In the Labyrinth

From the Sasuraibito Tarot, the Seven of Cups; from the Soul Cards, Searching the Past:

You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present. ―John Green

What do we think will fulfill us emotionally, that pie in the sky that will finally bring us contentment? As Green points out in the quote above, thinking about it is much easier than putting our feet in motion and our hands to work. Searching the Past cautions us to look back on previous choices to see how they panned out for us. Perhaps money and fame led to constant worry about losing them. Revenge was likely sweet for only a moment, followed by the fear of reprisal. As Shakespeare said, what's past is prologue- if we learn from it, we can chart our future with clarity and wisdom.

Work Environments

From the Sasuraibito Tarot, the Three of Wands; from the Soul Cards, Grace and Merit:

We all start with gifts. Merit comes from what we make of them.

—Jean Toomer

Three points always define a flat plane, meaning a three-legged structure will never wobble on uneven ground. Triads introduce diverse viewpoints and prevent stagnation that might afflict simple binaries. When expanding our horizons, collaboration and cooperation with others can help us develop a more stable and far-sighted plan of action. Grace and Merit refer to two different gifts - offering forgiveness, kindness, and patience (grace) or the rewards that come from ethical, generous actions and good works (merit). When working with others, the gift of grace can lead to the gift of merit. Grace fosters connection and respect, allows mistakes, and is more likely to produce work that benefits the whole. What a boon to be in an environment where each person feels inspired and believes what they do is meaningful and appreciated. 

Gifts of Gentleness

From the Sasuraibito Tarot, the Three of Cups; from the Soul Cards, Where Does It Hurt:

When the suffering of another creature causes you to feel pain, do not submit to the initial desire to flee from the suffering one, but on the contrary, come closer, as close as you can to her who suffers, and try to help her. —Leo Tolstoy

Friendship is about more than good times and laughter; it asks us to bear witness to each other's pain too. We make sure basic needs are met, nurture with gentleness (rather than aggressive advice), and extend hope through a lens that offers a different perspective. It takes courage, because our first inclination is to attempt to sweep away their pain because it also causes us to hurt. The Soul Card, Where Does It Hurt, reminds me so much of Warsan Shire's poem:

i held an atlas in my lap

ran my fingers across the whole world

and whispered

where does it hurt?

it answered

everywhere

everywhere

everywhere.

What do we do when the whole world seems to be on fire? We start with those around us, whether it's a stray animal, a neighbor or a stranger, and offer them a little compassion and kindness without ducking.

In the Light

From the Sasuraibito Tarot, the King of Cups; from the Soul Cards, Held in the Light:

Let us then try what Love will do.

—William Penn

This King, when someone troubled shows up, will invite them out on the porch and offer tea or coffee. They'll sit in rocking chairs, and the King will allow them to pour their heart out. The emotions of others don't rattle him; he sees his purpose as a supporter and encourager rather than a fixer. Open-minded and nonjudgmental, he offers others a soft place to fall. The Soul Card made me think of the Quaker expression, "I will hold you in the Light." Philip Gulley explains: "To hold someone in the Light is to stand beside them when they are unable to stand for themselves...our willingness to work for the betterment and well-being of another." How different this is than asking if someone is right with the Lord! A calm, steady presence can help stabilize most folks much better than any reprimand.

Two-Way Rainbow

From the Sasuraibito Tarot, Judgement; from the Soul Cards, It Works Both Ways:

We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behavior.

―Stephen Covey

A woman slowly emerges from a pile of blankets as if they were a cocoon; like the butterfly, she's had an inner transformation. She now sees clearly her past mistakes, selfish choices and habitual patterns and vows to change them. There are no excuses and no one to blame - she alone is responsible for the course of her life. The rainbow in It Works Both Ways reminds me of a quote by Yonatan Hambourger: "The rainbow is often understood as a promise... But its deeper meaning is more demanding. A covenant is not only a guarantee. It is a boundary." Yes, we have rights, but we also have responsibilities to those with whom we share our world too. 

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.