He would be well into his second century by now if he were still with us in this life.
A Sagittarian through and through, he was sharp-witted, fiercely curious, and had a wicked sense of humour. He loved languages, art and music. He liked to write poetry (often humorous), published two war novels, and left behind a memoir that would answer at least some of the questions we had left unasked during his life. He was a devoted husband and a father of three children, the eldest of whom is my father.
After serving in the Army during WWII, he returned to England to run a cattle farm and was incredibly fit and strong. Tall and well-built, he had an immense presence which was reassuring, commanding and authoritative.
To his grandchildren, he could be intimidating, scary sometimes, but mostly he was great fun. And he was kind and generous.
I loved him and still miss him. And tend to think of him when I am out walking in nature because it reminds me of long walks on the farm, always with some purpose like checking on a gate, pulling up the ragwort, or assessing the rabbit situation. Looking back, I’m sure the main aim of these long expeditions across the fields was to get us out from under my Granny’s feet.
He was the Achetypal Emperor
It’s no surprise I now associate his stable, guiding energy so strongly with The Emperor – the card from the Major Arcana most commonly associated with father figures in particular and authority figures in general. I see in this card his strength, authority and benevolence.
The description above makes that part of my childhood sound idyllic, but it wasn’t always. My grandparents were strict, highly disciplined, resilient and self-reliant people. They had no time for tears or tantrums and didn’t believe in giving much praise or any form of molly-coddling. And in post-war Britain, they couldn’t abide any form of waste, especially with food – to this day, in my family, each generation has gruesome tales to tell of historic battles played out over the dinner table.
They were from another time.
Like all archetypes, the Emperor has many faces and his Shadow can be expressed through rigidity, judgment, control and coercion. The Emperor card, and what it represents, often holds some discomfort for many, especially women.
As a depiction of authority, it’s a reminder that although much has moved on in the last couple of generations, we still live in a patriarchal system. Women are still striving to achieve equality in a world built by men for men. Still required to compete with men at their own game, display our ‘strength’ to get ahead, and then criticised for being ‘too much’, ‘difficult’, ‘nasty’, and, of course, ‘unfeminine’.
The Emperor cautions us that ‘might’ is not always right, and true leadership looks less like dominance and control and more like service, protection and commitment. Inspiration, not intimidation.
Sagittarius I – Magic & Alchemy
The first Decan of Sagittarius comes under the influence of Mercury and is associated in tarot with the 8 of Wands.
This card suggests fast-moving, purposeful, ‘no time like the present’ energy. My grandfather embodied that energy too: when he saw a thing that needed doing or fixing, he would just get on and do it, and then see how it turned out. This was true whether he was fixing a fence or carving the Sunday roast.
Mercury connects this Decan to the Magician, a card that channels thought into action. This character is the super-manifestor of the Tarot. I think my grandfather had that too – he was someone who didn’t just think about things or make plans in the abstract. He took action, trusting his instincts and moving forward with conviction.
Sagittarius is represented in the Tarot Major Arcana by Temperance, a card that highlights patience, moderation, forgiveness, and tolerance. I now recognise that in his later years, there was a ‘tempering’ of his more prominent Emperor traits. He grew gentler. Slower to judge. Still intimidating, but more patient and open.
I think this ‘tempering’ also relates to the ‘luxury’ afforded to grandparents with their own children’s offspring. They can afford to be softer, kinder and more tolerant. There’s not so much skin in the game when you are separated by a generation.
Reflections on The Emperor
Blending The Emperor with The Magician and Temperance feels like a powerful trinity. As you reflect on these archetypes, and especially The Emperor, I invite you to consider:
Who are the Emperor figures in your life? Who has shaped your understanding of structure, protection, authority, or responsibility – for better or for worse?
How does your relationship with those figures deepen or complicate your understanding of the Emperor as a Tarot archetype?
And conversely, how might working with the Emperor in Tarot offer you new insights into those people, their choices, their limitations, and into your own relationship with leadership, success and power?
The Still Small Voice Tarot Deck
In the Still Small Voice Tarot, the Emperor is not depicted as a stoic father or grandfather figure. He’s not based on my grandfather – or my father, for that matter.
I wanted The Emperor in my deck to be confronting, not comforting. To force us to recognise over-reaching, corrupting power when we see it in others, and ourselves – and to question what drives it. Does it exist to serve, or to dominate? To build and support, or to control and coerce?
Because power for power’s sake is not leadership.
