Enduring Courage

From the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot, the Ten of Wands; from the Mirrors of the Heart, Courage:

Don't despair: despair suggests you are in total control and know what is coming. You don't – surrender to events with hope. – Alain de Botton

This is a new twist on the Ten of Wands; the heavy burden usually seen has now become the fuel for a bonfire. But when we're still in the middle of the struggle, it's easy to let our attitude sink into resentment or despondency. When the road ahead is long, it can help to make our goals small instead of focusing solely on the finish line. Then we can celebrate the small successes of each day. The Courage card is paired with a timepiece, suggesting that enduring courage will be needed for the long haul.  The words of Eleanor Roosevelt are an encouragement in this regard: "We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down."

No Bending the Knee

This week I'll be using the Urban Tarot, a deck and book set originally created and self-published by Robin Scott, but now published through U.S. Games. I'll be pairing it with an oracle I created called Principles to Live By. Today's draws the Emperor and Courage:

Scott illustrates her Emperor as a mayor of New York in the midst of being lashed by Hurricane Sandy. She describes him as someone who "holds us to a higher standard of ethics," who "teaches us responsibility and morality with a firm and measured hand." It's one thing to wear the crown when life is good. But try it when there's a pandemic and no one wants to wear a mask, when there's been a natural disaster and everyone is desperate for help, or when social injustice is met with rioting, looting and violence. It's no wonder that the tile for Courage has appeared, when boundaries must be set and triage determines which concerns come first in a long line of priorities. It takes a tough person to take a stand on doing what is right and ethical instead of bending the knee to those who scream the loudest or have the most money. 

Sitting on Blisters

From the Urban Tarot, Justice; from Principles to Live By, Courage:

We recognize that life is, ultimately, not fair. Many suffer who have done nothing to deserve it, and many go unpunished who have done great harm. We stand by the ideal that we, as civilized people, can do better than that. ―Robin Scott

          It would be easy to blame hatred and prejudice for the injustice in the world, but I think the biggest issue is apathy. Those of us who enjoy the privilege of not to having to deal with unfairness can cocoon ourselves in complacency and indifference. We might go into a rage because a pet owner strikes their dog, but watching people get pepper-sprayed, hit with batons and shot with rubber bullets doesn't even put a blip on our radar. It's time for a major readjustment in our attitudes and hearts; the oppressed aren't going to be quiet and docile forever (nor should they be). As Scott says, "Justice needs the guidance of love and mercy when she wields her sword of truth." Courage asks us to act with purpose, even in the face of uncertainty. This purpose is more important than our fear of change, and it offers us the potential for reformation. In the words of Bob Marley, "Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight."

If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters. ―Abraham Lincoln 

Now is not Then

 From the Spiral Tarot, the Six of Cups; from the Sacred Journey Cards, Courage:

The fact that we don’t know—that nothing is certain and we therefore can’t hold on to anything—can evoke fear and depression, but it can also evoke a sense of wonder, curiosity, and freedom. Some of our best moments come when we haven’t yet decided what will happen next.

—Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel

          A man and woman look at the past, represented by a sepia photograph. Not all their cups are standing, suggesting that some of the past wasn't a time to be fondly remembered. It may in fact be something that haunts them in the present. Courage suggests that while the past may be useful to learn from, it doesn't have to ride around on our shoulders. Certain conditions and circumstances brought about that experience, and though something in the present may show a slight resemblance, it doesn't mean we'll be repeating it. Step forward with eyes wide open, watching each moment unfold instead.

Lighting the Way

From the John Bauer Tarot, the Sun (Among Gnomes and Trolls); from the Arthur Rackham Oracle, 'Courage' (A Midsummer Night's Dream):

          A young man travels with a large sack on a sunny day. The Bauer lwb suggests this is a time for optimism as progress is being made. Sure it's rather warm, but what's been bagged has made this journey worth it, and he's surely learned much along his journey. This fellow's discovered nothing is acquired or kept without effort, and he now understands what makes the effort worthwhile. The Courage card shows a wee lass (who looks like a strong breeze might blow her down) watching from a hill. Outwardly, she seems tiny, but her heart is not. Buddhist teacher Lin Jensen once told a student who complained of fear, "If it keeps hanging around, it might have something to tell you." She took his advice, and instead of trying to rid herself of her fears, she decided to befriend them. She found that most were no longer scary and a few were warranted (like walking alone late at night). She told him, "I wanted courage, and I found out that there is no courage without fear. You don’t get one without the other." The clarity of the Sun often shows the truth when we shine the light in those dark corners.

