Sacred Solitude

From the Herbcrafter's Tarot, the Hermit (Usnea); from the Green Wheel Oracle, Deer:

It’s said that if we want to learn about our past, we should look at our present circumstances, for they are the result of our past actions. If we want to learn about our future, we should look at what we’re doing now. —Pema Chodron

The Hermit is illustrated with Usnea, a beard lichen that gets water and food straight from the air but dies off in areas with heavy air pollution. When we begin to notice that we are suffering from tainted thoughts and motives, the Hermit invites us into sacred solitude. As Khyentse Norbu explains, we easily become captivated by our "teacups" (outer trappings of culture and society) and forget to drink the "tea" (the essence of spiritual teachings). It's time to take an honest inventory, trace our path to discover how we got to this place, and make some new choices. Deer encourages us to stay alert to distractions and deflections: blame, excuses, and rationalizations. This assessment has nothing to do with guilt or worth but is simply about gaining clarity so we can get back on track.

Useful Hoarding

From the Herbcrafter's Tarot, the Eight of Water/Cups (Valerian); from the Green Wheel Oracle, Wolf:

Sanity is a valuable possession; I hoard it the way people once hoarded money.

—Margaret Atwood

Drama queens, disruptors, contrarians, and relentless competitors - we've all had to deal with at least some of them. But boy can they suck the energy and enthusiasm for life right out of us. Rather than drift passively in these relationships, it's time to retreat from them and the drain they create. Valerian is an herb used for insomnia, anxiety and stress. We all need some calm in our lives, and that may require choices to be made. Wolf asks us to name our fears and bring them into the light. Do we think removing ourselves from the insanity (at least for a while) will bring chaos and cause our house of cards to fall down? It's possible, but that might be a good thing if we're enabling the detrimental behavior of others.

Soothe Yourself

From the Herbcrafter's Tarot, the Ten of Fire/Wands (Comfrey); from the Green Wheel Oracle, Wren:

Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying 'yes' too quickly and not saying 'no' soon enough. —Josh Billings

I've noticed that when you retire from the work force, people often seek you out to join groups or do volunteer work. Such endeavors can be beneficial, as they keep us active and involved with others. But at times they can become a burdensome demand. Comfrey has historically been used in salves and poultices to treat bruises and sprains. Its message is: "There can be too much of a good thing. Stop. Step away. Soothe yourself. Cut it down and it roars back to life." Like this herb, when we cut down our work and take time to rest, we can rejuvenate ourselves. Wren is a tiny bird with a big voice. It reminds us that people don't always accept what we're trying to tell them, but we need to have the confidence to stand up for what we need. Trying to please others rather than taking care of ourselves only leads to resentment, burnout and health issues. As Anna Taylor said, "You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept."

Clean Up

This week I'll be using the Herbcrafter's Tarot, created through the combined efforts of Joanna Powell Colbert and Latisha Guthrie. The set is published by U.S. Games. Paired with it will be the Green Wheel Oracle, created and self-published by Danielle Barlow. Today's draws are the Six of Air (Swords) and Seal:

Mind changes, and as a result, the world changes. A clear mind heals everything that needs to be healed.  —Byron Katie

Not only are cattails a valuable source of food and shelter for wildlife, they also are excellent phytomediators. Their root systems can take in and store heavy metals like lead, zinc, and cadmium, while microbes living around the roots break down harmful compounds, pesticides, and hydrocarbons. They pull extra nitrogen and phosphorus out of the water, which helps stop harmful algae blooms too. Cattail encourages us to challenge our current way of thinking by cleaning the pollutants from our minds: generalizations, assumptions, expectations and biases. Like moving from an enclosed pen to an open meadow, our mind relaxes and sees things more clearly. Seal asks us to let go of our cares and worries for a while and do the things that make our hearts sing.  A lighter heart and mind are better able to respond wisely rather than impulsively.

Washing Off the Dust

From the Tarot of the Master, the Knight of Chalices; from the Paracelsus Oracle, Carcer:

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

—Pablo Picasso

If the Coins suit nourishes the body and its needs, the Cups suit nourishes the spirit. The Knight of Cups is like a bard, amusing and delighting others with his poetry, songs and stories. He reminds us to allow art, whether visual, performance or literary, to feed us. It can elevate our mood, provide solace or inspiration and give us a deeper understanding of the world. Carcer refers to a type of incarceration - delays, restrictions or barriers that keep us from what we desire. Often, we feel like we can't squeeze in time to make or enjoy art. But it could be that we need to schedule time for it; we may need to be aware of how we waste time (often just distracting ourselves from a task we don't want to do) and carve a portion out. As Thomas Merton wrote, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”

When This Is, That Is

From the Tarot of the Master, the Devil; from the Paracelsus Oracle, Conjunctio:

Resilience isn’t about powering through overwhelming difficulties. It’s a soft, lived honesty — the ability to sit with our experience without abandoning ourselves. ―Pawan Bareja

Vacchetta's Devil, at first startled by a snake, is surprised to find it is part of himself. We can be eaten alive by our emotions, especially fear, grief and anger, if we let them assume control of our thoughts and behaviors. We can't change what created this emotional surge, but we can learn tools to calm ourselves physically, which will likely slow the spinning in our mind as well. Then we can choose more beneficial responses. Conjunctio involves the coming together of specific causes and conditions that create something (even ideas). Yet things are always subject to change, even more so if we influence them by adding or subtracting something in the equation (like the focus of our thoughts). In the words of Buddha:

When this is, that is.

From the arising of this comes the arising of that.

When this isn't, that isn't.

From the cessation of this comes the cessation of that.

A Mere Toy?

From the Tarot of the Master, the Knight of Batons; from the Paracelsus Oracle, Caput Draconis:

A body of men, holding themselves accountable to nobody, ought not to be trusted by anybody.

—Thomas Paine

The outfit of a jester adorns this Knight of Wands, which tells us a lot about his priorities. Unlike the King and Queen of this suit, whose motto is "let's get things done," this Knight's focus is on "let's have some fun." We'd probably all agree that there needs to be a balance between work and play. But as Kevin Powers wrote, "Freedom is not the same as lack of accountability." Caput Draconis ("head of the dragon") points to an opportunity or an important assignment. This Knight better change out of his jester clothes if he wants to be taken seriously. Most of us are familiar with the proverb "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." But the second half says, "All play and no work make Jack a mere toy."