Nigella Lawson, the fallen woman and the 10 swords....a Scapegoat for a lost empire.

The Pre-Raphaelite society would have loved the recent coverage of the vilification of Nigella Lawson. In fact everything about about the case smacked of retributive Victoriana. Every day we were blasted with Nigella's sad face emblazoned across the usual witch burning tabloids, my head became a tumble of the symbolism of the Pre Raphs, William Holman Hunt's Scapegoat leaped into view, adding clout to my tut-tutting as I passed the newsagents. It crossed my mind that there was something subliminal going on, we women were meant to glimpse (often) that angst ridden face, a stark reminder that we might be a Goddess in the kitchen, but err and the powers that be ( in Nigella's case a husband so rich that it is almost perverted AND who appears to be a Roman Emperor in disguise) and you can forget any success or good that you might have done in the world or for yourself. I feel for her, I really do, she has been made an example of.

The Scape Goat. William Holman Hunt.

This country has a history of patriarchy conditioning its women, scary stuff, especially when you consider that Ghandi said 'You can tell a nation by how it treats its Women and Animals'. It appears that even in the UK, buried deep in the psyche, there is no real difference between the two. Both live out a life of servitude to men. It is not all that long ago that there really was a law that a man could beat his wife with a stick as long as it was no bigger than his thumb.
In Victoria's rule, when the Empire was the jewel in the crown of great Britain, when the Industrial revolution was priming us up for what was to become a globalisation of our skills and assets, women represented the strength and beauty of this fair isle. John Ruskin in his lecture, 'Sesame and Lillies' opined romantically that woman full of grace, even the flowers nod as she walks by. Particularly if you come from the right side of town.

Naughty Nigella, she strayed from the path. She became the fallen woman. In Rosetti's painting of the same name we can see the miserable wretch clinging to the wall, forlorn and wasted. ( In Nigella's case, literally!!)
She is being saved from herself by whom, Saatchi? Victim support? A society that cherishes survivors? In the background we see the Lamb, albeit sacrificial but it strayed from the flock and is now saved never to stray again as it is now netted and suitably restrained.
What Saatchi and the tabloids didn't bank on is actually people are sometimes more lovable when they are at their more wretched and vulnerable. Ok, so everyone's moral compass may not agree with her hijinx(!?) but in this day and age it is rare to find someone who has not flirted with a stimulant of some kind, frankly,the whole world gets off on something!
Let's not forget that Nigella made exceedingly good cakes and put sex appeal back into the kitchen, there is a strange irony that she is iconic of what is historically a woman's domain and one wonders if she is paying for not being ugly and troutish nor barefoot and pregnant and tied to the kitchen sink, Saatchi made sure of that.....it doesn't escape me that he has a foothold in the world of advertising and here we are playing out an archetypal cultural drama where gender specifics are  the cheer leaders. Venus and Mars.
I feel this supposed evil matriarch will come good....in time. One truly hopes that she will bounce back and trounce her oppressors; not to eat cake but their words. She is not a self destructive narcissist but a winner. What we have learnt since the days of Victoria that we can overcome.

Saatchi, it seems wanted some kind of revenge.I have to confess that I have forgotten the whole point of why he took her to court in the first place but he was out to get her with as many swords as possible. For the rest of us it might be worth bearing in mind that there is some fictitious empire, perhaps it is like the spiritual Jerusalem and resides in another realm but what ever it is beware you don't bring shame on the good name of it's patriarchal representatives.

Nigella Lawson would do well to take the lesson form the influence of the 10 Swords. Everything passes, very soon she will be a different person and this whole sorry incident will no longer be of relevance. Yes, she has had sorrow and loss, yes this can shape our thinking. She may have chosen a difficult path for herself but she is promised a new dawn, an awakening of conscience to oneself and the realisation that she has a lot to offer the world and the world has a lot to offer her.

A relationship between Emperor & Hierophant, politics or survival?

As we know there is a progression in Tarot, one card speaks of another, each a segment of a sequence that offers insights into the growth and development of consciousness.

We find pairings, relationships between two cards, a dialogue between two archetypes that create a chemistry, crossing all limitations of time and show us how the historical can be interpreted into the contemporary. Human nature it seems is fundamentally the same in each epoch, the physical, manifest aspect is guided and honed by the spiritual.

The relationship between the Emperor and the Hierophant  is one of these relationships.

Emperor, master of the material world. He is stability and security. When we connect to the Emperor, we easily see his essence. Order, power and domination, the benevolent despot. He is the personnification of force.

When he arrives in a spread, I feel the need for structure and order, focus and discipline, all of which can be bring freedom. As someone who lacked structure for many years and lived as a fatalist, I have come to realise that to manifest anything worthwhile requires a focus and is fed by being disciplined. This is so liberating as the heart felt purpose gains wings to fly.

His are the laws of the universe in action. When we walk in accordance with these laws all is peaceful and harmonious but if we do not listen, if we disobey.....then we unleash the power of the law in order to find it's balance once more.

I sometimes see the Emperor as Ishkendar the great or Ghengis Khan or the rulers of the Arabic tribes, builders of cities, architects of empires; Yet often bloodthirsty and ruthless in attaining their goals. Weakness is not a word associated with the Emperor and with the energy of this card we can sweep away all that no longer serves us.

The Hierophant, the bridge, the ideal, the third party that connects the seeker to the God source. Without the elements of the Hierophant, the Emperor  would not survive in his place of glory.

Our Hierophant is a teacher and guide, he indicates to us the purpose of life. His divine inspiration is there to be communicated to those around him. Ever receptive to the upper realm, he conveys petitions between the realms.

When Hierophant turns up we are reminded of the need to be rooted in our community, to listen to the wise voice and to develop and own our spiritual power. We are encouraged to have faith and to embrace unity.

However, he has to be mindful of not falling into dogmatic thinking, he is better serving the ideal and expanding a vision.

It was vital that the conquerors had their spiritual advisors, without them there is a distinct possibility that the Human race would have often sailed close to extinction. That voice of spiritual reason brought us back from the brink. I think of Pope Gregory and how he told the Emperor stories in order to enlighten him and steer him from destructive chaos. History has many tales to tell of barbary and killing that established dynasties and territories, in many parts of the world this still goes on........

On a recent trip to Rudesheim, I visited the church of Hildegard Von Bingen. She was a remarkable woman who led a remarkable life.

I was fascinated to learn of the relationship between herself and Frederick 1 Barbarossa. (Above). Hearing the story reminded me of the relationship between the Emperor and Hierophant.

Barbarossa was a bloodthirsty ruler, tyrannical and fierce. He was a crusader and campaigned against Rome and her Popes.

However he did not count on the courage of Hildegard. She connected with him in order to maintain a healthy dialogue with him, speaking out in favour of her church. She was direct and often critical of Barbarossa, something that was unheard of. Many who opposed this Emperor were slain. But he listened to her, perhaps in awe of her unwavering strength plus she was very well connected to other powerful people of the day.

He made allowances for her and treated her fairly. He offered her church protection, very unusual for the supporters of the Pope.

I think we can learn something very important here. The physical world, the domain of the ego will remain in a position of limitation and possible self destruction in its pursuit of power and identity, it is vital that we discover that wellspring of spiritual power and intelligence, this will provide the balance that offers life to our endeavours. It will save us from spiritual death and give light and meaning to our purpose.
When we shine our light, we give permission for others to shine their light. We live.