As Goddess Presence Unfolds ~ Tarot for 4 Jan 2017

Goddess always shows up when I need Her. I confess that I’m still having a difficult time relating to the Court cards in the Haindl Tarot. So of course, two showed up in today’s reading. But given that they’re both female and the first card is the High Priestess, I feel a Goddess presence there. So I did a little research to try to gain a better understanding of who these women were. Radha is depicted as the Daughter of Wands in the East. Initially I was confused as to the meaning of the directions on both the Court cards and the Minor Arcana, but I realize now that it’s the area in which they lived. From the enclosed booklet that came with the deck, Rachel Pollack tells us that

The suits of the Minor Arcana are situated east (wands) for India, north (cups) for the Celtic countries, south (swords) for Egypt and west (stones) for North America.¹

Typically, I attribute Cups to West/Water, Wands to South/Fire, Swords to East/Air, and Stones (Pentacles, Disks, Coins) to North/Earth. And on top of that, to complicate my life even further, he uses a different rune set from the Elder Futhark. But given her status as Shakti, I understand why he chose Radha for the Princess of Wands card.

also called Radhika, Radharani, and Radhe, is a Hindu goddess who is almost always depicted alongside Krishna and features prominently within the theology of Vaishnava traditions, which regards Radha as the original Goddess or Shakti.²

The Queen of Stones is called the Mother of Stones in the West with her Native American roots.

She is creator of the world in Southwestern Native American religions and myths such as that of the Pueblo, including Hopi peoples. Although accounts vary, according to mythology she was responsible for the stars in the sky; she took a web she had spun, laced it with dew, threw it into the sky and the dew became the stars. Navajo mythology tells of Spider Woman or Spider Old-Woman (Na’ashjéii Asdzáá).³

Moving back to the initial card of the reading, the High Priestess stands behind a mystical globe, another Goddess personified. A camel corresponding to the Hebrew letter Gimel sits below her. Uruz is in the top right corner signifying manifestation into form. Her arms are raised in supplication to the moon, a crescent adorning her forehead. The light of Creation pours down from above filling all with divine energy. She is the Feminine Divine, possessing secret knowledge, intuition, and inner wisdom. The High Priestess as Goddess is the gateway to the unconscious realm. Like the light of Creation, she flows in nonresistance to change that occurs, secure in her knowing that a greater purpose is at work.

The numerology for the reading is 2 or duality, polarity, and balance. We already know that Goddess Presence is influencing today’s reading. Is She asking us to focus on our creations or perhaps our own inner balance?

Goddess Radha looks on at creation, smiling with Lord Krishna’s flute in her hand, her music merging color into light.

Radha Chalisa mentions that Krishna accompanies one who chants ” Radha” with pure heart. Other gopis are usually considered to be self willing maidservants (Sevika) of Radha. Radharani’s superiority is seen in Krishna’s flute, which repeats the name Radha. Between Radha and Rukmini, Radha is superior. It is also said that when lord Krishna brought all his consorts to meet Radha, they saw Radha’s face and declared her the most beautiful and sacred hearted woman in the whole universe and that she would retain this position until the end of the universe as no one will surpass her beauty and her nature.²

The Daughter of Wands in the East represents unfettered joy and abundance flowing in nonresistance, the Goddess in her Maiden aspect. Contrasting that with Spider Woman, the Mother of Stones in the West, we see a more mature woman, her age suggesting the Crone over the Mother aspect. Spinning the web of life, Spider Woman represents Gaia, our earthly Mother, the labyrinth before her representing creation. She is kind and generous with a wisdom that lovingly extends to all.

For far too long, the feminine influence has been suppressed by masculine control. Service to self has overshadowed service to others and now the others have been rendered irrelevant. Fortunately there’s a groundswell of awareness building. It’s clear what patriarchy has cost us, and more and more are awakening to the Goddess Presence within and striking a more realistic and loving balance.

Let every thought be of love. Let every voice speak truth to the dark forces that surround us. We are the Creator personified and that power will not just sustain us in the days ahead but will in truth make us victorious, disunity giving way to loving oneness.

We have always been stronger together than we could ever be apart. The Goddess within asks only that we love all and that our creations reflect that love. What could be better than that?

Blessed Be

 

References:

1. Pollack Rachel and Haindl, Hermann. The Haindl Tarot Deck. US Games Systems Inc. Stamford, CT. 1990.
2. Radha
3. Spider Grandmother