Sun, Sun, Sun, Here it Comes!

Now is a time of celebration.  Specifically, it is the celebration of the end of suffering.  Christ rises after death.  The Israelites were freed from slavery.  Winter is finally gone--the months of dark and cold have  been warmed away.  The flora and fauna know it, too.  They awaken from their sleep, babies are born, and shoots spring from the snow-damp soil.  It is a Phoenix time.  The sun blazes bright and beautiful.  That which was seemingly dead stirs and stretches.  

The Sun card is a card of triumph, of energy, of joy, of hope, and of healing.  Even reversed, it simply means that the happiness and victory may come later rather than sooner, but it will come.  It means success, rebirth, new ideas, and new babies.  

Barbara G. Walker shows us two small towheaded children (the one on the left looks like a Kewpie doll!), joining hands and holding a chain of ivy.   The children are in the Garden of Eden.  Other possible meanings for the wall are that it is a symbol of safety, or of being a blank slate, full of possibility.  The nudity of the children symbolizes innocence and freedom.  

The Sun is the ruling heavenly body of the astrological sign Leo.  Leo is the 'child' of the zodiac, full of fun and bliss.  

Robin Wood also chose the child as the symbol of the Sun, reflecting innocent joy.  The child also is sign of rebirth, of newness.  The sunflowers bloom brightly in the background.  Robin Wood wrote that she painted four, one for each element, and a couple not yet opened to show the wonderful surprises in store for the questioner.   The white roses in the baby's hair are for pure love, and his red feather, like his banner, represent courage, adventure, and a flair for life.  At the top of the banner is a little golden hawk, a bird associated with courage, freedom, and the sun.  The hawk is an avatar of Horus, the Egyptian god of the sky.  

The pony is white as a cloud, for purity, and his eyes are sky-blue.  Everything is clear and lucid.  

Mary Guinan drew a strong, confident warrior for Julian De Burgh's Celtic Deck. Instead of the childlike joy of Walker and Wood's decks, the Celtic Deck emphasizes the bravery and power of the sun. Leo is the child of the zodiac, but it is also the Lion--regal and majestic.  The Celtic sun warrior is a protector and a path blazer.  

Kris Waldherr chose the Zorya to represent the Sun in her Goddess deck.  The Zorya are a triune goddess (who may be seen as Maiden, Mother/Lover, Wise Woman but not necessarily) from Russian folklore.  In her The Book of Goddesses, Kris Waldherr explains that the Zorya attend to Dazbog, the sun god.  The first (or Maiden) is Utrennyaya, or Morning Star; the second (Mother/Lover) is Vechernyaya, or the Evening Star; and the third (Wise Woman) is Zorya, or midnight.  Utrennyaya opens the gates for Dazbog to ride across the sky.  In the evening, Vechernyaya opens the gate to let him back in. Zorya watches over the sky until the gates open again.  

The three women, like the Celtic warrior, are also guardians.  They watch over the universe, and keep the doomsday hound, Simargl, in check.  The Sun card is a sign that the questioner is guarded and guided by the universe.  There is synchronicity and serendipity. Things may seem to be falling into place. 

The Sun card is a card of good tidings.  It tells of good things to come and success in an endeavor.  If representing a person, it indicates a happy, bright person who will bring cheer to the questioner's life, or help them reach their dreams.  It may also symbolize a new baby.  Alternately, it could mean that the person is fiercely protective of the questioner and her happiness.  

If it represents an aspect of the questioner, it means that the questioner brings happiness to those around him, and may be the center of attention.  The questioner may also be feeling very brave, and willing to take risks. 

Celebration! The Three of Cups

The Three of Cups is a happy card.  Just look at Robin Wood's card:

You see? Just look at the pink-garbed blonde on the left! She's thrilled! They all are so happy to see you!
The Three of Cups is all about celebration.  This celebration may be a get-together with friends, a family reunion, a cast party after a great run...anything you can imagine.  While the participants in the joyous occasion may be any gender, this card has a feminine feel to it.
The women are surrounded by green growing things, and flowers and fruit.  This is a time of growth for the questioner, but this is a happy growth.
The three women traditionally associated with this card are the feminine triad of Maiden, Mother, and Crone.

Here, Barbara G. Walker shows the three iconic women, and titles the card "Grace."  The person for whom this card is drawn is graced.  He or she is blessed with contentment, joy, and good company.

