A 3-Card Reading for the Now
By Christine Payne-Towler
ArkLetter 26, May, 2007
For an introduction to the World Servers' Spread see ArkLetter 5
A wonderful coincidence has accompanied the creation of this month's ArkLetter. The New York Times, one of my favorite newspapers, dedicated its Sunday May 6th magazine to the topic of aging, midlife, and the acquisition of wisdom. The article on wisdom, called The Older-and-Wiser Hypothesis, is well worth reading if you get the chance. Given that this month's lead article was just cooling as I was reading this article, it seemed fortuitous to follow the trend and see just how the Tarot cards would quantify Wisdom for my readership at this moment in history.
As can be seen in the Sophia; Holy Word article for this month, I don't consider a single card to represent the full significance of this multicultural, multi-era godform, though the World card could be considered a shorthand pointer to some of the central symbols of Her sphere of action.
One of my favorite versions of the World card is in the Anonymous French Tarot of the early 1500's, which came into my hands through my good friend, Mark Filipas. Here we see Sophia on a vast, cosmic scale, treading across the Earth in Her naked splendor, carrying behind her what looks like a flag on a pole, or a curtain on a rod. One hand holds the rod nearly parallel with the upper boundary of the image, while the other hand gathers the curtain behind and around Sophia like a drape. The globe upon which she treads is in the form of the crossed orb often seen in the Emperor's hand, only this one is elaborate enough to show images of the Sun, Moon, and Stars as well as the continents upon it.
I have never seen a full explanation for this form of the World card, though the Flemish, Belgian and Carte de Suisses Tarots adopted this image later. My theory is that this is a symbol from the heikhalot literature, which informs the Hebrew Mysteries of the Chariot. The fundamental legend about this pargod ("curtain" or "veil") is that it hangs around the Throne of Glory, separating the One who sits there from every other part of the Chariot. This pargod has embroidered upon it the archetypes of everything that is created, including all the souls that will enter this world. Says Sholem, (Kabbalah, p. 159);
"The entire past history and future destiny of every single soul is recorded in this curtain. The pargod is not just a mystical fabric composed of spiritual ether which contains or is capable of receiving a record of each man's life and works; it is in addition the abode of all the souls that have returned from below to their native land. The souls of the wicked will find no place in it."
Sholem also hints enigmatically that this symbol is then taken over in another form by second century non-Jewish Gnostics, but he doesn't tell us any more about it than this. One could potentially see the Prince's Robe of Glory (astral body) from the Hymn of the Pearl as a variant of the pargod, which I find a very satisfying association.
With this in mind, let's allow the Tarot to speak to us further about Wisdom, both for us as individuals and for humanity as a whole. But let me be clear here -- I am not asking that we each be made able to see our future destiny, or that in one three-card reading anyone's reasons for taking a given human incarnation will be revealed! Instead, our question tends more towards a request to be shown a combination of attitudes, actions, and insights that can allow us to move closer to our rightful and appropriate position within the curtain of souls -- that we be assisted in discovering our place in the larger scheme of things, the warp and woof of the cosmic plan. Upheld by Sophia's Wisdom, and wrapped around the Throne of Mystery, we could finally come to a place of serenity within the grand scheme, being done with our insecurities, denial, and spiritual amnesia. This is the promise of this image of the World card, and the offer that Sophia makes to each incarnate soul as it struggles with the contingencies of fate and Nature.
Also at this juncture I wish to stress this point, and to remind my readers that this point is not just operative within the sphere of Tarot. Here it is: Interpretation is Destiny What do I mean by this? It's simple -- That which you can conceive, perceive and believe, you can receive!
Therefore as you read along with me into the three cards below (or, once you have thrown your own three cards with this theme in mind), make a conscious effort to find a way to make it true somewhere in your life. In this situation I am not advocating being a passive consumer of Tarot at this juncture. Instead, try taking this reading as if it were an exercise prescription, or a suggestion from your therapist. You do not have to follow it slavishly, but you do have to apply these principles somewhere in your life and set a goal that you intent to fulfill with their help.
