Eight of Wands

Traditionally this card would mean haste, taking swift action and receiving an important message. This inspired today’s tale that took place in Greece as the Persians tried to invade them.

Persia had a strong army and navy, the Greeks were downtrodden and convinced that they were going to lose this battle. Athens took a defeatist approach while their soldiers tried to defend their country against the strong Persian forces in a place called Marathon.

Against all hope the Greek soldiers successfully defended their territory in Marathon and managed to defeat the Persian soldiers. However the Persian forces immediately set sail for Athens where they planned to conquer the Greeks for once and for all. The Greek army situated in Marathon had to quickly make their way back to Athens to defend their country against this mighty Persian navy and decided to send a messenger on foot to run the distance ahead of them to Athens to warn their fellow countrymen so that they could be prepared for the imminent attack. They also sent him with the surprising and wonderful news that Greece had managed to defeat the Persians in the battle of Marathon.

The messenger, Pheidippides, ran a distance of 26 miles and 385 yards to Athens to inform his people that they should not lose hope, and that they should prepare themselves for the Persian fleet that was about to attack.  Upon hearing the good news of their victory in Marathon the Greeks became hopeful and imagined for the first time that they could actually win this battle against the mighty Persians.

The official distance of an Olympian marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards, in honour of Pheidippides, the Greek messenger of hope who ran all the way to Athens from Marathon with his message. The exertion of this marathon killed him, but not before he was able to deliver this important message to his people.

Infused with hope of victory the Greeks defeated the Persians in the battle of Athens too. A victory that the people of Athens could not even allow themselves to imagine before they received Pheidippides message of hope.

Hope. It is the stuff that miracles are made of. Hope has helped countries win battles, it has helped people heal themselves of terminal Illness, and has been the single ingredient that has inspired people to allow themselves to imagine a better future – even in the face of failure and loss.

Once you choose hope, anything's possible.  Vincent McNabb said: Hope is some extraordinary spiritual grace that God gives us to control our fears, not to oust them. 

Today’s message is one that inspires us each with hope. It asks us not to give in to despair regardless of how dire our situation might look. We always have a choice and hope is often the best choice we can make, especially when we are feeling despondent.

In closing we hear the words of Emily Dickinson
 who said: Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all

Three of Pentacles

This card often speaks of a skill. The Mark Mason is a degree of Masonry. When he achieves this degree in the order he is expected to create a personal symbol or trademark using 6 straight lines. This mark or symbol is registered at the Grand Lodge and cannot be changed once recorded. It is always imprinted in his work to identify himself to others.

When we leave our identification mark on our work for the world to see we know that we will be judged according to a standard of excellence that will create perceptions of us in the minds of many – some of whom may not necessarily even need to see our work to recognize our reputation. Perceptions, once created, are difficult to change. It is for this reason that the Mark Mason would take particular care to ensure that his work is of the highest excellence, for it carries his mark and becomes the symbol of his skill – or lack of it if that be the case.

In the card we see three figures. One of these, a priestly figure, holds a set of plans in his hands. The plans represent what is still in the head of the Mark Mason, not yet real or manifest, still in the developing phase; but the real or completed building is also represented in the card. The plans on paper are being compared to the finished product – motivated by the mark or trademark on it. Did he build what he had planned to? Does it meet the mark of excellence expected of him? How will he be judged for his work?

People will always associate and generalize our mark with our work. This card reminds us to be careful of what we say, as people will hold us accountable and will judge us according to our words and actions. It takes many years to build a good reputations and only a few seconds to destroy it. It is important for each of us  to ‘stick to our mark’ and defend it as our reputations are at stake. A tree will be judged by its fruit, or in this example by its trademark. Most of us have negative or positive perceptions that we associate with well-known trademarks or brands, as an example the Mercedes Benz  symbol. Even those of us who have never driven a Mercedes will most likely already have a perception of the product that would influence us one way or the other when we contemplate purchasing a new vehicle. So too are each of us judged by our mark. Our mark could be our word. If we say we are going to do something, do we set out to achieve it? Or is our Mark one of empty promises, and our reputation known to others as all talk and no action? Our Mark could be our actions, or even our outlook on life – our attitude. Each of these add to the creation of how others perceive us. The end result equals the fruit against which we will be judged. There are many trees out there, but not all bear fruit…

Do we stand, like one of the other figures in the card, high on a chair, wanting people to see our mark, it is not hidden it is high and in full view. This figure proudly displays his Mark for the world to see.

The priestly figure in the card could represent our connection to a higher Source or Self which may be the reason he is building a temple in the first place. A temple as a place of worship and gathering for the community, so that others may be inspired to connect to their higher Source too so that they can be encouraged to place their mark on their creations and thereby inspire more to do the same.

