The Ninth House
The 9th House rules philosophy, ideals, the Higher Mind and the metaphysical realm
Friday 5 April 2024
The Eleventh House: The House of Community, Technology, Revolution & Innovation
Sunday 6 March 2022
Lover's Year 2022: Covid, Family Commitments and Personal Breakthroughs
It's been 7 years since I last posted! This goes to show that the '7 year itch' is not a myth......
Serendipitously, it's my 'Lover's Year' (VI) again in tarot numerology, as I've been fortuitously led to post again on one of the most significant numerology years of my life cycle. In my last Lover's Year 9 years ago in 2013, I was making important relationship choices, exploring unconventional routes, and making huge career breakthroughs. Will my Lover's Year of 2022 be the same?
Nine years later, I've since been happily married with an adorable son. Suffice it to say that I don't have the same type of relationship choices to make as in my dating years. I've also retired from teaching, so there are no more boundaries to cross and stuffy, insidious balls to break 😝. However, I have embarked on a brand-new endeavour: novel writing! As I've grown tired of academic writing that hardly escapes the ivory tower and never reaches the readership of which it studies - a sad and ironical fact. I'm therefore determined to take my work unto a completely different level where it can reach mass, unprecedented audiences and make a profound difference in society. It's high time I pay homage to my writer heroes Jane Austen and J.K. Rowling, and hopefully follow in the footsteps of John Grisham and Dan Brown who have successfully fused professional knowledge with entertainment value and literary pizazz!
Lover's Year is also about relating to people in every sense. Ever since the year began, I have been feeling nostalgic about memories with family members, which resulted in my compulsive construction of family albums that documented weddings, family trips, graduations and births and what not, in hopes to preserve these cherished memories. I even found myself tearing up while watching The Sound of Music with my son, as I reminisced about my own childhood days watching it with my own parents. To be able to share one's beloved childhood songs, books and movies with one's own offspring is a most divine blessing. 🙏
The formidable and inexorable Covid-19 pandemic also served to heighten one's sense of family and relationality. What with the social distancing rules and threats of lockdown to occur at any time, families in the same city can rarely see each other for fear of cross-contamination. This makes us seriously question our commitment to family; whether we are doing enough for aged parents. What happens if we don't get to see them again during these turbulent times? It's sad enough that thousands of old people have died an earlier than expected death after contracting the deadly virus......shouldn't we cherish what we have before it's too late?
I sincerely hope that in my last Lover's Year of my life cycle - ( yes, there comes a time for each numerological year to end after several occurrences, eg: it was my last Hierophant Year (V) in 2012 - hence marks the end of my era of teaching and conventional constraints after 2021.) - I can come away with the lessons I'm supposed to learn about love and commitment, and achieve my own great personal breakthrough.
It's also worth mentioning that with the disappearance of one numerology year comes a brand new one at the end of one's 9-year cycle. In my case, last year I experienced for the first time the Temperance Year (XIV) which was all about healing and purging of bodily ailments. Sure enough, my whole last year was spent visiting doctors, going for both alternative and conventional treatments, and trying to balance mind, body and spirit. I hope I did achieve what was meant to and that I have come out of it a healthier and more wholesome person. So this year, I hope I can achieve all of my family goals and to go where no academic has gone before: the magical world of fiction.
Thursday 24 September 2015
Virgo and Cancer
The power of sign compatibility cannot be underestimated. My own example is the best one.
For as long as I can remember, I've always gravitated toward Cancerians wherever I went. All throughout high school, university, master's, PhD, the workplace....it seems as though everywhere I go, I could not escape the claws of the crab. Virtually all of my close friends I've met throughout my life are Cancerian crabs. It is difficult to deny that like-minds and like-personalities naturally attract each other. This Virgo-Cancer sextile (60 degrees) aspect can weather many storms, and the karmic tie between them is unbreakable.
