All Text, Music, and Illustrations, including Paintings, Photographs, and 3D models, Copyright © 2022 by Jim Robbins.

The 11th Path: The Fool

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TEMPLE OF THE TREE OF LIFE

   Apartment 10 appears nondescript on the outside, but when you step through the door, you smell incense and notice paintings of gods and angels on the walls. The apartment is deeper than you imagined, with ten rooms, each with a different color scheme, and each displaying different archetypal symbols. You wander into a room that has a blue color scheme, a painting of an opulent king on a brilliant throne, and a table with a pure white tablecloth, on which is set out a golden plate and chalice, with a golden, equal-armed cross floating above them. You suddenly feel magnificent, full of harmony and abundance, but then you also begin to develop a sense of superiority and become aware of the hints of hypocrisy and gluttony and tyranny in your nature. You move to the room across from it and discover a red color scheme, with a painting of a fierce warrior king in a chariot and weapons everywhere, a fire raging in a pit in the center of the room. Suddenly you feel strong, unafraid, full of energy, ready to take on any problem, any foe, but then you become overpowered by thoughts of cruelty and destruction. Each room, you discover, contains a different subtle energy represented by images and symbols, and each subtle energy has a virtue and a vice, a spectrum with a positive and a negative pole. The longer you stay in a room, the more the subtle forces influence you, and the more you understand the need to maintain harmony in your psyche. The key, you realize, is remaining balanced. Once you have achieved balance in all of the rooms, you finally reach the inner sanctum, where you are impressed by an overwhelming sense of power and eternity, and you notice a painting of a fool about to step off of a cliff.
   Suddenly you understand the Fool: he is either about to fall into the manifested world or into the Abyss. You somehow know that he is full of the most divine wisdom and the most blinding innocence, for he is the eternal child who experiences all and remains spiritually free. If the fool is falling toward the manifested world, he is going to know all the contrasts and challenges and beauties of the Kingdom. While there, He will feel separate and fragmented at times but whole and connected to the Source at others. Within the Kingdom he is going to experience the underlying unity of consciousness and to know complete and utter loneliness and terror. He is less than the dust one moment and a king the next. He is a tiny cog in the machine and a hub whose spokes touch the edges of the cosmos. He is the observer, the observed, and the act of observation. He is a beast and a God.
   If, on the other hand, he is falling into the Abyss and rises toward the Crown of Creation, he is going to experience the transcendent act of Union, which means that he will retain the human experience but be completely translated into something else.
   As you gaze at the painting, your personality vanishes. You blaze with the subtle light of unified consciousness.

Rooms that Dream

   Suddenly you notice a box in the corner. You lift the lid and find what appears to be the first chapter of a novel.  The pages smell fusty as though the story was left in the temple long ago. You decide to take a few moments to read it.

