The Nonresistance Found Between Initiation and Retreat ~ Tarot for 22 Feb 2017

The Fool, The Hermit, and the Princess of Wands comprise today’s tarot reading dealing with initiation, retreat, and nonresistance. The Fool represents our creative potential, infinite and without expectation. Androgynous and innocent, The Fool as initiate begins the great work of life in physical form. From Lon Milo DuQuette:

In essence, there are not really twenty-two trumps, there is only one— the Fool. Al the other trumps live inside (and issue from) the Fool. Of all seventy-eight tarot cards, none is more revered and misunderstood.¹

In the Thoth deck, Lady Frieda Harris draws The Fool quite differently than in traditional decks giving voice to Kabbalistic symbology. Three rings surround The Fool depicting the three veils of negativity. A dove of peace, a butterfly, and a caduceus appear to flow along the center ring before him. The sun covers his groin, with a flowery phallic symbol hanging in mid-air above two entwined bodies.

A tiger appears to chew on The Fool’s leg while a crocodile lies below, an upturned crescent moon barely visible above the crocodile’s body. Astrological symbols appear to the right on a bluish cloth. He is smiling and wide-eyed as he takes the leap into physical form and into conscious awareness.

The Hermit is flowing and enigmatic. He looks out at a field of flowing grain, an egg with a snake coiled around it in his view suggesting fertility. This notion is reinforced by the appearance of a single sperm below. The Hermit carries a sunlit lantern with the three-headed dog Cerberus at his feet. His light of divine wisdom shines bright illuminating his path. He is in retreat, in meditation, withdrawing from the world to align in Source Presence.

She has a tiger by the tail, our Princess of Wands. She flows in nonresistance, riding the wave of passion and creative desire. A card of elemental Fire, the Princess of Wands radiates flowing energy and complete joy as she lives in the now using opportunities to her advantage.

The overall numerology is nine with only The Hermit considered. Initiation and completion are part of nine’s influences as well as inner work. We begin our lives as The Fool, an initiate into life’s possibilities. As our creativity flows in nonresistance, we soar ever higher in command of our experiences. We find our balance in meditation and alignment, taking time for inner work and rejuvenation.

The Hermit’s lantern represents the Source Presence within each one of us. We see the same brilliant energy with both The Fool and the Princess of Wands suggesting that while we take this journey in form, we remain the Creator personified. Alignment in Source Presence is our natural vibration and state and mindfully doing so allows us to step away from the world and see with greater clarity.

Like The Fool, we begin our journey in joyful nonresistance, eagerly experiencing all that life has to offer. Taking time for retreat allows us to rebalance and seek inner guidance. We learn the value of retreat from The Hermit so that we allow the light of divine wisdom to illuminate self and others. And from our natural state of alignment, we soar like the Princess unrestrained in present moment awareness.

Depending on one’s worldview, some may be feeling the need for retreat and self-care these days. I highly recommend taking it, and frequently. The so-called new guy is redundant enough that no one will miss much and we’ll gain far more from that inner experience than following this guy’s antics. So take the time and enjoy the quiet respite.

Our initiation into life begins in joy and along the way we realize the blessings found retreat and alignment. Through wisdom gained through our alignment with Source Presence, we know that our greatest strength lies in our nonresistant flow through and around our challenges and experiences. Met with resistance, we remain attached to challenges instead of moving effortlessly beyond them.

We are the Creator personified, here to experience life in love and joy instead of as an endless struggle. Like the Princess, as we stay present in the moment, we allow nothing to get in our way, choosing our experiences in happiness and joy. We’re stronger than the so-called new guy and together we are unstoppable.

Blessed Be

 

References:

1. DuQuette, Lon Milo. Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot (p. 97). Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition.