22 Weeks With The Spiritkeeper's Tarot - Week 4

[YlvaBlue]

Let's go! 

 

Last week was a strange one for me: it was my final week at the workplace I've been at for the last ten years. The latter end of the week was very much coloured by that, so I wasn't quite as good about following the 22 Weeks format as previously.

 

This week? No excuses 👍

 

[Flaxen]

Thanks for starting the thread @YlvaBlue.

I was out at a festival all day yesterday and didn’t get home till very late. 

 

Last week was a mixed bag for me too - it’s a difficult plan to follow when life gets very busy. Also aiming for more consistency this week. It helps that you check in here too - it help me feel accountable! 

 

Forecast for the Week:

 

The Joined One - The Contender - The Necromancer. Hexagram 57 - Use Gentle Force

Two of the cards are recent repeats. They are slightly contradictory cards to appear together - one is the force of attraction and pulling together, the other is friction and separation. 

This is very much the energy in my workplace at the moment. Many of us love the industry we work in but there is a lot of tension and jostling for position as the company restructures. 

The Necromancer reminds me that there are things goings on below the surface - unseen influences are at play here. This makes it a tricky to make any firm plans because motivations are murky and nothing is clear. 

 

My hexagram for the week is very apt and this bit stood out for me:

Be the unseen influence. The magus casts a spell that will produce an unseen influence. Whether the warrior advances or retreats, both decisions will bode well so long as the decision is made with conviction. One must delve below the surface, perhaps into the unconscious mind to understand the situation at hand. 

 

 

[YlvaBlue]

No worries, @Flaxen 🙂 Over 22 weeks, there's bound to be more than one occasion where Life takes precedence. I'm very pleased I'm not alone in this process - it's definitely motivation knowing there's somebody else to share with!

 

Wow to the repeats. You're definitely going through a particular period in your workplace. Did you listen to the Ace-to-Ten Scepters video on Benebell's Youtube page? The central Scepter is the proverbial 'short straw'; the hand grasping it belong to The Champion. I love the whole story she's got going in the Scepters...

[YlvaBlue]

My Weekly Forecast:

 

 

Well, if the last few weeks have been about doing-by-not-doing, letting things lie fallow etc, this week is when that all changes! Time to charge forth into the storm, use reason, analysis and logic as my primary tool. If this is the spirit that's on my side over the week, I'm encouraged. My usual over-thinking nature won't have opportunity to distract me. 

 

My immediate priority is to get started, lol! Take that emerging idea and bring it out into the world. I love, love, love the story of the characters on this card: the nurse who is at peace with her faith, and the archer who is ready to fight for her faith. Well, substitute 'plan' for 'faith', and that's the attitude I need to have. No more second-guessing, no more doubts. Commit to it and be ready to fight for it. 

 

But one word of warning. Pride has been my downfall in the past, and I need to be mindful that pride doesn't trip me up again. I'm going to make mistakes; things aren't going to go the way I plan. I need to be resilient and stay focussed when that happens, but also stay open, warm and authentic. Don't mask up. Don't try and bully people into seeing things my way. Rather, shut my mouth, listen and learn.

 

The Hexagram is 1: Creative Power. 

I am a pioneer, wielding both creativity and perseverance (The Demiurge). Do not act on impulse...be assured of your course of action before you proceed. (Archangel Commander). Once you are assured, act swiftly, firmly and with conviction (The Hector).

 

I love these Hexagrams! They really seem to boil down the message of the three cards beautifully.

 

 

[Flaxen]

3 hours ago, YlvaBlue said:

The central Scepter is the proverbial 'short straw'; the hand grasping it belong to The Champion. I love the whole story she's got going in the Scepters...

I love those little details and it definitely feels like we are all getting the short straw! The lesson of the Champion is very relevant here. 

[Flaxen]

2 hours ago, YlvaBlue said:

I love these Hexagrams! They really seem to boil down the message of the three cards beautifully.

They really are amazing in how they fit the message of the readings so beautifully. I feel like they condense it all into a manageable chunk. 

 

 

[Flaxen]

Just about half way through the week and I’ve definitely been a bit more focussed. 

 

Was reflecting on the Emperor and how he links to the Fours. The Emperor is all about leadership and taking control and it was interesting to think about how his qualities might be manifesting in the Fours. 

 

The Demiurge - this seems to be the card of the second-in-command. Happy to follow the orders of the Emperor and build something tangible. There is direction and focus here. 

 

The Hollow Void - what happens when you’ve been successful and built something? Is this the point where the Emperor asks ‘is this it?’ Despite material achievement and status there is a void that needs to be filled.

 

The Convalescent - here the Emperor has reached a level of burn-out. It’s been hard work and a bit of a struggle and rest is now needed.

