By Way Of

The heavy driving got the better of me as the days wore on and I'm just now surfacing with some renewed energy after a week of long commutes, a (non-driving related) mishap involving a trip to urgent care, some xrays and a very grateful outbreathing of relief that all is well.

So to finish up the geomantic analysis of Monday's spread we add the First Witness and the Second Witness together to get The Judge. The first two cards are placed side by side and the geomantic dots are added from right to left to produce either a pair of even dots or a single odd dot.

From L to R Amissio, Acquisitio, Via ~ Astrogem Cards by Les Cross

Here we can see that the Judge is Via as a result of adding Amissio and Acquisitio together beginning at the top line and working across and then moving onto the next line. So the * + * * = * * * which is an odd number and thus gets a * put at the top of the column as seen in Via and so on.

 

Via ~ Astrogem Cards

About Via Ana Cortez says, it represents singularity, a mode of travel and is generally a successful card. Its latin word means 'way'. It is a figure of intentional and directed
movement and mutability, a
card of action. It is favorable for journeys and the relevance of this is not lost on me with my week of intense driving. Even the way that figure looks feels like the shape of my week with its there and back commutes.

Its astrological associations are the Moon and Cancer both of which have very watery, changeable attributes associated with them. The gem attributed to it is Howlite, a stone whose properties are associated with calming tension, anxiety and inducing relaxation. Again I can't speak to the verity of that but I rather like its name with those wild-animal vocal instincts. Maybe I needed to do some of that while I was heading down the freeway in the midst of rush traffic. That would certainly let off some steam and clear the emotional way lol.

Via ~ Astrogem Cards by Les Cross

The image on this is of a person riding off into an archway on a clear, unobstructed road. That's an encouraging image, and there was a bit of that feeling as we rounded the bend on that last stretch of the week.

The keywords for this card are :: void, point of perfect balance, the way or road, the seed asleep, total inward focus, planning, waiting.

Certainly it seemed that all of those came into play this week, perhaps some more strongly than others. I do love the image of 'the seed asleep' and wonder how that might correlate to the qualities of this card other than feeling like a seed asleep when the alarm went off each morning at what seemed like an unreasonably early hour lol. I'll need to ruminate on that one as well as 'the point of perfect balance' in relation to Via.






Of the Witnesses and Judge Ana describes them as points along a timeline. So with that in mind...the week started out a bit rocky as we found our groove but just as we did there was a bit of a mishap. It turned out fine in the end but involved some stress and a bit of emotional overload as seen in that first card, Gilles de Rais, the Nine of Hearts. My husband reminded me to step back and take a bit of a wider view. As soon as he said that I thought of Leah, the Queen of Clubs, with her larger, more intuitive perspective overseeing it all and keeping that Nine of Hearts at bay behind her.

I have my ideas about the Peddlar's Ace who seemed to show up in a more subtle way and I was aware of him as I considered options carefully around what approach to take wrt the  'midweek mishap'. Finally by the end of the week I did feel as though The Bridge was unfolding beneath our metaphorical feet as we ended the week with a feeling of accomplishment and a sense of new vistas.

It's been a fruitful week with with the cards and Ana Cortez's wonderful system. The Astrogem cards I used in this post can be purchased here. The Playing Card Oracles I used can be purchased on Amazon and Ana's more recent deck, The Alchemy Edition, can be purchased from her shop.

Science of the Sand

Science of the sand is a loose translation of the Arabic words for geomancy pointing back to its earth-rooted wisdom. Today I'm going to explore the geomantic analysis by color of Monday's spread. Ana Cortez describes this with real clarity in her wonderful book The Playing Card Oracles. Essentially one looks at the color of the first card in the spread and then one adds together the numerical value of it and all the other cards of that color. You'll arrive at a number that is either odd or even the result of which determines whether that color is odd or even.

Playing Card Oracles ~ by Ana Cortez

In my spread from Monday the first card is red with the numerical value of nine, the only other red card has a value of five. Added together the sum is 14, an even number. As such, in this spread, reds are even, blacks are odd and the geomantic figure looks like this...