When I first sat down and talked to the guy who was to become my boyfriend, I felt an instant sense of calmness and familiarity that is characteristically exuded by Cancerians. Gentle, nurturing, and emotionally attuned creatures, I felt so at ease in his presence, even though it was literally the first time we met. I felt like I wanted to share much more about myself than I normally would, as I felt so safe and understood. The feeling was confirmed when we met again for dinner with just the two of us and talked for four hours straight until the restaurant closed!
Of course, sign compatibility alone cannot have led to this type of strong rapport, as we also shared a very similar educational, family, and cultural background as well. Serendipitously, we were both only children; both studied in the same kindergarten; our high schools were in the same district and were considered 'partner' schools; he used to live in the building literally at the foot of my high school where my classmate also lived (and it was where I hung out during lunch and after-school almost every day!) We were also in the UK for our tertiary education; and unsurprisingly, because we were in the same year, we shared some mutual friends. I would say that these external circumstances formed the skeleton or basis of our compatibility, and then it was our sign compatibility - aka similarities of personality - that sprinkled our union with magic dust and sealed it in for the long term. Evidently, it was this combination of similar socioeconomic backgrounds and personalities (signs) that constituted the perfect formula for successful coupling.
I looked further into our charts and saw that my boyfriend's Moon and Ascendant are in Earth sign Capricorn, perfectly complementing my Virgo Sun! Not only am I highly attuned to his watery essence, but perfectly compatible with his earthy disposition. Cancer and Capricorn are on the same axis and in 'opposition', which means that, like all signs which are 180 degrees apart, they are of compatible elements (water and earth or fire and air) but 'complementary', meaning that what one is, the other is not. That explains why my boyfriend exudes the gentle and compassionate qualities of a typical Cancerian, but can also be unflinchingly decisive and unyielding in certain areas of life like a severe Capricorn. My detailed chart analysis totally dispelled his longstanding doubts regarding his personality conflicts. What's even more unbelievable is that my boyfriend's Sun is in the 6th house of Virgo, and my own Moon is in the 4th house of Cancer! Things really cannot get more fated than our Suns and Moons being in the houses that are ruled by each other's signs. We really are meant to be. Had I mentioned that my Mars is in Cancer, meaning that I'm irresistibly attracted to Cancerian men in the first place? His Venus, meanwhile, is in Gemini (he is subconsciously drawn to sharp and witty women), and it just so happens that Virgo and Gemini share the same ruler (Mercury).......
I'm constantly amazed by how our bodies and our feelings never lie. Even in the very beginning when I hardly knew my boyfriend at all, I already felt strangely attracted to him, and an accidental touching of our hands sent an electric current surging through my body. It was a truly 'electrifying' experience! Being both cautious and self-protective signs, we both could not contain our feelings for long due to the transcendental currents at work. The experience was truly awe-inspiring. Since then, I, as well as people around me who have heard about my serendipitous encounter, are all thoroughly convinced that the *perfect match* can only be induced by a combination of socioeconomic plus astrological sign compatibility. I can't believe how lucky I am. Thus, I have made it my quest to help others achieve the same kind of divine union that I have.
Tuesday 7 January 2014
Looking Back on the Lessons of the Lovers Tarot Card
Three out of the five of the 'relationship heroines' seemed to be heading toward - or are already suffering, perhaps - the fate that I myself had. Does this mean that being bold and fearless and taking the plunge and going with the heart instead of the head doesn't necessarily pay off? What happened and why did we fail so miserably?
What I learnt out of this experience, painful as it was, was that each year's lesson stays with you and becomes a part of you after it is learnt. Looking back now, I can see that the shattered promises of my relationship has now become a part of me. Not in a negative way though. Perhaps I was over-optimistic that the relationship challenge, if overcome, would guarantee blissful permanence unto the rest of my life. But it turns out that the universe has a timing system. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be. For now, or forever. We don't know, do we? Not until the universe thinks it is time to reveal the outcome. Or when we ourselves are ready. It is no doubt a valuable lesson learnt, and integrated, if we are lucky enough to live through it.
