Month: February 2013

The Moon, Part III: The Major Arcana and the Hero’s Journey

Posted C. LaVielle4 CommentsPosted in Major arcana, Tarot, The Hero's Journey

Continued from previous post… The Hebrew letter Qoph, meaning “back of the head”, corresponds to The Moon. The letter even looks like a head atop a spine. If you think back to your high school biology, you will remember that the back of the head contains the parts of the brain that control the body’s basic, automatic functions, the emotions, and reflex responses—all those things we call “the unconscious”. Resh, the letter which means head, countenance, or face—the front of the head–comes right after Qoph. The cerebrum, which is responsible for conscious thought, is located at the front of the head. Resh corresponds to The Sun, the key of spiritual unfolding through conscious effort or will. The order of these two letters is saying in no uncertain terms that the realms of the subconscious (The Moon) must be opened and explored before true spiritual unfoldment and the mastery of any magical system, or even a successful spiritual life, (The Sun) can be attained. These two… Read More »

The Moon, Part II: The Major Arcana and The Hero’s Journey

Posted C. LaVielleLeave a commentPosted in Goddess, Major arcana, Tarot, The Hero's Journey

Continued from a previous post… The focal point of this card is, of course, the moon. But this isn’t just any moon. It is a full moon, crescent moon, half moon, and invisible dark moon all rolled into one. A woman’s profile on the half moon is the visual equivalent of saying “the Moon is a Goddess”. This way of drawing the Moon isn’t just Pamela Coleman Smith’s idea. Many of the earlier decks picture her this way. The artist is doing everything she can to make the viewer understand that this is the quintessential, archetypal Moon. It carries not only the brilliant power of the full moon, but also the vital, initiating force of the crescent moon, the crescendo of the waxing moon, the ebb of the waning moon, and the quiet, regenerative power of the dark moon. It reminds us that lunar energy is ever-changing, rising and falling, ebbing and flooding in a rhythm as regular and nurturing as a mother’s heart beat.… Read More »

Of course Stephen King can write fairy tales. Bwaaaahaahaaa!

Posted C. LaVielle2 CommentsPosted in Book Review

In his most recent novel Steven King returns to Mid-World, the setting for his Dark Tower series, and seems mighty glad to be there. I had never been to Mid-World before, but within a few deftly written pages, the master storyteller had me well oriented, introduced to the main characters, and ready for what would come next. He did cheat a bit and used a forward to accomplish this, but it got the job done and saved me a bit of puzzlement. The Wind Through the Keyhole is a Mid-World fairytale. This gem of a story nestles snugly inside another story, which nestles inside another story. The reader gets three stories in one. But the heart of the book is the story of Tim Ross, son of Big Ross, the woodcutter. And like all good fairytales it begins “Once upon a bye, long before your grandfather’s grandfather was born, on the edge of an unexplored wilderness called the Endless Forest…” It is a tale of… Read More »

Imbolc, 2013

Posted C. LaVielle6 CommentsPosted in Wheel of the Year

We had a very simple Imbolc this year. I’ve decided I really like simple.  We looked outside around 5PM and watched our holiday lights come on while the sun was still shining. We’ll take them down tomorrow.  We lit a fire in the fireplace.  We took down the evergreen wreathes above the hearth and by the door and burned them.  We played “Here Comes the Sun.”  We put up our early spring wreath of purple, white, and yellow pansies.  We watched the fire.