Treasure Chest Spread

Most people think the Tarot exists solely in order to answer questions. While that is certainly one of its primary roles, it also has so many other uses. The card images can give you inspiration, strength, focus, and motivation; they can be used to explore how you feel about an issue; they're great for meditation; they can be used to study esoteric systems, like Qabalah, or for other systems like numerology, astrology, and even Jungian psychology; they can show you that life has a multitude of facets, and while we would prefer good stuff to bad, it's all part and parcel of what we have to face while we're on this mortal coil. The cards can help us handle the not-so-fun stuff and truly appreciate the great stuff, shedding light on the subtle, beautiful, little things that we often take for granted.

The Treasure Chest Spread an excellent example of what we can glean from a spread outside of a typical question. It comes from the wonderful book Power Tarot: More Than 100 Spreads That Give Specific Answers to Your Most Important Questions by Trish MacGregor and Phyllis Vega (Fireside Publishing, 1998). As Tarot author Janet Boyer writes in her Amazon review of Power Tarot: "I love the Treasure Chest Spread because of its imagery and because it's so affirming to the individual." I completely agree, and Power Tarot happens to be my favorite compilation of spreads in book form. Without further ado:

Treasure Chest Spread

1         2         3

4         5         6

7         8         9

1)   Diamonds:  Where you shine.  Major talents, abilities, and assets that you have.

2)   Pearls:  What you know.  Knowledge and information that you have incorporated into your life.

3)   Gold coins:  What you have.  Money and material possessions currently available to you.

4)   Emeralds:  Who you know.  Relationships that are now part of your life.

5)   Platinum chains:  What’s holding you back.  Things or people in your life that you need to release.

6)   Sapphires:  Where you could shine.  Emerging talents, assets, and abilities.

7)   Quartz crystals:  What you’re learning.  Knowledge and information that you could incorporate into your life.

8)   Rubies:  Who you may soon know.  Relationships that are entering your life.

9)   Unpolished diamonds:  Your hidden lights.  Assets and talents that you can develop.

Whenever I look at this spread, I'm reminded of what a gem it is (no pun intended). It's clever, creative, and offers insight into aspects of ourselves and our world without the necessity of beginning with a specific query. I hope you try it and like it!

More Lore: Amber!

Though often thought of--and called--a gem or a stone, amber is technically fossilized pine tree resin. These days, it's most commonly found in the Baltic region.

Amber was used in worship and rituals during the Stone Age, as evidenced by artifacts found in parts of Europe. It was also very highly valued in most ancient civilizations; Homer mentioned a gift of amber jewelry in the Odyssey, and Emperor Nero was a notable connoisseur. It was commonly used in high-end rosary beads in the Middle Ages because of its glassy-smooth surface.

As this resin hardened during its formative stages, insects were often trapped inside. Most of these insects are 25-50 million years old (too young for housing dinosaur DNA, for those of you thinking along the lines of Jurassic Park; older amber exists but is uncommon).

Amber is closely tied to the sun (the Greeks called it “elektron,” or “sun-made"), possibly because of the Greek myth of Phaethon, son of Helios, the sun god. In the myth, Phaethon convinced Helios to allow him to control the chariot that pulls the sun around the earth for a single day. Phaethon accidentally drove dangerously close to the planet, damaging the surface with the sun's heat, and Zeus was forced to strike him dead. Phaethon's sister and mother grieved fiercely, and their tears, dried by the sun, turned to amber. Amber also holds an electrical charge and can attract small particles, perhaps another reason for its ‘elektron’ moniker.

With its ancient heritage and prominent role in myth and worship, and its value in the earliest economies, amber has been used for just about every magical purpose. It's considered invigorating and enlivening due in part to its containment of life in the form of ancient insects, plus it has the quality of massive solar energy. If your vigor is sapped, wear or carry amber with you. It is said to enhance/magnify the energy you put into any project as well, and should you desire anything, amber acts as an agent to help draw that thing to you. It's readily available as jewelry and as a loose stone, and whether worn or carried, lore says it protects the bearer from ill health. Amber incense is available as well, though it's very rare to find actual amber incense--this is mostly used for spells by purists--"amber" incense generally refers to a blend of scents, including vanilla, and doesn't include real amber.

