Sitting in Judgement

I’ve been challenged, recently, about my interpretation of the Judgment card.  In a reading, I’d said that Judgment wasn’t about judging and being judged – or at least, not only about that.  But others clearly don’t agree, so I thought I’d have a look and see what other views are around.

© Judgement

Universal Waite Tarot

The Little White Book (LWB) that accompanies the Universal Waite Tarot deck simple says “Change of position, renewal, outcome.”  Short and to the point. 

Rachel Pollack, in her Seeker: The Tarot Unveiled (Llewellyn, 2005), adds “rebirth, new possibilities, and wholeness” to the list.  In fact, she maintains (as do I) that Judgment is not about judging others, showing good judgement, or being judged themselves at all.  The child in the image reminds us that new opportunities and possibilities can appear when we heed the voice that tells us to let go of old, out-of-date, ways and beliefs.  The nakedness of the figures symbolizes openness as well as new beginnings – the state in which we were born into this world, but also the state in which we need to embrace this “re-birth”.  The trumpet, far from being the call to judgement, is in fact the “voice”, the push, the call – however it manifests – to step into the unknown and stop hiding.

© Judgement

Game of Thrones Tarot

Juliet Sharman-Burke, in her Beginners Guide to the Tarot (Connections, 2001), adds “resurrection and resolution” to the list.  She too sees this as an opportunity to greet the new with joy.  She calls it the card of karma, saying “it heralds the time of reaping what has been sown”.  You might see an element of judgement in that but, reading between her lines, I feel it’s more about assessment.  Yes, she does use the word “judge” – “to judge your actions and appraise what you have done” – but she goes on to say it’s more about the preparation for the next stage in life. 

Liz Dean, in the accompanying guidebook to The Game of Thrones Tarot (Home Box Office, Inc., 2017), doesn’t use the word “judgement” in her description of the card.  She writes about being on the edge of a change, and focuses on the need for second chances after a review or appraisal, and about the chance to make sense of the past.

© Judgement

Shadowscapes Tarot

In the accompanying book to the Shadowscapes (Tarot Llewellyn, 2010), Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore do refer to making a judgement.  They talk about holding an accounting, and about it being “time to evaluate the phase of life just past, to recognize and to appraise with an unbiased mind and honesty to oneself”.  They too see Judgement as a card of awakening, of hearing and responding to a voice or call, and the need to respond to it.

The creators of the Wildwood Tarot (Connections, 2011), Mark Ryan and John Matthews, are very clear in their view.  In the accompany book, they write that “The major element in this process [surviving inevitable change] is judgement of yourself and others.”, yet the word “judgement” doesn’t come up in their list of keywords.  “Karma” and “cosmic law” do, as does “inescapable truth”.  They do talk about renewal and rebirth, themes that are echoed in the image that Will Worthington has created for the card.  That idea of rebirth is also seen in the DruidCraft Tarot’s image (also by Will Worthington).

© The Great Bear

Wildwood Tarot

© Rebirth

Druid Craft Tarot

So yes, my challenger was right in saying that the card is about judging the self and others, but I think perhaps it depends on how we define “judgment” – and maybe I need to be clearer about that when I read!  (To be fair, the deck I was reading with, Kim Krans’ Wild Unknown Tarot, does focus on the forgiveness aspect, as I did in the reading.)  Kim Krans’ view is that the word carries such negative connotations – fear, guilt, shame – that it’s more helpful to seek the truth and forgive, not blame.  The image, the dove rising up above all the negativity (the darkness) and spreading its wings reflects that beautifully, I think.

© Judgement

Wild Unknown Tarot

Pollack, Rachel. Seeker: The Tarot Unveiled. Llewellyn Publications, 2005.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

Druid Craft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Game of Thrones Tarot, created by Liz Dean, published by Home Box Office, Inc., 2017

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Universal Waite Tarot created by Mary Hanson-Roberts & Pamela Colman-Smith, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wild Unknown Tarot, created by Kim Krans, published by HarperCollins, 2016.

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

Pisces in the Minor Arcana: The Nine of Cups

The Nine of Cups, which - in the correspondence system I use - is linked to Jupiter in Pisces, as well as the  middle third of Pisces (28^th February to 9^th March, roughly).  Jupiter is the ruler of Pisces, so already we have a sense of how this might play out! Jupiter, the ‘Greater Benefic’, expansive, generous, jovial... and in Pisces, described so well by William Blake’s “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" (from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell). Jupiter in Pisces is compassionate and sensitive, and has great faith or trust in a higher power (and the self).  It wants to grow by living according to its ideals – it’s high-minded, yet its generosity of spirit makes it sympathetic to everyone and everything.

