#Heaven and Earth Tarot Deck

[qldqueerboy]

Your intention today is to remain firm against any unprofessional criticism against your style of leadership in dealing with conflict between friends or family. The last thing you want is to jeopardize your emotional connection with these people by correcting their outburst. It’s not going to happen by the words you use today in quelling the dissent but by utilizing your higher wisdom in demonstrating that your actions will bring about a peaceful resolution to the problem even if they still don’t agree with you.

[gem-de-lune]

Riize members' dynamics w/ Seunghan when he returns

This will be formatted mathematically (a + b = c) in which the first card is always Seunghan, 2nd is always the other member, and final card(s) pulled for the resulting dynamic between those energies.

Deck used: Book of Shadows Vol 2 Tarot

Seunghan x Sohee

Queen of Swords (Seunghan) + Ace of Pentacles (Sohee) = 2 of Swords (resulting dynamic)

These two see a lot of good results together. Seunghan offers air energy that is actually very insightful and calculative with plans- while Sohee is literally a rock. He is consistent and grounded firmly (fixed sign energy). the way this interacts results in a dynamic that is very balanced. When heaven and earth meet (air and earth energy) they create reality. This is not a perfect realtionship by any means and they do not always understand one another. But regardless they set their differences aside in order to come together and help each other with what thebother lacks. Like that friend you love to death but literally you operate in completely different fashions on opposite ends of a spectrum- still some things will overlap and that's how you become friends.

Seunghan x Wonbin

Knight of Swords (Seunghan) + Empress (Wonbin) = 4 of Wands (Resulting Dynamic)

Again, Seunghan is bringing straight up air energy to this dynamic. He may be more energetic and chatty when interacting with Wonbin. Wonbin is very accepting of this behavior (again very mother) and just having a "that's my baby" vibe looking after him fondly. This results in a family like dynamic between them. Very fulfilling, collaborative, and homey vibes. If they argue it's because of a lesson that must be learned. There is never ill intent between these two but Seunghan can be rash and mouth off and Wonbin can be too accomodating. Either way, they mesh very well.

Seunghan x Shotaro

3 of Wands (Seunghan) + The Sun (Shotaro) = Queen of Wands (resulting dynamic)

We have Seunghan taking up a laid back fire energy and Shotaro reflecting that in the most positive way possible. Shotaro is the more active one in this relationship and Seunghan is content to watch and smile. These two together make each other very confident. They may have similar opinions on things from style to food to what they should do for fun that day. There is seldom a time where they don't get along- they are just happy together. Something that may happen a lot though is Shotaro getting a lil too crazy and Seunghan holding him back or redirecting the energy lmao. They are very comfortable.

Seunghan x Sungchan

Ace of Chalices (Seunghan) + The Hyerophant (Sungchan) = The Fool & King of Swords

Here, Sungchan is giving very much Hyung and Seunghan is giving very much Dongsaeng. Seunghan's energy with Sungchan is that he can easily express how he feels and is able to express these things in new ways and discover new things by just interacting with Sungchan. Sungchan offers a lot of good insight and advice. Overall, this gives the two comfortable air to be silly and goofy but still able to have these tough talks and discussions practically without any hard feelings or issues. They probably joke around a lot but are able to get serious fairly quickly...then bounce right back to being goofy. This is peak like mercurial vibes, lol. They get on very well!

Seunghan x Eunseok

Knave of Pentacles (Seunghan) + 10 of Wands & 3 of Swords (Eunseok) = 8 of Wands (resulting dynamic)

Okok this one was very very interesting. Funnily enough Eunseok usually gets earth cards but here he got fire and air while SEUNGHAN got earth which he usually does not. This is a silly dynamic. Essentially, Eunseok finds Seunghan very annoying lmfaooooo but also Eunseok, who is usually pretty withdrawn with his opinions and more observant, tends to let down those walls with Seunghan. While Eunseok is usually everyone else's rock, Seunghan is his. Despite the light annoyance he trusts Seunghan with his thoughts on a personal level and he does this because Seunghan will actively create a solution or try to find one and fairly quickly. He has a way of making Eunseok feel seen and heard and he is very appreciative. Even though Seunghan is not very refined in how he does this, it is the intent that moves Eunseok and makes him laugh. If Eunseok can't speak, Seunghan will do it for him. Extrovert x Introvert Besties.

Seunghan x Anton

Queen of Pentacles (Seunghan) + The World (Anton) = 9 of Pentacles (resulting dynamic)

Here again, Seunghan is taking on a more grounded role than usual, and this time, it's giving Seunghan Hyung and Anton Maknae. Anton is very ambitious, optimistic, and has a lot he wants to see and learn. The card gives off childlike awe vibes. Seunghan is almost like guiding Anton through this, showing him all the stops, making sure he pauses to smell the roses, you know hyung stuff. It's also a protective and loyal vibe. Together with the 9 of pentacles, it's like Seunghan watching his kid grow up lmfao. There is a sense of admiration he has for Anton and vise versa. They both respect each other and like each other on a person to person level. They relate to each other and may like similar things and activities!

I hope this was insightful! More readings will be up soon today.

[askefrueee3]

XXII. The World- Aideen Today, the last card, the crown jewel of the Tarot's journey. (Major Arcana is often interpreted as the first card's, The Fool's, journey through the themes of all the other cards, gaining enlightenment, up to The World card. In my series, they are represented by our SSO MC and Aideen.)

Aideen is the true heart and soul of Jorvik, being it's start and core. The card means many thing, amongst them the theme of completeness, suspension between Earth and Heavens, assured success. Usually for basic Rider- Waite deck, this card puts woman representing Wisdom at center, with four beasts at the sides, representing either (or both) Four Evangelists, and the fourfold structure of the physical worlds. They are also there to represent the animal kingdom and living creatures, as well as to be symbols of the fixed zodiac signs and the four elements. In my version, these symbols are depicted with the Guardian Horses: Starshine, Concorde, Meteor and Tin- Can, with their respective Circles of Star, Sun, Moon and Lightning.

[indigovigilance]

Tarot Symbolism in 1941

inspo: Three of Swords ask and answer by @embracing-the-ineffable

Okay guys this is outside my usual wheelhouse; I know just enough about tarot to be a nuisance. That said, once I saw the ask/answer above, I got to thinking about what other tarot symbolism might be in the S2E4 episode. "Nazi Zombie Flesheaters" was written by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, so it stands to reason this episode may contain unique elements not found elsewhere in the show.

I didn't analyze every suspect artifact, just the strong contenders. I'll demonstrate that whatever symbolism there may be directly pertains primarily to Aziraphale and to his relationship with Crowley. Below the cut we'll look at:

The Magician

The Chariot

Two of Coins

Ace of Coins

Three of Swords

Four of Swords

The Lovers

Two of Cups

Major Arcana

The Magician

First off may I just say that I am shocked and appalled that I have not come across a Fell the Marvelous magician tarot card. C'mon, artists of tumblr. Get it together.

This one is pretty obvious: Aziraphale is The Magician.

He has the ability to bridge the gap between heaven and earth and as such, he is capable of converting energy into matter.

The Magician is a card of manifestation: you want it so you make it happen. Aziraphale just grabbed this entire West End Stage situation by the horns and is steering it in the most ridiculous direction possible to show off for his knight in shining armor that just rescued him and his books.

Aziraphale manifests reality even when the miracle blocker is active: the bullet misses, and his notoriously unreliable sleight of hand works when he five-finger discounts Furfur's damning evidence.

Aziraphale is feeling his oats in this episode, and approaches every new challenge with the absolute and unwavering conviction that he can overcome it, and seemingly through sheer willpower, he does.

The magician is typically represented with all four symbols of power: a wand, a sword, a cup, and a coin (pentacle). This represents a high level of resourcefulness and adaptability, underlaid by the knowledge and skills necessary to deploy those tools.

The magician is a dangerous character, a boon to his allies and a threat to his enemies, but sometimes wields more power than wisdom. The magician has more ability to get what he wants than to necessarily know what is good for him.

The Chariot

This isn't symbolically referenced in 1941 per se but like I said, I have just enough knowledge of Tarot to be a nuisance and the symbolism was already there throughout the show so why not talk about it here.

This card depicts a black entity and a white entity (sometimes horses, sometimes sphynxes, depending on your deck) pulling a chariot. But the white thing and the black thing tend to be pulling in different directions, working against each other instead of with each other because they have different ideas about where the chariot they are both yoked to should be going:

It's rather inefficient.

And if that isn't a metaphor for Aziraphale and Crowley's influences on humanity and Earth, or the progress of their own relationship, I don't know what is.

