We Had No Idea

From the Brady Tarot, the Ace of Feathers (Wands); from the Citadel Oracle, the Hound:

We had no idea whatever that this would one day be applied to make hydrogen bombs. Our curiosity was just curiosity about the structure of the nucleus of the atom. ―Marcus Oliphant

Emi Brady states that inspiration is transforming, yet it can be channeled in ways that create or devastate. Mankind's curiosity has inspired all kinds of inventions, but rarely did any come with warning labels. Plastics, nuclear power, AI - all have made life easier but also more complicated and dangerous. The Hound suggests loyalty, but at a high cost - our freedom to act and think on our own. Whether we're the one who is inspired or the one who is being a support, critical thinking, close observation, and the courage to speak up are necessary tools to help prevent harmful consequences down the road. 

Logical consequences are the scarecrows of fools and the beacons of wise men.

―Thomas Huxley

More Than Once

From the Brady Tarot, the Ten of Roots (Pentacles); from the Citadel Oracle, the Aspirant:

Your life can end at any time, and it can end more than once. But it can also begin more than once.

― Michael R French

The Ten of Roots represents a time when we experience the abundance and richness of life, not just financially, but also in the world around us. At this peak, we can sit complacently for a while, but change will inevitably cause us to slide down our mountain. Yet the Aspirant suggests we can set our sights on another hill to climb. Setbacks are natural and shouldn't convince us to give up our quest - we can just take another trail. The choice to reinvent ourselves over and over is always there if we're willing to make the effort. As my mother-in-law used to say (at age 90), "Keep on keeping on."

Touchstone of Progress

From the Brady Tarot, the Nine of Arrows (Swords); from the Citadel, the Queen:

Someone who knew what he was talking about once remarked that pain was the touchstone of all spiritual progress. ―Bill Wilson

Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring, exposed the insecticide DDT's dangers to the environment. One of the many harmful effects of this chemical was that it made the eggshells of eagles so thin, they broke when the birds sat on them. The Nine of Arrows/Swords is about mental pain and anxiety. Most humans attempt to deal with it by denial and distraction, anger and blame, or self-pity. The Queen arrives to tell us not to shy away from what we can do or how we might influence the situation. It takes determination and courage to move toward the source of our suffering. Yet when we dig deep to the root of the problem, however painful, we may find solutions. Such explanations can't change the past, but they can make the future better. 

Go Now, and Do the Work

This week I'll be using the Brady Tarot, created and self-published by Emi Brady with a companion booklet by Rachel Pollack. I'll also be using the Citadel, an oracle created by Fez Inkwright and published by Liminal 11/Sterling. Today's draws are the Fool and the Botanist:

I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are. ―Takeshi Shudo

An indigo bunting feeds a cowbird chick in the nest built for its own eggs. Cowbirds are brood parasites, laying their eggs in other birds' nests and allowing them to care for them. The indigo bunting is operating on instinct, putting food in an open mouth. While the situation looks foolish, each bird is doing the best they can in the circumstances they've found themselves. There are adult humans who still lament their childhoods, blaming their current circumstances on their past upbringing. If these folks are aware of the dysfunction and don't change, they are more bird-brained than the birds. The Botanist is a nurturer, planting seeds and providing the right environment for them to grow to maturity. We all have a responsibility to nurture ourselves - emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually - once we reach adulthood. There are others who can help us if we seek and ask. As Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, "Go now and do the heart-work on the images imprisoned within you."

Beware of the Abyss

From the Victorian Romantic Tarot, the Devil; from the Dreaming in Color Deck, Respite:

My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring.

― Robert Louis Stevenson

Stress in all its guises is often the trigger that unlocks our inner devil - that part of us that feels entitled to all the pleasures and comforts we desire. It tells us it is our recompense for dealing with so much, that we deserve to indulge ourselves. It's not evil, just naive. But a close look at this smiling Devil reveals a dark abyss behind her. Repetition easily becomes a habit; we long to recreate that good feeling over and over. But that is only possible when we keep increasing our 'drug' of choice. Respite suggests we pause from our scrabble for bliss by simply resting and detoxing our mind and body. As Roger Babson stated, “If things go wrong, don’t go with them.”

