tarot of the week--eight of cups

“Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralysed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds' wings.” ― Rumi

This week's Tarot card of the week comes from the suit of Cups. Cups hold the water element, which governs feelings and emotions, love or the lack thereof. The heavy emotions of the Cups bleed into many realms, and it is quite simplistic to just say emotions. Cups govern intuition, artistic pursuits (music, painting, poetry, sculpture), psychic abilities, spiritual pursuits, cycles, ebbs and flows (think the tides). The heart rules over the head with Cups, and thus its issues govern this eternal grappling between logic and emotion.

The Eight of Cups has much going on in its symbolism. We see a man crossing water away from eight cups balanced upon each other. He holds a staff and wears red. He travels toward mountains. In the night sky, a full moon and the waning moon watches him leave. He does not look back or show emotion in the slightest, or if he doesn, we cannot see. He travels onward. 

Eights reign the balance, success and power realms of the Tarot. In the Major Arcana, Strength appears as the Eight Card, showing a woman of infinite wisdom petting a lion, or rather the balance between her emotions and intellect. We see a different kind of balance here, but the same tug of war between what we have and what we desire. Our first indication that balance is out of whack is the placement of the cups in the foreground. We have eight, a balanced, even number, but divided five and three, showing a lack of balance. We need some rearranging for symmetry. Other Tarot writers see this as a missing cup; however you see it, it is about not being balanced, not having all you need for fulfillment. It is no mistake that Pamela Colman Smith chose to present the cups with this imbalance. This is precisely what the man is walking away from. His attempt at balance have failed. He has rearranged the Cups, and cannot find what is missing, or how to balance them. It is the best he can do. Red, symbolizing the material, has not been enough to fulfill him. He wants more. Often this more is emotional, creative, and spiritual. The Cups urge us to that place. So, this man might be leaving his family, or his job, but he is opting for more, and more than likely, it is his soul path. He may have been working a 9a-5p desk job, but he can no longer ignore the fact that he was born to be an artist, or musician. Or his wife and he might have a perfectly civilized relationship, but there has never been a spark of love and intimacy. 

The moon cycles tell us something about his life as well. His life was once full, as the moon was once full, but it is not waning, or decreasing. His material life is not fulfilling him any longer. He is ready for find new purpose, new significance to his pursuits. One thing we have to remember that he is searching for balance. Money often has these bad connotations in spiritual circles, but money is an exchange of energy. The pursuit of the Eight of Cups is to find a balance in the exchange of energy. What he is giving no longer matches what he is getting whether that is with work or his relationship, or a friendship no longer serving his Highest Good. I'm using the pronoun He here, but of course, this is a unisex card. It deals with anyone not fulfilled in some way. 

The Eight of Cups is also a moving card, one of two, that can be pulled to indicate the Seeker might be moving house. (The Six of Wands is the other moving card.) We often say, for both those cards, it is the Moving Card or the Moving On Card. This card often comes after a long grappling on whether this move is right and correct for the Seeker, it is not an insistent or impulsive card. it often comes after much soul searching, it is why the man on the card doesn't have to turn around. He knows exactly what he is leaving and why. When one is ready to move on, this card appears. When this card comes for someone in the Seeker's life, it is important to emphasize that this is not about them, but about the soul searching of the other person. This is a card not to take personally. It is about the individual, not what they are leaving, but what they are walking toward. Mountains always suggest stability--both the situational stability and the stability of the Seeker.

When you pull this card in a romantic question, you can probe deeper. Is the Seeker in a rut? Fulfilled? Thinking about leaving? Is the creative energy stifled? Of course in work situations, the same applies. There is promise here of better horizons if one moves on, so if the Seeker is asking the question if this is the time to move on, then the answer is yes. In the Reversed position, this card indicates enjoying family, friends, parties. it can indicate a new relationship after leaving an emotionally unfulfilling one. It tends to be an extroverted type of card in the Reversed (whereas the upright position suggests solitude for self-contemplation and soul-searching.). There is flirting, fun, dating, new loves and lots of social gatherings. It is the period after moving to moving on and enjoying life again.

Hope you enjoyed this interpretation of the Eight of Cups. Please put any questions in the comment section, or any comments about your interpretation of the Eight of Cups. 

tarot of the week--nine of pentacles

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. ― Theodore Roosevelt

Elegance. Refinement. Restraint. All these qualities appear this week in the Lady of the Nine of Pentacles. But she is far more than her fancy gardens, her estate, and her golden attire. She attained her wealth and good standing.

