Deuce’s Wild: The Deviled Deuce ©

Inspired by dreams from a distant and recent past I reflect upon the value of learning to accept both internal and external matters for what they are.

     The idea of avoiding the devil and ensuring he does not cross your path is an endearing one. If you have not had a heart to heart dialogue with the devil, you should not wait any further to do so. When facing the persona of the devil, you face in a sense, yourself. The conversation with the devil may be one sided, something along the lines of: “hello there, come on in and hang out for an eternity” or, it can be completely opposite, to the effect of: “thank you for the offer and chat, but I must really be getting along now.” It is this duality of choice that inspires me to reflect upon the value of tarot deuces, the tarot terrible two’s, or what I like to refer to as the deviled deuces. The fascinating aspect of these deuces is quite simple: either you move along with things or you do not. When the devil comes to town, rest assured, there are serious issues to either identify or own up to.

     To move beyond the devil’s influence we need to identify the deuce we have been ignoring. Insight to the energies behind the deviled deuce may very well arise during any of the devil’s unplanned visits, likely marked by his flair for drama on either the material and spiritual sides of things, or both. Which deuce, to point, has been a crutch? Is it the deuce of indecision, prohibiting you from actively engaging your mind in identifying the choice between choices and the importance of such a choice? Is it the deuce of narrow ambition and foresight which weaves a story of the inability to dig deeper into a proposed plan or situation? Is it the deuce of imbalance that speaks of the incapacity for gracefully weighing one matter against another? Lastly, is it the deuce of muddled emotions which expresses a deficiency in reaching a common ground? If the devil is in the details, then what prohibits us in seeing what we need to see?
     In the end, these are merely words; groups of words, in line, to describe that which, at times, falls out of line. What does fall in line is the sense of finality in a choice. Through choice there is passage, a passage that takes us away from the devil by disarming his influence over the deuces, while our father, the Hierophant, watches in quiet approval.


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Release the Cross and Grasp the Ace of Opportunity ©

 

A reflection inspired by my previous entry: allowing the Ace to ignite the power to overcome and succeed.

     Do not feel embarrassed or apologetic of your natural talents and abilities. From within the house of the Hierophant, our father, you learned to accept the lesson of singing and moving to the tune of the sun. There is the thirst for personal truth and the thirst for recognition. The first is satiated through the personal journey of experiences, where the second is satisfied through the ill manipulation of the first. Avoid altering someone’s truth and experience in order to make it fit yours, as this only denies you the opportunity to engage the power in attainment of your personal truth, resorting to manipulation and deceit, of both others and yourself. Step over the boundary as you release the cross of burden to meet the sun of clarity.

     The sun of clarity is not the sun of popularity and as such, you may discover paths crossing and intersecting where once, they did not. Releasing the cross marks a new beginning. Before returning to meet the new world, our father, the Hierophant asks: are you willing to grasp the Ace before you? Is it the Ace of the power of original thought, or the Ace of divine love and creativity? Is yours the Ace of the power of execution, or the Ace with the power to bring into fruition? Whichever one it is, happily grasp it- you have earned it.

     Dreams and visions can be fueled by imagination. It takes an imagination to be “creative.” Creativity lends itself to projects such as creative writing and painting, abilities necessary for an artist. Though I appreciate art, art does not bring about personal truths, yet personal truths can be very well expressed via “art.” What is formulated from mere imagination and the creative process is generally referred to as fiction. Fiction is largely created with an ending in mind and is generally entertaining. There is no end to seeking your personal truths and the journey is anything but “entertaining.” The journey is cruel, lonesome and at times, the target of misconceptions. However, the experiences gained from such a journey serve to break down the barriers which otherwise constrict the mind, heart and soul from attaining sight of its collective outer limits. I am not a follower of Crowley, nor do I care to be, however, that does not limit me in gaining an appreciation to insights such as: “Love is the law, Love under Will.” What are the limits within the idea of “love” that prohibit you from connecting with the ideas of others today?

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Hierophant and the Tau Cross ©

Inspired by the following dream I wondered, what can we learn from the Hierophant? Perhaps, for a first lesson: how and why we need to release our current cross. What cross do you bear today?

