Legacy From Love ~ Tarot for 18 Dec 2016

There’s probably no tarot deck more beautiful than the Haindl deck. Although Crowley’s Thoth deck, painted by Lady Freida Harris, is equally as beautiful, there’s something about the Haindl deck that’s so different. Hermann Haindl blends together color, runes, I Ching hexagrams, and Hebrew letters to create the most beautiful cards. The Court cards reflect various sacred traditions from Egypt, China, and India as well as a Native American influences renaming them Mother, Father, Daughter, and Son all while blending various cultures and traditions into a tarot format.

The Major Arcana uses Crowley’s Aeon and Universe and renames Temperance Alchemy. Haindl assigns a Hebrew letter to each card as well as an Anglo-Saxon rune. I use the Elder Futhark, so I’ve had to make some comparisons to understand their meaning.

The cards from the Minor Arcana are as stunning as the Majors. It’s on these that Haindl includes hexagrams from the I Ching. I’ve included some cards from a deck I have for Human Design interpretations that defines each hexagram as a reference.

The reading begins with the Two of Cups represented by a beautiful peacock looking down adoringly at two golden chalices. Seven stars arise above each cup suggesting the magick of love. Three stars on each side of a larger one in the middle suggest reciprocity, both giving and receiving love. The hexagram represents The Creative or how interaction brings fulfillment. The Two of Cups represents the magick felt in a loving relationship.

The third card of the Major Arcana, The Empress stands on a crescent moon floating in the water, a pine cone at the end of her scepter in left hand, a snake coiled around her right arm. She wears a headband with three crystals representing the Triple Aspect of the Goddess. Considered the Mother Rune, Hagall provides the structure within the six-sided crystal above her head represents hail, the pattern of life, the cosmic ice egg. An open door is behind her to the left, opening into light, a triple spiral or triskele above. Spheres of potential emerge from the doorway surrounding this Mother of Creation.

The primary rune of The Empress is Thorn referring to cycles of nature, protection, and return of Goddess presence. Apparently Thorn also refers to a door, which is also the meaning of the Hebrew letter, Daleth. So the door combines the runic and Hebrew glyphs together, The Empress their manifestation.

Swords in this deck are considered a suit of Elemental Fire instead of Air. I’m not sure how I’ll reconcile that because I view Swords as intellectual presence, but I’ll give it a chance.

Respite or a time out is felt with the Four of Swords as the four swords are suspended in mid-air. Two pointing downward are in balance with two pointing upward. A leaf floats downward, a feather arising from the ground representing Truce, the meaning given to the card. Haindl also includes the 24th hexagram Returning on the Four of Swords reinforcing respite, transformation, and renewal.

The numerology of the reading is 2, 3, and 4, reducing to nine, or completion. With a three card reading, we can see its structure any number of ways. It could be past, present, and future, or mind, body, and Spirit or any three aspects you might want to look at. I see it as a progression of sorts.

The Two of Cups suggests we begin as individuals who come together to experience the magick of love. The relationship has potential, both for marriage and children. The Empress suggests motherhood. The Four of Swords represents a period of gestation, for new life to grow into completion.

This reading may also suggest joining together with another in the creation of a new idea or new approach, allowing time for those new ideas to gel. But since my first grandchild is due next year, I’m going with pregnancy and motherhood. Or grandmotherhood.

Praise Goddess, this Crone is finally becoming a grandmother! A little witchling to love beyond measure. Grandpa and I are over the moon!

The hexagrams from the I Ching give the premise of the reading. We experience transformation and renewal through our unlimited creative expression. Our legacy continues from hard work and entrepreneurial spirit, or with the birth of children.

Or grandchildren.

Blessings to all!