A figure stands alone on a bridge in a solitary place in the dead of night. Eads suggests that in this still and quiet place it is possible to "uncloud your vision." His words make me think of the first point of the Eightfold Way: Right View ("right" meaning harmonious or appropriate). It is a way to see life just as it is, without being caught up in the memories of the past or the fantasies of the future. Like a compass, it can help me orient myself. With Right View, I am awake in the present moment, realizing it is always fluid and changing. I am open and receptive without trying to hide my head in the sand or numb myself from my experience. It also means I am aware that my choices will bear fruit, wholesome or unwholesome. In the Hermit's place of solitude, I can ask myself these questions suggested by Gil Fronsdal: Do I feel any stress, discomfort, or suffering in how I am relating to what’s happening or not happening? What is my contribution to this suffering? What am I clinging to that is contributing to the suffering?
Lilac is associated with strengthening my faith. Since I don't believe in a deity that physically intervenes in the world, what am I left with? The training of my mind. I am convinced that while I cannot erase the pain that naturally comes with a physical life, I can ease my suffering (my response to that pain). I always have a choice in how I view what life doles out. As Pema Chodron states:
We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder and more open to what scares us. We always have this choice.Faith is being open to all of it, with my eyes wide open.
The Color deck finally arrived! It looks good with this. I like the Prisma Visions, it seems to be getting a good workout on various blogs.
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful hermit image, one of the nicest I've seen; very contemplative.
I'm glad I got the Color deck; the cards are flimsy, but the photos and colors are fantastic.
DeleteI'm less than thrilled with the Prisma Visions. I like the images, but the black looks faded and the other colors look dull. I sent some pictures to Eads and asked him if these were normal or if this was just a bad set. I've not heard back, so I'm assuming they are normal. The online scans look so vibrant on his site, I suppose that's what I was expecting.
Sorry to hear you are unhappy with the colors of the Prima Visions. I like that colour palette, and know from experience how what you see on screen doesn't match the print version. I think it's unavoidable. I've noticed it even when scanning physical cards, that the scan is lighter and picks out more details (the Bohemian Gothic Tarot springs to mind).
ReplyDeleteLove your take on this Hermit, and some great quotes :)
I still like the Prisma Vision's images (the deck is a keeper for Eads' originality), even though the colors aren't as I expected. I think you're 100% correct about the difference being the brightness of the screen isn't accurate in comparing to the print version. I had the BG before, and it was the same too, as you said. Maybe it is especially noticeable in decks with a lot of black in the color scheme.
DeleteOur lilacs are in full bloom today, 3 weeks early but makes no never mind to me :)
ReplyDeleteI would love to see and smell them! Our heat and humidity keep them from growing down here.
DeleteThis post is welcome reminder of how we are always choosing how to tell our story. Do we highlight the sad parts or the happy parts. This is so inseparably connected to how we feel.
ReplyDeleteI like how the hermit is just in the between space: in the middle of the bridge
Pema Chodron talks about how our stories can hook us, like a fish on a line. I like this Hermit a lot too.
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