Soil and Harvest

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Medicine Woman (High Priestess); from the Bird Cards, the Cuckoo:

In Buddhism, there is what is known as Threefold Training - training in morals/ethics, concentration, and intuitive insight. We must behave in a way that does not harm ourselves or others and learn concentration through meditation. These two prepare us for intuitive insight, which is not rational thinking (relying on our own ideas). The Buddha once said that when the mind is concentrated, it is in a position to see all things as they really are (intuitive insight). In other words, we see past our attachments and aversions to what is true; once past the ego's desires, we see other options and answers. The Cuckoo card represents the beginning of a new cycle, just as the cuckoo's song heralds Spring. It's wonderful to have access to intuitive insight, but it must be used if it is to be useful.

What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.

~Meister Eckhart

The Cuckoo Clock Chimes

From the Vision Quest Tarot, Grandmother (Empress); from the Bird Cards, the Cuckoo:

          In the creation myths of some East Coast tribes, the Great Spirit created their homeland by placing earth on the back of a giant turtle (and why some contemporary Native Americans refer to North America by the name "Turtle Island"). This Empress card is a nod both to Mother Earth and the feminine side of wisdom. Such wisdom expresses itself through compassion and creativity in ways that serve others. When I hear the word 'cuckoo,' I think of the clock named for the bird call that marks each hour. The cuckoo has been associated with the start of warmer seasons, as seen in this 13th century medieval English round:

Summer has arrived,

Sing loudly, cuckoo!

The seed is growing

And the meadow is blooming,

And the wood is coming into leaf now,

Sing, cuckoo!

Both the Empress and the Cuckoo suggest than now is the time for my compassion and creativity to bloom; there's no need to wait for everything to be perfect.

Undiminished Overflow

This week I'll be using the Vision Quest Tarot, a deck created by Gayle Silvie Winter and Jo Dose (Illustrator); it was published by AGM Müller. I'll also be using Bird Cards, a deck and book set by Jane Toerien (Author) and Joyce van Dobben (Illustrator); it was published by Altamira-Becht. Today's draws are the Three of Water (Cups) and "Cuckoo:"

The mind constricts and love unbinds. The mind says, "Don't let go or overflow." Love says, "Be free without formality." ~ Rumi

          Inside myself is a small, tightly capped container labeled "conditional joy and love." Like a million dollar bottle of wine, it is shown off but never shared; its purpose is to try and support my self-worth when it is sagging. If the bottle ever breaks, all is lost. But there is another vessel inside, one that is more like a hollow tube. Joyfulness flows in and out without ceasing or diminishing, because its source is not based on external conditions. The overflow begs to be shared, to be offered "without formality." Like the breath, it seems only natural to send out what has been freely received.

          The only information I've ever learned about cuckoos is that one of them really loves Cocoa Puffs. As the Bird Cards book is full of New Age ideas but no practical information, I did a bit of research about these birds. I found that the cuckoo family gets its common name from the call of the male Common Cuckoo (goo-ko) - no connection at all with breakfast cereal. The feathers of the cuckoos are generally soft, and often become waterlogged in heavy rain. As a result, they must sun themselves to dry out and relieve the heaviness. This card reminds me that emotional treasures aren't meant to be hoarded. As Reba McEntire sings:

Smile's not a smile until it wrinkles your face,

Bell's not a bell without ringing;

A home's not a home when there's nobody there,

A song's not a song without singing;

Love isn't love till you give it away.