Embodied Abundance

This week I'll be using the Alchemical Tarot Renewed along with the book Alchemy and the Tarot, both created by Robert M. Place and published by Hermes Publications. Paired with it will be the Oracle of the Radiant Sun deck and book set, created by Caroline Smith and John Astrop and published through Eddison-Sadd Editions. The draws for today are the Empress and Adaptability (Moon in Gemini):

Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.

—Wayne Dyer

Many indigenous cultures view the land not as a resource, but as an active, living being. It is not surprising that the Empress is seen as an embodiment of the land, a symbol of natural abundance. While there are many who do live in poverty, there are also those of us who have plenty yet live with a mindset of scarcity. Often this is because we get caught in the comparison trap, but we may view resources as a means of control. We may mistakenly think they can protect us against all of life's uncertainties. Moon in Gemini folks process emotions through talking, thinking, and analyzing to understand them fully. Rather than live in fear of never having enough, this card asks us to take a logical look at what we have and how our needs are being met. We may discover that we are rich in ways we never considered.

 

Wedding Bells

From the Alchemical Renewed Tarot, the Lovers; from the Oracle of the Radiant Sun, Adaptability (Moon in Gemini):

The widened consciousness is no longer that touchy, egotistical bundle of personal wishes, fears, hopes, and ambitions which always has to be compensated or corrected by unconscious counter-tendencies;

–Carl G. Jung

          Place's Lovers card represents the Alchemical Wedding - a union of parts that take us beyond our personal desires and interests (creating gold from lead). Jung described this process of letting go of false images of ourselves created by others, letting go of the protective mask we wear to face the world, and owning those aspects of ourselves that we've projected onto other people. It requires that we navigate between ego inflation (seeing ourselves as more important and special) and ego deflation (seeing ourselves as damaged and inferior). Like a regular marriage, this union can be difficult, which is where Adaptability comes in. The Moon in Gemini represents a person who is curious and an information gatherer. Their openness to ideas is what makes them versatile and able to adapt to a such a union of diverse parts. Rather than trying to be an expert, they continue to learn and stay attentive.