* *
 *
* *
 *

This gives us the geomantic figure Acquisitio.

This figure is in many ways the balance or polarized energy of Amissio as its associations are with gain and success. Its astrological associations are with Jupiter and Sagittarius. I always think of Jupiter as the 'welcome to the feast' planet. It connotes good fortune, magnanimity and expansion. Sagittarius aspires to its goal with lots of actively directed energy.

Acquisitio ~ Astrogem Cards by Les Cross

In a reading Acquisitio suggests success, that something desired is in one's grasp. It favors gain if gain is desired but not loss if that is desired, basically the inverse of Amissio. How fascinating to see these two cards show up in the position of 'First and Second Witness.' As again I'm reminded of cards one and three with their inverse suit~body position placements--a water suit in a fire position and a fire suit in a water position.

Perhaps this is a nod to the conflicting energy of the week, the desire to support my son combined with the reality of the commute. A wise friend suggested that Leah's energy of being able to rise above the denser, more complicated details while keeping the water (excess emotion) at bay behind her might allow me a similarly spacious perspective. This observation is quite brilliant and not one I would have come to so intuitively on my own. Thank you, wise friend ;) I also sense a resonance between Leah and The Bridge. Certainly they share the same suit but further than that I sense her body as a bridge itself between the worlds. In this case the denser world of the earth plane details and the more refined world of aspiration and intention, the latter which are fueling me energetically this week.

Acquisitio ~ Astrogem Cards by Les Cross

The imagery to the left shows a cup with droplets falling into it which conveys the theme of gain and success nicely. The crystal associated with it is amethyst known for its amplification of energy among other things so there is some resonance here with this association. I do have a nice chunk of amethyst so I shall pop that into my travel basket today.

I feel I'm being given the opportunity to see this week as a bit of a dance here with a natural ebb and flow, one that mimics the pattern of breath itself. I shall continue holding this dance of opposites, this inbreathing-outbreathing energy that is characterizing the week. The delight my son is taking in his experience combined with making sure lunches get made, proper breakfasts are consumed and that we are drinking enough water! Hello Nine of Hearts on a literal level. I do feel a bit like Leah, overseeing it all and while I don't have a crow familiar at my side I do have my little dog who is an important connection to the land of joy, instinct and movement.

Tomorrow I'll finish up the geomantic analysis with The Judge, the result of adding the first two Witnesses together. I'm mid-way through the week but it doesn't feel like the end is in sight yet. I can't quite see the other side of the bridge ;) One thing about The Bridge that comes to mind is that beneath it flows a lot of water. Perhaps this is another way to work with that first card with its excess of emotion, traveling across it, so to speak, instead of getting immersed in it. On we go...

Foresight by Earth

Ana Cortez's system of card reading with the Playing Card Oracles incorporates geomancy to elaborate and explore further the material offered by the cards. In my experience it has added depth and detail to a reading that might not have been so obvious at first. It gives a different perspective. Geomancy is an ancient form of divination that is translated from the Greek as 'foresight by earth' and the Arabic as 'science of the sand'. It is thought to have established its roots in the Middle East when Arabic merchants brought with them esoteric teachings from East Asia through the Silk Road.

Along the way various influences were brought to bear and we arrived at the system we have today of sixteen geomantic figures that correspond to various astrological energies. It uses the random generation of marks or dots to create a four-line figure, one line for each of the four elements. The divinatory meaning of the figure depends on the number and arrangement of the dots. Ana's system does three geomantic calculations for a spread, by number called The First Witness, by color called The Second Witness and then the result of adding those together called The Judge. So here we go with the geomantic analysis by number, The First Witness for yesterday's draw...

Playing Card Oracles by Ana Cortez

To calculate the geomancy by number... an odd number gets one dot, an even number gets two. Looking at yesterday's draw we have...

