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The Mirror of the Moment

Page 9

by Richard Palmer


  politics; an unwise rejection of all spiritual concerns.

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  THE DEVIL

  The Lord of the Gates of Matter

  Capricorn

  DESCRIPTION AND SYMBOLISM

  The Devil which is the image of all the ignorance, death, suffering

  and misery created by man rules over two naked near human

  figures who are chained in bondage to the black alter of sensual

  materialism. In their blindness these two prisoners do not perceive

  that they alone are the creators of their own servitude and the

  chains of false knowledge around their necks could be easily

  removed through a true understanding of Nature. Confronting us in

  this image is “The Devil”who appears as a bat winged creature

  sprouting the horns of a goat sitting against a black background

  and rather than invoking terror and fear like any authentic

  embodiment of the pure essence of evil should appears rather

  forlorn and somewhat pathetic as it squats on the black half cube

  that serves as a throne.

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  An inverted pentagram, a symbol of evil and black magic, floats

  between its horns. In its left hand it holds an inverted torch

  pointing downwards towards the material earth instead of upwards

  towards the spiritual heights. The right hand is raised in an unholy

  benediction and is inscribed with the symbol of black magic

  projecting the falsehood that sensation comprises the whole truth

  of reality and life has no spiritual dimension. Two near human

  figures are seen chained to the black half cube throne. They sprout

  “devil-like”horns and “animal like”tails and around their necks

  hang chains affixed to a ring mounted on the alter suggesting a

  state of captivity or enslavement; but if you look closely at their

  circumstances the chains fit quite loosely around their necks and

  could be quite easily removed. This suggests their servitude is

  entirely voluntary in nature and they could easily cast off these

  chains and become free of their bondage through an act of their

  own free will.

  MEDITATION

  The energy of Capricorn informs the image of “The Devil”and

  represents the materializing impulse of the will and the fruits of

  material involvement: money, social status, power and pleasure. It

  is the most material of all the earth signs of the Zodiac and thus its

  association with “The Devil” in the Tarot.

  The capricious

  mountain goat is also associated with Capricorn and aptly

  symbolizes the bondage of materiality and the slavery to sensation

  that leads to a life devoid of inner awareness and a fate determined

  by the blind and impersonal physical forces of the material

  universe. The Devil invokes an atmosphere of enslavement to

  sensuality, materialism or ignorance from which freedom can only

  be attained through a sovereign act of free will.

  INTUITIVE CLOUDS

  When The Devil is revealed Upright in your reading, its

  meaning(s) may correspond to: living in bondage to materialism; a

  need to escape an unhealthy or abusive relationship; an unchecked

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  desire for money or power; the misuse of power or position to

  manipulate others; falling prey to unnatural sexual obsessions or

  sexual temptations; coming under the sway of evil ideas; living

  with a distorted perception of reality;

  a

  lack

  of moral

  consciousness in your business and personal affairs; living a life

  based on self deception and selfishness; becoming dominated by

  the blind pursuit of success; a life dominated by uncontrolled

  ambition; being increasing influenced by the shadow side of your

  personality; falling prey to the belief that money is everything;

  pursuing an overly hedonistic lifestyle; selling your soul for

  money.

  When The Devil is revealed Reversed in your reading, its

  meaning(s) may correspond to: a rejection of materialism;

  overcoming pride and self interest; casting off the chains of your

  own materialistic desires; confronting the harsh truth of the reality

  of evil; shifting your focus away from your own self centered

  needs; abandoning cynicism and reaffirming a will to live with

  good intentions towards all; an advice that a dubious business deal

  being offered you will bring evil in the long run; recognizing the

  opportunity being presented to change your shadowy ways; no

  longer keeping the good life for yourself and living at the expense

  of others.

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  THE TOWER

  Lord of the Hosts of the Mighty

  Mars

  DESCRIPTION AND SYMBOLISM

  A sudden and unexpected bolt of fiery creative energy shatters the

  summit of a tall stone tower and violently hurls its occupants out

  into the dark atmosphere surrounding it and sending them plunging

  onto the jagged rocks below. The lightening bolt striking “The

  Tower” is the creative growth energy of Mars overthrowing

  erroneous ideas and values as well as the false belief there is any

  true gain, purpose or security in the endless acquisition of power,

  prestige or material things. Life for the two occupants of “The

  Tower”could not have been better. They were literally “on the top

  of the world”when suddenly, out of nowhere came a “bolt from

  above” the tremendous Mars power of sudden change and

  transformation which in an instant has caused their status quo to

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  come crashing down, hurling them from their lofty position into

  the darkness and the depths of psychic transformation. In

  delivering its sudden influx of creative energy, the bolt from on

  high breaks down existing ideas in order to make room for new

  ones to emerge. There is a sudden glimpse of truth – the only thing

  that can save them from total spiritual death - as they must now

  choose either to accept the embrace of a higher level of

  consciousness or perish on the jagged rocks of obsolete ideas

  awaiting them below.

