A friend had a medical stress-test. He was hooked up to various sensors and had to walk on a treadmill while a technician monitored his heart rate and other numbers. The patient had to walk, but had no idea how he was doing, how close he was to the target heart rate number, if the number was stable or moving up as he walked faster. He was in the dark. It would have been easy for the technician to give some feedback and that would have changed the experience for the better.

This made me think of people studying the Tarot. We want to be making progress, but we probably don’t have someone, like the technician, who can tell us how we are doing. Except that we have ourselves.

Keep a notebook where you write down questions, ideas, observations, random thoughts, and insights (good and bad) about the Tarot or about anything that catches your attention. You will likely find that you can make use of it later, even if it is not clear at that moment.

So keep notes. The quality of the writing doesn’t matter. You are not doing it to show someone else what you know, as you did in school all the way up to undergraduate level.

Instead, you are on the leading edge of your own thinking, and writing to work out your ideas so you can discover what you know.

So keep some kind of notebook - analog or digital or both. Keep adding to it, but go back from time to time and review what you wrote. You will see your progress.

You will also identify where you need more clarity - so you now know what to research more of, but i’s a personalized exercise and right for you, even if no one else would do that or do it that way.

Back shortly with # 047 and the 9 of Cups.

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There are John Ballantrae Tarot books on amazon.

It’s easy to look at this picture and assume it means ruin and defeat - in the past, right now or in the future, depending on the question and the position in the spread. It might be seen as a (harsh) judgment about the life of the questioner or an indication of a difficult condition, but it doesn’t have to be like this.

If we begin with the idea of Swords as hardship of some sort - you may need to attack or defend - then the 10 (1 + 0) can be like the step before a new beginning (1). When we get back to the Ace, though, are we still dealing with hardship but of a different kind, or is it a fresh start in the same area so we begin again but free to go a different way?

How should we understand the number 10?

What can we discover if we think about the number itself? This can also help us understand more about the tens of the other Suits, as well as The Wheel of Fortune (number 10).

10 is the first number after 9, but it’s a double digit. It’s the beginning of a new stage or phase and we can see 9 as an ending of some sort. This can give us ideas about The Hermit card - as if he is a high point of knowledge or understanding, or the most that can be done.

At the same time, there are 9 swords stuck in the back of the person face-down in the sand. The tenth, on the extreme right, seems to be stuck in the ground. What are we to make of this? That there is a change with this card - there may have been repeated upsets or failures, but the most recent one is different and is not in fact personally harmful. If the questioner is assessing their problems and feeling defeated and giving up, notice the exception to the rule and work with it. This can be the way out.

Now, with the 10, there is a 1 for a new beginning, beside a 0 that is unlimited potential. This sounds wonderful, but it requires us to choose, and this can be hard.

We can use horoscope properties in various ways and here is one.

The left half of the circle is the free-will side where you control circumstances; the right side is fated and circumstances control you. So the 1 belongs on the left and gives control. You have a certain amount of power, but you need to make some decisions about goals, directions and preferred outcomes and this can be easier said than done. By contrast, the zero belongs on the right where circumstances control you. The zero may be pure potential, but not everywhere and in everything. There are limits right from the start.

If we relate these points to the picture, then you can have got into trouble by assuming too much, overestimating your personal power. Sometimes we mistakenly believe we have complete freedom, or that we are immune to difficulties. The card can make us realize that we’re not.

9 can be a complete cycle, and 10 is the first part of a new one. Instead of cycles, though, that can seem a bit abstract, we can think of harvests - a word from a root that means “to gather”. 9 is the complete process from planting to reaping, so the 10 is the stage for preparing and planning what the new growth will be.

The 10 of Swords, then, can show a situation where there isn’t much to gather. Or gathering is exhausting, or an indication that what you have been sowing wasn’t very productive or didn’t bear fruit. It should probably be avoided in the next cycle.

The card might look like ruin and defeat, but it’s not so much all is lost and you are doomed, but realize and accept that some of what you have been doing didn’t work, or didn’t lead anywhere useful. It didn’t or couldn’t develop, so be careful or be more careful next time in your future plans or actions.

Re-consider, or carefully consider, what you are sowing. You can randomly scatter seeds onto perhaps untreated or unprepared ground. Or you can deliberately plant particularly selected seeds in suitable soil. This is probably the better option; at least the odds of success are higher.

One approach to a solution for a problem is to scatter and take your chances. Nature might finish the job for you. The other is to prepare the ground and select possibilities with an eye on the desired future outcome.

Back soon.

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email bllntr@yahoo.com

There are John Ballantrae Tarot books on amazon.

Are or are we not creative? This is an important question, so what would be your answer?

“We” means all of us, people generally, even though we are not built the same. We share certain characteristics, but we have them in varying amounts or to different degrees. We can all run, for instance, but some people can run like the wind or run for miles.

We may not paint masterpieces or compose musical symphonies, so does this mean we are not creative? The word “create” comes from a root that means “to make grow”. It’s not about producing something out of nothing.

If being creative is our basic nature, then we are making things grow all the time and in everything. We can’t help it - it’s automatic - so we can’t choose the how, but we can choose the what.

Choosing and deciding can be overwhelming and a cause for fear. Do we want to make fear grow; do we want to make being overwhelmed grow? Probably not.

Choosing means tasting. If you have children and want them to eat a certain vegetable, they will often say things like: No, I don’t like it. You say: How do you know? You’ve never tried it. The child is not convinced.

So choosing anything means tasting. You don’t have to eat it all or commit to a life-changing experience. There does not have to be drama. You have a small taste and see what you think. It might be ok and then you can add or subtract something to make a second taste more pleasant. You might discover that it really is not your cup of tea, as they say. You can turn your back on it, or if it is something that absolutely has to be done, you can wonder about how to make it al least palatable, if not tasty.

If faced with a choice, it does not have to be all or nothing. It is not forever, as if you’re condemning yourself to a future of pain and suffering. You have a taste, and then do step two, but you don’t judge step two before you have taken step one. We are creative - so what are you growing with step two if it is unrelated to step one?

Today’s card is The Empress, so it ought to be a good day.

What do we see, or maybe we should think of it as in some way showing the starting point.

It’s sunny and The Empress is sitting comfortably in the open air with lush vegetation, trees and a waterfall in her immediate environment. She seems at home in - and enjoying - nature. The background is one of growing and prospering, so we can have confidence in a happy outcome if this card appears as part of the answer.

The Empress herself is sitting comfortably - she is protected from hardship, in this case the stone surface of her seat, but we can expand this idea outwards to cover general difficulties.

She is holding some kind of short staff upright in her right hand, as if declaring her power. On top is a circular shape - the world? - so she derives her power and influence from her social position.

Around her head is a wreath of victory, and a starry crown tops it all off.

We see a heart-shaped shield on the ground to the left of her feet, The symbol of Venus - ruling love, art and harmony - is prominent at its center.

The scene looks good - there is comfort, productivity, luxurious growth and so on. If this card appears as the answer, then take your pick from: It will work out; you will be successful; people will be happy; you will be in charge; it will lead to bigger and better things; you will find true love; you will be at home in the world - or whatever makes sense given the actual question.

The Empress may represent a more formal version of creativity given the symbol of Venus. You find pleasure and success through drawing, painting, dance. You, the reader, and the questioner can notice what you think of first when it comes to being creative. That is then the way to go.

The stars on the crown may mean she has an astrological understanding. It can be that she works with the bigger picture, or looks for the underlying reasons. Either way, she does not expect people to produce what they cannot produce. This makes for a less stressful life.

If we consider the symbol for Venus, we find a circle over a cross. The cross can be the angles of a horoscope - the horizon going between sunrise and sunset, and the meridian from noon to midnight. This shape can show a day, or on a larger scale, life on earth - the sun rises and sets and our life goes on and on or round and round. The Empress is involved in these typical changes.

Above the cross in the noon position, sits a circle. It has no obvious beginning or end so The Empress can be aware of earth-changes, but she has an overview, or knows how things will develop and acts accordingly. This can be the lesson for the questioner to learn. We could look for a rulebook or a method to guide our actions and that may be right for some people.

However, we began with the idea that we are creative, so if we make this ability our goal, and pay attention to the thoughts that come to us, are we not making the skill grow?

Again with Venus, involvement with others can be an important part of this card. Look for or find compatible people - and the questioner will know what sort of people they work best with. They already know, so you don’t have to tell them.

Depending on the question, find someone to play The Empress role in your life. You become a part of their team, or group, and are willing to defer to them since they know more than you. Or it may be you who has to become The Empress for others.

Again, the questioner will know which route is right for them, and as with a lot of Tarot reading, the reader speaks the words, or gives the suggestion that may seem general, but the questioner will know what to make of it. So with a Court card, for instance, you describe the sort of person shown, and the questioner will add the name. You don’t need to tell them.

A Tarot card can help someone make a start. We might think that a beginning is best when we our feet are solidly planted on the ground and providing stability. Maybe. The word start, however, had an original meaning of to move or spring suddenly, like an animal jumping to safety. If we jump, then both feet are off the ground for a moment - so we are not in direct connection with the earth (remember the two coins under the feet in the 4 of Coins). Just for a moment at least, we are free and in the air and that instant may be valuable as it activates something within us that helps us make progress when we land.

