Remembering: the Soul of You: Archetypes, Beliefs, Tarot and You
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About this ebook
Meyrene Cowell
Meyrene worked for almost 30 years in the field of education. She specialised in teaching children who had barriers to learning and eventually she rose to the position of deputy-head at a school for extraordinary, or specialised, education. She has also spent almost twenty-years exploring the Tarot that led Since her husband retired; after a career spanning more than 40 years in aviation, which included many years as a senior captain on international routes, they began to visit campsites widely through Africa; they still enjoying the sight of the wild life, the landscapes, sunsets, night skies and the many gifts that this beautiful continent has to offer. These ventures into isolated places was where Meyrene began to develop her passion for the 'truths', wisdom and knowledge that the ancient First People of Africa held dear and which were common to many other ancient groups, and sects, of people world-wide who believed in the greatness of Spirit and who honoured Earth, all her people and the creatures too. her to understanding the concept of archetypes. This journey became the blueprint which enriched her journey into self-awareness and provided her with opportunities for growth.
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Remembering - Meyrene Cowell
Copyright © 2021 Meyrene Cowell.
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Scripture taken from the World English Bible (WEB). Public Domain.
ISBN: 978-1-9822-5623-4 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-9822-5625-8 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-9822-5624-1 (e)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020919254
Balboa Press rev. date: 10/27/2021
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting. Heaven lies about us in our infancy.
– William Wordsworth
1.jpgThis book is dedicated to all who have held the Light of Truth aloft, as well as those who have seen the light that shines from the lamp of The Hermit and have awoken from their ‘slumber’.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD
WHAT IS AN ARCHETYPE?
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
ARCHETYPE: THE FOOL OR SHAPE-SHIFTER
CHAPTER 1: THE CARD WITH NO NUMBER THE SHAPE-SHIFTER
ARCHETYPE: THE MAGICIAN OR VISIONARY
CHAPTER 2: THE VISIONARY
CHAPTER 3: THE VISIONARY BECOMES THE COMPASSIONATE MEDIATOR
CHAPTER 4: THE ‘BE-DEVIL-LED’ VISIONARY BECOMES A MASTER BUILDER
ARCHETYPE: THE HIGH PRIESTESS OR INTUITIVE ONE
CHAPTER 5: THE INTUITIVE ONE
CHAPTER 6: THE INTUITIVE BECOMES THE HERMIT: THE LONE TRAVELLER
CHAPTER 7: THE INTUITIVE ONE BECOMES A MASTERFUL TEACHER
ARCHETYPE: THE EMPRESS OT ICONIC ROLE MODEL
CHAPTER 8: THE ICONIC ROLE MODEL
CHAPTER 9: THE ICONIC ROLE MODEL SEEKS A SENSE OF PEACE
CHAPTER 10: THE ICONIC ROLE MODEL BECOMES A MASTER PERFORMER: HER INNER-STAR GUIDES HER
ARCHETYPE: THE EMPEROR OR ICONIC LEADER
CHAPTER 11: THE ICONIC LEADER
CHAPTER 12: THE ICONIC LEADER BECOMES A FORCE FOR GOOD
CHAPTER 13: THE ICONIC LEADER BECOMES THE MASTER DIRECTOR OF HIS LIFE
ARCHETYPE: THE POPE OR LIFE COACH
CHAPTER 14: THE LIFE COACH
CHAPTER 15: THE LIFE COACH FEELS THE DANCE OF HIS SOUL STIRRING WITHIN HIM
CHAPTER 16: THE LIFE COACH RECOGNISES HIS OWN ‘SON’-LIGHT
ARCHETYPE: THE LOVER OR GO(o)DMAN OR GO(o)DWOMAN
CHAPTER 17: THE GO(O)D-MAN
CHAPTER 18: THE GO(o)D-MAN LEARNS ABOUT THE ILLUSIONS OF OUR EARTHLY REALITY
CHAPTER 19: THE GO(o)D-MAN BECOMES A MASTER OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND ASKS, WHO AM I TO JUDGE?
