Major Arcana of the Tarot - Part III The High Priestess

The High Priestess has also be known as Artemis, Persephone, Isis, or the Corn Maiden. This is a very spiritual card, tied to the moon, femininity, and inspiration. It can also have sexual overtones, indicating a phase where one is going to be much more physically attractive to others. The High Priestess is a guide to all things mysterious and mystical.

In the earliest known Tarot decks, this card was called La Papessa, or the Popess. She was depicted wearing a triregnum, or papal tiara, holding a sceptre with a cross in her right hand and a closed book in her left. Some believe her to be patterned after legend of Pope Joan, who disguised herself as a man to become elected to the papacy. However, other variants of the card associated the High Priestess with the Virgin Mary or Isis. In the Swiss Troccas decks she is called Junon, which is the Roman goddess Juno.

The Waite-Colman Smith deck, designed in the early 1900s, made significant changes to the card. The book is replaced by a scroll with the word Torah, while the papal tiara is replaced by a crown. The sceptre is gone and the book is replaced by a scroll.

The most familiar depiction of the High Priest is from the Rider-Waite deck. It shows a woman in a blue robe seated between two pillars. There is a crown on her head and a crescent moon at her feet. On her chest is a cross and in her hands she holds a Torah scroll.

One of the pillars beside her is black, with the letter B on it; the other is white with the letter J on it. These pillars are from King Solomon's Temple. The letter B represents Boaz, or completion, while the letter J represents Jachin, or begin.

The crown on her head holds a pearl of wisdom and the cross and Torah show that this wisdom can only be found by using many traditions to guide you. The moon at the High Priestess's feet represents the unconscious mind as a primary influence.

Behind her is a tapestry with pomegranates on it. These link the High Priestess to the Greek goddess Persephone, who was forced to descend into the Underworld for six months of the year because she ate pomegranate seeds that were given her by Hades.

The High Priestess represents a link to the subconscious mind, which can only be accessed through dreams and symbols. She represents wisdom, serenity, knowledge, and understanding. She is telling you to trust your instincts and make sure you dig deep for all the information you need before making an important decision. She's here to urge you to talk to people whose experiences and beliefs are different from your own - time to move out of that comfort zone.

When the High Priestess appears in a Tarot reading, it means you need to pay more attention to your dreams. Listen to what your intuition is trying to tell you. There may be areas of your life that are out of balance and your intuitive sense is providing you with useful information. She will inspire you to be more creative, which makes this a good card for writers and poets.

When this card is reversed it can signify that you are not listening to your inner voice. Take some time for reflection or meditation. Listen to what your subconscious is trying to tell you. It suggests that you're normally an intuitive person, you've just lost your connection to your inner self.

In the past, the High Priestess indicates a time in your life when patience and understanding was needed. In the present, it's warning you to try and avoid conflict and don't believe everything you hear. In the future position the High Priestess is warning you of a coming confrontation involving a conspiracy.

Macropodine Monday

macropodine ~ of, like or pertaining to kangaroos

It's the 24th of May,
The Queen's birthday.
If we don't get a holiday
we'll all run away!

Okay, so it's the 20th of May, not the 24th, but this is still Victoria Day here in Canada, so we get the day off. And in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday, I, of course, decided to do a little research on this, the first long weekend of the summer season.

The most interesting thing I found out is that Victoria Day is not, and has never been, celebrated in England. It is a uniquely Canadian holiday. Apparently, Canada always had a special bond with Queen Victoria, and made her birthday a public holiday. You might even say that Queen Victoria meant more to us than she did to Britain.

When I was a kid this was the big fireworks holiday. I remember our family going to the next town over to the fairgrounds to watch the fireworks. Then somewhere along the line Victoria Day became just another long weekend and the really big fireworks were moved to Canada Day. I like to think it had something to do with my getting married on July 1. Now all of Canada celebrates my anniversary. :-)

Other than blog posts, I got very little writing done last week. I did, however, crochet 25 snowflakes (bringing my total up to 40) and I spent a lot of time in my kitchen - baked a cherry pie and lots of cookies; made soup; did some experimenting . . .

The weather was for the most part gloomy, if not downright rainy, but it did start to warm up a bit and the weekend was pretty decent - a mixture of sun and cloud, although not quite warm enough to have supper outside yet. But it was warm enough for me to have my office window open so I could enjoy the perfume from the sand cherries that were blooming in my front garden.

