Immense Treasure

From the Fey Tarot, the Ten of Pentacles; from the I Misteri Sibilla, Riunione (Eight of Clubs):

          A family of fey sit around a coin-shaped table topped by a single candle. No bags of gold or feasts are in evidence, yet they seem content. This past year has dramatically changed many people's priorities. I don't hear too many folks bragging about their new iPhone or luxury car these days. Most people feel blessed if they and their loved ones are healthy, and if they still have an income, a home, and food in the cupboard. To use the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, it's been a stark reminder: "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." Riunione (reunion) shows a chance meeting of old friends. Good friends and family, though we've been physically separated, have kept me sane and on an even keel as I navigated the losses, heartaches and challenges of this past year. What an immense, undeserved treasure I've been given.

Rhythm of Change

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Masters, created and self-published by James Ricklef. I'll also be using the Key to the Kingdom, a transformation deck created by Tony Meeuwissen and published by Running Press. Today's draws are the Wheel of Fortune and the Eight of Clubs:

          I believe these dancing ladies are the Pleiades, seven sisters (daughters of Atlas) who were originally companions of Artemis. When Orion starting pursuing them, Zeus turned them into a constellation to protect them. First they're running through forests and along streams, then they're shining down on the earth. The essence of life is impermanence, which can be seen in the seasons and other forms of nature. But there is a deeper form of impermanence: if sensations, emotions and thoughts are observed without attachment, they can be seen to come and go as well. The verse from the Eight of Clubs reads:

The Moon is the world's glass, in which 'twere strange;

If we saw her's, and saw not our own change.

~ Barten Holyday

The poet suggests the changing phases of the moon are a reflection of our own life. Humans are odd because they don't realize that this is a natural cycle and rhythm of things. Both cards remind me to embrace what is, yet be willing to let it go when change comes. Gil Fronsdal wrote, "Change is a central feature of life. It can be exhilarating, frightening, exhausting, or relieving. It can spark sadness or happiness, resistance or grasping." May I rest peacefully today with whatever arrives on my doorstep.