By Sarah Taylor
In this week’s reading, you have assumed the mantle of magician — one who brings forth through magic. As a magician, you have set something in motion that is being distilled as it travels forward, coming to rest in the vessel held by the King of Cups. In fact, if you look at all three cards in sequence from left to right, it very much seems like a game of pass the parcel, the central figure taking something from the figure in the card to her left, turning, and passing it to the king in the card to her right.
Let’s chart the evolution of this journey through the cards.
Look at the figure in the Eight of Staffs (Wands). The hand position adopted in this card and in the King of Cups is a symbolic one and appears throughout the Xultun Tarot deck. It represents birth, the hands opening away from the body creating a canal through which something is given form.
The figure in the Eight of Staffs puts himself in a position to receive what he has also just birthed. What is coming towards him might seem as if it has appeared from ‘somewhere else’, but he is responsible for its manifestation.
Tarot is adept at showing us what lies in the shadow — those things that we cannot see and therefore are not yet able to own. Here, I feel it mirrors to us the attitude, and position, we might adopt if we were to realise that the energy hurtling towards us in one form or another is one that sprung from our own actions. Staffs represent erotic, creative force. They are felt rather than known by the mind; our bodies are our best detectors of Staffs energy when it is activated.
In the Eight of Staffs, there is an unleashing of erotic, and therefore potentially highly creative, energy that is flying towards our protagonist, who is also the generator of that force. It has yet to take shape clearly in concrete form, but he can feel and ‘see’ it coming, and is kneeling, opening himself for the moment that it returns to his hands and he can start shaping it.
This moment of shaping happens in the Two of Staffs next door. The Two of Staffs is associated with personal empire building (the creation of your own world), and here the figure reaches one hand back towards the eight staffs, while her body spans the space between two mountains, and reaches forward with the other, in the direction in which her body is facing. The two staffs seem to form a gateway that frames her experience. She is also kneeling, but her arms and the object in her left hand suggest that she has internalised and grounded the momentum of the staffs in the previous card.
And, finally, she hands over the results of her creation to the King of Cups, who stretches out his vessel to her, his hands also opening to the birth of something. Cups are feelings. The outpouring of energy results in an inflow of feeling and a sense of something coming up from the depths of the unconscious that, too, is feeling-based.
Whereas the two figures in the Staffs cards are close to the ground, the King sits above the ground, connected to it by the jaguar’s tail that forms his throne. The jaguar is the animal who bridges matter and spirit. The King, therefore, is the authority bridging these two worlds — which makes sense given his focus is on bringing something feeling-based to light. Something that, until now, was in the world of spirit, or shadow.
The darkness emerges into light, through the receptacle of Heart. What is implied: to give it form, to ground it in the reality of your own existence. You are, and have, the authority to do this, and it takes authority — the power of personal authority — to confer meaning onto something that would otherwise remain unconnected to you.
Root yourself in your connection, as ruler, to the Authority from which all worldly experience springs. Sit fully in the knowledge that you are bringing to yourself, in distilled form, a vessel of gold: the heart-based manifestation of your own creativity.
Astrology/Elemental correspondences: Eight of Staffs (Mercury in Sagittarius), Two of Staffs (Mars in Aries), The King of Cups (the fiery aspect of water)
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.
PWOutsider – Thank you for your great courage in ‘outing yourself’.
When I first came on to Planet Waves, I didn’t understand most of the astrology commentary going on. I have learned quite a bit over the years, although that has been somewhat beside the point when I see that PW has become a community for me. We take the approach in all articles to write for those who don’t know either astrology or tarot, and somehow it starts to make sense, even if only intuitively at first. It trickles down and in. Transformation seems to happen by itself at times, without the need to understand.
No comment is irrelevant. They are all important. And absolutely no-one is irrelevant. We are all important.
~ S
PWOutsider, I SO know that anxiety! Owning your scary shit takes courage, but what I’m learning is that, rather than making you vulnerable, it gives you a deep–like, subterranean-deep–strength. Because, like Lizzy says, there are a lot more of us–here at PW & in the world at large–than you’d imagine who are lonely as hell.
Trust that you’re drawn here because you have something to share that someone else needs and also, that, by speaking up you gain far more than you give.