ARCHETYPE: THE CHARIOT OR STUDENT OF LIFE
CHAPTER 20: THE STUDENT OF LIFE
CHAPTER 21: THE STUDENT OF LIFE IS TEMPERED BY THE HAND OF GOD
CHAPTER 22: THE STUDENT OF LIFE UNITES WITH HIS REGAL SOUL: HE AWAKENS THE WORLD THROUGH HIS PASSION
THE FINAL WORD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FOREWORD
When my husband’s career took us away from the comfort and support of family and friends, as well as the familiarity of my home town, I was young; a woman in her thirties. My life became very busy as I focussed on the day-to-day routine of home and my passion for teaching children with learning challenges. My husband, a commercial pilot, was often away, flying locally and abroad and there were many moments of aloneness.
At times, my mother, Ethena Shear, would come to visit us from Cape Town and on one such occasion, she brought with her a pack of the Waite Tarot cards. The cards fascinated me; my journey had begun.
With my interest piqued, I began to read. Books and articles came my way and I dabbled in reading my own cards. Occasionally, I entertained family and friends with my new skills and amazed myself at what I instinctively knew.
My mother played a further pivotal hand in my journey with the Tarot, when on another visit to our home, she gifted me with a book written by Sallie Nichols, entitled ‘Jung and the Tarot’. This book lay in a cupboard for a number of years until our two children, now adults, followed their own paths to maturity and Malcolm and I moved back to Cape Town.
I began a new career venture and my husband continued to fly internationally. With my responsibilities diminishing, there was more opportunity to devote time to myself. Again, through the guidance of my mother I joined a ‘mystery school’. In this environment, I grew both spiritually and emotionally. I am eternally grateful to Silke and Chris Erasmus, especially for the channellings that came through the latter. It was at their home that I was introduced to the teachings of St Germain and other ‘masters’. Whether these messages came from a ‘higher source’ or from Chris’ inner ‘knowing’ matters not. What I learned was life-changing.
According to Silke, Chris had no previous knowledge of the Tarot and yet through his willingness to tap into the ‘energy’ of the master-teachers, he taught me to recognise the mystery and patterns concealed specifically in the Marseilles Tarot pack. I was encouraged to compile a book on archetypes and to modernise the teachings as much as possible. Hence, this book, which is a journey into the symbols reflecting the ancient wisdom of the Egyptians and Gnostics.
Remembering: The Soul of You is the result of twenty years of study and research and it has taken me more than sixteen-years to compile this book. I have physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually lived each of the 22 Major Arcana cards. The words I have written are the culmination of decades of living the challenges, experiencing the emotions and internalising the messages of each card and in so doing I have gained many insights about myself.
I have no psychology qualifications, beyond a first-year university course, so everything written is based upon my own life journey. Every exercise, meditation or question came to me during my own time of need and spiritual growth. It was imperative, at times, for me to reach out for help. Please take responsibility for your own learning too. In your own moment of need and uncertainty please approach friends, family or a therapist; separating one’s ‘self’ from others and handling the challenging times on one’s own, isolates us from the love and compassion that is available to us.
Ironically, one of the most important realisations I reached was - that I am my own best teacher. It took honesty as well as the willingness to be awake to all the feedback that I received from my soul. I learned how to have the eyes to truly see and the ears to hear my inner voice. Most importantly though, I also put aside judgements of myself, and of others too, and found the strength to step back and allow my family and friends to walk their own journeys. This was one of my hardest lessons… as I was so used to being in control.
Knowing the depth of my soul has helped me to become a more competent wife, mother, grandmother and friend. When I reel from some setback I automatically reach for my cards, however, it has been my mother and my closest friend, Lisa Johnson, who have stood like pillars beside me; faithfully believing in me and my purpose. There were other wise people who supported me when I wobbled and it is, without a doubt, those who are dearest to me, who taught me the most wisdom.
