The holiday of Purim sets the theme and defines the energy and spiritual movement of the Jewish/Kabbalistic month of Adar. It’s salient lessons are that of standing for what you believe and need to accomplish when the adversity before you is great; knowing that boundaries within yourself and out are sometimes best served when they are not so apparent and learning what true laughter is. There is an ambiguous and amorphous quality to Adar, like the quality of the water of Pisces, that gains meaning and depth of scope through the spiritual tools offered by the month.
Adar is about feeling the connection between ourselves and the higher divine in a way that pours into us like a cascade of water that seeps into our very cells and souls. The floodgates are open and the wheels are turning. This flow creates a natural conversation between the higher and the lower, the open and the hidden, ourselves and the divine. But this conversation is rendered on symbols and actions, rather than words. We need to reach deep where the shadows and laughter lay.
There is joy swimming in the waters of Adar; there is trust and miracles at the tips of our toes when we stand on the shore of the lake, the beach of the ocean and the edge of forest brooks. It flows and teams with potential for us to take. There is work for us to do in Adar, but there is also a feast for us as well. There is the possibility of deception and boundaries that can be crossed without us even knowing, because all is not as it seems.
The holiday we celebrate in Adar is Purim. While there is speculation back and forth about whether the occurrence that the holiday commemorates really happened or not; the lesson of the holiday and the celebration is just as timely today as it was when it evolved from either fact of fiction. Although God is never mentioned in the Book of Esther (that tells the story of Purim), it is apparent through the constant ‘coincidences’ that God is all over the text. There is divine providence and presence run amuck. Good luck and bad luck abound as the wheel of synchronicity and discord ever turns. You just have to know it is there to see it.
Okay, so what is Purim? Here is the Knight of Wands rendition. The burning theme of Purim is the victory of good over evil, of faith and courage, of laughter and fear. The Jews of Persia were hated by Haman, who was one of King Ahashverus’ right hand men. Haman took advantage of the fact the king was not so much a political guy, so the plight of the Jews was hidden from his awareness. Haman wanted to get rid of the Jews and drew lots-Purim-means lots- for the date to begin his plan. Meantime back at the palace, the king was having another of his multi-day, all male feasts and summoned his queen-Vashti-to appear and perform for his guests. She refused and was summarily put to death. Now he needed a new queen so held a beauty contest. Mordecai was a local Jewish official, who’s position called one who ‘sits at the King’s Gate’, enabled him to keep an eye on the Jewish scene. He knew about the contest and convinced his niece, Esther, to enter so there could be Jewish presence in the palace. He knew about Haman’s plot. As ‘luck’ would have it, Esther won. Esther kept her true identity hidden, so the king had no idea that they are related or that she was Jewish. Esther knows she has to stop Haman, but not even a queen can approach the king without an invitation, however this cannot wait. She will have to risk her life and approach the king. She fasts for 3 days in prayer and preparation for whatever may come. The local Jewish community fast right along with her. The king is open to her advance and accepts a diner invitation for himself and Haman. They have dinner and are invited back for second dinner then next night. The night of the first dinner, the king could not sleep so he had the royal annuls read to him and discovered that Mordecai had never been rewarded for revealing a plot to kill him some time back. At the second dinner Esther does reveal her true identity and Haman’s plot. The king is mortified and Haman is hung, Mordecai is honored and all is well. Yes, this really was a quick a telling of a complex tale. Why the knight of Wand and not the Knight of Cups as this is a water month of the Pisces. Fire hides in water as steam and so this month is nothing as it seems.
There is that old joke, how you do make the goddesses and gods laugh? Tell them you have a plan. Things are not always as they appear. We are not in control, although it can certainly feel like we are. The world can go upside down at any time. Sit back and learn and then get back on the wheel. Purim means lots. What is more risky than pulling lots. Esther risked her life and took a chance upon approaching the king. Vashti risked her life by saying no to being with the king. We eat the bad guy and enjoy his sweetness. We drink until we can’t tell the difference between good and evil. Sounds like a perfect symbol for a tarot spread to me. The Moon, well we all know the moon. It creates shadows for us to hide in just like we wear Purim costumes. It can scare us or comfort us, just like we can do to ourselves and each other. The Wheel of Fortune is a veritable lot machine. The Talmud says that this is the month to change your luck so go ahead and ride the wheel.
