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

Jester in the Rain

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SELF-SACRIFICE AND THE JUSTICE OF HEAVEN

Eight of Swords: Jupiter in Gemini

   As Nathan was strolling through the rain, he came upon a homeless person in a wet blanket. Nathan pulled out his wallet and handed the man two dollars. As Nathan continued rambling down the sidewalk, he suddenly felt like gold coins were falling all around him.
   Back in the Tarot realm, Nathan had encountered a blindfolded and loosely bound woman who was surrounded by eight swords as the tide was rising, and suddenly, he felt like he knew how she must have felt. In his homeland, Nathan had to work two gigs to pay for rent and food, and the price of necessities just kept rising, but his inadequate wages remained stagnant. He had no job security, no benefits, no assured income, yet he had to pay for car insurance and car maintenance because an effective mass transit system didn't exist. He paid for health insurance as the medical industry and health insurance companies continued to bankrupt half a million people a year: a universal health care system would be inimical to raw capitalism. Most of the government's discretionary spending flowed generously to the military-industrial complex--for unjustifiable wars and proxy wars and covert wars. The billionaires managed to keep their vast fortunes instead of paying taxes that might help the people because the super-rich elite kept the politicians in their back pockets, and the politicians and the media, which was owned by the super-rich, kept causing divisiveness to keep the masses confused about basic concepts like the unequal distribution of wealth and how the average person was constantly being ripped off. Instead of being a knight, Nathan had become a wage slave, and by the end of the month, he had to go into debt just to get by. To top it off, he felt like he was to blame for his miserable condition. Nathan began to long for the Tarot Realm.

Six of Pentacles: Moon in Taurus

   Nathan remembered how in the Tarot Realm a rich man had donated money to destitute people with his right hand while holding balancing scales in his left. Nathan was confused for a moment by the scales, but then he realized that the generous man was not only helping the the poor--he was practicing a form of self-sacrifice to bring greater harmony and balance to the community, which benefitted everyone. Even in the Tarot Realm, change remains the only constant and societies change like the phases of the moon. The generous man must have realized that through all the flux we need to help each other to remain strong.

Six of Swords: Mercury in Aquarius

   Nathan thought of other acts of giving in the Tarot Realm, from small acts of kindness to great acts of sacrifice. Once, while he was exploring the realm, he had noticed a man poling a boat containing a woman and child across a lake to a distant shore. As if Nathan were having a vision, he thought he saw six swords standing straight up and down in the bow of the boat, which seemed to signal that the man was aiding the woman and child through a difficulty of some kind or helping them escape some danger. The man was so skilled and balanced that the boat continued to move calmly and smoothly across the water despite any dangers, slowly but surely. The man's composure suggested that he had handled many difficulties before, which was a sign that he was far-seeing and careful and that he had performed more that a few acts of self-sacrifice.

Ten of Wands: Saturn in Sagittarius

   Then Nathan remembered a man carrying ten wands in a fan-like formation. The man was stooped under his burden, and the wands almost seemed to imprison him, but he lumbered forward with great discipline and determination as if he had some fire within that enabled him to complete even the most difficult task. He was carrying his burden toward a distant house, which suggested that he was performing this act of self-sacrifice for others, not just for himself. Work was often a kind of sacrifice, Nathan had realized, and it sometimes helped to prepare the mind and body for even greater challenges.

Eight of Pentacles: Sun in Virgo

   As Nathan continued strolling down the street, he remembered a man near the castle laboring to create golden pentacles. Each glowing pentacle symbolized the harmony of the elements of Earth, Spirit, Fire, Air, and Water, and each element represented the triplicities of the zodiac signs and their ruling planets, in other words, all of the subtle forces represented by the Tree of Life. The man was laboring alone to create symbols of external and internal harmony for the community, which struck Nathan at the time as a lonely but beautiful sacrifice.

Three of Pentacles: Mars in Capricorn

   Then Nathan remembered three men working together inside of a cathedral. One man was a monk who could see symbols of harmony in a spirit realm known as The Foundation. An architect, who worked on the mental level to create the plans for the building, stood beside the monk, and a mason manifested those symbolic structures in concrete form. Together, they labored to create a magnificent edifice representing the harmony of the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical planes, an edifice that would take many years to complete, but which would last for hundreds of years, which Nathan felt was an inspiring collaborative act of sacrifice.

