St Patrick’s Day Spread

I love St. Patrick’s Day! From the time I was a child I have loved the Irish green (in fact, the whole Irish theme!), and looked forward to the eating of corned beef and cabbage. I thought that it might be fun to see what St Patrick’s Day was really all about, and how we could look at it through the Tarot.

The celebration of this day is in honor of Saint Patrick, of course. Who was Saint Patrick, and just what did he do? It has been an official feast day since the early seventeenth century, and has worked its way into a celebration of Irish culture. According to Wiki he has an interesting history, having been born in Roman Britain, then kidnapped and held in Ireland. He did get away, returning to Britain to study to be a priest. He returned to Ireland as a bishop, and is credited with having a strong influence in bringing Christianity to Ireland.

We are in a Hierophant year, which I see as quite connected to St. Patrick. His mission was to bring Christianity to Ireland, which he did in a very sound fashion. He connected with the Irish people, and was/is highly regarded. He saw his life path, he knew his life path, he lived his life path. This is what I kept in mind when developing a Tarot spread for this day.

Saint Patrick’s Day Spread

1. Where am I right now in my life path? The Empress
2. What do I need to share with others about my life experiences? Two of Swords
3. What is the best way to share my wisdom? Six of Cups

I am in a good place in my path right now. I understand it well, and nurture it. I am deeply connected to my creative nature, focused on bringing my projects out into the light of day.

What I need to share with others involves the area of communications, and being open to others. Learning how to trust, and to be able to go into partnerships of all kinds with a given level of trust.

The best way to share my wisdom is to adapt to the people and times that I am living/working in. I also need to become comfortable with being recognized for the work that I am doing.

Hopefully a few of you will try t his one. Please let me know how it works for you!

Enjoy!

Scans are from the “All Hallows Tarot”, Robyn Tisch Hollister, 2008.

© March 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

 

Thursday Night Tarot – Wheel of Fortune/Magician

This is the first in a series of conversations between the Birth Card pairs and Jason C. Lotterhand, through “The Thursday Night Tarot”, (edited by Arisa Victor). The host for this series is the Fool, representing the individual taking the journey. The first Birth Card pair up are the Wheel of Fortune and the Magician.

Fool: Welcome to this series of conversations. Information discussed here is based on Jason C. Lotterhand’s work, as presented in “The Thursday Night Tarot”. Something to keep in mind before we enter into the first conversation is the theme for the Wheel of Fortune/Magician duo: “Accepting what fortune brings you, versus creating your own destiny.” To my left is the Wheel of Fortune, to my right is the Magician, and to the Magician’s right we have Mr. Lotterhand. Thank you all for being here. Wheel of Fortune, you may begin.

Wheel of Fortune: I would like to thank Mr. Lotterhand and the Magician for being here, and the Fool for hosting this series. As we all know, Birth Cards work in pairs. However, we all carry our own identity. Through Mr. Lotterhand’s work, we hope to clarify who we are to those who carry our energy.

Mr. Lotterhand, you talk about my inner whirling, and the part of me that stays still. Can you explain to our audience a little about this.

Jason C. Lotterhand: Certainly. The principle of inner whirling, or rotation, supports every activity that you and I engage in. The stopping and starting of the great wheel (ROTA) represents the forces of involution and evolution. The part of us that is not whirling around all the time is our discriminating consciousness. Lucky fellow is able to be aware of all the whirling without losing his balance. This is symbolized by the Sphinx, and also by the very center of the Wheel.

Wheel of Fortune: Can you explain to our audience what the images in my four corners represent, please.

Jason C. Lotterhand: I would be happy to do that. The Lion represents the archetypal world. The Eagle represents the creative world. The Person represents the formative world. The Bull represents the world of result. These also represent the fixed signs of the zodiac. The Wheel is constructed in the manner of concentric circles, with the archetypal world at the center, followed by th creative world, the formative world, and the world of results.

Wheel of Fortune: Could you please explain to our audience which direction I turn in, and why.

Jason C. Lotterhand: The Wheel of Fortune turns counterclockwise, with the yellow serpent going down on the left representing involution. Anubis, the figure on the right hand side of the Wheel, is then evolving. The Sphinx at the top represents our Innermost Self.

Wheel of Fortune: Do you have any last words for our audience?

Jason C. Lotterhand: The Wheel is what started us off in the first place, and it is what will get us out of all of our difficulties.

