Replacement

From the Anna K. Tarot, the Empress; from the Meditation Cards, Dissolve Into Now:

The shallow satisfaction of having is always replaced by more wanting. 

– Eckhart Tolle

This plump, bodacious version of the Empress reminds me of the prehistoric Venus statues. Anthropologists suggest these well-rounded forms were symbols of prosperity and fertility: in harsh, freezing climates, being overnourished was a crucial asset.  In today's world, however, most of us do not live on the cup's lip of survival or oblivion. The Empress reminds us that we have enough, though the ads in media or comparing ourselves to others may influence us otherwise. Dissolve Into Now offers a verse by Thich Nhat Hanh:

When I drink tea, there is only me and the tea.

The rest of the world dissolves.

There are no worries about the future.

No dwelling on past mistakes.

Using our senses, what can we appreciate right here where we are in this moment? As Kristin Armstrong stated, "When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in."

Drinking Tea

From the Anna K Tarot, the Four of Swords; from the Meditation Cards, "Dissolve into Now:"

My area rarely sees temperatures drop much below 32 F each winter. But this year we've been under the influence of an arctic front, which brought extreme and prolonged freezing conditions. It's ironic that the earth and its seasons know when and how to rest, but humans have yet to figure that out. Our mind can be a great ally or our worst enemy if it has no reins to guide it. "Dissolve into Now" is paired with a poem from Thich Nhat Hanh:

Tea is an act complete in its simplicity.

When I drink tea, there is only me and the tea.

The rest of the world dissolves.

There are no worries about the future.

No dwelling on past mistakes.

To bring our mind to where our feet touch the ground, to what our hands touch, to what our eyes see and ears hear, to what we smell and taste, is to bring sacredness to the moment. Here in the present is where we will find rest and peace.