My husband, Malcolm, is The Emperor in my life. He has loved and supported me and always encouraged me to be my unique ‘self’, modelling for me the most appropriate way to speak the truth and set boundaries. Our daughter, Karin is an Empress, who has taught me, amongst other things, about forgiveness through love and laughter and how to break the barriers of expectation; while Grant, my son, Magician-like has taught me how to be authentic and compassionate. His belief and faith in himself have led him to attain so many goals. It has been a marvel to watch his life magically unfold.
The children born to my children, Genna and Dylan Grebe and Bailey Cowell have taught me how to give and receive love joyfully. They fill my heart and bless my life. The gifts my family and friends offer me are blessings that have enriched me deeply. I know, without a doubt, that none of these people came into my life by accident or without purpose.
I have been taught and believe that the recognition of truth resonates within the heart and that we all need to trust our own inner wisdom. Therefore, dear reader, I ask that you do the same. What is true for you may be different to the truth laid down by others. Simply read, absorb and consider the words written. Accept that which strikes you in its richness and allow the rest to float away.
WHAT IS AN ARCHETYPE?
I have already mentioned that one of the first books on the Tarot that my mother gave me was, Sallie Nicholas’ book ‘Jung and the Tarot’. Two of the premises that Ms Nichols puts forward, is that the Tarot is a means to access the depth of who you are and who you have the potential to become. We all have the potential to be The Magician, or whatever else it is that we wish for ourselves. Furthermore, Sallie Nichols states that by doing the investigation of who we are, we empower and enable ourselves to solve our own problems.
Her theories have been largely moulded by the research done by Jung and his students into universal archetypes. Jung defined archetypes as the ‘vocabulary of the psyche’ that evokes feelings and touches on universal themes that are not only a part of our human inheritance, but also represent our shared experiences. Jung called this the ‘collective consciousnesses’.
This famous psychiatrist also proposed that the symbols portrayed particularly on the older Tarot cards are universal signs that are understood by all humans; for example, a crown, in most cultures, depicts the message of power. Some Tarot decks, Jung believed, could be used to help individuals reach into the depth of their unconscious mind. He maintained that once the unknown became known, an awakened state of self-awareness could be attained and more ‘awake dreams’ were likely to be experienced - resulting in dynamic changes occurring in the psyche.
Jung took this theory a step further by predicting that by working with archetypical symbols it was possible for a special kind of magic to touch one’s life. He called this ‘synchronicity’, or awareness of co-incidences. This famous psychologist believed that the more these synchronistic events occurred and were noted, the more people would begin to live life like an adventure; finding themselves in the right place at the right time and, consequently, trusting their inner guidance.
Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy in their book, ‘Jesus and the Goddess expand on the understanding of archetypes. They wrote that we all hold aspects of the Goddess and Godman within our identity of ‘self’’ and that the potential to be more than who we think we are, can be harnessed when required. They also suggested that by calling upon both the masculine and feminine attributes that are within our psyche, we would be more able to move beyond the limitations of stereotyping and cultural expectation.
Deepak Chopra in The Return of Merlin proposed that archetypes may be likened to the hypothetical masks we wear and encouraged his readers to realise that they are not the roles that they play. He maintained that:
It is our destiny to play an infinity of roles; we wear social masks in the drama of life and it is in this sacrifice of the self for the self-image, the sacrifice of the spirit for the ego, that time is born.
However, according to Theun Mares who teaches the Toltec principles, time is a misconception. He says that time is not on our side. In fact, Mares insists that the sooner we deal with our own mortality, the quicker we will discover who we truly are; but it is Somerset Maugham who has been attributed with one of the most humorous, yet most thought-provoking quotes. He said:
I look over the various parts of my character with perplexity. I recognize that I am made up of several persons, and that the person who at the moment has the upper hand, will eventually give place to another. But who is the real one? All of them? Or none?
