Muzoracle, Tarot, I Ching: Similarities and Differences

The Muzoracle is subtitled “The Tarot of Music,” and is sometimes described as “a musical cross between Tarot and the I Ching.” How exactly is the Muzoracle related to those two systems? What are the differences between it and them?

The Tarot deck is divided into two types of cards, the Major and Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana is made up of the 22 archetypal, pictorial cards most commonly associated with Tarot: cards like The Fool, The Empress, Death, The Sun, and so on. The Minor Arcana is made up of 56 cards divided into four suits, and includes numbered cards and court cards; those are the cards from which our standard playing cards are derived.

The Muzoracle deck is analogous to the Tarot deck in that its cards, too, are divided into two types: the 34 Compositionals and the 55 Harmony Cards. Honestly, though, the similarity between the two decks pretty much ends there. The Compositionals are based on musical concepts and directives found in musical composition: things like Melody, Tonality, Rhythm; slow down, get louder, repeat, pause. The Harmony Cards, divided into five suits, are the more archetype-driven cards in the Muzoracle Deck; but they are based on sonic archetypes, two and three note combinations that convey their meaning primarily through their sound rather than their images and ideas. The Harmony Cards also include their version of the court cards; in lieu of kings, queens, knights, and pages, however, there are conductors, soloists, and accompanists.

The similarities between the Muzoracle and the I Ching are even more amorphous, with one significant exception: like the hexagrams of the I Ching, the positions in a Muzoracle casting are characterized by underlying movement. Muzoracle mythopoetics are driven by something called The Harmonic Engine: all of the elements in a casting contain and are contained within other elements, which are all on the way to and from somewhere else. The workings of the Engine may not be obvious in a casting, and a theoretical knowledge of them is not necessary in order to use the oracle; nonetheless, the Engine’s action pervades the Muzoracle experience. There is a sense of things in motion that one can tap into and use, rather than some sort of fixed doom that one is sentenced to live out.

Indeed, it is this “lack of fixedness” that separates the Muzoracle from other divinatory tools, especially the Tarot. Each card in the Tarot brings a lot with it: those images, those terms, those numbers, its history of use as a predictor. Therein lies its power, and its attraction, and its potential for good use and misuse. The Muzoracle is not meant to supplant the Tarot, nor to pose itself as greater-than; it is simply different. Each position in a Muzoracle casting is defined by keywords, a sound, a place in a scale, a geometric shape, a color… a combination of abstract elements that fire the imagination and intuition. The relationship between querent and reader is more one of creative co-conspiracy than prophecy; the endgame is empowerment, a sense of choices one owns.

Navigating the Halcyon Days, December 14–28

This year, Sunday, December 14th marks the beginning of the Halcyon Days, which run 7 days before and 7 days after the Winter Solstice. In Greek mythology, these days – the “Alcedonia” – marked a time when the Mediterranean seas became unusually calm, so that halcyon birds – kingfishers – could nest. And there is a quiet that becomes available around this time, if we stop to notice. In the short days and long nights leading up to the solstice, there’s a kind of turning inward that happens, a reflectiveness, and a tenderness toward others; gatherings with friends have a different quality, as does our quiet time alone. In the lengthening days after the solstice – in the days between Christmas and the New Year – we find a kind of bright emptiness, spare and clean, and a sense of space to begin; and these days, too, are imbued with a singular quiet and calm.

In the bustle of the season, with it’s parties and shopping and travel and crowds, how can we remember, how can we live more fully, this magical, gentle quiet that’s on offer? How can we be it, share it, make the best of it?

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The casting opens with a gift of seeing: a seismic shift is underway for us at a being level, an evolutionary step up, and we have a sense of it. We are asked to set an intention to commit to this fledgling self, to allow what we are becoming to become our center. We find opportunities for this in our relationships with others: opportunity to see, and opportunity to be. At the same time, opportunities arise for closeness and understanding in the relationships themselves. It’s a lovely thing. All of this happens best during the rituals the season provides: gatherings of two or twenty, dinners, walks in nature, trips to the snow, kids around the tree… whichever best suits us.

Walking out the door, however, we run into difficulty: schedules conflict, traffic snarls, people are late or no-shows, tempers flare. We try and get on people’s wavelength, but we try too hard – perhaps we’re pushing to be heard without listening, or bucking for approval; perhaps they are. The effort required in these situations: lead with the heart. Give. Let go, listen, and give. If it’s their turn to give, give first anyway. You’ll find yourself loved and appreciated without asking for it – and there’ll be room for some of that shiny new stuff to emerge.

