Through the Portal

From the Rosetta Tarot, the Fool; from the Day of the Dead Lenormand, the Mountain:

A warrior accepts that we can never know what will happen to us next... This not knowing is part of the adventure, and it’s also what makes us afraid.

―Pema Chödrön

Meleen uses a Dionysian figure to represent the carefree joy of the Fool. He has no fear about what awaits him as he exits this portal to an unknown world. When we first open our eye portals every morning, there is a very brief moment before we make assumptions about the day ahead; like the Fool's entrance, it is a point of possibilities. The Lenormand Mountain represents challenges and obstacles. It might be tempting to wish for a life with no metaphorical mountains to climb, but after experiencing a run of monotonous days with nothing new or different, we might regret that wish. The Fool reminds us that challenges provide us with experiences that can aid our self-confidence and add to our knowledge as well as make a few allies. And that feeling of making it to the top...

Dandelion Seeds

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 dice: Rory's Story Cubes and Rory's Story Cubes - Voyages.  These dice were created by Rory O'Connor and produced by Gamewright. Today's card and die are the Fool and Possibilities:

 Starting from zero, got nothing to lose

Maybe we'll make something

Me, myself, I got nothing to prove

―Tracy Chapman

Dandelion seeds, able to float on a breeze, symbolize the release of aspirations and dreams into the world. This Fool releases a seed (and more drop from his pocket) as he steps off a cliff into the unknown. He is fearless, curious and trusting, having no hurdles of expectations to leap over. The Possibilities cube looks like a compass rose, showing the many different directions the Fool can go. He embodies the words of Robert Schuller: "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"

Newly Defined

From the Tarot of the Abyss, the Fool; from the Nature Mandala Cards, Radiance:

I will define my life not by fear, loss, or scarcity but by potential. 

― Saeed Jones

Open-minded, full of eagerness and excitement, this young woman walks off the cliff with confidence as she enters a new phase in life. How do we begin a new venture this way? Jones (quote above) writes that his single mom wrote 'determinations' on notecards, with an explanation of why she was so determined, and placed them by her altar. He writes, "More than the goals she’d write down, the act of summoning her determination with clear eyes and at full volume is what I continue to cherish and honor." What a warrior's spirit! Yet it also helps if we surround ourselves with people who shine with cheerfulness and hope, as the Radiance card implies. When we experience hard falls and encounter obstacles, we'll need an injection of their optimistic practicality. 

Release

This week I'll be using the Stone Tarot, a self-published deck by Alison Stone. I may also dip into her book of tarot poems (Ordinary Magic), although it wasn't written as a companion book. The oracle I'll be using is the Buddhist Quote Cards, painted and published by Diana Altenburg. Even though she has spiritual quotes (from John Lennon to Lao Tzu) on the back of the cards, I have decided to pair each card with a verse from the Dhammapada (a Buddhist text). Today's draws are the Fool and Dhammapada 15:204:

Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you.

—Jean-Paul Sartre

We all start life with a light load, but our innocence and trust take a hit when we tumble off the cliff into the real world. Yet that lighthearted sense of freedom is still carried within us, waiting for us to realize it is relative to that which we cling. As Joseph Goldstein wrote, "The mind of no clinging is open and vast. It is receptive to everything but holds on to nothing." Like the Fool, we can experience life without feeling the need to take everything with us, constantly pulling it all out to feed our worry, anger or sadness. The verse from the Dhammapada reads:

Health is the foremost possession, contentment the foremost wealth, trust the foremost kinship, and release the foremost happiness.

There are things in life that need our attention and deserve our gratitude. But when we find ourselves miserable, we should ask what we are grasping and refusing to release. Is it worth our freedom?

Risks Worth Taking

From the Badgers Forest Tarot, the Fool; from the Gemstone Oracle, Labradorite:

I do believe women have different ways of taking risks, of ruminating a bit more before they jump to conclusions. ―Christine Lagarde

I'm not sure that gender has anything to do with slowing our roll before taking a risk. I'm inclined to think it is more the hard knocks we all experience. This little squirrel needs to figure out if there are more nuts available that won't be as dangerous to gather - there thoughtful risks and idiotic ones. While carefree and trusting, the Fool often must learn that ignorance is not bliss. The flash of Labradorite warns that we need to seek information about a situation before diving in. Dr. Arthur L. Costa and Dr. Bena Kallick, co-founders of the Institute for Habits of Mind, explain that while flexible people are compelled to go beyond established limits, they are not impulsive: "Their risks are educated. They draw on past knowledge, are thoughtful about consequences and have a well-trained sense of what is appropriate. They know that all risks are not worth taking!"

