Stranger Every Day

My Own Website

I recently started my own website, called ninemilestofreedom.com.

The site's name comes from the name of my book Nine Miles To Freedom: The paths of the human psyche, available from amazon.com (either in print or as a Kindle edition) and at Eastwind Healing Center.

 

On the site, there is a blog devoted purely to spiritual and esoteric topics, a short bio, some articles that I have written, a mailing list sign-up (including free stuff!), and some of my favorite links. Please bookmark the site, as it will be changing frequently, with something new several times a week.

Plans for the future include CD audio series, videos, and another book in the offing. I'll still be blogging here from time to time, but my main emphasis will be at my own site.

I hope to see you there.

A Punch in the Gut

That's what the Mars force can be, you know - a punch in the gut. Mars can do many things for people. It's not only about war.

True, the Mars force is action oriented. It gets us up off our fannies and into the fray. Without Mars, we'd be pretty blah. On the other hand, Mars can also cause large disruptions. It ruled Scorpio all by itself until Pluto (all together now: still a planet!) was discovered in 1930; and Pluto is the ultimate disruptor. I suppose Mars simply prepared the way, or maybe humanity needed a swifter kick in the behind (how's two world wars for starters?).

In the Major Arcana of the Tarot, Mars is represented by Key 16, The Tower. Pretty scary looking card. However, like many scary Tarot images, this one shouldn't be seen as all bad. After all, in order to make room for the new, the old has to be shaken up a bit - even replaced. This is the function of The Tower. It is a signal that old beliefs are being challenged, and it's an opportunity for those to be replaced by more adaptive, or evolved, beliefs.

It has been said (I think it was my wife who said it first) that the USA had a literal Tower moment on September 11, 2001. The symbolism couldn't have been more stark. Has this country learned anything by this occurrence? Or have old beliefs been even further entrenched? Are we still going about enforcing our will, sucking resources out of the rest of the world to support a ultimately untenable lifestyle? [Hmmm, I think those questions are rhetorical]

The Mars force is seen as centered at our Second Chakra, in  the abdomen. Here is where the generative force dwells, and a misguided Mars force can manifest as sexual promiscuity or victimization. An uncontrolled Mars is not a pretty sight.

Its association with the sphere of Geburah (Justice/Severity) on the Tree of Life implies that Mars can be used to enforce rules and regulations, while leaving room for an understanding of the practical utilization of those same rules. In this light, too much Mars means oppression; too little, anarchy (another misuse of the Mars energy).

My advice? Hold your Mars on a tight leash. Properly handled, it can be a major force for action and self-improvement - like the controlled demolition of a building, versus a random explosion.

Sorry for the stark images today, it's just my Mars talking.

Order In The Court

Now that the quickie tour of the four worlds is out of the way (see last post), let's talk about the Court cards. As I said previously, there are 16 of them, four for each suit. The titles usually given these cards are the King, Queen, Knight, and Page. Other variations exist, such as Prince and Princess for Knight and Page, but - call me old-fashioned - I'm going to stick with the most common names. 

Often, Tarot interpretation books see the court cards as describing other people, with physical characteristics such as a red-haired, mature male, or personality characteristics like bold and aggressive. All of these could be used to describe the King of Wands, for example. [In fact, I blogged about the King of Wands here] On the other hand, a court card could be describing aspects of the person asking for the reading (We call that person the querant, in the biz).

Perhaps the most basic use of the court cards, though, is that of using one of them to signify the querant. Many readings start by placing the card that signifies the querant (that card is called, obviously enough, the Significator) in the starting position - where the first card of the actual reading is to be placed. For instance, a mature woman whose features match those typical of the Queen of Swords would have that card symbolize her in the reading.

In the system I use (from B.O.T.A.), querants are symbolized by the card that matches the element of their astrological sign, with age being a determiner between, say, a King (mature) and a Knight (say below the age of 30, and childless). So, a 25-year old male who was born under the Sun sign of Cancer would be symbolized by the Knight of Cups.

