Cornerstones

From the Sacred India Tarot, the Ten of Lotuses (Cups); from the Land Sky Oracle, Asteya:

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.

–Marianne Williamson

Ardhanarishvara, a half-male and half-female deity (Shiva and Parvati), illustrates this Ten of Cups. This androgynous figure symbolizes interconnection of what appears to be opposites - wholeness is a sum of diverse parts. There's wisdom in the phrase "through good times and bad" used at weddings. Joy and happiness are not dependent on everything being wonderful, but on our ability to embrace all of life as it is.  Asteya is a social ethic that can be translated 'non-stealing,' yet it includes more than just taking what is not ours to take. Asteya implies the ability to be content with what we have which in turn allows us to practice generosity - two cornerstones for happiness.