The Halcyon Days have their own rhythm, and it’s a polyrhythm: the big boomers of gatherings and events, the crazy cacophony of the mall parking lot, and the quiet pulse of the season itself, gentle as the sea. Focus on one aspect of the rhythm, and you’ll choke and sputter; embrace it all and, like the halcyon, you’ll soar.

A blessed Yule to you all. –JSK

Casting Notes.  Keycenter, D ascending: 2nd Chakra (sacral, creative.) 1st position: Tritone of Voices over fa, impetus in the realm of spirit at the point of revelation. 2nd position: Tonality over do, centeredness at the point of intention. 3rd position: Harmony under te, relationship at the point of opportunity. 4th position: Form under ra, form at the point of vitality. 5th position, axis: Minor Second of Brass crossed with Tuning over re: tuning into others and conflict in the realm of movement over the point of mechanicality. 6th position: Perfect Fifth of Strings over mi, initiative in the realm of feeling at the point of effort required. 7th position: Soloist of Woodwinds under se, autonomy in the realm of thought at the point of inception. 8th position: Octave of Strings under me, strength in the realm of feeling at the point of governance. 9th position: Rhythm under le, rhythm at the point of dependence.

The Halcyon Days derive from the myth of Alcyone and Ceyx, which can be found in Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.”  

Muzoracle creator J S Kingfisher is available for private castings with music, as well as instruction, workshops, and presentations. For more information, contact him here.

Serving Peace: New Moon/Solar Eclipse, 10/23/14

Conscience awakens: now we serve peace.

Today is a day rich with mythos: a new moon and solar eclipse at zero degrees Scorpio, signaling completion and initiation via a delving into the shadow self. It speaks of shedding beliefs and behavior patterns that are not serving us, especially those concerning betrayal and self-worth. What does Muzoracle bring to the table?

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Most striking about today’s casting is the preponderance of Voices and Strings, of larger-than-life, deeper-than-mundane forces and big emotion. This is very much in keeping with the Scorpio theme. The keycenter of the casting is B ascending, indicating energy moving up and through the Crown chakra, a giving back to the universe that which has moved through us and transformed. This very holy activity includes a sharp look to the past – in Scorpio fashion, a ruthless and detached look.

The first position is a Minor Second of Voices under me. This extreme dissonance in the deep inner realms indicates an awakening of conscience. The scalepoint of me shows conscience as a governing force. The appearance of true conscience – not the “I feel guilty” variety, but the deep inner knowing that says not this, but this – is a great gift. Here, it must be followed.

The second position is the axis of the casting, its center of gravity: an Accompanist of Voices crossed with a Perfect 4th of Strings under se. Se is the point of inception: here, at this moment of beginning, what begins is giving: the Accompanist of Voices is about serving the higher calling; the Perfect Fourth speaks of doing so with an open heart. The burning away of those beliefs and behaviors leaves us with the strength to be gentle, to serve.

The third position also speaks of beginning, but from the point of view of what we want, what we wish for: do is the point of intention. Above it is a Major Third of Voices: peace.

The fourth position, an Octave of Strings under le, shows powerful feeling drawing energy from us. Scorpio feeling is a downward pull, certainly, and we are entering Scorpio time. The appropriate response when negative feelings overwhelm is not to fight - those feelings will only condense and take on power. Instead, open the heart courageously and dive in, as the Perfect Fourth allows, as Scorpio allows. The Voices will keep singing.

The final position is the Chops card under te, the point of opportunity. Chops indicates facility, and implies discipline and perseverance. Return to conscience, serve, open, remember peace: we have an opportunity here to work, and an opportunity to become more facile in doing so.

Flying the Dark: Autumnal Equinox – Winter Solstice, 2014

Today, on Autumnal Equinox, we stand on the edge of light and darkness; tomorrow, the darkness prevails – through Yule, when the light begins to grow again. Yesterday, Pluto went direct after a 5 month retrograde: that which we have repressed begins to show itself. The dark of the moon, the new moon, also today, is in Libra, speaking of a beginning where balance is key. Here come the long nights, the secrets and fears, the sensuousness and silent comforts – what is the balance that serves? What will we do well to remember? How shall we fly this dark?