9 ------>   *
12 -----> * *
5 ------ >  *
6 ------ > * *

I'm using Astrogem Geomancy Cards by Les Cross to depict the traditional geomantic figures for this reading. There are several different types of cards available out there but I liked the aesthetic of these as well as the addition of the gem correlation. I'm not knowledgeable about crystals and the skeptic in me finds a lot of the claims dubious but the magpie in me likes the pretty, sparkly factor and I'm slowly building a small collection that gives me a lot of pleasure.

Using the math described above to calculate the first geomantic figure by number I arrived at Amissio. Ruled by Venus, Amissio is a figure of change, desire and loss. It is the card of diminishment, emptying out, a release or shedding of skin. It indicates a potential loss of something though that loss could be positive if it's desired, negative if not. Central to its meaning are the basic teachings of impermanence.

It is ruled by Venus with Taurus as its astrological association. And elementally it is associated with Fire and Water though I'm unclear how that's arrived at. Nevertheless I'm intrigued by the elemental pairing as that is the combination that appeared in the first card drawn, a Water suit in a Fire placement. As such I'm drawing a conclusion that there is a direct relationship between the first card and this geomantic figure.

The first card, Gilles de Rais ~ Nine of Hearts, with its dripping hearts traditionally suggests excess but at the same time those droplets falling from the hearts convey a sense of loss. For this week in relation to the intensity of my driving commitments I definitely sense a feeling of, if not loss then at the very least limit, which is perhaps a more muted form of loss. Anxiety is perhaps more present than usual as this is no country road drive but eight-lane freeway driving. So a sense of both loss and excess, I suppose.

Looking at the figure itself can be helpful in finding a way in to the meaning of the card. If you look closely at the two triangles they form two inverted cups stacked one on top of the other which conveys a theme of emptying and diminishment.

Amissio ~ Astrogem Cards

The backs of these cards contain a bit of information on the qualities of the figure, its astrological associations and imagery that conveys its meaning. And here we see more clearly the image of the overturned cup with droplets of water falling from it to indicate the theme of loss this card presents.

The card also contains a crystal association, in this case malachite. The properties of malachite have primarily to do with protection but it is also said to enhance creativity and imagination though I have no experience with this aspect and can't speak to its verity. I do like look of the gems and would like to work towards collecting each stone in this deck. It would be nice to have some malachite to carry with me this week as a literal 'touchstone'. The depth and variegation of the green is visually very soothing.




 I'll stop here for now and tomorrow will explore the geomancy by color for this draw aka, The Second Witness. I'm part way into my week and so far it has felt about as I thought, pretty darn exhausting on the physical front but very satisfying to see the joy my son is reaping from the experience. And we're having some great connection time with all those hours spent in the car.

Playing Card Oracles

Playing Card Oracles by Ana Cortez

This week I'll be working with the Playing Card Oracles Vintage edition by the innovative Ana Cortez. Her system is a unique combination of intuition and structure with lots of room for poetics, beauty and psychological depth to move through as the dance of Spirit. As she explains it, a playing card deck has 52 cards and as such forms a natural lunar year-- 52 weeks in a year/52 cards in a deck, 13 weeks in each season/13 cards in each suit, 13 moons in a lunar year, 4 seasons/4 suits. One of the spreads Ana uses is a basic weekly spread in which the deck is shuffled and then the top four cards are turned over indicating possible energies for the week ahead.

Playing Card Oracles by Ana Cortez

The cards are usually laid out vertically or diagonally. The first card represents the head, next is throat, then comes torso and finally feet. These positions are represented by diamonds (fire), clubs (air), hearts (water) and spades (earth) respectively. If a card of the same suit falls in one of those positions then it is considered to be dignified and the energy more concentrated.




Accordingly one could do a reading for something coming up in several weeks' time by counting off cards (each one representing a week) from the top of the deck until one got to the card/week in question and then laying out the three cards that follow that card to see what influences might be present. So off we go for the week ahead...

