A Big Welcome to 2015

Happy New Year,  Bliain Nua Faoi Mhaise Duit,  to all my Tarot Friends around the World,

Bonne année et bonne santé, Feliz año nuevo, Felice Anno Nuovo,  Ein glückliches neues Jahr, Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu, Sehe Bokmanee Bateuseyo, Godt NytÅr, Gelukkig nieuwjaar, Boldog uj evet, Szczesliwego Nowego Roku, Gott Nytt År, Chuc mung nam moi, Sawatdee Pi Mai, Manigong Bagong Taon, Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu, Selamat Tahun Baru, Eutychismenos o kainourgios chronos, Bonan Novjaron, Stastny Novy Rok, (I am sorry if I did not include your language)

I would like to extend my thanks to all of you who have visited, followed, commented and contributed to  Truly Teach Me Tarot throughout 2014.  Your ongoing support and engagement is very much appreciated and has been a major incentive in helping the site develop and grow.

2015 will be a busy year with goals set to complete further sections of the Course and the re-working of the remaining Court Cards, The Queens and Kings, and The Major Arcana from The Hierophant onwards. Those long talked about Video Tutorials will eventually be making an appearance and Truly Teach Me Tarot will make the transition from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.  College will continue until June, with assignments and exams to complete. It will all be a bit of a juggling act and I can visualise The Two of Pentacles featuring heavily in my life in the coming months. I certainly will need Strength and The Chariot backing me up with The Emperor keeping me organised and disciplined. Somehow or other, I will have to find time for The Empress so maybe Temperance can help me out there by ensuring a sense of balance is maintained.

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On a Global level, there have been many ups and downs over the last 12 months. The world and humanity have been sent some very difficult challenges to overcome. None of us can be immune to the horrific suffering so many experienced in 2014 and continue to do so.  Political struggles, war, acts of horrendous violence, repression, oppression, hatred, starvation, poverty, disease, tragedies and disasters.  We have witnessed more than enough, and at times have felt emotionally overwhelmed by it all. Some of us have experienced psychological damage as we deal with the depression that follows such trauma.

As we prepare to move into 2015 we must all pause and ask questions of ourselves. Do we want a repeat of, or an even worse version of 2014? Are we just crossing our fingers, keeping our heads down and hoping for the best, or praying that The Tower won’t stop at our door as it thunders along? The world yet again has reached the brink of insanity and we cannot simply bury our heads in the sand and insist that it has nothing to do with us. History has brought us terrible lessons on many, many occasions, but have we learned from any of them? It appears we fall into the same traps over and over again, but the terrible thing is we now walk into them voluntarily and with our eyes wide open.

We all know that violent war solves nothing except breeds hatred and revenge, yet as humans we tend to seek it out over and over again as a way of settling a situation. I read a novel recently called The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld. Freud features as a character in this book along with his theory called The Death Instinct which the book is named after (a very good book by the way). Freud believed that as humans we naturally crave life but only on an equal level with craving death. Without going into the in-depth analysis provided in the book (check it out on Wikipedia here) he had the belief that humanity will never be happy unless we are killing ourelves or each other, for we seek death just as much as we seek life. Therefore, there will never be a war to end all wars for we are incapable of sustaining prolonged peace. I do hope that Freud is proved wrong in this instance for it speaks of a bleak future where the art of war is becoming bloodier, more sinister and capable of horrific consequences.

As we move into a more technically advanced age, war has become very sophisticated. It has far-reaching tentacles and can no longer be referred to as something that is happening ‘over there’ or ‘somewhere else’. War, regardless of where it is being fought affects us all. We may not understand the issues being battled over, or care less what it is all about, we may believe we have enough of our own problems to have to worry about others. For those who are informed they may still feel baffled about the belief systems involved and wonder why they can not all get together and sort it out.  However many who perpetrate war may want you to know about their war whether you are interested or not. They may want to make a statement, gain attention, notoriety, infamy, or lay blame any where they can, even if it is far removed from their own battlefield.

