12 is at the very end of the numerology spectrum, and it offers those who see it in their daily life the opportunity to turn over a new leaf by giving them a chance to wrap up a certain life stage and situation before moving forward to bigger and better things. This number is like a curtain call that allows you to get your affairs together so you can benefit from the windfall that the universe is about to bestow on you.
And here we are at the 12th month, December, looking at the number 12 as we slip into the end of the year and prepare to begin another new year. 12 is a master number, a number of completion and there are many 12s in our day to day lives! 12 months in a year (in the gregorian calendar, we’ll talk about the 13 moons next month), and 2 sets of 12 hours in the 24 hour day provide the structure for our modern journey through time. The 12 signs in the zodiac offer a guide as we make our way through the day to day. And then there are the 12 steps offered through programs which guide and support those of us who are struggling, be it with drugs (NA or MA), alcohol (AA), gambling (GA), codependency (CODA) or all behaviors relating to family dysfunction (ACA) into sobriety (physical, emotional or otherwise), health and well being, one day at a time.Soon we’ll get to the 12 days of Christmas which begin on Christmas day and end on Epiphany, January 6th, which is known as the day the 3 kings brought gifts to the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with gift giving in many Latin American countries; and commemorated by the catchy song of which many of us know at least the first 5 verses!On our way to Christmas we pass go through the Winter Solstice, the longest night & shortest day of the year, which is this year on December 21 (the opposite of 12). During & just after the Winter Solstice (December 21-23) I am performing at the Lobero Theater with the Santa Barbara Revels: An Irish Celebration of the Winter Solstice, please come and see the show about Irish immigrants singing their way across the Atlantic to the open arms of America...a very poignant story in our current climate. As the winter solstice is a time of bringing our light inward to the darkness of winter with us, it is only appropriate that we take that light inward, amplify it and send it out into the world, especially to our own borders where some of us have forgotten what America stands for and our core values on the poem on the statue of liberty.
...Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries sheWith silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
~Emma Lazarus,from The New Colossus
And, last but not least, we are headed towards 2019: 2+0+1+9=12; leaving an 11 year (2018) and moving into a 12 year. It looks as if this next year may be one of wrapping things up and getting ready for new things! Oh how I pray we can wrap up all of this old paradigm duality and conflict and just plain ugliness being unveiled in the world recently. The lifting of the veil, whuch is the literal meaning of the word apocalypse, revealing so much fear expressed as hate and unkindness from beneath our previously maintained veneer of “civility” is hard to watch, even as it catalyzes a powerful upstanding love, kindness and respect for our common humanity. It is good to acknowledge the wound, to have it lanced so that the illness can be healed, and yet it is also so difficult to witness and allow the process to unfold with faith that this world is a good true and beautiful place and we are re-membering ourselves in that light.
The number 12 is made up of two numbers, 1 and 2. 1 is a prime number and signifies the beginning and the singular nature of the universe. It is also related to completion, perfection, harmony, motivation, achievement and independence. 2, on the other hand, is all about seeing two sides of any situation, diplomacy, partnership and the mutable nature of life.
The number 12 itself is a pretty awesome number, it is divisible by 1,2,3,4,and 6 (and of course, by itself. Then when we look at the makeup of the number itself, its numerology (1+2=3) first we have the number 1 (LINKED to article), representing the active masculine pictured archetypally in 1 - The Magician(LINKED)in the major arcana, and then we have the number 2 (LINKED to article), the second number, the passive, receptive feminine represented by 2 - The High Priestess in the major arcana. The two of them added together equals the number 3, the active principle of the divine feminine, represented by 3 - The Empress (LINKED) in the major arcana.So the active masculine principle in sacred union with the passive/receptive feminine principle becomes the active feminine principle, the surrendering, birthing releasing capacity of every human being.This is a beautiful symbolism for love...it is only in and through the power of the utter vulnerability of surrender that we humans can open ourselves to the transformation of love. And it is in that humility, the release of our ego, that we are able to touch each other, & be touched, deeply and make our way through the eye of the needle in order to build a healthy, enduring, conscious relationship. If there is one thing I have learned recently its that there is so much SURRENDER in successful relationship. And how lovely that the one plus the two equals the three; man and woman can create life together, becoming mother and father with child, or we can also see this as a relationship of feminine, masculine and God as the holy trinity, the tao...variations on a theme this surrender to love...(LINKED)(LINKED)(LINKED)
And that surrender is symbolized beautifully by 12 - The Hanged Man (LINKED), s/he is hanging from the tree of life in the tree pose, relaxed and at peace with their heart secured firmly above their head. They have put themselves there on purpose, this is a conscious moment of suspension, of surrender, towards a purpose, and when that purpose is completed the hanged man will drop from the tree and step forward with even more purpose.Compare this with 21 - The Universe(LINKED) which is the ending of a grand soul cycle; the 22 step journey that began with the leap of faith of the fool completes with the Universe. What once hung downwards from the tree with knee pointed and hands folded in prayer is now dancing upright, round and round with toe pointed and many arms abound, open, in moodra, and entwined with a snake. These scenes are very much opposite of each other and speak of the transformation, completion and magic of the number 12.(LINKED)(LINKED)The 12th card in each of the suits of the minor arcana are the princes, who represent the process of mastering their respective elements & worlds on their way to becoming kings.