But more generally, the Chariot represents the warring [internal] influences on the singular charioteer; their masculine and feminine aspects, their conscious and unconscious desires, etc. The message of the card is that the charioteer must define their goals so they can steer their powerful steeds in a single direction.

Much in this same way, Aziraphale [in the role of charioteer] is being pulled in opposite directions by his loyalty to Heaven and his conviction that Crowley is morally righteous. The challenge he faces is in unifying these beliefs.

The Magician & the Chariot

Where once there was one, now there are two; with the magician representing power and the chariot representing the unification of direction and purpose, the holistic effect is an incredibly powerful combination that can accomplish anything. Now that Crowley and Aziraphale have hitched themselves to the same cart, they will be unstoppable so long as they stick together and keep moving toward the same goal.

In the context of Aziraphale as the charioteer, however, the interpretation feels a bit more dire; there is great strength behind the forces that pull him in opposite directions, which now threaten to tear him in two. His ability to manifest has no clear direction.

Coins

Two of Coins (Pentacles)

Back at the bookshop, Aziraphale presents a sixpence and a farthing in the palm of his hand as part of a magic trick.

The Two of Coins is generally depicted as a juggler; like the chariot, this represents unsteadiness and conflict that needs to be resolved. The juggler is juggling multiple influences, trying to find balance and struggling to prioritize. It can indicate he is not giving enough of his energy to his romantic partner.

Ace of Coins (Pentacles)

After Aziraphale recites the magic words (and again, shocked and appalled that no one has done a meta on "banana fish gorilla shoelace with a dash of nutmeg," I mean are we meta-analysts or aren't we?) and the farthing has vanished, symbolically resolving the tension of duality:

The Ace of Coins (Pentacles), in the context of romance, represents a fresh start with a person who will provide stability: a knight in shining armor who arrives and provides a sense of security. It can represent a new beginning or a strengthening bond within an existing relationship.

If you have been considering taking your relationship to the next level, [the ace of coins] can also serve as a good omen.

I'm not even kidding, that's a straight quote from the source text.

Two of Coins -> Ace of Coins

Within this magic trick we have a symbolic transition from relational instability to stability, from unresolved romantic tension to a fresh start and strong bonding. If the magic trick is representative of Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship, this transition is a sign that they are coming closer together and starting a new chapter of their romance.

Three of Swords

Taken directly from the inspo; in the magic shop, as they are discussing the bullet catch, Aziraphale is standing in front of the Excalibur chest. Three swords emerge from the right side, and appear to be piercing his spine. The most direct imagery correlation is with this version of the Three of Swords:

The Upright Three of Swords signifies a sudden and unexpected blow to your emotions. When you see this card in a reading, it often foretells the sudden loss of a loved one, the realization of betrayal, or the end of an important relationship with someone you loved very much.

This accurately represents how Aziraphale felt the last time they saw each other, following the holy water request in St. James' Park.

At the end of this scene, Aziraphale disavows their "fraternity" and stalks off in a huff. Crowley makes no attempt to stop him. Clearly, neither of them expected the conversation to go this way, and each feels betrayed by the other.

Three of Swords & The Magician

When this duo appears in a reading, a breakdown in communication is causing serious issues.

During the entirety of S2E4, Aziraphale rushes boldly forward without duly considering Crowley's objections; by the same token, Crowley is also not being honest about his limitations. The "serious issue" that this causes is Crowley almost shooting Aziraphale in the face, a situation they would not be in if Aziraphale had not been so bull-headed about performing a dangerous and unfamiliar show-stopping trick.

Their relationship has barely been rekindled and has not had time to heal from the damage done in St. James' Park; it is too fragile for them to speak honestly with each other, and Aziraphale, fired up by egoistic fervor, charges boldly ahead with minimal regard for the consequences.

Suffice to say, this is some on-the-nose symbolism.

Four of Swords

When Aziraphale shakes Crowley's hand, he brings his hand up uncomfortably high to chest height, which seems like an odd choice until you realize that he has to do that in order to get his hand lined up perfectly between the aperture of the camera and the sword that sticks up from the Excalibur Chest. The three swords still emerge from his back, so Aziraphale is now the focal point of four swords. Additionally, the arrangement of the swords is in keeping with the general depiction of the tarot card; one sword is in his control/possession, three are not.

The Four of Swords is a symbol of chaos. It warns the subject that they are overwhelmed, overstimulated, out of touch:

- Haven't you fired a gun before? - Not as such.

...and needs to retreat and rest.

In romance, it can indicate that a rocky relationship is stabilizing and returning to normal. But it can also portent new issues that will make or break the relationship. One way or another, it is indicative of relational stress that needs to be resolved.

Four of Swords & The Magician

The combination with the Magician foreshadows a long-term relationship in your future. The key interpretation of the Four of Swords in this combo is that building yourself as a person first will attract the right partner.

Aziraphale (the Magician in question) has a lot of self-work to do resolving his attitudes about Good and Evil in order to be a good partner for Crowley, but if he can do it, the Four of Swords symbolism in this scene is a positive portent for their relationship.

Three of Swords -> Four of Swords

The transition from the Three of Swords to Four of Swords seems to indicate that a relationship broken by bad communication is starting to heal; it is not completely repaired, and there is still work to be done, but they have taken the first step. But it may also indicate that Aziraphale has bitten off more than he can chew and has introduced chaos into the relationship in his attempt to repair it.

The Lovers

We can't talk about Tarot without talking about the Lovers. Well, we could, but I'd get a lot of comments about it. The romantic candlelit scene invokes an image of lovers, so I'm running with it.

This card is rich with relevant symbolism and deserves its own meta from anyone who wants to do it. I will only briefly discuss it here insofar as it is directly relevant to the S2E4 depiction of events that occurred in 1941.

The upright Lovers tarot card can imply that you have major life-changing choices or are faced with a dilemma. Temptation is often part of that choice or dilemma.

Aziraphale constantly oscillates between the side of Heaven and the Third Side, but the events at the church have swung the needle and imbued our angel with a renewed sense of allegiance to his demonic companion. But this only serves to make things more complicated; no sooner is the flame of romance reignited than Furfur shows up to threaten Crowley, using their association as evidence against him. Miraculous escape notwithstanding, the danger of the situation is apparent. Aziraphale is aware that he may soon have to make some tough choices about who's side he's really on.

Two of Cups

The Two of Cups tarot card is one of the most positive relationship cards in the deck. When you pull this card in a reading, it stands for harmony, togetherness, and working as a team to build a strong partnership.

The Two of Cups is arguably more about love than The Lovers. This card indicates that the subject is in a deeply intimate, supportive romantic relationship. It serves to confirm that they've found The One.

The Magician & Two of Cups

...your new lover won’t be someone new at all, but a friend you already know well.

With the combined symbolism of Fell the Marvelous and the two glasses of wine at the end of the night, we have some holistic tarot symbolism that these two friends that go back a long time are, well... soulmates.

IN SUMMARY

I have no idea how much Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, or by extension Neil Gaiman and John Finnemore, are into tarot, but it's a show about angels and demons and the episode features homoerotic magic tricks and Nazi zombies, so, you know... it wouldn't be the weirdest thing they've done to include some tarot symbolism.

This was a fun meta to write and if you enjoyed it please say so; if anyone would like me to do a deep dive into the Lovers card, let me know, and I'll put some energy into it the next time I feel like neglecting meatspace responsibilities.

If you enjoyed this meta, you may enjoy Why Aziraphale Wears Spectacles or, if you want to see my full catalog of metas, you can check out indigovigilance original content (metas)

[tarotfairy0919]

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜Colours symbolistic in tarot

©tarotfairy0919 - all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, alter or repost my work.

Please REBLOG if you find this information useful! ༄˖°🪐.ೃ࿔*

Colours play a significant role in tarot readings, as they can carry rich symbolism and add layers of meaning to the cards. Different colours can evoke emotions, represent elements, and convey themes within a reading.

By paying attention to the colors present in the tarot cards drawn during a reading, you can tap into a deeper level of interpretation and understanding.

These colours can help illuminate the underlying themes and messages within the cards, enhancing the overall reading experience.

It's important to remember that the meanings and interpretations of colours in tarot can vary from reader to reader, so it's helpful to study and understand the specific colour symbolism of the deck you are using, as well as develop your own intuition and understanding of colour meanings.

Colours can influence human behaviour.

Colours can influence human perceptions.

Colours can influence the taste of food.

Colours can influence attractiveness.

