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

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Complete the Course

From the Restored Order Tarot, the Page of Pentacles; from the Oracle of Kabbalah, "Chet:"
          No wonder this fellow is considered a student - just look at the serious way he's inspecting that pentacle. Beside him on the left are the fields his uncle the knight cultivates; on the right and behind him are the lakes, forests and mountains that he may one day be responsible for protecting. There is much knowledge he must learn and hands-on experience he will need before stepping into those big boots. Chet is associated with eight, a number deemed "one beyond" or the beginning of a new cycle (for instance, the eighth day begins a new week). Its shape is like that of an archway, and it is the first letter of chupah, the wedding canopy. The plant on this illustration is holy basil, a sacred plant of South Asia used in religious ceremonies. Telling me I need to study (particularly something I'm interested in) is like throwing Brer Rabbit in the brier patch. That's a rabbit hole I'll willingly go down. For me it can be a sacred activity. But I've learned the hard way that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. I can glimpse one facet of the whole and think I know it all. Chet implies I need to complete a full cycle of education before I stand at the podium and attempt to advise others.


6 comments:

  1. I agree but I've also experienced how encouraging a teacher, who admits he too has to learn and practice, can be. The drive to learn can be so enticing. :)

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    1. Yes, there is a big difference between the teacher who will readily admit he doesn't know or still has much to learn, and the teacher who thinks he has an answer for everything!

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  2. quilt teachers often say they learn more from their students than they teach.

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    1. I feel the same way about my meditation classes. :)

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  3. When a teacher stops wanting to learn, I don't think they can teach effectively any more. Had a physics teacher like that, who started every Monday lesson with the words "It's been a long week!" He was bored, and very boring :(

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    1. Yes - not only do they become ineffective, they lose their curiosity and passion too!

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