Rhythm of the Universe

From the Druidcraft Tarot, the Queen of Pentacles; from the Druid Plant Oracle, Comfrey:

Everything in the universe has rhythm: The rising and the setting of the sun, the ebb and flow of the sea, the coming of the stars, the seasons. They go out in order to come in—rhythmical, measured order.

―Celia Caroline Cole

This Queen of Pentacles plays the bodhran, an Irish frame drum that is thought to have originated from an agricultural tray or sieve. Just as she keeps the rhythm of the music, she is in tune with the rhythms of the earth. She knows it is better to stay grounded in reality than trying to live in a fantasy world. Wearing summer clothes in the dead of winter won't make it warmer, it will just increase one's chances of freezing to death. Staying conscious of what is going on (whether pleasant or not) allows us to deal with it in skillful ways. Comfrey's early function as a poultice can be seen in its folk names - knitbone and boneset. Yet healing can only take place when we acknowledge that there is an injury that needs to be addressed. As Ecclesiastes reminds us, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." Sometimes we just have to deal with what we've been given.

It's a Practice

From the Anima Mundi Tarot, the Knight of Cups; from the Nature's Pharmacy deck, Comfrey:

Love isn't something natural. Rather it requires discipline, concentration, patience, faith, and the overcoming of narcissism. It isn't a feeling, it is a practice. ~Eric Fromm

I like the use of the dolphin for the Knight of Cups; it suggests something deeper than being "in love with love" (an idealistic fantasy). Dolphins are known for their many instances of altruistic behavior: surrounding humans to protect them from shark attacks, helping other dolphins who are injured to reach the surface to breathe, and guiding a whale and her calf back out to sea when stranded between a beach and a sandbar. Altruism is defined by researchers as an act in which an animal sacrifices its own safety and well-being for another’s benefit - something humans could use some work on. Comfrey has been used for hundreds of years to treat sprains, bruises, burns and joint inflammation. This herb contains allantoin, which boosts the growth of new cells, and rosmarinic acid, that can help relieve pain and inflammation. These cards ask me to be mindful of whether my words and actions are helping and healing, and consider whether I've gotten comfortable resting on some conceptual fallacy.  

Play with a Full Set

From the Via Tarot, the King of Wands; from the Nature's Pharmacy Deck, Comfrey:

          This King is literally and metaphorically fired up, with lightning above his head and flames at his feet. The chessboard at ground level reveals he has a plan he's about to put into motion, and this project is what's got him pumped up and excited. But what concerns me is the battle armor he wears, which is great if you're in an actual fight with swords and lances. When someone is so full of enthusiasm (able to see the 'promised land' in his mind's eye), he can have the tendency to become dogmatic and testy when questioned about his approach. He may be snappy or condescending to those folks whose help he is going to need. It's impossible to play chess with just a king; the other pieces are just as important. The Pharmacy Deck produces Comfrey in response, an herb also known as "bone-knit." It's properties were so highly thought of, Nicholas Culpeper (an herbalist of the 1600s) declared it would cause pieces of meat in the cooking pot to bind themselves back together. Obviously, this herb symbolizes mending what is broken, which the fiery King would do well to heed. As Yehuda Berg reminds, "Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble."