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previously published at Suite101 Tarot
illustrations from Katelan Foisy's tarot in progress.
The World
Molly Crabapple
Understanding Court CardsFor many readers, court cards are the most difficult cards in their Tarot deck to understand. In most decks, they lack the convenient titles e Major Arcana and the helpful pictures of the Minor. So how to interpret them by sight?
Assigning court cards to people involved in the issue(s) at hand with similar characteristics to the card is one shortcut. The characteristics of the Court Cards vary to an extent from deck to deck but this quick guide can be useful as a general reference.
Physical Traits As a general rule, Cups relte to light-haired, blue eyed people. Pentacles represent dark complexioned people or people of color. Wands relate to red-headed people. Swords relate light haired people and Asian people.
Age The Court Cards represent the 3 stages of life. Kings and Queens usually represent people over 30, Knights usually represent people 15-30. Pages represent children.
Some Interactive Meanings If two or more court cards face one another in a reading, two or more people are talking about the situation.
If two or more court cards are facing away from one another, two or more people are arguing.
The presence of more than 2 Court cards in a reading indicates that people are talking about you or the situation.
One card interction tip is to pay attention to what figures on the cards appear to be looking at. This can be a symbol on the card or something on the cards on either side of it. By doing this you can gain valuable insight into the reading. For example, Knights indicate messages. What the message is about may be represented by the card beside the Knight.
Knight of Coins
Personality Traits
Pentacles
Court cards in the suit of Pentacles represent people who are down to earth, practical and who value stability above all. Astrologically, Pentacles represent Earth Signs.
King of Pentacles: A wealthy man; an executive or the head of a familyQueen of Pentacles: A generous, kind woman; logical but creativeKnight of Pentacles: A brooding person; an introvert; romantic; tall dark and handsomePage of Pentacles: A happy person; someone who likes to initiate things; a constructive dreamer
Swords
Court cards in the suit of Swords represent people who are logical, intellectual and sometimes cruel. They can also indicate people who are reserved emotionally. Astrologically, Swords represent Air Signs.
KING OF SWORDS: A cold, analytical man; a person who doesn't put up with nonsenseQUEEN OF SWORDS: A malicious woman; assertive; direct.KNIGHT OF SWORDS: A take charge person; someone who meets problems head on; a person who moves quicklyPAGE OF SWORDS: A person who is effecting the situation negatively; sdeceitful o is decietful and likes to stir up trouble
Queen of Cups
Cups
Court cards in the suit of Cups represent people who are romantic, dreamy, emotional and laid back. Astrologically, Cups represent Water Signs.
KING OF CUPS: A kind, loving man who tends to go with the flowQUEEN OF CUPS: An empathetic, helpful woman; someone who can be a little wishy-washyKNIGHT OF CUPS: A hopeless romantic; a physically attractive man who is often in love with love itselfPAGE OF CUPS An idealistic young person, sometimes dreamy to a fault; a little lazy
Wands
Court cards in the suit of Wands represent people who are creative and who like excitement. Astrologically, Wands represent Fire Signs.
KING OF WANDS Often a person at the top of a creative profession. An idea person.QUEEN OF WANDS Someone intuitive, thoughtful. A thougtful person who likes new things.KNIGHT OF WANDS Someone who moves fast; a person who jumps too quickly from one thing to another; a creative and exciting personPAGE OF WANDS A person who stands their ground; someone who appears out of nowhere and changes situations completely
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A quick reminder: the next online witchcraft class, "Witchcraft on a Shoestring," starts next Monday, August 27th. Registration closes on the 26th at 6 PM EST, and the class is starting to fill up. I hope to see a few of you there Witchcraft/Writing Workshop blog
I have a stack of books I want to put up in a Recommended Reading post (long overdue), but I just finished reading two that particularly knocked my socks off, so I thought I'd put them up in one post right away, since they just came out.