Five of Swords: Venus in Aquarius

   As Nathan continued his excursion through the city, he remembered a warrior in the Tarot Realm who had disarmed two men who had attacked him. The warrior allowed the two men to slouch away. The warrior's act of de-escalation had impressed Nathan. The warrior had quickly neutralized hostilities, and the warrior's prowess had suggested that he had worked long and hard to develop the skill and discipline and had developed the ability to discriminate in times of crisis and conflict. The warrior didn't crow or puff himself up. He simply grabbed the swords and walked away, which greatly impressed Nathan. The warrior's sacrifices had paid off.

Seven of Wands: Mars in Leo

   Then Nathan remembered a warrior who had taken on six other soldiers by himself. He showed great strength and courage and didn't hesitate to protect his homeland from forces who were attempting to steal the resources and enslave the people. The warrior, against great odds, had unhesitatingly put his life on the line for his community and his realm. Nathan admired the warrior's willingness to sacrifice himself for a greater cause. Fortunately, the warrior had developed the strength and skill to fight off the other soldiers, which over a long period of time had required great discipline and sacrifice.

Eight of Cups: Saturn in Pisces

   Then Nathan remembered a knight who had left the castle to develop other aspects of himself. The knight had spiritual aspirations and had convinced the king and queen that he could serve the realm as a holy man. Nathan remembered that the king and queen had smiled as they had granted his request. Nathan had watched the knight ascend the mountain alone in the moonlight, and he realized that it took a lot of courage and discipline to abandon success and strive for a greater life. He was demonstrating an admirable form of sacrifice for a greater good.

The Hanged Man: Water

   Then Nathan remembered a man who had been hung upside down in the town square. The man had spoken the truth and was being treated as a traitor. Nathan thought he could see a halo around the man's head. The man, even in a moment of great crisis, seemed to have the ability to suspend his consciousness to connect with powerful spiritual forces, and the man was able, even during his sacrifice, to reveal the gold of the spirit. The man was not afraid of being treated as a despicable outcast and a traitor to the realm. Nathan had felt great sorrow for the hanged man, who through his act of sacrifice was forcing others to examine their beliefs and spiritual values.

Ten of Swords: The Sun in Gemini

   Finally, Nathan remembered a man lying face down with ten swords in his back. Apparently a group of men had orchestrated and carried out the attack. Nathan was surprised that the man's right hand in death had formed a gesture of blessing--as if he had forgiven his attackers as he died. Nathan did not know the man and had no idea why the man was killed, but the sun began to shine through dark clouds as if the man had been targeted for insisting on the values of the higher self, for in the Tarot Realm The Sun represented the higher self. In the Tarot Realm, such a synchronicity was possible. No matter what had caused the man's ruin, Nathan had suddenly felt great sympathy for the man.

Justice at the Apartment Complex

   As Nathan entered his courtyard in his apartment complex, he encountered a woman wearing a crown in a worn out dress who held a sword straight up and down.
   The woman unexpectedly muttered, "Forgive my appearance, but maintaining justice and harmony in this realm is not a easy as you might think."

Justice: Libra

   Nathan replied, "In the Tarot Realm, Justice was dressed lavishly as a queen, and she held golden scales in her left hand as she sat on a throne, but like you, she did not wear a blindfold, for justice sees all in this realm and every realm. Your task here is perhaps more difficult than the work of justice in the Tarot Realm."

The Tower: Mars

   The woman replied, "Unfortunately, justice in this realm can be slow and uneven, but many people here don't seem to understand that justice can hit like lightning when you least expect it. Sooner or later, justice will catch up with you, even in this realm."

Six of Wands: Jupiter in Leo

   Nathan replied, "I remember a great knight in the Tarot Realm who brought many people to justice. We called him 'Lord of Victory.' He demonstrated that he could act from his higher self in every circumstance. He commanded respect wherever he went. He manifested the magnificence of Jupiter and revealed the 'other self,' the higher self, to everyone around him. Even in this realm, some people can manage to be like him."