Nine of Cups (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

Jupiter’s expansiveness gives rise to overflowing watery emotions, symbolized in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli version of the card by the fountains, or the overflowing cups in the Crowley Thoth and Wildwood decks. 

In Pisces, it’s all about bliss, deep joy, overflowing love... without restrictions.  It’s the benevolence, the all-expansiveness, of Jupiter that gives the Wildwood’s Nine of Vessels its keyword ‘generosity’. 

Nine of Cups (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

The emotions are nourished, the senses are satisfied (symbolized by the spread of food and the embracing couple depicted in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli card, from the Beginners Guide to the Tarot) – it’s a time for indulging, to enjoy relationships.  Often referred to as the ‘wish card’, the Nine of Cups can represents dream or wishes coming true and, through Jupiter in Pisces, the sense of ‘blessedness’ that comes from deep-rooted, absolute joy. Mutable Water.

Nine of Cups (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

In Margarete Petersen’s version of this card we see a pearl in a shell, bathed in bright (sun?) light, possibly on a beach… the colours conjure up evening, for me  - the Cups correspondence with twilight-evening, perhaps. Pearls are metaphors for something rare, fine, admirable, and valuable – so I can see why Margarete Petersen has used this to represent the penultimate goal.  You’d think there was nothing more to gain after this, but it is the ‘almost but not quite’ idea.  

In the LWB, Petersen writes about the pain involved in the process of reaching this goal: the pearl forms from a grain of sand embedding itself in the soft flesh of the mollusk, and the continuous pain the creature feels as its shell covers the grain of sand with calcium carbonate to create the pearl.  So it’s not all happy-happy in this version – there’s a need to accept the pain in order to truly appreciate the gift from the ‘depths of the ocean’ (i.e., from within ourselves, if we allow it to surface).  The shadow side of the card, perhaps?

The shadow side of Jupiter in Pisces, and the Nine of Cups, also reflects the tendency towards escapism, and losing focus. Not that escapism is always a bad thing, but Jupiter takes things to excess, so what might be healthy escapism runs the risk of becoming an addiction. It could be difficult to deal with the outpouring of emotions, to the point where the emotions end up becoming blocked for fear of the consequences. 

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.

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

Scorpio in the Major Arcana: Death (part 3)

13 The Journey (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

In Part 1 of our exploration of the Death card, we saw the raven appear.  The raven is considered to be, among other things, a guardian of the dead, or a guide to the otherworld.  In The Wildwood Tarot’s ‘The Journey’, Will Worthington has given us an image of the raven tearing flesh from a skull of a reindeer - a symbol of the stripping of life, and of the (re)cycling of life through death and birth; all Scorpio (and by affinity, astrological 8^th house) issues. 

XIII Death (trimmed):

© Wild Unknown Tarot

The skeleton in Kim Krans’ Wild Unknown Tarot’s Death card may or may not be a raven, but the image reflects that idea of the stripping of life - the disintegration of flesh, leaving only bones behind.  Again, the cycling of life, and the knowledge that something needs to come to an end.  Krans talks about the need for closure, in the book that accompanies her deck, and about the inevitability of the ending.  And through experiencing the ‘death’, we’re able to move towards a new stage in our lives.

Wild Unknown Tarot, created by Kim Krans, published by HarperCollins, 2016.

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

Full Moon in Taurus

Today’s offering comes from the Wildwood Tarot, created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, beautifully illustrated by Will Worthington. 

18 The Moon on the Water (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The Moon on the Water seems like the perfect card to work with on the day of the Taurus Full Moon.  Full moon overhead, casting light over a marshy landscape – that’s appropriate too, as we’re in the watery sign of Scorpio.  And against the backdrop of that moon we see the silhouette of an aurochs, the ancestor of our bull – the symbol of Taurus. 

Taurus is associated with fertility, among other things.  In the old Druidic traditions, a bull or ox might be sacrificed at midwinter, as a symbol of new life emerging from the ‘dead’ of winter.  In the accompanying book to the Wildwood Tarot, the creators write of the auroch’s horns representing not only the waxing and waning of the moon, but also fertility: they see the womb and fallopian tubes in the bull’s horns. 

