Choosing Blindness or Clarity

From the Restored Order Tarot, the Devil; from the Oracle of Kabbalah, Aleph ((artwork by Barbara MacMillan):

We are only as blind as we want to be.

—Maya Angelou

Life can be hard and challenging, so it's no surprise that people want to balance that out with some pleasure. Yet we can become so afraid of dealing with what scares us that we attempt to hide in these diversions. The result may be that we may put our self in chains because we fear reality. As we bury ourselves in our habits, we begin to lose our will, our character, and our passion. We start to resemble what has chained us. Aleph is the source from which everything emanates; it brings form to the formless. Acting on our fears can manifest more struggle and hardship, but acting on the truth can bring solutions and a way forward.

The Yoke We Wear

This week I'll be using the Tarot in de Herstelde Orde (Tarot in Restored Order), created by Rob Docters van Leeuwen and Onno Docters van Leeuwen; it was published by Servire. The second deck I'll be drawing from is the Oracle of Kabbalah, a deck and book set created by Richard Seidman and published by Thomas Dunne Books. Today's draws are the Tower and Aleph (artwork by Michoel Muchnik):

 

The yoke you wear determines the burden you bear. 

―Edwin Louis Cole

One of the booklet's meanings for this card reads, "Liberation from the harness." It parallels the Hebrew letter Aleph in that the letter's original pictograph is an ox's head - an animal usually harnessed and yoked to a plow or cart. We are easily convinced that we are following the correct norms and values, that is until life gives us a hard head slap. That fall from the heights can offer a new perspective, making us reassess our goals and motives. Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and reminds us that as long as we're breathing, there's always time for a new beginning. We're all going to choose a burden to bear; at least with wisdom and clarity we can choose one that is honorable and upright. 

Data Filter

This week I'll be using the Tarot in de Herstelde Orde (Tarot in Restored Order), created by Rob Docters van Leeuwen and Onno Docters van Leeuwen; it was published by Servire. The second deck I'll be drawing from is the Oracle of Kabbalah, a deck and book set created by Richard Seidman and published by Thomas Dunne Books. Since the Kabbalah cards are of the letter only and rather plain, I'll be using the illuminated paintings of Victor Brindatch. Today's draws are Juno and Alef:

Intuition becomes increasingly valuable in the new information society precisely because there is so much data. 

―John Naisbitt

The Tarot of Restored Order adds two cards to its deck: Juno (Intuition) and Jupiter (Truth). A temple to Juno Moneta (meaning “Juno Who Warns”) was built on Rome's Capitoline Hill in 344 BCE. According to Plutarch, the cackling of her sacred geese were said to have warned the Romans of an invasion of Gauls, allowing them to save the summit. Juno's card represents that spiritual nudge, bad feeling or intuitive flash that advises us to pay attention and take action. It helps us filter out the overwhelming amount of stimuli and focus on what's important in the moment. Symbolizing oneness or unity, Alef (Aleph) is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and means 'master' or 'leader.' When it appears, it suggests we recall what is primary; we need to strip away the superfluous and get back to basics. Both of these cards encourage staying grounded and not getting distracted by meaningless fluff. 

Having and Giving

This week I'll be using Tarot in de Herstelde Orde (Restored Order Tarot) created by Rob Docters van Leeuwen & Onno Docters van Leeuwen and published by Servire. The other deck I'll be using this week is the Oracle of the Kabbalah created by Richard Seidman and published by St. Martin's Press. Hebrew artwork is from various sources (not from the oracle cards). Today's draws are the King of Pentacles and 'Aleph/Alef:'

Aleph artwork by Michoel Muchnik 

          Lest the flowery crown and flowing gown suggest this King is only concerned with the cushy life, there is a hint of armor beneath his robe (and his face resembles WWE superstar John Cena). He's used both brain and brawn to attain what he has, and he maintains it through his common sense and prudence. Nothing is wasted in his kingdom, as seen by the stump that he uses as a footstool. Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and its shape suggests a division between two experiences of life - the spiritual and the physical. It embraces both form and spaciousness, separation and unity. According to Seidman, Aleph teaches us to accept "both sides of life, the grief and the joy, the bitter and the sweet, in order to experience the integrity, the undivided completeness of our lives." Such a perspective gives us a healthy, whole outlook on life rather than trying to ignore one part and chase the other. Perhaps spending time in the natural world is this King's way of reminding himself that life isn't all about material things. In the words of Kevin Kruse, "Life isn’t about getting and having, it’s about giving and being."

Dealing with Demons

From the Restored Order Tarot, the Devil; from the Oracle of Kabbalah, Aleph:

          When I translated the first phrase from Dutch to English in the booklet for this card, it read "I commit myself." Now usually commitment is a good thing, but in this case not so much. These chained folks fear the truth, and their actions are focused on not seeing reality. Whatever distracts them from dealing with life on life's terms is what they are committed to. But these people wouldn't be so afraid if they realized what they think of as being the truth is likely only a half version of it. Fear has a way of distorting things. Aleph's form represents a joining of earth and heaven, of the physical with the spiritual. This Hebrew letter is a paradox of oneness that appears as diversity. It can be way too easy for me to think I have cornered the market when I'm dealing with life's difficulties. I can isolate myself, thinking I'm the only one who has to deal with such struggles. But the truth is that everyone has a daily dose of challenges, and no one is immune. Instead of covering myself in the ashes of self-pity, I should go ask how others constructively deal with their demons.

Unwrapped Gifts

From the Tarot in de Herstelde Orde (Restored Order Tarot), Juno:

This particular deck has two extra cards: Jupiter (as Truth) and Juno (as Intuition). I've never drawn either one in all the times I've used the deck until today. At first I wondered what was so different between the High Priestess and this card. But it immediately became obvious that Juno was about taking action. How many times have you had an intuitive flash or spiritual nudge and ignored it? It's easy to discount what wells up from within as just another crazy thought, but Juno advises me to do something with the wisdom I receive. Otherwise, it's like a gift I leave all wrapped up and never open.

From the Oracle of the Kabbalah comes "Aleph:"

artwork by Michoel Muchnik

Aleph is a bit of a paradox; it represents both unity and separateness, nothingness and form. Seidman suggests looking at this letter as a Hebrew form of the yin-yang. Rather than opposites, these two sides are complementary aspects. Jewish sages teach the shape of Aleph represents the yoke of an ox. The center line symbolizes the plowed field when these opposites are carried on our shoulders without clinging to one side or the other. I need to be able to move back and forth on the continuum to birth something new, just as Juno blends intuition and action.