Great Kate: 5/12/1907-6/29/2003

The important thing to remember about Katherine Hepburn is that her first name begins with the letter "K", one of the two Master Letters (the other being "V:) and that it corresponds to the number "11" which is one of the two Master Numbers (the other being "22") as well. So she not only has a Master Letter but a Master Number, too.  

My friend, Lucy I, describes the number "11" as symbolizing the Creative Masters of the Universe.  She explains that their path or life journey is often impractical although always inspirational. Their messages are always strong and intense. They pull no punches as very little can deflect them from their appointed task.  Often they border on martyrdom. Hepburn and her devotion to her married lifetime lover, Spencer Tracy, was interpreted by many as "masochistic" and "slavish". However, self-sacrificing or not,  "11s" are destined for greatness and leave their mark upon the world.

She died in a "4" year which is the number "13" reduced. "13" is frequently associated with "death" as is the number "4", especially in Chinese culture, as it's nearly homophonous to their word for "death". "4" also symbolizes the "earth" as well as the qualities of "respose", "quiet" and "passivity".

Some great Katherine Hepburn films include:

-A Bill of Divorcement (1932)

-Little Women (1933)

-Alice Adams (1935)

-Bringing Up Baby (1938)

-The Philadelphia Story (1940)

-Woman of the Year (1942)

-The African Queen (1951)

- The Lion in Winter (1968)

Miss Hepburn was, indeed, the "real deal" in every sense of the word.

Amy bows low at the feet of all her holy teachers.

Fred Astaire: 5/10/1899-6/22/1987

Astaire was destined for greatness. The year of his birth, 1899, contains three 9s and as 9 is the number signifying fame and fortune and exulted status there was little doubt that he would achieve the stardom he enjoyed. 

The name "Astaire" translates to a 7 in numerology which symbolizes spirituality, Heaven and all things celestial. 7s focus on the non-physical.  I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that he devoted his life  transcending the material world.   That is, through his dancing,  he defied the laws of gravity and its physical constraints .

One of his missing Karmic Numbers is a 3 (these numbers tell us what we need to do in this lifetime in order to correct for one's previous actions and choices from a previous life). 3s are the charmers and optimists of the Universe. They are often entertainers and excel at communicating. Clearly, Astaire compensated magnificently for this past apparent lack during his phenomenal stage and film career. There were few actors who were as charming and attractive.

Astaire died in an 8 year which in addition to symbolizing wealth and good fortune and strength also represents "infinity" as the number 8 is also the infinity symbol turned upright. This symbol is associated with  the matters of the soul ( consistent with the 7)  as well as with eternity, perfection and equilibrium which seem to me to reflect what Astaire and his art were all about e.g., the consummate artist.

Amy bows low at the feet of all her holy teachers.

.

Robert Leroy Johnson: 5/8/1911- 8/16/1938

 "The thing about Robert Johnson was that he only existed on his records. He was pure legend" so wrote Martin Scorsese. That pretty much sums things up. To this day, the late great Delta blues singer and guitarist remains an elusive shadow. Not much is known about his life and mystery shrouds his death. Some say he was poisoned. Some say he died from syphilis although he was only 27 years old thus linking him forever with other great musicians who died an untimely death. Think Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix. It's curious, is it not, that the letter "J" dominates all their names?

Numerically, "J" is a "1" and as such are self-starters and usually tops in their field. They leave their mark. And as "J" is the tenth letter of the alphabet it's a "double 1" as the number "10" corresponds to a "1" as well.  That's very heady stuff.

With respect to Robert Johnson's Karmic Number, he's missing a "4". (Just in case you are not familiar with the concept of the Karmic Number it's the letter or letters missing from one's name. It instructs  us what we need to do in order to correct our actions from past or previous lives. It may also reveal our vulnerabilities and weaknesses.  So if you are missing a "7", the most spiritual of all numbers, you may end up becoming a Buddhist and so on.)  "4" is the number most associated with the earth and this makes sense as Johnson is a Taurus and the earth is their element.  The irony, of course, is that everything that a "4" represents-stability and tradition-eluded him. He led a transient and itinerant life. What this means is that because he was unable to obtain the equanimity in that lifetime he will have another opportunity in his next until he gets  it "right".

