I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Accepting Help

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Queen of Coins; from the Diloggun Cards, Osa (nine mouths):


But then it occurred to him that any progress he had made on his quest so far, he had made by accepting the help that had been offered to him. – Neil Gaiman

We'd all like to have a little more stability and financial security for when life pulls the rug out from under our feet. Yet some of our ideas - like playing the lottery - will be unlikely to help. Oshun is an orisha associated with love, fertility, wealthy and prosperity. She was the only female primordial spirit sent with Shango to create the world, but the other male spirits excluded her. When their attempt failed, Shango forced them to respect her, as she was essential to creating not only the world, but all the life on it. Osa (nine mouths) also warns that rigidly following our own narrow ideas is not profitable:

Ifa: One must cease leading themselves to misfortune. One must cease bringing harm upon themselves.
Proverb: Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.

Wise friends can help us see where we slip and how we sabotage ourselves. It's in our best interest to sincerely listen and heed their advice. 

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

From Both Sides

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Ace of Cups; from the Diloggun Cards, Oshe (five mouths):


To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.
—David Viscott

The Ace of Cups is illustrated with a statue of Yemaya, goddess of the ocean and the mother of all living things. Like many mothers, she loves and protects with a fierceness that is stunning. She offers us a cup of tenderness and kindness - first to sip from, and then to take out into the world. Yet Oshe suggests we use our love wisely and with discernment:

Ifa: Unless we resort to caution and discretion, we will miss the blessings of prosperity.
Proverb: Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet.

We want to avoid a codependent relationship, feeling as if our happiness depends on another's contentment. But neither should we use love in a way that enables another, allowing them to bypass all responsibility for their actions. As the Buddha said, just as thought is the forerunner of action, so right thought (seeing things realistically) is the forerunner of right action.


Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Trip to Nowhere

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Five of Swords; from the Diloggun Cards, Okanran (one mouth):


Ego trip: a journey to nowhere.
—Robert Half

The rooster is the sacrificial animal of warrior Orishas; it is killed quickly and respectfully as an offering. A symbol of one of the three poisons in the Buddhist Wheel of Life, this animal represents greed. Because the Five of Swords deals with conflict and the ego's desire to demean another, the rooster seems an appropriate image. The only way to turn this Pyrrhic victory around is to sacrifice the ego instead of a relationship. The ifa and proverb for Okanran advise:

Ifa: One must come to recognize that stubbornness is not beneficial; the truth regarding oneself must be listened to. Do not be overly influenced by your self-defensive ego.
Proverb: Ears that do not listen to advice, accompany the head when it is chopped off.

If we only realized how much suffering our demanding ego causes us, we might not give its opinions much weight. It's always a good idea to question what it thinks is a great idea and consider the consequences of following its lead.