     Standing before the white granite building, facing the thick glass front doors that housed the Hierophant, the young guide beside me reached into her pocket to retrieve a key, one granted solely by the Hierophant. Stepping inside, I could almost feel the cool and impeccably clean white marble floor through the soles of my shoes, a floor that shined like glass floating on water. I saw many Pages bearing crisp, clean, all black uniforms, accented with silver. Not one person was permitted to wear shoes of the outside world to walk the halls contained within. Upon immediate request, we proceeded to a tall desk and were directed to turn in our worldly shoes. Obedience was the law of the land and my guide and I promptly followed suit. In return, we were replenished with proper shoes suitable for walking the Hierophants halls, a sea of white marble glass.
     My young guide, a delightful being with an equally fitting personality, escorted me to the class room where the Hierophant stood, lecturing and reviewing the work of his pupils, the Pages. Alumni migrated about each of the class rooms to assist the Hierophant. Order permeated the house of the Hierophant and formed the very essence of his world. There was a method for walking, speaking, sitting and inquiry. The Hierophant was not a person to philosophize over which manner was correct or incorrect, for he already knew. Failure to heed the Hierophant’s code of ethics was a detriment not to your studies, but to your being, for once you graduated, you were set free, to meet the non-ethical cruel and unsheltered world that knew not of such rules for orderly conduct.
     Greeting me in a militant manner, the Hierophant, clearly the commander in chief; fit the role exquisitely. Obeying his every word, and taking great care not to insult him in any mode, I sat upon the silver chair he assigned for me. There was no one in the class room, aside from the Hierophant and my young guide. She executed a bee line into a predestined corner in the back of this room. The Hierophant, with his neatly pressed black suit, shiny black and silver shoes and neatly styled hair stood before me. I sucked in my breath as he leaned over at his waist to meet my eyes. He raised his right hand and extended his digital finger. He addressed the necessity of revisiting my past, as it held much importance and a lesson towards achieving my goal. Though perplexed by his statement, I dared not ask why. He straightened his body and motioned to my young guide, the content page, to dim the lights.
     In doing so, I felt myself taken through a vortex, landing me in the past. I saw family members, a home and friends. I saw how they occupied rooms within the home and how on a whim, my room was changed from one location to another. I saw myself exhausted, dragging a cross over my shoulders. I felt pain and anguish, yet knew my journey was far from being over. I realized the need to sever ties with those whom have, over time, added to the weight of my burden under the guise of “friendship.” I grasped the truth behind these false alliances. The effort I made to preserve these friendships significantly contributed additional weight to my cross.
     Dragging my cross, pained as I was, I saw myself arrive on a tropical island, a place where I could finally be myself. Those whom burdened me wanted to come to this island so intently, as their tireless efforts to convince me to bring them along did not cease. They watched as I roamed freely in paradise, while those so called friends secretly planned false situations that would “force” me into bringing them along. Witnessing this spectacle, I became angered. I threw the tau shaped cross off my shoulders with a force fueled by the gods as I made my way towards the white brilliant sands of the beach ahead. At last, I was able to smell the ocean, see and feel the sun and its warmth for what it truly was. A hanged man, trapped by a past, I no longer was.












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Death and the Devil: Knights and Pawns ©

Death allows you to live and think for yourself again. However it enters your life, it does so, with a punch straight to the jaw. Inspired by a vision this morning, I take a look at the devil, glimpsing momentarily into the efforts of this energy, and how the energy of willing knights can be effective in achieving a manipulative outcome. Evade opposing knights, and allow the lesson of death to reinforce the need for severing ties in order to move on with our higher calling.

   

  In the vision, I saw myself standing in an auditorium of a university. As I stood, I witnessed one student strike another in the head with a steel rod. In horror, I saw the body of the victim drop to the ground, his blood spilling in rivers as death now proclaimed him. I saw older students directing younger ones into designated rooms. Everyone was prohibited from leaving these rooms as each entrance was guarded by a Knight. Students who were once friends, no longer were. Individual students were singled out for differing ideologies, ideas that did not threaten the initial oath to uphold the standards of the organization.

     One now had to change in order to fit the new infrastructure, a plan masterminded by the devil. He sent his knights, to quickly plant seeds of malicious thoughts, to identify those whom upheld, in their hearts, the spirit of the organization and to guard against escape. As I sought escape from this madness, I managed to evade the knights and ran towards unknown areas of the university. In doing so, I discovered a hidden area, where I was quickly approached by the devil. He greeted me and wasted no time in attempting to recruit me. He contemplated my body and without shame, publicly displayed his physical excitement towards me.

The public display of his physical excitement intrigued me and he knew it. He proceeded to take my hand in his, bringing it up to his lips to kiss it, while in the distance, I saw others that fell to his intrigue, charms and vanity. He offered me the world, an idea I entertained. After kissing my hand, I softly pulled it back, thanking him for his offer. I turned around and left the devil's lair, saddened by the corruption now thriving in a place that was dear to me. Alone, I walked. While doing so, I met the one who guided me to her father, the Hierophant.

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Black Panther and the Black Rose ©

     11-years ago, on a quiet spring morning in 2001, I woke up determined to get a tattoo of a black rose.  Soon after obtaining my tattoo, I picked up my first tarot deck, without any prior intention of owning or even finding one. I spent a full year alone and isolated.  A black rose, death of the old and rebirth of the new.  I didn't realize how relevant this image would be for me. A black rose to end all imprisonment and gain freedom, a black panther to eternally accompany me.  

     From the black rose I am led to reflect over keys 11-Justice and 13-Death. We all have a unique journey. Yours is not mine, and mine is not yours, but ultimately, we all end up in the same place. 8 and 11-Strength and Justice, 11 and 8-Justice and Strength. Where do you, numerically prefer to place these tarot keys? Perhaps the time has arrived for you to set aside the reference book and let the journey within guide you to your final answer.

~veritas sub rosa

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Black Panther and Strength Tarot Card ©

   Last week, I met my version of the beast most commonly depicted on the Strength card in a dream.  Instead of a lion, it was a black panther. The beast stepped forward and stood majestically beside me.  I could see the beasts' sharp teeth, I could feel his warm breath. No one dared come near it for it would happily devour, yet fed by my hand was gentle and kind. I looked down to meet his gaze and surely, his beautiful eyes found mine. In silence we stood and addressed that which was most pressing. 

     The beast was beautiful, dark, strong and kind.  My left hand rested on the back of his neck, close to his right shoulder.  He was action, stealth and courage. His soul enlivened mine.  Where I was once trapped by bears, I, along with black panther, now were free to roam. Together we would explore the very ends of this earth and beyond.  I now had the courage to confidently state my case before the members of the council of Justice.  I no longer felt intimidation.

    Thank you black panther spirit for guiding me and for making me aware of the council which brings justice.

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