Here are some common interpretations of colours in tarot:

White - is purity

the starting point

innocence

completion and healing

dazzle

emptiness

new intellectual territory

purification

peace

truth and sincerity

cleansing

spirituality

clarity

wholeness and joy

perfect union and purification

colour of God or the colour of death

mortal chill

egotism

hope, faith

Grey - is conservative

unconscious state ( ‘shadow’)

lack of prejudice

neutral

unknown outcome

uniformity

depression

dullness

unsettling

stressful

Black - is authority and mystery

the unknown

visible shadow

mental or emotional darkness

new territory

protection

creative magma

chaos

regression

death impulse

oppression

negativity

sadness

mourning

loss

guilt

emptiness

mystery

Red - attracts the human eye

heart

mentality or disposition

will

love

blood and soil

energy

passion

material world

activity

animal realm

animal violence

health, strength,

physical energy

courage

intense emotions

sexuality

aggression

temper

leadership

Yellow - is a happy colour

consciousness

joie-de-vivre

illumination

self-expression, self-esteem

clairvoyance

awareness

active intelligence

aridity

dry mind without emotions

madness

destruction

envy

mental dissonance (’shrillness’)

confidence

mental activity

memory

communication

ability to rationalise

conscious

Gold - related to royalty, wealth, and money

sun

being conscious

eternity

envy

greed

dazzling

Orange - feelings of enthusiasm and excitement

vitality

warmth

arbitrariness

creativity

impulse

a passionate approach

drive

activity

ambition

enthusiasm

warmth

Blue - is the most used office colour

indifference

coolness

the blues

sentimentality

inebriation

spirituality

inner peace and harmony

truth

clarity

receptivity to the earthly power

despotism

tyranny

a balanced spiritual understanding

healing

peace

psychic, philosophy

religion

subconscious

communication

Light Blue -  tranquility and peace

air

open sky/heavens

clearwater

spirituality

idolization

receptivity to the celestial power

dependence upon the father

immobility

Green - is the most restful colour

nature

freshness

youth

auspiciousness

inexperience

immaturity

growth

eternity

connected to the celestial power

the plant realm

dependence upon the mother

envy

harmony

balance

money

prosperity

fertility

healing

peace

Dark Green - is the colour of the natural world

close to nature

vegetative

protracted

long-lasting

nurturing nature connected to the terestrial powers

absorption

Beige - simplicity, comfort, wisdom and trust

the human body

corporeality

 person that is sensitive, determined, resilient, and dependable

Brown - health, nurturing, and dependability

down-to-earth

“son-of-the-soil”

grounded

animals

Earth

wholesome

stability

stagnation

material world

Violet - energies and mindfulness

borderline experience

intuition

psychic abilities

spiritual awakening

ancient wisdom

third eye chakra where psychic vision and inner eye reside

supreme wisdom

colour of sacrifice

wisdom

sacrifice

death

compassion

power

spirituality

nobility

Flesh

colour of living

the present life

example of ambiguous

both good and bad

humanity

life carnal pleasure

animal violence

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔﾉ♡ ʕ•ᴥ•ʔﾉ♡oopsie you already reached the end ʕ•ᴥ•ʔﾉ♡ʕ•ᴥ•ʔﾉ♡

[drconstellation]

Liberty versus the Tree of Life

TW: Discussion of death and grief

I received a question from @lickthecowhappy the other day on one of my metas that I'm going to try and address in this post. This is going to wander into some pretty heavy areas, and discuss some implications for S3.

They asked:

"What do you think about comparing "give me liberty (coffee) or give me death" with gaining free will via the tree of knowledge but losing access to the tree of life in the process?"

On one hand this might look like a simple choice between two things, but its not - there are shades of grey, of course. Can the two (liberty/death vs. knowledge/life) be compared? Yes - in a way. But we need to unpack the question in its entirety first.

"Give me liberty, or give me death!"

This famous quote that forms the basis of the name of Nina's coffee shop is from a reconstructed speech given by the American politician Patrick Henry in 1775, as the colonists prepared to fight against the British Empire. It is worth us having a look at the extended excerpt of the speech quoted from Wikipedia in context of what we know is coming in S3:

If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come. It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

If the mention of Boston wasn't there, you could almost read that as a crazy synopsis of S2 and S3. The Great War, that wasn't considered concluded satisfactorily and must be restarted and finished once and for all, has begun again, and is on its inexorable way. There will be storms. Some see the outcome in black and white - you either win or die; there is no other option, because they do not dare entertain it.

The fandom seems quite settled with the analogy of liberty and freedom = coffee, and six shots of espresso is Crowley's coffee preference, because he loves and protects his freedom with a passion. Crowley is that coffee, in a way - long, dark and richly intense. He is a champion of free will. Even as a demon he still gives those he tempts the choice to make their own mistakes. So how do we apply this to the coffee the Metatron offers Aziraphale, and the other option, death?

The coffee the Metatron orders and forces on Aziraphale is a message, and a warning, to the angel - "I know all about you and your demon partner." The shot of coffee in it is Crowley, the oat milk is to say Aziraphale has maybe gone a bit too far with things with Crowley while on Earth, and the almond syrup is to say they have been watched and observed do so. This is confirmed when the Metatron mentions that he knows that Aziraphale and Crowley have formed a de facto partnership.

And where would Aziraphale get his Crowley from if he went back to Heaven?

What about death? Is it a real option? What does the option of death mean anyway?

If you are not familiar with the Tarot deck, the Death card can seem quite alarming. A skeleton in black armour strides over a fallen king - death does not care for rank or position. Death cares not for riches, they will not hold it at bay. Nor will prayers. Death does not care what age you are, either. But the small, kneeling child holds a posy of flowers up as if in greeting, the only one prepared to face the rider on the pale horse; this is because children are not as always as set in their ways as adults are, and can adapt to change more easily.

Experienced Tarot users know that is what the Death card signifies when it appears: Change. Something is coming to and end, but something else is about to start as well. It's not a physical death, its a spiritual or metaphorical death. It should be a welcomed card, as it indicates there is a promise renewal and new beginnings on the horizon (see the dawning sun between the two pillars in the top right of the card?) and all one has to do is surrender to the inevitable change. But like death, making changes can sometime be a hard, fearful thing to face. Facing death, either your own or someone else's, is ultimately about accepting change.

Surrender to the British is not what Patrick Henry wanted to do. He wanted to keep the liberty he had in the new world.

But death was the only viable option Aziraphale had.

"So predictable," remarked the Metatron to Nina, when she told him people don't ever ask for death in response to his question. Death is present in Nina's coffee shop - it's the green colour on the inside walls.

I haven't done much colour meta lately but I have been doing a lot of research on them, as I realized the original meta I wrote needed a major revision, which I plan to do soon. Green was one of those colours that needed more work.

The green on the inside walls actually has two meanings, which are both specifically tied to the coffee shop, but the first one is Death, with the capital D. This is one of the Four Horsepeople lurking in the background of S2, as Armageddon prepares to ramp up again. War is on the label of the wine bottle Crowley has in S2E5, Famine is the Marley Horse statue that Crowley puts his sunglasses on inside the bookshop, and where the stone-shaped Eccles cakes are placed in offering. Death is waiting inside the coffee shop, right next to the constraining sky-blue moral lawfulness of Heaven.

Death rides a pale horse, but the word used to describe it, "chloros," actually translates to a "pale greenish-yellow." That would have looked a bit sickly inside the coffee shop, I think, so they used a more complimentary shade of green, and one that would double up with a second meaning. Green is also the colour associated with new beginnings and the resurrection. That's why the outside of The Resurrectionist pub is dark green - it's got nothing to do with Hell (at least, I don't think it does, in this case!)

The Second Coming is in progress. Armageddon is underway again. Someone in Heaven is determined to see the supposed Great Plan come to fruition.

The Riddle of the Sphinx

In Sophocles play Oedipus Rex the titular character meets the Sphinx on a hill outside of Thebes. The monster has been devouring travelers who do not answer her riddle correctly.

"What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening?"

Clever Oedipus replies with "Man," and defeated, the Sphinx departs, removing her curse from the city.

A baby crawls on four limbs into childhood, then two legs into adulthood, then on three legs with a cane for an aid into old age. This is the natural progression of life. You would not want to remain an infant forever, and similarly if you have children wouldn't you wish to see them progress from childhood to adulthood and have children of their own?

Remember Momento mori? It's a major theme in the series. Remember that you die. It's a reminder that cycles must end and restart, and that death is an important part of life. We saw the Starmaker set up a star factory, but even stars die eventually, and need to die, to make new stars. The universe recycles itself, that is how it keeps going. Sometimes we need a reminder that life is short, although sometimes it seems too long as well.

I think we too easily forget that our ineffable duo, as angel and demon, are entities that can effortlessly travel between these two worlds of life and death, as we humans see it. It's their business to do so, after all. As supernatural beings, they are eternally alive, and death has a different meaning to them - it's destruction that they fear.

