Four Tarot Cards That Show How We Self Authorize
Each of us has our own way of sorting through our experiences to gain self-awareness and knowledge. In the previous post we addressed our inner wisdom gathering, processing, and use in daily life. In this post we will be talking about the way we stand, or don't, in our inner self-authority.
In the traditional tarot system, these are either the Kings or Knights (Thoth). They are sometimes used to show the four stages, or levels, of active engagement as well as maturity, and intensity of presence. In this deck, these are about your personal code of self-authorization to engage, disengage, stand tall in your convictions, or step back in confidence, another type of inner-authority that requires no need for approval. These cards also show their how you apply other experiential knowledge (wisdom), when you do decide to makes choices and then apply those choices. Let's start walking through the four cards beginning with the suit of Mind.
MINDFUL SELF-AUTHORITY
This deck comes without color, as seen in the card on the right. Suggested colors are shown by the card on the right, and offers the actual colors of the birds and plants.
In this suite called Mind (swords), we see in this card a lot of activity, to represent the notion we all experience from time to time. That our brains enjoy sharing all possible facets of concepts especially when we are trying to be quiet. The mind is a powerful processor of information. It will twist, turn, toss and tangle anything if at all possible. It leaps to conclusions and springs forward at things we delight in when possible. It suggests ways to calm and adjust, as the St. John's Wort flowers suggest. And it also will suddenly spiral into a dive when we least expect, as in the helicopter flowers on the left and small seed on the right they produce.
When reading this card it is good to take into account the way this card offers timing as well as perspectives. Is the sun rising or setting? Which angle are you focusing on and are you leaping to something or away from something?
The Sea Terns are acrobats in flight. Their agility and tenacity makes them hardy and intelligent birds. They are definitely confident and make choices that shout inner authority and command of presence. In this card you are shown a way to read diving towards, rising above, and shaking off the remnants of a dive. This could also pertain to timing as in a start, a finish, or an observation before making a choice or reviewing a choice. The same applies to the Hare and the flowers and seed. Use this card to understand how your mind is processing information and you are making choices.
HEART CENTERING SELF-AUTHORITY
The suit of Heart (cups) is about emotions, feelings, intuition and creativity. It is the heart that was first formed and that radiates the strongest energetic presence. This is the center of your physical and energetic sphere of being, your universe. It is the seat of your compassion and empathy. It is where you emote from and receive, and it is the place of tethering for the soul.
In this card there is also a lot of activity, just like the Mind Authority card. Instead of offering insight into levels of activity, this card offers levels of flow and direction. Just as the heart chakra is the center of your seven, which you are expanding into more, part of the expansion of self, this card is about the center of your Mind, Body trinity. It suggests navigation, dreaminess, inner travels from above to below, and standing tall in the physical plane.
At the top of this card is a ship with feathered sails and in full movement at sea. Whether the cosmic sea or the sea of the physical world, this ship is about how your sense of self sails your ship. What constellations in life and spirit do you navigate and chart your life choices? The moon sits in the sea and the waters rise and swell by its authority in the heavens. Do you know what pulls and pushes you?
The Leopard crab sits on a rocky shelf with tube worms deep in the benthos of the Atlantic sea. Our emotions can brings us deep into our heart space (crab) as well as lift us to highest heights (ship) within our self. Crabs pick at things to feed themselves and we can often pick at things in life to feed our emotions and inform our hopes and dreams.
The Flying fish is a fast and solid sea being. Fishermen have been known to be knocked out or injured when they hit them during flight. They have large eyes to see well and shimmer in a silver background with spots and a rainbow like wash on the sides. These fish rise above the water and dive deep within the sea. They have a ingrained awareness of where they are at all times and able to center themselves for efficient and speedy flight, both above and below. Use this symbol to see where you are in your movements, and intuit whether you are just entering the picture to begin something or just leaving something.
The large bird at the bottom left is an Indian Peafowl, or peacock. Peacocks do not apologize for their presence. They stand tall in their presence and in this card it looks directly at you and calls you to task for your stance in life. Flight requires centering and mobility in life also requires you to move from center of balance into motion and then centered when at rest. Use this symbol in the card to understand your trust in your emotional balance. Or perhaps you are hiding emotionally and you are being asked to show more of yourself. Regardless of whether this is a hen or showy male bird, both are equal in expressing inner authority.
PASSIONATE SELF-AUTHORITY
In traditional tarot Kings or Knights (Thoth) are powerful symbols of action and sit in the center of full authority. In this deck, the card for self-authority is represented by a pair of eagles in mid test-flight.
Part of the struggle to manage our passion is to know when to let go and move on and when to hold on tight. The pair of eagles are determining of their are a matched pair in trust and commitment. If one or the other lets go too early, they are seen as unwilling or too weak in trust for a long and committed relationship. This can apply to any endeavor we wish to engage with in life, whether a relationship, job, family or our self.
A torch shines unapologetically in its brilliance and presence. Passion can be illuminating for others, but an over willed passion can also cause harm and chaos. Centered passion is mastered passion, as the tenth card of the suit shows.
The Emperor Swallowtail Caterpillar grows its own crown. It doesn't take it from others nor does it flaunt it about. The task at hand is to through constant Will, gather wisdom, undergo multiple inner changes and outer adaptations in preparedness to then apply that wisdom to passionately create wings for flight. This image is about the Will to passionately stand in beside your choices until you need to evaluate and adjust, until you reach your goal. Or it could also be about taking the time to grow and mature into the moment of the passionate reveal of your authentic self.
The tree shown is an Incense Cedar. They grow steady and strong, committed to the task of standing tall with the elements and holding presence wherever they grow.
AUTHORITY IN SELF-PRESENCE
The suit of Presence is where the trinity of the authoritive stand takes place. This could be physical or spiritual. While the previous three cards had birds as the main image, this card has stage or hart in the center, a male red deer.
In this card the bird element is the pair of crows, or ravens if you wish...albeit small ones, and a barn owl. One crow looks forward and the other elsewhere, both holding two different angles of awareness. Being present tasks us to be aware and consciously making choices.
The antlers holds a young oak vine or branch that shows his desire to eat from the plate of life and confident as he moves about the forest and plains. He takes a bite from life and chews it for the life it offers, confident, relaxed and standing fully present in the moment.
When we understand our right to be the author of our life story, to stand in our self-authority, we then present ourselves as consciously aware and a viable contributor to the universal growth and expansion of what is possible. Everything else in this image supports this red hart in his life and co-create with him to keep the balance and together the wholeness of the forest and plains stand in personal self authorized presence.
IN CONCLUSION
Each of the four cards of self-authority; Mindful Self-Authority, Heart Centering Self-Authority, Passionate Self-Authority, and Authority in Self-Presence, represent the trinity of our being that pours into or manifests in our physical self, our presence. Taking a stand does not mean being stubborn, over bearing or commanding. It means we hold a strong and solid sense of self, and confidently stand in the sense of self, which in turn will offer greater opportunities to grow and expand.
The four cards of Self-Authority in this deck will offer insight of how you are utilizing your inner self-authority to be authentically yourself. You have the ability and must claim the right to be authentically yourself, which in turn tasks you to stand tall in your convictions and to do that you must authorized that action, by believing in it, feeling it, and throwing your passion behind it. Use these cards when they show in a reading to tell the story of how your self-authorize and how that is helping or hindering your journey into greater sense of self, achieving goals and manifesting dreams.