Watcher Angel Tarot — Таро Ангелов-Стражей

МБК значения: Watcher Angel Tarot — Таро Ангелов-Стражей

 Watcher Angel Tarot перевод © Gabriel

THE WATCHER ANGEL TAROT
 
Tarot speaks to the part of our minds occupied with myth, vision, and dream. The Trumps in the Major Arcana tell a story of personal transformation, from the Fool to the World. Each suit also has its story to tell. Acknowledging this mythic aspect of the Tarot, the Watcher Angel deck enlarges upon the Tarot by merging it with the legend of the Watcher Angels— heavenly beings who chose to enter the earthly realm in pursuit of mortal love.
Fully revealed in The Book of Enoch, the legend of the Watchers involves a mighty empire that rose and fell in the days before the Flood. Promethean in nature, the Watchers err by caring too much about humanity, gifting mortals with forbidden knowledge. This story of the Watchers merges easily with the Tarot, as the entire cycle of the cards is concerned with the pursuit of hidden knowledge.
To highlight the story, each of the Tarot trumps in this deck is assigned a Watcher or a key figure from the myth. The suits each represent a different stage of the Watchers’ empire, from its early establishment to the strife-ridden days before the Flood. The result is a richly nuanced narrative that unfolds through the deck as a whole, revealing new depths to each card. It is a tale of the divine becoming human, and the human becoming divine.