Its purposes and uses are countless, and I've only scratched the surface here. It's a beautiful gem, and while it's not inexpensive, it's pretty easy to find. If you've never handled amber, I highly recommend viewing it up close and personal to get a feel for this lovely bit of history!

A Little Lavender Lore

Years ago, around 1990 or so, I visited France. While there, I saw some gorgeous lavender fields in the southern part of the country. The stunning violet and green shades inspired the colors I chose for Interactive Tarot (apparent here and on my website), in fact! The images and the fragrance have stayed with me and continue to influence me after all this time.

Lavender is wrapped up in a lot of lore. It is primarily associated with love, protection, sleep, purification, happiness, and tranquility. As with many flowers and herbs, it's not just the physicality of the flower, but the scent. In aromatherapy, it's conducive to deep relaxation and the fragrance is said to aid in a restful sleep. Wearing the scent of lavender is said to attract love and protect the wearer from harm.

According to lore, even the very sight of the lavender flower promotes long life. Sprinkle some around your house (potpourri is a good option) to promote a peaceful atmosphere. Burn lavender incense to ward off worry and depression. Lavender is easy to obtain and almost universally appreciated as a fragrance. It's simple to introduce this wonderful flower into your life and home!

A Few Words on Litha

The Summer Solstice is June 21st! Also called Midsummer (Shakespeare, anyone?) and Litha (for you lovely Pagans/Wiccans), it’s a big event on the Wheel of the Year. Traditional Litha foods include fresh fruits and veggies. Some of the other Wheel of the Year celebrations get a little complicated with food, but this one’s a snap. Summer Solstice offers a great opportunity to appreciate the amazing array of sustenance our planet offers, and is a reminder not to take these things for granted. Eat your greens! :-)

On the Summer Solstice, the Sun is at the peak of its power, the earth is bursting with green, and we can already imagine the fruits of the upcoming autumn harvest. Surround yourself with green, gold, and yellow at this time of year. Some associated herbs and flowers: roses, lilies, oak (traditionally burned on the Summer Solstice), ivy, thyme, fennel, daisies, and lavender. Any of these can be burned or used as decorations. I wrote about lavender in the last Interactive Tarot newsletter; this is one of my favorites and can be used in a million ways. Lavender is also a traditional Litha incense, along with myrrh (LOVE myrrh incense!), lemon, rose, and wisteria. If you celebrate this day, enjoy it! Every Wheel of the Year celebration shows us the benefit of taking a little break and really absorbing the world around us. Why not try?

The Pentagram / Pentacle

Thanks in no small part to 70s and 80s horror flicks, the pentagram seems to have become largely misunderstood. In Neopagan/Wiccan traditions, it's regarded as a very positive symbol and has a looooong history. Christians believed it symbolized the five wounds sustained by Christ, and Neopagans/Wiccans view it as the unification of the four elements--earth, air, fire, water--and the human spirit, or Akasha. Generally speaking, when enclosed in a circle, it's called a pentacle (though 'pentagram' and 'pentacle' are often used interchangeably).

The underlying key to the misunderstanding is probably that when inverted, the pentacle represents the elements and Akasha turned on their heads, and as such was  commandeered as a symbol by those who chose/choose to exploit the more animalistic, darker aspects of our existence. The inverted crucifix is in the same boat. The upright pentacle is a truly beautiful and unifying symbol, and is meant to highlight how our spirits exist in harmony with the elements of the universe. The pentagram represents wholeness and perfection (particularly in its representation of the four elements and Akasha), aspects that have made it popular in magic work . It was also a popular symbol among followers of Pythagoras and, for them and for others, was and is a sign of well-being and good health. Speaking of good health and pentagrams, cut open an apple in half: you'll find a pentagram hovering around the seeds! It's not an accident that this shape and the apple are related in terms of longevity and health.

There are four suits in the Tarot, one of which is Pentacles (though Pentacles, in some decks, become Discs, Coins, or even Stones). The suit of Pentacles is related to earth and represents what we have: money, health, property, and the like, but the general image of the pentacle does not give the elements any sort of hierarchy--the five points are all equal, one no more important or less significant than the next, with Akasha as the center point at the top. When you see this symbol, try to form an image in your mind of the beauty of what it represents. It can become a very powerful visual!

