We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The United States of America’s Declaration of Independence, 1776
After a one-week break, this guy is back again. Yes, I groaned almost as loudly as I imagine you are right now. So, I did something I almost never do for our weekly discussion.
I pulled a second card for clarification. Stay tuned. I’ll tell you what it was in a moment. But in the meantime, here we go again with the hastily shod character in the Seven of Wands.
I got some interesting disagreement on my Substack page when he came calling the week of the 15th. The reader suggested that the man in the card is not actually under threat and that the trouble is only in his imagination.
I had to respectfully disagree because mental conflicts are not the arena of the action-oriented, passionate Wands. Perception, attitude, and thoughts would be a Swords situation. Yet the commenter had a good point that we are not seeing an actual fight happening here. True.
So, is the defender about to be engaged in the battle? Is this a pause between rounds? Or are the staves lined up below him actually those of his own comrades, perhaps protecting him while he gazes out beyond them?
Pixie has left the answer ambiguous, but the dramatic expression on his face and his fierce position leave no doubt that he senses real danger and is prepared to fight.
Asking for Clarification
I admit, it really threw me to get this card again. So, what is my clarification card? It’s The Chariot, which just came to visit us at Beltane this year.
So how might these two interact?
Well, don’t forget, one of the interesting attributes of The Chariot is how, as the seventh triumph card, it is a threshold between the first section of cards. They focus on our outer lives while the cards that follow then take us more inward as well as move us into relation with others.
In other words, if we count the twenty-two Majors into three groups of seven cards (with The Fool standing alone), The Chariot is at the end of the first section. And one of its central interpretations is about having achieved mastery.
Arthur Waite even says this card represents “conquest on all planes–in the mind, in science, in progress, in certain trials of initiation… He is above all things triumph in the mind.”
And, as was pointed out in its last visit, the Seven of Wands’ figure with mismatched shoes is very possibly a nod to the initiatory rites in freemasonry of First Degree Entered Apprenticeship.
This combination strongly points to some kind of initiation or rite of passage. Some long-held goal is about to be reached, completing a cycle.
Full Moon, Mercury Retro and Jupiter Changes Signs, Oh My!
There is a lot going on this week, starting today (Monday) with one of my personal favorite lunar events, the annual Sun in Cancer/Moon in Capricorn Full Moon. I am partial to it partly because my mom was a Cappy and my Owl Dad was a Cancer. Plus, it’s my birthday Full Moon. As a Cancerian, that matters a lot to me, especially since Lady Luna is ruled by Cancer.
The polarity between the two signs is always interesting, too. Annie Heese at Café Astrology writes:
To understand this Full Moon, we need to recognize that the Cancer-Capricorn polarity concerns the balance between the private life, domesticity, the need for a home base, and nurturance (represented by Cancer) versus the public life, career, reputation, and accountability (represented by Capricorn)…
Cancer represents the origin, and Capricorn represents the goal. Neglecting either end of the axis will surely backfire on us. Ideally, a balance should be found between the two energies, and this is what the Full Moon invites us to do.
Our card has a lot to say about being in balance, as he straddles what appears to be a small stream, not the easiest way to defend himself. Is he trying to find the sweet spot where he can support both private family matters and work obligations?
Furthermore, if you haven’t already noticed your technology getting glitchy, your conversations becoming muddled, or travel plans hiccupping, listen up! Mercury, the planet that rules tech, communication, enterprise, and travel (to name a few), turned retrograde today. It’s no wonder this card has REturned! REtracing, REviews, REsearch, and REconnecting are all more likely during Mercury retrograde times.
Hopefully you know the drill, but if you don’t, check out renowned astrologer and instructor Elisabeth Grace’s brilliant Mercury retrograde survival guide, which she publishes regularly.
It will be especially smart to protect your data this time, since, she tells us:
Mercury [is] turning retrograde on a degree that is associated with a violent storm howling through a suburban Canyon. So the information that comes out of this Mercury focus this week is likely to be quite disruptive and forceful…
Mercury is turning retrograde opposing the US Pluto – – so that’s more dirt being dug up and power plays being played.
Perhaps our Wands defender is protecting his files from the slings and arrows of retrograding fortunes. Or maybe from government intrusion, data breaches, or ICE surveillance.
But Elisabeth also notes that, in terms of the initiate’s completed cycles, there are:
NEW BEGINNINGS in the meet-up (conjunction) of action hero Mars and rebel Uranus in Gemini. A conjunction is a beginning. In Gemini, the battlefield is one of words…and information…and thoughts. That is where the fight for freedom lies.
And of course tomorrow (Tuesday), Jupiter leaves its yearlong dance with Cancer and shines boldly in Leo. Elisabeth writes:
On Tuesday, Jupiter enters Leo, which rules the sun, the heart, and gold. So we’re going to see an expansion of that for better or worse over the next 12 months. Solar power may have a renaissance.
Which leads me to ask, now that this card has turned up yet again…
What Do YOU Stand For?
What would you lay it all on the line for?
Is this a time of initiation or admittance to a new level that matters a great deal to you? Often such passages involve testing and trials. Is that happening in some way? Are you being asked to prove your loyalty or integrity in some challenging way?
Globally, I suspect we are all being asked to step up in new ways on behalf of future generations and our Grandmother Earth.
The US/Israel/Iran conflict shows once again that global fossil fuel dependence only enriches a tiny elite few. Meanwhile, it’s costing the rest of us inordinate amounts of money as well as precious lives.
Despite the Cheeto Benito and his cronies insisting that climate peril is a hoax, a recent poll in the United States indicated that 88% of respondents disagreed. They said climate change is real and happening, 69% supported immediate government action, and 72% backed rapid action to expand clean energy.
Perhaps we have reached a very important tipping point, and this latest stranglehold may continue that trend.
The Honor of a Nation
This week, the United States is preparing to celebrate what should have been a big, happy milestone of 250 years since the signing of our Declaration of Independence. We see this as the birth of our nation, but we find ourselves currently defending its very survival. This time, the enemy is not external but internal, just the same way as The Chariot offers a boundary between the outer individual and the inner consciousness.
What would our founding fathers and mothers say if we turned our backs on the ideals they sacrificed so much for? Success is not guaranteed, but it will never be ours if we cower behind some illusion of being “safe” or politely keeping quiet.
The only security there can be in troubled times is when we are fiercely committed to acting on behalf of what is right. The Chariot offers profound support for moving forward, despite the seeming impasse we might believe ourselves to be in. There is more help available than we might realize.
This week, know what you care about, shine with gutsy determination, and then hold the high ground.
Only then may freedom ring for all.