Lucifer’s splendor was his downfall. The prophet Ezekiel described him as “the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” According to some interpretations, his ego got the better of him. Not only did he want to be adored by the masses, he also wanted to be treated as equal to God himself. It was his pride and ambition that did him in. The Star of the Morning committed one of the seven deadly sins, and for that he paid dearly. We see this all the time in our day-to-day lives. The boss that has to micromanage every task that you get assigned, the neighbor with the high salary that looks down on you for driving a Toyota Camry, that guy that keeps trying to run for political office. (I just can’t bear to say his name.) Sometimes our egos do get the better of us. It’s how to deal with these impulses, how you check in with yourself, that ultimately matters.
Temperance is the tarot card for Sagittarius Season. Archangel Gabriel, who is depicted in the card, pours water back and forth from one cup to another, encouraging the life force within ourselves to flow freely. It’s all about developing over the course of your life a sense of inner balance, inner oneness. Much like the waves of the ocean must recede before they can roll out along the shore, we too must learn how to dance with spirit. This is an extremely slow process, this body and soul integration, but one that can catapult us into a profound spiritual rebirth.
Temperance is the final card in Line 2 of the tarot, the line that begs us to answer the question “Who am I?” This is the part of Alice in Wonderland when the Caterpillar blowing his smoke into her face while asking “Who are you?” This death spiral, the line of the underworld, ushers us into our last cycle of soul work in the cocoon. The question leads us out of the egoic self and into the soul’s knowing, from our heads into our hearts. We stop telling ourselves who or what we should be, we stop with the “what if” thinking, we stop believing all the lies. We choose more.
Absolute liberty is absence of restraint, responsibility is restraint; therefore, the ideally free individual is responsible to himself.
Henry Adams
The ego does not equal soul, but there is an integration of the body and soul that requires a moderate and guided approach in order to reach your goals. The good news is that you don’t have to do it all on your own. You have guides leading you to the right outcome as long as you can cultivate the patience to listen to them. You can ask you spirit guides, your ancestors, your wise inner knowing, whatever you prefer to call it, for support and clarity. You can open your arms to wisdom of those that look out for us to find some balance in this ever-changing world. In the card Gabriel has one foot in the water and one on the ground, reminding us to stay tethered to the self in the midst of all the moving energy.
The Card of Swiftness
In a dream Jacob sees a ladder stretching from the Earth all the way to Heaven, thus providing a more tangible connection between God and man. Considered to be the process card of the tarot, the Eight of Wands symbolizes the beginning of a long journey towards a goal. It also represents “the subtilizing of the fiery energy and the phenomena of speech, light, and electricity” (Book of Thoth). From November 23 to December 2 we are gifted with the freedom and space to move forward, to go with the flow, and to be laser-focused on our goals. With great tasks come great effort, in this case more awareness.
Sometimes we are propelled into directions that we don’t quite understand, or maybe even terrify us to some degree. “Trying to slow things down because you’re not ready or you’re fearful about the unknown will just waste this opportunity.” (Biddy Tarot) The movement of the wands in this card symbolizes an energetic package in route, a speedy flight toward an end that promises rewards. Everything is moving a such a quick pace, propelling us closer to manifesting our goals and dreams. ‘Strike while the iron is hot,’ but do so with committed energy. This is still a process, and those still do take time. The potential is what moves the needle.
Whatever you’re ready for is ready for you.
Mark Victor Hansen
We all question ourselves. We all fall down at times. The eight wands, those arrows of love, are all pointing in the same direction, following the same journey that is ours to take. Our job in this co-creation with source is to accept one’s broken wings and learn how to fly again. The invitation is to commit ourselves to soul creation, to work and align ourselves with the highest best, if we could only manage to get out of our own way. “Stay on the carpet – it has already taken off!” (Johannes Fiebig) It’s not like we have much of a choice in the matter, the river is already moving at such a fast pace. The work has already begun.
The Card of Strength
The keyword here is vigilance. He may be battered and bruised, but he now knows what he is capable of. Sometimes we don’t know what we can accomplish until we are put to the test. From December 3 to December 12 the Nine of Wands explores “the fullest development of the (life) force in its relation with the forces above it and the phenomenon of change as stability” (Book of Thoth). In the face of adversity and exhaustion we can still stand tall and remain strong. Things may seem impossible, but there is a plethora of internal resources to aide us in overcoming whatever obstacles my be in our way.
Usually we go go go until we crash, and then we step away completely in order to recover. We are being asked now to consider a different option, one of honoring rest periods. We have to fill up our own cups in order to give unto others. (Insert cliché of putting on your own gas mask before helping others.) The key is to learn how to use these energy stores in the most effective way possible. This calls for learning how to create boundaries, not barriers, so that you can proactively protect your energy. Sometimes that means learning how to break down those walls within ourselves, something that requires both courage and resilience.
The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.
Mark Caine
Every time we overcome an obstacle, we get stronger. Having the courage of your own feelings and visions is the ultimate test of faith. If we stay persistent taking only one wand in hand at a time, one step at a time, our purpose gets laid out in front of us. It’s all about learning how to balance all the doing while still having some breathing room. Rest, but stay awake to the fact that there is more work to be done. I beginning to think this is a lifelong process of learning how to make ourselves shine. Don’t dim your light because of others’ insecurities, and don’t allow your own to take the lead in your story.
The Card of Oppression
We all get to a point in our lives when we could either give up completely or push through to the finish line. This is that turning point, the fork in the road where you can make the conscious choice to put in the hard work now in order to reap the rewards later. The Ten of Wands, which is our guide from December 13 to December 21, reminds us that “if its power becomes detached from its spiritual sources, it has become a blind (life) force” (Book of Thoth). When we forget that the whole point of this life is to follow our heart’s desires, we lose the drive to keep going. However when we keep the why of it all in the forefront of our minds, we can achieve such great things.
The person depicted in the Ten of Wands appears to be weighed down by this heavy burden. We can often feel this way when we look at all the things that have been piled onto our plates, whether that be due to others or simply ourselves. Sometimes these times are only temporary, making it much easier to push through to the end. Other times we may come to the realization that we are carrying way too much, and that maybe we should ask for help or delegate some of it to someone else if possible. As someone who has pushed themselves to their own detriment, I can honestly say that burnout is no joke. It’s exhausting to the nth degree, and can take years to recover from. I am still in the recovery stage myself.
You’re imperfect, and you’re wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.
Brené Brown
My worth got all wrapped up in how much I could accomplish. I don’t think I am alone in this. It has taken me a long time to unravel it all, and I don’t believe I am quite done yet. The biggest takeaway was knowing that I could, in fact, drop any of the wands that I no longer wanted to keep holding onto. Moving forward I am only taking the things I truly have or want to, those things that really light up my heart. Even in the midst of struggle, at least I know that it is taking me where I want to go. The end is in sight! The future is mine to behold.
Mad love, Jenna
deck credit: Rider-Waite Tarot Deck, drawn in 1909 by Pamela Colman Smith under direction of Arthur Edward Waite