We no longer go to war. Instead war is taken to us; into our homes, onto our streets, into our shopping malls, restaurants and schools where the only battle fields we are used to involve sport and enjoyment. We shudder in disbelief and ask why? How could humans do this to each other? How could you hurt a little child? Why do they want to commit such massacres? They do it because they can and for some awful reason, they both enjoy it and justify it. And of course there is also the political involvement from all over the world, the conspiracy theories and rumours of power, oil, and wealth which funds and drives these wars, plunging the world into misery and devastation. It is said that wars never happen by accident. On the contrary, they are well planned and orchestrated. And the planners? The most powerful people in the world, and more than likely never heard of by us mere mortals. We are not talking about presidents of countries here but those on a much higher level, those who pull all the strings, the strategists, yet never get exposed to any danger themselves. These are the theories.

And the results of war? Death, loss, devastation, displacement, trauma, fear, hatred, revenge, disease, poverty, starvation, recession. If the money that was wasted on war, billions and billions worldwide, was injected into more important and relevant areas to improve our human existence, there would be no poverty or starvation. There would be access to proper health care and education for all. There would be less crime because there would be less deprivation. There would be no homelessness, we wouldn’t have to rely on charity for funding as there would be sufficient money in the state coffers to cover all. The money that had previously being wasted on war would go a long way in helping to make a better life for us all.

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But we cannot fall to our knees and decide that it is all over, that we have lost or failed. It is time for all of us to pick ourselves up and focus on the positive by becoming more optimistic about the future. We all need to start making a difference. With that thought in mind I have asked the Universe to send the World, and those who reside upon it, a Special Message for 2015. How do we move forward? How can we find peace? Where is The Love and Compassion? How do we put right all the wrongs? How do we heal? What can I do? Because there are 12 months in the year, I have pulled 12 Cards, but not to represent any particular month.

Let us take a look at these 12 Cards now and take a brief message from each.

2015

Justice – We are not exactly talking about the normal Legal System here where courts and judges decide who is guilty and who is innocent, and were sentences or punishments are issued. Justice represents the Spiritual Court of Law where only the truth is expected of us. There are no lawyers or prosecutors, and the only judge present sits within each one of us. We are both our own Judge and Jury and therefore lying or trying to escape the consequences of our actions is futile for we know the truth of us regardless of how we try to gloss it up. In the human Legal System we can try to fool others but we will always know the truth of what we did, felt or said. There is no escape in Justice who holds the double-edged Sword in one hand and a Balanced Scale in the other. Justice reminds us that there are always two sides to each story and therefore we must own up to our own responsibility instead of trying to blame others. The Scales of Justice demand balance. Any excess in one scale will off-balance the other. It is a natural law. Taking the action of placing a weight in one side of the scales will automatically result in a consequence in the other. We must remember that any action we take will result in a consequence. However, are we ready to accept the consequences?  Justice appeals to the Higher Self and the conscience. If you have done wrong then you must own up to it and take steps to make amends. It is not alright to keep balancing the scales in your favour all the time as this results in deprivation for others. A very important message from Justice for the World is that you may think you will get away with any wrongdoing and destructive behaviour because you surround yourself with those who will cover and lie for you, or that you were just following orders, but what goes around will come around. At the end of the day the scales will have to be balanced. It is best to do this before it gets out of hand. No one wants to carry around excess Negative Karma that may take several lifetimes to clear.  Justice will not be impressed by any fancy spin you surround your excuses with. Justice can see down to the depths of your very soul and will remember all.