We might think of the number 1 as single thing or something solitary. It also represents unity, wholeness, or everything. Then 2 isn’t something extra - there can’t be anything outside everything - but it can be the reflection of everything. It is a copy of the original, but it looks so much like the original that it’s easy to take things the wrong way. 3 is therefore the first number because everything and its reflection aren’t really numbers.

The Tarot gives The Empress as 3, where we might expect a masculine force as the beginning. First, though, we need a container of some sort, otherwise the creative spark will zing around space not really going anywhere.

This can be the point of The Empress: to focus on holding together, or providing a suitable container for a plan - or for yourself.

Back soon.

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email bllntr@yahoo.com

There are John Ballantrae books on amazon.

Someone asked how you know if it’s time to start a project or begin work on something, or if you should do more preparation or figure out more of the plan first. It sounds a bit like: do you procrastinate longer, or just get on with it?

Over the centuries, military generals and strategists have held that: A plan is useless, but planning is essential.

So you create a plan, but if the enemy does not behave or react they way you had forecast, then the plan goes out the window. You might have to begin again from scratch - even though there is no time for that.

This is when time spent planning comes into play. If you have imagined different scenarios and arrived at viable alternatives, then you can choose an already thought-out method that will have a decent chance of success. The planning turns out to be what saves you.

You can apply this to most situations. If you take time to think through a situation or a dilemma, and let your imagination present ideas, you are in better basic shape to deal with anything.

People’s questions

Sometimes, maybe usually, people already know what they want to ask about. We answer their questions. At other times, though, they aren’t sure and the Tarot itself can help find or isolate a starting point.

We’re not always clear about the kind of problem facing us. We can be mistaken. It can be a one-off, but we treat it as life-threatening. By contrast, it might be serous, but we dismiss it or decide we’ll do it later - when it might be too late.

This is where or when the Tarot can be helpful. You pick a single card to point to or sum up the nature of the problem. Then you act appropriately or acceding to the reality of the situation.

Let’s say we get the 4 of Coins.

What do we see? There is a single figure seated on a stone, with a backdrop of a city. There is a single coin flat under each foot; he is holding a large coin tightly to his chest, in an upright position. He has a crown (representing authority?) on his head and another coin on top. The figure is looking us in the eye.

The coins each display a five-pointed star with a single point upwards. This is the positive layout - with the mind (rather than sensations) dominating, so there is logic and clarity in his thinking and this might be important in the question - his or the person’s judgment can be trusted.

The question was: What sort of situation am I dealing with in order to know how to act?

The person in the picture is sitting, not moving, and holding on. This can mean that you don’t or should not do anything; taking action will not move you forward, and we know that sometimes we have to be patient and that waiting is more productive.

The question was about the situation, so it seems to be fixed and unchanging. It could have been a different card, like one that shows people in competition with each other so you would have to assess their power and influence correctly and moderate your own. Here though, it can be a time of rest and recuperation, of gathering strength, and maybe thinking about possible next steps.

It looks like it’s not the time for action, and the Suit is Coins - money. It may be important to think about or decide how much it is going to cost you, or how much you want to or can spend. Can you get a better price elsewhere, perhaps; or if it’s chapter will the quality be less?

Coins also represent values, so it can be the time to get a clear idea of your values, of what you actually care about. Ask yourself if you, personally, care, or are you being obedient to what others told you? Maybe you did care once upon a time, but do you still, or do you care in the same way? If things have changed, how should your actions change too?

The picture shows a single person, and we might say he looks solitary - so he is on his own, or with his own way of doing things. It probably took some time to get to this position and he may feel a strong need to hold on to what he has put together. This can be ok when the card is upright, but when reversed, you should probably make some changes or get up to date with your own preferences.

The coin on the top of the head can mean you become clear about your top priority - and that’s what you do next. That way, you remain stable and keep on track.

The person is sitting and the two coins on the ground can be acting as barriers between him and the earth. So our values and beliefs can protect us, but sometimes they distort our thinking and thereby twist our lives. With this mind, it can be useful to identify a - or the - starting point. Every moment is unique, but some turn out to be more important than others.

There is a video (link below) about three Japanese poems. They each deal with noticing a change while it’s still almost invisible and trusting it. We can recognize important shifts and this can be what the Tarot is good for - we pick a card and it shows something is changing.

So pick a card for the nature of the situation or problem. Then follow the lead or make sense of the card’s picture to know how best to deal with it right now - and for a bit into the future because it will change.

It’s not like you have to know the ultimate truth about every situation. We sometimes go to extremes and want to know more than we need. We might end up knowing more than we can handle, thinking that will make us more able to decide.

We might just be incapacitating ourselves, though. 1 + 2 = 3 for Jupiter or expansion and this is good. Jupiter can overdo, however, so we should watch that we are not getting carried away.

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There are John Ballantrae books on amazon.

In Astrology, planets are said to “rule” particular things, conditions, situations, weather phenomena, and so on. Everything on earth is ruled by one planet or the other, and this is how we can know what to expect - we refer to the condition of the significant planet and figure it out from there.

So Mars is personal creative energy, war, and so on. Saturn rules old ag and time. The Moon is the past, and so if you want an idea of your past life, for instance, you could interpret the Moon by Sign and House to paint a picture that will sound right to the native.

Uranus used to be the chief sky-god, but who was overthrown by his son, Saturn, who then ruled in his place. Interestingly, we are told that Saturn did not want to suffer the same fate he visited on his father, so he swallowed his children, Neptune and Pluto. One child, Jupiter, was replaced by a stone before he could be swallowed and escaped on a raft floating down a river. Later, Jupiter returned and rescued his brothers.

We can discover meaning that is relevant for us in this story. Neptune and Pluto spent time in Saturn’s stomach, inside Saturn’s boundaries, so they understand discipline. Jupiter never spent time there, and he does not understand discipline. Jupiter can overdo, and so rules excess, but he does not know any better.

Uranus was the father of Saturn, so he existed before Saturn; that is, before time. Think about that for a moment. Having been overthrown, Uranus disappeared, but was re-discovered, mistaken for a comet and only later recognized as a planet, in 1781 by William Herschel (later Sir William) observing the night sky.

Imagine Uranus before time - there was no past, present or future. Everything just was as it was.

When we select a card, we might say picking one at random so it’s down to chance or fortune (good or bad) - but what if we are unknowingly connecting with a condition before time where or when all already is. When we talk about a card showing a future condition, it is future for us, but it already exits in a different kind of reality. It already is - so is this like Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” where our life is about being, rather than achieving or reaching a goal.

Parmenides, the pre-Socratic philosopher, held that nothing cannot turn into something; similarly, something cannot turn back into nothing. There is therefore no such ting as change; it is only an illusion, and life is about being.

Today’s card is number 16, The Tower.

In older decks it was known as The Lightning-Struck Tower. Here we see a bolt of lightning in the upper right. It happens to be shaped like the symbol of Scorpio, the Sign of death and regeneration, so perhaps there is purpose and meaning from the heavens for the destruction that we experience on earth.

The crown is being knocked off the top of the tower - is this a warning about what happens if we get too far beyond or ahead of ourselves? Is this pride that we should avoid as it comes before a fall? Do we mention to the questioner when this card comes up that they should check that they are not getting carried away with themselves? If they are, it will end badly.

Then we see the man and woman, a king and queen maybe, falling headlong to the ground. Kings and Queens seem to have it made - they have power and influence, but it turns out they are not immune to difficulties we face. So if you are going for a promoted position and the card is upright, then yes, you will be successful but it may turn out to be more than you can handle. Similarly, a project you are involved with might seem like a good idea leading to success or a dream coming true, but it can be a good idea to re-assess what is involved because you can have missed some important factor, or it may no longer be what you want.

There is destruction, or some kind of mess, associated with this card. It would be a good idea to stop and dismantle things and then re-assemble them into something better or more to your liking. If you don’t, you can be forced to deal with a pile of rubble that will take time to first clean up, then sort, then reassemble, but maybe with broken parts that could have been avoided.

16 is 2 x 8 that is the number of Saturn that we learned about earlier. Does this mean that anything will take twice as long as expected to complete? Budget your time wisely.

16b is also 4x 4 - as if there are four Emperors so who is in charge and making the decisions? There are four people with their own agendas; or four equally important conditions that have to be satisfied - and this is not going to be easy to satisfy them all. When upright, you have a chance of some people backing down; reversed, everyone digs in their heels and is willing to fight. You learn that you can’t please all the people all the time.

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At a certain point, you come to a line. You can stay in the darkness on the fated side where circumstances control you. Or you can cross over into the free-will side and learn to control circumstances as you rise up - to daybreak and ultimately to noon. This is a longer route so you have a variety of experiences, good and bad, as you rise higher or get closer to your goal.

It’s common to think that fated is somehow “bad” while free will is “good”. It’s more, though, that they have different procedures, rather than being better or worse. With fate, you just get on with it and do what you have to do, even if it’s unpleasant or not what you would choose. It is what it is, as they say.

Free will is not all sweetness and light, however, because it has its own challenges. You have to make the decision in the first place - about where you are going and what you have to do to get there. Even then, starting something is not the hardest part; keeping it going is more difficult.

If you stick with it, you arrive at the summit knowing a lot and this is valuable.

You might consider taking a shortcut, though, and going vertically - straight to noon. You can reach your destination very quickly this way, but you arrive relatively inexperienced, especially compared to the knowledge you would have gained if you had followed the circumference. That can be why a rapid rise is often followed by a rapid decline.

However, we might consider that to get to noon this way, you have to go through the center of the circle. This point can be seen as one of harmony or balance, and that gives you stability or a good foundation on which to build.