Let's begin with some of the clues to what is going on in the Nine of Pentacles. Firstly, we know Pentacles rule the roost, so to speak. Pentacles govern career, work, the estate, home and matters of the family. The Nines are cards of completion. We often think of Ten as the end of the Minor Arcana road, but Nines are actually the number of completion (Tens are the number of new beginning after that cycle completion.) So, the Nine is about completion of some kind. We see this in all the Nines, and some Nines are dark, while others are wonderful. The Pentacles and Cups have very abundant completions; whereas the Wands and Swords are about reaching completion because someone is defeated (or in a war of some kind.) This Nine marks abundant attainment. We can see this in the garden m'lady stands in so gracefully. The grapes hang heavy with fruit, but not sloppily. Their cultivation shows much care and hard work. She has trained them on a trellis through thoughtful gardening. The trees stand in the back, also pruned, but stable and steady and mark a symbolic double tower, like the Moon, where she prepares to walk into her next journey. This fertility represents manifestation of her dreams. She has completed a cycle and reaped the fruits of her hard work. 

She stands absolutely gorgeously with a hooded falcon on her arm. It may seem strange that this woman of grace and dignity stands with a predator, trained to hunt and kill, but that is precisely what you are supposed to know about her. She is disciplined and controlled. She has trained her bird and her self in the art of restraint and passion. The Falcon, like other predators featured in the symbolism of the Tarot, shows her Shadow self quite clearly. She works hard, she hunts what she wants. But she doesn't wantonly use this part of her personality. She has trained it, cultivated it much like her grapes. She has earned a fortune and created an estate precisely because she knows when to use her falcon instincts and when to pull back her predatory instincts. Her confidence and self-reliance exudes from every bit of her.

People often remark on her aloneness. This is part of her personality--her independence. This may have defined her attainment, but it does not define her. She is self-reliant, self-assured, and courageous. Others might not see that. Her picture can tell a very different story to an outsider. I've heard many Tarot readers call this woman, a woman of leisure. Or a widow with an inheritance. Or a divorcee with a huge alimony. And perhaps she is now. The Pentacles are below her eyesight now. She doesn't worry about money. She is concerned with the finer things in life now. Concerned, perhaps, isn't the word. Interested is better here. But she is not without money, she has earned this place behind the stone wall. But rest assured, however her money came to her, she worked hard for it.

Birds, particularly this gorgeous one, often represent wisdom, so it would be remiss not to mention her wisdom and self-control again. It makes her intriguing and important. I have seen many interpretations for this card from this card representing stay-at-home mothers or housewives to materialistic, "kept" women to the interpretation I have gave of a self-made woman. I think her abundance, grace and honor keep this card from some of the more insulting or negative interpretations. But she is certainly a woman of fertility and abundance. She wears Gold and Red, both colors of abundance and material wealth.

When I pull this card, I often feel the person is reaping the fruits are their hard work. That hard work cycle is at an end, and they may be entering a new abundant period. Again, this card is just about attainment, achievement and discipline, not necessarily about the next cycle. But it does tell us that these lessons learned in this cycle can be applied to the next cycle easily. I often remind my client to enjoy the fruits are their hard work in some way, and focus on something other than working or money. This is a gift Lady Nine gives us--her hard work affords her this life style. I also think it shows that a new working situation might be upon the person where they are working independently, either as a contractor or business owner. They understand self-sacrifice and are willing to do that for an abundant end. This card is nothing if not a card of measured endeavors. 

Reversed, however, this card is about deprivation, perhaps loss. It can show the opposite of the hardworking, industrial, measured woman, but someone careless with the fertile field they are given to work with. Remember, the field is fertile, but if it is not tended, pruned and worked, it will not produce fruit. This is the message of the reversed Nine of Pentacles. It also shows a lack of wisdom in financial or career moves. A lack of confidence or deferral to someone else might be indicated here. It can also mean that someone's wealth or snobbery is cutting them off from society and the rest of the world. That is the extreme version of that. It can mean that someone is isolating in their home because of fear of their animal or base instincts, or because they feel different than others. This can be indicated for a housewife, or stay-at-home mother who is afraid of her own potential.

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and as always, share your insights with me there too. 

danburite

Every so often, amongst my group of crystal healer colleagues, every one seems to be working with the same stone. This was the case last fall when my fellow Advanced Crystal Masters were posting pictures of Danburite in grids, in elixirs, straight pieces, lovely meditation space dotted with Danburite. I had of course seen Danburite, but I hadn't worked with it on my own. Only a few weeks earlier, though, I had picked up a beautiful piece at a local crystal shop. As these things go, their enthusiasm and amazing work with Danburite inspired me to actually sit with the piece in meditation.

WOWEE! It is hard to believe I went so long without working with this amazing stone. Danburite's clean, high vibration works cellularly. It is truly an amazing stone, so I thought I would cover it today in our crystal of the week. Danburite is a colorless prismatic stone with linear striations running parallel to the length of the stone. At times, it can be a pale pink or yellow, but most often it is clear. Their terminations are usually chisel-shaped, and they are often four-sided. Their Mohs hardness is 7 to 7.5. 

