Three of Swords - Rosa Mystica

Rosa Mystica - 3 of Swords
Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck
www.hergracesacredart.com



The true city of the Immaculate is in your hearts
                         - Saint Maximilian Kolbe (1894 - 1941)

Sacred altar shrines of the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck

Nine of Swords

Our Lady of Fatima, the Dancing Sun - 9 of Swords
Tarot Deck of the Mysteries of Mary

The entire ancient world, from Asia Minor to the Nile

and from Greece to the Indus Valley, abounds in figurines

of the naked female form, in various attitudes of the 

all-supporting, all-including Goddess ......

and so it came to pass that, in the end and to our day,

Mary, Queen of Martyrs, became the sole inheritor

of all the names and forms, sorrows, joys and

consolations, of the Goddess-Mother

in the Western world;  

Seat of Wisdom Vessel of Honour, Mystical Rose,

House of Gold, Gate of Heaven, Morning Star,

Refuge of Sinners, Queen of Angels,

Queen of Peace

                      - Joseph Campbell

Prayer

All photographs taken by Hettienne Grobler in my Mary Garden
Copyright Hettienne Grobler

Our Mother, Thou who art in the darkness of the underworld,

May the holiness of your name shine anew in our remembering.

May the breath of your awakening kingdom warm the hearts of

all who wander homeless

Prayer of the Sophia Foundation of North America

The Chariot V - Archangel Michael

The Chariot
Major Arcana V - Archangel Michael

The Ma'aseh Meravah,  one of the principal works of the written Qabalah,

is based  on the vision of the Merkabah or the Celestial Chariot as described

 in Ezekiel in the Bible.

It is understood that the Chariot in this context is an allusion to the Tree of Life and

specifically to the Inner Court of the tree.

According to the Work of the Chariot, the Lord YHVH is 'riding in the Chariot'

and 'seated upon the Throne'.

Most of the descriptions of the Merkabah appear in the Books of Enoch.

The prophet Enoch was taken up to the heavens in a type of winged chariot-throne, 

a merkabah or merkavah.

There is no Book of Enoch in the Hebrew Bible and the Book of Enoch is considered

 an apocryphal book. Enoch was once an important figure in

Christianity, but he disappeared from the tradition.

He is identified with the Ibis headed god Thoth in Egyptian mythology

as well as Hermes, the Greek god of wisdom

and to the Arabs he was Idries, corresponding to their prophet hero Elijah.

Enoch is often regarded as the  Archangel Michael.  

The ascent of Enoch in the celestial chariot, is a psychological and spiritual one.

It is the ascension into higher consciousness and a spiritual journey into other, 

higher realms with metaphysical, spiritual and supernatural properties.

According to the Book of Enoch, he ascends through the four worlds (of the Tree of Life)

and sees a crystal wall surrounded by fire, a palace whose ceiling is stars and lightning

and within it another palace of fire. Within this palace of fire are cherubim

and a chariot throne with shining wheels and on it the Great Glory sits, the 

Lord of Spirits in radiant white robes.

The Chariot, vehicle of ascension symbolises the crystal clear clarity

that comes through ascension into higher consciousness.  The human becomes

an exalted being of angelic stature and has access to other realms and incredible knowledge

based on direct experience and gnosis. And this transformation happens without

mortal death.

The Book of Enoch is considered to have been written by Enoch, the seventh from Adam. It is considered an apocryphal book as well as a part of the Pseudepigrapha (literally means “falsely ascribed” is a collection of works supposedly written by a biblical character), although it is not a part of the canonical Apocrypha.

Once considered to be of Christian origin because of its obvious references to Christ, ten fragments of The Book of Enoch have been found at Qumran in the Dead Sea Scrolls, it is known to have existed in its present form since at least the 2nd Century BC.

The book was believed to have been composed by Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. Most critics and scholars believe it was begun in the second century BC and was a collection of works that includes writings for the first century BC as well. Some believe it contains the actual words of Enoch and that it was handed down through the ages. There is no real way to know for certain if that is so. The only thing we know for certain is that fragments of the book date back to the 2nd century BC.

It is generally believed that the Apostles and the writers of the New Testament were fully aware of the Book of Enoch also called 1 Enoch. -  www.bookof-enoch.com

References :

Books of Enoch translated by  R.H. Charles. H. Odeburg

The Book of Knowledge : The Keys of Enoch by Dr J J Hurtak

Archangel Michael - The Chariot VII

Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck
The Chariot VII


Myths are full of famous chariots.  The god Helios
carries the Sun in his golden, brilliant chariot
across the sky every day.

The Egyptian god Ra, steered the boat of the sun
across the sky and back to the gates of dawn down
the Nile every night.

