Need or Greed

From the Greenwood Tarot, the Two of Wands; from the Rune Cards, Gift (Gebo):

   

Doing something to support someone else puts our problems in some perspective and in connection to all the other human challenges in the world; we return to our personal challenges with a vigor and awareness of our connectedness in this human web of interbeing.

—Kamilah Majied

Things are good, but could they be better? This figure must decide how to move forward - to continue on the current course or to expand their goals. While expanding might improve our bank account, we might find it causes deficits elsewhere (time, energy, relationships, peace of mind). Gebo's (Gift) rune poem reads:

Giving is for men glory and acclaim, support and honor,

and for the needy a help and sustenance that is otherwise lacking.

Gebo suggests that we consider the motive for our desire for expansion - is it need or greed? Perhaps it may help pay some bills or could create jobs for those who need them. But if it's all about accumulating more, more, more, that's a craving that will never be satisfied. It may boost our ego, but it will not be a useful gift to our well-being.

Claws and the Musing of Martyrs

From the Tarot of Pagan Cats, Strength; from Brownie Wisdom, The Gift:

          Cats are not known for being long-suffering. Irritate them even briefly, and there will be hissing and claws to deal with. You'd better have the band-aids handy. If I am in trying circumstances, it doesn't help for me to use my irritation as a mantra. Imagining the cause of my frustration duct taped to a chair from head to toe isn't helpful either. That kind of thinking only increases my self-righteous indignation. Inner strength comes from a place outside the reach of my ego; I don't take challenges as a personal insult. This cat seems to be in a meditative zone while she keeps the puppy under her paw. Maybe she's mentally escaped to her "happy place" (probably a window seat in the sun). Sounds like a much better focus. The card from the Brownies suggests that the heart has to be in the right place before anything can be considered a gift. When I restrain my anger, is it really spiritual progress when I go brag about it? "You would not believe what I had to put up with at the bank today - that woman was so thick in the head!" Or "Did she get her driver's license off the internet?! She's lucky I didn't give her the finger!" Though the object of my anger might be clueless about how I felt, I'm not sure boasting from a martyr's mindset would really count.

Gift of Giving

From the Whimsical Tarot, the Queen of Pentacles; from the Over the Moon Oracle, "Gift:"

          Morrison's queen is Maid Marian, a resourceful noblewoman who joins forces with the "Prince of Thieves" to fight the current leadership of the kingdom. She proves to offer as much help to Robin and his men as they do to her. Which brings up the OTM card, Gift (Six of Diamonds). I like to give, but I have a hard time accepting gifts. As soon as someone offers me anything, I start making "I am not worthy" noises. Yet psychologists have shown it is more often the giver than the receiver who reaps the most from the exchange. Ellen J. Langer, a Harvard psychology professor, points out, "You do people a disservice by not giving them the gift of giving." She explains that gifts can reinforce the bond between people and make the giver feel effective and caring. Looking at it from this viewpoint, it doesn't seem fair that I should take away that kind of feeling from anyone.

A New Twist

From the Tarot of the Hidden Realm, the Three of Pentacles; from the Heart of Faerie Oracle, the "Gift:"

What makes a master craftsman? I think having skills and knowledge that come from years of practice and study is part of the process (and why I'm glad this fellow isn't a young whippersnapper.) He must also have the tools and raw materials with which to work. But maybe even more necessary than these two qualifications are a passion and love for his craft that constantly fuel his inspiration for new creations. Here enters the masked fairy with a gift in her hands. She is his muse who holds an egg filled with a new idea. Most of the artists and craftsmen I know cannot resist their muse. It's like having a burr in your britches - it keeps poking and prodding until you do something about it. I have a feeling there is going to be a new twist in this fellow's torcs soon.