Time Enough

From the Tarot of the Master, the Two of Coins; from the Paracelsus Oracle, Aquisitio:

The butterfly counts not months but moments and has time enough.

―Rabindranath Tagore

In the coins suit, Vacchetta depicts the Roman emperors sequentially (though leaving out a few). These two coins are placed on what appears to be an unguentaria, a perfumed oil bottle frequently left in tombs as offerings. The chronological emphasis in this suit implies that time is a great resource that we often overlook. Adding the Two of Coins meaning - balancing our options - it points to a need for assessing how we spend our time. Acquisitio (gain) speaks to how we spend many moments of our lives. We are constantly trying to buy contentment and joy by adding to our material possessions. But will all these things make a difference beyond the first few minutes of our pleasure?

Motion is Lotion

From the Tarot of the Master, the Knight of Coins; from the Paracelsus Oracle, Via:

Daily dependability is not always exciting or epic, but it is heroic.

—Aaron Grube

The Knight of Coins may not be as flashy as his cousins, but if you want to make advancements, he's your guy. He'll plan a clear path to the goal, gather resources, then work steadily and diligently. He's more of a tortoise than a hare, but he'll get the job done right. Via means 'way,' and suggests change and movement. The fellow in the card looks like he's getting some rest, but if he doesn't get up soon, he's liable to be "stove-up." This phrase for being sore or stiff is actually the past tense of the verb stave. To stave in a wooden boat is to smash a hole in its side and incapacitate it. Thus, stove-up is feeling sidelined by achiness. The Knight would agree with the physical therapist's maxim: "motion is lotion." Once the task has begun, the mind resets and focuses on the goal.

It's So Easy

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Master, created by Giovanni Vacchetta and published by Lo Scarabeo. Along with it, I'll be drawing from the Paracelsus Oracle, published by Lo Scarabeo with instructions written by Gina di Roberto. The cards drawn for today are Love (Lovers) and Tristitia:

At the beginning of all love there is a private treaty each of the lovers makes with himself or herself, an agreement to set aside what is wrong with the other for the sake of what is right.

—Salman Rushdie

There's a breezy song by Olivia Dean that's getting a lot of radio play right now: "I could be the world to you, the missing piece, the extra sentimental kind of chemistry. Cause I make it so easy to fall in love, so, come give me a call, and we'll fall into us." Well, she's got the falling part right - it's the staying in love that's more difficult. It's probably why at the top of this card there is the Latin phrase Dolce travaglio, meaning "sweet labor." Tristitia is a Latin word meaning sorrow; early theologians used it to describe a despondency that caused someone to give up all hope. Partners may discover they are just too different in views and values to stay together, or cruelty and dishonesty might break them apart. But if, as Pink sings, "It's been written in the scars on our hearts; we're not broken, just bent and we can learn to love again," then maybe wise hope should be our compass.

Alert for Red Flags

From the Tarot of the Absurd, the Queen of Cups; from the Post-psychedelic Cyberpunk Deck, the Mirror:

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant.

—Albert Einstein

The wavy, wild locks of the Queen of Cups indicate she leads with her heart, not her head. She can easily sense the emotions of others and can help them navigate their feelings with compassion. But because she is so responsive to others, she must take care not to be subsumed by their drama or chaos. Her intuition is helpful in this regard. In milliseconds, her brain compares the current situation to stored memories, checks for similar patterns, then sends an embodied message of "safe" or "danger." Yet even the most intuitive of us may easily discount any red flags when it comes to those we deeply care about; we want to protect the relationship, avoid pain and maintain the peace. However, the Mirror reminds us it's wiser to acknowledge reality rather than convince ourselves that what we wish for is real. As Carl Sagan wrote, “For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.”

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