Go Now, and Do the Work

This week I'll be using the Brady Tarot, created and self-published by Emi Brady with a companion booklet by Rachel Pollack. I'll also be using the Citadel, an oracle created by Fez Inkwright and published by Liminal 11/Sterling. Today's draws are the Fool and the Botanist:

I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are. ―Takeshi Shudo

An indigo bunting feeds a cowbird chick in the nest built for its own eggs. Cowbirds are brood parasites, laying their eggs in other birds' nests and allowing them to care for them. The indigo bunting is operating on instinct, putting food in an open mouth. While the situation looks foolish, each bird is doing the best they can in the circumstances they've found themselves. There are adult humans who still lament their childhoods, blaming their current circumstances on their past upbringing. If these folks are aware of the dysfunction and don't change, they are more bird-brained than the birds. The Botanist is a nurturer, planting seeds and providing the right environment for them to grow to maturity. We all have a responsibility to nurture ourselves - emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually - once we reach adulthood. There are others who can help us if we seek and ask. As Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, "Go now and do the heart-work on the images imprisoned within you."

Knock, Knock

From the Nigel Jackson Tarot, the Nine of Coins; from the Wolf Pack, Fool:

This fellow enjoys the result of hard work and wisely managing his resources. What could be cozier than resting in front of a roaring fire with a furry companion after a busy day? There even seems to be a little 'extra' for a later splurge in the bag behind him. Yet no sooner has he put up his feet when his peace is disturbed. Perhaps he notices he forgot to cut extra firewood and will have none for the morning. Or maybe a neighbor in distress shows up and asks him for help. The Fool card shows a wolf ignoring a bear - he's perfectly happy where he is and doesn't want to sacrifice his comfort. But most of us know that if we go ahead and do what is needed, we'll feel better in the end. We might give up a bit of physical comfort, but the psychological pleasure and satisfaction will likely outweigh it.

Two Kinds of Doubt

 From the Tarot of the Crone, the Fool; from the Transforming Dragons deck, Kustic:

The actual teachings on emptiness imply an infinitely open space that allows for anything to appear, change, disappear, and reappear. ~Tsoknyi Rinpoche

The little star in the void is the Fool, only it isn't an expanse of nothingness. Like the night sky, it is so open and spacious it just appears that way. There are no concepts, categories and opinions here, only a moment to moment experience. No wonder the Fool is so carefree and curious without all that baggage weighing him down! Then there is Kustic, the dragon who believes that failure and collapse are always imminent, so any effort is wasted. Yet he might see reality a little more clearly if he realized there are two forms of doubt: cynical and inquiring. Cynical doubt is full of suspicious and negative assumptions; it is a dogma of belief that leads to confusion and stagnation. Inquiring doubt uses mindfulness and curiosity for investigation; it is beneficial because it leads to understanding and growth.

Medium of Being

From the Mary-El Tarot, the Fool; from the OH Cards, Artwork/Retreat:

I know artists whose medium is life itself, and who express the inexpressible without brush, pencil, chisel or guitar. They neither paint nor dance. Their medium is Being.

~Frederick Franck

Surrounded by butterflies and two river dragons, the Fool seems to be emerging from his own chrysalis. Monarchs are symbols of transformation, which fit with the Fool's new beginning. These butterflies also make extremely long migrations, which seem impossible for such fragile creatures. Likewise, the Fool will have a great journey ahead; an observer might wonder how one so naive might survive. Yet both make the journey while also enjoying the flowers along the way. The Artwork/Retreat combo suggests the practice of art as pure awareness, the basic experience of "isness," or simply being in the world without memory or desire. The Fool, even with his lack of knowledge and experience, is an excellent teacher of the medium of Being. 

Drawing is the discipline by which I constantly rediscover the world. I have learned that what I have not drawn, I have never really seen, and that when I start drawing an ordinary thing, I realize how extraordinary it is, sheer miracle.

~Frederick Franck

Through a Fool's Eyes

This week I'll be using the Roots of Asia Tarot, created by Amnart Klanprachar with Thaworn Boonyawan and published by AGM Müller. I'll also be using the Mah Jongg Oracle, created by Derek Walters and published by Thunder Bay Press. Today's cards are the Fool and the Pearl:

[Consciousness] photocopies experiences, and then the next time you encounter something similar, it shows you the copy and you think your earlier experience is happening again. But it's a copy, not the original. Reality has changed - it's always changing - and we're living in the photocopy.

