All Text, Music, and Illustrations, including Paintings, Photographs, and 3D models, Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.

Hiking down the Path

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  THE THIRD CASTLE

   As Nathan was hiking down a trail, he thought he saw faeries fluttering around him. "Probably just butterflies or bugs of some kind," he thought to himself.

Hermit

   Nathan soon encountered a hermit crouching on the path. "Are you all right?"
   "Yes, young man," the hermit responded. "I was just opening my third eye."
   "What do you mean?" Nathan asked, hoping that he was not talking to some crazy old man.
   "Everyone has a third eye that can see the spiritual dimensions, but almost everyone is conditioned to keep that eye closed. Most people fear that the powerful subtle forces of the spiritual dimensions will disrupt their life in some way. However, if you open your third eye now, you might see the subtle spirits here in this forest. If you see the nature spirits with your third eye, I will show you the third castle of the Tarot, which is associated with five cards: Justice, The Wheel of Fortune, The Hermit, Strength, and The Chariot," the old man stated. "As you probably know, all Tarot cards dovetail in every conceivable way with the symbolism of the mystical Tree of Life. Close your eyes now and go deep within yourself for a little while. Then we will continue together on the path."

Sylph

   After awhile the old man whispered, "Open your eyes and come back to the forest. Let us continue together now on the path."
   Suddenly Nathan felt a gentle breeze and noticed a faery fluttering across the path. "Did you see that?" Nathan blurted out.
   "Yes, my friend, that lovely creature is an elemental of Air known as a sylph, or more commonly as a faery," the old man replied. "The great Archangel Raphael rules the element of Air, which includes the zodiac signs Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini and their ruling planets, Venus, Saturn, and Mercury respectively. Let us continue."

Gnome

   Nathan and the old man continued down the path. Suddenly Nathan saw a tiny man clutching the stalk of a tiger lily. "Did you see that?" Nathan blurted out.
   "Yes, my friend, that little man is an Earth elemental referred to as a gnome," the hermit replied. "The great Archangel Auriel rules the element of Earth, which includes the zodiac signs Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo and their ruling planets, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury respectively. Let us continue."

Salamander

   Nathan and the old man continued again down the path. Suddenly Nathan saw a lizard of some kind on fire on the path. "Did you see that?" Nathan blurted out.
   "Yes, my friend, that is a Fire elemental known as a salamander," the old man replied. "The great Archangel Michael rules the element of Fire, which includes the zodiac signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius and their ruling planets, Mars, The Sun, and Jupiter respectively. Let us continue."

Undine

   Nathan and the old man continued again down the path. Suddenly Nathan saw a tiny girl swimming in the stream next to the path. "Did you see that?" Nathan blurted out.
   "Yes, my friend, that is a Water elemental known as an undine," the old man replied. "The great Archangel Gabriel rules the element of Water, which includes the zodiac signs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces and their ruling planets, The Moon, Mars, and Jupiter respectively. You might have realized as you encountered the elementals that the mind naturally anthropomorphizes and personifies the subtle forces manifesting in nature as people or animals."
   "Yes, that thought did cross my mind," Nathan replied.

Third Tarot Castle

   "You have obviously opened your third eye, my friend. Let us continue now to the third Tarot Castle," the old man urged.

Room of the Air Element

   After a hike up a steep hill, Nathan and the hermit entered the castle. They wandered down a hall in the castle and the old man suddenly opened a door. "What do you see, my friend?"
   "I see a small cyclone or tornado swirling around in the middle of the room."
   "Yes, this is a room in the castle that contains the Air Element. The first card in the third Tarot castle is Justice, which represents Libra."