If you are going the quick way to your goal, and you want to be able to stay there, you need a foundation that is a half-way point so to speak, and not or no longer the original reason or impetus for the journey itself.

If you want to write a poem, for instance, you can come up with ideas or try different phrases or combinations of words and images. The odds are, though, that it won’t work, or the poem will be heavy-going or labored.

If you can find and start from a center, or a point of harmony within yourself, it will work and hang together. It’s like that point is where there is wholeness and any expression of or from that wholeness will mean something.

Imagine you have been criticized and feel that life itself is against you and you are alone and feeling sorry for yourself. This is an experience we have probably all had, but if that is the point you want to make or describe, how would you say it?

Shakespeare in his Sonnet 29, said it this way:

When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state...

If you have a problem and the answer is The Wheel of Fortune, you find your middle point, your center, the dot around which all revolves. You may not know what that actually is right now, but if you look for it, you will recognize when you have arrived. If you think or know this will be useful, you are half-way there and the rest will come naturally. It’s like being home again. Then solve or move out from there. It will work.

The link for the first 6 lessons in the Astrology In Action course is here:

https://ln5.sync.com/dl/1a9829dc0#y8fexq28-k7twtis6-ibdsbc28-q5firm6y

There is more at astrology-in-action.com

I am at bllntr@yahoo.com

We usually think of The Fool (cad 0) as the beginning of the journey or the start of the Major Trumps, followed by The Magician and the rest in order. What if we’re wrong and something else is actually going on?

You might know of the Italian mathematician Leonardo Bonacci, also known as Fibonacci whose Sequence, derived from adding two numbers together, produces the Golden Spiral that is not just evident, but common in nature.

The sequence goes 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 ...

The method is: 1 + 1 = 2; 2 + 1 = 3: 3 + 2 = 5; 5 + 3 = 8; 8 + 5 = 13 and so on so you are adding the last total to get the new one. Except - where does the second 1 at the beginning come from? You can’t just make it up because it suits you. Explanations will usually begin with 0 and 1 added that gives 1. Except, where does the first 1 come from? In addition, Fibonacci placed 0 after 9 and not before 1, so what is going on?

If 1 is wholeness and unity and everything, then the second 1 is a duplicate of the first 1 and not something different. You can’t have two everythings.

In Scotland when I was 12 and in maths class but not really learning mathematics, we were taught that a solid is a three-dimensional shape having length and breath and height. A few days ago, a North American geometry book spoke of a solid having length and breath and depth.

I thought nothing of this until The Fool card came up. We have the Fool stepping off a cliff and going down, into the depths. He (or the questioner) will land and start off in the depths where is it presumably dark.

This made me think of Jung’s so-called Depth Psychology where you go deep within and come to terms with the Shadow side of the personality and it is on the path to making you whole. Is it, though, and does it, and in either case it takes a long time to get results.

How about we develop a HEIGHT psychology. The point of The Fool might be to reach up to or for the light - the Fool might named this way just because he is foolish and going in the wrong direction. We don’t have to follow this lead. There is a lot of uplifting philosophy - and inspiring ideas - in the world, and we get to a happy place a lot quicker than dredging our way through all the dirt.

Meanwhile, Fibonacci popularized the Indo-Arabic numeral system in the West, but he put zero AFTER 9. The Fool, then, comes after The Hermit, so is The Fool coming down the Hermit’s mountain having spoken with him? What did he learn there? That a solitary life of wisdom might be the summit, but, a bit like Joseph Knecht in The Glass Bead Game, he has to come back to earth and enter or re-enter the life of The World, going up and down and round and round for while? Maybe he figures out how to make more of endless repetition?

If we look at the positions of the cards side by side, then the Fool is looking back at the Hermit, perhaps wanting to return to him, and having turned his back on the world. He has to step off, though, and is this the depths - a self-imposed state of darkness because he would prefer to be somewhere else? His challenge can be just to get some life-experience, good and bad.

If we remind ourselves of the Ancient Egyptian idea that the day begins at sunset, then the diagram below will help bring light.

First a bit of explanation (that you won’t find in standard astrology videos and books) about this basic horoscope diagram.

We have the horizon connecting sunrise on the left and sunset on the right. Above the horizon is visible (since it’s in the light); below is invisible (since it’s in the dark). There is a vatical line that goes from noon at the top to midnight at the bottom. It separates that which is fated (on the right) from free-will (where we control circumstances) on the left. The movement goes counterclockwise.

So The Fool steps off and is in darkness for a while. This might be how or why the idea of The Shadow is so appealing for many people.

At a certain point, though, there is a line and if we are following movement, we cross over into the free-will side of the diagram and begin moving upwards towards sunrise. You can stay in the dark for as long as you want and there will always be more to discover, but it won’t automatically keep doing you any good.

If you try to take a shortcut to the top and shoot up the line to noon, you might arrive, but you don’t get there with experience gained from following the circumference. Maybe that’s why a rapid ascent is often followed by an equally rapid fall.

So if The Fool takes the plunge, he or she has to spend a bit of time in the dark. They will reach a point, though, when they can choose to move over the line and begin an upward journey - whatever that might mean to them.

It might be planning for their success in the world; it might be first developing confidence in the self; it might be simplifying their life and making space for new growth. Other cards that are in the spread can be read to help make correct decisions about the actual steps to be taken if they want to move to the other side of the darkness.

The link for the first 6 lessons in the Astrology In Action course is here:

https://ln5.sync.com/dl/1a9829dc0#y8fexq28-k7twtis6-ibdsbc28-q5firm6y

There is more at astrology-in-action.com

This is a link to a video about how writing by hand heals the body and mind. It might be a useful resource to pass on to people who are having a reading.

Back in a few days, but email me - bllntr@yahoo.com if you would like.

People are in love with Tarot systems. This numerology system, they promise, will show you how to read pip cards with ease. Use this system to know what any Court Card means. This system will reveal the ultimate secrets of life via the Major Trumps. Etc.

It’s easy to think: If only I could meet the right one, then life would be so much better. This would be ok if life were a static system (see # 038 for details). The problem is that it’s not - it’s dynamic, and we don’t want to get trapped in a framework for apparent understanding that is wrong.

The photograph below shows all 78 cards spread out randomly. This the world and anything that could possibly happen or have happened (since it can cover past, present and future). One card might be enough to show it, but to get the full or detailed picture might require a combination of two or more cards.

The photograph on the left below has a single card - the 4 of Cups - face-up. This is being used as the significator for the questioner - chosen earlier and now identified in its place in the layout. The middle photo shows cards around it and indicate what is going on in the present for the questioner. The single card in the top left position shows - the 9 of Swords - what is not important, or to be dealt with, if at all, in the future. If they are at a distance from the significator, they are a long way away from being important right now.

In a situation like this, the questioner - or us in our own life - is as if on an open-ended voyage. So rather than there being rules we have to obey, we find our own rules within our own unfolding. Then we can become, in harmony with our true self. There used to be a verb “to worth” that meant to give birth to. What we are worth is in our own hands and it is easier to discover with the Tarot on its own, without the apparent “help” of any system.

There will be some additional points next time.

Today’s card is the 5 of Coins.

This picture seems to show hardship and poverty, so if it comes up for the future, do we forecast pain and suffering ahead, or some form of failure? Maybe, but this can be unhelpful for the questioner, so do we really want to limit their chances or the scope of their life? Especially if we see life as dynamic and not static.

What do we see? A man and woman, apparently in a bad way, walking barefoot through snow outside in the cold. The solid wall of a building separates a warm and cozy interior from the bleak outside. Is this the challenge facing the people? Can you, or how can you, walk your own path, separate from stability and conservatism? What, or how much, do you have to give up?

As usual, we need a question in order to know the context or the framework if we are to get or give the correct answer. If we are on a mountain watching sunrise, it looks like the sun is actually rising if we have an earth-centred framework. With a sun-centred position, however, we know that it is the earth’s horizon moving up that gives the sense of the sun rising. It is the same event, but the explanation and understanding are different and one is more correct. So let’s have a question and use the one about: What do I do next, or how do I make the most of my life?

When the answer is the 5 of Coins, it can show the current situation we are in so we can take appropriate action.

If we are one of the people, then we are currently an outsider, but we might have connections with others who are in the same boat. If we try to go for relief, there is a sold wall to go through so that is not happening. All we can do right now is plod on and rely on our own strength and determination. We might take comfort from the fact that we are not alone; or that others have been through what we are currently experiencing.

I thought of the old saying that time heals all wounds and Googled the phrase to get the exact wording. All I got was a stern lecture from AI about what a huge lie that is and how healing requires great personal effort or you just get used to the problem and don’t notice it.

Ok, Google. Relax!

It depends what our philosophy or framework is. What if we follow and are buoyed by inspiration? In a difficult situation, we can turn to what inspires us and move towards it or incorporate it into our life. This changes things, and for the better since it’s our choice.

As Jean-Paul Sartre once wrote: “Man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth.”

This might seem quite hard or harsh, but it gives us power and control, and this should be a good thing that any creative life-form like us can enjoy.

More coming soon.

Email bllntr@yahoo.com if you have questions.

https://johnballantrae.com for readings.

See also https://johns-tarot-course.com if you are in the mood to buy something.

There are some books of mine on amazon - search for John Ballantae.

A photographic snapshot is static. We don’t always know what was going on before the shot was taken, or how it came to be. We also don’t automatically know how it will develop, or what happened or will happen next.

