A New Perspective

"Sometimes it is necessary to let go only to see if there was anything worth holding on to."

The Hanged Man is one of the less popular images of the Tarot; the first impression many people get is that of an execution, even a slow death. Indeed, when the first Tarot cards were created, public hangings were an everyday occurrence, so we tend to associate the term "Hanged Man" with something ghastly.

But thankfully there is more to the Hanged Man than meets the eye; look closely at his face, and you notice a rather calm and peaceful expression. There is also a halo around his head suggesting a sense of enlightenment or illuminating thoughts. Because he is hanging upside down, he is gaining a different perspective of his surroundings.

The figure's hands are behind his back; we don't know but we can assume they're not bound, which means he has chosen this position in order to make sense of a situation. He is also hanging from just one leg giving him the somewhat restricted freedom to form the number "4" inverted.

Interestingly, there seems to be a connection between the Hanged Man and the fourth card in each suit:

4/Wands - pause, celebration

4/Cups - boredom, apathy

4/Swords - rest, recuperation

4/Pentacles - sitting tight, inflexible

The traditional meanings of the Hanged Man seem to be somehow reflected in these 4 Minor Arcana cards: lack of movement, contemplation, stasis but also literal meanings such as " in limbo", "hanging in there" and "suspension". In order to progress or move forward, the Hanged Man is searching for knowledge or understanding by turning his view of the world upside down. This process usually involves "letting go" of something, which can be hard but necessary in order to change the current position into a more comfortable one. It can feel like making a sacrifice, but it may be more helpful to regard it as finding a new perspective or "thinking outside the box" in order to gain long-term:

"It is easy to create new things, change places or do something different. To keep that sense of newness that creates enthusiasm is more difficult. The secret of newness in life is not to do new things constantly, but to see everything you do with new eyes, new insights and a new perspective." - thoughtfortoday.org.uk

What does the Hanged Man mean to you and how do you interpret this card in your readings? You are welcome to comment on my blog, and you can now share your thoughts and ideas on my Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/CosmicTarot

All we need is Love

Money makes the world go round is a well-known saying, and many people may agree, but there is something else that is equally sending the whole world in a spin. Yes, it's love.

Love came before money. It was here first and will always exist as long as there are humans on this planet. Love makes people happy, it makes them sad. It makes some people angry and jealous and can even lead to murder. Other people reach new emotional and spiritual heights when they fall in love. Many great poems, music and paintings have been created borne out of love and passion.

Shakespeare was in love. His famous quotes Love is madness - Love is blind - The course of true love never did run smooth - To be wise and love exceeds man's might are proof that he knew what he was talking about.

Love gives pleasure, love gives pain. Affection, desire, devotion, ecstasy, heartache, desolation. All these emotions can be explained biologically; when we fall in love, it causes an increase of the hormone dopamine, which creates intense energy and exhilaration. This can cause the hormone serotonin to drop at times, which can lead to bipolar mood swings. Falling in love leads to hormonal imbalance. Quite literally, when we fall in love, we are mentally ill. Thankfully, in long-term relationships this topsy-turvy phase of romantic love is gradually replaced with a more sedate phase of attachment and bonding caused by the hormone oxytocin, which is released whilst holding hands, hugging and during love-making.

When it comes to issues surrounding love and relationships, most often it involves the ability to carefully balance your emotions with logic and reason. This is perfectly reflected in the Tarot trump card The Lovers. When this card comes up in a reading, an important choice may affect and influence a relationship; a decision has to be made between your heart's desire and what your head is advising you to do.

The image of the Rider Waite card depicts a scene from the Garden of Eden: Eve is offering Adam the apple from the Tree of Knowledge, but he knows that God has not given him permission to eat it. Should Adam be sensible and obey God, or should he give in to temptation? When Adam and Eve were cast out of paradise after they had eaten the forbidden fruit, they had to take responsibility for their action. Despite hardship they stayed together and had many children, thus creating the human race. The story of Adam and Eve tells us about the ups and downs of relationships and the strong bond between two people, who accept each others strengths and weaknesses and stick together in good as well as bad times.

Here are some inspirational messages that in my opinion reflect the meaning of The Lovers very well:

Love me without fear.

Trust me without questioning.

Need me without demanding.

Want me without restricting.

Accept me without change.

Desire me without inhibitions.

For a love so free...will never fly away.

Dick Sutphen, American psychic researcher and author of New Age books

Love and Anger, by Kate Bush:

Love me or Leave me, by Nina Simone:



"Live in balance between the head and the heart by filling your feelings with wisdom and your decisions with love." Brahma Kumaris

Like a Star

Many people regard The Star as one their favourite cards of the Tarot deck. It is an image of peace, tranquility, hope, rebirth and optimism. After a time of upheaval, the Star indicates better times ahead and the need to stay positive and persevere to fulfil your aspirations.

The message of the Star is simple:

"At the end of the day, on the wings of your thoughts, go beyond the cares and troubles of the world. Remove your mind from everything and everyone, and become blissfully detached, like a star.

Like a star, be free to radiate light, for your essence is light and peace. Enjoy the simplicity of the night sky, the peace. And then, when you want to, you can shoot down to earth." - Brahma Kumaris

The Star is also inviting you to dream about possible futures. Do this by taking a moment out of your daily schedule, close your eyes, be still and dream about all those wonderful possibilities ahead. Where do you want to be? Who do you want to be with? What would you like to do? Put the stars into your dream and then reach for them. Keep nurturing your dream, sustain the vision and over time watch it come true.

