PCO: Levels of temptation

The following post was a part of a discussion that happened in the Playing Card Oracles Discord Server a while ago, and I felt like sharing it here because it ended up being an interesting analysis of the cards. In the PCO method, we have three different cards that could describe a situation in which we are being tempted or seduced somehow: the 3♥, the 5♥ and the 8♥.

In the Alchemy Edition (now published as The Doors of Somlipith), there is still the fourth possible card, the 9♠ (Dracula) but, in my opinion, this card is a lot more about being trapped and preyed upon than truly being 'seduced' (unless it has a few strong Hearts cards nearby). I love Gary Oldman's alluring version of Dracula in Coppola's 1992 film as much as the next person, but do I think a vampire would enchant us only so far as it took to sink his fangs in our neck.

But back to the tempting cards in the Heart suit. The first card is the 3♥, called The Clutch in the PCO and The Fortress of Desire in the DOS. Treys are always about a third element coming up where before there were two – either in harmony or conflict. In the previous card, the 2♥, you have two beings tied by the threads of desire and emotion (PCO) or a chalice of emotion from which two can drink, getting mixed with each other in the process (DOS). In the 3♥, a third element appears: it can be third party that causes emotional doubt and forces you to make an emotional choice, or a situation that promises to fulfil all your desires, but at the cost of betraying the vow you took in the 2♥.

Ultimately, both versions of the 3♥ are cards of "small temptation", in the sense that a third element comes along and tests the connection established in the 2♥. However, it differs from the 5♥ (Fata Morgana, in both versions) because it's not about an illusion – you are not being "deluded" or unable to see clearly. In the 3♥, the challenge is a bit more mundane: choosing to attach yourself emotionally to a person or a situation means forgoing a similar attachment to the many other possibilities still out there. But these possibilities will still be "out there" and from time to time they will test your resolve to stay in the path you first chose or not.

In the 5♥, one is unable, or unwilling, to see reality for what it is. That is why it's a more challenging card, because people have a hard time giving up the illusions that sustain them emotionally. There is no such thing in the 3♥, as reality is usually more or less clear: a third element has come to upset the initial balance of the Deuce. It beckons. Will you follow it or not?

In my opinion, the choice aspect is more evident in the 3♥ than in the 5♥. In the Fata Morgana, the spell is already at work, you have been ensnared at some level and will have to make a painfully conscious effort to overcome the illusion. There is also a chance that the "temptation" at hand is already causing certain disturbances in your life, as the 5s in general represent instability and a lack of direction.

And then we have the 8♥, called The Garden in the original PCO and The Faun in the DOS. The 8s are cards that usually point to already structured situations so, as far as the 8♥ is concerned, the choice has already been made. You have already followed the faun into the forest, or the serpent into the garden. There are not more choices to be made now, only consequences to be reckoned with.

This is why the 8s are considered "karmic" cards. In the case of the 3s and the 5s, the situations are still in the making, and the building blocks can be changed and adjusted. With the 8s, well, you have to deal with the reality you were building all along, whether you meant it or not. Furthermore, the 8 is an even number, which emphasises the idea that whatever "temptation" the 8♥ might be pointing at is probably something already established, a 'habit' so to speak.

Does that mean the 8♥ is a bad card? Not at all. The 8♥ is a Dionysian card of mischief, celebration and peak experiences. It symbolises situations in which we may be tempted to cross certain lines, causing an upheaval in the more conservatives facets of our lives. If we can take the heat, then it can be a very transformative card.

Spring Equinox: The Flight of the Plumed Serpent (Part II)

I would like to delve more deeply into the reading I did for the Spring Equinox, The Flight of the Plumed Serpent. Here are some additional insights I got from it:

• The majority of the cards are low-numbered. I interpret this as meaning that the coming season will not be about huge changes or accomplishments, but rather about minding the 'little things' and making small chess moves that later on might evolve into bigger, bolder steps.

• The fact that the majority of the cards are also even-numbered reinforces the idea above. With a lot of even cards, one can expect a tendency towards passivity and receptivity, not movement. The satisfaction with the current state of affairs is greater than the pressure to change.