It is as if the static picture is not aware of or is ignoring change, but developments for good or bad are what matter for us. The photo is simple, but life is complex. This is where dynamic systems come into play so we can account for or know how things change over time.

If our life were static, then what we do now would depend on what is happening now. Our output would depend solely on current inputs. That’s not what actually happens, though, because we have memory (unlike static systems). This means that in practice, past experiences and thoughts, as well as expectations for the future, all can affect the present. Life can be complicated, and this is where the Tarot comes into its own and shines.

We can ask, using the Tarot, a static question like: What is this? By contrast, a dynamic question asks: What can this become and through what transformations?

Our life, and the life of the questioner, changes over time and the way it changes is part of what we are trying to understand.

A dynamic system is like two parts - one is where different variable factors change and evolve over time, so what was important for judging a friendship at one point, for instance, may not be valid at another time.

The second part is that these changes are based on internal rules or reactions (our personal and subjective take on the matter), as well as inputs coming from outside (like other people’s opinions whose strength can depend on our opinion about the other person). Etc.

The state of a dynamic system changes as time moves forward and future states depend on current and past states. This memory factor is important to know because any person, any human life, is a dynamic system - we are complex.

Something can happen and we enjoy or reject it depending on past experiences, how it fits with our preferences, what we want in the future, past memories, etc. How can we possibly connect in a meaningful way with something, not just complicated, but also fluid or in motion?

The Tarot is in the moment or with the time. When you pick a card at random, you land somewhere in the dynamic system that is the person’s life. Then figure out where you are. You’ll know you’re in the right spot when or because the ideas flow. If you’re struggling, you’re not quite there so this can be when to remember Chu Hsi’s point - Empty the mind and swim in it.

Today’s card is The Sun, number 19.

What we see in the foreground is a horse carrying a child who is holding a flag on a long pole, that may remind us of the kind of banner used by armies on the move or in battle as some kind of identification or marker for a rallying point.

There are four sunflowers near the front. Above is the sun, dominating the sky.

At the back is a wall that might be acting as a protective barrier, or an obstacle that is now behind us.

This card shows an energetic and happy scene. The child looks cheerful; the sun seems to be contented with its offspring.

If we re-introduce our original question from early posts in this series - something along the lines of: How do I make life better? - then we can use the picture to point to future conduct.

We should be happy and optimistic. The sun will be shining and we know sunny days are more enjoyable than rain and snow. Be like a child, though not necessarily remembering your own actual childhood that might have been unpleasant. Children play, explore, learn, sleep, eat, and grow. With this card, we should do the same, or at least perform our own version.

Children play. Take a light-hearted approach with what we are doing. A particular task or responsibility might be heavy and weighing you down - so how would you handle it if you were relaxed and quietly excited? Then do it that way. The way we think about something helps determine our experience of it. We can choose positive enjoyment and that will change our future.

The verb “create” comes from a root that means “to make grow”. It’s not that we start off with nothing and somehow turn it into something. The thing already exists, even if only in a tiny form, and it’s up to us to expand it - to make it grow into more of what we want. We’re not using magic, even though it might seem magical.

Children explore. Suspend your usual thinking for a bit and begin fresh to see where it leads and what you might be habitually missing. We are often judgmental or see things in a certain way or from a particular point of view. We may end up back there after exploring, but can we start from a different stance, giving the benefit of the doubt?

Children learn. New learning first takes place between age 7 and 15. The zodiacal degree of Mercury in your natal chart indicates what this experience will be like for you. In early degrees of any Sign, there is a lot to learn, as if it’s all new. In late degrees, you’ve seen it all before, may be bored, and are keen to move on to the next stage. Either way, with this Sun card, study and learn. Choose what you want and if you don’t enjoy it, find something else that you do enjoy. It’s ok to move on to the next shiny object that catches your eye This puts you on a meaningful path and that’s always good.

Children sleep, eat and grow. Is your lifestyle working for you? It doesn’t have to be balanced, but if you know you ought to make some changes, pay attention and do as you’re told - which means do as you’re telling yourself. You know it makes sense.

If you look at the card, you can make a list of the different items on display. Then think about their possible significance, or message, or meaning. Write it all down. Keep it to yourself for a while, but you can always leave something in the Comment section, or email it to me and we can take it from there.

Email bllntr@yahoo.com if you have questions.

https://johnballantrae.com for readings.

See also https://johns-tarot-course.com if you are in the mood to buy something.

There are some books of mine on amazon - search for John Ballantae.

See you again in a few days.

Using the Tarot can be referred to as working with “the occult”. This can sound bad or best avoided, but “occult” simply means “hidden”, from a Latin verb to hide.

Occultation is a term used in astronomy for when the moon, for instance, passes between the earth and a star thereby hiding it from view.

Sometimes we have a situation or a dilemma and we can want clarity so that we know what best to do. Some part or parts are hidden, though, and we look for a way to uncover or discover what is blocked from our sight.

This is a clue to a way of looking at a card or cards. We know the question, so we know what the card is referring to - so we look to reveal what has been hidden, or what is not obvious to our normal understanding or point of view.

What do we discover if we look at The Moon card this way?

When telling fortunes with the Tarot, there were typically three major trumps that indicated problems, or failure, or some sort of evil. They were The Devil, The Tower and ... The Moon - that was supposed to show treachery and deception on the part of other people. We know that life is not all sweetness and light so we need some card or cards to show difficulties. The Devil seems obviously bad, and The Tower shows destruction so that makes sense, but why would The Mom belong here?

Is it because the moon shines at night and we know our imagination can take control of our thinking when it’s dark? Things that are frightening are amplified and seem much worse. If you’re nervous about doing something tomorrow, then it is often much worse the night before.

We probably want to be honest and realistic with the questioner, and if The Moon card comes up, we don’t just ignore warnings or difficulties and say that everything will be wonderful.

We could therefore say to the questioner when The Moon card comes up, that we are going to make two points.

First we mention the idea of this card as a warning:

• Things may not be as they seem, so don’t assume that they are or that you know everything.

• If you have a sense that something is not quite right, check it rather than assume it’s just your imagination.

• People may not be able to do what they promise or say they will do- and sometimes it’s just that they can’t, even if they want to; it’s not automatically dishonesty on their part

At the same time, if all cards are beneficial and promise good things, then The Moon is more likely to be a glitch, somehow, rather than a serious difficulty.

Then point two is: you talk about what else is going on in the card so the questioner can make the most of the situation, or turn it around if it goes badly.

If we begin at the bottom of the image we see a crayfish emerging from water onto a solid path with visible and hidden sections leading to a distant opening between two towers We see a dog and a wolf on either side of the path; a full moon hangs high in the sky and seems to be dripping blood.

The crayfish lives in water and is adapted to move around in it. It is used to water, but now is emerging onto land, a new environment and moving will probably not be so easy, especially in the beginning.

How do we relate this to the question? It’s time for a change of scene? You are going to be mixing with different types of people or working with new ideas or materials, so the old ways or habits may not or no longer fit, but like the crayfish, you can or have to learn.

The position in the chosen layout can be important too - the transition happened in the past (so the card highlights experiences you already had); or it is important for - and going on - right now; or it will be coming up so what preparations are you making?

The picture shows a clearly defined path ahead. It’s not like you have to break new ground - you may not have done it before, but lots of people have so you can be helped along the way. If you ask, you will get useful and valuable answers or tips on what to do. This means that you can be motivated, knowing that others have done what you are trying to do. You are not alone.

At the same time, the path dips so some parts are not visible from the starting point. There may be obstacles in the future that you can’t know about, so don’t assume that everything will be plain sailing. You can have your plan, but you may have to adapt it or make adjustments later. In the beginning, though, things develop smoothly (and knowing this can put the questioner’s mind at ease so they don’t get in their own way through fear).

On the subject of fear, you can look at the word as F.E.A.R. - and, as some people have pointed out, these are the first letters of the phrase Future Events Appearing Real. It hasn’t happened yet, and remembering your in-born creative power, at least do not create problems even if you can’t see solutions.

Then we see the dog and the wolf. There are pack animals - one wild, one domesticated. There is something about group-think and belonging. It can be hard to go against mass-mentality or what the pack would have you do and think. The path winds between them, though, so it looks like you can know about them, but have to go your own way - or rather, progress comes from your personal efforts, and not taking your lead from the group.

Towers appear in other cards, so you might make connections with them in the reading. The path is between them, so are you meant to find or follow the middle ground rather than be swayed by one extreme or the other?

There are two towers and the word “doubt” comes from a root that means “two”. As you go further on your path, there will be doubts, but rather than be incapacitated by them or unable to move, maybe remember that you are changing or developing (as the crayfish emerged from the water but you might have forgotten your starting point). Just keep going.

Speaking of keeping going, I should get to work on # 038.

Email bllntr@yahoo.com if you have questions.

https://johnballantrae.com for readings.

See also https://johns-tarot-course.com if you are in the mood to buy something.

Life for us humans here on earth changed on 13 March 1781. William Herschel, at the time an amateur astronomer living in Bath n the south-west of England, noticed a change in the night sky that he first thought was a comet, but that later turned out to be the planet we now know as Uranus. Something important was thereby introduced or re-introduced into human consciousness. The myths had been known and told a story, but now the knowledge became different and more direct even if we are not sure exactly what to do with it.

