On the Same Branch

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Trickster/Devil; from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, Skan (Motion):

Mischief and malice grow on the same branch of the tree of evil.

~Aaron Hill

The Romani Devil is more like a trickster, similar to the Norse god Loki. But anyone familiar with Loki's story knows even he has at times crossed the line from mischievousness to maliciousness. The kettle this trickster overturned might have held a meal for a hungry family. So it is with us - when we want to cut loose and make merry, it's wise to maintain a few boundaries in order not to cause harm to ourselves or others. Skan represents motion and movement. In nature, it appears as change. Change is not evil unless its focus and motive is to undermine or abuse. As Cynthia McKinney stated, "We are way more powerful when we turn to each other and not on each other."

Giddy-Up

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Ace of Koshes (Wands); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, the Tree of Life:

Expectation, however, leads us into the agitation of hope and fear. When there is expectation, we’re hoping that something we want will happen and we fear that it won’t. 

~ Joseph Goldstein 

We may think that now is a good time to relax from all of our holiday festivities, but it looks like the Ace of Koshes (Wands) has a different idea for the start of 2025. It's time to get moving, not sit on our couches. People often make resolutions for the new year - a firm determination to do something differently. But such thinking usually creates expectations, and when they don't materialize, we give up on our goal. The Tree of Life is an archetype of all spiritual knowledge; it invites us to be accepting and patient as we travel our path. Rather than resolutions, we might create aspirations, which can inspire us and set a direction for us without an expected end result. If we find we have drifted off course, we can find our way back without shame.

Not a Hitching Post

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Three of Chivs (Swords); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, Unk (Passion and Satisfaction):

The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post.

—L. Thomas Holdcroft

In the Buddhist Wheel of Life, the hell realm is both fiery hot and icy cold. Psychologically, the hot part includes rage and desire for revenge, while the freezing part contains the protective armor we put on to protect ourselves from further hurt. Unfortunately, this armor also blocks our ability to be kind, tender and compassionate. Betrayal is painful and we need to grieve it, but it is meant to act as a rearview mirror, not our headlights. Mother Earth supplied humans with Unk - passion and the satisfaction that comes from it. A heart burnt to a crisp from anger or frozen from disconnection will never find satisfaction because it exists only the past, which cannot be changed.