• The elements also move like a stair: we begin with a lot of Hearts (Water) then go through a long Diamonds/Club phase (Fire and Air) and end the season with a Spade card. So, the season will begin with a focus on the emotions, possibly coupled with the desire to retreat in order to deal with these inner tides. Then a spark of fire (appropriately represented by the A♦, Ignita) will generate an increase in vitality, which will help inspire the mind and the spirit. After that, we reach the only Spade (Earth) card, which hints that the visible results of the process will only manifest at the end of the season.

• We have three Deuces (2♥, 2♦, 2♣) in this spread, which is also very meaningful. The number 2 represents the coming together of two individuals, concepts, or things. It seeks harmony and cooperation, and is more about maintaining than about starting. Also, it is a number of indecision. All this helps corroborate the 'signs' previously described, that the season's journey will be more about harmonising and finding one's way than about implementing big changes.

Spring Equinox: The Flight of the Plumed Serpent

Yesterday he had the Spring Equinox here in the Southern Hemisphere, which is an important transitional moment of the year, when day and night are equal in length. Aside from the usual ritual to celebrate the new season, I also tried one of the new layouts taught by Ana Cortez in The Doors of Somlipith, which is called The Flight of the Plumed Serpent.

The goal of this spread is to provide a 'map' for the coming season, with each card representing a period of roughly 10 days. As Ana Cortez describes in her book:

"At the completion of your time with the Plumed Serpent, you will possess a road map of evolution for the coming season, along with two personal 'gods' to remain as guides. This consists of nine cards from the Lower Kingdom and two cards from the Upper Kingdom. The nine cards are stepping-stones that work in synchronization with your Time Gates. The two 'gods' are aspects of your own self to aspire to and learn from." (p. 267)

So, this spread is not focused on results, but rather on evolution and one's personal journey. The question to be asked is always the same: What is my journey as a being who wishes for personal evolution, and what do I need to know about this journey?

One unique attribute of this spread is that you have to use the whole deck in it, but you only read the cards related to the season starting at the moment of the reading. For this reason, The Flight of the Plumed Serpent can only be done during Solstices and Equinoxes, precisely at the 'gate' points that separate the seasons.

Here is what my Plumed Serpent looked like:

I have no intention of analysing this huge spread all at once, and I am sure (or, at least, I hope) that I will return to it many times until the next Solstice. But here are some initial key-points that got my attention:

• The rulers presiding at the pyramid crown, Sol (K♣) and Dango (J♦) are of complementary suits, but lack in female energy. I feel like they represent the need to develop more active qualities in myself (I have been quite 'slow' since my graduation) and also point to working to develop and heal 'maleness', both inside and outside myself.

• Sol (K♣) and Dango (J♦), due to their age and hierarchical differences, also give me a 'mentorship' vibe. The J♦ can be a bit of a wild card sometimes, but the K♣, with his calm and rational demeanour, can help cool Dango down a bit, and inspire him to act more sensibly. Meanwhile, Dango brings vitality and action to Sol's life, putting in practice what his 'mentor' teaches. I wonder if this points to such a relationship appearing in my life, one way or another.

• All four suits are present, which shows that in the coming season there will be opportunities to balance all different aspects of the self. But the suits of the rulers – Diamonds and Clubs – are, curiously, the ones with the most cards, suggesting that this particular leg of the journey will focus on mental, communicational, creative and possibly financial issues.

• We have a sequence of Diamond cards: the A♦, 2♦ and 3♦ (although this last one is separated from the other two by the 9♣ and the 2♣). Again, I have the impression there is an ascending movement in the areas under Ignita's rulership: money, self-esteem, vitality, creativity and ambitions in general. The presence of the A♦ only intensified this.

• The first step of the pyramid is the 4♣ (East Wind), which… totally suits my moment right now. I have been living in the 4♣ since my graduation ceremony last August. My life, which had been a flurry of activity for the last two years, suddenly screeched into a halt… and I don't feel ready yet for my next step (because I am not sure what it is). The 4♣ is also about procrastination which, I won't lie, I have been guilty of lately. So, this journey starts on a slow note, but promises to pick up after a while.


