Worth the Effort?

From the Prairie Tarot, the Seven of Pentacles; from the Medicine Cards, Dog:

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. —Robert Collier

Short-term success isn't especially onerous - we make a big effort for a brief time to get what we want. But long-term success requires much more preparation and planning along with a consistent daily effort that continues over a longer period. Even then, conditions must be ripe for things to come to fruition. Dog represents loyalty - a lasting bond unbroken by betrayal or abandonment. Anything of worth, whether a partnership or financial endeavor, requires persistent effort and dedication of purpose. Yet Dog also warns that approval seeking is not a worthy motive for our exertion; even if we accomplish what we want, there will always be another hurdle to jump to stay in the other's good graces. As Mandy Hale wrote, "When you stand confident in your own worth, respect follows."

Not My Wishes

From the Prairie Tarot, Temperance; from the Medicine Cards, Prairie Dog:

If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your mind is complicit in the provocation. 

—Epictetus

This apothecary knows that only the right balances of tinctures make the medicine. Too much or too little might do more harm than good. I have a friend who is making some horrible life choices. I have gone through a range of emotions, from wanting to rage, wanting to fix or simply ignoring her (aversion, attachment, ignorance - the Three Poisons in Buddhism). Prairie Dog signals that it is time for rest and an internal quest. Self-awareness helps me understand what I can and can't control. Restraint allows me to recognize any reaction would be wasted energy and completely useless. The words of Jack Kornfield keep coming back to me: "The happiness and suffering of others depend on their actions and not my wishes for them."

Claws Out

From the Prairie Tarot, the Ace of Swords; from the Medicine Cards, the Badger:

Conquering any difficulty always gives one a secret joy, for it means pushing back a boundary-line and adding to one's liberty. — Henri Frédéric Amiel

A sword points upward toward a thunderhead, an anvil-shaped cloud that signifies a severe thunderstorm. Sometimes inspiration and creative concepts come quickly like a lightning strike. At other times, they build more slowly like a thunderhead. In the latter case, a collection of thoughts might amass, producing insights that bring great change. Badgers are known for their tenacity and fierce protection of personal boundaries. Ideas that produce change are often met with pushback from those who prefer the current state of things. Yet if such shifts will be beneficial for our well-being and won't cause injury to others, we need to dig in with determination.

Catching Flies

This week I'll be using the Prairie Tarot, created and self-published by Robin Ator. Paired with it will be the Medicine Cards, a deck and book set published by St. Martin's Press and created by David Carson and Jamie Sams. Today's draws are the Tower and Spider:

Better ride an ass that carries me, than a horse that throws me.

—English Proverb

The Tower is built on illusions, a framework of deceptions we tell ourselves (or that others tell us) that creates an impression of power, security and well-being. But as Thomas Carlyle wrote, "No lie can live forever." Hitting the ground of reality will knock the breath out of us, but hopefully it will also slam some common sense into us as well. Spider's two body segments resemble the shape of an eight - a symbol of infinity. She reminds us that we have endless creative opportunities, but we need to stay rooted in reality rather than living in a fantasy world. An illusory web catches no flies.

Busy Bee

From the PetraK Tarot, the Empress; from the Astrodice, Mercury in Pisces, Fourth House:

The wise man doesn't give the right answers, he poses the right questions.

—Claude Levi-Strauss

The Empress represents unconditional love, mercy, passion and creativity. But above all, she is the power of change and renewal, a force that nourishes but also modifies. She's only a hologram on her throne; she's constantly busy designing what she thinks those around her need. Mercury in Pisces has an intuitive, empathetic communication style; people on the receiving end feel they are listened to and understood. It's not just the ears but the heart that hears and offers them home-like comfort. This roll emphasizes the need to ask questions and listen in order to understand what people need instead of assuming we already know. This method is kinder and much more useful.

Living Musically

From the PetraK Tarot, Art/Temperance; from the Astrodice, Moon in Gemini, First House:

In the end we shall have had enough of cynicism, skepticism and humbug, and we shall want to live more musically. ―Vincent Van Gogh

Unlike Temperance in RWS based decks, the PetraK Tarot sees this card from a Thoth perspective. There is no walking a fine line between extremes, but a wholesale effort to combine contradictory or opposite elements into one pot. Nothing is ignored; all parts are included to enrich the whole. When researchers measure light as a particle or wave, they find what they are looking for. Yet in a sense, light is both wave and particle, and it is neither. When we stop expecting and assuming, separating what we prefer from what we don't, we discover a much more diverse and astonishing world. The Moon in Gemini within the First House describes a person who is a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, while continually tuned in and soaking up those of others. All the while, nothing is hidden. There are no deceptive intentions or agendas. Receptivity and honesty are tools that can help us live "more musically."

Seasonal Activity

From the PetraK Tarot, the Ace of Disks; from the Astrodice, Uranus in Scorpio, 6th House:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

—Ecclesiastes 3:1

Just as the seasons change, this disk spins. At certain times, we are given the raw materials to create, grow or heal. All that is needed is our willingness and effort before the opportunity passes us by. As Michelangelo stated, "There is no greater harm than that of time wasted." In the Astrodice roll, the revolutionary energy of Uranus melds with Scorpio's intensity, transforming daily work and health routines. Just because something looks new or unusual doesn't mean it won't be useful!

Speaking of seasons, this is the kind of summer we're having here in South Georgia:

That's about 39 C. Add in our humidity, and the heat index bumps up to 113 F/45 C.