ROOMS THAT DREAM

   Peter paused before the punished door of the apartment. His mom was vacuuming while his brother was watching the tube. Where was his stepdad, though? Peter listened a few more seconds. When he peeked through the door, his mother was vacuuming with her back to the living room, so Peter tiptoed toward the bedroom, his stepbrother mesmerized by the TV. Peter caught a glimpse of his stepdad lounging on the back porch, a beer can next to his chair, the aroma of grilled hot dogs and hamburgers wafting through the screen door.
   Peter slipped into the bedroom and closed the door as quietly as he could. Then he dropped his backpack on the floor, stretched out on his bed and emptied his mind. The day before, after meditating for over an hour, he had envisioned a gray, horizontal figure eight floating above his head. He had seen it and the wall and ceiling so clearly that for a second he thought he might have opened his eyes without realizing it. So he blinked, and the figure eight disappeared. Now, the dull roar of the vacuum and the jabbering of the TV set destroyed Peter’s ability to fall into the void.
   Then Peter heard his mother and brother talking. A few seconds later, his mother peered into the bedroom.
   "Why don’t you come out here and make yourself useful?" she asked.
   "Why don’t you have Chuck help you? He’s just watching TV," Peter moaned.
   "At least he’s doing something. You’re just being a lazy bum. C’mon, get out of bed and help me with dinner. I need something from the store. Why don’t you ride your bike over to SAFEWAY and get a bag of salad and some ice cream?"
   On his way to the grocery store, Peter stopped in front of a hole-in-the-wall bookstore called THE GOLDEN CHALICE. He immediately glimpsed a pack of Tarot cards in the store window and suddenly felt the urge to check out the store; when he got inside, he noticed his neighbor reading a book.
   "Hey, Mr. Cashing, how ya’ doin’?" Peter blurted out. Since Peter was normally shy, his sudden friendliness surprised both himself and Cashing.
   "Just great, thanks. How ‘bout yourself?" Before Peter could answer, Cashing glanced at Peter and smiled, "I didn’t know you're interested in esoteric philosophy."
   "I didn’t either. I’m just on my way to the grocery store, and I noticed that deck of cards," Peter pointed at the store window.
   "So you want to tell the future, eh?" Cashing laughed in an amused, slightly ironic tone.
   "Sure, why not! Is that really what they’re for?"
   "That, and much, much more, from what I understand," Cashing replied.
   "Maybe you can help me pick out a good deck," Peter blurted out.
   "Here’s a good one, and it’s used, so it’s half price. Only ten dollars. Better check it to make sure you’ll be playing with a full deck." Cashing opened it and looked carefully at the cards.
   Peter appeared nonplussed. "Ten dollars. Wow, that’s a lot. I only have five. Darn it."
   "Don’t give up so easily. Give me your five and wait here. Let’s see if we can make a deal." Cashing ambled over to the register, unobtrusively slipping out his wallet. He pointed at Peter and chuckled. The cashier put the deck in a paper sack. Cashing walked over and gave the bag to Peter.
   "Wow, you got it. How’d ya’ manage that?"
   "I’ve got friends in all the right places," Cashing laughed.
   "Wow, really, I owe you one. Maybe you could show me how to play these cards sometime. I got to go now, though. Thanks again!"
   "Don’t mention it, really," Cashing replied quizzically. "Have a good evening."
   After dinner, Peter took a look at the cards. To his great surprise, a gray, horizontal figure eight floated above the head of a figure in a card called THE MAGICIAN and above the head of a woman in a card called STRENGTH.
   It was exactly like the figure eight Peter had seen in his vision during meditation two days before. Peter could not believe his eyes. He stared at both cards a long time. "I’ve got to ask Cashing about this," he murmured to himself.
   The next day after school, Peter made a bee-line to Cashing’s apartment and hammered on the door.
   "Well, hello again," Cashing said.
   "Yeah, well, I wanted to thank you again and ask you a couple of questions, if this is a good time."
   "Sure. Come in. Come in."
   Peter stepped into a dim room. As his eyes adjusted, he could tell that Cashing made minimal effort to keep his apartment tidy.
   "Please, don’t mind the mess. Come in and sit down. Now what can I do for you?"
   Peter sat on a dingy couch. "Well, you know those cards I bought--we bought--yesterday? I was hoping you could tell me a little bit about them."
   "Sure, I suspected that you might have questions. Fire away."
   Peter pulled out the pack. On top were the two cards that contained the gray figure eight.  "I was hoping you could tell me what these are."
   "Why, they’re called lemniscates. The lemniscate is the mathematical symbol of infinity. They are floating above the heads of these figures to suggest their awareness of the infinitude within. In other words, they recognize that they are eternal, spiritual beings."
   Peter stared speechless at the cards, then at Cashing.
   "Is something wrong?" Cashing asked.
   Peter hesitated. "Well, I’m not sure I should say this, but...ah, but I was meditating a couple of days ago, and I saw the same symbol floating above my head. It was gray too and everything."
   Now Cashing looked surprised. "You had a vision of a gray infinity symbol?" Cashing whispered.
   "Yeah, I guess. You don’t think I’m crazy, do you?"
   "Oh, no, on the contrary. Tell me more about it. You can’t be more than sixteen. What made you start meditating?"
   "Fifteen, actually. Well, you see, I need to rest a lot. I have this problem, food allergies. Anyway, I lie down a lot even though my parents think I should always be doing something. So I got this book on meditation because I guess I wanted to look like I was doing something when I was just resting. Anyway, it said that a person should mentally cleanse the chakras, which are energy centers in the aura. So I did. I imagined each chakra as a turning margarita glass. Then I wiped out each one mentally with a white cloth. When I was finished, I started having visions."
   Cashing tried not to look startled. "What kind of visions?" Cashing asked.
   "You really don’t think I’m crazy?" Peter paused. Cashing shook his head. He too had experienced visions during meditation, but he didn't want to mention it just yet. Peter continued, "Well, when I was done clearing the trash out of my crown chakra, which took hours, I had a vision of a pure white, four-petaled flower, which suddenly blossomed into a brilliant white flower with lots and lots of petals. I thought it was a rose, but then I kept hearing the word ‘lotus’ in my head. I did some research the next day on the internet and discovered that the thousand-petaled lotus is associated with the crown chakra."
   "My God. Have you told anyone else?" Cashing asked.
   "I told my family at dinner, and they just kinda’ looked at me strange. My stepbrother called me gay for the thousandth time."
   "He’s probably just jealous. Typical sibling rivalry," Cashing replied.
   "Yeah, well, he likes to beat me up. I don’t know how typical that is."
   "Sometimes older brothers just like to beat up younger brothers. All I can say is try not to let him discourage you. This is remarkable. It's one of those things that force people to entertain the possibility that there is something beyond the physical realm."
   "What is so strange about this, I mean the figure eight, is that I saw it in my vision several days before I actually saw it in the cards. How do you explain that?"
   "I’m no expert, but I’ll tell you what I think. The mind, during meditation, sometimes slips into a timeless state and can see basic patterns, or archetypes. Then, through what some call synchronicity and others call coincidence, the inner vision or mental state is sometimes reflected in the physical world. Most people assume that what one thinks is the result of what one experiences in the physical world. Others would say that what we feel and think ultimately manifests in the material realm, which is basically a reflection of our inner state. Others say that the mind and the physical realm, the self and the non-self, form a combined reality reflecting each other."
   Peter looked puzzled.
   "Okay, maybe I’m not explaining this very well. Let me try again," Cashing paused. "Imagine that there are different dimensions of reality. There is the physical dimension that we all know and love. But imagine that there are other dimensions that we can’t perceive with our senses. Some people believe that there are other dimensions behind physical existence. Behind the physical is the foundation of all physical manifestation, known as the etheric plane. Behind that is a dimension of force known as the astral plane. Behind the astral is the archetypal world, which contains the basic patterns for all the forms in existence. And behind the archetypal plane is the spiritual plane. The spiritual ‘world,’ so to speak, generates the basic ideas, which manifest as archetypes, which then manifest as diverse forms on the astral plane, which ultimately manifest in the physical realm as the physical objects and events that we perceive with the five senses. Are you following me so far?"
   "Is this the asoteric philosophy you were talking about yesterday?" Peter asked.
   "Esoteric, yes." Cashing smiled. "Esoteric means 'for the few' and is often associated with the word 'occult,' which means ‘hidden.’"
   "These ideas are hidden from the average person?"
   "Exactly," Cashing replied. "I think most people would agree that there are at least four dimensions to our being. Even college professors, I think, would agree that we are physical, emotional, and mental beings. Our esoteric philosopher friends would say that there is also a spiritual dimension which sometimes intrudes in strange ways upon our sense of reality. Look at it this way. You’re an artist, right?"
   Peter nodded.
   "When you create, you usually start with a basic inspiration, right? Then you create some kind of basic pattern, which as you develop your ideas usually turns into a more complex, concrete idea, which ultimately manifests as an image on the canvas, right?"
   "Yeah," Peter replied.
   "Well, according to our friends, God works pretty much the same way, except his canvas is the world, or more precisely, the cosmos. According to our esoteric friends, we use the same process because we are made in God’s image."
   "So I’m seeing basic patterns--what did you call them, arc of something...?"
   "Archetypes. I believe you might somehow be tapping into the archetypal energies of the cosmos, possibly because as an artist you have developed your inner vision," Cashing paused. "Another explanation is that the archetypes are part of the collective subconscious, and we can access them through our own subconscious, the way one might find a channel from a lagoon out to the ocean. In any event, what you have experienced is a kind of synchronicity which cannot easily be explained or explained away. But by all means don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re crazy when you have visions. It’s a gift, a very special gift."
   "I doubt anyone else would think so. What do you think I should do?" Peter asked.
   "Like I said, I’m no expert. I think, though, that you should continue working with the Tarot cards since something or someone appears to have pointed you in that direction. Memorize them, visualize them, meditate on them. They are rich in symbolism, in archetypal energy, so to speak. Come back and tell me what you think, if you feel like it. I would be very interested in hearing what you have to say."
   "Thank you," Peter said, as he was leaving, sincerely grateful. "I’ll let you know--if anything happens."

Go on a different adventure with Mr. M.

 All Text, Music, and Illustrations, including Paintings, Photographs, and 3D models, Copyright © 2022 by Jim Robbins.

The 12th Path: The Magician

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ALLIES OF MERCURY

   "Wow, Mr. M, that woman is a magician! Can I be a magician too when I grow up?"