More to come on this spread… I am nowhere near done with it!

Time-keeping with the Playing Cards

The Playing Card Oracles method has always been deeply connected to the Lunar calendar, as evident in its very structure of 52 cards. Each card represents one week or seven days of the year, and the four cards used in the Present Spread (now called Window Into The Now or WITN) make one 28-day lunar cycle. Together, all 52 cards make the 13 lunar cycles of the year.

Now, one of the developments brought forth by The Doors of Somlipith is the deck's connection to the Solar calendar. The seed has always been there, in the way the four suits represent the fours seasons, each having 13 cards (which is the same amount of weeks each season has). But the DOS elaborates that idea with the revelation of the 36 Gates, which I will briefly explain below.

According to the DOS book "each of the 36 Lower Kingdom cards represents 10° (or approximately 10 days) of the solar cycle to make the yearly 360° solar circle" (p. 192). The Lower Kingdom consists of the pip cards, while the Upper Kingdom comprises the court cards. So, each of the pips is connected to a 10-day period, and the suit is determined by the astrological sign in which the Sun is at the moment. The pip itself depends on the modality of the current Sun sign, in accordance to the following rule:

Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) = Ace, 2, 3
Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) = 4, 5, 6
Mutable Signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) = 7, 8, 9

So, if today is 13 September 2024, the Sun is currently in Virgo, meaning that the current Gate is a Spade card of number 7, 8 or 9. We are currently entering the final third of the Sun's journey through Virgo, so our pip number is most likely a 9, which makes the 9♠ (Dracula) our Guardian for the current Gate.

But, if that mental gymnastics feels like too much work, you can always consult the neat little table Ana gives us in her book:

I really love this expansion of The Doors of Somlipith to include the Solar aspects in the calendar calculations. And the possibilities are many! You can use the Gate card as a timing device during a reading, by checking what date/Gate corresponds to the top card of the spread (an easier variation of the Cat Spread). You can see how your daily or weekly cards relate to the current Guardian, adding depth to your routine readings. And, finally, the Gate can be taken into consideration when doing magic – does its Guardian help or hinder your intention?

I am particularly interested in understanding how we fare under more challenging Gates – like Dracula, the current one! No one can say the 9♠ is an easy card… yet, if we are to work with the 36 Gates, we need to contend with his formidable presence! And in this challenge lies the possibility of broadening our own understanding of the cards themselves.

Furthermore, when working with the 36 Gates, Ana suggests that we ask ourselves the following questions (p. 199-201):

    Question number 1: What is happening in my life right now that relates to this card intelligence?
    Question number 2: What is it about the current Guardian that I want to learn or use for my own life?
    Question number 3: What do I not want or need from this Guardian in my life right now? In other words, what is this Guardian helping me to be aware of as potential pitfalls?
    Question number 4: How do I see the current Guardian in its triplicity, and what powers or insight can I gain from the additional Guardian influences for my life now?

…thus making the Solar calendar, together with the cards, a tool of self-awareness and self-transformation. Seriously, the sheer richness of the Playing Cards will never cease to astound me!

The Doors of Somlipith © Ana Cortez & C.J. Freeman

Review: The Doors of Somlipith by Ana Cortez

My first contact with the method created by Ana Cortez and her father, C.J. Freeman, was through the original Playing Card Oracles, more than a decade ago. The book had a revolutionary effect on me as a divination practitioner, with its unique system that blended colours, numbers, elements and geomancy, creating a whole new divinatory mythos.

Now, so many years later, we have a new addition to this universe, The Doors of Somlipith. In her new work, Ana Cortez presents us not only with a new deck, but also with a new book that both expands and deepens what the original book taught us. But make no mistake – this is not a rehash of what has been published before. Absolutely not! Somlipith stands on the 'shoulders' of the original Playing Card Oracles, and uses it as a platform to launch itself to exciting new frontiers.