P.S.: Despite the dissemination of an unbelievable amount of misinformation about earth-centered religions in old (and recent!) horror movies, I still love 'em. :-)

 

 

 

Blessings in Disguise

I get this a lot: "Jeez, some of these cards look pretty scary...". Let me first say that even all so-called "good" cards have a "shadow" side--either too much of a good thing (love is great, for example, but too much is smothering), or a good thing too narrowly construed, or something else along those lines. Every "good" card has the potential to bathe the message in a less flattering, even undesirable, light. The same goes for so-called "bad" or "scary" cards; they virtually scream that "This, too, shall pass," and things can only get better. For purposes of this discussion, by the way, I'm talking about upright cards and their meanings--reversals, or the card falling in an upside-down position, definitely change the meaning. More on that in a future blog post! 

The cards run the full gamut of human emotion, and aspects of fear, grief, loss, and pain are an undeniable part of that. We must recognize and accept these concepts, embrace them, learn from them, and turn them around. Think of the Wheel of Fortune card: whether you're on the top going down or the bottom going up, what goes around comes around, and we must be prepared to deal with it all. There is actually comfort in being able to prepare for a possible unpleasant influence when a spread indicates that such an influence is in your path; on the flip side, one of these cards might turn up in a category like "Fading Influences" or "Distant Past," which basically means that the unpleasantness has run its course and the clouds are parting, so prepare for smooth sailing ahead.

Here are three cards that some might consider "scary" followed by brief examples of their positive, perhaps less obvious, aspects (again, I'm dealing with upright meanings only for this exercise):

Death: This card isn't telling you that you or someone you love is going to die, period. The skeleton imagery is a little off-putting for some, but ultimately this is a card of transformation, of the caterpillar turning into a butterfly. It is one chapter closing and another starting. There are MANY positive aspects to this card.

The Devil: This is a card of human bondage--think addiction. Take a close look at the two human figures, though; they have chains around their necks, yes, but the chains are loosely draped and can easily be lifted off. This card tells you that while you may be trapped in a poisonous cycle, you have the power to lift yourself up.

10 of Swords: Stick a fork in me, I'm done. We have a guy laying on a beach with 10 big ol' swords jabbed into his back. What's so great about this? A few things. First of all, things can't get any worse, and that's always good to know. Second, look at the sky: it's symbolic of a very positive change on the horizon, fading from black to a serene yellow. Things are turning around, and the worst is behind you.

These are just some scenes in brief. Don't be scared of the cards; they are there to guide you, to show you how to use your strengths and weaknesses, and, most of all, to prepare you mentally and emotionally for possibilities. We aren't doing ourselves any favors by ignoring some less-than-glowing scenarios. Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?

Eight of Cups

The Eight of Cups has come up in two readings I've done over the last week.  A good friend of mine also mentioned to me, just a couple of days ago, that an image of the card made an appearance in her head as she was meditating.  As with all Tarot cards, this one deals with a universal theme—in this case, it’s abandonment, and it's certainly worth talking about!

Now, abandonment isn’t intrinsically a bad thing.  In fact, it’s generally a good idea to consider cutting ties with a project/person/organization/etc. if you have a sinking feeling or strong sense of disappointment about it, even if you’re pretty far along in the game.  This is the “cut your losses” message in the card.  As you can see in the image above, the cups are in perfectly fine condition, but the figure in the image knows that it’s time to move on…and that’s it’s in his best interest.

This card is a good example of the importance of card positioning in a spread.  If this falls in the “Distant Past” category, for example, the abandonment has come and gone, but an aspect of it is still impacting your current feelings and/or behavior (for example, you can't get over an ex, or you regret quitting your job).  If it falls in the “Possible Outcome” position, you may well have to consider leaving something (often something that seems—SEEMS—valuable) behind for the sake of your health or your sanity.  It takes a little finesse sometimes to figure out exactly who is abandoning what: are you leaving, or being left? Are you ignoring an important or potentially helpful aspect of what you’re leaving behind? Where are you going from here?

If this card ever comes up for you, consider it a message to prioritize.  Separate the wheat from the chaff, as it were, and move on to a better opportunity.  Change your perspective.  Consider what you can do to gain deeper satisfaction from life beyond the material.  Loss can sting, sure, and sometimes it comes with that price tag of grief, but the Eight of Cups implies that the trade off often makes for greater stability and happiness in the long term.