The Lovers – The Universe wants to remind us that essentially we are all the same once the facades and pretenses are taken away. Note the woman looks to spirit while the man looks to woman. Fundamentally we are all the same but we are allowed to express ourselves in different ways. Woman does this in a feminine manner while man takes the masculine route. Who determines which way is right? The Lovers message it that both are equally right but are approaching life in their own way. Spirit blesses them equally, has no favourites. Woman has equal status to man and there does not appear to be any issue with this arrangement. Spirit wants us to turn to each other at this time instead of fighting each other. The Lovers encourage us to acknowledge and accept the perceived difference in each other and then work together for mutual good. The Tree of Life and The Tree of Knowledge carry much wisdom. However, this wisdom can only be accessed through integration and sharing. Man would be lost without the inherited knowledge of woman, and so too would woman be lost without the knowledge of man. Together they are powerful and dynamic, apart they are cold and lost. Both have inherited the earth and have been made custodians of this planet. Both man and woman have an important task that must be fulfilled together. Man cannot cast aside woman and take control. Neither can woman turn her back on man. Nothing in the garden would flourish. The Lovers may not see eye to eye all the time and there may be power struggles along the way, but there is always a deep love, bond and respect between them.  Because they come to each other naked, they can be open with each without fear of punishment for speaking their mind. They hold their palms open in an honest manner. Communication is key here with both man and woman having something very relevant to say. Both their opinions count. The Lovers ask us to open our heart and arms to love. Do not discriminate. Admire and respect the outward differences in each other, safe in the understanding that we are all one and the same, and strongly connected. Both the Man and Woman in The Lovers are balanced. Equal power, equal control, equal say, equal respect, equal wisdom and equal rights to freedom, peace, love and happiness. The Lovers brings a natural balance between femininity and masculinity. World-wide, woman must be re-instated to this balanced state. She has been missing too long.

The Knight of Cups – I am very happy to see that of all the Court Cards to turn up, it is The Knight of Cups who has been sent to us as a messenger. The lack of People Cards to me suggests that the World will have to stop looking to the same few individuals for help or to blame. The safe passage of our planet is all our responsiblity. We all have a role to play and if we all committed ourselves to one tiny act of kindness, acceptance or compassion they would all add up to something quite powerfully positive. I mentioned earlier that modern war is no longer something that people go to fight but rather that the fight is now brought to our doors instead. Therefore we must be prepared to stand together and bring about an end to it all. However with The Knight of Cups appearing as the only battling soldier/Knight come to help us, we worry that he carries no weapon to destroy the perceived enemy. This is because The Knight of Cups prefers to seek a peaceful solution to any aggression, argument or disagreement. Warring and fighting is not his way. He carries his Cup of peace with him at all times so that he can offer it around to those he encounters who are in need of it. His calm and soothing approach disarms his enemies who are confused and surprised that a Knight of his Rank would listen so intently to their issues and grievances. The Knight’s Cup is full of cool water which he uses to pour on any fire that has become overheated or out of control. He does not seek to drench Fire altogether for that would make Fire angry and hell-bent on seeking revenge. When just enough water is applied, tempers calm and nerves relax. It is then that peaceful negotiations can take place and solutions found to long-standing issues. The Knight’s message is quite strong in that bringing all the biggest guns, tanks and bombs will not work in this instance. War will solve nothing. A peaceful and diplomatic approach is the only way. Force and bullying will only cause more trouble.

Strength – Following on the heels, or hooves, of The Knight of Cups we are delivered Strength to re-reinforce his message. Strength tells the World that real strength is not related to psychical strength, or the strength of an army, or the strength of a government. Strength lies in how we deal with difficulties in life, how we react to volatile situations, how we control our temper and how we lead during times of crisis. Finding the strength to live through a nightmare can only come from within. In Strength we see the kind, soft woman gently handle a ferocious lion. Let us think of this Lion as representing our World that has appeared to have lost control of itself at present. The World has turned into a wild beast that has escaped its cage, or ventured from its normal territory. The Lion may feel threatened and is prepared to kill to protect its territory and species. It may feel hungry and craves blood to appease its vicious urges. In normal circumstances, humans would immediately seek to destroy the Lion which would be perceived as a danger and threat to all around. He would be hunted down with guns and knives. No one would want to know why he had turned so angry, or why he escaped from the captivity he was in. Was he not happy in his cage, doing what others wanted of him? Maybe he wants to go home? He might be in pain and doesn’t realise he is frightening so many, but how would he attract attention to his plight unless he roared? Unfortunately questions would not be asked, and his instant death would be demanded. Then out of the blue walks a young woman dressed in white to signal that she comes in peace. She sees the Lion look at her and knows that she may be devoured at any moment, but she only wants to help him, and hopes he senses that. Something is wrong with the Lion who is more aggressive now because he is also frightened.