I believe the biggest difference in The Doors of Somlipith is that it goes beyond teaching divination (which it also does, in detail, in case you are a beginner), and feels more like a 'travel book' into the realms of the cards themselves. The lands and characters we first met in the Playing Card Oracles are explored in transformative ways. The potential interactions between such characters, influenced by the elemental and numerological aspects, helps you weave their stories in readings, turning The Doors of Somlipith into a living oracle, one that beckons the imagination while rooting itself in a very solid, logical method.

Geomancy, which was one of the greatest innovations of the original PCO, receives an even more in-depth treatment in this book, culminating with the connection between the court cards of the deck and the 16 geomantic figures themselves. The traditional 4-card reading is also deeply explored, with Ana providing countless examples on how to see the cards as a whole, and how to interpret the many layers a spread can provide.

As usual, Ana Cortez's writing style is a joy to read. The conversational tone makes us feel like she's right there beside us, and also lends a light touch to what is, in fact, a very deep and elaborate book. And, like with the first book, the way she mixes original tales, poetry and pure esoteric wisdom is rich and delightful. You do not read The Doors of Somlipith – you kind of dive into it. It's a fully immersive experience.

Last but not least, let me talk about the cards: pure luxury! They have a good size and a matte finish, which makes them a pleasure to handle and shuffle. The suit symbols and the names are in golden foil, and the colours are rich and breathtaking. The art is different from the original PCO, but still has the unique spirit of C.J. Freeman in it – always hinting at something magical, dark and mysterious…

Reading The Doors of Somlipith has been so mind-opening, at times even a bit overwhelming, to me... It's not fast-food oracle or spirituality; it's something the soul needs time to fully absorb, and I'm loving it! I see it as a deepening of the revolution started by the Playing Card Oracles, and one I am happy to be able to be a part of.

PCO: Healing the (other) divide?

Hummm... the 7♥ and the 9♦ facing each other on the top positions of the reading. Now, where have I see this before...?

Actually, not long ago! These same cards showed up in the exact same position in my New Moon Reading of March. It's interesting to see a repeated pattern in a spread... and what are the chances of this happening, right? Of course, this time the bottom cards are different, and that changes many things, but it still feels like the cards are saying "Marina, you are doing it again...".

I confess I did this reading out of impulse. I was feeling rather down and seeking clarity about my emotional life... The truth is that, right now, I should be ecstatic, as I am finally graduating, after nearly 7 years of hard work, while going through pandemics and floods and whatnot. But instead I feel... a bit dead on the inside. And that has been impacting my relationships, especially with BF.

So, like with the previous reading, we have the 7♥, the Sword of Healing, looking like it's duelling the 9♦, Gawain. My first impression was that there's a healing factor that wants to come into the reading, but is being kept out by the 9♦, which is a strong card of protection. Now, you might be wondering, why would Gawain protect one against healing? Well, the truth is that healing... hurts, sometimes. It involves scrutinising wounds and pains that we are not always ready, or willing, to face.

The card below the 9♦, which is in the Torso position (the prime place to look for anything concerning one's emotional life), represents whatever Gawain is guarding. And here we have the 5♠, the Impotent King, a card of limitations, of "entrenchment in the known" as Ana writes in her book. And think this card shows that the heart is in a very barren place right now, precisely because it's guarding itself so strongly. Objectively, the 9♦ in the Throat position could represent a fiery, defensive communication that can be "scorching for the unprepared" and is used to keep the heart safe. But the heart is not thriving in all this safety; instead, it's getting drier, more fearful, more isolated.

Then we have the bottom card, in the Foot position, the 8♥ (The Faun). This card looks a bit odd in such a 'serious' spread, but for me it has two effects. First, it softens the 5♠ above it, showing that not all lost for our Impotent King. Second, it's in the position of the physical body, so I can't help but connect it with sexual impulse – the heart may want to stay protected, but the body is ready for "high mischief", as Ana says when she describes the Faun. And I kind of like the way the Faun looks like he's about to creep up to the Impotent King and give him a scare!

So, how to connect all this? Like I said before, an opportunity for healing is near, but there are strong defences in the self that fight to keep the status quo, because true healing often involves letting go or changing certain dynamics that no longer work. And while the 7♥ is a healing card, it is still a sword, still a tool of change. Aggressive communication has been a way to keep the heart safe, to avoid the upheaval, at the cost of the heart's vitality. However, there is still a strong instinctual energy in the body that is making itself know and might end up triggering change too.

