This month's Tarot Blog Hop, has been a very active one for me, so please excuse the lack of picture detail. 

At the time of writing this, I am preparing to travel south of the border for a training day, and my Tuesday; the day of the hop itself is a bit manic as I have Tai Chi/Chi Kung practice. 

However this one is really special because it is our anniversary, which is why I have decided that I am writing this up in advance. I also decided to do one of two posts as well, because I now have more than the one site, so I get the chance to explore the topic from the metaphysical and the healing side. 

I am going to caution you just now, this is a long/lengthy post for the hop, as I have been quite detailed with the meanings, so you might want to come back to it a couple of times or leave it until you have time.

I decided to use Edward Cortney's Angelic Tarot Cards for this side of the topic, and I am making use of the Tree of Life Spread, but done a little differently to how I would normally work it, purely out of interest to see what would come out. 

I didn't set any intentions nor ask any questions for it, I really just wanted to see what would happen. In the spirit of any musical though, you'll find that I am linking this into both music and the chakra's as I work the branches and look at the cards.

In most of the spiritual traditions that I have worked with over the years, the concept of the Chakra's is different and the same. Chakra theory for the most part begins in Tibet, comes down into Japan, China and then into India as well.

Each step along the way it changes, more is added as parts are taken away. 

How it reached the shores of the UK and by extension (at least for now) the rest of Europe was through the wealthy aristocracy of the late 18th going over in boats. 

Health crazes such as Yoga, Prana, Chakra's and so on filtered back across the to the shores as the 19th Century industrial world took hold. 

Even though Spiritual pursuits were frowned upon in favour of Church and State Doctrine, Science and of course industry, the wealthy in particular continued to travel and bring it back with them.

It is only recently within the last decade or two that mathematics, music and esoteric sciences such as Chakra theory have found themselves crossing paths. 

The discovery is that music relates to the mathematical and numerology worlds. The pitch of the notes on the musical scale reverberate at energetic frequency of the main chakra's and even the trans-personal and soul-star points have their own notes on the scale as well.

Although given that this spread, which I am linking to has only 11 branches I don't know if they will intersect but we'll see as the spread pans out.

As always with the hops now, I do a blind reading, in other words I find out as I write this what cards are dealt. 

It is the way I do readings for others, so why would I change the rules and cherry pick my cards for a hop post? 

As I said above this is a different method of working with the tree of life, normally I start at the roots and work my way up the branches until I reach the top.

However in this layout cloth; it starts at the top of the tree and then follows the branches down to the roots and adds the 11th or outcome card at the heart of the tree, so it is different. 

The other very interesting thing about this is the light and energy that seemed to get in the way of the camera taking some decent shots.

I find this happens a lot of the time when I am attempting to use the camera for these things, it is a great indicator for me to see where the energy for the reading is as well, but it does get in the way a little. 

However we make do eh! Anyway, I will work through the cards giving as much as I can from them through intuitive inspiration rather than from the book meanings. 

I have never in my entire working life with cards of any kind bothered to listen to the book! I know I know but remember I have trouble with words etc, high function dyslexia/on the autism scale type thing, so let me off with it okay!

Okay so after sitting with this for a little while, I am going to batter on in it this and start looking over all at the spread itself, see what the general energy of the tree for this spread is... 

Honestly it's intense the further up the tree trunk you go, the light resonates strongly at the top, so much that it makes some of the cards hard to make out. 

It suggests that there is a great deal of cosmic and spiritual connections and light being received, guiding my hand in pretty much all aspects, and yet the further down the trunk you look it gets darker.

It really suggests there is a yin/yang balance going on right now, where the yang is the top of the tree and the yin is the roots. 

So this will be an interesting reading even before I get started...

Phanuel: Angel of Hope 

Considering that this is sitting right in the first position of Beginnings and Inner Spiritual Journey, but at the same time resonating at the top of the Scale at High C, and around the Higher Crown or Silver Chakra.

I am not that surprised to find that hope and intention are sitting so strongly. This is the year for not only looking towards where I am going but it is also what do I intend to send out and that is part of it, Hope. 

It doesn't matter what is happening around us, or around me as long as I have hope and the believe that everything is according to Divine Will and Perfection, then even when its imperfect it is still very much perfect, it is a lesson in hope after all.

Sandalphon: Angel of the Physical Plane 

The personal question I left open, so to have this card sitting in this position really drives home that there is a lot of physical world changes happening. 

Here I am sitting with a trademark to my name, completing the first part of a qualification that not only compliments but also enhances another qualification that is ongoing. 

However once again I am reminded because of the nature of Sandalphon (in that he's an arch angel/archetypal type energy) that is not only meant to be but it is also important to have, the reasons are explored a bit more in my other post. 

This is also interesting because I am not 'hearing' this energy on the musical scale but rather as a note from a singing bowl, some of my bowls have a wide range of notes so while there was a High C above, this one has a resonance of between D and E Flat, which suggests that things are shifting and in flux, so it is within the three treasures of Qi Gong, around the mid to lower so there is still work needing done.

Lassiel: Angel of the Consecration

Well this is certainly interesting as it sits within Challenges, which is the third position. I raised a brow when I saw this card. 

