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, April 19, 2016

Shifts from Knowledge

From the Idiosyncradeck Tarot, the Page of Swords; from the Answer Deck, Change:
          This Page is smart but honest enough to know he doesn't know it all. His preferred way of learning is to ask questions and listen to the wisdom of others. The sword with its tip buried in the ground implies he's practical about who he learns from - he wants someone with some experience. The little sapling made me think of the tiny "future" bonsai tree I received at a gathering of enthusiasts a few weeks ago. At the meeting were two masters of the technique and quite a few interested participants. It wasn't hard to figure out who had the knowledge and who was there to learn, as the experts constantly had a group around them as they worked. Their intelligence was not only heard in their words but was apparent in the beautiful bonsai plants they had grown.
          Change shows an older tree losing its autumn leaves as it prepares for winter. There is a striking contrast between the young sapling as it sprouts leaves and the older tree that is almost bare. I am reminded by this card that knowledge changes us, sometimes in simple ways and other times in dramatic ones. Just look at what happened to Bill Cosby's image once people learned of his past actions. That which is learned can't be erased, as a court room phrase implies: You can't unring the bell.
"Poseidon" (a trident maple) - it looked like a stick when I got it, but now has leaves!

6 comments:

  1. before they retired and spent all their time on the road, my mother enjoyed bonsai very much.

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    1. I never had much interest until a friend took me to the bonsai gathering. I was mesmerized by watching them care for their creations.

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  2. A bonsai tree follows the cycle of the seasons. A bonsai Oak loses his leaves in autumn and grows new ones in Spring. A long time ago my husband tried to grow a bonsai tree too but that sadly one didn't make it. I hope you will have a wonderful time caring for this little tree. Have you named it yet?

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    1. "Poseidon" - because it is a trident maple. :D It hasn't been officially potted up yet as a bonsai. Thankfully I have some folks I can look to for help!

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  3. My Father always said the only constant in this World is change, quoted from someone I am sure. I still hear it all the time when something changes. The Wheel turns.

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    1. I agree with him - and so would the Buddhist philosophers! :)

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