Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Judgement Rise from the Dead!


The Judgement card is a beautiful card, full of life and exuberance. In the card you see an angel sounding a trumpet calling the dead out of their graves. The symbol of Scorpio is around the soul of the person coming out the grave. We see the energies of the elements, however the element that steals the show is the element of fire. Fire as we know is an action and full of potential energy.

This card is all about rising above and being reborn. Do you hear the trumpet of the angel or are you listening to basal energies? The circumpunct is above the angels head is active awareness of the divine. The angel is often called Gabriel the angel of Communication. What is the card communicating to you?

Common interpretations of this card is that it's time to take a stand. It's time to rise above what’s going on around you. Look at all things with different eyes.
Release yourself from the constraints of humanity. The message has been relayed. You are the one that is holding yourself back from higher awareness.

The snakes on the card are not coiled to protect themselves this shows movement or transition. Sometimes we will sometimes draw within ourselves for protection, but that may cause us to miss an opportunity to move on to a different point in our lives. Drawing inside ourselves shows an ignorance, and resistance to change. We must stretch out and reach for that change in order to grow. The beauty of the rainbow only comes after the rain by the sun’s light being refracted through the water molecules in the sky. There are times, during a sun shower, that the sky will be dark. However, there is always a rainbow afterwards. This stands as a symbol of hope, and that we are able to weather the storms if we so choose. Water is a healing energy.

This card is all about rising above turmoil as shown by people with erratic energy around them. We must hear the call and become a better person despite, or because of, the struggles that we have endured. Many people say that the Death card is about death and rebirth. I believe it is more about death and endings. The start of a new beginning possibly. There are some ideals to beginnings, but I feel the Judgement card echoes it better. So here we have the cards flip flopped. The death card hints at resurrection, but is primarily focused on endings. The lesson here is that endings are essential to the beginning of life. The Judgement card hints at Death, but is all about resurrection. We must have hope in the future while understanding that, before resurrection can take place, death must happen. When the card is reversed, it may represent a need to be reborn from the client. They may want to rise above what is currently happening in their lives, but they may not know how. They could be in search of an epiphany, or some sort of awakening.

The keywords of this card are: awakening, epiphanies, resurrections, hope, and faith. It represents the conscious decision to rise above or make life changing decisions.
In numerology, the number 20 is 2+0=2. 2 is the number of wisdom. The soul that can encompass these elements has this wisdom, and they know when to fight and when to flee.

One final thought. For people who might study the Quabalah, notice the numbers associated with the Death card and the Judgement card. 2+0=2, and stands for wisdom from the Judgement card. The Death card is 13, or 1+3=4. 2 and 4 are both on the pillar of Mercy. The 2ndSephirah is Hockmah, or Wisdom. Beneath that Sephirah is the 4th, or Chesed meaning expansion, growth, or mercy. Both cards express mercy, growth, and understanding of their precedent energies.

Monday, November 3, 2014

The Infamous Death Card


The Infamous Death Card



Of all the cards in the Major Arcana, the one that is the most misunderstood, steeped in taboo, and lore is that of the death card. Many times I hear a client who has never had a reading done say, "I am afraid to get the Death card." Sometimes they will say, "It's the bad one." Let me shed some light on this grim and beautifully macabre card. 

The Death card is associated with the sign of Scorpio. The house of Scorpio is all about endings and beginnings and cycles and changes. These energies are mysterious, secretive, and all about diving below the surface to gain wisdom and understanding. The scorpion reminds us that his stinger is painful and full of venom. However in order to grow and heal, things need to die to change. 
Rarely this card signifies physical death, however when aligned with certain other cards it may pertain to that. 

Take a moment to observe the card above. The card bears the emblems of Scorpio, the scorpion and its ancient symbol the eagle. This bespeaks the passion of death and the freedom that comes from it. When things end we are able to rise to a new level and ascend to higher consciousness.The skeleton above has two sets of arms, one pair is out stretched holding a scythe and the other in an embracing manner. This clearly says that death is welcoming and loving when accepted as it is, a natural part of life.  In the background, do you see a sun set or a sun rise? This answer is left to the interpretation of the reader and client. The flashing colors of a sunrise/sunset is the pictorial depiction of the phrase, endings and beginnings. 

The card is a signification of a dark night of the soul. These are the times that the client is going through and fleshing out uneasy situations in life. Permanent and sudden change are the hallmarks of this card. The card teaches that all things are subject to change. Often times these changes are sudden and can blindside us. Other times for example if it is reversed, it can refer to changes that are on the clients terms. This card is very ambiguous and should be looked it in accordance with the other cards around to it for further explanation. The placement is also important if you the reader use certain spreads. Again I always encourage looking deeper into your cards, it will make you a better reader and more accurate.