Pomp and Circumstance

From the Transformational Tarot this morning was pulled the Sage (Hierophant):

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." - George Washington Carver

In the traditional RWS image of the Hierophant, a pope sits in a cathedral with two followers at his feet.  Ando instead uses two indigenous statues set against the backdrop of an autumn forest.  The figures blend in so well with the trees they are hard to see.  When I think of the world's great spiritual teachers - Buddha, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Gandhi, to name a few - I don't remember any of them needing any fancy clothes or buildings to spread their message.  They usually taught outside and often used nature to explain sacred principles.  When did it become necessary for religions to need so much pomp and circumstance?  Perhaps when power and control became more important than unconditional love.  I think I'd rather just sit under a tree and learn from nature - well, at least until some church decides to pave over it.

     I pulled the card "Bael" from the Fallen Angel Oracle today:

Adopt a cloak of secrecy - further plans discreetly.

Bael (possibly connected to Ba'al of the Old Testament) was considered the most powerful of the fallen angels.  His totems were the cat and the toad.  The toad, with its brown, bumpy skin, is able to camouflage itself well in a natural environment.  Likewise, a cat can blend in with its surroundings by crouching down and becoming very still.  The lesson from this angel is that while I may want to "croak" loudly about plans or opinions, at times it's best to be quiet and cautious.  Discernment is needed; reckless action may get attention but not necessarily the result I'm looking for.