Michael Sternbach

That's in fact the order which you generally see in the older decks (i.e. the Tarot of Marseille). It was altered by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn mostly for astrological reasons. Waite, and with him many others, followed the GD's revision, whereas Crowley and followers of the French school rejected it and retained the original order. So did I for the most part until now, but some recent encounters, not least on this thread, are seriously making me question... It may interest especially Nungali that Crowley in fact uses the GD's revised numerical order in column XIV of the Liber 777. As its publication preceded the Thoth deck, Crowley may simply have changed his mind at some stage. But it keeps coming back to it! Not to say that your associations are "wrong", but the pelican on the Empress card does emphasize the themes of motherly nurturing and self-sacrifice (just like your picture above). Nice association. The watery part of our blood has a chemical constitution that is the same like the primordial ocean. That depends on what side you are looking at it from. Being an "Empress" at the soul level makes various kinds of Love a big theme for you to deal with, anyway. It's hardly an exaggeration that the Thoth is a manual that comprises all of Aleister Crowley's Magickal knowledge. Great definition. Ditto. The symbolism of the cards is the topic of endless top-heavy debates. There is nothing wrong with starting out with an intuitive take on the symbols, and I like your associations. Although that's really nothing humanmade, but a representation of the periodic system of the chemical elements. As these are the "building blocks" of the physical world, your house association makes sense though. They are the four Cherubim that appear in several Biblical texts. They represent the four fixed signs of the zodiac Taurus (the bull), Leo (the lion), Scorpio (the eagle as its "transformed form), Aquarius (the man), and thus the elements - this time, the good old .Aristotelian ones. They are associated both with the four evangelists and the "four winds" blowing from the four cardinal directions. Right. The integration of the internal gender polarity is certainly also a theme of this card, especially as it connects the sephiroth Chockmah and Binah on the Tree of Life, or the primordial male and female principles. This is symbolical of Love bridging the polarities, both externally and internally. Thus speaketh The Empress! It's the typical colour of Venus in esoteric terms. But it could represent vegetation and nature at another level - not least, Venus belongs to the spring sign Taurus. This crown of Isis is also shown on The High Priestess in the Thoth deck, FYI. Amazingly, this brings up the 8/11 or Adjustment/Lust question the third time in a row now! You tell me, please: Was your last year one of seeking your balance and center, or characterized more by immersing yourself in joyful experiences? The Book of Thoth gives among this card's divinatory meanings "secret impulse from within; practical plans derived accordingly". I associate that with the spermatozoon. Technically, the snake is encircling the Orphic Egg that the Universe has hatched from. But let's not be overly pedantic, I imagine that as a Fabergé egg. Thank you too BES, for your elaborate replies.

Wow... Do you look something like this? Among other lizards, I sometimes see blindworms in my garden - a really misleading name, as they are limbless reptiles that look a lot like snakes, and while I am not sure if their eyes are blue, they are anything but blind. I was surprised to learn that they live to an age of 30 years and more. As you have found out meanwhile, it's a pelican, and we will get back to it shortly. Not surprising. The Rider Waite Tarot is still the most popular deck for some reason. Great how you meditated with the cards and arrived at your own insights. I wanted to hear them, that's why I limited myself to giving certain "key words". It's my pleasure.

Hello Bums, Those of you wishing an introduction to Spagyric or Alchemical remedies as used in modern times may want to read an article by me that just got published in the summer issue of homeopathy expert's Uta Mittelstadt online magazine Clever H. - The Mag. http://cleverhthemag.com/2015/06/01/spagyric-medicine-for-the-homeopathic-practitioner/ Thank you for your interest. Michael

Like...?

A couple of considerations: Could the lady be more specific about how you are supposedly going to die? You may want to make sure that you are physically fit for such a bike trip. Yes, thoughts sustained long enough have a tendency to manifest themselves. However, altering your mind set - which luckily you did - will change your future prospects immediately. Also, don't neglect the possibility that there may be a part of yours that you are unaware of and that still hasn't abandoned the suicide option for good. This story somehow reminds me of a friend I used to play chess with via Twitter and Skype, a Bahamian called Quincy who lived in Florida . He was suffering from depression and some paranoia; he talked about suicide to me repeatedly. During our conversations, I tried to convince him of his value as a unique individual, and all that. One day, while riding on a bike, Quincy was hit by a truck and consequently required an emergency operation. He continued his life with a metal plate in his shoulder that he never cared about to have removed after the fracture had been healed. He just didn't seem interested in his earthly existence any more. He closed himself off completely to his family and friends; he didn't respond to any emails, calls or visits. Several months later, Quincy was found dead on the floor in his home. The autopsy indicated that he had died of a heart attack. The story illustrates that one needs to be careful about what one wishes for - even when one isn't actively taking steps. What I would do? I would consult my own oracles... The Tarot and/or the I Ching. Happy to do a reading for you if you want to hear "a second opinion".