 

The Conservator - this makes me think of a reluctance to let go - this is the manager who struggles to let go of ‘his baby’. It’s taken a lot to build his empire and he will not let go even if signs indicate it’s time to move on. 

 

 

[YlvaBlue]

16 hours ago, Flaxen said:

Just about half way through the week and I’ve definitely been a bit more focussed. 

 

Was reflecting on the Emperor and how he links to the Fours. The Emperor is all about leadership and taking control and it was interesting to think about how his qualities might be manifesting in the Fours. 

 

The Demiurge - this seems to be the card of the second-in-command. Happy to follow the orders of the Emperor and build something tangible. There is direction and focus here. 

 

The Hollow Void - what happens when you’ve been successful and built something? Is this the point where the Emperor asks ‘is this it?’ Despite material achievement and status there is a void that needs to be filled.

 

The Convalescent - here the Emperor has reached a level of burn-out. It’s been hard work and a bit of a struggle and rest is now needed.

 

The Conservator - this makes me think of a reluctance to let go - this is the manager who struggles to let go of ‘his baby’. It’s taken a lot to build his empire and he will not let go even if signs indicate it’s time to move on. 

 

 

It's wonderful to see how this deck helps us think/rethink about the relationships between the cards 🙂

 

I thought about what you wrote, and I guess my take on it is a tiny bit different. I see it that the Emperor has created an environment of strict boundaries and stability, and the elements/suits are now having to exist within this framework. Naturally, each of the suits reacts differently:

 

The Demiurge - Fire is at its most productive when it's working within the framework brought about by the Emperor. It's not wild and untamed, nor is it out of control. It can be focussed and specific and SMART. Stuff gets done when Fire is working within the realm of the fours, because you know what you're doing and why you're doing it, you've collected together all the tools you need and now you can happily get on with it. Extreme productivity. Fire is galvanised - inspired, even - by the Emperor.

 

The Hollow Void - Water hates the Emperor's strictures and rules. It's simply not made for stability: it needs to move to stay fresh. Trapped within a structure - kept stable within those strict boundaries - it quickly loses its freshness, starts to stagnate. Water just doesn't get on within the realm of the fours: it quickly becomes boredom, tedium. If it stagnates long enough, it even ceases to be water in any true sense: you can't drink it, you can't wash with it, can't do anything. It certainly stops being refreshing and life-giving. You can't move around enough to breathe life into it - thanks to those boundaries - so you have to work with what's already there. The Emperor is anathema to Water.

 

The Convalescent - As it is for water, so it should be for Air...but oddly enough, Air quite likes this time of stability. It's not being bashed about, rushing hither and thither, moved around by another strong wind. It can just be calm for a while. Chill out for a bit. I suppose the difference is that air is always moving, even when it's trapped in a space: the difference between being a gas and a liquid means it can refresh itself from within. (I should say, anecdotally, the 4 of Swords is my 'thank goodness' card when I see it. I'm an Aquarian for whom overthinking is the norm. 4 of Swords is my breathing space and I love to see it 🙂 ) Air likes the Emperor because it can just relax, spread out to fill the space he's made without feeling either trapped or so free as to be all over the place. 

 

The Conservator - Earth loves the stability and structure the Emperor has brought to the realm. Thrives. Where fire has focus, earth has productivity and just keeps churning out product...but the Emperor builds a closed system, so there's no flow. It's like those butter mountains and milk lakes that piled up in the 90s. Of course, it's also a survival instinct to hoard excess and, because the Emperor is instinctively martial, he's always preparing for the inevitable war or siege even in times of peace. So Earth does well under the Emperor, but only to a certain point, since he brings out both the best and the worst of the suit.

 

There's probably another way to consider this, using Benebell's idea of the four stages of alchemy and how they relate to each suit. But maybe I'll think that through in another post!

 

 

[Flaxen]

4 hours ago, YlvaBlue said:

I thought about what you wrote, and I guess my take on it is a tiny bit different. I see it that the Emperor has created an environment of strict boundaries and stability, and the elements/suits are now having to exist within this framework. Naturally, each of the suits reacts differently:

Love your descriptions of the elemental reactions to the boundaries of the Emperor. The siege mentality of the 4 of Orbs is such a good shout. 

 

It was the inner life of the Emperor which came through strongly when I meditated on the card. Not an aspect I’d thought about much before. 

 

4 hours ago, YlvaBlue said:

There's probably another way to consider this, using Benebell's idea of the four stages of alchemy and how they relate to each suit. But maybe I'll think that through in another post!

Yes! The alchemical stages would definitely be interesting to explore in context of the suits. Did you ever try the detailed examination of your life purpose which Benebell had on her site? It used the different alchemical stages and how they relate to your astrological birth chart, to pinpoint your purpose. 

