I'd Rather Know, But...

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Wheel of Fortune; from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, Fire:

I'd much rather 'know', but then again, not-knowing keeps all the possibilities open. 

―Ruth Ozeki

A contractor doing some work inside the house once asked me why I had a small collection of gemstone skulls. I told him that they reminded me of the principle of impermanence - good or bad, things only last for a limited time. The Wheel of Fortune indicates change is on the horizon; like the skulls, it is a symbol of constant transitions. Fire is both a consumer and creator. How does it create? Nutrient-rich ash that improves the soil. Fire opens some seeds so they can sprout It also opens the forest canopy, allowing more sunlight to reach the ground, allowing new plants to grow. We humans hate uncertainty, but we actually can't see far enough down the road to know all the possibilities that might come because of change. 

Containing Frame

From the Neuzeit Tarot, the Chariot; from Rory's Story Cubes, Chariot:

The attempt to look at your attitude—what you are feeling and thinking and the frame that holds it, is one of the routes to freedom.

―John Tarrant

The two humans pulling the Chariot are the animal instincts of its driver. Instincts are great for motivating behavior, but they have no safety switches. They tell us to run over anything or anyone to get to our goal. However the mind allows us to filter and direct these instincts rather than letting them become our master. Fire suggests the passions that motivate us; like our instincts, these strong attractions must be fed while also contained. As the Yin Yang symbol on the Chariot implies, there are times when we need to be passive and receptive, and times when we need to be active and assertive.

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

— Viktor E. Frankl

Burn Baby Burn

This week I'll be using the Neuzeit Tarot created by Walter Wegmuller and published by AG Muller. The 'oracle' I'll be using is a combination of two sets of Rory's Story Cubes - the original and Voyages set. These dice were created by Rory O'Connor and produced by Gamewright. Today's card and die are Five of Wands and Fire:

Two flowers rise tall, while a third struggles to catch up and two younger ones are shadowed beneath. If you've ever been the new employee or member of a group, you know how hard it is to be noticed or heeded by the old guard. They want to do things the way they've always done them, and they don't look favorably on anyone who wants to try something new that might disrupt the status quo. While such intimidation might work for a while, voices will eventually demand to be heard. It might cause an uncomfortable disruption, but something beneficial for all could come from it. What's the harm in simply listening with an open mind? The Fire die warns what could happen if people are continually suppressed and their needs and ideas ignored. People will eventually take a stand in a more aggressive way. As Parker Palmer said, "Violence is what happens when we don’t know what else to do with our suffering." 

The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridge to cross and which to burn. 

~David Russell

Keep Calm, Extend Kindness

From the Ship of Fools Tarot, the King of Cups; from the Wisdom of the Four Winds, Fire:

          People today are always in a hurry with little patience to pause when they have an agenda. But the King of Cups is generous of heart, willing to listen and sit with the pain and joy of other people. He doesn't get personally entangled with their emotional ups and downs but maintains a compassionate objectivity. His offer of a cup of kindness comes with no strings attached. It is curious that the composed and mild mannered King has been paired with the passion of Fire. Brailsford suggests this card indicates the power change, but he warns that a warm heart and good intentions should accompany it. Change forged with anger and a desire to hurt will only harm the one who fed its flames. As a British WWII motivational poster stated: "Keep Calm and Carry On."

Adjust Your Sails

From the Mary-El Tarot, the Page of Cups; from the OH Cards, "Fire/Father:"

The koi tattooed on this young boy shows how all of his thoughts move directly from his head to his heart. He walks around like a peeled grape, extremely sensitive to everything and everyone in his environment. And though he is tender-hearted, such intensity can wreak havoc because he takes everything so personally. In her companion book, White leads this entry with a Yiddish proverb: You cannot direct the wind but you can adjust your sails. The Page of Cups must learn the art of sailing through tumultuous seas without capsizing his boat.
The OH image card features a person about to stick his hand in a fire, while another grabs his arm to prevent him from doing so. The title card, Father, brings to mind a parental figure who tries to guide and protect another. Extreme emotions with no tools to manage them can cause the Page to act impulsively, often hurting himself. Yet he does have an adviser who is familiar with that kind of mindset and can teach him to pause rather than react. He can remind the Page those powerful feelings are like the booms of supersonic jets - attention-getting but fleeting.