11 April 19: The Fool, Eight of Swords & Six of Cups, all reversed

You are free to grow. Once again the Fool appears in the past position, apparently with more to say about his or herself. Upright, this is Ground Zero, and starts the whole crazy ‘journey’, being the first card of the deck before #1, the Magician. Trusting and eager to get out there and live this thing, you got screwed. Or did the screwing. Or both. This is nothing minor, this is a shame. It’s in the past, in case the message wasn’t received yesterday. That was a f***** up then, but don’t let ‘then‘ f*** up ‘now‘.

Today, the Fool looks up at the reversed 8 of Swords in the present. Upright, this woman of the suit of Air (Libra/Aquarius/Gemini) is bound and blindfolded but it looks like she did it to herself. 8 tall Swords are stuck in a circle around her forming ‘prison’ bars. The suit of Air is mental, and this is a ‘victim’ card. She could get out at anytime, but she doesn’t. She’s isolated on that windy beach, a weird- looking grayish blackish castle or building or monolith is way up on a mountain behind her, but on the card is at head-level- all in her head. Is it a hospital? This could be about someone who was unable to do what other kids do, or someone who spent a lot of time in a hospital when they were a kid. In the reverse, although the physical limitations may have been overcome, the mental scars have not. In the reverse, the Swords, ropes and blindfold fall away, and are not holding us back anymore.

In my racket, there is a fine line between being ‘inspired by’ and ‘ripping off’ the past and not only in my racket, of course. We also revisit the past in good ways (40’s fashion victim here), taking what works and phasing out what didn’t and doesn’t.

In the future position is the card of childhood, memories and nostalgia, the 6 of Cups, today reversed. 2 children stand at a stone wall, or on stone stairs, I can never really tell (Morgan-Greer) 6 gold cups (Pisces/Cancer/Scorpio) planted with blooming white flowers arranged along the steps, white suggesting the innocence of childhood, but once again, in the reverse. Clinging to the past is suggested here, but in the future position, there is something that strikes me about this image: the flowers. They are growing although the cups are overturned. The stone stairs are now hanging over their little heads like they are about to be crushed by the weight of the past. Yet, there is something beautiful coming from it all. What was planted long ago still blooms.

Manure may be cow’s shit, but to the garden it’s gold. That sort of thing.

10 April 19 The Fool reversed & The Pope & The King of Swords

Mad Dogs & Englishmen. I’m typing this on my old backup Acer which has so many keys missing it looks like a mouthful of broken teeth, and since I must attend to the business of ordering another Mac as soon as possible I must make it brief. The Pope is obviously a PC guy.

In the future position is the King of Swords, and he’s the most powerful King in the deck (Libra/Gemini/Aquarius).

Fools and Kings

Spiritual guidance is suggested today by the Heirophant, or Pope, in the center, his right hand raised, 2 fingers up, 2 down, aka as above, so below. Our white-gloved Pope is of the Major Arcana, and the King, in the Future position, looks back at the holy man, his Sword raised respectfully. He’s the ‘smart’ King, the one with the degree, and usually ‘all business’. But even he acknowledges whoever the Pope, or guru. holy man or woman or whoever you turn to for spiritual guidance is pointing to in the sky.

He didn’t crawl up out of that gutter alone.

The Fool, 0 of the Tarot and also of the Major Arcana is the very beginning of the life-trip in general, today is reversed in the past position with his head up his ass although his head seems to be in the gutter, looks up at the Pope. The familiar white dog we always see loyally travelling alongside the Fool in reverse looks like a little white spirit animal flying around barking down at him or her.

The 2 keys, one gold, one silver, cross at the feet of the Holy Man, who of course could be any spiritual leader or guru.

This is where all paths cross.

And so the Fool became a King.

Lots and lots of super-natural wonderment in the air this month.

“All of us are in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” – Oscar Wilde

for Leon.

9 April 19: Seven of Wands & Knight of Wands & Strength

Breathe. I’ve been experimenting with those YOUTUBE frequency videos that are supposed to help you sleep and clean your house and rebuild your DNA. Easily overstimulated, when the ol’ brain starts to overheat I actually find some of these things do work.

The big boss of the spread today and so good to have in the future position is #8 of the Major Arcana, Strength, the lady lion tamer in quiet control. On the card, a beautiful woman caresses a lion, gently but firmly. She seems to be humming to it as she strokes its muzzle, one hand holding his chin gently. The potentially snarling, dangerous lion looks downright silly, his tongue lolling out of his mouth like a lovesick puppy. Down, boy. Exactly.