 "4" is also the number most associated with Death as it symbolizes the sum of "13". Johnson died in a "9" year which always signifies "endings" (as well as fame and exulted status).  His Destiny or Life Path Number was "7" which, in addition to vibrating to the highest spiritual frequency, is most associated with Heaven and things celestial. "7s" tend to be loners and eccentric. They dwell in a non-material world and are not attached to material things. This certainly seems to true of Johnson who never settled down, but was constantly on the move from town to town performing at every stop. 

It's fitting that his Expression Number is"5" which represents the most physical and restless number of them all, which makes perfect sense as "5" is ruled by Mercury the quick-silver messenger to the Greek gods. "5" is your freedom lover. They are your born travellers and seekers. All of this is consistent with what we know of Robert Johnson, which when all is said and done, is not very much.

So it appears as if Scorsese is right. Johnson remains a legend who has obtained almost mythic status. Did he really sell his soul to the Devil one night at the Southern Cross in exchange for the ability to play like a god?  Listen to his music and judge for yourself.

The Furies

In Greek mythology, they are the three goddesses of vengeance:  Tisiphone, Megaera and Alecto. They were also referred to as the "Daughters of the Night". In actually, they were the offspring of Uranus (the primeval god of the Sky and the first ruler of the Universe) and Gaea (the primeval divinity of the earth). They are sometimes referred to as the Erinyes.

The Furies spared no mercy to those unwise enough to incur their wrath. They were relentless in their pursuit of transgressors of the social order and were particularly vicious to crimes committed against one's mother or father, specifically matricide or patricide. They also took offense against those who would harm society's defenseless e.g., beggars, the sick, the old, the vulnerable. They even protected animals. God help the naughty child who removed a baby bird from its nest or who might mistreat its pet. The Furies would not be far behind. Their mission was to preserve the natural order and acted as society's moral and ethical conscience.

The sisters were also servants of Haides (King of the Underworld and the dead) and Persephone (Queen of the Underworld). Here, they oversaw the torture of criminals sentenced to the Dungeons of the Dammed.

The Furies were no beauties. Blood dripped from their eyes and in lieu of hair snakes resided on their heads. As Virgil wrote, " The Eumenides (Erinyes) with livid snakes entwined in their hair."

Our culture abounds with vestiges of the Furies i.e., Shakespeare's three witches in "Macbeth" or Madame LaFarge in Dickin's "A Tale of Two Cities". We owe our words "infuriated" and "furious" to the Furies. And, unfairly or not, they are the origin for the expression "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".

Amy bows low at the feet of all her holy teachers.

Compiled and adapted from www.theoi.com and www.in3greece.com

William & Kate: The Wedding

They could not have picked a more auspicious date as April 29th, 2011 represents a 1 in Numerology and they have, indeed, embarked on a new passage in their lives. The number 1 resounds with confidence and self-sureness.

As I wrote in an earlier blog of November 16th of last year, although William and Kate are now a married couple William's spiritual energy remains inextricably linked with that of his mother's, Diana, who remains constant in her vigilance over him.

Here are a few interesting tidbits:

Both William and Diana are Cancers. His birthday is 6/21/82 and hers is 7/1/61.  Kate is a Capricorn.

The name "Diana" corresponds to an "11" and "11s" are the visionaries and seers of the Universe. They are its truest humanitarians. Their life work is to obtain "enlightenment". However, as in Diana's case, they are often high strung and intense.

The name "William" corresponds to a "7" which, along with "11", is the most spiritually-inclined of the numbers. Interestingly, Diana was born in a "7" year and she died in one as well.  Thus, her life literally went full-circle around the Wheel of Destiny.

William's Destiny Number is "2" and Diana died on 8/31/97 which corresponds to a "2" and William was married on the 29th, a "2" day. However, before it is reduced to the number "2", "29" adds up to "11", so Diana's presence is felt once again.

