Northwest Astrology & Tarot Salon

In November of this year the inaugural Northwest Astrology and Tarot Salon will be held at the Breitenbush Conference Center, near Detroit, OR. (More information about the Salon can be found here – http://www.tonigilbert.com/workshops/Northwest-Astrology-and-Tarot-Salon.pdf .) I would like to introduce you to Mary Jo Wevers, PhD, one of the Conversation Leaders for this event.

Mary Jo is a Licensed Spiritual Health Coach specializing in Soul-Personality Integration. She lives and practices in Corvallis, Oregon. A certified Karmic Astrologer, Mary Jo uses the symbolic language of astrology to help clients better understand themselves and their life experiences from a deeper, spiritual perspective. As an accredited Journey™ Practitioner she uses guided visualizations and meditations that allow clients to access cell memories and clear the emotional root cause of issues so they can heal. Mary Jo’s goal is to help people put the past behind and move forward in life in peace and wholeness. Her web site is www.maryjowevers.com.

Mary Jo will most likely be focusing her Conversation Group on Lunar Nodes in the astrological chart, which represent our karmic soul pattern and spiritual soul mission in life.

“The Nodes always point us in the direction where we are revisiting and healing our past experiences and issues and where we need to stretch and grow to embrace the new.”  – Pat Liles

Mary Jo may also be discussing the topic of interceptions in the astrological chart, their karmic interpretation, and reclaiming the energy of intercepted signs and planets in ourselves and in our lives.

From Mary Jo: “I am excited to share the symbolic language of astrology with others, exploring how it helps us understand ourselves as spiritual beings having human experiences.  Your astrological chart provides information about your soul’s journey through many lives.  Energy you created in the past is carried into this life for further development, resolution, or healing. Understanding your personality and spiritual path allows you to live consciously, using your personality and gifts for your spiritual purpose.”

For those of us that are (relative) newbies to astrology, Mary Jo has shared the following:

What is Karmic Astrology?

 In karmic astrology, we view an astrological chart as a unique

map or mandala that provides information about a person’s

journey as a soul through many lives. Your astrological chart is

unique because no one else on earth, at least not for another

25,000 years, will have the same placement of planets and signs

in the houses that you have in your chart.

The astrological chart reveals personality traits and skills,

conscious and unconscious patterns of behavior, and life themes

that have been brought into this life for further development or

resolution. It provides clues about past life experiences that

produce subconscious guilt or shame, and old wounds that have

not yet healed. The chart tells us something about soul contracts

made with other people in this lifetime to assist you on your soul

journey. It specifies your life purpose or “soul mission”, the goal

or destination your soul wishes you to strive for in this lifetime to

expand your experience and assist in your personal evolution.

Karmic astrology is dynamic, not fatalistic. We have free will and

can exercise conscious choice. When we take responsibility for

our karmic past by actively working to free ourselves of “past-life

baggage” we can change unproductive patterns of behavior. We

can heal past-life wounds, transform and transmute past life

experiences into lessons, so that we can live our lives with insight

and gratitude. When we are conscious of the gifts and talents we

have brought into this life we can use them for the highest good.

This is how we integrate our personality with our soul’s purpose

in this life time. We are empowered and actively create the life we

choose.

 Mary Jo Wevers, Ph.D.

 
Each Conversation Leader brings their own wisdom and life experience with them. I very much look forward to learning a bit more about astrology, and how I can put it to use in my life! How about you?

© 2000 – 2014 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.

 

Review – The Apocalypse Tarot

The Apocalypse Tarot

Author: Swiatoslaw Nowicki
Artist: Robert Sobota
Colored By: Magdalena Walulik
2014
ISBN #97-83-937968-4-7

“The Apocalypse Tarot” is a 78 card deck from Poland based on traditional Tarot structure. That is where tradition ends! This deck represents a very unique approach to the Tarot – through the use of images from Esoteric Christianity in the Major Arcana, and images from Polish Catholicism in the Minor Arcana it heralds the impending radical changes critical to the crisis of traditional European religiosity.

Swiatoslaw Nowicki is a Polish philosopher and astrologer. He is also a translator and expert on the German philosopher Georg Friedrich Hegel. He works with music theory, the music of the spheres, astrology, astronomy, philosophy, and all things esoteric.

The cards come without a LWB (Little White Book). An e-book version of the LWB for this deck can be downloaded from the deck site – http://www.swiatoslawnowicki.com/en/. Also available are the following e-books – Book 1 “The Magical Love Story of the Master and Magdalene to the Glory of the Angel”, and Book 2 “A Guide to Esoteric Christianity in 78 Images”.

I am going to include reference to the guide to the book in this review, because there is no other way that the depth of these cards would be understood. The Major Arcana reference the highest, eternal level of awareness. The Minor Arcana pips present the life of a Catholic as regulated by sacraments, commandments, etc. The Court Cards depict the story of Jesus Christ, the circle of people relevant to Christianity, and Christianity’s division into the main churches.

Nowicki takes great care to present his reasoning for the Major Arcana through the auspices of astrology. You will learn from this guide, even if you do not totally agree with it. There is an absolutely stunning color graphic that shows the relationship between the cards. Absolutely fascinating! I also appreciate that because this is a digital presentation, the reader can click on the exact section they want to go to, and there is the information. I love my books “in hand”, but digital versions do have their saving graces!

Nowicki discusses such things as dualism, the fours as the great fulfillment, sixes as remedies, and eights as an individualist assent. Also included are card descriptions for the Major Arcana and the Court Cards.

