Fortune’s Wheelhouse

Episode 79 - Mercury [planetary]

This is the second in our planetary series covering each of the seven classical "planets" in the tarot. In this episode we talk about the one, the only, thrice great Mercury! including his related astrology, Qabalah, powers, correspondences, Orphic hymn, and more! Cards in this episode: The Magus - planetary trump of Mercury The Lovers - zodiacal trump of Gemini, ruled by Mercury (day sign) The Hermit - zodiacal trump of Virgo, ruled by Mercury (night sign) The 8, 9, and 10 of Swords, decans of Gemini The 8, 9, and 10 of Pentacles/Disks, decans of Virgo 5 of Pentacles/Disks: Taurus I 3 of Cups: Cancer II 10 of Pentacles/Disks: Virgo III 8 of Wands: Sagittarius I 6 of Swords: Aquarius II All 8's, as 8 is the number of Mercury. Music: Mercurial Visions, by Blue Dot Sessions To learn more about the astrological architecture of the tarot, the Kabbalistic correspondences, and much, much more, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more! at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 78 - The Moon [planetary]

Fortune's Wheelhouse is back! with the first in our planetary series wherein we discuss each of the seven classical "planets" in the tarot. We shall begin with our satellite, the lovely Moon, along the way discussing the related astrology, Qabalah, powers, correspondences, the Orphic hymn, and more! (including a bit about the actual Moon card, which corresponds not to the Moon but Pisces)  Cards in this episode: The High Priestess - planetary trump of the Moon The Chariot - zodiacal trump of Cancer, ruled by the Moon 2, 3, and 4 of Cups (Love, Abundance, Luxury) - decans of Cancer 6 of Pentacles or Disks - Taurus II 4 of Cups - Cancer III 2 of Swords - Libra I 9 of Wands - Sagittarius 7 of Swords - Aquarius III Music: Moon Shadow, by Little Glass Men.   To learn more about the astrological architecture of the tarot, the Kabbalistic correspondences, and much, much more, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more! at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 77: Page of Pentacles / Princess of Disks

In this final episode of our journey through the cards, we meet at last the original Sleeping Beauty: the Page of Pentacles or Princess of Disks.  Rose of the Palace of Earth, she is the ultimate destination and the ultimate source, the highest of the high and the lowest of the low.  Engrossed in her talisman and silent in her repose, she is pregnant with possibility.  When her Prince awakens her, 10000 things will be born. In our conversation we discuss: the Summum Bonum and the Prima Materia, hills and mountains, the spring quadrant: theory/application/analysis, breaking the ground/planting the seed/germination, the Emperor/the Hierophant/the Lovers, the pacesetter/the bridge between heaven and earth/the destiny of union, Lights/Camera, Action, the process of individuation as the whole comes to know itself, 0=2, the Eden story, the seventh day of rest, the Cosmic Egg, the Ace as portal and throne, the Page/Princess as distant kingdom, rightness/ripeness vs wastage/death/despoiling/decay, burying the seed, the mystic circle, equal armed cross, double cube altar, and triangle of art. Caput Draconis/Rahu, Hexagram 52 Gèn, "Keeping Still," the dwelling place of the Shekhinah as Queen (Malkah) and Bride(Kallah), Malkuth in Assiah, the dark twin of Kether, Judas Maccabeus, Lancelot, Pamphilus, the Fool as the Princess' child, the diamond head of Kether, the priestess of Demeter and the  Eleusinian Mysteries, the kykeon, ram horns, fur and the animal spirit or Nephesh, the Rose of Isis, the shamanistic crossing of realms, Callisto, the awakening of the Eld, mothers and daughters, Babalon, To Will, To Dare, To Know, To Keep Silent, To Go. "To the mind that is still, the entire Universe surrenders". 78 episodes are complete. Whither Fortune's Wheelhouse? Be sure to listen through the outro to find out. To learn more about the suit of Pentacles or Disks, the world of Assiah, the earthly magnificence of Rider Waite Smith Pages or Thoth Princesses, the sephira Malkuth, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more! at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 76: Knight of Pentacles/Prince of Disks