New growth emerging from death is also a theme of Scorpio, of course, with the transformation from what’s decaying or no longer of use into something from which new life can emerge. Just think of your compost heap!  The Moon represents this too – the cycles of life: birth and death, new and old, waxing and waning.

So what might The Moon on the Water be saying to us today? It’s difficult to see a way through the marsh, although the Moon does cast a path of light (reflected from the Sun) over the water. The 'passage through the unknown', perhaps? The heron, a water bird, represents psychic ability as well as reflection - and there's plenty of reflection in the imagery. The heron also stands at the gateway between life and death, acting as mediator on the soul's journey to the underworld. Or between conscious and unconscious? Under the surface (how Scorpionic!) lies the “primal egg” (to quote Ryan and Matthews), waiting to be fertilized. So, at this time of the Taurus New Moon, perhaps it’s time to stand still for a moment, and see the potential that lies before us. Pay attention to your dreams and your imagination – what are you being called to create?

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

Pisces in the Minor Arcana: The Ten of Cups

The Ten of Cups, in the astrological correspondence system I follow, is linked to Mars in Pisces, and the final third of Pisces (10^th-19^th March). 

First of all, what qualities does Mars bring to Pisces?  Fire and Water... Mars is assertive and determined, and takes the initiative – so in Pisces, we could be looking for assertiveness in terms of ideals or ideology. Assertive, but at the same time compassionate and kind.  The initiative and drive we associate with Mars will be softened by the sensitivity of Pisces.  Desires and dreams are achieved by following instinct, or those moments of inspiration. The shadow side of this could manifest in emotional vulnerability.

10 of Cups (trimmed):

© Crowley Thoth Tarot

And in the Ten of Cups?  I’m going to start with the Thoth deck, because – being a visual person – I like to see the astrological symbolism in the card’s image! If you look carefully at the cups, you can see that the handles are actually rams’ horns, giving us the Mars (through its rulership of Aries) connection. Gerd Ziegler writes, in his Tarot: Mirror of the Soul (published by Weber Books, 1998), Mars in Pisces provides “the apparently fragile being with the decisiveness needed to bring forth into the outer world the beauty which it holds within.”  So we have the drive of Mars, but not the drama of Aries – instead, Pisces allows those qualities to gently radiate. 

Ten of Cups (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

That helps me to see the more permanent sense of contentment that we’ve come to associate with the Ten of Cups – as opposed to the moment of ‘bliss’ of the Nine.  With the Ten, we have a sense of completion – emotional fulfilment in relationships, be they romantic, familial, platonic.  To achieve and maintain this sense of fulfilment (Crowley used the word ‘satiety’ to describe this card), we need the effort and drive of Mars, allowing us to turn our dreams into reality, rather than let them stay a Piscean vision. But we still have that Piscean flow (Mutable Water) of feeling running through the card – symbolized in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli image (from the Beginners Guide to the Tarot) by the river off to the side, as well as the contentment represented by the happy family.

Ten of Vessels (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The Wildwood shows that unconstrained happiness – compare it to the Saturn in Pisces Eight of Vessels. In the Eight, the water is flowing but it’s being channelled – a structure has been imposed on the flow. In the Ten, there’s no such constraint – the water is in free-fall, splashing, overflowing...in full-on Mars flow!

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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

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

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot.

Pisces in the Minor Arcana: The Nine of Cups

9 of Cups (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

Today we move on to the Nine of Cups, which - in the system I use - is linked to Jupiter in Pisces, as well as the  middle third of Pisces (28^th February to 9^th March, roughly).  Jupiter is the ruler of Pisces, so already we have a sense of how this might play out! Jupiter, the ‘Greater Benefic’, expansive, generous, jovial... and in Pisces, described so well by William Blake’s “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" (from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell). Jupiter in Pisces is compassionate and sensitive, and has great faith or trust in a higher power (and the self).  It wants to grow by living according to its ideals – it’s high-minded, yet its generosity of spirit makes it sympathetic to everyone and everything.

9 of Cups (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

Jupiter’s expansiveness gives rise to overflowing watery emotions, symbolized in the Sharman-Bruke/Caselli version of the card by the fountains, or the overflowing cups in the Crowley Thoth and Wildwood decks. In Pisces, it’s all about bliss, deep joy, overflowing love... without restrictions.  Mutable Water.

