A Proper Investigation

From the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, the High Priestess; from the Button Oracle, German Shepherd:

Make a proper investigation first. 

~ Buddha

Looks like Granny has all her tools at hand - cards, runes and a crystal ball - for tapping into the universal self. She knows these tools aren't really necessary, but Granny is aware the ego is a rascally rabbit. Sometimes we need props to get past its preferences and prejudices to find the wisdom within. The German Shepherd button represents searching and investigating, as these dogs have long been used in search and rescue, discovery of explosives, and narcotics detection. It suggests we check the information we uncover, making sure the ego's demands haven't tainted our insight. Is this intuitive understanding skillful and wholesome? Or is it a cookie-cutter copy of just what the personal self craves?

5,4,3,2,1 Go!

This week I'll be using the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, created by Granny Jones (Rebecca Jones) and published by Kangaroo Press. Along with it, I'll be drawing from the Button Oracle, a set I made myself from a collection of buttons. Today's draws are the Chariot and German Shepherd:

All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.

~Ellen Glasgow

          Granny, accompanied by her feline companions, energetically pedals her bike. Perhaps she is going to visit a friend in need who lives in the vardo down the road. Hopefully she centered herself before her journey or her frantic anticipation may have caused her to forget something important. I once got a call that my mother (who lives in another town) was being taken to the emergency room. In my anxious and hurried state to get to her, I packed a suitcase full of socks and no underwear. The German Shepherd, long used in search and rescue as well as narcotics and explosive detection, has been assigned the keyword 'investigation.' Being able to work regardless of distractions, this dog encourages me to sharpen my focus in order to discern the moment's needs. I recently came across a grounding exercise (called 5,4,3,2,1) that is quick but useful for such times of anxiety:

• Name five things you see around you.
• Name four things you feel.
• Name three things you can hear.
• Name two things you can smell.
• Name one thing you can taste (taste currently inside your mouth).
• For any 'blanks' you draw, substitute something you are grateful for. 

Whispers of Wisdom

From the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, the High Priestess; from the Button Oracle, the German Shepherd:

          It appears Granny has all her spiritual tools in play - from her cards, runes and crystal ball to her occult books and familiars. Intuitive knowledge is a funny thing; the harder you try to grasp it on an intellectual level, the further away it seems to move. I think there are many tools besides those of divination that help the mind to relax and intuitive information to trickle through. But being such a visual person, nothing beats the cards for me. The German Shepherd Button has been given the keywords investigation and detection, because this breed is so widely used in search and rescue as well as drug and explosives detection. In pairing this meaning with the High Priestess, I'm reminded that science has shown that intuition often errs. Though we do 'know more than we know,' we are still vulnerable to false memories, misjudgments of reality and the inability to predict our own behavior. So as the Buddha said, "Make a proper investigation first." Take the intuitive knowledge as one facet of available information, but check out what's in the real world too.

 Scientists who expose intuition's flaws note that it works well in some areas, but needs restraints and checks in others...we can therefore think smarter, even while listening to the creative whispers of our unseen mind. ~ David G. Meyers

A Nip in the Bum

From the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, the Four of Buttons (Pentacles); from the Button Oracle, "German Shepherd:"

          Watching Granny sprint with her coins made me think of the line, "I don't know where I'm going, but I sure am making good time!" Chloe of Inner Whispers sent out an email that began, "It's beginning to look a lot like chaos," which made me smile and nod in agreement. Even if you don't celebrate the holidays, there's still traffic and crowds to deal with. It's hard not to get caught up in that sense of emergency, which can lead me to overextend my physical self even more so than my bank account. Christmas Eve of last year I spent in a chiropractor's office - an experience I would prefer not to repeat.
          The German Shepherd button is a nod to a dog well-known for it's employment in search and rescue as well as narcotics and explosives detection. The main keyword for it is investigation, an active effort to learn facts that may be hidden. In my case, it would be wise to be mindful of the signals my body is sending instead of powering through them or simply becoming distracted by other things. I could use a service dog that would alert me to any insane actions I might be about to take. A nip in the bum is definitely better than being flat on your back.