Together We'll Stand or Fall

From the Sasuraibito Tarot, the Queen of Swords; from the Soul Cards, In This Together:

No man means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous. ―Henry Adams

The Queen of Swords uses her sword like a tuning fork, listening for reverberations of truths, exaggerations, half-truths and lies. She knows the audience can change what the speaker reveals; we may choose what we say to impress or to avoid conflict. At other times, we may withhold information out of fear. In This Together along with this Queen reminds me of the mess Americans are in right now. I saw a post on FB that basically said it was unkind and unpatriotic to make fun of or speak harshly about our current administration. REALLY!!?? My feelings are summed up by Theodore Roosevelt: "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public... It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else."

Winnowing Basket

This week I'll be working with the Sasuraibito Tarot, self-published by Stasia Burrington. I'll also be using Soul Cards 1 & 2, created by Deborah Koff-Chapin and published through her company, Center for Touch Drawing. The Soul Cards have no titles, so the ones given here are my own. Today's draws are the Seven of Wands and Collaboration:

Make sure everybody in your boat is rowing and not drilling holes when you’re not looking.

—Steve Maraboli

There comes a time when we need to take a close look at those around us and decide who helps us grow and develop and who is dangerous to our aspirations as well as our mental health. We've all had contact with people who criticize simply to belittle, those who profess kindness but enjoy causing pain, or those who manipulate and sow seeds of discord. Even if we have a long history with them, it's okay to distance ourselves (which will likely keep us from a resentment in the future). The star of Collaboration makes me think of the quote by Mariam Kaba: "Why be a star when you can be a constellation?" We don't need to go solo - there are still people who understand that working together can produce fresh ideas and create amazing things. 

Dark Alleys

From the Ellis Deck Tarot, the Nine of Swords; from the Brownies Oracle, Burden:

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. ―Marie Curie

When we're dealing with a lot of anxiety, allowing our mind to wander at will is not always wise. It will inevitably travel into dark alleys, imagining every shadow as something terrifying. Our minds can be used as a beneficial tool or as a weapon against us. It might be helpful to turn on the light of curiosity and ask questions: "Am I rehearsing for something in the future that may never happen? Or am I dragging something that happened in the past into the present, imagining things will be exactly as before?" In Burdens, the Brownies suggest allowing others to support us. As Fred Rogers said, "When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone."

Going Off-Script

From the Ellis Tarot, the Ace of Cups; from the Brownies Oracle, Suppression:

Without emotional awareness, we live according to a script that we’ve never taken time to better recognize and understand. ―Bernard Golden

Ellis describes this Ace as symbolizing emotional growth and healing. One thing I've noticed about emotionally mature people is that while they feel their feelings, they don't get intoxicated by them (causing their logical brain to go off-line). Such folks don't automatically look for an outer cause, which can result in rationalization, blame, or excuses. Instead, they look inwardly to consider if old patterns ('scripts') are about to cause a habitual reaction. Suppression is not about toxic positivity - the excessive and unhealthy promotion of positivity that invalidates and suppresses genuine feelings. It asks us to hold our tongues and reactions until the emotional energy passes, feeling it physically without writing a story around it in our mind. 

Thieves of Joy

From the Ellis Deck Tarot, the Seven of Swords; from the Brownies Oracle, Reaping:

Watch out for the joy-stealers: gossip, criticism, complaining, faultfinding, and a negative, judgmental attitude. —Joyce Meyer

Words can steal the joy and peace of mind of others. Unhappy humans often act like autocorrect automatons, marching around judging and finding fault with anything that even hints at cheerfulness. If we're on the receiving end, we need to be careful - their words are like sticky, hot tar that can easily trap us unless we ignore them. However, we can flip the script they're trying to sell us: we spread light instead of having it sucked out of us. Reaping is a reminder to be prudent with our words; those who sow briers will eventually wind up in a bed of thorns. As Jim Rohn stated, "If you don't like what you are reaping, you better change what you have been sowing."

Full of Stars

From the Ellis Tarot, the Eight of Swords; from the Brownies Oracle, Plenty:

If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.

—Albert Einstein

Ellis describes this card as refusing to make new choices. Trying on new ideas and perspectives may seem as icky as walking through a wall of spider webs. But in a constantly changing world, we can't continue to stick with what is obsolete, we must learn to be innovative. Our initial reaction to trying on new approaches may feel ridiculous, but according to Einstein, that just means we're on the right path (stepping out of our old thinking). In Plenty, the Brownies remind us of Maya Angelou's statement: "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." Once we stop looking at the sky through a drinking straw, we realize just how many stars there are.

It's a Team Effort

From the Ellis Tarot, the King of Pentacles; from the Brownies Oracle, Connection:

Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it - then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.

—M. Scott Peck

This King of Pentacles likes his comforts, but he knows what it is like to do without them. He didn't get to his position through a royal bloodline, but through a hardscrabble life. He enjoys the good life, but he doesn't expect it or even feel entitled to it. He understands the nature of earthly existence. Yet there is one thing he has depended on - the support of others. Connection is a reminder that sometimes we need to be the bolster and other times we are the bolstered. It depends on recognizing the value of others, no matter which role we play, and maintaining our gratitude for them.