Awareness and Spiritual Transition ~ Tarot for January 2018

Tomorrow brings the new year and for once I’m getting ahead of the game and doing the month’s tarot reading a day early. It’s cold out this morning so I think we’ll skip the walk, at least until later this afternoon. I’m using the Haindl deck again because it offers much more information than typical tarot cards and I find the correspondence of I Ching hexagrams or guas to be truly insightful. I’m using a three card spread for each week with the first card as the overall influence of the month with what challenges and supports us following in that order.

Here is how the cards break down:

• Week one ~ Wands, Stones (Pentacles), Swords present; Fire, Earth, Air elements; numerology of 2
• Week two ~ Three Major Arcana cards; Mars, Aquarius, Taurus influencing; numerology of 11
• Week three ~ Wands, Stones, a Major card; Fire, Earth, Pisces; numerology of 33
• Week four ~ Cups (2), Stones; Water, Earth; numerology of 5
• Overall numerology is six if I reduced it that far, but given the specialness of 11 and 33, I’m not going to do an overall numerology for the month. We’ll just assume that Higher Self energies will be in play this month overall with the presence of duality or a decision in the first week moving on into two weeks of Spirit tapping us on the shoulder followed by a week of change. Hmm…

We begin the first week in January with the overall influence of the 9 of Swords in which 9 swords impale what looks like a bird. Traditional interpretations indicate we may experience some emotional upheaval this week. Whether it’s upheaval brought by the behavior of others or upheaval brought on by our own focus, the 9 of Swords suggests a focus on illusion. The hexagram involved is Conflict or the friction or struggle necessary for growth, so it seems clear that irrespective of its origin, this card of Cruelty appears to be more self-inflicted because as co-creators with Source we create the world we experience. Therefore, we can choose how we see those experiences. If the cruelty we experience is other-based, then these experiences may be something we chose prior to incarnating so we should welcome them as the gift they truly are. If, however, the cruelty we experience is derived from our own negative thinking, then we have the opportunity this week to transmute those thoughts into a more soul-focused perspective.

Apparently, we’re challenged by material gain during this first week and the power derived from that gain. The 9 of Stones indicates a productive and abundant life, possibly by living a productive life or by inheritance. The 2 of Wands helps us to understand dominion where we learn to stand in our own power by expressing balanced will and intention. Given that Swords, or our intellectual presence, provides the overall focus for the week, it would appear that how we intellectually process power, either from self or others, is the theme of the week. Do we succumb to the pity party or do we rise above judgment of self and others viewing the experience in spiritual terms? Will we use our power in a generous way or will we retain a more self-oriented focus?

 

The second week of January may give us the direction necessary to move into a more spiritual focus as we have three cards of archetype from the Major Arcana comprising the week’s influences. In other words, our Higher Self is in charge this week. The Tower begins the second week bringing everything tumbling down around us. Building on the prior week, I’ll continue the theme of changing perception from a self-oriented focus to one of greater purpose. Awakening is at hand when this card appears; anything is possible now. We move away from old, outmoded thinking into new ideas and beliefs. The Tower purifies us allowing for new manifestations to unfold.

The Star follows the Tower challenging us to remain open to our intuition and visions. Like The Star, we each are the Blessed Conduit between physical and non-physical aspects of Self, our awareness of Spirit the Rainbow Bridge to consciousness. The Goddess cloaked in tattered garb washes her long hair in the pool of water below while stars shine above, their rays of light blessing this ancient presence. A card of Aquarius, The Star brings healing and spiritual gifts to the reading, reminding us that our true worth is found in our fundamental reality as co-creators, and not in the material possessions we acquire.

We are supported by the strength of family with the appearance of The Hierophant in week two as three generations look to the light of Divine Wisdom to guide their path. Raidho, the rune of soul journey, appears in the upper right-hand corner suggesting the cycles of growth our soul moves through during our myriad of incarnations. As the week progresses, The Hierophant counsels us to look within for the answers we seek and to rely on that inner guidance.

 

The third week of January brings a little more of what we experienced in week one with a reminder to not become caught up in minutiae or sabotaged by our own process. Oppression is the title of the 10 of Wands and with the spears each facing downward it suggests that our will may still be focused on illusion. We may feel that we’re carrying an unnecessary burden and we may be experiencing a difficult time prioritizing our commitments. The card itself suggests a power reversal where we see a large creature resembling a bird or bat swooping down on some smaller creatures resembling cats. A reversal in thinking or process is clearly its message and with the Master number 33 influencing, we want to keep building our new awareness.

Material Difficulty is the title of the 5 of Stones representing destitution and loss as well as what challenges us this week. Five stones of varying size hover over dead trees. White feathers appear in the sky above promising hope and new experiences. The lack of unity implies a lost focus but the presence of the white feathers suggest that new awareness is possible. In fact, in keeping with the theme of emerging into new spiritual awareness, it takes a breaking apart of our perceptual foundations to ascend to a new level of spiritual awakening. So the challenge we face is to allow the process.

We’re supported in January’s third week by The Moon as the Goddess appears as a beautiful unicorn full of mystery and intuition. An ancient lobster rises from the pool of water below bringing hidden energies into our awareness. Although The Moon’s appearance in a reading can indicate deception, in this case, I believe it indicates our emerging spiritual awakening.

 

We begin to experience the genesis of new emotions or spirituality during the fourth week in January with the appearance of the Ace of Cups as the week’s overall influence. As we begin to internalize our newfound awareness and then express it outwardly, we experience love, joy, and contentment and extend the same to others.

Again, our emotions challenge us to stay above the fray with the appearance of the 5 of Cups titled Disappointment. Five denotes change and the cups in disarray demonstrate emotions out of balance and struggling for their own position while a more spiritual focus would see all of it as lost alignment or a focus on what we can’t have. Again, we’re to avoid the focus on illusion, and to view the situation as filled with opportunities not yet revealed.

The 8 of Stones finishes out the fourth week in the position of what supports us. Ancient creatures observe eight stones, one represented by a bubble, hanging in balance next to an old stone structure. What appears to be an elephant and a serpent suggest knowledge and renewal while the bubble indicates hope. Traditional interpretations suggest a strong foundation, and in keeping with the theme of spiritual transformation, it would seem that a return to Spirit is supported by this card.

This month is beginning in the same manner as the yearly runecasting I did the other day. Our country, and perhaps the world as well, is experiencing some interesting volatility. Change is happening and only time will tell if it will be positive or will leave us further circling the drain. But it seems clear that we need to view all of it with Source Vision, particularly now that it seems as if so many will be harmed by the changes now being forced upon us. Even if all it does is help us to remain calm until a more positive vision can be embraced.

It’s not that we won’t experience difficulties in our lives, but that we should view those experiences through Source Vision instead of a more egoic viewpoint. While the transition to new awareness may be dicey, it will happen regardless. Whether we call that new awareness the ascension we’re all talking about these days doesn’t matter. What matters is that we awaken to the fact that everything is a projection of the Creator. Everything. Aligning with that truth is the next stage in humanity’s spiritual development.

We’ve been given the catalyst. Now it’s up to us.

Blessed Be