Danburite resonates with the heart chakra and crown chakras, as well as the Etheric Chakras (8-12), which include the Soul Star. With this chakra combination, Danburite is a wonderful ally for work with guides, angels, channeling and astral journeying. When one is going through ascension or opening to channel, working with Danburite can help quell some of those transitional symptoms that plague some lightworkers in the early days. It is also a gentle and natural destresser and anti-anxiety. 

Danburite has a natural joy and uplifting quality to it that makes it wonderful for elixirs and jewelry. Naisha Ahsian has a wonderful statement about Danburite, "In healing work, Danburite assists one in overcoming fear of intimacy with the Divine." That nails it. It helps open your heart to the Divine when it has been closed due to past programming, religious trauma or prejudices with religion. It helps with heart opening and heart centeredness, so is a great ally in times when we are mired in unforgiveness or anger.

Danburite is a natural ally for meditation work and prayer. You can hold it in your non-dominant hand to help you receive guidance from angels, guides and ascended masters. Let me know what you think of Danburite and how you work with it in daily life, or in your healing practice in the comments below. And as always, any questions that arise, please put it below. You can also sign up for my newsletters right here. I also am a healer and practitioner at Alta View Wellness Center. My fellow crystal healer Kate Pruiett and I will be hosting crystal classes the first Thursday of the month at Alta View, so you can connect with crystal healing in your daily life. Stay abreast of these developments by signing up for Alta View's newsletter heon Alta View's home page. As always, you can book an appointment with me at 717.221.0133.

tarot of the week-queen of wands

“You have to be burning with 'an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right.' If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out.” ― Steve Jobs

As we move through humid Summer here in Pennsylvania, it does not surprise me in the least to pull Queen of Wands. She rules the summer heat and the element of Fire. Court cards in Tarot mirror the Court of the playing cards in some ways--as there is a King and Queen, the Knight (or Jack) is the action and power holder for the element, and the Page is the young messenger of the suit, often representing new beginnings, immature energy, or young people, of course. All the Court Cards represent people in the Seeker's life, or some aspect of the Seeker himself. We often find clues of this around the Court Card in a layout. You can read more about Court Cards in this post. Queens hold a special place in the Court--they are the only women in the Court, so they represent women over the age of 18. (Pages represent all young people, regardless of gender.)

Queen of Wands, as I mentioned above, is the ruler of the Element of Fire. She sits on her throne, holding a sunflower and a staff. A black cat sits at her feet, and lions adorn her throne. She wears gold and her throne is orange. Queen of Wands can be a woman of any fire sign--Aries, Leo or Sagittarius, though she does resonate most with Leo. Her lions give her away. But there is more about this Queen that screams LEO! She sits, legs open, facing you. Her strength and confidence oozing through the card. Leos are traditionally strong, inspiring leaders, and this Queen embodies that leadership. Her face is not unkind, though. She is known for her warmth and kindness. And this is why I loved Steve Jobs's quote--Queen of Wands inspires through her passion, creativity, and belief in her cause.

Fire reigns all creative endeavors--art, poetry, writing, sculpture, pottery, music, acting. Fire also rules the creativity needed to navigate a boring job, or a creative approach to a normal problem. Many of my clients don't resonate with this artistic idea of the Wands, because they are not traditional artists, but they do resonate with doing things at work differently, or taking a creative approach to an ordinary problem. Fire inspires and asserts. And this Queen is no different. Her entire approach is dynamic, sexy, ambitious, courageous and independent. These Queens are often performers, or great in front of an audience. They have a certain fiery charisma that draws other to them. I want to say they are extroverted (most of them think they are to an extent), but the black cat at her feet suggests another aspect of her--observant, quiet and private.

Queens of Wands do not wear their heart on their sleeve, even as they are passionate and dynamic. They protect their vulnerability fiercely, yet they are optimistic and positive women on the outside. These Queens can also be quite career-focused. Again, the posture and stance is important here. She takes charge. Her entire demeanor is more like a King than a traditional Queen. This Queen's independence is important to her, and she will ensure that she does not rely on others without a back-up plan. So, if you are in business with a Queen of Wands, create your own back-up plan. They don't often partner up for long. And they don't respect others who are weak or too vulnerable. They expect you to match their own strength.

So, who is the woman you seeing when you pull a Queen of Wands in a layout?

