Desire and Commitment

From the Delta Enduring Tarot, the Chariot; from the Southernisms Oracle, "Have a hankering for:"

Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek. ―Mario Andretti

This couple are taking a rest after loading one hundred heavy watermelons in their pickup. Soon they will grab their sign and head to the nearest town to see if they can sell their harvest. The Chariot is about movement, first in the preparatory stage of getting ready, then navigating to get to one's objective, and finally the arrival where the goal can be completed. It's generally more hard work than riding down the highway with the windows down and the music blaring. Hankering means to 'hang on,' and refers to our thoughts getting attached to an idea or desire. We all hanker after different things, but rarely do we satisfy them unless we get up and get moving.    

Right Action

From the Delta Enduring Tarot, the Six of Cast Irons (Pentacles); from the Southernisms Oracle, Playing Possum:

When we bear witness, the right action arises by itself. We don't have to worry about what to do.

―Bernie Glassman

We spay and neuter the cats we adopt (even though they are indoors), but here, like many places, we have a feral cat problem. Though some people can't afford to pay for the vet's services, others who have outdoor cats simply turn a blind eye to the kittens they produce who must make their own way. The "Playing possum" card points to this habit of pretending, yet the Six of Cast Irons encourages us to not turn away. We all have resources we can share, even if it is only attention or a kind word.

Consequences

This week I'll be using the Delta Enduring Tarot, created and self-published by Bridgette Egan. Along with it, I'll be drawing from the Southernisms Oracle (a deck I created based on sayings I grew up with). Today's draws are the Nine of Oaks (Wands) and Drunk as Cooter Brown:

For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing. 

―Simon Wiesenthal

The Nine of Oaks shows a mother nutria (a semiaquatic rodent similar to a beaver) defending her babies. Motherhood is exhausting, but it has already taught her to be flexible and adaptable when meeting challenges - necessary traits for resilience. We can draw on our own experiences, remembering what worked well and what didn't, when we face a new difficulty. The Southernism card illustrates the legend of Cooter Brown who refused to fight on either side of the Civil War. He decided he would stay drunk on moonshine for the entire time, making him an unfit soldier. Yet even if he didn't want to go into battle, there were other options other than giving himself cirrhosis of the liver. Perhaps he could have hidden people in danger, helping them to safety. While action isn't always advisable in every circumstance, doing nothing can have extreme consequences. 

If We're Willing

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Star; from the Way of the Horse, Horse Ancestors:

Perhaps there is a better way - we think so.

―AA basic text

No one heals unless they rest, allowing what flattened them to be purged. Nevertheless, it's tempting, once we are feeling more like our old selves, to go back to the familiar. We start strategizing, trying to revamp the same thing that caused our fall. The Star tells us there is guidance to be had if we're willing to set aside our plans and listen. Yet listen, as Krishnamurti encouraged, "without your prejudices interfering – listen as you may listen to the song of a bird." Horse Ancestors implies that we have inherited certain habits from our family or culture. However deeply entrenched, unhealthy patterns can be changed if we're willing to do the hard work of learning new behaviors and attitudes. 

Wealth and Happiness

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Ten of Coins; from the Way of the Horse, The Herd:

There are two ways to be rich: One is by acquiring much, and the other is by desiring little. 

―Jackie French Koller

This little family has found the way to feel rich by learning to live moderately. They lack nothing, having all the basics that keep them safe and healthy. Appreciating what they have, they are content with enjoying the simple things in life. In their philosophy, less is more; they understand how excess can create complications and add to problems. The Herd parallels new research that has found living a longer, happier life requires more than taking care of our bodies. Close relationships, rather than money, made a huge difference. As psychiatrist Robert Waldinger put it, “Loneliness kills. It’s as powerful as smoking or alcoholism.”

But Actually...

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Moon; from the Way of the Horse, Transformation:

But even when the moon looks like it's waning... it's actually never changing shape. 

―Ai Yazawa

A small child might think someone took a big bite out of the moon when it's in crescent form, not realizing the rest of it is just in shadow. People often do the same with bits of information - they make assumptions without realizing they aren't seeing the full picture. There are generally three outlooks: the optimist, who sees the bright side and expects a positive outcome to situations; the pessimist, who anticipates negative outcomes and sees challenges as insurmountable; and the realist, who neither sugarcoats nor catastrophizes circumstances, but looks for evidence and solutions. The optimist can be overconfident and ignore protocols, the pessimist can live with anxiety and take no risks, and the realist can suffer from over-analysis and emotional detachment. If we want a balanced outlook, we'll take a healthy part from all three. Transformation illustrates letting go of habits and beliefs that constrain us, realizing they are costing us our freedom. As Pema Chodron explained, "Renunciation is realizing that our nostalgia for wanting to stay in a protected, limited, petty world is insane."

Move With Grace

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Knight of Cups; from the Way of the Horse, False Self:

We may wear now one mask and now another, and never, if we so desire, appear with our own true face. But we cannot make these choices with impunity. If we have chosen the way of falsity, we must not be surprised that truth eludes us when we finally come to need it and that confusion reigns.

– Thomas Merton

The imaginative and sensitive Knight of Cups signals movement in the emotional realm. Perhaps that resentment we've held onto for years gets chipped away. Maybe we gain the courage to introduce ourselves to someone we wanted to get to know better. Or it could be that those who have been in the depths of grief decide a walk in the sunshine would be nice. Yet the False Self card warns us not to act in order to conform to external expectations or ideals. We must let our actions stem from a sincere heart.