No Deal

From the Rosetta Tarot, the Four of Disks; from the Day of the Dead Lenormand, Ring:

You're either growing or dying. Stagnation does not exist in the universe.

―Steve Siebold

The Four of Disks represents earthly power: material success, comfort and security. But with it comes paranoia, which puts so much emphasis on preservation and protection that it becomes stifling. Surely there is a middle way between the extremes of excess and deprivation. The Ring symbolizes commitment and partnership. This literally means a person we are closely involved with who shares in our endeavors. To be locked down, to refuse the give and take of sharing, is to end any hope of a partnership, be it one of business or affection.

Perceived Threat

From the Slow Tarot, the Four of Coins; from the ROAR Oracle, Octavia E. Butler:

What had been a perceived threat, a lien in a sense on future human behavior, was quickly reduced to a historical curiosity.  — Arthur C. Clarke

When there is a perceived threat - a subjective assessment of danger, even if that threat is not real or imminent - harsh laws, lockdowns and big walls are often a consequence. If that perception involves our possessions, the result is a withholding of mercy and generosity. It's a reactive response that can become hard to break. Octavia Butler, a science fiction writer with many honors including the notable MacArthur Fellowship, was raised by a widowed mom who was a housemaid. The extremely shy Octavia found solace in reading and writing stories. Discovering the wide-open world of science fiction, she learned to create herself as well a story. She would tell us that expectations and assumptions may wound, but we don't have to let them fester within us. The spacious mind can recognize the nuance of the present moment rather than assuming it is just like what we've encountered before. Lockdown might not be necessary.

Dollar Devotion

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Absurd, created and self-published by Jessica Rose Shanahan. I'll also be using another self-published deck, the Post-psychedelic Cyberpunk by Masha Falkov. The draws for today are the Four of Coins and Random Number Generator:

Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man.

― Henry Adams

Sometimes the Four of Coins can mean we need to keep a closer watch on our health, finances and time. But putting a coin atop a pedestal and giving it a kiss says something else altogether. Devotion to money is often intended as a way to control life so that we get what we want. Money can be helpful, but this world is full of change and at times chaos. As Peter D. Schaller explains, "Systems that are 'chaotic' are sensitive to small changes in initial conditions, and are predictable in the short term, but not in the long term. The weather is an example." The Random Number Generator suggests we learn to accept the inevitability of unpredictability. Dr. Daniel Siegel advocates rowing our canoe between the banks of rigidity (attempts to control) and chaos (disorder). If we can integrate the two, without sitting on either bank, we have the opportunity to explore, experience new things, learn and grow.

Even On a Budget

From the Fey Tarot, the Four of Pentacles; from the I Misteri della Sibilla, the Five of Hearts (Joyous Heart):

The seeds we plant contain the potential to grow when conditions support them. What we practice becomes habit. What may at one time be beneficial can later become a form of imprisonment. 

~Jack Kornfield

This miserable looking fey is chained to his pentacle; the companion book suggests being a slave to one's habits. People raised by Depression era parents and grandparents, often hear "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." That's not bad advice when money is tight, but it can create a mindset that is rigid when it comes to spending or sharing resources (even when we're flush). It may become an automatic behavior unless we become aware of it and recognize that it doesn't fit our present reality. Joyous Heart (Five of Hearts) shows a couple out on the town and represents lightheartedness. Fun can still be had on a budget. Hopefully that fey will pick up the key of awareness, unlock himself, and enjoy life a bit. 

Real Security

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Four of Earth (Pentacles); from the Ascension to Paradise Cards, the Hornbill:

If money is your hope for independence, you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. ―Henry Ford

The Four of Earth (Pentacles) represents security, not from a tight grip on our money and possessions, but from the result of learning skills and working hard. Being diligent, capable and willing to add to our knowledge keeps us resilient when changes occur. Hornbills are known for having a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly colored and a horny casque (A hard structure resembling a helmet). Their 'helmet' suggests we protect our stability by continuing to update our knowledge and skill set rather than be complacent. 