Thank you Nikolai for another great reply. Your new thread http://thedaobums.com/topic/38521-tarot-i-ching-etc-why-are-some-so-hot-for-it-some-left-so-cold/ is very interesting. I will participate as far as my time allows me to. Talking about your wife's cards, if you would post or PM me her date of birth, I would be happy to give it a try.

Oh, and if you folks like my Tarot readings, make sure you have a look at my new blog: https://michaelsternbach.wordpress.com/ It is pretty much under construction. If you subscribe, I will be happy to keep you posted.

8 = 11 (see above) 20 = 2 11 = 2 You didn't go OT that much.

Well, considering how the year started for you, it may be better characterized by "Lust" than by "Adjustment". Unless, of course, that is how you always celebrate your birthdays.

Unless of course the Golden Dawn theory regarding the Trumps VIII and XI would actually be correct, because then Songtsan's new year of life, expressive of the number 8, would obviously be characterized by "Lust" (or "Strength" in the Rider Waite deck). (A funny reversal of the question to Nikolai1 btw - that's why I got confused about your birthdays.) So which one is it going to be, Songtsan: Are you getting ready to seclude yourself in a monastery in order to meditate and purify yourself, or gearing up for wild orgies?

Ah yes... I guess I shouldn't be posting when I'm already half asleep.

Second reply to Nikolai: Rereading this, I am still moved. Not least, being a Hermit endows you with an extraordinary ability of introspection and self-awareness. The Lust card - your current annual card - is symbolizing strength, vital energy and, most of all, life as passion. Of course, with some, there may be the danger of kicking over the traces, but people tend to enjoy this time. Now, as I mentioned before, there is a debate in the Tarot world going on about whether the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was actually right to switch the numerical order of the cards "Adjustment" (more often called "Justice") and "Lust" (or "Strength"). I have seen cases of birth cards and annual cards where the switch seemed to make more sense but I haven't reached a final conclusion yet regarding this important issue. In your case, if the GD order holds true, the current year of your life (a "number 11 year"), would be characterized by the Adjustment card, thus the theme would be balance and inner stability, whether this would be experienced or rather looked for; it is a very internalized and meditative state. Some people start doing Yoga or something like that in such a time. It is also conceivable that it ties in with the adjustment necessary when returning to your country. What seems to be the better match? I would appreciate your insights on this. In any case, I have found some hints that there is a strange kind of polarity happening between the numbers 8 and 11. In this context, it is curious that "8" is not only an upright lemniscate (or infinity symbol) but could be seen as two Zeroes - whereas "11" consists of two Ones. Yes, I have found the Tarot Archetypes derived from the date of birth very descriptive of every person I did this kind of reading for. My psychotherapy patients tended to strongly resonate with their cards. Also, the well known Tarot reader Mary K. Greer once wrote to me that she starts her in-depth sessions with an interpretation of these cards.

Thank you Nikolai1 for your extensive post. It is very interesting; it characterizes The Hermit brilliantly... No worries about the delay. I guess you were partying very hard celebrating your birthday. All the best for this new year of your life! Talking about your last annual card, well, the method used by all Tarot readers that I know of for calculating it is the one I outlined above. However, there are two different schools of thinking regarding the order of the cards Adjustment (Justice in most other decks) and Lust (often Strength). Their order in the Thoth deck is the same like in the very old decks, but the Golden Dawn scheme followed by Waite switched the two cards. So if, for the moment, we assume that the GD was actually right about this, your past year should have been one where the theme of finding and keeping inner balance was prevalent.

