Love & Intuition ~ ace of cups

 

skip the intro at 1:04

These lessons are based on my book:

The Ultimate Tarot Guide
for Your Personal Tarot Journey

available @Amazon in print and kindle

TAROT TUTORIAL Episode #18, Ace of Swords

 

Welcome to my podcast and to these Tarot Tutorials.

You can skip the intro, class starts at 1:04

Episode 18/Ace of Swords

It's all about mental clarity and your creative spark.

Magical Connections & Correspondences ~ through the tarot

 

This book is available @ Amazon
in print and kindle

We explore all kinds of esoteric connections with the tarot in my big chunky tarot book, The Ultimate Tarot Guide for Your Personal Tarot Journey.  Here's examples of some of the information that can be found in this five star book including: stones & crystals; health, Kabbalistic health correspondences; astrological sun signs, moon signs, and rising signs; gods and goddesses; the numbers; calculating the numbers for yourself; the planets; and the elements.

• Stones, & Crystals 

I love the tarot, and I love crystals and stones. The only thing better than any one of these things is these three things all together. To mix the energy of a tarot card with the corresponding energy of a stone or crystal is to invite magick into your life. I’ve already added one favorite stone to each major arcana card correspondence in the major arcana section, but this energy is so overwhelming, so connective, so inspiring, so creative, that I’m devoting this space to more information and connections on this topic. Let the magick find you! 

The Fool/Green Tourmaline ~ wonder, joy, openness, patience 

The Magician/Quartz Crystal ~ concentration, life force, balance, expansion 

The High Priestess/Agate Geode ~ psychic power, complexity, esoteric knowledge,

etc. etc.

• Health 

10/swords ~ death, acupuncture, internal bleeding, nervous disorder, back surgery, slipped disk, immune system, exhaustion, chiropractic issues 

2/cups ~ fertility/infertility, venereal disease 

4/cups ~ alcoholism, diet, circulation, dehydration, depression

etc. etc.

• Kabbalistic Health Correspondences 

The Fool ~ respiratory organs 

The Magician ~ cerebral nervous system 

The High Priestess ~ lymphatic system

etc. etc.

• Astrological Sun Signs/Moon Signs/Rising Signs 

You’ll find a chart similar to this under the section for the suits, listing all the astrological connections, suit by suit – card by card, for pentacles, swords, wands, and cups. However, I’m leaving this section here, as you might want to locate a card for a particular zodiac sign, and this chart will make it very easy to do so. 

Aries ~ Major Arcana: The Emperor 

Minor Arcana:  --

King of Pentacles ~ Aries/Taurus 

Queen of Wands ~ Pisces/Aries 

Two of Wands ~ 1st decan of Aries (Mars) 

Three of Wands ~ 2nd decan of Aries (Sun) 

Four of Wands ~ 3rd decan of Aries (Venus)

etc. etc.

• Gods & Goddesses 

I believe that tarot works through Spirit and our connection with the Divine, in whatever pantheon or framework of spirituality that we follow and find comfort with. The following chart is created using the major arcana cards and the pantheons of Egyptian, Sumner-Babylonian, Greek, and Roman gods and goddesses. However, always remember that no matter how many charts and confirmed correspondences there may be for the tarot, once you’ve developed your own relationship with the cards, you may discover unique connections that come to you personally. Don’t question their validity, embrace them as a gift from the Universe. 

The Fool: Egyptian/Bes; Harparkrat; Shu ~ Sumner-Babylonian/Enkidu; Enlil; Ellil ~ Greek/Pan; Zeus; Aeolos ~ Roman/Pan; Silvanus 

The Magician: Egyptian/Ptah; Thoth ~ Sumner-Babylonian/Enki; Ea; Nabu ~ Greek/Hermes; Roman/Mercury 

High Priestess: Egyptian/Isis; Khonsu ~ Sumner-Babylonian/Innana; Ishtar; Nannar; Sin ~ Greek/Demeter; Selene; Artemis; Hecate ~ Roman/Ceres; Luna; Diana
etc. etc.

• The Numbers 

Numbers contain energy, and associations, and power, and magick, and potential. Do you have a favorite number? And how did you come by this number? What does it mean to you? How does it make you feel? All of the numbers in your life are important and have a direct effect upon you in some manner and at various levels. The entire universe is built upon and works around and through a numerical system, from the number of days it takes Earth to rotate around the sun, to the number of days it takes a fetus to come to term in the womb. Numbers are an integral part of our life and the world around us. The tarot is immersed in numbers. It’s built on a numerical system. The numbers of the tarot cards takes you on individual journeys through higher realms and through your own psyche. In order to more fully understand this journey, we need to have at least a rudimentary look at the numbers themselves. 

1...One 

Planet: Sun 

Element: Fire 

Letters: a, j, s 

The character: the individualist 

Energies: Developing the self, the All, wholeness, unity, beginnings

etc. etc.

• Calculating the Numbers for Yourself 

I’ll use myself as an example for this exercise, Amythyst Raine, born on September 24, 1957. 

1)  Soul Number ~ calculate your soul number by reducing the day of your birth to a single digit: 

2 + 4 = 6 

2)  Fate Number ~ calculate your fate number by adding all the digits of your birth date (day, month, year) and reducing it to a single digit: 

2 + 4 + 9 + 1 + 9 + 5 + 7 = 37 

3 + 7 = 10 

1 + 0 = 1

etc. etc.

