Pathworking the Tarot
Page 5
Pathwork
Intentional
There comes a time when we all need a little quiet. A time when we can get the noise of the world out of our heads and empty our minds. This is what the Hermit is good at: providing space—quiet, still, sacred space. Go ahead and pull the Hermit card out of your deck and place it somewhere you can see it. Now grab your calendar, datebook, or planner. For this exercise you are going to deliberately create space for yourself in your schedule. Even if it is only ten minutes a day. This is a time when you will be in Hermit mode. Keep your Hermit card in your line of vision as you create space over the next week. Find gaps or shift things around so you are giving yourself time for nothing at all. Make sure you black it out in your datebook, calendar, or planner so you don’t fill up the time with something else. This is an exercise I make my clients do on a regular basis. Creating space has become hard for people to do. They are more apt to fill it rather than just allow it to be empty. Once you have blacked out your Hermit time, light a candle and offer up a prayer or mantra of thanks to the Hermit card.
Intuitive
The Hermit doesn’t just offer us space to clear our heads; this card also offers light to shine into the dark corners of our lives that we may not otherwise be able to see. The Hermit’s lamp is the lamp of truth; it shines light where there is a need for healing and clearing. To help you find what those areas of your life are, follow this simple three-card spread. Grab a deck of cards and remove the Hermit card. Place it faceup in front of you and focus on it as you begin to slowly shuffle your cards. As you shuffle, ask the Hermit the following question: What areas of my current life need to be healed, forgiven, and let go of ?
Once you feel you have shuffled enough, place your deck close to your heart and ask your question two more times. Now go ahead and pull your three cards and place them in a line under your Hermit card. Card one is what needs to be healed, card two is what needs to be forgiven, and card three is what needs to be cut loose. Just take a moment with your spread before you try to read it. Take a couple of nice deep breaths and ground yourself before you reach for your journal or tarot notebook to dive deeper into the three cards that now lie before you. Once you feel your reading is complete, thank the Hermit for sharing the wisdom of his lamp’s light and put your cards away.
Wandering
During the Middle Ages it was very common for holy mystics, ascetics, and monastics to wander from town to town taking alms and providing spiritual enlightenment. These holy men and women had no possessions and lived a nomadic life. The Hermit reminds me of these early spiritual teachers. Their concern was to be in the world, but not to be a part of it, and to acknowledge they were having a physical experience but were experiencing a spiritual journey. There was a distinct separation from their life choices and the rest of society, and in this respect they were what today we would call “fringe dwellers.” This is also where the Hermit resides: on the fringe, the outskirts, separate but part of. As you make your way through your day, see if you can keep some distance between you and the rest of the world as you observe and don’t interfere. Find places where you can only speak when someone asks something of you and take note if slipping into the shadows is easy or difficult for you, as these will be things for you to meditate on at a later date. Happy wandering, you spiritual mystic you.
10. The Wheel of Fortune
Every time I come before the wheel I see something different. Each time it turns it presents a new opportunity for knowledge and understanding of what it means to be having a human experience as a spiritual being. Sometimes the wheel reminds me of the cycle of birth, living, and death. Other times it reminds me of the never-ending loop of what the Buddhists call samsara, the cyclic loop of suffering. And other times it reminds me that nothing is permanent. What is “now” won’t be later on; seasons change and with them so do the conditions in which you live. No matter what lesson the wheel brings with it, there is always one common element, and that is cyclic change. For me, this is the fortune element of the card: that things change, that life is fluid, and that nothing ever stays the same. If you have ever experienced dark moments in your life, then you too would have to rejoice in the fact that change is inevitable. How horrid would it be to know that if you hit a bad patch in your life, you’d be stuck with it until death? For this I always give thanks to the wheel. It is time to decide how you will move forward within the cycle of your existence. Will you continue your spiritual work and seek to rid yourself of the Samsara experience? Perhaps you will look at your life as many acts and decide which goals you would like to achieve within those acts, or maybe you will totally freak out and find yourself rooted to the spot in the knowledge that the experience you are having now won’t last forever. Attachment to moments of time and to fleeting feelings usually occurs when things are going blissfuly right in our lives. And although there is nothing wrong with seeking joy at every turn, to do so in the hopes of avoiding pain and suffering will only allow you to experience joy in a limited and fearful way. The wheel says embrace it all, for the change is the constant, and within it you will always have what you need and your soul will be fulfilled.
