Be Still and Listen

From the Shining Tribe Tarot, the Four of Birds (Swords); from the Animal Tiles, 'Woodpecker:'

          This tarot image comes from a healing visualization. A woman rests on a ledge and is warmed by the sun, letting the other birds fly freely. We often try to force ourselves to come up with solutions, but the more we anxiously think about the problem, the more muddled things become. Alan Watts wrote, "Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone." Clarity comes when we rest the mind, not through over-analysis or strategy-making. The 'thunk-thunk-thunk' of a woodpecker drilling a tree is a common sound in areas where there are older trees. Yet they often tap on tin roofs, light poles and other man-made objects. They haven't mistaken these things for trees but are using the sound as signals. Thus the message of Woodpecker is that opportunity will knock at some point; we just have to rest and listen until then.