they listen patiently. I have no compunction about this. Healthy Scorpio energy leads to trustworthiness. In myth, people and animals with Scorpio vibes were entrusted to protect and guide the dead. Pluto, the planet that rules Scorpio, is named for the Roman god Pluto, known in Greece as Hades, the King of the Dead. He watched over his people in Elysium (Heaven), Asphodel Meadows (Greek purgatory) and Tarturus (Greek Hell).  Scorpio energy is good to have presiding over you during a soul crisis, or a "Dark Night of the Soul," as St. Thomas Moore wrote.  This energy can give you courage and strength during scary, painful, and uncertain times. It's also good to use when your psyche is withholding secrets from you. Since Scorpio rules secrets, it's pretty good at ferreting them out. Scorpios are known as the Private Eyes and 007s of the zodiac. They also make excellent therapists, because they are naturals as spelunking the subconscious. Sounds fun, huh?

Scorpios are also shamans. They are the shamans who are willing to experience life-in-death for a spiritual vision and awakening. This passion and dedication is an earmark of Scorpio, who doesn't like anything half-assed, whether it's sadomasochism, spending, or surprising their friends.

Out of balance Scorpio energy, on the other hand, leads to Charles Manson. It can also flail that tail around and sting people all willy-nilly when it's pissed. Poison Scorpio energy also tends to use people for sex.

Scorpio associations: Scorpions in Egypt, guarding the tombs of the pharoahs.
The Phoenix
Shamans
Shiva, Hindu god of Destruction, who paves the way for new things
Hecate, goddess of the New Moon, Queen of Witches and Warlocks, specializing in the enchanting of others and channeling the dead.
The Morrigan, the death facet of the Celtic three-faced goddess, and her crows and ravens--traditional messengers of the underworld and harbingers of Death
Anubis, Egyptian god of embalming, who had the head of the Jackal, another animal associated with death and corpses
therapists
spies
compost heaps

How to bring Scorpio energy into your life:
Wear deep red and/or black, especially red and black silk or satin.
Throw out the stuff in your house that you're not using. Let it die, for God's sake.
Write down things you want to manifest in your life on a piece of paper, then safely burn it. Trust that these intentions are not released to God or the Universe, and something will rise from the ashes.
Visualize fire and deep, still water
Turn something that angers or terrifies you into something tangible in your mind's eye. Then, destroy it. Imagine you are Shiva or Hecate. Just obliterate it, and then imagine something you want growing from the carcass, ashes, or empty space. You can also do this by writing things down on dishes and breaking them, or tearing up paper, or burning it (again, do this SAFELY, people) if you're kinesthetic like that. I find I do my best destroying and regenerating in my own brain. I can really let loose that way. But, if you like to crush and rip, you might want to consider making something artistic, like a collage, from your dead stuff.  You can also take an image of something that causes these negative emotions and paint or color over it. Turn the ugly into something beautiful and passionate.
Okay, I'll say it: have sex. Either solo or with another/others.