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Divination & Tarot:
The Illuminated Journey:
Tarot Profiles of the U.S. Presidential Candidates:
Barack H. Obama
by Beth Owl's Daughter
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Now that the long process of the 2012 American election has officially kicked off and the presidential campaigns are in full swing, I thought it might be illuminating to take a look at the major candidates through the lens of the Tarot.
If you’ve been reading my column here, you know that, based on the numerology of our birthday, there are Tarot cards that reveal our personality traits and our soul’s archetypal energy. I have been working with this fascinating aspect of the Tarot for about fourteen years, and I have been very impressed with the insights that can be gained this way.
In fact, I must admit that I am on a personal mission to encourage the public to become as familiar with their Tarot profile as they are with, for instance, their astrological Sun sign.
There are a couple of different methodologies for doing this that I am aware of, but I follow the guidelines used by Tarot scholar and author Mary K. Greer (who, in turn, has expanded upon Angeles Arrien’s original proposals in The Tarot Handbook, 1987).
To figure out your profile, you simply add up the numbers for the year, the month and the day of your birth in an old-fashioned arithmetic column. You then reduce the resulting four-digit number until you get a number (or multiple numbers) between 1 and 22.
Why 1 through 22? Those are the numbers that correspond to the Major Arcana of the Tarot.
So this month, I will begin with one of the most obvious front-runners: President Barack Obama.
Since Obama’s birthday is Aug. 4, 1961, you would add:
8
4
1961
1973
You then use the Theosophical Reduction process, which simply means that you take the digits of a number and add them all together to produce a smaller number. So to reduce 1,973 you simply add the digits: 1+9+7+3=20.
The number 20 comes within the spectrum of the 1-22 numbers that correspond to the Major Arcana, namely, the Judgement card (I am using the British spelling of “judgment,” by the way, as that is what is used on the Rider-Waite-Smith and many derivative decks).
This means that the Judgement card is Obama’s Personality Card. The Personality card refers to the personality characteristics and traits that we pick up, thanks to our life’s experiences.
Of course, the 20 further reduces to 2, which is the High Priestess card. This would be Obama’s Soul Card – the single-digit card beyond which you can’t reduce the numbers. In my experience, the Soul Card refers to the deep self that is unchanging in this lifetime, and which must be expressed in order to reach fulfillment of our life’s purpose.
In addition, the Tarot profile of the High Priestess has a Shadow card, sometimes called the Teacher Card. This card is the other possible combination between 1 and 22 that could reduce to the Soul Card of 2. That would, of course, be card number 11, the Justice card. The Shadow/Teacher card shows us the hidden factors of our deep self. These are influences that challenge us, and therefore, ultimately have the potential to be our greatest Teachers.
Thus, Barack Obama’s Tarot profile (or constellation, as Greer calls this composite) is a combination of these three cards: the High Priestess/Judgement/Justice. According to Greer’s classic work, Tarot Constellations, as well as her newly published update, Who Are You in the Tarot, this profile is characterized by “balanced judgment through intuitive awareness.”
High Priestess/Judgement/Justice profile people are, in my experience, profoundly sensitive, self-aware, and possess a very rich inner life. They are dreamers, even visionaries, and are often known to be deeply intuitive. They also tend to be very demanding of themselves, and often can be perfectionists.
While they may appear to be contradictory, even paradoxical at times, I believe this is because they are extremely empathetic and open to nonverbal cues and undercurrents that other people do not notice. As a result, they shift with the flowing tides of change around them.
To people of the High Priestess profile, such changes may not always be logical, but are perfectly consistent. They feel no conflict, due to the deep level at which they are listening and responding to information that escapes the less aware.
The High Priestess, of course, is the controversial Tarot card depicting a female Pope. She has been referred to as the Virgin Mary, the mythical Pope Joan of the 9th century, Manfreda, a 13th century Umiliata nun who was elected pope by a heretical sect, or possibly Mary Magdalene.
Though there is no final consensus, most Tarot scholars do agree, however, that the High Priestess is associated with the Moon, the Hebrew letter Gimel, and is the uniting intelligence, the “bridge that crosses the abyss.” She symbolizes the communication between the conscious and subconscious mind, and is the link in the Qabbala Tree of Life between Wisdom and Understanding. She is associated with the alchemical prima matera (first matter), the Goddess Isis, and the Virgin Huntress Diana. She has also been said to represent The Holy Guardian Angel, and has been given the title of Priestess Of The Silver Star.
It is ironic that Obama’s chief competitor for the 2008 Democratic nomination was Hillary Clinton, history’s first female Presidential contender. It could not have been a comfortable position, as his profile predisposes him to be a passionate champion for women’s issues, even a feminist, in addition to his obvious role as an advocate for minorities. Small wonder then, that in a peace offering that was almost certainly both savvy politics as well as sincere admiration, he appointed Clinton to be his Secretary of State.
