When the World is Too Much with Us

From the Ferret Tarot, the Fool; from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, the Lotus:

There are souls in this world which have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go. —Jean Paul

The Fool asks us to live lightheartedly, bringing a sense of newness to our perspective and unencumbered by conventional thinking. Frankly, this morning I feel stressed and worn out; to use Wordsworth's line, the world is too much with me. Yet I am reminded by the Lotus, that starts in the mud and muck and moves slowly towards the light, I too have tools to use. I can start with my senses; feeling a breeze, listening to the birds. I can notice neutral moments, when I'm at peace. I can dig into my spiritual toolbox of principles and practices. And I can find joy in small, imperfect activities. My latest bit of enjoyment has been creating small watercolors of my cats as literary characters (that matches their personality). And so, I present to you, Tad as Puss in Boots; Fig as John Blacksad, P.I. (graphic novel); and Lia as Graymalkin (witch's cat in MacBeth):

Pineapple on a Post

From the Ferret Tarot, the Hanged Man; from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, Pineapple:

It's very easy to get caught up in everything that's going on... it's hard to hit that reset button and get pulled away from all that and see life from a different perspective. —Tony Stewart

The Hanged Man is life's attempt at offering us a turning point, a chance to pause from trying to control and order the world as we think it should be and instead view all 360 degrees of it. It doesn't always work right away; we often spend a lot of time venting and complaining in an endeavor to ignore our powerlessness. But if we can get past this point, calming our indignation and frustration, we get a new look at what we thought we knew already - a new perspective. Pineapple, folklore explains, became a symbol of hospitality when returning sea captains started placing a pineapple outside their homes on gateposts, signaling they had returned and were ready to welcome visitors. I'm sure those captains weren't thrilled to see every visitor, but still they followed Rumi's advice: "Welcome and entertain them all!" Likewise, we don't have to be delighted by everything. However, acknowledging reality rather than battling or ignoring it gives us a chance to understand it better so that that we can respond in a more appropriate and beneficial way.

Mix and Match

From the Ferret Tarot, the Two of Cups; from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, Scarab Beetle:

In a relationship of respect, your task is to understand the other person as a unique individual and learn how to mesh your needs with his or hers... not to control the other person or try to change him or her.  

—Peter Gray

The Two of Cups combines difference and diversity into a relationship of equality and harmony. Like some jigsaw puzzles, this can seem easier before it's unboxed. The key - no matter what type of relationship - is respect. And it is necessary to respect ourselves, not just the other person; otherwise, we may question the sincerity of their compliments or become a people-pleaser. The Scarab Beetle, known for creating a perfectly round ball of dung to feed its young, reminds us that good relationships are formed by developing honest communication, ways to handle conflict without aggression, and a sense of humor.

Sore Winners

From the Ferret Tarot, the Five of Swords; from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, Praying Mantis:

Who knows himself a braggart, let him fear this, for it will come to pass that every braggart shall be found an ass. —Shakespeare

There are sore losers, but there are sore winners too. Such folks gloat about their wins and delight in making the loser feel inadequate and inferior. Rather than graciously acknowledging victory, they act more like a bully who's incapable of empathy. Unfortunately, they don't realize the high cost of their "win," but the Praying Mantis points this out. Hubris creates animosity rather than connection, burning bridges and friendships. Arrogance can convince us that we know more and have a better understanding than anyone else. When things go to hell, there won't be anyone to help, and the blame will fall on the one holding all the swords.

Balance and Buoyancy

From the Ferret Tarot, the Two of Pentacles; from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, Nautilus:

Juggling is an illusion. ... In reality, the balls are being independently caught and thrown in rapid succession. ―Gary Keller

There are times when we all are stretched by an overload of responsibilities - some are necessary tasks we must do, some are obligations we need to do, and some are simply things we want to do. But juggling lit torches, balls and beanbags are very different things. The key is to prioritize our efforts by what is necessary and needed first. In a Nautilus, the animal resides in the shell’s largest chamber, while the other chambers function like the ballast tanks of a submarine. Water is moved about in these other chambers for balance and buoyancy. Likewise, we need to move from task to task with purpose and intention. As Gary Keller explains, "Activity is often unrelated to productivity, and busyness rarely takes care of business."

Multiple Choice

From the Ferret Tarot, the Two of Swords; from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, Pumpkin:

Maintain an active mind: alert to the possibilities and mischievous in your pursuit of them.

―Stewart Stafford

The position of these two swords indicates that there is indecision because of a conflict between mind and heart. The mind is grounded in the facts it knows (but also the unknown it fears). The heart wavers between what it desires and the fear that it won't have the perseverance to accomplish it. Yet before we make any decision, we must acknowledge that change is possible and life can be both different and better. Pumpkin reminds us of the abundance of possibilities. We often see only one view, but just as this gourd can contain 500 seeds, there are many more options and potential prospects that we haven't even imagined. As Francis of Assisi said, "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

There's a Distinction

This week I'll be using the Ferret Tarot, created and self-published by Elaine Moertl. Along with it, I'll be drawing from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, created by Mindy Lighthipe and published by Schiffer Books. The cards for today are the Three of Swords and Coyote:

We must rediscover the distinction between hope and expectation.

―Ivan Illich

I read a monostich poem by Rafiq Kathwari this morning that illustrates the pain of the Three of Swords: "As I fling my arms wide, he extends his hand." As Illich's quote implies, we often set ourselves up for disappointment. Having hope is understanding that the outcome is a possibility (even if only a slim chance); it's not a sure thing. Expectation is a one-sided mental contract that we demand be delivered. And what happens when that doesn't occur? We think of ourselves as a victim, in anguish due to another's cruelty. We never consider that what we expected was never agreed to by the other person. Coyote is associated with adaptability because no matter how its environment has changed, it has managed to adapt to it. Coyote encourages us to live lightly - without taking everything personally and seeing from a self-centered perspective. We can have more joy untainted by resentment by doing so.