We live by example. We ask ourselves whether the example we see is one we would want to follow. We ask ourselves whether this is someone  we’d like to be like, whether they inspire us, or whether this is someone we’d rather avoid. But more importantly, what example are we to those who observe us?

In closing today I share the following quote with you:

“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”  Abraham Lincoln

Eight of Cups

The art of knowing when to walk away, and the courage to take that step even at the risk of emotional pain or discomfort can be one of the most empowering experiences.

Siddhartha Gautama the founder of Buddhism, was a prince born into great wealth and luxury. He lived a sheltered life and was never exposed to the suffering of the world, a world he did not know. He was not aware of pain, suffering, poverty, sickness or depravity on any level.

At some point he desired to give up all he knew and owned in order to experience the world beyond his castle walls. For the first time in his life he saw suffering and was shocked at his discovery. However, this led to his spiritual awakening and he was able to become spiritually wealthy as a result. Such a profound effect did his act of walking away from his former life have that an entire religion – Buddhism – was founded on the principals of his spiritual awakening and awareness.

We often allow ourselves to remain trapped in a situation that no longer serves us, be it a toxic relationship, an unfulfilling job, or a less than perfect location. Letting go is seldom easy however unless we are willing to leave our comfort zones when we know that the current situation is not what we want, we cannot begin moving into the direction of attracting what we DO want.

It may be the subconscious belief that we do not really deserve fulfilment and complete happiness that keeps us trapped in negative or toxic situations. Or, perhaps we are not yet consciously aware that we attract ALL things to us, the so-called good and bad. Things do not just randomly happen to us. Everything that we manifest, without fail, is rooted in the choices we have made, whether consciously or subconsciously.

Many of us do not yet realize the extent of the power that we have over our lives. Most of us do not ‘remember’ or understand the value of the lessons of less desirable situations and elements that we have attracted and manifested into our lives. But, until we do, we probably will not understand that it is equally within our power to attract its opposite.

There are no good or bad situations from the point of view that even uncomfortable situations serve as contrast to demonstrate what it is that we don’t want to manifest in our lives. And often it is in the realization of what we don’t want that we gain clarity about what we do want to manifest instead. Every time we become uncomfortable about an aspect of our lives we project a desire to attract its opposite. When this desire becomes so strong that we can almost no longer bear the current dissatisfactory situation we are often ready to act upon it by letting go and allowing the process of attracting what we DO desire instead.

Letting go of old beliefs that no longer serve us, walking away from beliefs that have kept us trapped in the illusion that we are powerless to change those aspects of our lives that we no longer desire, takes courage. It is the path less travelled. It is also the path that always leads to greatness.

As we contemplate letting go of certain elements of our lives and taking a new direction on our life’s journey I will end today’s Tarotelic with an old Irish blessing to pave the way.

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

May the rains fall soft upon your fields,

And, until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Nine of Pentacles

This is a beautiful card depicting a woman standing in what looks like a garden of contentment. Abundance radiates from every aspect of the imagery. She is wearing rich robes, and a falcon is perched on her hand. The vineyards are bearing an abundance of ripe grapes. In the distance is her castle flanked by lush gardens. In the foreground a snail slowly makes his way across the card.

It was the nobility who indulged in falconry. To train a falcon took plenty of time, money and space. They were not in “survivor” mode like the working class, and had the means to dedicate themselves to the finer things in life. Things like wine-making and falconry. As the image in the card depicts, the nobility had the luxury of leisurely pleasures that such activities would bring them. With a slower paced life they could enjoy the fruits of their labour.

However, the snail in the card also reminds us that this did not manifest overnight. It took great planning, patience and dedication to plant and nurture the vineyards to the point where they were heavy with ripe grapes, ready to be barrelled in preparation of a good wine harvest. It takes approximately 5 years from planting to nurture a vineyard to this point, and another 3-4 years in the barrel where the grapes ferment and slowly become a really good wine to enjoy later on. About 9 years in total before that first glass of delicious wine can be enjoyed.

The number 9 on the card implies that the manifestation is almost complete, that this which has been worked for has almost reached the point of manifestation. However, there is still a bit to be done before the lady in the garden can enjoy the first wines from her vineyards.

Herein lies today’s lesson. In order to reap the rewards of our efforts to manifest what we work for, we need to put a great deal of planning, time and dedication into it. Space to grow, just as the grapes on these vineyards grow. Patience that time alone teaches us, planning so that we can visualize the desired outcome long before it manifests, and dedication towards working at what we desire to manifest.

