Editor’s Note: If you want to experiment with tarot cards and don’t have any, we provide a free tarot spread generator using the Celtic Wings spread, which is based on the traditional Celtic Cross spread. This article explains how to use the spread. You can visit Sarah’s website here. –efc
By Sarah Taylor
Change is here — in fact, it is taking place already. It might feel like something that grounded you to what was life as you understood it to be is now being stripped away, which itself is a form of death. But look up, and look around: something new has come in. Something that takes you closer to your true nature. You have the opportunity to integrate this, balance it, and express it through you; and in so doing, you change the world.
If you have been following the tarot readings over the past few weekends, you might be unsurprised to see The Lovers making its third appearance in three weeks. If this isn’t a sign of looking into the mirror and working with powers available to you to integrate something within, then I don’t know what is.
What this reading also focuses on is balance, which goes hand-in-hand with conscious integration. Balance is implied in The Lovers, but it comes into its own in Temperance, the third card in the reading. And this emphasis on balance — a sense of a gaze towards the other that is both deep, measured and steady — feels entirely appropriate given that we are being led towards the mirror and the invitation to look into it is by Death — herald of change that is often penetrative, and invariably unavoidable.
Like few other cards, Death has the ability to send shivers up the spine. It rarely suggests physical death — but I’m not sure that it is fear of physical death that really lies at the heart of the emotion this card brings up in so many of us. I am coming to see that often our bodies and our minds cannot distinguish emotionally between physical death and the experience of death that we feel when a part of us or our experience falls away because it no longer serves us.
To our egos, intent on survival and with a predisposition to hold to the known rather than plunge into the mystery, that falling away can feel absolute because we are so focused on the end itself — which is palpable — while any sense of a beginning is hypothetical, as yet based in faith and not fact. This idea is emphasised by Death itself: the figure of death, clad in black armour, sitting on a red-eyed steed and carrying a standard in its bony hand, is so compelling that we might be forgiven for not giving much consideration to the other figures and objects around it. We are so focused on what we believe death to be that we ignore the very signs of life that it brings to us.
In front of the horse’s head, in the background of the card, two monoliths frame a rising sun. These are the same towers that we find in The Moon, indicating the pathway through the darkness. The dawn may be in the distance, but it is there nonetheless, and the yellow of the Sun is reflected in the clothing of the religious figure supplicating death, and in the bones of death itself. Death also shows us that life is possible. For now, however, life might feel as monochrome as death itself — our lives cast into sharp relief where we see only extremes, ignoring the subtle signs that something different is on the horizon.
For, in The Lovers, that Sun has grown to the point where it forms the full backdrop to the central figure of the angel, the man and woman standing in its rays underneath. It brings the tree on the left into fruit; it ignites and feeds the flames of the tree on the right.
Then, in Temperance, it seems to be descending behind the mountains on the left of the picture. It has risen, reached its zenith, and now it is setting. This, to me, indicates a defined period of transition, an encounter with something new, and then the integration of that encounter — all the while underpinned by a sense of balance. Death rings in the changes. Its card is less symmetrical than the other two. Death predominates in the upper left diagonal of the card; the smaller human figures seem to be gathered under it in the bottom right diagonal. They do not meet death as an adversary. Rather, they meet it with reverence and surrender.
Once we have surrendered to inevitable change, then we can look around us and see what is new that is being reflected back to us — both from outside, and from within. We are being guided by our connection to the divine. We are, in essence, having an encounter with the divine through something, or someone, else.
And then, in Temperance, when we are able to find a point of balance through that encounter, we become part of the flow of all things: the two figures in The Lovers — polarity incarnate — are vessels in Temperance through which consciousness flows. The angel, previously separate from the figures and floating in the skies, now holds the two cups and has taken on a more human form. It is as if the boundary between what it is to be human and what it is to be divine has blurred. The angel’s feet mirror those of the man; the white of its robes takes my eye back to the horse — the harbinger of change — which has been assimilated; it retains its wings and its head radiates light. An Earth angel.
Hey thanks Sarah, yes, I suppose “personally” is the way we tend to interpret things – we see what we see I guess. I like this thing I finally saw – it makes sense to me – that’s sort of how things seem to work out – at least with most of the men I know. I suppose it doesn’t really “solve” anything, but it makes sense.