You may have noticed that both Barbara G. Walker and Robin Wood have drawn a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead.  The blonde symbolizes the Maiden, the redhead the Wife or Mother, and the brunette the Wise Woman.  On a deeper level, this card is one of feminine power--the potential and purity of the Maiden, the fertility of the Wife/Mother, and the experience of the Wise Woman.  By 'purity' I don't mean virginity, but something more like the mindset of the Fool.  Our Maiden here is open, enthusiastic, and curious.  By fertility, I don't mean necessarily pregnancy, thought that is a possibility, but also the birth of new ideas and creativity.  The Wife/Mother is self-assured. She is the symbolic Wife/Mother of her passions--represented by the color of her hair.  She is generous, a trait that continues with the Wise Woman.  The Wise Woman has dark hair, alluding to her knowledge of mysteries, and her intuition.
The Wise Women is normally seen as an old woman with silver hair.  The Three of Cups shows three young women because this card is associated with new romances, new babies, and weddings (Cups are associated with romantic relationships and family), as well as coming-of-age ceremonies, particularly for young women.

Kris Waldherr includes an older women with silver hair in her Three of Cups.  This card looks like it could be depicting the young woman's initiation.  There is a white gown, for purity, pink for love, and purple for royalty.

The Three of Cups for Julian De Burgh's Celtic deck shows five people, the traditional three and a couple anticipating the birth of their baby. They have gone from the happy couple of the Two of Cups to the family of the Three.

Reversed, the Three of Cups may symbolize dashed hopes or disillusionment in the area of romance, a wedding, or the birth of a new baby.  Metaphorically, it could also mean frustration in a creative pursuit. On a less depressing note, it could mean that there will be a postponement or rescheduling in one of these areas. You may have to wait a little longer for that wedding, or the fertility treatments may take longer than you thought. Perhaps that art gallery opening or performance got pushed back.  Ask yourself if this, while frustrating, may actually turn out for the best.

Cold, Hard Ground: the Four of Pentacles

The Four of Pentacles reminds me that the gifts of the zodiac signs can also be burdens.  The Earth signs of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are known for their conscientiousness, frugality, and practicality.    The Shadow side of these are grasping, miserliness, and stubbornness.  The rich soil freezes and becomes rocky.

The Four of Pentacles illustrates this Earthy problem.  Four, a number of stability and luck, turns sour with both Cups and Coins.  Let's take a look, shall we?

Pre-transformation Ebenezer Scrooge is one of the archetypes for this card, as well as King Midas.  In Robin Wood's deck, this man is crowned with money;  he has conquered money (it's under his feet) and yet, he is not happy.  He looks like a gargoyle, existing only to display that one coin over his chest. But, for whom is he displaying it?  He's barricaded himself behind a stone wall, heedless of the celebration in the sunshine going on behind him, indicated by the banners.  The Four of Cups could indicate sacrificing friendship, family, and joy to the cult of work.  This is also a card that can indicate conspicuous consumption, as well as miserliness.  Conspicuous consumption rarely has the desired effect, and people quickly lose interest in the new toys of others.  Eventually, the objects cease to be fulfilling.  It looks like the temperature in that little gray box is twenty degrees lower than the temperature outside.

The symbolism of Barbara G. Walker's Four of Pentacles also includes high, gray walls.  The door to the fortress is tiny.  This is an exclusive club.  There are no windows, except for the tiny holes lining the top.  The warm, giving nurturing of earth has turned into fallow stoniness and infertility--the grass is brown and the trees are dead.  It's ironic that this fortress was built to protect the green leaves of money, and yet, how does someone living in that fortress eat?  The person carrying the golden sack is bent under his burden, struggling up the well-worn, sharp-angled path to the tiny door.
As seen on this card, the Four of Pentacles can signify being overworked and under loved.  It can indicate sleepless nights and crappy food while slaving in a cubicle.  The imagination and senses starve.
To be fair, that fort would be the safest place to be during the zombie apocalypse.  

Here, in Mary Guinan's illustration for the Celtic Tarot, we have a bit of a separation from the more typically Earth behavior of hoarding and hiding, and the Four of Pentacles becomes bullying and threatening, wanting to add more to the wealth under his feet.  If violence is associated with the Four of Pentacles, it will be subtle and involve an attack on someone's financial security.  The Four of Pentacles can warn a questioner of someone whose motives are not in his best interest, or that the person they are dealing with is unethical.

Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, is pensive here.  Kris Waldherr's deck is the only deck of mine that has a Four of Pentacles that is a sign of luck, financial stability, and wealth.  This is very interesting to me, as all my other decks use the Four of Pentacles that money should be handled with care.  Go with your intuition with the Four of Cups, and use the surrounding cards to figure out whether the meaning is positive or negative.