The Lovers: Gemini

   "Yes," the woman replied. "In this realm, people like him might live in a shabby apartment in a run-down part of town, but they know the justice of heaven. They might deal with conflict all the time, but they know their divine core and live from their higher self and know the holiness of all energy and the divinity of all life, so in a way they have regained paradise despite their external circumstances."

Continue with Nathan on his journey.

(All AI generated images are based on 3D Blender renderings, paintings, and photographs by Jim Robbins.)

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

Pan

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MEETING WITH THE POWERS OF LIFE AND THE WAR AT THE WORLD'S END

The Fool

   After Nathan moved into an apartment in the El Dorado District, he found a carving that resembled the face of the God Pan. When Nathan saw the face, he remembered the many times that he had met the powers of life in the Tarot Realm. Unfortunately, he had not yet experienced the subtle powers of life in his homeland. Fortunately, it was spring, and he had a day off, so he decided to go hiking.
   Nathan was tired of wearing armor, especially since no one in the El Dorado District would ever think of him a knight. Instead, he wore the costume of a court jester so that he could be the fool for a day as he hiked by himself through the forest.

Pink Fairy Lanterns

   Nathan found many flowers along a trail in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, but he eventually discovered a flower that he'd never encountered when he had resided in the Tarot Realm: pink fairy lanterns.

Pink Fairy Lantern Faery

   As Nathan gazed at the pink flowers, he envisioned an angel who showed great reverence for the flowers around her.

Chinese Purple Houses

   Then Nathan found Chinese Purple Houses. He remembered that as a child his parents had taken him to the foothills one day. On the way home, he had confessed to his parents that of all the flowers he had seen that day, his favorite flower was Chinese Purple Houses, and they had agreed that it was one of their favorite flowers as well.

Isis with Purple Flowers

   As Nathan was experiencing his childhood memory, he had a vision of the Goddess Isis spreading her rainbow wings as she stood within an array of purple flowers.

Goat in Poppies and Lupine

   After finding the Chinese Purple Houses, Nathan climbed higher up the hill. At the top he encountered a goat running through poppies and lupine flowers. Nathan could tell that the goat was feeling great joy and vitality.

Pan Standing in Poppies and Lupine

   Soon after, Nathan had a vision of the God Pan standing amidst the poppies and lupine. The God was emanating the power and vitality and freshness that exists throughout the natural world.

Ithuriel's Spears (also known as Wally Baskets or Grass Nuts)

   As Nathan climbed higher, he came upon a field of lavender flowers. He remembered again the trip with his parents to the mountains. His mother had told him that the name of the flower was Ithuriel's Spears, but it was also known as Wally baskets, or grass nuts. His mother had confessed that Wally Baskets was her favorite name for the flower because it was so cute and descriptive.

The Goat God in Purple Flowers

   Again, Nathan, as he remembered that day in the mountains so long ago, had a vision of the goat God Pan, and he realized that he would continue meeting with the subtle powers of life as he hiked along the trail.

Indian Pinks

   Nathan then found bright Indian Pinks. Nathan knew that Native Americans had lived for many thousands of years in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, and he realized then that the trail, kept distinct by cattle and other animals, was probably thousands of years old.

Nature Spirit in Red Flowers

   As Nathan gazed at the pinks, he had a vision of an angel, possibly the spirit of the red flowers that have bloomed in the mountains for countless years. Perhaps over thousands of years, Native Americans had personified the nature spirit of the flowers as a young girl with wings.

A Native American Pounding Stone near Friant-Kern Canal

   Nathan remembered that his father on their trip into the mountains had unexpectedly stopped the car near a canal. "This canal diverts almost all of the water from the San Joaquin River, one of the most abused rivers in the world." Then his father had walked Nathan over to the pounding stone. Nathan had asked his father if the government had built the road right through the village site so the Native Americans wouldn't come back. His father had nodded. "No doubt," he had replied.

Venus Upset

   As Nathan remembered the pounding stone, he had a vision of the Goddess Venus in a field of wheat. She seemed upset.
   "All the people of this earth can experience abundance and harmony and the magnificence of the human spirit, yet the powerful insist on war for their own personal benefit. They are laying waste to the land and are using horrific weapons on innocent people. They have started yet another war that could end up being the war at the world's end!"