The Tree of Knowledge & The Tree of Life

Aziraphale's role as Guardian of the Eastern Gate was to prevent humans returning to the Garden of Eden to access the Tree of Life after they had eaten from the Tree of Knowledge.

The Tree of Knowledge gave us questioning, curiosity and imagination. We learned, we created and in doing so made choices - we used free will. But in taking this liberty it gave us the responsibility for ourselves. It supposedly gave us the concept of sin and doing wrong, and also shorter lives to help us deal with the "agony" of this.

And the other option, the Tree of Life, that is apparently so dangerous we must be kept away from it? Is it death? No, quite the opposite - it offers eternal life, and redemption from sin. In short - a state of no change - and no choice.

To access the Tree of Life now the choice is made for you before you can arrive in front of it, in the Book of Life. If your name is in the Book on Judgement Day, you get to enter Paradise. If it is not, you will be cast down into a lake of burning sulfur (hmm, sounds familiar...) And that's it, forever and ever.

Is that really the ideal of Paradise? Yet we're made to fear the cyclic change and new growth that death brings, and want to yearn so much for the stagnation of Eternity that we rigidly structure our lives around a possible promise of it as a goal.

Eternal Life, Eternal Youth

Eternal life is not the same as eternal youth. In a cautionary tale from Ovid's Metamorphoses we have the Cumaean Sybil who lived a thousand years. She was the priestess of the oracle of Apollo at Cumae, near Naples, and apparently Apollo offered to grant her a wish in exchange for her virginity. She scooped up a handful of sand, and asked to be given as many years of life as there were grains of sand that she held. Later, she refused to sleep with the god, so he let her physical body wither away, because she had failed to ask for eternal youth as well. Her body shrunk as the years went by, and grew smaller and smaller, and eventually only her voice was left, kept contained in a jar. (And here is a link to one of the books on Jim's bookshelf - Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar is named after the ampulla that the Sybil's voice was said to have been kept in.)

Searching for a Fountain of Youth, or creating a Philosopher's Stone for immortality has a common theme in stories through history, even from earliest times. It can be seen as a blessing, or a curse, or a fool's errand. It's a quest that is still prevalent in our modern thinking - going to the gym to build muscle, cosmetic surgery for looks only etc Queer culture has long had an emphasis on youth and beauty and growing old is anathema; freezing the body in time like in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray is an aim, but our fragile mortal frames just aren't made for that. Isn't it what is inside us that counts, not the label we have applied to it?

Choices, Choices...

The time has come to make a choice: will it be the stimulating coffee of free will, or the painful change and rebirth of death, that might lead to something even better?

Perhaps you want to try the other combination: Having control and responsibility over your own short life in exchange for having to live your life to a strict set of rules so that you can then exist forever in somebody else's idea of a static ideal afterwards.

I find I'm a bit biased. But you chose what you will.

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” T. S. Eliot

[adracat]

GWitch: As Above, So Below

Hermes Trismegistus is the syncretism of the Greek god Hermes(Roman Mercury) and the Egyptian god Thoth. His name means thrice great, an epithet shared between both figures. Their combined worship was observed in Hermopolis and spawned Hermetic philosophy;  personal ascension from the constraints of physical being.

"As Above, So Below' is paraphrased from a Hermetic text known as the Emerald Tablet and gained great relevance in the occult, astrology, and alchemy-- All domains of Hermes/Mercury

Quod est superius est sicut quod inferius, et quod inferius est sicut quod est superius.

That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above.

"As above, so it is below. That which has been, will return again. As in heaven, so on earth." - Helena Blavatsky

In the occult and witchcraft, it's taken to mean there exists a balance between the cosms. Macrocosm, the universe, and microcosm, the human body. That which happens as above, so it is below. They are one; a perfect union

Symbology

What is happening, has happened, and will happen again. As I've observed in my Cycles of GWitch analysis, this theme is very prevalent. Cycles themselves are a sign of As Above, So Below. The World Serpent and World tree are symbols of this principle, along with the sign for infinity 8, the caduceus, and circles.

One major sign is the Magician from the Rider–Waite tarot deck

The magician is signaling with his hands As Above, So Below and is haloed by the sign for infinity above. A pentagram lies to the left, depicting the tie to the mystic world. It's no accident that we have Prospera referred to as a magician with her gentle words; hinting at her significance through Mercury (god of communication and trickery) and the hermetic principle. She is the Magician. And an argument can be made that Suletta is also a magician (witch) who inadvertently influences rather than manipulates. But that line of thought is for another day

The Sabbatic goat Baphomet is another Symbol of As Above, So Below

They are a sign of a perfect union of opposites; Man/Beast, Female/Male, Dark/Light, etc. All while bearing Mercury's caduceus and mirroring the magician. Note the pentagram and torch pointed to the sky as the Magician does. As Above, So Below. The words on its arms are Solve (dissove) Coagula (coagulate). An alchemical principle that means to create something new, you must dissove what came before. The End must come before the Beginning. The Beginning must come before the End. A connected cycle.

Ragnarok is an obvious use of this concept but it also exists in Greek myth; Cronos who overthrew his father Uranus who was overthrown by his son in return. What has happened will happen again.

Notrette, the Hermetic Alchemist

This is more on the speculation side of things but considering ep23 and soft confirmation she resides in the GUND nexus and even more of a genetic genius than expected; let's assume she's the one who created Suletta, the 12th key.

In Alchemy, there exists something called the philosopher's stone. FMA fans are very familiar but in layman's terms it's the holy grail of alchemy. And one of the boons is the ability to create a clone/homunculus. Considering QZ, the ability to unnaturally extend life is similarly on the nose. The 12 keys of Basil Valentine is an alchemical text by which you can create the philosopher's stone

This is the image for the twelth and final step. Twelfth Key. Inside a laboratory an alchemist stands with tongs in his left hand, while with his right he points to a triangular crucible on a bench behind him, with two rose-like flowers growing out of it and the symbol of Mercury above it. On the left is a barrel-like furnace from the top of which flames emerge. On the right a lion devours a snake. Through an open window behind, the Sun and Moon are seen.

Mercury's symbol and 12th key are undeniably Suletta but the Snake and Lion are Shaddiq and Guel. The Moon is Nott (Notrette) and the Sun is her child Dagr (Miorine)

We are meant to associate both Notrette and Prospera as Hermetic Alchemists, and the pursuit of their craft has led to the events of GWitch and the perpetuation of numerous cycles. As Above, So Below.

I do find it intriguing that the stone is said to be not one, but two. A red stone and a white stone. It's not hard to equate our girls to both. After all, they too are a perfect union of opposites

[monratarot]

Colours in tarot

Please like and reblog if you find this information useful! 🌸🎀💕

//don’t claim it as your own and/or repost it on other platforms//

Colours in tarot can have a variety of different meanings and interpretations, depending on the specific deck being used and the individual reader's understanding of colour symbolism.

These colors are often used to enhance the symbolism and meaning of the tarot cards, and can help to deepen the reader's understanding of the messages that the cards are conveying.

By paying attention to the colours in a tarot reading, you can gain a deeper understanding of the messages and themes being conveyed by the cards.

In the tarot, colours are often used to represent elements, emotions, and themes in the cards. Each colour has its own symbolism and can provide insights into the meanings of the cards.

Here are some common interpretations of colours in tarot:

White

the starting point

purity

innocence

completion and healing

dazzle

emptiness

new intellectual territory

purification

peace

truth and sincerity

cleansing

spirituality

clarity

wholeness and joy

perfect union and purification

color of God or the color of death

mortal chil

egotism

Gray

unconscious state ( ‘shadow’)

lack of prejudice

neutral

unknown outcome

Black

the unknown

visible shadow

mental or emotional darkness

new territory

protection

creative magma

work in the depths445bnn

chaos

regression

death impulse

oppression

Red

heart

mentality or disposition

will

love

blood and soil

energy

passion

material world

activity

animal realm

animal violence

Yellow

consciousness

joie-de-vivre

illumination

self-expression

clairvoyace

awareness

active itelligence

aridity

dry mind without emotions

madness

destruction

envy

mental dissonance (’shrillness’)

Gold

sun

being conscious

eternity

envy

greed

dazzling

Orange

vitality

warmth

arbitrariness

creativity

impulse

Blue

indifference

coolness

the blues

sentimentality

inebriation

spirituality

inner peace and harmony

truth

clarity

receptivity to the eathly power

despotism

tyranny

Light Blue

air

open sky/heavens

clearwater

spirituality

idolization

receptivity to the celestial power

dependence upon the father

immobility

Green

nature

freshness

youth

auspiciousness

inexperience

immaturity

growth

eternity

connected to the celestial powerS

the plant realm

dependence upon the mother

envy

Dark Green

close to nature

vegetative

protracted

long-lasting

nurturing nature connected to the terestrial powers

absorption

Beige

the human body

corporeality

Brown

down-to-earth

“son-of-the-soil”

grounded

Violet

borderline experience

intuition

psychic abilities

spiritual awakening

ancient wisdom

third eye chakra where psychic vision and inner eye reside

supreme wisdom

color of sacrifice

wisdom

sacrifice

death

Flesh

color of living

the present life

example of ambiguous

both good and bad

humanity

life carnal pleasure

animal violence

🌙, 🌕, ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧🌙, 🌕, ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧🌙, 🌕, ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧

[mistressofduskanddawn]

Meridia On Earth: the Sunlight, the Black Hole

[IMG ID: A scene of beams of light breaking through the heavens of a dark forest, with a distinct outline of a tree to the left. A single branch is to the right of the tree, barely illuminated in the light yet distinctive from the trees in the background. The dark forest contrasts the light yellow beams with a abyssal blue tinted forest.]

