Sabbats and Sabbaths

Rider-Waite Tarot

They said to Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too wonderful for the LORD?  Genesis 17:9-14 [NRSV]

Fertility, motherhood and nurture are the hallmarks of The Empress.  She is Sarah who gave up on her dream of having a child…and then the impossible happened.  She is the laughter which accompanies the birth of unexpected creative endeavors and the nurture of new ideas and projects.  If The Magician is the spark of creation that sets things into motion, and The High Priestess is the one who gives the spark form, then The Empress is the Holy Mother who carries the “baby” to full term and nurtures it while it is a newborn.

O.K. I might be getting carried away with my analogy, but I think you get the point.  The Empress is a beautiful card which is rich in symbols of fertility.  In the Rider-Waite version of the card The Empress sits on a throne and wears a crown with 12 stars.  12 is an important Biblical number representing the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 apostles, etc.  It is a number of perfection or completeness, something that is “carried to full term” we might say.  Arthur Waite says she carries a specter which is topped with “the globe of this world.”  Below her feet is a field of ripening corn and behind her is a lush garden.  Her gown is decorated with pomegranates which, in Jewish tradition, symbolizes fruitfulness, knowledge, learning and wisdom.

DruidCraft Tarot

The biggest Pagan symbol on The Empress card is the heart-shaped shield beside her throne with the symbol of Venus on it.  Venus is the goddess love, beauty, fertility and prosperity.  She is also the Goddess of artists who guides their work and helps them to go from raw materials to the finished product.

The DruidCraft deck puts a slightly different spin on The Empress and re-envisions it as The Lady, the Divine Feminine, the Goddess.  I think this card is absolutely gorgeous and contains most of the elements of the Rider-Waite Empress card but in a slightly different form.  Christians have always been a bit wary of the Goddess, but when She is seen through the card of The Empress/Lady, the nature of Her power and how it works in our lives becomes abundantly clear.

When The Empress/Lady card appears in a reading, I take it as a sign to open myself up to the nurturing power of the Divine Feminine.  If, like Sarah, I feel like my dreams have died, it might be time to believe in them again.  The Empress/Lady tells me that it’s a good time to nurture ideas and creative urges and/or give birth to those that have already been gestating in my life.  This card calls us to get in touch with the mothering instinct that is in each and every one of us, regardless of our gender!

Copyright © 2015 by sabbatsandsabbaths.com

Rider-Waite Tarot

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. —Genesis 1:3-4 [NRSV]

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. —Matthew 6:10 [NRSV]

Thanks to movies and TV, magic has gotten a bad reputation.  In its simplest form magic can be described as human intention/will that works with the energies of the Divine, as well as the elements of the natural world, in order to produce the desired effect.  In Wiccan terminology the intent of magic can be summed up in the phrase, “As above, so below.” The Christian version of this is, “On earth as it is in heaven.”  The goal is to be a force for positive change and healing in our lives, in the lives of others, and in nature.  Magic is not supposed to be used for evil purposes.  It is a reflection of God’s holy creativity that, in Genesis 1 manifests itself in ways that are “good” or “very good.”

Now that we’ve go that out of the way, we turn to The Magician.  The card speaks for itself as we see a young man whose intention is to be a vessel between the Divine and the world.  According to Arthur Waite, the infinity symbol above his head stands for “the Holy Spirit, the sign of life.”  The Magician is one who desires to manifest this Spirit power in his/her life and the world around them.

On the table are the symbols of the four suits of the Tarot: Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles.  Each of these corresponds to one of the four basic elements of nature: Air, Fire, Water and Earth respectively.  NOTE:  I always read Wands as Air and Swords as Fire.  Many people flip these two and there is a lot of impassioned debate regarding this subject.  My suggestion is to use whichever makes sense to you!  Furthermore the Pentacle is NOT a sign of the Devil.  With the tip of the star pointing up, it is an ancient symbol that represents the four elements plus spirit.  This symbol, above all others, has been greatly misunderstood by many Christians.

DruidCraft Tarot

The Magician’s belt is a snake swallowing its tail.  It’s called an “ouroboros” and is an ancient symbol for something that constantly recreates itself.  (Google it!) It is a sign of the cyclical nature of things and first emerged in Ancient Egypt and India.  It can also be found in Christian Gnosticism.  It is connected with the “alchemist” who, in the Middle Ages, worked intimately with the natural world.  They are the forerunners to the modern field of chemistry.

When this card appears, it always makes me smile.  It tells me it’s time to focus my energy and concentrate on higher things.  It’s time to open myself up to the power of inspiration and Spirit and let them flow through me and into the world.  The Magician carries with it great responsibility as well.  Some Wiccans believe in the Rule of Three which means whatever energy we put out into the world comes back to us threefold.  Therefore, whatever magic we manifest must be for the highest and greatest good.

I’m not sure what the Christian version of the Rule of Three is, but Jesus told his followers to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  (Mt 5:44)  Therefore magic, prayers, etc. should always be done with a spirit of love and never in anger or in order to seek revenge.

Copyright © 2015 by sabbatsandsabbaths.com