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

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Make a Difference

From the Whimsical Tarot, the King of Pentacles; from the Over the Moon Oracle, "Restriction:"
          Morrison has chosen Robin Hood to represent the King of Pentacles. Legend has it that the outlaw and his band of men robbed the rich to give to the poor (which I imagine included Robin and his men). I recently discovered another Robin Hood, a New York organization founded to improve the lives of those living in poverty by providing food, housing, education and job-training programs. Their goal is to assist folks so they can eventually stand on their own. I think the King of Pents would fully back such an approach.
          When I first saw the Restriction card, I thought the girl was being punished in "time out." But then I noticed the cobweb under the shelf and decided this was self-imposed due to stagnant thinking. Thoughts have great power. If we think something for long enough, it becomes a belief. If we believe something for long enough, it becomes a fact. Yet these "facts" aren't reality, we just operate as if they are. If you've ever volunteered to help the less fortunate (animals, people or environment), I'm sure you've heard the naysayers complain such help is a waste of time and resources. This kind of pessimistic thinking reminds me of the starfish story. A young boy was walking along the beach early one morning, tossing starfish that had been washed up and stranded by the high tide during the night. An older gentleman came along, and seeing the hundreds of dying starfish said, "You know you can't save them all. You can't make a difference - there's just too many." The boy held up a starfish before tossing it into the ocean and said, "But it makes a difference to this one."    

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9 comments:

  1. EllenJune 4, 2015 at 8:32 AM

    This deck is certainly an inspiration for sharing these stories with us. I love this one!
    Your first idea about restriction was mine too. I thought what a pity to put a little girl that long on the "naughty chair" :)

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    1. thesycamoretreeJune 4, 2015 at 9:16 AM

      The OTM oracle has been a great find (and at only $11.99, quite a steal). I wonder if the "naughty chair" might also have meaning, as in people shaming or ridiculing us for holding certain beliefs or having a particular goal.

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    2. EllenJune 4, 2015 at 10:51 AM

      Than the question should be: Who should sit on the naughty chair?

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    3. thesycamoretreeJune 4, 2015 at 11:03 AM

      Those doing the shaming! :)

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    4. OTM AcademyJune 4, 2015 at 12:49 PM

      Love this discussion about the Restriction card. I wasn't sure if it had enough action to be able to tell a story but you two have come up with some brilliant perspectives on this card.

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    5. thesycamoretreeJune 4, 2015 at 2:05 PM

      That's what's nice about your deck, Kristen. The cards give just enough information to get ideas flowing instead of too much information that would be "restrictive." :D

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  2. UnknownJune 6, 2015 at 8:53 AM

    I've learned that I can never underestimate the smallest kindnesses and the power this can hold to make all the difference. I see this as real social justice and loving our brothers and sisters. Sometimes we need a time of restriction of some kind, whether self-imposed or not, in order to understand what it means to have this experience, like walking in some one else's moccasins.

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    1. thesycamoretreeJune 6, 2015 at 9:00 AM

      To paraphrase Mother Teresa: don't worry about doing great things, just do small things with great love. :)

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    2. UnknownJune 6, 2015 at 9:27 AM

      Exactly!

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