The Moon is a very apt card for this very task. The moon sits in the sky in all its phases at once. Below the moon a pool of water swells into a path that leads through two obelisks towards mountains in the distance. A lobster/crayfish is perched partly on the grass. A wolf and dog sit opposite one another and howl up at the moon that is raining down moon water drops that are shaped like the Hebrewletter Yud. This is the path to other realms. We have to feel our way through it. It is time to face our own hidden parts. The howling of the beasts sings these parts to the surface of the water. The moon’s light is not its own yet it offers us illumination that direct light cannot. The light becomes transformed by the moon and cannot be contained by it. It rains down droplets of illumination: the first letter of the Tetragramatron, the first sparks. Here is a key to understanding Adar and the work we have before us. We stand between the waters of the deep and the waters of the high. Our souls become engaged in this conversation and here we can take our next step. The two towers in the card beckon us. They open to an expanse beyond. But first we must arise from the waters below that teams with creatures who live in the murky darkness of our own intuition and unconscious held in chains.
The other card for the month is The Wheel of Fortune. This is the card for Jupiter which is the planet of expansion and beneficence. The Talmud says that we can change our luck during the month of Adar. But first we need to explore what luck is, and is not. Luck, the common concept of luck, is a spiritual misnomer. If all happens as it should, if we all get what we ‘deserve’ from whichever lifetime or circumstance it springs, then the seemingly random occurrence that is called luck, should not happen, if what you call luck is that thing that happens out of the blue with no basis in logic. Perhaps the Wheel of Fortune is missing the obvious element that would help us to see a deeper meaning of the card. But then again, to be that obvious would also not be true to a deeper meaning of the card, which is to take a turn with the invisible source of action of the universe; in other words, have enough faith-blind or otherwise- in the machinations of the divine intelligence that the compassion-however harsh it may seen, will wash over us, if only we would stand under the wheel and let the water, that we can only see with our faith, cleanse us and help us to swim the tides of our lives (This pairs well with the moon card as well) The Wheel of Fortune can help us with this and is an elegant illustration of this concept. The wheel never stops turning. Its motion is constant, yet its center is strong and supportive. Without a strong center the wheel would wobble, teeter and just make a mess. You can’t ride a Ferris wheel if it is unsteady. The Wheel of Fortune also is about what we yet have to learn and complete. To which of the books is the wheel going to point us? When paired with the Moon and the lessons of Adar we are being pointed to open the book of our subconscious.
Two Column Spread or The Vashti and Esther are sister role models.
Women have a special relationship to Adar and Purim. Vashti and Esther were both important and strong characters who are healthy role models. Vashti has been wrongly demonized by some, but her actions and choices are as vital and teaching for women today as are Esther’s. They are sister’s and so they should be ours. They show us the possibility of solidarity, courage, conviction and boundaries.
Adar is also about our connections to each other and to G-d. It is about commitment to our beliefs and actions-both private and public. This month tells us that what is above is also what is below. If we want the divine presence in our lives there is the path for us. There is a way and this month teaches us what that is. This month is about the action of reverberation. The seen and unseen, the holiness and the profane, the choice to take action or not, are all part of the message and hint of the work we can do.
Like Esther(The Moon) who kept her real self in the shadow of perception for a higher purpose and Vashti(The Wheel of Fortune) who took her chances when following her beliefs; this is about understanding ourselves through commitment and courage. In what way might taking a stand as Vashti did help a certain situation in your life, or are you having a crisis of faith or an issue that you cannot find your way to understanding. This spread may be helpful.
Moon Column deals with issues about emotions, clarity, fears, shadows of all sorts, the unconscious, the water that must be drunk in order to create.
Wheel of Fortune Column deals with issues about trust and faith in your life, attachments to outcomes, feeling comfortable in the world, beginnings and endings, recompense and payback. The innate understanding of rhythm.
Take the 2 cards of the month out of the deck and place them next to each other.
They will each be the head of their own columns. Each column will have 5 cards thrown that signify the body, soul, emotions, mind, spirit component of the query you are making. This spreads intentions is to cast illumination on issues that go back and forth.
