Tarot Blog Hop - Samhain 2013

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Welcome to Alison’s Alembic!   You may have arrived here as a stop on the Tarot Blog Hop from either Joanna Ash's or Lynda Hardy's blog.  Or you may have found this through TABI’s Facebook page, or though one of the many wonderful tarot bloggers in the ether... It doesn’t matter – what does matter is that you’re here! 

We’ve been asked, for this Samhain blog, to write on the theme of ‘Love’, linked to tarot or other forms of divination. I struggled for a long time with this, not knowing where to start. I mean, what a huge topic, and what a range of approaches that could be taken!  ‘Overwhelmed’ only begins to describe my feeling.  Finally, I sat down and thought, OK, what is it I love about tarot and divination in general? And here it is...

The thing I love most about life is its cyclical nature. On a very literal level, I love watching the changes of the seasons, watching what nature is doing as things move from one stage to another – all part of the cycle of the year.  As an astrologer, I love how the way that the zodiac demonstrates the cyclical, or spiral perhaps, nature of life. Perhaps not surprisingly, given that I have a Scorpio Ascendant (!), this is my favourite time of that cycle (in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere, at least).  As a child I loved kicking through the piles of red, orange and brown leaves, to and from school.  I loved the mystery of Hallowe’en, of collecting a ‘soul cake’ – far more intriguing than the sweets generally on offer!  Leaves fade, decay, and rot...all around us are signs of death and dying, as nature prepares for winter and a deep sleep before waking up again to the warmth of spring, ready for the seeds that have been buried underground now to burst forth.  Scorpio reflects that darkness, that compulsion to go deep underground and explore what’s underneath – our shadow, if you like.  

The Guardian (15), Wildwood Tarot

I love the idea that this is the time when this world is closest to the ‘otherworld’, that the veil that separates us from those who are no longer walking in this world is thinnest. The Day of the Dead, a time to honour the ancestors.  And, in the old Celtic tradition, the end of the year.

Five of Vessels, Wildwood Tarot

...and from there I come to the tarot. I love the way that tarot and astrology come together, the rich tapestry of mythology that underlies it all enriching the cards, allowing the readings to take on a greater intensity.    

My love of this time of year is reflected in my favourite cards in the tarot, some of which are linked astrologically to Scorpio (no surprise there either!).  I love the image from the Wildwood’s Five of Vessels, for instance... reminding me of the ecstasy that comes from shamanic trance dance, which seems to me a very Mars (traditional ruler of Scorpio) in Scorpio energy... 

Death, Thoth Tarot

The Journey, Wildwood Tarot

I’m often drawn to the Death cards in decks – the Thoth and Wildwood images being particular favourites.  

Here it’s not just the images, the artwork – although that’s powerful enough in both cases - but also the knowledge that’s come through working with this card about the power of transformation, challenging and difficult and painful though that may be.  As Jung said, the shadow is 90% pure gold!

This time of year is associated with the alchemical process of nigredo, the breaking down and ending of a cycle, out of which new possibilities come forth. Glennie Kindred, in her magical The Alchemist’s Journey (published by Hay House, 2005), writes of this being “an opportunity to explore emotional depths at the deepest level. I become aware of where I am disconnected from Love and where I am emotionally stuck.”  So many thanks, Glennie, for the inspiration for my Samhain spread... (using the Wildwood Tarot)

Knight of Arrows

Where am I disconnected from Love?

 

The Knight, or Hawk, helps me realize how I allow doubt and uncertainty to undermine Love in my life.   

Six of Bows

 

What is hidden in Shadow?

The Six of Bows reminds me that there’s abundance all around me, if only I’d take the time to look in the shadows! 

Great Bear

What will help me to re-connect?

The Great Bear (20 in the Wildwood's Major Arcana) suggests that being more patient, more honest, and more forgiving – not just with/of others but also of myself will help me to re-connect with Love.

Thank you for stopping off here on your own journey through this Samhain Tarot Blog Hop!  Please do come back and read some of my other posts, looking at astrology in the tarot.  

The next stops on the Tarot Blog Hop are - depending on whether you’re moving backwards or forwards through the list -  Joanna Ash's or Lynda Hardy's blog. The Master List can be found here.

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Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by US Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Tarot Blog Hop - Mabon 2013

Welcome to Alison’s Alembic!   You may have arrived here as a stop on the Tarot Blog Hop from either TABI's or Cassandra Santori's blog.  Or you may have found this through TABI’s Facebook page, or though one of the many wonderful tarot bloggers in the ether... It doesn’t matter – what does matter is that you’re here!

In the northern hemisphere, today marks the Autumnal Equinox; in the southern hemisphere, the Vernal (or Spring). It’s the turning point where, depending on which hemisphere you’re in, the days either become shorter (north) or longer (south), due to the tilt of the Earth and its position relative to the Sun.  This point is marked by the ingress of the Sun into the astrological sign of Libra; this year it occurs at 20.44 UT. 

