Are we here already? It is a little bittersweet to come to the end of the numbered cards, although we still have the four court cards of the Pentacles/Disks to go. I have a real weakness for the numeric minors, and this one is one of my favorites. We have arrived, at last, at the Lord of Wealth. Mercury governs the final decan of Virgo, sign of his rulership and exaltation. Therefore the 10 of Pentacles or Disks holds the culmination of our material realm: here our worldly goods reach their maximum accumulation, and our bodies come to rest. We return our legacies to the earth, a seed for the next generation. We have transmuted our corruptible flesh into alchemical gold, only to begin the cycle anew.
Read MoreFortune's Wheelhouse: 9 of Pentacles/Disks
Perfection and control produce beauty in the 9 of Pentacles or Disks, province of Venus in the second decan of Virgo. Here in the Lord of Gain, the perfectly ripened crop is gathered and organized, methodically, increasing in value at every step. The Empress, wearing a harvest crown, works side by side with the Hermit, solitary seed saver. Together they build a walled garden of self-sufficiency and comfort - a beautiful task, though sometimes a lonely one.
Read MoreTSC interview on Holes to Heavens with Adam Sommer
Once known as the Exploring Astrology podcast, Holes to Heavens is the work of Adam Sommer, poet of the stars! It’s been running for a decade, fueled by music, conversation, and Adam’s myth-inflected insights into the unseen workings of astrology. When I went looking for an astrologically-oriented show where I could talk about tarot, Holes to Heavens was the obvious place to turn. We are both wordsy children of Mercury, and I hope the resulting conversation about dreams, oracles, and other realities is one many will find serendipitous,
Read MoreFortune's Wheelhouse: 8 of Pentacles/Disks
Time is money and patience bears fruit in the 8 of Pentacles or Disks, the Lord of Prudence. The messenger god, at home everywhere, enters his rulership as we arrive in the sign of Virgo. The Sun governs this decan, ripening the grain and bringing in the harvest. Pantries and coffers fill even as the days shorten, ensuring another generation will thrive even if the previous one must pass onward. Here the Hermit makes the Sun safe in his lantern for its long journey through darkness.
Read MoreFortune's Wheelhouse: 7 of Pentacles/Disks
Alas, it was too good to last. After the brief shining success of the 6, we arrive at the Lord of Failure in the 7 of Pentacles or Disks. The 5 posed problems of scarcity and Mercurial anxiety, while the 7 suggests Saturnine obstacles which must be overcome if our efforts are ever to bear fruit. Failure it shall be for certain, if we give up now when the going gets tough. But at the moment, perhaps it is only 'success unfulfilled' as yet. If nothing else, the bull of Taurus is steadfast. He may yet have hidden reserves of strength in his final decan.
Read MoreFortune's Wheelhouse: 6 of Pentacles/Disks
This week on Fortune's Wheelhouse, we've arrived at the auspicious 6 of Pentacles of Disks. Success is within reach! Here the Moon, exalted in the sign of Taurus, shines her kindest light. The steady earthen bull plows the fertile fields; all herds thrive, all crops bear fruit. Outer and inner mysteries reconcile, the earth and heaven smile at each other, and a generous spirit prevails.
Read MoreFortune's Wheelhouse: 5 of Pentacles/Disks
Cue the blues: it's the 5 of Pentacles or Disks - otherwise known as the Lord of Worry, or the Lord of Material Trouble. It is the very disaster we thought we could forestall by stockpiling gold in the Four of Pentacles! Mercury (The Magician or Magus) presides over the second decan of Taurus (The Hierophant), the quicksilver psychopomp contending with the steadfast pontifex. Who will prevail, the Picker of Locks or the Keeper of the Keys?! In this celestial heist, bankruptcy is all but certain, and there's plenty of worry to go all around. And yet there is more to this card than meets the eye.
Read MoreTSC interview on Rune Soup, 11/14/18
I’m still pinching myself.
It was a couple years ago that my friend Ted turned me on to Rune Soup, Gordon White’s podcast about magic, culture, and the paranormal. I don’t remember which episode it was that Ted thought would be my jam. What I do remember is binge-listening for days, while I cooked dinner, while I did the laundry, whenever I had to drive places. “Holy shit,” says I. “There are some really smart people doing this magic thing.”
Read MoreFortune's Wheelhouse: 4 of Pentacles/Disks
Prison or protection? In this week's episode of Fortune's Wheelhouse, we face the 4 of Pentacles or Disks, the Lord of Power (is that redundant?!) or Material Power. Here are tropes of kingship - the Sun as ruler of the decan, Capricorn as the zodiac's CEO, even Jupiter as the force governing all 4's. The power derives from the throne, and it is rooted, strongly fortified, solid gold, and immovable. In the fortress of the Old New Year, the embers of increasing light reflect treasures, amassed and hoarded. Does wealth buy freedom, or its opposite?
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