A Time to Withhold

From the Touchstone Tarot, the Four of Coins; from the Waterhouse Oracle, Penelope and the Suitors:

Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others. — Brené Brown

There is a time to generously give and a time to withhold, especially when it involves our health and energy. Yet there are those of us (especially women) who have been trained to 'be nice' and make our lives an offering to anyone. But this is impossible if we don't take care of our own needs first. As Anne Lamott advocated, 'No' is a complete sentence. Penelope, in this Waterhouse painting, sits at her loom while she tries to ignore her suitors. During Odysseus' long absence, unmarried young men began to suspect that Odysseus died in the Trojan War. To keep them at bay, Penelope told them she would begin courting again after she finished weaving a funeral shroud - which she unraveled every night. Some people don't accept 'no' without an explanation, so we need to be ready to give them one, even if it is simply that we are exhausted and must rest. 

Making a Life

From the Songs for the Journey Home, the Four of Earth Songs (Four of Pentacles); from the Magic Neko Cards, the Ace of Clubs:

Don't let making a living prevent you from making a life.

—John Wooden

My younger years were spent in the care of my elderly grandparents while my mom worked and went to school. They went through the challenges of the Depression, and thus lived by the 'use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without' adage. Thus my spending habits were shaped to be thrifty, but sometimes today that can drift over into the tightfisted category. The fellow in this card is stressing over finances, even though his piggy bank makes it clear he is not facing economic insecurity. The deck's companion book states: "Use the power money has to bring pleasure and satisfaction to your world and to the people who share your life, otherwise your wallet will be full and you heart will be empty." The bees in the Ace of Clubs would buzz their agreement, suggesting I make something sweet with my resources instead of just worrying about them.

New Priority

From the Restored Order Tarot, the Four of Pentacles; from the Oracle of Kabbalah, Zayin:

Self-care has become a new priority—the revelation that it’s perfectly permissible to listen to your body and do what it needs. ―Frances Ryan

When people see pentacles, they think of money and financial security. So it's easy to look at this guy and think he is a miser, obsessively protecting his hoard. But pentacles also represent this body that carries us around, the vehicle that allows us to love, create, and fight for what we believe in. We often take better care of our cars than our bodies, maintaining them far better. This fellow asks if I'm sustaining and nurturing my body, or if I've forgotten how precious it is. Zayin is a paradox. It means 'weapon' (and resembles a sword), yet numerically it is associated with the number seven (the day of rest). Sometimes the sword is not used for fighting, but for cutting a loaf of bread or (metaphorically) dividing our time so that we can rest and care for our bodies. 

Nowhere But Here

From the Rohrig Tarot, the Four of Disks; from the Master Tarot/Oracle, Here and Now:

A truly stable system expects the unexpected, is prepared to be disrupted, waits to be transformed.

― Tom Robbins

The Four of Disks is titled Power in the Thoth system, implying success, comfort and stability. It's a nice place to be if a person can enjoy it without an exaggerated need for security or a demand that things never change. In Buddhism, the psychological God Realm is a place of where bliss and happiness are experienced for a period of time. But because we are so attached to our luxuries and pleasures and bristle at anything that might disturb them, we usually don't stay in this mindset for long. Here and Now suggests we drop the memories and expectations we cling to and plant ourselves firmly in the present moment. Joy can't be found anywhere else but here.

Is There a Cure for Greed?

From the Ship of Fools Tarot, the Four of Coins; from the Wisdom of the Four Winds, Kauri:

The usurers perpetrate a vile trade

And prey upon the poor

Without heed, that in so doing

They starve the world.

~Das Narrenschiff

The only thing worse than a miserly person is one who is stingy and greedy. Usuers (a person who lends money at unreasonably high rates of interest) are getting rich while the poor get poorer. As a former bookkeeper for a business, I often had to deal with garnishing employee wages when someone couldn't pay back their loans. I remember telling one lender, who called to verify employment, not to give a person a loan because he would not be able to pay it back at such a high rate of interest. They gave it to him anyway. These companies create a debt treadmill that makes struggling families worse off than they were before - but they don't care because they are raking in money. Kauri is a huge tree with a trunk diameter big enough to rival Californian sequoias. The size and strength of kauri timber made it a popular wood for construction and ship building, but by 1900 less than 10 per cent of the original kauri survived. Balance is its message, and makes me wish for a cure for greed.

Avarice hoards itself poor; charity gives itself rich.

~German proverb

Illusion of Control

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Four of Coins; from the Way of the Horse Oracle, Merlin's Spirit:

Your home is living space, not storage space.