    “Of course! This path connects the Crown of all Creation with the Emanation known as Understanding, which is associated with the feminine manifestation of form, so it is fitting on this path for a woman to be the magician here. And she is a great magician in control of all the energies within herself, with the knowledge that those energies all emanate from One Source. Like a god, The Magician aligns the creative energies so that there is no conflict within herself or with the Source, bringing the energies down through the planes into manifestation in the Kingdom. Notice that the symbolic flame at the top of her wand is emanating light; in her ritual, she is bringing that light down to the symbolic flame at the bottom of the wand, bringing light into manifestation, in other words. She wears a headband to suggest that there is sweat involved, and her belt is a snake biting its tail to suggest that she operates from the perspective of eternity. Lilies and roses mingle in her garden, suggesting unity of consciousness, purity of intention, passion and beauty. She is an inspired soul who carries on the first, primal creative act within her own domain.”

   "How did she become such a great magician, Mr. M?

   “Legend has it that The Book of Thoth, a book containing powerful spells and wisdom, was hidden in many boxes, the keys to which were spread throughout ancient Egypt, and legend has it that the knowledge of the mysteries in this lost book found their way into the Tarot, which is now sometimes itself referred to as the ‘Book of Thoth.’ Thoth, the great God of wisdom and magic, as you might recall, is associated with the Greek Hermes and the Roman Mercury, so you find Mercury as the planet associated with this path. Thoth is also associated with Ptah, the creator God, and the Logos, the Word that begins the process of creation. Also, Saturn is associated with the Emanation of Understanding; on the Pillar of Severity, Mercury is Saturn on a lower arc, in the sphere of the conscious mind. 

   "The Hebrew letter Beth, also associated with this path, is the first letter of the bible, implying, since it is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, that a first cause or prime mover exists before the primal act of creation. Beth means ‘house,’ which suggests form enclosing force, and the twelfth path connects the Crown, the Source of manifestation, with Understanding, the sphere associated with form, so on this path you see, on one level, the first act of creation, which is echoed in all other acts of creation, with the Emanation known as the Crown as the actual Source of all creative acts.”
   “So whenever we create, we are like Thoth working with the Source.”
   “In one sense, yes. The transpersonal spiritual source of your being is the catalyst for all effective creation, and the energy of creation is brought down through the planes into the Kingdom through a conscious act of will. Notice that the magician holds up a wand with one hand and points toward the earth with the other, signifying her intention to bring spiritual energy into manifestation. On the table in front of her are the symbols of the four elements, Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, which are reflected in the triplicities of the zodiac. In other words, three astrological signs of the zodiac are Earth signs, three are Water signs, three are Air signs, and three are Fire signs, suggesting that, like Thoth, the magus works with the elemental energies within creation.”
   “So inspiration and emotion and ideas and imagination are all important, right Mr. M? Like when I create music.”
   “Very good. And ultimately the music manifests on the physical level as a musical score and eventually as a band or orchestra performing the music for an audience. Remember the elemental symbols are also associated with the planes of individual being: the spiritual, mental, astral, and physical levels. The mental and physical planes are planes of form. The spiritual and astral planes are planes of force. Thoth combines force with form in all creative endeavors. A created form without inspiration or emotion is inevitably abortive. Powerful ideas and creations spring from inspiration and emotion. In other words, all planes are involved in effective acts of creation, as suggested by the four elemental symbols.”
   “Why is the act of creation emphasized so much on this path, Mr. M?”
   “This path reveals the first cosmic act of creation which continues every second, day or night. In other words, on the macrocosmic level, the Source is always creating. On the microcosmic level, the personal level, we are also always creating, whether we are aware of it or not. We are involved in that first, primal act of creation because we carry it on every second with our inspirations, thoughts, emotions, and actions. The trick is to use the power of the will, the power of intention, to align the spirit with the other levels of being in order to create effectively for the highest good. In that way we become co-creators with the Source. If your head battles with your heart, you’re going to experience inner conflicts and difficulties. You must become clear about what you want to create, then align all aspects of your being so that your spirit, intellect, and emotions lead to effective creative actions within the realm of the Kingdom.”
   “What if your actions are effective but they harm people.”
   “That is where karma comes in. We can create a perfect cathedral or a perfect concentration camp. When I say ‘effective action,’ I mean action inspired by the higher knowledge that everything is connected, that we are all part of One consciousness. If you harm another person, you are harming yourself. If you harm the planet, you are harming yourself. It's best to strive for the highest good.”
   “Is that why the figure eight floats above the magician’s head?”
   “Indeed. The infinity symbol suggests the knowledge of the infinitude within, which includes the recognition that all energy is part of One awesome and holy tapestry of life.”

Eight of Wands: Mercury in Sagittarius

   "Look at those eight wands flying across the sky, Mr. M. Where did they come from?" 

    "I cannot see who threw them, but they are descending together at the same angle and almost the same rate to the Earth, which, considering the heaviness of the wands, is a masterful feat of coordination. Mercury is the messenger of the Gods, the God of the communication of the spirit with the conscious mind. Together in flight, the wands reveal the proficiency and focus of the mind, a quality of Mercury, but suggests also a mastery and knowing that flows from a place deeper than the conscious mind, recalling the way a Zen master, shooting an arrow in almost total darkness, hits the bulls-eye. Our friends who threw the wands are also feeling the influences of Sagittarius. Sagittarians enjoy exploration because their minds are open to new dimensions of thought. In terms of the Tree of Life, it is no wonder then that the path of Sagittarius lies between the Foundation, the Emanation of the Moon, which is associated with the subconscious mind, and with Beauty, the Emanation of the Sun and the Higher Self. Sagittarius is an archer, and the flight of his arrow suggests the ascent of the mind to higher realms. Mercury also, in his role of the messenger of the Gods, suggests, as I mentioned, the quick and sometimes unexpected intuitions that are communicated to the conscious mind from the spiritual dimensions. The fact that we don't know where the wands are coming from suggests this difficulty in identifying exactly where intuitive knowledge originates--from the personal or the transpersonal, from a God or from a divine dimension of the self."

Three of Cups: Mercury in Cancer

   "Wow, Mr. M, those dancers are so graceful!" Claire exclaims.

   "Our friends dance before us like the Three Graces, like the Goddesses of splendor and abundance who preside over banquets, dances, and other pleasurable events, and they bring joy and goodwill to both Gods and mortals alike. Like the Muses, they endow artists with the ability to create stunning works of art.  Here, we feel the influence of both Cancer and Mercury. We must engage with our emotions as well as with the sympathetic imagination to appreciate the arts.  The influence of Cancer stimulates the subtle senses and the imagination, which manifests as an abundant inner life. When the mind and heart remain open, a person becomes more psychic, more open to an abundance of spiritual influences as well.  The influence of Mercury, the messenger of the Gods, is necessarily linked to harmony and abundance, a state which cannot manifest without a conscious pursuit of the righteousness of beauty, the inspirations for which are often communicated from the depths of the psyche.  As your allies lift their golden cups, you can feel the emotional, mental, and spiritual inebriation of the inspired life."