In a reading, an even more refined way of looking at the court cards, one that adds depth to the usual interpretation, is the correspondence with the four worlds view. In this sense, Kings are associated with Atziluth, Queens with Briah, Knights with Yetzirah, and Pages with Assiah. When this level of sophistication is applied, more depth can be gleaned from the card, adding to the information that the reader can give to the querant.

It's even more complicated than it sounds, as the interpretation of court cards (or any other card, for that matter) depends on the spread used, the card's position in that spread, and what other cards are around it or relate to it.

This is the art of reading the Tarot, and it can't be taught in a book. It takes experience and a touch of the ol' intuition. Stock interpretations are useful guides, but they are no substitute for a reader who is in tune with the querant, the cards, and, most importantly, the Universe.

Respectfully submitted,   
The King of Pentacles

Four Worlds in One

It occurred to me today that I need to post more about the court cards in Tarot. Nobody likes the court cards. Ask any Tarot reader. The court cards are messy. Do they represent people, or do they represent qualities in the querant (the person that the reading is for; the one asking the question)? Are they both? Neither? As I said, they are messy. Yet there are 16 of them in the 78 card deck (that's, like, 21% of the deck - almost as much as the Major Arcana), so they can't be ignored. After having said all that, though, I have to tell you that I'm not going to talk about the court cards right now, because . . .

I got to thinking that you can't talk about the court cards without first talking about the four worlds of the Qabalistic Tree of Life. You see, things unfold in an orderly fashion on the Tree (for a more complete explanation of the Tree itself, my post on it is here). The Life Energy, God Consciousness, whatever you want to call it, unfolds gradually over the ten spheres of the tree. That's just one kind of unfolding, though. Another type involves the energy's evolution through the four worlds of [now, hang with me here, since the words may look a little funny]: Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah, and Assiah. Anyway, there they are. Not so bad, eh?

Atziluth is the first world, if you will. That is to say, it's the world that's made of pure principles and archetypes. This is the ultimate raw material. It is the place of complete, yet abstract, conceptualization. Next comes the world of Briah, which is the creative world. Here, those first principles are grasped in such a way that they can be worked with in a creative (in all senses of the word) fashion. Third is Yetzirah. It is the world of Formation, where the creative energy is molded by thought and image, powered by desire. Finally comes Assiah, the manifest world. Here is where the principles, that have been acted upon by the creative urge and formed through the power of thought, actually come to be. It's kind of, but not quite, like the matryoshka dolls in the picture.

No one of these worlds is superior to any other, as all are equally important. Reality as we know it, or however we conceive it to be, could not exist without the active involvement from all four of these entities. In the Tarot, the suit of Wands (element of Fire) is associated with Atziluth, Cups (element of Water) with Briah, Swords (element of Air) with Yetzirah, and Pentacles (element of Earth) with Assiah.

Everything in creation arises in the same way. Behind all our perceptions and experiences are first principles, creative energy, thoughtforms, and materiality. Part of the process of spiritual evolution is learning to see all of these at once, and understanding the principles or Cosmic truths that lie behind worldly appearances. [When I get to that point, I'll let you know]

What does all this have to do with court cards? Next time, gang; next time.

Hi, Priestess

Since I've been talking a little about the Feminine as it relates to the Tarot, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the other great aspect of the Feminine contained in the Major Arcana. After describing The Empress as the fertile aspect of the Feminine, I need to explain another aspect that's typically attributed to the Feminine, namely, intuition.  

Enter the High Priestess (my hand colored version of her is at right). She is a very deep archetype, and is associated with species memory, as well as personal memory. Meditating on her image often brings about new insight and messages from the deepest recesses of our psyches. Notice the scroll she holds in her hand. Here is where the secrets are kept.

Flanked by the two pillars of the temple, and hidden by the curtain behind her, resides the Holy of Holies, the very abode of God (in whatever way we understand that concept). Also notice the water of Life originating from her robes. This is the water that appears as the river and waterfall in The Empress card.