With Judgement as his Personality card, his life’s experiences have been shaped profoundly by epiphanies, sudden recognition of purpose, coincidence and synchronicity. He would almost certainly characterize his political career as a spiritual calling.
Mary Greer notes that this profile is one belonging to many famous human rights activists, like Rosa Parks, Thomas Paine, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It is also common among “healers, and therapists...or gurus or religious leaders who stress the roles of death and rebirth.”
Indeed, with this profile he would seek to transform those around him, based on the vision and insight he fully incorporates into his own life.
This could be why at times it seems he finds it difficult to accept that his promise to shake up the status quo in Washington, which was the galvanizing foundation of his 2008 success, would, in the end, find a lack-luster reception among both his party rivals, as well as among some Democrats.
Another striking aspect of Obama’s Tarot profile is that the Justice card is his Teacher or Shadow Factor card.
People with Justice as their Shadow card can be very judgmental, often disapproving of themselves and others. And yet they are easily wounded by perceived criticism. They also take any sort of unfairness quite personally, and must beware of becoming blind crusaders for law and order. Or, in Mr. Obama’s case perhaps, for bipartisanship at any cost.
But by the same measure, as Shadow may eventually become the Teacher, Obama would care passionately about right and wrong. Fairness is of extreme importance to his decision processes, as is being in command of a vast body of information and evidence. He is hyperaware of injustice in the world, thanks to his own personal memories and experiences.
As a lightning rod for America’s racial divisions, his Justice card challenge is to deal with the problems of racism while also remaining impartial and distancing himself from being defined by them. Tapping into his gifts of the High Priestess, he truly can become a bridge across the abyss – between the past and the future. Like her, he sits between the columns of black and white.
In summary, because they seem so self-contained, yet enigmatic, people with this profile naturally engender trust, and often, even casual acquaintances will confide their innermost secrets and longings.
High Priestess/Judgement/Justice people are world-class listeners, and exude a sense of serene acceptance, often simply mirroring back to those around them, but seeming as if they know their thoughts. This quality of enabling people to feel heard and seen is a rare and great gift.
It is no surprise that Barack Obama has sometimes been characterized as aloof or even messianic. He is deep, not easy to know, and is rarely casual or chummy. He is on a mission, a sacred calling, and his idea of compromise can swing wildly between too much and too little. Yet with the High Priestess/Judgement/Justice profile, he is someone who always walks his talk.
The energy that flows around his profile is such that he would always be deeply sensitive to the possibility of imminent, apocalyptic change. Most of all, he is very attuned to his own destiny as a bringer of profound transformation.
Next month, we’ll take a look at Republican candidate, Mitt Romney. See you then!
Reference: Greer, Mary K. 1987. Tarot Constellations: Patterns of Personal Destiny. North Hollywood: Newcastle Publishing Co. |
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Beth Owl's Daughter,
Internationally recognized author, teacher and leader in the Tarot community.
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For nearly four decades, Beth Owl's Daughter has been a practicing seer and guide in the non-ordinary realms. After being fascinated by the I Ching and astrology (calculating charts by hand, mind you, and with a life-long aversion to math!), one day in 1972, Beth stumbled upon the first Tarot deck she had ever seen: the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot.
It was love at first sight, and evidently the feeling was mutual, because ever since, the Tarot has been a profound, lifelong friend and guide for her and for those with whom she shares her gifts.
Beth Owl's Daughter [http://www.
owlsdaughter.com]
* is a member of the American Tarot Association, Tarot Professionals and the Tarot Association of the British Isles.
* is an internationally recognized author, teacher and leader in the Tarot community. She has published many articles, reviews and columns about the Tarot, served as ethics columnist for the debut issue of Tarot World Magazine, and has been featured in many radio interviews and podcasts.
* serves on the Board of Directors for Cherry Hill Seminary, the world’s first and only graduate-level education for Pagan ministry.
* is founder and organizer of one of the world’s oldest and largest Tarot social groups.
Beth is a trained, full-time intuitive, an Usui Reiki practitioner, and an eclectic Witch practicing in the Reclaiming and Faerie traditions of the Craft. She is also an award-winning blogger: http://www.owlsdaughter.
com/owls-wings .
She has extensive "real world" business experience, having worked for many years in management, career development, information technology, and as a professional writer. For this reason, she is passionate about teaching people to use the tools of ancient wisdom for practical, modern applications.
She offers readings readings and workshops for motivated, creative people who are reaching for high standards of personal excellence and who understand that to live deeply, joyfully and in balance is a form of spiritual service.
Beth Owl's Daughter will spark your sacred wisdom and connect you to your heart-centered power and vision.
Awaken your dreams, focus your creativity, and manifest your vision.
Web:
www.owlsdaughter.com
Email: beth@owlsdaughter.com
Blog:
www.owlsdaughter.com/
owls-wings
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