• The Planets 

When I first began my own tarot journey, the one thing that I was most struck by was the inter-connectedness of everything. I was amazed to discover that it all works together, all of it, and it’s all tied to the cards: the energies of the planets, of colors, and herbs, and crystals, even to the letters of the alphabet, numbers, and zodiac signs. This realization was an eye-opening “aha” moment. 

Below you’ll find the basic energies and correspondences for the planets. You should know, and some of you will realize, that these correspondences not only relate to the tarot, they also relate to a variety of pagan spiritual paths and are incorporated into the practices of many of us. 

I wanted this book and the information contained here to specifically focus on tarot, and I even toyed with the idea of paring these sections down and trying to keep them solely focused on the cards. I soon realized this was folly. Certain connections exist and cannot be denied without diminishing their energy and their power. 

Sun 

The Sun is filled with healing and hope, warmth and the promise of growth. It’s imbued with masculine energy and is closely connected to the god. As it pertains to tarot ~ for clients male issues often come to the forefront, their health, happiness, fulfillment, optimism for the future. But it’s energy is also all encompassing for everyone. You’ll find an abundance of strength, unwavering support, and ridiculous amounts of in-your-face positive energy. The future can only be looking up, and if healing is needed in some aspect of your life, you’ll know it’s coming up with the Sun. 

Day of the Week: Sunday 

Color: yellow, gold 

Herbs: angelica, bay, carnation, cedar, chamomile, eyebright, frankincense, ginseng, goldenseal, juniper, marigold mistletoe, peony pineapple, rosemary, St. John’s Wort, sandalwood, sunflower, tea, witch hazel 

Stones: amber, carnelian, diamond, sunstone, tiger’s-eye, topaz (yellow)

Element: Fire 

Energies: magick for the god, male health issues, passion, healing, spiritual connection, transformation, relationship issues

etc. etc.

• The Elements 

All four elements, Earth ~ Air ~ Fire ~ Water, are also connected to the tarot on a variety of levels… physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I’m not going to list long paragraphs of general correspondences for these elements here, as I’ve already done this in two of my books (The Gray Witch’s Grimoire & Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way). I’m going to concentrate here on their connection to tarot and perhaps a personal choice I have for an herb and stone that connects their energy to me. 

Earth ~ Pentacles 

Manifestation 

The Physical Realm 

Tarot: pentacles 

Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn 

Planet: Earth 

Color: green 

Direction: north 

Herb: patchouli 

Stone: moss agate

etc. etc.

From The Ultimate Tarot Guide... that dire 10 of swords/up close & personal

 

This book is available @ Amazon

 Print or Kindle

The Ultimate Tarot Guide: for Your Personal Tarot Journey *link to purchase is above... Whether you're interested in learning how to read the tarot, or you're ready to fine tune your skills, or you'd like a completely new perspective on the cards, this is your book. The physical book is actually set up like a workbook, there's room for you to fill out and actually complete each tarot spread shown here. Also, I do add an unusual twist, and that's my own personal connection with each of the minor arcana cards, and it can get mighty personal, let me tell you.

For example: The Ten of Swords... (and no, not every card is so dire, but the 10 of swords is, after all, iconic in its misery)

Swords ~ It's all about life (and certain individuals in it) catching us off guard. Its all about a sucker punch, either from the universe, or through a human connection.

Gossip, lies, misfortune, back-stabbing, illness, surgery, death

10/Swords ~ The saddest thing about this card, when the fatal blow comes from human hands or lips, is that our illusion of friendship or love is instantly shattered, never to return to it’s rosy former state. The sense of betrayal is so thick you can taste it, and if this is your first unfortunate experience with it, it will be very bitter indeed. The figure on this card looks so solitary, but you need to understand that just out of the frame there stands all the individuals who could have sounded an alarm, individuals who could have come forward to support you and affirm your good character, individuals who were either two-faced or intimidated. Whether this difficult and somewhat tragic set of circumstances takes place among a group of friends, the workplace, school, or within a relationship, it is devastating, and the after-effects can last a lifetime.

Reversed:

Check your health. Often this indicates that problems lay, not with humanity and it’s petty loyalties, but with the body and Destiny’s fate.

My Personal Connection:

The ten of swords is an impressionable dramatic card, there’s no getting away from that. My personal connection with this card and its energy was developed quite early with the idea of female friendships and loyalty. Her name was Debbie S., and we met in high school. I took her friendship and her loyalty for granted, thinking it was an endless boundless infinite state of being, until she showed up with my soon-to-be ex-husband for a divorce hearing, arm in arm, making sure he felt her support and sympathy. The ten of swords is quite appropriate in it’s usually shocking appearance in most tarot decks. It’s energy can leave you blind-sided, open-mouthed in disbelief, and it can quite quickly make mince-meat of your naïve and trusting nature.

The thing about it is, we don’t all learn the lesson this card is trying so hard to teach us right off the bat. So you may find that you will have many such disturbing scenarios in life until you finally get the message the universe is trying to send you. When that clicks, you will realize how important it is to set boundaries, to protect your space, your physicality, and your spirituality. You will discover that you have to protect yourself from the energy of this devastating card and its consequences. If you can’t learn to do this, you will have a repetition of negative events.