—Cuong Lu

The Fool represents emptiness. Tsoknyi Rinpoche defines this as the "infinitely open space that allows for anything to appear, change, disappear, and reappear. The basic meaning of emptiness, in other words, is openness, or potential." This state is empty of opinions, rigid judgments based on previous experiences, preferences and prejudices. It simply sees what is as well as the multitude of possibilities that are available. There is a Chinese saying "a pearl in one's palm" that is very similar in meaning to the English phrase "the apple of one's eye." Both refer to something honored, something precious and loved. Such is the ability to see the world with this Fool's eyes.

Power of the Mindset

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Fool; from the Diloggun Oracle, Obara (six mouths):

The Fool is represented by the Orisha Eleggua, depicted as either a child or an old man. He represents the beginning and end of life, and the opening and closing of paths in life. In this card, he appears as an elder about to step off the cliff that will transform him. He seems to ask if we're ready to let go of any old, rigid ideas and embrace a fresh outlook and attitude. Getting out of our comfort zone always feels risky; it will take some courage. Obara (six mouths) parallels this card:

Ifa: One must be uplifted from poverty-stricken acceptance and state of mind. There is no virtue in being in poverty. Be industrious and accomplish your desires.

Proverb: Do not let what you cannot do tear from your hands what you can.

A mindset can power us up or shut us down. We either see potential and possibilities or none at all.

Its Beauty Only

From the Tyldwick Tarot, the Fool; from the Antiquarian Lenormand, the Bear:

Taking a walk

I saw

a wildflower.

Not knowing its name

I saw

its beauty only.

—Ok-Koo Kang Grosjean

This Fool/jester is about to step through the mirror into another reality. His greyhound waits, anticipating the adventures ahead. The featureless artist mannequin suggests someone not yet shaped by the conditions of life, someone with a beginner's mind. The Bear (from a 1690 illustration of Ursa Major) implies power. What is the Fool's power? His mind holds no preconceptions and expectations, judgments and prejudices. As such, he sees things as they are, without the contamination of fear or demands. What a great way to start a morning!

Tie Your Camel

From the Touchstone Tarot, the Fool; from the John Waterhouse Oracle, The Danaides:

There is an Islamic saying that goes, "Trust in Allah but tie your camel." It would serve the Fool well; while he can follow his heart, he should also not neglect common sense (consult the dog). The Danaides were fifty daughters whose father promised them in marriage to the fifty sons of his twin brother for protecting their city. However on their wedding night, their father ordered them to behead their husbands. All the daughters but one did so and were condemned to spend eternity carrying water that simply poured back out. It might not be wise to trust a solution that came from the same person who caused the problem in the first place. 

Leap or Lie Down

From the Prisma Visions Tarot, the Fool; from the Secret Language of Color, Mauve:

At the end of all rationality, there is simply the need to decide and the faith to live through, to endure. 

― Ken Liu

A pelican watches from a post as a wolf struggles in the ocean. The Fool invites us to trust and take a risk, to be willing to try something new. In business, a calculated risk is one that exposes a person to a degree of danger that is counterbalanced by a reasonable possibility of benefit. It acknowledges that there may be loss or hazards, but it also suggests that logic has been applied and there is a greater chance of a beneficial return. Trust implies vulnerability, but it doesn't mean we need to be completely heedless. Mauve is one of those colors that is hard to describe: it's kind of pink and sort of purple. At some point, we must make a decision, or else our choice will be made by our indecisiveness. After all, even those choices that were a mistake can help us learn.

Mimic Water's Movement

From The Classic Tarot, the Fool; from the Constellations Deck, Hydrus:

Unlike the RWS, this Fool is not a jester but a homeless wanderer. With his strange clothes (and missing a shoe), people were afraid of his eccentricity - enough to send a dog to chase him off. But on another level they envied his ability to travel life lightly, both in terms of material possessions and emotional contentment. He doesn't grasp at outer things to create his happiness; his wonder and enjoyment of life does that for him. The Fool's card is without a number, suggesting freedom and unlimited potential. Hydrus is named for a water snake, a group of snakes that spend a significant time in or near fresh water. I recently had an encounter with a red-bellied juvenile on my backporch (likely washed up from the storm drain); I used a pine cone gripper to relocate him elsewhere. Whether on land or in water, the snake's undulating movements mimic the movement of water. Both these cards offer the advice that we can glide through life happily if we don't get stuck by our demands for life to be a certain way.

Most emotions do not arise out of the immediate moment, but are generated by our self-centered demands that life be the way we want it to be. 

— Charlotte Joko Beck

Personal Agency

This week I'll be using the Albano Waite Tarot, a recolored version of the RWS created by Frankie Albano and published by U.S. Games. The oracle deck I'll be pairing with it is the Rumi Cards, created by Eryk Hanut and Michelle Wetherbee and published by Tuttle Publishing. Today's draws are the Fool and 'Don't Despair:'

What people have the capacity to choose, they have the ability to change.

