Don't Hide

From the Tarot of the Cat People, the Ace of Swords; from the Sacred Geometry Oracle, the Hexagram:

          The Ace of Swords often represents mental clarity that helps us see the truth. But this fellow has added a shield to his sword, as if he is protecting himself. Perhaps he thinks he is preserving the truth, but my guess is that he is using the shield to keep from fully seeing reality. Reminds me of this description by Bodhipaksa:

 Worry can make us behave in ways that perpetuate it. I was surprised, talking at a class one night about how I sometimes leave mail from the tax office unopened for several days, to find out that I wasn't alone. In fact almost everyone there said that the fear of knowing what was in a tax notification stopped them from opening the mail, sometimes for weeks! So what happens here is that our anxiety takes an unknown that could be resolved in a moment ("Hmm. Mail from the tax people? I wonder what's in it? Let's see!") into a prolonged bout of dread ("Oh, god it's still there! I wonder what's in it? OK, I'll try and ignore it a bit longer!"). The mind multiplies and amplifies our sufferings.

The Hexagram is constructed from two equilateral triangle pointing in different directions, suggesting a balance of opposites - yin with yang, light with darkness, pleasant with unpleasant. To live life fully, I can't continue to run in the direction of one and leave the other behind. All of it is valid and deserves my time and attention.

The Most Important Thing

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Cat People, created by Karen Kuykendall and published by U.S. Games. I'll also be drawing from the Sacred Geometry Oracle, a deck and book set created by John Michael Greer and published by Llewellyn. Today's cards are the Queen of Swords and "Hexagram:"

          Unlike yesterday's Queen, this one looks more mature. She doesn't have a domesticated cat, but a black panther; the stone statues in the background remind me of China's terracotta army. Her power and respect have been earned by successfully navigating her life experiences. She's seen the peaks of joy, the depths of pain and all the other subtle shades in between. Her sword tip touches the ground and suggests she expects me to practice what I preach.
          From an alchemical standpoint, the hexagram is a combination of elemental symbols - fire and water, earth and air. Greer states these opposites don't mean a choice of one over the other, but finding a way to balance and blend them. Comparing yesterday's cards to this morning's draws, I'm beginning to feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Yet today, I have the lines from a James Taylor song circling through my head:

I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.

I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I'd see you again.

That verse in turn reminded me of two questions posed by Pema Chodron: "As I go into this day, what is the most important thing? What is the best use of this day?" The impermanence of life along with those questions could shape my actions through mindfulness and equanimity.

All Frosting With No Cake

From the Golden Botticelli Tarot, the Magician:

Is this fellow getting ready for a ceremony of some sort? He reminds me of all the robed figures at the Episcopal church I went to last Sunday (I was invited by a priest friend for the Candlemas service). While the sermon itself was interesting and practical, the "bells and whistles" of the rituals left me feeling rather hollow and detached. It was like a few books I've read or seminars I've attended where the subject seemed promising, but at the end I felt like it was all icing and no cake (no real substance). The Magician reminds me that life is about more than just visions and inspirations; he asks us to make our dreams and goals concrete instead of just talking about them.

From the Sacred Geometry Oracle comes the "Hexagram:"

The hexagram is formed by the joining of an upward equilateral triangle with a downward equilateral triangle, suggesting a combination of opposites. Greer emphasizes that such opposition does not always mean you must choose one over the other. Instead there can be a balance between the two - both receiving an equal share of time and attention. I love the creative thought process in which I search for solutions or creative expressions inside myself. But putting them into the real world is another story, and makes me feel vulnerable and incapable. Yet the combination of these two cards remind me that I have the skills for both sides of the coin, and it's time to use them.