Liontree

"There is no absolute validity in any means of mental apprehension; but unless we make these spirits of the Firmament subject unto us by establishing right relation (within the possible limits) with the Universe, we shall fall into error when we develop our new instrument of direct understanding. It is vital that the Adept should train his intellectual faculties to tell him the truth, in the measure of their capacity. To despise the mind on account of its limitations is the most disastrous blunder; it is the common cause of the calamities which strew so many shores with the wreckage of the Mystic Armada. Bigotry, Arrogance, Bewilderment, all forms of mental and moral disorder, so often observed in people of great spiritual attainment, have brought the Path itself into discredit; almost all such catastrophes are due to trying to build the Temple of the Spirit without proper attention to the mental laws of structure and the physical necessities of foundation. The mind must be brought to its utmost pitch of perfection, but according to its own internal properties; one cannot feed a microscope on mutton chops. It must be regarded as a mechanical instrument of knowledge, independent of the personality of its possessor. One must treat it exactly as one treats one's electroscope or one's eyes; one influence of one's wishes. A physician calls in a colleague to attend to his own family, knowing that personal anxiety may derange his judgment. A microscopist who trusts his eyes when his pet theory is at stake may falsify the facts, and find too late that he has made a fool of himself. In the case of initiations itself, history is scarred with the wounds inflicted by this Dagger.
It reminds us constantly of the danger of relying upon the intellectual faculties. A judge must know the law in every point, and be detached from personal prejudices, and incorruptible, or iniquity will triumph. Dogma, with persecution, delusion, paralysis of progress, and many another evil, as its satraps, has always established a tyranny when Genius has proclaimed it. Islam making a bonfire of written Wisdom, and Haeckel forging biological evidence; physicists ignorant of radioactivity disputing the conclusions of geology, and theologians impatient of truth struggling against the tide of thought; all such must perish at the hands of their own error in making their minds, internally defective or externally deflected, the measure of the Universe."

"How mystic, pure, and simple its wish; it has no idea of potential Divinity! Decoration is its creed and vital allegory its belief. Being the "Free Morality," it has no sin - then most assuredly Art is "all" we dare express without excuse. So what is not art is Science or a moral Photograaphy. (True) Art being inspiraation is (symbolic) formula of the Science it does not admit.
Art suggests, so is the best medium for conveying wisdom - its very suggestion thinks freedom."

"The testimony of some authorities attribute to certain stones a peculiar quality which is actually possessed by the green jasper. Worn as an amulet, it benefi ts the stomach and the oesophagus. Some also set it in a ring, and engrave on it the radiate serpent, just as king Nechepsos prescribed in his fourteenth book."

"The gems generally have an oval shape, while other shapes are rare; they are completely similar in form to the shapes used for non-magical gems. The commonest stones used for magical gems are different qualities of jasper (green, red, yellow), agate, haematite, chalcedony, lapis lazuli, rock-crystal, carnelian, obsidian and steatite. The different kinds of stones are sometimes associated with specific figures."

The World
Time: Morning
What I see: Four figures in the corner - cherubim or Saint Matthew, Saint John, Saint Mark, and Saint Luke? A female figure is at the centre, she holds two scrolls, one in each hand. Clothed in a strip of purple cloth. There's a garland around her. The entire scene is set in the clouds.
How I interpret it: A day where I'll be free to do whatever I wish; the end of this drap period of 'ergh', embodying one's purpose, having enough knowledge that it's the end of a phase of learning and the start of a phase of doing. Travel - an opportunity to go out. Enlightenment. Teaching others?
After research: completion, achievement, fulfillment, a sense of belonging, wholeness, harmony, travel