As I mentioned above one of these challenges is the travel aspect to this journey; 5h 44m in a train down south, its daunting but at that very same token like yin/yang.

It is also very important and needing doing. This whole year feels like I am being consecrated, becoming more at one with myself and acceptance that I am not like anyone else I have met. 

I see the patterns, connections and the subtleties that people seem to miss or just don't notice; I make connections and understand complexities that seem out there to others. So yeah I am very much being consecrated into this new paradigm shift in thinking. 

This is feeling very much around the throat / crown area of the chakras, as there is a lot to move out of this area in the realms of confidence, speaking up and also willingness to stand up and be present.

Gabriel: Angel of Water 

It's curious as Water within Chinese Five Element theory is very much the Yin energy. 

Although it is not weakness it is strength because it adapts and changes to the circumstances, something that I am very much starting to realise about who I am, I adapt, change and find ways to make things work for me rather than against me. 

I don't change my core nature in doing so, but rather just bend like a reed in the wind, adjusting to the flow and then moving forward. 

This card is in Gain, which is the forth position, so it is about what I am expressing and gaining from the challenges as well as from the resolutions and strengths I have by embracing the water elements within me. 

This is very much resonating at the G note and within my heart/throat areas, because it is about embracing self.

Zagzagael: Angel of Wisdom 

Although not a challenge, this card is sitting in the fifth position, which is Look Out For/Be Aware of; This is a gut instinct, Low C to B tonal resonance at very much the physical Sacral chakra, which is just slightly higher than the last of the three treasures. 

Wisdom is something that I am always on the look out for in a manner of speaking, but it is something that I also realise that I need. Seeing patterns and learning to interpret or in some cases as far as diagnose (not prescriptive type but I would jump over to the other post to learn more on this) them is different so wisdom is needed for this, but it needs to be the right kind. 

Wisdom can also be wrong, well not wrong but of the wrong kind I suppose is better way to put it, so discerning it is a skill that is also needed.

Itqual: Angel of Positivity 

Very much a Solar Plexus, Middle C energy pattern to this one and sitting in the Sixth position of Being Thankful for What You Have. This is one of the core values that I am grateful for and welcome into me at any given moment of time. 

I may find myself challenged with the New Moon and Cosmic Storms bombarding us at the moment but I am thankful for the experience and thankful for all that I have been able to do since middle of last year. It has allowed me to get this far and take on everything that I have wanted to and yes its not always been easy but it has been and is worth it.

Safriel: Angel of Protection

The eighth position is not only key change but Communication and both of these are important. I am finding the challenge of the moment is to do with communication and also what was said in the past reflecting back into the momentary present.

Needless to say that unintended problem with that in now I am having to watch what and how I say things as at the moment because the New Moon is Yin, my expression of Yang is really at the forefront, which is making it tricky to express myself properly as it can be taken out of context both from then and now. 

This means that I am not guarding how I say things to those closest to me and also how I say things in the public eye too. Its quite challenging having to do it this way but it is better to express my Yang as water an adapt than go all Fire Sign and cause havoc. 

This is very much a Throat and Sacral thing but it has a bit of the mind involved also but no musical attachment, but maybe that is because its about expression and I have been known to use music, my voice and song to do just that...

Sadriel: Angel of Order

Oh wow! seriously right in the Karma area, which is the ninth position. I acknowledge Karma but I don't see it in the same way as perhaps a lot of people. 

Like the Taoist or Chinese Medicine Symbol of Yin/Yang, where it has two part in contrast to each other, so does Karma/Dharma. 

Karma are the patterns or energetic parts of soul where experiences, challenges or events that have not been resolved are at play within the incarnation that soul has now. 

Dharma is the story of the soul, its the knowledge, the understanding and the innate gifts that the soul has from inception. They exist in contrast and like Yin/Yang we have total control over them if we choose to exert it. 

Therefore Karma in the ninth position and the energetic energy of order that is Sadriel's come together in this position to allow me to in a manner of speaking gain some more understanding and control over what is normally chaotic.

Phaldour: Angel of Oracles 

The tenth position of Home and Material Life is interesting, considering that I tend to see a similarity or Synchronicity between the way I am working with tools such as Tarot, Runes, Ogham and Oracle Cards and the ways the Oracles of Delphi from classical myth times. 

I have always been drawn to working with prophecy and prediction; particularly patterns, so casting cards, runes, ogham or oracles and having this sitting in this area at the roots of the tree, well its perfect and very in line with where I am right now.

Saraphael: Angel of the Seraphim)

The outcome for the 11th has ended up in this version anyway having three card. Saraphael is the main card but it is accompanied by Gadreel - The Wall of God and Narsinha - Angel of Heroes.

Starting with Saraphael, who when you really study this card is very much also Vishnu, the Hindu god of Peace, Preservation and Sustainer of Life, both of them represent what I stand for and step into my power to do in any capacity. 

Having the the back up from Gadreel's Wall of God energy and Narsinha Heroic energy tends to mean that I do what I need to but also I forge my path rather than wait for things to happen, so I find that I am ready for this year to fully manifest as it comes into full bloom.