Bringing the World of Tarot to You ~ my "Ultimate Tarot Guide"

 

The following is an excerpt from my great big chunky Tarot Book... "The Ultimate Tarot Guide: for Your Personal Tarot Journey".  This book is available in Kindle or Print at This Amazon Page.

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This excerpt was taken from the section all about "Paying Clients".  You have to learn how to deal with people in a relatively unusual situation, with a myriad of emotions and mentalities emitting from them.  When you do this professionally, you really have to learn how to handle people, when to allow them to vent and talk, and when to instinctively know they are trying to manipulate a reading to get the outcome they desire, or even when a client may be mentally "off" -- just a wee bit.  And the following client and my experience with her is a good example of that...

[excerpt]

But we want to be real here. Just like individuals who work retail and deal with the public up close and personal on a daily level, you will need to dig deep within yourself for patience and perseverance. You’ll have to know when to listen and allow your client to vent and get something off their chest; but at the same time, you’ll have to know when a client is going too far, when a client may be a bit off mentally, when a client may be trying to manipulate you and the reading.

My case-in-point is The Saga of Evil Gloria ~ I often do telephone consultations with clients. Usually these sessions go remarkably well and everyone comes away with a warm and fuzzy feeling and hopefully a few answers, if not a solution, to their issues. Usually this is the way it goes.

Then one day I had a telephone consultation with “Lilly”. I knew which direction this was going to go the moment that I answered the phone, because she started talking and she didn’t stop. Lilly spent the better part of a half hour trying to convince me that she was completely, totally, so over her ex-boyfriend “John”, who was stolen from her by Evil Gloria, a woman whom Lilly claimed used black magic to wrench John from her. Damn Gloria.

Here is where I tried to interrupt Lilly so that I could begin the reading. I was abruptly cut off by Lilly’s voice saying, with only slightly veiled disdain: “I’m paying you to listen to me.”

“Well, no”, I replied, “You’re paying me to read for you, and without some quiet, I can’t do this.” I thought this was a remarkably diplomatic way of telling Lilly to shut up.

Anyway, it didn’t matter. Lilly started off on another ten minute tangent of how Evil Gloria stole John with her tremendous powerful utterly awful black magic. About this time, she also started listing off all the psychics that she’s went to and how they’ve all told her that she would be happily reunited with John and Evil Gloria would meet a guy named Karma. Lilly went on to talk about all the money that she’s spent on magic spells that she paid other people to do for her regarding this situation. Her speech was interspersed for some reason with lot’s of “I would never try to convert you…” and “I don’t mean to be rude– but…”. Lilly also kept referring to John as her Twin Soul, but from the look of the tarot cards that I kept laying, I’d say that John was getting comfortable with Evil Gloria, and maybe he was seriously considering a restraining order against Lilly. And I thought to myself, if he wasn’t, he should be.

Time was passing, the clock was ticking, and this conversation was going no where fast.

I tried interrupting Lilly once more, just barging in and beginning the reading by identifying the cards I laid and touching base with them before jumping through the intuitive hoop. I no more than said one sentence when Lilly’s by now very irritating voice cut in saying, “I don’t want to hear the book meanings of the cards, I can look that up myself.” Well, that’s true, but I was just identifying the cards for her (because she couldn’t see them) and laying a foundation before allowing intuition to take over. Most telephone clients appreciate this, and this is the first time I’ve ever gotten a negative response. But by now, I realized that Lily wasn’t exactly on an even keel.

I’m beginning to get fed up with Lilly and am losing what patience I have left. I’d rather refund Lilly for the reading and hang up on her.

I begin talking over her, telling her what I see: John is happy, John and Evil Gloria are established in a relationship. It doesn’t matter how Evil Gloria got him, the fact is that they are together now. But Lilly is just not ready to let it go, and the energy from this entire situation is so toxic that I suggested she back away and have no contact with either of these people. I also advised her to smudge her living space of negative energy and to take a cleansing bath.

There was a very small and surprised, “Oh” from Lilly. A period of about three seconds of blessed silence was suddenly broken by a new barrage. Lilly began to indignantly point out that all these psychics she’s been going to have all told her that she will get back with John. I cut her off saying, “I don’t care about the psychics that you’ve seen. There’s no way for me to know if they are legitimate, or if they are just telling you what you want to hear.”

Once more I told her what the cards were telling me, emphasizing the fact that no, she is not over losing John, far from over it, that there were issues she was going to have to deal with, negative energy she was going to have to clear, and ways to move on that were going to have to be found. And that was the end of the consultation.

It literally took me the rest of the day to rid myself of Lilly’s intense overbearing disturbing energy. As for Evil Gloria…I don’t believe that Evil Gloria stole John with witchcraft. I have a feeling that Evil Gloria doesn’t talk much.