☉ Sun: Cancer 5°43'
☽ Moon: Sagittarius 6°45' waxing gibbous, peregrine, opposition to Mars (separating, 7°48'), trine to Jupiter and Saturn
☿ Mercury: Cancer 26°02', conjunct Jupiter, sextile Mars separating, dignified by Jupiter
♀ Venus: Leo 16°02' trine to Saturn
♂ Mars: Taurus 28°58' in detriment, sextile Jupiter, sextile Mercury, opposition to the Moon
♃ Jupiter: Cancer 29°23' exalted (last degree), conjunct Mercury, sextile Mars, trine to the Moon (separating)
♄ Saturn: Aries 14°01' in fall, trine to Venus (separating) and the Moon
Planetary hour at waking: Jupiter, then the Sun
Placements of note: ♂⚹♃ has closed almost to exact (0°25') and perfects tonight, both bodies at the very end of their signs (Mars 28°58' Taurus, Jupiter 29°23' Cancer). ☿⚹♂ has widened to 2°56' as Mercury slows toward its station. ☿☌♃ holds at 3°21' but will not perfect: Jupiter will be in Leo soon. The Moon has crossed out of Scorpio and its fall into Sagittarius (now peregrine); overnight it perfected and separated from both ☽☍♂ and ☽△♃, so yesterday's debilitated Moon–Mars opposition is over. We'll have ☽△♀ by evening. Sun, Moon and Venus peregrine; Mercury dignified only by Jupiter; Jupiter exalted.
Interpretation: Saturn's day, and Saturn is in fall, but it is held by a separating trine to Venus and an applying one to the Moon. Drive poured into growth, courage spent on enterprise, not an optimal day for new ideas but a day to build on existing ones. Nice to travel, to expand. Relief after yesterday's heaviness thanks to the Moon moving out of Scorpio; outward, philosophical, restless evergy for open horizons. Its applying trine to Saturn grounds that optimism. Mercury, slow and near-stationary, conjunct exalted Jupiter, favours considered thought over quick exchange: revisit, reconsider, refine.

Death / 8 of Wands / Page of Wands, reversed
I drew cards for a stranger.
Topic: General
Interpretation: a new stage of her life, travelling for work (either a job or a personal project), to be wary of opportunities that might look to good to be true

The Sun / The Magician / Queen of Swords, reversed
I drew cards for an acquaitance.
Topic: General
Interpretation: success in his future projects, the manifestation of his creative vision; before I started, an odd feeling pushed me to ask if he had a girlfriend, to which he said yes, so I admitted that I had the strangest feeling that the Queen of Swords represented a female figure that might attempt to sabotage or manipulate him

The Hermit, Reversed
Time: Morning
What I see: In the snow, a humbly cloaked man walks alone with a lantern and a walking stick. He has long white hair and an unkempt beard. The light in his lantern is in the shape of a six-pointed star.
How I interpret it: Am I isolating myself or in need of isolation, or is this the signal of my return to social life? It's possible that I dug too deep in my inner mindscape, and that today is when I reach out to someone I promised I would. It feels like I yearn for a day alone but when I get such a day, I just rest. Today needs to be different. This card calls for me to not sulk alone, that it's the end of my isolation, one which no longer serves me (for now).
After research: re-emergence from inner landscapes, the end of a period of isolation, sharing wisdoms, warning against getting lost in inner world

☉ Sun: Cancer 4°46'
☽ Moon: Scorpio 24°55' waxing gibbous, in fall, trine to Mercury & Jupiter, opposition to Mars
☿ Mercury: Cancer 25°49' conjunct Jupiter (still tightening, 3°21'), sextile Mars now separating, trine to the Moon
♀ Venus: Leo 14°54' trine to Saturn (just perfected, now separating)
♂ Mars: Taurus 28°15' in detriment, sextile Jupiter (tightening to 0°55') and Mercury (now loosening), opposition to the Moon
♃ Jupiter: Cancer 29°10' exalted, conjunct Mercury, sextile Mars, trine to the Moon
♄ Saturn: Aries 13°58' in fall, trine to Venus (separating)
Planetary hour at waking: Mercury
Placements of note: ♂⚹♃ has closed almost to exact (0°55'), while ☿⚹♂ has begun to separate, so Mars now feeds Jupiter more than Mercury. Yesterday's ☽□♀ has come and gone, and the Moon is now applying to ☽△☿ (0°54'), ☽☍♂ (3°20') and ☽△♃ (4°16'). Harmonious to Mercury and Jupiter, but ☽☍♂ (Scorpio Moon in fall against Taurus Mars in detriment, both debilitated) needs to be watched out for. Moon, Mars and Saturn are all debilitated (fall, detriment, fall); Sun, Mercury and Venus peregrine, with Mercury dignified only by Jupiter.
Interpretation: Good faith, optimism, a good day for work and travel. A good day for discussions (debates). Memory and observation skills are strong today. A day for communication and mental pursuit, not heavy emotional topics. Anger will show up as a defense mechanism. Trine Venus-Saturn and Trine Moon-Jupiter make this day an optimistic one, giving you an advantage with understanding people's emotion but ultimately seeing the good in them. It's the day of Venus, after all. A beautiful day.

