Not So Common

From the Jolanda Tarot, the Eight of Swords; from the Bird Signs deck, 'Dove:'

          Forget the Angry Birds, these folks have incoming angry bees. But why are they standing outside instead of running indoors? When life feels overwhelming with no apparent solutions, the first thing to disappear is often our common sense. It helps when I can remember the basics when I'm in this place: Have I gotten some rest, eaten a healthy meal and exercised my body lately? Have I talked to someone (other than the squirrel that runs circles in my mind)? A second opinion means one that doesn't originate from me. The Rock Dove (aka rock pigeon) may appear drab and useless, but it was the bird that carried messages for the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War I and II. No matter where it is released, it will find its way home. It reminds me that I need to have a guidance system too - a philosophy or spirituality that can provide direction when I feel lost. It doesn't have to be a specific one, just one that works for me. These birds reuse the same nest over and over without cleaning them out; their nest often contains unhatched eggs and mummies of dead nestlings. When I feel out of options, one of the best things I can do is start fresh by getting rid of all my assumptions and ideas that things must be a certain way. It turns out that Voltaire knew what he was talking about when he wrote, "Common sense is not so common."