anthropology of the tarot

Weekly Wisdom by Mirasol – 23 June 2019

The Priestess of Cups from the Motherpeace Tarot is our guide this week. In this card, the Priestess is depicted as a mermaid sitting on the shore. There is a tower behind her, partly clouded and situated on a steep hill. She holds a lyre in her left hand, playing beautiful music, which is heard by the whale jumping out of the ocean. The mermaid priestess does not rely on verbal communication, instead she conveys her message via the sound of the seven-stringed lyre.

Receiving this card is a reminder that now is the time to focus our thoughts within and let our feelings and desires be central to our very being. By adopting the role of the archetypal muse, the mermaid priestess inspires us to find our inner creatress. Her unconscious thoughts yield to the ocean of collective memory where new ideas will be conceived. The mermaid priestess represents the soul and the inner part of us, and she mediates between the spirit world and our daily life and between the sky and earth. Being all water, the mermaid priestess channels feelings, desires, dreams and inner visions. She also promotes the nourishment of the womb, mother-love and divine inspiration. She swims through the unconscious like a fish and at the same time she breathes and thinks like a human.

The card is synchronised with the post-Solstice watery energy of the Cancer season. We can now rest and nourish by going inward and considering with a grateful heart all that we have achieved so far this year. Trust that all is as it should be and that your intuition is receiving the profound messages for you to act on when the time is right. Your deep feminine power is rising.

Meditation with the Priestess of Cups

Do this meditation with the Priestess of Cups and tune into what the card wants to say to you.

Sit down in a quiet space. Take a few deep breaths and relax.

Focus on the image of the mermaid priestess sitting on the shore. Notice how mystically serene she looks, playing the lyre, sending messages from her unconscious to be collected by those who are ready to listen. Hear her music as you gaze into the image. Smell the ocean’s waves as the whale jumps up and down, and observe as she communicates with the mermaid priestess. The healing water of the image is refreshing and nourishing your femininity, bringing you back to your core-self.

Stay in meditation for 5 to 10 minutes.

After the meditation, journal about the below questions.

How have your nourished your feminine receptivity lately?

How can you unite your inner dream world with your daily life?

Additional practice – connecting to your spiritual creativity with Celestite

Celestite is a beautiful translucent pale blue crystal which is calming, soft and positive. The internal structure of celestite is orthorhombic and its’ high-vibrational healing frequency radiates in all directions. The name celestite comes from the Latin caelestis, meaning “celestial” or “heavenly,” referring to the blue colour of the sky. It connects us to the angelic realm, ignites clairvoyance, dream recall, and calms anxiety and panic attacks. Celestite is a stone of creativity and promotes the skills of artists, musicians and writers. It expands our consciousness and ability to receive wisdom from the divine source and teaches us to patiently trust in the divine process. Celestite is associated with the Roman Goddess Juterna who watches over brooks, ponds, wells and springs, providing nourishment and health. It is also connected to the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, Haniel, and Seraphiel.

For the healing ceremony, lie down in a comfortable place. Place the celestite on your sacral chakra. Imagine how the beautiful pale blue colour of the celestite nourishes your sacral area. Sense how any blockages you have in receiving the very best for you is lifted away. Feel how the sky-blue colour is deepening your connection to your inner muse, the divine and angelic realm. Note any messages you receive at this point.

Take a deep breath and say thank you to celestite and its’ healing gift.

Repeat this practice as often as you wish. It will help to awaken your creativity and your receptivity to divine messages.

Mirasol

Monthly Muses by Flavia – June 2019

It is June and summer has officially started. It’s also Gemini season when we naturally become more curious, adventurous and sociable. The new moon in Gemini is a calling to favour a breadth of activities rather than depth in what we do. And it will be busy. Venus enters Gemini on the 8th of June, strengthening the vibe of flirtation, living in the moment and finding beauty in experiences and mental stimulation. All this is taking place right in the middle of the year. It is a time for taking stock and recalibrating our intentions, examining our situation and progress. We look at our achievements in the year so far, what was a triumph, and what has let us down or veered in the wrong direction, now we can set it straight or add to previous glories.