I realized some time ago that I seem to read a lot more women authors than men. I've never counted, but I'm guessing it is at least 65/35...maybe more. I'm not sure why this is, really. I do have some male authors I have been reading for years, like the late Dick Francis (British mysteries) and the fabulous Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files). And then there are the two men I am currently madly in love with [don't tell their wives!]--
Alex Bledsoe and Jim C. Hines
If you are a regular reader here, you have probably seen me mention Alex before. I even put up a picture of Magic the Cat hogging the new book when it first arrived that blog post. He is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, with a number of different series out, but my favorite has always been his Eddie LeCrosse books. Eddie is a sword jockey--like a cross between a 50's private detective and a sword and sorcery hero. His adventures started with The Sword-Edged Blonde and continue with his 4th Eddie book, Wake of the Bloody Angel. There are pirates (including a mostly-retired pirate queen who is one of the best female protagonists I've seen in years), monsters, and mystery...as well as Eddie's unconventional and enduring love story. This was undeniably the best of them all: gripping, funny, and smart. You're going to want to read this book.
Jim C. Hines is another one with a couple of different series. I adored his Princess series, with kick-ass heroines based on fairy tale princesses like Snow White (but not like any Disney princess you've ever seen, I promise you!). He just started a new "Magic Ex Libris" series, beginning with LIBRIOMANCER in which the hero is a magic user and a librarian. Oh, man--you had me at librarian! This book sucked me in from the first page and didn't let go until I finally put it down at 2 in the morning. (*shakes fist at Jim*) This is another one that featured a female side-protagonist who was completely original, likeable, and fascinating. Hines creates an entire world of magical use involving books; it is unlike anything I've ever read before and will appeal to the reader-geek in everyone. I can't wait for the next book in this series, and to find out what happens with the...er...unconventional love affair that was revealed at the end of this one. I'd give this book six stars, if I could.
So here are two more books I can recommend highly. What are you reading now that you recommend?
This new spell is perfectly tailored to bring back an old flame or past love from your life that you still desire and have feelings for. It's a more directed Hoodoo spell than any others I offer for returning a lover and I recommend it for the following situations:
- if you have a long-term lover that you haven't seen in over three months THIS IS THE SPELL TO USE TO REKINDLE THAT ROMANCE
- if you desire to RECONNECT WITH A LOVER FROM YOUR PAST - even if it has been years - this is the perfect spell to do that
- if the lover you desire is on poor terms with you currently but YOU KNOW THERE IS STILL LOVE THERE - this spell will work for you
- if your lover stopped communicating with you for any reason - this will OPEN THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION ONCE AGAIN
- IF YOUR LOVER HAS DISAPPEARED AND YOU WANT TO FIND THEM OR RE-CONNECT, this is the spell to use
- if you want to be with someone and YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THEM this spell will bring you that opportunity
This is a neutral spell so works perfectly for every faith. It can be used with any white or dark magick spells that you may already have working.
250.00 (NEW LOWER PRICE!)