On the Tree of Life, the High Priestess connects the highest sphere (Kether, the Crown) and the very middle of the tree (Tiphareth, Beauty). I'll talk a bit about these two spheres in the next post.

(The cross over the High Priestess's heart is a representation of how her path and that of The Empress cross on the Tree; the intermingling of the spiritual - the High Priestess - with the physical - The Empress)

The association of the High Priestess with intuition is hinted at by her crown, which holds the silver moon. The Moon has long been connected with intuition, and with the Feminine. It is frequently colored silver ("By the light of the silvery Moon"), in contrast to the gold of the Sun. These are the two great currents of existence. You can think of these as similar to the Chinese concepts of Yin (Moon) and Yang (Sun).

Furthermore, the High Priestess is connected to the Sixth Chakra (the Third Eye of intuition) in the B.O.T.A. tradition. It is in communion with her that we can know that which we cannot know by other means. To connect with her, do a variation on the meditation I presented in the post on The Empress. Pay particular attention to the scroll. Let it open to give you insight.

Powerful ladies, The Empress and High Priestess. Part of the powerful system for personal development known as the Tarot. It ain't just for telling fortunes, gang. In fact, fortune telling is, in many ways, the least of its uses.

Impressed By The Empress

WIth the (eventual) coming of spring, this seems like a good time to talk about the Tarot card that is closely associated with the color green. In the B.O.T.A. system of Tarot interpretation, this card is The Empress, card III of the Major Arcana. She is also associated with the throat chakra, the refined center of creativity. The card is pictured below.

(I colored the card myself because B.O.T.A. requires that each student color his/her own deck, in accordance with precise instructions, in order to impress the symbols more fully into the subconscious. Yes, even though I have no drawing talent, I can stay pretty well within the lines when I have to.)

She is in a place of fertility, with Nature blossoming out, nourished by the life-giving water that originated in the High Priestess card (I'm saving that card for another post). An additional clue to the relationship between this card and the High Priestess is the crescent Moon, and these two cards are representatives of the Great Feminine in the Tarot.

The Empress is pregnant, a promise of current efforts bearing fruit in the future. On the Tree of Life, or TOL, (my post on that is here), The Empress forms the path that joins the spheres of Chokmah (Wisdom) and Binah (Understanding), the archetypal Father and Mother spheres, respectively. She carries within her the fruit of their union. (A brief, related article I wrote entitled The Roles of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding in Health is here.)

As she is associated with the planet Venus, she stands for beauty and desire (The TOL sphere named Netzach, which means Desire is the Tree's sphere of Venus). Through the proper channeling of the creative force generated in the Sacral chakra (the red triangle in the picture), we can bring into highest expression that which we desire. If the translation of this force is not successful, or gets sidetracked by baser urges, an unsatisfactory or transiently satisfying outcome results.

To contact your inner Empress, meditate on the card for a few moments, letting all the symbols impress themselves into your consciousness. Then close your eyes and let pure green light permeate your being. In this state, you can communicate your highest desires to Universal Mind. As always, be sure to record any impressions or messages that you receive during this time of contemplation.

The Empress is in our psyches to assist us in the realization of true spiritual beauty. Her planet, Venus, rules Taurus and Libra, the signs of material manifestation and relationships. Beauty in our surroundings and in our dealings with others. No better way to see our desires fulfilled.

Five for Fighting

No, not the musical group, although we can often identify with their song Superman (It's Not Easy). Instead, I want to take a look at the 5 of Wands card from the Tarot. As you can see from the picture, it's these five guys engaged in a mock battle. They are swinging their staves and having a fine old time. So, what's behind the idea of competition that's usually attributed to this card?

Qabalistically, this card is associated with the sphere of Geburah (Judgment/Severity) on the tree of life, at the level of Atziluth (the archetypical world). Geburah is the sphere of Mars, so it's an action-oriented card by nature.

We are being called upon here to look at our deepest assumptions concerning how we are conducting our lives; our operating principles, if you will. This appraisal needs to be dispassionate, however, as we are judging as in a court room, not as in American Idol. [I haven't ever seen the show myself. Are they voting for their favorite religious statue or something?]