― Francine Jay

When our insecurity is deeply rooted, we might find ourselves desperately holding on to things because we might need them. We have no trust that others might be generous or supportive, so we cling desperately to what we have. There is a big difference between this type of neurotic grip on material possessions and prudence; prudence might be cautious and practical, but it still knows how to enjoy and use these things. Merlin's Spirit shows two stallions, a father and son. Like other herd or pack animals, one leader protects and dominates. But even the horses know that no amount of control or safeguards will create permanent stability and security. As Christopher Willard wrote, "Equanimity arises when we renounce control—or, more accurately, when we renounce the illusion of control."

Crack the Egg

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, the Four of Earth (Pentacles); from the Tattwa Cards, Ether/Seed of Ether:

How you define your life limits you.

~Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

I've got a sick cat, a husband with kidney stones and jury duty; I am overwhelmed. Yet the sphinx asks me a riddle: "How are your words limiting you?" I'd have to answer that my focus is on what I lack (my challenges) and not my resources. And saying "I am" rather than "I feel" makes those walls closing in around me seem even more impenetrable. Yet Ether/Seed of Ether represents rebirth, a message to expand my horizon (my mindset) and start again. I am reminded by these cards of a verse by Mark Nepo:

Sometimes, when things

break, life begins. It still hurts.

But when the egg cracks, the

chick is born. When the dam

breaks, the fields finally grow.

―Mark Nepo

On a Leash

From the Prairie Tarot, the Four of Pentacles; from the Medicine Cards, Beaver:

Seeing this fellow on a locked chest suggests keeping our finances, physical health and time on a short leash. It's a very early spring for us in the South - the azaleas have already been in full bloom this February. Warmer weather after winter always makes me a little over-zealous in the 'doing' department. Yesterday, I cleaned the whole house, did two loads of laundry, hosed down the screened back porch, dumped out quite a few plants that froze, scrubbed the pots, and repotted some new plants. By evening I couldn't move. Beavers are ecosystem engineers with their capacity to alter their environments. They do not like the sound of running water because it signals a leak in their dam (which they immediately repair). I believe my body is in need of repair rather than activity, so I'll have to ignore my 'get-it-done' impulse today. 

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.

― John Lubbock

Not All or Nothing

From the PetraK Tarot, the Four of Discs; from the Astrodice, Mercury/Gemini/7th House:

Be moderate in prosperity, prudent in adversity. 

~Periander

In this painting, the lower, smaller discs seem constricted by some outer covering. Yet the top two discs are larger and unencumbered, producing a bright light or energy. We all get squeezed by circumstances from time to time, whether physically (energy and health), financially or time-wise. We may barely have enough 'shine' to keep ourselves upright and afloat. But when we have some extra shine to spare, we may remember others who are currently treading water and practice kindness rather than restraint. The Astrodice roll implies a merging of communication, sociability and relationships. While we all have preferences with regard to introversion or extroversion, moderation might serve us well.

I’m both an introvert and extrovert. I love people, but I need to be alone. I’ll go out to meet people, but it has an expiration because I have to recharge. If I don’t find the valuable alone time I need to recharge, I cannot be my highest self.

~Denzel Washington

Unlocking the Chain

From the Fey Tarot, the Four of Pentacles; from the I Misteri della Sibilla, Sickness (Four of Spades):

It's one thing to be a good steward of what we have, but quite another to be obsessively chained to it. Joe Lightfoot describes an ideology of wealth called 'HOEM' that has infected our society:

• Hollow - it creates an endless longing for more that can never be fulfilled through its own means. 
• Oppressive - it cares little for equity, justice or the rights of the downtrodden. 
• Economic - it is firmly rooted in notions of who owns what. 
• Materialistic - it places little worth on anything that cannot be physically grasped by acquisitive hands.

The Sibilla card, Sickness, is a good indicator of what will happen to our body when the mind is imbalanced with the kind of stress that materialism causes. As Dr. Bernie Siegel wrote, "The mind and body are not separate units, but one integrated system. How we act and what we think, eat, and feel are all related to our health." Pick up the key! 

Survival?