I did not catch up on my Goodreads. I did attend a poetry reading, which I think was only the first or second one this year. I did get to Peterborough and I can't believe for the amount of time we were there we only went to three stores. I spent a pleasant afternoon with my crochet buddy, and it reinforced my decision to crochet 50 snowflakes for her group. Trust me, you do not want to learn to crochet by trying snowflakes. :-)

Blog Stuff For the Week:

Tuesday: The third in my series on the Major Arcana of the Tarot will be The High Priestess.
Wednesday: A new Hump Day Hunk for your viewing pleasure.
Thursday: Chapter 67 of Water. Things are heating up for Ravi and Taja, and not in a good way.
Friday: This week's Random Ramblings will be about snowflakes and plants. And it will have pictures! :-)

Other Stuff For the Week

I have some serious research to do on volcanoes and caves. While setting Dr. Arjun's compound right up to a volcano seemed like a good idea in An Elemental Fire, it doesn't seem like such a great idea in Water. In fact, it ranks right down there with using journal entries to start chapters and having characters speak in Middle English.

I'm pretty sure there is a poetry meeting this week, which would be Tuesday night. Our poemwork was to write something frivolous, so I started a parody of Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven. I'm not sure I'll have it finished in time - Poe uses a funky rhyme scheme.

I've got a meeting with my writer's group on Wednesday. I'm supposed to have a short horror story finished for it and I haven't even started it, which is kind of ironic because it was my idea. I suggested we use the same prompt and each write in a different genre picked at random. I even provided the prompt.

Getting together with a friend on Thursday and I promised her bread, so I need to learn how to use my bread maker. LOL

And as if that weren't enough, one of my two betas returned a marked up copy of Magical Misfire to me. Oh, the comma splices and head hopping. And why on earth did I think having characters speak in Middle English was a good idea? I'm going to let you in on a little secret. This was my very first novel-length idea, and I started writing it more than twenty years ago. And it shows. :-)

Random Ramblings

So . . . a couple of weeks ago I had some time to kill on a Saturday morning, so I turned on the TV and I have just one question - where the heck did the Saturday morning cartoons go?? Other than the regular programming on the three kids networks, there was nothing animated to be had.

The Global network ran fishing shows. CITY TV ran a variety of ethnic programming. ABC offered Good Morning America, followed by several other news magazine shows. CBC had Weekend Wake Up! NBC had something called Today. And even FOX let me down - it was showing paid programming.

When I was a kid, the best part about the weekend was the Saturday morning cartoons. From 7 a.m. until almost noon, I'd be glued to the television set watching Thundaar the Barbarian, Space Ghost, Rocket Robin Hood, and Beanie and Cecil. There were the Flintstones and their counterparts the Jetsons; Top Cat and Johnny Quest; Casper the Friendly Ghost and Woody Woodpecker.

One of my all time favorites was Roger Ramjet



And who could forget Super Chicken?



Even on Sundays we had Rocky and Bullwinkle, Bugs Bunny, and the awesome Rocketship 7, with Commander Tom and Promo the Robot who showed us a variety of Warner Brothers cartoons along with such gems as Gumby, and Davy and Goliath. Rocky and Bullwinkle was unique in that it presented the adventures of the squirrel and moose (usually versus the villains Boris and Natasha) in a serialized form, with stories about Peabody & Sherman, Fractured Fairy Tales, and Dudley Do-Right slotted in between episodes.



Kids today are growing up without Felix the Cat, Huckleberry Hound, and Yogi Bear. Maybe that's what's wrong with kids today. They're not being allowed to take the time to be kids anymore. There's no more cartoons for them to watch on Saturday mornings. What a sad world we live in.

Water - Chapter Sixty-six

This serial is presented in draft form and will be updated each Thursday. Your comments are always welcome!

Prologue ~ Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~
Ch 12 ~ Ch 13 ~ Ch 14 ~ Ch 15 ~ Ch 16 ~ Ch 17 ~ Ch 18 ~ Ch 19 ~ Ch 20 ~ Ch 21 ~ Ch 22 ~
Ch 23 ~ Ch 24 ~ Ch 25 ~ Ch 26 ~ Ch 27 ~ Ch 28 ~ Ch 29 ~ Ch 30 ~ Ch 31 ~ Ch 32 ~ Ch 33 ~
Ch 34 ~ Ch 35 ~ Ch 36 ~ Ch 37 ~ Ch 38 ~ Ch 39 ~ Ch 40 ~ Ch 41 ~ Ch 42 ~ Ch 43 ~ Ch 44 ~
Ch 45 ~ Ch 46 ~ Ch 47 ~ Ch 48 ~ Ch 49 ~ Ch 50 ~ Ch 51 ~ Ch 52 ~ Ch 53 ~ Ch 54 ~ Ch 55 ~
Ch 56 ~ Ch 57 ~ Ch 58 ~ Ch 59 ~ Ch 60 ~ Ch 61 ~ Ch 62 ~ Ch 63 ~ Ch 64 ~ Ch 65 ~

They met in one of the dead end tunnels that riddled the inner part of the compound.