Gilles de Rais ~ Leah ~ Peddler's Ace ~ The Bridge

Head = Diamonds = Fire
Throat = Clubs = Air
Torso = Hearts = Water
Feet = Spades = Earth

Gilles de Rais ~ Nine of Hearts ~ Playing Card Oracles

Look at this face peering out from the wrending in this card. I'm not feeling encouraged by that nor all the dripping hearts lol. This card, being the first one drawn, sets the tone for the reading. The character depicted here, Gilles de Rais, lived in 15th century, a man of prominence and nobility whose ways became increasingly self-serving as time went on. As such this particular Nine represents excesses of emotion as seen in the overflowing hearts.

Some keywords are :: fears and insecurities, extremes of behavior, flowing tears and sorrow.

There is a positive side to this card if it is worked with skillfully and it is that of humanitarian love. Ana describes it as the passion in the Hearts becoming transmuted and centered in compassion.

For me that feels resonant. I'm slated for between 5-6 hrs of rush hour driving every day this week. The reason being so that my son can attend a camp he really wants to go to, one that gives him tremendous joy and engagement. Though this is not a humanitarian act of love on a grand scale it is an act of love on a small scale that comes at some cost to my own level of comfort. The card, though, is not well-placed being a water card in a fire position. I sense the need to make sure the emotion/stress involved with all the driving doesn't drown the initial spark of generosity that initiated my decision to take this on. 

Leah ~ Queen of Clubs ~ Playing Card Oracles

This Queen is, I think, my favorite Court in the deck followd by Terrene, the Lady of Spades. Leah is certainly the Queen I most identify with. Being a club she is an air sign and her position here in the throat makes her placement dignified. I think of the throat position as an important mediator between the head and the torso (which includes the heart). To have this Queen here, with her skill in communication, feels good. I have this visceral feeling of confidence, a sense of okay, I've got this, I know how to do this. What 'this' is is not entirely clear but I feel her energy as familiar comfortable and compatible with my own.

Her domain, being a black suit, is that of night energy but rather than shadow energy she is more attuned to dreams, mysteries, intuition and the wisdom of the unconscious. So hopefully my communications this week will be skillful and effective both written and spoken. She feels like a stabilising influence, a channel or conduit for some of the more ambiguous energy of the cards above and directly below her.

Peddler's Ace ~ Five of Diamonds ~ Playing Card Oracles

I wasn't too keen seeing this crafty fellow show up in the Torso position which is the center of the spread including as it does the heart, the solar plexus and the womb. He is the Peddlar's Ace known for confusion and trickery. Ana says, "he usually has something fishy up his sleeve".

He suggests a caution or warning before entering into deals or transactions. Be aware of acting impulsively and instead take a more measured approach before moving on something. For some reason the phrase "mind the gap" comes up for me seeing this fellow so I shall be paying attention to any gaps in awareness that may present themselves.

That he is in the Torso position, the heart of the matter, suggests to me overall ambivalence on my part about the week ahead. His element is Fire, his placement is in a Water position which isn't compatible but with this card perhaps that's a plus. And I do like that Leah is in a position to monitor his movement, looking directly over his shoulder, so to speak, so I'll be calling on her clear communication skills for help with any confusion that might arise this week.

The Bridge ~ Six of Clubs ~ Playing Card Oracles

Rounding out the spread is a card that makes me breathe out a sigh of calm. The Bridge, Six of Clubs suggests transitions, a 'bridging' of work and aspirations, actualities and ideals. It offers the possibility of new vistas and forward momentum. That it rounds out the week feels quite positive. However it's an air suit in the position of the feet, associated with the element of Earth so some of that water from the first card needs to trickle all the way down here to moisten and enrich the soil otherwise it could blow away.

This is the foundation of the draw, what will anchor it so perhaps the idea is to keep my perspective wide and long while moving through the very practical duties of driving and lunch-making this week instead of getting caught up in the minutiae these kinds of tasks can engender. And again I get this intuitive hit of how the relationship between that first watery card and this last earthy one could be quite beneficial if Leah is able to work her communicating magic. That might look like giving the emotion in the first card an outlet by taking some long hikes on the ridge for actual perspective and letting my spirit soar. Gotta watch out for that Peddler though.

