Saturday, September 30, 2023

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

Ten of Swords: The Sun in Gemini



THE LORD OF RUIN



Ten of Swords (AI Version)


   As Nathan was riding through the realm, he encountered the body of a man with ten swords in his back. The dead man resembled a knight that Nathan had once known years ago, but Nathan couldn't be sure of the man's identity. Nathan wondered if the man had died in an ambush or during a robbery or during a fight to save someone. The dead man's fingers were curled in blessing as if he had died for justice or truth or some other noble cause. Nathan felt bitter about so many people ganging up against one man because it just didn't seem fair, and for a moment, Nathan felt afraid that, as a knight, he too would find himself in a losing battle where he was outnumbered. As Nathan rode away, he shuddered to think what the dead man could have possibly done to deserve such a fate.


Queen of Swords (3D Version)

   As Nathan rode near a stream, he came upon the Queen of Swords. Nathan dismounted from his steed and bowed. "How may I serve thee, my Queen?"
   The Queen smiled. "You seem distressed, my devoted knight."
   Nathan responded, "Yes, your Majesty, I just saw a man with ten swords in his back. He resembled a knight I used to know."
   "That is tragic," the Queen responded. "Perhaps I knew the man."
   "I believe his attackers had either carefully planned it or had acted as a mob to ruin him."
   Still balancing her sword straight up and down, the Queen sadly nodded her head. "I have heard of this happening recently to our knights who are valiantly protecting the realm. Often people will band together to support some falsehood and destroy the life of someone fighting for a just and noble order. You must be careful, for many people, even from a very young age, feel terribly vulnerable when they have negative experiences such as trauma, abuse, betrayal, abandonment, poverty, and loss, which leads to a deep sense of insecurity, so they band together and form a group mind that might be beneficial to them but also horribly destructive. I am convinced that nearly half the population would follow a con man who promises to save them because so many people need someone to alleviate the feelings of vulnerability. As a knight, you must be on your guard and learn to recognize this vulnerability, for people will sometimes act like a pack of wolves to kill even someone who is working for their highest good.
   "As a knight, you must live in your higher self and remain balanced emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. You must release your own feelings of vulnerability and fully experience the divine powers of harmony of the Source of all Creation. That way you can more easily recognize when and why people as a group are becoming unbalanced, for people, due to their sense of vulnerability, can all too quickly turn into a mob with one aim only: to ruin or destroy others for the purpose of protecting or promoting their own interests or their status in society. This is sad, indeed, my dear knight, for sometimes a person might be working for justice or truth to protect this realm and our beloved earth and be ruined or killed by people who don't want justice or truth. Some people cannot tolerate another person doing the right thing because they feel that it is a threat to their power or status or security."
   "I will be extremely careful and follow thy sage advice, my queen, so that I may serve thee effectively and with honor." Nathan bowed, then mounted his horse and rode to a secluded part of the forest, where he created a make-shift altar.
   The holy man in the castle had shown Nathan how to create a positive living image, using the Ten of Swords as an example of how to transform a negative situation or energy into a positive one. The holy man had confided that the Ten of Swords is considered by many to be the worst card in the deck, and that he would not want to create a living image of the card's central figure. The way to overcome this problem, he said, is to find a living image in one of the modifying cards associated with the Tree of Life, in this case The Sun (the Sun) or The Lovers (Gemini). For this ritual, the holy man used the figure of the child on the white horse, the central figure of The Sun, because in the Ten of Swords, the Sun peeks through the clouds, suggesting that the higher self reveals itself sometimes during the most horrible betrayals and tragedies. The exuberant child on the white horse suggests a sense of renewal or rebirth, and since The Sun represents a path to Hod (Splendor), the Emanation of the intellect, the child also suggests the awakening of the intellect as well as the awakening of the higher self (both symbolically linked to The Sun). So, the holy man said, instead of just invoking The Sun, you can also banish fears of ruin so that you are less likely to attract it, then create a living image of the child in the Tarot card The Sun.
   So Nathan first chose to banish the Lord of Ruin. He started by placing the Ten of Swords in the center of his imaginary pentagram on an altar. Then, to banish the negative energies of the Lord of Ruin, he placed the foundation cards down in a banishing pentagram, beginning with the Ace of Pentacles, then laying down "Judgement," then the Ace of Wands, the Ace of Swords, the Ace of Cups and continue the motion with your finger back to the Ace of Pentacles. Then he imagined releasing all negative feelings about betrayal and ruin into the fires under the surface of the earth. (See the description in the August 26 post of The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.)


The Sun (3D Version)

   He performed the first eleven steps of the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram. (See the description of The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram in the September 2 post.) Then he got ready to create an artificial elemental of the child in The Sun with the Tarot Pentagram Spread. He picked up the foundation cards and laid them down in a pentagram with the tops facing south on his altar. Since Fire is an active element, he used the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram while laying down the cards, starting in the lower right corner of the pentagram, moving to the upper left corner and continuing from there. After he placed all of the cards, he tapped each card in the direction of the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram, making sure to tap the one in the position of Fire in the lower right corner to complete the pentagram.


Foundation Cards with the Sun

   Then he placed The Sun in the middle of the pentagram, saying, "The Sun," and tapped the card.

Spirit Pentagram

   Then he drew the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in brilliant white above The Sun on the altar, charging the pentagram and the symbol in the usual way with the Sign of the Enterer. After that, he drew an Invoking Pentagram for Fire directly over the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram, charging the pentagram and the symbol of Leo in the usual way.