Contentment too comes slowly, often when we have slowed the pace down enough to see opportunities and to appreciate the blessings that we have in our lives. It takes appreciation for what we have and who we are before we can taste the good wine of contentment. Nature is abundant to the point of waste, but unless we are able to slow down for long enough to appreciate and notice the abundance already present in our lives much of it goes by wasted and unnoticed.

So, we need to take the time to appreciate our abundance and good fortune in life, we need to slow down as the snail does to see these, but to get there requires good planning, discipline and patience so that we too can all drink from the good life harvest.

The proverbs that comes to mind is: “Good things come to those who wait” and “take time to smell the roses.”

Nine of Swords

A figure sits upright in bed, her face covered with her hands. Above her, in the dark, hovers nine swords. Her legs are covered with a quilt that is decorated with red roses as well as the zodiac & other planetary symbols. The wooden bed has a carving of two figures, one on the attack and another on the defence.

This is a card that conjures images of nightmares and fears. However, the swords that are suspended in the air above the figure suggests that these fears are all still “up in the air” nothing is concrete or solid yet. Perhaps many of the fears that cause her sleepless nights are conjured and not quite based in reality. However, be that as it may, fear itself is a very real thing, as most of us are only too aware.

The roses motif on the quilt as well as the planetary and zodiac symbols speaks of secrets, and in this case the secret lies in knowing what our strengths and weaknesses are, for in doing so we learn about who we are. Once we understand our weaknesses we are better equipped to take practical steps to address these, and in some cases we are even able to turn a former weakness into a strength.

In the card the fearful figure sits in darkness, as she imagines all these swords above her. It is therefore necessary for us to move from the darkness of the unknown by admitting our weaknesses so that we are able to turn them into strengths or at least so that we are better prepared when faced with challenges. An honest self-examination is needed where aspects of ourselves that were formerly in the dark or a “secret” can be revealed and dealt with appropriately. Once we know ourselves we can cast a light on things that were previously in the dark, and gain clarity and understanding. In the light things seem a lot less threatening than what they can seem to be in the dark.

The two figures carved into the bed further reinforce the need for us to choose whether we will allow our fears to dominate us, or whether we will dominate our fears instead. If we allow our fears to rule us while we are shrouded in darkness we will surely succumb to our nightmares. Instead, we could be the other figure in the carving that is proactive and dominant, the figure that represents having overcome his fears and faced his weaknesses along with his strengths by throwing the cover of secrets off and closely examining himself with honesty and courage.

The astrological symbols on the quilt shows us that there are many aspects to ourselves that we still need to discover and understand. But, in understanding these lies the comfort of self-knowledge and preparedness. Just like a warm quilt offers comfort and shelter on a cold evening, self-knowledge offers clarity and the comfort of confidence in our abilities to face challenges that may come our way. But most importantly, by learning who we are, we dispel illusions that can create darkness around us so that we are always surrounded by the light of knowledge. It is then less likely that we will have sleepless nights, conjuring fears based on the unknown that can torment us and cause us to become fearful and weak.

Once we have eliminated the dark and seen that there are no swords hanging above our heads,  we can relax and get a good night’s rest knowing that we are well equipped with self-knowledge of our strengths and weaknesses. It is then that we can draw the quilt of comfort over us as we prepare to rest.

“Men soon the faults of others learn


A few their virtues, too, find out;


But is there one—I have a doubt— 


Who can his own defects discern?”


Sanskrit Proverb

Four of Pentacles

We are living in such interesting times as we observe the civil protests of Americans against the policies of greed on Wall Street and in other locations across America. The relevance of today’s card in light of the greed that threatens to consume us is only too obvious.

This card depicts a man clutching a pentacle to his chest in a greedy gesture, in doing so he holds his heart at ransom. Another pentacle hovers above his head indicating that his focus and attention is on nothing other than his wealth, it drives his every motivation and thought. He has stacked a pile of coins beneath his feet on which they stand, elevating him “above the masses” as it were, almost as if his money renders him higher than the citizens of the city that lies in the distance behind him and from which he has turned his back and removed himself. It also implies that he is in bondage to his wealth as he dares not lift his foot in the event that he will no longer have control of the money that he holds.

What a terribly fearful way to live… Greed. Greed serves no-one but itself. It is an all-consuming monster that lurks within each of us and can easily consume us if left unchecked.

Mythology tells us the story of a man who paid a dear price for allowing his greed to control him. This man was known as Midas. He was a good man, a kind man who took pity on an elderly satyr asleep in his garden. Midas let him go without punishment. As a reward for his good deed the god Dionysus granted him one wish. Midas did not take time to consider what to wish for, had he done that he might have chosen something different… Instead he immediately asked for everything he touched to turn to gold. And so it was.

