February 2021 Tarot
This month we seek inner harmony and balance in preservation of peace and cooperation with others. The Haindl deck used in this reading beautifully expresses more than the typical imagery found in traditional decks with the author’s inclusion of I Ching hexagrams on the Minor Arcana cards, as well as Hebrew, rune, and astrological glyphs on the cards from the Major Arcana. And, although not present in this reading, the Court he envisions as sacred or cultural persons from the past.
Beginning with the 2 of Swords titled, Peace, we see two swords suspended in the air, their tips pointing downward toward a path that winds past a stone temple on the left with tall trees aligning each side of the path visible ahead. It suggests that we’ve been through some inner change with our spirituality and balance at issue.
The hexagram on the lower left of the card also indicates peace in the form of perception or ideas, suggesting that we’ve looked past perceptions to rediscover fundamental truth. The red Moon above signals that challenges lay ahead or that further disruption is possible and considering that the path ahead is not completely clear, it may take a concerted effort to remain on a peaceful path forward.
While the 2 of Swords describes inner transformation, The Lovers, the 6th card from the Major Arcana, addresses our polarity within and with others. As a curious unicorn watches above, a man and a woman appear below, standing between two identical trees. In their purest form, the man looks toward a woman whose hair appears to be made of ancient rocks signaling her profound, ancient presence.
Both individuals reach for a golden chalice indicating the genesis of new emotional and spiritual balance with each one coming into alignment with the other. A spear appears above the chalice with its tip pointed toward the cup’s opening describing the balance of Fire and Water, will and emotion, and the masculine and feminine polarity within. In the upper right portion of the card, a red rose is superimposed by a Star of David, or the Merkaba that encompasses our soul.
Although Haindl doesn’t use the same Elder Futhark that I use, the rune in the upper right hand corner represents Kenaz, or the torch, representing the light of Spirit. The glyph is also drawn in the shape of the Witch rune for woman, indicating the receptiveness at the heart of The Lovers. The glyph for Gemini, or the twins, appears in the lower right hand corner of the card. Each glyph contributes to the notion of inner balance and reciprocity, supporting the 2 of Swords in our journey toward a higher awareness of who we are as the Self and the Self in others.
Lastly, we come to the 6 of Wands which Haindl titles, Victory. A second card with a six numerology, the 6 of Wands reinforces the balance and harmony suggested by both the 2 of Swords and The Lovers. In this card we see six flamed-tipped spears pointing upward toward spirit. Ivy appears in the background representing the continuing cycle of birth, life, and death and the challenges we face along the path toward awakening and spirit mastery.
The I Ching hexagram in the lower left hand corner describes the receptive aspect of life and the trust and patience required to continue on. The spears are at the same height signaling that our will is aligned and our ego is under control, a triumph in our soul’s journey through form. But more than that, the hexagram depicts and supports the truth of the collective aspect of that journey.
The challenges that we’ve endured of late, both inner and collective, serve to illuminate the need for a shared path forward. But to achieve that we must understand both who we are as individuals as well as who we are to each other. If we are indeed expressions of the thoughts and will of the Creator, then we are truly one with each other, both in Spirit and in form. The conflict we continue to experience becomes then a choice instead of a fundamental truth, and overcoming that conflict is the path to our soul’s awakening and ascension into higher realities of experience.
Blessed Be
References:
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Thank you... Jan Erickson