Gawain (9♦) is trying to keep the Impotent King dry, protecting him from that water from above... without realising that there is water coming in from the bottom...

In this reading, I feel like the divide is between the conscious forces that ruthlessly defend stability – in typical Diamonds + Spade fashion – and the subtle, yet powerful, emotional and instinctual forces, that can heal, but are also unpredictable.

This is such a powerful message, and makes so much sense to me, that I believe I will come back to this reading many times in the coming days. I am always in awe of the profound magic found in the playing cards...

New Moon Reading: Still – the wind is silent

It seems that the intense astral winds of last month are about to slow into a lull for me. This New Moon reading comprises only even numbers, and three of the cards are 6s: all very good for harmony and stability, but not very active or exciting.

Analysing the suits, though, we see Diamonds cards occupying both the top and the bottom of the spread, adding some energy to it. One could argue that the 4♦ (South Wind), as a top card, makes for a very active character, tending to blow a lot of unpredictability into the reading. But honestly, in a layout like this, with no other destabilising factors, it kinda feels like whatever the 4♦ is trying to stir is very much refusing to move. Maybe the South Wind wants change and excitement, but the 6-filled environment just isn't giving it much fuel. If you look at the 'image' created by the cards together, it's like the South Wind is blowing its hot air through a corridor made of the pips of all 6s cards – and hitting nothing.

The Geomancy of this reading seems to agree with this perception. We got Populus + Albus = Albus. Both Witnesses and the Judge are rather slow, meditative figures. Even in group situations, there is a tendency towards introspection and withdrawal.

The 6♦ and the 6♠ together create a very stable, very predictable situation. We are safe and secure, and nothing seems to be happening, which can be both a blessing and curse. The 6♥ softens the usual dreariness of the 6♠, implying that the lack of movement does come with some comfort and healing, which for us, after the flood, is not a bad thing at all.

That said, we cannot ignore that the 6♠ is the only black card in the reading, and that it is in the Heart position. I get the impression that all this stillness, as safe and as comfortable as it is, makes one feel somewhat isolated and cut off from the dynamic energies of life. The 6♠ is, quite literally, having the Winter inside one's heart. The Soul is hibernating.

So sum it up, the coming cycle will lack excitement and dynamic developments, but it will be an opportunity to stop and rest. On the other hand, the lack of external stimuli will force me to turn inwards – and deal with whatever is in there (probably issues related to my past, as the 6♠ symbolises them too). The 4♦ in the Head position seems to imply that the mind will revolt against the general calmness, so mental restlessness and sudden thought-sparks that go nowhere (no Clubs/Air cards around) are to be expected.

PCO: Where is my package?

Time for some good ol' oracular help. Right before the flood, I bought two second-hand overcoats because Winter is coming and, since I am ridiculously cold-intolerant, I might as well wear as many cool coats and jackets as I can. They shipped the package my way and, less than a day later, all local roads were closed due the flooding, and most of them have yet to be repaired and reopened. Besides, our airport is completely swamped, so nothing can arrive by aeroplane as well.

Obviously, the package did not arrive and it's probably not going to anytime soon. Still, I was worried – what if it was caught in the flood, and destroyed? I do have enough sense of proportion to know that losing a couple of winter coats due to the flood is the minor-est of all minor things, but it would still make me happy to know that they were not lost in the deluge.

So I asked my PCO cards: where is my package? And the cards were pretty straightforward!

The 4♠, North Wind, could not give a clearer message: my package is still north. I live in the southernmost state of Brazil, so anywhere north of here means the package is safe and dry. Also, the North Wind is a card that incites us to seek protection against harsh conditions, including weather, so the package was purposefully taken to a place where it'd be protected until it could be shipped my way.

The 7♦, Sword of Truth, confirms to me that my package is dry (because it's a Fire card). The lack of Hearts/Water cards in this reading is very reassuring! Also, I believe the Sword of Truth is telling me that I will soon hear 'the truth' about where my package has been all this time.