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A LARGE PART OF TES POLYTHEISM TODAY IS HOW IT OPERATES IN THIS WORLD, and how the divine fits within. Azura is rather easy to understand here—a gatekeeper of heaven, who opens up the night and day, and a queen of the night sky. Boethiah can be witness within revolutions and will to end oppressive empires, Akatosh in time, Mara in marriage, etc. However, I have begun to think of Meridia and her relationship to Mangus: and with some discussion with my fellow dear TES polytheists, I have found Meridia in the sunlight—and the dark star. This will mostly be a structured rambling of my beginning thoughts upon Meridia upon Earth, which should really be taken with a grain of salt, so let us begin: 

SUNLIGHT, MERIDIA, AND THE GREED OF LIGHT 

One particular aspect of Meridia I can understand as a kin of draconic nature is greed—but we take it in different forms. Meridia is known for her greed of people and her hatred of free will: rather preferring to have her will as all-consuming. Rather inspired by the darker interpretation of light, I have come to see Meridia in the sunlight—and light seeks to touch all, photons bursting forth to output energy. This is by no means a revolutionary take, she is depicted as the sun in the Skyrim tarot deck, but the possible mechanisms of how are what I am fascinated with. 

Energy is the process of life, which for a goddess of light, is only natural. 

The Red Star. Harbinger of Dawn. Second Daughter of … She is the Light of … who bore witness to the Crucible of Creation. … Refraction within reason … Goddess Who Holds […] Free will is to be surrendered to passion … destiny is fulfilled for the vessel … Radiant in times of … blinding the Dragon and bending his form … Mirror of the Lie … revealing purity in chaos with fervor … that false-life might be abolished … with the fire of new light may the Mundus be reforged.

The aspect of reforging Mundus could perhaps refer to her hatred of the undead. Meridia often seeks to conform things to her will and loathes the undead, which are contrary to her nature as life. Her father Magnus designed Mundus, yet ended up abandoning his plans. Meridia as his daughter—well, I would not be surprised if she wished for the father’s plans to be complete, and the impurity she sees arising from his light not being honoured. 

Her nature of refracting light is further expanded upon by in-game commentary on the Exegenis of Merid-Nunda, similar to how the coloured rooms refract light: 

A curious passage indeed. The “Dragon,” of course, traditionally refers to the Divine we know as Akatosh, the God of Time. This seems to suggest that by traveling the “rainbow road” (a reference to the prismatic refraction of light?), Meridia can in some sense alter the rate at which time flows forward. Altering the “speed” of time? Is this merely an absurd conceit of the late Ayleid sorcerer-priests, or a genuine insight into the nature of one of the least-understood Daedric Princes? Who can say?

Time for us humans—beyond the bounds of capitalistic senses of time and clock—is relative to the light of the sun, the moon, and the cycles they are bound within. When I think of her blinding Akatosh and creating dragon-breaks, I think of the way light defines our melatonin production, our idea of day, and the lunar cycle of which people of old defined their months by. Her time bending abilities obviously extend beyond this, but Sunlight is certainly an aspect of time. And her being called a Mirror of the lie: this is once again speculation, but if Magnus’ plans were abandoned and as such Mungus is flawed, then some could view Mundus as in need of reforging.

While silly to realise despite it being so obvious, Meridia is the prism of light. Through her light is filtered, and that is why she can stretch across a rainbow road. The coloured rooms were made through light being refracted within herself—and with this knowledge of her prismatic nature, she is the origin of the rainbow. A constant movement of light—the Daedra are change, afterall. She may not have originally been a daedric prince, yet she fits in rather well through that lens. Refraction also seeks to make light its own separated hue, which is a fun more UPG way to view her greed. She is the sunlight and refraction of light and light seeks to illuminate and refract all. And light spreads as much as it can, just as she tries to go as far as she might.

The Exegesis of Merid-Nunda also speaks of her being unfearing of the dark;

“… thus we call upon Cenedelin to bind the earth, as we speak to Merid-Nunda regarding the light, for she is the scintilla that fears not darkness, and swims the waves of pull and spin ….”

Cenedelin in particular references the Ayleid king of Delodiil defeating the Molag Baal worshipping city of Abagarlas. Scintilla means “a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling,” making her the courage against the dark. Light has no fear of darkness, for it conquers and illuminates all. 

MERIDIA, THE BLACK HOLE 

Another theory to Meridia is that she is, within essence, a black hole. Black holes bend light and time as they consume, which aligns with Meridia’s nature of being able to warp time and her greed—black holes consume everything, which poetically, is likened to that of ideal mortal greed. She is a star who fell when consorting with illicit spirits as the lore says, which could be seen as the collapse of a star that creates the black hole. This interpretation is not one I am quite familiar with, but certainly one to intrigue. The source given to me goes into it far better than I could, so I shall link it here. 

THE DAY CYCLE 

Something I have noticed is that Azura, unlike many dawn goddesses of other religions, is her stronger connection to night compared to day. While ESO does depict her star in more the shape of the sun, Azura’s star is meant to be analogous Nirn’s Venus[1]—and our own, on Earth, the star of dawn and dusk. For myself, being a multi-tradition pagan, when I was coming to understand Azura in this world, I thought of Thesan and Eos. Both are far more associated with Hemera, Helios, and Usil—and not quite as strongly with Nyx, Selene, Cilens, and Tiur. 

While Azura is the one who releases Magnus into the sky, she is not nearly as associated with the day compared to night—and this is where I see Meridia shine. And in an obvious lore sense, she is called the Harbinger of Dawn.This puts her as a forerunner of the Dawn cycle, so when Azura opens the day, Meridia and Magnus’ light pours through. On a deeper aspect, Meridia reflecting the sun’s light through herself may be the way she is the daedra of life: by reflecting it, it shines upon the world, allowing for all manners of crops to grow. Her energy is infinite in this sense—as long as Magnus produces light, she can bend it into another will. The will for light to give energy to life, while Azura’s light rules magic and liminality. 

Perhaps that is her idea that free will should be replaced with passion. Such passion begets energy, and free will often ends passions and seeks to replace it with one’s own design. As a daughter of Magnus, who seeks to reforge this world—wouldn’t Meridia loathe a mortal’s ability to completely alter fate, no matter how much time and light she bends?

— Piraakyuonliv, Dovah, Gazing Upon Dawnbreaker

References

[1] Venus is often called a star in ancient world lore, associated with dawn and dusk. Deities such as Hesperos and Eosphoros. The lore page I am referencing is here.

EOS – Greek Goddess of the Dawn (Roman Aurora). (n.d.). https://www.theoi.com/Titan/Eos.html

Lore:Exegesis of Merid-Nunda – The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP). (n.d.). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Exegesis_of_Merid-Nunda

Lore:Meridia – The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP). (n.d.). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Meridia

[casimirt]

Dear Readers,

The Magician: Manifestation, resourcefulness, power, inspired action.

Why I chose this for Aziraphale: Simply because of the miracles, his resourcefulness and his connection between heaven and earth. Read more below.

I included Harry the rabbit from Warlocks' party, but I couldn't not do 1941 Aziraphale and his beautiful cape!

The Magician card is numbered One – the number of new beginnings and opportunities. They stands with one arm stretched upwards towards the Universe, and the other pointing down to the earth. Their positioning represents their connection between the spiritual realms and the material realms.

Crowley's is below.

The Magician uses this relationship to create and manifest their goals in the physical realm. They are the conduit that converts energy into matter. The Magician’s robe is typically white, symbolising purity, and their cloak usually red, representing worldly experience and knowledge. I have of course changed it to mirror Aziraphale's 1941 outfit.