  MEDITATION

  The Tower invokes an atmosphere of sudden unexpected change

  and the overthrow of stale ideas or of an existing status quo and the

  forging of a new creative vision built upon the attainment of a

  higher level of consciousness. Mars, in the context of The Tower,

  represents the sentient life energy - the vital force - the Primal Will

  that indwells within and animates Nature impelling and supporting

  the eternal evolution of life. This sudden and unexpected blast of

  energy shatters the tower of false ideas bringing about a great

  upheaval that is the first step to spiritual awakening and

  development. Informed by the power of Mars, “The Tower”

  invokes an atmosphere of being struck by the lightning flash of

  truth - the shattering of old ideas and the birth of new ones through

  the fiery revelation of the Creative Spirit!

  INTUITIVE CLOUDS

&nb
sp; When The Tower is revealed Upright in your reading, its

  meaning(s) may correspond to: an unforeseen catastrophe ahead; a

  potential reversal of fortune; the fruits of selfish ambitions being

  overthrown; a destructive rebirth; a need to discover the real truth

  of a matter; a unexpected upheaval in your present status quo; your

  carefully crafted plans being swept away; an existing way of life

  coming to an unexpected end; an unseen interpersonal disaster

  overtaking a professional relationship; a sudden upheaval in your

  romantic or financial life.

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  When The Tower is revealed Reversed in your reading, its

  meaning(s) may correspond to: an impending catastrophe; freedom

  that can only be regained at a great cost; perishing along with your

  existing way of life; a fear of discovering the real truth of a matter;

  ruin being upon you; an unforeseen change of circumstances

  overtaking your life; the oppression of unforeseen events

  overtaking you; a potential relationship disaster laying ahead; a

  dangerous course of action that needs to be abandoned; selfish

  career ambitions coming undone; your plans and schemes

  amounting to nothing; the urgent need to pursue a path of spiritual

  renewal.

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  THE STAR

  The Dweller between the Waters

  Aquarius

  DESCRIPTION AND SYMBOLISM

  The Star Goddess stands naked before us in the pristine and primal

  purity of her own nature. She is Cosmic Nature Consciousness -

  the Mother of All Awareness - and there is no pretense in her. In

  her hands she holds two vases from which flow the psychic

  Aquarian waters. Three streams flow from one of the vases into a

  vibrating pool upon which she rests her foot. Five other streams

  flow from another vase which she holds and form five rivulets

  upon the earth. Above her a large golden star dominates the late

  afternoon sky around which seven smaller white stars appear to

  hover. Little blossoms adorn the greenery of the landscape and a

  small Ibis bird perches upon a tree. Ten lilies grow in the fertile

  ground and in the background a mountain peak rises in the

  distance.

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  She is the Sacred Feminine in Nature and the cosmic sources of

  spiritual light shine down upon her from the heavens above

  flowing freely from these spiritual centers into her and then out

  from her vases to nourish both the physical and spiritual

  dimensions of life.

  MEDITATION

  The Star invokes an atmosphere of mediation and stimulation of

  the self consciousness leading it to experience the inner light of

  Spirit that brings with it the faith and hope necessary to confront

  and transcend our difficulties. The water bearer, Aquarius, conveys

  the astrological meaning of this card for the waters that flow from

  the jugs are none other than the sacred waters of psychic

  consciousness itself which will also nourish our own self

  consciousness if seek to experience

  them through prayer and

  meditation.

  Through the grace and inspiration of the Sacred

  Goddess we discover the inner faith and wisdom that allows us to

  revere the universe and trust in its eternal laws. Informed by the

  power of Aquarius, “The Star” invokes an atmosphere of faith,

  hope and light – of moving from the darkness of ignorance into a

  life grounded in faith and illuminated by truth.

