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. 

Makers of Possibility

This week I'll be using the Urban Tarot, a deck and book set created and self-published by Robin Scott (though now published by U.S. Games). I'll be pairing it with an oracle I created called "Principles to Live By." Today's draws are the Mage (Magician) and Selfless Service:

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will. —George Bernard Shaw

The Mage represents the possibility of making an idea come true, of creating a change in his world. It starts inside the mind, as we envision what we desire. Then we commit our focus and energy to make it real, using the tools we have with clarity and purpose. We have the ability to become Makers when we view the world through the lens of possibility, curiosity, and problem-solving instead of settling for what is already there. The Selfless Service tile depicts the symbol of the Alzheimer's Association, an organization dedicated to research and the support of people with dementia. Those whose life has been touched by someone with this disease know the kind of selflessness it requires. Yet like the Mage's mindset, an open mind and inquisitiveness has led to better ministration for the well-being of both the caregiver and the one cared for. Whatever we're trying to create, it all starts with imagining what might be possible.

Don't Listen to Dante

From the Gill Tarot, the Nine of Swords; from The Circle, Choice:

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

—Dante Alighieri

We all have times when life throws us a curveball, when we get distressing news that is unwelcome. What now? The Nine of Swords no longer represents pure intellect; it has drifted into the field of imagination and illusion. Rather than rationally looking at reality, we see only the dark corners of it. With such a focus, we inevitably feel a sense of overwhelming pointlessness and misery. Choice reminds us to look at other possibilities rather than only focusing on the worst-case scenario. It doesn't mean we won't have to deal with some hard stuff, but it gives us the energy to do what is needed. As Ryder Carroll stated, "No matter how bleak or menacing a situation may appear, it does not entirely own us. It can’t take away our freedom to respond, our power to take action."