Rider Waite Tarot Deck.

[slippinmickeys]

Madam Scully’s Spiritual Services, Inc. (1/?)

Okay kids, I’m posting the first five chapters of this for Halloween. No idea when I’ll have more. You can thank the Merlot I had on Saturday.

Aunt Olive had the Sight, at least that’s what everyone in her family claimed. Melissa had been obsessed with the idea of inheriting it, from even before Dana could remember, and was constantly carrying around a deck of tarot cards or I Ching, offering up readings to whoever she could pin down.

Dana thought it was ridiculous. Once a person died, their body broke down and nourished the earth and their soul rose up to nourish the heavens. And honestly, she still wasn’t sure about that last part. But the idea that the dead could reach out and communicate with the living - through a human medium no less - was farcical. She was agnostic about the idea as a child and was now a hardened skeptic. But belief structures change, as do you when people come into your lives. Still, Belief? That was Missy’s thing. Not hers.

The irony that Dana found herself working as a diviner in her sister’s fortune teller shop was immense.

It had all started innocently enough. Missy’s shop sat in between a taqueria and a dry cleaners in a strip mall outside of the District - the only place whose rent she could afford. Dana had moved in with her when their parents had passed away suddenly two years before, Dana’s sophomore year of college. Missy had been adamant that Dana continue her studies, if that’s what she wanted to do, and she helped Dana with tuition and books as much as she could. All she asked was that Dana help out in the shop now and then, manning the phones and handling the scheduling, and occasionally sitting up front to greet walk-ins. It was the absolute least Dana could do, and she was happy to help her sister out. They had leaned on each other that first year, orphaned as they were. Dana maybe thought that what her sister did was ridiculous, but it put a roof over their heads and food on their table, and kept Dana at university; her eye to a microscope, her nose in a book, the only place she felt truly alive.

It had been a Tuesday evening, one of their slowest times, and Melissa had popped over to the taqueria to pick them up dinner while Dana studied at the front counter. Only a few minutes after Melissa had left, a bevy of twenty-something women came tittering into the front of the shop, dressed in sequins and high heels, clutching tightly to each other and smelling of booze. They wanted a palm reading “or maybe some of that medium shit” (their words) for their friend, the drunkest of the lot, who they shoved to the fore, listing slightly off balance and wearing a sash emblazoned with the word ‘BRIDE’ across the front. Would she have a happy marriage? they wanted to know. How many babies would she have? Was her husband-to-be possessed of a straight and generous member (not their words)? Dana had explained that Madam Scully wasn’t in, but if they wanted to wait twenty minutes or so, she would be back and would be happy to do a reading.

They agreed, but not ninety seconds into their tenure in the lobby, they’d broken a decorative crystal and knocked over a lamp and Scully ushered them into the curtained room in the back and offered to do the reading herself, just to get them out of there.

And she found that she was good at it. Fortune-telling, as far as Dana was concerned anyway, wasn’t about reading the spirit world, it was about reading the person. A lot could be gleaned about people just by observing them, and Dana assured the bride that her husband would be good and true, and so would his dick. She’d told the tall brunette girl that she would be soon getting a promotion and the quiet blond one that her boyfriend was bad news - the finger-shaped bruises on her arms telling Dana everything she needed to know. The women were thrilled (mainly that Dana had convinced Candice to dump her boyfriend) and effusive in their praise, and tipped almost a hundred dollars before teetering out and into a waiting limo. Melissa had walked in just as they were handing Dana the cash, and her sister announced that anytime she wanted or needed to make some extra money, she should feel free to take on as many clients as she cared to.

And, having decided that med school was in her future, Dana Scully, lacking the Sight of their departed Aunt Olive, but knowing how to read a person, had done just that.

XxXxXxXxXxX

It was oppressively hot, even for the Capitol in mid-summer, the air in the shop as if it were a solid entity filling the space, the rattling window A/C unit puffing along like an out of shape jogger, unable to keep up.

Dana had her hair pulled up messily in a clip, a damp ring of sweat under each arm, the tank top she wore clinging uncomfortably. She wanted the credits, but had decided to take the summer off of school to study for the MCATs, and had her materials spread out before her on the shop’s countertop, the pages fluttering limply every time the oscillating fan in the corner made its humming pass.

It had been slower than usual, the inhabitants of the Capitol opting to stay home instead of venturing out in the heat, and so Melissa had left early, leaving Dana to oversee the last hour or two of business, where she could study in relative peace.

Dana looked up from her work when the bell above the door gave a melodic ring, and she watched as a young yuppie walked in uncertainly, eyeing the gauche new age decor with a dubious moue of skepticism.

“We don’t have a public bathroom,” she informed the man before turning back to her studies. She expected to hear the door once again open and close, and when it didn’t, she glanced back up.

The guy was younger than she’d initially pegged him - maybe only a few years older than herself - and good looking, in a tall, nerd-ish way, his brown hair thick and a little unruly, his nose slightly too big for his face.

“It’s a good thing I don’t have to go,” he said, giving her a small smile.

“Sorry,” Dana said, sitting up and setting down her pencil. She reached for the scheduling book. “Did you have an appointment?”

“Ah, no,” he said, a little sheepishly, and then pointed toward the wall. “Your sign out there says walk-ins are welcome?”

“Yes,” she said, “they are.”

The guy put his hands in his pockets and took another look around, turning on his heel and nodding as though psyching himself up. So to speak.

“What kind of service are you looking for?”

“I um,” he began, blushing slightly, which Dana found charming, much to her own annoyance. “I’m not sure. What do you offer?”

“Normally, we offer tarot readings, palmistry, numerology, graphology, and occasionally offer medium services, but I’m afraid my sister is the one with the Sight, and she’s left for the night.”

“Ah,” the man said, looking at her directly, “so you’re not Madam Scully, then?”

“Sadly not,” Dana said. “We share a name, but not a gift.” His eyes were brown, she thought. No, green. Either way, they were giving her a look so acute that she felt the need to turn away. She resisted the urge.

“I’d be happy to make an appointment with her though, if you’re looking for a spiritual medium.”

“That’s not necessary,” he said, licking his lips. “This was more of an impulsive stop than a planned outing. I’m not even sure why I came in. I pulled into your parking lot thinking I would pick up some tacos, but found myself walking through your door instead.”

“Well,” Dana said, giving him a smile and an out, “don’t let me keep you from your dinner. The pollo is flavorless, but the carne asada is the best in the city.”

The man smiled, but didn’t turn to go, and instead, hands still buried deep in his pockets, shrugged at her. “I don’t want to have bothered you and wasted your time. How about a quick palm reading?”

Despite the heat, gooseflesh broke out on Dana’s arms. For some reason, the thought of touching the man’s skin, of holding and studying his hand brought out a feeling so uncomfortable, she didn’t dare try to name it.

“That’s not necessary. You didn’t waste my time. Go get your dinner.”

“Are you normally in the practice of turning away business when it comes to you?” he asked.

She narrowed her eyes at him, picking up on a bit of flirt. “Only when it walks through the wrong door.”

He grinned, which lifted the brown smudge of a mole on his cheek and crinkled his eyes. He pulled a hand from his pocket and held it up. “I promise it’s not hairy.”

Dana couldn’t help but snort a small laugh and stood from behind the counter.

“You wouldn’t prefer tarot?” She moved toward the back of the shop, and held open a heavy sweep of dark velvet curtain, inviting him inside. It was sure to be even more oppressively hot back there, but Missy would have her head if she found out she’d done a reading on the scratched glass countertop of the lobby, bent over two years worth of MCAT practice books.

The man stepped through the velvet opening. “You trying to upsell me?”

“Is it working?” she said, letting the curtain fall behind her.

He looked down at his hand, his smile faltering. “If my hand has a story to tell, I want to hear it.”

“Well,” Dana said, affecting a bad Eastern European accent. “Sit down, and I tell you all.”

The lighting in the back room was subdued, and as they each sat and pulled themselves closer to the small round table at its center, the candles in the middle of the table guttered and briefly gave off long curls of thick gray smoke.

“That’s a nice effect,” the man said, and Dana once again gave him a small smile, and then gently moved the candles off to the side. If he thought she had the wherewithal to monkey with a few candles for dramatic effect, let him.

“What’s your name?” Dana asked.

“You mean you don’t already know?” the man joked.

“Well, I’m not Madam Scully,” she answered and he had the decency to look abashed.

“Sorry,” he said. “You probably get that a lot.”

“I’m Dana,” she said, holding out a friendly hand for him to shake.