It’s the benevolence of Jupiter, the all-expansiveness,  that gives the Wildwood’s Nine of Vessels its keyword ‘generosity’. The emotions are nourished, the senses are satisfied (symbolized by the spread of food and the embracing couple depicted in the Sharman-Caselli card) – it’s a time for indulging, to enjoy relationships.  Often referred to as the ‘wish card’, the Nine of Cups can represents dream or wishes coming true and, through Jupiter in Pisces, the sense of ‘blessedness’ that comes from deep-rooted, absolute joy.

9 of Vessels (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The shadow side of Jupiter in Pisces, and the Nine of Cups, is the tendency towards escapism, and losing focus. Not that escapism is always a bad thing, but Jupiter takes things to excess, so what might be healthy escapism runs the risk of becoming an addiction. It could be difficult to deal with the outpouring of emotions, to the point where the emotions end up becoming blocked for fear of the consequences. 

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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

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

Pisces in the Minor Arcana: The Eight of Cups

In the astrological correspondence system that I follow, Pisces is linked to the Eight, Nine and Ten of Cups. Today I’m going to look at the Eight of Cups, which corresponds to Saturn in Pisces – and to the first third of Pisces (so this year, the 18^th-27^th February).

Pisces is the mutable Water sign, so we’re looking at our emotional resources and how these might need to change.  Saturn sets limits – something that Pisces doesn’t like! – but also helps us to maintain our integrity. Combined with Pisces, it wants to transcend the restrictions that we find ourselves surrounded by so that we can ‘merge’ with others.  It needs to find a way to express its feelings in such a way that it still feels stable – but not stuck.

Eight of Cups (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

So how might this play out in the Eight of Cups?  Let’s start with a relatively ‘traditional’ depiction of the Eight of Cups – as illustrated by the Sharman-Burke/Caselli (Beginners Guide to the Tarot) deck. Here we see a figure walking away from eight cups, neatly and carefully stacked.  Despite the care taken to place the cups in this pattern, the figure is abandoning them because they no longer provide the emotional security needed.  Notice the waning moon in the sky – something is drawing to an end.  There’s no sign of any life in the landscape, so there’s no hint as to what the figure is heading towards. But ‘8’ is the number of death and birth (8^th house themes, in astrology), cycles and recycling – time to let go of what’s no longer working, time to move forward to something new and (as yet) unknown (shades of the Moon card, associated with Pisces). Otherwise, stagnation looms.

Eight of Cups (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

Stagnation is the theme of the Eight of Cups in the Thoth deck, showing us the other side of the coin, so to speak.  Here we see standing water, unmoving, at risk of becoming stagnant without the flow of fresh water to refresh the situation.  Saturn represents the needs to set some new limits, to learn to say ‘no’, to walk away from a situation or relationship – something that’s close to the heart - that’s no longer working, despite all the time and effort that’s been put into it. Things have run their course, the well is dry; it’s time to move on. Saturn in Pisces speaks of the need to change old patterns so that we don’t become stuck in an emotional rut, or stagnate.

Eight of Vessels (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The Wildwood Tarot wasn't created with astrology in mind, but I like to look at it to see if there's any connections in the imagery.  In the Eight of Vessels we see water flowing freely - but is it? The rocks place boundaries on the water, collecting it in pools before channelling it between rocks to keep it moving! So yes, Saturn in Pisces works here...

Eight of Cups (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

In Margarete Petersen’s Eight of Cups, the frame around the image alone gives us a sense of structure being imposed, something being restricted.  Within the frame, an upside-down head is submerged in the deep blue sea. A stream of lighter blue emanates from it up to the surface – air rising to the surface and on up into the atmosphere (as I see it!). Again, the idea of being trapped in the depths of something that feels out of our control, yet we find a way to breathe and draw in air from beyond the barrier that holds us in this ‘hemmed-in’ state/place. And if we don’t? Indolence, or a sense of stagnation, could set in.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.

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

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

Pisces in the Major Arcana

As usual, let’s start our exploration of Pisces in the tarot with the Major Arcana. The card associated with Pisces is the eighteenth one, The Moon.  That often comes as a surprise – you might think that The Moon in the tarot would be associated with the Moon in the sky, but no, confusingly, the Moon that orbits the Earth is linked to the High Priestess. 