A woman who is warm, spirited, often ambitious and career driven. She is good at convincing others of her plans, and she can be a wonderful politicker or diplomat. In this way, she gets along with all different types of people. She finds people fascinating in a way. People often agree to her way after she convinces them its their way! She has that uncanny knack for reassuring people and having the utmost confidence in herself as a manifestor. She hones her communication skills through private self-expressive avenues like creative journaling, writing, or artistic endeavors. This is highly private part of her--the reflective, spiritual being that ensures her strength through creative outlets. She lets few in, and is quite protective of that inner circle. She will cut you out of it if you show any disloyalty. This private/public aspect of herself makes her very attractive to others, who want to know more, who want into her private club.  She holds a beautiful air of mystery and intrigue. It can even seem like she has a bit of an entourage, but Queens of Wands enjoy networking and bringing people together, so it is not necessarily for show. She just wants everyone who adores her around her! (And who doesn't?)

The Queen of Wands performs beautifully and lights up on stage. She is creative, resourceful and brave with her work. Often people watch her with envy, because her ease in front of others seems magical. The Queen of Wands oozes sex appeal. She is charismatic, sexual, and highly seductive.  She sometimes uses her seductiveness and charisma as a weapon. She likes healthy competition, and it may be one of the things that other women find difficult about her, particularly in regards to her sexuality. Queen of Wands don't see people as couples or units, they see individuals. This is the aspect they most need for themselves and respect in others--independence. So, they don't always see partnerships as their problem, rather it is the partnered person's problem. Queen of Wands will often set a goal and try to achieve it, including the sexual conquest of others. This shows up most prevalently in the reversed aspect of the Queen of Wands, which I will talk more about below. In relationships, Queen of Wands want to be fired up, so they often like to see every day as a choice to be with their partner, husband or wife. They aren't too keen on obligatory relationships. 

The Queen of Wands I have met often get obsessive about their passions, and make others around them interested too. She has an air of authority, whether she is on the PTA or the Senate. Her confidence can be infectious and she is given leadership roles wherever she lands. But her Sunflower holds the power of the Sun, and links her to that optimism and positive outlook. She is happy and sunny, and often doesn't sweat the small stuff. You don't like her? Ah, well, there are three hundred people in her life who do. She doesn't care. That attitude is part of what makes her so damn attractive!

When you pull a Queen of Wands in a reading about yourself, ask where leadership is called for. Where do you need to infuse some creativity and passion? Where can you embody this Queen energy? How can you boost your confidence? I see the Queen of Wand ruling the solar plexus, so if you want to tap into her energy, focus on the Sun aspects of this dynamic Queen. Solar plexus stones that work beautifully in this way are Sunstone, Citrine, Golden Topaz, Golden Apatite, and Pyrite. My friend Kate recently introduced me to Flat Pyrite Suns, which work beautifully on the Solar Plexus. 

When you pull the Queen of Wands reversed, we are looking at some of the darker aspects of these fiery women. You might have someone in your life who is exploiting some of their Queen of Wands aspects. These are seductive people, who turn their sexuality into their greatest weapon. Their goals reign supreme, often before others. She can be ruthless in her competitiveness. Remember when I said, Queen of Wands don't sweat the small stuff? Well, reversed Queen of Wands are all about the small stuff. They are vengeful, arrogant, self-obsessed, and narcissistic. They can be greedy and selfish and wage small wars against people who stand in their way. They cause small character assassinations through their spread of gossip and storytelling. This is the misuse of creative fire and charisma. And with that passionate obsessiveness they get, if they set you in their scope, they will not stop until you are ruined. 

Much more likely is that you will meet a less severe reversed Queen of Wands. She can be forceful to the point of pushy. Egotistical, she can manipulate and become overly domineering. Taking the leadership role without it being given to her. She's the one dominating the conversation, interrupting others, talking of her own accomplishments. She uses her sexuality to her own ends, and often enters a room with a kind of bravado and attention grabbing need. She is good at twisting the truth to craft arguments to her own end. There isn't that happy feeling to her, but rather a more sinister feeling. One that feels like dark magic. 

In general, Queen of Wands are magical people. Dynamic, creative, fiery, and interesting. They are the scholars on the TED talk, and the leaders of the pack. They adorn beautifully and know how to capture your attention. Match their energy, and you dazzle them. Let me know what you think in the comments.

jaspers, agates, and chalcedony, oh my!

My bowl of mixed stones that sits in my guest bathroom. I have identified most of these, but I love when people put their hand in these crystals, and pick one they are attracted to. It is a wonderful way to invite your guests to check out stones, and it keeps stones in your environment.

If you have perused a crystal shop, you have no doubt come across a Jasper or two in your life. When I first began to come obsessed, uh, I mean, personally interested in crystals as an adult, I would order a pound of mixed stones so I could identify and play with some rocks. If you have done this, then you know how difficult this actually is. No amount of gorgeously photographed crystals can help you identify all these similarly colored beauties. Identifying the one or two Amethyst, Rose Quartz and Snowy Quartz is the easy part. It is the rest of the gang that becomes confounding. There is this whole grouping of "Quartz Family" crystals that all have the same Mohs hardness (sorry, that test won't work here) and even the same colors. In this grouping, you face quite a few Jaspers, and then a gaggle of Agates, and the cluster of Chalcedony. Some of these look quite a bit alike. So what is what? And what's the deal with Chalcedony, Agates and Jaspers? How in the world do you tell them apart?

