The Most Important Thing

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Cat People, created by Karen Kuykendall and published by U.S. Games. I'll also be drawing from the Sacred Geometry Oracle, a deck and book set created by John Michael Greer and published by Llewellyn. Today's cards are the Queen of Swords and "Hexagram:"

          Unlike yesterday's Queen, this one looks more mature. She doesn't have a domesticated cat, but a black panther; the stone statues in the background remind me of China's terracotta army. Her power and respect have been earned by successfully navigating her life experiences. She's seen the peaks of joy, the depths of pain and all the other subtle shades in between. Her sword tip touches the ground and suggests she expects me to practice what I preach.
          From an alchemical standpoint, the hexagram is a combination of elemental symbols - fire and water, earth and air. Greer states these opposites don't mean a choice of one over the other, but finding a way to balance and blend them. Comparing yesterday's cards to this morning's draws, I'm beginning to feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Yet today, I have the lines from a James Taylor song circling through my head:

I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.

I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I'd see you again.

That verse in turn reminded me of two questions posed by Pema Chodron: "As I go into this day, what is the most important thing? What is the best use of this day?" The impermanence of life along with those questions could shape my actions through mindfulness and equanimity.