Six of Swords: Mercury in Aquarius

   "When I look at those people in the boat, Mr. M, I feel a little worried, for some reason."

   "Don't worry. Our friend is maneuvering the small boat across the water with expertise. Six swords stick up within the boat on both sides of the passengers as if to indicate some kind of danger, but the swords might instead be protecting them. On one side, the water is slightly disturbed by the boatman’s efforts to propel the boat forward. On the other side, the water remains still and calm, revealing the boatman’s skill and coordination. Through his training and experience the boatman makes the crossing look easy. Our friend has developed the ability to focus, a quality of Mercury, which can help to maintain and protect the most basic form of connection, such as between a parent and child, or lead to new shores for the individual and humanity in general, a quality of Aquarius. Willful, conscious focus is the key to getting from one point to another. The shore is in view, the destination not in the picture, but there is no stress, only evidence of quiet skill and concentration. The boat continues to flow smoothly across the water. The quietness of the scene also hints at an aspect of Mercury’s role as the messenger of the Gods. The conscious mind sometimes receives unexpected knowledge or insights from deep in the subconscious, where the higher self resides, when the mind is still. The boatman’s pole quietly goes deep into the water to push the boat forward again."

Three of Cups: Mercury in Cancer

Mars in Geburah (Severity)

   "Those poor people must be suffering terribly, Mr. M," Claire groans.

   "The tragedy is that we allow some people to fall into that condition. Ovid, the Roman poet, tells a tale of Mercury and Jupiter disguising themselves as peasants before visiting a town and asking for a place to sleep. Everyone in the town treats the Gods with disdain, except for an impoverished couple who generously extends hospitality beyond their means. After their act of generosity, Mercury and Jupiter end up providing the couple with a comfortable life and destroying the town and everyone in it.

   "Despite the god-like qualities and energies within all people, as revealed by the Tree of Life, we can all fall into such a tragic state due to adverse circumstances. Our friends know suffering in their very bones, yet they stay together, struggling through desperate times, passing, as if by chance, under a lovely stained-glass window with five glowing pentacles that suggest the top spheres of the Tree of Life, Emanations associated with the higher self. Each snowflake seems to batter them a little more. They cannot have illusions and survive the grinding, soul-crushing condition of poverty. Both of them pass by without looking up at the window, as if unable to believe that spirituality is anything more than an illusion, but one of them might still gaze up, as if for a moment open to the possibilities of higher awareness. Their condition starkly reveals the ugliness and horror of poverty, yet for this brief moment, a light shines for them through the window in the storm, suggesting that spiritual enlightenment is always possible, even in the worst conditions--if you don’t become consumed by pain and self-pity and remain open. Even though our impoverished friends could not be more humble, there is something heroic about them. The influence of Taurus suggests the potency of the life-force that manifests in their struggle for survival. And they remain together through the worst times. Even if they both ignore the spiritual signs of higher awareness, in their struggles they have the potential to manifest the virtue of Mars--courage, a quality of the higher self.  Mercury is also an influence. Thoth, the God of Magic, is the older, Egyptian version of Mercury. In the myth of Isis and Osiris, Thoth helps to resurrect Osiris so that Horus, the higher self, is eventually born of many trials." 

Ten of Pentacles: Mercury in Virgo

   "Look, Mr. M, that boy is pulling the dog's tail!" Claire exclaims. 

   "Yes, and no one in the group seems to notice the old man in a fancy robe or the golden coins, arranged like the Emanations of the Tree of Life, floating above the street. The pentacles, as you recall, symbolize the energies of the elements in balance and by extension the energies of the zodiac and their ruling planets--but only the dogs seem attracted to the old man who has magic sigils on his robe. Perhaps he is only a street performer, full of tricks. Nevertheless, he has an air of magic about him, doesn't he? Did he create an illusion or was the Tree of Life always there? Are we only now seeing it because like him we are paying attention to the ordinary world? Perhaps we have become for a moment like the magician, experiencing the magical energies that manifest in such an orderly way that almost everyone takes them for granted. The street is strange and miraculous and full of abundance and potential, yet no one else seems to notice, except for us and the old man. Like him, we can sense the presence of powerful forces in the everyday world. We don’t know if the old man or the Tree of Life has given us this second sight, but as we pass, we can at least wordlessly nod at our friend, hoping that our gratitude is understood."

   "And let me just say thank you to you as well, Mr. M." Claire smiles.

Go on a different adventure with Mr. M.

 All Text, Music, and Illustrations, including Paintings, Photographs, and 3D models, Copyright © 2022 by Jim Robbins.

The 13th Path: The High Priestess

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ALLIES OF THE MOON

   "She's wearing a strange crown, Mr. M."

   “Her mysterious crown suggests the phases of the moon. She is a Goddess who gloriously reveals the receptive feminine side of the psyche. She hears messages from the other side of the Abyss that she communicates to us. She can be a dark Goddess but she can impart great spiritual knowledge to us from both the higher and lower dimensions. She is comfortable with unity and multiplicity and harmonizes and balances all aspects of the psyche under the moon. Knowledge from the divine comes through her.”