This card talks about our inner strength, fortitude, and courage . The fire sign Leo rules this card, of course, as we may guess from the lion. Fiiiiiiiiiyer (Ohio Players) is what we have a lot of today, and it seems, as a matter of fact, that’s all we’ve got. Way too much. Simmer down, Leo/Aries/Sagittarius!

In the past position is the defensive, courageous 7 of Wands, Clubs of Staves, today they are very much clubs. A man defends himself on slightly higher ground holding a long pole across his body protectively. Good for him. We see the tops of 6 poles coming at him – competitors. How did you manage to get to the top of that hill? They demand to know, determined to knock him off his pedestal. Desire, drive and ambition. Holding your own, sticking to and with your inspiration. I’m tired just looking at this guy having to defend himself, explain himself, he’s just in prepared-for-battle-mode all the time. Exhausting. But, he or she has been rewarded with a Knighthood – your trial and tribulations have made you who you are.

From defense we have offense in the form of the Knight of Wands in the present position. Things are getting hot now. This Knight is so fearless and feverish he’s ‘hot to trot’ 24/7. You have fearlessly stood your ground, apart from the crowd and followed your passion. This Knight has a bit of a reputation – he or she is a ‘touch an go’ kind of guy or girl, in and out. This Knight does not stick around, he or she has place to go and people to see. On to the next thing. Cocky and fearless often to the point of recklessness, today all these cards are upright and we’re seeing his or her good side. Still – can’t keep up.

Exactly.

Facing the future position, I do believe he’s eyeing that lady in the green field wearing the billowy white dress with the flowers in her hair. She looks so calm and relaxed – even her ordinarily ever-vigilant lion friend looks like he’s had a bong hit, so comfortable is he reclining in her arms.

Slow your roll, as they say. Pick your battles that is, mind your energy allocation – physical and emotional. When we’re tired, we make mistakes.

Hold your fire.

8 April 19: Eight of Coins & Five of Swords, reversed & The Pope

Affiliation. This is no time to fly solo, but where is our tribe/mate?

In the past position and working away at his desk, drawing board or workbench with his or her nose to the proverbial grindstone is the Eight of Coins or Earth (Virgo/Taurus/Capricorn). Investment in time, money, body and soul in what we do for a living – and living. Doesn’t matter what it is, the human on this card is a perfectionist. In the past position, someone has worked very hard in order to be good at whatever it is they do. This human is dedicated to perfecting and refining himself and his work. Quality and consistency doesn’t happen overnight, says this serious looking human, working away at engraving gold discs carefully, slowly, and methodically. Hanging on the wall behind him are many of the coins, probably all rejects. This blue-collared, serious, studious looking human knows there’s no cutting corners: you gotta get your hands dirty. This isn’t just about book-learnin’, this is about experience. Do something over and over for long enough and you’ve got to get good at it, and this includes taking care of one’s own body. It goes without saying that if you’ve taken good care of yourself in the past, you’re enjoying the benefits of that now. This human has invested in him or her own humanity, if that makes any sense. Simply working to be a better person.

In the future the card of conformity, the Heirophant or Pope. The imagery is of the Pope who does not represent himself but an institution – something bigger than himself. This is on its best day a spiritual card. Marriage, selfless dedication and commitment to something bigger – which involves other humans. Although this card is a 5, the imagery evokes the # 3 to me (creation) because we usually see two initiates kneeling before him, waiting for his blessing, or on the Morgan-Greer card, 2 crossed keys, one gold, one silver. This whole picture is one of high standards – physically, ethically, morally. Someone wants to belong to something bigger or even someone, and they know their stuff. Who wouldn’t want this guy/girl on their team, in their club, even as a member of their family?

In the present is the combative and in it to win it at all costs 5 of Swords (Libra/Aquarius/ Gemini) today in the reverse. It’s stressful. Why? I don’t know. Ask the a-hole on the 5 of Swords that has to be right all the time. Has to have the last word. I don’t care how good he or she is, what the rep is, what he’s done, he or she does not play well with others.

You want to be in the club, you play by the rules. Ethically and morally, this is us. You want to be one of us, you gotta drink tomato juice every day, you have to wear a gold codpiece and swear you’ll never be seen in a strip bar. You have to paint your nose green every other Friday.

Now, how badly do you want to be ‘one of us’?

5 April 19: Seven of Cups & Eight of Coins & Seven of Swords, all reversed.

Up to snuff is an olde tyme saying, ‘snuff’ being tobacco of the sort you shove up your nose which has nothing to do with this so I’m not sure about the evolution of this phrase but the meaning is simple: it’s not good enough. Not ‘up to snuff’. That’s a cute word to look at, isn’t it?