“I’m Fox,” he said, reaching out to firmly grasp her. Fox? “But you can call me Mulder.”

“Mulder?” giving his hand a shake. “You ready to get started?”

He was still holding her hand, and it was warm but dry, despite the stuffy temperature of the room, and she felt an odd little tingle at the base of her spine.

Mulder nodded, and she reached up with her other hand and turned his wrist, gently unfolding his hand and giving his palm a quick sweep with her thumb before turning it a bit toward the light of the candles.

Toward the top of his palm, under his pointer finger, she ran her finger over a small line. “See this line, here?” she said, and he leaned in to get a better look. “It tells me you’re hungry and craving Mexican cuisine.”

He chuffed a quiet laugh. “Oh, you’re good.”

Scully chanced a look at his eyes and smiled once again before turning back to his palm. He was harder to read than many of the people she’d served in the short time she’d been doing this, and she couldn’t quite bring herself to play the mentalist game with him, and so she thought back to the palmistry books that lined Missy’s shelves and stuck with the script of the craft, giving him a standard read.

When she set his hand gently on the table, the reading over, he left his hand sitting there face up, an odd look on his face.

“Can you,” he began, and then sighed, before speaking again. “Can you tell by looking at my hand about any siblings I might have?”

Dana clocked the odd way he asked the question, and reached forward to grasp his hand again. As she touched him, a cool current of air wafted through the room, causing the candles to gutter again.

“Guess your A/C is finally kicking on,” he said in relief.

Dana didn’t know how to respond, as the only A/C unit they had was up front in the lobby and surely couldn’t penetrate the heavy material that cloaked the room, and so she said nothing, bending her head down to look closely at the skin below his thumb.

“The lines of brothers and sisters,” she explained, feeling the need to fill the silence, “generate from the mount of Venus, here” she pointed, “and gradually move toward the region of Mars. The number of such lines denotes the number of siblings that a person will have. I see one.”

Mulder nodded and swallowed thickly. Dana kept talking.

“Generally palmists can recognize the lines of brothers and sisters separately. Out of all the lines of brothers and sisters, the deep and wide lines indicate the number of brothers, and comparatively, the faint and thin lines denote the number of sisters. The single line you have here is thin and faint. So, a sister.”

Dana sat up. There was more she could say, but the story that Mulder’s palm was telling seemed not to be a happy one, not that she really believed in any of this stuff. She wasn’t going to ruin the guy’s day when all he’d come in here for was the Taco Trio and a cold Mexican Coke.

“Is that all it tells you?” he asked her, his voice quiet.

“That’s all I see,” she lied, and squeezed his hand.

Mulder sighed heavily and pulled his hand back, adjusting the fit of his watch band, as he seemed to contemplate standing.

“Ask him about the red scarf,” said a voice right next to Dana, and she turned her head sharply, wondering who had walked into the room. She’d neglected to lock the front door which she normally did if she was working on her own in the shop and in the back with the client.

There was no one there. Mulder pushed his seat back and stood, reaching into his back pocket to pull out his wallet.

“Ask him about the red scarf!” came the voice more urgently this time, and the hair on the back of Dana’s neck stood on end. Mulder appeared not to have heard the voice, and looked over at her with a politely expectant smile.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Ask him! Now! ” the voice said, and the candles on the tables guttered yet again, the smoke the flickering produced rising up faster than it had any right to.

“Um,” Dana stuttered. Ten dollars , is what she was supposed to have said, but what came out instead was a hoarse whisper: “The red scarf.”

“What did you say?” Mulder said, looking startled.

Dana felt a compulsion stronger than any she had ever felt. “Ask him about the red scarf,” she said, and as soon as the words were out of her mouth, the candles on the table, all of them, went out at the same time.

She looked up to catch Mulder’s reaction to the odd series of events, but he was no longer there. She heard the bell above the door jingle, and by the time she got to the door to see where he had gone, the taillights of a ten year old Land Rover were bouncing out and away from the parking lot on an urgent chirp of squealing tires.

[qldqueerboy]

You are not prepared to make excuses for the overwhelming challenges you are facing today. Confidence in your abilities to turn the tables around is a responsibility you are willing and prepared to take on. What others don’t know is that up your sleeve is a set formula of action that will transform everything standing in your way so that a successful outcome will and can be achieved today.

[a-d-nox]

I'm not familiarized with the tarot cards, do not know how many tarot cards types there are, how many they are... the hermit... i have heard about that card some times, so i want to learn about them!

aand i now want to ask for you to introduce us into your tarot card interpretations or what each of them mean (oh, and if you have observed some interpretations of each one that you haven't seen other mentions, if they aren't in a absolute definition), if they have a separated meaning from them interpretation into web wyrd

yhank u

👣

what is tarot? a crash course to the tarot deck.

hello, hello. i am gonna answer this one, manon, it will cover both questions.

it's all good that you don't know much about tarot. as i said in my about me post, i have been practicing tarot for nine years now! so it takes time to build up confidence and knowledge when it comes to reading! so a mini break down of tarot:

history: today's tarot appear most similarly to a 15th century italian game - it spread all over europe quite quickly. by the 18th century (shoutout to the enlightenment era for having nothing better to do than to make tools to help people better reflect on their life situation (yay printing press as well) AND boo to the puritans for demonizing the practice of any divination), french subcultures better developed meanings of the cards and began using it as a means of divination. this makes sense for european history because the great plague of 1738 occurred and people had already been turning to occultism for divination purposes (this is even remarked upon in journal of the plague year daniel defoe's book from 1722 regarding an outbreak in london 1665). while tarot is connected to / is credited to ancient egyptians, i ching, kabbalah, and many other older practices, the modern recognizable tarot deck originates in the 17th century.

so a tarot deck eventually came to contain 78 cards total. this deck can be split into the categories of major arcana (trionfi - triumphs or trump cards as they were known as in their early existence. arcanus - secret.) and the minor arcana.

major arcana (what is used in the matrix, or wyrd web as i have taken to calling it) are 22 cards. each card follows was was the typically hero's journey at the time (15th - 18th century hero's journey). the major arcana were meant to better form a storyline meaning to represent some higher power, a character, morals, and/or immoral feats. each card has a internal and external aspect as well as a individual and collective meaning.

while the minor arcana are a set of 56 cards that were originally your everyday pack of cards at the time. the minor arcana consisted then and now of four suits - fourteen cards each. four court cards per suit: king, queen (back then sometimes it was two kings as queens were often removed from "men's games"), knight, and page (at the time it was a jack). then cards ace to ten in each suit! like a modern deck of playing cards, the suits have four differing symbols - cups (hearts way back), wands (club or baton), pentacles (the diamond), and swords (the spade).

so now that that is cleared up - the rider waite smith version of the deck tends to be closest to original imagery, and is often a great starter deck as all the images, if looked at carefully, can provide insight to there meaning.

exhibit a.

the magician is the 1 (manon ;)) card of the major arcana. take a good look at this guy.

the magician stands before a table in which all four elemental suits (wand, cup, pentacle, and sword - likely the the objects from the fool's (22's) bundle) are present. flowers bloom abundantly before the table. an ouroboros (the snake that swallows it's tail) and a infinity floats over his head - he burns a candle at both ends towards the heavens and points to the earth showing his connection to both the physical (pointing down and ouroboros) and the spiritual (the candle towards the heavens and the infinity sign over his head). this symbolizes balance similar to how his outfit is both red (passion) and white (purity).

the magician essence of the card claims abundance and having everything one could possibly need. the magician can connect to both the spiritual and physical realm - this is a power card (all the elements are in front of him to do as he pleases in the image on the card). a magician can do what they want and create whatever they wish to. but the reverse of a magician shows the misuse of power (suddenly the magician is "unnatural"; he wills the objects to stay on the table). the reversed image of the magician is manipulating you into believing up is down and down is up. they also distractingly point to the bush of flowers and not the table. hence a reversed magician struggles to see their ability to create - they block themselves from identifying who they are and what they want.

most every tarot reader will agree to individual card meanings, but a spread is often up for debate as multiple cards often interact with each other differently (that's an opinion of mine). the question(s) asked to a deck often hold some sway to card meaning as well - they often carry a different message based on the question.

the magician when asking about romance can indicate rekindling or entering a relationship. it may ask that you mind your emotions (cup on table) and thoughts (sword) while being grounded (pointing to earth) and passionate (red cloak and candle in the sky). meanwhile in a career or money reading, the magician indicates new opportunities that will lead to abundance. it could mean starting your own business or negotiating a raise. meanwhile in a relationship spread when i see the 3 of cups and the magician reversed (i denote that as rx), i know that one person is up to no good and is likely gaslighting / using the other person.

i promise that all/every major arcana will eventually be discussed as we continue down the road to discovering more about the wyrd web! every minor arcana is definitely up for grabs though as they will not be touched upon when examining the web.

please use my "suggest a post topic" button if you want to see a specific pac/pile next! if you'd like my input on how i read a specific card or what i like to ask my deck feel free to use the ask button for that as well!

