Watching with Wonder

From the Norse Tarot, the Nine of Wands:

A red-haired warrior stands ready to fight, with his men behind him as back-up.  The Nine of Wands frequently is a warning to have all your senses on alert and pay attention.  I've usually seen this card as a defensive maneuver, being ready to deal with what comes my way.  But maybe it's not always about dealing with the hard stuff... Perhaps the unexpected might be something joyful but fleeting, that I must be in the "now" to catch.  I generally start my morning with a cup of coffee at the computer, but I like to watch the large birdfeeder outside my window at the same time.  Generally, I spend more time sipping and surfing the internet, but this morning I just watched instead.  I was rewarded with the sight of three rose-breasted grosbeaks, birds we rarely see here, and only as they migrate northward.  "Be here now" (as Ram Dass would say) can have its advantages in more ways than one.

     From the Wolf Pack comes "Innocence:"

Young children and young animals find everything interesting, even the most simple of things.  Just ask a parent who gets a delivery how many hours of fun their toddler had with the big box.  Sometimes I lose that sense of awe and innocence to the logical, rational side of my brain.  I go for nature walks every day, observing what's going on, then write and draw about my experience in the evening.  I've caught myself at times trying to identify and catalog the flora and fauna as I amble about instead of just appreciating it.  But often it is that "watching with wonder" that will give me clues to a discovery later.  The other day I found a tiny purple wildflower growing in a friend's field.  By pausing and peering closely, I noticed a tiny projection that came from its center.  I would need that hint to later uncover what it was - Venus' Looking-glass.