XVIII The Moon  (trimmed):

© Druid CraftTarot

So why The Moon?  Well, let’s think back to what we know about Pisces. It’s the mutable Water sign, the sign that puts no boundaries on emotions and feelings, the sign that merges conscious with unconscious, that’s linked to compassion, sensitivity, all-encompassing love and nurturing... all qualities that have become associated with the Moon.  Often referred to as a psychic sign, Pisces is interested in exploring the soul, the psyche. It opposes Virgo on the axis of ‘service’ – while Virgo wants to be of use on a practical level, Pisces wants to be involved on the spiritual level.  Pisces can feel restricted by the ‘mundanity’ of everyday life; it wants to transcend this, and does so through dreams (the daydream variety or in sleep) as well as through creative expression and the imagination.  The Moon card, too, is linked to intense dreams and the power of the imagination.

Pisces floats through life, flowing with the tides – another link to the Moon. The gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun, combined with the effects of the rotation of the Earth, produce the rise and fall in sea level – the ebb and flow of the tides.  The Moon is also linked to cycles through its phases – new, waxing, full, waning, old.  

XVIII The Moon  (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

Depictions of The Moon card often show this – for example, we see in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli, the Druid Craft, and the Haindl decks the new, full and old, representing potential as unfulfilled (‘Maiden’), fulfilled (‘Mother’), and spent (‘Crone’) respectively. 

The Thoth’s Moon card shows us only the waning crescent moon, representing the journey into the depths of the soul, while the Shadowscapes’ Moon is a crescent suggestive of new birth - although there are two much larger, fuller moon-shapes behind it, which could represent the three phases. 

XVIII The Moon (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The shadow side of Pisces can be a tendency to escape into a fantasy world, a world of illusion – which can also lead to addiction.  The Moon card is often associated with illusion – that things are not what they seem. 

Rachel Pollack, in her Seeker: The Tarot Unveiled (Llewellyn Publications, 2005) talks about ‘the passage through the unknown’, and how this can refer to actual journeys as well as inner ones. Either can be adventures, journeys of discovery – but both involve uncertainty.  Sometimes the uncertainty can make us feel a little ‘mad’ – bringing us to the link between the Moon and lunacy (‘luna’ being Latin for ‘moon’).  The dog and wolf (jackal and wolf, in the Thoth) often depicted in the Moon card represent the wildness, the animal instinct to howl at the moon, to run wild, the ‘madness’ that needs to be released, the unconscious.  Have you noticed how rarely people are shown in this card, only animals?

The Moon (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

Those animals can also symbolize irrational fears of 'creatures of the night' and of things unseen or hidden, lost or buried in memory.

We often see water in the Moon card, another link back to the water sign of Pisces.  In the Sharman-Caselli deck, the water in the image is the Pool of Forgetfulness, representing not only the unconscious mind but also the experiences we want to forget, or the things we fear (also symbolized by the crayfish/crab, which – half in water, half on land – symbolizes the feelings that are never allowed to be made conscious).  By accepting the fears, the ‘madness’, the uncertainty, we gain access to instinct, to our unconscious – the goal of Pisces!

18 The Moon (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

Water is also prevalent in the Wildwood Tarot's Moon on the Water. Here we have a Full Moon over a marshy landscape - this image makes me think of the Arthurian summerlands (perhaps because I live in that very landscape!).  The 'passage through the unknown', perhaps?  Again, more animal symbolism. The heron, a water bird, represents psychic ability as well as reflection - and there's plenty of reflection in the imagery! The heron also stands at the gateway between life and death, acting as mediator on the soul's journey to the  underworld. Or between conscious and unconscious? That makes me think of the jackals (or dogs, or wolves) in other images.   The horns of the aurochs represent the waxing and waning moon, as well as fertility - and there's the egg, waiting to be fertilized as we head towards Aries, the start of the astrological new 'year'.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

Druid Craft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

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

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

Aquarius in the Minor Arcana: The Six of Swords

Today we move on to the Six of Swords, which - in the system I use - is linked to Mercury in Aquarius, as well as to the middle ten days of Aquarius (30^th/31^st January to 9^th February this year).

Just to recap: Aquarius is the fixed Air sign, so we’re looking at maintaining lines of communications, and establishing ideas and concepts – but not just any old idea. This is the sign of the unconventional and the unorthodox, the reformer and revolutionary.  When we add Mercury, the communicator, the trader, to this sign we have an energy that wants to express and share its ideas, its ideology, its humanitarian aims, perhaps. Aquarius can be detached and impersonal, so the method of communicating or sharing is likely to reflect that – this won’t be about the emotions!  There could be lots of discussion, and perhaps even the establishing of groups based around a common cause that will involve the need to make changes. Innovative or experimental thinking – leading to the ‘science’ keyword used by Crowley in his Thoth deck – is also an aspect of Mercury in Aquarius.

