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 16, 2017

The Three Es

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, the Wheel of Fortune; from the Tattwa Cards, Water: Seed of Earth:
          Fortuna, the European goddess of fate and fortune, is a lot like La Santa Muerte; neither goddess cares about labels like good/evil, rich/poor, or famous/unknown. They deal the same cards of change and death to everyone. How are humans supposed to find contentment in such a world? Surely not externally, where all the impermanence is happening. So that leaves the mind, where three things can trip me up: emotional labels, expectations and entitlement. When I start sorting situations by label (awful, fantastic), it becomes easy to self-identify with the emotion attached to them. I can find myself chin-deep in a bog of feelings from which it seems I'll never climb out. Along with labeling, I can set myself up for disappointment when I assume that a certain action will lead to a specific result. Life doesn't work like math, and unfulfilled expectations can leave me disappointed and looking for someone to blame. The third 'E' could learn from today's Tattwa card, which is often given the keyword 'alliances.' Entitlement comes from self-cherishing, when I think my circumstances are more important above all else. I notice this when there is a major event that affects me - it always feels like the world should stop turning and pay attention. But what actually helps me is to realize that everyone without exception goes through similar experiences. I agree with Andrew Weil; instead of chasing pleasure and happiness, I should be working for contentment: "an inner sense of fulfillment that's relatively independent of external circumstances."

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6 comments:

  1. EllenSeptember 16, 2017 at 9:22 AM

    I agree! Pleasure and happiness are often short lived. Contentment and a sense of fulfillment and purpose can sustain us so much longer.

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    1. thesycamoretreeSeptember 16, 2017 at 9:54 AM

      I just have to remember its found on the inside... :)

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  2. Sharyn Mallow WoerzSeptember 16, 2017 at 9:38 AM

    unrealistic exceptions, thy name is Sharyn

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    1. thesycamoretreeSeptember 16, 2017 at 9:55 AM

      Heehee, I can relate. If life only worked like math, where adding x to y always equaled z....

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  3. Carolyn TindorSeptember 16, 2017 at 10:13 AM

    I am working on Acceptance and then be content with that. I second Sharyn's take...thy name is Carolyn

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