The Beauty of the Ordinary

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Fool:

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

~ Mary Oliver

A woman stands on her toes, as if ready to make a free fall into whatever is below. Even the fox, normally cunning and quick, seems entranced by her. The doves swirl around, grabbing at the ribbons around her waist. At first I assumed they were trying to hold her back, to keep her from falling. But her body is a gift they are unwrapping, like an excited child with a birthday present. She's been given this amazing human incarnation as a vehicle with which to meet the world. The stone monkeys that make up the peak on which she stands hold a heart, a rose and a butterfly, indicating she will need a combination of feelings/intuition, passion, and reason on the journey ahead. The pair of bees buzz impatiently, "Don't waste time - jump! Let's go make something sweet with this beautiful life."

From the Cedar Runes comes "Wunjo:"

Bliss he enjoys who knows not suffering, sorrow nor anxiety,

and has prosperity and happiness and a good enough house.

~Anglo-Saxon poem

It's simplistic to think that bliss comes easily to those who don't experience suffering, but I don't think that's the meaning of this rune. Rather it reminds me to use the tools I have in the place I find myself and discover my bliss. It's not a longing for what I don't have, but a contentment in knowing what I am capable of creating. It is paying attention to all those random moments that outwardly seem so ordinary but in reality are what fill my heart with beauty, awe and warmth. Life is good enough if I allow it to be.