THE MAJOR ARCANA
These 22 Trumps tell the story of the Watchers who left Heaven for a taste of mortal love.
0. THE FOOL: SHEMYAZA
The leader of the Watcher Angels 
The start of the journey; taking the leap. The loss or sacrifice of innocence for a deeper experience of the world. Blind faith. One who dares take action regardless of the consequences.
I. THE MAGICIAN: ARMAROS
Who taught the resolving of enchantments 
A master of appearances and manipulator of reality. Energy given form, and the imperfections that result. Sophomoric comprehension.
II. THE HIGH PRIESTESS: KASBIEL
A keeper of the Secret Name 
The anima. Keeper of mysteries and hidden truths. Gnosis. Occult knowledge revealed. An initiatory experience. Esoteric and interior revelation. An encounter with the ineffable.
III. THE EMPRESS: HANANEL
Whose name means «grace»
Mother as creatrix and guardian. The fertile force which gives life and can nurture it or stunt its growth. The incubation of forms, ideas, or causes. Fecundity. Love manifested as protectiveness or, negatively, as possessiveness.
IV. THE EMPEROR: AZAZEL
Who taught the arts of war
Father as autocrat and disciplinarian. Government. Conquest, expansion, action, and ambition. The potentially domineering force that provides structure and stability in society. A person, institution, or ideology that seeks to quell chaos, sometimes at the cost of freedom.
V. THE HIGH PRIEST: RAMIEL
Who interprets true visions
A mediator between the earthly and the divine. The interpretation and transmission of religious and/or spiritual revelation. Dogma. Doctrine. Religious authorities and institutions and the power they wield over lay practitioners.
VI. THE LOVERS: NA’AMAH
Beautiful maiden for whom angels fell 
Decisions. Temptation. Dualities. The simultaneous tension and attraction of opposites. The path of pleasure versus the path of wisdom.
VII. THE CHARIOT: ENOCH
Who was transported to the heavens 
Triumph, victory, and forward motion-specifically that achieved through the amelioration of powerful and potentially conflicting forces. Sublimation in a psychological sense. A unification after struggle.
VIII. STRENGTH: TURIEL
Whose name means «Rock of God.» 
Inner strength. Mental, spiritual, and/or emotional fortitude. Beauty conquers the beast. True power as the ability to yield. A surrender of Self and/or ego. Negatively: manipulation.
IX. THE HERMIT: PENEMUE
Who taught writing and wisdom 
The Wise Old Man who leads you back to yourself. The need to withdraw and seek within. A guide or mentor who manifests to help one navigate a dark or confusing time. Wisdom, offered or sought. Sometimes: a need for silence and/or secrecy.
X. THE WHEEL: URIEL AND RAPHAEL
Who revealed the course of the luminaries 
The machinery of fate. Forces beyond one’s control have influence over the outcome. The interconnected nature of the Universe. Destiny. Inexorable cycles. God is the machine.
XI. JUSTICE: SATARIEL
The veil which conceals the face of mercy 
Weighing the balance. Being measured and/or held accountable. Assessment. Probity. Equilibrium. Legal proceedings. A time to consider the justification of one’s actions. May indicate secular or divine justice. Karma.
XII. THE HANGED MAN: BARAQUIEL
Angel of Lightning, betwixt Heaven and Earth 
Insight acquired through self-sacrifice and discipline. The mind suspended within itself. An interruption. Penance. Transition. Renunciation. Psychological constriction. Withdrawal and reflection — possibly forced. Self-initiation.
XIII. DEATH: KASDEYA
Who taught death, even of unborn babes 
Change. Necessity and inevitability. A transition from one state to the next. Loss that makes room for something new. Sacrifice that leads to transformation. A period of destruction where one is stripped of illusions. Learning to let go.
XIV. TEMPERANCE: ZAQUIEL
Whose name means «purity» 
Moderation. Balance. Compromise. Mixing two things to create something new. A delicate blending of disparate states: flesh and spirit,
intellect and emotion, A process of refinement, purification, or homogenization. Inner alchemy.
XV. THE DEVIL: SETNAEL
Who rebelled and made war in Heaven 
Spirit’s descent into flesh — and subsequent distraction by it. Sensuality. Excess. Addiction. Obsession. A challenge of limits or boundaries. Things, people, or states that are dangerous, yet seductive. Bondage, mental or spiritual, with the implication of a willful surrender.
XVI. THE TOWER: MOUNT HERMON
Where the Watchers first vowed to leave 
Destruction. Ruin. The price of hubris. Ambition laid low. Disaster brought upon oneself. Calamity and disgrace. Sudden and devastating insight. Pride that leads to one’s downfall.
XVII. THE STAR: KOKABIEL
Who taught the signs of the stars 
Hope. A guiding principle. Renewal in the wake of destruction. A glimmer of light in the darkness. The promise of better things to come. Surcease to sorrow. Cosmic forces offer healing for mind, body, or soul.
XVIII. THE MOON: SARIEL
Who taught the courses of the Moon 
A light that can reveal or mislead. Deception. Illusion. Dreams. Forces released from the unconscious, primal and uncontrolled. Intuition. Emotion. Instinct. Things are not what they seem.
XIX. THE SUN: SHAMSIEL
Who taught the signs of the Sun 
Splendor. Radiance. Illumination. That which is made manifest. Supreme consciousness. Secrets exposed and understood. The naked truth. Joy. Happiness. Triumph.
XX. JUDGMENT: MICHAEL
Who carried out the judgment of God 
A final decision. A sentence passed and implemented. Resolution. A literal judgment, forcing a choice. No more room for negotiation or appeal. Can be positive or negative.
XXI. THE WORLD: METATRON
Who was Enoch, transfigured in Heaven 
Apotheosis. Transfiguration. The Great Work complete. The end of one cycle and the beginning of the next. Completion of the journey. Refinement of Self. Perfection. Mystical union or atonement. Eternal return.