All three of these crystals are a variety of Quartz with a Mohs hardness of about 7 (Jaspers can be about a 6.5), which means that they are all compatible with water. Always check Hibiscus Moon's Toxic Stone list to make sure it doesn't contain any minerals that might be toxic in water though. They are all gorgeously colored, because each of these Quartz varieties are silicon dioxide (Quartz) mixed with other crystals. 

So, let's talk about the differences of these words. Chalcedony is the general name given to any quartz crystal with a microcrystalline, or cryptocrystalline structure. When you look under a microscope at the crystal, you can see the crystal structure. If the structure is less than 30 microns(1/1000th of a millimeter) in size, it is said to be microcrystalline. Clear Quartz, Smoky Quartz, Amethyst and Citrine have a macrocrystalline structure, which you can see holding the crystal, right? That is the structure. So, when you look at a microcrystalline Quartz family crystal under a microscope,  you can see the same Quartz crystal shape that you see in a large Clear Quartz crystal, except it is 1/1000th of the a millimeter. This is why crystals are geometrically perfect and maintain a stable vibration. Crystals ROCK!

Blue Lace Agate on the left and Blue Chalcedony on the right. Note the banding on the agate.

So Chalcedony covers Jaspers and Agates under its umbrella, yet there are some crystals that are called Chalcedony. Carnelian, Bloodstone and Chrysoprase, as well as Blue and Purple Chalcedony are straight Chalcedony. They differ in their arrangement from Jaspers and Agates. Chalcedony are arranged in fibrous layers, unlike Jaspers which are arranged in grains. We'll talk about that in a little bit. Agates are also arranged in fibrous layers (making this even more confusing.) One way to distinguish, and someone correct me here if I'm wrong, but I believe that Chalcedony are concentrically banded and the banding is larger. Agates are banded as well, but Chalcedony often have bands that extend beyond the individual crystals, so they may be hard to see. Take Carnelian for example. Most people who buy small tumbled Carnelian, never see the bands. So, the way to tell the difference FOR THE MOST PART is this question: Can you see the bands? If yes, then Agate. If not, then perhaps Chalcedony. This is fairly obvious when you look at a Chalcedony and Agate next to each other. I chose a Blue Chalcedony and Blue Lace Agate next to each other. You can see the difference in their banding, no? 

Agate slice in a window of the cabin we rented last summer. Agate slices beautifully show the translucency that defines agates.

There is also a difference in the diaphenity, or the way light passes through the stone. Agates are translucent to semi-transparent, which means light passes through the crystal. You can often find dyed Agates at toy stores, or novelty shops for sale. They are thinly sliced, and look awesome in windows. I have a few in my meditation room. Whereas Chalcedony can be translucent, but also can be transparent and opaque. I have had Carnelians that are nearly translucent, but also had some cut too thick to be translucent, but you can tell, if sliced thinly, light would come through. Jaspers on the other hand are opaque. Light never passes through. So, you can tell by holding your stone up to the light. Can you see anything on the other side? Can you see light streaming through it? Does it appear to light up? When you move your hand between the stone and the light source, does it change the way your crystal looks? 

On the right, Carnelian, which is a form of Chalcedony. because of this large sphere, you can see the striations from its layers on this. Unlike the Red Jasper on the left, which doesn't have banding, but you can see the foreign matter, which makes Red Jasper so beautiful. In these two, you can see how the diaphenity differs between Jaspers and Chalcedonies. Jasper absorbs the light because it is opaque, while the Carnelian illuminates in the sunlight.

Jaspers are opaque, because they are an amalgam of silicon dioxide and upto 20% foreign matter, which is what makes Jaspers so gorgeous. Jasper comes from the Greek word meaning "Spotted Stone" so Jaspers often have different markings from Chalcedony and Agates. What gets confusing is some of the lasting misnomers in the crystal world. Moss Agate, for example, NOT technically an agate, but stays in the category. Same with Dendritic Agate. Those are the exceptions, though.

Jaspers differ from one another drastically because of the way they mix with that 20% of foreign matter. Starting in the front and moving clockwise: Unakite, Brown Jasper, Unsure of this jasper, but sure it is one,Red Jasper, two Yellow Jaspers, Picture Jasper, Leopard Skin Jasper, and Dalmatian Stone.

Jaspers are formed much differently than Agates and Chalcedony, which you can probably tell from just looking at them. Agates tend to form near volcanic activity where water rich with silica runs through fissures in igneous rock. This creates a kind of thick silica gel, which over time builds us on the wall and forms microcrystalline structure. This is why the layers develop. Jaspers on the other hand are formed by a kind of cementing, which you can see in Granites as well. Silica cements to other materials forming these amazing stones. A great example of this is in the Dalmatian Jasper or Unakite. You can see the cementing. Now don't get me wrong, Jaspers can be striated or banded, like Picture Jasper. But the key difference is the diaphenity. 

