Off-Road

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Crone, a book and deck set created and self-published by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince. I'll be pairing it with Transforming Dragons, a set created by Sonia Cafe and published by Weiser. Today's cards are the Beast (Page) of Swords and 'LuLing:'

          "I go where the road does not" is the phrase used to describe the Beast/Page of Swords. Going 'off-road' means seeing, hearing and learning beyond what's considered traditional knowledge. It allows for personal exploration too. From high above, the crow gets to see a wider perspective instead of relying on a narrow, individual one. According to the booklet, LuLing represents enlightened wisdom. Pema Chodron describes the ego as 'what resists reality.' To be enlightened means simply to see reality as it is instead of through the lens of craving. Rather than being some blissed-out state, it's a place of calm and compassion that allows us to be with both joy and pain. Knowledge won't give us the keys to Shangri-La, but using it to work with reality can be helpful. It works especially well if it's not filtered through the ego but comes from our basic goodness - the innate openness, warmth and wisdom of all beings.