~ Madeleine Albright

I think the Fool often gets a bad rap. Yes, he has little experience in the world, but that bright yellow background is a hint that he's aware moving forward has unknown risks. Now the Fool could plant himself on that edge and curl up in a neurotic ball, imagining every worse case scenario. However, he understands that just staying on that cliff is to choose to be stuck. He doesn't want to abdicate his personal choice and pretend that life has left him no options. There are always options, though not all are fun and pleasurable. His landing won't be smooth or easy, but it will be an exciting adventure. The Rumi card is a reminder of impermanence, suggesting that the flow of life is dynamic and ever changing. Hard choices might bring hard landings, but even those won't remain the same unless we give up our personal agency. 

Faith Dehydrated

From the Idiosyncradeck, the Fool; from the Mixed Emotions deck, Depressed:

Somehow, in our time, we have boiled all the flavor out of faith and turned it into mere 'belief.' It is not a conviction tucked away in our intellect. ~Stan Litore

Norma Cowie, in her book Tarot for Successful Living, writes that the Fool completes all motion by faith. If she's talking about an intellectual assurance that everything will turn out just fine, I'd have to disagree with her. The Fool abandons certainty and comfort and embraces vulnerability. Real faith is a state of being; it keeps us afloat because we haven't anchored our 'okayness' to any specifics. Faith keeps us teachable - rather than trying to fit our situation into some preformed mold, we stay curious. Depression is a common but serious illness that negatively affects how a person feels, the way they think and how they act. It is based on biochemistry, genetics, personality and environmental factors. Treatment involves inside changes, through medicine, cognitive therapy, etc. Specific beliefs that we are tied to can keep us from being open to change. In the words of Rea Nolan Martin, "Release your beliefs for the time being, and do not labor at bringing them into congruity with the crisis. Have faith that whatever is happening to you now will be neither lost nor forgotten, but witnessed and acknowledged in the fullness of its truth."

A Day of Possibilities

From the Tarot of the Crone, the Fool; from the Transforming Dragons deck, Suboc:

A mere spark of awareness

But that is enough

That is where you begin

~E.L-P.

Like the Fool, each morning we wake up to a brand new day. The day ahead has endless potential and possibilities; it can be filled with delight and joy or resentment and irritation. The energy of the spark will follow wherever the mind directs it - conscious awareness can create our experience. Suboc is dragon who enjoys sabotaging the mood and dreams of all around him. He'll try to convince you that the Sun card you pulled is really the headlamp of an oncoming train about to flatten you. He's unhappy, and it gives him a little thrill to dump on anyone he perceives as content. But his gift of misery is a box we don't have to accept and open. Perhaps one day the seed of his own heart will crack open, allowing beauty to bloom. Until then, give him a wave and keep walking.

Taking a Risk

This week I'll be using the Urban Tarot, a deck and book set created and originally self-published by Robin Scott (now published by U.S. Games). I'll be pairing it with an oracle I created called "Principles to Live By." Today's draws are the Fool and Persistence:

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

―Leo F. Buscaglia

          Why is it so hard to leap beyond the bounds of what I can see? While part of this fear comes from the unknown, the other part doesn't want to risk the collection of elements I identify myself with - from my reputation to relationships to material possessions. Intellectually, I realize this 'self' is just a mental construct of labels and preferences that make me feel safe. The irony is that it changes over time anyway. And as Eckhart Tolle reminds me, "Attachment to things drops away by itself when you no longer seek to find yourself in them." Persistence means to be not easily distracted or discouraged; when I fall (or fail), I get back up again. I look for the place I slipped (not where I landed) and learn from it. I listen attentively to those with wisdom and stay open-minded. The goal may change as a result, but then so will I.

The most beautiful people are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. ―Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Drying Out

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Clown (Fool); from the Bird Cards, the Cormorant:

          In Native American culture, the heyoka (sacred clown) was more than just a prankster or contrarian. His behavior posed questions that made people think about things they had overlooked or see situations from a different perspective. Like the Fool, he encouraged people to take a leap outside their mental comfort zone. The Cormorant is a bird that sits very low in the water and is able to make deep dives after fish. But because his feathers aren't entirely waterproof, he will sit for long periods on rocks or land with his wings outstretched to dry out. He reminds us that we too can become waterlogged - we need to step away from what has us emotionally or physically soaked so that we can see clearly once again. A change is needed that we might not have been aware of until now. 

You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it.

~Paulo Coelho