As a single woman in her fifties now (with kid and a cat and my own business), I’m beyond asking for permission or hearing ‘explanations’ from the old guard or anyone who wants to uphold it. We are all, men and women, products of the patriarchy, and it’s time for us all to wake up to how much needs to change in our society, in leadership and personal relations, inside and outside the home.
I am my own Emperor now – and I love that energy.
In the spirit of ending on a lighter note on this bright Sagittarian day, and what would be my grandfather’s 109th Birthday, I remember, with love and gratitude, a man who was both fearsome and kind-hearted. A flawed human, like the rest of us, but whose strength and power were most often expressed through care and good humour.
Here, with Mercury, the planet of travel, communication and adaptability, in the humanitarian and rebellious sign of Aquarius, we meet our boatman. An ingenious friend who we can turn to in a time of need to make things happen – to get us from A to B. To safety.
I wonder if the boatman we meet in the 6 of Swords could be The Magician in disguise, with The Star fixed in the sky as his guiding light, transporting our brave travellers to a more hopeful place. Traditionally, the 6 of Swords is about a journey, moving from turbulence to calm, or, in certain more dyer circumstances, an escape. Perhaps, with The Magician steering the craft, the card’s meaning shifts to a transition that is more guided and intentional.
The 6 of Swords is not just about escaping our problems but consciously navigating to something better, more fulfilling and aligned with our dreams and higher good.
As with previous Decans, I have found it useful to look at some keywords to see what ideas they may spark about the current Decan of Aquarius II.
Mercury ~ attributes
Element of Air
Messenger
Communication
Travel
Curiosity
Change
Adaptability
Speed
Intellect
Articulation
Rationality
Analytical
Over-analytical
Critical
Anxious
Manipulation
Deception
Ruler of Gemini & Virgo
Aquarius ~ attributes
Independent
Intelligent
Intellectual curiosity
Creative
Humanitarian
Innovative
Rebellious
Technical
Analytical
Truthful
Idealistic
Unpredictable
Eccentric
Needs space
Fixed Air sign
Ruled by the Uranus
Boatman or passenger?
When this card comes up in a reading you might ask: ‘Am I the boatman, or the passenger?’. It is a question of agency. Ruled by Mercury, The Magician is the master of his own journey – he’s the boatman and the passenger. Representing conscious creation, he chooses the destination and has what it takes to get there.
The Star provides the faith, hope and purpose for the journey. She offers the vision and the meaning.
Prompts for 6 of Swords ~ Mercury in Aquarius
When you find yourself facing a challenge and you need to see your way to the other side of it…
Ask yourself:
Are you taking charge of your own journey?
What is guiding you?
How is that aligned with your hopes, dreams, and the highest good?
Is help at hand? Will you reach out and take it?
If you are running away, what are you running from?
What are you running to?
Are you there to offer help to others when it is needed?
Are you an active protagonist in your own story or simply a passenger?
Observations and synchronicities ~ Aquarius II
I’m making space here to return to over the coming days of Aquarius II to add any thoughts, ideas and synchronicities as they arise…
It took me a while to get to the heart of what I wanted to say here for the 6 of Swords. I always find this a calming, balming card when it appears in a reading thinking: ‘oh, thank goodness, it’s all going to be ok’. No action required, just have faith. Sit back and enjoy the ride. It offers some respite positioned, as it is, between the super challenging 5 and 7 of Swords.
However, the influence and combination of The Magician and The Star suggest the need for action that’s far more conscious and intentional.
This isn’t just about a ‘journey’, it’s about personal agency and mastery. Am I a just passenger in this life or am I going to take the rudder and start to steer? It’s up to me. No one is going to do the work for me. No one is coming to save me.
And, if you care to join me for this continuing solar return, you’ll find me on Facebook and Instagram hanging out on the corner of #decanwalk2024 and #decanastrology And I will be following @astroco_op and @tsusanchang
Everything moving in the same direction all at once
The 8 of Wands is knowing when the moment is right to strike, to make your move, to let your arrows fly. When all the elements have come together in that magic moment. We see ‘magic’ in both the Major Arcana cards associated with the 8 of Wands.
There is the precise and patient alchemy of Temperance that you could link to a sense of divine timing, which leads to the moment of synthesis – when everything comes together. And in The Magician we witness mastery of the elements, focused intention and swift action directed towards a single goal.
The 8 of Wands can be a helpful card when we have become too focused on the minutiae of a situation. The combination of speedy, detail-oriented Mercury in expansive, adventurous Sagittarius helps us to see the bigger picture and move forward with faith in a swift and positive outcome.