And if you do want to learn astrology, this joint is packed with natural-born teachers, who love to share their passion. I first stumbled across PW about a year ago, when I didn’t know what a rising sign was. I still don’t know much, but I get that increasing my awareness of my “idiosyncrasies” gives me the chance to make better decisions.
Join us when you can, & just follow your heart. Love to you <3
Lizzy, thanks. It’s pretty scary at times saying what we feel isn’t it? That is something that is a great hardship for me. I’ve go so much inside that probably needs to come out, I could write a 100 page essay I think 🙂 I’ve just noticed since I wrote my comments a little while ago (which was a bit scary to do) how many times I’ve gone to the fridge to eat when I’m not even hungry! Reverting back to comforting but bad habits again but the first time I’ve noticed. Well, I’ll think about your kind comments too, Lizzy, thanks again.
Dear PWOutsider, thank you for your sincerity and the courage to be so open. Being a fairly regular PW commenter here it may surprise you to know that there are times when I feel inadequate and an outsider too. But this is something that often happens to me in group situations, it brings stuff up, and although I know it’s irrational, I can’t help it. And I’m sure that other people who comment here feel more similar to you than you perhaps imagine. But everyone has something to bring to PW, and you’ve already brought so much, so don’t disappear!
I feel the same way as you do about Sarah’s readings. Thank you, Sarah.
Continued…I get so far reading the contributions from the “regulars” and just don’t get it so there’s the end of any chance of me contributing towards what I’m sure are very interesting and engaging conversations when I would really love to…truly (and I’m lonely as all hell).
Anyway, there, I’ve said it, outed myself. Its just the way things are I guess but I really do appreciate your genuine welcome in response to my little message to Sarah. thank you all.
Darn it, there was more…will try again
Dear Strawberrylaughter, Awordedgewise & Sarah. Thanks for the almighty welcome, surprised and greatly appreciated! I’m sure there are others like me that feel a lack of confidence in contributing here simply because there are so many others who just ooze knowledge, expertise & experience with all the range of topics (gifts) we find here on Planetwaves. I also feel “like an outsider & inadequate” for want of a better description, simply because I don’t live in USA and dare I confess, that I’m an Aussie? As much as I truly enjoy the articles and forum contributions here AND I really try to keep up to date as best as possible with “Northern” politics and other important topics, I just don’t feel like my contributions on these matters can be of any value because of my location in the world nor would it fit in with the site/forum. Also, I have another confession, A lot of times I really don’t understand what some of the forum contributors are talking about re astrology etc. while I enjoy learning, investigating things etc and confident I’m “adequate” in the brains area
Thank you, all!
PWOutsider – as someone who has frequently considered themselves an outsider in varying parts of her life, like the others I invite you to see yourself as both welcome and wholly qualified to join in the discussions here on PW. More than that: as Strawberrylaughter says, we need you. I look forward to seeing more of you!
PWOutsider, please, don’t let that insidious inadequacy trap keep you on the outside of this community. We need your voice, your presence, your consciousness. (Whether you need us, or not, is up for debate!) I swear to you, there is no more supportive crowd than you’ll find here. Come on in, as they say, the water’s fine 🙂
And Sarah, this truly is one of the most empowering & lovely readings I’ve ever seen. I, too, look forward to your posts greedily each week. Your work is indeed a gift.
PWOutsider,
Thank YOU for commenting. It’s because of your comment that I was pulled back into the weekend’s reading, and I am grateful for this.
Sarah,
This potent reading comes at an appropriate time. Thank you.
Sarah, thank you. I rarely contribute in the forum, never feel “adequate” to do so, however, wanted to let you know how much I thoroughly enjoy, relate and appreciate your wonderful readings. What a gift! I feel like a child, waiting, waiting until your “gift” arrives, I rip all the wrapping off, absorb its presence, then the realisation hits me, how lucky I am to have this. Thank you for the weekly “gift”.
You’re welcome, Lea. I hope things round and accelerate from that corner as smoothly as possible.
Amazing. I am heading into my 7th and 8th court hearing before a judge for this divorce of a 46 year legal /financial relationship–and the harder he has been fighting the worse it appears to be getting for him—and all along, I have been trying to avoid this happening to him (and also, and especially, to me: Can We Just Be Fair?) Something about these cards makes me smile. The corner was turned on October 10th, and now the positive alchemy that I have been walking in and toward has been set loose. Great cards, wonderful reader. Thank you.