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

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Uncovering the Hidden

From the Artist's Inner Vision Tarot, the Hermit; from the Art of Collage Cards, a work by Catrin Arno:
          The Hermit uses solitude to troll deep waters. The companion book states, "Under the environment of self-exploration and contemplation, answers rise to the surface of consciousness, and our knowledge of them makes it easier for us to change negative patterns and live our lives in a life-affirming manner." I recently challenged the ladies I sponsor to take an inventory of what's in their spiritual toolbox.* In mine, there were several discarded or dusty practices; most of what I do consistently are those that bring me pleasure. But a complete toolbox includes practices that challenge me and help me to grow. Its purpose is not to keep me in a state of bliss, but to aid me in becoming more compassionate and less self-centered. Arno's work is one I call "What is hidden." The woman's modest but opulent gown seems to cover up a lot of her, until you peek at what is underneath. There is a world of passion and creativity behind all those layers! I am reminded that doing the hard work of spiritual training doesn't just result in sweat and tears, but a flowering of something beautiful too.
*Our challenge for the month includes dusting off a practice we haven't used in a while (or learned about and never used) and begin working with it. Also, we are to investigate new practices and choose one to test drive for a month. For anyone interested, some suggestions can be found here.

5 comments:

  1. google does not know the source of the Hermit's script "No results found for "the theory of spontaneous attitude". Nor does adding more, "the theory of spontaneous attitude is practiced Eastern Himalayas". do you suppose it is the cardmakers own wordsmithing?

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  2. Between my chaotic life at the moment, mostly caused by my husband moving house to another carehome because his house will rebuild during the next two years, it has been quite a hermity period of me But it has also shed some light over my priorities including my spiritual practice. So this link is very timely for me. Thank you my friend

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    1. Hope you find something helpful there, my friend. May you navigate the changes with as much equanimity as possible. (((E)))

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