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

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Gift of Giving

From the Whimsical Tarot, the Queen of Pentacles; from the Over the Moon Oracle, "Gift:"
          Morrison's queen is Maid Marian, a resourceful noblewoman who joins forces with the "Prince of Thieves" to fight the current leadership of the kingdom. She proves to offer as much help to Robin and his men as they do to her. Which brings up the OTM card, Gift (Six of Diamonds). I like to give, but I have a hard time accepting gifts. As soon as someone offers me anything, I start making "I am not worthy" noises. Yet psychologists have shown it is more often the giver than the receiver who reaps the most from the exchange. Ellen J. Langer, a Harvard psychology professor, points out, "You do people a disservice by not giving them the gift of giving." She explains that gifts can reinforce the bond between people and make the giver feel effective and caring. Looking at it from this viewpoint, it doesn't seem fair that I should take away that kind of feeling from anyone.

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4 comments:

  1. Sharyn Mallow WoerzJune 6, 2015 at 9:20 AM

    So true. I wonder if women of other cultures or countries have the same trouble accepting compliments or gifts like we do. I know it must be something our parents drummed into our head, that feeling that became not being worthy, but I don't know what they did to do it, and I'm sure it wasn't deliberate...

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    1. thesycamoretreeJune 6, 2015 at 9:35 AM

      I'm thinking that it might have to do with having "it's better to give than to receive" drilled into us. I'm sure it was meant to prevent selfishness, but it seems we've taken it to the extreme.

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  2. EllenJune 6, 2015 at 10:56 AM

    I agree with you last comment Bev. I experience this not only with receiving gifts but also with receiving compliments which are in fact nonphysical gifts. Rejecting those would turn the friendly giver into a liar :D

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  3. thesycamoretreeJune 6, 2015 at 11:28 AM

    I think gracefully receiving a compliment can be even harder to receive sometimes. But it is selfish not to allow the giver to give, isn't it?

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