The Wise Child

Today the draw from the Transformational Tarot is the Six of Cups:

A band of tiny tots play on a hillside as a dove flies over them.  On the horizon, a waxing crescent moon rises while the sun sets. The dove implies a sense of peace and lack a worry, a time when life is simple without complications.  The sun and moon emphasize the cycles of life and the changes that come with them.  The Seals and Crofts song "We May Never Pass this Way Again" keeps playing in my head as I study this image.  The innocence, wonder and sheer enjoyment of these children remind me just how quickly time passes, and how soon those child-like qualities are put in dusty shoe boxes and packed away in the back of a closet.  My birthday is fast approaching, and I still find it hard to believe that I've moved beyond the half-century mark.  Like most people, my experience on this earth has had plenty of hard knocks, so my innocence and trust didn't last for long.  Yet I find the older I get, the more I love the simple things in life, and the more wonder and beauty I discover in the natural world.  The "sixes" are a return to harmony; perhaps I might be unpacking a few of those boxes I placed in the closet long ago...

     From the Fallen Angel Oracle this morning comes "Valefor:"

Beware of shortcuts - they lead to disaster in the long run.

Valefor is a bit of a trickster; he tempts us to see what we want to see, and ignore the obvious.  He loves people who stick their heads in the sand, who believe that all problems will miraculously evaporate, and who live life with blinders on.  I'm convinced he invented the New Age fluff that proclaims you can manifest whatever you want in life with just your mind.  The mind of a child is great for living in the moment and appreciating the simple things in life, but it must be balanced with discernment.  I need to be able to discriminate between what is healthy and what is harmful.  I might not like what I see going on around me in the world, but being honest with myself will help me deal with it much better than pretending it doesn't exist.