Pathwork
Intentional
For this exercise, we are going to look at money blocks, because luck won’t do you much good if you are blocked and can’t see it when it shows up. The Wheel of Fortune is one of those cards that a lot of people associate with money, which is interesting considering its humble origins. In modern tarot, money, luck, and success seem to play a larger part than they did back in the fifteenth century. In this respect, the Wheel of Fortune can be used for those wanting to deal with money blocks or increase their luck, though you really will need to be specific, otherwise your Wheel of Fortune will turn into a roulette wheel and your bets may sink you. So go ahead and remove your Wheel of Fortune card from your deck and place it faceup in front of you. Leave some space, as you are going to add four other cards around it. Pick up the remainder of your deck and give it a shuffle. When you are done, take the card from the top of your deck and place it above your Wheel of Fortune card; this card represents your current money blessings. Take the next card from your deck and place it below your Wheel of Fortune card; this card represents your current money block. Take the next card from the top of your deck and place it to the right of your Wheel of Fortune card; this card shows how your money blocks are interfering with your luck. Now take the last card from the bottom of your deck and place it to the left of the Wheel of Fortune card; this card shows you the key to removing your block and getting your Wheel turning again. You should have a total of five cards faceup in front of you, with the Wheel of Fortune in the middle, surrounded by four other cards. Take your time with these cards and work your way slowly around the Wheel. Grab your journal and take notes if you feel inclined.
Intuitive
The Wheel of Fortune is a fabulous card to journey with during the changing of the seasons. I often sit with this card in meditation during the Winter and Summer Solstices as well as the Spring and Fall Equinoxes. Each season brings with it change, a new gift, a new blessing, and a new way to let go. The seasons mean different things to each of us, and we all have our favorites. My favorite season is autumn, and it is also my most abundant season. Because of this, I am constantly on the lookout for abundant opportunities that will be ready for harvest come autumn. Your season could be totally different. For this exercise, you will spend time meditating on your favorite season. You will contemplate why you enjoy this season and what sort of feelings it fills you with every time the Wheel turns and brings it into your experience. Truly immerse yourself in your season. Feel the air on your skin, smell the scents this season brings, and focus on the sounds and noises associated with this particular season. Be one with it, and allow it to show you the gifts and blessings it offers. You can do this immersion exercise anytime you want and as often as you want, as there is no reason not to connect with the energy of yo
ur season whenever and wherever you feel necessary.
Wandering
The Wheel of Fortune spins and turns, and it never stays in the same place for long. It is a teacher of temporary existence and the normality of constant change. The question is, do you know where on the Wheel you are? Knowing where you are gives you an idea of where you might be headed, or what sort of change you may be able to face. In some ways, we walk the complete Wheel in a twenty-four-hour cycle. We begin at one point in the morning and wander around the Wheel during the day until we find ourselves back where we started in the evening. For me, my beginning and ending points would be in bed. I start the day there, and that is also where I end the day. You, however, might consider the starting points and ending points of your Wheel in other ways. Knowing where your Wheel starts and ends gives you a clearer idea of where you are on the Wheel. If we use the Wheel of Fortune to map our goals and dreams then you would also have very clear beginning and ending points, which would again make it somewhat easier to find out where you are. Your task for this exercise is to first establish where you want to focus the energy of your Wheel. Is it on your life, your day, your year, or your current project? Next, walk your Wheel and find out where you are. Then take a few steps ahead of where you now stand and peek down the path to see if you can predict what is coming, what you need to change in order to make what’s coming easier to deal with, and who you need to be when what is coming shows up. By walking around your personal Wheel of Fortune you will learn about how abundance energy is created, circulated, and changed. This will get you into the flow of the Wheel’s movement rather than constantly feeling like it is running you over on its way to somewhere else. Walking the Wheel may not feel natural or normal initially, but stick with it and it will end up being an invaluable skill.
11. Justice
Are you someone who can naturally see both sides of a situation, or is your side the only side that gets your attention? Justice seeks to know all factors and all perspectives before she is willing to cast forth a ruling. Perhaps this is because of Justice’s connection to Venus and the Empress. Just like these two goddesses, she wants all of those in her charge to feel heard, validated, and relevant. This is not always easy, and sometimes she has to use varying methods to make sure all who come before her get the justice that is divinely and rightfully theirs. Justice knows her decisions have rippling consequences, many of which will send out aftershocks long after her ruling has been read. Knowing what has been, what is, and what will be are all things that this card has to reconcile. You might think this sounds somewhat like the hand of karma, and maybe in some cases that is the role that Justice plays, but other times she is merely assisting you to stay on your soul path, regardless of what that path is. It is not her place to cast a judgement on the journey of your soul; it is only her place to judge how you choose to walk that path in regard to your engagement with others who walk alongside you. This is where elements of Justice can be perceived as unfair, as you might feel that others seem to be rewarded for bad behavior, whereas those you love seem to be punished for being decent, rule-following people. Sometimes it can be hard to see how Justice can justify her decisions. It is not easy to trust in the larger picture and the part we play in it, for oftentimes we don’t know what that is or how we are even engaging in it. Sometimes you have to trust that what seems unfair in the current moment will end up being one of the best things to happen in the long term.