Book Trailer

Table of Contents

• Introduction… 9

Personal Essay

Let’s get Started

The Deck

Major Arcana

Minor Arcana

Reversals

Shuffling the Deck

Care & Cleansing

Seasoning Your Tarot Deck

Reading for Friends & Family

Paying Clients

Reading at Public Events

• The Major Arcana Cards… 26

• The Minor Arcana Cards/The Suits… 136

Pentacles

Swords

Wands

Cups

• The Sets… 146

• The Court Cards… 225

The Kings

The Queens

The Knights

The Pages

• Magickal Connections, Correspondences, Charts, & Other Info:

Crystals & Stones… 257

Health… 259

Kabbalistic Health Correspondences… 260

Astrological Sun Signs… 261

Gods & Goddesses… 266

The Numbers… 269

The Planets… 273

The Elements… 281

• Tarot Spreads

The Medium Spread...283

My Best Opinion… 289

The Horoscope Spread… 293

The Chakra Spread… 316

Romeo & Juliet Spread… 324

Past, Present, & Future… 335

Connecting with My Higher Self… 340

Decisions… 345

The Key… 350

*Note - in this section, I'll do a reading for each of these spreads so that you can see exactly how it can go when you connect with it.  Then I set each spread up for you to do yourself, everything all lined out, spaces ready to fill in the cards, and plenty of writing room for you to interpret the spread and record it. 

• Tarot Lessons 

Lesson 1: Card a Day… 360

Lesson 2: Interpreting a Three-Card Spread… 363

Lesson 3: Expanding the Tarot Connection… 366

Lesson 4: Court Cards/Familiar Personalities...369

Lesson 5: Tarot Meditation… 372

Lesson 6: Categorizing the Cards… 377

Click on images to make them Larger

The Knights ~ complicated vanguards of the tarot

 

• Knight/Pentacles ~ Taurus… Earth/Fire

Keywords ~ stable, stubborn, level-headed, honest, spoiled, tantrum thrower, jealous, loving, defensive, insecure, independent, thought provoking, helpful, generous, argumentative, childish

The Dark Side ~

This Knight’s calm quiet exterior can often mask a churning anger and volatile temper. He’s often a spoiled soul who feels the need to get his way, to manipulate the people and circumstances around him, and to be adored during all of it. He loves praise, his vanity glows and twinkles with every moment of adulation he can squeeze out of a situation. His worst nightmare would be to be seen as he really is, because deep down he knows. He works hard to maintain a noble and admirable reputation.

And if this Knight doesn’t get his way? He’ll throw a tantrum, reducing his public persona from that of a shining and exemplary Knight, to a spoiled five year old child laying on the floor, kicking and screaming. He’s also a “whiner”, and anyone subjected to this side of his personality for long will quickly grow tired of it.

Another thing you should know about this Knight is that he carries a grudge. If you’ve insulted him in some way, gone against his wishes, contradicted him, dared to say “no” to this Knight; he won’t forget, and it will be only a matter of time until he can think of a way to taste revenge.

The Light Side ~

At his best, the Knight of pentacles is stable and dependable, responsible and kind, committed, loyal, friendly, sociable, the one individual you would always be happy to have on your team. He’s often found in professions that accentuate and highlight all of these qualities.

This Knight is the golden child, the person that everyone assumes will be successful at whatever he takes on in life. And this is usually true, as long as he stays on his light side, or doesn’t run into circumstances beyond his control. As a child and adolescent, he often literally has the “golden glow” about him.

• Knight/Swords ~ Aquarius… Air/Fire

Keywords ~ reckless, spontaneous, cruel, exuberant, enthusiastic, passionate, self-serving, intelligent, thoughtless, crude, prissy, over-whelming, persistent, paranoid, secretive

The Dark Side ~

At his darkest level, the Knight of swords doesn’t have an empathic bone in his body. He’s narcissistic, thinking only of himself, placing his own needs and desires above everyone else. It doesn’t help that he is reckless and impulsive, doing, saying, acting without thinking about the consequences.

He loves, but only on his terms. Everything is done on his terms. Everything is evaluated and graded on his terms. The world is a myopic place for this selfish and insensitive individual, and the ramifications of this can be great. He’s often an unhappy soul racing through life, cutting a wide swath with his sword, through other people’s hearts and dreams, destroying lives in the process, including his own.

You should know that this Knight is prone to bouts of dangerous jealousy, bursts of unrestrained anger, impulsive behavior that leads to terrible decisions and choices.

The Light Side ~

At his best, this Knight is the gallant and brave warrior who will face any foe to fight for the underdog, to protect the weak, to wreak havoc on the demons that bring chaos and destruction to the innocent. He is noble, and “the cause” is all important to him; the principle of the thing is worth sacrifice. There’s an element about this Knight that brings to mind the knights of Arthur’s round-table, or the gallantry of the Knights Templar.

He loves fiercely and would fight to the death to protect the object of his love and the bond itself. He is loyal to a fault, and will defend a friend or a cause with robust intensity.

• Knight/Wands ~ Leo… Fire/Fire

Keywords ~ impetuous, domineering, anti-social, dashing, unpredictable, mentally unbalanced, destructive, active, hard-working, reckless, speedy, morose, over-whelming, contemplative, distant, proud

The Dark Side ~

This Knight’s dark and brooding moods will dominate his life. He’s passionate about so many things, yet he will find himself at a loss as how to communicate these passions to another human being. He often feels trapped in his world, in his mind, leading to feelings of isolation and depression. This Knight himself is the most pronounced victim of his dark side. He internalizes the demons that haunt him, not speaking of them, but living silently with them. As energetic and enthusiastic as he is about some things in the world, as robust and strong as he may appear, this Knight is actually very fragile, and his existence may often depend on someone else's diligence.