Six of Arrows (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

But how is Mercury in Aquarius reflected in the Six of Swords?  Traditionally, we tend to see the Six of Swords as being about transition – leaving behind difficult situations and moving towards a calmer place.  Often the image is one of people being carried by boat out of a stormy atmosphere into one that looks more peaceful.  The key, I think, is that we find a way out of our difficulties by coming up with new ways of thinking – that the solution comes through a different idea, perhaps even a revolutionary or unorthodox one, or one that requires some experimenting.

Six of Swords (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

In the Shadowscapes deck, we have quite a different image but it still conveys the idea of a “passage from difficulty”, to quote the accompanying book (details below). Although the creator of the deck doesn’t draw on astrological associations, I can see Mercury’s ability to analyze and see clearly helping to bring perspective to what lies ahead (Aquarius), easing the transition.

Six of Swords (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

In the Thoth, the swords meeting at a central point symbolizes the meeting of a variety of ideas that results in a new vision, while the rose at the centre represents the blossoming of a new reality – the transition to a new perspective, a calmer place.  ‘Science’ here refers to the way in which new knowledge helps us to move away from outdated ways of thinking – and the need to communicate and share such knowledge so that others can adapt as well.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

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

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

Tarot Blog Hop – Imbolc 2018: Brigid’s Blue Moon

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Welcome to Alison’s Alembic!   You may have arrived here as a stop on the Tarot Blog Hop from either Jay's Metaphysical Angels or Willow Path Tarot'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!

Imbolc (pronounced i-molk or i-molg), also called Brigid’s Day or Candlemas, is a cross-quarter festival , marking the end of winter and beginning of spring (in the northern hemisphere). The name ‘Imbolc’ comes from the old Irish “i mbolg”, meaning “in the belly”, referring to the time of year when sheep and goats are pregnant, carrying their young.   Other etymology includes “oimelc”, meaning “ewe’s milk”, a reference to the onset of lactation in ewes about to give birth.

Birth, beginnings… a time of hope, a time to look towards the future, and what might be.

As the Celtic year was based on both lunar and solar cycles, the festival would probably have been celebrated on the full moon nearest the midpoint between the Winter Solstice (Yule) and the Vernal Equinox (Ostara) … in the northern hemisphere, at least!

Our wrangler for this particular round of the Tarot Blog Hop, Aisling, points out that this year, this festival is in fact a ‘trifecta’, a combination of three significant events on a single day. Imbolc itself, the Full Moon on the 31^st January, and the fact that it’s the second Full Moon of the month (the ‘Blue’ Moon).  That means we’re celebrating a “Solilune”, a combination of a Solar and Lunar festival. Brigid herself is associated with the number three, through the elemental spaces of Land, Sea, and Sky, as well as the three characteristics of the Inner Flame: poesy, smith-craft, and healing.  Aisling also reminds us of the gift of Spirit represented by the Blue Moon – the rare and precious things that occur ‘once in a blue moon’.

At once my mind goes to Nanci Griffith’s beautiful ‘Once in a Very Blue Moon’…

But back to tarot…

Aisling’s provided us with a spread, based on all this three-ness. It comes in three parts, with each part involving three cards.  I’m using the beautiful Wildwood Tarot.

1) The Foundation -  honouring the solar festival of Imbolc and the Three Fires of Brigid.

Nine of Arrows (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The first of the three cards in this first of three sections represents Land and the body - the physical focus for the year ahead. I drew the Nine of Arrows. Subtitled 'Dedication', this reminds me that I need to be willing to work hard and be very disciplined when it comes to the physical side of life. This speaks to me on a personal level (wanting to regain my old level of physical fitness after a couple of years of battling health issues) but also in terms of being a 'protector of the Land', something else that has had to take a back seat for the past year or so. I see those eight arrows being repulsed by the invisible shield as all the things I've allowed to stand in my way, and that I now need the self-discipline to move past.