Invoking Pentagram for Fire

   At that point, he imagined the symbol of Leo becoming the living image of the figure of the child in the The Sun. He imagined the figure moving a few feet south of the altar and coming alive as a full-length figure on a white horse. As he visualized the living image of the Tarot card, he imagined that salamanders, brilliant points of light, flowed from the Archangel Michael and filled the living image while at the same time tiny points of fiery light emanated from his aura and filled the living image as well.
   He stated, "I name you Child of The Sun."
   Then he said, "Provide the light of the higher self from deep in my soul to guide me and others for the highest possible good."
   Then he stated, "Perform this task and return to the element of Fire, doing no harm."
   He ended by saying, "So mote it be!" He imagined for a few minutes the living image of The Sun providing the light of the higher self from the deepest aspects of his psyche.
   He unexpectedly felt the light of the higher self often afterwards, and he knew that the higher self was always there, guiding him.

   Don't forget: Nathan always finishes the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram!




(All AI generated images are based on my 3D Blender renderings, paintings, or photographs.)








Saturday, September 23, 2023

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

Five of Pentacles: Mercury in Taurus



THE LORD OF MATERIAL TROUBLE



Five of Pentacles (AI Version)

  

  As Nathan was riding through town, he noticed a man and a woman slogging barefooted through the snow next to a church. The man was crippled and the woman trudged along in front of him. They didn't seem to see the stained-glass window that revealed the higher Emanations of the Tree of Life. Nathan for a moment imagined being crippled in battle and from that point on being unable to keep up with others he loved.


The Liars (3D Version)

   As he rode through town, Nathan found destitute people everywhere. Suddenly a man with a lion's head riding a brown bear appeared, who blared, "People in poverty, too lazy or too irresponsible or too stupid to deal with your own condition! I know a rich master who will guide you, a leader who will show you how to attain the riches you desire! Most people say, 'Do not help the poor because that will just make them more dependent. We will just end up with more and more beggars!' Do not listen to them! My master will guide you. If you listen to him, you too will be wealthy one day!"


Knight of Pentacles (3D Version)


   Nathan rode out at sunrise to the fields surrounding the city. Poor people had recently tilled the soil for the wealthy landowner who owned the castle. Nathan pulled out a pentacle and stared at it for a while, feeling the unity of the elements of the natural world, the oneness of Universal Consciousness.
   Nathan still felt disturbed by the lies told by the strange man riding the bear. With so few rich people and so many poor people, something had to be wrong with society, not with all the people who could barely scrape by. Every time he rode into the city, he witnessed a horrific lack of harmony and order in human society, which angered and frustrated him. Nathan galloped back to town and gave his golden pentacle to the homeless beggars whom he had witnessed struggling barefooted through the snow.


Queen of Pentacles (AI Version)

   As he rode into the wild, Nathan came upon a Queen upon her throne, which resembled a large stone. Nathan dismounted from his steed and bowed. "How may I serve thee, my Queen?"
   The Queen smiled. "You seem a bit disturbed, valiant knight. Something tells me you have just come from the city."
   Nathan responded, "Yes, my Queen, and I saw terrible poverty. I am so glad to be back here in the wild again."
   "Poverty is a form of cruelty perpetrated by a tiny group of people who have far more wealth than most people. The ultra-rich get away with their barbarity because the allurement of power has overwhelmed so much of humanity. So many people become obsessed by the thought of accumulating great wealth, despite all the horrific poverty around them. They would rather have money and riches than experience their connection with nature and other people.
   "Poverty and the destruction of nature are forms of sadism. The wealthy maintain their power, dominance, and control through calculated systems of brutality and exploitation. The rich convince themselves that they deserve their wealth because they are superior to other people. They want us to believe that through the perpetuation of poverty they are teaching others who are inferior to them how to climb out of their destitute condition. To justify their own self-interest, the rich tell all kinds of absurd stories while remaining dedicated to making sure that more and more wealth flows to them at the expense of other people and the natural world. The people they consider inferior to them are usually people of a different ethnicity, race, sexual orientation--people, in other words, who are different from them. Without considering the web of life, the rich also want to believe that all the other creatures of the earth are inferior to them because that gives them just another reason to plunder the earth."
   "That is only too true, my queen," Nathan responded.
   "People survive in poverty and work in soul-crushing jobs that blind them to the paths on the Tree of Life and the dimensions of Universal Consciousness, and the rich continue to exploit labor and resources and sow division so that they can dominate without many people organizing against them, and they can destroy the few who do. One path between The Foundation (Yesod) and Victory (Netzach) contains a powerful life-changing mythological principle: Opening the heart. The last thing the wealthy want the poor and exploited to do is open their heart. This path connects the mythological principle of 'The Descent of the Divine' in The Foundation with 'The Marriage of Heaven and Earth' in Victory. How long would the wealthy be able to continue destroying the planet for their own profit if a large number of people experienced the divinity in nature? How long would the wealthy retain their power if exploited workers and poor people regularly experienced divine energies?"
   "Probably not long, my queen," Nathan responded.
   "You are a courageous knight, but you are from the castle. Are you going to fight the people who own the land or are you going to protect them and their power? You will have to make a choice."
   "I would be greatly honored by any assistance that you might provide me, your Highness," Nathan responded.
   The Queen commanded, "Look at my golden pentacle, and you will know what to do."
   Nathan gazed a long time, how long he wasn't sure, but suddenly he thought he knew exactly what he needed to do. He bowed, "I understand now, my Queen. I will serve thee by first attempting to neutralize the dark forces possessing the greedy people in the castle. If that doesn't work, I will fight all the powerful, sadistic people who perpetuate the horrors of poverty."
   The Queen smiled, "Valiant knight, you cannot fight a whole army. Let the powers of the magic pentacle affect you. The pentacle would want you to open your heart and help one or two people on a spiritual and physical level. So many people have been forced to close their hearts. Opening your heart will make it easier for others to do the same. You can also fight with others for systemic change in a nonviolent way. What it means to be a knight is that you might be burned down to the ground as a human being for loved ones or another caring individual and rise as a spiritual being. Can you do that?"
   "I will do my best, your Highness," he responded.


