Pass It On

From the Nature Spirit Tarot, the Six of Pentacles; from the Australian Wildflower Reading Cards, Crowea:

Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference.

~Helen James

          Moths (in this case, the Giant Silk Moth) are like butterflies in that they represent a type of transformation. In the Six of Pentacles, that radical change comes when an imbalance is recognized and there is a desire to correct it. Many people have graciously shared their knowledge and resources with me, and I need to do the same. This choice is not based in pity for the other but in gratitude and seeing them as equals. The flexibility of bamboo reminds me that what is freely given should have no strings attached. The receiver may do what they want with what is given. Crowea is an evergreen shrub that often produces flowers when many other shrubs are dormant - in the autumn and winter. It reminds me that what I can conceive of as a likely outcome is just a small speck in the realm of possibilities.

Great Love

From the Nature Spirit Tarot, the King of Cups; from the Australian Wildflower Cards, 'Crowea:'

          The King of Cups is illustrated with a common crane, a wading bird known that has become a symbol of long life and good fortune. For this King, those traits exist because "he engages his emotions with great wisdom." Notice the sprig of mistletoe he's clipped from a tree; like this parasitic plant that extracts water and nutrients and from its host, the King of Cups is wary of such people. He knows how to extend compassion without feeding anyone's self-pity. The red on his head is not feathers but bare skin, implying an alert mind to go with an open heart. Ginger has benefits that include reducing nausea, pain, and inflammation. This man is a healer of hearts; he can't carry us through our pain, but he will walk beside us. The Australian crowea flower ('possibilities') blooms in varying shades of pink. The essence made from this flower is said to help worry-warts find some balance and be able to see from a wide rather than narrow perspective. The King of Cups would agree that the problem is not how to get rid of all your problems, but to learn to deal with them in an emotionally balanced way.

The two Virtues of Equanimity and Compassion become more available to the person whose ego shell has been smashed either by great suffering or by great love or by both.     

~Richard Rohr