8 The Stag (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The second card represents Sky and the mind - the mental focus for the next 12 months. Here I have The Stag (8), indicating the need to take responsibility for my thoughts and beliefs, for any ideas I come up with. There's also a lot about strength and protection in here too, which will provide a good foundation for the second set of three cards (The Construction). It feels fitting to have this card here, given the astrological association of the Sun (rules Leo, the sign usually associated with Strength) - good solar energy!  The creators of the Wildwood Tarot envisaged the Stag as a combination of Strength and Justice, drawing on qualities of both. Strength, personal integrity, working for justice...I can see this at work already in this year's goals.

Four of Vessels (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The final card in this section represents Sea and spirit, the emotional and/or spiritual focus of the year to come. The Four of Vessels suggests I need to be aware of wasting my energy, and of allowing myself to remain feeling emotionally drained after illness.  I need to get off my backside and take action! Step through those gateways when they appear, or risk boredom....


....and speaking of gateways....








2) The Construction - honouring the lunar energy of the year. With this being the Full Moon associated with the rowan tree, we're looking at protection and guidance, and at guardians and gateways.

Seven of Arrows (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The first card in this middle section symbolizes the new path that presents itself. Back to the Arrows again for the first card in this third; this time it's the Seven of Arrows. The Green Woman in the image fends off the barrage of arrows, protecting herself. Very apt, in terms of the Rowan Moon we're celebrating. But what about the new path that presents itself? This is about not allowing fears - especially ones that are all in my mind and not rooted in reality - and confusion to hold me back. I see this at work already - for example, I'm panicking about a workshop I've been asked to run, even though it's months away. This particular fear is an old and very familiar one - the clue comes in the card's subtitle: insecurity!  Self-doubt and lack of confidence....

9 The Hooded Man (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The second card shows me what I will need protection from on my journey this year.  I have to admit I was initially very pleased to see The Hooded Man (9) appear here - one of my favourite cards from this deck. But when I thought about the position it's in, I'm less sure!  I like to give myself time and space to prepare for things, withdrawing when needed so that I can be still, and absorb what's going on so that I can better understand before taking the next step. But here it might be saying that I need to be wary of withdrawing too much - that doing so might not be in my best interests. Hmm.

The third card indicates what will guide and protect me. Two cards came out together here - the Three of Vessels and the Ten of Bows. 'Taking joy in responsibility' is what immediately comes to mind, based on the subtitles of each card. That reinforces the messages of the previous cards, I'd say - taking pleasure in what I've been asked to do or want to initiate, rather than resorting to the default position of panic and uncertainty - and, thinking about The Hooded Man's message, not to withdraw too quickly from added responsibility.  Now I wonder if there's two sides to The Hooded Man's appearance here: it will be OK to take the time to work out how much responsibility I can realistically take on, and learn to say 'no' when I reach my limit.

Three of Vessels (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

Ten of Bows (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

3) The Surprise - what 'once in a blue moon' treasures does the Universe have in store?

1 The Shaman (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The first card in this third and final section takes us back to the realm of the Land and the body - the physical. I've drawn The Shaman (1). This will help me understand what it is I can contribute to the world. Again, I see a link to the Hooded Man - taking time out to meditate, to listen to my inner guides, in order to gain insight. It also reminds me that I have all the tools I need already - it's up to me to work the magic.

Ace of Stones (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The next card looks at surprises in terms of the Sky - the mind. The only card from the earthy suit of Stones appearing here, the Ace of Stones suggests the seed of a new idea - something I can nurture into maturity over the course of the year. Great surprise - can't wait!  The combination of Earth and Air feels promising...perhaps that long-sought-after new source of income will manifest this year!

Six of Vessels (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

And finally, the last card – the third of the third – looks at Sea and spirit, the emotional and/or spiritual realm.  The appearance of the Six of Vessels fills me with hope.  Emotional reunions – yes, please: that would be a wonderful surprise. More time with my family, in particular! Drawing on what’s past and learning how to use that to move forward.

A card from the suit of Vessels and from the Majors in each of the three sections of the reading: an important year to stay in touch with my feelings, perhaps?! Not forgetting two cards from the Arrows - 'head' and 'heart' both important.

So, thank you, Aisling, for setting us this ‘illuminating’ topic, drawing on the energies of both luminaries as it does.  I’ll leave you with a photo of a dear friend of mine - named Soliluna!

And thank you all for stopping off here on your own journey through this Imbolc Tarot Blog Hop.  Please do come back and read some of my other posts through the year.  

The next stops on the Tarot Blog Hop are - depending on whether you’re moving backwards or forwards through the list – Jay's Metaphysical Angels and Willow Path Tarot. The Master List can be found here.

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