As we talked about in the last post, 2021 is the year of card V of the major arcana, the Hierophant (2 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 5). In this post we are going to take this idea one step further and pair the year card with the month card.
Calculating the collective month card
The month card is calculated in a way similar to the year card. We add the number for the month (in this case, we’ll use last month, February, which is the second month = 2) with the year (2021). Our formula is now 2 + 2021 = 2023, which we expand to 2 + 0 + 2 + 3 = 7. (Note: there are other ways to calculate the month card. I have found this method works best for me, so it is what I use. If this method does not work for you, I invite you to explore other was of calculating the month card.)
The number 7 is associated with card VII of the major arcana, the Chariot. Since we have not introduced the Chariot so far, let’s take a brief moment now to look at some of the archetypes associated with the Chariot. The Chariot in the classic Waite-Smith deck depicts an armored figure in a chariot covered by a star-spangled canopy. The chariot is being led by two sphinxes, one black and one white. The Chariot signifies accomplishment, triumph, control, and progress.
We also see a lot of other images in the card, but for the sake of simplicity and brevity, we will keep it short and look on what is driving the chariot. While these animals are classically represented by sphinxes, they can also be depicted as horses or other animals. The difference in color of these animals is important as it tells us that they symbolize opposites. It will take the charioteer focus before he can have success in uniting these conflicting interests to move him forward.
As we remember from the Hierophant, our lesson with this archetype is centered around society and functioning together as a whole community, outside of the individual. So here we have the Chariot and the Hierophant joined numerologically through February 2021 (the month and the year as calculated above).
Society’s drive forward
The most prominent examples of how these two cards were represented in world events in February 2021 are the recent Mars missions. Last year, three different countries launched probes to the red planet. UAE’s probe Hope arrived in orbit around Mars on February 9, 2021, followed by the Chinese probe Tianwen-1 the next day, February 10. The US mission was the last to reach orbit, arriving at the red planet February 18. The US probe Perseverance has a unique mission to bring Martian rock back to Earth.
Talk about the Chariot (dedication and coordination of different forces) acting alongside the Hierophant (structure and organization). The stars in the Chariot’s canopy are a rather literal representation of outer space and here we are sending a vehicle to another planet. In line with the Chariot’s characteristics, the probe’s intelligent systems must compute and analyze sensory data to predict how to interact with the environment. The Hierophant can be seen in how different countries cooperate, for example through the Outer Space Treaty. This international framework (the Hierophant’s religious doctrine) defines how the nations of this world are to share space.
Getting to Mars was not a one-man job. It takes a village—multiple teams working together on everything from calculations in planning and design to the construction of the probe and its many working parts. The images on the cards practically speak for themselves. We see a similar structure. There are three different figures: one central figure (the hierophant and the charioteer) standing over the two others (disciples and drivers). While community is clearly involved, the figure standing over the others could also be representative of mission control watching over the probe travel through space and finally reach orbit.
Around the corner
In March 2021, the month card is VIII Justice (or Strength, depending on the order you use—a switch that will be discussed in a later post). Whether you use Justice or Strength as card VIII, keep an eye out for at how the energies of card VIII merge with the archetypes of card V, the Hierophant, in the events that unfold this month.
Many Blessings,
Violet