The Sixes

The number six, in numerology, is associated with harmony, calm, recovery, recuperation, the past, acceptance, serenity, and family. It is an others oriented number, and is the number of service and community.
The keyword for the Six of Pentacles is generosity. Either the querent (the person the reading is for) is generous himself, or someone else will be generous to them.

Barbara G. Walker's Six of Pentacles, shown here, shows a lounging woman donating to a musician who has come to beg her favors. She gives him a coin like it ain't no thang.  The Six of Pentacles shows the opportunity to give in a way that makes the giver feel good, or receive with no strings attached.

The Six of Pentacles can also indicate the receiving of an honor or an award, as seen here in the Celtic deck.

The generosity of the Six of Pentacles is fair and just, which is why Robin Wood chose to show her benefactor holding the scales.

The Six of Pentacles is also generous with knowledge and friendship, as demonstrated by the Hindu goddess of luck, Lakshmi.

The Six of Swords is a card of flight, of respite, and of travel. It isn't really a card of rest, more like a lull in the action where you can regroup.

This respite may not exactly be relaxing, as you can see in the Celtic deck. Some days you feel like the warrior carrying off the spoils of war, and sometimes you feel like you are the spoils. Either way, there won't be a lot of resting going on. There may be some desperate scrambling, like the lady here who is trying to grab a sword. This may be a tense time, even though nothing may appear to be happening. Swords are mental, so other people may not see the struggle.

Here, the people in the golden boat look like they're going to have to confront the Sphinx. Again, this may be a mental challenge, not a physical one, and may not be external, but internal. Life is full of riddles, and you may be stagnant unless you take a risk and answer one of your "riddles." What riddles are in your life?

Isis, the representative of the Swords in the Goddess deck, is forlorn as she cruises the Nile. Perhaps she's looking for pieces of her husband, Osirus, so she can put him back together. Have you ever had to "pick up the pieces" in your life? It sucks, but at least the worst is over.

Robin Wood's Six of Swords is the most soothing. The ghostly figure can be a guardian spirit, or an angel, or a returning loved one. The swan is a symbol of grace, and the swan's wings fold protectively around the figure as the swan floats him toward a new life. This reminds us that we are not alone.
I'm kind of going through a Six of Swords time of my life right now, so I'm going to focus on them.

The Six of Wands (Staves, in Kris Waldherr's Goddess deck) represent victory and glory. However, it should be remembered that it is not the last stage of the 1-10 cycle of the minor arcanas. There is more joy and adventure coming up! Be sure to enjoy this Six of Wands energy!

This fiery redhead is Freyja, the Norse goddess of beauty and creativity. In Norse culture, the foundry was a font of fiery creative power.  Iron works were not only useful, but works of pride.

This Robin Wood card is full of details. Perhaps you are drawn to the horse, one of the children in the background, or one of the crystals on top of a wand. What draws you to this detail? Pretend you are the object. What does it mean to you?

The Six of Wands is full of joy and power!

The sun motif on Barbara G. Walker's card is no accident.
Reversed, Six of Wands is a sign of "a dream deferred," delays, even humiliation.

Six of Cups is the card of nostalgia, childhood, and happy family life. It tends to show up when daydreaming about the past, or when a childhood buddy is about to come a-calling.

Robin Wood's Six of Cups makes me smile whenever I see it. Look at how cute it is! It suggests a happy, idyllic time with a loved one, where you're just having innocent fun.

In the Celtic deck, an older couple looks happily at the six cups floating. It is a card of reminiscing of good times.

This card is quite simple. It's a lovely cottage and six cups full of flowers. What kind of flowers do you think they are? Are they rosemary for remembrance? Little daisies for innocence?

Now we've all had our sunshine and flowers, and Barbara G. Walker wants to throw in some nightmare fuel. Here Six of Cups reminds us of vulnerability, and of being small, and how scary grown-ups can be. Is the mother towering over the child in this picture benevolent? It's 9 o'clock--do you know where your inner child is?

Aquarius

Aquarius. The name itself is a mix of liquid and airy vowels and consonants.  It sounds like a charm, and the power of Aquarians is charm.

Aquarians have a grasp of the abstract, the big picture. Like Gemini, the sign of the Twins, and Virgo, the sign of the Virgin (both ruled by airy, quicksilver Mercury), Aquarius is also symbolized by a human being, the Water Bearer.  They are humanist and secular.  Full of intelligence and idealism, Aquarians want to change the world, and they can, with the power of Uranus, the planet of change, revolution, and innovation.

Aquarius is a surprising energy. As an air sign, it is logical and mental, but citizens of the earth born in this sign are very caring for their fellow man, and are willing to follow the most illogical flights to improve the world.  From airplanes to iPods, Aquarian energy, with its willingness to entertain unconventional approaches to solving problems, determination, and mental agility, embraces technology and moves it along (and remember, this is a form of energy, like all the other signs--a person does not need to necessarily have a planet in Aquarius to enjoy this energy).  This is the energy of Athena, goddess of war and craftmanship. Aquarian creativity is mostly practical, but it can also be wonderfully off-the-wall--think of pop art and post-modernism.

Aquarians want to make the world a perfect place. Equality and justice for all are very important to Aquarians. However, Aquarian energy, when it is unbalanced, wants to save the world, but forget about the loved ones who populate an individual's world. An unbalanced Aquarian will leave her children home alone for weeks while she floats down the Amazon trying to save the rainforest. This is because unbalanced Aquarian energy becomes too airy and mental. Emotions can frighten the unbalanced Aquarian. Saving a world full of strangers is easier for him than talking to his wife. An Aquarian can also be irritated by other peoples' messy emotions. Look at Athena--this was no comforting goddess. She wasn't carried under a woman's heart; she was born fully clad in armor from her father's forehead. Emotion isn't practical, and keeps one from taking action.

Another thing that can unbalance Aquarius is holding onto ideas so tightly they become fodder for arrogance. When this happens, the energy of their ruling planet, Uranus, cannot reach them. Uranus prefers the flexible, the unconventional, and the open. This does not mean that Aquarius should be wishy-washy, not at all, but they must strike a balance between their love of their Utopian ideals and their wonderful curiosity. Arrogance cannot be open to new ideas. I mean, how could it?

While Gemini energy is aligned with the Masculine, and Virgo energy is aligned with the Feminine, Aquarius is androgynous. It is too inclusive and unconventional to change one gender over the other. And it is that welcoming inclusivity, along with their lightning minds and idealism, that is so beautiful about Aquarius.

Aquarius archetypes:
Athena
Prometheus, the titan who gave fire to human beings to advance our progress, and died for it.
Tiresias, the blind man who could see into the future, and who lived both as a man and a woman
(please see Raven Kaldera's book!)

Questions for consideration:
1) are your Feminine and Masculine sides balanced?  Are you more comfortable with one over the other? Remember, Feminine/Masculine alignment is not about genitals. It's about certain qualities.
2) How can you become more inclusive? How can you share your generosity and caring with more people? On the other side of the coin, how can you share more with your loved ones?
3) What are your ideals? What is important to you--easing the plight of the homeless, caring for animals, preventing the abuse of the elderly, teaching children? What tiny actions can you take to help your cause?
4) What prejudices do you hold? What will it take for you to release them?

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?