Time: Morning today, but also last night, last week...
Type: Cledon + logo/apatomancy
Subject: Cowrie shells
Manner: Cowrie shell shaped objects, in text, pictures, heard mentioned in videos, online shops selling cowrie jewellery

☉ Sun: Cancer 3°46'
☽ Moon: Scorpio 12°14' waxing gibbous, in fall, applying square to Venus
☿ Mercury: Cancer 25°30' conjunct Jupiter (tightening), sextile Mars
♀ Venus: Leo 13°41' trine to Saturn (all but exact), square to the Moon
♂ Mars: Taurus 27°29' in detriment, sextile both Jupiter and Mercury
♃ Jupiter: Cancer 28°57' exalted, conjunct Mercury, sextile Mars
♄ Saturn: Aries 13°54' in fall, trine to Venus
Planetary hour at waking: I woke up multiple times today, so Moon (4AM) and Mars (7AM)
Placements of note: The day is still led by ☿☌♃ in Cancer, now tightening (3°27'), and braced into a sextile wedge: ☿⚹♂ and ♂⚹♃, so Mars lends drive to the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. ♀△♄ is all but perfected (0°13', the Leo-Aries fire trine), bringing steadiness and commitment. The one thread of tension is ☽□♀ (Scorpio-Leo, both fixed), and unlike yesterday it is applying, not separating: the Moon in fall is building toward the square over the next few hours. Jupiter stays exalted and strong with Mercury borrowing its light, while Moon, Mars and Saturn are all debilitated (fall, detriment, fall). Sun, Mercury and Jupiter still cluster in Cancer, and note that Jupiter and Mars both sit at the very end of their signs.
Interpretation: Clear thoughts, expansive ideas, good words, and the drive to act on them, are all pulling you forwards today. Sextile Mercury-Mars is a good day to go out, socialise, and make something (a good day for manual work!). The single force to master is the Scorpio Moon in fall squaring Venus... hold the reins on emotional reactivity, brooding or pride, and steer the intensity into the work rather than into resentment. Watch out for emotional conflicts relationship-wise: today is not the day for introspective relationship talk. Things like antiques, objects with history, will feel appealing today. Watch out for overspending (although I can already see it happening...)

Queen of Wands
Time: Morning

"The only clear view is from atop the mountain of your dead selves."

"Chaos is also the force which adds increasing complexity to the universe by spawning structures which were not inherent in its component parts. It is the force which has caused life to evolve itself out of dust and is currently most concentratedly manifest in the human life force, or Kia, where it is the source of consciousness. Kia is but a small fragment of the great life force of the universe, which contains the twin impulses to immerse itself in duality and to escape from duality. It will continuously reincarnate until the first impulse is exhausted. The second impulse is the root of the mystic quest, the union of the liberated spirit with the great spirit. To the extent that the Kia can become one with chaos, it can extend its will and perception into the universe to accomplish magic."

☉ Sun: Cancer 2°52',the first days past the solstice
☽ Moon: Scorpio 0°56' waxing gibbous, just ingressed, in fall
☿ Mercury: Cancer 25°09' closing on Jupiter, squared with the Moon
♀ Venus: Leo 12°37' trine to Saturn
♂ Mars: Taurus 26°49' in detriment, near the end of the sign
♃ Jupiter: Cancer 28°45' exalted, squared with the Moon
♄ Saturn: Aries 13°52' in fall
Planetary hour at waking: I woke up multiple times today, unsure
Placements of note: The day's fate is led by ☿☌♃ in Cancer. Sun, Mercury and exalted Jupiter cluster in Cancer; with the Moon in Scorpio: ☉△☽ trine across the water signs (perfecting in a few hours). ♀△♄ (Leo-Aries fire trine), ☿⚹♂ & ♂⚹♃. Jupiter exalted and strong, but Moon, Saturn and Mars all debilitated. Note that the Moon's squares are separating (☽□♃ & ☽□☿), so the worst of confusion and unsatisfaction are behind us.
Interpretation: A receptive day that mirrors the Hanged Man. A day of letting things flow, of emotions, of writing, while staying wary of not delving in the shadow too much. Not a day of passivity (Cancer is a cardinal sign which demands action).