In the Bhagavad Gita, the god Krishna drove Arjuna's
chariot and gave him illumination.

Another name for The Chariot is Victory
or Willpower.

Archangel Michael is the conqueror of the dragon.
He represents Willpower.
He wields the Sword of Righteousness and represents
the seemingly cold blade of detachment.

The traditional image of the Chariot is that of a chariot
drawn by two horses.  A black horse and a white horse.
The opposites of duality and man's nature.
Here we have Michael, he-who-is-like-God
and the dragon : symbolizing the seeming opposites of duality
and of man's nature : both divine and mortal.
The challenge is to unite these two in oneself
and on the journey of spiritual unfoldment.

When we interpret the religious stories metaphorically,
they have so much more depth and meaning.  When seen
metaphorically they really bring home the potential
that we all possess and they remind us that within each
one of us lives a Being which is larger than life itself.

The dragon is a recurring motif in Christianity and other tales.
In Buddhism we see the image of the goddess Quan Yin riding
on the dragon's back.  In the Vatican museum there are many
many images of winged dragons.  The dragon relates to
the image of the serpent and the winged serpent.

Image from www.goddessgift.net


Students of world myth and its symbolism tell us that
great events in the natural history of the world and humanity,
has become part of the collective unconscious.  These
events are stored as living symbols and images and they
are then appropriated by our legends, traditions, stories
and of course religions.

Historical context illuminates the true meaning
of symbols.  When placed in its historical context,
stories and myths can be understood properly.
This does not detract from their importance nor
their profound psychological and spiritual significance.
In fact, it reveals so much more depth and meaning
which is feared or ignored through superstition and ignorance.

The winged serpent has been a symbol for enlightenment
since ancient times.


Jesus said, "The Pharisees and the scribes have taken the keys of knowledge (gnosis) and hidden them.
They themselves have not entered, nor have they allowed to enter those who wish to.
You, however, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves" - (Gospel of Thomas)

Divine Love, the High Priest of the deck - Major Arcana V

Divine Love the High Priest

Traditionally known as The Hierophant or the

High Priest in the Tarot deck.

'Divine Love is the High Priest in the Temple;

the Path is in yourself'

In the Mysteries of Mary 

the innocent self, the Child self, undertakes the

journey of the soul on the path of divine love.

In this altar we see the Infant King of Love

in the role of the High Priest, standing between

two pillars, a nimbus of blue light radiating from

his head; dressed in ceremonial dress

and showing the gesture of blessing.

This is where the inner child or the innocent self leaves the security

of the known mother and father behind and enters

the wider world.  Here the seeker is exposed

to the beliefs and traditions of his and her culture.
It is at this stage of one's journey that one
is confronted with other's belief systems and maybe
also a reality that does not match your own
understanding of it.  This means that you will
have a choice.  You can either shut down and
keep with those who agree with you or you
can open up to an adventure beyond
your imagination.

So you can see that this card shows that you
are entering an initiation.

The High Priest is  traditionally a religious figure.  

One who interprets arcane knowledge and mysteries.

This card depicts an initiation into the deeper Mysteries

of the incarnated self.  Life and its High Priest, Divine Love,

is initiating you into another stage of self-understanding

and self-knowledge. The outer world is but a reflection

of the inner world.  In the soul's journey you will meet

many masters of different skills and different areas

of life. The pressure to be accepted for one's views

and values, can be very seductive and it may seem easier

at times to give up the Inner Voice of the Master Within.

The world may ask of you to

conform to traditional beliefs or to betray your own heart.

But not to fear - all experience serves as compost
for the sacred rose garden within.  All sacrifices
made will lead to the Rose. (more about this idea
later in the deck)
We often have to leave something in order to
know and understand whether it is important
to us or not.

The Master of the self lives in the Temple of Love -
the inner sanctum where Love reigns.

Yours is a royal heart that is sanctuary to a King

and Queen.

Your heart's voice is the High Priest of the Divine King

and Queen of Love.

Divine Love, or Love, with a capital L, is not the
same as our limited experience and expression
of love.  We know love in binding relationships;
we know it in romantic love, filial love and sentiment.
All of these can be wondrous and disastrous
and even at the same time.  But these are not
Divine Love.  The Love of the Divine, the Love that
God has for Her creations, cannot be described or
limited.  Our human mind and nature cannot
fathom such unconditionality.

It is not always easy to see the hand of
Divine Love in one's life as a blessing.
At times the High Priest ushers in great
suffering or many challenges.
Then we are tempted to call these 'curses' or
punishments or the withdrawal of Love.

Wisdom is a skill.  It is embodied living
of these philosophical ideas.  In the beginning
stages of our journey we have to focus on acquiring
many skills;  we have to concentrate on learning
faith and we have to teach the doubting mind
that it can trust the Master or Mistress' Voice
within.

