I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Living Fully

This morning's card pulled from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot is the Nine of Pentacles:
My first thought on seeing this card was, "Now that hairdo must have taken a whole can of hairspray," and then feeling gratitude that I don't have to please anyone but myself with my hair style.  This woman is well-dressed, and the hooded falcon she holds looks well fed (going by the collection of tiny animal skulls beneath it).  Judging by her appearance and the huge house on the hill, she is independent and enjoys this lifestyle.  Indeed, if she were a "kept" woman, I think she would feel as tethered and hooded as her falcon.  She relishes her freedom to live as she wants, having to answer to no one for her tastes or opinions.  The Greek aphorism "Know thyself" is a lesson practiced daily by her; she realizes that while she may have companions, security and contentment rest solely on her shoulders.

     From the Oracle of Shadows and Light comes the card "Poe:"
Standing in front of a steam locomotive with a pocket watch in her hand, this young woman seems trapped in the past.  Ask most people today what time it is, and they'll pull out their cell phones to check.  Technology has made sweeping changes in the world, some good (global connection and information) and some not so good (we rarely communicate face-to-face and spend too much time indoors).  Edgar Allen Poe, for whom this girl is named, is considered the inventor of detective fiction.  It is a good idea to keep up with technological advances, but like Poe's book characters, I must investigate to see which is worthy of my time.  Do I just use these innovations to stay busy and avoid actually living my life, or are they tools to help me live more purposefully? 

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