The Hanged Man
Time: Morning
What I see: A man with white hair hands from his foot from a T shaped post with vines growing on it. He looks relaxed with one leg folded. His arms are behind his back. He wears blue, red, and yellow.
How I interpret it: letting go, a sacrifice, trust in fate, rest, patience, time spent waiting, looking at things from a different angle
After research: surrender, sacrifice, new perspectives, waiting for the right time, peace of acceptance of what is out of your control

Knight of Swords / 9 of Wands / 5 of Pentacles
I drew cards for a family friend.
Topic: It wasn't disclosed to me, but I was told by someone else later that it was about his children
Interpretation: going to someone to reach a solution (potentially via travel), at the finish line of a long project, a request (direct or not) of money by people

Time: Morning
Type: Auspice
Bird: Laughing dove
Quarter: Came and stayed in the east
Manner: Perched nearby, then cooed (oscine: a sign by voice)
Reading: The bird showed up right in front of me as I was facing south. The cooing and perching are usually positive signs.

The Sun
Time: Morning
What I see: The Sun with human features, a field of sunflowers, a child with a red feather on its head holding a red-orange banner on a white-cream horse.
How I interpret it: happiness, innocence, success, victory, receiving from the world, beauty, inner child, safety
After research: happiness, success, optimism, confidence, clarity, triumph of light over darkness

Death
Time: Morning
What I see: The Pale Horseman in dark armour on a red saddle, holding a black flag with a white rose in its centre. The sun is rising or setting between two tall buildings. There are people at the horse's feet of different ages and social status reacting differently to the horseman's arrival.
How I interpret it: the end of a season of life, end of a phase, space for new experiences after reaping from the old, abandonment of old practices, the last of the signs: the worst has passed
After research: a major phase of your life is ending, transformation, transition, letting go, the end

"The first of the festivals, Imbolc or Oimelg, traditionally marks the beginning of spring, and the names have been explained as meaning, respectively, 'swelling,' suggesting the pregnancy of the earth about to give birth to renewed life, and 'ewe's milk,' signifying the beginning of the lambing season. This festival is associated with the fertility aspect of the goddess of the land, and in Christian times with St. Brigid, who is essentially identical with the pre-Christian goddess of that name, daughter of the god Eochaid, who was worshiped in Kildare and neighboring areas. The second festival, Beltaine, meaning 'Beal's fire,' is associated with the god Balor, apparently the summer aspect of the sky or sun god, and was the time at which herds and flocks were driven to the summer pastures, passing between two fires to assure their health and safety. The third festival, Lughnasa, 'games of Lugh,' marked the beginning of the harvest and involved gatherings of people from neighboring communities, much like American county fairs, with horse races, traders, and other activities possible only at such a gathering. The myths identify it as having been initiated by the god Lugh to honor his foster mother, Tailtiu, who is said to have been responsible for the clearing of the forest in the area of one of the festival sites for agriculture. It had another, apparently older, name, Brón Trogain, that seems to refer to the earth's painful yielding of its fruits (MacNeill 1962:10-11). The final festival, Samhain, forerunner of Halloween, marked the end of the Irish agricultural year. The name can be translated as 'end of summer,' although Powell (1958:117) felt it came from an Indo-European root meaning 'assembly, gathering together.' It was a time of reassembly and feasting, the harvest completed and the herds and flocks brought home from the summer pastures."