Metaphysically speaking, each type of Chalcedony, Jasper and Agate has its own properties based on color, weight, size, etc. Agates have the reputation of having a lower vibration, which is wonderful for stabilizing and grounding. As my blog progresses, i will be covering some of these wonderful Quartz family stones individually. Today, my plan was to talk about Red Jasper, but this took over my head, so I thought I would share. 

I love creating conversation, so join in the comments below and add your thoughts and experience with these stones. If you have a specific question about a specific jasper, agate or chalcedony, just leave it in the comments below.

tarot of the week--the tower

“There is only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected: the expected for which one has refused to prepare.” ― Mary Renault

There aren't many cards that strike fear into the heart of tarot clients as deeply as the Tower. We travel into the Major Arcana to meet this gloomy teacher. Number 16, the Tower follows the Devil in the Fool's Journey. When we begin to "walk" each card as the Fool does, we begin to see the way the cards grow and challenge you. Death, thirteen in the Major Arcana, deals with massive change and transformation. Fourteen, Temperance, balances your talk and your walk, asking you to protect your new transformation with moderation. Attachment marks the Fifteen Devil card. This card lacks balance and autonomy. Powerlessness against one's attachment to another, or addiction, or anything that stands between you and Source. The Tower shows destruction, unexpected challenge, natural disaster, and suffering. Loss of attachment marks the Tower (among other things), but let's start with some background here. 

The Tower's black background informs us immediately that things are rough. Two people fall out of this large tower on a high mountain. Lightning strikes the top of the tower again, as a storm rages around the scene. A crown, or the cornice of the building (at least, that is what I assume that is) falls off the top, exposing the building. Clouds surround the Tower. After 9/11, many people found the Tower to be profounding disturbing and prophetic. I see it as a profound metaphor for our spiritual awakening, but we'll get there.

As I reflect on the entire 78 card Tarot, I cannot recall one other card that functions in the way that the Tower function. It signals an unexpected upset or disaster. The "unexpected" tends to be key here. Many Tarot readers stress that the Tower is not something you can prepare for, which is not quite where I stand on the Tower myself. Interestingly, in Arthur Waite's own Pictorial Key to the Tarot, he tries to dispel this myth. He sees this as not a physical destruction, but a spiritual and emotional one. He says, it is the ""House of the Mind, when evil has prevailed therein." He also used the phrase, the House of Doctrine. He makes it clear (in his usual convoluted language) that these Towers that come down are always the Towers that man himself built, not God. What Arthur Waite intended, and what the modern Tarot reader sees in the Tower are often two different things. But there is much to glean about the card's meaning from Waite's intention.

Most interpretations of this card stick fairly close to the unexpected, or external change coming in the life of the Seeker when the Tower is pulled. It is precisely why the Tower is so feared. We all can handle the changes we control, but what about these unexpected hiccups in life? Or the huge losses we suddenly face. These can be as large as job loss, house fire, or car accident. On the other hand, it can be running into an ex at a restaurant with your best friend. Or suffering a last confrontation with someone who brings down some wall you thought could protect you. This is how I see the Tower--what walls have you built and how will they come down? It is the ultimate wake-up call. Get WITH IT!! Open to your spiritual self. Trust in Great Spirit (or however you conceive of the Source). Know your walls will not protect you from the truth you are locking away. The Tower appears so that you may align spiritually, emotionally, physically (perhaps) and mentally.

We often see that, no? That we become spiritually and emotionally tight. "I'm fine if I just avoid any temptation, human being, or dangerous emotion." As the saying goes, it is easy to be a holy man on top of the mountain. We may only practice daily meditation and prayer, or turn our will over to God when things are rough, but in good times, when we are all locked away in our Tower away from any irritation, emotional pain or upset, we don't plug into the Divine. We play God. We are the almighty self-reliant savior from our own suffering. This is the great lie we tell ourselves--if we just build enough walls, we will be safe from suffering. Further, we can PREVENT suffering. We live in gated communities to protect ourselves from crime. If we just avoid this mean person, that dangerous part of town, or if we stop taking lovers all together, life will be peachy and our heart will never hurt. But this is the great illusion, the mother of untruth. 