He can be obstinately proud and outspoken, very strongly opinionated. This Knight finds open affection to be an aversion, something that makes him uncomfortable. He prefers to maintain a physical space around himself that is not invaded by someone else's touch. He’s often unusually sensitive to sound, or large groups of people, and will avoid these things, making this Knight the ultimate loner.

You should know that this Knight, of all the court cards, is most likely to harm himself when he is in one of his dark phases.

The Light Side ~

The Knight of wands is proud and independent, private and dignified. He likes his world to run like a well oiled machine, and he manages to neatly cubbyhole various aspects of his hobbies and activities, as well as family and friends.

He tends to be a solitary soul, and even if he does wind up in a relationship, his partner will be keenly aware of this, as a large part of his activities and interests will only require himself. When enthusiasm touches him, his expression of it is often sweet and awkward. As rare as it may be, when the need to reach out to someone hits this Knight, the contact will be intense and swift.

• Knight/Cups ~ Scorpio… Water/Fire

Keywords ~ loyal, endearing, sexual, promiscuous, romantic, sensitive, emotional, unreasonable, cloying, anxious, petulant, intuitive, conniving, fragile, creative, introspective, shady, borderline

The Dark Side ~

The immature narcissist… this pretty well sums up the Knight of cups. But never fear, he’ll get better at it as he gets older. At his worst, this Knight is every young woman (or man’s) nightmare. The honey he uses to draw in his prey, er… partner, is a magnetic charm that’s truly irresistible. Unfortunately, this Knight is usually good looking, and even when he’s average, he can somehow produce the illusion of attractiveness. It’s a strange gift.

He chooses to be totally unaware of the emotional trauma his self-centered selfish behavior causes, and so will leave a trail of broken hearts and disillusioned souls in his wake.

He is sneaky, sly, totally bereft of morals, a sexual predator, using people for all those things he needs and believes that someone else must provide. He will use, and use, and use, until the victim he has attached to has run dry… of emotions, feelings, money, whatever; and he will quickly move on to the next target. The Knight of cups at his darkest, is a nightmare you want to avoid.

The Light Side ~

A gallant and noble Knight in shining armor… this is the Knight of cups at his best. He is everything anyone would want in a loving partner. He’s giving, loyal, generous, caring. He aims to please his mate on all levels, and you will find him to be one of the most unselfish individuals you’ll ever meet. The Knight of cups at his best is the anti-thesis of this Knight at his worst.

He can be easily hurt or disillusioned because he tends to have very high standards and ideals, and he assumes that most of the people he comes in contact with shares these traits. This Knight can be very naive and easily shattered by the dark truths in the world. You’ll find him very idealistic and sometimes not very realistic as he journeys through life. This makes him emotionally fragile and prone to mental anguish you often see with empaths and the super-sensitive.

SOURCE

The source for this blog post is my book:  "The Ultimate Tarot Guide: For Your Personal Tarot Journey".  This books is available at Amazon:

click  HERE

Tarot Flirts with Astrology ~ The Planets

 
I'm BACK!!  If anyone has noticed my absence and lack of new posts or social media activity, I've been sick with my second bout of Covid, from around August 17th to now, October 3rd.  This is just my third day in a row of consistently feeling "normal".  The symptoms of this virus tend to hang on, and I was beginning to think I might be a "long hauler".  It's hideous.  Get vaccinated, and wear a mask in public places.  Believe me, you don't want my experience.  Here's a link to my Facebook post update:  click  HERE

To purchase your copy of this book @ Amazon

click  HERE

The following blog post is an excerpt from the book above.  This book will help the newbie to tarot lay solid ground work for a successful connection with the cards; and this book will open vistas to ideas, connections, and intuitive inspiration for those more experienced with tarot reading.

Throughout this book, you'll find plenty of empty pages so you can write your own notes at the end of various sections.  When you get ready to lay the ground work for tarot spreads, you'll find a reading all set up for you and space to write your own interpretation. 

The Ultimate Tarot Guide: For Your Personal Tarot Journey highlights intuitive reading, unique and personal interpretations, and the ability to think outside the box.

• Sun

The Sun is filled with healing and hope, warmth and the promise of growth. It’s imbued with masculine energy and is closely connected to the god.

As it pertains to tarot ~ for clients male issues often come to the forefront, their health, happiness, fulfillment, optimism for the future. But it’s energy is also all encompassing for everyone. You’ll find an abundance of strength, unwavering support, and ridiculous amounts of in-your-face positive energy. The future can only be looking up, and if healing is needed in some aspect of your life, you’ll know it’s coming up with the Sun.

1. Day of the Week: Sunday
2. Color: yellow, gold
3. Herbs: angelica, bay, carnation, cedar, chamomile, eyebright, frankincense, ginseng, goldenseal, juniper, marigold mistletoe, peony pineapple, rosemary, St. John’s Wort, sandalwood, sunflower, tea, witch hazel
4. Stones: amber, carnelian, diamond, sunstone, tiger’s-eye, topaz (yellow)
5. Element: Fire
6. Energies: magick for the god, male health issues, passion, healing, spiritual connection, transformation, relationship issues

• Moon

The Moon embodies the pagan goddess in paramount magical waves of silver energy. All three aspects of her, maiden, mother, and crone.