Reversed, the Four of Cups can indicate that the questioner is being a little too free with her money. The Four of Pentacles may not necessarily apply to money--it may mean that a person is being too stingy (or too free, as the case may be) with his or her time, talents, and goodwill.   There is a feeling of boundaries in this card.  It calls on the questioner to ask which boundaries are too open, which are too closed, and find a balance, like the perfect square the four represents.

Archetypes:
Ebenezer Scrooge
the workaholic
the conspicuous consumer
Aesop's Dog in the Manger
corrupt CEO types

Another conversation with the fabulous Lily Wight!

I read Lily Wight's Tarot twice. This second time, I used Brian Froud's Heart of Faerie Oracle. As usual, reading for Lily was so much fun!

Check it out! And don't forget to browse Lily's entire site! It's full of amazing things!

One Foot in the Water, the Other on Earth, and a Head in the Clouds: Temperance

When Temperance appears in a reading, it is a call not to just resist temptation, but to find one's center.  It is about remaining calm and steady, and not indulging in rage, terror, or frustration.  I see it as a reminder to seek solutions, and not to make yourself suffer through inaction or feelings of helplessness.

Barbara G. Walker's Temperance shows an angel woman calmly pouring water from one red pitcher to another.  She is the Water Bearer, Aquarius, the sign of innovation, social change, and global concern. Aquarians, in balance pour out blessings on the world with their communication skills and passion for equality. Temperance may indicate an Aquarius in the questioner's life.
The passionate red of the pitchers, and the deft way the water flows from one to the other, may symbolize our ability to channel our intensity in constructive ways. We can harness the emotions that could destroy us and use it to our advantage. For example, we can channel them into creative pursuits: we can write, paint, and make music, or we harness the energy to strengthen our bodies-- we can learn a martial art, or lift weights. 

Note the clarity of the blue sky, and of the water.  The woman's dress is pure white. The trees are in orderly rows.  Emotional clarity leads to better ability to solve problems, better creative prowess, and serenity.
Notice how she has one foot on land, and the other in the water? This means she is comfortable both in the intuitive and the practical realms.   The woman's wings align her with the element of Air.  She is balanced, both mentally and emotionally. She is intellectual and reserved.
The shadow side of this is that Air will trample the Earth and Water side of the personality (that is, the sensual, emotional sides, respectively) underfoot.  This, of course, leads to a cold, over-rational personality that's divorced from feelings, intuition, and even its own body.

Robin Wood's Temperance shows an angel man with golden wings, standing with one foot in water, and one foot on land. The water and sky are also clear and clean, as is his white robe.  Depending on how you read this card, the sun can be either breaking, signifying a new day, and a fresh clean slate; or the setting sun, which implies mastery and gained wisdom. There is also a little path leading from the pool. With poise and composure, everyone can find the path to a goal.
Temperance can be a man or a woman. Like Aquarius, this quality is egalitarian and androgynous.  It's interesting, the alignment of the elements with the masculine and feminine.  I'd like to take a moment to remind everyone that while elemental energies are associated with male and female energies, they are also androgynous in the sense that anyone can possess each element's qualities, no matter what their gender.
To show balance, the Angel Man is juggling three balls--one crystal, one gold, and one silver.  The silver is for intuition, gold is for intellect in the real world, and the clear one is for possibility.  Robin Wood writes in her book The Robin Wood Tarot that the silver ball is for spiritual wealth and the present, gold is for material wealth and the past, and the crystal ball is for mystery.  Temperance is equally developed in all these realms, without preference for any one.  Temperance calls us to be able to efficiently and deftly juggle all our roles and talents.

Mary Guinan and Julian De Burgh chose a wise looking woman with silver hair for their water bearer. The woman's white hair shows wisdom and knowledge gained by experience. The softness of her face and of her surroundings tell us self-control and mastery can be used to carry out loving actions.  I also love how she looks like she has no feet.  She looks like she's floating.  Self-control can be used to master skills that contribute to our own well being, like meditation and yoga, for example.  Temperance can indicate transcendence.

Interestingly, Kris Waldherr chose a goddess I associate with Pisces, Yemana, to stand for Temperance.
Yemana is the Afro-Caribbean goddess of the oceans.  She exits the sea bearing treasures to benefit those on land; she is equally comfortable both in water and on earth. Temperance indicates harmony between the unconscious and the conscious, between the internal and the external, and the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Temperance is a picture of Jungian balance.  Temperance is equally introverted and extroverted, intuitive and sensing, feeling and thinking, judging and perceiving.