All of this is isolation--isolation from other people, from God and most importantly, from our own selves. We are spiritual beings here for a human experience. The human experience includes connection, compassion and suffering. Yes, SUFFERING. It is part of the deal as a human. It is the first noble truth and none of us, not the most prepared, diligent, or type A among us, are immune from suffering. The illusion that goes hand-in-hand with the illusion that we can prevent suffering, if that we ever were in control to begin with. We are powerless against all, even those things we thought we had power over. And so, the quote I chose for the Tower by Mary Renault is, "There is only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected: the expected for which one has refused to prepare.” Because to me, every day is a day to prepare for an unexpected shock. It is the one thing for which we can prepare--we have no idea what is going to happen. And how do you prepare for the unexpected--prayer, meditation, and being good to all around you, just my humble opinion here.

Marcia Masino says this amazing, beautiful thing about the Tower, "The wake-up call is a blessing bestowed upon the walled up characters in the trump." The Tower? A blessing? She goes on to say, "Spiritual truth directly strikes them, creating a great leveling; they are blasted from their position." She sees the Tower as a dismantling of limiting beliefs.

Remember that this liberation from your self-limiting beliefs often is a painful journey. (Aren't they all?) And the Tower validates that this won't be easy. You don't depict two people falling to their death out of a burning building with no suffering, but it is the catalyst to great emotional and spiritual awakening. The Tarot uses death, not as a punishment or fearful outcome, but as the greatest of awakenings. Death IS enlightenment in the Rider-Waite . The Tower begs you to move into the destruction, rather than away from it. Help the walls come down, rather than build a whole new stronger, more isolating Tower, but rather to look at what illusions you were clinging to, and how you can see the whole truth.

Reversed, the Tower means virtually the same thing, but it is not unexpected. The upset is more gradual, less violent to the soul. And it is usually exactly what the Seeker is thinking when she or he first sees the Tower, tends to be a confrontation with someone, or an already disintegrating relationship. I sometimes talk about using Tarot for energy healing and chakra readings, if you consistently pull the Tower, this is a Root Chakra issue. One that can be beautifully aligned through earthing, grounding, and affirmations about your own safety and security.

This is our practice this week--to embrace our most difficult challenges as our greatest teachers. Our destroyed walls are our spiritual awakenings, and once we throw those bricks to the side, we can be free.

tantric twin crystal

Last week, I wrote about Lemurian Seed Crystals and talked about the Master Crystals. I am actually traveling this week, but brought one crystal with me--my Tantric Twin Crystal. As the months go on, I will continue discussing these "Master Crystals" from time to time. Katrina Raphaell, the author of a trilogy of incredible crystal healing books, seems to be the first crystal healer to channel the information about the Master Crystals. People often throw that label around, saying that their primary crystal, or the one they work with for healing, psychic or meditation work, is their Master Crystal. It is fine to use it that way, but technically, the term Master Crystal in crystal healing circles has a very definite meaning.

Katrina Raphaell identified some formations of Clear Quartz Crystal, which are said to already be programmed by Mother Earth for specific uses in spiritual and crystal healing work. All of her information about these crystals has been channeled. She was certainly the first to name these crystals, but others independently have channeled similar information confirming her information. In the crystal healing community, her work and identification of these crystals is respected and used. Some of these you have probably already heard of: Elestial, Channeling, Window, Dow, Transmitter, Isis, Cathedral Library, Devic Temple, Record Keeper, Time link, Self-Healed, Tantric Twin, and Phantom. (I'm doing this from memory, so I may have missed one, or replaced it in my head with one I think is a Master.) Each of these are identified by the shape of the crystal itself, the shape and formation of the crystal's facets, growth striations or patterns or markings specific to that crystal. I have bought a pound of little crystal points and found amazing Master Crystals in them. Most stone shops don't check each crystal point to see if it is a Master, so some times you can search through them to find different formations. Once you begin to learn about Master Crystals, it makes Quartz Crystals even more fascinating than they once were.

Today, I am just going to talk about the Twin or Tantric Twin Crystal. Throughout the rest of the year, I'll bring some of these Master Crystals into our discussion on this blog. If you have one, you are interested in learning more about, just put it in the comments and I'd be happy to talk about it. 

If you already do not know, I am an identical twin, sharing my DNA and life path with my womb mate, Kellyann Satterfield. She is an incredible channel, medium and psychic in her own right, if you aren't familiar with her work. We are planning on teaming up in the next few weeks and months, so stay tuned here. (You can always find out information about my comings and goings in my newsletter as well, by signing up right here.)

Because of my twinniness, I have always been drawn to all things twin. Twin Crystals, or Tantric Twin Crystals are two quartz crystals of nearly the same size on a common base. Now, there are crystals that are simply two crystals on the same base, but Tantric Twin Crystals are parallel, and grow relatively the same rate. There is no true boundary between the two. As a collector of these amazing twin crystals, I have some which are the same exact size, and others which have some variety there. 