As it pertains to tarot ~ All feminine aspects rise to the surface. Women’s issues become relevant and the focus is on health, embracing natural gifts, healing, and expanding our energy and magick to the universe and beyond. Femininity becomes divine. But there is another side to this planet, the dark side. Deception and hidden motives will be revealed. Shadows will be illuminated, warnings given, gray areas of life highlighted. In this aspect, the Moon becomes a friendly enemy. As a look out or scout, the Moon will give a warning cry.

1. Day of the week: Monday
2. Color: silver, blue, gray
3. Herbs: bladderwrack, calamus, camellia, clematis, club moss, dulse, gardenia, grape, passion flower, jasmine, lily, lotus, moonflower, moonwort, myrrh, poppy, sandalwood, willow
4. Stones: aquamarine, chalcedony moonstone, mother-of-pearl, sapphire, quartz (clear)
5. Element: Water
6. Energies: magick for the goddess, healing, visions, dreams, intuition, divination, clairvoyance, women’s issues, motherhood, fertility

• Earth

The Earth embodies our connection to the physical plane and embraces our materialistic existence.

As it pertains to tarot ~ Sometimes this planet’s energy is a much needed anchor, grounding or re-grounding us to reality, to our bodies and the life lessons we learn from it, to the energy of other living things around us, whether plant or animal. The Earth helps us to retain a connection with our ancestors, our traditions, and our lineage with humanity.

1. Day of the week: all seven
2. Colors: green, brown
3. Herbs: barley, beet, corn, cotton, fern, honeysuckle, mugwort, oats, oleander, patchouli, potato, primrose, rhubarb, tulip, turnip, vervain, wheat
4. Stones: agate (green), agate (moss), coal, emerald, hematite, jasper (brown), jasper (green), malachite, Peridot, salt, tourmaline (black), tourmaline (green)
5. Element: all four
6. Energies: grounding, healing your inner self, connecting with ancestors, fertility, expansion, overcoming impossible odds, durability

• Mars

Mars embodies the spirit of the warrior and pushes us with a merciless shove forward to stand our ground and fight our battles.

As it pertains to tarot ~ Mars commands us to be strong, relentlessly thrusting the sword and spear in our shaky uncertain hands, forcing us to take a stand, face an enemy, make a point. It shines brilliance and shameless illumination on the-principle-of-the-thing. The energy of this planet demands that we dig deep and discover within ourselves integrity and potential.

1. Day of the week: Tuesday
2. Color: orange
3. Herbs: allspice, basil, blood root, cactus, chili pepper, dragon’s blood, garlic, ginger, holly, horseradish, mustard, nettle, onion, pepper, pine, radish, snapdragon, thistle, tobacco, wormwood
4. Stones: bloodstone, garnet, jasper (red), ruby, tourmaline (red)
5. Element: Fire
6. Energies: defensive magick, regaining lost territory, assertion, resolving disagreement, successfully handling disruption, goals

• Mercury

Mercury connects us to the magic of communication and ethereal creativity.

As it pertains to tarot ~ This planet salvages lost ideas, unspoken thoughts, and words ripped from our lips by the winds of uncertainty and hesitation. Mercury has the ability to reconnect us with loved ones, ideas, and most importantly, it reconnects us to ourselves. This planet highlights and plugs into the inter-connectedness of the human psyche.

1. Day of the week: Wednesday
2. Color: silver, yellow
3. Herbs: almond, bracken, caraway, clover, dill, fennel, flax, lavender, lemongrass, mandrake, marjoram, mint, papyrus, parley, pistachio, senna, slippery elm, wax plant
4. Stones: agate, jasper (mottled), citrine, topaz (yellow), amber
5. Element: Air
6. Energies: creativity-- writing, painting, sculpting, music, etc.; creativity, mental issues, learning energy, summoning spirits

• Jupiter

Jupiter is all about expansion and growth, making more of something, or making it bigger.

As it pertains to tarot ~ Jupiter likes to speed up the process. This planet is all about developing and building on your ideas, your plan, your potential. It’s bigger-than-life energy will take us beyond our modest dreams, and ideas, and visions, elevating us and our efforts to new planes of success and growth. Things are going to happen when this planet is involved, and they usually happen in a big way.

1. Day of the week: Thursday
2. Color: purple
3. Herbs: anise, borage, cinquefoil, clove, dandelion, dill, fig, honeysuckle, hyssop, liverwort, maple, meadowsweet, mint, nutmeg, patchouli, sage, star anise
4. Stones: aventurine, amethyst, mystic topaz, jasper (brown), peridot, malachite, tourmaline (green)
5. Element: Earth
6. Energies: magick for expansion and growth, money and legal issues, employment, abundance, material opportunities

• Venus

Venus embodies love, healthy sexuality, romance, physical beauty, and the love of beautiful things in our lives, whether it be our surroundings, or the things we fill this space with.

As it pertains to tarot ~ Venus is all our fairy tales and dreams come to life, with a healthy dose of reality thrown in. Hopeless romantics will never give up on finding the perfect mate, and this planet will make sure this pursuit will have a promising, if not perfect, ending. We chase physical beauty the same way we chase love, and Venus will address this timeless pursuit as well, often redefining this attribute for us.

