All Text, Music, and Illustrations, including Paintings, Photographs, and 3D models, Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
Virgil in the Yogurt Shop
THE SECOND CASTLE
Nathan felt like having some yogurt with nuts and chocolate on top. When Nathan entered the yogurt shop down the street, he strolled by an old man sitting at a table.
The old man looked up and whispered, "Spirituality is not always sweetness and light, my friend, not always like yogurt with tasty toppings."
"What?" Nathan muttered.
"My name is Virgil. I guide Yogurt lovers through the second Tarot castle," the old man replied.
"Great! So where is this castle? I don't see any castle," Nathan blurted out.
"It's on the other side of that door," the old man replied, pointing to the door to the back room. "You're kidding, right?" Nathan laughed.
"Follow me and find out," the old man smiled.
Inside the Castle
Nathan often wondered what the back rooms of small shops looked like, and the old man seemed harmless enough. "Okay," he mumbled sheepishly. "You're not going to rob me, are you?" To Nathan's great surprise, when they passed through the door, they entered the hall of what appeared to be a great castle.
"Are you familiar at all with the Tarot, my friend?" Virgil asked.
"Yeah, a bit," Nathan responded.
"The second castle of the Tarot is associated with five cards: The Tower, The Devil, Temperance, Death, and The Hanged Man," Virgil stated. "All Tarot cards are associated with the Tree of Life, as you probably know, but I must warn you: this is a dark castle, my friend. Most people are not adequately prepared for what they encounter here."
Lightning in the Room
The old man suddenly opened a door. Lightning exploded inside of the room. "The first card associated with the second castle is 'The Tower,' which reveals lightning striking the top of a tower, a sudden, great disruption."
The Tower
Virgil continued, "Most people try to avoid thinking about unexpected disruptions," Virgil stated. "Nevertheless, we experience illness, accidents, the death of loved ones, family problems, the loss of friends, work problems, natural disasters, political catastrophes, environmental crises, and many other kinds of disorder and upheaval. Often, though, because of these disruptions, we are motivated to examine our lives and find the strength, discipline, and courage to deal with negative circumstances. Mars, who is associated with the fifth Emanation on the Tree of Life known as 'Power,' is associated with this card for a very good reason. Mars concentrates his power through great courage, strength, and discipline to bring justice and harmony to the world. If ever you need that kind of power, you can invoke Mars. This castle may seem dark, but it also reveals how to push through the darkness. Let's continue to the next room."
"Okay, I think," Nathan muttered.
Demon
"You might want to summon your courage," Virgil advised as he opened the next door.
When Nathan peered into the room, he saw a demon sitting on a bed. "Yikes!" he blurted out.
The Devil: Capricorn
"The Devil is perhaps the most difficult Tarot card to understand," Virgil mumbled. "Many life forces are out of the control of human beings. Hurricanes and tornadoes and tidal waves and earthquakes are powerful destructive forces. Many animals are larger and stronger and more ferocious than humans. People sometimes experience powerful urges that are occasionally difficult to control. It is easy to blame whatever happens that is out of our control on an archetype of evil such as the devil. The Tarot card known as 'The Devil,' on the other hand, symbolizes Capricorn, a zodiac sign which is associated with creativity and confidence and potency. Many dimensions of Universal Consciousness are mysterious and way beyond our comprehension, at least at first. Some forces in the subtle dimensions seem extremely powerful and quite malicious. When you journey into the spiritual dimensions, you even find some forces that seem only to want to cause harm and chaos and disorder. The great difficulty for those who experience the dimensions of Universal Consciousness is the challenge of learning how to neutralize dark forces to create and maintain balance. If you are a traveler on spiritual paths, you need to learn how to maintain order within yourself and find allies in the spiritual dimensions who help you to neutralize negative forces and maintain harmony. A spirit guide, a guardian angel, a saint, a savior figure, or powerful allies such as Archangels and Gods and Goddesses, for instance. Notice that the Devil in the Tarot card holds up his right hand in blessing, for the path of Capricorn leads to The Sun, the Emanation of harmonizing love and sacrifice known as Beauty, the center of equilibrium on the Tree of Life."
Archangel Michael
They moved to the next portal. Virgil opened the door, and Nathan could see inside a great Archangel. Virgil continued: "This is the Archangel Michael, 'Like unto God.' As the ruler of the element of Fire, he can cleanse the psyche and burn away negative forces and bring harmony back into your world, often quite quickly."
Temperance: Sagittarius
Virgil held up the Tarot card known as Temperance. Then he continued, "Michael represents the path of the arrow, the middle path of ascension to The Sun, the Emanation of Beauty. Michael is a great ally, as are all of the Archangels, especially the other Archangels who manifest their subtle elements in our plane: Raphael, Gabriel, and Auriel. The key, as always, is balance. These great spiritual beings will work with you if you are willing to sacrifice for a greater good and are sincerely striving to create harmony and balance in your world."
Death in Castle Room
They moved to the next room in the castle. Nathan could see the figure of death inside the room when Virgil opened the door.
Death: Scorpio
Virgil continued, "This is another extremely challenging path that also leads to the Emanation of Beauty, the sphere of the Sun and the cosmic Christ, the center of equilibrium on the Tree of Life. This is a path of great transformation that leads to rebirth. You cannot see from the perspective of eternity and experience the holiness of all energy and the divinity of the community of all life unless you dissolve in the light and experience the psychic death of the personality. You cannot truly follow the new commandment, 'Love one another,' unless you experience this rebirth."
Water in the Castle Room
Virgil opened the next door. The room inside was filling with water.
The Hanged Man: Water
Virgil continued, "This too is a difficult card. 'The Hanged Man' represents the element of Water, which is associated with The Moon and the subconscious mind. This card was once called 'The Traitor' because a person who experiences the rebirth that leads to the Emanation of The Sun no longer manifests herd mentality. He or she can suspend consciousness in deep meditation or ritual and experience the dimensions of Universal Consciousness. Remember that the High Priestess, who represents The Moon, knows all the paths of the Tree of Life and brings her knowledge of the subtle dimensions into this world. 'The Hanged Man' makes his sacrifice to know the depths of the psyche and the powerful subtle dimensions of Universal Consciousness."
Strolling Back to the Yogurt Shop
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