Thursday Night Tarot – World/Empress

This is the twelfth and final conversation, 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 twelfth Birth Card pair up is World/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 World/Empress duo: “Completing inner work, bringing together the diverse parts of ones life, the ability to feel comfortable in the external, physical world because the Seeker is at one with themselves. The ability to give and receive love, and to live from a snese of trust.” To my left is the World, to my right is the Empress, and to the Empress’s right we have Mr. Lotterhand. Thank you all for being here. World, you may begin.

World: 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, just the very title “The World” indicates a sense of connectedness and completion. What does that term say to you?

Jason C. Lotterhand: The World is our oyster, it truly is! When we have reached the World, we have gone through seven stages of spiritual unfolding. Who we see in front of us is a New Being, the Being that walked through all of paths of the Major Arcana, and assimilated the lessons. The image on the World is you, when you are free to enjoy yourself, and dance the dance of life. Your ego trip is over, and you are living and functioning in a higher realm of consciousness. Take a timeout to enjoy this time!

World: Who and what does the figure of the dancer represent?

Jason C. Lotterhand: The dancer is our Innermost self, Master of all of the twenty-two Intelligences associated with the Tree of Life. The ellipse surrounding the dancer is Life Itself in the form of a victory wreath. We are victorious over the challenges that life has presented us with. We are a microcosm … we contain all of the powers inherent in the cosmos.

World: Should we look at the fifth dimension as a kind of consciousness?

Jason C. Lotterhand: By all means! The fifth dimension is superconsciousness. It can be seen as a point wherein the unity principle is concentrated. Everything is encoded at that point, and all creation comes from it.

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

The Empress: Thank you, Fool. I would like to thank the World and Mr. Lotterhand for being here, and the Fool for acting as host.

Mr. Lotterhand,  In what way does the Empress represent Venus?

Jason C. Lotterhand: The Empress represents that aspect of Venus as the “desirable one”. She balances the male principle found within the Emperor. She is the part of life that we can touch and get close to.

The Empress: Why is the heart the main symbol for the Empress?

Jason C. Lotterhand: Venus embraces the heart with her right (active) hand, indicating that love is her primary concern. If you want to connect with the Mother, you have to practice love. The Dove that represents the Holy Spirit is seen moving in the heart (not the head).

The Empress: Is the red triangle on the Empress dress associated with desire?

Jason C. Lotterhand: Yes. It is the fire of Chokmah that is hidden within the body of Binah. This is the explanation for the Empress always being seen as pregnant. The red triangle represents ou sacred inner life.

The Empress: Do you have any final thoughts for our audience?

Jason C. Lotterhand: One last thought – the Empress rests her foot on the Moon to indicate a conscious understanding of the cyclic nature of life.

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 (Karyn Easton, http://paranormality.com ).

 © November 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

 

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Conversations Overheard – World/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 World and the Empress. The World is represented by a mysterious man of indeterminate age named Henri, while the Empress is represented by a woman in her early fifties, with shoulder length, blond hair and a sense of peace about her. Her name is Joelle.

The scene is the vacation home of the Empress, which faces the Pacific ocean. It is mid-summer, and unseasonably hot. They are seated in the screened in back porch, which faces the ocean. There is a light breeze, and the water glistens in the sunlight. The couple are seated at a wicker table, with glasses of iced tea and a plate of small sandwiches between them.

Henri took a sip of his tea, gazing over the water. “Joelle, it is always so peaceful here. Even in the summer, with crowds of people on the beach. Sometimes I envy you.”

Joelle smiled. “Henri, you of all people should realize that there is nothing to envy with me. I enjoy the beach, yes, and I spend as much time as I can here, but I do have my work cut out for me. It is my choice to do so in a peaceful manner, but it is still work, and it still needs to be done.”

“I know that. I reap the benefits of those that have gone before me, and of their work. It is for you to carry the archetype of the mother, and to reach deep into your creative center to nurture the fires of stability, abundance and prosperity, fertility, love and emotional security, and all that is centered around home and family. I have watched you all these years, and marveled at how with each change humankind has gone through, you have been able to adapt your teachings. You are to be commended, Joelle.”

“Henri, we all have our time and place on the wheel of life. Yours is a special place, because you are the one that brings it all together. You benefit from those that have gone before you, yes, but you are charged with tying up all of the loose ends, with making sure that the lessons that humankind has learned are put to good use. It is your concern to make sure that each individual knows themself at a very deep level, that they bring each cycle in their life to a completion – releasing that which no longer serves them well, and celebrating that which does. You help them to acknowledge their successes, and to take actions that are consistent with, and in alignment with, their beliefs. You help them to move forward.”

“We have done this for so long now, Joelle, that it has become second nature. I am comfortable with it, as are you. Our stories are written … it is almost time for us to move on.”

“I agree Henri … it is almost time for us to move on. Almost … but not quite.”

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

© August 2012 Bonnie Cehovet