1. Day of the week: Friday
2. Color: pink, green
3. Herbs: African violet, apple, apricot, aster, barley, birch, bleeding heart, cardamom, catnip, columbine, crocus, cyclamen, foxglove, geranium, goldenrod, heather, hibiscus, hyacinth, iris, larkspur, lilac, magnolia, willow
4. Stones: blue lace agate, moonstone, selenite, crystal quartz, chalcedony, rose quartz
5. Element: Water
6. Energies: magick for love and romance, sex, lust, passion, fidelity, beauty, resolving relationship issues, friendship

• Saturn

Saturn is full of dark and sometimes dangerous energy, and this is the very energy we have to be brave enough to utilize if life calls us to it.

As it pertains to tarot ~ The sweet taste of revenge often cloys in our mouth when this planet appears. The very idea makes many of us uncomfortable, some of us still enveloped in archaic and conservative modes of consciousness. But from the black depths of the universe, as well as the murky corners of our minds, we realize that there is a time and a place and a reason for Saturn’s darkness. Hopefully not all of us will have need of it, but do not fear it, and do not flinch from it, should it come up in your life.

1. Day of the week: Saturday
2. Color: black
3. Herbs: amaranth, beet, belladonna, boneset, comfrey, fumitory, hellebore, hemlock, hemp, ivy, knot weed, mimosa, morning glory, mullein, quince, skullcap, slippery elm, tamarisk, wolf’s bane
4. Stones: jet, onyx, apache tear, obsidian, tourmaline (black), coal, hematite
5. Element: Earth, Fire
6. Energies: protection, hexing/cursing, retribution, dark magick, revealing truth

• Neptune

Neptune hangs on tenaciously to reality for dear life, constantly bombarded by delusions and addictions.

As it pertains to tarot ~ The dark side is dangerously close to the surface when Neptune appears. It can encompass the diffused hazy world of drug addiction and mental illness. The energy of Neptune, if broken like a wild horse, tamed, and put to good use, can be a startling illumination of incredible awe inspiring intuition and insight. There’s a very thin line between genius and insanity. Neptune takes us there.

1. Day of the week ~ Thursday
2. Colors ~ green, blue, lavender
3. Herbs ~ bulrush, lobelia, morning glory, night-blooming jasmine, pine, reed, reed canary grass, water lily
4. Stones ~ coral, aquamarine, platinum, neptunium
5. Element ~ Water
6. Energies ~ dissolving boundaries, expanding upon ideas, changing established rules, intuition, idealism, sacrifice, glamour, illusion, evolution and decay

• Uranus

Uranus digs it’s stubborn heels into the soul of the individualist, celebrating eccentricity and rebellion.

As it pertains to tarot ~ This planet lets us know that we’re in up to our necks if we’re dealing with its energy. Getting anything done, like convincing the hoards that we have a good idea, or progressing at any acceptable rate with whatever we’re plunging into, is going to be a long difficult painful process. The energy of Uranus is maddening in it’s inability to compromise. It’s cursed with the ability to turn a blind eye, to avoid conflict at any cost, or to avoid assertion on every level. The lazy-ass energy of Uranus will lay, inert, at our feet.

1. Day of the week ~ Tuesday, Saturday
2. Colors ~ red
3. Herbs ~ hot herbs: cayenne pepper, jalapenos; blood root; hemlock; belladonna
4. Stones ~ red stones: jasper, garnet, ruby
5. Element ~ Fire
6. Energies ~ originality, eccentricity, sensuality, perversions, daring, idealism, conflict

• Pluto

Pluto comes streaking in with incredible force to destroy everything in its path. Everything in it’s wake seems to be touched by its terrible energy. We stand amidst ground zero, and we wail, we moan, we beat our chest, only to open our eyes and look around in profound wonder and amazement. All the crap is gone. The slate is clean. We can begin again.

As it pertains to tarot ~ This planet has much the same effect on us and our lives as the major arcana card The Tower. They share much of the same destructive and disruptive tendencies. However, Pluto is more discernible. It’s more apt to leave what we need and wipe out what was getting in our way.

1. Day of the week ~ Saturday
2. Colors ~ black
3. Herbs ~ angelica, black snake root, cinnamon, clove, dill, dragon’s blood, mustard, onion, shallot, thistle, peppermint, tobacco, wormwood
4. Stones ~ black stones: onyx, hematite, obsidian
5. Element ~ Fire
6. Energies ~ destruction, renewal, enlightenment, research, clearing, burning off, polar opposites, criminals, inspirational gurus

The 6s ~ from my book The Ultimate Tarot Guide

 

The 6s ~ To gain, to escape, to win, to remember

Pentacles ~ It’s all about embracing the gift of generosity. It’s learning to put someone else’s needs before your own. It’s also about learning to accept generosity gracefully.

Tithing, loans, gifts, gratitude, generosity, sharing, abundance

• 6/Pentacles ~ With this card comes the willingness and ability to help those around you. The main gist of this card points to money and finances, of course, but it can go way beyond this. There is the idea of being honest, of dividing assets equally. “There’s more where this comes from”, the six of pentacles seems to be saying. But also… “Keep it fair”, and “”Don’t cheat”. With this card comes the wonderful feeling of no regrets.

Reversed: There may be people around you who are unscrupulous and more than willing to steal or cheat you out of money and possessions. There is also the idea of cutting down on spending, pinching pennies, and being wise and frugal with your checking account. With the six of pentacles comes the feeling of having all of your eggs in one basket, the idea of gambling, risk taking, the dare devil.