War

   Nathan had a vision of war consuming the entire world and destroying all the flowers and trees and forcing all of the subtle powers of life to return to the bosom of nature.

The War at the End of the World

   Nathan knew that his homeland was already being destroyed by wildfires and tornadoes and hurricanes, and he suddenly knew that the problem existed within people, not outside of them. War and environmental destruction was a manifestation of internal conflict.

Isis with Tiger Lilies

   Suddenly Nathan found tiger lilies along a creek, and he had a vision of the Goddess Isis standing in the flowers.
   "Even if humanity destroys its own civilization, the subtle powers of life will remain, and the flowers and trees and animals will return," the Goddess stated.

Venus in a Wheat Field

   Then Nathan had another vision of the Goddess Venus in a wheat field. This time she was holding up a golden scepter. She seemed to be revealing that love rules all.
   "You can truly love others when you know in your heart that all energy is holy and all people are divine," she claimed.

Angel in a Burned Forest

   Nathan hiked through a forest that a fire had recently incinerated. All of the trees were blackened and dead. All of the vegetation on the forest floor had turned to ashes. Nathan knew that nearby wildfires had recently turned the forest there into a desert of dirt and ash. An angel suddenly appeared among the burned trees.
   "If you maintain reverence for the subtle powers of life, you will have reverence for all of nature and humanity," she stated.

Isis Amongst Flowers

   Nathan suddenly envisioned Isis in an array of wildflowers with a rainbow above her as she spread her rainbow wings.

Strolling Home through a Field of Flowers

   As a former knight of the Tarot Realm, Nathan was tired of war and destruction. As he returned home on the trail, he was glad that he had been the fool for a day as he had met with the powers of life.

Continue with Nathan on his journey.

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

Archangel Raphael

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THE AWAKENING OF THE MIND, EMERGENCE FROM WATER, AND THE AWAKENING OF THE HEART

Archangel Michael

   After Nathan returned to the El Dorado District, he discovered that his homeland was more tawdry and run-down than he had imagined. When Nathan performed his daily ritual, he, as usual, began by invoking the Archangel Raphael, and the great Archangel seemed to be communicating with him.
   "This realm is falling apart, and unfortunately no one here will ever recognize that you are knight. You might be one of the greatest knights or artists or composers or engineers in the world, yet no one in this realm will support you unless you benefit them or the rich elite class in some way. You must draw on my healing power now from deep inside yourself. Awaken and purify your mind. Above all, awaken your heart and remember that everyone here is an expression of divinity. The rich in this realm want the people to spend trillions of tax dollars to profit companies that specialize in war and maiming and death instead of spending the money to provide a system of healing that benefits everyone," the Archangel communicated. "Even though over a million people have died in this realm due to a pandemic, and many have lost their homes, the rich still gouge the people here by inflating prices for basic necessities. The rich in this realm are only concerned about making greater profits, not about harmony and balance and healing, and they don't want to spend money for the public good. In this realm, my friend, you must learn to heal yourself by touching the dimensions of Universal Consciousness. I and Michael, Gabriel, and Auriel will help you continue your spiritual work even here in this realm."
   Nathan nodded and turned to the south to invoke the Archangel Michael.
   The great Archangel Michael also communicated with him. "You must continue to stoke the inner Fire that enables you to remain in contact with the dimensions of Universal Consciousness. People here will attack you because of your inner Fire, which burns away falsehoods and insists on truth and justice and harmony. Without truth, you cannot experience the dimensions of the Universal Mind, yet so many people here prefer to support power, privilege and prestige instead of truth. As a knight, you must continue to wear armor even if people cannot see it. People in this realm will not accept that you are a knight, but you are still a knight, nevertheless, here to uphold truth and justice and maintain harmony."