Fool: Thank you, Wheel of Fortune, and you, Mr. Lotterhand. Magician, you have the podium.

Magician: Thank you, Fool. I would like to thank the Wheel of Fortune and Mr. Lotterhand for being here, and the Fool for acting as host. These conversations are very meaningful. I would like to start out by asking Mr. Lotterhand to explain to the audience my function on this journey.

Jason C. Lotterhand: Very apt request, Magician. You are the beginning of the Tarot, the individual that starts the Fool along his journey. He shows us how to contact what we consider to be Life Force, The Magician’s upraised wand, which represents our Self-Consciousness, tells us that he recognizes that all of the powers that he utilizes come from the basic Reality in the universe. In essence he is both saluting this super-power, and connecting to it. This gesture shows the technique of concentration and dedication, and keeps us from falling into the trap of the ego.

Magician: Why is my association with Mercury important?

Jason C. Lotterhand: Tarot liberates us primarily through mental methods. Mercury represents the intellect, and brings spark to the processes of the mind. This is very important, as the Magician’s main magic is that of what he can doing simply by wanting to do it! The red robe must be present for magic to happen. Man is a mediator between the inner and outer aspects of life. Man’s power is exercised primarily through his desire-nature. True magic is the magic of the Self.

Magician: What is the key to man’s transformation?

Jason C. Lotterhand: The key to man’s transformation is mastering his inner forces, and wanting change to be there.

Magician: Could you please tell our audience a little bit about the lemniscate (figure eight/infinity sign) above my head.

Jason C. Lotterhand: The center of the lemniscate represents a balance point that harmonizes the opposite sides of the Tree of Life, the Pillar of Mercy and the Pillar of Severity. Here we see that they are not at war, but that they are reciprocal actions of each other.

Magician: Do you have any last words for our audience?

Jason C. Lotterhand: Throught he Magician, we create/manifest through the process of desire.

Please note: These are, of course, imaginary conversations. The information has been taken from “The Thursday Night Tarot”, Jason C. Lotterhand, edited by Arisa Victor, Newcastle Publishing Co. Inc, 1989. Any errors in translation are mine, and mine alone.

Images are from the “Tarot Lovers Tarot”, by Karyn Easton (http://paranormality.com)

© March 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

 

New Spread – Who Am I?

Who Am I?

I wanted to create a spread that I could use whenever I wanted to step back, ground and center myself. See what you think!

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1. How do I see myself? – King of Disks
2. What is being hidden from me? – Three of Disks
3. How can I merge the hidden with the known? – Four of Disks

Out of 78 cards, and four different suits, I managed to pull three cards from the same suit. What are the chances of that? (Not a math major here, but even I know the chances are very, very slim!) I am definitely looking at issues in the physical world, which does reflect my life as I see it. I decided to use the Comparative Tarot technique – that is, to draw the original spread from one deck, and then take the  same cards from another deck for comparison. I used two decks that to me each have strong voices, to see what would happen. I like these results!

I see myself as being able to handle the day to day of life – to make and implement decisions that are beneficial for me, and that will take me where I want to go. I can accept taking risks (what I term “calculated risks”) to get where I want to go. I have not allowed the world to overwhelm me – I am able to deal with it.

What is being hidden from me is the form that my journey is taking. My creative self will move me in directions that are as yet unknown. I need to ground myself, and create from my very soul.

How I merge my ability/need to control the day to day of life with the need to step out and create is in my ability to walk my talk, to balance all things, and walk in harmony with life. Know that I am on the right path.

Decks used:

The Alchemical Tarot Renewed, Edition III, Robert M. Place, 1995-2007, Hermes Publications.

The Mary-El Tarot. Marie White, 2012, Schiffer Books.

© March 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

 

Tarology

I am in the midst of experiencing Enrique Enriquez book “Tarotology” – his view of the “Tarot de Marseille” through the lens of pataphysics (the science of imaginary solutions). Yes, this is a book that you experience, rather than read. It’s more fun that way … and, quite frankly, I immediately got lost when trying to be a big girl and to logically understand what was going on. I will not, at this point in time (and more than likely I will never) review this book. I don’t have the depth of understanding to do that. I will talk about what I see, and what I am experiencing.

It was entirely freeing to acknowledge that I had no clue what was going on, and to just be a “bystander with privileges” – I could laugh at what I understood, and be simply fascinated by the rest. I will experience this book many times over my lifetime, I am sure. I reread all of my books – and either find something new, or simply enjoy the read anew each time.