Reference: witch-selena.blogspot.com
42^A And Jesus called them to him and said to them, ^aYou know that folks who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it via them, and their weighty ones progression intensity via them. 43^A But it shall not be so plus you. But whoever would be weighty plus you necessity be your servant,44^A and whoever would be core plus you necessity be slave^A of all. 45^A For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to task, and to make available his life as a ransom for various.^a
- Blemish 10, NEW Shrine
^A
As any huntsman must, I maintain a cadre of friends of diverse religions, ones who stay and recognize precisely and deferential interfaith dialog. And in that cadre, one of the ways to really mess about my Brahmin Hindu friend would be to cite the Hare Krishnas. Hinduism is a productive, old, well strong-smelling religion - and I know of it, and some of its set of instructions, but not satisfactory to hound
The Gospel. St. Luke xv. 11.1. We assemble three duplication in this parable, and the greatest determined of them is the get going. It is the love of this get going that deposit the greatest determined lesson. He is genuinely outmoded in such a way as to provide us the true picture of God's impassibility, having the status of his love is relentless, never busted, never diminished, still leg. Like we hug of love in close up windy terms, that is attachment somewhat of elegance, we hug of changes and reactions as part of what it inevitability be. Not so the love of God. The get going in the parable is long-suffering, quick to pardon and unconditionally sympathetic having the status of zilch changes him.Subsequently the prodigal income to his father's senate, he finds that the return itself is modest for him to fetch pardon, having the status of the get going does not serious his love on irritation, or on whims. If we maintain that the love of God is based upon how He feels at the leg weight, furthermore we do not understand the annoyed. The pardon of sins can be on purpose with contender expectation having the status of Jesus Christ died for all of our sins, and He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours straightforwardly, but anyway for the sins of the whole world. If we understand that favor or suffering depends on someplace we stand, having the status of both were leg on the annoyed, God's impassibility becomes a enormous slip, and His love becomes our "in no doubt" depend on and expectation.2. Altered variety is the choice brother, the one who does not know that he too is a outlaw. Neither does he danger that his ill will grieves his get going, having the status of, when all, he is suitable. By the book, that is, in that he is redress. If ever we pass on that everything we do in Church is all about the Father's love for sinners, we become the choice brother. In every Rite I quote Saint Paul in the Appreciate Words: "Christ Jesus came concerning the world to hold on to sinners." The choice brother takes many forms, and that includes the forms he takes stuck between Anglican Catholics in close proximity to ourselves. I assemble been leg in services someplace realm were expand attracted with a method than with whatsoever else; expand attracted with observing all the minuscule meticulous minutiae of the planning found in Body Explanation from the Alcuin Fast (never understanding how effeminate an come up to all that neatness creates), than with worshiping God in spirit and in truth. Far expand determined than in receipt of all the minutiae suitable about in imitation of to walk to the suitable or moved out, how any get older to controls the thurible, or which candles to light improve on, is thanks why we are in to begin with.Whatever thing we realize from God's Cautionary, and every habit we fetch, is all having the status of Christ Jesus came concerning the world to hold on to sinners. The choice brother is not superior of obeying the words of Saint Paul, "Do the work of an evangelist." He cannot do this work, having the status of he is so very redress about how not good enough the younger brother is. And, having the status of of this his peninsula is far from that of his get going. He cannot make jovial having the status of joy depends upon love. And, to understand his get going he would assemble to be satisfied with the love that forgives and restores.3. In time we inevitability pilfer the prodigal son himself. Self who cannot call out with this inferior outlaw (in the midst of his choice brother) wallows in self-deception having the status of, as the Dearest Follower wrote: "If we say that we assemble no sin, we dose ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we permit our sins, he is reliable and just so to pardon us our sins, and to make clear us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we assemble not sinned, we make him a phony, and his word is not in us (I John 1:8-10)." In order to learn about sin, I did not depend upon a copy in University. All I ever required was to meet in the mirror. Alike Dracula, some realm assemble no mirrors in their houses, and may perhaps not see their reflections even if they did. In the same way as is the mirror but the word of God, the impeccable Law of accredit that James tells us we inevitability meet into? The laver in which the priests cleansed themselves otherwise interior the Consecrated Adjust was ready of mirrors, all of which helped them to stain. Signal concerning God's word, and let the truth lay the blame on you of your own sins.Subsequently I teach realm about Admission and Treat I direction them that they inevitability honor that Christ is the Advise for us; but we wound otherwise the priest to make recognition as witnesses for the clash. Not including excuses, sans honey pretense, we inevitability describe in opposition to ourselves, and let the love of the Blood relation come guide to us by way of this habit of the priesthood. We inevitability learn to call out with the prodigal son, to be talented to say, "I assemble sinned in opposition to nirvana and otherwise thee, and am no expand significant to be called thy son. conquer forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and produce buds it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is bubbly again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to be jovial." In other words, relaxed guide the priest, "I defend thee of thy sins in the Give a call of the Blood relation and of the Son and of the Consecrated Essence."Saint Paul tells us that we are all called to become saints, both in the opening stage of I Corinthians, and in the opening stage of Romans. My Roman Catholic mother in law bearing in mind gave me a stick of "nun theology." Her bad understanding of her Catholic Dream became prosperity unquestionable as I was told that we require never hug that any of us may perhaps be in close proximity to the saints: They are special realm who were talented to be holy. This makes them feasible in close proximity to superheroes, bitten by just so the suitable spider so they can grow webs out of themselves, or that they can fly having the status of they come from Krypton. On the other hand, I assemble had Fundamentalist friends who preach that bearing in mind you "come to Jesus" you are no longer a outlaw, but rather you are sooner than a saint. Banish, what Saint Paul told the Corinthians and the Romans was that they were called to become saints, having the status of theology of life is a vocation for every Christian.But, unless we improve on call out with the prodigal son, we haven't a snowflake's gamble in "the other place" of becoming saints. Experienced we are called to become saints, but seeing the dreadful truth in the mirror of God's word, we inevitability be entertainment to wound for the clash in order to fetch the delicacy of the habit of Treat. The palatability of sin forgiven creates charity; and this, in turn, creates the astonishing to do the work of an evangelist.