   “The 13th path, known as ‘The High Priestess,’ is one of the most mysterious paths because in several key ways it belies our sense of logic. The moon and water symbolism of the path alludes to The Foundation, the ninth Emanation just above Malkuth, the Kingdom. But the 13th path connects Beauty, the Christ center, with the Crown of Creation high on the middle pillar, establishing the most direct route to union with the Source. Instead of sun symbolism, which suggests unity and spiritual awareness, you find moon and water symbolism, which suggests constant change, the multiplicity of phases, and the subconscious mind.”
   “On the very first path we took, the 32nd path, which connects the Kingdom with the Foundation, we had to go down before we could ascend. Does that have something to do with it?” Claire inquires.
   “On the 13th path, we have to go deep into the subconscious mind across the desert that separates the divine core of the self from the conscious mind. The highest that the conscious human mind can go is Mercy, the fourth Emanation on the Tree of Life. That is one reason why the Hebrew letter associated with this path is Gimel, which means ‘camel.’ The conscious mind cannot take us across this desert--some other inner force must carry us. The Source in the Crown of Creation, remember, contains the greatest unity that the human mind can know; the human mind in The Kingdom is much more used to dealing with polarity and division and the multiplicity of form.”
   “But all of these paths contain symbols to help us move across the Abyss, right?”
   “Remember that symbols are still part of the world of form; symbols are essentially forms that represent spiritual principles. But you are right. The other paths across the Abyss contain symbols that help us feel our way through the formless light. They form bridges to higher awareness. The spiritual abstractions above the Abyss are presented in The Foundation as symbols to our subconscious mind. We can create a bridge to the formless spiritual truths with the symbols in the ninth Emanation, which is hinted at in the moon and water symbolism of this path. The first connection with higher consciousness often consists of visions of symbols, such as an infinity symbol or an equal-armed cross. In other words, the higher self can project formless spiritual abstractions into the subconscious mind, which then represents the abstractions as symbols to the conscious mind.”
   “Didn't you say that higher knowledge is actually more intuitive, Mr. M?”
   “Yes, higher knowledge is formless, without symbols. You just know something is true or something is about to happen. That is where faith comes in.”
   “So is it possible to cross the Abyss?”
   “Yes, but remember: You cannot look upon the face of God and live. In other words, if you experience the absolute unity of the Source, your consciousness will be translated into a completely different state of being. You will not be annihilated--instead, your consciousness will totally transcend this plane. You will retain your human experience within the fire of the Source. Numerous lifetimes pass before a soul is ready for this transcendent experience.”
   “But the core of the self communicates intuitive knowledge to the soul, right, so we can still know God even while we live as human beings?”
   “Yes, as long as a path has been cleared between the divine core of the self, and the enlightened conscious mind, and the lower incarnated personality. That is why it is crucial that you purify yourself regularly. Negative energies garble and distort the messages.”
   “So the High Priestess channels those messages to us in pure form.”
   “Yes. The feminine side of the mind is much more psychic and receptive to spiritual intuition. Notice that the High Priestess sits between two pillars, one black and one white, which means that the High Priestess herself is essentially representing the middle pillar of the Tree of Life. She holds the Torah in her lap, a symbol of spiritual knowledge. Over her heart is a pure-white equal-armed cross, which symbolizes the unity and harmony of all of the elements of the Tree--before the white light is shattered into the many colors of multiplicity. In that sense, she is pure, virginal, and can sit before the veil of the Abyss communicating the messages of Spirit to us. Her white equal-armed cross is the opposite of the black equal-armed cross associated with The Kingdom, which suggests a different logic in the realms of unity and diversity, yet her feet touch the solid ground. She integrates the opposites of polarity, and the direct link to the Source is through Her.”

Nine of Wands: Moon in Sagittarius
Lord of Great Strength

   "That guy looks really messed up. He seems a little dizzy."

   "Yes, our friend is still standing up straight after suffering a blow to the head. He might be a little dazed, but the other wands standing up straight behind him suggest his great strength. Perhaps he has many allies who can come to his aid, or perhaps the wands signal deep strength on the different dimensions of the psyche represented by the Tree of Life. Our friend remains unwavering  under the influence of the Moon in Sagittarius in the Emanation known as Yesod, The Foundation. On the cosmic level, one of the two main characteristics of The Foundation is strength. The other quality, which might seem contradictory at first, is the flux associated with water and the Moon. The strength inherent in the flux of The Foundation can be understood more easily in terms of a body of water like the ocean, with its constantly shifting waves and deep currents. The tides and waves and currents keep changing, but the the ocean remains a vast, powerful force. The Moon, also associated with the depths of the subconscious mind, is a strong influence on our ally on a personal level. His strength stems from a subconscious, spiritual source. The suit of Wands symbolizes the plane of spiritual will, which is sometimes buried deep within the subconscious mind of the individual. The sun shines on the moon, which in terms of the Tree of Life symbolically suggests the Higher Self stimulating the subconscious. Sagittarians are known for having strongly idealistic natures that can suffer many disappointments because of their passion for truth and justice. They tend to fight for causes they believe to be just, and are usually on the side of the underdog. Whether our friend is aware of it or not, these qualities stem from the Higher Self.

Four of Cups: Moon in Cancer

Lord of  Blended Pleasure

   "He looks like he is meditating with his eyes open, Mr. M," Claire whispers.

   "Yes, our friend sits at the foot of a tree in a posture of meditation, recalling the Buddha who meditated under a Bodhi tree until he attained enlightenment. Our friend is having a vision: an ethereal hand extending from a cloud offers him a golden cup. His eyes appear to be open, but he is concentrating intensely, perceiving the cups before him with the psychic third eye. As many who meditate know, visions of archetypes and symbols often appear as real as anything in conscious, waking vision. Your ally is experiencing the influence of Cancer, which stimulates psychic powers as well as the powers of sympathetic imagination. The Moon, also associated with psychism and the subconscious mind, is also a powerful influence. Even though your ally may give the impression of being down-to-earth, common, even simple, in this state influenced by the Moon and Cancer, he can experience great insights that reveal the magnificence, harmony and abundance of the spirit (characteristic of Jupiter), even possibly, like the Buddha, inspiring generations with his wisdom."

   "He makes me want to meditate, Mr. M!"

Two of Swords: Moon in Libra

Lord of Peace Restored

   "Look, she is glowing in the moonlight, Mr. M!"

   "Or her soul is glowing. She crosses her arms, grasping a long sword in each hand. Since the swords are so long and heavy, this balancing act obviously requires great strength and concentration. Our friend wears a blindfold, which perhaps is helping her to concentrate. If you think back, you might remember that she is like the figure of Justice, who does not wear a blindfold, which suggest that true justice sees all. So our friend appears to represent something besides the forces of karma and justice. Since she is in the second Emanation known as Wisdom, a state of almost unimaginable energy, she is concentrating on balancing powerful forces, an act of great discipline in such a dynamic sphere, which is a quality of Libra. On the Tree of Life, the second Emanation balances the forces of the Source, establishing equilibrium. Our friend wears a blindfold to suggest that the force of equilibrium is at this stage a blind, primal state “above” nature, just as Wisdom is a supernal Emanation "above" manifestation, and she wears white to suggest how all colors together form one unified state “above” or “beyond" the diverse forms of creation. The sense of primal unity, willful balance and stability within the dynamic powers and flux of creation, suggested by water and the Moon, is what our friend manifests."

   "I see why she is glowing, Mr. M."

Seven of Swords: Moon in Aquarius

Lord of Unstable Effort

   "Look, Mr. M, those swords must be hurting his hands!"

   "Yes, I'm sure those swords are sharp, but our friend is gleefully stealing them from the enemy’s camp. He resembles a jester more than a soldier, and his attitude suggests that he is performing a prank rather than attempting to seriously harm the enemy. He is alone, and his actions have minimal impact on the opposition, yet his prank suggests that humor is potentially a kind of weapon that can force the mind to examine different points of view. He cannot carry all of the swords, which suggests that it would have been wiser to involve others in the scheme--if he were actually attempting to destabilize the enemy. His efforts are unstable (a quality of both the Moon, which constantly changes, and Venus on the lower planes), but there is the suggestion of a deeper principle: conflict, which usually stems from desire or emotion, often causes instability. His prank resembles a jest before a king who unwisely insists on dragging a society into war, into open conflict which stems from unstable emotions and desires and ends up causing even more instability. Your ally is out in the open, committing a theft, which is less evil than killing. He doesn’t even seem to mind that he might be seen. “Look at me,” he seems to be saying. “My actions are less crazy than yours!” His awkward theft points to another basic motivation for conflict: stealing property. Our friend reveals a facet of The Fool, a divine madness that forces the people in power and the community to confront its own irrationality and impetuousness and greed."