The Lovers tarot card is all about choices. How do we know if we are making the right choice? Looking back, it seems as though we're drawn to making that choice, or taking the plunge no matter what at that time. I don't think anyone can resist that opportunity, or that magnetic force, and would've plunged against all odds or amidst all voices of dissent. The lesson of the Lovers card was about making an important relationship choice in order to purge our demons and previous inhibitions.
Me and my BFF went through the same thing this year peculiarly, as our fates are more or less tied together sharing the same Life numbers and Year numbers. We both went through the painful lesson of the Lovers year. It's hard to say if it signifies 'The End' to that particular relationship that we were drawn to purge. But at least we know we are put through a challenge that we could not overcome at this moment, due to timing, practical constraints, value differences etc. What drew us to these difficult and contestable relationships in the first place? Karma, supposedly. It's the only explanation that makes sense. Perhaps we thought that the Lovers year was a time of culmination for our relationships - since it lured us to take the plunge no matter how improbable or controversial right? Everyone said 'No, it won't work!' 'No, he's not suitable!' 'No, you can do better!' 'No, please reconsider!' Somehow we are driven to stick with our choices anyway, because we believe that we can finally overcome our difficulties with our steely determination and strong free will. And so we take the plunge....and we get hurt because indeed, like everyone said, it did not work out.
What did we learn from this? That we shouldn't have taken the risk? That we should've been more practical to begin with? That we should've listened to other people's practical advice because we weren't objective enough? That we could've prevented all this pain and misery in the first place if we just resisted acting on our impulses?
It's so difficult to say whether there are regrets or not in our choices last year. I think we were really meant to take the plunge and go with our heart's true desire. I think it was meant to cost us blood, sweat and tears. That's all a part of the package of the year's lesson. To learn to deal with the excruciating pain that comes with the delectable passion is part of the deal. As to how this lesson is integrated into our future lives.....I can say that perhaps we have to believe in Divine Timing and that there are forces beyond our control. We are very diminutive in this regard. We may be able to control our external environment in many ways, ie: we work hard to make a good living, we study hard to gain a good education......but there is one thing that is outside our control - relating to others. When it comes to human interaction, there is nothing we can do when the Other does not comply. We may try hard to persuade, to impress, to serve, and to love, but ultimately, we cannot control what the Other thinks. We may think that what we are doing is good for both of us, or what we are sacrificing is enough to get us through life's difficulties, but the Other may not think it is enough, and may not be fulfilled as it is. The lesson of the Lovers card is that relating to others is perhaps the most difficult lesson of all. Because we simply cannot control what others think and do. And that is completely baffling and painful to those of us who have had our whole entire lives under control. Or maybe we think we do, until this moment when we finally encounter something we cannot change, no matter how hard we try. Others, just like us, have a free will and Divine Timing of their own, and that is fair enough.
A lesson of relating to others is invaluable, and it has made us more humble, less self-centred, less complacent, and more considerate for the rest of our lives.
Tuesday 22 January 2013
Tarot Numerology I: Year of the Lovers Card
I can't believe it's been more than 2 years since I last posted!! By now I've already finished my PhD and embarked on my teaching and publishing career. It's been such a long and insightful journey. When I first started my blog in 2009, I was in my 1st Year of PhD and it was my 'Justice' year in the tarot numerology (Year 11). For those who don't know, how you calculate your tarot year is much like how you would calculate your classic numerology year, that is, by adding your birth date and the year in question (eg: if someone was born on 1st of January, then you add 1 +1 + 2013 = 2015, then 2 + 0 + 1 + 5 = 8, and your tarot year is '8', meaning 'Strength'). The key difference between tarot numerology and classic numerology is that instead of ending at '9' and starting again at '1' to mark 9-year cycles, in tarot numerology, you retain the 2-digits instead of adding it all up to single digits. For instance, '10' would not be 1 + 0 = 1, but would be just '10', which is a 'Wheel of Fortune' year of new beginnings - same connotation as a Year 1 in classic numerology.