An active examination of our ideals leads to the most healthy brand of competition. Alternative viewpoints are seriously entertained and changes in direction are reached only after alternatives have been tempered in the fire of honest examination.

A frequent interpretation of this card at the mundane level is that, while tested, we will emerge from any conflict without serious setbacks. Fair enough, but at the deepest level we are really being called upon to look truly and penetratingly at what is motivating us. Fortunately, this internal struggle does tend to have us emerge unscathed, while wiser and more in our own integrity as well.

Of course, internal examination should be an on-going process, and it is not to be feared. After all, upon looking within it is discovered that:

I'm more than a bird; I'm more than a plane
More than some pretty face beside a train

Happy holiday, Super(wo)man.

Dominion

Today, I picked a Tarot card at random and came up with the 2 of Wands. Call the practice "Blog Inspiration." It's an interesting, occasional challenge to pick a card at random, sit down, and churn out some meaningful verbiage. So, here we go.

The usual interpretation for this card is "dominion," though it can signify revenge when poorly placed. It is a card of confident feelings, as can be easily seen by looking at the picture, where the guy with the two wands is looking at a globe (all together now: He's got the whole world in his hands). I mean, this dude is totally in charge.

The 2 of Wands is the manifestation of the Tree of Life sphere named Chokmah (Wisdom) in the Qabalistic world of Atziluth.

What?

Well, it means that this card represents the power of wisdom at the level of the paradigmatic and archetypal; the place where ultimate principles reside. If you got wisdom at this level, you're doing pretty well, as long as you can translate it through into the real world. Otherwise, it's a bunch of fine ideas that never go anywhere.

It seems to me that this card is a lot about potential. The sphere of Chokmah is associated with the zodiac as a whole, so the powers and abilities of all the planetary forces are latent within it. We have access to any and all of them. However, without focus or a plan, nothing comes of it. (I'm going to borrow a quote from Shakespeare, even though he was talking about life when he said it in Macbeth.) The inability of someone to take this wisdom and bring it to fruition is truly "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." In other words, gotta make it real.

Two's often give the message of the union, or potential union, of opposites. Here, the man seems able to reconcile these opposites for the good of all. Sadly, this doesn't often happen in the real world, especially on the world stage. Attempts to reach out, to find compromise or common ground, lead to the less scrupulous trying to take what they can get while giving nothing back. This is a misuse of the power of the 2 of Wands, as it is a form of taking advantage of another, confusing dominion and tyranny.

This card gives a strong message to those in power, as well as to anyone who has control of something, no matter how seemingly insignificant. The message? The proper use of power leads to true dominion.

Otherwise, it's only a couple of sticks beating on each other, trying to gain the upper hand.

Do you think it's just a coincidence that I picked a card that talks about the balance of opposites on the equinox?? Swear to God, cross my heart, I drew this card at random. The Universe is always watching . . .

Tarot Experiment Scorecard (Stocks)

Last Sunday, I gave some predictions, based on Tarot, about the direction of stocks in the various sectors of the economy for the week. Let's see how it turned out.

Disclaimer: No financial advice, just a bit of whimsy. Each sector obviously had winners and losers, as there are many companies in each sector. Only overall trends were predicted. The information is based on my reading of the data at e-trade. You can look there too and draw your own conclusions.

The e-trade sector results were as follows, with me predictions in parentheses. I will put pluses and minuses (up to 3) after the prediction, as my estimation of how close I came.

