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, September 19, 2015

Dancing on Nails

From the Anna K. Tarot, the Five of Swords; from the Meditation Cards, "Hungry Ghost:"
          Words and knowledge are powerful tools that can sometimes be twisted into dark and terrible weapons. There is no building up, only tearing down; intimidation and threats keep people in their places. These folks are intellectual bullies and people who intentionally use words to wound deeply. Their self-worth demands that other people be proved inferior in ways as humiliating as possible.

To never have enough be enough get enough
Dancing on coals
In a state of mind, bewitched, unsettled over what he thinks or she thinks, what they think
What the “I” thinks: hieroglyph for the hungry ghost
Unsatisfied—dancing on nails! 
~ Anne Waldman

          In the Buddhist tradition, Hungry Ghosts are described as having tiny mouths and throats but an enormous belly. They can never fill their inner hunger and are always dissatisfied. They look outward to find ways to soothe their inner discontent, thinking that those desires will somehow bring lasting happiness. Looking at the threatening fellow with the sword, it appears he's taken on the robes of the ghost. When did being right become more important in this world than compassion? Though part of our brains are wired to be self-serving, I think other parts are equipped for caring and kindness. It's up to me to decide which part is worth developing.

10 comments:

  1. we are all three on the same page today! Think how powerful our posts would be if we pulled the same card every day, three spotlights on the same idea.

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    1. Different facets of the same diamond - quite powerful indeed! :)

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  2. "What the “I” thinks: hieroglyph for the hungry ghost"...That's such a wonderful line! These two cards seem made for each other, in fact the decks have dialogued seamlessly all week and I've really enjoyed seeing them together.

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    1. Waldman's poem is actually much longer; this is just an excerpt. She certainly nails the idea of dissatisfaction with her words!

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  3. This post hits home. and makes me feel a bit ashamed. I know I tend make spiteful remarks to the ones I love when I am tired . My words can get razor sharp but sugar coated with honey and wrapped in "jokes". The feeling of victory is always short lived.
    Compassion is a verb for me

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    1. I can't imagine you intentionally trying to harm or humiliate anyone. However, I've been angry to the point of spewing things without thinking them through first, which is (while not kind) quite human. :)

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    2. "I am human, and nothing of that which is human is alien to me."

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  4. In early summer I downloaded Brad Mehldau's "Hungry Ghost" from iTunes, but it was only when I got the book "Hooked!" recently that I realized where the expression comes from. No matter how much you know, you are forever ignorant of something.

    In trying to pull back from assuaging my uncomfortable feelings with food or book purchases, the Hungry Ghost is much in my mind.

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    1. Ah yes, I know those symptoms well. I stop buying tarot decks, then start buying books. One thing gets replaced with the next when I'm trying to fill a void with stuff.

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