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

Monday, January 29, 2018

Flip Side

From the Tarot of the Crone, the Seven of Swords; from Transforming Dragons, 'Ogrostov:'
          The companion book assigns this phrase to the Crone's Seven of Swords: "I travel roads no one has seen. I create worlds of joy and pain." It suggests the amazing talent of the mind to imagine what was and what might be. It can replay moments in the past that still shred our heart into tatters or create a peaceful beach with the sounds of waves crashing onto the sand. Imagination can be our creative muse or the demon that keeps us in dark places. Ogrostov believes that no one is ever in a position to tell him what to do. He represents arrogant pride with a mind open only to those who readily agree with his ideas. Anyone who has that much false pride is likely to also have an equal amount of deep-seated fear. Both these cards remind me how much I am grateful for lojong, a Tibetan form of mind training. Through such training, the unwanted obstacles in life become the raw material for awakening. Pema Chodron explains how it can benefit both the mind and heart:
It is unconditional compassion for ourselves that leads naturally to unconditional compassion for others. If we are willing to stand fully in our own shoes and never give up on ourselves, then we will be able to put ourselves in the shoes of others and never give up on them. True compassion does not come from wanting to help out those less fortunate than ourselves but from realizing our kinship with all beings.

6 comments:

  1. The "EYES" have it. If a group all is in accordance with something, for today it is best to go along with the group.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe, but the mob mentality doesn't always lead to sanity and serenity. :)

      Delete
    2. That's when you go home, fix yourself a nice cup of hot chocolate and forget about it. Oh and take a shower so their ickyness doesn't stick to yourself.

      Delete
  2. I wonder if we stood on a rock how far back we could see. How far back we'd be willing to look...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Even if we couldn't see, we'd likely imagine something. :)

      Delete