The Magician: Mercury (AI Version)

   A holy man at the castle had initiated Nathan into the sacred Mysteries, so Nathan knew many of the symbols associated with the mystical Tree of Life. As he pondered his task, he began to think about his guardian angel, Atriel. He had felt the unmistakable energies of the Archangels and the Angel Atriel in his last ritual, energies unlike any he had experienced before. He felt like a tiny ant compared to the Archangels, and he realized that the love of the Angels was unlike most love on earth. Nathan had felt the power of sacrifice as he manifested the Christ-force, and he could feel a powerful sense of new life rising within. He was sure that through his rituals, he could direct the creative energy of the life-force and plant the seeds of new life for himself and others. He did not need to take on an army all by himself. Instead he could focus on transforming negative systems of belief that perpetuated horrific conditions.


Active and Passive Invoking Pentagrams

   So Nathan imagined the beggars and realized, possibly thanks to the magic pentacle, that Mercury was influencing their struggle in some way. Mercury reveals the ideal powers of the creative process on the personal and transpersonal levels, so he knew that Mercury's influence might also be the key to their freedom from poverty. He knew that first he needed to banish the negative influences, so he imagined the two beggars again and performed the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. (See the description in the post of August 26 of The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.)



The Hierophant: Taurus (AI Version)

   As he performed the ritual, he suddenly recognized that Taurus was also influencing the situation. Having been initiated into the mysteries, Nathan realized that Taurus the Bull represents the great power of the life-force as well as a path on the Tree of Life that connects everything living to divine energies. Linked to the heavenly Emanation known as Wisdom, the path of Taurus in the Tarot reveals The Hierophant, a holy man with the keys to the Kingdom, the physical plane, at his feet. On the path of Taurus, the heavenly energies emanate across the Abyss into the planes of manifestation and also from the planes of manifestation into the higher spiritual realms.



Four of Pentacles: The Sun in Capricorn (AI Version)

   After Nathan banished the negative influences by performing the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, he chose to invoke the Four of Pentacles, the "Lord of Earthly Power," the archetype of a great king, a figure who manifests The Sun in Capricorn in the Tarot card that the holy man at the castle had shown him. According to the holy man, the Lord of Earthly Power is also associated with Jupiter in Mercy (Chesed), the Emanation of magnificence, harmony, and abundance on the Tree of Life. In the Tarot, The Devil represents Capricorn, and the card often confuses the uninitiated, according to the holy man in the castle. The mythological principle of Capricorn is "The Meeting with the Powers of Life," the powers of life being extremely high energies reflected in the Two, Three, and Four of Pentacles as well as in all living things. Despite all the unbalanced energies and darkness in the world, The Devil spreads all four fingers upright in blessing, revealing that all is known, including the horrors of poverty and the evils of sin. The holy man in the castle had explained to Nathan that the Hebrew letter associated with the Tarot card is "Ayin," which means eye, the third eye that sees beneath appearances and can understand the reasons for the darkness and light in the world. Nathan did not know if there was a reason for all the evil and horror in the world, but he knew that everything on earth contains the power of the life force, and the power of the Sun continues to renew all things. He could only say "yes" to the great powers of life. The Queen's magic pentacle had shown him that he needed to open his heart, so he was ready to invoke of the Lord of Earthly Power. He performed the first eleven steps of the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram. (See the description in the post of September 2 of The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram.)


Foundation Cards for the Four of Pentacles

   Nathan then laid down the Four of Pentacles on a makeshift altar and stated while tapping the card, "The Four of Pentacles, The Sun in Capricorn." Since Earth is a passive element, Nathan used the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram while laying down the Aces--the foundation cards--starting in the lower left corner of the pentagram, moving to the upper right corner and continuing from there in a continuous motion. After he had placed all of the cards, he tapped each card in the direction of the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram, making sure to tap the one in the lower left corner to complete the pentagram. Then he laid down the modifiers, The Devil (Capricorn) and The Sun (The Sun), on the Ace of Pentacles in the lower left corner of the pentagram.



Modifiers for the Four of Pentacles: The Devil (Capricorn) and The Sun

   As Nathan laid down the card known as The Devil on the Ace of Pentacles, he stated while tapping the card, "The Devil, Capricorn."
   As he laid down The Sun on The Devil, tapping the card, he stated, "The Sun."



Spirit Pentagram

   Then he drew the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in the air in brilliant white above the Four of Pentacles on the altar, charging the pentagram and the spirit wheel with the Sign of the Enterer. After that, he drew an Invoking Pentagram for Earth directly over the Invoking Spirit Pentagram, charging the pentagram and the symbol of Taurus in the same way.



Pentagram for Earth

   At that point, he imagined the symbol of the bull turning into the living image of the Lord of Earthly Power a few feet north of his altar and coming alive as a full-length figure. Then he imagined gnomes, brilliant points of light, flowing from the Archangel Auriel and filling the living image of the king while at the same time the bright points of the Earth element flowed from his aura and also filled the living image.
   He stated loudly, "I name you Lord of Earthly Power."
   Then he said, "I humbly ask thee to help the wealthy and the poor people in the city to see and know the light of the Sun and the magnificence, harmony, and abundance within all people. After you have completed your task, I humbly ask thee to return to the element of Earth, doing no harm."
   "So mote it be!" Nathan imagined the great king helping him and others to know the divinity in all people.
   In his imagination, he could see the beggars experiencing the earthly power of the life-force and the magnificence, harmony, and abundance within.



