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, August 20, 2015

Blame It On the Ox

From the Tabula Mundi Tarot, the Ace of Swords; from the Alchemist's Oracle, "Where You Need to Be:"
          Meleen states that this Ace is the sword of Reason; it is the intellectual tool of justice. If used correctly (combining will / thelema with love / agape), it brings clarity. I don't lend much credence to the "woo-woo" factor of tarot, but I had the thought before I got out of bed that I would draw this card this morning. So this feels like a very personal message, one that encourages me to "know myself" and acknowledge the truth of what I find. It reminds of the opening verses of the Dhammapada:
Mind is the forerunner of all actions. All deeds are led by mind, created by mind. If one speaks or acts with a corrupt mind, suffering follows, as the wheel follows the hoof of an ox pulling a cart. Mind is the forerunner of all actions. All deeds are led by mind, created by mind. If one speaks or acts with a serene mind, happiness follows, as surely as one's shadow.
I prefer not to be dragged along by that ox, going in whatever direction the wind blows. The booklet for Alchemist's Oracle suggests I acknowledge where I'm standing right now. This will require me setting aside my distractions and becoming still long enough to have a look. And if I find that I don't like what I see, I can blame it on the ox - which of course is just a part of me.

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5 comments:

  1. Sharyn Mallow WoerzAugust 20, 2015 at 10:11 AM

    haha dragged by an ox. I can see me trying to explain stopping to thread a needle to the life ox.

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    1. thesycamoretreeAugust 20, 2015 at 10:21 AM

      I've got raspberries on my knees, head, and hands from being dragged around by that ox. :D

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  2. RoseAugust 20, 2015 at 10:25 AM

    "This will require me setting aside my distractions and becoming still long enough to have a look." Beautiful! Looking at these two images from a purely visual standpoint I see a dorje and bell, which in many ways echoes your wonderful observation about stillness and seeing.

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    1. thesycamoretreeAugust 20, 2015 at 10:43 AM

      I would never have thought of the dorje and bell, but now I see them! You have such a lovely way of perceiving things. :)

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    2. RoseAugust 20, 2015 at 7:34 PM

      Well you create such a receptive space here where myriad views are welcome. Truly a gift!

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