Pathwork
Intentional
Justice understands only too well that what one puts out in the world is what one gets back from the world. This is where the focus or your meditation needs to be. Remove your Justice card from your deck and place it either on your altar or somewhere it will be safe and you can light a candle next to it, as you are going to use the flickering flame as a point of focus. Next, get comfortable and take a few nice deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Just allow yourself to settle and stay focused on the flame. As you keep your eyes on the flame, send it the gratitude, love, and appreciation you have for your life. Size is not important in this exercise, so even if it is something small that you are grateful for, send it to the flame. Keep sending this energy to your flame until you feel you have nothing left to send. Watch the flame as it reacts to all you have mentally sent its way. Take a few nice deep breaths and end your meditation. Gather your Justice card and your journal and write down anything that you observed about the flame. You can go ahead and blow the candle out if you wish. It does not need to keep burning now that you are done. This quick, simple meditation helps you focus on sending positive energy into the world around you. Practice it as often as you like.
Intuitive
The scales of Justice are almost mythical things. Take the scales of Ma’at of ancient Egypt for example; it is said she used her scales to weigh a person’s heart after their death to see if it was as light as a feather. If it was, they were allowed to pass on to a happier, more peaceful realm in the afterlife. If not, well, I think you get the idea. This meant that if one had lived a loving, caring, compassionate life, their heart would not be weighed down with fear, anger, hate, or regret after death. We often forget about the things that weigh us down, or more to the point, things that weigh our hearts down. Sadness, blame, shame, and guilt would not leave one’s heart light as a feather, nor would living an angry, bitter existence filled with regret and contempt.
Using the scales from the Justice card, can you find the places in your own heart that are heavy? Settle yourself and calm your breathing. Call on Ma’at and ask her for guidance on how to lighten your heart and release the load you carry around inside your chest. Use the scales as a focal point for your meditation—watch them dip, fall, or balance with each thought or feeling you have. Do not judge; just observe and write about your findings later in your journal, if you wish to pick them apart for further analysis.
Wandering
Would you want to spend a day in the Justice’s shoes? Most people think it would be easy or fun to dish out justice to those they feel have wronged them or the world in some way, but the truth is not everything is as it seems, and what you think you know may not be the truth Justice herself seeks. Righting wrongs is not what Justice does, but instead she must find balance, order, and true resolution, not just in this world, but in all of the worlds that have been and gone, and all that are yet to come. Just for today, I want you to imagine yourself in Justice’s seat. I want you to feel the weight of the scales in your hand, and I want you to understand that you are solely responsible for keeping them balanced. Under no circumstances can the scales tip too much in one direction. You must do your best to move throughout your whole day keeping them as balanced as possible. The longer you carry around the scales, the more you are going to understand how complex Justice’s job really is, for you will soon discover that it is not easy to keep the peace. It is not simple to keep the scales where they need to be, and it is far too easy to weigh down one side, and stop thinking about the other side while you do. This exercise will not only deepen your appreciation for this card, but it will also expand your awareness to how Justice plays out in you, your life, and the larger world of your experiences and relationships.
12. The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man is probably one of my most loved cards for meditation. Letting go, surrendering, and putting one’s heart above one’s head are lessons we all struggle with. Yet the Hanged Man does these things deliberately and intentionally. He puts himself into this position on purpose, so that he can focus on releasing his ego’s control. It never ceases to amaze me just how many people see the act of surrender as something passive or submissive, like these two things show some sort of flaw or weakness in the individual willingly giving up their need to be in control. I have seen this play out time and time again with people convinced that their life is on the wrong path and that they need to spend as much time, money, and energy as possible to find the path they should
be on, never wanting to surrender to the fact that our soul path is the only path we walk, and this path was selected by each of us many lifetimes before. The more one looks outside of oneself for a purpose or reason to be, the more lost one becomes. The Hanged Man knows this, which is why he ties himself to a tree, or in the case of the Animal Totem Tarot, surrenders himself to be of divine service to others. Can you imagine giving up your hopes and dreams to benefit others? Can you even contemplate living a life in total submission? The Hanged Man’s lessons are hard—there is just no way around that—but they are important, for it is at the point of surrender that one truly becomes powerful. It is only when we let go of desire that we can have anything we want. It is only when we release the ego mind that the soul can finally show us the miracles of the divine path we were born to walk. Your power to create only magnifies when you no longer want anything. Irony is a big player in the energy of this card.