Day 2 19.9. Day of Our Lady of La Salette - an apparition of the Christian Mother of God/Holy Virgin. She brings message of hope to humanity. Where is your personal source of hope and spirituality?
Day 3 20.9. Sedna, Inuit Goddess of the Sea - This card asks you to address your fears and shadows before the winter comes, like the Inuit did in their Sedna festival.
Day 4 21.9. Eleusinia - an ancient Greek holiday, commemorating Demeter and Persephone. She has to leave the world of of growth and abundance and descend to the realm of death. This card reflects grief, sadness and the traces of tears in your life. Acknowledge and honour them.
On the other hand, the card may also mean that I must not avoid exploring unfamiliar territory. I shouldn't be afraid to go beyond my comfort zone, lest I end up too rigid for my own good, unable to adapt to circumstances.
Day 5 22.9. Rosh HaShana - beginning of the Jewish New Year. It's a Jewish custom to send greetings and good wishes to people in your life. Use this day to focus on the people who are important to you, what you can do to strengthen your ties to them, and contact at least one person you have neglected lately.
I just noticed that I've drawn three Swords in a row. Although the last one is not negative, the Walker Swords have a reputation for being more ill-aspected compared to most decks. I hope it won't become a trend.
Day 6 23.9. Autumn Solstice - Libra - Mabon - the day of perfect equilibrium. A day for two cards. What is growing in your life, what is decreasing? This two-card reading reflects the balance of your energies and, if there is imbalance, what you need to address.
The decline of The Moon suggests an end to uncertainties, anxieties, and delusions. Night is finally coming to an end, and with it blooms the fresh promise of another day. This suggests second chances, an opportunity to leave the dark dreams of the previous night behind to finally begin anew. I leave the cold, sad waters of the Moon-lit evening to turn to the warm, clear, and vigorous heat of the Imperial sun.
It's also fortuitous that I actually got two majors for this dual-card day. I'm very happy with how this reading is turning out.
Day 7 24.9. Brazil holiday of Maiso, mother goddess - what is the role of your mother in your life, how do you mother yourself/father yourself? Reflect on the maternal/paternal archetypes within yourself, and how you can make them work for you, not against you.
Most Empress cards emphasize the natural, nurturing, divine mother, but the Walker presents another approach. Like her co-regent, she herself has temporal power, more dowager queen than mother. She is formidable in her own right. This means that while I appreciate the warm, comforting, and compassionate side of the mother archetype, I'm more in awe of the mysterious, undaunted, and supreme wisdom of the divine matriarch.
The very presence of The Emperor and The Empress in this reading makes me very excited about my prospects. I'm looking forward to unwrapping the gifts that this autumn will bring.
Day 8 25.9. Greek holiday Pyanopsia - Thanksgiving for the fruits of the sun. Wind white or purple wool around a laurel or olive branch, and hang or arrange fruit around it. These don't have to be actual fruit - you can write on a paper things that you are grateful for. What is the fruit of your past action, ripening now?
This reading is truly helpful - it acknowledges the effects of my mistakes and warns me that I must not let the negativity that they would trigger overwhelm me. I have a way out - I just have to keep my head straight and bring my A-game.
Also, I drew 4 majors and 4 Sword pips out of 9 cards so far. What are the odds?
Day 9 26.9. Holiday of Neptune - This is a card about anger and anger management. Contemplate about how you deal with negative feelings. Is there a way to tranform negative energies into positive ones, making your anger pull your carriage and drive you on?
I guess this card suggests that the best way to deal with it is by distracting myself and turning my attention away from the negativity. Find a suitable outlet - something that gives me joy. I do notice that when I'm very tense or stressed out, working up a good sweat is a good way of draining all the tension. Enjoying myself with good company as the image in the card intimates would also help.
Day 10 27.9. Vendémiaire - month of the grape harvest in the French revolutionary calendar month. Raise your glass to your big and small achievements in the last year, either with wine or grape juice, and enjoy your success.
I do have a tendency to downplay my victories, thinking that they didn't give me that much trouble, that other people may have performed better under the circumstances, etc. The Vendémiaire says that I should enjoy them as they come, let them serve as inspiration for later battles instead of shrugging them off.
Day 11 28.9. Maha Navami - a Hindu holiday celebrating goddess Durga's victory over a demon. Part of the celebrations is chanting. Reflect on a victory you want to win over the next three months, and devise a chant for it. Write it down where you can see it and envision the joy you will feel when you reach this goal.
The Pope is pretty accurate in that while I wish to progress in my esoteric studies, I still want to balance that by performing as well as I can in order to advance in my career and socially too. That's my aim for this autumn, to be on the up and up materially and vocationally while still having ample time to further my Tarot studies. I know that it can be done!
It can also mean that what I really desire is some divine guidance to help me steer my ship over some very choppy waters. If either of the two gets granted, I would be very happy.
I noticed that I have the two great temporal powers - The Emperor and The Pope - as well as The Empress on my side. This really bodes well for the season!
Day 12 29.9. Meditrinalia - an ancient Greek holiday honoring the goddess of healing. Think about your healing process and how you can continue it. Where do you draw strength from? How can you heal and nurture yourself in the future? Pamper yourself today and close these twelve days of introspection with healing thoughts.
Atu XV holds a special place in my heart, and is actually one of the majors that I feel an intimate connection to. In this position, it indicates that in order to fully heal, I should acknowledge my deepest desires, admit my obsessions and the secret things that tempt and move me. Only by doing these would I be able to exorcise my inner demons. Once I've figured out the name of the devil, I'd finally be able to begin planning how I can effectively address him. The process of genuine healing can then start at last.
I have another interpretation for this card, and it may even be the more accurate one, but since it is personal, I shan't discuss it.
These sacred days have been nothing short of magical. I'm very glad that I finished them. I learned a lot from this group reading. Thanks to Nemia for hosting this.