   "He seems like a wise fool, Mr. M. I like him!"

Six of Pentacles: Moon in Taurus

   "That man seems super-generous, Mr. M!"   

   "Yes, he is manifesting the generosity that the life-force manifests in many ways. With one hand he is giving money, a form of energy; in the other he holds scales as if to determine how deserving the supplicants are. The master resembles the life-force with its inherent sense of balance, from which abundance is obtained through a desire for development and improvement. Each of us receives spiritual impulses, inspirations that we can manifest down through the planes through the use of imagination, technical knowledge and skill. Those with a strong desire to develop their talents and use their abilities to realize their dreams are supported and rewarded on some level. Those who do not develop their talents lose what they already have through lack of initiative. Individual talents, like muscles, atrophy if they are not used."

   "I won't ignore my talents, Mr. M."

Go on a different adventure with Mr. M.

All Text, Music, and Illustrations, including Paintings, Photographs, and 3D models, Copyright © 2022 by Jim Robbins.

Path 14: The Empress

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ALLIES OF VENUS

   "Oh, Mr. M, she is so lovely!" Claire exclaims.

   “The Empress holds up a golden scepter, for she rules nature, all of manifested life. On her head is a crown with twelve stars, which represents the zodiac, and we see seven visible pearls around her neck, suggesting the seven planets of classical astrology. All around her is the glory of nature: the yellow sky represents the element of Air, the stream represents the element of Water, the flourishing grain suggests the abundance associated with the element of Earth, and the bright orange pillow suggests passion and the element of Fire. The Empress rules fertility and life in all its forms, at all levels of the cosmos. She is a great, joyful, loving Goddess.”

   "She makes me feel joyful, Mr. M."

   “On this horizontal path known as ‘The Empress’ we find the first great polarity of transcendent forces on the Tree of Life, and at the heart of that creative polarity is love. Within the fourteenth path are the seeds of manifestation, which eventually flourish in the seventh and tenth Emanations, Victory and the Kingdom. Venus, the astrological association, and YHVH Tzaboath, the God-name for the fourteenth path, can also be found in Victory, the seventh Emanation. In Victory we find the true origin of multiplicity that manifests in the Kingdom, otherwise known as the physical plane, where all of the forces of the Tree of Life ultimately manifest. Beauty, the Emanation of the Sun above Victory, reflects the unity of the Crown of creation. But suddenly in Victory, we find multiplicity, as if a hand has held up a prism in front of the sun to reveal the colors of creation.”
   “This path connects the heavenly Father with the heavenly Mother, doesn't it, Mr. M?”
   “Yes, and more. The Hebrew letter Daleth associated with this path suggests the unity within multiplicity, the One within the Many. Daleth means ‘door,’ and a door can create both a sense of division and unity. When closed, the door suggests an otherness that exists on the other side, which creates a sense of separateness. When open, the door allows a movement into that otherness into a sense of unity. The path of Daleth connects Wisdom, the Emanation of dynamic, masculine life-force, with Understanding, the Emanation of feminine form, which divides and restricts and limits force. This path contains the first manifestation of gender, which results in the One and the Many manifesting in diverse ways below the Abyss.”
   “In our world, I think we know the diversity pretty well but not the unity so much.”
   “That’s true, but on the spiritual level we find the unity that manifests in multiplicity.”
   “Isn’t the first polarity really between the Crown and Wisdom, though, Mr. M?”
   “Good question. But the ancient literature suggests that Wisdom is like a mirror image of the Crown where God first sees Itself. In the literature known as the Yetziric text, Wisdom equals the Crown, and the division suggests not polarity and opposition but a Self-awareness. Remember that the intense force in Wisdom emanates Understanding, and that the life-force continues in a lightning flash down the Tree of Life, through all levels of being. The life-force changes vibration, setting up polarities as it flows from the spiritual to the physical, but it remains essentially one thing. Romantic love is one manifestation of the life-force and often provides a sense of unity, but a person can be potent on all levels of being, not just the physical level.”
   “Is that sense of unity what you mean by ‘love?’ Because I know some people who don’t feel a sense of unity that often.”
   “Yes, and that is often the case until you have an awareness of the underlying unity of all consciousness. But love is also a kind of power and illumination. Venus, remember, is intimate with Mars; the Martian power and energy flows through Beauty, the sphere of harmony and equilibrium, before it reaches Victory. People often associate the power of the life-force with passion, but the ability to feel the underlying unity of consciousness leads to a kind of inner strength and power. Spiritual, mental, and emotional connections and manifestations of the life-force are no less important than the physical side of things. The more powerful the vibrations of the life-force on all levels of the self and the more intense the feeling of unity, the greater the sense of love.”
   “Doesn't Venus also represent beauty?”
   “Oh yes, beauty in a special sense. We see the beauty of the blue sky because of all the dust particles in the air, just as we know the beauty of the Source in all of Its manifestations, which implies that without all of the incredible diversity of life on this plane we wouldn’t be as aware of the beauty of the Source of all life, and I hate to say it, but humanity has gotten so proficient at destroying the beauty of nature that many people might not even be able to comprehend that idea. That is why it is important to go out into nature as often as possible. Humanity has despoiled nature in many parts of the planet, but what remains can ravish the soul.”
   “Does Venus represent the natural world too?”
   “Venus symbolizes the love and beauty that manifest in the natural world and in our individual natures. Venus is the terrestrial mother, the celestial mother on a lower arc. All Goddesses are one Goddess, and all Gods are one God, functioning at different levels. Over thousands of years, Western culture has tried to destroy the Goddess, which is essentially a blasphemy against the Source of all Creation because the feminine is an essential expression of the Source, and humanity consequently has ended up nearly killing the planet.”
   Mr. M bows his head. “Notice how the symbol of Venus can encompass the entire Tree of Life. The circle at the top can include the Crown, Wisdom, and Understanding, as well as Mercy, Mercy and Beauty, the higher Emanations. The equal-armed cross at the bottom of the symbol can include Victory, Splendor, the Foundation, and the Kingdom. All of life is united in that symbol."

   "I love that, Mr. M!"

Four of Wands: Venus in Ares

Lord of Perfected Work

   "I feel like celebrating, Mr. M!" Claire exclaims.

