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, June 29, 2017

Compassionate Self-Control

From the Victoria Regina Tarot, the Chariot; from the Alchemist Oracle, 'You are exactly where you need to be:'
          A woman on a trike-bike moves with purpose through a busy city street. I'm sure there are plenty of distractions going on around her - a sale at the dry goods store, a fight at the pub, etc. - but she keeps on pedaling forward. She is learning to master her desires and control her impulses in order to reach her destination. Of course she might make a brief stop to say hello to a friend or offer directions to someone new to the city, but she continues on her way soon thereafter. She doesn't exist on a 'pepper diet,' but neither will she indulge her every whim; self-discipline helps her put off instant gratification that will only slow her down. To be honest, I abhor the New Age platitude endorsed by the Alchemist Oracle card: "You are exactly where you need to be." Is this what you would tell a woman who just miscarried? How about a young boy who just experienced a beating from his drunk father? I think a less punishing and more helpful view would be to say, "Yes, this is reality. How can you tenderly accept it and deal with it rather than closing your heart to life?"

4 comments:

  1. I so agree with you. Sometimes these platitiude make me cringe. Of course every challenge holds a valuable lesson but sometimes we all need a Summer vacation :)

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    1. I think a response to someone's suffering should be helpful, not condescending.

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  2. We are all on our way somewhere. I have issues with the platitude of the karma thing and what goes around comes around. People talk about karma being a bitch and will catch up with you and I think do you feel like that is why I was so hurt in a tornado? Things happen and sometimes we just can't make sense of it.

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    1. I don't think Westerners have a clue about what karma is. What it ISN'T is some form of reward or punishment system. It is simply that thoughts, words and actions have a result. It has nothing to do with judgment or someone "getting what they deserve." That's like saying the laws of nature affect nice people differently than mean people.

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