The Prince of Wands- rides a chariot pulled by the lion (courage & inspired creativity) his phoenix staff indicates he has been through the fire, has experienced the transformation and spiritual growth of rising from the ashes and trusts the process. The target on his shirt indicates the capacity for focused concentration...This prince is mastering the element of fire and the world of spirit in action. He is following his heart (lion= courage=coeur) as he has learned this is the way to fully master the world of fire and spirit in action. It is enthusiasm and love of life that moves us forward through any number of obstacles.When the prince of wands rides into a reading he reminds us to follow our hearts, even though we may be daunted. Take courage and move forward into every adventure with enthusiasm!
The Prince of Cups is mastering the watery world of emotions, his chariot is pulled by the free spirited dolphin who teaches us to trust our intuition as we play and have fun. This prince is exploring the emotional realms of desire and passion and has so much to explore that he does not stop for long; he tends to avoid intimacy and involvement out of fear. He is mysterious, a beacon of fantasy and romance and in that journey of mastery he is not yet ready for commitment. He is learning to become the king of hearts.When the prince of cups splashes into a reading, he reminds us to explore and try things out, not to be too hasty with making decisions. To actually accept, embrace and love our fear of commitment. Especially when we are feeling pressured, either from inside or from without to make choices because we “should”...instead he asks us to try it all, take rest and then come back and try again before we commit to anything. Sometimes life asks us to just be in our hearts and in an experience rather than trying to anchor things down..go with the flow for now,there will be time to commit later.
The Prince of Pentacles is mastering the material world. The bull that pulls his chariot is about to burst forward and he steers his chariot with a globe. When the prince of pentacles bursts into a reading he indicates success in business and other worldly responsibilities along with seeking new perspectives in an organized and orderly fashion. He often indicates travel; the querent is either traveling, about to travel, thinking of travelling or just back from their travels depending on where he shows up in the spread. And while it can be local travel, it tends to be larger travel, airplanes, far away places.This prince reminds us how much we can learn about ourselves and the world around us by exploring and educating ourselves about the world around us and integrating that education in an orderly way, using t to make our way more firmly out into the world.
And the Prince of Swords whose chariot is being pulled by the eagle, is in the process of mastering the airy realm of thoughts. He reminds us to broaden our perspective, to go up high in order to get the eagle eye view and see the forest for the trees.When this prince soars into a reading, he reminds us not to get so caught up in the details that we forget about the broader view. He offers the perspective of creative and intuitive thinking that often leads to an unexpected breakthrough.He helps us to fine tune and catalyze our thought processes by shifting between the details and the big pig picture so that we move forward dynamically.So this holiday season, let’s really firmly raise our hearts above our heads, and see through the eyes of love as we end this powerful year of transformation and head into a new year filled with blessings and gifts of the challenges we face as a culture and a world in transition. Please give your neighbors, friends, family and even that silly goose who cut you off in traffic the benefit of the doubt. Let’s move forward into the year and into each new day with great gratitude for life along with appreciation of the adventure, exploring the worlds around us, opening our eyes and hearts to the wider perspectives around us.And please stop by Paradise Found on December 31st, New Years eve, so we can see what magical transformations are in your cards as we head into the new year!So many blessings!Kristine Marie