Queen of Wands
Time: Morning
What I see: A woman on a lion-adorned throne, a sunflower in her left hand, a scepter in her right. A black cat is sitting at her feet. Her dress is the same colour as the golden lions that serve as her armrests. While she calmly looks off to the side, the black cat looks straight ahead.
How I interpret it: a strong, confident character, someone in control of their "shadow", a good day for creative endeavours... motivation? this screams a productive day to me, but also something psychological... I am hesitant to mention intuition since it might be too cups-y... someone certain of their goals and desires? and would this be about my behaviour today, or a figure who will give me guidance? most definitely a card of success, a fire-y card...
After research: courage, confidence, creativity, zest for life, manifestation, trust your intuition, lead from the heart, fire & strength

"Shall I speak of that unique intensity without form? Know ye the ecstasy within? The pleasure between ego and self? At that time of ecstasy there is no thought of others; there is no thought."

Ten of Wands
Time: Morning

Type: Servitor
Name: Tinea
Observations: Tinea is functional, it's like being woken up by soft wind chimes. Although I didn't include exceptions to the rule of waking up around 7... I got woken up at 6-ish this time, and with so little sleep due to last night, Tinea has left me with no dreams to recall.

The Fool / King of Pentacles / The Emperor, reversed
I drew cards for a new friend.
Topic: A woman
Interpretation: travel and an adventure that he can afford, but recklessness awaits and he may spend it big on this person

Ten of Wands
Time: Morning
What I see: Someone carrying so much to the point where he can't see in front of him walks towards a village. There is no-one around to help him; the background hints at the fact that he came from either barren land or a forest. He's using both hands to carry the load.
How I interpret it: taking on too much work, too many responsibilities, a need to pause and use what I have now instead of carrying it to the end, but I'm so close to the finish line, needing to have more faith and just keep walking forwards, just a little more
After research: struggle at its most intense, overwhelmed by responsibilities, the end of a long sustained struggle, overburdened

Type: Servitor
Name: Tinea
Purpose: To wake me up at 7 AM calm and alert
Form: A little tin and copper (bronze) moth
Charge: Light (mainly from dawn)
Kill switch: Two claps on the new moon + "Tinea, dissolve."
Correspondences:
- day: Thursday
- direction: East
- element: Air
- time: Dawn
- number: 7
- planets: Jupiter and Venus
- colour: Orange
- plants: Peppermint and Lavender
- stone: Citrine
- sigil: T-I-N-E-A, all letters taken apart and rearranged in the shape of a geometrical moth
Gnosis: Inhibitory

7 of Wands, reversed
Time: Morning
What I see: A man on the high ground fiercely defending himself from six attackers. He stands on a barren cliff. He holds his weapon across his body.
How I interpret it: a losing battle, a battle that is over, or a battle that isn't worth it?
After research: weak boundaries, fighting a losing battle, overwhelmed by responsibilities, a struggle that is ending

The Lovers
Time: Morning
What I see: Adam and Eve, the tree of knowledge, the serpent, the tree of life (reminiscent of the flaming bush), an angel, a mountain - the two lovers look up in awe.
How I interpret it: two big choices, a partnership, the choice betweem something logical and a leap of faith, an expedition with a partner
After research: love, choices, unions, partnerships, unity, beauty, Gemini, choosing between the high road and the low road, listening to inner voice and intuition and making choices that align with values and beliefs

Temperance
Time: Morning
What I see: An angel with the symbol of the Sun on its forehead pours water from one vessel to another. The alchemical symbol of fire is on its chest along with the name of the God of Abraham in hebrew. The angel has one foot in water, one on the ground. The Sun rises behind a mountain. Lush plants cover the right side of the background. There's also a path that leads to in-between two mountain peaks.
How I interpret it: a reminder of last night's craft which was focused on balance, a sign that my actions are leading me to the right path, that there might be a guardian of sorts watching over me, that my feelings are being poured into good deeds, that the path I have taken is right, but that right now, I am pausing, that I should get into meditation perhaps, and that this is a sign of a synergy of action and emotion
After research: moderation, balance, patience, the continuation of the journey, the middle path, inner calm found, harmony, in touch with moral compass, easier to set goals

"Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month [food placed inside her door-front shrines] and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served."