Nine of Pentacles: Venus in Virgo (3D Version)

   When he had completed his ritual, Nathan wasn't sure that he had helped anyone. He returned to the Queen of Pentacles, who motioned to a woman, who was now holding up a hooded falcon next to some pentacles and vines with ripened grapes. "We can all know the great earthly power of the life force within us," The Queen of Pentacles smiled. "Let the wealthy and the poor know the light of the Sun and the magnificence, harmony, and abundance within each person. You have done well, my valiant knight. You may continue now on your quest."


(All AI generated images are based on my 3D Blender renderings, paintings, or photographs.)



Saturday, September 16, 2023

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

Eight of Swords: Jupiter in Gemini



NATHAN THE KNIGHT AND THE PRISONER BY THE SHORE




   As Nathan was riding his horse on a cliff one day, he noticed in the distance a woman imprisoned by swords at the edge of the sea. As a knight, Nathan felt compelled to rush to the woman's aid, but he could not find a way down the cliffside on his horse. Finally, Nathan dismounted, tied the horse's reins to a tree, and searched for a way down. When he got near to the woman imprisoned by the swords, he decided he should step out into the water and gently guide her to shore.


The Hinderers

   Suddenly a boy on a dragon appeared, who shouted, "If you want to free her, you will have to fight me and my dragon first!" Nathan assessed the situation and decided that he would have a much better chance to fight them on his horse. He looked around and noticed a way from the cliff to the ocean.


Knight of Swords

   Nathan rushed back up the cliff. He mounted his horse, drew his sword, and, on his trusty white steed, charged down the hill toward the boy and his dragon.
   The dragon flew out of reach and circled around the imprisoned woman. "So you think you are a knight!" he laughed. "My dragon will kill her if you try to fight us!" the boy yelled.


Queen of Cups

   Nathan didn't want to do anything that might lead to the boy and his dragon harming the woman, so he dismounted from his horse and pondered the situation. Suddenly, he noticed a woman on a throne far off in the distance. Nathan rode his horse over to her, dismounted, and bowed before her. "How may I serve thee, my Queen?" Nathan asked.
   "You are a courageous knight, but I also sense that you have qualities that are rare in people these days: you have music in your heart, and you can neutralize dark forces to create balance. You have a guardian angel named Atriel, who will guide you in your spiritual practices. Sometimes the music in your heart inspires you to rush, sword drawn, into battle on your white horse to save people in trouble. You are a fierce warrior, but you also have a magical ability that makes hand to hand combat sometimes unnecessary. I can teach you a sacred ritual that might help you avoid a conflict with that naughty boy and his dragon. He is a very troublesome little trickster who knows how to hinder people."
   "I would be greatly honored by any assistance that you might give me, your Highness," Nathan responded.
   The Queen commanded, "Gaze into my magic cup, and you will know what to do."
   Nathan gazed a long time, how long he wasn't sure, but suddenly he knew exactly what he needed to do. He bowed, "I understand now, my Queen. I will serve thee by first attempting with my guardian angel Atriel to neutralize the dark forces possessing my foes. If that doesn't work, I will fight the dragon to the death to free the unfortunate woman imprisoned by the swords."
   The Queen smiled, "Valiant knight, I admire your bravery and determination. I wish you success in your challenging endeavor."



Wheel of Fortune: Jupiter

   A holy man at the castle had initiated Nathan into the sacred Mysteries, so Nathan knew many of the symbols associated with the mystical Tree of Life, and he also knew a little Hebrew. As he pondered his task, he began to think about the meaning of the name of his guardian angel, Atriel. The Hebrew letter Aleph, which means Ox, he knew, symbolizes the powerful life force within all creation. The second letter Tau means cross, which symbolizes sacrifice. The letter Resh pertains to Tiphareth in the head, and is therefore associated with the Sun, which on the Tree of Life corresponds to the Christ center of sacrifice and harmonizing love. The fourth letter Yod denotes hand, the means of action and the symbol of creative and directive energy, which suggests not only the act of working for harmony and justice but also evokes the seeds of new life held within the fist. The last two letters, EL, which together mean God, are almost always included at the end of the names of Archangels and Angels. Perhaps through his sacrifices as a knight he would come to plant the seeds of new life and fully experience the light of harmonizing love while growing through the challenges of his quest.



Active and Passive Invoking Pentagrams

   So Nathan suppressed his desire to attack the dragon. He imagined the woman imprisoned by swords and realized, possibly thanks to the magic cup, that Jupiter was influencing the woman's struggle in some way. Jupiter reveals the magnificence, harmony, and abundance of the human spirit, so he knew that Jupiter's influence might also be the key to her freedom. He knew that first he needed to banish the negative influences, so he imagined the imprisoned woman again and performed the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. (See the description in the post of August 26 of The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.)

  As he performed the ritual, he suddenly recognized that Mercury was also influencing the situation. Having been initiated by the holy man, Nathan realized that Mercury is Saturn on a lower arc, which revealed to him why the Hinderers, the boy and his dragon, were guarding the woman. Saturn limits force to create and maintain form, and Mercury can contain force on a spiritual and mental and emotional level. Nathan realized that the woman might believe that she is trapped even though the swords aren't really imprisoning her. Perhaps people in power who resided in the castle on the cliff had made her believe that she was a prisoner. He began to wonder if people in the castle had placed the boy and the dragon near the woman or if those two had shown up because of her belief in her own imprisonment.