To be honest, this reading did ease my concerns. I am now very confident that the package will arrive, eventually – I just hope it does before winter is over!


[Edited to add] The day after the reading, I received an email letting me know there had been an update in my package tracking. So far it is still in São Paulo (which is north of here), waiting for the moment they will be able to transfer it. So yeah, it's safe and dry!

New Moon Reading: Here comes the flood

This reading was done during the monthly New Moon Ceremony, hosted by Ana Cortez. Sadly, Ana and her daughter told us that this will be the last meeting of the sort, as they are moving on to new endeavours. Nevertheless, I plan on continuing to do the New Moon readings, even if just to keep a regular card-reading exercise.

The first thing that called my attention about this month's spread is the sheer amount of Hearts/Water. And I wish I could say it is merely a symbolic thing but.... it isn't. The fact is that, right now, we are going through the worst flood in history here where I live. We have had many days of torrential rainfall, which caused the rivers to overflow their banks, flooding entire towns, displacing hundreds of people and killing many. It's chaos and devastation all around, and it's still happening.

It's difficult for me to connect the catastrophe with the Hearts cards of this particular spread, since all of them are benign. The 2♥ (The Chalice) in the Head position is all about being ready to receive what comes from 'above'. The prior months had more active readings, but this one begins by suggesting that I cultivate receptiveness, a more 'wait and see' attitude.

Couple with the 8♥ (The Faun), however, the 2♥ comes with a wild streak. Amongst the keywords of the 8♥ in The Doors of Somlipith book, we have "intensifying unrest and the upheaval of ways". So not only this month's reading warns me to remain open and receptive, but it also tells that whatever is coming will be unpredictable and cause disruption. As if having a large portion of my city underwater wasn't disruptive enough, heh.

Dignified in his home position, we have the K♥, Nicomiah, the most generous, mellow and receptive of all kings. Again, there is the idea of remaining receptive and of trying to remain generous and open at this time. Overall, all the Water cards in this spreads point to remaining adaptable, willing to shift with the strong currents, rather than seeking certainty and stability where there is none.

But wait – we do have a Spades/Earth card here, which is, as we know, the complementary suit to Hearts. Perhaps it will lend some much needed steadiness to this spread? Nope, not this time. The card is the 8♠ (The Curse), whose keyword is "affliction". While the book tries to give a positive spin to this card (i.e "it's a disaster but it can change things for better"), it's undeniable that this card speaks of tragedy, material loss and challenging times. In the Foot position, this card suggests the loss of one's footing and probably significant material damage. The flood is coming, and there will be little left standing in its wake.

All in all, this reading is telling me that things will get worse before they get any better, and that to fight against what is coming is useless. I must be prepared to make concessions, to adapt, and try to keep a generous heart, since a lot of people will be needing help. I also get the impression this will be an emotionally charged month, with the inner waters turning almost as destructive as the outer ones. And it makes sense: not only disaster is happening in real time as I write, but also I am not a person who deals very well with sudden changes... I rely a lot on my routine to feel safe and stable.

Well, I guess the coming lunar cycle is about to challenge all that...

New Moon Reading: In the realms of the mind

This month's reading is very strong on Air energy, which makes sense, since my main focus right now is finishing my undergraduate thesis. The Head card, 3♣ (The Wand), speaks of the power of the mind to shape reality – both consciously and unconsciously. For me, this is a sign this cycle will be all about manifesting my ideas.

And the reading shows I am aided by two other powerful Clubs/Air cards: Sol, the K♣, in the Throat position, and Lancelot, the J♣, in the foot. Sol is a powerful card for matters of the intellect and for studies, and he also represents the right side of the brain, the one that controls logic, analysis and verbal speech. I feel like this card represents mastery when it comes to expression, especially considering the dignified position he is in, so I can count on being able to use the power of The Wands in a right-brained manner, and with great competence.

