Monday, December 29, 2008

It wasn't your imagination: 2008 sucked

Along with the many other things in which I have an interest (some might say perverted interest), I'm a student of both the Tarot and of Numerology (Astrology is interesting, but not so much my bag, for Astrology, visit Molly). According to some theories of these types of divination, each year has a card and a number assigned to it, based on a simple calculation. For instance, my birthday (March 14th) determined that my card for this year was The Hermit, my number 9.
3+14+2008=2025
2+0+2+5=9
The "global card/number" the number for the parts of the world which observe that this year was 2008 (as opposed to other calendars like the Jewish one, for which the year 2008 was mostly 5768, but partly 5769 -- I'll get to that one in a minute, but there are a number of calendars which observe different years for the same period of time), is gleaned by adding the numbers together and breaking it down to 1-22 for tarot significance, and further to 1-9 for numerological significance.

So...
2+0+0+8=10
1+0=1
In tarot, the 10th card of the Major Arcana is The Wheel of Fortune (image at right by Angie Chow). The Wheel of Fortune is pretty easy to understand. That is, events proceed as they will, regardless of intervention because that's just the way the world turns. The Wheel is a kind of "go with the flow" sort of symbol, but you can imagine that about 50% of the time, The Wheel does not turn in your favor. Like the game show, this year the Wheel of Fortune was pretty much all BANKRUPTCY tabs, so every time you spun the wheel, something shitty happened.

This, combined with the global energy of the number 1 (at once pure egotism and leadership -- consider the presidential transition we are currently in in the United States, going from ego-maniacal "decider"/"commander guy" to a leader with a healthy ego who isn't afraid of criticism or bad news), made for a pretty bad year around the globe.

Of course, you could argue that what I'm saying about the vagueries of the global card and numerological energy for 2008 could be said of any year. One could also argue that I'm picking examples that prove my point, but we are talking about divination here -- there are very few people who, when discussing divination from either side, DON'T pick-and-choose examples that prove their point, which makes the topic itself kind of difficult to discuss intellectually. That said, there are a number of things in the the year 2008 and the interpretations of the Wheel of Fortune and Numerological 1 that correlate. In short: 2008 sucked. (Your milage my vary, though, since each person, as stated above, has their own personal card and number energy, which is influenced by the global card/number in the degree that the individual is influenced by the outside world.)

There is hope, however. As the year ends, the energy changes. 2009's card is Justice. Justice, in the progression of the Major Arcana effectively sets right what was up-ended by the Wheel of Fortune. That is, this indicator suggests that the legislation promised by Congress and policies promised by President-Elect Obama will come to fruition: people will be able to get their homes back and/or renegotiate their mortgages; fairness will return to the American body-politic; and the Bush Crime Family may end up recieving their just desserts (from the caffeteria at Gitmo).

This indicator, combined with the global energy of the numerological 2 (and super number of 11), suggests that justice will be gained through cooperation -- wise cooperation because of the presented 11.

To summarize, 2008 came in presenting us with the opportunity for being #1. It turns out that we (we being the country) took this opportunity to become #1 in economic downturn. However, the Wheel turned and since the election we've shifted from the negative aspects of the number 1 (ego-mania, self-centeredness, greed, etc) to some of the positive aspects, eg. leadership (actual leadership not a guy in a flight suit declaring MISSION ACCOMPLISHED -- oy). Leadership that presently enjoys a 70+% approval rating. And as the Wheel makes its final spin (cross your fingers we don't land on that Bankrurtcy space!), we turn toward the opportunity for Justice to be had. For justice and cooperation. Of course, there is the opportunity as well to confuse justice with vengeance, but we'll see about that. But those are our opportunities, we may not take them.

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