Truth bombs
I sometimes like to think of the arrows in the 8 of Wands as truth bombs. When a situation is fast-moving and the time has come for honest expression and transparency there is no place for half-truths and equivocation. The question may be: is it you launching the truth bombs or are they in fact headed for you?
As with previous Decans, I have found it useful to look at some keywords to see what ideas they may spark about the current Decan of Sagittarius I.
Mercury ~ attributes
Element of Air
Messenger
Communication
Travel
Curiosity
Change
Adaptability
Speed
Intellect
Articulation
Rationality
Analytical
Over-analytical
Critical
Anxious
Manipulation
Deception
Ruler of Gemini & Virgo
Sagittarius ~ attributes
Free thinking
Free-spirited
Adventurous trailblazer
Independent
Open to change and discovery
Curious
Optimistic
Energetic
Passionate
Honest (at times, brutally so)
Bold
Brave
Courageous
Restless
Impatient
Resistant to rules and structure
Fire sign
Ruler of the 9th House – travel, learning, philosophy
Mutable Fire sign
Ruled by the Jupiter
A 3-Card Spread for the 8 of Wands
The 8 of Wands is a favourite of mine. It always appears as a Green Light for me when it comes up in a reading. So I’m glad to be writing about it now.
I have found the last month a little ‘sticky’ for reasons known and unknown. Personal projects and plans ground to a halt and I’ve had to graft to keep up with work and keep my head above the metaphorical high waters of Scorpio season.
Treading water.
In the last few days, I have experienced a new more dynamic energy with the incoming Sagittarius season.
And now I need to keep the momentum going – a thought which became the inspiration for a Tarot spread!
Card 1
In which area of my life do I need to allow for movement, expansion, rapid change or adventure?
Card 2
Where might I need to direct my focused attention to create magic and maintain momentum?
Card 3
How can I balance the Big Picture with the smaller yet all-important details that might bog me down?
How to use the Spread
Shuffle your cards while focusing on a situation or area of life where you feel the energy of the 8 of Wands – fast-paced events, communications, or opportunities that require swift, bold action or response from you. Lay out the cards in a row and consider how they connect with the prompts. Then you might take a look at how they sit with the 8 of Wands, The Magician and Temperance.
This spread could offer insight into channelling the 8 of Wands’ dynamic energy in a positive, productive way.
If you don’t own a Tarot deck, you could simply use the prompts for journalling or pick your cards here.
Prompts for 8 of Wands ~ Mercury in Sagittarius
When there is movement, when all things start to speed along a certain trajectory…
Ask yourself:
How do you harness that forward moving energy positively in your life?
How can you rise above the details and think big picture?
How can you stop yourself from being swept up and away with the momentum of it – keep your feet on the ground?
Are things moving in the direction you want them too?
Do things feel like they are slipping out of your control?
How can you regain a feeling of control?
Observations and synchronicities ~ Sagittarius I
I’m making space here to return to over the coming days of Sagittarius I to add any thoughts, ideas and synchronicities as they arise…
I have a nice story about this card.
A few years ago I ordered The Spacious Tarot deck from Little Red Tarot here in the UK. Unlike purchasing a deck from Amazon, I had to wait a little while for the deck to arrive which was super exciting. When it landed on the doormat I was delighted to find it beautifully packaged with love and care. Inside the shop packaging, they included a ‘random’ card from another deck, along with some other marketing items. The card that came with my pack was, of course, the 8 of Wands from the charming and quirky This Might Hurt Deck, by Isabella Rotman.
A good while later, I bought the deck from The Astrology Shop near Covent Garden and went straight for the 8 of Wands entry in her guidebook where Rotman ends the text for the 8 of Wands with the following line, which I love:
“Don’t hesitate. This is not just a green light – this is your foot on the accelerator.”
And, if you care to join me for this continuing solar return, you’ll find me on Facebook and Instagram hanging out on the corner of #decanwalk2024 and #decanastrology And I will be following @astroco_op and @tsusanchang
I’m late in posting for this Decan but with the New Moon in Cancer, at the time of writing, this seems to make some sense to me. If I’m a little late, it doesn’t fee like the time to be hard on myself about it. Instead, it feels like the moment for some self-love and compassion. And I should let that same emotional support ripple out to family and friends who need it right now.
The 3 of Cups relates to love and reminds us of the joy and magic to be found in close relationships and friendships. Support and be supported by friends, family and your animals.
The Magician and the Charioteer seem like quite the ‘dynamic duo’ when placed side by side and to me they speak of high emotional intelligence and the ability to manifest, celebrate and communicate love and abundance in your life.
