By Christine Payne-Towler
December, 2005
For an introduction to the World Servers' Spread, see Arkletter 5
It was a challenge to figure out which deck to use this month. Five or six packs jumped out at me as I surveyed my collection, each one promising to offer you readers a special view of the subject. Eventually I chose to shuffle and throw my dear Euskalherria (Basque Country Tarot), another pack made under the direction of my Tarot guru Marixtu Guler...
(She also wrote the book for the Spanish Marseilles pack, and supervised the artwork for El Gran Tarot Esoterico and the Mythical Basque Tarot.) Once I had the spread laid out, I went through all the other decks that had "volunteered" to be used, to see whether any of them had versions of these three cards that might help me in my interpretation.
Hands down, the most well-portrayed and optimistic pack other than the one I originally chose was "La Porta Celeste, i Tarocchi della Stelle" by Tavaglione. Hence I will show you the images from both packs, the Euskalherria for the colors, the flowers, and the particulars of the cards I actually threw, and then also Tavaglione's most mature pack, because the images are so forthcoming and add so much to the meanings.
#1 - The "World" Position - Seven of Swords, reversed
In
the Euskalherria Tarot, we see two bundles of three swords, with a
final odd one splitting the difference. Included are blossoms of
rockrose, daisy and bay. (My assumption is that she's giving a Basque
or Paracelsian herbal prescription with this card, but I don't know the
code so I simply enjoy the aesthetics). Looking into my notes on this
card from long ago, I read, "discriminate between the opposites and
take into account the advice you have been offered." I also wrote "this
is the power of the I-magi-nation at work". It is classically the card
of "effort and trust in things undertaken" (from Tavaglione's Stairs of Gold booklet.)
Tavaglione's Porta Celeste [below] shows a military man doing a gazing-meditation next to a body of water, strategizing his upcoming campaign -- apparently to win himself a wife. A triangle of swords is laid out on the ground, while another one hovers above his head. Again the swords are divided into two groups of three, but this time the pivotal one is in the protagonist’s grip, his left hand raising it to the heavens like an antenna. The right hand points to a vision of the woman that is forming in the deep earth, within the triangle of swords he has carefully placed at his feet. It appears that he is making an effort of magical intent to pull the shadowy woman out of the realm of possibility and call her forth into the world of flesh and blood. The title on the card is "Hope."
If
we look into our own psyches through the lens of this card (due to the
reversal), we can see that we are being instructed to *discover the
basis of our collective hope*, just the way an explorer finds an
uncharted land or a hunter finds his prey. The warrior does not wait
at home, assuming that his desired outcomes will come to him! True to
his number seven (which in Trump terms is the Chariot), this warrior is
out on the roads (of consciousness), chasing down what inspires and
enlivens him. He is actively seeking what he is imagining, not leaving it up to chance.
Since this card has always had a strong implication of careful planning, organizational skill, sound management, foresight and preparation for all eventualities, one gets the feeling that failure is not one of the planned-for options in the worldview of this card. The goal is clear, the blueprint is defined, the work is at hand, and no excuses are acceptable. Name and pursue your bliss in the context of providing the greatest good for all involved. Organize the rest of your efforts around that quest, no matter what happens during the circumstances or adventures along the way. Make sure your goals are worth the effort, and will benefit those who come after "unto the seventh generation. Then throw yourself into their realization with vigor and intelligence.
The "Fool" position: Seven of Coins, reversed
Guler's
deck shows the coins as "all heads, no tails", surrounded by branches
of hypericum, or St. John's Wort. Because of the modern use for this
plant as an herbal antidepressant, it is possible that the bright
golden coins are giving us a message of optimism in the material plane
and its capacities for increase and multiplication. Tavaglione
explains the bright, upbeat message some more with his image of a
farmer laboring in the sunshine. The farmer supports his plant's
fertility and well being with his sweat equity, looking up and grinning
as the winged horse of summer growth gallops around his plot.
We know this card has a sub-message advising against betting the farm on the roll of the dice, so the combined wisdom of these two sevens of coins is "Trust Nature, time and your own hard work to get you where you dream of being. If the farmer does his part to protect his plants from predators and supply decent growing conditions, he will be rewarded by an abundant harvest over time". There is no support in this card for short cuts, detours, or attempts to circumvent the flow. Use only time-tested and healthy methods to get your jobs done, and you will be much more likely to see your efforts bear fruit as the process matures.
