Teachers and Trust

   From the Gaian Tarot, the Teacher (Hierophant):

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”  ~ Benjamin Franklin

How serendipitous - I was out at the pond yesterday, working with some plant allies (and spotted a Little Blue Heron there), and now I draw a card with a elderly man surrounded by his allies.  This human teacher seems to have a gentle spirit, and I can't help thinking of Thich Nhat Hahn (with hair) when I look at him.  But what I notice most about him is that he is not holding a book or giving a lecture in a classroom.  He's in the midst of his own teachers, getting grass stains on his pants and dirt under his fingernails.  Books and seminars are good, but true learning comes when I get out of my head and actually apply the knowledge in the world.

     From the Goddess Oracle comes "Blodeuwedd: Betrayal:"

Blodeuwedd, the Welsh goddess of spring, was only unfaithful to her husband (the sun god), but also killed him.  For her punishment, she was turned into an owl.  Betrayal often has a steep learning curve; the more pain we experience, the greater the likelihood we will want to avoid that person or situation again.  But having talked to many women about men, employers, etc. who deceived them, one of the things I usually hear is, "I should have seen the signs."  If a person always has an excuse for the small things - showing up late (or not at all), incomplete paperwork, not returning a phone call - it's quite likely they will be irresponsible when it comes to the big things.  Before choosing someone to give my trust to, I need to keep my eyes wide open to any little flags waving in the breeze.