All Text, Music, and Illustrations, including Paintings, Photographs, and 3D models, Copyright © 2022 by Jim Robbins.
LORD OF PRUDENCE
Nathan came upon the King of Pentacles near the castle. Nathan dismounted and bowed before the King. "I serve thee always, great King, but I have a question."
The King responded, "Yes, dear knight, what is your question?"
"I just witnessed an artisan creating golden pentacles in the street near the castle. His work is beautiful, but why create art when so many problems plague the realm, such as poverty and lawlessness and war? Wouldn't it be better if he got involved with us to end the disorder and create harmony through his actions instead of through his art?"
"So you encountered the Royal Pentacle Maker? He helps to create harmony in the realm as chaos swirls around us, which it inevitably does sometimes. We cannot keep power-hungry people in other realms from trying to invade and plunder our realm, for instance. We can only defend ourselves and drive them back. Knights and soldiers are trained to do that noble work. The Royal Pentacle Maker performs his own noble task. He works tirelessly to create pentacles for the members of our community. Each person is given a pentacle, and if anyone experiences misfortune or disease, he or she can exchange the golden pentacle for money, which itself is a form of positive energy if used wisely, to survive. That is one way of maintaining harmony in our realm.
"But even if they are destitute, some people choose not to convert their pentacle into money because the pentacle contains a power that I am sure you have experienced to some degree. The pentacle contains all the powers of the sacred Tree of Life. Touching the pentacle enables you to feel the five subtle elements, four of which, Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, are associated with the twelve zodiac signs and their ruling planets. And of course there is the fifth element of Aether, or Spirit, which unites all of the elements. Like a magician, our Royal Pentacle Maker charges each pentacle with the energies of the Tree of Life so that each individual can feel how his or her personal consciousness is embedded in Universal Consciousness. Almost everyone who touches one of the pentacles feels the oneness and divinity of creation to some degree as the harmony of the Source permeates through all levels of their being. But of course there are the lawless types who don't feel any connection with other people or creation when they hold a pentacle. They only want power and money for themselves, and they will harm anyone who gets in their way.
"Only someone who has experienced chaos and disorder can truly dedicate his life to the creation of harmony. He knows the value of prudence, which some believe is a kind of "stodginess," but which actually means foresight and discretion and deep knowledge of the self and the world. So you see that some people work on the spiritual level to create and maintain harmony within the realm, while others, like you, act primarily on the physical level to maintain peace and order and balance. Both are important. Of course, the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels are also involved in what you both do in your work to different degrees. The Royal Pentacle Maker is influenced by Mercury, like the magician who manifests the energies of the Tree of Life within the Kingdom. In other words, he manifests the harmony of Spirit within our realm through his pentacles. Remember that Spirit unites all the levels of being together, not only within each individual, but also throughout the cosmos."
Nathan bowed and thanked the King and rode away to a secluded place in the forest where he could perform a ritual. Nathan chose The Eight of Pentacles, a card remarkably similar to what he had witnessed, which represents The Sun in Virgo and Mercury in Splendor, the eighth Emanation on the Tree of Life. Nathan chose The Hermit, which represents Virgo, as one modifying card. The holy man in the castle had revealed that like the pentagram, the hexagram also represents the basic elements of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, as well as the corresponding zodiac signs and their ruling planets, in other words, all of the energies of the Tree of Life, which itself reveals the dimensions of Universal Consciousness: the hexagram in The Hermit's lantern lights his way. The Hermit, the holy man said, represents the mythological principle known as "The Wilderness Journey," which is a journey that holy men take in order to separate themselves from society and experience the archetypal energies of the Tree of Life. The Hermit, as he attains the spiritual heights, reveals the archetypal energies while The Magician, associated with Mercury, manifests the subtle forces of the Tree of Life within the Kingdom, the realm of physical life. The God Mercury, like the Egyptian God Thoth, is associated with "The Creation of the World," which is the mythological principle associated with The Magician in Path 12. Within the Tarot Pentagram Spread that he had chosen, Nathan realized, The Sun, with the light of harmonizing love and sacrifice, associated with the mythological principle "The Awakening of the Mind," illuminates all the paths of the Tree of Life, which is appropriate since The Sun is positioned in the center of the hexagram and is also associated with the center of equilibrium on the Tree, the Emanation known as Beauty.
For his ritual, Nathan chose The Magician as the central card, because it symbolizes the manifestation of harmony through the acts of creation that occur in every moment. Since Earth is a passive element, Nathan used the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram while laying down the foundation cards, the Aces and Judgement, starting in the lower left corner of the pentagram, moving to the upper right corner and continuing from there. After he 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 placed The Magician in the middle of the pentagram and tapped the card, saying, "The Magician, Mercury, The Creation of the World." Then he placed the modifiers, The Hermit and The Sun, on the Ace of Pentacles in the lower left hand corner of the pentagram.
As he placed The Hermit on the Ace of Pentacles, he said while tapping the card, "The Hermit, Virgo, the Wilderness Journey."
As he placed The Sun on The Hermit, he said while tapping the card, "The Sun, the Awakening of the Mind."
Then he drew the Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in the air in brilliant white above The Magician on the altar, charging the pentagram and the spirit wheel in the usual way with the Sign of the Enterer.
After that, he drew an Invoking Pentagram for Earth directly over the Spirit Pentagram, charging the pentagram and the symbol of Taurus in the usual way. At that point, he imagined the symbol of the bull's head coming alive as The Magician. Then he imagined gnomes flowing from the Archangel Auriel and filling the living image while at the same time the bright points of the Earth element flowed from his aura and filled the living image as well.
Then he said, "I name you The Magician, Mercury, the Creation of the World."
Then he said, "Great Mercury, help me to manifest the energies of the Tree of Life to create harmony in every moment, both in myself and in the realm."
Then he stated, "Perform this task, doing no harm, until I have succeeded in mastering this ability. So mote it be!"
He imagined for a few minutes the living image of The Magician filling him with the energies of the Tree of Life and the ability to manifest harmony and balance in the realm for the highest possible good. He, of course, performed the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram before he completed the ritual.
Afterwards, Nathan felt like he was successfully manifesting the energies of the paths of the Tree of Life for greater harmony and balance in himself and in the realm.
(Please note: All AI versions are based on my 3D Blender renderings, paintings, or photographs.)
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