Six of Wands: Jupiter in Leo

   After Nathan banished the negative influences by performing the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, he chose to invoke the "Lord of Victory," the archetype of a great knight, a figure who manifests Jupiter in Leo in the Tarot card known as the Six of Wands that the holy man at the castle had shown him. According to the holy man, the Lord of Victory is also associated with the Sun in Tiphareth, the center of equilibrium and of harmonizing love and sacrifice on the Tree of Life. The Queen's magic cup had shown Nathan how to invoke the sacred archetypes of the mystical Tree of Life, so he was ready to invoke the Lord of Victory. He performed the first eleven steps of the ritual. (See the description in the post of September 2 of The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram.)


Foundation Cards for the Six of Wands

   Nathan then laid down the Six of Wands on a makeshift altar and stated while tapping the card, "The Six of Wands, Jupiter in Leo." Since Fire is an active element, Nathan used the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram while laying down the Aces--the foundation cards--starting in the lower right corner of the pentagram, moving to the upper left corner and continuing from there in a continuous motion. After he placed all of the cards, he tapped each card in the direction of the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram, making sure to tap the one in the lower right corner to complete the pentagram. Then he laid down the modifiers, Strength (Leo) and The Wheel of Fortune (Jupiter), on the Ace of Wands in the lower right hand corner of the pentagram.


Modifiers for the Six of Wands: Strength (Leo) and The Wheel of Fortune (Jupiter)

   As Nathan laid down the card known as Strength on the Ace of Wands, he stated while tapping the card, "Strength, Leo."
   As he laid down The Wheel of Fortune on Strength, he stated while tapping the card, "The Wheel of Fortune, Jupiter."


Pentagram for Spirit

   Then he drew the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in the air in brilliant white above the Six of Wands on the altar, charging the pentagram and the spirit wheel with the Sign of the Enterer. 


Invoking Fire Pentagram


After that, he drew an Invoking Pentagram for Fire directly over the Invoking Spirit Pentagram, charging the pentagram and the symbol of Leo in the same way. At that point, he imagined the symbol of the lion turning into the living image of the Lord of Victory a few feet south of his altar and coming alive as a full-length figure. Then he imagined salamanders, brilliant points of light, flowing from the Archangel Michael and filling the living image of the great knight while at the same time the bright points of the Fire element flowed from his own aura and also filled the living image.
   He stated loudly, "I name you Lord of Victory."
   Then he said," I humbly ask thee from the astral light to help me, for the highest possible good, with harmonizing love, to release the woman from her bondage."
   "After you have completed your task, great knight, I humbly ask thee to return to the element of Fire, doing no harm."
   "So mote it be!" Nathan imagined the great knight neutralizing the dark forces that were holding the woman captive and then envisioned her free of her bonds.
   In his imagination, he could see the woman freed of her bonds and any negative beliefs she might have experienced.



Three of Cups: Mercury in Cancer

   When he had completed his ritual, Nathan returned to the seashore. The Queen of Cups motioned to the former prisoner, who was now dancing with two other women near the shore. Holding a stalk of grapes in one hand, she held up her cup with the other hand in a toast to the Lord of Abundance as she danced. The Queen of Cups smiled. "That troublesome boy and his dragon are gone, and the woman is free. You have done well, my valiant knight. You may continue now on your quest."






Saturday, September 9, 2023

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

Ten of Pentacles: Mercury in Virgo



HEALTH AND WEALTH



   One of the latest Covid variants knocked me on my ass for over a week. I can't hold down a job in this situation. I have a compromised immune system due to celiac disease. In other words, gluten overwhelms my immune system, causing atrial fibrillation. My heart goes haywire if I eat even a tiny bit of a protein that is in just about every product on supermarket shelves. Should I get a Covid shot? Let me see. I nearly had a heart attack from a shot of Novocaine. I threw up eleven times in the afternoon at work one day after taking a "multi-vitamin for men." I cried harder after using Johnson and Johnson's "no more tears" shampoo than I ever have before or since. I have passed out too many times from eating foods that are supposed to be good for everyone in the world.
   Why can't we have a universal health care system, so that we can all get immediate testing for Covid? I have been tested once for Covid, only because my daughter is a nurse and could test me in her position at a nursing home. I have since had similar symptoms six times. Why can't we have a universal health care system so the government can do contact-tracing and maintain a data base that enables us to contain the disease instead of allowing new variants to keep surfacing? In America, the richest country in the world? America has four percent of the world's population but twenty-five percent of the world's Covid cases. More people go bankrupt from our private health insurance industry than for any other reason in the U.S.
(1). If we don't create an effective universal health care system like every other developed nation, we will never limit or stop the variants of this pandemic. Oh, wait, let me see. We have to give trillions of dollars to the military and huge tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy. Let's not forget the twenty billion subsidy to the fossil fuel industry. That's the American way.
   What does it really mean to be wealthy? On one level, for me at least, it means being healthy enough to live fully as a human being. On another level, it means being healthy enough to touch the dimensions of Universal Consciousness and maintain harmony within myself and for others. I can't be a productive spiritual being or citizen if I am too sick to do anything but sleep and toss and turn in bed.
   Forgive me if I don't feel well enough to go into the usual detail. Today, we are going to focus on the kind of wealth that affects us all on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels.
   We are creating a living image, an artificial elemental, of the Ten of Pentacles with the Tarot Pentagram Spread. First, perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram. (See previous post.) Make sure to lay the cards down on your altar in the direction of the element of Earth: north. In other words, place all the cards in the pentagram with the tops facing north on your altar.


