The 9 of Pentacles

One of my favorite cards, the 9 of Pentacles is an independent woman who makes her own security financially, is very comfortable in her own skin, and enjoys life on her terms.

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This can be a person who has created happiness and harmony for themselves. One who may spend time alone enjoying life and the things that delight them. This card can also represent a home or office atmosphere that is harmonious. It can refer to money being spent on furniture, home improvements, real estate, or studio decor.This card represents a lifestyle that is pleasing to the seeker or characteristics of someone whom the seeker will be able to identify. The solitary aspect of this card can be a clue into the seeker’s needs being met and those that are not met possibly driving them into a solitary lifestyle, and life goals that may not be shared with partners.

Reversed:
I never like to see this card reversed in spreads simply because it means there’s a rift in the force at home or in the office. Something has caused a disrupt in chi. Sometimes it’s merely a repair of some kind, though it can also be cause for more serious matters such as the loss of money, selling of real estate out of need for money, the need to reestablish a business or project, or the need to start over.

Indigo Survivor’s Take on Spiritual Parenting I

An Indigo Hitting the Bottom of the Spiritual Barrel

I surrendered and begged, “Will you help me find my way? Universe, help me figure it out. Send me in the right direction. Show me my divine right path!”

Finding Hope

I had finally come to my brick wall. The place where I felt I had nowhere to go. I was alone and I felt isolated and directionless. I desperately needed to know what my dreams were and how to recognize my purpose. I felt so confused. A lifetime of dealing with abandonment, low self-esteem, and beliefs based on a family that revolved around an alcoholic patriarch, along with boundary, and shame issues from sexual abuse. I was in no shape to figure out anything.

Picking Up the Pieces Through Synchronicities and Signs

One of the first things I came across while beginning research to seek peace after demanding universal direction was a self-esteem quiz. I recognized that self-esteem issues were getting in the way of my purpose or even being able to identify my dreams. (I was having a problem answering the basic finding-your-dreams question: What did you love to do as a child?) I kept coming up with reasons why my dreams couldn’t be reality. “They wouldn’t work, I’m too old now,” and all of those excuses that hold us  back. Those inner thoughts that stem from what we learn as children.

This quiz, I thought, was the answer—to this part anyway. It will tell me how to fix this problem. The main theme was focusing on all positive aspects, strong skills and abilities that had brought me to where I was now. The idea was to let go of any negative thoughts and beliefs. Stop focusing on all the things you need to improve and only focus on your positive traits, skills and values.

With my background in mind, I asked myself, “What are these skills? How did I manage to overcome these triumphs throughout the years and be here, 33-years-old today and still have some sort of hope and desire to become a better person—to see myself as a successful person.”

A funny thing happened after completing the quiz.
I learned that I had mostly survived by isolating myself and removing myself from uncomfortable situations. Or the very opposite, by being more tolerant of situations than I should have been and staying longer than definitely was healthy, all because I didn’t know how to stand up for myself. I realized those weren’t very positive traits that had gotten me where I was. My need for self-betterment was out of desperation. The self-esteem quiz only validated that I needed more answers.

Epiphany

When the crystal and indigo child card kept popping out of my angel deck practically every time I randomly chose one, my friend, life-long energy healer and psychic medium, Anne Roberts said, “Hon, YOU! It’s YOU! You’re the Indigo child.” I thought about it. I had been told before that I took the guilt and blame for my abusive family, that I was a victim soul of sorts. I had endured hardships in order to help others complete what they had to do in their lifetimes. I was an example so that others didn’t have to go through the same experiences. Author Doreen Virtue wrote that many Indigos go through hard things, like abuse and the leadership of being poster child, and then deal with the fact that people don’t feel the need to protect or save them. Instead they point and judge, “She’s over reacting,” or, “She’s just sensitive, don’t worry about hurting her feelings, she’ll get over it on her own.” All with the same message: She doesn’t matter. Her needs don’t need to be met.

