Choose Wisely

This week I'll be using the Tarot de St. Croix, created and self-published by Lisa de St. Croix. Along with it, I'll be drawing from the Archetype Cards, created by Caroline Myss and published by Hay House. Today's cards are the Seven of Cups and Martyr:

Emotion and imagination can produce wonderful visions, but without grounding in both action and the outer realities of life these fantastic images remain daydreams, ‘fancies’ without real meaning or value. ―Rachel Pollack

The Seven of Cups reminds me of three kinds of people: those who spend time dreaming about what they want in life, those who try to do a multitude of things at once, and those who choose one thing that lights them up and devote themself to it. The first set of folks never actually do anything concrete to turn their desires into reality. The second group has so many irons in the fire that nothing is done well, and instead of fulfillment, they just feel exhausted. The third cluster acts and focuses on their dream, finds joy in it, and still has time for other things. At various stages in my life, I think I've tried them all. Martyr represents someone who foregoes their own desires for the welfare and well-being of others. Yet this card warns us to check our motives to see if our "selflessness" is just a way to achieve recognition and sympathy. As Wilhelm Stekel wrote, "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that is wants to live humbly for one."

Rolling with the River

From the Urban Tarot, the Fool; from the Principles to Live By, Mindfulness:

The universe is always conspiring to help us, if we only trust its wisdom.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Fool sees no difference between possibility and reality. He does not know where the road will take him, but he sets off to see the world with a glad heart. His trust comes from a sense of interconnection; he isn't simply pushed along by the river of life, he is part of the river itself. The Fool represents the joy and freedom we all felt before our experiences cause us to build walls in an attempt to protect ourselves. Mindfulness is paying attention on purpose without an agenda or judgment. It allows us to see what is actually there rather than filtering our perception through our beliefs, desires and opinions. When we are taking a leap of faith, it can help prevent a misstep as well as recognize the opportunities before us.
 

Focusing Inward

From the Urban Tarot, the Hermit; from the Principles to Live By Tiles, Discernment:

It is when people lack vigilance that they make the most mistakes. This is especially the case these days, since most people focus their attention outward, instead of looking in at themselves. —Tulku Pema Rigtsal

The Hermit represents retirement from the outside, busy world in order to take time for self-reflection. It's mighty hard to do that when you're surrounded by people and distractions, so this Hermit has found an abandoned structure for his refuge. Such reflection involves examining one's actions, thoughts and growth. Unlike navel-gazing, which keeps us stuck in an unproductive loop of obsessive, self-indulgent, rumination, its purpose is to us move us forward - through self-awareness that leads to action, problem-solving, and personal accountability. Discernment, the ability to see clearly and objectively, invites us to wipe off our lens; strong desires and emotions, opinions, and assumptions can cause a foggy view of reality. As William James warns, "A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices."

Difficult but not Impossible

From the Urban Tarot, The Art (Temperance); from the Principles to Live By, Persistence:

People talk about the middle of the road as though it were unacceptable. Actually, all human problems, excepting morals, come into the gray areas... There have to be compromises.

—Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Pour some water in your wine," is a saying the Greeks used when angry quarreling caused no softening of stances. Art/Temperance symbolizes moderation, finding the right mixture of both sides so that the situation does not tip over to extremism or favoritism. Disharmony makes no progress and creates no peace, only chaos and resentment. Persistence suggests we keep attempting to make progress regardless of opposition. It begins when each side listens without interruption to concerns and goals; it inches along when commonalities are sought instead of focusing on differences. As Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon reminds us, "The difference between the difficult and the impossible is that the impossible takes a little longer time."

Common Suffering

From the Urban Tarot, the Six of Coins; from the Principles to Live by Tiles, Compassion:

Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity. —Pema Chödrön

The fellow in this card has enough money now to get his shoes shined and leave a generous tip. The Thoth subtitle of the Six of Coins is Success. After going a period of hardship, stability has once again been found. A wiser understanding of material concerns has developed; loss or gain no longer cause such a dramatic emotional reaction. Compassion is when we recognize the suffering of someone else ("suffer with") and feel a strong urge to help. When we have gone through pain and difficulty, it is easier to understand the suffering of others. Our desire to help comes from acknowledging our shared humanity. As Nelson Mandela stated, "Our human compassion binds us the one to the other - not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future."

Redirecting Arrows

From the Urban Tarot, the Nine of Swords; from the Principles to Live By tiles, Honesty:

There is no finish line for the mind. There is always another problem to solve, another question still unanswered. —Robin Scott

We've got a lot of changes and challenges going on in our household these days, and for someone who is used to planning and managing things, it can make for many restless nights. The Nine of Swords is subtitled 'Cruelty,' indicating the tormenting thought loops we can get stuck in. Unless we constantly remind it, the mind forgets that not much is inevitable in this world; we must learn to live resourcefully as it comes. Honesty is represented by a lotus with its petals fully opened. When we are feeling "put upon" by people and situations, we are invited to pause and examine our own assumptions and expectations. Blaming others or ourselves is not helpful (we shoot ourselves with a second arrow if we do). Instead, we can put our mind to better creative uses - dealing with what is here at the moment as best we can.

Return to Sanity

From the Urban Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Principles to Live By tiles, Contentment:

In many or most moments these minds are exquisitely coordinated; feelings are essential to thought, thought to feeling. But when passions surge the balance tips: it is the emotional mind that captures the upper hand, swamping the rational mind. ―Daniel Goleman

The Six of Swords follows the crisis of the Five; we leave the Island of Unreason and our peace and ease returns. Science is the subtitle of this card because balance is restored (our sanity returns) after the neocortex's hijacking by the amygdala. Emotional swings have been curbed, and problems can now be approached logically and objectively. Contentment is a state of quiet satisfaction and peace that is independent of circumstances. It begins when we accept that challenges and difficulties happen to everyone, including us. Instead of fighting reality, we focus on relaxing our intense emotional response, which can help reinstate clarity. With our mental and emotional balance restored, we can adapt or make changes that are beneficial.