Thinking about it from that perspective, the cards that turned up look rather ominous. Messages of bad news or difficult forebodings, even notions of misfortune. But let’s take them in Gemini style. Not one at a time, but all together simultaneously. Lets try and listen to their meaning as they all talk to us at once. What do they tell us? Perhaps they tell us: we are at the beginning of everything. In some sense or another agency is with us.

We can make a course correction as we assess where we stand in relation to people and circumstances. Even at the lowest point emotionally or physically – the number one – is that we can keep our dignity and self respect, our pride and self acceptance with humility. We might be experiencing a level of anxiety or just exhaustion from a long and demanding winter. We could be feeling a heavy energy not because we are in a bad place – indeed the opposite is just as likely – but because to get where we are, took a lot out of us.

We are still carrying a heavy load we can’t let go of, and we need support. How we feel and see the world is important. The challenges we face tell us there’s a lot that has to be resolved. In order to do this, we are going to be kind to ourselves. If we need help, we should ask for it, and it’s there for us. If others need our help, we should not hesitate. A reminder that helping others is part of our own well-being, strength and dignity. Charity starts at home and it is personal as the Sun moves through the lower part of the chart, regardless where it stands on the individual one. Love, forgiveness, generosity and everything associated with Charity will guide us in moving forward.

The Misero is moving slowly. His message is to take it easy, and keep going, bring determination and acceptance into the forefront. It’s not time yet to materialise the possibilities. But they are ahead of us. What seems rough on the outside is only the beginning, not the end. We are back at the beginning of everything every single day. And there is the other side to get to. We are not there yet. Let’s not rush the journey.

Flavia

Weekly Wisdom by Mirasol – 19 May 2019

The Daughter of Cups from the Motherpeace Tarot comes forward to guide us this week. In the card we see a woman who sits in a pool of water, with one arm and leg raised to receive a flowing stream from above. Red rock walls surround her and there is a tree to the right. A turtle walks slowly past her, carrying a white jar with sacred water on its’ back.

The card signifies that it is time to invoke joy and playfulness into our lives. We need to pause and immerse ourselves in the beauty of our inner world. Playing in the sensual waters, the Daughter of Cups has a sense of humour, she tells us to feel good about ourselves and be receptive. The magical mineral waters flow into her crown chakra like cosmic light and then splashes all over her body, reminding us to celebrate our body but also to pay attention to heightened psychic awareness. The tree reaches out to the Daughter, representing life, while the rock walls enclose her in love. The turtle represents the ability to enter and exit our inner world. In Native American mythology the turtle carries the world on its’ back. The Hopi plant a water jar where they wish to settle, a ceremony conducted in a state of purity to ensure that water will always flow from the ground.

Receiving this card indicates that you are currently feeling a range of emotions strongly, this is a call from your inner child who wants to be noticed. It doesn’t matter whether she is sad or happy, it is the process of immersing and experiencing her emotions which is important. This will lead to self-revelation and a playful state of being, which in turn will bring transformation. The essence of the Daughter of Cups is magnetic and inclusive, she uses creative visualisations to make her desires and dreams come true. She tells us that there is an opening of the inner voice after a fearless dive into the soul.

The card resonates with the recent full moon in Scorpio. Now is the time to look deep inside yourself and admit to the big dreams. This will lead to an emerging joy of wisdom and the knowing that a deep transformation is occurring.

Meditation with the Daughter of Cups

Try this meditation with the Daughter of Cups and tune into what the card wants to say to you.

Sit down in a quiet space. Take a few deep breaths and relax.

Focus on the image of the woman sitting in a pool of water. Observe how playful she is and how much she loves just being and playing in the flowing stream. The slow moving turtle is passing by, balancing the sacred water jar on its’ back and creating the world through a peaceful and steady pace. The red colour of the rock walls ignite movement while the green colour is soothing.

Stay in meditation for 5 to 10 minutes.

After the meditation, journal about the below questions.

How can you let your inner child out to play?

What dreams did you have as a child which you have not fulfilled yet?

