Wakey Wakey

From the Tarot of the Absurd, the Sun; from the Post-psychedelic Cyberpunk Deck, The Virus:

To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle.

—George Orwell

While the Sun represents warmth and energy, it also implies clarity - which is hard to achieve with our eyes closed. When we're oblivious in our cocoons, it can take the jaws of life to free us from it. The Virus only needs a receptive host and then can spread to others; like computers, our minds need an antivirus program. We may only see what we expect or want to see. Because a truth is inconvenient or upsetting, we may refuse to acknowledge it. If we're a part of a group with a strong belief system, we may feel like we have reasons not to believe. But if we want our antivirus system to work, we must begin with doubt. This is not cynical doubt (rooted in agendas and self-protection) but questioning doubt that notices what we usually ignore and then investigating it.

Stretching Time

From the Tarot of the Absurd, the Two of Coins; from the Post-psychedelic Cyberpunk Deck, the Mad Scientist:

Time is the master of all things.

—Jamaican proverb

The joint popping posture of this fellow reminded me of what I heard on the radio yesterday: if we want the best dental health, we should brush our teeth three times daily. Holy cow, my feet hit the ground and stay in motion before the sun is up until it sets. I'll have to settle for good dental health because I don't think I can wedge anything else in my schedule. I have learned, however, that certain things take priority over others when something unexpected occurs. For instance, while my 30 minutes of stretching in the morning is a must if I want to keep moving, I can forego a day of aerobic exercise. The house doesn't have to be thoroughly cleaned every week, but repairs need my focus. Rather than managing time, sometimes we must prioritize our attention. The Mad Scientist is a reminder of how technology has changed our lives, both in helpful and unhelpful ways. I text my mom (who is 88 and lives alone in another town) early every morning to check on her and say hello. I am a plodder at texting, so I've learned to use the talk-to-text option, which allows me to continue with my chores as I talk. But often, between my southern drawl and morning croak, it doesn't recognize what I'm saying and just adlibs. The other morning, I was telling mom that I was herding cats (trying to feed them). She texted back, "Why are you hurting the cats?" Like I said, it's both good and bad.

Word Engineer

From the Tarot of the Absurd, the Three of Sticks; from the Post-psychedelic Cyberpunk Deck, Void Engineer:

Feedback is the compass for greatness; it tells you what to avoid, what to learn, and where to excel. 

—Henrik Ceder

The Three of Sticks (Wands) implies expansion, an exploration of new ways of doing things. Of course, these endeavors will have some hiccups as methods, timing, and resources are sorted out. But at some point, an assessment will be needed, an objective look to see if the output is worth the input. It may not be comfortable, but such feedback can help us decide what to keep, whether we need to revise anything, or if we should choose a completely new direction. Void Engineer is the creator of words for things that have no labels. Some words, like 'splash,' mimic sounds while others are named after people or locations (like denim from serge de Nîmes, fabric from Nîmes, France). We all engineer our words, choosing and putting them together either thoughtfully or carelessly. But if we want people to listen to them, we need to be mindful in our construction; our words should improve and motivate rather than dishearten. 

He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.

—Abraham Lincoln

Loving the World

From the Tarot of the Absurd, the World; from the Post-psychedelic Cyberpunk deck, the Maze:

The world is not ugly; it is only our way of seeing it that is sometimes ugly.

—Hermann Hesse

How do we learn to love the world? First by realizing we are not the center of its orbit. Secondly, by grasping and accepting the meaning of the triskele symbol - life does not stand still; it is always changing. When we understand that: 1) nothing stays stuck forever, and 2) we will not always have what and who is around us, which makes them precious. The Maze brings up a third way. Unlike the labyrinth, which has one way in and one way out, a maze has many dead ends. But change and movement remind us that we don't have to give up and stare at a brick wall. If we're willing to try other avenues and stay curious (change our own mind), we'll find other options. Such open-mindedness and willingness, however, is fueled by love, not hatred and frustration.

Love does not lead to an end to difficulties, it provides us with the means to cope with our difficulties in ways that enhance our growth. ―bell hooks

Creativity and Connection

From the Tarot of the Absurd, the Empress; from the Post-psychedelic Cyberpunk, the Lovers:

There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.

—Edward de Bono

I had a good chuckle with this pair of cards - talk about cause and effect! But what if I told you the Empress wasn't a baby-making factory? What if her children were named music, dance, painting, and gardening? Somewhere along the line, things for practical uses became part of our cultural heritage, used to create beauty, feeling, and relationship. What a boring life this would be without these pleasures. The Lovers represents connection, and as Steve Jobs stated, "Creativity is just connecting things." Our imagination is fed by curiosity, through people, places and things. We synthesize and recombine them, making connections between what was previously unrelated. It's no surprise that Julia Cameron in The Artist's Way suggests a day to explore and pay attention: "a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist."

Layers

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Absurd, created and self-published by Jessica Rose Shanahan. I'll also be using another self-published deck, the Post-psychedelic Cyberpunk by Masha Falkov. The draws for today are the Page of Blades and Matrioshka:

I understand how a first impression is often just that: a quick snapshot that, on its own merit, is meaningless. —Adriana Trigiani

This sly, saucy Page has a mind as quick as lightning and a tongue as sharp as her sword. She is full of knowledge and likes to surprise people with how much she knows. Though she understands and collects information, it amounts to one grain from all the world's beaches. She has not yet grasped that what she wields isn't wisdom; it will take time and experience to learn to use it well rather than as a weapon or as an arrogant display. Matrioshka, or Russian nesting dolls reminds us that first impressions may not accurately give us enough information to judge a situation or person. We all have had days when we were stressed and reacted badly, or in the past, when we were young and cocky. Given some time, a fuller picture can be revealed, good or bad.

Make Some Room

From the Slavic Legends Tarot, the Three of Cups; from the Urban Crow Oracle, Play:

When you lose your laugh, you lose your footing. –Ken Kesey

Honestly, when I drew these two cards this morning, I wanted to stuff them back into their respective decks. Lately the people I hang out with only want to talk about "him," the war, the high cost of everything, and other worries or problems. I don't mind, as I do think these things need to be discussed. But I also need to balance this darkness out with light - laughter, fun, and discussions of things that entice me with wonder and curiosity. As Pema Chodron wrote, we need to make room for all of it - not just the bad stuff.

The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.