Presiding over newly-plowed fields, the sun warm on his back, the imperturbable Bull is the Prince of Disks or Knight of Pentacles.  The airy part of Earth, he applies his methodical intellect and mechanical genius to problems of the land. The final decan of Aries and the first two decans of Taurus are his: Completion, Worry, Success.  He is the slow and tender lover of the earth, which yields to his concerned touch. In our conversation we discuss: fixed earth, Beltane, bulls and oxen, Mithras, Aldebaran the royal watcher of the East, the Emperor, the Hierophant, beauty in the material world, the black horse of the soil, arugula headgear, hexagram 53 (jiàn, 'gradual development'), globules of nitrogen, seed pods, sowing copper and reaping gold, GPS orbs, upcycling, patience, stubbornness, the geomantic figure Amissio, Crowley and the Black Lodge, and a mind inclined to practical pursuits. To learn more about the suit of Disks, the world of Assiah, the airy willpower of Rider Waite Smith Knights or Thoth Princes, the sephira Tiphereth, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more! at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 75: Queen of Pentacles/Disks

Our final Queen is the silent one, the thorny rose, the Queen of the Goats.  Ruling over the final decan of Sagittarius and the first two decans of Capricorn, the Queen of Pentacles or Disks offers silence, the certainty of death, and the inevitability of life's renewal.  The watery part of earth, she binds matter into new forms of Change and Work. She is tireless and prolific, and in her darkness light is born. In our conversation we discuss: the descent and climb of the goat, gestation, sacrifice, and resurrection, mutable fire, cardinal earth, burial and rebirth of light,  Temperance/Art, the Devil, alchemical marriage , binding tendrils and vines taking root, Persephone the Underworld Queen, cause of growth and death,  Saturn/Jupiter polarities, deserts/oases, domination vs constructive work, hexagram 31 ("Hsien,"  mutual influence), the pineapple as hospitality and wealth, the cult of Dionysus, Queen Argaea of the Fay, Ananke, Chronos, and Phanes lightbringer, rabbits, markhour goat, the 3D hexagram in the Cube of Matter, the 13 phases of the moon, and roses. To learn more about the suit of Pentacles or Disks, the world of Assiah, the watery mysteries of the Queens, the sephira Binah, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more! at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 74: King of Pentacles/Knight of Disks

The King or Knight of Pentacles/Disks is the fiery part of earth, associated with the 7 of Wands and the 8 and 9 of his suit: valor, prudence, gain. He has left behind his leonine warrior days for the hard work of peace; he is the sacrificial harvest king who ensures plenty for his people.  Efficient and material-minded, he keeps a strong and steady hand on the threshing flail, ensuring every last grain is counted and consumed.  We discuss in our conversation: his devotion to agriculture, the Thoth Knight of Disk's confusing resemblance to the Waite-Smith Knight of Pentacles, great-hearted rulers like Arthur and Alexander, the grape harvest, wine as blood, Cernunnos, Dhul Kharnayn the two-horned god, Zeus-Ammon the ram god of Thebes, bulls, stags, rams, gnomes, the hungry horse, the hidden sun of Hermit, solar and lunar qualities, regeneration , renewal, expanding solar rays, serpents to consume, hexagram 62 or xiao guo ("Little exceeding"), the geomantic figure conjunctio, Chokmah in Assiah, the ingenuity of the material world, lilies and roses, and Darth Vader's helmet. To learn more about the suit of Pentacles or Disks,the fiery powers of Thoth Knights/Rider Waite Smith Kings, the sephira Chokmah, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more! at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 73: Ten of Pentacles/Disks

In this final card of the decanic minors, we arrive at the Lord of Wealth.  Mercury governs the final decan of Virgo, sign of his rulership and exaltation.  Therefore the 10 of Pentacles or Disks holds the culmination of our material realm: here our worldly goods reach their maximum accumulation, and our bodies come to rest.  We return our legacies to the earth, a seed for the next generation.  We have transmuted our corruptible flesh into alchemical gold, only to begin the cycle anew. In our conversation we discuss: the final stage of the Virgo maiden's journey,  her meeting with her infernal or celestial bridegroom; Persephone and Hades, and the round trip ticket of mother and maiden. We give homage to Chthonic Hermes - Mercury the psychopomp as trickster and wizard, Loki and Gandalf.  We consider Odysseus and Argos, dogs as conductors of souls, the Summum Bonum or Great Work, cosmic constipation, death and old age, the body as the temple of the spirit, Malkuth in Assiah, discrimination/discernment, avarice/idleness.  memory palaces as the cluttered attics of Hermes, Conjunctio, Carcer, Spica, the archangel Sandalphon, Adam Kadmon, the hounds of Yesod, the flag of Winchelsea , Big Casino, the all-access pass of the caduceus, and the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. To learn more about the suit of Pentacles or Disks, the world of Assiah, the crystallizations of the sephira Malkuth, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more! at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 72: NIne of Pentacles/Disks

