Death: What Are You Afraid To Bury And Let Die?

Death can have two meanings when drawn in a divinatory reading. Either there are some unresolved issues associated with the death of a loved one or friend or it signifes a startling rebirth and rejuvination for the querent.  As I've described before, the tarot is about enlightenment and illumination and the Death card is no exception.  This card always implies endings, transitions or forces outside of your control.  Although Death himself is black, the color which encompasses all color or life, he rides a white horse (the mythologized 'pale' horse) the color of absolution and purity. In his hand, Death carries a banner depicting a white rose. Again, the color white juxstaposed with the rose is  another symbol of purity. The rose is also identified with Venus/Aphrodite the Goddess of Love which signifies fecundity and fertility which is the opposite of Death.In the Middle Ages, the rose became identified with the Virgin Mary.  In addition, the early Christians identifed the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ, thus emphasizing the flower's sacredness as well as symbolizing rebirth as Christ rose from the dead.  The point being that where there is Death there is Life.

Most people associate the number 13 with bad luck, but aren't certain why.  Well, one explanation is that Judas, who betrayed Christ, was the 13th man at the Last Supper and therefore 13 became associated with Christ's death and all subsequent deaths.  In a more abstract and numerolgogical sense, Rachael Pollack explains that the number 12 resembles a 'perfect' number. That is, "it combines the archetypes of 1 and 2, it symbolizes the zodiac and therefore the universe, it can be divided by 1,2,3,4, and 6, more digits than any other number.  13 destroys this perfection as it can only be divided by nothing other than 1 and itself.  But looking beyond this notion of perfection, 13's imperfection reminds us that rather than only symbolizing something destructive it simultaneoulsy heralds novelty and originality and it paves the way for something new to be created.

Death illicits a multitude of questions for the querent.  What change frightens you?  Are there unresolved emotions and feelings associated with a loved one's death?  Are you in a process of transformation ? How would the 'death' of something in your life' bring about a rebirth?  What are you afraid to 'bury' and let die? A relationship? A job? Is there something you need to 'kill off' but can't quite bring yourself to do so? Is hanging on to a relationship or job 'killing' you so that you are experiencing a spiritual 'death"?

 Paradoxically, Death is the ultimate 'good luck' card as it is the harbinger of new life cycles and possibility.

Taking a Respite Until April 26th

The Devil Made Me Do It

Probably no other card, other than Death, elicits such horror and recoil than the Devil the fiftheenth card of the Major Arcana which symbolizes bondage, addiction and materialism. In a divinatory reading, the Devil represents spiritual death e.g., a lonely and foresaken existence dominated by malevolent energy. If the Devil is drawn in conjunction with a love realtionship, it's pretty safe to say that it's in trouble as all of one's more humane and loving impulses are being compromised or submerged to serve the Master of exploitation and corruption.  We become, quite literally, a slave to our desires.

As Rachael Pollack explains in "The Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom" the Devil has come to represnt misery. It's power lies in the illusion that nothing else exists. If one looks closely, one can detect the astrological glyph for Saturn depicted on the Devil's out-turned palm. Saturn has long been associated with evil or misfortune. However, it can also inply limitations and weakness.

She goes on to describe how the Devil wears a reversed pentacle on his forehead, a longstanding symbol of black magic. The pentacle is charged with symbolism and meaning. She reminds us that if we stand with our arms and legs out, our bodies configuration resembles a pentacle with our head, the seat of reason and rationality and consciousness, on top. However, if the pentacle is reversed, our head descends and our genitals acquire ascendency. Therefore, the reversed pentacle indicates letting our baser desires and less spiritually developed nature get the upper hand over enlightenment.

If you should pull the Devil during a reading here a few questions you may want to ask yourself.  "Are you having a hellish time of it?"  "Are you guilty or ashamed of something " "Are you keeping a secret which is possibly harming you?"  "Are you in a relationship which is leaving you emotionally and spiritually depleted?""Are you abusing alcohol or drugs? Are they pushing you around?"  "What toxic relationships are you holding onto?" "Have you been sacrificing spiritual growth for material gain and knowing the differency?"

The Devil is a powerful card. It's a warning to all of us that no one is immune to his lure. He is always there....waiting and watching.

The Moon: Our Shadow Self

The eighteenth card of the Major Arcana, the Moon, is one of my favorites. If I draw it in a reading for myself, it energizes me as the Moon is the gateway to our imagination . I can almost feel the floodgates open as the Moon reaquaints me with my intuition and creative juices.  I'm not alone in feeling this way. I think most people have a strong reaction to the moon. We bask in moonlight or we bathe in it. We serenade to it, we howl at it, we walk in it, we worship it, we fall in love by it, we read the tides by it, and  it  makes us 'loony', Perhaps, as Rachael Pollack writes, it's the moon's eerie light which grabs our imagination.  When we encounter a mooonlit night we enter into a nether world neither day nor evening. It's a betwixt and between place, neither this nor that.  Rather, it's a realm of suspension.  One might say when we sleep we are under its spell only to be awakend by the kiss of the sun in the morning. 

Although, the Moon symbolizes the unconsicous and all that goes with it e.g., dreams, nightmares, anxiety, disturbing emotions we mustn't shun it. Instead, we need to embrace all its gifts, scary or not. If we allow that to happen ,we will receive those messages meant to come through to us. If we reject the stranger aspects of the Moon we run the risk of remaining  'stuck' psychologically and spiritually.

Finally, the number eighteen adds up to a nine which corresponds to the Hermit in the Major Arcana which, really, is an ideal pairing. It is the Hermit, afterall, who reminds us of the importance of contraction and reflection and what better way of doing that than by the light of the silvery moon?

Kristen and Robert: A Match?