This is an act of will, folks, not an exercise in that lame form of "trying" where one starts right out giving oneself permission to fail! Let's look at the formula closely and see how it works. First one must 'conceive', which means 'get pregnant with the idea; become its host; allow it to take residence within your mental womb and feed it from your substance'. Then one must 'perceive', meaning 'sense, feel, touch, interact with, and become familiar with the dimensions of this idea'. Then one must 'believe', which means 'have faith and confidence that this idea corresponds to reality; know that your idea has substance and is sturdy enough to support a material form over time and be useful to other souls; see to it that the new conception is wanted and needed and will be welcomed.' THEN one can receive the fulfillment of one's idea, and not before!
This is the way in which interpretation is destiny: At every step of this process, you are the Magus, the Diviner, the Imagineer and Dreamer in whose consciousness this invisible but very real "thing" is taking shape. You get what you pay for, and all the more so when the currency is time and attention. Take an active role in shaping your consciousness, emotions, and interior climate in a way that is supportive of your highest interpretation of yourself, and that will in due time become your reality.
World position; Queen of Wands
For purposes of this question, as we envision our special place in the great scheme of things, we must look for evidence of productivity, our ability to contribute to the world around us. This Queen has the character of a farm wife, who carries a tremendous amount of responsibility. Not only does she have to cook and clean and provide for the farm family, but she also has to work in the barn, the orchard and the fields alongside the help, to be sure the jobs are done correctly and to motivate the workers.
There is regular drama and high stress that goes along with her role -- she serves as midwife, surgeon, and nurse as well. This Queen is strong, skilled, and canny with all the tasks that keep the crops growing, the milk flowing and the children growing. Her energy level and enthusiasm for getting the job done are unbeatable. Her disposition remains sunny and her humor intact as long as our Queen can see some tangible results at the end of the day.
Just the same, in our own lives, we need to concern ourselves with what we have to give, not what we are getting back in exchange. With a farmer's practical attitude, we are admonished to take up our tools and get to work. Our rewards will come at the end of the growing season, or twenty years down the road when the orchard is mature. This Queen takes her joy from the work itself, and doesn't look to be complimented or crowned in exchange for her labors in the fields.
Fool position; Ten of Coins reversed
Because the Fool card bears the number Zero and represents a kind of blank-slate state, the suggestion here is that "you never know when or in what way you can contribute to your environment". On the one hand, the reversal of the highest-numbered card of the Coins suit suggests that money is not in every case the answer, does not always provide security, and cannot be counted on to shield you from chaos. On the other hand, the fullness of the 10 and the open-endedness of the Fool position suggests that there might be totally other, non-monetary values that you bring to your life, which are hugely important to winning through to positive outcomes.
These coins represent mutually accepted units of potential work-energy and can be deployed towards any task that needs doing. They can even symbolize other types of currencies one could trade in. A few examples; for a person in a wheelchair, help in their garden can be worth more than gold. A farmer without seeds or tools is not much of a farmer, either. Hands-on experience can make the difference between a random experiment and a trustworthy solution to one's problem.
At every level of life there are ways to convert energy and consciousness into tangible assets that other people can credit and appreciate. Make sure to stay open to the worth of the things you take for granted about yourself, because it might be those very qualities, which you possess in abundance, that are scarce and being searched for high and low around you. Never underestimate the validity of your own common sense and past experience. Imagine that you are sitting on a gold mine that only awaits your discovery of it. Now get digging!
Magus position: The Moon
Because this pack of cards presents a lesser-known image on the Moon, I get to talk about a different slant on this card than is usually taken. What we are seeing here is a harpist sitting at the base of a tall tower, dedicating his music to the vision of a lovely lady who appears to be disrobing in the uppermost chamber. This might seem strange for the card usually dedicated to the Eclipse and the Dreamtime. But in fact we are looking at a very sophisticated and radical spiritual refinement of the old Moon archetype, and it's fascinating to find it on a deck that came into distribution right around 1500.