And I suppose from a historical and sociological perspective, that seems to be what happens – notions of the “dark mother”, Eve being blamed for the destruction of mankind. Even in Hinduism, which recognises the forces of creation as being the masculine divine and the feminine divine recognise the special “power” of the feminine – the Sankrit word for the feminine divine is “shakti” which means “power”. In the Rig Veda, the masculine divine is referred to as the “seed layer”, the feminine divine, the power – which I suppose is a reference to the mystical nature of the womb.
Robert Graves described the “change” in consciousness from the notion that a woman was all powerful (The time of the White Goddess) to the recognition of a man’s power in western philosophy when people came to realise that women weren’t impregnated by the sea or the wind as was previously thought, but by having sex with men. The Trojan War was attributed to a fight over Helen of Troy. The reproductive/genetic/sex instinct is very powerful indeed, and in that light, women are very powerful, there’s no doubt about that. I’ve been noticing that power and watching it at work. And a sense of feminine power is handed down from woman to woman through the generations.
Like you, I was raised by nannies and the extended family, and not primarily by my mother – she was there, but there wasn’t much “raising” happening, so I didn’t notice this power in myself much later – long after I’d been through a string of terrible relationships, most of which involved men attempting to undermine my sense of self – and all they’d see is my sexuality, and I was never even aware of it. I suppose you could say I saw myself as a child. And only in the last few months – after being quite brutally emotionally “conquered” by a man I fell in love with, did I really sit up and take notice. What I had seemed to have become was an “ingenue” – the child/woman – unware of her sexuality and the power it seems to have on men, yet, at the same time, these men thought I was trying to “control” them, and therefore I was the “dark force” of lust and madness to be avoided at all costs – compelling and “overpowering” and therefore “terrifying”. And there are quite a few women who react that way too – though probably for other reasons.
I was completely flabbergasted by it, but it keeps happening and happening and happening, and I end up being the one who comes to harm. And I’m gonna be a bit un-PC and say, I dress like a nun most of the time – I don’t wear make up (except eyeliner), I don’t flirt – I make good-humoured conversation. My husband used to accuse me of smiling too much. I think it comes down to a lack of a fear of men – I grew up with them – the strongest influence in my life was my grandfather. And I loved my father and my brother, so naturally, I like men – I loved my grandmother too, but I was very much the apple of my grandfather’s and father’s eye, and a favourite with the uncles – I was the first-born grandchild, and my aunts were long-married, and my father was the only one of the boys who was married, so there were mostly men at home. Maybe THAT’S what’s unusual. My mother used to speak of having a similar sort of influence – she also had a close and loving relationship with her father – she had a good relationship with her mother too, but she was very attached to her father. She didn’t have any answers for me though, because she died when she was 36, but I think the problem is that we naturally trusted men. I have very few female influences in my life, and even they seem to be very reluctant to let me anywhere near their husbands . Now I don’t know if that’s because they’re insecure or because I do something (I’ve only every fallen in love with ONE married man – and that was the first time I’ve ever been in love, and that was just recently!). I don’t believe I do – beyond making conversation. Perhaps people don’t converse anymore, but I’m from a very chatty, bohemian sort of family, so I converse – with men and women alike. I have been told I have charm, but I think that just comes from enjoying the company of people.
Anyway, my rarified upbringing doesn’t seem to gel with the way things are with most people. But this last relationship really opened my eyes, and I seem to have grown up a bit, and in the absence of the guidance of elders, I’ve become more wary, and learned to establish solid boundaries very quickly, which on one hand is a shame, but I suspect it will “weed” out the men I don’t have anything in common with, and free up the way for men who understand the type of upbringing (with it’s manners and form) that I grew up with – I can’t change what I am, I can only understand it, and where necessary, modify it. But I have noticed that men tend to take the lead offered by women, and if women don’t impose the boundary, very quickly and very firmly, things end up in a real mess. To be un-PC again, isn’t is a bit of standard saying that “men think with their ‘dicks’?” I really hate to take the burden of responsibility onto myself – you’d think that a man would be able to control himself, but if women don’t protect themselves, especially a woman who doesn’t really walk with the pack, in my experience, men certainly won’t bother to protect that woman. So, what does that say about the power nexus?