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The keycenter of the casting is C# Ascending – a fine accompaniment to Pluto going direct. Energy moving upward from the Root to Sacral Chakras, from survival anxiety and security issues into creativity and fecundity with a sensuous Venusian edge that Libra loves: that’s where the casting plays out. 

First position, first die: ti ascending, speaking of transitioning to a new a level. The attendant card: an Accompanist of Percussion, speaking of service in the realm of the physical. In order to get through the night, get out of your own drama and help others in a very real way: cook a dinner, offer a room, help finish, help fix. 

The second position marks the axis of the casting: a Minor Seventh of Woodwinds crossing tranquillo over do, the point of intention. The hermeneutic for the Minor Seventh of Woods is uncertainty. Plenty of that in the darkness – meet it with tranquility. Make calm your intent. 

The third position, a Major Seventh of Strings under le, indicating a lack of feeling as a burden. You may not find the inspiration to continue; you might not feel much of anything but ennui. Look to the next position in that case, look to your partner: a due over la, the point of acceptance. This isn’t a solo performance – it’s a duet. 

Does this all feel familiar? Walk it again. You just did walk it again? Walk it again again. The fifth position is repeat under se, the point of inception. The repeat has already begun, and may be further required – but we never cross the same stream twice. Repeat is about perseverance. Beware that Major Seventh back there, that ennui. Stay out of drudge mode – no two repeats are ever the same, and something is gained with every pass.

The sixth and final position brings the Perfect Fourth of Voices under te, the point of opportunity. Something in this particular stew at this particular time – the unfolding dark, the helping of others, the uncertainty faced with calm, the lessons learned through partnership and perseverance –  is opening a door to compassion. That’s a Being shifter, there. A night bloom.

New Moon in Leo, 07/26/14

There is hunger for your offerings if they are given in service. Sound your wish. Let go your anger and aloneness. Embrace the peaceful heart. There is movement outward and movement inward – simply see, do not become. Overcome inertia. Sound your wish – together.

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Tonight marks the New Moon in Leo - a time of creative beginnings. Also in Leo are the Sun and Jupiter, bringing great energy and enthusiasm. It’s a great time for beginning new ventures and adventures, especially of the creative variety. What might the Muzoracle bring to the table?

The keycenter of tonight’s casting is A# ascending. This indicates energy moving upward from the Third Eye to Crown Chakra, and speaks of the transcendence of thought, of leaving even our most cherished notions behind for the higher connectivity available at the Crown. Interestingly, the first thing that strikes us about this casting visually is that it’s very purple – four of its seven positions contain cards in the suit of Voices. The Crown’s color is violet, and Voices tend to speak of issues that transcend the more local aspects of our existence. It would seem our creative adventure has deep roots – growing upward from the tops of our heads.

The first position contains an Accompanist of Voices under the scalepoint of le. Le descending is the point of dependence – it is the Moon at the Earth’s breast. While this scalepoint can speak of what sucks our energy and drags us down, it can also speak of simply what needs us. The Accompanist of Voices speaks of service in the highest sense of the word, of seva. There is hunger for what we have to offer, and not just at a superficial level.

At Position Two we find the Tonality card over do. Tonality is an organic phenomenon that arises from the Harmonic Series. It contains the mystery, musically and otherwise, of center, and its appearance in a casting sounds the question: “What is central?” What is central will generate specific harmonics and create a tonality, and that tonality will resonate with like structures – that is lawful, and cannot be otherwise; it is the Law of Attraction. That the Tonality card appears here over do ascending, the point of intention, insists we’d best be clear about what we want, right from the start; things are lined up in such a way that we just might get it.

The third position is the axis of the casting: here we find a Soloist of Voices crossed with Smaniato over the scalepoint of re. The Soloist of Voices refers to going it alone in a very deep and profound way, rather like the Tarot’s Hermit. That it appears over re, the point of mechanicality, says we go there automatically, without consideration; not necessarily a bad thing, hermits can go a long way, but here it is coupled with Smaniato, which in music is a directive to play a passage with fury. Are we angry with the world? Does our anger justify our aloneness, and our aloneness justify our anger? This position asks us to question our anger and, along with the other Voices in the casting, to build a bridge to others.

The fourth position contains a Major Third of Strings over la, Ease in the Realm of Feeling over the point of acceptance. It’s good to feel good, and fury cannot manifest when there is ease in feeling. This is a marker for being on the right track: look for the peaceful heart.

