A Tale as Old as Time

This week I'll be using the Greenwood Tarot, created by Chesca Potter and published by Thorsons. The oracle I'll be using is the Rune Cards, created by Tony Linsell and Brian Partridge and published by Anglo-Saxon Books. Today's draws are the Three of Arrows (Swords) and Water (Laguz):

One who is fed on promises eats from an empty bowl.

―Marsha Hinds

It's a tale as old as time, as the saying goes. We find a group, a job, or a person that we think will care for us as we care for them, who will have our backs as we have theirs. Then that tapestry of trust begins to unravel as we discover confidences were not kept, promises were broken, and the relationship not honored. It's easy to spot the red flags in hindsight, but how do we move on when we carry that kind of hurt? Water's (Laguz) rune poem emphasizes this feeling of uncertainty:

Water to men seems everlasting when they must venture on an unsteady ship,

and waves scare them very much; the brine stallion heeds not the bridle.

We can't control our relationships any more than we can control the sea, yet we can learn from our pain. As Sara Al Madani said, "Stay open. Stay soft. Stay wise. Protect your peace, but don't punish the world for what one person broke."

Our Versions of Reality

From the Swietlistej Drogi, the King of Swords; from the Mirrors of the Heart, Healthfulness:

It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality.

―Rick Riordan

This King leans on his downward-pointed sword, underscoring his belief that the real world is grounded in logic, evidence and facts. Yet many of us imagine a different reality - either one full of specific desires we crave or one full of fears we attempt to push away. But these hopes and fears are not in the present, thus they are not concrete realities. He asks, "Is it not enough just to deal with what is actually happening this day?" Healthfulness is impacted by our thoughts and the mental stories that we create. As Susan Bauer-Wu points out, "Stories are automatic, and they can carry you away. They can agitate the mind, which in turn agitates the body and shakes up your world in general. "For the sake of your mental and physical health, be mindful of what you mind is up to.

Mini Vacation

 From the Swietlistej Drogi, the Queen of Cups; from the Mirrors of the Heart, Strength:

Laughter is an instant vacation. 

—Milton Berle

Often the Queen of Cups is put in the role of a therapist, someone who lets you talk through your feelings. But if you're lucky, she's also a friend that baptizes you in joy and fun, then lifts your spirits high with laughter. In these uncertain and disturbing times, we need a mini vacation from the darkness. Time spent with those who gladden our hearts and boost our morale also give us an infusion of Strength. This is not the kind of power that pushes forcefully back at the opposition, but the kind that offers gentle resilience. It gives us the courage to keep our hearts open in a world that tells us to keep them closed. 

Acts of Stewardship

From the Swietlistej Drogi, the Page of Swords; from the Mirrors of the Heart, Help:

If you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody come sit next to me.

―Alice Roosevelt Longworth

As much as it might pain us to admit, we've probably all got a little Alice in us. The Page of Swords, who enjoys collecting and disseminating information, would probably have a permanent seat next to her. He hasn't yet learned the importance of making sure what he hears is fact of fiction, he's just excited to pass it along. Help is a reminder that whether we tell stories about others is an ethical choice. Yonatan Hambourger reminds us: "When someone is misrepresented in a conversation, something delicate is placed in your hands. In small communities especially, word travels fast, and a sentence spoken casually can shape a reputation for years. Choosing to correct gently, to remain silent rather than amplify harm, or to speak with care when others are absent—these are acts of stewardship..."

Words of Wisdom?

From the Swietlistej Drogi, the High Priest (Hierophant); from the Mirrors of the Heart, Earth:

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

—Paul McCartney / John Lennon

This High Priest/Hierophant is a deep thinker, studying and writing commentary on scriptures. Centuries ago, the high priest led ceremonies and rituals for atoning for sins, but more importantly, he was considered a mediator between God and the people. He was the mouthpiece of God, offering guidance and correction. I suppose it helps to have authorities who interpret and explain, especially so others don't twist things to suit their purposes. But that doesn't mean the go-between person won't do the same - just look at way the Trump administration has defiled the words of the Constitution. Earth reminds us to plant the words we hear and see if we get briars or good fruit. Perhaps we might take Buddha's advice: "don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, ‘This contemplative is our teacher.’ When you know for yourselves that, ‘These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted and carried out, lead to welfare and to happiness’ — then you should enter and remain in them."

Initiation

From the Swietlistej Drogi, the Nine of Cups; from the Mirrors of the Heart, Awakening:

Much like those seed pods that only germinate in the heat of fire, the soul seed we carry responds to the heat generated by initiation. —Francis Weller

Happiness and contentment don't always come only when we've made strides in the material realm. Here a woman anoints a person who has the look of a recently released prisoner of war. Difficulties that must be faced and endured often act as an initiation. As Jack Kornfield explains, "Initiation means that you have to go through a narrow place that's so difficult to get through you can't take your baggage with you. It sort of strips you down in some difficult way." Yet for those who don't give up and make it through, a transformation occurs. Francis Weller describes this: "The process yielded someone more attuned to responsibilities than rights, more aware of multiple entanglements than entitlements." Awakening is that stirring of the heart and mind this experience brings. Yes, we find happiness, but we also develop wisdom, courage and compassion.

Eloquence

 From the Swietlistej Drogi, the Ace of Swords; from the Mirrors of the Heart Openness:

Eloquence is a painting of the thoughts.

—Blaise Pascal

I've had teachers who were incredibly smart and well educated, yet they did not know how to explain ideas to others. That kind of teaching results in rote learning without understanding. But then I've also had teachers (and writers) who could paint a picture with their words, illustrating the most complex concepts. Those eloquent communicators are a treasure because they offer insight. Openness suggests that the responsibility is not just on the speaker, but also the listener. As Elena Brower expresses, "Asking more questions and practicing sitting quietly strips certainty away and allows a freshness to emerge, a bright curiosity. Concepts and narratives can fall away, we can venture out beyond self and other, beyond yes and no, dead and alive, right and wrong."