   "Yes, there is much to celebrate. The perfected work of the harvest has brought prosperity, peace, and harmony. Our friends in the distance feel the influence of Venus, who rules attraction, love, and marriage, as well as harmony in relationships. Venus, placed in a Fire sign, often results in dramatic, exciting and fiery expressions of love, but Venus is sometimes an unstable influence. Here and now, though, the Empress and Emperor are experiencing harmonizing love on the spiritual plane. Combined with the expansiveness and abundance of Jupiter, our joyful friends are experiencing spiritual love filled with compassion, the fire of the life-force, and the abundance of the heart. That is the perfected work.

Two of Cups: Venus in Cancer

Lord of Love

   "Wow, Mr. M, those two really seem to be in love!"

   "The magnetism they feel draws them together, and the energy they generate rises above them, represented by the red lion’s winged head above intertwined serpents. Our friends are, in other words, are “mated" with each other at all dimensions of their being, the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. Our friends are in the second Emanation known as Wisdom, and they reveal the energy of polarity in equilibrium and expansion. The most primal expansion in terms of the Tree of Life was the first cosmic act of creation within manifestation, with the Crown, the Source, emanating Wisdom, the second Emanation, or state of being, establishing equilibrium and then expanding again to give rise to the third Emanation, the state known as Understanding. This process occurs naturally also within the individual at different levels of being. The intertwined serpents suggest the caduceus, the ancient symbol of optimum health that represents the open and balanced channels, both masculine and feminine, of the life-force in the personal energy field known as the aura. The red lion shows the fiery expansion of the kundalini, which is the life-force thrilling through every level of the psyche--physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual--when nothing is blocking it. When you are tuned to another person on these levels, you can experience the energies much more intensely. But that powerful energy is not pure expansiveness--it is expansion that occurs in its optimal state in balanced equilibrium, as suggested by the intertwined serpents. The powerful energy of the life-force, to be anything more than blinding fireworks, needs to be firmly grounded for love to flourish."

   "Wow, their love seems wonderful!"

Seven of Cups: Venus in Scorpio

Lord of Illusionary Success

   "That man seems a little confused, Mr. M." 

   "Yes, our friend is reaching out a shadowy hand as though about to make an important decision. He is feeling the influences of Venus in Scorpio, so I can understand why he might be feeling a little perplexed. No one wants to choose something that turns out to be merely an illusion. Scorpio is associated with transformation, suggesting the inevitable change that occurs after an important life-choice. The influence of Venus, associated with desire and volatile emotion, is often unstable, except in the spiritual dimension where the influence leads to valor and high spiritual love. Each choice presented to our friend is attractive but also a little off-putting. The golden snake and the dragon are both a little frightening, the castle seems remote, the blue head floats decapitated above the cup, the jewels on closer inspection resemble colorful bubbles, and the cup with the laurel wreath has a faint skull etched (or reflected) in it. The central cup shows a figure emanating pink light. The top half of the body is completely hidden by a veil, and the figure remains anonymous, seemingly detached from worldly concerns and desires. At first glance, that cup might appear the least attractive of all. Pink, however, symbolizes spiritual love, the highest, most loving energy of the heart. The four lower cups suggest the four lower Emanations of the Tree of Life, while the central cup suggests Beauty, the Emanation of spiritual transformation from the lower personality to the higher self. The influence of Venus, except on the highest levels, can attach a person to an illusion. It is impossible to determine which cup our friend will choose, but the highest spiritual love is within his reach."

   "I hope he makes the right choice, Mr. M!"

Five of Swords: Venus in Aquarius

Lord of Defeat

   "That man with the swords seems pretty proud of himself, Mr. M, but he seems to have made those other two men very sad."

   "Our friend with the swords appears to have won a victory. Since we are experiencing the influence of Venus here, this conflict might be about love, but since we are also feeling the influence of Aquarius, there might be something else going on. The other two men have turned away in defeat. Two swords, too sharp and heavy for the victor to carry, remain on the bloodless ground. A storm has occurred, but the clouds are breaking up, and the water in the background, though still choppy, is growing calmer. If this conflict is only about love, you might imagine yourself as either the victor or the vanquished. You might believe for a moment that you have triumphed but then realize that instead you have lost. You might turn from winner into loser and back again. A fight tends to result in at least one winner and one loser, and the loser often attempts to undermine the winner in a cycle of conflict that continually leads to instability, a characteristic of both Venus and Mars on the lower planes. Even though you are momentarily victorious, you might, in other words, find yourself caught in a vicious cycle. All involved in a cycle of revenge lose because conflict causes fear, disruption, and suffering, but since there is no blood on the ground, our friend with the swords might have simply neutralized the other two to create harmony, which suggests the deeper wisdom characteristic of Aquarius."

Nine of Pentacles: Venus in Virgo

Lord of Material Gain

   "She is so pretty and happy. She seems pretty happy, Mr. M."

   "Our friend lightly touches a pentacle and gazes lovingly at the hooded falcon, as if she knows the meaning of success, not just in the material realm, but as a person who has created her own stable world full of sweetness and quiet joy. She can allow the falcon, like her mind, to soar, but she realizes that at times it must remain hooded, subject to restrictions and discipline. Like the bushes and vines, her life is productive and harmonious and satisfying, which requires self-awareness, sacrifice, and effort. In addition to the flowers on her dress, which resemble symbols of Venus, Goddess of Love, she has the mark of an evolved person who is aware of what matters and what needs to be done to create and maintain a world of loveliness and abundance."

Go on a different adventure with Mr. M.

  All Text, Music, and Illustrations, including Paintings, Photographs, and 3D models, Copyright © 2022 by Jim Robbins.

Path 15: The Emperor

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ALLIES OF ARES

   “He is an emperor? What does he rule, Mr. M?”

   “That is truly the question, isn’t it?  Notice the molten lava behind the emperor’s throne.  Even the sky is orange.  He is sitting in a world of fire, which is appropriate, since Ares is the Fire sign associated with this path.  This is the fire that consumes and purifies so that new life can spring forth, the fiery energy of new growth in springtime.  This is the fire of the mind, which destroys what is not beneficial in order to create balance.  Our emperor friend is a self-actualized individual who has dominion over his own world--and who takes responsibility for everything in it.  In a sense, every individual is a kind of emperor, containing the intense fire of the life-force, whether or not he or she knows it.  We each hold our own orb and scepter.  What we do with these gifts is our karma, our fate.”

   “But some people are born into terrible situations, aren't they, Mr. M?”

   “No one can deny that it is incredibly difficult in some cases to extricate oneself from bad circumstances.  But the fire of the mind is extremely powerful.  It can burn away negative thought patterns and fill positive thought-patterns with great force.  Notice that this path connects Beauty, the central Emanation of harmonizing love and equilibrium, with Wisdom, the transcendent Emanation of pure, intense, dynamic life-force above the Abyss.  The emperor recognizes he is on fire with the life-force and that the life-force is on fire all around him.  That Fire from the Source within his own mind is what he rules.”