Tonight, we will be treated to a new moon.
Webmaster, you ought to add the Noumenia (the day after the new moon) to our calendar every month!
I will keep this new moon in mind while I go about my day. I will normally have the house to myself once the evening rolls in, which means I can properly celebrate and partake in Hekate's Deipnon (hopefully, the first sliver of the moon will be visible tomorrow and my dates are correct).
I will also normally be settling my financials between today and tomorrow. A Deipnon indeed!

Spent some time in the archives of "the original and largest Tarot bulletin board community online, the Aeclectic Tarot Forum."
I love how thorough some of the posters were with their observations. There are a lot of things I tend to brush off in a card that have the potential to carry valuable messages.

2 of Pentacles
Time: Morning
What I see: A man juggles two coins set inside an infinity symbol. He looks at ease. He wears a pointy red hat. I see two boats behind him in a turbulent sea. He is smiling. He looks at the upper coin lovingly.
How I interpret it: a second source of income, financial opportunities, not settling at work, riding the wave
After research: flexibility, resourcefulness, a reminder to stay grounded, ups and downs of life, multiple streams of income

The Star
Time: Morning
What I see: The Pleiades. A woman kneels before a lake or a river. She pours into the water and onto the ground. White flowers adorn the backdrop. I also see a tree, a bird, and a mountain.
How I interpret it: my intuition it correct, I must listen to my gut feeling, it will involve the occult, but a protective feminine spirit (perhaps my own); I will have my peace back after this moment of healing, and get back to my goals
After research: hope, renewed power, strength to carry on with hope, faith, renewal, spirituality, an even we knew about intuitively, rest, purpose, healing after a difficult period

"Let mee see how many trades have I to live by: First, I am a wise-woman, and a fortune-teller, and under that I deale in physicke and fore-speaking, in palmistry, and recovering of things lost. Next, I undertake to cure madd folkes; then I keepe gentlewomen lodgers, to furnish such chambers as I let out by the night: Then I am provided for bringing young wenches to bed; and, for a need, you see I can play the match-maker."

The Emperor, reversed
Time: Afternoon
What I see: A man seated, holding a scepter and a golden apple. He wears a crown, a red cape with vibrant robes, and armour. He is seated on a throne adorned with four rams (one is covered). He looks serious, focused, sévère.
How I interpret it: beware of being too harsh, too controlling - perhaps this is about someone else... or my own frustrations with my destiny... perhaps I am being too passive... is this about control, or about passivity?
After research: tyrant, domineering, rigid, stubborn, lack of discipline, recklessness, an overbearing figure like a boss or partner, loss of control

3 of Wands, reversed
Time: Afternoon
What I see: The subject looks at the horizon, ready for more despite the little foundations around him.
How I interpret it: am I scared of moving forward with something / have I been stagnant somewhere?
After research: restrictions, limitations, lack of progress, delays, frustrations

5 of Swords
I drew a card for my mother.
Topic: General
Interpretation: a recent victory she had might've been acquired through trickery or covert means.

6 of Wands
I drew a card for my sister.
Topic: Job interview
Interpretation: victory, success, overall a positive experience that will yield good results

4 of Pentacles, reversed
Time: Morning
What I see: A man happily holding his coin. He is grounded in money, secure in his finances. A coin balances on his head. Secure... until he gets up and walks?
How I interpret it: overspending, or financial insecurity
After research: fear of scarcity, greed, some even say less greed & more of a giving angle, spending, donations, sharing resources, or spending too much... some even say it means you're too protective of your finances... ah!

"The cunning element of cunning-folk comes from the Anglo-Saxon cunnan, meaning to know. Wizard similarly derives from the Old English wis, meaning wise, so can be seen as a variant of wise-man. Both definitions tell us something fundamental about how these people were perceived. They were individuals who stood out in society for possessing more knowledge than those around them, knowledge that was either acquired from a supernatural source, from an innate, hereditary ability, or from being able to understand writing."

7 of Pentacles, reversed
Time: Evening
What I see: A man looking at his harvest. He is wearily leaning agaisnt the tool he has used to till the land for tiresome hours.
How I interpret it: "Not yet." "There is more work to be done"
After research: unmet expectations, no results yet, lack of long-term planning