So there you are, a very long-winded reply, but back to the tarot – perhaps that’s the consciousness that was flowing in the makers of the RW tarot when they illustrated that card. It might be useful to see a few other versions of the same card to see whether the same themes flow through them, or whether I see something different. Regardless, this has been a most valuable exercise, and I reckon this is excatly the lesson I needed to learn – the issue that keeps coming up until I understand it. So I think I can safely say that your spread has just changed my life – the Lovers alone was not enough – it needed my old friend Death to come and transform – death of the ingenue, transformed through the understanding of the Lovers, and into the arms of Temperance, and reborn as a woman. Lovely. Thanks.
š
indrani – there are two articles in the tarot archives on The Lovers – one of which is about the alchemical relationship between The Lovers and Art (Temperance) in the Thoth deck:
– http://planetwaves.net/pagetwo/2010/08/25/intro-to-tarot-the-lovers-a-three-card-comparison/
– http://planetwaves.net/pagetwo/2010/09/01/intro-to-tarot-symbolic-alchemy-a-view-of-the-lovers-and-art/
Also, what struck me is that your reaction to and interpretation of The Lovers here felt very personal (and that is no bad thing), and one that might be worth your exploring further.
What a thread! I need more time to re-read and digest – things seem so much in flux inwardly right now, I’m taking longer to assimilate, and to unknot and identify my feelings.
luckydriver – what you have just written could easily describe my experience – and, yes, over the past five years things have accelerated. The word “patience” is coming up a lot for me, and acquiring it has been a frustrating and humbling process.
Thank you, thank you, all!
This is an incredible tarot reading, and the comments are just as amazing. Thanks to everyone who posted, especially dreamastrologer…..I relate so well to your comments! Personally, I have been on an almost five year journey where everything that could dissolve in my life has done so, and no matter how I try, I can not “unstick” myself to find a new route. The pressure to find solutions has become almost unbearable in the last two months. Seeing this reading and the discussion it has generated gives me a lot of hope – thank you all!
Aww, thanks amanda and darkmary. Sweet!
Yeah, I am shebear hear me growl, heh. However, I have to add that though I’m known to let out some almighty roars when riled up, I’m capable of giving grrrreat hugs if treated the right way!
A large bowl of wild blueberries usually does the trick š
shebear: “It’s too serious and I’m done running.”
What a beautiful offering to the world. I don’t know what your situation is, but it really matters, each one of us, in our own way, ending destructive patterns and stepping fully into our own knowing/wisdom/dharma. Thank you for your courage. Wishing you strength, sending much love.
good luck, shebear! you sound ready. and heck — you are “shebear,” after all. š
I have dropped in several times over the w/e to check out this thread which is really quite brilliant and *most* helpful. I feel so understood by what others have posted here. I am learning so much about what’s been going on for me and for all of us it seems who work at living a conscious loving life.
I’m glad you wrote again tonight Gary because your latest comment in turn took me back to have a look at zoey’s link – thank you as well – which was absolutely wonderful to read. I really needed the knowledge in that link very much today and tonight.
I love the poem at the very end:
“I feel that all stars
shine in me.
The world is breaking as flood
through my life.
The flowers are opening in my body.
Youthfulness of earth and water
is burning like incense in my heart,
and the breath of all things
is playing as on a flute
through my thoughts.”
That’s just lovely. It describes how I’m feeling to a tee, though that mood is there despite the fact that I’m also going through the clearing today of deep *dark* energies. I have come to an acceptance of the fact that I will have to face down a family situation that really is my dharma and the undertaking of which means I will draw on everything I have come to learn through understanding and releasing my karma. It probably means a huge legal battle with someone who’s flesh and blood (and a lawyer would you believe) and I can no longer turn away from this one. It’s too serious and I’m done running. Thanks Pluto and Uranus and Chiron. It’s time to kick butt!