The fifth position contains a Major Second of Voices under te, the point of opportunity. In the other four suits, Major Seconds refer to two people, or two currents of thought, feeling, or action, that are oblivious, uncaring, and/or not concerned with the other. In the suit of Voices, the Major Second speaks of a realtime awareness of such division; it's essentially a call to see, to step back and, deeply occupying the body, broaden our view. In this casting, a division lies between the Accompanist and the Soloist, between being for the world and being for oneself; the opportunity lies not in choosing one, but in seeing – and contemplating, understanding, and/or possibly encompassing – both. 

In Position Six we find a Minor Seventh of Brass over so, the point of broad challenge. Minor Sevenths speak of a future unknown, and Brass references action: we don’t know what to do, so we hem and haw and don’t do much. The broad challenge – the challenge beyond the immediate circumstances, the big reason why we as individuals are in this situation – is to learn to overcome this inertia, to take one small step at a time, confidently and without worry.

In the last position we find a Unison of Voices under ra, the point of vitality. Unisons always involve two or more – here we see reiterated again the need to work, to be, with others. The fuel for the entire enterprise at hand comes from this – alone we won’t go far.

Under the Beaver Moon

Stability and security begins in the heart, with the love of friends and family and in acts of everyday kindness.

A Serbian translation of this post is available below.

The full moon in November – the “Beaver Moon” in North America – rises this year in Taurus on Sunday the 17th, while the Sun is in Scorpio. The name originated among the Algonquin peoples of the North Atlantic coast, marking either a time to set beaver traps for winter fur or a time when beavers build their winter dams.

The Full Moon in Taurus illuminates a need for security and stability; that it occurs while the Sun is in Scorpio speaks of what we must relinquish in order to serve that end. How do we go about filling this need?

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The keycenter of the casting is B Descending, indicating higher wisdom coming down into us through the crown chakra. The first scalepoint that appears is do descending, the point of Inception, with a Conductor of Strings below: a time beginning when the heart leads. The second position is the axis of the casting, and so its central focus; here we find the scalepoint of te ascending, of Effort Required, with diminuendo crossed by a Major Triad of Strings above. Together, these first and second positions speak of conducting our affairs with a soft heart. It is from this softening, this diminuendo, this gentle opening to our deepest heart and the hearts of those around us, that we find both emotional fulfillment and the security and stability we seek: we become grounded through love, not through grasping or clinging.

Fulfilling as it is when we come to such a place of connectedness, there is a tendency to want to exit quickly, to hurry back to our comfy cocoons, to our self-absorbed dramas and notions of self-control. The third position – ra ascending with fermata above – speaks to this. “Fermata” means “hold that note till the conductor says otherwise.” The broad challenge here is not just to experience a moment of connectedness, assume we’re enlightened, then move on – it’s to hold the heart open, even as what’s in front of us shifts.

The fourth position, so with Ossia below, indicates finding vitality in taking the path less traveled. That path might be the scary one – if it involves ditching what is no longer of service, take it.

The fifth position, ti with a Major Triad of Voices below, speaks of a blossoming spiritual fulfillment. Musically, this triad is a half-step higher than the Major Triad of Strings found in the second position. The emotional fulfillment found in softness blooms as spiritual fulfillment in the broader context of our lives as a whole. Lovely.

The sixth and final position is under mi, the point of Opportunity. The moon sets, the Scorpio Sun rises, and we find the sickle of the culling card: Editing. This relates to the path choice in position 4: softening our hearts, we see what is no longer needed – and gently cut it loose.

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Pod Dabrovim mesecom

Stabilnost i sigurnost počinju u srcu, ljubavlju ka prijateljima i porodici i u svakodnevnim postupcima ljubaznosti.

   Pun mesec u novembru, u Severnoj Americi znan i kao "Dabrov mesec", naći će se ove godine u znaku Bika i to u nedelju, sedamnaestog novembra, dok je u isto vreme Sunce u znaku Škorpije. Naziv "Dabrov mesec" potiče od nekoliko plemena, grupno nazvanih Algonkvin, a koja nastanjuju severnu pacifičku obalu i označava, ili doba godine kada je vreme za postavljanje zamki za dabrove kako bi se nabavilo krzno za nadolazeću zimu, ili doba kada dabrovi grade svoje brane na rekama.

Pun mesec u Biku osvetljava našu potrebu za bezbednošću i stabilnošću, dok nam u isto vreme Sunce u Škorpiji govori šta je to čega se moramo odreći kako bismo imali i jedno i drugo. Kako postupiti da bismo ispunili ovu potrebu?