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© a-d-nox 2023 all rights reserved

[ayashitetsuko]

Izzy the Hierophant: The Major Arcana that reminds us to get back to work

As a tarot student, I am fascinated by the interpretations made by fellow tarot enthusiasts in the Our Flag Means Death (OFMD) fandom, on which Major Arcana card best represents Izzy Hands. Popular fanmade decks such as The Cat Bandit Tarot by artist Jennie Planet see him as The Devil—a force that keeps the lovers apart—and Judgement—beating Ed down when he was already at his worst. Valid as they are, these interpretations see Izzy as a negative influence, but I like to offer an alternative take. 

I see Izzy’s energy and role in the canon (and eventually, in my personal life as the viewer) as the Hierophant. An energy often found uninspiring, but when used correctly, it can help people make their dreams come true. 

In her book The Holistic Tarot (2015, North Atlantic Books), tarot master Benebell Wen uses Tradition, Conventionalism, and Institutionalism as the keywords that explain the Hierophant card.

“The Hierophant is a holy man, an important figure in his society … People rely on him to be a channel between heaven and earth. In a reading, the card typically indicates a desire to follow conventions and norms, a traditionalist—one who holds traditional values,” she writes. 

The Hierophant is often seen as the card that calls for querents to be conservative. Instead of thinking outside the box, it expects them to open the manuals and follow the instructions. When discussing making our dreams come true, the Hierophant energy is often seen as an obstacle—curbing creativity and exploration in favour of traditions. 

We did see these traits displayed by Izzy in various scenes, such as in Episode 4 when he demanded Ed to come up with a defensive plan after they noticed a Spanish ship coming their way or when he threatened to blackmail Lucius for … you know what he did.

While these scenes might cement Izzy’s role in the story as the Bad Guy, his role is also a reminder of the importance of maintaining a structure—even on a pirate ship. Because this structure, no matter how dull it is, enables us to function and create the impact we want in our personal and professional lives.

The Hierophant energy

The Hierophant card is known for having a restrictive–perhaps even oppressive–energy. In my early days as a tarot student, I tended to roll my eyes whenever it showed up. It was not the kind of nuance I wanted as a young person. But eventually, I learned how the Hierophant energy could positively impact one’s life when used wisely. Instead of preventing progress, it can help with it. 

As someone who works in the tech startup community, I regularly meet people driven to succeed. Buzzwords such as “innovation” and “disruption” are being thrown around lightly; everybody wants to be the next big thing that changes the world. Big ideas, even the most unrealistic ones, are cherished and encouraged.

But people are being brought back to Earth rather quickly in this industry. There are even statistics to prove it: Up to 95 per cent of startups fail simply because they cannot find product-market fit, according to various sources. In layman’s terms, they create products and services that nobody needs. This is why startups are commonly advised to implement rigorous market research and product testing to prove that their ideas work; to have the discipline to do more than just talk.

On an individual level, the Hierophant energy is one I tap into to achieve my goals. To be productive, I need to run my days smoothly. This means clearing my housekeeping tasks before leaving home, logging off social media during work hours, and ensuring I eat my vegetables to stay healthy. They are boring AF, but they provide me with a structure to keep the machine well-oiled.

When I look back on my life, all the times I managed to achieve and create something good for myself (and hopefully others) are when I stopped daydreaming and started implementing the Hierophant energy into my daily life. While it is important to explore new ideas, all of them will be pointless without the structure that ensures it is being developed properly. 

Now, back to Izzy

One might see Izzy as a traditional pirate who is resistant to change. I mean, what the fuck is even a retirement? It does not exist in this line of work. 

This context places Izzy as a counter to Stede Bonnet’s “fresh, groundbreaking” ideas about piracy. It is easy to see Izzy and his beliefs as outdated and needing disruption. But we must remember that piracy is a dangerous business. While pirates generally entered the business with a ready-to-die mindset, a structure that allows the crew to be functional and prepared to handle risks should be appreciated instead of being seen as a threat. 

This is especially more relevant in a situation where a leader struggles to function properly. Ed is a smart and gifted captain, but his short attention span and mood swings have made it hard for him to function on some days and for the crew to maintain their trust in him. His wit may have allowed them to survive another day, but will it be sustainable without a system to ensure that? What happens when he is having his moment? At the very least, they would need a plan.

This is a calling for us to look into our own lives and see: In which area do we need a first mate to yell and remind us to focus?

--

This article was first published in Above All Else: An Appreciation of Izzy Hands, a zine dedicated to Con O'Neill's Izzy Hands from Our Flag Means Death.

[pinkseas]

the fountain's ost being called "THE HOLY." the roaring, when the light is subsumed by shadow, when the holy fountains fill the sky, darkners turning one by one into statues and lightners lost eternally in an endless night. the angel's heaven, when the sky runs black with terror and the land cracks in fear, when the earth draws her final breath. the angel's heaven, created by the roaring, when the holy fountains fill the world. noelle, [Angel], [Angel], the ring of thorns, who would grow big angel wings and fly away, who turns the darkners into statues one by one. an angel, creating the angel's heaven. only eyes blinded by darkness can see the way. the knight, opening the dark fountains which will bring about the roaring and create the angel's heaven. the angel's knight, the knight's angel. speaking of communion, kris, did you know that the knight...

chara, one of the angels in undertale. descending from above and bringing them freedom. an angel of death, a harbinger of destruction, freeing from the mortal realm. chara, referred to as the demon. chara, the devil card in the tarot deck. entrapment, emptiness, lack of fulfillment. breaking the chains and finding your true self again. do you want to be a [heart] on a [chain] your whole life? the devil, represented by baphomet on the tarot card, the equilibrium of opposites. half human half animal, often a goat. a human taken in by a family of goat monsters. half good half evil, the angel capable of granting freedom through life or death. baphomet, worshiped by the knight's templar. the devil, a demon, fulfilling the role of an angel. the knight who serves the angel.

kris who wears a red-horned headband for years as a child, waiting to grow their own. kris who has such a small, subtle recurring association with apples, the forbidden fruit, the first sin. their connection with the devil, the angel, the holy. it's what they call "you."

the light world, heaven, where they worship the angel. heaven, are you watching? let the angel's power light your way. the save points only kris can see, filling you with power. heal prayer, a heavenly light. heaven, the light world, the knight and angel working together to create holy fountains which will completely cover that heaven, creating the angel's heaven. the entire world in undertale, destroyed by a demon, an angel, the sky running black, nothing remaining. the angel's very own heaven.

[oraclekleo]

Praise the Lord in Heaven and Earth I'm not missing your game!!! The game is exactly what I need 🥹 Also do you even need my initial at this point 😂 Well, I'm M & a Libra sun 😇✨️

Hello!

Haha! No, I really don't need any info from you at this point. It's more of a requirement for people who participate for a first time or only occasionally and I don't know them intimately... like I know you. 😏

Thank you so much for participating in my tiny tarot game!

Let's have a look at your Dark Lover!

Question: What kind of a Dark Lover you (secretely) crave?

Deck: The Tarot of Vampyres - by Ian Daniels,

Card: Daughter of Knives

Physical Feature(s): Piercing eyes, Rushed moves

Oh boy! Ain't your Dark Lover a real catch! They are straightforward and agonizingly witty and smart. They can easily make you laugh like hyena and a second later bring you to tears with their funny comments and snarky flash cutting remarks. No matter how harsh they might seem, the fact they talk to you means they love you. They wouldn't invest so much time into teasing you and infuriating you if they didn't have a soft spot for you. They love to get on your nerves, make you all crazy, push your buttons, provoke you and infuriate you for hours only to interrupt you lashing out on them by a deep kiss that sucks the soul out of you. They are unpredictable and a total chaos and you might sometimes want to just choke them with your bare hands but when it comes to it and you find yourself in trouble, they are here with their amazing brain and bring solutions you could never even imagine and they are all in to help you the best way they can. And to top it, they are absolute beasts in bed. They have no patience for foreplays (unless you consider the fights and kissing a foreplay) and they sweep you off of your feet and toss you on bed only to land right on top of you and tear all the clothes off. They bite, lick, scratch and they are likely to never shut up, praising you, flirting, making you feel all hot and bothered. The only moment they stop talking is when they go down on you and use that swift silver tongue of theirs to make you VERY vocal.