[YlvaBlue]

3 minutes ago, Flaxen said:

Yes! The alchemical stages would definitely be interesting to explore in context of the suits. Did you ever try the detailed examination of your life purpose which Benebell had on her site? It used the different alchemical stages and how they relate to your astrological birth chart, to pinpoint your purpose. 

Ooh, no, I haven't! I'll check it out. Her website is amazing; every day I find a whole new resource I didn't know existed!

 

I have a quick question about the four stages. She has them Orb-Chalice-Scepter-Sword, but I've been thinking them in the order Scepter-Chalice-Sword-Orb to better reflect the Kabbalistic order. Certainly I've made them make sense using the latter order, lol! What's your take on it?

[YlvaBlue]

5 minutes ago, Flaxen said:

It was the inner life of the Emperor which came through strongly when I meditated on the card. Not an aspect I’d thought about much before. 

Ah, see, I was seeing him as a literal Emperor ordering the four suits around 😂 with the end results given above. I suppose, floating somewhere around in the back of my mind, is the old TdM thing where each suit represents a class of people in European Medieval society - Wands as peasants, Coins as merchants, that sort of thing.

[Flaxen]

22 hours ago, YlvaBlue said:

I have a quick question about the four stages. She has them Orb-Chalice-Scepter-Sword, but I've been thinking them in the order Scepter-Chalice-Sword-Orb to better reflect the Kabbalistic order. Certainly I've made them make sense using the latter order, lol! What's your take on it?

I see the 4 alchemical stages as a different process to the 4 worlds of Kabbalah. 

 

In some ways, I think about where the stages would appear in the Tree of Life and then the attributions make sense to me. 

Earth - Nigredo: I see this as Malkuth at the bottom of the tree. Dense matter which needs breaking down and purifying. 

 

Water - Albedo: This could be Yesod,  the astral and lunar plane where we brings our shadows to light.

 

Fire - Citrinas: Tiphareth, our inner sun. First contact with our higher self.

 

Air - Rubedo: Kether - the crowning achievement of this stage is very appropriate for the Ace of Swords. 

 

All together, it’s the path of return via the middle pillar. This makes sense to me as an alchemical process but the beauty of the cards, is that you can find your own way with them. 

 

[YlvaBlue]

2 hours ago, Flaxen said:

I see the 4 alchemical stages as a different process to the 4 worlds of Kabbalah. 

 

In some ways, I think about where the stages would appear in the Tree of Life and then the attributions make sense to me. 

Earth - Nigredo: I see this as Malkuth at the bottom of the tree. Dense matter which needs breaking down and purifying. 

 

Water - Albedo: This could be Yesod,  the astral and lunar plane where we brings our shadows to light.

 

Fire - Citrinas: Tiphareth, our inner sun. First contact with our higher self.

 

Air - Rubedo: Kether - the crowning achievement of this stage is very appropriate for the Ace of Swords. 

 

All together, it’s the path of return via the middle pillar. This makes sense to me as an alchemical process but the beauty of the cards, is that you can find your own way with them. 

 

Thanks for that 🙂 Something for me to think about whilst I continue through the journey of the 22 Weeks...

[Flaxen]

Just reviewing my week. The reading was very appropriate for the energy of this week and the hexagram was especially apt. It’s been hard to make a clear choice one way or another as everything is so murky. The next few weeks will be key as there is competing pressure from home pulling me in a different direction. 

[YlvaBlue]

I reviewed my forecast this morning, and it was very apt. I'm recognising the Archangel Commander as somebody who has to make hard choices, because they are the right thing to do, and hardens himself accordingly. I also shared my future plans with my best friend, something I'd been putting off, and saying them out loud to her solidified them from mere ideas to a thing that's actually going to happen. That feels like Archangel Commander territory too, since his word is his bond.

 

At the same time, I've been working on the different strands of my plan. It hasn't come together yet (it won't until October) but I've certainly made progress in the various elements I need to make it successful. I look at the wheel of The Demiurge and see those strands as the spokes. Things are happening. 

 

The Hector...well, yesterday I had a bit of a realisation about him and his lesson. Whilst working on this plan of mine, I wake up nearly daily with a new anxiety or worry. They alternate. I know why I'm feeling them, I know where they're coming from, I have answers for all of them...but it doesn't stop them. Then I see The Hector, with his bull mask, and he's just blocking out all of those pesky thoughts and feelings and worries and concerns - whether they come from within or without - and getting on with things as he planned. In that way, I see him as a more active version of the Archangel Commander who gives the orders (without concern for feelings or other collateral damage) which the Hector then carries out. 