“How did it go?”

Ravi sighed. “It went as I expected. I spoke only to those I could trust . . . most do not believe there is any threat to their lives, despite the tremors we've been experiencing, nor do they give credit to rumours regarding the compound being moved. Many will not involve themselves in anything that may seem contrary to Dr. Arjun's wishes.”

“But don't they wish to be free?”

“You must understand, Taja, we have lived all our lives within the compound. The outside is just as frightening as staying here is. For some it is even more frightening.”

“I had hoped . . . never mind.” She shook her head. “I forget that for all intents and purposes you’ve all been conditioned to this life. It breaks my heart.”

He moved closer to her. “And me? Do I break your heart?”

She reached up and cupped the side of his face. “You could quite easily break my heart worst of all,” she whispered.

Leaning closer he kissed her gently, and when she didn’t pull away he deepened it. For a moment she kissed him back before exerting her iron will and pulling back. She did not, however, pull away and he took comfort in this.

“I was just a child when the compound was moved, but I still remember that day," he told her in a quiet voice. He folded his arms around her and held her close. "It was terrifying. We were loaded into transports and flown to this location in the dead of night. The building wasn’t finished yet and we had to camp out doors. I remember a lot of screaming and crying, but I also remember touching a tree in the dark – the roughness of its bark, the stickiness of the sap, the smell of it . . .”

“Oh, Ravi.”

“I think freedom is something I could get used to,” he said, looking down at her.

“Freedom is not something you should have to get used to,” Taja told him. “It is something you should be born to.”

“I’m beginning to understand, thanks to you.”

She smiled tremulously. “Good. I just wish we had time to make the others understand as well.”

“I tried, but . . .” he shrugged helplessly. “There is something else. One of the Breeders has noticed that some of the children are missing, along with many of the medical and research staff."

Taja nodded. "It looks like Arjun has already started moving the ones he's taking with him to the new location. Could you tell if anyone else is missing?"

"No, but the doors of the personal quarters have been marked, either a red or green symbol on them - including mine."

"Let me guess, yours is a green symbol?"

He nodded. "Yes, as is anyone with a rating of four or higher."

Taja swore under her breath.

"There is a small number of those who will help. And others may join us once they realize the danger is real."

“At least that’s something. Let's just hope it's not too late."

“What happens now?”

“Now, we get ready.” Taja was all business again. She pulled a hand-drawn map of the compound from her back pocket and unfolded it. “Here’s where the outsiders are quartered. We need to get them to this point here before all hell breaks loose.”

“All hell?”

“Yes. I have friends on the outside who will be arranging a distraction and then they’ll be breaking through the gates. At that point the priority is to get as many of the children out as possible.”

“When do we start?”

“We’re just wait—” she stopped, head held to one side as though listening. “We start now.”

“Now? How do you know?”

She started to lead the way out of the tunnel. “I was fitted with an E.T.T., an Esper Thought Transfer device. It allows limited thought communication. I was just told that we need to get ready.”

“But the guards . . .” he almost had to jog to keep up with her.

“The guards will have better things to worry about than what we’re doing, trust me.”

“I do trust you,” he said soberly. “I wouldn’t be doing this otherwise.”

Taja stopped suddenly. “I know I’m asking a lot of you,” she began.

He placed his fingers to her lips. “You’re asking nothing of me I’m not willing to give.”

Hump Day Hunk

Today seems like a good day to just hang around in bed. What do you think? ;-)

Major Arcana of the Tarot - Part II The Magician

The Magician's number is one, the number of new beginnings. He is the ultimate achiever and is all about making better use of one's power. Through sheer will he achieves what seem to be miracles, which make his abilities appear magical. Associated with the planet Mercury, the Magician is a bridge between the spirit world and the world of humanity.

In early Tarot decks, the Magician was actually called the Juggler and was represented by a street performer or stage magician, sometimes depicted as a fairground hustler performing slight of hand tricks and illusions. This card was associated with Mercury, Thoth, and Loki and represented the human will.

In the early 1800's, however, an occultist by the name of Eliphas Levi designed a card that showed the Juggler holding one of the symbols from the Minor Arcana of the Tarot, with the rest laid out on a table in front of him. Paul Christian, a disciple of Levi's, renamed the Juggler the Magus, or Magician.

