Weighed Down

This week I'll be using the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, created by Caitlin Matthews and published by Connections. Along with it, I'll be drawing from a self-published oracle created by Esmeralda Rupp-Spangle called the Insectorum Divinorum. Today's cards are Ten of Fire (Wands) and the Hive:

          In Da Vinci's sketch, men attempt to use a crane to hoist a cannon. The dimmi (literally 'tell me') asks: "What is weighing you down?" The burdens we carry may appear to be created by external sources, but in reality, pride, promises made, and 'shoulds' keep us invested in following through with them. So what's the difference between being dependable and being overly responsible? Psychologist Ellen Hendriksen lists four signs: taking on guilt for everything (even what we have no control over), avoiding conflict (don't risk upsetting anyone), feeling used (people become trained by our behavior), and feeling competent and needed (our self-worth is based on what we do). The Hive card shows a collective that works together for the benefit of all. Obviously, being overloaded does not fit this ideal. But what do we do about it? Hendriksen gives some suggestions: return responsibilities to whom they belong, accept all offers of help, and shift from saving others to launching others.

Generosity of the Heart

From the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, the Lord of Fire (King of Wands); from the Insectorum Divinorum, the Hive:

How are your magnanimity and courage needed?

            This sketch is a study of St. Bartholomew for the The Last Supper. Those who describe the painting say Bartholomew wears an expression of surprise and concern as he hears Jesus predict his betrayal. The dimmi asks about magnanimity - a refusal to be petty and mean while embracing a noble generosity. Would this include forgiveness for the terrible deed that was about to occur? I think so, though it would also require courage. In my experience, anger feels much more powerful, while forgiveness can leave one feeling tender and vulnerable. The Hive represents actions of greater good that benefit the whole rather than a few. Generosity of the heart would apply; nothing tears a group apart like rehashed anger. Yet it is possible to hold people accountable for their actions while not putting them out of one's heart. 

He is not prone to marvel or to remember evils, since it is proper to a magnanimous person not to nurse memories, especially not of evils, but to overlook them. ~ Aristotle

Lots of Bees Make Up a Hive

This week I'll be using the Da Vinci Enigma deck and book set, created by Caitlin Matthews and published by St. Martin's Press. Today's draw is the Ten of Earth:

What have you inherited? How are you enriched?

This sketch is of a basilica's ground plan and elevation. Da Vinci writes, "For stability, the depths of the foundations in... temples and other public buildings should be in proportion to the weight that will rest upon them." My body was created by two people, carried for nine months by one, and nurtured until adulthood by many. The ingredients for the chicken and rice soup I had last night was provided by farmers, created through a recipe by a chef and canned by a company to sell. Literally everything I am and have has been developed with the help of others. I live a simple life, but it is one made full, rich and stable because of the shoulders I've leaned upon.

The mini oracle deck I'll be using this week is the Insectorum Divinorum, created and self-published by Esmeralda Rupp-Spangle. This morning's card is the "Hive:"

Without the cooperation between the queen bee, her drones and her workers, the hive would fail to thrive. There is a general sense of working for the greater good, of pulling together to make a sturdy foundation that all can enjoy. I experienced this last night at the meditation group. We had two people who caused quite a disturbance right before we got started; though they left, the group could have easily dissolved into a gossip fest. Instead, everyone remembered why we were there and encouraged me to get things started. We ended up having a great session, and afterward several people told me how much meditation has been helping them on a daily basis. I've only got two more classes left to do, but I think the foundation has been laid, and with this group's dedication, it should continue to thrive.