Justice: Libra

   The old man held up the Tarot card. He continued, "This path on the Tree of Life connects the sixth Emanation of The Sun with the fifth Emanation of Mars, which has deep significance. After the personality has dissolved in the brilliant light of The Sun, the soul knows the divinity of the community of all life and strives for harmony and balance in the world, which is accomplished to a great extent through justice. In other words, after you have experienced the Vision of Harmony and the Mysteries of Sacrifice, the spiritual experiences of the sixth Emanation, you proceed on this path to the realm of Mars, which contains the energies of strength, courage, and discipline, qualities that enable us to establish and maintain balance in the world, often at great personal cost."

Jupiter

   They continued strolling down the hall in the castle and the old man suddenly opened another door. "What do you see, my friend?"
   "I see a magnificent king sitting on a golden throne."
   "Yes, you are seeing the God Jupiter. The second card in the third Tarot castle is The Wheel of Fortune, which represents Jupiter."

Wheel of Fortune: Jupiter

   The hermit continued, "When you reach the third castle on the Tree of Life, you know that the gold of the spirit, represented by the golden symbols of the elements, the eagle, the bull, the lion, and the man, manifest harmoniously in nature even as the wheel of fortune keeps turning and change constantly occurs. You become like a magnificent pharaoh who embodies the four elements, as well as the golden element of Spirit. Like Jupiter, the King of the Gods, in other words, you manifest the magnificence, harmony, and abundance of the spirit. Let us continue."

Gnome in the Castle Room of Earth

   They continued strolling down the hall in the castle and the old man suddenly opened another door. "What do you see, my friend?"
   "I see a small gnome in the castle room."
   "Yes, you are seeing another gnome. The third card in the third Tarot castle is The Hermit, which represents Virgo."

The Hermit: Virgo

   The old man held up the Tarot card. "Notice that the path of The Hermit is illuminated by the hexagram, also known as the Star of David, in the lantern," he said. "The hexagram represents the unity of the four elements and the subtle energies of the twelve zodiac signs and their ruling planets, in other words, all the paths of the Tree of Life. This path connects the Emanation of The Sun with the fourth Emanation of Jupiter. The Hermit has attained a great height because he has experienced the dimensions of Universal Consciousness after experiencing the brilliant light of The Sun. Let us continue."

Lion in the Castle Room of Fire

   They continued strolling down the hall in the castle and the old man suddenly opened another door. "What do you see, my friend?"
   "I see a lion near a fire in the middle of the room."
   "Yes, you are seeing a lion that represents Leo, which is associated with the element of Fire."

Strength: Leo

   The old man held up the Tarot card known as Strength. "Notice that the woman in the card is taming the lion through gentleness," he said. "She is creating balance on a path between two of the most dynamic Emanations of the Tree of Life, the Emanation of Jupiter, which is often associated with powerful creative force, and the Emanation of Mars, which is often associated with powerful destructive force. Some might imagine that these forces remain in eternal conflict with each other, but Jupiter contains the forces that inspire the creation of organized and ethical societies, and Mars contains and limits the forces that create an internal and external lack of harmony and balance. This path reveals the harmony of these two forces in eternal balance. Let us continue."

Water Creature in the Castle Room of Water

   They continued strolling down the hall in the castle and the old man suddenly opened another door. "What do you see, my friend?"
   "I see a strange water creature floating in the middle of the room."
   "Yes, you are seeing a water creature that represents Cancer, which is associated with the element of Cancer."

The Chariot: Cancer

   The old man held up the Tarot card known as The Chariot. "This card represents a path on the Tree of Life that crosses the Abyss between the planes of manifestation and the subtle heavenly energies," he said. "The knight in the card is either ascending to experience the highest subtle energies of Universal Consciousness or descending to experience the planes of manifestation, which are, of course, also dimensions of Universal Consciousness. The mind, on a quest on the paths of the Tree of Life, can transcend space and time and experience the most profound spiritual energies that we can know." The old man paused and smiled.
   "Thank you so much for your tour of the third castle," Nathan said.
   "You are welcome, my friend," the hermit replied. "Enjoy your path on the way home."

Continue with Nathan on his journey.