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

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Red Flag Warning

     From the Golden Dawn Tarot, the Eight of Wands:
Four hands lightly hold eight wands; they are not tightly bunched together, but held in two groups.  This image made me think of building an outdoor fire.  It's helpful to have several people gather the wood (many hands), who then place the branches in criss-cross fashion (not bunched together), allowing air to flow freely.  Next the match is struck (passion, enthusiasm), and several points around the pile are lit.  Notice the two flames in the center - it is the heart where the fire burns the hottest.  With such a fast burning fire, I better get moving and collect some more wood...

     From The Circle deck comes "Sorrow:"
My emotions can consume me just as much as any fire can.  Sorrow is one that many people are uncomfortable with, which is why you get such "great" advice from people like "buck up and get on with your life."  But sitting on sorrow and trying to ignore it won't help.  For me, all the effort to push it away will change it, like a metamorphic process.  It can quickly turn into rage, burning the people around me, and leaving them scratching their heads wondering, "Now where did that come from?"  My emotions are like a waving pit stop flag, telling me to pull over and check my engine and tires.  Something is going on underneath, and I need to take an objective look at it, honor it, then get back on the racetrack.

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