Building the New

From the New Era Elements Tarot, the Mother of Fire (Queen of Wands); from the Tao Oracle, The Wanderer (Hexagram 56):

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. ~Socrates

The inspirational Mother of Fire, combining the opposing elements of fire and water, is known for her independence. Pieper has illustrated this card with a Maasai woman, a people known for their colorful clothing and intricate beadwork. Historically, Maasai women have been forbidden from owning their own property and from accumulating their own worldly goods, but thankfully these long-held customs are slowly changing. Women are leading the charge to gain education, acquire land and develop a trade, enabling them to change their own lives and the lives of girls in the future. The Wanderer (hexagram 56) indicates the unfamiliarity and feeling of vulnerability that comes with change. Rather than bulldozing through the unknown, it encourages flexibility, humility and sensitivity as one find's one's feet.

With Care

This week I'll be using Tarot by Caro, created and self-published by Caroline Clarke. The oracle I'll be drawing from is the I Ching, illustrated by Klaus Holitzka with instructions by Marlies Holitzka; it is published by AGM Urania. Today's cards are Strength and Hexagram 56:

Clarke's rendition of Strength made me think of dog handlers at a show - 'flagging' the tail and slipping a treat to the dog. My inner beast - the part of me that would like to freely offer head slaps and say whatever passes through my mind - must be treated with care and respect as well. Rather than trying to sit on it to keep it under control, I can acknowledge what has happened (injustice, unkindness, etc.) but without exaggeration or assumptions. Hexagram 56 is called the Wanderer and advocates for humility, calmness and intelligence, as if we were a stranger in a new land. Staying calm and open-minded can create a pause and a chance to understand what was behind what occurred instead of rushing to judgment.

Searching for Refuge

From the Hoi Polloi Tarot, Judgment; from the I Ching Pack, Hexagram 56:

These two cards, Judgment and the Wanderer (Hexagram 56), illuminate the dilemma of humans. We find ourselves in an unstable world, and we want something that will give us security. We jump in the first box we see that promises us certainty and control, only to find that it does neither. We hear the trumpet to awaken (realizing our error), climb out of our boxes, then go in search of another box that will give us the 'right' solution. It seems an endless, cyclic activity. What we search for is not found in any philosophical concept or organized religion, but within our own heart and mind, in learning to come to terms with the uncertainty of life.

A spiritual practice can be an island, a place where opening to uncertainty and doubt can lead us to a refuge of truth. —Joan Halifax

Not Always So

From the New Era Elements Tarot, the Two of Water (Cups); from the Tao Oracle, 'The Wanderer (56):

          Pieper uses seahorses to illustrate her Two of Cups, a card that reflects union and partnership. In the case of these marine fish, it is a more equal relationship than most among animals. The female meets the male in his territory, and they go through an elaborate dance of mirroring each other's movements and spiraling around objects. They may dance for several days until both are ready to mate. The female then deposits her eggs in the male's brood pouch where he will fertilize them internally and carry them until they hatch. The family Syngnathidae (pipefish, seahorses, and the leafy seadragon) is the only one in which males give birth. The Wanderer, hexagram 56, offers the advice to stay alert but make no assumptions when we're traveling or around people we don't know well. Their roles or ways of doing things may be different, but it doesn't make them wrong.

“Not always so” is a good little phrase to carry around when you’re sure. It gives you an opportunity to look again more carefully and see what other possibilities there might be in the situation.

—Zenkei Blanche Hartman