Just like The Knight of Cups before her, Strength decides not to meet his aggression with her own aggression. She carries no weapon of death on her body, only a garland around her waist. The infinity symbol above her head suggests her understanding of the cycle of all things. Energy goes around and around. It cannot be destroyed, but it can be changed. She also understands its meaning of what goes around eventually comes around.  Should she decide to kill this Lion just because she can, then she will have to repay that debt some other time. Other lions who watched what she did may choose to hunt her down and do to her what she did to one of them. That would create another cycle of destruction. If she decides to help or soothe the Lion, then he may relax and let her help him. He may trust her and see that she is a friend and not a foe. The cycle would change from one of negativity to positivity. Strength agrees with The Knight of Cups. She stresses that extreme force will be met with even more extreme force in return. The cycle of negativity will continue and deepen.  The real Strength lies in finding another way to resolve issues. We must break from our old way of doing things. The beast is out and running wild. Shooting it down will not solve the situation for there are bound to be more who will come after, and they will seek revenge.

The Star – Strength leads us on nicely to The Star who naturally develops after The Knight of Cups and Strength are allowed exert their influence in the World. The Star allows us to lift our heads from all the negativity around us and instills in us a belief that all will be well and that better days will follow. The Star asks the World not to lose their faith in humanity at this stage. All is not lost and all you have to do is take a look around you at the goodness that can easily be found in others. There is decency in us all and we must hold on to that. The Star brings Humanitarian issues to the front and reminds us, as did Justice, that we all must star in bringing the world back into balance again. We all have a role to play, regardless of how pathetic or unimportant we believe that role to be. The Star speaks of making a difference and once more we see nakedness suggesting that it is time we stepped away from any false pretenses or images we have been portraying. The Star reminds us of our moral and ethical duty as being a part of the human race. As we watch the woman in The Star pour water into both the pool and into the land, some of the water trickles from the land back into the pool. This suggests that it is time to give back. We cannot always take without giving. W must look to our own Star for inspiration in what we can do to help. The Star symbolises freedom to be who we want to be. We may think this is  a natural gift we exercise everyday, but there are many who have no freedom and must wear the facade created for them by others. They have no say or control in their own lives. The Star will not rest until there is freedom for all. She wants everyone to be able to gaze up freely at the stars, no matter where they are on this planet and follow whichever star they choose without fear or opposition or punishment. The Star asks the World to turn to the night skies and acknowledge the vastness of all things, and the great unknown that is without. We must learn to be more open-minded and understand that we are just one of many planets that are part of our Universe.  We need to feel humbled in the presence of the Universe.

Judgement– This takes us a step further than The Star in that Judgement blows the trumpet and demands we wake up and actively decide to do something about the World we live in. Another Humanitarian Card, Judgement turns up the volume in the voice within. A call comes from within and it is time to rise up and become involved in the transformation of the World we live in. Man, woman and child all have work to do. Judgement insists that you cannot turn a blind eye anymore. Massive change is now needed if we are to move forward in a positive and healthy manner. It is not good enough to deem yourself too old, or that you will soon be dead and will no longer be your problem. What of those who are left behind, what of your children’s and their children’s inheritance?

The World will be left in the charge of the next generation and what is it we want for them? We want to leave behind a World that is beautiful and peaceful, a world we can be proud of. With the power of the internet for example, Judgement tells us that we can make a difference, regardless of age or location. We need to make ourselves heard. Each little voice when added to the next little voice that decides to take action and speak up, eventually becomes a loud roar. Not a roar that is threatening or violent, but a roar that is loaded with intention for reform and conscientious behaviour.  A roar that demands peace and freedom for all. A roar that insists on food and shelter for all. A roar that expects health and education for all. A roar that unites and vibrates across the Universe with words of Human Rights, Animal Rights, Equality, Acceptance, Tolerance and Love. The voice of the mass, or majority, must be heard and will have to be acted upon. If we all speak as one, for each other, with each other, then the power of the people united will be great. The World stands at a cross roads as we enter 2015. The people of the World have the accumulative power to change the destructive direction we have been heading in for so long now. Who will stand up and be counted? It is time the people of the world took back their power.