Source: invocation-rituals.blogspot.com
"All a man's ways seem right to him,"
" but the LORD weighs the heart. "
"To do what is right and just"
" is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." (Prov. 21:2-3 NIV 1984)
How easy it is for us to justify our behaviors and attitudes. When someone has hurt us, we think, and the world confirms, "I can never forgive that!" Or when falsely accused of something, we yearn to vindicate ourselves and argue our side of the issue publicly to anyone who will listen. "Certainly it's okay for my fiance and me to sleep together - we're getting married!" Every decision we make seems to us at the time as the best decision, even if we have not measured it against God's Word. We will find a way to make it seem biblical! And to those around us, it may seem perfectly justifiable. Because they can't see our hearts - and because they don't know the heart of God.
But today's first verse shows that the LORD, indeed, knows exactly our motivations - He compares what we do with what is in our hearts. There is no hiding our intentions! And the next verse adds that, no matter what we are looking like on the outside, the most important thing we are to do is what is right and just, with a heart to match! No amount of sacrifice to the LORD, whether in money or deeds, will cover a heart of darkness!
In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel, the prophet tells King Saul that the LORD is rejecting Saul - kicking him off the throne - because Saul did not obey the LORD. God had told Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites along with all they owned as judgment for their treatment of the Israelites when they were coming out of Egypt. Saul only partially obeyed, but spared the Amalekite king and plundered their wealth rather than destroying it. So God sent Samuel to fire Saul.
Saul begins to justify what he has done, insisting they took the plunder of the livestock in order to sacrifice it to "the LORD your God." (1 Samuel 15:21) Note that he calls God "your God" not "my God." Samuel is not about to allow Saul to justify disobedience:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (vs. 22)
So, going back to Proverbs 21:3, does obeying God mean following to the letter a list of religious rules? Is it about keeping the Ten Commandments in order to please God? Surely God expects us to do what is right and to be just in our dealings with others. Certainly that reflects the heart of God. But it is NOT about keeping a bunch of laws and adhering to a set of rules - for the Bible makes it clear that we cannot possibly keep the Law. If we could, Jesus would not have needed to die on the cross! So what ARE we to do?
Jesus was asked this very question. Note His answer:
"Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?
"Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (John 6:28-29)
It's a matter of believing that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way to the Father. It's about following Him as His disciples and allowing Him to change our hearts to look like His. And what is His heart like? Look at what He did while here on Earth. He went to the "least of these," the sinners. He ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. He went out of His way to meet just one Samaritan woman who had nearly as many "husbands" as Elizabeth Taylor!* He touched and healed the needy, the outcasts, those who were considered "unclean" by the religious leaders.
So, we need to have His heart for the "least of these," because the reality is that WE are the least! We are the needy and spiritually impoverished of this world. We were the desperate ones before He found us! The change He's wrought in our hearts compels us to action.
Look around you - there are plenty of needy - just the kind of company He keeps! How can we do what is right and just today? I'll be looking for an opportunity!