The Autumnal Equinox is also known as Mabon in some traditions. The name was coined in the 1970s, and refers to a character from Welsh mythology, Mabon ap Modron.  Our wrangler for this particular Blog Hop has asked us to consider myth and divination as a theme.
    

Myths... well, where to begin?!  So many to choose from... Because my own blog has been focusing on astrological associations in the tarot for the past year or so, I've decided to explore myths that have connections to the sign of Libra. 

In Egyptian mythology, Libra is represented by Ma’at, the goddess of the scales who would, at the time of death, weigh the human soul against an ostrich feather to determine whether or not the soul would reincarnate.  Greek mythology gives us Themis, a blindfolded seer who also carries a pair of scales.  The archangel Michael, in Christianity, holds the scales. In each tradition, the theme is balance, of keeping things – be they social or spiritual – in order.  But the story that resonates most with me is the Greek story of the Judgment of Paris.

  

Judgement of Paris (from the Louvre)

It starts with the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. Eris, the goddess of Discord (a ‘shadow’ side of Libra), hasn’t been invited but decides to gate-crash. She throws a golden apple down in front of all the goddesses who have been invited.  On the apple is inscribed ‘to the fairest’.... and so we have perhaps the first beauty pageant! Hera, Aphrodite and Athena are the front-runners, and ask Zeus to choose. Zeus, in his wisdom (or some would argue, cowardice!), elects Paris, a Trojan mortal to be the judge. Atop Mount Ida, the three goddesses attempted to bribe Paris – Hera dangled the prospect of becoming king of Europe and Asia, Athena wisdom and battle skills, and Aphrodite the most beautiful woman in the world.  Paris chose Aphrodite’s gift – Helen, wife of the Greek king Menelaus... and the rest, as they say, is history, at least in mythological terms.  The Trojan horse, the ‘face that launched a thousand ships’, ... even the idea of ‘who is the fairest’ comes up again and again – and not only in fairy tales such as Snow White!

'Libra' (Copyright AlisonCoals)

So many Libran qualities are illustrated in this myth –beauty, harmony, attraction, negotiation and adjudication. And no surprise that Venus (the Roman goddess most similar to Aphrodite) is the ruler of Libra!  But ‘to the fairest’?  That also taps into Libran ambiguity!  The fairest in terms of the most beautiful, or the most even-tempered? The most well-balanced when it comes to making judgments? Libra, despite the association with beauty and attraction through Venus, is more a sign of balance. It’s considered and reflective, more concerned with ‘the other’ than with the ‘I’. It’s the mediator, negotiator, and diplomat.

Libra has a reputation for being indecisive!  Following from Virgo’s need to analyze everything in great detail, Libra weighs it all carefully but is always having to take new factors into account, upsetting that delicate balance, hence appearing to be constantly changing its mind.  For this reason, my favourite version of the tarot card associated with Libra, Justice, comes from the Thoth deck, although Crowley has re-named the card Adjustment.     

'Adjustment' (Thoth Tarot)

Like many versions of the Justice card, the image still shows a figure with a set of scales, although here the scales appear to be balanced on her head.  She holds the sword of truth in both hands, between her legs, while balancing on her toes. The entire image of one of balance and harmony – including the coloured spheres (blue for spirit and intellect, green for creativity) in their symmetrical placement. But how long can this balance be held?  All it takes is one distraction, one thought, one new factor, to be added to the scales, and the whole thing is no longer balanced.  So it’s not that Libra is indecisive per se – it’s more that that the picture isn’t static; there’s always something else that needs to be considered, something else to knock us off track. That’s why I like the name ‘Adjustment’ – we’re always having to make adjustments as new elements come into play, in order to maintain our (always precarious) balance!

 

The Wheel (Wildwood Tarot)

The Wildwood Tarot places its Major Arcana cards around the Wheel of the Year. At Mabon, we have two cards - The Wheel (X) and The Mirror (XII).  The Wheel reminds us of the constantly changing seasons, and that what comes around, goes around.  The equinox is but a moment in time – one where the hours of day and night are balanced, before the hours of darkness increase at the expense of the light.  In many traditions, the autumnal equinox marks the start of a period of withdrawal - not just in terms of physical withdrawal or hibernation, but a time of introspection and inner journeying, contemplation and rest.   
  

The Mirror (Wildwood Tarot)

The Mirror shows us our reflection and allows us to see our inner selves, and by sitting on the Equinox represents the point at which our journey changes direction – from outer to inner; the point where we’re balanced between the two. The myth here focuses on Morgan/Morgaine, accompanying Arthur on his final journey to Avalon, as well as the Lady of the Lake, "arbiter of Arthur's actions", to quote Mark Ryan and John Matthews.  The authors of this deck aren't making any astrological associations in their deck, but I'm struck by the inclusion of the mirror in the image, as the mirror is often used as a symbol for Libra - another myth with a Libran link. Both through Venus' rulership and its affinity to the 7th house, Libra is concerned with attraction and partnership. Aries, the sign opposite Libra in the zodiac's wheel, is about 'I' - how we're seen and how we meet the world as individuals. Libra is concerned with ‘the other’ - what we look for in our relationships with others.  The mirror allows us to see what others see in us. ‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?’ indeed!