Perfection and control produce beauty in the 9 of Pentacles or Disks, province of Venus in the second decan of Virgo.  Here in the Lord of Gain, the perfectly ripened crop is gathered and organized, methodically, increasing in value at every step.  The Empress, wearing a harvest crown, works side by side with the Hermit, solitary seed saver.  Together they build a walled garden of self-sufficiency and comfort - a beautiful task, though sometimes a lonely one. In our conversation we consider: Venus in her fall, and Mercury in his exaltation, Vindemiatrix the wine gatherer, Venus' consort Hephaistos, perfumes and sandals, the weapons of Yesod, independence vs. idleness, enclosure and encasement, left-handed snails, slow gestation, the hooded falcon as hidden light, Gabriel and the Annunciation, the archdemon LIlith and the screech owl, women, birds, and bird-women, the Curse of Scotland, the hummingbird & hibiscus, the bees of Demeter, Rosalind in 'As You Like It',  gender-switching, and the many blessings counted by the hands of Yod. To learn more about the suit of Pentacles or Disks, the world of Assiah, the magic and power of the number Nine, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more! at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 71: Eight of Pentacles/Disks

Time is money and patience bears fruit in the 8 of Pentacles or Disks, the Lord of Prudence. The messenger god, at home everywhere, enters his rulership as we arrive in the sign of Virgo.  The Sun governs this decan, ripening the grain and bringing in the harvest.  Pantries and coffers fill even as the days shorten, ensuring another generation will thrive even if the previous one must pass onward.  Here the Hermit makes the Sun safe in his lantern for its long journey through darkness. In our conversation we encounter "harvest mothers, ladies of justice, and youthful virgins" alike: Ceres/Demeter, Ishtar, Astraea, Erigone, Persephone.  Hermes takes on his psychopomp form, his caduceus opening the ways to the underworld. We discuss Prudence as the "mother" of cardinal virtues: temperance, justice, fortitude, Spica, the Milky way, the long road from grain to loaf, the double-bodied bird-maiden, Masonic aprons, chisels, hammers, and engraving, Gandalf as the Hermit, the Eightfold path, the lantern as a shop light!, the forest for the trees, long-term investments, trees of knowledge, geomancy's Populus, the I Ching's hexagram 33 (dùn), Diwali, Hermopolis or Eight-Town, Ningishzida the lord of the good tree, Archangel Michael, Archdemon Adrammelech, truthfulness vs falsehood, the concealed light and the secret fire borne by the most modest of hands. To learn more about the suit of Pentacles or Disks, the world of Assiah,the intelligences and systems of the number Eight, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more! at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 70: Seven of Pentacles/Disks

Alas, it was too good to last! After the brief shining success of the 6, we arrive at the Lord of Failure in the 7 of Pentacles or Disks. The 5 posed problems of scarcity and Mercurial anxiety, while the 7 suggests Saturnine obstacles which must be overcome if our efforts are ever to bear fruit.  Failure it shall be for certain, if we give up now when the going gets tough.  But at the moment, perhaps it is only 'success unfulfilled' as yet.  If nothing else, the bull of Taurus is steadfast. He may yet have hidden reserves of strength in his final decan. In our conversation we discuss: the malefic expressions of Saturn throughout the minor arcana, the geomantic figure Rubeus, red complexions and blotches, the dark sterile mother, Aphrodite as Melania,  apotropaic magic and insurance, Caput Algol, the Pleiades and Hyades, two sets of seven sisters weeping, the archangel Hanael and the archdemon Ba'al, demon of invisibility, the library angel Harahel, Netzach as endurance, prayers for stamina, unselfishness vs unchastity, the seven palaces of Assiah, the fall from Eden, potato blight, the leaden coins of Saturn, the man with the hoe, little gain for much labor, and "Magic, not Tragic"! To learn more about the suit of Pentacles or Disks, the world of Assiah, the quests and desire goddesses of Netzach, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more! at our RedBubble shop.