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

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Tree Cutting and Truth-telling

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Three of Swords; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, "Crow:"
          We've had to have some huge pines cut down in our yard over the years for various reasons - disease, lightning strikes, and one sheared in two by a tornado. The damage was clear in the ones affected by storms, but the diseased trees often had to be exposed by cuts before the seriousness of the condition was obvious. The words of a truth-teller can do the same, cutting through denial or illusion. No matter if you're the speaker or the listener, it can be a painful experience. I was once described as a burn nurse by a friend I was mentoring. She knew what I said was done with compassion and was beneficial, but it still didn't take away the agony.
          The story of Crow tells how he tricked the Seven Sisters with snakes in order to get them to share their fire. Unfortunately, Crow ended up being as stingy as the sisters when the humans asked for a portion. The humans in turn burned him, turning his feathers black as they are today. Hakanson writes, "Crow people are brilliant at pinpointing the weaknesses and strengths of other people, yet can remain blind to their own." Crow reminds me to clean up the garbage in my own life before I start trying to tell people how to clean up theirs.

4 comments:

  1. I guess the most painful thing is to both truthteller and listener at the same time.
    It is always tempting to put soft band-aids on infected wounds. :)

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    1. Even done it love, I think the truth will cut the teller and listener. But hopefully the benefit will be worth it.

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  2. I'm liking this Tarot you're using. It might have to go on the wish list :)

    I'm thinking of how the rings of a tree are a form of truth, a telling of its story throughout the years, sometimes even centuries. Unfortunately the only way to learn that truth-story is to hew the tree. There's a middle ground in there somewhere.

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    1. The WoC deck is wonderful, but the huge companion book is a bit preachy. The cards offer enough all by themselves though.
      I like the idea of the tree rings!

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