  INTUITIVE CLOUDS

  When The Star is revealed Upright in your reading, its

  meaning(s)

  may

  correspond

  to:

  a

  favorable

  and

  positive

  atmosphere surrounding your inquiry; embracing faith and hope;

  dreams and wishes coming true; being open to inspiration and

  grace; the need to find purpose in your life; gaining contact with

  your inner self through meditation; having faith in yourself; having

  faith that your present relationship is founded on truth; having the

  courage to face adversity; maintaining your faith in the face of

  life’s uncertainties; finding a new source of inspiration in your life;

  a renewed sense of self confidence lighting your way; attaining the

  inner tranquility you seek through meditation; restarting your life

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  with renewed hope and vigor; applying the gifts of the Spirit

  towards meaningful ends; pursuing your own happiness; good

  fortune finally coming your way; making a decision to embrace

  and follow your own inner stars; pursuing a commitment to make

  your own dreams come true.

  When The Star

  is revealed Reversed in your reading, its

  meaning(s) may correspond to:

  an unfavorable and negative

  atmosphere surrounding your inquiry; your dreams and wishes

  remaining unfulfilled; succumbing to disillusionment and doubt;

  ignoring the voice of your inner stars; feeling cutoff from the

  nurturing energies of your inner self; an inability to discover any

  sense of hope and purpose in your life; a loss of faith and trust in

  your relationship; your viewpoint on life becoming clouded by too

  much pessimism; pursuing unrealistic expectations; experiencing a

  loss of hope in a better future; suffering from a lack of faith in

  yourself; having unrealistic expectations of yourself and others;

  feeling disappointment due to a loss of trust in others; finally

  realizing that you are pursuing a false love; being held back by

  mental rigidity; accepting a life of spiritual poverty instead of

  spiritual growth.

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  THE MOON

  Child of the Sons of the Mighty

  Pisces

  DESCRIPTION AND SYMBOLISM

  Beneath the radiating light of a stern faced orb a primitive

  organism emerges from the blue waters of the great cosmic deep

  and begins its ascent up a golden path towards twin protective

  towers and to the summit of a mountain range towering far ahead

  in the distance. The stern face overlooking its ascent symbolizes

  the fact that the way of evolution is a stern way and indeed, as the

  ancient saying goes, the Moon is often a “harsh mistress”forcing

  us onto difficult paths so that we may grow and advance as

  spiritual beings by freeing ourselves from self deceptions that blind

  us and from the false knowledge and delusional perceptions which

  surround us and impede our upward ascent on the path of spiritual

  evolution. Astride the golden path stand both a domesticated dog

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  and a wild wolf both of which are howling at the Moon. Between

  both of them the evolving consciousness must pass in it’

  s upwards

  journey on the golden road. Golden droplets of Spirit fire descend

  like rain upon the golden path nourishing the creative dreams of

  the Maker as they struggle to be born out of the Cosmic Womb.


  MEDITATION

  Sacred to the ancients as the symbol of the mystery of Nature and

  of the Divine Feminine psychic and mysterious Pisces can

  represent our deepest fears as well as our loftiest evolutionary

  aspirations. As a reflection of the unknown mystery within

  ourselves the deep spiritual waters of Pisces bid us not to fear the

  darkness but to look at it carefully so we may discover the light of

  Spirit within. This light will lead us on our destined path and to the

  fullest knowledge and realization of our own inner nature.

  Informed by the power of Pisces this card invokes an atmosphere

  of deception and illusion either of out own making or caused by

  forces outside of ourselves which we must come to recognize and

  confront if we are to free ourselves from the grip of the shadowy

  and deceptive energies that could lead us astray and cause our

  undoing.

  INTUITIVE CLOUDS

  When The Moon is revealed Upright in your reading, its

  meaning(s) may correspond to: self deception; an inability to

  distinguish illusion from reality; an advice to make no important

  decisions at this time;

  being unable to see a clear path ahead;

  failing to see the underlying falsehood in a relationship; stagnation

  in love; hidden perils lurking in the environment; unrecognized

  enemies in your workplace; viewing your present situation in a

  false light;

  potential treachery from someone near to you; a

  clouded perception as to the true motives of a false friend; hidden

  deceit; financial trickery that could lead to your undoing; things

  not being as they appear to be; trusting someone you shouldn’

  t

  trust; a need for greater insight into an unclear situation.

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  not seeing things as they really are; being led astray by harmful

  preconceptions; a need to move forward out of the shadows and

  swirling mists of illusion now surrounding you.

  When The Moon is revealed Reversed in your reading, its

  meaning(s) may correspond to: an advice to be on guard against

  deceptions from outside yourself; an unrecognized danger lurking

 

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