I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Outside the Lines

This week I'll be using the Gaian Tarot, a deck and book set created and self-published by Joanna Powell Colbert. I'll also be using the Goddess Oracle, a deck and book set created by Amy Sophia Marashinsky and illustrated by Hrana Janto. Today's draws are Seven of Air (Swords) and "Artemis:"
          I wonder if someone drew this map for the hiker, trying to show him where to find the safest trails and where to avoid the dangers. But as many folks do, he may be wondering if the scenery is more spectacular off the beaten path. If he follows the map, he might miss out on seeing wildlife or sights he wants to see. Yet if he blazes his own trail and gets lost or has an accident, searchers won't know where to look for him. Is the risk worth that choice? Should he take someone else's advice or depend on his own?
          Artemis requested one thing of her father: the right to live independently and run freely through the forest as its protector. A husband, house with a picket fence and children were not in her plans. Marashinsky writes:
There is no authority higher than my own
my powers of discernment are finely honed
I am autonomous
I am free from the influence of others' opinions
I am able to separate that which needs separation
so a clear decision can be reached
I think for myself.
I am not a risk-taker, which I think is mostly a good thing. But like that hiker, I occasionally yearn to move outside the lines, outside of what is "expected" of me. Yet if I do that, all the responsibility for that choice lands on my shoulders, for better or for worse. Is it worth it? Artemis would probably answer, "Hell yeah!"

6 comments:

  1. I wish I had her guts but then again she has nobody depending on her so choosing for herself is easier. Sometimes I wonder If I could start over, would I chose a different life for myself.....?

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    1. I walk that same fine line, Ellen - balancing obligations with fulfilling my own needs. Wanting to "do my own thing" yet not abandon those I love.

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  2. I've always run with Artemis...It isn't so bad out there :)

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  3. Thought provoking post Bev.

    Living outside the lines has been is a vital thing in my life to my personal growth. Perhaps my creative nature as an artist, or just because I don't like be told by others or even myself you can't do that. I think mostly it is about facing fear, and the challenge of fulfilling dreams. But I have to be prepared, if not organized.

    Having a bad sense of direction, I'm not afraid to ask for help in finding my way, and this for me is a metaphor for life, not being afraid to ask for help. We are all interdependent and don't have to be an island. If I don't ask for help, that's when I can get myself lost, may as well have a bag over my head. ;)

    Cat <3

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    1. I have to check my motivations when it comes to traveling off the beaten path. Sometimes I am just reacting to something instead of dealing with it. But then there are times when I need to get past my fear and move out of my comfort zone so I can grow. Thanks Cat. :)

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