You know I had a friend of mine introduce me to the idea of abundance cheques for a new moon ritual. I made one and invoiked all the good energy, favors and what have you I put out to come back to me.

It is funny to me how I thought that I should just let Karma take care of blessings and things, but upon thinking about it more, and the use of the cheque and what has come of it, I can see where while I may put out good stuff, I certainly have to be willing to understand it is up to me to recognize I deserve all of it back and to take it upon myself to make sure I get it back.

So far I have found a house to rent for cheap and it is two bedrooms, I am working more hours at my job and things in general are going well. What have I learned? Well I had the idea reaffirmed that if you want something, even when you deserve it, you have to actually aknowegde that, you have to know, to believe and to say you are worthy and call it back to you. I guess if we don't the Gods and the Universe usually won't send it. Maybe theat is what they wait on, for us to know and say 'I am am worth it and want it back'

The mermaid is probably one of the most mysterious of creatures. In the Fairy Ring Tarot she is a messenger of love, feminine, prowess and sensuality and power. She encourages us to look within our own depths and desires and dares us to manifest them. Too she is the harbinger of love of all forms and kinds.

Drawing her in a reading can mean many things depending on where she shows up and of course the question. She heralds in much power for one, epsecially women. She can be telling you indeed to trust your intuition as what you are feeling is right on the money regardless of what you are seeing or being told. The Mermaid is a good listener..and she holds the secrets you tell her well, hiding them in the depths of the ocean in which she lives.

This particualr card usually gives a layman the thrills. The depiction usually is of two people intertwined in a passionate embrace. Other depictions feature Egytian figures, a male and female standing before a high priest as if they were getting married. Still on later decks you may see a person faced with two equally inviting paths and a look of deep concideration on which path to take.
 Whatever the depeiction the message of the Lovers very rarely indicates actual love or a love affair and most of the times points the way of choice. In life we always are faced with choices both postive and negative, light and dark, benign and malignant. The lovers often times signifies choosing between these things.
On a spiritual level it can actually signify the reconcilliation between two seemingly opposite parts of our nature and the ability to actually make them work together in harmony for our own benefit. These opposite ( or seeimingly so) can be making love work with wisdom, anger with justice, etc. Many times we fight ourselves on our emotions verses what we know to be right and true. The lovers can simply be telling you that indeed you can make these things work together for your best benefit and the benefit of all concerned. Also it can be signifying that it is time to use your intuition and even occult knowledge to gain that which you want.
On a material level the Lovers can herald in choosing between a  couple of options in your career or in living arrangements. Both may look beneficial to you, however it will be up to you as to which will ultimately be the best for your over all life style.The lovers can indeed show the mental and emotional strife that comes with choosing. The challenge here would be to look closely at your options and pay attention to all of your input, including your intuition. When faced with each choice how do you feel on a deep level about it?
In Matters of the heart it can indeed signify a passionate love affair coming to you, however this does not actually mean that this love affair will lead to a long term relationship. If you are already in a relationship you may want to pay close attention to surrounding cards as this may indicate an affair outside of an existing relationship. Too, this can indicate that the status of an existing relationship either is going to go into a time of great physical passion and romance. Again, look to the surrounding cards for your clues. Too, this card can actually signify a marriage of conveiniance or even a symbiotic relationship, that is a relationship that is based where one person actually is dependant in a very signifcant way upon another.
In intellectual matters this card again can signify marrying opposite sides of your nature to work in tandem. Paying attention to the full aspect of your thought life can reveal that the things that are there are not so opposite or out of harmony as you may have at first thought they were!  This can actually indicate a person who seems to be completely different from yourself that can teach you a great deal.
The Lovers is a high energy card and brings about significant energy and change into anyones life who draws it. It is neither a positive or negative card as it's meaning changes from question to question and reading to reading.