As with previous Decans, I have found it useful to look at some keywords to see what ideas it may spark about the current Decan of Cancer II.
I send my past self love. I send my future self strength. I shower my current self with a million compassionate affirmations.
Chani Nicholas ~ Affirmation of the Week
I send my past self love
The 4 of Wands is a card of celebration and reminds us of all we have achieved and experienced – the milestones, the highs, the lows. Here, it reminds me of the ‘new mother’ that I was 14 years ago in Spain with a baby and not much support around me as I was living far from family and friends. It was a difficult time and I was hard on myself for not being the ‘kind of mother’ that I had imagined I would be. I did my best and I send my love to that past self.
What message of love would you send to your past self?
I send my future self strength
I send my future self the strength to stand up and use my voice. To be unafraid of expressing myself however and whenever I need to. In the past I have avoided conflict and kept myself small in certain situations and relationships and I have learned that it does not serve me. Nor does it serve the ones I love.The Judgement card calls on us to break free from resentment, guilt and negative, judgemental thinking and awaken in us new ways of thinking and acting.
What message of strength would you send your future self?
I shower my present self with compassionate affirmations
The King of Pentacles is truly the King of his Castle. High achiever, super manifestor and secure in his self and in his domain. I gift myself this affirmation:
I am safe and secure in my life, my home and my family. I offer that same safety and security to my loved ones in my heart and my home.
I’m home. I am their home.
What compassionate affirmations can you gift yourself?
Prompts for 3 of Cups ~ Mercury in Cancer
When considering your closest relationships, be they romantic, familial or platonic…
Ask yourself:
Is there anyone in your life that you might want to reach out to right now?
Who needs some love and support? Who needs to be celebrated? Uplifted? Thanked?
What are you bringing to your friendship group or community?
What are you doing to fill your own cup for health and wellbeing?
What and who are you attracted to right now?
Who are you grateful for right now, and how can you show them?
Observations and synchronicities ~ on Cancer II
I’m making a space here to return to over the coming days of Cancer II to add any thoughts, ideas and synchronicities as they arise…
This card is such a beautiful card to me as it represents all the good, supportive and collaborative relationships in my life and those are mostly, but not entirely, relationships with women: friends, sister, aunts, my mother and, of course, my daughter.
I wonder though, what the shadow of this card could be… when looked at through the lens of the 2nd Decan of Cancer – Mercury in Cancer?
In Tarot, if the 3 of Cups was drawn reversed, and if you read reversals, you might say that there was a resistance to loving collaboration. Resistance to or a block to the support and love of your friends and family. And the 3 of Cups would invite you to open your heart to the love and support that is there for you.
Alternatively, perhaps you have a friend who needs help, but you don’t know how. Mercury in Cancer – how do you communicate your loving support?
And, if you care to join me for this continuing solar return, you’ll find me on Facebook and Instagram hanging out on the corner of #decanwalk2024 and #decanastrology And I will be following @astroco_op and @tsusanchang
Ruling planet/luminary: Mercury ~ Messenger of the Gods
Zodiac sign : Taurus ~ Fixed Earth 🜃
Tarot card: 5 of Pentacles
Golden Dawn Title: Lord of Material Trouble
Associated Major Arcana:
The Magician (Mercury) & The Hierophant (Taurus)
Four Decans in to our journey, and we hit our first rough patch on the path
Moving from the warmth and light of the 4 of Wands into the cold and dark of the 5 of Pentacles feels a bit harsh. A bit like being dragged from the comfort and safety of a loving hug to be thrust out into the cold world with only a memory of what it was to feel safe and secure… and loved.
A little dramatic? Maybe. But if that were your story, it would feel extreme.
Suddenly finding yourself left out in the cold to struggle and worry alone would be terribly hard for anyone, not least of all Taurus, who loves security and the comfort that nice things and a full belly bring. Taurus likes to know where the next meal is coming from, and all the meals to follow, and this is not story told in the 5 of Pentacles.
In the Rider Waite Smith card, we see two apparently destitute and wounded characters struggling against the elements on a cold dark night. They are les miserables, the poor and homeless, the sick and the walking wounded.
Living on the fringes, they do not look up as they make their way past the glow that emanates from the church’s beautiful stained glass window. It seems that the sanctuary on offer inside is not for the likes of them. That door is locked to them and they are stuck in the classic scarcity mindset ~ in victim mode. This idea that life is hard and that you are either a victim or a victor is a common theme in the Tarot 5s.
Let’s take a look at some keywords for Mercury and Taurus to see what they tell us about the first Decan of Taurus and the 5 of Pentacles.