One way to unravel the complexity of who we are, according to Sallie Nichols, is the Marseilles Tarot pack. She says it is the closest to the feeling, tone and style of some of the earliest Tarot cards on which symbolic information was recorded. She also suggested that the Marseilles pack was possibly compiled by more than one designer and thus does not contain a bias that a single artist may have brought to bear on the symbols.
What is also important to note is that the Marseilles pack is one of the few sets of the Tarot that has no explanatory text and so the ‘reader’ is forced to delve into the artwork, reach their own conclusions and rely on their own intuition. This allows the seeker to be open to feelings and insights that go beyond the conscious and rational mind. It is, however, important to note that some of the more modern reproductions of the Marseilles pack have been altered and should you obtain a pack, be careful to invest in cards that stay absolutely true to the original diagrams. Each stroke of the artists’ drawings has a meaning, or a reason for being there, and when changed, albeit slightly, the true impact is lost. Some later packs, such as Waite, have also changed the order of the cards. Strength was originally number eleven and Justice number eight.
Since 2002, I have worked with the Marseilles cards and I am amazed, as I hope you will be, by the layers of meaning that have been embedded in the cards. When you begin to work with this book, study each of the three cards that apply to your archetype. Allow yourself to feel what stirs within you. Some readers may not find it easy to understand the images; it has taken me years - so do not become despondent. (There are detailed explanations in the appropriate chapters.)
In the reading of each section, you will find some snippet of information that is relevant to you; be prepared to trust the process. Everyone’s ‘awakening’ is unique and particular to their story. Every investigation into ‘self’ will be extraordinary.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
One of the most frequently asked questions is whether the archetype that one chooses is permanent - your authentic self? I know that, deep down, I identify mostly with The High Priestess. She represents who I am, what I feel and how I respond to certain situations. Like her, in my dark times, I revert to becoming the epitome of her shadow, the martyr. Now that I am more aware of her strengths and her challenges, I have become more conscious of my words and reactions. I can also consciously call upon the prowess of any of the other archetypes - depending upon what is needed in a certain situation. Therefore, the card you choose for yourself may represent your essential-self, or it may be what you need to read right now - time will tell.
To get the most out of your exploration into Self, one needs to meet one’s soul - the unseen aspect of you, that is conjoined to your physical self and which, through detachment, becomes the conduit to your spirit, or Self, that never leaves the cosmos of The Source. After choosing your archetype, first explore the images on the card that you have chosen. Symbols have the power to unlock your unconscious mind and stimulate your imagination. Record your observations in a journal. Then read the three chapters applicable to the archetype that you have chosen.
In every chapter a reference is made to the Gnostic belief system because, I believe, the Marseilles Tarot Pack contains many covert symbols that were included to assist us to entertain the possibility that there is another way to view many of our set beliefs. The Gnostics teachings differed dramatically from those of the Church; they taught that life-experience brought self-knowledge and encouraged people to live consciously, ethically and responsibly. Their sages were not revered priests and there were few tenets of faith. At the very core of their belief system was the importance of self-knowledge gained through an inner journey designed to reveal personal fears, false perceptions and the ability to connect with their own spirit, the Self. Ignorance was considered to be the darkness that bound the soul to the material world on Earth. The scramble for food, safety and security were instrumental, they believed, in making humans forget that they were really an essence of God; that their human self was a dream being dreamed by their spirit. Faith was not important… an inner knowing and the trust in their own knowledge, their conscious awareness, instincts and intuition were their indicators of truth. Man-made laws were not as important to this holy sect as was personal responsibility.
Gnosticism was not a religion, it had no dogma, rather it aspired to transcend man-made structures and is believed to have developed from the Platonic teachings. This way of living was practiced between the first and sixth centuries B.C. Gnosticism was more than likely developed in Alexandria and practiced amongst the large Jewish population who lived there.