Uranus used to be the chief sky-god before he was overthrown by his son, Saturn, ruler of discipline, restriction and order. Uranus pre-dated Saturn, like a father pre-dates his child, and represents ancient wisdom and understanding - that was then and is now available to people. Except that Saturn and his mentality have been with us for so long that we think there is nothing else.

Since 1781, if we aim for ancient knowledge or wisdom, we can have it or at least we can access it, but we have to approach and handle it a certain way. We can’t just absorb or adapt it into our current understanding, even though this is what people do.

When we find or are presented with a new idea, we tend to assess it right away and see if or how it fits our current thinking. It might seem “obviously” good or bad, so we accept or reject. This is not the correct way to proceed, however, with ancient wisdom.

Instead, we give it the benefit of the doubt for a while and wonder in what way it might be true or valid. Once we have some experience with it, we can legitimately assess it because we have taken a few steps with it and have an idea of where it leads. First instincts just promote confirmation bias.

Insight and wisdom are not just sub-sets of what we already think we know. We are not, as it were, visiting a newspaper website and selecting a particular page or category in the navigation. Those different areas of interest fit the overall position of the newspaper. They do not help us escape from this confinement.

If we are using the Tarot, we are looking for answers, but they will make more sense when we know the question.

If you want what is typical, then go with Saturn and AI. It will scan all that has already been written and give a summary that will be some kind of answer.

AI is not imaginative, though, so if you want originality and inventiveness, you go the Uranian route. Ancient wisdom is not a sub-category but is complete in itself so don’t limit it by enclosing it in some form. Remembering the last post’s point about the millions of experiences you have had in your life, no one who has ever lived has had your experiences in that order in those places. There has only ever been one like you. If you trust your own self and follow where your imagination leads, you will discover - so talk the cards that come up, and the questioner will make sense of it.

Having or learning a system of numbers that gives apparent meanings to cards is of only limited use. When the sky is the limit, however, the questioner can be inspired to re-connect with their own self.

Similarly, translating Suits and cards into some other -ology (like psychology or astrology or numerology) seems to open doors, but to old rooms. They do not lead to new valuable insight.

We have probably all heard of Plato and Aristotle, though we may not know how dominant their ideas were in the foundation and development of Western ethics, religion, philosophy and government - all that we tend to accept as true.

Plato proposed the very real existence of an unchanging, eternal perfection - any representations or descendants were, however, imperfect or defective in some way. This was adapted into God. and you and me with all our apparent sins and faults.

Aristotle came up with the “Unmoved Mover”, a primary cause necessary for the existence of everything else. Sounds like an argument for the existence of God. His ethics emphasized virtue as a middle point between extremes (maybe life is more correctly a continuum rather than a line with two ends; also, what’s so good about the middle?). We humans are also supposedly rational beings and our purpose is to use reason to achieve the good life, while also exercising our free will. There is more, but that will do for now.

These ideas dominated Western life, but 1781 gave us access to something new that is not just old, but outside of time (Saturn).

What if Plato and Aristotle were wrong, or rather are no longer right?

Given the acceptance of the idea of a perfect Being, we can only think of ourselves as subordinate, or that it is our place to be obedient and not rock the boat. Does this give rise to people experiencing so-called imposter syndrome? We are not basically worthy, or at last that is what we are taught .

What if Plato was wrong and we are not subordinate, but are instead creative?

We are in life. What is it like, or what is it going to be like later today and into the future? Do we have any power or are we just subordinate?

You don’t create from nothing - create means to make grow; i.e. something is already there or exists and we promote it. It is our inner attention that is important, not ideas imposed on us from the outside. So encourage this attention and elevate it, remembering our infinite experiences. It’s not like we start off empty. Even if we can’t identify the start or the original start, we can identify a beginning moment and work from there or develop its possibilities. Choose a start, or choose to start. A card or cards chosen at random give the starting point or the next step next meaning the “most near”.

The Tarot can show us what to do next or what to avoid, even if we weren’t aware of something not quite right at that moment. Sometimes we are one step away from an open door and can walk through; sometimes we have to gather more before we can reach a concluding point - rather than a conclusion so we avoid the full stop at the end of the sentence and shut off or shut ourselves off. It is becoming that is important.

That was different, and it is only a start. If you reached this far, tell me what you think. Who knows where that will lead us - individually and collectively?

Email bllntr@yahoo.com if you have questions.

https://johnballantrae.com for readings.

See also https://johns-tarot-course.com if you are in the mood to buy something.

So here goes.

It might be useful to begin with a couple of general points about The Hierophant.

The original meaning of the word referred to a person who helped people in the early parts of a new stage of life, or a new way of living. We can take this idea and apply it in different ways depending on the question we are answering.

If we want to know about a promotion, then it may point to the importance of having a mentor or a coach, or connecting with somebody who has already achieved what you want to achieve. You can then get advice or information or help based on their first-hand experience and not just theoretical knowledge.

If we look at the picture, we see an expert above and two students below. It looks like that kind of relationship - where one person has expertise or qualifications or a better or greater understanding of whatever happens to be the area. Below are two people who are looking to learn, or who are somewhat inexperienced and who want to benefit from the greater knowledge or wisdom shown by the person on top.

Again, you can take this idea and apply it according to the question. If it’s about promotion and the card is upright, then it looks like a good idea and promises success. We would probably see the questioner in the place of the expert- so you have the qualifications, the knowledge, the expertise, the experience and so on, so you can do a good job making decisions for the company. At the same time, you get along well with staff and employees.

The questioner might be concerned about how things will go with co-workers and wonder how they will adapt to the new relationship. It’s one thing when people on the same level get along; but it can be tricky if they now have to accept instructions from a newly promoted friend.

If The Hierophant is upright then that’s not going to be a problem. They will accept that you are in a promoted position and they will be cooperative and friendly.

If this card is upside down, then expect difficulties. It would be a good idea for the questioner to do some research into how to get along with people, or how to give orders, or how to counteract difficulties that people might present to him or her in the future.

What makes a good leader? There is a point made by Lao Tze that the leader works hard to create the system, method or structure, but then does not interfere with the people doing the work. This non-interference is the leader exercising the discipline of not doing too much.

Picking three cards to know more about a particular card can be a good idea, but it depends what you expect.

We can look at the three cards chosen and figure out what sort of story they tell. We need a starting point, though, and we can always change it later if we want so we are not stuck with it if it doesn’t go anywhere. The meaning - or rather the sense - of any card isn’t infinite, but it can be broad and wide and varied so maybe we begin with the 2 of Coins.

The story will develop in a certain way depending on the first idea, but we let it happen, paying attention to what we are thinking.

We could start with the 2 of Coins showing a need to be balanced - to be or become sure of what we care about (Coins representing values). We can take that single point and follow it through on a thread and see where it leads.

Given that there can be multiple threads that can make sense from any three cards, the method won’t automatically make things easier or simpler. This is why we aim for the sense a card makes as an answer to the question, rather than have to have or start with a particular or fixed meaning.

We are not exactly the same, even from hour to hour, and the apparent meaning of the 2 of Coins is likewise subject to change.

An aside: What if you wrote down everything you can remember? How many million experiences would you be able to record? Every bus or train trip would be different, even if you had a routine for going to work, for instance. The weather would be different, you would be wearing different clothes, your mood would be different, you might notice or ignore fellow passengers, you might be worried or bored, and so on. It is not just the same one trip to work. Then add every moment of walking to a desk or a locker or acknowledging your co-workers. Even a child of five has had millions of experiences. If we recognize this fact of life and living, we are not so determined to zero in on a (small) meaning.

This is where knowing the question is important or is valuable because when you know what the question is, you know what kind of information you want. If the question is about getting promotion, that’s one type of experience that people have and it has its own concerns or requirements. If the question is about a relationship, that’s different and you want different types of information. It might also depend on who the other person is - a romantic partner, a child, one of your own children, a relative? It all makes a difference to the actual sense or value of the card.

The Tarot can answer all different types of questions, but we have to be adaptable and adjust our position rather than take an apparently ideal answer and apply it to every situation.

With the 2 of Coins as our starting idea - let’s say it shows the need to juggle - and relate this back to The Hierophant, this could refer to the kind of question that The Hierophant is asked: How do you make a decision; how do you choose; how do you know what to choose?

That might seem like too general a point, but it’s important as well. There’s something about making a decision and making it work that’s better or more useful than not having a plan in the first place and just rambling on and seeing where you end up. You’re living your life, participating with your own self, and making your own discoveries.

If you have a destination in mind, then you have an idea where you are and where you’re going and you can judge if you’re moving in the right direction and can correct your course when necessary.

By contrast, if you don’t have a destination in mind then it can be like you’re always kind of lost. Maybe you’re in the moment all the time and it’s enjoyable and your subconscious mind is guiding you to go someplace that you didn’t know you wanted to go. In a lot of cases, though, you’re lost or undecided and you’re frustrated and so that could be the 2 of Coins upside down.

Out of curiosity, I asked chatGPT this same question, gave it the answer cards and asked what it all means. A split-second later I had my answer and it looked quite convincing at first glance - but not so much when you read it carefully.

Considering the 2 of Coins, it said that “The Hierophant helps us balance opposites”. This seems reasonable, but...

Why are the 2 coins opposites? Ther are two of them, but they are at different heights and the person is standing on one leg, as if one plan has been chosen or is preferred so the card can show someone after a decision. To say they are opposites leads to ideas that take us off-track.