In her comments on this book, Camelia Elias (Professor of American Studies and Tarot de Marseille Reader) notes that in going from pataphysics to poetry and back again, Enriquez performs the Tarot in a way that is free of cultural preconditioning to the workings of myth and symbol. She goes on to note that Enriquez also proposes the following rules: “watch and learn”, keep it simple”, “stay on track”, “be surprised”, “be fearless”, and “let the image talk the walk”.

Enriquez, as anyone who has encountered him or any of his work knows, is a totally unique individual. I encountered him at the RS 2011, when he was filming the proceedings. He did his work so well that you never really knew he was there – but he

was! My regret is that I did not have the courage to introduce myself to him. Talk about lost opportunities!

I am about half-way through the book. What have I experienced so far? Tarology defined (the definition is transitory – it only holds true for the time it takes you to read it), the concept that the tarologist fees are variable, depending on the nature of the question. (It is suggested that the tarologist charge twice the amount for an unimaginative question than they charge for an imaginative one. I concur.) Letters are carriers of movement, pataphysics is the “science of exceptions”.

From page 66: “The French language allows for an exceptional playfulness that has turned the Marseille tarot tradition into a unique house of mirrors.”

The last page in this book is Enriquez’ biography. When I get the funds together, I am going to see if I can’t get him to “ghost” my bio!

There is more … I will write about it later. Get the book … it’s worth it!

© March 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

 

A Conversation Overheard – Hanged Man/Empress

I have been trying to think of ways in which I could make the Birth Card pairs come to life. I thought that it might be fun to have a Birth Card pair chatting over coffee or drinks. I was going to work with the gentlest Birth Card pair that I could find, just so the conversation would be, shall we say, a “nice, quiet one” Best laid plans, and all of that. The first two individuals that choose to speak were the ones that were the hardest for me to write about – The Devil and The Lovers. They choose to speak over drinks … fair warning! Today’s Birth Card pair are the Hanged Man and the Empress. They are sitting on the porch of the vacation home of the Empress, a porch that faces the Pacific ocean. It is a warm summer day, with a light breeze coming in off the water. They have just finished lunch, and are drinking iced tea and chatting.

The Hanged Man has taken on the form of a man in his early 50’s that very closely resembles George Clooney. Nicely cut graying hair, aviator sunglasses to protect his eyes against the glare of the sun, crisp khaki’s and a short sleeved summer shirt. His name is Stephan Gregorios.

“Joelle, lunch was incredible, as always! I love coming out here – it is so relaxing. Just the time-out that I need.”

The Empress has taken on the form of a woman in her early 50’s. Her hair is shoulder length, and blond. She is wearing over-sized sunglasses that compliment her round face, and a floral print, short sleeved dress, with dolphin earrings in her ears.

“Stephan, you are always welcome here. I understand that the nature of your work keeps you on the move – I am happy to be able to provide a respite.” Taking a deep drink of iced tea, her eyes follow the boats out in the water.

“How do you think we stand, Stephan? The year 2012 really is a fulcrum year for humankind. Is there anything more that we can be doing for them to get them ready for what is coming?”

“Joelle, how like you to want to nurture the coming changes. Much of what they have been asked to do relates to their releasing their past, so that they can walk into their future with intent and purpose. The scary part for them was in recognizing that they needed to do this. They are adjusting well, and are allowing themselves to process the changes. They may feel right now that they are spinning out of control, but they are not. They will do well.”

Joelle continued to gaze out over the water. While her mind was on the conversation, her soul was in a meditative mode. “What about those who are having difficulty with the change? Those who, shall we say, are still a bit “iffy”?”

“We cannot make their choices for them. There will always be those in humankind that do not fit in with their time. It has always been this way, and will continue to be so. They have to take responsibility for themselves.”

Joelle sighed. “Yes, I know. We cannot put the burden of the masses on just a few people. I am pleased that they are realizing that they need to connect with Mother Earth in a more significant fashion. If they had not done so, their time here would be numbered, and we would be off on another assignment.”

Stephan stood up, stretching his shoulders and holding his hand out to Joelle. “Let’s go take a walk on the beach. The connection with water will do us both some good, and, in this human form, we need to remember to exercise out bodies.”

Joelle laughed as she took Stephan’s hand and stood up. “Right you are, as usual!”

Together, they walked down the path to the beach, where they could step out of work mode for a moment and simply unite with spirit.

© March 2012 Bonnie Cehovet