Just a Conduit

From the Ship of Fools Tarot, the Ten of Coins; from the Wisdom of the Four Winds, 'Eel:'

          When Moses left the Israelites to go get the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, the people told Aaron to make them a physical representation of a god. Jewish scholars say the golden calf was probably intended as a conduit for YHVH (as Moses had been), but the Israelites ended up worshipping the idol instead. Humans constantly get confused about things, imagining the finger pointing at the moon to be the moon itself (meaning spiritual teachings are useful only in what they point us toward). The Ten of Coins relays the same message; abundance is nice, but getting attached to it (worthy of worship) can cause suffering. This Eel from New Zealand has a life cycle similar to the salmon but in reverse. It begins life in the ocean, then swims to freshwater rivers to live its life. If a river dries up, it will crawl on land to find another water source. As it nears the end of its life, it goes back out to the ocean to mate. Its message of determination can be applied to spiritual living. Instead of gathering books, prayer beads and attended seminars to try and make us feel secure and good about ourselves, we can do the practices and apply the teachings.

No Namby-Pambys Allowed

From the Ship of Fools Tarot, the Five of Cups:

This Fool has just filled all the tubs for the animals, only to find one has been overturned.  He's distraught because he's had to interrupt his own breakfast to clean up the mess.  The scene makes me think of the saying, "There's no use crying over spilled milk."  What's happened can't be changed, so instead of wringing his hands, he'd best find a way to deal with it.  It seems like the more plans I make, the more my straight paths get turned into winding roads and exit ramps.  It's nothing personal, it's just life.  I need friends who will tell me straight up, like Geico's drill instructor-therapist, to stop whining about life and go out and live it. 

From the Wisdom of the Four Winds comes the Water Child of the West, "Eel:"

Longfin eels have an unusual migration system.  They mature into fertile adults in fresh water, then swim out to the sea to breed.  Their offspring spend several years growing in the ocean, then make the journey back to the fresh water river home of their parents.  Often droughts or floods can make the journey back a tough one, and why the eel is associated with determination.  Eel reminds me that I'll always have challenges in life, especially where goals are concerned, but perseverance rather than sitting on my pity pot is what will aid my progress.