PENTACLES
Pentacles represent earth, material possessions, and crafted works. In the Watcher Tarot, the Pentacles also represent the time when the Watchers first established themselves on Earth. The blue star in the entwined pentacles represents energy moving toward spirit. The red star represents energy moving toward flesh.
ACE OF PENTACLES: Production. The start of a new project. A beginning related to money, work, and/or physical creation. A new job; entering into a period of material gain.
TWO OF PENTACLES: Integration. Decisions. The combination of two disparate things. A partnership or working relationship. Opposites that compliment one another.
THREE OF PENTACLES: Craftsmanship. Labor that bears fruit. Hard work made enjoyable through strength of purpose. Production. Focus. The development of skill.
FOUR OF PENTACLES: Stability. Wealth which demands protection. A desire to keep what one has. Sometimes: miserliness.
FIVE OF PENTACLES: Poverty. Instability in one’s assets or home. Anxiety over losses, either real, potential, or perceived. A feeling of being vulnerable and unable to adequately provide.
SIX OF PENTACLES: Generosity. Charity. The desire and ability to provide for others. Gift-giving. Abundance that leads to philanthropy.
SEVEN OF PENTACLES: Expectation. The wait for work to come to fruition. The need for patience in the current endeavor. Labor that may produce results, but only after time and/or struggle. Also: uncertainty. Risk. Potential loss.
EIGHT OF PENTACLES: Apprenticeship. A period of learning. Applied knowledge. The development of skill for future reward. Honing existing skills or returning to learn a new trade.
NINE OF PENTACLES: Inheritance. Luxury. Enjoyment of the fruits of shared labors. Creativity given its richest expression. Projects that are not only successful but also elegant and beautiful.
TEN OF PENTACLES: Prosperity. Security. The fullness of material things. Abundance brought about through dedicated work.
PAGE OF PENTACLES: The Student, An individual working toward mastery of a skill or art, who still has progress yet to be made. A quiet, introverted person often focused on study, reading, or work. Conveys messages concerning career, money, health, or projects.
KNIGHT OF PENTACLES: The Artisan. A person learning skill with their hands. Someone who creates tangible and practical items, focused on both form and function. Someone who challenges others to justify the time and effort invested in their work.
QUEEN OF PENTACLES: The Nurturer. Someone with poise and confidence who uses these in support of others. A caregiver. Someone who provides the financial security or material stability necessary for another to flourish. Someone who supports and encourages growth in others.
KING OF PENTACLES: The Provider. An organized person who helps labors to bear fruit. Someone who takes charge of projects and material gains, guiding them toward their optimal conclusion. A stable and secure individual who can serve as the lynch-pin for financial, practical, and material development.

CUPS
Cups are connected with the element of water, emotions, creativity, and the psychic realm. Within the narrative of the Watchers, the Cups represent a dream-like age of art and beauty that blossoms after the age of the Pentacles.
ACE OF CUPS: Inspiration. New feelings and/or visions. The start of a new emotional experience. The spark of creativity. Art. Beauty. Sensuality beginning to unfold.
Two of Cups: Union. An engagement or marriage. The blossoming of a new romance. Embarking on a creative or artistic endeavor with a new partner. The start of a deep and emotionally rewarding friendship.
Three of Cups: Pleasure. Friendship. Enjoyment in the company of others. Expanding on previous connections. The deepening or development of feelings. Some older systems equate this card with the three graces.
Four of Cups: Introspection. A period of reflection brought about by a surfeit of emotion. A need to detach and reassess. Boredom or apathy, possibly due to overstimulation. A time to withdraw and look within.
Five of Cups: Loss. Disappointment. Frustrated expectations. Miscarriage. A relationship is suddenly cut short. Some hope remains but the sense of despair may be overwhelming.
Six of Cups: Nostalgia. A return to something familiar and enjoyable. Happy memories. Gazing backwards to pleasant times. Joys that have come and gone, but may return in a new form.
Seven of Cups: Illusions. Visions and dreams which have import but may also mislead. The need for discernment in the present matter. Shifting through superficial or tempting appearances. Choosing what to believe.
Eight of Cups: Departure. Leaving home. Abandoning one way of life for something new. Becoming restless with the familiar and striking out for the unknown. A sense of loss, uncertainty, or dissatisfaction while being in transition.
Nine of Cups: Wishes. The fulfillment of desire. Getting what you want (though perhaps not always what you need). Magick as an act of Will. Manifesting desire.
Ten of Cups: Fulfillment. Getting not only what one desires, but also what one needs to flourish. Joy shared among friends and/or family. Love in its perfected state. A fullness of emotion.
Page of Cups: The Dreamer. Someone easily overtaken by visions and/or emotions. An idealist, perhaps unprepared for reality. Someone who brings messages about love, emotion, visions, and the psychic realm.
Knight of Cups: The Lover. An individual focused on romance and seduction. Passion that is fierce yet fickle. A love for falling into love, but the end result may be superficial.
Queen of Cups: The Seer. A woman of vision, in touch with her intuition and feelings. Someone who nurtures psychic perception and/or creative inspiration. A muse. A guide who teaches from the heart, encouraging insight and reflection.
King of Cups: The Dilettante. A sensitive man, in touch with or ruled by his feelings. An artist, actor, or performer, charismatic but potentially superficial. Someone who is attractive and well-loved but can be self-absorbed or pretentious. Adept at presenting one face to the world while still keeping his secrets.