Capital Goods: generally up (not a good play this week, trending a bit down). - - -

Financial: slightly up (steady, watch for speculative moves; not for the faint of heart or wallet). -

Technology: even to slightly down (a building week; look for up movement later). + +

Basic Materials: up (good bet for going up; look for problems in management, though). + + +

Utilities: even to slightly down (smooth; neither good nor bad this week). +

Health Care: even to slightly down (confusion, not a good bet this week). + +

Services: generally up (stable, looks good for investment). + + +

Consumer, non-cyclic: slightly down (down; a bad bet this week). + +

Transportation: even to slightly up (no real movement this week (no pun intended). - -

Conglomerates: slightly up (neutral, but look for changes in corporate higher-ups). -

Energy: even (too early, look for movement later; watch news for breaking stories). + +

Consumer, cyclic: slightly up (safe, but not a good play now; look for moves later on). - -

The cards said to look for Services and Basic Materials to be the best bets, while Health Care and Consumer, non-cyclic would be the worst. I think the predictions in those areas were the most accurate. However, the predictions in general were not too bad, with the notable exceptions of Capital Goods and Consumer, cyclic.

So maybe I'll try this again sometime soon. And maybe figure out a way to turn a massive amount of bucks in the process??

A Tarot Experiment

First of all, let me say that none of the information presented here should be construed as financial advice. I'm not going to tell you to buy this, sell that, margin your margin account, short some majors, put out some call options or call in some put options -- actually, I have very little idea what all that means.

What I'm doing, as an experiment, is trying to predict movement in market sectors over the next week. The sectors I'm using are those defined at e-trade. Coincidentally (?), there are exactly twelve of them, same as the number of astrological signs and houses. Cool. So I assigned each sector to a sign that seemed to make sense to me. A few of them may feel a little shoe-horned in, but that's OK for my purposes.

Here are the twelve sectors along with examples of the sorts of stocks in each. The astrological sign I put with each one is in parentheses:

Capital Goods (Aries) - construction/agricultural supplies and machinery; aerospace/defense; cars.
Financial (Taurus) - insurance; consumer financial services; investment services.
Technology (Gemini) - computer hardware and networks; communications equipment.
Basic Materials (Cancer) - mining; plastics; rubber; iron; steel.
Utilities (Leo) - water; natural gas' electricity
Health Care (Virgo) - biotech; drugs; medical facilities; medical equipment/supplies.
Services (Libra) - printing; security; retail companies.
Consumer, non-cyclic (Scorpio) - personal products; beverages; tobacco; office supplies.
Transportation (Sagittarius) - airlines; trucking; miscellaneous travel companies.
Conglomerates (Capricorn) - conglomerates . . . companies with their hands in everything.
Energy (Aquarius) - oil and gasoline; oil wells; coal.
Consumer, cyclic (Pisces) - jewelry; apparel; furniture; tires.

You might want to save that list (or not), since if/when I do this again, I may not re-publish the list. So, call me lazy.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The sector reading came out as follows:

Capital Goods: not a good play this week, trending a bit down.

Financial: steady, watch for speculative moves; not for the faint of heart or wallet.

Technology: a building week; look for up movement later.

Basic Materials: good bet for going up; look for problems in management, though.

Utilities: smooth; neither good nor bad this week.

Health Care: confusion, not a good bet this week (due to health care bill in Congress?).

Services: stable, looks good for investment.

Consumer, non-cyclic: down; a bad bet this week.

Transportation: no real movement this week (no pun intended).

Conglomerates: neutral, but look for changes in corporate higher-ups.

Energy: too early, look for movement later; watch news for breaking stories.

Consumer, cyclic: safe, but not a good play now; look for moves later on.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There you have it. Services looks like the best bet long, as well as Basic Materials. Don't do Health Care or Consumer, non-cyclic, unless you're going short. (Remember: no advice, just observations)

This is pretty general, and there are no indicators here for any given stock. Do your research and invest accordingly, if you're of a mind to. Maybe I'll be able to figure out how to evaluate the accuracy of the reading in a week or so.

["This is what he does with his spare time?"
"Yes," came the whispered reply. "I'm afraid it is."]

Messages from Mars

It looks like the famous Mars hoax email is making the rounds again. For those of you who haven't been exposed, the hoax runs like this: Mars is about to make its closest approach to Earth in recorded history! It will appear as large to the eye as the full Moon! Nobody alive will ever witness this event again! Actually, they could have ended the last sentence after "event." Mars will never (we fervently pray) be so close to the Earth that it will appear as large as the full Moon to the unaided eye. If it did, I suspect that the tides would be so sever that we could all hang ten off our back porches, even in Wyoming.