In the center and present position and today in the reverse is the card of craftsmanship, work, and commitment, the Eight of Coins (Taurus/Virgo/Capricorn).

You can only bullshit your way through life so far. At some point you have to deliver.

In the past position is the card of fantasy and in the reverse, delusion: the 7 of Cups, (Pisces/Cancer/Scorpio) today reversed. A rather overwhelmed human stands before a wall of fog from which 7 golden cups emerge, but as they say about this card, ‘all that glitters is not gold’. In the reverse, this is – thankfully in the past – a state of confusion, temptation and just one hot-ass mess. Promises, promises, promises, plans, dreams, wolves in sheep’s clothing, addictions, drugs, alcohol, ugh. Someone’ dreams never seem to materialize – or at least, haven’t so far.

7 is the number of challenge & of having the faith that we can meet and overcome our challenges. I don’t really appreciate the pair of them, someone may be having confidence issues, and with this, weirdly, I get an ‘overconfidence’ in the past and a complete lack of it in the future in the form of the reversed 7 of Swords (Gemini/Libra/Aquarius). Jumping ahead to this card in this position in the future, you’re busted, but I don’t mean you were caught running off with the silverware as the thief on this card is doing. The suit of Air is mental: these are ideas, and this spread looks rather uninspired, and when people are uninspired they tend to ‘borrow’ other people’s ideas – this, however, today, may be a good thing.

Edit: for every 7 ideas maybe 2 of them are any good.

Focusing on Today aka The Only Day That Matters, we are not performing ‘up to snuff’.

What is that saying about success being 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration? Something like that. That is this. We know what we have to do, we’re just not doing it.

On the Eight of Coins our devoted apprentice at his workbench is very busy hammering and chiseling and cranking out gold medallions. They’re quite beautiful. The wall behind him is lined with the gold discs, but if we look closely, some seem to be made better than others. Our artisan, head down and probably skipping lunch, is focused on the seemingly repetitive and boring work on his desk. In tattoo school (got my license in San Diego) we had to draw the same thing 3 times before even turning the machine on, and this is very much that. Endless rehearsals, fine tuning, tweaking, refining and keeping your tools sharp. Today this card is in the reverse, and it may be that someone is overworking things, and never really finishing. Someone may be lacking motivation and/or discipline. You may need to update or upgrade the tools of your trade. Go ahead, Mercury’s direct.

The question: is this good enough?

The answer: not yet.

4 April 19: Ten of Coins & The Empress & Death, all reversed

Unfinished business. This is interesting and although there are many negative connotations and associations possible here, and as weird as it seems even to me (and trust me, nothing is weird to me anymore), I get a sense of something very special and even hopeful about this layout.

Let’s start with the Empress, the fertile, voluptuous Earth Mother of the Tarot and #3 of the Major Arcana, today in the center and present position. She is definitely a she, the feminine. Male or female, we’re only 1 chromosome apart, after all. The Empress reversed can be telling us we’re either overdoing it (sMothering) or under-doing it, but the Empress is also creativity in general, bringing things into Being, as in Human Beings. She births babies, and in the reverse can indicate infertility – or so I read for the purposes of my own entertainment. Venus and the Moon are both associated with this card of nature and motherhood, beauty and art, but this maternal, nurturing energy is blocked or unable to express itself for some reason.

There seems to be a parallel universe sort of thing going on here.

In the past is the 10 of Coins (Virgo/Taurus/Capricorn), the card of family and legacy, and reversed it’s plain old f***** up family and legacy. Somebody got screwed, I’m afraid. Something isn’t right. This card is in the past, which is no surprise, but in the reverse, there is unfinished business. Somebody’s unsettled.

Somebody can’t rest.

Long story short I spent the night in an extraordinary old place on a cliff in Malibu recently where I find the ‘veil’ thin anyway. Within 10 minutes of sitting down I felt somebody yank at the back of my chair. I mentioned it to the lady of the house, an artist who’d hand-built the place in the 70’s.

“Oh, that’s Jenny” she’d said, a girl who had committed suicide in the room where I’d be sleeping. I was shown a picture of her, a sweet looking 70’s love child with long brown hair and sad eyes.

Something needs to be settled, there is unfinished business. Death in the reverse in the future means, well, “Hey! I’m not dead!”.

Ever watch ‘Cold Case Files?’ This is that.

I am very sure this will be continued…