Great Energy

This week I'll be using the Rohrig Tarot, created by Carl W. Rohrig and published by Sirio. I also have a companion book written by the artist and Francesca Marzano-Fritz and published by Bluestar Communications. The other deck I'll be drawing from is called a tarot, but I'll be using it as an oracle: the Master Tarot. It was created by Amerigo Folchi and Mario Montano and published by AG Muller. Today's cards are the Prince of Disks and Twice Born:

Competent and steadfast, the Prince of Disks is described by Crowley as "great energy brought to bear upon the most solid of practical matters." Yet the Rohrig companion book offers a caution about this Prince's drive: he must consider "construction and its consequences." My eye is drawn to the measuring stick at the left of the card. In our eagerness to build, we may become caught up in outdoing and outpacing others instead of focusing on important details of the project itself. The Titanic, the largest liner of her time and built for luxury and comfort, carried 2224 passengers on its maiden voyage. Though it had the capacity for 48 lifeboats, it was only outfitted with 20 (and only 14 of those were regular lifeboats). A lack of mindfulness in its construction had serious consequences. Twice Born refers to Lazarus, who was brought back to life by Jesus. The lesson of this card is of entering a place of dark hopelessness and being willing to let someone help us back out. Skill and knowledge are wonderful talents, but we would do well to have open minds and ears when others offer us sincere suggestions. 

A Hare in a Snail Shell

From the Rosetta Tarot, the Prince (Knight) of Disks; from the Day of the Dead Lenormand, the Key:

Festina lente (Make haste slowly.)

The Roman emperor Augustus often used the Latin adage above, believing that a well-trained leader should not be rash: "Better a safe commander than a bold." Coins minted in his honor had symbols of this saying, like a hare in a snail shell or a dolphin wrapped around an anchor. Augustus would definitely approve of this Prince (Air of Earth) who is thoughtful and inventive while also steady and unwavering. This card encourages us to decide today what we're hoping to achieve, plot a strategy for accomplishing it, then make haste slowly. The Key of Lenormand suggests that we have the resources and knowledge for what we want to do, but we still must put forth the effort of getting it done. As they say in 12 Step fellowships, "Easy does it, but do it."