Personal Connection:
Throughout a life-time spanning several decades, six of them at this writing, I’ve experienced the six of pentacles up close and personal. As one friend put it, talking about her own family’s material and financial life, “It’s either feast or famine.” And that’s so true. You hear about people coming from dirt poor backgrounds, and then gaining millions of dollars through their determination, hard-work, and talent, only to lose all of it in one-fell foolish swoop, winding right back up where they started. Maybe there’s a lesson here, or maybe we’re reading way more into it than we should. Could this just be the universal natural law of things?

Swords ~ It’s all about movement and travel, moving on, moving away, beginning again.

Divorce, movement, travel,(especially across water)

Adventure, beginnings, independence, melancholy, being adrift

• 6/Swords ~ This comes up so often when a divorce, separation, or familial estrangement surfaces. It’s also a card that may imply that it’s actually time to move on and that this may be a logical next step. And there is, indeed, the feeling of movement with the six of swords. Even when it means a severance of old ties, there is the tantalizing idea of new adventures.

Reversed: Relationships are up in the air, there comes with that the energy of indecision, tumultuous emotions, miss-communication, and a general “Mercury Retrograde” atmosphere. The six of swords reversed is telling you that, just like the boat on the card, you are straying adrift, possibly into dangerous waters, and definitely with no compass. There may be hidden sandbars below the water’s surface, or jagged rocks, all of which could be problematic for you.

Personal Connection:
This card has impacted my life in tremendous tumultuous ever transitioning ways, long before I even knew of its existence. Don’t be surprised when it surfaces amidst feelings of being adrift, feelings of confusion and upheaval, at times of nerve-wracking and upsetting changes. The water on so many variations of this card looks so calm and is so deceptive. No matter how many times I’ve found myself in this boat, peering over the bow, trying in vain to set a decisive course, I never realized that I would eventually come to shore and plant my feet on firm solid ground, with little or no navigation.

I think the connection with this card is faith.

Wands ~ It’s all about winning, savoring victory, enjoying the accolades, and reaping the rewards of your effort.

Victory, victor, headiness, ego, minions, dignity, endurance, good sport, gracious defeat

• 6/Wands ~ You ride victorious through the street (and life) feeling proud, accomplished, self-confident, and sometimes maybe even a wee bit egotistical or narcissistic. There comes the idea of elevation, and with that a lot of pressure placed around perfectionism and gaining someone’s approval. We all want to remember that a lot of people who find themselves on a pedestal discover that it is a solitary and very lonely place to be.

Reversed: Someone has gotten to the top, succeeded with an accomplishment, came out victorious, but they did so with the aid of shady tactics, or shady people, and it’s all rather tainted, if not a bit tarnished. There is the idea that someone at the top may soon suffer a big fall. There is also the weight of too much expectation, the weight of negative opinions, too much stress, and a lack of personal freedom or motivation.

My Personal Connection:
We all love those blazing glorious victorious moments in life, even if its in someone elses life. Maybe that’s why those musical talent shows are so popular right now. We experience this sensation vicariously when we watch some mousy nervous mundane individual take the stage, and then are stunned when the music begins and there is some magical humongous transformation of this individual, rousing the audience to a standing ovation, bringing the judges to tears. It’s a moment of victory, a personal moment of victory, yet one we get to witness and share.

I think the main thing here is that we have to realize how fleeting this high-lighted moment is, and that life will slip back into place and march forward quietly, with hardly a hiccup. Maybe the connection here is learning to accept that most of life will go unrecognized, unpraised, without making nary a mark on the world. And it’s this part of our existence that is the most important part, it’s this part we should cherish more than any other.

Cups ~ It’s all about holding on to memories, looking back with a new perspective. it’s about being able to move forward using lessons learned from the past.

Nostalgia, wistfulness, childhood, connections, ancestors, memories, associations

• 6/Cups ~ Our past will affect our future, this is a given. Sometimes this past encompasses our childhood and the relationships that tied us to family, and sometimes this past reaches back in history to previous life times, identities, and lessons learned. There is always a wistfulness with this card that idolizes our memories and idealizes our connections.

Reversed: For some unfortunate people, memories of the past may be haunting, slightly disturbing, or unsettling in some unique and very personal way. This card reversed also implies that someone may be hiding something from their past. There is the idea of subterfuge, mysteries, secrets, hidden agendas, and unfinished business.

My Personal Connection:
This card is one that connects closely for me, and one I have mixed feelings about. On one hand, I have incredible childhood memories of my grandmother, my aunt, the Victorian house in the country, my beautiful room in the town house when we moved, my beloved pets, and soft quiet moments. I have feelings of being cocooned, protected, and safe. On the other hand, I’ve dealt with feelings of abandonment (my parents), the stressful feeling of being a child caught between custody disputes, realizing that I had no control over my life and major decisions in it, and that nothing was stable, solid, or secure. It had all been an illusion.

I have had to deal early on with feelings of being caught emotionally and physically between my grandmother and some strange twisted feud with my father. Somewhere along the way, the subject of this feud – me – was forgotten, and it was only the power struggle that was important to him. He was a man awash with the energy of revenge.

If this card is difficult for you, know that you’re not alone. This is the case for an overwhelming number of people, whom I suspect all have their own daunting stories.

[SOURCE: my book, The Ultimate Tarot Guide for Your Personal Tarot Journey...
click HERE ]