The Task at Hand

From the Rider Marseille Tarot, the King of Wands; from the Ostinato Oracle, Bar:

 

When the mind is diffuse and many-pointed, it cannot be effective. The mental powers are divided up, and less remains available for the task at hand. 

—Eknath Easwaren

This King has a one-pointed focus on what he wants to get done. He has priorities, and nothing distracts him from the top of his list unless there is a real emergency. I'm sure today's habit of people constantly checking their smartphone while doing other tasks would make him blow a gasket. He would definitely agree with Daniel Goleman: "One way to boost our will power and focus is to manage our distractions instead of letting them manage us." In music, Bars are vertical lines used to bound segments of music, usually indicating one of more recurring beats. Parkway suggests this symbol implies a need to set boundaries. Boundaries can help keep our distractions at a minimum so that we can take care of our obligations in a timely manner. But they can also help us make time for the things we enjoy as well.

Cup of Kindness

From the Sacred Sites Tarot, the Knight of Cups:

In India is the site of Sarnath (from Saranganath, meaning "Lord of the Deer"), known also as Deer Park. Buddhist legend tells of a bodhisattva (an enlightened being motivated by compassion) who took the shape of a deer and offered his life in return for a doe the king was about to kill. The king was so moved, he created a sanctuary for the deer, which today is Sarnath. It was in this place the Buddha first taught the Dharma, explaining the Four Noble Truths. These Truths defined the underlying dissatisfaction with life, the origin of this suffering, the possibility of release, and the path which would enable such freedom. This card reminds me that all beings suffer - I don't have a monopoly on it. When I realize this concept, it may be easier to offer the cup of kindness to those whom I might originally have thought didn't deserve it.

From the Haindl Rune Oracle comes "Bar/Berkano:"

Bar is associated with the birch tree, a pioneer species, and thus a symbol of growth and renewal. Pioneer species are tough plants that are the first to colonize a disturbed or damaged ecosystem. In combining this idea with the Knight of Cups, there is a sense of healing through kindness.

Our Troubles are All the Same

From the Mary-El Tarot, Strength:

This is the second time I've drawn this major arcana card in the last few days, and it has been impressed upon me how much this is an inner challenge rather than an external one.  The lion the person straddles in the card is the beast within, part of the self.  But what catches my attention is the pearl ring and mala (prayer beads) the person wears and holds.  Pearls are formed by irritants or bacteria that find their way into the soft tissue of mollusks.  The bivalves secrete calcium carbonate and other minerals to contain it, covering it in concentric layers over time and eventually creating a pearl.  And just as the pearl is considered a rare and valuable object, so too are the qualities of courage, patience, and loving-kindness that I can develop over time with practice.

The OH card selections this morning were "bar" and "share:"

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

~ Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo 

The combination of this image and word instantly brought to mind the theme song from "Cheers."  It reminds me that whatever I am going through, there is probably someone I am acquainted with who has experienced something very similar and has made it out on the other side.  I don't have to be a one-woman army; I can reach out to friends and share with them, allowing each of us to be a support for each other.