As Above, So Below: Burning The Tower To The Ground ~ Tarot for 31 May 2017

Three cards from the Major Arcana appear in descending order in the primary influences area of today’s tarot reading. The Star, The Tower, and The Devil result in an overall numerology of 3 or Triple Aspects, unity, and wholeness. It’s an interesting pattern when one considers it from the perspective of as above so below with The Star representing above and The Devil  below. In the center, The Tower, represents catalytic change. It’s significant when a Major shows up but when three are influencing, then it’s time to sit up and take notice of their messages. Wands (Fire) and Swords (Air) are represented in the position of hidden influence as well as the outcome respectively. Absent from the reading are Pentacles (Earth) and Cups (Water) and the numerology for the entire reading with the addition of the unknown card’s value still remains at 3, or Triple Aspects.

The Star represents the Blessed Conduit between physical and nonphysical aspects of the Unified Self. She is our manifested dreams, our inspiration, filled with abundant spiritual gifts. Our visions are in play, our intuition intertwined with our healing. The Star provides the conduit for Spirit manifesting into form.

Next is The Tower, on fire as lightning continues its onslaught. Two figures appear to be falling to the choppy waters below as smoke billows around the tower. As devastating as it might seem, this card portends awakening and change for the better. Purification by fire, the energy for catalytic change, anything is possible as The Tower comes crashing down providing the space for change to take hold.

The Devil in any deck is interesting. In the Morgan Greer deck that I’m using today, we see a fierce expression on the goat’s face, his eyes yellow and intense. The pentagram points downward into form with a blue bee in its center. A candle is above, its flame pointing upward toward Spirit. The Devil represents materialism and our primal nature. It can suggest a misuse of power or a need to control others but at minimum it suggests that the ego may be controlling our choices.

In the position of hidden influence, the 9 of Wands reminds us to stand in our power and that we have more help available to us than we may realize. It suggests strength through adversity and determination to succeed. When people depicted the cards are looking either to the left or right it can suggest looking to the past or future respectively but in this case, it seems as if he’s standing guard, potentially walking back and forth in a protective stance.

The Knight of Swords, in the outcome position, reinforces the message of the 9 of Wands suggesting courage, integrity, and fearlessness. The Knight does what he believes is right and is unafraid of new experiences. He watches as The Tower burns, awaiting its destruction and rebirth, the fire’s glow reflecting in his gleaming sword. New ideas are forthcoming, in genesis as he waits for the smoke to clear.

We make the choice when incarnating to live in awareness of the greater unified presence or to retain a purely self-oriented focus. One usually turns out better than the other, but that’s a matter of perspective I suppose. Still, we must be ever mindful of what it is that we wish to manifest. Sometimes we need to see the effects of our choices, choosing a new approach if needed. The Star suggests balance and with the presence of both The Tower and The Devil, it may be that we’ve gotten off track and allowed our focus to be on the material side of Self to the exclusion of our spiritual nature.

Both the 9 of Wands and the Knight of Swords hold the key, at least in part, to all of this by implying that a balance between our catalytic and intellectual presence is needed. A self-oriented focus doesn’t always lend itself to compassionate behavior let alone integrity, but one that acknowledges and appreciates the greater unified presence sees the true value in acting with compassion and engaging with others with honesty and integrity.

The numerology is also relevant in that when we balance the chaos in our lives into an order reflecting a higher purpose, a sense of wholeness is achieved. The as above so below experience that balances both aspects of Self brings each one into unified presence with all.

I’ve been re-reading the Emerald Tablets of Thoth and throughout each of them the running theme is to know that we are each of the Light and to keep our focus there. The darkness is all too willing to influence but as Thoth counsels, it will never be successful in the end. Light will always win over the darkness and we are only ever one in the Creator. Each is an aspect of the Creator personified into form on a seemingly separate journey back to remembrance of Self.

Today’s tarot reading is telling us that in an effort to manifest our own as above so below experience, we’re to balance Spirit with form, in remembrance of who we are as the Creator. We are only here to experience life, not become so caught up in it that conflict becomes the norm. We’re not alone in this, part of the greater unified presence of the Creator. Instead of feeling separation from others, we should seek instead a life reflecting oneness with all.

Time to let go of the drama and watch The Tower burn to the ground.

Blessings!