Much love to all who drop in here. Hugs from a grateful shebear š
hey kewl, im glad y’all got something out of that
mystes, thank you! yes I can def see how the process could go both ways
amanda, thanks for sharing. i’ve often wondered about that. yes, the breathing is very important. Stan Grof calls his breathwork “holotropic” and my experience with it was phenomenal. you might be able to ask someone at GTT (grof transpersonal training) about the caesarian situation and what they have learned about it. they’ve been doing it awhile so i imagine they have some experience with it. but it sounds like your doing pretty good following your own intuition too
zoey, congrats -that’s awesome peacocks are way kewl. i had one come to me in a shamanic journey last summer when working with a shaman in st louis while on my way out west. it was definitely pre-albedo for me, because a week or so later I had the grof holotropic breathwork which was a major vision and breakthrough…oh, and thanks for the link
sarah, yes many people go back and forth between the phases and thats totally ok. right now you can afford to be patient. at the latest you will probabaly feel some serious movement around the time the sun squares the nodes (halfway to next eclipse) or else you can induce it by “crying for a dream” or going on a vision quest or something of that sort. you will know when you are ready
*That should say, “Desire needs to be acknowledged, otherwise it becomes twisted and works through the shadow-self, and it rules us, rather than the other way around.”
Ta.
How beautiful is the RW ‘Death’ card – it looks so wholesome, so pure and hope-filled. The rider comes on his white steed and all that is weak and false is stripped away and evaporates, and all that is good and strong remains.
I see the other two cards as being symbolic of “and then…”, although I still don’t understand The Lovers. Temperance – always a timely reminder, and you’ll laugh – last Friday a friend and I were discussing temperance on a facebook discussion – he was talking about Aristotle’s idea of overcoming desires. I chipped in and said I thought desire needed to be acknowledged, otherwise it beomes and seeks expression through the shadow-self and becomes “debauch”.
Temperance, I love – so very healthy.
Can you talk us through The Lovers a bit more – perhaps if you have a history of where the card began? Every time I look at it, it seems as though it falls on the woman to seek the higher self. The man watches the woman and does what she does. And maybe that really is what happens. I don’t know.
But I love these cards – and Death was a pleasant surprise – we’re old friends, Death and I. Every time I face a serious threat to my life, or a threat of serious harm, he seems to remove it – I couldn’t even begin to explain that to you in any way that would make sense, but I always feel very safe when I see that card. I wasn’t always so welcoming, but now I am beginning to see his divine mercy and great beneficience, and I’m truly grateful for the work he has done in my life. Glory be, and thanks again.
Cheers.
ah, yes mystes.
have always love gliding as far as possible underwater. i remember seeing a brief article years ago about a world-championship free-diver (female). sounded fascinating how deep someone can go with no air tanks, etc. i think it has to do w/ hyper-oxygenating the blood. and it’s psychological — she was talking about how your brain tells you you have to breathe at a certain point, but it’s a lie. really intriguing.
there’s also a meditation i do sometimes that i learned a couple years ago: warm up with sun salutations, then sit and breath (and do the whole “no thought” thing, which i’m not very good at) for a number of minutes. and it ends with three deep breaths, holding each one for as long as possible. i’ve surprised myself a few times at how long i can go, with it feeling natural.
and sarah — glad you got a laugh at that one! yes, i used to swim in wide curves all the time.
Half – that’s not what I would usually listen to, but it’s beautiful – layered with great harmonies. Reminded me of Simon & Garfunkel for some reason.
Everyone else – I’ve been darting to and fro today, but wanted to say that I am going to be reading the comments in more depth after scanning them before bed last night. I am an alchemy neophyte, but I love what I do know about it, and how it explains the psychological process of breaking free and finding your own path.
Gary – your interpretation feels practical and valuable. Thank you. I am definitely one of those who are feeling stuck … or, more specifically, thwarted or limited at what seems to be every turn (although I know that that is an exaggeration), with plunges back into the darkness and old thought, feeling and self-belief patterns. When I resurface, I’m now not so quick to rejoice thinking that I’ve finally broken through. It seems to be two steps forward and one step back – I hope so, at any rate!
Amanda – so that’s why I used to keep swimming into the lane markers when I did crawl?! I had such a laugh at that one! š
Amanda! Singing!! now that’s a great idea! and it definitely vibrates the fontanelles, as well as the whole thorax.