In the year that followed, which was my Hanged Man year (12), I turned completely within and started to delve really seriously into spiritual phenomena, such as tarot, angel cards, meditation, and books on past life regression. It was a hugely spiritual year with long-lasting effects, as I could still call upon the knowledge I acquired back then whenever I felt lost and needed some guidance from Above. In my Death year (13), I was finishing up my PhD, so it definitely signaled an ending of my student life, and to the years of research on my thesis. I remember it wasn't particularly painful as all Death years suggested, because it was a natural progression that I was to finish, and I welcomed the prospect immensely. However, it was a stressful and emotionally high-strung year precisely because I was rushing to finish. I was glad that I had the preparation from the year before, and that I could utilize my spiritual tools to help me get through that stressful period. Finally, last year I began a new chapter of my life in my Hierophant year (5). You might ask why it came back to 5 instead of 14, following the year 13. It just so happened that 5 appeared when adding up 2012 to my birthdate; this suggested that I was not yet ready to embark on a Temperance year (14) yet, and had to begin again at 5 and learn the lessons of the Hierophant. But in my next cycle in 2020, I will have a chance to embark on a Year 14 and learn the lessons of Temperance. Meanwhile, my last Hierophant year (5) was really all about learning and teaching and adapting to established systems and traditional structures. Upon graduation, I had joined a university as a teaching staff, and was a member of a most established institution if there ever was one. In that same year, I also found myself being quite conventional in all other areas of my life.....and yet I was to rebel against all of these in my Lovers year.
I already felt the inklings of the Lovers year (6) towards the middle of December 2012. If Hierophant year is about established thoughts and taken for granted assumptions about what is right and what is wrong, then Lovers year is about asking yourself if you genuinely identify with these ongoing conventions on a soul level, and if you're denying yourself the chance to choose differently than everyone else. I had always thought that I was 'conventional' in a lot of ways, and that my life was going to follow a very 'conventional' trajectory. My idea was that I was going to have a stable career that brought me a decent living and good social status. Being a college professor was definitely going to get me there. In the area of personal life, I envisioned myself marrying someone who was a few years older, had a promising and stable career, and a good-natured and reliable temperament. In other words, someone who was quite 'conventional' in every way. A lot of my friends are living that type of life, shouldn't I be aspiring towards the same? My parents would certainly like that, as they too lead very 'conventional' lives. I made a promise to my parents - and mostly to myself, fair enough - last year that I'd live my life that way, that I'd choose the most stable path - in life and love. But into my Lovers year, I was jerked out of my comfort zone, and I suddenly realized how unconventional my dreams and aspirations really were! For instance, my PhD topic itself on 'leftover' women in China's marriage market was totally controversial - nothing boring and generic there. The fact that I composed an article in a scholarly journal on such an un-scholarly and popular topic was another tell-tale sign. On top of that, I made a video abstract for my paper which had skits edited into it, which was a complete breakthrough as it rendered previously serious journal article abstracts entertaining for the very first time. Surely there is nothing conventional about any of these actions. This certainly warrants my being with someone who also wasn't 'conventional' in that sense; someone who had big, bold and far-reaching dreams, and wasn't afraid to pursue them. Someone who - I discovered in retrospect - was always one step ahead, and tried to tell me so time and time again, but of course, I had lacked the vision and experience to understand back then. But with the initiation into the Lovers year, it all becomes clear to me, as I gradually and irrevocably shed all of my previous inhibitions and become imbued with unprecedented courage and determination to choose according to my heart's true desire.
I owe it to my bold, audacious, and inspirational girlfriends SH, AL, WK & KL who have remained true to themselves in spite of challenges and controversy, and had the guts to follow their hearts and their instincts steadfastly, which has eventually led them to be with their one True Love.