The Six of Swords –  As we come upon the first of our Minor Arcana Cards, we are being given an insight into the daily struggles of people around the world. However, I believe we are being shown these Cards to highlight areas of life we need to call on Strength to help us either overcome or accept. The Six of Swords shows us the difficulties people have in moving on from trauma and distressing times. All around the world there has been a mass exodus of people fleeing from their circumstances for one reason or another. Some have left in search of work or a better way of life for their families, some have fled from oppression and control, or lack of opportunities. Others have run wildly from their homes and land to escape torture, war, death or disaster. Many have been traumatised, and others saddened by their departure, or lonely for home.

So many have traveled a long way to get away from troubled times. All appear to seek peace and acceptance, but there is a worry when we see the Six of Swords that it will not easily be found, or at the very least will be a slow process. The World is in a state of upheaval at present, and before it settles, there will be a time of transition. Transition comes after the initial change, be it voluntary or forced change. We can lose our internal compass and cannot find, or see, the landmarks of our life that we have become so accustomed to. For many, there is a culture or language change that can be hard to cope with. It is an unsettling time, when all is strange and alien. Some may be disillusioned with the calmer waters they have sailed into for they still feel scared, worried or sad. Some unfortunately carry their negative experiences or attitudes with them as symbolised by the Swords stuck into the boat. Tainted by what they have gone through, they are deeply troubled and cannot freely avail of any new life that is offered. There may be anger, rage, revenge, hatred, a desire to get even or just a pessimistic and depressing outlook that gets in the way of living.

Many families have been struggling hard with finding their way out of debt and financial worries. They may believe they have lost everything and that there is nothing to look forward to except years ahead of paying back. When all this happens our world narrows down into our own little patch of misery and we close our eyes to the suffering or plight of others. Worse still we can blame others for our situation. Individually we need to pluck each of those inward turned Swords from our own boat before we go any further. There is always light at the end of the tunnel if you look for it. Going around stooped over and consumed in your personal miseries will never lead you to that light.  We must all find a way to get through our worldly troubles; psychologically, emotionally and spiritually intact.

The Six of Pentacles – Following on from The Six of Swords we see the desire of people to find financial stability after years of recession and cut backs. This is a card of extremes and it is not hard to notice the widening gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ of the world. The rich appear to be getting richer while the poor are spiraling into extreme poverty. This Card also speaks to us of charity and helping where we can. It asks us to take a good look around and see if there is someone around us in need of our help. Are we in a position to help others? There are so many in need of help but not enough help to go around. Again this is a humanitarian call. It is not good enough to just donate a few coins to charity every now and then, we must become more active in this area if we can. There is a concern in this Card that I often find disturbing. It is the stark contrast of the well-dressed man in comparison to the kneeling, fawning beggars at his feet. He is helping but it all looks wrong. He should not be so dressed up that he makes them appear inferior, and he should kneel down to their level and not have them feel so subservient. There is a lack of connection here or true understanding of their plight. He almost looks as if he is enjoying the status of it all and will go back to his big house feeling sanctimonious about helping the poor who can’t help themselves. He likes to be seen to help but that is about it.

I also feel that in this instance we are being shown the large Charity Organisations around the world and must question where all the money goes that is donated by the public. How much goes to pay the fat salaries of the heads of such organisations, and what is left to actually go to those who need it after all the administration is covered. There may be a terrible imbalance of financial distribution involved. When organisations become so large our donations become hard to track and we must ask if we are not better off taking more control of what we donate. It is very easy to drop coins in a box, but not so easy to follow through on doing something with that donation. Could we put our donations to better use and actively get involved in seeing the end result? It is something we all must ponder for it once more involves people power.