Additional practice – transforming negative patterns with Malachite

Malachite is a striking green opaque stone with a silken surface, its’ internal structure is monoclinic, providing an energetic vibration of balance and smoothness. The name malachite comes from the Greek molochitis lithos meaning “mallow-green stone” because it resembles the leaves from the mallow plant. Egyptians associated green with death and the power of resurrection, calling the afterlife “Field of Malachite”. From antiquity to the 1800s, malachite was used as a mineral pigment in paint. As a stone of healing, malachite ignites transformation and removes emotional blockages by dissolving old belief systems which no longer serve you. Toxic energy is neutralised by malachite and it also guards against negativity. The rich green colour of malachite infuses us with the possibilities of change and supports our soul-growth through living an abundant heart-centred life.

For the healing ceremony, sit or lie down. Hold the malachite between your palms, in front of your solar plexus chakra. Imagine any negative people and situations leaving your auric field through the solar plexus. Sense how the green colour of the malachite purifies your energy channels and then strengthens your whole being, on all levels of the body, mind and soul. Take a deep breath and say thank you to malachite and its’ transformational gift.

Repeat this practice as often as you wish. It will assist in detoxifying your relationships and any situations which have become a burden and provides a space for more light to enter.

Mirasol

Weekly Wisdom by Mirasol – 7 May 2019

This week we will look at the Four of Disks from the Motherpeace Tarot. This card shows us a woman who is closing the door to the outside world. She has lit a fire at the centre of the room, the smoke rises to the hole in the ceiling and there are four shields hanging on the wall.

The card represents an inner sanctuary, the woman needs silence, a private, uncluttered space, where she can open and close the door at her own will. Here she finds the stillness she needs to be able to listen to her inner guidance. The four shield-disks on the wall represent, from left to right, the spiral to the centre to self, a magical flight to the heavenly realm, rhythmic balance of going in and out of a space/self, and the last one represents the integration of the four elements. The number four represents structure, therefore this card signifies that the solid foundation you desire is currently created by both internal and external forces.

Receiving this card indicates that you are building a foundation for yourself, an inner strength which is best constructed alone. This card suggests that you will need to say no to others’ needs at the moment, until you find out what you need and desire for yourself. By putting up shields, you can focus on your path and not be influenced by others who may want to tear down your structures. Your intuition will guide you to those you can trust. Meanwhile, your door stays closed while you build up the strength to reveal your grandeur.

With the recent new moon in Taurus and the retrogrades of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto, the card asks you to slow down and take a deep look inside to find out how to nurture your foundation. With the Taurus steadiness and desire for a proper structure you can now do things at your own pace. There is enough time to both realise and receive the big dream. Like the woman in the card, share your dreams only with those who you allow through the door, the ones who support you with an open heart.

Meditation with the Four of Disks

Try this meditation with the Four of Disks and feel what the card wants to tell you.

Sit down in a quiet space. Take a few deep breaths and relax.

Focus on the image of the woman closing the door and the fire rising to the ceiling. Notice how the four shield-disks on the wall provide a symbolic narrative for the woman’s inner sanctuary. The warm colours are nurturing and calming. There is a lovely quiet moment of finding your centre and your inner soul space.

Stay in meditation for 5 to 10 minutes.

After the meditation, journal about the below questions.

Is it safe to share your dreams or do you need to work on them behind closed doors for a bit longer?

What would make you feel more safe in in sharing your dreams?

Additional practice – create a bodily grounding ceremony with pyrite

Pyrite is commonly called Fool’s Gold, while its’ actual name pyrite comes from the Greek pyror, pyros, meaning “fire” since it emits sparks when pieces are struck together. Native Americans used pyrite for healing and magic, polishing it into mirrors for gazing and divination. Pyrite was used in Victorian jewellery as marcasite, creating beautiful items, popular due to their sparkle. The internal structure of pyrite is cubic and energetically this provides grounding and calls in structured abundance. Tactually, its’ heavy weight is comforting and when holding pyrite you can embody a sense of wealth, stability, positivity and sparkling protection.

For the grounding ceremony, hold the pyrite between your palms, in front of your root chakra. Stand with your bare feet on the ground for five minutes, or longer if you wish. Feel how you are earthing and growing sparkling nourishing roots into the soil. Say thank you to the universe for providing you with the grounding you need.