This can help you see your life/issue through a new perspective by the way these cards interact with one another. This is really about trust. Do you trust your hiddeness, your unconscious and do you trust the turn of the wheel over which you have no control except for how you react to the outcome. Wheels are at their highest values when they are moving, as in motion they are doing what they are meant to do. This wheel moves even though it carries a heavy load, as the symbols it holds are heavy enough. But it doesn’t stop until it is ready, and that is a moment that is hidden from the observer. The waters below your cognition are also hidden and at times hide the path that you must know is there, but that can difficult to find, but can also show itself when you are not even trying to find it. How often do we react to something with an intensity that does not fit the situation? That is the moon and its partners. The wolf may start to bay and the waters to swell.
Release and Cleanse Spread-Kuf Spread
So just when you think you have it all figured out and have a clear picture of ‘reality’, the real reality trips you up. Haman thought he had it made. He just knew he was going to be the top man. But the only thing he was on top of was the gallows. In other words, things are not always as they seem. This is Adar. It is a month about seeing the truth instead of letting ourselves be deceived by what looks real and good. Adar is about endings and resolutions, vision, joy, the future. We have a great chance to release what holds us back, to let go of the negative and be spiritually cleansed.
When the Book of Esther is read, it is customary to make noise when Haman’s name is mentioned. He is the villain and we do not want him around. However, a Kabbalistic approach to this is to use the intention of ridding the world of evil Haman to rid ourselves of our own negativity. When we hear Haman’s name instead of being very loud, we become very silent and let the letter of the month come through the tops of our heads and like a quick flash go down our bodies and then got right back up the top of our hears taking what we want to release along with it. This happens in a matter of seconds. It is the equivalent of a fast yell, but it is done with the energy of a form-letter-instead. If you know what it is you want to release you put your attention to that, if not, trust the energy. To receive the cleansing power of the Kuf you have to open and close your self quickly, lest you miss the rest of the Megillah reading. This is a real test of faith. It asks you to step into this place for transformation with an open spirit ready to receive and let go almost at the same time
The letter of the month is Kuf. Kuf is the letter of deception and holiness. The word itself means to ‘copy’ and also to ‘touch’ or ‘surround’. It is associated with monkeys, the occipital lobe and the eye of the needle or the hole in the axe blade.
Monkeys are natural mimics. They are the grand universal actors. They imitate with aplomb and show us our foibles and charms. The occipital region, back of the head, is where memories and secrets lay and connect to the unconscious. The needle is used to repair what is torn or create new, while an axe blade can kill. Kuf can do either.
Kuf begins such words as Kedushah-holiness. The numeric value of the letter is 100. This is 10 times Yud. Adar gives us a direct tool with which to work some of the negativity we have into the positive. Through the action of the Kuf we can transmute the dark into the light. The energy of the Kuf operates as a spiritual elevator. It travels between the spiritual realm and the physical earthly realm-the above and below.
Just like the Megillah meditation, this spread should be done quickly so that the action, like the time between words, is short and transforming like a fast wave that approaches and recedes. If you have more than one issue then by all means dothis spread as many times as won’t confuse you and then see what you have before you. Meditate on the kuf, and throw each card as quickly as you would be doing the meditation if you were at a Megillah reading.
1. What do want to get rid of, or if you already know what it is you want to deal with, then the card will elucidate that.
2. How can you get rid of, or remedy the situation. What do you need to know or do.
If you know what it is then the first card can be a why do I have this issue, what do I gain by having this issue.
We aim to end the year and begin the new one with a clear head and heart. We hope to have grown enough to see through falsehood and know when we see and hear the truth. To see the truth and see through illusion is to see the divinity in all. It is to see the real thing. A true vision sees all. It sees our place in it and it sees our place to come. This vision can do nothing but laugh at our constant mishaps as we scurry to get our vessels ready for our ‘great awakening’.
The fixing for the month is laughter. When we understand that we are part of eternity, when we feel our eternal essence, then we loose our limitations and can see things in a new way. We begin to feel the true divine joy and bliss of which we are part and we see the absurdity of the boundaries we put on ourselves. We laugh at this absurdity because it now seems so funny. We now see that there is a divine hilarity to life. And so now we laugh our new laugh and dance our new dance.