  

Thank you for stopping off here on your journey through this Mabon Tarot Blog Hop!  Please do come back and read some of my other posts - and if you're a Facebook user, you can find me at AlembicArts. 

The next stops on the Tarot Blog Hop are - depending on whether you’re moving backwards or forwards through the list – the TABI blog or Cassandra Santori's blog . The Master List can be found here.

   

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by US Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections.
 

Tarot Blog Hop - Lammas 2013

'Prairie summer storm'. Copyright Alison Coals

Welcome to Alison’s Alembic!   You may have arrived here as a stop on the Tarot Blog Hop from either Bonnie Fernandes's blog or Christiana Gaudet's blog.  Or you may have found this through TABI’s Facebook page, or though one of the many wonderful tarot bloggers in the ether... It doesn’t matter – what does matter is that you’re here!

 

For anyone outside the community who might be reading this and who's not yet familiar with Lammas (!), it’s the festival of the harvest.  Also known as Lughnasahd, the cross-quarter fire festival, it’s celebrated on the evening of the 31 July and on the first three days of August. More specifically, Lammas is the first harvest (usually of grain and fruit – the basic food that sustains us through the winter), when farmers begin to reap the rewards of their hard work.  It’s associated with baking bread from that first harvest of grain, but has also been called ‘the festival of gratitude and first seeds’ because the grain is also the seed that becomes next year’s harvest – a reminder of the cycle of life.

 

6 of Bows, Wildwood Tarot

Lammas celebrates the alchemy of Water and Fire - we’ve just left the water sign of Cancer and are now in the fire sign of Leo.   The sun still carries enough energy to help the crops to ripen, but we need rain as well.   Lugh, the Celtic god and Sun King, gives up his power at Lammas, just as the sun starts to wane and lose its power.  We too need to give up something of our outer selves as we prepare for the inner journey of the winter.  It’s a time for assessment, as well as celebration.

Sharman-Caselli Tarot

Although I associate Thanksgiving (that’s my North American upbringing coming through!) with giving thanks for the harvest, I’ve come to see Lammas as a time to give thanks for abundance as well.  A time to share what we’ve harvested, both together  and individually.  With this in mind, the Tarot Blog Hoppers have been asked by our Lammas wrangler the following question: ‘what can I share from my table to enrich my community?’

Well, I haven’t grown anything edible in my garden this year, so that’s out!  Last year though, I had lots of tomatoes, more than I could eat at once, so I turned the excess into chutney. I thought I’d share my recipe (actually my mum’s) for green tomato chutney:

1 kg (2 lb) green tomatoes, washed and chopped

225g (8 oz) cooking apples, peeled and cored

225g (8 oz) onions, peeled and chopped

5cm (2”) root ginger

100g (4oz) dates, stoned and chopped

225g (8 oz) brown sugar

300ml (1/2 pt) spiced vinegar*

1 teaspoon salt 

Bruise the ginger and tie it in a square of muslin. Put everything in a heavy pan, and stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Bring it to the boil, then simmer until the mixture is thick. Remove the muslin bag. Put into warm jars and seal.

(* Spiced vinegar: 1 litre/1.75 pints malt vinegar, 25g/1 oz whole allspice, 25g/1 oz mustard seed, 15g whole cloves, 15g black peppercorns, 7g root ginger, dried chillies)

 
Now, back to the tarot table.... a Lammas spread, and the cards that I drew from the Wildwood Tarot.

 

What is ready to be harvested from this year?

What still could benefit from the light and warmth of the sun?

What needs watering to bring it to fruition?

What seeds can be preserved and nurtured for the future?

I drew the following cards from the Wildwood:

The Ten of Stones tells me that I can begin to harvest the fruits of my labours in terms of feeling more ‘at home’ in the community.  It’s true that I’m starting to feel a sense of belonging, just over a year after moving here, and that my efforts to become part of the community are starting to reap rewards.   

The Four of Bows suggests that I could allow myself a little more time to enjoy these rewards, celebrating with my friends, old and new, before starting on the next phase.

The King of Vessels, represented by the heron (and sitting just after Lammas on the Wildwood’s Wheel of the Year!), indicates that I need to keep watering my long-held beliefs in justice and equality so that they don’t wither and die – a timely reminder not to allow myself to become too jaded!

The Two of Vessels – ah, what a lovely card to see in this position! ‘The initial attraction and exploration of potential’, to quote Mark Ryan and John Matthews in the accompanying book to the Wildwood deck.  The seed of a new beginning - a new friendship or relationship of some kind, perhaps - build from the abundance of the past year, to nurture... 

Thank you for stopping off here on your journey through this LammasTarot Blog Hop!  Please do come back and read some of my other posts.    

The next stops on the Tarot Blog Hop are - depending on whether you’re moving backwards or forwards through the list – Bonnie Fernandes' or Christiana Gaudet's blog . The Master List can be found here.

Sharman-Caselli Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections.