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

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Hopeful Futility

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Seven of Air (Swords); from the Bird Cards, "Rooster:"
          Like the Thoth Tarot, this version of the Seven of Air/Swords is called "Futility." It's that feeling of being caught between a rock and a hard place, knowing that no matter what I do the final outcome is going to be the same. Yet there are still decisions to make and actions to take, though I might spin my wheels because I feel so stressed. This card made me think of an acquaintance whose husband was recently diagnosed with brain cancer. Without an operation, he would live three months; with it, he could live possibly five years but with functional deficits caused by the surgery. The disease will kill him either way, quickly or slowly.
          The Rooster card is a call to wake-up and take some action. Trying to keep a pillow over my head in hopes all my troubles will disappear is not an option. Toerien describes hen energy as "putting up with" while rooster energy breaks through that sense of restriction and drudgery. There are things I can't wish away, situations over which I have little control. But what I can do is work on changing my attitude about them; I might not be able to change the outcome, but I can bring comfort and calm to aid in making that journey.

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9 comments:

  1. RoseAugust 4, 2015 at 9:55 AM

    The color contrast between these two cards is pronounced. That Roster is going to make sure that Futility hears his rousing call...again and again lol. They don't just crow once, the call goes on and on, as I found out living in the wilds of Hawaii.

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    1. thesycamoretreeAugust 4, 2015 at 10:04 AM

      The bleakness of the first card is definitely offset by the wild colors of the second. :) We have feral roosters and chickens here; the roosters crow all the time, not just at daybreak!

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  2. EllenAugust 4, 2015 at 9:57 AM

    I like that last sentence. This attitude has given me a lot of strength to keep going and try to make the best of every given moment.

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    1. thesycamoretreeAugust 4, 2015 at 10:06 AM

      Yes, I can sometimes forget that changing the internal is important, especially when the external is not going as I'd like it to.

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  3. Inner WhispersAugust 4, 2015 at 1:08 PM

    Hmm, I don't like the word futility. After all, if the only moment that truly matters is now, what difference if something is sure to happen at some point in the future. After all, by that definition all our lives are futile, as they are all destined to end. As you say, changing your internal perspective is the main question in every case!

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    1. thesycamoretreeAugust 4, 2015 at 2:43 PM

      I'm currently reading a book by Rabbi Rami Shapiro on Ecclesiastes in which he says "hevel" (literally "breath") should have been translated as impermanence instead of futility. Which basically changes the whole book - from a hopeless look at life to a book about navigating impermanence with wisdom. :)

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    2. Inner WhispersAugust 5, 2015 at 2:26 AM

      Now, that I like! Impermanence, and breath...

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  4. Bridgett MarieAugust 4, 2015 at 6:11 PM

    Perhaps too optimistic here, but the thought, "behind every dark cloud, there lies a rainbow" came to mind. The rainbow and the rooster stood out to me. :)

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    1. thesycamoretreeAugust 4, 2015 at 6:58 PM

      That's a good point BB; often even in sadness or tragedy there is still a glimmer of joy. :)

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