The cards are 2 ¾” by 4 ¾”. The backs are a deep brown, with two rams heads facing each other, with smaller rams heads in the four corners, and one in the middle on each long side of the card. The backs are reversible. The card faces show a white background, with the card image taking up approximate ¾ of the deck. Across the bottom in bold black letters are the card number and title (for the Major Arcana), title and suit (for the Court Cards), and the card number and suit (for the Pips – numbered cards). In smaller lettering across the bottom (in English and Polish) we see the key thought for the card.

Traditional titles are used, with the exception of the Hierophant becoming the Pop. Strength is VIII, Justice is XI. The suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. The Court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.

One of my favorite cards is the High Priestess. The outline of the image is the wide open mouth of an animal with sharp teeth. Inside we see the image of an older woman, who appears to be looking down at the image of a modern nude female, who appears to be looking up at the first image. The key thought for the card is “The vision creation prior to the creation of the world.” From the LWB, we see that the Priestess represented here is Sophia, the Divine Wisdom. He does not exist until someone comes to look at the images reflecting in her mirror. She is the “mirror of eternity”. The images appear when light is sent into darkness.’

The Chariot carries the concept of expulsion from Paradise. There is an eagle, with his wings spread, on the back of the chariot. Two figures are riding in the chariot – one male, one female. In the upper left hand corner we see a winged angel. The figures in the chariot represent Adam and Eve, descending from the world of spirit into the physical world. The chariot is drawn by a winged bull, and a winged lion.

In the Hanged Man, we see a ladder reaching from the earth up into the heavens. The key concept is that of “The Savior:. A figure hangs, head down, from the ladder. Jacob’s Ladder has become the Christian cross. There is an eagle in the upper right hand corner, and an angel in the upper left hand corner. Underneath the hanging figure we see a bull and a lion.

The Page of Wands carries the concept of “Birth”. We see a female figure in a green robe (representing the Madonna) holding a newborn baby. In the background we see the Temple of Jerusalem. Above the temple’s roof the Star of Bethlehem is glowing, and two cherubs are tearing away the veil that has been covering the sacred place. Behind the veil is the Ark of the Covenant, radiating brilliant light.

The Ace of Cups shows a golden cup, with an eagle resting on its rim. It represents the element of water.

The King of Cups represents Saint Peter, seated on his throne. The resurrected Christ is putting a papal tiara on his head, passing on the authority over his church to Peter.

The Queen of Pentacles carries the concept of Paganism. In the front of the card we see the face of a cat, staring boldly out of the card.  In the upper right hand side at the back of the card we see a window, looking out into the night sky and a quarter moon. In the center of the card we see a fortune teller/witch/herbalist/gypsy, seated at her table, with an owl on her shoulder. From the right hand side of the card we see a slender hand placing money on the table. A spider web can be seen on the left hand side of the window. On the left hand side of the card we see the fortune teller/witch/herbalist/gypsy’s cauldron, which contains a magical herbal brew.

The 6 of Pentacles carries the key concept “gamble”. We see a woman sitting at a table, Tarot cards in front of her. A male figure sits sideways to the table, playing cards in his hands.

The e-book Guide does a wonderful job of describing the esoteric relationship of the cards to one another. This is a deck that may be used on many different levels, according to the needs of the student/Seeker. There is nudity in the deck which, while not inappropriate, needs to be taken into consideration when reading for someone else.

The artistic style is very modern, with a touch of fantasy and whimsy to it. The art carries the message of the card … neither overcomes the other. From me … two thumbs up!

© February 2014 Bonnie Cehovet

 

Northwest Astrology & Tarot Salon – Paul Nagy

In November of this year the inaugural Northwest Astrology and Tarot Salon will be held at the Breitenbush Conference Center, near Detroit, OR. (More information about the Salon can be found here – nwsalon.com .) I would like to introduce you to Mr. Paul Nagy, one of the Conversation Leaders for this event.

Paul is a Tarot reader, teacher, and consultant. He offers weekly teleconferences based on specific books. Currently he is conducting an intensive study of the Sacred Rose Tarot (by Johanna Gargulo-Sherman), through her “Guide To the Sacred Rose Tarot”. This may lead to a possible new edition of this book, including more material about the possible significance of the deck. This is open to anyone who wishes to call in and participate. His teaching focus is on intermediate Tarot readers.

Paul’s conversation topic will be Contemplative Tarot as a form of prayer dialogue. Paul sees this as a “true” conversation, in that the topic will act as a springboard for using the Tarot as a tool of reaching towards the divine, and not merely as a form of self-knowledge.

Paul has also been working with Enrique Enriquez reading the Marseille style Tarot. His emphasis here is on looking at the imagery in the cards to see what they depict, and then developing them analogically, metaphorically, and anagogically.

He has just started participating in a Facebook group called The Pips and Trumps, where they take one card from the Minor Arcana, and one card from the Major Arcana, and discuss them using the methods that Enrique follows, as well as the methods that group members may also use individually. Paul has very graciously allowed me to excerpt some of his comments from this group, so that people can see how he reads Tarot for Tarot.

Paul on the card pairing Seven of Swords and Temperance:

“The 7 of Swords Winks at Temperance:

“Ever spill a drop?”

“Only when I sleep on swords,” she quibs.

“Yes rust may well be an issue.”

“Get a grip will you!”

“Who needs a grip? I’ve got wings and a wicked martini!”

“Get my point?”

“I’d rather keep dancing, thank you.”

 

In Paul’s own words, he reads Tarot by showing the elements in the card to the people he is reading for, and then showing how this element can be metaphored into a number of possibilities that may or may not relate to their question. He usually don’t like to know what a person’s question is until after he has talked to them about the cards.

I have met Paul, and attended a couple of Readers Studios that he was at. He is well spoken, a lot of fun, and filled with a bit of mischief! I think that you will all enjoy meeting him!

Paul’s work can be seen at http://www.tarothermeneutics.com/.

© 2000 – 2014 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.