Nikolai1 and Songtsan... Don't overwhelm me with your feedback! Hello BES, You are one of those individuals who happen to have two Tarot Trumps based on their date of birth. They are both quite lovely ones, may I say. Let's look at your Personality Card first, which describes, well, your persona, or how you interact with others. The Universe (XXI). Besides the funny coincidence of there being a snake central to the picture - the card reveals that feeling and being at one with your environment, indeed with the world, is a big theme of yours. The card, on one level, is showing the "Mystical Union". As for your Soul Card, this is The Empress (III). She stands for love, beauty, creativity - and sometimes motherhood plays a great role in the life of a female with this card. By the way, doesn't her lower half look somewhat snake-ish? Moreover, you too have an annual card, which is The Hermit (IX) (shown in a previous post). This is typically experienced as a time of seclusion and search for answers to life's deepest questions (such as may be found on TDB - sometimes ).

I know what you mean! You actually find the whole spectrum from voluntary (and, in the experience of certain Magickians, sometimes not so voluntary) submission to invoked entities all the way to the (not always successful) subjugation of certain spirits. The spirits that I like to work with are those that are quite pleased to assist with certain things (you will find lots of references to them in ferry tales, often disguised as dwarfs etc). In any case: Treat your spirits well!

It keeps happening to me since I got involved with this thread. Let me have a look at my computer's watch now... it's 1:11 p.m.!

Songtsan, you are a number 5, therefore a Hierophant or High Priest (wouldn't we have known...). Therefore, you are somebody who lives according to a certain spiritual philosophy, and likes teaching it to others. Your annual cards will switch in a couple of days from The Chariot (Trump VII) to Adjustment (Trump VIII) which means that you are changing from a year of new activity and venturing out to a year of meditation and practising balance and composure.

While it is not generally necessary, you could repeat a spell once a fortnight or once a month, I would say. The important thing is to let go off and forget about it in between. Right; no experienced Magickian will doubt that Magick has tangible results on the physical plane. A more complex question is in what sense the "entities" a Magickian is contacting are external.

And the planet that the Tarot Fool is usually associated with happens to be Uranus, which is also assigned to Aquarius, the 11th sign... See how it all works together? Sure, my fellow Sagi. After I'm done with Songtsan.

This makes you a number 9 - The Hermit in Tarot terms. This means that you are somebody seeking the inner light, often in seclusion. But where it gets really exciting is when we look at your annual card that always lasts from one birthday to the next. At the moment this would be 23 + 8 + 2014 = 2045 = 2 + 0 + 4 + 5 = 11. Which of course brings us back to the Lust card I already posted above. So this would seem to be a time for you to move beyond certain past constraints, enjoying your energy and celebrating "the miracle to be on this planet now" (quoting the anime series Arjuna).

In Germany, the "fifth season of the year" or Carnival time begins every year on November 11 at 11:11 a.m. :excl: http://www.dw.de/november-11-carnival-strikes/g-18057066

This will give you a list of numerical equivalents to your name according to various systems. http://www.gematrix.org/?word=NICHOLAS+TIMOTHY+JORDAN Some English equivalents are quite funny (you may or may not relate to them), such as: "The Yellow Ones", "the Lamb of God, the Lion of the tribe Judah", "how can morgellons be cured", "Jesus, the tooth doctor", "no need to feel guilty, I do understand" and "I still believe in you". Curious what you think, as I am no expert in Gematria. I would feel much more comfortable calculating your Tarot cards based on your date of birth.

Problematic as it can be to learn communicating with "entities", some people don't have much of a choice - as "spirits" (whatever they may be) will keep tormenting them until they learn how to deal with them consciously. Only this mastery will turn their adversaries into allies. This is often the way a Shamanic initiation begins. Psychotherapists dealing with people suffering from schizophrenia and similar problems would do much better if they were educated in Shamanism.

During the process of raising physical matter to its most exalted form (called he Philosopher's Stone), the Alchemist is exalting themselves to an ascended form of being. In its use of a laboratory as an external "mirror", laboratory Alchemy resembles meditative ways based on creating a mandala or a flower arrangement. It is true that Alchemy does not necessarily satisfy itself with purely spiritual attainments, rather it seeks to turn spirit into matter, and matter into spirit. The Alchemist, unlike mystics of some other varieties, does not seek redemption from the physical world but the bridging and unification of opposites like body and soul.

I agree on pursuing this in a well-prepared and cautious manner. However, fear is not recommended as a guide here. Some entities will easily use it to your own undoing.