Pushing Back or Accepting

From the Anna K Tarot, the Nine of Swords; from the Meditation Cards, Dividing Words from Deeds:

Liberation is a reconciliation that says: what is, is; it cannot possibly be any other way than it is right now; and there’s no one here to do anything about it. Resistance and arguing end when this is reconciled. —Salvador Poe

We've all had those sleepless nights filled with anxious, unanswered questions, wondering how we will deal with what's on our plate. The larger problem is that we humans like peace and pleasure, not disturbance and difficulty. Our minds push back against these disruptions railing against the unfairness of it all. Dividing Words from Deeds offers a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Don’t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. 

As the adage goes, actions speak louder than words. In the case of the Nine of Swords, the mind is busy churning out woeful and worrying thoughts while nothing is being done. It would be better to take the advice of the sage Shantideva: "If a problem can be solved, what reason is there to be upset? If there is no possible solution, what use is there in being sad?

Fake It 'til You Make It?

This week I'll be using the Anna K. Tarot, created and self-published by Anna Klaffinger (though now published by Llewellyn). Along with it, I'll be drawing from the Meditation Cards, a deck created and self-published by Asha Greer. All the keywords and quotes for these cards have been added by me. Today's draws are the Four of Cups and "Dividing Words from Deeds:"

That is one unhappy camper sitting at a table surrounded by women trying to serve him food and drink. He might be a curmudgeon, but then again, he might simply be overwhelmed by all the excitement and enthusiasm of others. Today it is Christmas, when many folks exchange gifts and share meals (even if they're not religious). But sometimes all the joy and merriment can feel manufactured instead of sincere. That would quickly begin to feel suffocating. "Dividing Words from Deeds" seems to fit this fellow - he's shown up but won't explain how he feels. Wouldn't it be better to say 'thank you' but request some quiet time? Shaikh Abu Saeed Abil Kheir wrote, "Piousness and the path of love are two different roads." Trying to fake contentment doesn't work well, while being honest might allow others to relax and stop pretending too.