The Five of Cups – And so, the most difficult Card of all, The Five of Cups, asking us to give up our grief and emotional pain. So many of us are locked into the past and all that we had and how things used to be. We look down on our three Cups that have been knocked over and cry about all that has been lost and how much our lives have changed. We also are dealing with the grief of the loss of loved ones, and how traumatised we are to be left without them. Some of us may wear our cloaks of grief as a badge, or medal, so that others can acknowledge the awful thing that has happened to us. Many have lost their homes and their livelihoods in recent years. However, the majority of people are just trying to get on with their lives, trying to make sense of what has happened to them, and are working hard to come back to life again. It is not an easy time and a lot of us have been left scarred. We do have an understanding that we are not alone, that others have shared the journey with us, and this in itself eases our pain and makes us feel less shame. We now talk openly about our losses instead or worrying what others might say. This is a very good thing.

Unfortunately, there are many, many more, all over the world, who nurse and nurture their grievances. They refuse to let go and work hard to keep all the pain and anger alive and well. Some even ensure that their feelings are passed on to the next generation and this is where we enter a cycle of hatred, revenge and intolerance. There will always be prejudice, but what if we deliberately seek it out so that it justifies our cause? There are some in the world who are not prepared to let bygones be bygones, or decide to let it all be water under the bridge. The longer they hold on to it, the more it festers and the deeper the hatred becomes. When this happens the voice of reason disappears, and if asked to explain the nature of such hatred, such individuals or groups would find it hard to put into words for it has become much more than words.

Sadly this Card, a Five, speaks of areas of the world where there is a dreadful closed-down narrow-mindedness, and a determination to focus on past hurts and not the hope for the future. This will be hard to eradicate but yet again I stress that the global voice must be heard. Otherwise we leave it in the hands of those who have been unsuccessful in finding solutions in the past. We are in a negative repetitive cycle and it must end.

I look to my own Country, Ireland, and think of our warring past with the English, our lovely neighbours. There are some on this Island who are still hell-bent on returning us to those dark days of bloodshed, but the over-riding majority of Irish want nothing to do with it. Yes, there were terrible things done to us in the past, but all those times are gone. Our English neighbours are not the same people, they are a new generation, just like we are in Ireland. They come to Ireland now for holiday and entertainment, not to control us. They would never dream of it. As neighbours we share so much, and of course our love for rugby and horse-racing. We marry each other, regardless of being Catholic or Protestant, because it doesn’t matter anymore, and the people who thought it did are either dead or too old to intimidate us. We as a nation have moved on and are good friends with our neighbour who invaded and occupied us. That is progress, and that is what we must learn from. The Irish and English have no time for those who want to dig up old ghosts for we have life to live and much to give blessings for. We are good friends and close allies.

The High Priestess – As we approach the closing months of 2015, we see a strong attempt to restore balance and peace in the world. The High Priestess  represents the feminine balancing force in Tarot. This feminine aspect is not for the sole use of the female gender. To be healthy balanced human beings we need an appropriate mix of both the feminine and masculine aspect. Therefore those of the female gender who exclude, or are forbidden to access the masculine side of their nature, will likely become subservient and extremely passive. They will be unable to stand up for themselves and will feel a lesser being. They will allow themselves to be controlled and dominated. They become overly emotional and ineffective. However they come into powerful alignment when they are allowed to freely nurture their masculine aspect in appropriate measure. This allows them to be assertive when necessary, to be independent and aware of their rights and importance. They become whole beings who can hold their heads high and take their place in the world feeling confident and able.  They combine their loving, compassionate, nurturing, peace seeking and harmonious side with the action oriented, assertive drive of the masculine principle.

There are many humans in the world who have turned their back on the High Priestess,  and have denounced or belittled her. She holds no rank, or significance. She is often much despised and is severely restricted. They refuse her access, and as a result they lack her understanding, grace and compassionate nature. Without the loving and peaceful influence of the feminine principle, the Masculine aspect becomes overly strong and grossly over developed. It brings a coldness beyond belief as the Heart Chakra closes down, and the route to the conscience or Higher Self becomes severely blocked. The ego takes over in seeking power and control by any means. They seek action, but no reflection. They lack her conscience. There is no warmth, no understanding, no mercy, and no sympathy. Without the feminine aspect playing her vital role, all will be lost. There will be no desire to cooperate or compromise. Negotiation will not be an option. Peace will not be sought.

