As Above, So Below for Thursday, 17 October 2024

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NOTE: When talking about the 8 of Swords, I misspoke and said there were five swords piercing the ground when there were clearly eight.

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

• Significator runes: Mannaz (20th rune, man, individual within society, integration, thought, memory) and Carcer (self-imprisonment, outmoded beliefs, isolation)
• Cards: King of Swords, 7 of Pentacles, 8 of Swords
• Patterns: a run on Swords (Air element)
• Overall numerology: 20+7+8=35; 3+5=8 (strength, leadership, recognition/approval)

SUMMATION

Mannaz and Carcer begin today’s reading with another expression of opposites, a frequent theme in the readings over the last few weeks. Whereas Mannaz incorporates various aspects of the individual within society (joy, harmony, integration, balance with others), Carcer invokes isolation and self-imprisonment by the ego’s hold on perceptions. The overall numerology of the reading is eight suggesting strength and leadership or possibly invoking your own inner authority to choose between embracing Mannaz or Carcer in your life.

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Moving on to the cards, we have a run on the suit of Swords and its impact on how we analyze our beliefs and perceptions and how we see the world around us and interact with others. The King of Swords suggests analyzing our experiences in a logical, objective, and truthful manner as well as having that expectation of truth from others. The 8 of Swords suggests that we’re either bound by our perceptions and beliefs or that we need to turn off the noise of our thoughts or the thoughts expressed by others and go within to discover a higher truth. The King may represent you, the individual asking for the reading, or someone you know from whom you seek advice or embrace the qualities of. However, in the end, it may be that the solution is to go within like the woman in the 8 of Swords to achieve a higher perspective.

The 7 of Pentacles represents taking stock of what we have, or with the increased impact of the King and 8 of Swords, what we believe to be true. Are we being influenced by others, or are our thoughts taking us to an unrealistic place where we remain stuck in perceptions that aren’t even valid?

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Essentially, today’s reading explores the difference between integration with others and the ego’s hold on our perceptions that creates the illusion of separation. Moreover, I think the reading is asking each one of us to do our due diligence and to go within and access the higher truth expressed by our soul’s awareness to discover which path each one of us is on and whether or not we need to let go of old perceptions and shift them into a different direction that’s based on truth instead of an agenda of self and/or others. Mannaz suggests we embrace the collective aspect of self and empower our perceptions to seek integration and wholeness with others. In other words, to see and embrace the self and the other side of self in the experiences we have instead of allowing the ego to keep us isolated and imprisoned by deception from the self or others.

Blessed Be