The High Priest of Divine Love is dependent on
the High Priestess, the second card in the
Major Arcana in the Tarot tradition.
She symbolises the One who lives in the
inner sanctum.  She is often depicted with the two
pillars from Solomon's Temple, the one black
and the other white : masculine and feminine.
It also displays our mind's perception and
understanding of duality and how we tend to
see things in black and white.
She is our Intuition and her voice whispers
through the actions of Divine Love.
In the beginning we train our minds to
consider and accept that Divine Love is veiled
by our own perceptions and belief systems.
That all actions in our lives, joyful or painful,
are ushered in by the High Priest of Life, Divine Love.

Listen to the Voice within.

You may be called upon to let go of rigid and inflexible

attitudes.  You may be asked to make a 360 degree

turn in your path. 

You are the Temple of Divine Love and ultimately,

at journey's end you will become the Temple of Wisdom.

A shift in attitude is the practical action

embodying Wisdom.

Instead of fear, practice Acceptance;

replace the word sacrifice with detachment

and a new gateway opens.

Instead of what you call love,

practice Peace and see which world

you enter.

Tarot Deck of the Mysteries of Mary - I The Magician

I The Magician - Sacred Heart of Jesus

I The Magician - Sacred Heart of Jesus

My yoke is easy and my burden is light -
                                                      Matthew xi, 30

The Magician is the first card of the Major Arcana,

after the Zero which can either come before the

I or after the last card.

Many tarot readers and interpreters of these

mysterious cards, link the 22 major arcana

cards to the letters in the Kaballah - mainly

because the two numbers correspond.

In the Tarot decks that do use this correspondence,

this card is Aleph and thus invokes the

Biblical statement I Am the Alpha and the Omega.

In the Rider-White tarot deck

the Magician has the leminiscate above his head

and his tools on the table in front of him.

Here Jesus has the leminiscate in his 

wondrous halo, adorned with roses.

Roses symbolise divine love and perfection.

The five petalled rose symbolise the perfect

human being, or the Self or Divine Soul.
The Rose is also the symbol of the flowering gift
which the self receives upon a sacrifice.
Through the cross to the Rose.

The Sacred Heart is the fifth mystical wound of
the Christ.  I will explain more on this later in the deck.

The Magician is the first arcanum and therefore a very
important one.  If one does not understand nor grasp
this arcanum, you will not know what to do with
the rest that follows.

Here the Magician has the rose, the chalice,

the sword and the holy medal, representing

the traditional pentacle.  These four represent

the four suits of the elements, water, air,

fire and earth.

These four elements are also present in ourselves

in the physical, and as importantly, in the

emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of ourselves.

The miniature scapular of the Carmelites adorn
the one side of this altar card.  This symbolises
that it is necessary to don the garb of the Magician,
to embody the principles and practises of
The Magician, the magi, in order to become
that which you seek.

The Magician represent the archetype of the

Visionary :  the one who through one-pointed focus

can manifest ideals and dreams into the physical

world and make it a reality.
A necessity for a Visionary and for real success
in the material and spiritual world, is the ability
to focus and concentrate the mind.
Both St John of the Cross and St Teresa of Avila
emphasises the need for concentration
for spiritual prayer.  They state that the
power of concentration comes as a result of
moral purification.  The silenced will, the one that
has been brought into alignment with the Higher Will.
can silence the mind's thoughts and desires
in one-pointed concentration.

Here the vision of the Magician is firmly centred

on the Sacred Heart as the cave of

love of the Christ.

The anatomical drawings of the physical heart

in the background, focuses our vision and

understanding on the fact that the human

heart is the seat of Vision as well as the Christ within.

When you see with the Heart instead of with the

physical eyes, you are privy to the world

of the artist and creator.

The Divine Creator creates with unconditional

love and compassion and it is the journey of the

self to clear the mind and overcome its

conditioning of negative beliefs and fears

until it can see in the mirror clearly.

The Magician is the one that can see into

the unconscious mysteries and bring these back

for others to become aware of.

If you are looking for gnosis, for spiritual growth, for inner
peace, for enlightenment, whichever it is, it is necessary
to become the Magician as your first step.

The Magician is the first and the last step in the circular

journey of the Seeker.  The Magician has the power

to access the divine realms and to manifest in the

physical.  The Magician has the power to work miracles.

In the same way, in the story of Jesus, we are told

that He was a magician.  He transformed the consciousness

of mankind and he worked miracles.

The Christ is present in every human being.  The Christ

is the greatest Love principle and has the power to

work miracles and to liberate minds!

next ......... III The Empress : Notre Dame sur le Terre