Limits of the Little Self

From the Nature Spirit Oracle, the Two of Swords; from the Australian Wildflower Reading Cards, Grey Spider Flower:

          A great egret, known for standing still in the water to allow prey to come within striking range, is nearly hidden by field bindweed. Both plant and animal suggest not making a move (or decision) but rather being patient until the muddy water of the mind clears. Waiting, especially when it feels like we're standing on the edge of a crumbling cliff, is not what we prefer to do. Yet the Grey Spider Flower suggests we have faith. Like the spider who patiently rebuilds its web when damaged by wind or animal, we are asked to not give in. Yet perhaps there is something to give up - our narrow viewpoint. In the words of Andrew Cooper, "Faith must ripen through uncertainty and doubt. It must open us to something larger than our concepts, for these arise from within the limits of the self."

Hydration

From the Nature Spirit Tarot, the Queen of Cups; from the Australian Wildflower Cards, the 'Grey Spider Flower:'

          Herzel illustrates the Queen of Cups with the Western honey bee and the blooms of an orange tree (the lily and willow are nods to the water suit). The symbols of sweetness - smell and taste - represent this queen well. Have you ever seen the dry pulp left over after a juicer has crushed all the liquid from a fruit or vegetable? That's kind of how I've felt these past weeks; it helps to have someone like the Queen of Cups to listen to my feelings without judgment, who can pour liquid life back into my desiccated spirit. The Grey Spider Flower is a shrub that has fuzzy flowers that appear on the tips of its branches in late winter. Darcey assigned 'faith' as its keyword, which made sense when I found out the propagation of this plant is helped along by nicking the hard seed coat to expose the embryo. Experiencing cuts made by the vicissitudes of life can cause a type of 'terminal uniqueness' in which I feel as if no one has it as bad as I do (and can keep me feeling like that dried-out pulp). The Pali word for faith - saddha - literally means "to place your heart upon." It has nothing to do with defending, competing, or rigidly believing something. Instead (in the words of Sharon Salzberg), it "opens us to what is beyond our usual, limited, self-centered concerns." In other words, I'm not alone and there are infinite possibilities that stretch far beyond what my limited perspective can see at the moment.