 "Keycenter" (početak) ovog otvaranja je "silazno B" i označava neku višu mudrost koja silazi u nas i to kroz Krunsku čakru (na temenu glave). Prva notna skala koja se pojavljuje je silazno do, tj. polazna tačka, sa "Conductor of Strings" kartom ispod: početak je vremena onda kada sledimo svoje srce. Druga pozicija je srž otvaranja, a samim tim i pozicija fokusa. Ovde nalazimo notnu skalu uzlaznog te, tj. neophodnog napora i zalaganja sa diminuendo kartom preko koje se našla Major Triad of Strings karta. Zajedno, prva i druga pozicija, govore o obavljanju svakodnevnih aktivnosti otvorenog srca. U toj otvorenosti, tom diminuendo-u i nežnosti ka sopstvenom i srcima ljudi oko nas, nalazimo emocionalnu ispunjenost, sigurnost i stabilnost za kojom tragamo: ljubav nam donosi prizemnost kroz davanje, a ne kroz grabežljivost i posesivnost.

Čak i u ispunjenosti, takvoj kakva jeste, kada dosegnemo takav nivo povezanosti, postoji tendencija brzog bega nazad u našu udobnu čauru, sopstvene drame i ideje o samokontroli. Treća pozicija, uzlazno ra sa kartom fermata iznad, upravo govori o tome. "Fermata" znači "zadržavati odredjenu notu dok dirigent ne pokaže drugačije". Ovde nije izazov samo doživeti taj trenutak povezanosti, već nastavljati dalje, zadržati otvoreno srce i tad kada se stvari pred nama menjaju.

Četvrta pozicija, so, sa kartom Ossia ispod, indicira nalaženje vitalnosti u koračanju putem kojim se ređe ide. Put bi mogao biti zastrašujuć: i ako zahteva odbacivanje onoga što nam više nije od koristi, krenite njime.

Peta pozicija, nota ti (si) sa kartom Major Triad of Voices ispod, govori o procvatu duhovne ispunjenosti. Muzički gledano, ova trijada (glasova) je za pola "koraka" viša nego trijada žičanih instrumenata u molu koju ovde imamo u drugoj poziciji. Dakle, emocionalna ispunjenost se razgranava i širi i u ostale sfere našega života. Divno.

Šesta i ujedno poslednja pozicija u ovom otvaranju, donosi nam notu mi, a koja označava priliku! Mesec zalazi, sunce se rađa, a mi kao poslednju sliku ovog otvaranja imamo srp i to na karti Editing (redigovanje, korigovanje, montiranje). Ovo je svakako povezano s izborom puta (pozicija četiri): otvarajući svoja srca, spoznajemo stvari koje nam više nisu potrebne i s osmehom ih ostavljamo iza sebe.

Desire as Burden: Almost Daily One-up with Tarot, 10/13/13

The desire for success can be a burden. Who has defined our notions of success? What within is driving us to achieve? Are we having desire, or is desire having us? 

There is sacred desire, that longing that bubbles up from an essential, grounded place within; and there is obsessive desire, that which quietly begins in fear and gorges itself into a monster that overtakes us. It can be surprisingly difficult to discern which is operating within us and to what degree – often, what starts out clean gets stealthily polluted by insecurity and selfishness – fear, in a nutshell – along the way. 

Many traditions would have it that all desire is poison. I would counter that such a notion is poison – it stinks as much of attachment as any addiction, and denies an essential force of nature. The problem is not that we want, or even what we want, as long as no harm to others is involved – the problem is how we want and why.

Everything, from our marriages and career paths to getting out of bed in the morning, is driven by desires, large or small, borrowed or built, hidden or in plain view.  This casting provides an opportunity to step off the train for a moment and consider where we’re going, to consider what it is we’re wanting in relation to who we deeply are.

Casting notes. The keycenter of F descending speaks of energy flowing downward from the Heart into the Solar Plexus Chakra, from the seat of deep feeling into the seat of power and identity. The scalepoint of re descending references the last note in a descending scale, and speaks of that which is needy and draws energy: the weight on a pendulum, the pull of the moon on tides. The Minor Sixth of Strings expresses feelings of longing. The Three of Pentacles speaks of fulfillment of a creative venture, with an emphasis on working with others. My overall sense of this casting is that of an emotional neediness slowing a success that is surprisingly close at hand.