Monthly Tarot for April 2018

Here we are again at a new month so it’s time for monthly tarot! I’m going to continue with a significator for each week along with what both challenges and what supports. But before we look at each week, I’ll break down the elements of the reading.

• Major Arcana ~ 1  ~The Empress
• Court ~ 5 ~ The King of Swords, Knight of Pentacles, Queen of Swords, King of Cups, Knight of Swords
• Wands ~ 2 ~ Fire Element ~ Will ~ 4 of Wands, 5 of Wands
• Cups ~ 3 ~ Water Element ~ Emotions ~ 9 of Cups, 10 of Cups, King of Cups
• Swords ~ 4 ~ Air Element ~ Intellect ~ 6 of Swords, Knight of Swords, Queen of Swords, King of Swords
• Pentacles ~ 2 ~ Earth Element ~ Physical ~ Ace of Pentacles, Knight of Pentacles
• Challenge ~ Queen of Swords, 6 of Swords, 10 of Cups, Knight of Pentacles
• Support ~ Knight of Swords, 9 of Cups, King of Cups, 5 of Wands

The numerology of the reading:

• Week one ~ 4 ~ Gaia energy, foundation, structure, elemental influence
• Week two ~ 9 ~ completion, humanitarianism ~ 3, 6, 9 pattern
• Week three ~ 11 ~ Master number for illumination and our connection to the subconscious realm
• Week four ~ 5 ~ change
• Overall ~ 11

A cursory look at the breakdown of the reading suggests that Court cards will have a fairly strong influence throughout the month so we’ll see if that indicates individual people or the qualities they possess with respect to their placement in each week. It’s only in week four when a King serves as significator, with two that challenge and two that support. It would be nice to believe that The Empress has all of this under her wing, but that may be too much to ask of any woman. Swords dominate the other suits and our thoughts may provide both influence and challenge during the month. Together, when several Court cards appear along with several cards from Swords, arguing may occur, but we’ll see how it plays out in the larger context of the month. Also, in week two, we see a 3, 6, 9 pattern with the cards giving a feeling of progression along with completion for that week.

So let’s look at each week.

 

 

In week one, the 4 of Wands begins the reading as significator illustrating four staffs supporting a flowery wreath, a castle off in the distance. They announce a celebration and provide a colorful welcome to all who pass through its gate. Structure, foundation, and balance are depicted along with the idea of a return to basics. The 4 of Wands in this deck evokes a sense of sanctuary and refuge and a place for rest and reflection. A nice overall way to begin the week.

In the position of challenge, however, is the Queen of Swords. Although she’s one of my favorite cards in any Tarot deck, in the position of what challenges us, her unwillingness to tolerate nonsense may also increase our own so we may want to be mindful of how we communicate with others this week. In other words, do we really need to speak our minds this week? Or could we take a more reserved approach. Perhaps the challenge is to create a sense of sanctuary within, allowing our attention to soften a bit.

The Knight of Swords is in the position of support with his sword resting over his shoulder and his thoughts on the future. He can be domineering at times, but his integrity and focus on doing what is right and just typically wins out. The Knight is courageous, unafraid of a challenge, and finds solutions others miss. He can be a great friend or a powerful enemy but overall, he sees the bigger picture and knows the way forward.

The first week of April looks positive as we begin by reflecting on what has been, allowing our thoughts to settle so that we’re ready for new experiences.

 

 

The influence of the Mother Aspect begins week two with The Empress as she sits next to a pool of water, a waterfall crashing in the distance sending ripples outward. A lily serves as her scepter as she holds a large shield with her right arm. A large red heart with a cross appears between her breasts and she looks on confidently while resting her left foot atop a crescent moon. The Empress represents love, beauty, and happiness. She is elegant and gracious, a receptive presence representing motherhood and fertility along with ruling the unconscious realm. Her presence as significator for the week suggests that something new is coming, building on the focus of week one. She is the Triple Goddess in her Mother Aspect, a doorway or portal into mind/body/Spirit awareness so perhaps the journey is the one we each take to enlightenment.

Six swords point downward into a small boat carrying the couple across a body of water, their thoughts focused on their future plans. The 6 of Swords can indicate a journey over water or a new route taken. Although this can indicate a change in circumstances, given that Swords depicts intellect, it could also indicate a change in thinking. And in the position of challenge, we want to be mindful of where our thoughts take us this week. If we view The Empress as a portal to mind/body/Spirit awareness, the 6 of Swords begins that journey. Do we keep them squarely in front of us or do we allow our thoughts to become scattered? It would seem that keeping our thoughts more organized is in order.

As we can see from the rosy-faced man on the front of the 9 of Cups, emotional support is available this week. In the position of support, this is a welcome influence. As we keep pressing on, our emotions are in balance as we manifest positive progress. Traditional interpretations of this card suggest emotional well-being and satisfaction and balanced with the 6 of Swords we continue on our path to mind/body/Spirit awareness.