Tantric Twin is a metaphysical name. If you are at a gem show or rock hound shop, just use the name Twin Crystal. I once asked a geologist at his shop if he carried any Tantric Twin Crystals, and he looked at me disgustingly and said, "That is a metaphysical name. I only deal with geological names." Twin crystals, however, should work fine. This is a good tip anytime you are at a gem and mineral show, or shop. Most of those guys don't get us New Agers, as they condescendingly call us. So, as my teacher Hibiscus Moon says, Don't fly your freak flag when you want a deal. Try to find the geological name for the stone you are looking for--Dream Quartz, for example, you might want to ask for Quartz with Epidote inclusion.

Back to what the heck you use Twin Crystals for. This Master Crystal is programmed for relationship issues. It once had the reputation for only being used for romantic relationships, but that is just not the case. Tantric Twins are healers of all relationships, particularly soul mate and twin flame relationships. These relationships often get conflated, but they seem to have specific meanings. I consider soul mates to be people, not necessarily your life partner or husband, who you have incarnated with. They are soul partners. All of these people in your realm who are helping your soul grow, learn, ascend. These can be friends, coworkers, or family. I don't believe you have only one of these. I believe you have MANY of these. Hundred even. Twin flames were named such by mystics and philosophers. It was believed at the Soul's Creation, the soul split into two--Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine. These two don't always incarnate together, they sometimes incarnate separately. But they often get lives together. Their connection runs deeper than all others, and often has this feeling of completion when they come together. Twin Flame relationships don't have to be different gender, but more of a yin-yang relationships of complementing one another, rather than being exactly the same beliefs and ways of being. The distinction then is that there is one Twin Flame for each person and many soul mates. I make this distinction, because I find it fascinating, but also because these ideas get thrown around. You may read somewhere else that the Tantric Twin is for Twin Flame relationships. And it can certainly be used for that, but it can be used to heal ALL relationships. Tantric Twins are used in meditation to gain insight into the underlying issues of the relationship and the ways to heal those relationship issues. They are also wonderful allies when you want to direct energy toward healing a relationship, so you can use for grid activation with the intention of healing a relationship, or your relationships. You can also use it as a way to hold space during a difficult conversation about a relationship by using it as a talking stick of sorts, or placing it between you. You can often find rainbows in Quartz Crystals. These are particularly useful in Tantric Twins to project healing energy into the relationship. Tantric Twins are also wonderful for good, strong relationships, and holding the intention of keeping the relationship strong. Tantric Twin crystals also assist in attracting like-minded people or soul mates. In this way, that is how the erroneous belief that these crystals only assist in Twin Flame or romantic relationships began.

Let me know if you have a Tantric Twin and how you have worked with it. Or any questions below.

tarot of the week--knight of pentacles

I've discussed court cards a few times on this blog, and Knights in particular. I'll briefly recap, but if you want to read more about Knights, this post might be helpful. If you are interested in just Court Cards, this post might be helpful. 

Knights hold the energy of the suit. They move that energy, the action characters that embody the extremes of the suit's power. Knights in the traditional court give their life for service to their cause, so they believe in their cause. In this case, their cause is their suit. They are the court cards that aren't sitting in wait, or ruling from a throne--they are on the battlefield, protectors, or the messengers of the court. He does the hard work of the suit. And embodies the entire spectrum of the suits attributes from best to middling to worst.

The Knight of Pentacles appears as a man on a Black Steed bearing a pentacle. He is not launching into battle like the Knight of Swords. He comes steadily. Pentacles, for a little refresher, hold the energy of the element of Earth. They are concerned with issues of finances, career, home, money, and marriage. Material things. This Knight embodies the stable, practical, dependable, hardworking aspects of the Pentacles at their best. He achieves goals. Knights tend to be men or women between the ages of 35 and 50, or so. There is no real limit. The idea here is that the Knights are older than Pages and younger than King. The differences between King and Knight energy is the maturity level and energetic level, I think. Knights are about movement, so this person is out there in the world getting shit done. The Kings have gotten their proverbial shit done, and are now reaping the benefits.

I told you that the Knights represent the best and worst of their suit's energy, and reversed would tend to be the worst of the suits attributes. Those tend to be unethical (so think the ends justifies the means, it is something all Earth signs can wrestle with as practical, utilitarian people.) This reversed knight can be scheming, shrewd (in both positive and negative ways), greedy, stingy or miserly. Or he can be horrible with money and irresponsible. But the attribute would be manifest in a way that affects his home/career/family. So this irresponsibility might come out by coming into work late, leaving early, stealing company products, embezzlement, rather than blowing off friends for a drink. Does that make sense?

Knights of Pentacles, as all court cards do, tend to represent people in our lives. They can be validations in a reading about who Spirit means. So Pentacles are earth signs--Taurus, Virgo or Capricorns. They tend to be dark-haired, serious, honest, not overly emotional, but thoughtful and considerate. They tend to have dry senses of humor. They are loyal.

If you have any questions, post it below.