Since
this card has fallen in the Fool position, it's giving us a hint that
the things we cannot currently foresee might have an unexpectedly large
effect on events. The best strategy in situations where one cannot know
enough is to do nothing experimental or whimsical, but rely on
precedent and time-honored wisdom. The farmer's grin
also reminds us to keep our attitude on the sunny side, optimistically
looking forward to due rewards when the job is well done. It is true
that he ought not to count his chickens before they hatch, but no good
is served by being pessimistic either. At least when he's out in the
field sweating in the sun, he knows that the work is getting done, and
done correctly, with care.
There is a feeling of well-being and security in having skills that can directly improve one's chances of success. The farmer is not too proud to get dirty and wear himself out in pursuit of his long-term objective. Slow and steady wins the race for this fellow, so he plugs away at his endless weeding and does not bother himself with developments outside his fence line. His devotion is towards Mother Nature rather than human social agendas.
The "Magus" position: Horseman of Wands
As
we can see, there are two radically different approaches to this card
between our chosen decks. Guler's Horseman is a fire starter, an
uninhibited soul with radical leanings and a reputation for pushing
leaning towers. We see him spurring his red-blanketed horse madly
along the perimeter of a fire, billows of black smoke emerging from the
landscape behind him. The golden mane of his horse exactly matches the
fire at their feet, and you can almost hear his rebel
yell ringing over the scene. This is an emergency state being induced,
and it's not clear whether our Knight is part of the problem or part of
the solution. One thing is for sure; nothing is going to remain the
way it was now that this guy has hit the scene! (He looks like an
adrenalin-junkie to me, so it's possible one ought to question one's
desires for "stirring things up just to see what will happen".)
Tavaglione's
illustration is much less drastic, but again the knight is riding along
rather than posing on a standing horse. He looks confident and strong
and vigilant, but is not seized by frenzy or in the act of creating a
conflagration like Guler's model. The English word that has been
granted to this Knight is "Departure", and we have seen this fellow
before, just last month as
a matter of fact. Only then he was in the Fool position, and this time
we see him in the Magus slot. How shall we evaluate the difference in
interpretation?
For one thing, being aligned with the Magus position gives this Knight a strength and continuity that the Fool position could never offer him. He is no longer locked into the "zero" position, where he had to re-embark over and over no matter how many times circumstances beat him back. This Knight is seen in motion and covering ground at a good clip -- he's no longer just straining to get out of the starting blocks. Also note, the Knight displayed in both these cards shows considerably more courage, daring, and skill than the Mythical Basque image. He is not striking a rigid pose, there is no tentativeness, nor is there any question about ambivalence or divided motives. This knight feels free to throw his full energy and enthusiasm into his actions, and because of that the circumstance is speeding up and creating new potentials at quite a rate.
The overall message I get from the coincidence of these cards falling into these positions at this NewMoon is that we all need to Go Within and re-envision those commitments we have made to be sure we have anchored our future to goals and activities that will make a difference in this world we share. The first two cards are both sevens, and both reversed, indicating that in global terms there is not a lot that the "little guy" can do other than to get his or her own personal life organized and focused so as to be well-positioned for coming challenges. Each one of us has to put ourselves on solid enough ground that we a) discover personal goals that are healthy and holistic enough to be worth fulfilling in this suffering world and b) get far enough along with those goals so we are not easily distracted away from our own path of right action by some "get rich quick" scheme or gamble.
Practicing this kind of focus and self-discipline prepares us for the possible moment when we could be called out of our private life to take on a larger challenge. If we have done our homework in advance, and put our own house in order, then we can step forward with confidence when a leadership challenge arises in an issue that affects the common good. Knights are pledged to serve, defend, and administer the commonweal, especially in the wild places outside the fortified cities. Perhaps there is a part of each reader that has heroic aspirations, that really longs to help save the world. These two Sevens give us some instructions about the kind of internal preparation we need to establish, to be ready to say "yes" to such a commission. If there is a cause that you want to assist, or an issue that you wish you could make a difference with, then this spread is speaking to you. Give yourself permission to form the attitudes and take the actions that will carry you closer to the day when you can embark, a well-trained, well-appointed Knight, towards your destiny.
blessings,
Christine
_______________________________
*Christine Payne-Towler*
Research: Esoteric Tarot, Literature and Practice;
Publisher, The Tarot Arkletters
Bishop, Gnostic Church of St. Mary Magdalene
Founder: Tarot University;
Author: The Underground Stream;
_______________________________
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