It’s that drama of the Indigo’s life that has a way of clearing the road for crystal children.

I thought, if that’s the case, I better start telling my story and hope it helps someone. With more community awareness, I can only hope that more children don’t go through the difficulties and rejection I did.

This post is one of a two-part series. Be on the lookout for:

Indigo Survivor’s Take on Spiritual Parenting II

Numerological & Astrological Attributes of the Major Arcana

Tarot coincides greatly with numerology and astrology. The more symbols that unite a card in relation to a spread, the more information is given about the seeker, her motivations, influences, and the overall picture of her situation.

Each Major Arcana card is appointed with a number and astrological sign or planetary assignment. Each Astrological sign has an element and a modality. Intuitively taking in these pieces of information in unison will align detailed information within the Tarot. Below I have created a chart to easily see modalities, elements, and how they relate to each other. Take my drawings with a grain of salt!

0  (Birth) The Fool—Uranus (Deviate), Air (Messages)

I (Creation from Self, Manifesting) The Magician—Mercury (Communicate)

II (Connection) The High Priestess—Moon (Destiny and Karma)

III (Divine Feminine Bonding) The Empress—Venus (Harmonize)

IV (Divine Masculine Loyalty) The Emperor—Aries (Lightning-bold energy, independent, leadership, cardinal sign.)

V (Changeability) The Hierophant—Taurus (Grounding, concentrates energy, pleasure seeking, fixed sign.)

VI (Harmony) The Lovers—Gemini (Sociable, impersonal, clever, mutable sign.)

VII (Higher Self, Spirituality) The Chariot—Cancer (Nurturing, supportive, emotional attachments, cardinal sign.)

VIII (Power, Patterns) Strength—Leo (Ego development, being true to self-expression, action from the heart, fixed sign.)

IX (Compassion) The Hermit—Virgo (Hard time connecting, perfectionist, true to self, mutable sign.)

X (I—Creation from Self, Manifesting) The Wheel of Fortune—Jupiter (Expand)

XI (Intuition, Fanaticism with the Ideal) Justice—Libra (Social awareness, partnership, interacting with others as an equal, harmony, cardinal sign.)

XII (III—Divine Feminine Bonding) The Hanged Man—Neptune (Refine), Water (Emotions)

XIII (IV—Divine Masculine Loyalty) Death—Scorpio (Transformation, intense emotions around the personal process of growth, manipulates power, fixed sign.)

XIV (V—Changeability) Temperance—Sagittarius (Consciousness expansion, enlightenment, uses talents for the greater good, mutable sign.)

XV (VI—Harmony) The Devil—Capricorn (Authoritative, ambitious, wants to create the perfect world, cardinal sign.)

XVI (VII—Higher Self, Spirituality) The Tower—Mars (Assert)

XVII (VIII—Power, Patterns) The Star—Aquarius (Free-thinking, unorthodox, detached from emotion, fixed sign.)

XVIII (IX—Compassion) The Moon—Pisces (Compassion, empathy, selfless work, weak ego, mysticism, fixed sign.)

XIX (I—Birth) The Sun—Sun (Integrate)

XX (II—Connection) Judgment—Pluto (Transform), Fire (Creativity)

XXI (III—Divine Feminine Bonding) The World—Saturn (Control)

The Devil

I wrote about The Devil card on SalemTarot.com so many years ago and was thrilled to find it again just recently.

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The inverted pentagram has long brought uneasiness to many, but in actuality it has many meanings—and they’re not all menacing. In fact, far from it. Some believe that the inverted pentagram symbolizes Earth energy while the right-side-up star symbolizes Spirit energy. So Earth energy talks about manifesting physical things like pulling into your energy a new car or love, it can also be physical healing—while Spiritual energy talks about connection with higher self, the Universe, and spiritual and emotional healing.

