Thursday Night Tarot – Hanged Man/Empress

This is the third 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 third Birth Card pair up are the Hanged Man and the Empress.

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 following conversation is the theme for the Hanged Man/Empress duo: “Accepting what fortune brings you, versus creating your own destiny.” To my left is the Hanged Man, to my right is the Empress, and to the Empress’ right we have Mr. Lotterhand. Thank you all for being here. Hanged Man, you may begin.

Hanged Man: I would like to thank Mr. Lotterhand and the Empress 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 say that I represent the “power of stillness. What exactly does that mean?

Jason C. Lotterhand: The outside world demands that we be on the move. Remaining still is just something that we are not encouraged to do. However, one of the most important things that we can do is to find the stillness and quiet within. No words, no things …  just absolute stillness. When you are no longer concerned ab out anything, then you have reached this thing called stillness.

As the Hanged Man, you represent the inner aspects of life. You exist outside of ordinary experience, in your own zone. With you, an individual reaches a level of superconsciousness.

Hanged Man: You say that I represent the principle of “reversal”. Can you please explain that to our audience.

Jason C. Lotterhand: The principle of reversal is based in the individual’s attitude. There is a turning away from the world, not to reject it, but to allow oneself to interpret life from an inner perspective. A whole new ballgame! Focusing outward assumes that the individual knows all of the answers, while focusing inward is dependent solely on  the Life Power.

It is good to practice the reversal of thoughts, as it helps us appreciate our subconscious. In working with reversal exercises we break away from believing that certain things are so, and certain things are not so. We come to accept what is going on in the proper spirit. Internal changes will lead automatically to external change.

Hanged Man: Do you have any last words for our audience?

Jason C. Lotterhand: A small thought here concerning meditation, which is one way to still the mind. Through meditation, we look at everything we are, and then we dissolve it. Meditation helps us to consciously get where we want to go.

Fool: Thank you, Hanged Man, and you, Mr. Lotterhand. Empress, you have the podium.

Empress: Thank you, Fool. I would like to thank the Hanged Man and Mr. Lotterhand for being here, and the Fool for acting as host. Mr. Lotterhand, you note that I represent the Divine Mother. Why is this important?

Jason C. Lotterhand: The Christian Fathers made the decision long ago to ban Isis. However, it wasn’t that easy. She still exists, and we are in a time when the feminine principle is being recognized for what it is. The woman within each of us is our creative imagination.  We not only receive inspiration here, but also the ability to nurture our creations. The ultimate place to find knowledge and information is nature herself.

Empress: How does Venus represent me as an archetype?

Jason C. Lotterhand: Venus represents love and desire. Binah’s symbol is the cup, the Holy Grail, which receives the message that is transmitted from the other side of the Tree. The heart is the main symbol for the Empress. It represents the law of Mother’s Love. To connect with the Empress, with feminine wisdom, we must approach through love.  The fire of love is found in the Empress’ heart.

Empress: Isn’t Venus also the patroness of the arts?

Jason C. Lotterhand: Yes, indeed she is. The Empress knows all of the laws, and is capable of producing all the transformation. In this respect, the Empress rules all of the Arts and Sciences. She contains all of these different ways of expressing life. The Empress brings us success and victory, and carries our regenerated self.

Empress: Can you explain to our audience how I am different from the High Priestess, as we both represent subconscious energy.

Jason C. Lotterhand: You and the High Priestess do both represent the energy of the subconscious. The energy is the same, the difference is in activity. The Empress comes into being as the result of intercourse between the High Priestess and Spirit.  The High Priestess represents the abstract aspect of substance, while the Empress represents nature, and everything that goes on within nature.

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

Jason C. Lotterhand:  Our self-consciousness is already merged with our subconscious. Nothing happens without the Divine Pair. In the case of the Empress, her partner is the Emperor. Essentially, one is defined in terms of the other.

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)

 © September 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

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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