Fours in Tarot, stagnation… magician is the cure.

So today this blog will actually feature Tarot again and I will actually use tarot and esoteric references as well.

There is method and system in Tarot, as many who do regular readings know. You can almost learn the cards by understanding the system behind it. From ace to ten and followed by the court cards the numbers have the same background in every suit. An ace is a spark, a basic concept of a suit, while the ten can be considered the completion of the essence of the suit. Take into account what the suit represents and voila, you just saved yourself a lot of money buying all kinds of reference books.

Well okay it’s not THAT simple, but consider this system and you have a very strong guide to understanding the tarot and a certain insight in the system on which it works. Now I will make it personal and focus on the number I can’t seem to escape lately, the four.

Fours

The four in tarot symbolizes stagnation. In swords it’s being held in place possibly by illness or something else outside of your direct control. In pentacles it’s keeping your possessions close and your wallet closed. Cups shows you how you miss opportunities and therefore progress and four of wands or staves, though a lot more positive in it’s approach shows you the start of a building, there is time for rejoicing but you are at the start of a project that will keep you from going anywhere soon.

Right now the fours are all over the place in my life, or at least it feels that way. It may be the lingering after effects of my ear infection, or it may be the time of year. It is clear that I am not moving forward. Understanding this however has brought me no closer in changing this state. In a way I am feeling like an alchemist unable to change the state of the ingredients I am working with, knowing what to do to invoke a reaction but somehow only partly consciously waiting for some cosmic event to change the rules for the better so I can turn lead to gold. Maybe I need to live up to the card I have chosen for myself, the magician, maybe this conduit between the spiritual and the material is the philosophers stone needed for the transformation… or maybe it’s entertainment value as a performer alone is what can spur movement in tranquil but confining state I’m in.

Or maybe I’m just whining and should wait till I am fully recovered before I can do an accurate assessment of my life again…

Ear infection, no fun at all…

Yes I have yet again been away for some time, once again because I was sick. This time I had an infection in my ear. Not a regular one that lasts for three days and can be made less painful by piercing the eardrum, trust me I do not underestimate these “regular” ear infections, I’ve had them plenty, but one in the middle of my ear, with such an extreme swelling that both my ears were grown shut.

I have tried to describe how it felt entering day six of the infection on Facebook…

Take six needles, if possible a bit blunt and rusty, and boil some oil to 190 degrees. Now create a vacuum inside your skull, stick the needles in both your ears, try to hit your eardrum at least once and pour the boiling oil in your ear as well. Let's not forget to create continuous buzzing, throbbing and whistling inside your head and to remove 90% of your hearing. Now hang a 15 kilo weight around your neck and stay awake for 5 days. 

Welcome to my world. 

I have had severe backaches, burns, broken bones, migraine, deep cuts, neck aches and what more, I am no sissy, but ear-infection is by far the most painful experience I know.

I am right now still not completely recovered, due to my diabetes it seems to take longer to feel completely okay again, also my ear still stings a bit when I don’t take pain killers at least twice a day. But I am getting a bit better every day and I have been back at work for several days now, working half days.

Other than that, keep your eyes open for workshops, courses and other interesting events we have planned in the coming months at Ixani. We’re possibly starting a tarot club type thingy, and I am preparing something that will allow you to get into contact with “your own” tarot card. Keep your eyes open for details on Ixani.nl I don't want to give away anything yet....

Kids and Tarot

Now here’s a complicated subject. Kids and Tarot, is it an okay combination and if so, how do you go about such a thing?

First of all let me state that I believe that when you’re working with kids you have to be extremely careful and conscious of what you’re doing in any case. Kids are impressionable and have a lot to learn about interpreting and processing information. They are easily spooked as well, something to take in careful consideration. I feel reading for kids under twelve is simply not done, better yet I feel kids under twelve should not be bothered with any form of spirituality, mysticism or anything that deals with the deeper machinations of the human spirit or psyche.

When a child is curious though, or has pressing questions about matters of a spiritual nature or are interested in Tarot, a subtle introduction could be attempted emphasizing on the “down  to earth” as much as possible, taking into account that anything you say will most likely be magnified and elevated to a fantastic level by the child anyway. Then again, attributing magical properties to pieces of painted cardboard is not unheard of with adults either…

When the kid gets older things tend to get more complicated. On one hand a child’s intellect and dawning awareness will improve the way they can interpret things and filter information, on the other hand the emotional turmoil of puberty make it like walking on a razors edge where obsessive behavior or irrational fear can both be serious dangers. However interest in occult and spiritual matters also seem to grow during the teen years as the kid tries to make sense of the world. I strongly believe it is better to guide and inform then steer away and ignore sparking curiosity. Letting a kid do his or her research in secret can do great harm and lead to all kinds of problems ranging form strong or an indecisive personality to taking part in cult activity or over zealous behavior.

In the end it’s all about knowing who you’re dealing with, one kid can handle things just fine, while another could flip out completely. As a rule I do not do readings nor accept clients in my workshops under 16 years old. When I do make the odd exception the parent is required to stay present.