   “You mean that anyone can be an emperor, Mr. M?”

   “Each person is a kind of emperor, but it takes the fire of courage, which is a virtue of Mars, to realize it.  Humanity wants to set one person aside, like a pharaoh or a king or a Christ as the archetypal ruler, without recognizing that the archetypal forces exist within each person and for each person, not just within one exalted human being.  It takes courage to break away from the herd mentality and take dominion of your own life.  Many obstacles may be in the path, but the mind can burn all that away and use the energy of the life-force to take whatever action is needed to overcome them.

   “When you feel the life-force flowing into you from the Emanation of Wisdom, you see the fiery play of the life-force and feel a strange sense of eternity and know the transitory nature of all things from a transcendent perspective.  That, in one sense, is what the Hebrew letter Heh, which means ‘window,’ suggests--transcendent sight.  But the letter Heh, which is the second and fourth letter of the Tetragrammaton, Yod, Heh, Vau, Heh, the God-name Jehovah, also suggests not only how we perceive but how we create our world on the mental and physical levels, the ‘worlds’ of form.  To simplify a bit, we perceive, we interpret, we create, we remember.  Initially, Yod is the spark, the catalyst of creation, on the spiritual level, and Vau is the nail or peg, the force that holds the creation together on the astral level--the Heh in the second and fourth positions relates to the forms of mental and physical perceptions and creations, thought-forms as well as physical forms.”

   “So, can I ask kind of a personal question?”

   “Fire away.”

   “What did you experience when you first traveled the ‘Path of Heh’?”

   “At first, the scepter jumped out at me and grew larger and larger.  Suddenly I fell into molten lava and every part of me burned away except for the awareness that I am a point of consciousness in a vast, fiery cosmos.  Then, using my will, I rose above the lava and saw myself as a white-hot ankh, which very much resembles a scepter.”

   “Wow.”

   “That’s not all.  A few days later, I learned that one way to take the initiation of Osiris is to imagine submerging yourself in molten lava, which is a kind of symbolic death and rebirth.  Synchronicities do tend to happen occasionally on the spiritual path.

   “On this path, you see a ruler sitting on a throne in a world that appears to be on fire.  With his own mind, the emperor creates stability and establishes personal dominion.  With the potency and power and courage of Ares on the personal level he creates his own world, working as a co-creator with the Divine Will.  Nothing can stop him from realizing his own potential, aligned as it is with the transcendent spiritual will.”

Two of Wands: Mars in Ares

Lord of Dominion

   "You say this guy is influenced by Mars and Ares. He doesn't look that intimidating."

   "True, he is not intimidating like some great warrior or hero. Though average in appearance, with the globe in one hand and a wand in the other, he has the air of a master. He is experiencing the influences of the second Emanation of the Tree of Life known as Wisdom, which is one key to understanding his power and dominion. Wisdom, containing unimaginable power in equilibrium, is the first state of being emanated from the Source, and Ares the Ram is the first sign in the zodiac, which corresponds to the birth of spring. Mars, like the ram, represents the sheer power and potency of the life-force, but Mars is not just power--Mars also burns away what does not serve the life-force according to the laws of nature and karma. Mars restricts and channels and disciplines power so that it can be used forcefully and creatively and productively. Our friend balances the power of the life-force within himself. He is in complete dominion of his own world. But our friend also looks upon and and draws from the vast potential of creative energies within the cosmos. As a microcosm within the macrocosm, our friend, as an individual, a personal energy field, is a reflection of the cosmos, the Universal Energy Field, and draws upon the energies of the life-force at all levels of being. Our friend might also be gazing into the distance toward Understanding, the next Emanation within the supernal triad above the Abyss. If Wisdom is the sphere where the One becomes aware of Itself, Understanding is the first sphere to establish the principle of polarity, what some call duality. Most notably in these two Emanations the feminine principle balances the masculine principle. On the Tree of Life, Understanding is the realm of the celestial Mother, and Wisdom is the realm of the celestial Father. Recognizing the creative possibilities of connection and polarity between himself and the world and anything that is “other” or “opposite,” our friend, in dominion of himself, maintains the unobstructed power of the life-force in a sustainable balance with the laws of nature."

   "That is a great power to have. Thanks, Mr. M."

Three of Wands: Sun in Ares

Lord of Established Strength

   "Is that guy on some kind of journey, Mr. M?"

   "Yes, our friend, like all of us, is on a journey. As he looks out upon the world, he is seeing the big picture, perhaps even feeling transcendent cosmic forces, but we cannot tell how he is affected because his back is turned to us, his posture suggesting only stability. Our friend is experiencing the energies of the third Sephira, an Emanation that completes the supernal triad comprised of the Source, The Crown of Creation; the masculine principle, or God, the celestial Father; and the feminine principle, or Goddess, the celestial Mother. Even though this triad is transcendent, beyond the Abyss that separates human consciousness from the transpersonal aspects of the One, this original trinity establishes the basis for the diversity of all that was, all that is, and all that shall ever be within the planes of manifestation, the Many within the One. The third Emanation, as the womb of creation, establishes the celestial Mother, often known as the Goddess, as the creator, preserver, and destroyer. Once spiritual force is restricted by form, death is inevitable, but so is rebirth, and the cycle begins all over again for everything that has ever manifested in our wonderful world. Besides the restrictive influence of Saturn, your ally also feels the powerful influences of the Sun and Ares, hence the fiery golden atmosphere. The physical sun is the basis of all life on the planet, and Ares represents the energy of spring. Your ally, standing on a ridge overlooking the sea, remains stable yet open, experiencing the light of the Source and the energies of rebirth within the established cycles of existence."

   "Cool."

   "Yes, very cool indeed."

Three of Wands: Venus in Ares

Lord of Perfected Work

   "What are those people celebrating, Mr. M? Is that a wedding?"

   "Four wands stand together with a decorative wreath hanging between them. The perfected work of the harvest has brought prosperity, peace, and harmony. Our friends in the distance are enthusiastically waving bouquets of flowers under the influence of Jupiter in the fourth Emanation, known as Mercy, and Venus in Ares. Venus rules attraction, love, and marriage, as well as harmony in relationships. Venus, placed in a Fire sign, often results in dramatic, exciting and fiery expressions of love, which unfortunately can lead to short-lived, unsatisfactory love affairs. On what some call the “lower" planes, the emotional and physical dimensions, the influence of Venus often leads to instability. But in terms of the Tree of Life, our friends are experiencing harmonizing love on the spiritual level, combined with the expansiveness and abundance of Jupiter. For our joyful friends, the manifestation of spiritual love--filled with compassion, the Fire of the life-force, and the  abundance of both heart and soul--is the perfected work."

Go on a different adventure with Mr. M.