 

The forecast was absolutely a good one and, as usual, the Hexagram was an excellent summary. 👍

[KaiNO]

Weekly Forecast Spread

 

 

The top right chalice of the Memory Keeper caught my attention first, so there will be joy and cheer for me this week. But I should aspire for more. Demand greater success and higher achievement from myself. Don't restrict my potential. I will receive a message, perhaps about an opportunity to establish myself, probably by standing my ground/holding my position with might and confidence.

The Integrated Reading: Tarot and I Ching

Mountain (Page of Orbs) over wind (Six of Chalices) = Hexagram 18: Decay, giving me this divinatory reading:

"An infestation results in the decay of matter. Dogma causes degeneration. There has been spoilage and degeneration, so it is critical to take action immediately. The father is not fit to lead; the successor son must rise to the occasion. Great obstacles to come. Prevent further atrophy. Strive to be virtuous. Do not go forward if you seek power. Go forward only if you rise with pure heart. Undertake the daunting challenge. For the critical timing of events, look to Jupiter, the spring season, and the midnight hours."

 

 

Comments on the draw

• Since I drew a page, I drew an additional card to get the message the spirit is delivering.
• It felt right for me to keep the last of the original cards (the page) for the upper trigram (and not the queen).

Edited August 19, 2019 by KaiNO

[KaiNO]

My fourth week of twenty-two is finish.

 

Regarding the I Ching Oracle message:

After I drew the weekly forecast I was in doubt about which card should go to the upper trigram? The Stronghold (card 3) or the Shield (card 4). I chose the original last card (card 3). But in retrospect, I think that card 4 would have given me a more reasonable reading. I notice this and will be comparing next time this happens.

[Rose Lalonde]

Week 4 cards to consider:

 

 

 

This week's draw: 5 of Cups - 6 of Disks - Apocalypse (Judgement)

This is my second week with the Tree of Life on the cards (Lovers last week)

 

 

The hunched figure on the 5 looks like they could've just hatched out of the egg on the 6, and their black shadow reappears on Judgement along with other shadows, but now standing with arms raised. Vertical designs of suit symbols ending in the entire Tree of Life. Maybe I'm influenced by the "New Aeon" Thoth meaning of key 20 since it's my usual, but overall I have a good feeling about this draw. Coming out of my shell and standing up with others to be counted, despite some reluctance on my part and difficulty. Book of Maps says in Judgement, account for actions and fulfill obligations.  -- It also talks about visions in dreams. I had that on my mind, since I just signed up for the solstice group reading again, and the first spread position is always about a dream that night. That will start at the end of the week, with Judgement the last card here.

 

---Thoughts mid-week: That 5 of Orbs. In the Thoth, it's "Worry." Speedy Mercury making fixed Earth Taurus anxious at the challenging fives. In the RWS we mostly see poverty and not realizing that there's help to be had. SKT's Vagabond card looks more like the latter, but the title (and the book's description) makes you think more of Mercury travelling over the earth (Taurus). Still challenging because of the 5s at Geburah, so we get a restless spirit with nothing to tie them to a home. Vagabond. Where she was going with that makes sense to me. I also like the Buddhist 5 aggregates on the lotus, the source of the restlessness. 

 

)And it only now occurred to me, looking at the 5 next to Judgement, that her Orbs are the same as her sephiroth on the Tree.)

 

 

On 7/26/2019 at 8:07 AM, Flaxen said:

I see the 4 alchemical stages as a different process to the 4 worlds of Kabbalah. 

 

In some ways, I think about where the stages would appear in the Tree of Life and then the attributions make sense to me. 

Earth - Nigredo: I see this as Malkuth at the bottom of the tree. Dense matter which needs breaking down and purifying. 

 

Water - Albedo: This could be Yesod,  the astral and lunar plane where we brings our shadows to light.

 

Fire - Citrinas: Tiphareth, our inner sun. First contact with our higher self.

 

Air - Rubedo: Kether - the crowning achievement of this stage is very appropriate for the Ace of Swords. 

 

All together, it’s the path of return via the middle pillar. This makes sense to me as an alchemical process but the beauty of the cards, is that you can find your own way with them. 

 

Thanks for this. That's seriously helpful and not something I'd seen.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Rose Lalonde

[Flaxen]

24 minutes ago, Rose Lalonde said:

Thanks for this. That's seriously helpful and not something I'd seen.

I’m so glad you found it helpful! It was just another way of looking at the cards which helped me make sense of them. 

[Rose Lalonde]

1 hour ago, Flaxen said:

I’m so glad you found it helpful! It was just another way of looking at the cards which helped me make sense of them. 

Yes, your take on it makes a lot of sense to me. 🙂