Instant Gratification

From the Victorian Romantic Tarot, the Magician; from the Dreaming in Color Deck, Aggression:

Every notable historical era will have its own Faust. ―Søren Kierkegaard

This Magician is based on the legendary Johann Georg Faust, a failed alchemist and magician. Seduced by fame, knowledge and power, Faust was said to have sold his soul to the devil in return for the instant gratification of his desires. As the UNCF slogan advocates, "a mind is a terrible thing to waste," yet we need to be careful of what we allow to fill it. Our life is shaped by the mind; it will become the chariot that drives our words and actions. Aggression - hostile behavior or attitudes - is often the result of those who feel entitled to instant gratification and have been thwarted. It tends to set up Faustian binds, when someone in power offers easy solutions to complex problems (usually empty promises). 

Whatever an enemy may do to an enemy,

Or haters, one to another,

Far worse is the harm

From one's wrongly directed mind. 

—Dhammapada

Color-Coordinated Cushions

From the Victorian Romantic Tarot, the Eight of Swords; from the Dreaming in Color Cards, Competition:

You think stress is finding the perfectly color-coordinated cushions for your new $10,000 sofa.

― Liane Moriarty

Yesterday in the early evening, our internet went out. Since our TV and computers depend on our Wi-Fi connection, we were not happy. Of course, it seemed like a major ordeal rather than just an inconvenience. It was easy to overlook the fact that the heat index was 96F at the same time because we have a nicely air-conditioned home. Now had that gone out, it would have been something to be truly concerned about. The Eight of Swords is a situation in which we feel controlled by people or circumstances, like this spoiled looking young lady with her wrists loosely bound. But we can choose to stop narrowly focusing on what is wrong and look for any action we could take that might help (while also being appreciative of what is going right). Competition has the same sort of issue; we become obsessed with the other person or group that looks better or has more than us. Yet wouldn't it be more beneficial to see how we could improve ourselves, using that as a yardstick instead of comparing ourselves to others? Where we put our focus will determine whether we make progress or spin our wheels in frustration.

Self-forgiveness

From the Victorian Romantic Tarot, the Star; from the Dreaming in Color Cards, Loss:

Love yourself, accept yourself, forgive yourself and be good to yourself, because without you the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things.

— Leo F. Buscaglia

There are times when we hurtful things in anger, when we make a terribly wrong choice or when we judge harshly someone who blameless. The consequences may be that we lose people and things that are important. How do we wash away the pain and heal our grief? First, we must acknowledge our part in the mess, which helps us be accountable as well as learn from our mistakes. We make amends and restitution where it is possible. But perhaps the hardest part is the process of self-forgiveness. Yet as Tara Brach explains, “Feeling compassion for ourselves in no way releases us from responsibility for our actions. Rather, it releases us from the self-hatred that prevents us from responding to our life with clarity and balance.” 

Step Off the Stage

From the Victorian Romantic Tarot, the Queen of Wands; from the Dreaming in Color Cards, Opportunity:

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.  ―Ralph Waldo Emerson

We all slide into roles that family, social/religious groups, and our society create for us. We are told to be a good _____ (fill in the blank), to accommodate and portray our character well. But this Queen of Wands, with a "you must be joking" look on her face, has tucked her mask in her pocket. "We all have been given certain talents and strong interests," she would tell us," "Why should we try and become someone else?" The Opportunity card seems to give advice along the same line, encouraging us to take advantage of the open doorways that will let us be ourselves and follow our passions. As G. Brian Benson wrote, “Once I began to realize that there were no rules and that my path didn’t have to look like everyone else’s, I relaxed and my whole world opened up.”

Full and At Ease

From the Victorian Romantic Tarot, the Ten of Cups; from the Dreaming in Color Cards, Innocence:

Guilt is the worst enemy of true happiness and self-esteem. 

