A Battle Of Wills At The Expense Of The World

I had intended to do a really nice tarot reading with the 3 of Swords, The World, and the 3 of Cups but when Donald started taunting Lil’ Un with threats of war on social media, I decided that a Thoth reading was better followed by a runecasting. We need to know what we’re facing with our tweeter-in-chief taunting someone at least as unstable as he, although the jury’s still out on that one. Time will tell who wins that moniker.

The Tarot Reading

I placed the Tablet of Union at the top of the tarot reading to align all elemental energies and I used a five card spread with three upper cards determining the general influences, one in the position of unknown influence, and a fifth card representing the outcome. Two cards, The Priestess and Death are from the Major Arcana, while Swords, Cups, and Disks are represented by the Knight of Swords, 2 of Cups, and the 6 of Disks. Air, Water, and Earth are represented and although Fire is absent from the reading, this volatile battle of wills becomes its focus.

The numerology of the reading is 5 or change and the material world. Five also represents the pentagram so I chose that shape for my runecasting. Pointed upward, the pentagram represents Spirit controlling matter and the four elements. When reversed, matter controls Spirit. I’m using the former in the runecasting to keep a Spirit focus. There’s a little too much ego in the mix right now (Fire) and we need to see what we can do to lessen that influence.

In the Thoth deck, the King is retitled as a Knight and we begin today’s reading with the Knight of Swords. Analytical and educated, the Knight is a wise counselor and mediator. He is logical and rational and willingly meets challenges with imagination and strength. The Knight is clever, both a good friend and a steadfast enemy.

Water spills forth from two lotus blossoms with some assistance from two fish into two golden chalices below. The title of the 2 of Cups is Love and represents emotions in balance and the unity of polarities. A card of Venus in Cancer, equality, partnership, and reciprocity are among the traditional interpretations for the 2 of Cups.

My favorite card in any tarot deck, in the Thoth Tarot, The Priestess simply radiates Source Presence. She is seated with her arms raised in supplication to the Moon, her bow on her lap. The fabric of creation blooms before her as she dreams the world into being. The Priestess is the Feminine Divine, the Triple Goddess, and the Virgin Moon. She represents intuition and secret knowledge, inspiration and revelation who relies on the inner wisdom found in alignment with Source Presence.

In the position of unknown influence, the 6 of Disks shows a progression of wealth culminating in the card’s title, Success. Representing the Moon in Taurus, we see a balanced foundation built on the generous distribution of wealth. Almost gear-like, there’s a feeling of harmonious movement as if wealth has been gained from a synchronous effort by many. A card of abundance, the 6 of Disks illustrates how a collective effort can yield success for the future.

Death is an interesting card in any deck, but Lady Frieda Harris’s interpretation almost shows the Grim Reaper dancing a jig. A lobster appears at the bottom right signifying rebirth while a fish holds a snake by the tail on the left. The cycle of death and rebirth is illustrated on this thirteenth card of the Major Arcana as souls are depicted moving in and out of form. Representing the outcome, Death reinforces the numerology of today’s reading. Traditionally viewed as a positive card, change is upon us whether we like it or not.

When a conflict exists between nations, it’s critical that our efforts at resolution be heavily influenced by our Source Presence instead of the willful ego. Our current president appears to lack such awareness and instead antagonizes the situation by his inability to shut his mouth. And his diarrhea of the mouth may just start a nuclear war. The proverbial right-hand doesn’t have a clue what the tiny left-hand is doing although a quick check of his early morning tweet storms should tell us everything we need to know.

Imbalances of power and wealth exist in both countries with both in the hands of a chosen few. Both so-called leaders arbitrarily taunt each other with highly consequential threats on a seemingly daily basis now. Instead of an escalation of rhetoric what’s needed now is a measured approach to this situation, something that our tweeter-in-chief may be unable to achieve since his ego has been out-of-control for some time.

The question becomes, how much change are we willing to endure at hands of two nut jobs? Change is inevitable and necessary, but it should be change from progress, abundance, and success, not from destroying another country or the world.

 

The Runecasting

 

 

A focus on Spirit is necessary to bring us away from the abyss and back on track toward our Unified Presence. For the runes today, I drew Perthro, Berkano, Raidho, Dagaz, and Isa placing them around the pentagram altar tile beginning at the top and moving deocil from there. The overall numerology of the runecasting is 8 representing cycles, structure, protection, and manifesting the material aspects of Self. That last part, manifesting the material aspects of Self seems to be what needs some change, given that no one is interested in change brought by nuclear war.

Perthro begins the runecasting in the position of Spirit representing fate, birth, and the womb. A rune of Elemental Water, time and change are expressed through Perthro. This rune is connected to the Norns of Fate and their ability to determine the fate of humankind. Perthro acts as the cauldron for transformation as it assists us in understanding the unknown or Wyrd through divination, meditation, and hypnosis.

An Earth Element rune, Berkano promotes family and fertility and brings ideas to fruition. We chant Berkano to bring calm and healing. It represents motherhood and femininity and we can utilize Berkano to invoke the energy of Gaia. Berkano also represents our inherent responsibility for bringing new life into being and sustaining its growth and development.

Raidho represents our soul’s journey through form. A rune of Elemental Air, Raidho depicts justice and right order and the understanding that the process may, in fact, be more important than the goal. Integrity matters and how we achieve success indicates who we are. Do we allow the process to be guided by our ego where the greater good is an afterthought? Or is the process guided by our inner Source Presence? Raidho asks us to find our true purpose in life. Is it to live in service to self or do we live in the greater awareness of our unified presence with others? Raidho brings into harmony unstable situations, transmuting chaotic energy into balance.

Another rune of Elemental Water, Dagaz brings energy to its still point and then opens it again to its fullest potential. We stand in the middle of this rune allowing the end of one phase while welcoming the beginning of something new. All possibilities are open to us now as we let go of what no longer serves and embrace new experiences. In the center, in alignment with Source Presence, we are one with the universe, with our unified presence. Dagaz is the creative force in action bringing total light, total awakening, total enlightenment.

The runecasting ends with a third Water rune, Isa. A binding rune, Isa brings stasis and ends unwanted behavior or situations. Isa provides constraint and asks us to allow an inward focus, choosing stillness over action. This concentrated focus of will allows us to access our Source Presence, providing the very clarity the ego seeks to cloud.

It’s clear that with Elemental Water dominating the runecasting that emotions are running high in response to the volatile rhetoric from both men, but a heart-centered approach to this situation is the change that’s needed, not threats of nuclear war. And there’s an interesting synchronicity in that Elemental Fire is absent from the runecasting as well indicating that a battle of wills is indeed the issue here.

However, the battle of wills the world is now witnessing could potentially lead us into nuclear war. The volatile rhetoric needs to end because the consequences are dire. The answer to this situation will never be found in threats or acts of war. It will only be found in the pursuit of understanding and peace. Both the tarot reading and the runecasting ask us to consider the unknown or unintended consequences that may occur when the ego overshadows Spirit. And both ask us to align in our Higher Self awareness, our Source Presence, to find clarity amid the chaos.

~Blessed Be