It’s the same with “balance”. Why do we have to find balance? If the choice is between staying sober or getting falling-down drunk, should we go for the middle and aim for slightly-drunk? We have to watch our assumptions. This can relate to Plato and Aristotle being wrong, and we explore that point in the next post.

So with the 2, if we take the idea of juggling and there being value in making a decision or knowing where you want to go, then The Hierophant can give direction - tips and information about how to come to a conclusion or how to make a decision.

The 2 coins can be the two people at the base of The Hierophant card so here we should remember that it’s the students and not the Hierophant himself who are important. This can be a gateway to a deeper understanding of the card - it is important to distinguish between somebody who knows - The Hierophant - and somebody who wants to know or who is learning.

If we take the 2 of Coins as telling us about the experience of what’s important for the two people who are learning, then we look at the next card - the 10 of Swords. Is this telling us that you need to make a decision because if you don’t, things are not going to get better? They’re going to continue with you lying face down in the sand and stabbed in the back. Hardship and conflict (Swords) will continue.

Are we to understand that The Hierophant can help us mend our ways, or find a better path?

The number 10, being 1 and 0 that adds to 1, emphasizes the need for a fresh start. So are you going to keep repeating what you’ve been doing for some time, or are you going to get help (from a Hierophant-type person) to find some way of doing new things or developing new abilities?

The third card was the 5 of Coins, again showing two people, but here they are walking barefoot through the snow. Inside the building, however, it is warm and bright.

Is it then that The Hierophant’s power or purpose is to help those who need to choose so they can move on to new experiences and get a new lease on life?

If you look at the hand shape in the 10 of Swords, it is a duplicate of the blessing the Hierophant is giving - the extended thumb (balance); the index finger (expansion) and the middle finger (discipline); while the ring finger (purpose) and the little finger (mental outlook) are folded down or are being ignored. This arrangement has its own meaning that you can consider, but being in the 10 card in this layout, it is as if the Hierophant’s message has fallen on deaf ears or has been found to be deficient by the questioner. Whatever the Hierophant is saying hasn’t worked and this can be why the two people are barefoot in the snow.

We don’t want to use this line of thought every time we see this 10 of Swords, but we can here since The Hierophant is part of the whole scene.

The Hierophant therefore ought to be very sure about the quality and relevance of his message. The fact that it is old and traditional is not enough or no longer has power to convince.

Elizabeth wanted to know more about The Hierophant and at this point we might not be able to give a more detailed description than before. However, the next time we see this card, we will have ideas and things to say that we never had before. The exercise gets our imagination working better.

We have all had millions of experiences. Every questioner has had millions of experiences too and a reading is a moment that can lead to making sense of them and moving on to a good next step.

There is a combination of cards for every and any eventuality. We should not be surprised that the Tarot can zero-in on individual stories and we can read them if we don’t rely on static, apparently “correct” meanings.

We can do it all again starting with a different meaning for the 2 of Coins and see where it takes us.

Have a nice day, as they say.

Email bllntr@yahoo.com if you have questions.

https://johnballantrae.com for readings.

See also https://johns-tarot-course.com if you are in the mood to buy something.

.When using the Tarot for fortune-telling, there are typically three major trumps that indicate problems, or failure, or some sort of evil. They are The Devil, The Tower and ... The Moon that was supposed to show treachery and deception on the part of other people. We know that life is not all sweetness and light and we need some card or cards to show difficulties. The Devil seems obviously bad, and The Tower shows destruction so that makes sense, but why would The Mom belong here?

Is it because the moon shines at night and we know our imagination can take control of our thinking when it’s dark? Things that are frightening are amplified and seem much worse. If you’re nervous about doing something tomorrow, then it is often worse in your mind the night before.

Just as an aside: The ancient Egyptians and the Celts believed that the day began at sunset, so beginnings take place in the dark or in the invisible. At daybreak, there is light and what was invisible becomes visible. This can mean that what we see in the world is actually like a shadow of what was already real in the dark. Does this idea help us understand more about The High Priestess, who is sitting in the dark? Is The Moon card “difficult” or confusing because it shows what is more real than we might think?

In a reading, we probably want to be honest and realistic with the questioner, and not ignore warnings or difficulties and say that everything will be wonderful.

We might therefore tell them, when The Moon card appears, that we are going to make two points.

First, we mention the idea of this card as a warning. Things may not be as they seem so don’t assume that they are or that you know everything; if you have a sense that something is not quite right, check it rather than assume it’s just your imagination; people may not be able to do what they promise or say they will do- and sometimes it’s just that they can’t even if they want to - it’s not automatically dishonesty on their part

Then point two is: “what else”. We point out what else is going on so the questioner can make the most of the situation, or turn it around if it goes badly.

If we begin at the bottom of the image, we see a crayfish emerging from water onto a solid path with visible and invisible sections leading to a distant opening between two towers; there is a dog and wolf on either side of the path; the moon hangs in the sky.

If we talk about these parts of the picture, then the questioner will ideally have a better grasp of what to expect or what to do that is important. What follows are some ideas; you, of course, can and should have your own and make your own sense of these elements.

We see the crayfish, that lives in water, emerging onto land. It, and so the questioner, has to change, to adapt to a new environment and to learn new habits. It might be easier to keep doing what you have done (to remain in the water), but it looks like it is time to expand your horizons in some way.

David Bowie once said that as an artist, if you feel safe in the area

that you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.

We may not see ourselves as artists, but we are creative and sometimes we have to go further, but the result is we expand our comfort zone.

The point is to transform - and the question that was asked will give us ideas on what that transformation should look like.

There is a clearly defined path leading into the distance, so what you will experience has been felt or done by many others. It’ s not like you are going to be breaking new ground. It may be new to you, but others have already accomplished so there will be help should you need it.

At the same time, there are dips in the road. We can know the general direction, but there may be particular obstacles to overcome that we can’t know in advance. This may mean we will have to adapt on the journey, even if we don’t believe it in the beginning.

The dog (spelled backwards is god) and the wolf (spelled backwards is flow) can mean a choice to be made once we are on our way. Do we stick to the middle ground, or own path, and go between these pack animals? Or do we give in to pressure to conform and obey? Knowing in advance that others will try to get you to join them can give you time to decide what your path will be, and to come up with responses to pressure that you are happy with.

There are two fortified towers in the distance. The further along you go, the more entrenched will be the opinions or beliefs between which you have to navigate.

Looking down on all this is a full moon - the half-way point in a cycle from new and back to new. The moon has no light of her own; she shines by reflected light. The question or the challenge can be to separate what is real and definite and original (the sun) from what only seems real, but is a copy.

If you get stuck, email me at bllntr@yahoo.com.

For more: https:///johns-tarot-course.com

Post # 011 of the Astrology Tune-Up is here:

Astrology Tune-Up

Astrology Tune-up # 011

Astrology is different. Yet people treat it like it’s a branch of psychology, or some other system used to explain the ups and downs of life on earth. These people have it the wrong way round, but all will be revealed to those who read on…

Read more

3 months ago · 4 likes · John Ballantrae

The phrase - “the utopia of reversals” - is from a lecture by William Kentridge, and it has nothing to do with the Tarot, but we’re going to see how his points can add to our understanding of reversed cards in a spread.

The lecture

was number 4 in a series of 6 and William talked about working in his studio in Johannesburg. He filmed his eight-year-old son who had gathered up a jar of paint, some books, pencils and paper and threw them away - the jar of paint hitting the wall, the other materials flying. William then reversed the film so the mess of paint gathered itself up and returned into the jar that flew back into his son’s hand; etc. Running the film in reverse reveals what he calls a utopian reversal.

It is the reaction of his son that can give us ideas for how to treat a reversed card or what an upside down card might really mean.

The son wanted to do it again. William’s observation was:

“His delight in discovering his power to remake the world was a delight in discovering that he was more than he knew. “

Is this how we should treat reversed cards? They point out or lead to something the questioner didn’t know. If they indicate some crisis, then we respond with an imaginative transformation - not with a typical or usual reaction. What we call a crisis is a point at which change must come - for better or worse - so let’s treat it appropriately.

“The son’s reaction was “a discovery of prowess, not a demonstration of it. The film revealed to him things about himself and the world rather than the film simply demonstrating something he already knew.”

This can also be part of the value of the Tarot. In our lives, we normally see what we want or expect to see, so there is confirmation bias that can get in the way of making progress. A reversed card can be a trigger that alerts us to something new, but not recognized as yet. What that might be is contained in the picture on the card. Coins can encourage us to bring in or look to new priorities; Cups can get us to explore a different emotional reaction; Batons can be reminding the questioner of inspirations they ignored; Swords represent conflict, so try a different way to get along with people.

William then talks about the importance of giving yourself over to the medium and allowing space for the medium to lead.

He is talking about looking at a film sequence in reverse - we are talking about going with the reversed card and letting it take you in a different direction that will turn out to be valuable.

You “give yourself over to what the activity provokes and suggests” and you can discover new rules so that reversals become a starting point and not something to reject.

Substack writing is taking so much longer right now, but I should have more soon. Some shameless self-promotion of me is in the links below.

https://johns-tarot-course.com

https://astrology-in-action.com

Use this link to download the first 6 lessons in the Astrology In Action course - with more details at astrology-in-action.com.

https://ln5.sync.com/dl/1a9829dc0#y8fexq28-k7twtis6-ibdsbc28-q5firm6y

This is the webpage that includes links for YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts:

https://buddhaland.io/john-ballantrae-tarot-astrology-and-the-open-road-of-fate/

I’ll be back soon with a new post about The Moon card, as well as something about Astrological Astrology, i.e. not Traditional or Medieval or Renaissance or Hellenistic or Psychological or Evolutionary - just working with the symbols we were given and making sense of them to activate the underlying truth-knowledge ability in each of our selves.