WANDS
Wands are fire and energy, both potential and realized. Here, that energy is released so the pips become swirling balls of force. The Wands are set in a competetive age when people strive to master the Watchers’ magickal arts.
Ace of Wands: Energy. Kinesthetic, magickal, or creative potential. A volatile process in the moment prior to the introduction of a catalyst. Spirit and/or form on the verge of transformation.
Two of Wands: Inception. The beginning of realized power. Awakening one’s magickal and/or creative potential. The release of latent energy. Exerting Will upon the visible world.
Three of Wands: Development. Giving expression to thoughts and/or dreams. Learning to harness inner power and express it in the external world. Establishing one’s strength and/or skill.
Four of Wands: Achievement. Perfected work. Manifestation of self. Satisfaction with a recent effort or enterprise. Realizing one’s potential.
Five of Wands: Challenge. Competition. Struggling through a difficult task or situation. An effort or activity that narrows one’s focus, possibly to the exclusion of all else. Fear of inadequacy fueling a desire to succeed.
Six of Wands: Victory. Triumph after struggle. Gaining confidence. Reaching a stable place of power in one’s growth and development. Welcome news.
Seven of Wands: Adversity. Encountering opposition. The need for courage in the face of conflict. An unexpected challenge. A loss of control and the fear that comes with it.
Eight of Wands: Movement. Progression. A transition. Forces, plans, or activities moving forward at a swift pace. Pioneering concepts or perceptions. An expansion of power, understanding, or realization.
Nine of Wands: Perseverance. Dedication that pays off. Persisting in one’s efforts until the desired goal is obtained. A mastery of power through consistent effort and hard work.
Ten of Wands: Stagnation. Profligate power which threatens to oppress even its user. Growth or change that outpace one’s ability .to process and adapt. Progress and/or work pursued to the point of exhaustion. Too much too fast.
Page of Wands: The Free Spirit. A person unburdened by convention who audaciously makes his or her own rules. A restless, yearning individual, impatient, always seeking another insight, evolution, or experience.
Knight of Wands: The Instigator. An intense and impulsive individual, full of pride. He may present himself as an adversary, forcing growth through struggle. He has a hot temper and does not easily back down. He can bring about great growth or great harm by pushing limits.
Queen of Wands: The Guide. Passionate and insightful, she possesses an unyielding sense of self which inspires others. She can seem haughty and cruel, but her courage often serves as an example to those she has taken under her wing.
King of Wands: The Visionary. Confident and proud, he knows his desires and does not hesitate to pursue them. He possesses the charisma of a great leader or a dangerous tyrant. He can be hasty and cruel, with a violent streak. His self-confidence and unwavering will make him a force to be reckoned with.

