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

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Leaving Behind the Labels

From the Art of Life Tarot, the Hierophant; from the Tao Oracle, "Progress:"
          The constant debates over dogma and scriptural interpretations were a prime motivation for me leaving the labels of religion. I could care less if a mythology is supposed to be historically accurate or only a metaphor. And I refuse to believe I must sit in a particular church, temple, mosque or ashram to be saved or find enlightenment. What I do find relevant (as Roosevelt alludes to in the quote above) are the spiritual principles found in the writings of all of them. If I want to know if I'm merely complacent or making progress, all I have to do is look back over my day and see how well I've interwoven them in my thoughts and actions:
  •  honesty and integrity
  • love and compassion
  • generosity and gratitude
  • service for the benefit of others
  • courage and perseverance
  • tolerance and forgiveness
  • open-mindedness
  • acceptance of "what is" (reality)
  • fairness and objectivity
  • mindfulness
  • patience
  • optimism
  • humility
Of course I never even get close to practicing them 100%, but it's the sincere effort that counts. As they say in 12 Step groups, "we seek progress, not perfection." What are some of your spiritual principles?

4 comments:

  1. Never finish a sentence that I begin with "Well..." what would follow is Always unasked for advice.

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    1. Good point. Sometimes I don't realize I've left myself wide open until I get a full serving of it. :D

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  2. You know, I've never thought about listing them. And writing them down they make me feel like this is not me. Some of the words that came to mind are:
    Love
    Embracing the Divine which results in:
    Acceptance and courage
    really listening,
    mindfulness
    smiling
    compassion
    gratitude
    joy
    It is good to think about and to be aware of your own principles
    Hugs

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    Replies
    1. Writing them out does make you think them through, doesn't it? Thanks for your list!

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