Today’s I Ching Hexagram for December 25th – 9: Small Influences

9: Small Influences

Tuesday, Dec 25th, 2012

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A gentle wind gathers the clouds, but still, no rain. Softer influences predominate as the power of subtle forces grows. This is a time for smooth and friendly persuasion.

In the ebb and flow of events, there are always ‘low tides’ — times when sweeping action is impossible or inappropriate, but when small matters can be attended to profitably, leading to bigger and better things later on. When the tide is rolling in, by all means, ride the wave; but when it is receding like it is now, focus on little things.

When the times are such that you cannot do much to affect large matters, persuasion and subtle influence can prepare the way for strength in the future. Use your intuition to chart your long-term course, but avoid bold actions for the moment, for they are unlikely to work. This is an excellent time to refine existing abilities or develop new talents.

Be wary of others’ intentions if they hold the upper hand in a situation. Examine their sources of power, so as to discover subtle influences you may be able to exert upon them.

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The Power of the Elementals

The Power of the Elementals

 

Elemental magick is the most dynamic and powerful of all, manifest in the everyday world through nature at her most magnificent and unpredictable. It can be experienced in storms and thunderbolts, waterfalls, rough seas, bonfires, wild craggy mountain sides with tiny pieces of stone slipping down the slopes, rocky shorelines, clay cliffs constantly eroding and shimmering deserts.

Practitioners especially in medieval times, worked a lot with elemental spirits, trying to bind them for their ritual purposes. Some got themselves into very bad situations by setting themselves above the elementals and ordering them around. They summoned elemental spirits as servants and in doing so made them into independent tulpas or thought forms, rather than working with them within nature itself.

You can imagine, a fire tulpa was very powerful in a spell, but however much protection you may use  psychically, such a concentrated form of energy is hard to banish or to bid farewell, especially since it cannot be destroyed and as a tulpa has its own free will.

There are a number of very old magick books and a few modern irresponsible ones that give such rituals. No matter how extensive your magickal development, you should never try creating elemental thought forms, especially collectively with coven members or friends, unless you are very careful. Then I wouldn’t.

What is more, elemental energies are neutral and can be used for good or bad. In nature herself, a forest fire can clear an area of dead woodland, but an out-of-control conflagration destroys homes, habitats, animals, birds and people. We should never deal with elementals lightly. Above all, it is really important not to work with the elementals when you are feeling angry or negative as your thoughts can be amplified by the elemental powers and you may unwillingly unleash powerful negative feelings.

Your Tarot Card for December 14th is Strength

Strength

Friday, Dec 14th, 2012

What has traditionally been known as the Strength card represents Nature which, however wild in its primal form, is tamed by our subtler, finer (feminine, interior) self. The will and passion of our instinctive nature does not need to be broken, but refined and brought to consciousness — so that all levels of Creation, inner and outer, may come into harmony.

The feminine soul-force contains a persuasive power that can nurture and induce cooperation from others, stilling disruptive energies by harmonizing differences in the spirit of collective good will.

Your Tarot Card for December 11th is The Hierophant

The Hierophant

Tuesday, Dec 11th, 2012

Traditionally known as the Hierophant, this card refers to a Master and the learning of practical lessons from the study of Natural Law. This energy of this card points to some agent or resource that can reveal the secrets of life, the cycles of the moon and tides, the links between human beings and the heavens.

Because monasteries were the only places a person could learn to read and write in the middle ages, a Hierophant was one to whom a student would petition for entry. He was the one to set the curriculum for the neophyte’s course of study.

Often pictured with the right hand raised in blessing, the Hierophant is linked with the ancient lineage of Melchezidek, initiator of the Hebrew priestly tradition, the one who passes on the teachings. All shamans of any tradition draw upon this archetype.

Your Tarot Card for December 3rd is The Moon

The Moon

Monday, Dec 3rd, 2012

What has traditionally been known as the Moon card refers to a deep state of sensitivity and imaginative impressionability, developed within a womb of deep relaxation. Here we dream and go into trance, have visions and receive insights, wash in and out with the psychic tides, and experience deep mystical and/or terrifying realities beyond our ordinary senses. The full moon and/or eclipse cycle charted by the Magi (as in some of the earliest Moon card images) exemplify this as a mechanism that Nature uses to expand consciousness.

The variants of the courtly lovers (representing skillful use of the sex force) or the man sleeping it off under the tree (use of drugs to alter consciousness) are also traditional avenues for tapping this primal force. Human interest in higher states propels us to the frontiers of consciousness, where we cannot always control what happens. The Moon card represents the ultimate test of a soul’s integrity, where the membrane between self and the Unknown is removed, and the drop of individuality reenters

Today’s Tarot Card for November 21 is The Hierophant

The Hierophant

Wednesday, Nov 21st, 2012

Traditionally known as the Hierophant, this card refers to a Master and the learning of practical lessons from the study of Natural Law. This energy of this card points to some agent or resource that can reveal the secrets of life, the cycles of the moon and tides, the links between human beings and the heavens.

Because monasteries were the only places a person could learn to read and write in the middle ages, a Hierophant was one to whom a student would petition for entry. He was the one to set the curriculum for the neophyte’s course of study.

Often pictured with the right hand raised in blessing, the Hierophant is linked with the ancient lineage of Melchezidek, initiator of the Hebrew priestly tradition, the one who passes on the teachings. All shamans of any tradition draw upon this archetype.

Today’s Tarot Card for November 20th is The Emperor

The Emperor

Tuesday, Nov 20th, 2012

In the most practical terms, what has traditionally been called the Emperor card represents the highest leadership, a head of state or the most exemplary and powerful person in the realm. This archetypal ruler is responsible for the positive working out of affairs of a society or community, which are directly proportional to his well being and happiness.

The more enlightenment and cosmic perspective this energy brings, the better life is for all. The Emperor archetype masters the world of matter and physical manifestation. When you apply this card to your situation, acknowledge your potentials for mastery. Reinforce a sense of sovereignty within yourself, despite any self-limiting beliefs, habits or appearances to the contrary.