The question is still something along the lines of: What do I do next? and today’s answer is Temperance.

This happens to be one of the Major Trumps and since they’re so-called “major” we might think that they are more important, or that they point to important lessons or circumstances. Maybe, but a small change or adjustment to a habit can have a huge influence. We should not automatically dismiss the numbered cards as less important.

We know there are 22 Major Trumps, each with its own title or name. When one turns up, we might start the interpretation with a word - like a person running an empire and all that that involves; or create and work Magic. We might see the set, however, as The Fool and 21 (7 x 3) experiences or lessons. There are 7 days in a week (a whole cycle), so we can identify three blocks that bring about some kind of completion in that area. It might be useful to understand 7 cards that explain the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of life.

By contrast, the numbered cards are 40 - 4 x 10. A square has four equal sides and is a good foundation to build on. Do we take any Minor trump and see what we can build from it or on top of it? Each Major Trump might tell a complete story by itself, but the Minors are more like steps on a journey, or phases in a process.

10, like 7, is also a complete cycle, but there is a Zero - not so much nothing, but more new potential or unlimited possibilities that can be added or incorporated.

The Major Trumps can relate to a triangle; the Minors to a square. On the angel’s chest in the picture we see a triangle inside a square. Is it that when under the influence of the Temperance card, we are meant to go beyond the Tarot in some way?

With Temperance, we might start with the name and decide that moderation is the best approach. Take a few small steps and test the waters before plunging ahead. When reversed, the indication may be that you are trying to go too fast, or taking on much more than you can safely handle. If you are in trouble and take small steps, you will get out of it because the correct path to take will soon become clear. It will be harder to be sure you’re doing the right thing if you forge ahead.

The Temperance card is number 14. This is 1 (the positive Sun - let us create) and 4 (the negative Sun - let us destroy so there can be new growth) that together equal 5 (the number of Mercury, and of mankind itself).

We might then get the idea that people have two sides or impulses or approaches. We can create, but we should also understand that there is - or there can be - a creative purpose to breaking down.

The picture shows an angel. The message may be that we should listen to - or be motivated by - our own inner wisdom, or higher self, or however you would describe your conscience or sense of right behavior. If reversed, we can have been ignoring our own advice, or not doing what we know we should have done.

The angel is holding a cup in each hand, with fluid or some kind of energy flowing between them. If this is you, then it’s important to find connections or to blend people or ideas so they can benefit from each other. So if you want a promotion and Temperance is part of the answer, then expand your understanding and think about how a promoted position will enable you to improve the conditions of other people and not just yourself. If the question is about a relationship, then help others to be their own real self rather than try to fit them into a mold of your own making.

“To temper” means to mix into proper condition or restore to proper proportions. With this card, look at the big picture relating to the question asked, and then make any adjustments that might be required to improve conditions. We might follow the singer Bruce Springsteen’s point that: Unless everybody wins, nobody wins. It can be a bit like making sure that nobody loses face; people are then happy to co-operate.

We have not yet considered other factors in the picture: the path to mountain pass or is it a river flowing from the mountains; is it a rising or setting sun in the distancer; what about the foot positions of the angel; what do we make of the pond and the lilies; there are Hebrew letters; there is a Sun symbol on the forehead; the wings; the illuminated head.

If you have ideas about what any of these might mean, leave a comment.

Back in a few days....

I had an idea for this post: look up general meanings and see how to choose the right one; then, if we are developing our own interpretation, do we think first about the Suit; or the number; or the picture on the Rider deck card.

I began by asking ChatGPT what the 10 of Coins means. It said in part:

The Ten of Coins is generally one of the most stable and grounded cards. OK, maybe, but it’s a ten so it’s the end of a cycle or a transition experience so how can it be stable?

The core idea is supposed to be that it points to long-term security and fulfillment. Maybe they are looking at 10 being a successful outcome relating to coins or money.

There are, however, four people in the Rider version of the card. The old man is presumably the wealthy one - so should we connect success with age and experience? This is ignoring the guard, however, who is an employee rather than successful. It’s a similar story with the young girl who may or may not be a member of the family. At first glance, this meaning - along with others like financial stability, inheritance, a sense of belonging - seems to make sense, but not so much when we examine them. The card is supposed to mean prosperity, strong family ties, and long term success - but prosperity can disappear overnight; it doesn’t take much for family ties to break; long-term success is fine, but how do you get there?

We should remember that AI has breadth. but not depth. It can quickly sum up what has been written and said and can save us time by researching for us and that is 80% of the answer. It can’t do the extra 20%, though, and make sense of what it offers.

ChatGPT then asked if I had a question that this card was answering. I had just been reading a post by someone trying to make sense of their life, so I replied: What do I do with my life?

The first thing it did was change the question, telling me: “A more useful way to approach it is to shift from “what’s the one right life?” to “what direction is worth testing next?”

That’s not what I asked. AI can’t do what people can do - create a useful and relevant answer for a particular person at a certain moment in their life. Even its general or typical answers only make sense if you are going for breadth and not depth of understanding

What if we make the A in AI stand for Authentic Intelligence?

Each of us, being human, can do it. We can build in a way that AI can’t; we can also join the dots in a meaningful way.

The card is the 10 of Coins. We can have some ideas about the Suit; then the number; then, depending on the question, we can give an answer.

We can all see that the coins are round, but what do YOU make of this? You make your own connections and a solution or useful direction will come to mind so pay attention to what you are thinking because it’s coming from somewhere.

Thinking about the roundness of coins is not so much about discovering the right answer. It’s more about you being led to discover points of interest that you can share with the questioner. They then leave with ideas to work with - about what the answer is, as well as how and why. The questioner is going to make their own sense of what you say, and if you speak from a position of clarity, the questioner will get the message.

There is no obvious beginning or ending in a circle. With Coins, then, it can be important to know or decide what point you are at in your journey. What makes sense to do when you are near the beginning will be different from being near the end. Identifying the position is not something you build on. It is more like something you are aware of or have in the back of your mind that you can add while speaking.

Coins, understood as values, and 10 as the end of one cycle before the beginning of a new one, it can be time to review what has happened and, knowing your conclusions, get ready for the future.

The number is 10. We might look at it as the last stage showing success (if upright) or if reversed somewhere between not quite success or dismal failure depending on the other cards in the answer.

10 is also 1 and 0; if you add them, we get back to 1. Any 10 card can therefore show approaching a new beginning, but a need to review the past to make sure you are going to be on your own right path. If the card is reversed, the past might have been painful in some way, so you don’t want to think about it and just want to move on. You can have changed, though, and no longer have an interest in what you used to do, so a new beginning would be a completely fresh start, instead of a necessary adjustment.

We know that #1 can be The Magician and #0 can be The Fool. What story might we create if we put them together? Do we do something magical with huge potential? It’s not that there is nothing and suddenly there is something. There are multiple possibilities (The Fool) and we can use a bit of imagination (The Magician) to connect with one of more of them to embark on a new stage of our journey through life.

As usual, what we give as the answer depends on the context - so what is the question? Let’s say it is: What do I do with my life?

There are four people. There is a child, so be childlike or adventurous and explore what you find interesting, but you don’t have to stick wit it forever. It’s ok to be distracted by shiny objects.

There is a young female, so work with the children of your mind - your ideas. They would not have occurred to you if you were not meant to find out what they mean. You can reject them if they turn out to be useless to you.

There is a guard, so look after yourself. By all means take care of others, but also be selfish. If you keep giving yourself away and get nothing back, you lose energy that you could have used for those who really need you, or that you really care for.

There is the old man, so gather experience willingly, and let it make you wise, and go to bed early to make you healthy and wealthy too.

John’s Tarot Course

https://johns-tarot-course.com

Back soon with # 032.

It is easy to be annoyed or discouraged when a Court Card shows up. It often introduces doubt or uncertainty into our mind, not just about what the card means, but also in our ability to ever get the hang of Court cards.

It may be that we are looking for a single sentence or statement that perfectly sums up who or what this person is. How many times, though, do we speak or think about anything, not to much as it is, but more as it ought to be.

We say that life is unfair and stop with that conclusion. What we mean is that life ought not to be unfair. Or we say that somebody shouldn’t behave that way, even though they may have good reasons for doing what they do.

In the same way, we can think that there ought to be a correct answer about a Queen or a King card, or we ought to know what it is, and if we’re not sure, then there is something wrong with us and it ought to be fixed.

What if we slow down and build up to an answer? This involves having or knowing the question.

The card is the Queen of Batons. It’s a Queen - an older person who has some power and is in control. Reversed, it can be a person who thinks they have more authority and expertise than they actually have. Someone once spoke about a celebrity, saying that he was a legend in his own mind.

This could be the meaning, but it depends on the question. If you want to know about your supervisor, then if upright, pay attention to them; reversed, they can have been promoted one step above what they can handle.

A Queen can be an older and established person. They have experience and can be trusted - their knowledge is not just theoretical. If the question is about how to handle a job interview, then when it’s your turn to speak, focus on what you have already done and achieved in different areas. Reversed, talk about something that was not working and what you did and learned from to make it better. This shows your problem-solving skill.

