No Drill Instructors, Please

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Four of Batons; from the Diloggun Cards, Three Mouths (Ogunda):

A warrior is gentle in spirit, fierce in commitment. –John Eldredge

Initiates in this tradition are first introduced to the "Warrior Orishas" - Eleggua, Oggun, Oshosi, and Ozun. These guardians provide spiritual care and supervision, marking the formal beginning of a practitioner's lifelong relationship with the Orisha. It is always helpful when beginning something new, such as a religious path, marriage, career, or parenthood, to have a role model to provide skillful examples for us to follow. Those who are experienced and proficient may keep us from making too many mistakes or at least help us learn from our missteps when we fall flat on our face. The Three Mouths (Ogunda) proverb reads: "A little subtleness is better than a lot of force." It hints that we might be better suited to and gain more from models who offer suggestions rather than make demands. Save the drill instructors for the military.

Curiosity Saved the Cat

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Eight of Swords (Ochosi); from the Diloggun Cards, Seven Mouths (Edi):

Your perspective will either become your prison or your passport.

—Steven Furtick

Ochosi is the Orisha of the hunt, forests and animals, yet he is also known as a believer of impartial justice and equality. He has a little chuckle at us today, because we've constructed a prison for ourselves made of our own thoughts. Ochosi says, "You stand and look in one direction, seeking resources or a solution to your problem. Can you not look to the left, the right and behind you, realizing there are many other options?" The proverb for Edi (Seven Mouths) reads: "Always being in a hurry does not prevent death, neither does going slowly prevent living." Curiosity is the partner of patience; curiosity heightens our patience by keeping us interested. It grants us time to unravel problems rather than create more.  

Zoned Out

This week I'll be using the Tarot Lukumi, a deck created by Caelum Rainieri, Ivory Andersen and Raphael Montoliu. It is published by Dal Negro, and the artwork was done by Luigi Scapini. The oracle deck I'll be using this week is the Diloggun Cards, a digital set created through the use of art by Mase Lobe. Each card is associated with an Ifa ethic as well as a proverb, with information from a book by Ifa Karade called The Handbook of Yoruba Religious Concepts. Today's draws are the Queen of Cups (Yemaya) and Six Mouths (Obara):

Transcendence is a false detour - a dead end in the sky. Transformation is what is needed now. 

—Clark Strand

The Queen of Cups is illustrated with Yemaya, orisha of all the oceans and bodies of water and Mother of All. Having a powerful influence over the tides and the movements of the sea, she encourages us to surrender to the natural flow of life and find the strength to transform ourselves during after difficult periods. When we meet head-on with hardships, our first response is often to find some way - pills, booze, sleep, or some other pleasure - to help us ignore it. Yet the proverb associated with Obara (six mouths) tells us just the opposite: "Do not let what you cannot do tear from your hands what you can." Choosing to be present rather than zoned out can give us the clarity to respond in ways that might be beneficial to us and possibly the situation too.

 

The True Essence

From the Wild Unknown, the World; from the Pictish Oracle, Rectangular Figure:

Form is none other than emptiness. Emptiness is none other than form.

—Heart Sutra

We begin life awash in wonder; later, we focus on finding certainty and solidity, through both concepts and material possessions. The Sutra tells us that form - anything tangible or perceptible (objects, thoughts) - is "empty." Rather than a void, emptiness points out that all things are impermanent and interdependent. Emptiness is the canvas that allows form to happen. To recognize wholeness in our diverse and ever-changing world, rather trying to separate and petrify, allows us to develop compassionate understanding. Several of the Rectangular Figures have been found on stones that show monks carrying books in satchels that look very similar. We all carry concepts and ideas that help us to make sense of life. Hopefully, we don't latch our "satchels' too tightly, allowing room for new perspectives and new information. As Tara Brach said, "Belief without inquiry is like mistaking a map for the territory - guiding us but never capturing the true essence of what is."

Cloudy Days

From the Wild Unknown Tarot, the Five of Cups; from the Pictish Oracle, Arch:

I have my foggy and my fine days within me.

—Blaise Pascal

Tired, worn down by stress, and feeling like the world has been washed of its color - we all have days when we experience such moods. A mood is a sustained, generalized state of feeling (unlike specific emotions which are intense with a specific target). On these days, it might help to consider what our mind and body need (which does not include trying to reshape the world according to our desires). There is no evidence that the Picts shod their horses, so the Arch is likely a structure or a torque (neck ring). It reminds us that there is a way through this dark cloud. First, we offer counter arguments to our thoughts when we catch ourselves thinking in black and white and making assumptions. We might reach out to a friend who is practical but positive or put on some upbeat music. It would also be helpful if we get enough sleep, exercise if possible, and eat regular meals. As Karishma Mehta said, "It's a bad day, not a bad life."

What Went Wrong

From the Wild Unknown Tarot, the Ace of Pentacles; from the Pictish Oracle, the Crescent and V-rod:

You may do this, I tell you, it is permitted. Begin again the story of your life.

—Jane Hirshfield

At first, it appears to be simply a stump in this Ace, but then we notice the sprouts. Many deciduous trees can regrow from a stump or roots because their root systems remain alive. Likewise, we may try and fail at some endeavor, seeing just the stump and thinking we should just cut our losses. But rather than focusing on our failure, we can employ one of our greatest resources: learning what went wrong so we can do things differently if we try again. It has been suggested that the Crescent and V-rod image represent a kind of seasonal sundial. As such, it symbolizes preparation, pace and right timing. The red center of the Ace's stump hints that we need to start from the beginning instead of trying to save time by using what was done before. Begin again - this time with more wisdom.

Fair Exchange

From the Wild Unknown Tarot, the Son/Knight of Swords; from the Pictish Oracle, Snake:

When I am angry, what I want becomes holy. What the other person wants becomes irrelevant.

—friend of Susan Heitler

The eye is drawn to the lines in this card; they seem to funnel downward, like a gutter directing rainwater. The Son of Swords has both a sharp intellect and tongue. He likes to debate rather than discuss, often confusing what is true or right with his personal information and opinions. He can grind folks down, exhausting them with his arguments. They may pretend to agree simply to get away from the onslaught. The Snake was a complex symbol for the Celtic world: its ability to coil and strike caused fear, but its habit of shedding its skin connected it with healing. Words have the same power with their ability to hurt or heal. In a heated debate or argument, we are usually more concerned with being heard than listening, which holds no hope of reconciliation. On the other hand, Esther Perel reminds us, "Dialogue, in contrast, is an exchange with no winner, where the speaker listens and responds based on what they heard."