Foundation Cards with the Ten of Pentacles

   Place the Ten of Pentacles in the middle of the pentagram, saying, "The Ten of Pentacles, Lord (or Lady) of Wealth, Mercury in Virgo," and tap the card.


Modifiers for the Ten of Pentacles: The Hermit (Virgo) and The Magician (Mercury)

   Since Earth is a passive element, use the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram while laying down the Aces, the foundation cards, starting in the lower left corner of the pentagram, moving to the upper right corner and continuing from there. After you have placed all of the cards, tap each card in the direction of the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram, making sure to tap the one in the lower left corner to complete the pentagram. Then lay down the modifiers, The Hermit and The Magician, on the Ace of Pentacles in the lower right hand corner of the pentagram.
   As you lay down The Hermit on the Ace of Pentacles, say while tapping the card, "The Hermit, Virgo."
   Then lay down The Magician and say while tapping the card, "The Magician, Mercury."


Pentagram for Spirit

   Then draw the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in the air in brilliant white above the Ten of Pentacles on the altar, charging the pentagram and the spirit wheel in the usual way with the Sign of the Enterer. 


Invoking Pentagram for Earth


After that, draw an Invoking Pentagram for Earth directly over the Invoking Spirit Pentagram, charging the pentagram and the symbol of Taurus in the usual way. At that point, imagine the symbol of the bull's head turning into the living image of the magician in the Ten of Pentacles. Then imagine the magician moving a few feet north of your altar and coming alive as a full-length figure. As you visualize the living image of the Tarot card, imagine black, rayed with yellow, descending on the figure, which is the appropriate ray of color, based on the list of symbolic correspondences related to the Tree of Life, and imagine that the appropriate elementals, in this case gnomes, as points of light, flow from the Archangel Auriel and fill the living image while at the same time the bright points of the Earth element flow from your aura and fill the living image as well.
   Say, "I name you Lord of Wealth," which is the alternate title of the card.
   Say, "From the astral light, help me see the magic and abundance in the world and provide me with wealth on every level so that I may live abundantly and live for the highest possible good," in this case emphasizing the main spiritual principles revealed in the card. Feel free to insert your own interpretation of the card.
   Say, "Perform this task until ______ (providing a date), then return to the element of Earth, doing no harm."
   End by saying, "So mote it be!" Imagine for a few minutes the living image of the Ten of Pentacles filling you with abundance and the ability to see the abundance and magic in the world before you finish the ritual.
   You might unexpectedly feel like you are seeing the magic in the world and living more abundantly. Even if that doesn't happen, just know that the living image is there, helping you.

   Always finish with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram!


1) https://www.citizen.org/article/medicare-for-all-prevents-medical-bankruptcies/#:~:text=Each%20year%2C%20nearly%20650%2C000%20people,percent%20of%20all%20personal%20bankruptcies.




Saturday, September 2, 2023

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

Two of Pentacles: Jupiter in Capricorn



THE SUPREME INVOKING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM (SIRP)



