Be wild, and be whole.
This Slavic goddess of the forest is a fierce protector of the animals, plants and streams. She has a deep knowledge of herbs and their uses in medicine. But what also makes this goddess well known is her nonstop, midnight-to-dawn dance that symbolizes the raw energy of nature. Most humans who attempted to join in died of exhaustion. This dance, that wrings people out and pushes them beyond their normal limits, is how I see the love and tolerance advocated by the Strength card. It encourages me to nurture and protect the spark of goodness in others and myself, even when it may be deeply embedded in layers of selfishness and self-centeredness. It requires that I don't hate the person or group, only the negative behavior or attitude they represent. Samovila's dance will give my patience, courage and perseverance quite a workout.
From the Tattwa Cards comes "Ether: Seed of Ether:"
Rebirth
Last spring I spent a lot of time clearing an area of brush and weeds, but already the ground is no longer empty. Nature doesn't tolerate a void; it will refill the empty space as soon as possible. From a spiritual point of view, removing one behavior (intolerance for example) will require me to fill the space with something else. Last night I downloaded an ebook by Norman Fischer titled Training in Compassion. It is a Zen take on the Tibetan practice of using Lojong slogans. Fisher writes, "Compassion literally means embracing the suffering of others... But compassion is impossible if we can't learn to bear our own sufferings and difficulties, if our old habit of denying and running away continues to have its way with us." It seems odd that I need to train for this way of living, but I suppose it is no stranger than working out with weights to improve my physical strength. If I do, perhaps Samovila's dance won't be quite as exhausting.
It is true that compassion works both ways. I find it also more difficult to have compassion for myself than for others. but the older I get the more easy it becomes. I love how this goddess is vitalizing and strengthening herself and her surroundings at the same time with her own energetic dance. It is like a constant flux of energy and therefor she never gets tired. How lovely that would be :D
ReplyDeleteYes, I think that is it - that when we learn to "dance" correctly, it will seem more effortless than exhausting. I will be sad to put this deck away - it has given me some wonderful insights!
DeleteWhy put it away then? nobody says you have to.
Deleteand it is a great deck :)
No, I don't really have to, but I do try to rotate through my decks to keep them all in use (and give away those that I don't). :)
DeleteSometimes I think I should do something like that too but I find it hard to stick with one deck.
DeleteOr do you use other decks for yourself too
I just rotate on my blog, but pick and choose for myself and others. :)
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