Having determined, after doing their numbers, that the fictional characters of Bella and Edward from the phenomenally popular "Twilight" book series were a romantic match a reader of my blog left me a comment suggesting that I do the actors names and numbers to see if they are also compatible as Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are dating.  I thought this was a great idea and here are is what I found.

The good news is that Kristen and Robert do share a vowel as vowels symbolize the emotions and passions of the individual and when a couple shares a letter or letters their chances of being compatible multiply. They share an 'e' which corresponds to the number '5' which represents motion, movement, travel, sex and romance.These are two people who value their freedom and mobility. They would never be happy in a conventional nine to five situation.  Their '5' personalities would never allow for that. '5' is ruled by the planet Mercury, the Roman messenger of the gods,  who was constantly on the move darting hither and yon delivering messages for the divinities. As such, Kristen and Robert are like heat missles who will require and seek out  novelty and stimulation. Their's will be a challenge as they will have to work extra hard to keep their relationship fresh and interesting as each can become bored rather quickly.

Kristen has a Life Path, or Destiny, number which is also a '5' (Life Path numbers are arrived at by adding up all the digits of one's birthdate and reducing the sum to its lowest value) so those '5' qualities are especially pronounced in her make-up. In addition, Kristen was born April 9th, 1990 making her an Aries who are the live wires of the zodiac.They like speed.  Fire is their element and we all know how hard it is to contain a 'wild' fire or how dangerous is can be to 'play with fire'. She is someone who really has to focus on using her 'brakes' and self-restraint  before going into action.

Lastly, Kristen's Expression Number (derived from adding all the numerical values of the letters in her name) add up to an '8' which symbolizes success and prosperity. What a lucky girl!

Looking at Robert, we see he's a Taurus having been born on May 13th, 1986 and Aries, Kristen's Sun sign, is very compatible with Taurus. Just as an Aries is akin to quicksilver a Taurus is just the opposite, enduring.  They are a steady and stable sign of the zodiac.Think the ant and the grasshopper. They are determined and steadfast in their pursuits. Taurus gets a bad rap as being plodding and boring, but nothing could be further from the truth. Their element is the Earth and as such they are associated with the sensual and physical dimensions of Nature. Their five senses are exquisitly atuned to the natural world around them. Plus,their ruling planet is Venus and you can't get any more pleasure seeking than that! So, all in all, I think it's safe to say that Robert's and Kristen's respective Sun signs are an ideal match as one balances out the other e.g., she draws him out and he draws her in.

Having said that, Kristen needs to be wary of  Robert's Expression Number which is a '1' and '1's like to lead the way and be head of the pack, so she needs to remain vigilent that he does not become overly controlling or domineering. But from the looks of things and the reporting of him, it doesn't appear as if Robert  possesses those negative '1' traits. Anyway, Kristen begins with the letter 'k' which happens to be a Master letter emiting a powerful frequency so the power axis between them should stay aligned.  With that kind of energy, they will take turns as to who's in charge. With respect to Robert's Life Path number, it's a '6' another good luck number. '6' also represents the home and all things domestic.  This is a guy who values family and family life. Nice. Again, we have the dynamic between them whereby he, being the '6' which represents a quieter vibration and she, being the '5', representing a more active vibration, compliment each other.

In conclusion, just as their fictional counterparts are a cosmic match, remarkably, I think Kristen and Robert are, too.

Libra: "I'm Just Trying to be Fair"

Certainly that's got to be the mantra for all you Libras out there, myself included, born between September 23 and Octorber 22. They are the Harmonizers par excellance. Known as the Diplomats of the Zodiac they will go to great lengths, even if it's at their own expense and against their better judgement, to maintain balance and equilibrium. Libras are pleasant and charming. They make an effort to be friendly to all they meet. Being social animals, Libras enjoy people and seek out their company. Frequently, they are physically beautiful.  They possess an innate grace and demeanor. Whenever I think of the quintessential Libra female I think of a woman donning silver slippers, or sandals,  embracing two exquisite feet and wearing a gown of flowing, fluted drapery. If you think gauze and tuille you get the picture.  Such Libra luminaries include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Heather Locklear, Brigitte Bardot, Gwynthe Paltrow, Naomi Watts and Kate Winslett. Libra men include the good-looking Christopher Reeve, Sting and Hugh Jackman.  Not too shabby.

Libra is, of course, a Cardinal sign (the other signs being Fixed and Mutable) and is associated with the element of air. The word "cardinal" derives from the Latin word for  "hinge" as these signs (the others being Aries, Cancer and Capricorn) demarcate the turning point of a temperate season . When the Sun enters one of these signs the "air" changes heralding a change of season. Because of their crucial influence upon the seasons, astrologers consider these signs as very powerful and dynamic. They initiate action. With respect to a Libra individual, they tend to express their authoritative Cardinal Quality in an understated  and disarming manner.  However, when a Cardinal sign goes "bad", their negative traits include petulance, entitlement and spoilet.

Venus is the ruling planet of Libra. In Roman mythology, Venus is the goddess of love and beauty and was famous for the passion she could elicit among the gods and men alike. She is associated with  sensualtiy, pleasure, comfort and ease. Venus governs all things romantic, marriage and even business partnerships, sex, the arts, fashion and one's social life.  In China, Venus is associated with the metal gold which  symbolizes strength and persistence melded with beauty.

With respect to relationships and Sun sign compatibility, Libra is best matched wtih Aquarius, Gemini, Aries and another Libra. They tend not to do well with a Capricorn or Taurus. Just not hedonistic enough for a Libra's sensibility.



Material regarding Cardinal signs and Venus compiled from Wikipedia.

Am Horrified!

Just saw that Google is running an ad from Scientology on my blog ! I feel as if my site is being invaded by unwelcome guests. Just for the record, I am no fan of Scientology.