From the Tarot of the Sidhe, the Maker Four (Four of Pentacles); from the Green Man Tree Oracle, White Poplar:

Carding describes the great canopy of this tree as taking up all the sunlight and leaving none for any plants that might try to grow beneath it. Similarly, many plants are allelopathic, meaning their leaves, flowers or roots contain chemicals that prevent other plants from growing near them. It's simply a means of survival in nature by eliminating some of the competition. Yet humans can do the same - just watch what happens at the grocery stores when there is an impending hurricane or when supply chain issues create shortages. Some may call their excessive hoarding a survival technique, but it is simply a selfish reaction to fear. Likewise, White Poplar is a tree that is useful in flood zones; its tolerance of salt has made it a wise planting choice for strengthening coastal sand dunes. But in non-native environments, such as the U.S. and Australia, it quickly becomes a weedy invasive. This tree asks us, "Are we taking or hoarding more than we need?"

A More Effective Action

This week I'll be using the Llewellyn Tarot, created by Anna-Marie Ferguson and published by Llewellyn. I'll also be using the Beasts of Albion, an oracle deck created by Miranda Gray and published by Aquarian. Today's draws are the Four of Pentacles and the Lion:

I often think of the Four of Pentacles as the Spending Sabbatical card. There are many things we can 'spend' - time, energy (health), and money. Such a pause is a practice in prudently using our personal resources. To Albion (ancient Britain), tales of lions seemed just as extraordinary as those of unicorns and dragons. The Lion soon became a symbol of courage, strength and guardianship, especially in the sense of self-sovereignty. It's ironic how many enablers seem to magically appear when a person decides they want to limit ____ (fill in the blank). However, as David Cain encourages, we can guard ourselves by training to replace a reflexive action with a more conscious and empowering one. He lists several examples of mindful consideration: in rock climbing, when you want to pull with your arms, try pushing with your legs; in chess, when you see a good move and you want to make it, try looking for a better one first. "That’s what all training amounts to, as far as I can tell — conditioning ourselves to take a more effective action at a certain moment than the impulsive one we start out doing."

The Same Name

From the Anima Mundi Tarot, the Four of Pentacles; from the Nature's Pharmacy deck, Chili Pepper:

When someone steals another's clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? ―Basil the Great

We have a family of raccoons that live nearby who visit the homes in the area at dusk every evening. They check each porch for leftover pet food and dig in the mulch for such delicacies as slugs and geckos. They've learned how to unscrew the bolts on my squirrel-proof peanut feeder and liberate the nuts inside. They are curious and intelligent, yet unlike humans, they do not procure more than they need. Animals in the wild eat what is necessary and no more. Even when it seems they over-consume, it is simply an adaptation to survive and prepare for hibernation, migration, or lean times such as winter. The Chili Pepper's essential oil - capsaicin - is what makes its peppers spicy hot. This oil has been used in a variety of pharmaceutical products, from nasal spray to clear congestion to a cream for achy joints and muscles (it blocks pain messages to the nerves). But woe to the person who uses the cream then later takes a hot shower; you will think the water temperature is set to boiling. Having and saving is quite different than miserly hoarding, a behavior that hurts and helps no one. 

Enchanting Influence

From the Ship of Fools Tarot, the Four of Coins; from the Wisdom of the Four Winds, Glow worm:

I recently had a door-to-door salesman who was selling home security equipment. He was on his game, knowing how to weasel out what might be of interest and what wasn't, and then he zeroed in. I asked questions and he went in circles to avoid answering some and flat out made up answers to others. I waited until he started to run out of selling points then told him I don't buy anything that I haven't done my own research on, especially when there seem to be no downsides. The Four of Coins suggests keeping a check on my "Oh I need one of those!" impulses. The Glow worm, a fungus gnat whose larval stage produces a blue-green bioluminescence, suggests that expectations might be an influence on loosening purse strings ("Oooo... pretty!). Best wait until I'm not under its enchantment.

Pause and Unplug

From the Idiosyncradeck, the Four of Stones (Pentacles); from the Mixed Emotions deck, Bored:

The four concentric circles around this stone feel protective, yet the lines leading in and out from them suggest that this is not a permanent state. The Fours suggest stability and a time to pause. Some of us are so busy taking care of family, neighbors, civic duties, and work that we rarely have time to take care of our own belongings and bodies. So when we never take time to check or change our oil and our car engine locks up, we have to depend on someone else for rides everywhere. Wouldn't it be smarter to occasionally practice self-care, maintenance and safekeeping? However, the Bored card made me laugh. We are so used to constant coming and going that we don't know how to just 'be.' To tarry for just a few moments can feel monotonous and irritating to some of us. It takes time and intention to appreciate caring for ourselves and practicing stewardship, yet the rewards are worth it.

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.

— Anne Lamott