The Magician's right hand holds a staff pointed towards the sky, while his left hand points to the earth to form a connection between the two. Above his head is the symbol for eternity, while around his waist is a snake biting its own tail. The table in front of him holds the symbols for all four suits of the Tarot - Cups, Wands, Pentacles and Swords - which also represent the four elements. His robe is white, denoting innocence, but his cloak is red, reminding us of his humble beginnings.

The Magician card typically appears in a Tarot spread to show you that you have the creative power and energy to begin a new cycle in your life. It suggests you will soon be presented with a situation which will manifest your desires and you will be inspired to apply your skills and initiative to accomplish your goals.

If you're having problems, the Magician indicates that you will find a creative way to solve them. It's a good omen if you have a specific wish, when you're about to begin a project, or you need to make a transformation in your life. It's telling you that at this time you need to be focused on a single goal or purpose and to channel your energy towards this goal, eliminating any distractions.

The Magician is a powerful card, and a very positive one in a reading. It implies that at this time we have the power to make a difference in our lives. It's the perfect time to tap into your creativity. In the position of the past, this card emphasizes the talent you have used to get to where you are. In the present, it indicates the urgency of a situation that you need to take advantage of. In the future, it is an indication that your wishes are being granted through your hard work.

The Magician believes in himself and is not afraid to put that belief on the line. He knows what he wants to do and why he wants to do it. There's no hesitation because he understands the situation he's in. He can focus with a single-minded determination to accomplish his goals.

Muscoid Monday

muscoid ~ of, like or pertaining to mosses; moss-like

So . . . how's the weather? Monday it was so nice out I walked downtown to meet a friend for coffee and I didn't even need a coat. Then as the week progressed it began to get colder, and then colder still, until finally, during a barbeque I was at yesterday, we had snow. That's right, you heard me. It wasn't a lot and it didn't stay, but it snowed for about 15-20 minutes.

It's supposed to start warming up again as the week goes on, but still - it's a little disconcerting to see it snowing when it's so green outside. And I really hate the thought of what it's going to mean to the fruit trees that are already starting to bloom.

I've been saying for a while now that I'm considering putting out an anthology this summer and I finally got around to checking my stock pile of stories. I'm in better shape than I realized, story-wise. Lots of them to choose from. I've got long and short, dark and light. The selection process will not be easy.

Last week was another one of those weeks where I was busy the whole week, but didn't really get much accomplished.

You might have noticed I was even late with my installment for Water . . . I started writing the scene and then decided it would work better later on in the story. Then I started another one that I decided needed to go earlier in the story. Then I went to bed and tried again in the morning. Sometimes the writing is like that.

I was pretty tired last week, especially in the evenings, so I ended up getting some crocheting done. Crocheting is much easier to do than writing when you're half asleep. :-) Specifically, I was crocheting snowflakes. Remember that crochet party I went to a couple of weeks ago? The ladies are crocheting snowflakes to decorate a Christmas tree for a fundraiser, and quite honestly, they're a little . . . um . . . okay, one of them actually knows how to crochet, but the rest . . . not so much. So I'm helping out.

I made up for my lack of accomplishment on Thursday. After getting the installment for Water written and posted, I got the next day's Random Rambling post done, and then got my link in the Absolute Write blog chain finished ahead of schedule. If you want to see it, just scroll down a bit. :-)


Blog Stuff For the Week:

Tuesday: The second in my series on the Major Arcana of the Tarot will be The Magician.
Wednesday: A new Hump Day Hunk for your viewing pleasure.
Thursday: Chapter 66 of Water. So . . . whose voice was that in Taja's head??
Friday: I have no idea at this point what this week's Random Ramblings will be about. That's what makes it Random. :-)

Other Stuff For the Week

I didn't catch up on my Goodreads last week, so maybe I'll get around to it this week. The problem is that it's one of those things that's easy to put off, and the longer you put it off the bigger it gets. *sigh*

I'll be going to Peterborough again on Tuesday. I can't remember exactly why, but I hope this doesn't become a habit.

For my writing break and general relaxation, I'll be crocheting more snowflakes. I picked out five different patterns and figure on doing ten of each. I'm not sure what the goal is for the Victorian Christmas tree, but considering I'm not even an official volunteer I figure fifty is a nice round number to contribute.

Writing-wise I've got lots to choose from: narrowing down my choices for the anthology; rework a few stories I'd like to include in the anthology; I have a frivolous poem to write for my poetry group which I may need to re-think; I'd like to write ahead in Water to see how long it's going to be, if I have to I'll start doubling up on installments to get the serial done by the end of November; and time to start working on finishing one of my NaNo novels.