I confess that Lancelot the J♣, has always been a difficult card for me to interpret. In the original PCO, he carried both the symbols of Clubs and Hearts, working as a link between the two realms. In the Doors of Somlipith, we see a more 'formal' side of him, and the book describes him as being "one that works behind the scenes; visionary; multitalented" amongst other things. What I gather is a force, in the Foot position, that helps the excessively mental aspect of the other cards to connect to other energies – here, the earthly realm. The coming cycle will be, indeed, focused on more Air-like endeavours and goals, but Lancelot's energy keeps it from becoming impractical. He grounds the energy by saying ideas must be acted upon in an earthly manner.

Lastly, we have the 5♦, The Peddler's Ace, in the heart position. In the original PCO, this card has a bit of a negative connotation (as do all 5s), but in the Doors of Somlipith I found the description of it more neutral. It speaks mostly of trades and exchanges – what are you willing to give in order to receive something. It's the alchemical principle of equivalent exchange. In the Heart position, the reading seems to imply that things of emotional nature will have to be sacrificed – or 'burnt' – in order to empower the intellectual endeavours.

The suit of Hearts rules not only emotions and relationships, but also comfort and pleasures. I believe the spread is telling me that this month I won't have the luxury to enjoy what makes me feel good in a carefree manner, but this sacrifice will allow me to fully bring my mental ambitions to fruition.

New Moon Reading: Healing the divide

This reading was done for the latest New Moon Ceremony, the monthly meeting hosted by Ana Cortez. And wow... what a reading!

By the way, I'm finally the proud owner of a The Doors of Somlipith set, which I took forever to buy due to the price (our currency here is quite devalued against US Dollars, making everything from abroad cost about 5x as much), and this was my very first time using this deck for an actual reading. Of course, the DOS is an updated version of the good ol' Alchemy Edition, which I have been using for years, so the cards were nonetheless very familiar. The book has a lot of new material though, which I will eventually write about.

Anyway, on to the reading itself. The first thing that got my undivided attention was the fact this spread looks... divided. Half of it all red, and half of it is all black. This, combined with the top card, the 7♥ (Sword of Healing), gave me my first hint: the coming cycle will be all about healing a division.

I found it fascinating, the way the sword of the 7♥ is pointing downwards, towards the rest of the reading. Had the card been upside down, with the sword pointing upwards, it would look like the 9♦ (Gawain) was wielding it. But instead, we get this picture of the Sword of Healing going against Gawain's sword… as if it wants to duel the 9♦!

The 9♦ is a very heroic card that can symbolise a helper or a protector. So we must look behind it to see what exactly it is protecting in this situation. That takes us to the darker half of the reading, where we have the 2♠ and the 9♠ – Medusa and Dracula, respectively.

Going back to my first impression – the healing of a division –, I feel like this reading is pointing to a situation in which some heavy things have been kept buried under a very heroic and active façade. Someone is trying to remain very strong, very stoic, even though on the inside all sorts of paralysing conflicts (2♠) and life-draining obsessions (9♠) are festering. And since this reading is mine, that someone is probably me.

This reading says that there's no other way – Gawain must be struck by the Sword of Healing so that it can reach the darker part, the one that, if left unchecked, can actually become ill. The 7♥ is going to rain on Gawain's parade, but it must do so in order to soften the hard earth building up within.

A reading with two 9s also points irremediably to an ending, which is confirmed by the Geomantic Judge of this spread, Cauda Draconis. The means we have been using so far to deal with our issues are no longer cutting it. In the 9s, the energy of the suit tends to become rigid and extreme, so we have the 9♦ (representing a peak of energy or performance that will soon dwindle, because no fire burns forever) and the 9♠ (a dead form that takes up the space and the energy or living things, impeding renewal). Gawain must go, and so does Dracula, and the only way to get rid of them is by facing the 2♠ – the fear of losing both the (tiring) mask that protects (9♦) and the (unhealthy) attachments that support (9♠).

In short, the coming cycle will be a moment to heal divided parts within ourselves. For that to be possible, we will have to accept becoming vulnerable, less heroic and, possibly, less protective or our own darkness. We must acknowledge the fear and the anger that keep us paralysed, as well as our own attachment to certain dead-end fantasies, all which contribute to devitalisation of our inner life. And this will involve cutting through the mask that keeps such things hidden and letting the sunlight (and the rain) in.