If Temperance shows in a reading, it indicates the person is well-balanced, or about to be successful in an undertaking if they remember to remain dedicated to harmony and clarity.
If reversed, it means that the questioner is either being too emotional, too intellectual, or too rigid in their thinking.  They may be feeling rage or terror.  They may be indulging in feelings of self-pity or paranoia, or they're indulging in an addiction.

Would you care for more information about the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory? Do you want to know whether you are primarily an extrovert or introvert,  an intuitive or a sensor, a feeler or a thinker, a judger or a perceiver? Then click right here!

For more info on Yemana, click here! She's one of my favorites :)

A Reading with Lily Wight!

I recently had the honor of reading for the lovely Lily Wight.  Her page is so much fun, full of puppets and fairies and scary things.  Her reading was a little different because I read for using my Oracle of Shadows and Light. Lily herself is an excellent cartomancer.  Check her out, and read our conversation!

She Smells of Gingerbread and Pine Trees: The Queen of Pentacles

The Queen of Pentacles, like any court card, is usually associated with a person in the questioner's life. She can also represent an aspect of the questioner herself.  Since she is the Queen of Pentacles, she has certain qualities. While the Queen of Swords is the Queen of the modern, jet-set woman, the Queen of Wands the successful social butterfly, and the Queen of Cups the artistic romantic, the Queen of Pentacles (or Coins) is the archetypal nurturing mother or grandmother.

What do you think of when you think of the perfect mother, or grandmother? Probably a warm bed, and yummy food cooked with love, and big hugs. This is someone who is patient, solid, and reliable, someone who knows exactly what to do in a crisis. She pampers, but it's practical. She will dish out solid advice along with tea, sympathy, and amazing baked goods.

This is a person with wisdom. In fact, this archetype is one of the oldest there is.

This is Erda, an ancient Earth goddess, chosen by Barbara G. Walker to represent the Queen of Pentacles. You'll notice that she has large, maternal bosoms and wide hips. This speaks to her fertility and nurturing ability. Her cave entrance leads to the warm, dark womb, where all life begins and ends.  Her pentacle promises abundance and protection.  The word "Earth" comes from Erda's name, and the word material (which used to imply rocks and plants and all things from the earth) has the same root as Mother.

Kris Waldherr chose a different goddess for her deck. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and beauty in Hinduism.  Her beautiful costumes and jewelry underscore this association. Queen of Pentacles people, with their practicality and good sense, can accumulate quite a bit of wealth. Out of balance, they can be miserly, but in balance they are generous, including with themselves, and love fabulous things.  Lakshmi is known for giving riches to those she loves, just like Queen of Pentacles people.

Please do not think that this Queen can only be seen in women.  Men, too, can be nurturing, giving, and sage with advice.

Robin Wood's Queen of Pentacles cradles a Pentacle gently, looking at it with loving eyes.  She proves, along with Lakshmi, that the Queen of Pentacles is not necessarily an older woman.  In fact, Pentacles women can be very sensual, because of the alignment with Earth, and its material blessings. The Queen here is also fertile and abundant--she is surrounded by flowers, fruits, vegetables, and our favorite little fornicators, bunnies. Her green gown and orange apron make her one with the Earth's grass and leaves, and her purple embellishments symbolize richness, royalty, and abundance.

Mary Guinan's Queen of Pentacles, for Julian De Burgh's Celtic Deck, is also decked in orange and green. Her red hair is different from the brunette associated with Pentacles court cards, but I like it.  It makes me think of the marriage of Earth and Fire, with volcanos and magma flowing underground. There's a kinetic energy along with practicality and reliability associated with Earth.  Her arms and gaze are open, waiting to hear about your issues. She will be a fabulous listener, and then she'll clap her hands and say, "okay, here's what you gotta do! Let's go!"

Archetypes/People associated with the Queen of Pentacles:
--Nurturing Mothers and Grandmothers who are practical and loving (and men who have these traits)
--Gardeners
--Sensual people who love textures, colors, and fine things
--Great chefs
--Pregnant women, expectant fathers preparing a nest
--People with a gift for money management and are extremely generous.

Out of balance, Shadow Queen of Pentacles:
--cold, hard parents who care more about wealth than family
--a nosy, bossy person
--a lazy person
--a stingy miser
--someone who can't even nurture herself, preferring to work herself to sickness