Encumbrances

From the Ferret Tarot, the Nine of Swords; from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, Honey Bee:

Is this a satisfying thought? Will it liberate me or keep me bound?

―Vanessa Zuisei Goddard

Although we humans don't like to feel anxious, we sure do practice worrying a lot. We ruminate over past actions and project our worst fears on the future. Such mental maneuvering gets us nowhere and provides no solutions. The Honey Bee encourages us to be productive, to create something beneficial with our mind instead of allowing it to trap us in dark, cobwebbed corners. Goddard advocates for us to question our thoughts instead of giving them free reign. Why should we be encumbered by our mind?

Abjuring the Prescribed

From the RainShadow Tarot, the High Priestess; from the Liminal Spirits Oracle, Honey Bee:

Freedom would be not to choose between black and white but to abjure such prescribed choices. ~Theodor W. Adorno

My eyes are drawn to the small rainbow-colored line between the colors of black and white in this image. Humans prefer things to be cut and dried simply because it gives them a feeling of security, but life is a multitude of color, not just black or white. Buddhists believe that everyone is endowed with buddha nature: a pure, luminous state of our consciousness which is free from any duality or self-referencing. This is what the High Priestess points toward - sinking below the ego to find insight and comprehend the whole of reality. Honey bees are wonderful cross-pollinators, transferring pollen grains from one plant to another. In a changing environment, such pollination enables plants to adapt better than those that are self-pollinated. In the same way, an open mind that sees more than just a slice of life tends to be more resilient and expansive when life serves a plate of the unexpected.

After the Tilt

From the Wayfarer Tarot, the Star; from the Curious Oracle, the Honey Bee:

The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves. 

~Pema Chodron

The nakedness of the Star shows the moment when we are stripped bare of our assumptions. We discover that in this world, there is no such thing as an expert who can handle everything. For the moment, we are receptive and quiet. The Honey Bee (nourishment) suggests that instead of blame or self-flagellation, we rest. Later, we can look with an objective eye to see what was going on when life tilted; we can check to see if there was something we were running from instead of toward. True nourishment can come in accepting that at times, no matter how much knowledge we have, we just don't know the answers beforehand.

When we think that something is going to bring us pleasure, we don’t know what’s really going to happen.  When we think something is going to give us misery, we don’t know.  Letting there be room for not knowing is the most important thing of all. ~Pema Chodron

Roots and Rain Clouds

From the Granny Jones Tarot, the Three of Swords; from the Button Oracle, Honey Bee:

          At the bottom of this dark cloud are little stick hands reaching out and pinwheel legs running. They represent the root of all our suffering, either in the form desperately trying to grab and hold on to what we think will bring us happiness or trying to run from (protect ourselves) from whatever is painful or unpleasant that we think will sabotage our happiness. Yet the golden sword piercing through the cloud suggests turning our thoughts in a different direction. We can instead welcome what comes, invite it to tea, and have a conversation. For instance, if a health challenge presents itself in the middle of our fun, we pay attention to it with self-compassion. We don't have to pretend it's pleasurable, but it helps to find out what is going on so we can mindfully attend to it rather than run around screaming or curl up like a roly-poly. Honey Bee offers a lesson in respect and equanimity; when foraging, it will rarely sting unless stepped on or handled roughly. Collecting nectar and pollen is more important than getting sidetracked by other things. It is a reminder to ask ourselves, "Compared to my peace of mind and taking the long view of life, how important is it?"

It's a New Day

From the Granny Jones Tarot, the Page of Wands:

Yeah here we are still goin' strong
Right here in the place where we belong...

It's a new world, it's a new start
~ Bryan Adams Here I Am

It's a new day, and this happy young fellow has set off down the road to learn and report about something exciting.  I envy his enthusiasm and eagerness; I've felt a bit dead inside of late, going through the motions of daily life.  I'm ready to live instead of just exist.  I want to jump out of bed in the morning ready to make new discoveries that open my mind and heart.  We had quite a storm roll through the South last night; I lay awake waiting to see if I needed to wake my family and move them to a safe room in case of a tornado.  Thankfully, all we got was lots of rain and high winds.  This morning the sky is clearing and everything has been washed clean - a new start indeed.

From the Button Oracle comes the "Honey Bee:"

"If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.” ~ Albert Einstein

Like George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life, I wonder how my thinking would change if I realized the small ways my life impacted others.  I'm sure most people are like me, believing their day to day existence doesn't have much bearing on the rest of the world.  But like the single bee that gathers pollen, those individual efforts produce something very sweet and worthwhile.  Maybe each person does have a significant niche to fill.