But I have to say when I typed out ‘deepwater diving’ something went ringing through me. Feels like that’s got some legs (or fins, if you will). Not scuba, but cliff- or pearl-diving. As deep as you can go – pushing the weight/pressure of the water against your lung-capacity. Then emerge & release.
***
**
*
mystes —
interesting stuff about the breathing issue with c-section babies, thank you! i’ve never had any difficulties like asthma at all. but i will say one of the many things i appreciated about choral singing was learning breath support and control; haven’t sung in that context in 15 years, and miss it.
deep diving sounds very cool; i *love* to swim & in recent years trained myself to breath every third arm stroke so i could breath to both sides and finally swim in a straight line while doing freestyle/crawl. haha. š
but what really resonates with what you wrote is that a form of transformational breathwork (the facilitator had named it “Lifebreath”) was what finally turned the key for me 5 years ago after a very painful breakup; it was the catalyst for unraveling a lot of what i was holding onto in terms of sexual blockage (mentioned in my piece the other day about eclipses and hockey, etc), blocks in my acting, etc.
i haven’t done it in a long time, but for a while it was an almost-monthly thing for me to go to a group breathing session. i’m not sure if it’s still being held where i used to go, but sometimes i miss it. i could do it a bit on my own, but i get a bit lazy, and sometimes i feel like i forget how to get it going (it’s one of those open-mouthed, deep-belly sort of continuous breath styles — supposedly mimicking the ease of infant breath).
that same friend who told me about the c-section baby info also had mentioned cranial work and the whole “rebirthing” thing, which sounded both interesting and a bit… weird at the time. the latter in particular. but perhaps worth trying — though i still think deepwater diving sounds more fun.
Amanda,
C’section babies miss out on a couple of things beside the passage down the canal. They don’t have their headbones/fontanelle compressed and bloomed again, so this inhibits an enzyme that finishes the pulmonary tissue and triggers the ‘breathe now!’ message. This leads to respiratory inhibition and distress in the newborn, and has been shown to be statistically significant in pulmonary syndromes like asthma.
Since breathing is *the* commline between the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems, that weird start has backlink effects across the bridge between will and reflex.
I’m not sure what can be done after the fact, but craniosacral work might be a possibility. Accent on ‘cranio.’ While there are always developmental zones for most physiological processes, I am always amazed by amenable a body can be to deep suggestion. It occurs to me that pranayama (breath work) might also be a big help. Or just deepwater diving, and working with holding and freeing your breath at high pressure. All of those could be considered analogues of the ‘reshaping’ that comes during L&D.
{{And FYI (for when, you know . . . )
As for breach babies, well, they *can* be turned during labor. I have seen 2 examples of this, but you have to be an intuitive midwife, not an idiot OB. I was pregnant about the same time your mom was, and when my midwives told me Sarah was breach at 8.5 months, I started talking to her, telling her if she didn’t swim downstream, we were going to do some *fierce* yoga during labor. She flipped around 24 hrs. before I started up. }}
I blame it on the Mexican food.
Dear Dreamastrologer….you wrote:Or the three classic phases of Alchemy: Nigredo, Albedo, Rubedo
The Tarot card Temperance in my Haindl deck is represented as Alchemy, Temperance doesn’t even exist.
When looking up these words of classic Alchemy, I found this link
http://www.soul-guidance.com/houseofthesun/alchemy%202.htm
That link talks about the Peacocks Tail. During a drum circle celebration on the solstice, I was merged into peacock on a level I did not understand.
You have moved my investigative process along very nicely!!
Thank you for your post.
xxzoey
Sarah — i meant to say just after i hit “publish” this morning, it’s a wonderfully apt reading for this weekend! i’d join half in the “serendipitous,” but i can’t say it was unexpected ta this point. š
gary — interesting you bring up the birth drama analogy for comparison for now. it wasn’t until about 6 or 7 years ago that a coworker told me about the studies of cesarian-born babies showing they often growing up to be/feel a bit directionless/unmotivated. it wasn’t until then that my own feelings of directionless and low-level depression made a bit more sense. i was a planned cesarian b/c i was breach — i’d turned down, then apparently changed my mind & turned back right-side up. with the possible risk of the umbilical cord around a baby’s neck in that situation, the doctors didn’t even let my mom go into labor.
anyway… i’d say a lot has turned around for me in the last 5 years or so. but sensing that it’s a time for change — and going for it — can still be a bit less clear for me than it seems for some. i guess i’ve found i’ve had to learn to recognize the “abandoned/stuck” feeling without the pre-natal imprint.