According to Andrew Phillip Smith, in The Gnostics, it was likely that: their lack of dogma, their low degree of organisation and their disinterest in political power, that kept the Gnostic belief system from spreading. Inevitably, with the influence of the Apostolic faith growing, their teachings lost traction. Eventually, the Gnostics were perceived by the Church to be heretics - due mainly to the way that they perceived Jesus… as a ‘revealer’ of knowledge and not as a messiah. In time, the Cathars and Bogomils, who taught similar tenets of faith, were also despised…as the perverters of faith who had been influenced by the devil. The Marseilles Tarot pack and some of the older cards, that are no longer in print, were also demonised by the Vatican, for they contained covert Gnostic messages. The Troubadours, it is believed, were also prevented from using these anti-establishment cards to spread a view that opposed the Apostolic faith.
Only the 22 major cards of the Marseilles pack have been used to help you identify your archetype. Please study the spread on the back cover of this book and notice how the cards are sorted numerically into three rows of seven cards each. Each archetype consists of three chapters except for The Fool.
• The first chapter of each of the seven individual archetypes will be found on the first row of the Tarot spread and gives you an insight into your strengths and challenges.
• The second chapter (the second row of cards on the back cover), introduces the metaphorical journey that each archetype may follow and ways in which to regain your equilibrium when you feel emotionally rocked by circumstances.
• The third chapter (the last row of cards) explains how, through symbols and stories, you may tap into your unconscious mind, explore out-dated belief systems and form new real-isations, that will assist you to create a different reality and become your authentic and hero self.
• A journal to record your comments and observations, will be helpful.
• The Fool stands alone at the top of the spread. He is the commentator and conductor of all the archetypes. It is he who brings people and challenges into your life and, like the joker, he has the ability to make you laugh at yourself and give you the upper-hand. If you do choose The Fool, focus on chapter one. Only when you are ready to delve a little deeper into your archetype choose another card and read the applicable chapters as well.
• Throughout this book, I use the terms ‘self’, soul and Self and they should be understood as follows: the Self is the whole diamond of you and contains all the knowledge that you possess - it is an emanation of God and never leaves the Holy Presence that created you. It is that part of ourselves that Jung referred to as our Spirit. We never forget those auspices moments, when we touch the power and love of our Self. Music, art, words and meditation produce those unforgettable moments of divinity. The soul is a facet of the diamond that links your ‘self’ - the persona, the person you are, to the Self and thus to God. The soul is the small voice that you hear, that early warning-system, your intuition, the inner push and the director of the show while you are here on your earthly journey. The closer one aligns one’s ‘self’ to one’s soul, the closer one is to your true Self that is in the presence of God.
• Each archetype reflects the gender of the main character pictured on the card that introduces a specific archetype e.g. The Magician, Emperor, Pope, Lover and Chariot are masculine, while The High Priestess and Empress are feminine.
• Now, you are ready to choose a card.
• Using the cut-out cards on the next page shuffle, choose one and then read the three suggested chapters.
111396.png2.jpgCHAPTER 1
THE CARD WITH NO NUMBER THE SHAPE-SHIFTER
YOUR PRESENT THEME
The Fool or Shape-shifter is the person or incident that often triggers a turn-around in your life - a catalyst that possibly causes you to lose all your beliefs and expectations. You may feel that all you have left is an emptiness. At first, this may feel overwhelming and scary, or sad and depressing. However, change is making space for something new to develop. Perhaps it is time for your soul to fill your body, heart and mind so that there is harmony between what you feel emotionally, what you think rationally and act upon smoothly. What is most important, is that you are reconfiguring your life so that you become more self-aware of who and what serves you best. You may have to make some important decisions that you will eventually realise were best for you.
BEING MINDFUL OF YOUR INTENT
The Shape-shifter encourages all of us, but you in particular, to find a means to change; a way to detach from what is known and to explore other ways of ‘being’ (other archetypical qualities) that you may need and not realise that you already know – so that you can figuratively jump off the cliff of opportunity into the unknown and enjoy the experience. The Fool is the alchemical agent of change for all archetypes. He comes into a Tarot reading to prepare you for the situations and people who will push you to grow, have fun and enjoy freedom. His positive outlook on life will permit all who know him, to use setbacks as a stepping-stone to a charmed future; one that The Shape-shifter believes is his birth-right.