I'm going to pause here for now with my very rudimentary analysis of this spread. Tomorrow I'll work with the geomantic attributes which really enrich and enliven a reading giving it depth and texture bringing out subtleties that might not be so apparent. My week will be full and I shall be regularly looking to this spread as it unfolds to see where some of these influences might be felt.

Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes

Look at all that Fire. Three Diamonds pushing up and up into that one lone Earth card. That feels somewhat unstable, fire burning earth equals lava, a kind of volcanic energy, the Fire pushing up and up into the Earth. In Hawaii there are two different types of lava ~ pahoehoe, a'a. When dried they are quite different in texture. Pahoehoe is ropy and coiled whereas a'a is jagged and rough. Both of them represent the fascinating phenomena of fire meeting earth and both are dynamic. That's what it feels like looking at this spread. I'm not sure which type of lava I'm looking at here. Plus the Earth element is sitting where in the Fire throne and the Fire is sitting in the Earth throne, a true reversal.

It's really nice to have Livia's Queenly Fire energy anchoring this week's spread. She is in the feet position and with Dango above her with his fire shoes are needed, protection for the feet and I'm reminded of the Paul Simon song 'She's got diamonds on the soles of her shoes' an image I've always loved though its meaning is rather less exalted. But with her cup it feels like Livia's nourishing the whole spread and doing it with grace and ease. I shall draw from her this week. Though she'll need to keep Dango, the Jack of Diamonds, in line as the fiery tightrope he's walking just above her is threatening to singe her crown. The Ace of Diamonds, Ignita, in the throat position tells me that my communicative skills are still nascent, the fire needs tending in order for them to come forward with more vitality and passion. And this is currently true, I can't find my writing groove this week. Finally we have the Jack of Spades, Pampero, he of the howling winds, in the head position. What do I make of that? Lots of heavy thoughts sitting on all that fire? Perhaps.

Geomantic Analysis

By Number ~ First Witness

 *
 *
 *
* *

~ Cauda Draconis ~ Tail of the Dragon ~ South Node of the Moon ~

Exit. Ending. Possible problems or complications. The Lower Kingdom. Good for terminating affairs of any kind.
By Color ~ Second Witness

 *
* *
* *
* *

~ Laetitia ~ Ruled by Jupiter ~

Joy. Laughter. Expression of happiness. Health. Balance. Grace. Beauty. Bearded
Combined ~ The Judge

* *
 *
 *
* *

~ Conjunctio ~ Ruled by Mercury ~

Connection. The lost being found. Relationship. Contracts. Agreements. Negative coming together with negative. Positive coming together with positive. Generally considered a neutral figure.
So it appears that this week will not be one of super positivity. The negative first witness combined with the positive second witness depends on the Judge for a positive or negative outcome. Since the Judge is considered a neutral figure we've got a week which starts out poorly takes a turn for the better at some point but concludes with neither overly positive nor overly negative energy. Hmmm. So that first Witness is ruled by the South Node of the Moon. This is what has been said about that...

Fear is associated with South Node issues. The South Node position is very often a point of great insecurity. We very much want what is represented by the South Node position, whether that is order in our lives (South Node in Virgo/6th house) or satisfaction in partnerships (South Node in Libra/7th house). However, the only way we can feel successful in these areas is through working on the qualities of the opposite sign (North Node position). We may resist doing this quite fervently, especially in the first 30 years of our lives, partly because we cannot see that letting go of some of our obsessions, and working on the polarity, will bring satisfaction to the South Node areas.

Jupiter is the planet of expansion, a kind of 'welcome to the feast' energy and Mercury is all about fast movement and communication. So we've got rather a jumble of energy this week. A week that will start out with some low afflicted energy, take a turn for the better perhaps mid-week and fizzle a little to end on an unexciting but neutral note.