Gary, you are a treasure… I hope you stick around.
Reminded me of the last three phases of the deathing process (before the onset of Clear Light) are white, red and black – but the difference in the alchemical and deathing order is very interesting.
I know from personal experience that these colors arise in that order as layers of existence melt away. Though the ‘red’ often looks sort of russet or brown, hence Nietszche’s exclamation about the ‘brown sunrise’ on his deathbed. Black is called ‘near-attainment’ and signals that the sensory array and other subtle minds have ceased to function.
But the alchemists see transformation as nigredo/black, albedo (white) and rubedo (red) because the elements are assembling, not dissolving. Does that seem plausible?
And thanks for the reminder about the birthing imprint. Very helpful at this juncture.
Besitos,
M
To me, coming on the heels of an eclipse, this reading has a 6 month shelf life. It speaks of the process of transformation and how that will look/feel over the next 6 months…
This process has 3 steps symbolized by Sunrise, Noon, and Sunset. It is very archetypal and has been expressed in different forms throughout many diverse spiritual systems
For instance, we could also use the 3 fold path of the mystic way to describe this process: Purgation, Illimination, Union
Or the three classic phases of Alchemy: Nigredo, Albedo, Rubedo
Or, the way of the Shaman: discipline/training, culmination/vision, return/contribution
Or the 3 phases Joseph Campbell gives for the Monomyth or Hero/ine’s Journey: Separation, Initiation, Return
Or the phases of birth/re-birth, which Stan Grof uses; contractions, pushing through the birth canal, re-union with mother
It is really quite elegant and simple. Re-birth looks very much like a birth. we may not spend 2 months in each phase, in fact it is possible some may already have moved on to the second phase; and they are not exactly sequential either, we may move back and forth between pushing out and feeling stuck etc
But for those who are having a hard time lately, feeling abandoned, stuck, or like the walls are closing in on you, then take heart. Somewhat paradoxically, these feelings are in fact the harbingers of re-birth. In the words of the Alchemists, who call this stage the Nigredo or blackening (ie Death): When the matter becomes black, Rejoice, for this is the beginning of the work!
You see, the very first thing that happens when you are about to be born is the water breaks and the uterus begins contracting, but the cervix has not dilated yet. Imagine for a moment how this must feel. Your warm cozy cocoon has become a hellish place where the walls are closing in on you and yet there seems to be no way out!
And yet because the birth process is so extremely profound, it is deeply imprinted on our psyche and thus we will feel very similar feelings anytime our lives have become too comfortable and it is time for us to be born into the next chapter: Abandoned. Stuck. The walls closing in on you and yet no place to go.
Eventually it will begin to feel like you are entering the second phase of some Re-birth -the phase where a tunnel has opened and you begin to rhythmically struggle to spring forth into a New World. this creative release is often accomplished via the repetition of a new pattern, story or strategy. This repetition eventually gives rise to a new order or homeostasis much like the iteration of a fractal gives rise to a larger pattern.
Finally you will experience release from this process and reunion/return. This is the part of the heroic journey where the hero/ine returns with the boon or elixir which basically is the wholeness achieved by having been through the first two stages. This you can share with others, with the community, simply by being your new self, and also by sharing your story and the lessons you have learned
God(dess).. I can feel that harmonious tension right now! To be honest, I’ve been feeling it all day and the whole weekend for that matter. But it isn’t simply a ‘feeling’ things are shifting on the outside to match/mate with the inner š
But yes, harmonious tension is a winner – try this link out as a deep musical/lyrical expression of it. Let me know if it rocks your soul, Sarah!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgv6dKV03dA
Half
Yes, a phenomenal spread, Half; harmonious tension is the closest that comes to the feeling I get.
Oooh, and I love “winsome”!
Serendipity, hot on the eclipse heel.
Another great spread coupled with a smooth and winsome interpretation..
Thank you once again, Sarah.