However, it makes for an ideal time to talk about the Mars card of the Tarot, a.k.a. The Tower. This is card XVI in the Major Arcana of the deck, and it looks "pretty scary, kids," as Count Floyd used to say. Notice the figures falling from the lightning-struck tower. It looks to be a very destructive force indeed. Well, that's one way to look at the Mars power; but the other way is to appreciate its creative aspect. In the B.O.T.A. system of Tarot, this card is associated with the second (Sacral) chakra, located in the abdomen, below the navel.  This is the chakra of our generative power and it governs not only reproduction but also our ability to power our way in the world. This is the energy behind the force of Will. The lightning is the force of the deity, striking at our illusions and delusions about the world. This is an attempt to wake us up to something different; but the awakening is sometimes like the jarring of a loud alarm clock. It can shake us to the core. The falling figures are representations of the destruction of our false perception, which gives rise to a new way of visioning our lives. (BTW, at left is the rendering of the Tower from the Haindl Tarot, a true work of art which has many other evocative images.)

Interestingly, the Tower is followed by the hopeful Star card. Out of the destruction of the old comes hope for the new. This is where we should be headed after incorporating a Tower moment.

How's this for an interesting parallel? When "the world changed" on September 11, 2001, it was accomplished through the destruction of towers. It was an opportunity to see the world in a new way, to recognize the illusions under which we were living. Whether we took advantage of the opportunity or not is something each of us needs to answer for him/herself.

It may be helpful to think of Mars the way Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert) explained life to Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman) in I Heart Huckabees (a very under-appreciated movie, in my opinion). Caterine's mantra? Creation . . . Destruction . . . Creation . . . Destruction . . .

Sobering, but don't worry. If things get rough, you can always Kali your mother on the phone.

Persistence vs Arrogance

Given the health care debate of late (and the Tarot reading in my last post), it seemed appropriate to look at the 3 of Wands from the Tarot deck. This card, when well placed, indicates persistence and a position of established strength. When ill placed, it shows conceit or arrogance. At least these are the usual interpretations.

How about persistence? Well, health care legislation has been proposed a number of times; the most famous previous example was during the Clinton administration. We all know how that went. Harry and Louise went to town, sponsored by the insurance industry, and the rest of us went down the river. (You can see a couple of those ads here.) Looks like something similar may be happening this time. So many special interests, so much money.

Arrogance? We need look no further than Iowa's own Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa's the self-proclaimed "Hired Hand in Congress"). When asked about the possibility of giving all Americans the same kind of health coverage he enjoys, he replied something like, "If you want my coverage, get a government job like me." Ah, the compassionate conservative. This is the same guy who suggested that AIG executives that got bailout money should commit suicide. Now, I'm not all cuddly with the idea of the cash handed over in the bailout, but I stop short of recommending self-demise. Go get 'em, Chuckles.

Now, take a look at the card itself. The man stands looking out at the land and sea from high ground as if he's master of all he surveys. He has one wand to each side of him and the third protecting his back. It gives the sense of an unassailable position. In Tarot, the suit of Wands is associated with the Qabalistic world of Atziluth, the world of paradigms and archetypes - the loftiest of ideas. The number three is associated with the sphere of Binah on the Tree of Life. This sphere is linked with manifestation energy, and is creative in the most practical sense. So, the card speaks of making the highest ideals manifest or actualized. This is the essence of any health care reform. Governments have no greater responsibility than the care of the people governed, especially in the case of representative governments like ours (at least that's the theory). The government's established strength is given to it by those who elected their representatives.

But, who is really being represented? Those with the money get the ear of those who make legislation. This is often a sad fact of governance. It takes a whole lot of noise from the common rabble to sway a congressperson as much as one lobbyist in a sharp suit and a bag full of cash. Until election day, that is. The electorate can have a long memory.

