Neither Punishment nor Reward

This week I'll be using the Norse Tarot, created by Clive Barrett and published by U.S. Games. I'll also be using the Viking Lenormand, created and self-published by my friend Carole Beasley. The draws this morning are the Prince of Discs and the Child:

Everything that ends is also the beginning of something else. Pain is not a punishment; pleasure is not a reward. ―Pema Chödrön

This Prince stands in front of what's left of a burial mound. Feeling a deep connection to earth and nature, he is aware of the seasons and the cycles of birth and death. He does not expect grains to grow in the dead of winter; neither does he expect them to continue to grow after being harvested. The Prince understands that the force that moves the circle of life is independent and does not take sides. The Child represents fresh starts and innocence. In this case, it points to embracing the truth that both pain and pleasure are inherent in life. To recognize that all beings are subject to these states can keep us from grasping or hatred, which only serve to forge man-made suffering.

Master or Minion

From the Nigel Jackson Tarot, Fortitude; from the Viking Lenormand, the Child:

The dictionary defines Fortitude as the "strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity." It is a bit like emotional temperance. Controlled anger or fear can give me the courage or incentive to take the action that is needed rather than hide or fly into a rage. But it takes a lot of work to manage those emotions, becoming their master rather than their minion. Without management, I lose all clarity and fail to understand what would be most beneficial; I attempt only to make those uncomfortable feelings go away. The Child suggests simplicity - I don't have to complicate things by over-analyzing them. As Pema Chodron encourages, "Feel the feelings and drop the story." It's my story about things - my opinionated judgment - that causes my distress and clouds the issue. Rather than react to that energy, I can attend to its physical sensations as it passes through my body and dissipates. I can become the curious child who watches rather than the expert.

Expanding Worldview

From the Bonefire Tarot, the World; from the Day of the Dead Lenormand, Child:

          The young woman who sits comfortably in a thicket reminds me of the tale of Br'er Rabbit who begs Br'er Fox not to throw him in the brierpatch. When Fox does, the wiley Rabbit is able to escape and calls out, "I was bred and born in the brierpatch!" In the little booklet that comes with her deck, Gabi describes the World card as "knowing who you really are, not what you have been led to believe." We all have labels others have applied to us, as well as categories we've put our own self in. What happens when those labels are stripped away? Do we see all the potential we hold instead of just the limitations? The funny thing is, once we recognize it in us, we see it in other people too. William Blake wrote, "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern." The Child appears from the Lenormand deck and suggests that we hold on to that thought as we go explore without stamping a classification on all that we see. In the words of Yeats, "The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."

Ready, Set, Grow

From the Ancient Tarot of Lombardy, the Ace of Batons; from the Lenormand de Marseilles, the "Child:"

       Bursten gives Staves/Batons the keyword "Creating" and Aces the phrase "There's a first time for everything." For me, there's a big difference between having an idea and being inspired. With an idea, I can sit comfortably on my couch and play around in my mind with it. Inspiration tends to poke and prod, wanting to motivate and get me moving. Those green leaves on that hefty hunk of wood tell me something is about to start growing, so I better strap on my safety belt.
       The Child can represent a student, simplicity or the early stages of something. In the Lenormand de Marseilles, this card is paired with the Knight of Swords. Here is where the passion becomes more than just a restlessness to do something.The knight uses his intellect to help shape my inspiration (possibly through study and research) so it can become form. The Child appears to hold a sapling, suggesting that knowledge will help it grow. Looks like I'm going to need a notebook and pen today as well.