A Queen being in charge, the interviewer might ask what qualifies you to be promoted. Before the interview, think through questions they might ask and develop answers. Any card can give information about the sort of (possibly awkward) topic to be discussed. If Coins, what do you care about that you would bring to the position. If Cups, how do you get along with people and how might you get employees to work together?

With a Queen, it’s feminine, so it is important to gather data or evidence that forms the basis of a decision. You don’t just jump to conclusions. Again, depending on the question, it might be important to find out more about whet is going on, or to listen to what a number of people have to say. Your background idea may be, as a well-known singer once pointed out: Unless everybody wins, nobody wins. Your goal might be to control people so they are aware of who is involved and aim to make everyone as happy as they can be.

If you have ever been lined up waiting to be served in a bank or store, then when it’s finally your turn, the teller or assistant walks away without a word, then you know what it’s like to be invisible. This is not the way to treat people if you want their cooperation or support. The Queen of Batons knows this, so don’t do that.

The Suit is Batons - energy, enterprise, career. The question may be about your behavior - i.e. like a Queen. It may, however, be about how to act or your attitude. So, be energetic and enthusiastic.

Sometimes we are bored or uninterested. With Batons, maybe go back to a beginning point and psych yourself up for a better future or outcome. They say that you get back what you give out. If you are reluctant, you come up against obstacles. If you can’t be bothered, you should not expect others to make much of an effort. It’s like doing group-work. People don’t like it because there is always someone who doesn’t pull their weight, but they share in the credit. The card may show why they don’t try, or how to get them to improve.

With a Queen, they are intimidated or invisible or are never taken seriously, or are out of their depth. You will have your own way of understanding their reason, so trust yourself and speak it. You might make a point of consulting them or getting their opinion in small matters to begin with, thereby building their confidence

You might approach matters in a backward kind of way. Find out what they enjoy and are unenthusiastic about. Stimulate those interests then show how to build them into what is currently not enjoyed. This shows the person how all areas of their life - or life from moment to moment - can be made to be interesting and enjoyable

We have now put together a lot of short statements all of which can be true. When interpreting a card, it’s not so much about picking the right meaning, but more adapting basic ideas to answer the question. You make the meaning relevant for the answer to the question.

Back soon.

We expect the Tarot to give correct answers. Will I get the promotion - yes you will, or no you won’t. The pictures on the cards can explain why or why not.

Life is sometimes complicated. When you have success, there can be a variety of reasons for it. When you fail, again there can be a wide range of reasons. Any particular card can illustrate or reflect why conditions are the way they are. Life is not always plain sailing, though, nor a steady climb to the top and this is why we need to use reversed cards.

If the Ace of Cups is reversed and you turn it upright before reading it, then presumably you interpret only the positive. You talk about a new relationship or a beneficial change of heart. The life experience of the questioner might not be quite like that, however.

We probably want to be supportive of the questioner, but does this mean we present only sweetness and light? There is going to be a new relationship, for example, but what are we leaving out if we use only upright cards?

The number one can be a beginning and an Ace in the Tarot can show a new phase or cycle in the affairs of life shown by the Suit. An Ace when reversed can show difficulty in the beginning, or things getting off to a bad start, or a delay. It might mean failure, but not every time. With any reversed card, think what sort of glitch or obstacle would make sense.

We might have been thinking that if only we had something or someone new, that would be the answer or the solution. The questioner might look for a new way of making money. This can make sense because people do look for more than one source of income. If we get an Ace and it is reversed, however, the message might be that finding something new is NOT the answer. Instead, look again at what you have been and are doing and see how it can be improved or fixed or made better in some way. Control the process or the process will control you.

Sometimes we want something external to make a difference, but with a reversed Ace, develop earlier ideas more fully.

Today’s card is the 3 of Batons, but the question is different just for a change. This time, we are asking: How can I achieve in my life? Sometimes we want to know, not so much what our goal should be, but once we know that, how are we going to get there?

The 3 of Batons is the current answer.

As usual, we look at the picture to see what is going on in it, and then talk about actions and behavior that relate to the question of achievement. Having a question - general or specific - focuses the reading and the answer we will give. We might be asking about professional achievement, or reaching a certain point for the self or in a relationship, or handling challenges, or whatever.

We see a back view of a single figure on a high hilltop or cliff with a view of the ocean or a large body of water. Three ships are sailing away, presumably on their way somewhere rather than returning. There are three tall batons securely stuck in the ground - one on the figure’s left; two on the right. His hand is clutching the baton on the extreme right, though probably not to assist his balance.

What do we make of all this, and how do we relate it to the idea of achievement?

The figure is standing overlooking the sea with a view into the distance. If you are going to achieve, your success comes in the long-term. You also have to know what your destination looks like so you can be sure you are moving in the right direction.

The Suit of Batons represents energy and enterprise. You achieve, not so much thanks to other people (it’s a single figure in the picture) but by connecting with nature. Here, it’s a piece of living wood, but nature can also be respecting the seasons of the year so you plant at the appropriate time. Etc.

As it happens, a few days ago I came across a video called Why you should touch a tree every day. I don’t understand the physics of it all, but try it, and it may help you achieve. The video is link is here:

In military strategy, there is value in having the higher ground. You are in the elevated position and command the area. Is this how you achieve? To command is to have within the range of your influence. Adopt and exercise power. Achieving can mean recognizing and directing with authority - it’s an active posture, rather than passively waiting for it to come along or hoping that others will do it for you. You are the author.

I just uploaded a video (with less than ideal audio) about how to have success reading a horoscope. We see how to make hundreds of correct descriptions about the person and his or her life - from the start of the interpretation, instead of the common method of trying to cobble together bits and pieces of information. The link is here:

Back in five or so days.

Point 1 is this: It’s really annoying. You’re moving along quite nicely, having the sense that you’re making progress, but not really thinking about it, and then something turns up and its like you have to start from the beginning again. You’ve been absorbing ups and downs, but this is like turning a 90-degree corner. It can take time to get back up to speed again. When you steer away from the Tarot for a while, it’s normal.

When, or if, we lose our way, we might remember potatoes and French philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Gautari. If you have ever tried weeding crabgrass, then you know that the roots go on forever horizontally. Instead of a basic root that develops upwards like a tree, new basic roots can grow at any point and may make connections with any other point within the plant system. It’s a different kind of growth.

You are the system and instead of thinking of something new that causes you to turn a corner, it’s about you developing a whole new direction and it can take time to include the new route. Deleuze liked potatoes because a new one can begin spouting at any point on the original.

I had been posting every five days or so, but the last entry was 21 days ago. If your involvement with the Tarot comes and goes, then maybe it’s because we are all rhizomatic. Every moment, though, can be a new shoot with limitless potential, so what are we making of life, moment by moment?

Point 2 is: Sometimes we ask for change, or a solution, or different conditions. We ask, silently or out loud, but it mostly doesn’t work or at least not consistently even though the urge remains the same.

If our method is not bringing us results, we can (or should) try another approach.

The last post was about daily life as figuring out how to do anything rather than, or instead of, feeling we can’t, or it’s beyond us or out of our control, or stronger forces are against us, or whatever.

If looking outside of ourselves for a solution is not working, we have to depend on, or activate, more of our own self. Then the Tarot is a useful way of accessing the next step or two, if not the complete solution.

Using cards brings clarity. We learn to see differences and this gives us an understanding of more precise meanings. We know better what is actually being said or what is to be done.

If someone asks how a plan will work out and we get The Devil, it’s easy to answer that it’s not going to go well. That is a simple conclusion, but it’s not always obvious what is going on and how or why things will turn out this way.

The card shows a woman on the left and a man on the right attached to stone by means of a solid metal chain around their necks. This seems like a picture of restriction and being subordinate. We can decide that the plan will not go well, perhaps because the questioner or the people involved have no room to maneuvers and are controlled by a devil-creature standing on the rock. One way of explaining why the plan for the future will not succeed is that control is in the hands of someone else or something invisible but apparently powerful.

However, the people are held captive by the chain and its attachment to the solid rock - and not directly by the creature.

There is no point trying to move the rock - or trying to change the world. So look to the dominant influences or see the bigger picture. That is what is holding you under control - it can be that you accept the game and are playing by its rules, rules that you may not have agreed to. When you see that, and how, you are being controlled, there is freedom so your plan can work out well.

If we jump to the conclusion that you are trapped, then our interpretation of the different factors reinforces what we already think. We may not be thinking clearly, however.

There are two people in the picture. If the question is from and about one questioner, then the man and the woman can represent two approaches. The man is direct action, trying to force the result you want - but the opposition is too strong. The woman is more sensitive, considering different possibilities - but there will be more factors than she can see so her power is limited.

If the project involves more than one person, then the different people are controlled in their own way by outside forces, and can’t do what they think they can.

If we superimpose a horoscope onto the picture, then the man is on the right or the fated side of the chart. He is controlled by circumstances, so taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, is not the way to go.

The woman, by contrast, is on the left or the free-will side of the chart. She can control circumstances. The route to success is via looking around, gathering ideas and data, and introducing small changes or taking small steps. Success is possible, but it is going to take a bit longer.

The plan is to post again in five days with the 3 of Batons.

There will also be another YouTube Zoom call - this time with KP.

The next YouTube video after that will be looking at the Houses of Association in the horoscope.

I seem to be on some scammers’ list of who to threaten with copyright infringement. Even though I know it’s bogus, it’s an annoying distraction.

Exciting times ahead, though.