Mercury ~ attributes
Communication
Curiosity
Change
Adaptability
Speed
Intellect
Articulation
Rationality
Analytical
Over-analytical
Critical
Anxious
Manipulation
Deception
Ruler of Gemini & Virgo
Taurus ~ attributes
The Bull
Fixed
Earthy
Grounded
Sensuous
Materialistic
Enduring
Patient
Persistent
Driven
Determined
Steady
Solid
Stubborn
Resistent to change
Indulgent
Excessive
Possessive
Help will always be given to those who ask for it
Mercury is the ruler of two zodiac signs: Gemini and Virgo. And it is the energies of these signs that the Messenger planet brings to Taurus I. But these potentially helpful energies of communication, adaptability, action and efficient organisation, which could be used to describe the Magician I, seem to be blocked or simply resisted in the 5 of Pentacles. Retrograde, in fact.
And what does the Hierophant V (ruler of the Tarot 5s) bring to the situation in the 5 of Pentacles. Perhaps guidance, security, authority, tradition, the status quo?
But what if you struggle with authority, religion or faith even? Does the 5 of Pentacles show a lack of trust in institutions built by man to keep us safe or an actual crisis of faith? A belief that we are all alone, as we are born and die, and that no help is at hand.
All of this has brought to mind a line delivered by one of the most famous Magicians of all
‘Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.’ ~ Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Later in the series, almost at the end in the ‘Deathly Hallows’, Dumbledore amends this line to “help will always be given to those who deserve it”. He is talking to Harry in an ‘otherworld’ after Harry has sacrificed has own life to save the lives of his friends and others locked in a battle against evil.
In the late stages of this epic tale, Harry’s faith in Dumbledore, as his mentor and guide, falters frequently, often due to his lack of knowledge and understanding of the old wizard’s ‘bigger plan’. At times during the story he feels alone, abandoned, misunderstood and utterly different to everyone else. This 5 of Pentacles style of isolation leads him to entertain dark, obsessive thoughts.
In the end, of course, Harry, a skilful wizard on the side of right, like Dumbledore himself, chooses to trust and have faith not only in his teacher and mentor, but also in himself and his own goodness and talents. He makes his own choice to live and return to fight with his friends, and ultimately vanquish the forces of evil, rather than ‘move on’ peacefully to another realm.
Ultimately he is his own authority ~ both Magician and Hierophant.
Prompts for 5 of Pentacles ~ Mercury in Taurus
When you are feeling isolated and hopeless, unlucky or ‘poor’, when everything seems to be going wrong for you…
Ask yourself:
Who is offering help and comfort right now?
How can you accept help with grace?
What choices are available to you in this moment for you to help yourself?
How can you be kinder to yourself, less judgmental of yourself?
And, for that matter, how can you be kinder and less judgemental of others?
Who needs your help now?
How can you be of service to those whose needs are greater than yours?
What is your mindset around money and abundance?
Do you believe that you deserve to be happy and abundant?
Observations and synchronicities ~ on Taurus I
I’m making a space here to return to over the coming days of Taurus I, to add any thoughts, ideas and synchronicities as they arise…
Tracking Mercury’s progress in future Decans, the next time Mercury shows up on the Decan Walk is in the 3 of Cups (for a celebration of love, friendship and community), followed by the 10 of Pentacles (an indicator of wealth, abundance, order and security), the 8 of Wands (to move things forward towards ever-widening horizons) and finally, the 6 of Swords (the help, when help is needed, to move through rough seas to safe ground).
This whistle-stop tour feels like a Mercury coming full circle within the Zodiac wheel and the Tarot ~ from down-and-out in the 5 of Pentacles to safe passage in the 6 of Swords.
It brings me to the idea that when things are tough a possible way out is to ask where can you be of service? By helping others you may help yourself. Which would feed nicely into the next Decan and the 6 of Pentacles… but I’m getting ahead of myself. Again.
My biggest takeaways ~ Taurus I
For a someone who is not just a confirmed Tarot nerd but also a HUGE POTTERHEAD, this grumpy Harry Potter/crisis of faith angle to the 5 of Pentacles has been illuminating and I had no idea that I was going to go there, until I started writing.
There is a tension in the 5 of Pentacles between personal agency and blind faith.
You are more powerful than you think.
And you can accept help without giving up all your power.
And, if you care to join me for this continuing solar return, you’ll find me on Facebook and Instagram hanging out on the corner of #decanwalk2024 and #decanastrology And I will be following @astroco_op and @tsusanchang