The question is, how is the world to deal with such situations? How can you communicate with those who lack the essential ingredients of peace and love that only the feminine principle can bring when they have overdosed on masculinity? They do not understand her language or hear her cries. Without The High Priestess’ influence they will not be able to stop themselves, or think deeply about their actions. They act through their conscious will and ignore the urges of their subconscious. They are restless and out of control.

The High Priestess sits peacefully and reflects on the situation. Her message is one of withdrawal so that all can make sense of what is going on. She holds the ancient wisdom that will guide us through these terrible times, but she is not known to force anyone to listen to her. Her call can often be a whisper, so one must still their mind to hear her message. Whatever message she is trying to convey is likely to fall on deaf ears. These are the ears of those who never stop for one moment to reflect on what they are doing. They just keep on doing it, their power-hungry egos driving them on relentlessly. The High Priestess also tells us that there are things we do not know, secrets that are being kept. We are not in possession of the full story, the facts, as others may be controlling events and want us to believe certain things. We must listen to what our hearts are telling us.

Strangely enough, I feel that a powerful feminine presence will become known to us as the year comes to a close. This may be a female who stands out from the rest and uses her gentle, yet firm influence to turn the tide. I believe she will call on the feminine aspect of the world to unite and let themselves be known. I can see the rise of a woman or women, not a world leader or politically connected. Women may decide that enough is enough and will decide to take back their power and use it to turn situations around. I don’t think this female has any certain plan at this moment, or is even aware of what her special destiny is. She will more than likely come to our attention after a major incident. She is of another level, an old soul, a veteran.

The Hanged Man – With The Hanged Man appearing as the middle card I worry that this woman may be at the center of a shocking atrocity that will rock the world. She may act as the sacrificial lamb, or will volunteer to put herself in the line of danger so that others may be saved. Her story and name will be the focus of world attention. This High Priestess will be the one responsible for sowing the seeds of change. It will be a slow change, but she asks us to give it time. Change will only be at the incubation level, but something will happen. She is here to return the feminine principle to the world for we have no future without it.

The Hanged man speaks for the millions who have already been sacrificed by the power-hungry individuals of this world who can be found in every race, religion and political power house. The needless sacrifice of innocent individuals for the gain and profit of others. The High Priestess cannot be found walking among them. If she was, then the world would not be in the mess that it is. The Hanged Man is another Humanitarian Card and speaks of being selfless and looking at the bigger picture. He advises that struggle and force are not the way to move forward. What we have been doing has not worked, yet we continue to swim upstream. He asks us to try approaching the problem from a different perspective. What are we not seeing, what are we missing? We may need to step back from the events that surround us and reflect deeply on how to manage taking the next few steps forward. He tells us that it is not going to be easy. The Hanged man speaks of a long drawn out situation, that will not be hurried or quickly sorted. He may be hanging around a long time. The problems in the world will continue for some time to come.

Temperance – Temperance coming in as the final card for 2015, being a Major Arcana card, carries a strong message for the world. It is imperative that balance and moderation is brought about. She is here to pour oil over troubled waters, but only if that is what we want. Temperance knows the way and wants us to understand that humanity is in need of much healing. However, Temperance reminds us that one remedy will not cure all ills and evils. A way must be found to restore balance by addressing each situation individually. What will work for one, may not for the other. We have led ourselves into this mess and we must now find a way out. As mentioned in The Lovers card, even though we are all human beings, all connected, we express ourselves in different ways. The appropriate blend of solutions need to be given great thought before being put into action. All voices and opinions must be heard and needs addressed. However, the one area that priority must be given to, is that of restoring The High Priestess to her intended Rank, which is the balancing and equal counterpart to the Magician, the masculine principle. No well-intentioned solutions to world issues will work without her being in her rightful place.  When I speak of this, it is not in a feminist manner. I speak of the need for her attributes; peace, love, compassion, sympathy,mercy, harmony and balance. These need to be adopted by both male and female, lest we forget.

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Copyright © Vivien Ni Dhuinn 2015