—Pamela Baron Waldbauer

Back when I kept a written gratitude journal, there were days when the only three things I could think to list were pain medicine, a soft bed, and sleep. But the Ten of Cups illustrates a day when our heart is so full of joy, it is hard to put how we feel into words. Pausing and paying attention seems to help create more days such as this. Innocence reminds me of another reason that our hearts are light. When the mind is at ease, not suffering from guilt over something we've done or not done, there is no barrier to our happiness. 

The Unpredictable Path

This week I'll be using the Victorian Romantic Tarot, created by Alex Ukolov and Karen Mahony with Magic Realist Press as publisher. I will also be drawing from Dreaming in Color: the Luman Deck, created and self-published by Mindy Hope Sommers. Today's draws are the Hermit and Journey:

People will choose unhappiness over uncertainty.

― Timothy Ferriss

The Hermit represents a time of withdrawal in order to do some inner searching. It is a time of questioning: Do I react or respond to life? Am I mostly content, or do I constantly try to fill my life with people, possessions or busyness? What motivates me? Does my mind rarely stay in the present, instead dwelling in the past or future? Such an assessment helps us see our patterns and shows us how we got to where we are. We can then choose to continue our path or make some changes. While the water is visible in the Journey card, the path forward is a bit murky. Such is the way of the spiritual traveler - there is no certainty because the unpredictable path is the practice. Yet we can take Thich Nhat Hanh's advice to heart: “At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.”

Wishing

From the Morgan Greer Tarot, the Nine of Cups; from the Celtic Book of the Dead, the Island of the Shuttered Door:

When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers. ~Oscar Wilde

Can you imagine what it would be like if humans got everything we wished for? There would not be enough storage units to hold our possessions or enough land for people to own. There would likely be, even more than now, a huge competition based on who looked the best and wore the coolest or classiest clothes. There would not be enough oil to power all the modes of transportation we would own. So maybe it is a good thing that we only occasionally get what we wish for, as it makes us much more appreciative. The Island of Shuttered Door was an island on a pedestal with no opening to enter. No amount of wishing could get the voyagers inside. This island was like a koan - no previous experience, intellect and knowledge, or physical prowess could gain them entry. Only a state of pure awareness without self-referencing might open the closed door. Such perception might also show us the way to true contentment.

Art of Peace

 From the Morgan Greer Tarot, the Knight of Wands; from the Celtic Book of the Dead, the Island of Cannibal Horses:

To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace. ―Morihei Ueshiba

This Knight of Wands has a wyvern on his helmet, a mythical animal that symbolizes strength and ferocity. In alchemy, it represented base metals - metals that oxidize or corrode relatively easily compared to noble ones (gold, silver, platinum). While this fellow is an ace adventurer and explorer, he is not very evolved when it comes to wanting things his way; he won't hesitate to intimidate or pressure others to bend to his will. The Celtic travelers were horrified by the Island of Cannibal Horses, believing horses were among the most honorable of animals. Yet the violence and aggression of humans are no less horrific. Should we not learn how to manage our anger and desires instead of trampling those in our way?

Fact Checker

From the Morgan Greer Tarot, the Page of Pentacles; from the Celtic Book of the Dead, the Island of Recognition:

There must be no barriers to freedom of inquiry. The scientist... must be free to ask any question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors. ―J. Robert Oppenheimer

This Page of Pentacles, often known as the student, doesn't just focus on books. He looks up and outward, checking to see if what he has studied and learned fits with real life. Like the rest of his clan, he is grounded and practical, preferring what is useful and beneficial to what is fanciful. He'd rather not just take someone's word but prefers to test things out himself. The voyagers arrived at the Island of Recognition only to be pelted with nuts by its residents. It seems the islanders thought they resembled an enemy of the past and assumed they were exactly the same people. This card asks us to check our assumptions rather than rolling with our emotional reactions. Unfortunately, as Andy Rooney stated, "People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe."

