The Closer

From the Anna K Tarot, the King of Wands; from the Meditation Cards, Overly Sensitive:

The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

~Vidal Sassoon

With his determined stride, clenched fist and focus on what is before him, there's no doubt this king will finish what was started. Passionate about his work, he's capable of bringing visions and dreams to reality. Like the fictional Brenda Leigh Johnson, he is 'The Closer.' Yet as challenges and obstacles are likely to occur, the Overly Sensitive card suggests that calm endurance will also be a quality he needs. He might do well to remember Pema Chodron's words: "It isn't what happens to us that causes us to suffer, it's what we say to ourselves about what happens." Staying on an even keel will help him properly deal with what comes up instead of simply reacting to it.

Gifts

This week I'll be using the Anna K. Tarot, created and self-published by Anna Klaffinger (though now published by Llewellyn). Along with it, I'll be drawing from the Meditation Cards, a deck created and self-published by Asha Greer. All the keywords and quotes for these cards have been added by me. Today's draws are the Empress and River of Humanity:

Look after the land and the land will look after you, destroy the land and it will destroy you.

—Aboriginal Proverb

Judging by the dangerous smile of this Empress, it's likely someone tried to hurt the ringtail hiding beneath her dress. She is the archetypal Mother Earth, supplying beauty and resources in abundance, yet she demands these things not be used indiscriminately or without respect. Like the typical mom, she loves to give but won't hesitate to dole out some discipline when it's needed. The quote for River of Humanity is written by Satish Kumar:

When we write a poem, we make a gift. When we paint a picture or build a beautiful home, we make a gift. When we grow flowers and cook food, we make a gift. When all these activities are performed as sacred acts, they nourish society.

Whatever we offer with an attitude of love is a worthy gift. And how we treat the gifts we're given shows our nature as being entitled or selfless and appreciative. 

Stepping Forward

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Queen of Wands; from the Diloggun Cards, Irete (16 mouths):

In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety.

—Abraham Maslow

There's no throne for this queen; she's a "go and do, explore and create" kind of gal. She is represented by Oya, the orisha of the wind, lightning and storms. Associated with transformation, she brings change, wanted or not. It's no use blaming things on her when our comfortable life gets turned upside down. Change is as natural as the sun rising and setting. Irete (16 mouths) suggests we not constrict our kindness in reaction to any shifts in our life:

Ifa: Guard against selfishness; those who are selfish will come to bear their burdens alone.

Proverb: Enjoy breakfast all alone, share lunch with your best friend and give dinner to your enemy.

We don't want to push away the people who might help us adjust and adapt to whatever winds life sends our way.

His Own Petard

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Hanged Man; from the Diloggun Cards, Obara (six mouths):

For ’tis the sport to have the engineer

Hoist with his own petard;

—William Shakespeare (Hamlet)

The fourth king of Oya attempted to bring his divided kingdom together with sorcery but ended up burning everything to a crisp. Oba-kosa ("he sits on the flashes of lightning which are thrown") then hung himself. But his people liked the king in spite of his mistake and prayed for his return. He did in the form of Chango, the orisha of passion, fire, thunder and lightning. We might have to hang in limbo awhile, but people usually do forget our mistakes, especially if no harm was intended. The ifa and proverb of Obara (six mouths) read:

Ifa: One must be uplifted from poverty-stricken acceptance and state of mind. There is no virtue in being in poverty. Be industrious and accomplish your desires.

Proverb: Do not let what you cannot do tear from your hands what you can.

Self-pity and clinging to the hope that history will somehow change won't help anything. Instead, we can learn from our past missteps, making restitution and amends for any harm done while making more mindful choices. 

Accepting Help

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Queen of Coins; from the Diloggun Cards, Osa (nine mouths):

But then it occurred to him that any progress he had made on his quest so far, he had made by accepting the help that had been offered to him. – Neil Gaiman

We'd all like to have a little more stability and financial security for when life pulls the rug out from under our feet. Yet some of our ideas - like playing the lottery - will be unlikely to help. Oshun is an orisha associated with love, fertility, wealthy and prosperity. She was the only female primordial spirit sent with Shango to create the world, but the other male spirits excluded her. When their attempt failed, Shango forced them to respect her, as she was essential to creating not only the world, but all the life on it. Osa (nine mouths) also warns that rigidly following our own narrow ideas is not profitable:

Ifa: One must cease leading themselves to misfortune. One must cease bringing harm upon themselves.

Proverb: Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.

Wise friends can help us see where we slip and how we sabotage ourselves. It's in our best interest to sincerely listen and heed their advice. 

From Both Sides

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Ace of Cups; from the Diloggun Cards, Oshe (five mouths):

To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.

—David Viscott

The Ace of Cups is illustrated with a statue of Yemaya, goddess of the ocean and the mother of all living things. Like many mothers, she loves and protects with a fierceness that is stunning. She offers us a cup of tenderness and kindness - first to sip from, and then to take out into the world. Yet Oshe suggests we use our love wisely and with discernment:

Ifa: Unless we resort to caution and discretion, we will miss the blessings of prosperity.

Proverb: Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet.

We want to avoid a codependent relationship, feeling as if our happiness depends on another's contentment. But neither should we use love in a way that enables another, allowing them to bypass all responsibility for their actions. As the Buddha said, just as thought is the forerunner of action, so right thought (seeing things realistically) is the forerunner of right action.

Trip to Nowhere

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Five of Swords; from the Diloggun Cards, Okanran (one mouth):

Ego trip: a journey to nowhere.

—Robert Half

The rooster is the sacrificial animal of warrior Orishas; it is killed quickly and respectfully as an offering. A symbol of one of the three poisons in the Buddhist Wheel of Life, this animal represents greed. Because the Five of Swords deals with conflict and the ego's desire to demean another, the rooster seems an appropriate image. The only way to turn this Pyrrhic victory around is to sacrifice the ego instead of a relationship. The ifa and proverb for Okanran advise:

Ifa: One must come to recognize that stubbornness is not beneficial; the truth regarding oneself must be listened to. Do not be overly influenced by your self-defensive ego.

Proverb: Ears that do not listen to advice, accompany the head when it is chopped off.

If we only realized how much suffering our demanding ego causes us, we might not give its opinions much weight. It's always a good idea to question what it thinks is a great idea and consider the consequences of following its lead.