Come and See

From the Light Seer's Tarot, the King of Cups; from the Tapestry Oracle, Faith:

When awareness is brought to an emotion, power is brought to your life.

— Tara Meyer Robson

In a leadership position, the King of Cups must be a good diplomat, listening to what the other person needs and skillfully communicating how that need might be met without conflict. Diplomacy also requires emotional intelligence: the ability to be aware of and manage his own emotions while understanding how they influence his interactions with others. The King connects with his senses to ground himself when emotions are especially intense - the smell of the ocean air, the feel of the water, and the sound of the waves. He has Faith in his technique to calm himself because he has verified it through use. He invites us to try this direct experience for ourselves. 

A Thousand Fibers

From the Somnia Tarot, the Six of Coins; from the Spirits of Nature Oracle, the Sun:

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.

― Herman Melville

Giving is generally done from one of two types of motives: transactional or relational. Transactional giving is self-serving and aimed at getting something quickly with as little trouble as possible. Relational giving is rooted in seeing a connection between people; it recognizes the give and take of relationships as natural and rewarding. True benevolence doesn't expect praise or payback, because it comes from the compassionate understanding that the resources given are shared between equals - we're all in this together. The Sun represents faith, not based in a set of beliefs on which we cling but on what we observe and experience. Faith, Alan Watts explains, is like floating: "You don’t grab hold of the water when you swim... the attitude of faith is to let go, and become open to truth, whatever it might turn out to be." That sums up the fruits of our giving and receiving as well.

Worry or Faith?

  From the Picture Postcard Tarot this morning comes the Nine of Swords:

This poor fellow wakes in the middle of the night to find his bed full of dead fish.  Is it a dream or is it real?  I had a sleepless night myself last night, even though I was exhausted when I went to bed.  I couldn't stop my mind from racing - making plans and solving problems.  The swords suit involves those worrisome thoughts that hang around like a bad odor.  Had I concentrated on the sound of mountain streams or the way the sun warms my skin, I could have replaced my mental gymnastics and probably gotten some sleep.  Sort of like Febreze air freshener clears the air...

     The card drawn from the Steps to Serenity deck today is "Faith:"

"Believe more deeply.  Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see." ~ As Bill Sees It

There are some days when I feel like I'm hanging on to the edge of life, much like this tree on the side of the mountain.  I struggle with living in this world, wondering if I have a purpose and if there is a deeper more meaningful side of things.  I don't believe in the faith of some religions, that seem to imply if you believe intensely enough that nothing bad will ever happen or everything will turn out to be rosy.  That to me is like wishing on a lucky rabbit's foot.  But I have found that if I trust Spirit, I will be given the strength and inner peace to handle whatever comes my way.