A note about the 3, 6, 9 pattern. Both the six and nine are multiples of three, the number for The Empress. Three itself is a powerful number as the catalyst for wholeness and unity. If we see the three, six, and nine as corresponding to mind/body/Spirit, then we see a progression toward spiritual awareness of the interrelation between the three. The universe is not only septenate but also expressed in triplicities. Past/present/future, birth/life/death, Maiden/Mother/Crone are among such examples. Each represents a progression related to the illusion of time, a necessary part of physical form. But the feeling I have from the pattern is a movement into the greater awareness of Self particularly now during this time of ascension. This supports the overall year tarot reading I did in January which suggested that we’re all on a spiritual quest in remembrance of Self. So although it’s tempting to think in terms of our physical life, I have to believe that we’re on the path of alignment with our own Source Presence.

 

 

Week three begins with the Ace of Pentacles as a hand holding a large coin extends through the clouds above as roses and lilies adorn the path to the water’s edge. An archway rises up over the pathway covered by greenery attached to a rock wall on either side. Pentacles represents our physical expression including our material possessions, wealth, as well as the elements and Earth, herself. Aces represent beginnings and contain all the potential of the element they represent. With the pentacle in the clouds, the Ace of Pentacles always evokes a sense of as above so below. We remain in Spirit, always. All else is manifested from that awareness and reality. So instead of wealth coming from what we manifest here in form, true wealth is manifested from Spirit. As significator for the week, the Ace of Pentacles continues to reinforce the mind/body/Spirit alignment of week two.

Remaining in loving balance with others may prove challenging this week with the appearance of the 10 of Cups in the position of what challenges us. A large rainbow pours its septenate rays into a golden chalice held by the hands of two lovers. We witness the strength found in that loving embrace as nine more chalices descend through the rainbow creating an X pattern indicating balanced energy exchange. The 10 of Cups reminds us that the desired outcome can be achieved through a balanced exchange with others. And in the position of what challenges us, it’s reminding us to keep our emotions in balance this week.

The King of Cups is dreamy in the Morgan Greer Tarot deck. He seems almost in a trance while he looks toward the future, a golden chalice in one hand and a staff in the other as he stands in front of a large body of water. Although he can be a loving and wise father figure, the King can also exhibit passive aggressive tendencies appearing at times oversensitive and shallow. But when not so ill-dignified, the King is self-disciplined, kind, and tolerant. Fortunately, his positive characteristics are in focus given the card’s supportive placement.

Eleven, or the Master number for illumination, is the overall numerology for week three aligning with the overall numerology of the monthly reading. So with this synchronicity, I feel comfortable with the focus on mind/body/Spirit awareness and integration.

 

 

Okay, now at week four, we see two Court cards not speaking to each other followed by a struggle of some kind. I vacillate between hating Court cards and loving them, but when they appear to interact with each other, I absolutely love them. The King of Swords is analytical and educated, clearly the leader of his tribe. He looks back at his legacy represented by the ripened grain held with his sword in his right hand, the strength of the oak covering his shoulders. He is a wise counselor, his logical and rational side arbitrating the concerns of the village. He can be a loyal friend, but make no mistake about it, he can also be a formidable enemy. As significator, the presence of the King of Swords may suggest that our journey toward awareness includes an awareness of others as the other side of Self. But then, there’s still the Knight to contend with and the struggle that ensues. So we’ll see.

The Knight of Pentacles appears next in the position of challenge for the week. The Knight may believe he has more practical concerns than the King, appearing in full battle dress, his spear and shield at the ready as he looks toward a future that may involve conquest and/or conflict. His refusal to consider the King’s perspective may be his real challenge. Perhaps his typical patience and integrity have been replaced by a desire to move on from old thinking that’s not as respectful of the knowledge gained by the King, no doubt his father.

Moving to the final card of the month and of week four, the 5 of Wands illustrates willful struggle between five individuals. Since we don’t see any battle attire this may just be a struggle between belief systems. Perhaps the King is reluctant to let go of old ideas that his son is more willing to freely embrace. A struggle between the two ensues. Five itself indicates change and a willingness to let go of what no longer serves, clearing the way for new ideas and experiences so rather than conflict between two people, I see this as the conflict we experience within whenever we’re moving into new awareness.

In a sense, we begin the month in reflection of what has been and end the month doing the same. We’ve made some progress during the month in our understanding of mind/body/Spirit awareness and integration, and it appears that during the final week of the month, we’ve reached a put up or shut up moment. Spiritual awareness isn’t for the faint of heart. It means that we look at our beliefs and then have the willingness to let go of illusion and then remember who we are. It’s not a linear process. We make progress and then we retreat to the comfort of our illusion, unwilling quite yet to release the past. We hang on to anything that tells us that we’re separate or that we must work our way back to the Creator, when in truth, we are the Creator in individuated form, here in these bodies to know more.

We may appear separate, but we remain, each one of us, part of the greater unified presence of the Great Mother, the All That Is, the Creator of all life as we know it. It is to Her that we return, not after doing good works, but after our remembrance of Self. As we understand fully that there are no differences between any of us, that each one merely represents the other side of Self in form, we begin to erase the division that prevents us from knowing who we are.

We are not separate from anyone. All are necessary. All provide an avenue for growth, experience, and yes, remembrance of Self.

We are all one family. Messy and beautiful!

Blessed Be