Back in November I picked 3 tarot cards for Kate and William, one of which was the Page of Cups. This could very well portend their first child being a boy and a Cancer to boot.

I also picked a card for them today, April 30th, and came up with the Eight of Cups which depicts a man walking off into the distance with his back turned to 8 cups standing in the foreground.  It's one of the most provocative and evocative cards of the Minor Arcada.

Cups symbolize our emotions and sensitivities. They express our desires and passions. But clearly he has chosen to leave these particular ones behind. We can never really be sure as to why, but what is clear is that this card is all about "moving on" and loss.

So, some questions for our young couple might include:

-What have you had to sacrifice in order to move on with your life?

-Have you accepted a recent loss in your life?

-Has a critical relationship ended?

-Are you mourning or grieving for someone or something that you needed to leave behind?

-Given the "eclipse", is that "dark" period in your life over?

-In life, we are often called upon to "give things or people up". Will you be able to do it?  What or who would stop you?

-How would have holding onto the past impeded you?

When doing a reading, be mindful to do so from a position of "not knowing" as it's only when we avail ourselves to be receptive to new ideas and new perceptions that obtain enlightenment and our cups runneth over.

Amy bows low to all her holy teachers and asks that she may bring focus, intent and purpose to those she meets in life.

Today's Tarot: The Hierophant

The Hierophant represents conformity to tradition and main stream thinking and culture. It emphasizes the importance of rules and playing by the book. It symbolizes orthodoxy and institutionalized structure over individuation.  Perhaps today is the day you finally "think outside the box".

Ask yourself if you are sacrificing your individuality?  Are you having issues with authority? Are you having to conform against your will?  Are the rules hard to follow?  Is a 9 to 5 job not for you?  If you have rejected the mainstream  what kind of life do you envision for yourself?  Are you searching for another means of spiritual expression?

Amy bows low at the feet of all her holy teachers.

April Fool's Day

Consider the Fool.  He lives amongst the Tarot's Majar Arcana of 22 archetypes and is represented by the number zero.  However, the zero here does not symbolize "nothingness" or "emptiness" or a "void".  Rather, as in many Eastern cultures, the Fool's zero connotes perfection and embodiment and fulfillment.

Graphically, the Fool is depicted as a youth standing on the edge of a precipice.  He carries hiw worldly possessions in one hand and a rose in the other. The sun is shining and he does not appear to be aware of the impending danger posed by the cliff below his feet. A small dog barks at his heels. So what does it all mean. It's important to know that the Fool is not a "foolish" person. He is not a simpleton. Nor is he the Trickster often represented by the King's Fool who dares to speak the truth but only if veiled in riddles and humor. No, the Tarot's Fool symbolizes the uncorrupted soul.  He represents a pure heart and the unbridled spirit of humanity. 

The Fool encourages risk and ventured into the unknown.  He urges us to find faith in ourselves to embrace what we don't understand or are not familiar with.  This is how he wants us to approach our lives and Life Journey e.g. with enthusiasm and wonderment. 

Be spontaneous, he tells us.  A meaningful life if not lived by logic and intellect alone. That would be tantamount to reading a poem by counting its words to quote Jay Haley the renowned psychologist.  This point is emphasized by the Fool and his rose which in mythology and religion represents passion and love.   In fact, the rose is identified with Venus/Aphrodite and later with the Virgin Mary.

In Tarot readings, the Fool reminds us that without adopting our ability to see the world with fresh eyes there can be no enlightenment. All the other cards of the Tarot and their significance in our lives become meaningless if we remain unwilling to challenge our preconceived notions and premises.

Perhaps Rumi said it best when he instructs us to "Become a Fool",

"Since intelligence only incites you to pride and vanity,
Become a fool, so your heart stays pure.
Not a fool who is lost and astounded in Him.
If, through astonishment, your reason leaps out of your head
Every hair on your head will become a new head.
Every hair on your head will become a new intellect."

Wonderful words to live by.

Amy bows low to at the feet of all her holy teachers and  asks for humility and grace.