Given that, look at the card again. The person has a grip on one of the wands. Now, think about our system of government. It has three (how convenient!) branches which we should all remember from civics class: executive, legislative, and judicial. Which one of these do we have the best hold on? I think it's the legislative, the one most answerable directly to the people on a day-to-day basis. That's right, it's us, the electorate, that has the established strength if we decide to exercise it.

Takeaway point: Only through our persistence can we overcome the arrogance of those in power. Make a bit of noise; let your voice be heard.

[Sorry I got preachy today, but I weary of watching those on Capitol Hill engage in "wand measuring" contests, if you catch my drift.]

Quo Vadis, Health Care?

Quo vadis? Sorry, four years of high school Latin doesn't leave a man unscarred. These words mean "Where are you going?" or, more formally, "Whither goest Thou?" This phrase, while it occurs in the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible is also the title of an historical novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz. Anyway, it seems appropriate for the title of a post concerning a Tarot reading I did on the health care measure before Congress. Especially the word w(h)ither, 'cause it looks like "wither" is what's it's going to do. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me give you the full reading.

The cards indicate that there is indeed going to be a concrete outcome. It started with big plans in a good cause. The idea was to make things the way they should be. However, this quickly deteriorated into a loss of the original intent as good will was left behind. Despite promises of great things, entrenched positions were dug, with much embattlement and opposition at every turn.

(It is typical that the first couple of cards of a reading paint a picture of the current circumstances or the recent past. This is one way that I know that I am on  the right track.)

Nevertheless, the details are being hammered out, with much hard work being done. The chance of a general agreement are fading, however, as things stall. To get things going, bold statements are made and movement is accomplished in fits and starts. In some ways, posturing is more important to those involved than actual progress. Polarization increases as the cost figures are brought to light. Then begin the backroom deals.

Sadly, the dealers aren't being quite honest with each other and significant details are left out as agents try to pull a fast one. Conflict results. Champions arise on each side, vying for control. They use their power to influence those on their side. This only adds fuel to the fire, as the seeming limits imposed keep any meaningful agreement from happening. As a result, the original purpose meets with defeat.

It's all about money and where it's coming from. But this fact is buried under "principle" and various appeals to emotion versus enterprise. Each side is convinced of the rightness of their chosen course, and of the indisputable logic of their position. In this entire situation, what should be listened to are the wishes of the people, for they are the conscience, if you will, of the Congress. This is where the successful conclusion lies. But it is lost in the louder voice of money.True joy can come when the people are happy, yet there are outside influences that bind the hands of lawmakers -- and not unwillingly.

Expect grandstanding and appeals to what has made this country great. This serves as a distraction for the behind-the-scenes dealings that work against the common good. Those with monetary influence gain the most, while the loss of the vision leaves the people in bondage. There will be a voice of reason of sorts, one that appeals to proper enterprises which make sense. The result, however, is not what the people were expecting, and the dreams go unfulfilled.

Bottom line: We will get some sort of health care agreement, but it won't be what the average person would see as ideal or satisfying. House Speaker Pelosi and President Obama promised to have something passed by the beginning of August. Look for something significant to come out of Congress on or about August 5.

That's what the cards told me. After the last reading I did for this blog (the 4th of July reading), I was called a "Debbie Downer" by a colleague. This will probably seal that reputation, but I just tell you what the cards indicate.

Somebody give me a happy topic. Please???

Tarot Reading Suggestions?

Just a quick note for the moment. It seems from looking at the blog statistics that people seem to enjoy it when I do Tarot readings on various subjects. So, I'll tell you what. If you have any subjects/issues/matters on which you'd like me to read, email me with the topic. I'll do the reading and report on it here.

I simply ask that the topic be of interest to the collective, rather than a personal issue. After all, I'll be posting the reading for all to see. Topics might include the economy (even where to invest, maybe???), the war(s), future conflicts, politics, important concerns for society at large, the advisability of this or that course of action, etc.

This should be enjoyable, don't you think? Let's see what we can come up with. I'm looking forward to it.