Archangel Gabriel

   Nathan turned to the west and invoked the great Archangel Gabriel. "You know how to purify your heart and mind, but in this realm you are also tasked with purifying some portion of the collective consciousness of humanity every day as you invoke the elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth, for this realm is in great danger due to pervasive spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical negativity. As an empathic knight, you must take within yourself some portion of that negativity, and as you invoke each Archangel, your personality will drop with that portion of the blackness of the collective consciousness of humanity into the fires below the surface of the earth--like the Fool experiencing divine madness while falling into the Abyss. Your personality and a portion of the negativity of humanity will burn up in the fires, but your soul will spiral upward and touch the golden equal-armed cross that represents the harmony and integration of the elements, and one at a time, each Archangel will wrap the world in harmonious energy due to your sacrifice. Even though each Archangel will spread golden balanced crosses throughout this realm and the rest of the world, this realm might never achieve a state of harmony because of its systems of exploitation and its exhaustion of people and resources. This realm is so negative that it is threatening the entire earth, but your rituals might help the world move beyond this crisis point. Do not forget that your sacrifice benefits all realms, my friend."

Archangel Auriel

   Nathan turned to the north and invoked the great Archangel Auriel. "This earth is full of abundance and harmony and magnificence," the Archangel communicated, "but a few people in this realm want to own and control it all. Nobody here needs to starve or die unnecessarily from disease, yet tragedy nevertheless occurs incessantly in this realm. You are a Knight of the Tarot Realm, and you must elimate excess negativity so that people of all faiths and all races know and experience the abundance and harmony of the earth and the magnificence of the human spirit."

Venus in the Courtyard

   When Nathan finished his ritual, he walked out into the courtyard of his apartment complex. The great Goddess Venus was holding up a golden scepter to show that love rules all. "You will not find much love in this realm. People here in this realm don't understand that this world is full of abundance, yet so many men, women, and children die unnecessarily from hunger and disease and lack of support. As a Knight of the Tarot Realm, you need always to remember why you came back to your homeland. You are here to clear away negativity that blinds people to their connection with one another."

Isis in the Courtyard

   Nathan continued strolling through the apartment complex and encountered the Goddess Isis, who stated, "You will not find the dazzling colors of the rainbow in this place, but you can still find the rainbow colors within the natural world and throughout the Tree of Life. If you do not lose your connection with nature and the Tree of Life, you will know that this rainbow also exists within you and within each person in this realm."

Angel in an Underground Cavern

   That afternoon, as Nathan meditated, he had a vision of an angel in an underground cavern. The angel's mind seemed to be flooded with light.

The Moon

   After his vision, Nathan went for a long walk under the full moon. Dogs were howling in the distance, and Nathan felt the mysterious pull of the moon as well. He stepped on the reflection of the moon in a pond and watched as its light rippled outward.

At the Bottom of the Underground Cavern

   Nathan inched out deeper into the pond and suddenly sank into an underground cavern. His armor was so heavy that he thought he was going to drown in a place where no one would ever find him.

Struggling through the Cavern

   Suddenly someone or something, possibly a mermaid or some huge amphibious creature, pulled Nathan up out of the water. Nathan had thought that he was about to drown.

Emerging from Water

   Nathan then heard a voice as he was returning to consciousness, which stated, "You must completely purify your heart and mind and soul. After you emerge from the waters, you will be able to know the dimensions of Universal Consciousness."

Opening the Heart

   As Nathan was returning to the surface, he thought he was having another vision of an angel. This time her heart was glowing as if both her heart and mind had awakened.

The Heart Open

   Dawn was breaking as Nathan found his way out of the cave, and Isis was spreading her rainbow wings as she stood within a vibrant array of wildflowers.
   "Even though this realm keeps falling apart, you can still experience the divinity of the rainbow colors of the natural realm as well as the divinity of the spiritual realms," she stated as her heart glowed with spiritual light.

Venus in a Wheat Field

   Then Nathan encountered Venus in a field of wheat. She was still holding up a golden scepter.
   "All people on this earth can experience the harmony, abundance, and magnificence of the human spirit. Now, unfortunately, a very few powerful people continue to take that abundance and harmony and magnificence away from the vast majority of other people."

Walking through the Wheat Field

   Nathan stood in the wheat field as the sun rose behind his head while he was returning home. Nathan imagined that the sun was blazing like a golden five-pointed star, and he knew that a six-pointed star was blazing in his heart.
   As both stars gleamed, he knew for a moment that he could experience all of the dimensions of the Universal Mind--even here in his troubled homeland.

Experience other myths associated with the Tarot.

(All AI generated images are based on photographs, paintings, or Blender rendered images by James T. Robbins.)