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Lapis Philosophorum » purification

Reading #12: The comfort zone

Posted in Tarot on February 7th, 2010 by Kristine Gazel

I look towards one of the more busy weeks. I did not really have a specific question, several passed through my mind, then I just asked What do you want to tell me?

As the Situation I drew Nine Staffs – the Wolf, and as the Challenge I drew Six Vessels – the Gardener.

Fire and Water, again. Hmm. This rings a bell. I’ve had this combination before,  in another spread, though.

The Wolf

Now – in this spread – the Wolf is the Situation, while the Gardener is the Challenge. I guess this is about comfort zones, and the Grey Wolf is about sacrificing my comfort zone, my sense of serenity, in order to go to another place.

Actually Edinger writes in his Anatomy of The Psyche : Alchemical Symbolism in Psychoterapy (1994) that the sacrificing of the wolf to restore the King is a process of Calcinatio, of purifying by fire.

[The death of the king] would signify the the death of the ruling principle of consciousness, the highest principle of the authority in the hierarchial structure of the ego. Death of the king would then be accompanied by a regressive dissolution of the conscious personality. This course of events is indicated by the fact that the body of the king is fed to a ravenous wolf; that is the ego has been devoured by hungry desireousness. The wolf in turn is fed to the fire. But wolf=desire and desire=fire. Thus desire consumes itself. After a descent into hell, the ego (king) is reborn, phoenixlike, in a purified state.
(p. 19)

So, I’m (still) in Hell or put mildly, out of my comfort zone. On the internal plan some things are going on, that will take me out of my comfort zone, if I dare do the sacrificing. Of course this is not easy, and it is not nice. But it seems that I’m already out there since this creature keeps coming up in my readings.

He simply will not let me off this theeth.

And here comes the Challenge, and the good part. The wolf situation is an internal process of psychological alchemy, that I’m going through. On the external I’ll be tending to whatever that need to be tended, I will water my flowers, do whatever has to be done.

Preferably I should also be tender and nurturing towards myself.

What is your comfort zone and are you willing to sacrifice it? Can you, willingly or not? Sometimes we are not even asked.

Images from The Alchemical Tarot, copyright Robert M. Place, are used with kind permission. Visit the Alchemical Tarot website.

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Reading #11: Focus

Posted in Tarot on January 31st, 2010 by Kristine Gazel

My question this sunday is What shall I focus on in the coming week?

Again I turn to the simplicity of the little cross. I chose to read card 1 as the internal focus and card 2 as the external focus.

Card 1: Ten of Vessels. This card I have not seen before. A gigantic vessel or rather a system of ten vessels. Or actually I think it is a still. I guess this is about purification through destillation. In regard to my own wishes and plans about writing it has to do with letting the process take its own course, let it simmer for it self and thereby riping, like wine. 

Place calls this card the Still – and the keywords are connectedness, a network, the Internet. It makes sense, since much of my communication and writing takes place on the internet and – I hope – in connection with other people.

The Alchemical Tarot Study Group quoting from the companion book says:

An alchemical still is composed of ten vessels united into one still. In ten, the many come back to the one.

Tarot wisdom: No one is emotionally separate and alone. Harmony comes from recognizing your connections to others. Don’t isolate yourself–you need others to make your way in life. On a spiritual level, recognize your part in the greater whole of the divine cosmos, and know that the function of each individual is essential to the harmony of the whole.

As for creativity I guess this is about acknowledging that it all comes from and all goes back to the same source. Inspiration comes from the great Vessel, and is to be given back. Inspiration can not be held as it is in a constant flow or circulation.

Card 2: Lady of Coins. This Lady I’ve met one or two times before. Again she reminds me of my daily business and routine, and about continuely appreciating doing them, being in the now. Carpe Diem!

Images from The Alchemical Tarot, copyright Robert M. Place, are used with kind permission. Visit the Alchemical Tarot website.

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