Trump Five is the Hierophant and is the next trump for us to look into. Remembering that the trumps represent spiritual forces in ones life at work and situations that one has no control over is important. The trumps also teach us where we are at in our evolution and these keep repeating themselves as we go on in our journey.
Usually the Hierophant is depicted as a priest or other such man standing over a crowd or perhaps a city looking down on it. In some cases it is a man standing front center of the card wearing robes that perhaps suggest some sort of authority and position. The idea, however he is depicted and even if there is more than one person on the card is very clear; there is an unmistakable air of authority and wisdom as well as influence.
 In our journey through life we often find that we have rules and laws imposed upon us by the status quo. In some cases our reaction may be to automatically rebel and reject these rules or laws. Some even reject the social rules of society and while they may not be criminal in nature, the rules are there in place for a reason. These rules or laws might either be ones written by whatever governs your society or simply social in nature; whatever they are they are expected to be abided by and woe be unto those who chooses not to.
 The Hierophant is the one who suggests to us looking again at these rules no matter how unfair or unreasonable they may seem. He stands for the 'powers that be' in law, society as well in the spiritual realms and while he is not the highest authority many times he does represent whatever the source of that authority is be it social, work related,legal or spiritual. he can act as a collective or be an actual individual.
 If you pull this card in relation to any sort of question about the material plane the council is fairly clear. There are forces, usually the standard of what is acceptable and 'normal'( I personally believe the word normal is a foolish word) that open rebellion and resistance will not move,head strong action will do nothing but make matters worse instead of better. The Hierophant would ask you to challenge yourself in this situation. This doesn't necessarily mean cave in, but instead change your focus and see how perhaps you can make needed changes from within the established structure instead of throwing yourself against a brick wall.In order to do that you must first understand the structure you are working within and become a part of it. Too, this card can be letting you know that your attitude against such things needs reevaluating. While most people do not like the idea of conforming there is a certain wisdom to it. The Hierophant let's us know that there is nothing wrong with seeing some forms of conformity as not only necessary but good for us in the long run. Many times it can keep us safe from things that otherwise would damage us, perhaps beyond repair.
On the Spiritual levels he let's us know we are all bound by the exact rules as the next person. What has gone on in our lives before whether it be for good or ill is not the point; we must abide and play by the same rules or become willing to pay the price. He challenges us to structure ourselves and stop making excuses for behavior that is not conducive to our growth and life on this plane and that we meet our problems head on with as much character and honesty as we possess. It let's us know it is high time to stop playing the victim or the 'special case' as it were and get on with living and being responsible for ourselves and the life we live.
 In matters of the heart this card can depict a man who is a rather fatherly/priestly figure who while is firm and direct is nonetheless compassionate. This man may be a father or father figure to you. He is very wise and cares about others in general without allowing himself to be overwhelmed. he may seem to be somewhat remote and removed from life and prefer to spend a great deal of time alone. This may not necessarily be your mate, but can depict someone who is either close to you or that you are about to meet who will become close to you in some manner. More often than not he is the ideal mentor for anyone looking to progress in their life.

I suppose I should say before I go any further with these blogs is that in the Major Arcana the trumps may number differently (sometimes the Emperor is trumps three and sometimes it is four, or not there at all) so what I am doing is writing trumps that are usually there and then I will add in other blogs of ones in other decks just to try and cover as much as I can. If your Emperor cards not number four,no worries really, that just means the deck is different from another.
 The Emperor usually is depicted on a throne looking out after his kingdom. He is a masculine man, brave and powerful and usually has a shield to one side of him and a scepter in another hand.
In Spiritual realms the Emperor is one who is receiving divine wisdom and maturity as well as strength in crisis. the energy and message of this card in spiritual matters, and for those of us who use magic, is a very simple one. Now is the time to take control of a situation. The power is there, we have the skill and wisdom to apply it, all we need to do is bring what ever we need into being. If the Emperor is badly aspected or reversed in some cases this can mean an abuse of power, either on the part of the querent or someone in the querents life. If it is the querent then of course you must warn this person of the possible out come of their actions. If it is someone close to them then now may be the time for them to take their power back. This message can be such a major validation for a person as many times we do not really want to believe those close to us are controlling us or attempting to do so. The Emperor let's them know this is the case.
In material matters the Emperor is a champion of business and of causes. he is the home guardian and the protector and defender of whatever he holds dear to himself. The Emperor can very easily be a workaholic and unintentionally neglect his family in the pursuit of taking care of them! In this instance the Emperor can be counseling a much needed break and even vacation for the family or just for that person. All work and no play as the saying goes. On the other hand it can be telling you that you are well protected, well guarded and well loved, even if that may seem austere at times. The Emperor can signify an older gentleman established in life that can aid you in smart investments and business transactions. His advice is shrewed and sound. He will not deceive you nor lead you astray intentionally and he thoroughly checks his council before giving it.
In matters of the heart he can be your husband or lover or someone you are about to meet and marry. If you are already married then he can be your mate, interestingly enough this does not necessarily mean a man but rather the person with these qualities, and this person can be very dominant and dictatorial. While he is protective he commands respect from those he protects. Disobedience and disrespect will not be tolerated. In order to reach this person emotional pleas do not work and instead one must use their intellect and the art of true communication because ironically enough, the Emperor does look for his equal! Weakness is not something he understands nor respects..it is not within his nature to do so. You will not change the Emperor, but you can change tactic and once that is done it will open doorways for a far more satisfactory relationship.
Intellectually the Emperor is both intelligence and wisdom rolled into one. Also he is very intuitive and listens to his gut. He can be very patient if it seems in the best interests of his plans to be so and is very calculating. Sometimes in life we must learn to adopt these ideals and mindsets in order to survive this world and understand the unique dynamic of the other people in it. The Emperor can do this as it is one of his natural talents.
 Working on attributes of the Emperor is vital to most all of us as it challenges us to harmonize our minds, our instincts and our intuition and make them work in tandem with one another.