Mind Shift

From the Morgan Greer Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Celtic Book of the Dead, the Wheel:

Life's true wonders unfold when we dare to shift our minds and embrace the transformative dance of paradigm change. ―Itayi Garande

Our personal paradigms, or patterns of thinking that create our worldview and affect our actions, are mostly unconscious. Some of us suffer from paradigm paralysis. But occasionally, the universe gives us a head slap that forces us to see facts we can no longer ignore. Our old defense mechanisms - denial and rationalization - cease to work. As Garande describes, we experience "a shift in our perception of reality, a change in our beliefs and assumptions, and a new way of looking at the world around us." We willingly move towards other shores. The Celtic Wheel represents turnings and changes. It asks us if what we've learned and experienced in the past is helping us make better choices in the present. If not, perhaps we need a paradigm change.

Not a Matter of Intensity

From the Morgan Greer Tarot, the Two of Pentacles; from the Celtic Book of the Dead, the Island of the Ancestors:

Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.

- Thomas Merton

This card made me think of a seesaw today, with the person as the fulcrum. With the old seesaws, when a person got off the seat at the bottom and you were at the top, you would hit the ground and bruise your bum. When life gets chaotic as we try to balance our physical and material needs, we can forget to stay in the center. When we shift to one side - overdoing things in one area and forgetting the others - we'll eventually hit the ground with a thud. That pain is life's little warning. The Island of Ancestors shows a hermit who gradually built the island with pieces of sod and saplings that washed up. The birds that gathered there were souls that he gave a place to rest. This card suggests that we work steadily but sensibly, using our energy wisely and prudently. 

Recognize the Script

From the Morgan Greer Tarot, the King of Cups; from the Celtic Book of the Dead, Sea of Glass:

Without emotional awareness, we live according to a script that we’ve never taken time to better recognize and understand. ―Bernard Golden

I bet this King of Cup's chalice has a few dents and scratches; no one develops a deep understanding of emotions by trying to avoid them. He likes to explain that feelings themselves are neither good nor bad, they're just messengers. But it becomes confusing when we don't realize that one emotion can mask another - anger can cover fear or depression can cover anger. And shame can cover a host of feelings that we've been taught we're not supposed to have. The Sea of Glass was so clear, the voyagers could see the bottom of the ocean. It represents seeing through our emotions to find their root rather than impulsively reacting to them. As Mavis Mazhura said, "Emotions can get in the way or get you on the way."

Outside Fixed Patterns

This week I'll be using the Morgan Greer Tarot, created by Bill Greer and Lloyd Morgan and published by U.S. Games. I'll also be using the Celtic Book of the Dead, published by Grange Books, created by Caitlin Matthews and illustrated by Danuta Mayer. Today's draws are the King of Swords and the Island of Singing Birds:

The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.

―Bruce Lee 

The handful of wheat and the acorn-bearing oak branch make me think one of this King's favorite sayings is, "Nothing can grow strong or well without truth and without some semblance of order." He knows that where there is no honesty, there is no trust, and nothing to hold the community together. Structure and rules help people remember what is important, set priorities, and get things done. His Achilles heel is that he sometimes forgets that change and new information might require adjusting the current system in place. The Island of Singing Birds brought a chorus of harmonic sounds to the Celtic travelers, "as though a choir were singing the Psalms." The beautiful blending of bird song was an advisement from the Otherworld to listen to their inner guide rather than their ego. When reality shifts because of new evidence or great change, our perceptions and actions must follow suit rather than cling to our old ideas.  

Quicksand

From the Russian Lubok Tarot, the Two of Pentacles; from the Marseille Oracle, Cheerfulness:

It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them... There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly.

–Aldous Huxley

This card shows a game going on, possibly kila, a 12th century Russian game similar to rugby. When we are juggling many duties and obligations, we may get hyperfocused on one 'ball' and let others drop. The envelope down at the feet of these men suggest an unpaid bill or an unanswered correspondence that could be important. While we can't always keep our head on a swivel, we do need to pause occasionally, lift our heads and make sure the roof isn't falling in while we're busy mopping floors. Cheerfulness suggests we do our tasks without drama or constant complaining (which only serve to amplify our frustrations). Put on some music or a podcast... anything but listen to that inner whiner.