A late in the day post for 12/21/12 — after a long day of battling computer problems, I feel like the warrior on the Yoga Tarot’s Emperor card. Still here despite having my manifestations turned upside down like this Magician.
What do these two cards tell us about 12/21 energy? In the Emperor, we have order, balance, and control; in the Magician, intention and manifestation. And though I normally tend to think that reversed cards are inviting us to work with the situation to turn the cards right side up again, in the case of this Magician I’m struck by the Mage’s ability to hold his position despite being turned upside down. No matter which way you turn this card, one arm is up, one down. “As above, so below.” Can we all hold our intentions so calmly even when life turns us every which way? So I don’t think it’s necessary to try to turn the Magician upright. I think he appreciates the change in perspective!
What holds the Magician together even in such circumstances? The absolute calm and discipline of the warrior Emperor. Many good things in life, like the plant growing out of the Emperor’s open palm, result from our ability to hold our ground calmly and steadily like this.
Also–did you notice that if you combine the Emperor’s arms, held forward and back on a lateral plane, with the Magician’s arms, reaching above and below, that you can form the “corners” of a sphere? A good shape for working with issues like calm, balance, and intention.
Some lessons from these cards:
- We can draw our balance from what is around us — and we almost always have gravity and the Earth to turn to. Don’t underestimate the value of having your feet firmly on the ground. This is almost always a good starting place. But nature and the Earth can balance us even at times when we might be floating upside down in mid-air, as the Magician might seem to be when reversed.
- Form an intention and hold to it, even if life turns you upside down. An intention held with good control may still manifest if we are disciplined, like the Emperor, and hold our course even when events surprise us.
- Somehow, it has to be possible to find rest within concentration — and I think that’s what it takes for us to have enough energy to manifest our intentions. Especially right now when so many of us are so sleepy!
Quiet Mystic 