His beautiful garden turned ridged as it turned to gold, he could not eat or drink as that too solidified and turned to gold. And finally his beloved daughter who ran to him in loving embrace turned into a golden statue. Midas was grief stricken and begged the god Dionysus to relieve him of his curse. The god took pity on him and once again granted his wish. Thereafter Midas became poorer than he had ever been but so much happier.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wealth, money in itself is not the root of all evil. It is in fact a wonderful instrument that – when used generously and wisely – can contribute to the happiness and fulfilment of many lives. It is greed, the uncontrolled urge to accumulate riches at the expense of others for no reason other than self-centred superiority that is the root of so many problems. It is when our greed becomes our motivating force that we put profits before people as the elite few on Wall Street have done to the average 99% of Americans today. This is evil and this is what we need to guard against.

Generosity of spirit is what we want to develop within ourselves instead, not only generosity with our worldly possessions, but with our time and our attention too.

I was watching a lecture about the Mayan Calender this weekend, in which it was stated that the age we live in now is the age in which ethics must and will overthrow the structures of power. I think we are seeing the manifestation of that now as we look around us at the current affairs of the world today. Greed mongers are being named and shamed by the masses who are no longer afraid to protest against unethical practices. The world is increasingly becoming outspoken against the illegal and greed-driven practices of the elite few trampling the rights of the average many. We see this too as humanitarians take matters into their own hands and demonstrate this in their actions while they speak out against countries like Israel in their treatment of the suppressed people of Palestine.

The time is now to re-evaluate and redefine what represents wealth in our world. Is it the unchecked accumulation of ill-gotten gains at the expense of others? Or is true wealth better defined by how we share ourselves and lend our support to those less fortunate than us to create a more ethical world to live in, for all.

Mahatma Gandhi said it best when he said: “There is enough for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed.”

The Chariot

Standing high on his chariot being pulled by two sphinxes, this man radiates power, success and accomplishment. He is “on top of his game” as it were. In preparation of this instalment of Tarotelic we decided that he reminds us a lot of Ramesses II of Egypt, and here is why.

Ramesses fought the Hittites in the battle of Kadesh. Both the Hittites and Egyptians extensively used chariots in their battles. Chariots at the time were the best weapons, and only the best of the best became charioteers, much like today’s special forces. Both sides claimed victory but it was in fact a stalemate, resulting in a very clear definition of their borders and balance being restored once again. When this stalemate was reached in their battles an agreement was reached about where the borders of Egypt would be. This resulted in a situation where it was no longer necessary to fight or challenge one another any more. The black and white sphinxes depicted in the card symbolize the balance and equal victory that was achieved by both in the signing of the world’s fist official peace treaty.

Ramesses expanded Egypt to the strongest it had ever been and was also renowned for being a great builder. Many monuments were built and erected under his reign. In the Chariot card we notice many tall buildings in the background, behind a high wall that could represent a defined border.

Imagine if the two opposing sides did not concede that an impasse had been reached but pushed ahead instead in an attempt to defeat one another. This would most likely have led to defeat and ruin for both. In this lies today’s lesson that The Chariot card brings us.

To be victorious in our pursuits in life we need to acknowledge our limitations and then we need all our “horses” to be pulling us into the same direction. If we are instead pulled into different directions in pursuit of success we will soon find that we are getting nowhere very fast. This would lead to self-defeat and non-accomplishment. In order to ensure that we are well on our way towards claiming victory we need to know what direction we are going to be pursuing, and we need to make the necessary compromises or concessions to enable us to travel forward in our chosen direction. Pride and bullheadedness instead may very well trip us up when what is required is for us to know our limitations and to respect our boundaries so that we can conquer new territory within these in our personal pursuits. Because there are certain things in life that do limit us that we do need to accept rather than oppose at our own peril. Once we move beyond pride to see the bigger picture we can recognize that victory can be claimed within the limits that we have set or accepted for ourselves. It is then within these safe boundaries that we can build our proverbial empires and monuments, to become as successful as what we are willing and able to.

When we know that all our resources, abilities and instincts are working together to steer us in a common direction towards achieving our goals, we can surely be fearless as we stand aloft in our own self-driven chariots on a path towards glorious success.

I’d like to share with you an old occult riddle called the Riddle of the Sphinx:

What creature goes on four legs in the morning, two at midday and three in the evening? The more legs it has the weaker it is.

The answer of course is the human! Man who crawls as a newborn on all fours, walks upright on two legs as an adult and requires a cane in old age when his legs are weak.

There is a season for all things in the average lifespan of mankind. To know our strengths and to know our limitations will greatly assist us as we move from stage to stage in the unfolding of this glorious journey on earth.