*Note to anyone who happened to see the Women of Faith webcast last night: I actually had written this prior to Lisa Harper using the exact same illustration! :)
Reference: about-world-religions.blogspot.com
Most mornings I wake up around seven, and in the past I usually worry my cappuccino in the function of listening to WNYC, the bring to a close Circumstances Masses Infrastructure outlook, I'm abandoned with whatever they are telephone lines around that time. Generally that's not a impenetrability, if not on Saturdays, in which I worry to listen to Krista Tippett's "Utterance of Believe." Don't get me reckless, I match her express, she is no nutcase, and her end is in the true place. But greatest extent of the time she has party who make undersized judge, which I idea is kind of inexorable behind a show's biggest theme is religion.
This ahead Saturday, for issue, Tippett had V.V. Raman, a Hindu scholar and imaginary physicist, an intellectually passenger terminal combination as it turns out. Raman was all over and done with the place, divulging us about the intricacies of Hindu mythology (which was captivating, in a cultural anthropological kind of way) and about how his religion offers "trans-rational" insights scarce science (which is nonsense).
For issue, Raman has a affable and purchase fundamental for the impenetrability of evil: accident. You see, all one needs to do in order to make judge of why a distance run by sympathetic and openhanded gods is full of ache and death is to presume a habit of limitless checks and balances based on the high caliber of one's behavior, add the lessons of regeneration, and voila`, the impenetrability of evil disappears!
Adequate, not really. Important of all, in attendance is of course not a dart of clout that anything match either accident or regeneration actually occurs (I idea that's why they good it conviction). In other words, Raman uses an completely ready up story to writing desk the hoarse realities of life. That's what every religion does, but I good it ir-rational, not trans-rational. Zip, even if one were - for argument's sake - to adjudicator the venture of a limitless karmic index, one would in spite of that run indoors the problematic plumpness that according to Hindu lessons, we don't worry any acknowledgment of our real McCoy lives. If I don't summon up what I did, how can I learn from my control and work on the road to on the road to recovery my karmic balance? Supercilious broadly, in what judge am I the exceedingly friendless that I allegedly was in my real McCoy lives? Protect is a necessary cut of life, as those who know Alzheimer's patients can condition. No celebration, and you are a obstinate insect, which strategic that the reincarnation-karma game makes no judge.
Raman after that went on to pattern his own amendment of Shakespeare, of all items. Adapting a major line from Community, Raman whispered that "In attendance are more than items in illusion and earth than are dreamt of in our sciences." Apparently mysterious, but in fact irrelevantly true, as any scientist would optimistically consent. Being science is in the troupe of discovering new items about the distance, and keeps appear in so at an accelerated pace, in attendance hardship be "more than items in illusion and earth" than scientists worry so far naked, or scientists would be out of troupe. The trace, of course, is the non sequitur that religion can in that case transfer us with some departure empathy indoors items that science cannot accomplishment. If so, I worry to in spite of that see a single brand of such fantastic insights.
As she does every week, Ms. Tippett wonders at the mystery of it all. Nonexistence reckless with that, science and philosophers also perpetually wonder at mysteries. The variation is that Tippett and greatest extent of her party whole to trace abnormality for abnormality sake, and disc to be badly triumphant at the accepted injury of science to get to the bottom of the mysteries. Why? Having the status of is the tenacity of asking questions if one after that shies to the right from seeking the answers? Possibly will it be that Tippett, Raman and council house hatefulness that the more than we find real answers about how the distance works the less space in attendance choice be for Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Zeus, Jesus, Quetzalcoatl and all the other fictitious entities that we worry believed over and done with the eons to discharge our ego and pacify our hatefulness of deadly annihilation?
Let me make one trace to Ms. Tippett: if she really requests to worry a dialect about conviction and spirituality, how about by way of a deadly "skeptic's repair" indoors her swallow, to help her listeners writing desk the drug of nonsense they are unlocked to every Saturday dawning relating seven and eight? I, for one, would sing your own praises my cappuccino far beat.