  When my daughter was dying from a stroke caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), I prayed to God to take me instead. After months of intensive medical care and rehab, my daughter miraculously recovered. Since then I have performed a ritual every day during which my personality disappears, and I ask for God's divine, holy love to transform a portion of the negativity in the collective consciousness of humanity into harmony and light for the highest possible good of this planet and humanity as a whole. Sounds insane, I know, but after sixty years, I am convinced that most of what we do for this planet and humanity and the ones we love is insane, at least from the perspective of our own personal self-interest. I am convinced that what we do because of our love for our family and humanity and the planet is worth more than all the kudos bestowed upon any individual, worth more than all the money that anyone in history has ever accumulated. I would rather sacrifice myself for my family and humanity and the planet instead of providing this information to any individuals who are unenlightened and unbalanced, but we have, unfortunately, reached a tipping point for humanity and this planet. Based on personal experience, I know that a few people who are able to perform this ritual effectively can have an enormously positive impact on humanity and the planet as a whole.
   The Archangels Raphael (Air), Michael (Fire), Gabriel (Water), and Auriel (Earth) rule the elemental energies represented by the Tree of Life, which ripple out as the energies of the zodiac and the planets. Therefore, this ritual enables you to touch the dimensions of Universal Consciousness. One of the main goals of any significant spiritual tradition is to return the mind to a state of radical innocence where one "returns to paradise." The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram creates an extremely rare state of liberty--the mind becomes completely open and the emotions become free of negativity and anxiety. Invoking the Great Archangels of the Elements can establish spiritual "innocence" as well as enable you to experience a profound sense of eternity. In other words, the SIRP, if performed effectively, cleanses and purifies the spiritual, mental, emotional, and etheric levels of the psyche. A relationship with these Archangels is important because, quite simply, they are four of the most powerful beings of harmony in the universe that we can know. This ritual, therefore, can lead to major changes because it creates a unified frequency within the aura and because the resulting state of purity and balance inevitably inspires close examination of social and religious values as well as the behavior of others around us.
   At first, this ritual might not do anything for you, or it might cause you to feel disoriented because of the way society has conditioned you. Performing this ritual might also make you a target of negative spiritual beings, which means that you might need to work with the Archangels to neutralize dark forces to create balance. I ask you to consider performing this ritual only if you are dedicated to creating harmony and balance on a subtle spiritual level for humanity and this planet. If you do, and you are like me, you will change completely, and you might not be able at first to understand the changes you are experiencing. You might, for instance, be tempted to use your spiritual powers like a sorcerer, for your benefit alone. If, however, you invoke the Archangels to cause harm or disorder, you might find your negativity directed right back at you....
   The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram packs tremendous spiritual power into a relatively brief ceremony. Even if you feel awkward at first while performing the ritual, you may find that you experience startling results. In my opinion, you should not perform this ritual unless you truly desire to have a new perspective on yourself, the world, and your spirituality. Like I did, you might each time open a portal to the spiritual dimension, so you must, without fail, perform The Lesser Banishing Ritual immediately afterwards every time. (See previous post.) I speak from experience--I made the mistake of not performing the Lesser Banishing Ritual once and had one of the most bizarre spiritual experiences in my life. Not all inhabitants of this world are made of sweetness and light. That is true of the spiritual dimensions as well. (Worse, the occupants of other dimensions are usually invisible to human beings.) As with everything else, you simply need to take the appropriate precautions.
   I know that people where I live consider me crazy, but many guiding lights of civilization have performed the rituals associated with the mystical Qabalah, including William Butler Yeats, who is considered one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century; Dion Fortune and Israel Regardie, both influential writers who have brilliantly clarified the tradition; and Arthur Edward Waite, who was the co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck. This ritual incorporates Hebrew and an Angelic language known as "Enochian," recorded in late sixteenth century England in the private journals of John Dee, a consultant to Queen Elizabeth I. Working with the seer Edward Kelley, Dee laid the foundation for a powerful and mysterious system of magic, which has had an enormous impact on modern occult practices, mainly through the influence of the esoteric order The Golden Dawn. Despite the fact that no one knows precisely how to pronounce the language, Enochian has gained great popularity, perhaps due to its uncanny effect on the psyche.
   I designed the Tarot Pentagram Spread specifically to fit into the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram to add power to the invocation of living images because each Tarot card corresponds to an elemental state of being. Remember that each Tarot card corresponds to the Tree of Life and with a dimension of Universal Consciousness. This ritual super-charges any ritual you create with Tarot cards. You can seamlessly incorporate the Tarot Pentagram Spread into the ritual if you pay close attention to the elemental attributes of the cards. (See example in Step 11.) This ritual, of course, can serve any spiritual purpose, with or without Tarot cards. I have discovered that establishing and maintaining a reverent relationship with the Angels and Archangels, which is accomplished through a desire to serve the Divine Will for the highest possible good, is perhaps the most significant element of the ritual.
   This ritual is awesome and sacred. It is not intended to be a mere experiment or a game. You are in danger of becoming greatly unbalanced and could experience serious trials if you are not working to create harmony for the highest possible good of yourself, or friends and family, or humanity and this planet.

   1) Perform the Qabalistic Cross and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP). See previous post.


Active and Passive Spirit Invoking Pentagrams

   2) Facing east, imagine yourself in the middle of a circle. If you have room, step a few feet directly to the east; if not, simply face east. Inhale deeply, imagining that the energy of the divine is entering your body and permeating your aura. As you exhale, vibrate the word of power EXARP (Ex-ahr-pey) while drawing the Active Spirit Invoking Pentagram, visualizing it in brilliant white light: Begin at the bottom right point (Fire) at your right hip, moving to the upper left point (Air) at your left shoulder, then over to the upper right point at your right shoulder (Water), then down to the lower left point at your left hip (Earth), then up to the top point just above your head (Spirit), then back to the lower right point where you started. You should be sounding out the last syllable as you make the Sign of the Enterer to charge the pentagram. Make sure to save enough breath so that you can charge the pentagram as you are vibrating the last syllable, "pey." Remember to vibrate the words, either out loud (if you feel comfortable doing so) or in your head using the “The Great Voice," so that your whole aura seems to vibrate with the sound, the premise being that all matter is the vibration of energy--and by vibrating the divine names you are tuning your mind to the highest vibration.
   As in the LBRP, to make the Sign of the Enterer, raise your hands to the sides of your head next to your ears, with your index fingers pointing forward and the rest of your fingers closed into a fist. Step forward with your left foot while at the same time thrusting your hands, with index fingers still pointing forward, into the center of the pentagram. In the SIRP, thrust the hands forward at the end of the word of power.


Spirit Pentagram with Spirit Wheel in Center

   Draw the spirit wheel in the center of the pentagram, making a circle clockwise in brilliant white, starting and ending at the top. Next, draw the vertical line, then the horizontal line, then the two diagonal lines. Vibrate EHEIEH (Eh-heh-yeh) while making the wheel. Again make the Sign of the Enterer by thrusting your hands forward at the end of the word of power.


Invoking Pentagram for the element of Air

   3) Still facing east, make the invoking Pentagram of Air, visualized in purple light, directly over the Active Spirit Invoking Pentagram. In other words, start at the upper right hand point, near your right shoulder, then continue over to your left shoulder, then down to your right hip, and so on until you are back where you started. Vibrate ORO IBAH AOZPI (Oh-row Ee-bah-hah Ah-oh-zohd-pee) while drawing the pentagram. Charge the symbol by thrusting the hands forward in the Sign of the Enterer. Then draw the Aquarius symbol in bright yellow within the pentagram. (Please note that Air, Fire, and Water elemental pentagrams contain "flashing" colors; that is, the primary symbol is drawn in the color of the element, and the pentagram is drawn in the complementary color.) Vibrate YHVH (Yod-heh-vav-heh) while making the symbol. Charge the symbol by again thrusting the hands forward.
   Then imagine sylphs, like tiny points of brilliant light, flowing towards you from the Archangel Raphael, who is dressed in a bright yellow robe, trimmed and flecked with violet. Imagine the sylphs completely filling your aura with their light.