THE SHAPE-SHIFTER AND HIS SOUL’S CALLING
The Fool appears to be the least significant of all the archetypes and yet he is the primary player in the archetypical journey. He is the commentator and moderator of our behaviour and our knowledge of self. It is The Shape-shifter who supplies us with the capacity to surrender our attachment to a particular archetype and a certain way of behaving. He is the catalyst who moves us so that we are able to surrender the way we identify with our persona, with what we know and with that which keeps us repeating the same scenarios, themes and slip-ups.
The Jester who entertained the court of the English kings was often considered to be sharp-witted and funny, but not necessarily wise. However, Shakespeare in his play, King Lear, gave us another way to view The Fool. His court jester, not only remained with his king through his blindness and many hardships, but he also became instrumental in turning Lear’s perceptions, attitudes, belief systems, concepts of himself as well as his grasp of the Universal Truths around, so that the self-important and selfish king learned humility, compassion and wisdom too. In a manner of speaking, you are your own court jester.
Your verve for life drives you. Perhaps you never feel as if you have attained enough knowledge, accomplished enough, or had enough fun. You are a true explorer who will rely on intuition and a belief that life can be magical. What to others may appear like a sheer rock-face of challenges, to you, will be a hill of opportunity. When you are in a good space, there will be no room in your life for fear, anxiety or concern about what others may think of you. When you are afraid of something though, take the time to feel the fear and recognise the difference between what is intuition and that which is merely an excuse for remaining in your comfort zone. Notice what your logical and rational mind has to say and whether it is your friend or foe.
You are also resilient and should weather the storms of your life with humour. You probably believe that life is an adventure to be lived lightly. You trust and have enough faith in yourself to know that somehow things always work out…almost exactly as you imagined. Because you believe in your own prowess, you will often do and say things that other people would shy away from; idiomatically going where the angels fear to tread and enjoy, snubbing your nose at convention. True humility is discovered when the realisation hits you that, in the greater picture of things, you know very little… perhaps nothing.
Your fearlessness is strong, simply because you trust your heart and follow your impulses with faith. In a way, you may feel as if you have no choice but to be yourself and do what you feel that you have to do. Obviously, this could be your downfall too, as an inability to listen to others, accept boundaries and discipline could lead to bitter disappointments. However, this hinderance has its own benefits as, through the consequences wrought, you will have gained wisdom from your learning and you will be more circumspect when the next opportunity arises.
Generally, you have an amazing gift for understanding and gaining insight into what is actually going on with people and what is behind various situations. This means that you rarely judge people in a negative manner and, at times, you will even allow others to win a disagreement if there is a chance that it will be good for your relationship, a project or advance a cause.
You may not yet recognise how deeply spiritual and how divinely inspired you are. You have always had a natural connection to God or Spirit.
THE COURT JESTER ASKS, WHO AM I?
This card indicates that you are still a child at heart and being grown-up for extended periods of time seems to drain you of energy. Consequently, you prefer being spontaneous and uninhibited, but conversely it is possible that deep down you feel fairly vulnerable too. Perhaps you disguise this with laughter.
Your child-like innocence may leave you open to people taking advantage of your good nature. You are mostly like a refreshing cool breeze on a hot day that brings fun, joy and healing wherever you go; so, your presence is highly welcomed. You can be relied on to be up for adventure as your verve for life is captivating and catchy. When you give yourself permission to truly go wild, the sense of freedom is exhilarating, but some consequences will inevitably teach you how to be discerning and wise. You love to travel and even a short day- trip to open spaces will be beneficial and help to rejuvenate your energy.
People tend to think that you have no cares as you are adept at pushing worries aside and hiding your anxieties below your ready laughter and sense of humour. You do not like carrying the baggage of the past or being attached to material assets. You often prefer the type of simplicity that frees you to travel lightly into the future. This is an amazing