Repeat this practice as often as you wish or when you feel ungrounded. The nurture you give your body with repeated grounding practices will help to strengthen your internal structure, and this in turn, strengthens the materialisation of your dreams.

Mirasol

Monthly Muses by Flavia for May 2019

The year is very reassuringly getting close to the mid point. Soon the sun with be coming over the horizon. In May we are steadily moving ahead with our projects and growing in abundance as things come to fruition. Such growth comes with the thundering power of Jupiter heralding justice
and encouraging us to have faith in ourselves and in the process. It’s a benevolent time, full of expansion. Whenever we see Jupiter presenting himself we feel rather a sense of butterflies in the stomach, because some luck is waiting around the corner. It could be something fortunate
that we might have wished for, or something that never crossed our minds, an explicit situation or thing that we desire will manifest, whether earned or just bestowed, it will be a gift. A generous gift of a positive turn of events that will make us feel hopeful and filled with trust. Health, wealth and prosperity as well as knowledge and learning are all protected domains of Jupiter. So a lot to look forward to.With it we become ourselves worthy and expanded in all things spiritual.

This mental fulfilment will be further enhanced by Philosofia who arrives in time to wrap up the meaning of what has been realised by Jupiter. Our optimism is well deserved but now it gets further qualified. We will be questioning and debating in order to make sense of daily routines and the unexpected. Words and thoughts will be paramount in the course of processing all the months’ occurrences. As things materialise we are called to honour the beauty around us and the earthly pleasures. We are becoming more busy, perhaps occasionally distracted or overly keen, and interested in a variety of things with excitement and curiosity.

By the month’s end we find ourselves becoming more refined, with an air of frivolity, more gentle, but also cheerfully more willing to help and take positive action that supports others, and that it is in the service of noble causes.

Flavia

Weekly Wisdom by Mirasol – 20 April 2019

This week we will look at the Ten of Swords from the Motherpeace Tarot. This card shows us ten priestesses leaping off a cliff and into the sea. The temple at the edge of the cliff may be that of the Goddess Athena, who shaped her own identity by following her own path, taking risks and doing the unexpected. With their arms raised, the priestesses appear to leap of joy rather than with fear. The swords point in the opposite direction, they have been released by the priestesses and are no longer part of their mission. Beneath the temple, a wave is crashing into the wall, and the water is waiting to receive the priestesses.

The card represents the final letting go of an idea which the ego has been attached to, this can mean a dramatic end to a repeated cycle, and the realisation that the acceptance of what is, and not what you hoped for, is in fact a blessing. This allows you to get on with your bigger purpose in world. Simultaneously a sacrifice and a relief, the struggle has now ended. Letting go and diving deep into the waters initiates a new experience of emotional sensitivity. The number ten marks a transition into something new, the completion has now occurred, and is often associated with community.

Receiving this card is a confirmation that you are stepping into a new phase in your life. It might be a spiritual, mental or physical phase, or a combination of all of these. The priestesses of Athena will support you in all you wish to do. Your hardship and the repeated cycle of worry has come to an end. You are free to pursue your path and you will receive the help of the world in doing so.

Meditation with the Ten of Swords

Try this meditation with the Ten of Swords and sense what the card wants to tell you.

Sit down in a quiet space. Take a few deep breaths and relax.

Focus on the image of the Ten of Swords and observe how the priestesses are leaping off the cliff, they are confident and joyful. They know that they will be safe and that their descent into the ocean will cleanse them and bring renewed inspiration to carry on. Letting go of the swords has released a burden which they have been carrying for too long. The image is one of transformation, hope and finding your joy.

Stay in meditation for 5 to 10 minutes.

After the meditation, journal about the below questions.

How can you best release the heaviness that has weighed you down?

Write down your soul’s true mission and not your ego’s.

Involve yourself in a ceremony of your own choice. It can be a solitary ritual or a group event. Verbalise your intentions and embody the ideas you have considered. The airwaves of the recent Libra full moon will carry your spoken mission into the near future.

Mirasol