Pentagram for Spirit

   4) Move clockwise to the south, making a line of brilliant white light. Every time you move to a different cardinal direction, point with your index finger to make a brilliant white line that connects the pentagrams in the center. Make another Active Spirit Invoking Pentagram, visualized in white light. Vibrate BITOM (Bee-toh-em) while drawing the pentagram and charge by thrusting the hands forward. Draw the wheel within the pentagram. Vibrate EHEIEH while making the wheel, then charge the symbol.


Invoking Pentagram for the element of Fire

   5) Make the invoking Pentagram of Fire, visualized in bright green light. From the top of the star, move down to the lower right point and continue from there back to the top point. Vibrate OIP TEAA PEDOCE (Oh-ee-pay Tay-ah-ah Pay-doh-kay) while drawing the pentagram. Draw the Leo symbol in bright red within the pentagram. Vibrate ELOHIM (El-oh-heem) while making this symbol. (In the rest of the ritual, vibrate all of the words of power and charge the pentagrams and symbols in the same way.)
   Imagine salamanders, like tiny points of brilliant fire, flowing towards you from the Archangel Michael, who is dressed in a bright red robe, trimmed and flecked with green. Imagine the salamanders completely filling your aura with their fiery light.


Pentagram for Spirit

   6) Trace the circle clockwise to the west, carrying a line of brilliant white light. Make the Passive Spirit Invoking Pentagram, visualized in white light, this time starting at the lower left point and moving to the upper right point and continuing from there. Vibrate HCOMA (Hay-coh-mah) while drawing the pentagram. Draw the wheel of spirit within the pentagram. Vibrate AGLA (Ah-glah) while making the wheel.


Invoking Pentagram for the element of Water

   7) Make the Invoking Pentagram of Water, visualized in orange light. Vibrate EMPEH ARSEL GAIOL (Ehm-pay-hay Ahr-sel Gah-ee-ohl) while drawing the pentagram. Draw the head of an eagle in bright blue within the pentagram. Vibrate EL while making this symbol.
   Now imagine undines, like tiny drops of brilliant water, flowing towards you from the Archangel Gabriel, who is dressed in a bright blue robe, trimmed and flecked with orange. Imagine the undines completely filling your aura with bright, cleansing water.


Pentagram for Spirit

   8) Trace the circle clockwise to the north, carrying a line of bright white light. Make the Passive Spirit Invoking Pentagram, visualized in white light. Vibrate NANTA (Ehn-ah-ehn-tah) while drawing the pentagram. Draw the wheel within the pentagram. Vibrate AGLA while making the wheel.


Invoking Pentagram for the element of Earth

   9) Make the Invoking Pentagram of Earth, visualized in dark green light. Vibrate EMOR DIAL HECTEGA (Ee-mohr Dee-ahl Hek-tay-gah) while drawing the pentagram. Draw the Taurus symbol in shiny black within the pentagram. Vibrate ADONAI (Ah-doh-nye) while making this symbol.
   Imagine gnomes, tiny points of brilliant light, flowing towards you from the Archangel Auriel, who is dressed in a white robe trimmed with black. Imagine the gnomes completely filling your aura with their light.

   10) Complete the ritual circle clockwise to the east. Return to the center. Imagine the white line that connects the pentagrams expanding to form a sphere of brilliant white light that surrounds you.

   11) Perform your magic. If you are creating an artificial elemental (living image) with the Tarot Ritual Pentagram Spread, lay the foundation cards down and all other cards on your altar in the direction of the element you are emphasizing in the invocation.
   Then lay down the modifiers on the appropriate Ace, first the card representing the zodiac sign, then the card representing the planet, then a Number Card, if appropriate.
   Remember, if you are invoking the elemental energy of a card related to Air, you and the cards should face east, and you should use the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the Air Pentagram.
   If you are invoking the elemental energy of a card related to Fire, you and the cards should face south, and you should use the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the Fire Pentagram.
   If you invoking the energy of a card related to the Water element, face west and use the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the Water Pentagram.
   If you invoking the energy of a card related to the Earth element, face north and use the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the Earth Pentagram.
   As you lay down the Major Arcana card representing the zodiac sign, remember to say the name of the card and its related zodiac sign while tapping the card.
   As you lay down the Major Arcana card representing the planet, remember to say the name of the card and its related planet while tapping the card. Do the same with any Number Card, tapping the card while naming the planet and zodiac sign of the decan.


Active and Passive Spirit Invoking Pentagrams

   After laying down the cards, draw the Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in the air in brilliant white above the main Tarot card on the altar, charging the pentagram and the symbol of the element in the usual way with the Sign of the Enterer. As you visualize the living image of the Tarot card floating in the middle of the Pentagram, imagine that the appropriate elementals flow from the Archangel and fill the living image while at the same time points of light flow from your aura and fill the living image as well.
   If the main card is a Number Card, say, "I name you Lord (or Lady) of ______," based on the alternate title of the card.
   Then, for the Number Card or any other card, simply say, "Reflect the quality of ______ from the astral light into my aura," based on the spiritual principle revealed in the card. This can be anything from a few words to a whole paragraph.
   Say, "Perform this task until ______ (providing a date), then return to your element, doing no harm."

   12) Always finish with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram!






             A ll Text, Music, and Illustrations, including Paintings, Photographs, and 3D models, Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins. f     GO...