Break the Cycle

From the Russian Lubok Tarot, the Ace of Swords; from the Marseille Oracle, the Clock/Destiny:

Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice. – Baruch Spinoza

This Ace of Swords divides a world into peace (dove) and war (eagle); according to the booklet, one does not exist without the other. Indeed, throughout recorded history, there has been no period entirely free from conflict. And today I see that the Trump regime has joined Israel in bombing Iran. Holy shit, what is wrong with this administration? Perhaps the words of Johan Galtung explain things: "Peace equals the ability to handle conflict, with empathy, nonviolence, and creativity." Empathy and the ability to be creative in diplomacy is definitely not in Trump's wheelhouse. The Clock suggests repetitious cycles, which fits with human's penchant for war. Instead of doing the same thing over and over and getting the same results, we would be wise to heed the words of Albert Einstein: "We must be prepared to make heroic sacrifices for the cause of peace that we make ungrudgingly for the cause of war."

Skill Set

From the Neuzeit Tarot, the Nine of Pentacles; from Rory's Story Cubes, 'Clock:'

          Here's a different take on the usual Nine of Pentacles; Wegmuller doesn't use a woman but two men. Perhaps the fellow on the bottom gave this guy his first job, was a teacher who inspired him or a mentor who trained him. Whoever he may be, the guy on top has done the work and reaped the rewards. Hopefully, he's learned not only to take time to enjoy the fruits of his labor but how to mindfully manage them too. The Clock reminds me of how quickly knowledge, skills and equipment can become dated (clocks with hands vs. digital clocks). Like typewriters and cassette tapes, all things eventually follow the dinosaurs to extinction. Even the guidelines for diet and exercise have changed over the years (remember the original food pyramid?). Maintaining independence and self-sufficiency is a never-ending job!

Your life can only get better when you do.

 – Brian Tracy

Learning Lessons in the Real World

  From the Granny Jones this morning comes the Page of Buttons (Pentacles):

This little lady, with her stack of books, is often known as "the student."   But just learning about something is not enough; for her, knowledge is only worthwhile when it is useful.  Whatever she reads about, she is going to test to see if it it can be beneficial in the real world.  The "success" flower and the basket of fruit underscore her opinion that theories and strategies are only helpful when they can produce results.  This page asks me to check my actions and attitudes and see if doing or having them are making a difference in my life or the lives of others.  If not, it might be time to prune these dead branches from the tree.

     From the button collection this morning was drawn "Clock - moment:"

"You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future."
~ Anonymous

I've made plenty of bad choices in my life, but I can't turn back the clock to change them.  The best I can do is see them as learning explorations to show me what doesn't work well, and then choose not to repeat them.  I'm sure I'll still stumble and slide in the future, but worrying about "what if" will only paralyze me.  Life is meant to be lived, not over-analyzed, and staying in the moment as much as possible is the only way I know to do it.