This harpist in the Lady's garden is a classic trope of Eros Magic, which elevates the Feminine Divine to the status of ultimate desirability, above all other things of the earth. This image is a direct result of the impact of troubadour culture in southern Europe. The aftermath of the Crusades reawakened Europe to the Old Testament vision of a distinctly feminine, immanent Sophia, nurturing us as both individual comforter and collective companion to humanity in our 'exile' , this 'fallen' state. Known by many names but always signifying the Spirit of the World, this image of the Divine in feminine form was taken to heart as the spirit-lover of the troubadour, the elusive and compelling interior inspiration for this world's sufferings and challenges.
The harp and harpist refer back to both the Greek Orpheus, a mythic musician and poet who was able to change the minds of the gods, to "charm the birds out of the trees" and also influence human destinies with his music and song. The harp or lyre is itself a symbol for cosmic harmony. It represents the so-called music of the spheres, tuned with a system derived from studying of the ratios of the planetary periods.
Our harpist (the ego) is composing hymns and praises to his Lady Love (Sophia, Holy Spirit), dedicating his time on Earth to sharing her glory with all who have ears to hear. He serves her pleasure so wholeheartedly that he doesn't care if he may only ever be granted the occasional visit to her garden, a glimpse of her and perhaps a wave in acknowledgment of his devotion. He is the equivalent of a Priest of Love, and he has replaced his own center with the vision of Her. To celebrate Her existence and pour out all his ardency in her direction is enough to motivate a whole lifetime of creativity, with or without direct contact between them. If ever there were a proof giving "evidence of things unseen", it is the Eros magician, who dedicates his whole imagination to his Muse, allowing her to have Her way with him utterly. Only in this way is the ego relieved of its burden of narcissism and freed up from the tyranny of the self.
Our troubadour has learned the ultimate spiritual lesson, which is that the only relief from the unbearable loneliness of being is to open one's heart to higher things and beings. By reaching up, we are pulled out of ourselves and come to participate in a larger context of Being. It is worth emptying the ego to have this greater vista opening before us. Therefore, this card in the Magus attests that the best use of the ego is to train it to transcend itself.
What have we been shown today that helps us on our Quest to become closer to Lady Wisdom? The first suggestion is to emulate the Goddess in her great feat of materialization. We must not think that contemplation is enough, even the contemplation of divine things. We must roll up our sleeves and work in the fields of the Earth, directing our attention towards Her ripening fruits. We are being warned against the dangers of retreating into our heads in the face of the great need of the World. Lend a hand as the work goes along, and Wisdom will favor you.
Another suggestion is to seek in unexamined places for the fuel to power your Quest. We might not be fully able to comprehend the value Sophia places upon us, unless we undertake a thorough examination of the innate gifts and powers we have already been granted through our inherent design. Let us become more curious about our untapped resources, rather than asking for more of what we already know we are good at.
The final suggestion is to set our ideals high, at the upper end of our human potential, so that we will be motivated to reach beyond ourselves to embrace values and standards that are only now just coming into human focus. In the middle ages, the fresh inspiration was the concept of Love as a motivator for heroic deeds and works of art. In our own times, perhaps the zeitgeist will choose one of the other great feminine archetypes - Justice perhaps, or Strength - but even still the magic of attraction would be undimmed.
By deliberately categorizing the small 's' self (ego) as masculine and the Greater Self (Sophia) as feminine, we put the onus for actions upon the ego, bidding it “make every effort to get closer to Heart's Desire". Wisdom remains within her tower, her high place in which she can be seen from all directions, serving as a lighthouse and calling all her lovers home. Our place is to respond and move closer, into her garden, all the while pouring out our song of love and devotion. As servants of the Light, the beauty of our expression will increase as we get closer to Her Throne.
And so mote it be, dear readers! I hope your spring is unfolding in beauty and richness, as is mine.
ArkLetter 26
"World Servers' Spread"
May 16, 2007
copyright christine payne-towler 2007, all rights reserved
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