SWORDS
Swords are tied to the element air and represent intellect, ideologies, and conflicts. As the final suit of the Watcher Angel Tarot, Swords are set in a time where society devolves into warfare and struggle due to conflicting ideals.
Ace of Swords: Conquest. A change or redirection of power. Nascent force used for protection, triumph, or destruction. The beginning of conflict.
Two of Swords: Stalemate. A struggle where no one is the winner. Divided viewpoints. Opposing forces locked in balance, for the moment.
Three of Swords: Sorrow. The sense of loss that comes in the wake of difficult choices. A schism among family or friends. Being torn between loyalties or ideologies. Mourning words, thoughts, or actions that cannot be undone.
Four of Swords: Recuperation. A moment of rest in the midst of struggle. A period of recovery and/ or seclusion, possibly forced. Recovery from loss and/or illness. Retreat.
Five of Swords: Defeat. Dishonor. Submission. A feeling of being overwhelmed. Yielding to a superior force, be this another person, a circumstance, or simply fate.
Six of Swords: Passage. A journey. Movement, which may involve struggle, from one place, idea, or state of being to the next. Travel.
Seven of Swords: Betrayal. Theft. Shady dealings. A need for caution. Anxiety over exposure. A situation requires cunning, and even then success is uncertain.
Eight of Swords: Imprisonment. A sense of being surrounded on all sides by restrictive and/or threatening forces. Overwhelmed by too many people, ideas, or choices. Mental paralysis. Indecision.
Nine of Swords: Nightmares. A period of great anxiety, restlessness, or fear. Struggling with inner or outer demons, whether real or imagined. Doubts about actions, beliefs, or people.
Ten of Swords: Tragedy. The darkest hour before the dawn. Being isolated in one’s thoughts, beliefs, and/or ideologies. A loss of everything one has valued coupled with a need to move on.
Page of Swords: The Mediator. Someone who serves as a messenger, diplomat, or spy. A person with a logical and detail-oriented mind — and a vengeful streak. An individual who seeks to speak to both sides of an issue with an eye toward resolution or triumph.
Knight of Swords: The Philosopher. A warrior whose battleground is the mind and/or the realm of words. Courageous and clever, with the potential to be overbearing. A fierce intellect that may be divorced from emotion or the practical application of ideals.
Queen of Swords: The Strategist. Someone who relies on patience, cunning, and superior intellect. Professional, organized, driven. She is perceptive and articulates her plans with confidence. She sometimes makes choices without consideration or value for their emotional impact.
King of Swords: The Judge. A cunning observer who measures the worth of actions, ideals, and/or people and who does not hesitate to remove anything perceived as flawed or wanting. Someone who imposes his thoughts or values upon others. Can be harsh, plotting, or over-cautious.

SPREADS
The Tarot is classed as a tool of divination, but this can be misleading. The cards do not foretell a set future but rather offer insight into possible paths. Their greatest use is as a tool of introspection, allowing us to recognize truths in our lives that we have forgotten or overlooked. They are not focused solely on the future, but can help us understand both the past and the present so we can make better choices about our goals.
To do a reading with the Tarot, one must shuffle the deck and draw one or more cards, arranging them in one of several predetermined patterns. The pattern in which one lays out the cards for a reading is known as a Tarot spread. Often, each position in the pattern has a different significance, such as Family or Romance.
Drawing cards for a spread is done with a question in mind. The person with the question is called the querent. Sometimes a card is selected prior to the reading to represent the querent in the spread. This card is called the significator. In the Watcher Angel Tarot, there is an optional Seeker card. This card can be used as a universal significator so that all readings are done with a complete deck.
Once cards are drawn for a spead, the meanings of the cards are then interpreted in relation to the question and also in relation to one another. The simplest spread involves a question with a yes/no answer and a single drawn card. The next simplest is a spread with three cards, representing the past, the present, and the possible future. One of the most common Tarot spreads is known as the Celtic Cross. This spread is described below:
Celtic Cross Spread
1. Covers Querent
2. Crosses Querent
3. Basis
4. Past Influence
5. Pending Influence
6. Future Event
7. Internal Environment
8. External Environment
9. Hopes & Fears
10. Outcome
   
If a significator is used with the Celtic Cross spread, it is placed face-up and becomes the center of the cross. Thereafter, once the cards have been shuffled, they are laid out in the order shown above. The first card covers the significator, symbolically also «covering» the querent. Thus, position number 1 represents forces working for the querent in the question or situation at hand. 2 crosses them, representing forces that work against the querent. 3 is under the querent and represents issues that serve as the basis or foundation for the focus of the reading. 4 represents forces or influences moving into the past. 5 represents forces or influences that may lie in the future. 6 represents an event or influence that definitely lies in the future. The 7th position represents the querent’s internal environment: influences that come from within mind, heart, and soul. The 8th position represents the external environment: friends, family, and other individuals who may have an impact upon the querent in the current situation. The 9th position represents the querent’s emotional investment in the situation: their hopes for the outcome, and—as they are directly connected to hopes, also the querent’s fears. Finally, the 10th card indicates the outcome. It is important to note that the outcome of all readings is merely a potential future, dependent upon many different factors—especially the actions and decisions of the querent. There are some variants to the Celtic Cross primarily in how each assigns meanings to the different stations. When in doubt, follow your intuition. It will be your best guide as you learn to work with the cards. Enjoy!

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