Spiritual Parkour

From the Urban Tarot, the Fool; from the Principles to Live By, Courage:

          This young man makes me think of the urban acrobats who make cityscapes their obstacle course, running, jumping and climbing great heights with cat-like grace. The creator of the Urban Tarot identifies with the Fool and writes, "I strive to live a life unburdened by fear, open to the possibilities before me." Indeed, the Fool lacks both hope (concrete expectations) and fear, living only in the present moment. What matters is what he does right now. The Courage tile seems a good fit for him, as it implies acting with purpose even in the face of uncertainty. Maya Angelou wrote: "One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential." The Fool represents that tiny seed of potential in everyone. We can nurture it and watch life expand or ignore it and experience how quickly the world can shrink.

 It teaches us to touch the world and interact with it, instead of being sheltered by it. 

~ Andy Tran on parkour philosophy

Kinship and Courage

From the Nature Spirit Tarot, the Hierophant; from the Australian Wildflower Reading Cards, Sturt's Desert Rose:

          The cardinal (because of its color) was named for the leaders in the Roman Catholic Church, making it a perfect symbol for this card. The prairie rose and the white trillium represent the passion and purity associated with not only religion, but other groups who disperse knowledge and traditions as well. I am a member of a few nonreligious groups; though I like to learn, they also fulfill a need to belong. To have a sense of belonging means to feel loved and a part of something larger than oneself, which makes me think of a poem fragment written by Raymond Carver as he lay dying:

And did you get what

you wanted from this life, even so?

I did.

And what did you want?

To call myself beloved, to feel myself

beloved on the earth. 

It is our relationships, whether with humans or other inhabitants of the earth, that we find such love and kinship. Yet Sturt's Desert Rose, a delicate-looking flower that has developed the ability to thrive in harsh conditions, brings a message of courage: "stay true to your core beliefs." Any group that asks me to ignore my principles and ethics is not worth what it will cost my integrity bank account.

Confidence vs. Courage

From the Waking the Wild Spirit Tarot, the Wildwitch (Queen of Fire/Wands); from the MentorSpirit Cards, Courage:

          The Wildwitch has a mature confidence born of much experience, rather than the impulsive arrogance of her son. She may not have the looks she did thirty years ago, but she still commands respect and oozes charm. No longer needing praise or approval, there are no social dictates that bind her. She's been following where her fervor leads, but with eyes wide open. This Queen knows herself well and is quite aware of her assets and liabilities. Palin describes her as "the passion for life personified."  It is unusual then that the Courage card was paired with such a confident person. Is there a difference between these two characteristics? I think the Queen has a strong belief in herself and her own powers and abilities. But what if there's no possible way for her to control a situation or its outcome? Courage is being able to act in the face of such uncertainty. Anais Nin wrote, "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." I can't imagine this woman living in a small, confined space; perhaps her owl friend will remind her to spread her wings even if her actions are simply to move with the changes that come.

Conservation and Courage

From the Tarot of Dreams, the Four of Coins:

The first word I thought of when I saw this card was "conservation," or protection from loss or harm.  This man holds his box of coins open, though he has a key around his neck to lock it if necessary.  The image doesn't imply that I shouldn't use my energy, time and finances at all, but that I should use them wisely.  It is not a time for impulsiveness, yet neither is it a time for asceticism.  Balance between that "all or nothing" extreme is what will help me maintain my economic security and physical health.

     From the MentorSpirit deck this morning comes "Courage:"

"...even though one sometimes feels a kind of decay, though things go differently from the expected, it is necessary to take heart again and new courage. For the great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." ~ Vincent Van Gogh

I am reminded by this card that when outer appearances don't fit my objectives, sometimes I have to just keep putting one foot in front of the other, doing the next right thing.  My motto is "TC" - things change; sometimes that change happens in the situations around me, but more often it happens within myself. 

LSD

From the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot, the Knight of Pentacles:

“LSD stands out for learning to slow down.” ~ Santosh Kalwar

With most knights, you think of them charging (or at least trotting) off into the horizon, but this knight isn't even on his horse.  He's sniffing flowers and writing in a ledger instead.  Of course with the three bars of gold and the abundance of fruits and flowers behind him, it looks like he has plenty to take care of right where he is now.    He encourages me to keep a steady, slow pace and carefully focus on the details.  Its better to take my time and get things right the first time than to have to go back and correct my mistakes later.

     From the Mirrors of the Heart comes "Courage:"

The clock on its back surrounded by leaves reminds me of a sundial, and the difference between moving by time set by humans and time set by nature.  Courage, I believe, is much easier when you have to act quickly and don't have any time to think about what you're doing.  But courage that truly shows its colors is the kind that sits patiently with the pain of a friend going through the grief of losing a loved one; it can be seen in  waiting with hope for a diagnosis to come back from the lab or in caring for an elderly parent.  Courage comes in many shades, but the one that runs on nature's time is the one that requires a full heart.