The Polarity of Service to Self/Service to Others ~ Tarot for 27 December 2017

Court cards are interesting in any tarot deck, but Haindl takes a different approach using various individuals reflecting various ages or cultures. In today’s tarot reading, Parcival and White Buffalo Woman appear in place of the Page/Princess or Knight/Prince cards in other decks. Parcival as the Son of Cups in the North replaces the Prince of Cups depicting Parcival (Percival) the Knight holding the Holy Grail in his gloved hands. He gazes at the golden chalice, wide-eyed as if receiving a divine message. A Knight of the Round Table, Parcival is romantic and chivalrous, his passion leading at times to ruthlessness where secret violence may influence his dealings with others. Cups represents Elemental Water and our emotions which motivate Parcival’s commitment to his Grail quest.

Two round boulders hang suspended before gold and black striped fabric of some kind in the Two of Stones. Pentacles, Coins, and Disks in other decks, this card has a portal effect with the boulders and the fabric appearing to emerge from a dark hole. Harmony is its title but the movement suggests something more is going on while the boulders hang unaffected by the unfolding situation. The hexagram in the upper left-hand corner is titled Enthusiasm suggesting harmonic motion or expression reflecting inner balance.

In legend, White Buffalo Woman, also known as the Mother of Life, appeared to various Native American peoples during times of difficulty promising the Lakota people that she would return one day as a white buffalo calf. Haindl uses her to express his vision of the Princess of Stones as the Daughter of Stones in the West in all likelihood referencing the calf. Otherwise, she might have been an appropriate Queen of Stones. The Princess is earthy and spiritual, generous and transformative.

Cups and Stones comprise the reading representing Water, or emotions, and Earth, or the material aspect of life. The numerology of the Court cards isn’t typically considered although if I did so in this reading the Son would be 12, reducing to 3, while the Daughter would be 11 which I can leave as a Master Number for illumination or reduce to 2, aligning with the 2 of Stones. Overall, reducing the 11 to 2 would give us 7 or the number for magick and the soul. But I think I’ll leave the overall numerology at 2 or duality/polarity.

It’s easy to become carried away by our emotions, especially when our enthusiasm overshadows our commitments. On the other hand, a commitment to a greater purpose such as the one Parcival found with his Grail quest isn’t necessarily negative when balanced with a sense of responsibility for others. In fact, in the case of the Holy Grail, that quest alone may reflect a selflessness that escapes so many now.

The White Buffalo Woman expresses that same selflessness as she comes in times of greatest need in whatever form required by the people. She assists. She sacrifices for the greater good. And in spite of the chaos of creation, the two boulders emerge from the darkness in balance.

I think this tarot reading is telling all of us that it’s time to make a choice. Are we going to go down the road toward grace and abundance or are we going to leave those most vulnerable to fend for themselves? When we incarnate we choose an overall focus of service to self or living in the greater awareness of our unified presence with all. Currently, the service to self folks appear to be running amok as they remake the country into something we no longer recognize placing everyone that isn’t ultra-rich at risk for any number of problems. It’s all unnecessary, but for some reason this makes them feel better about themselves to ruin lives this way.

I can tell you with complete certainty that the service to self folks won’t succeed in their machinations. Whatever gains they make will not survive the outcry of the people. We’re being given a front row seat to witness what none of us really want. The next few years may be difficult, but we began as the United States of America and even though the current administration seeks to divide us completely we will ultimately remain united and come out of this stronger than before.

It’s time we grew up and realized that we’ve always been one family and the only way we survive is together.

Blessed Be