As Above, So Below for Monday, 4 December 2023

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The reading notes for today’s reading are below. You’re welcome to watch the video here.

Significator runes: Berkano (18th rune, birch, fertility, Earth element, family, protection, new beginnings, healing, growth, bringing something to fruition); Tristitia (grief, sadness, grudges, evil, sorrow, secretive, quick tempered)

Cards: 5 of Swords, Strength (8), and Ace of Swords (1)

Patterns: Two cards from the suit of Swords

Overall numerology: 18+5+8+1=32; 3+2=5 (change, freedom versus restriction, pentagram, innovation, variety)

Beginning with the Above or higher awareness side of today’s significator runes, Berkano, the 18th rune of the Elder Futhark, suggests family, compassion, healing, and new beginnings. Berkano reflects the understanding that there is more at stake than simply someone’s own agenda. Tristitia, today’s geomancy rune that describes the Below or ego side of the significator runes, suggests a level of sorrow that becomes an expression of the darker aspect of ego. It describes holding grudges and reacting in a way that doesn’t allow you to move forward or see a situation from a more realistic perspective. Together, today’s runes may be indicating that something is happening where you need to rise above whatever personal view you have and react in a manner that protects the greater good. Coupled with the reading’s five numerology, there is an additional aspect of change that’s part of the initial view of the reading.

Moving on to the cards for the reading, we have two cards from the suit of Swords and one card from the Major Arcana. The run on Swords reflects potential issues with communication, and with the 5 of Swords beginning the card portion of the reading, more specifically truth versus deception.

We see three men in the 5 of Swords on a beach next to a larger body of water. The man in the front of the scene is dressed in red and green clothing (adding the Fire element or will to the interpretation), while appearing to gather up three swords with two more left to pick up on the ground. One man near the water’s edge seems to be upset, holding his head, while the other man appears to be heading over to see if he’s okay. The man in the front is smiling, but in my opinion, this feels like he won an argument by deceptive means. The sketchy gray clouds above signal the argument is over, but also reinforce the idea of deception.

Next, A woman stands next to a lion while holding the lion’s head. As she pets the beast, the lion looks lovingly at his mistress. Strength, the 8th card from the Major Arcana, describes invoking the higher will to tame the wild within and resist the ego’s need to respond in a reactive manner. A soul archetype card, Strength reflects higher awareness that is able to see the greater picture and the cause and effect that ego cannot understand.

At this point, relating the first two cards to today’s runes, the idea of choosing higher awareness over becoming stuck in the ego’s reaction seems clear. Something has happened to change the dynamic, but it’s likely due to some deception in play. And it’s best to step back and observe instead of reacting right away. Timing may be a factor where you need to let the situation play out for a while until it becomes clear that it was manipulation or deception that caused the change in the first place.

Lastly, the Ace of Swords appears with a hand reaching out from some clouds suggesting an unseen force (higher awareness, Spirit, the Creator). The hand holds a sword in an upright position as it pierces a crown with an olive branch and a palm frond hanging off of it. This suggests that another perspective or solution is possible, one that rejects ego and embraces higher truth. Aces in each of the suits involves the genesis or birth of something, in this situation, it’s higher truth that can change the dynamic from someone using manipulation to control the narrative (from the 5 of Swords) to one that embraces honor, dignity, and truth.

SUMMATION

An argument or disagreement has happened where the victor achieved that victory due to manipulation or deception. To deal with that, you may have to wait until the right time to revisit the situation. It’s not advisable to react from ego here but to allow the situation play out so that others come to the same conclusion that whatever support they extended to the victor was, unfortunately, misplaced. Again, Berkano describes what can be manifested in a way that protects the greater good instead of someone’s personal agenda. But to arrive at that point where truth can be expressed and a more realistic narrative can be embraced, that may take some evolution on the part of others to understand how they were duped.