Tarot 2012

The 21^st December 2012 is a significant date in the Mayan calendar; on this day the 13^th baktun (cycle) is coming to an end after more than 5000 years. The Mayans were excellent astrologers; their calendar is based on the solar system and the movements of the stars. We know that there is an astrological reason, why the Mayans determined 21/12/2012 as the last day of the current cycle. On that particular day, all planets in our solar system will align with the black hole situated at the centre of our galaxy, the milky way. But don’t worry! It’s unlikely that we all get sucked into it, yet if you are familiar with astrological occurrences and how they can affect our lives on Earth, then you might wonder, what the 21^st December 2012 will have in store for us.

The Mayans already knew about this date centuries ago, and so did Medieval alchemists and occult scholars in our Western civilisation. The most prominent one, Nostradamus, has also mentioned this date in his Lost Manuscript together with images of a wheel, sun, moon, and angels, which are all symbols found in the Tarot images.

Now that I’ve mentioned the Middle Ages, I can start to explore the connection between the date 21/12/2012 and the Tarot, which first appeared in Europe in the 15^th century. Does the Tarot tell us anything about what to expect on that special day?

From a numerology point of view, we can assign the following trump cards to this date:

21 – The World
12 – The Hanged Man
20 – Judgement
11 – Justice; you get this number when you add up the numbers of the date.

In addition, you can also include The Fool (no. 0), The Magician (no.1) and the High Priestess (no.2).

All these cards seem to make sense; there's a completion of a cycle (The World), a need for sacrifice (Hanged Man) after evaluation (Judgement) and adjustment (Justice).

Perhaps this is a sign to get back to basics and make a new start (The Fool). The High Priestess and the Magician (trump 1 & 2) suggest opposites to be integrated into a new World order (no. 21 the World = combining trump 1 + 2 numerically).

Personally I don’t believe in doom and gloom predictions. Instead, I feel that major changes are coming our way, a shift or transition, which may well be uncomfortable at times but eventually will lead to a more sustainable development and evolution of humankind and our planet. Number 12 features twice in the date - the Hanged Man - which could emphasise the necessity to make a sacrifice, or indeed the ability to progress will be put on hold for a while.

Nothing special globally is likely to happen on 21/12/2012; it’s more likely to be a phase of change that has already started and perhaps will reach its climax in 2013, when the solar storms are going to hit the earth causing massive disruption with long-term consequences. For more info on this event and it will affect the world, check out the NASA website or read the article in the Daily Telegraph.

In the meantime, feel free to comment and share your thoughts on this topic....And don't panic!

Christiane

http://cosmictarot.co.uk/

Tarot card images: http://aquatictarot.de/

The Year of The Empress

After a period of uncertain and difficult times, the year 2010 is promising to be a calmer and more enjoyable year. This year's number is 3 (2 + 0 + 1 + 0 = 3), which corresponds with Tarot trump no. 3, The Empress. Take a moment to look at the image; how does it make you feel? Hopefully more relaxed and optimistic.

In numerology, 3 stands for harmony and completion (e.g. mind - body - spirit). It is also a magical (e.g. three wishes) and holy number (the holy trinity in various religions).

The Empress is associated with the planet Venus, named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. It's the archetypal image of a matriarch, a mother and even symbolises Mother Earth.

The elemental correspondence of the Empress is Earth, which relates to money, finances, home, family, nature and health.

So what does this all mean for us in 2010? A Tarot year card doesn't make any predictions, but it can highlight opportunities and areas in our lives we should pay attention to. Here are my suggestions for what to focus on this year:

• Working on, creating and enhancing a stable and comfortable home, where you feel happy and secure.
• Organise and be in control of your finances.
• Build and develop strong and nurturing relationships with friends and your family. Take more care of people in your care and who you care about. Make them feel they can rely on you.
• Be more creative; cook meals from scratch at home rather than buying ready-meals. Enjoy the process of creating something new; learn a new practical skill.
• You don't need to be rich or possess a lot of things to make you feel wealthy or privileged.
• Spend more time with nature. Walks on beaches, in forests, visit gardens or look after your own; have more flowers and plants in your home; opt for a more natural lifestyle.
• Look after your well-being. Consider, whether you have neglected your health recently. Balance stressful situations with quality me-time and enjoyable get-togethers with loved ones and friends. Drink less alcohol and give up smoking.
• When you buy new clothes, make sure they will enhance your confidence and sensuality. It's easy to get stuck in a rut wearing 'functional' clothes, but don't forget to make yourself look fabulous at the same time.
• Love yourself regardless of your body shape or any other imperfections you keep noticing. Deep down you know that nobody's perfect, even those people, who conform with our current beauty image. No use getting all miserable. Enjoy life.

In general, I feel the Empress reminds us to slow down a little and be more in control of our lives. Consider the impact your lifestyle has on the environment; less is more without compromising on comfort and fun. By making just a few changes this year and sticking to them, may well lead to long-lasting benefits beyond 2010.

Would you like a personal email reading? Then please visit my website: http://www.cosmictarot.co.uk/index_files/TarotbyEmail.htm

Christiane