Monday 19 July 2010

THE FOOL (alternative title: The Joker, The Madman)

This is the first card of the Major Arcana - and the last card, as the cycle renews after completion and begins again.

It is both the beginning and the end.

THE FOOL's number is ZERO - similar in many ways to Oroborus, the snake that eats its own tail: cyclical, eternal.

[Just as The World, number XXI, the completion of the cycle of the Major Arcana, appears as a sphere, cyclical and eternal (alternative title: The Universe).]

This eternal, cyclic nature of the Major Arcana should be noted. It is a theme that runs throughout both sections of the Tarot, but is especially pronounced in the Major Arcana - which deals exclusively in archetypes.

A youth who proceeds towards the edge of a cliff, eyes to the heavens (fixed on his* dreams; looking at a butterfly) not paying attention to the earth under his feet or the imminent danger ahead, enjoying his journey. An animal that accompanies him gambols around his feet.
He seems oblivious in his bliss.
And oddly, he is quite safe. Protected in/by his innocence. ... He'll deal with any danger when he gets to it. - If he should come a cropper, he'll just pick himself up, dust himself off, and continue on his happy way.
...In the meantime, he'll continue to enjoy his adventure.

He is the start of the journey, he has placed his foot upon the first step of his Way, and is unconcerned about the hysterical jabbering or opinions of others.
The Fool follows his journey, heedless of others. It is his Way, and he knows it is right for him.

Open, free, honest, innocent, trusting, loving life, unprejudiced, and ready for any opportunity - confidence, follow your inspiration, follow your instincts: a new life journey.

If The Fool is reversed, it is an indication that you need to stop, and take a good long cold look at your behaviour: you're probably acting like an idiot, or maybe you're about to rush in where you might be better off staying put and keeping quiet.

The Fool as the first card in a reading, may indicate that you are asking the wrong question.


*The Fool can just as easily be "her". I was about to say that archetypes are sexless, but as we will see with Strength, a female energy is in play. So, The Fool holds a male energy, but the person he represents can be of either sex.

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Self-Publishing - Part II

Read Self-publishing - Part I here

Overall, I am very happy with the service provided by Authors OnLine.

There was a slight hiccough with the cover text design on The Yes / No Tarot Oracle, (as to where it was placed in relation to the artwork) - the designer must have been having an off day; but this was sorted out to my satisfaction very promptly once I had made them aware of the issue.

They are a very good company and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them, if any of you lovely people ever did want to take the self-publishing route.

Feel free to email me if you want any further information about the service, beyond the details they give on their website.

They would normally take between 8 to 10 weeks to get your book published once you hand in all the documents ... the only reason my second book took so long was that my illness prevented me from signing off on it right away.

I have put links to both the Tarot books in the side bar - they are available in softback via print on demand from most booksellers, and the PDF versions are available to buy from Authors OnLine should you want to.

I'm so chuffed, here are the pictures of them AGAIN! :)

.....

Thursday 7 January 2010

Do you believe in Love?

Hey! This is supposed to be a Tarot blog. Why are you writing about love?

Love? Really? ... I was asked to write about The Nature Of God. (Tarot post next time, I promise.)

God (if you will). The universal force of Love that binds and inspires us, creates and sustains us, permeates and links us all as one. The unconditional Love that gives the universe being.
Many people call this God, so I shall (on this occasion) describe it that way too. Just realise I'm not talking about a Santa Clause type religious figurehead. There is nothing, and everything, human about God. God is divine energy, and that energy is Love.

If more people opened themselves up to contact with the energy of love that dwells within all of us there would be far fewer wars, or violence, or crimes against each other. Because we'd realise that when we sin, we sin against ourselves.

Most people live in darkness and assume that that is the way that life is supposed to be.
This is the main problem with incarnating in flesh, the energy levels have to be stepped down in to the physical realm (hence auras and the different auric bodies) and we forget much of what we know and who we are, so that we can experience the things we want to experience, and learn the lessons we need to master in order to bring our energy levels back up to the way they were before Light and Dark seperated in to all that there is and is not - so that we can live as God, in free will.
And in the forgetful obscurity of physical incarnation we encounter pain. Pain is an essential of survival, but it is not a way of living - it's just a mechanism that tells us when something is not right. And lets face it, in the physical form most things can be interpreted as 'not right'.
But when you encounter pain, be it physical, emotional or mental it tends to overwhelm - or at the least distract - you from other ways of living, feeling, and thinking.
Instead of lashing out in your pain, and causing more pain to yourself and others around you, you need to disconnect so that you can determine the cause of the pain and then either disengage from it or find a way to heal it.
Once you are able to look past the pain, you will find that you can look beyond your own inner horizons and out in to the world - and discover that: others are going through the same traumas you are, you are not alone, it's not all about you (put aside your paranoia and suspicion); and if you keep looking out in to the world you will notice love, and selfless action being given freely by those who have learned to heal themselves despite being incarnated in flesh.
How can they do this?
These 'healers' explored the darkness around them, and one day they looked up and realised that they were not only in darkness, but that they were also in a deep hole which had an entrance above them, and outside that entrance it seemed to be dark there too. ... But gradually, as they balanced themselves and removed the negativity from their lives, the entrance to the hole became a lighter grey - and they realized that it was dawn outside, and that if they raised themself up they would come in to the light and the warmth of the sun (the energy of Love). And once they KNEW that, they could rise up out of the hole and walk in the sunlight.
It can be a very long process. But it's real. And there are sign posts along the way.

In your life, you may receive a visit from an energy being that can best be described as someone who loves you unconditionally - they will wrap you in their arms and the light of their love. And you will KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOVED. It doesn't matter who you are, or what you've done or haven't done in your life - none of that is important. They love you because you are. And in that moment everything will be right.
You may percieve them as Jesus, or as an angel, or some other loving entity of the divine?
But then life continues as normal, and over time the memory of the warmth and love and rightness is put to the back of your mind, and eventually you may forget that you are loved....
And if you have not yet experienced this, do not feel distressed. It will happen for you, one day, one life. Or maybe you already live with love surrounding you and do not require this extra help to see the truth of living in love?
If you dwell in darkness and have not experienced this visit, open your eyes and examine your behaviour and attitudes, do you hide in fear? Do you hurt others in order to make yourself feel better? Maybe it's time to stop hiding, time to stop behaving negatively; and start trying a more positive approach?
If you have forgotten, remember it now.
And if you live in love, KNOW it now.

All things are loved: Humans, animals, plants, rocks. YOU ARE LOVED.

One day you may see the EarthSong. This is another marker on the path. - Stay your course, find the light, join the song, nurture others, believe in Love. Because Love is the reason you exist, and you are Loved ... just because.