From the Gill Tarot, the Queen of Cups; from The Circle, "Healing:"
Gill gives this Queen the keyword "contemplation," which comes from the Latin
contemplatio, meaning a cleared space in front of an altar. This word and meditation are often confused, especially within the mix of various religions and philosophies. I like Sri Chinmoy's explanation: "Concentration gives the message of alertness. Meditation gives the message of vastness. Contemplation gives the message of inseparable oneness." I've no doubt this Queen has the
noble heart on her altar, a heart without the armor of protection. As the sea eagle seeks sustenance flying over the water, she seeks the truth based on compassion. The lone figure in the Healing card suggests an interior restoration; added to the Queen, it would indicate a renewal of the heart. The two cards made me think of a recent mini meditation I heard from
Rick Hansen (adapted by me):
Imagine coming home after a long, tiring trip and standing at your front door with two heavy suitcases. These suitcases seem to be filled with lead, and your arms tremble as you hold them because of their great weight. One suitcase is filled with regrets of the past; the other is filled with worries about the future. Do you want to continue carrying this heaviness into the new year? Put them down, and feel the relief of no longer holding them. As you place your hand on the doorknob to enter, pause and ask yourself, "What is really important in my life? If I trim all the nonessential daily concerns away, what is left?" Now open the door and enter into your home and the new year.
Sigh... What a beautiful message Bev Thank you so much. it fits perfectly with my words for this year.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it my friend. :)
DeleteThis is today's focus from Mark Nepo's, The Book of Awakening, which I'm using in conjunction with the Tarot for this month. Have yet to blog it though. I've loved seeing your two decks this week, they've worked seamlessly together.
ReplyDeleteLove hearing (and seeing) how our lives cross each other's path. :) I had a difficult time finding a "partner" for each of these decks until I put them together!
DeleteThat quote from Sri Chinmoy gives me a lot of food for thought (I'm in the process of writing an essay, one aspect of which is the importance of concentration and meditation). Many thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love your adapted meditation - powerful stuff!
Thank you! The quote came from his website: http://www.srichinmoy.org/
DeleteHe had a few more paragraphs you might want to check out. The last one said:
We concentrate because we want to reach the Goal. We meditate because we want to live in the heart of the Goal. We contemplate because we want to become the Goal.
I love your adaptation of Rick Hansen's meditation. The best way to live. Get clear of that baggage!
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the truth! And it's so easy to carry it around unaware that we're holding on to it.
DeleteWe humans have short memories around things that are good for us. The daily practice of contemplation and or meditation keeps me in the present and acts as a catalyst to either jog my memory of what's really essential or prevents me from that state of unconscious state, where I'm hanging on to the past or projecting into the future. Holy Crap! I'm my own guru! LOL ;)
DeleteThat's why I need to involve myself with a community of like-minded people interested in spiritual growth - my short memory!
DeleteRight, now what were we talking about? ;)
ReplyDelete