Here we have the Devil card and, in my favorite Hansen Roberts deck, the Devil has a pentagram on his forehead. It symbolizes here the physical things in our life that can become addictive. This card is about imbalance of physical manifestations and higher self. It’s about fear and succumbing to fear.

Fear comes from, many times, the feeling or belief that there is not enough in the Universe for everyone. Coveting, hoarding, hiding, feeling shameful, regret, anger—all of these things can be pulled from the Devil card. It represents the part of ourselves that needs to grow, expand, forgive and ascend. In other words, many times our biggest character challenges are affecting us in a negative way and are being shown to us by the Devil card in a spread.

This card represents addictions to anything. Of course the first thing we think of is drugs, alcohol—and this could be if coupled with cups cards. But it could be anything that renders addiction. Addiction to self (selfishness to detriment), addiction to food, exercise, shopping, negative thought patterns. Addiction to another person, a job (workaholic), overall materialism (which can render greed).

These addictions are based on compulsive actions. Staying in a compulsive cycle keeps the seeker trapped in his own prison of weakness. Usually addictions represent a deep sense of not feeling worthy. The feeling that there isn’t enough in the Universe and that you’re not worthy enough to have what is there causes addictive behavior. (e.g. there’s not enough love, attention, money, room for me, I’m going to eat, drink, shop, lie to fill this void—instead of filling it with forgiveness and healing bringing about true contentment.)

It’s important to understand what is being represented when this card falls into a reading. It is an energetic block that the seeker must recognize and curtail in order to move forward and create a place for harmony in her life. It’s important to remember that the seeker has options and control. She can seek help, or decide on her own to stop or curtail the behavior that is blocking her higher good and ultimate happiness. (It may be helpful to admit also that the difficulty of overcoming this addiction takes place because the seeker does not feel worthy enough to allow for their happiness.)

Reversed:
When the Devil card is reversed, the seeker is over it. They know what the block is and they’re ready to get rid of it. The reversed card is a symbol of finally being able to let go of what was so binding and move forward in new light. It can symbolize the ultimate forgiveness of self. Depending on the surrounding cards, it can be a new beginning or just the beginning of climbing out of that box. It can take time and healing, but the Devil card reversed can render relief.

If the Devil card reversed is paired with the reversed Knight of Swords it could refer to someone who has an addiction that they are having much difficulty trying to defeat. Where as if the Knight of Swords is upright, it can mean there is an addiction that is fiercely being overcome by the seeker.

The Knight of Swords

Knights are about action. And what kind of action depends upon their suit. Knights are also court cards that can represent a person in the life of the seeker, if not the seeker himself. The Knight of Swords represents a young man or a man who acts young or, even though mentally strong, a bit naive because of lack of experience, and holds the energy of air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius). He can also be an even younger man with mental know and abilities beyond his years.

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Straight up the Knight of Swords doesn’t have “defeat” in his vocabulary. This card represents action rather than sitting around a round table (sewing circle) and talking the situation to death. It comes from a mental view (as swords are about cerebral energy). This Knight can indicate a surgical procedure when the surroundings cards are right, courage, bravery, and conflict whether inner or environmental. It also represents a man who demands respect through his energy. A young leader. This card, as a personality in the seekers life, can encourage or inspire the seeker to act on his or her own beliefs and have the courage to stand up for what they believe.

Reversed:
While right-side-up this man may demand respect with his energy, up-side-down he craves it and demands it verbally, though he may not be looked upon with the respect that is needed for his wishes. He doesn’t follow through with his word, changes his mind, can be or be seen as fickle. He can also give off the impression of being someone who stirs up trouble. He’s pushy and doesn’t look out for others best interests. And, unlike the Five of Swords, it’s obvious. The seeker usually knows who this card represents in their life when his characteristics are explained. He is a thorn in their side somehow that is depicted by surrounding cards. His judgment is off because he’s letting the emotions of drama get in the way of objective decision. A pushy know-it-all that would be best avoided.