Love is a Verb

From the Ferret Tarot, the Knight of Cups; from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, Hummingbird:

Love is a verb

It ain't a thing

It's not something you own

It's not something you scream.

~John Mayer

          This lovesick ferret spends his days fantasizing about romancing the ferret of his dreams. But if these moments only exist in his mind, they are castles made of sand. To paraphrase Paige Braddock, when you're riding the wave of romance, it will eventually wash up on the shore of reality. The Hummingbird, a blur of energy, suggests he step out of his head and show his beloved how he feels. Better yet, he could figure out the "language of love" his partner speaks and (if she's receptive) take action:

1. Words of Affirmation
2. Acts of Service
3. Thoughtful Gifts
4. Quality Time (Undivided Attention)
5. Physical Touch

Energy Costs

From the Ferret Tarot, the Six of Pentacles; from the Nature's Wisdom Oracle, the Hummingbird:

          If you want to know why the ferret on the left is being so timid about taking the gift, check out the tight hold and grimace of the other. Obviously she knows accepting this present is going to cost her something. The giver seems to have a hard time understanding the concept of unconditional giving. The cash register in his head is probably ringing up what this will cost him, but also what he is hoping to get in return. If she takes it, there will have been an exchange - the gift for an expectation of reimbursement in some form. Hummingbirds requires an immense amount of nectar to maintain their high metabolism (scaled to the size of a human, it translates to about 155,000 calories a day). Energy must be managed carefully for survival. Intention, in a sense, is a powerful source of energy. If mine are aggressive (as the giver above), then that is the kind of energy I send out (which is not very cost effective for me in the end). Wayne Dyer suggested that everyone has within them seeds that produce rather than deplete us, which he called the Seven Faces of Intention: creativity, kindness, love, beauty, expansion, abundance (gratitude), and receptivity. These are the gifts that keep on giving and cost nothing but a bit of time.

Face-plant

This week I'll be using the Prairie Tarot, created and self-published by Robin Ator. Paired with it will be the Medicine Cards, a deck and book set published by St. Martin's Press and created by David Carson and Jamie Sams. Today's cards are the Six of Cups and Hummingbird:

          Anyone who's spent time outdoors with preschool children has probably received the gift of a dandelion or other weedy flower. On the outside it might not look like much (especially if wilted and bent from being tucked into a pocket). But this humble gift of beauty is a child's way of honoring someone they care about. In the same way, the cup of flowers represents the gift of memory. We have memory cups of all kinds - some filled with briers, others with sweet-smelling blooms, and those with a cloying fragrance. They all reside in the mind, and I can choose which one to dwell on. Hummingbird represents joy; it's hard not to smile when watching these small wonders zip around the garden. Though they take nectar, they also help pollinate the plants. The companion book suggests "Drop your judgmental attitude and relax." Face-planting in bouquets that relive pain and resentment aren't beneficial to anyone. Joy is everywhere - past, present and future - but I will need to open my senses and mind to see it.

Throw Off the Bowlines

From the Jolanda Tarot, the Seven of Cups; from Bird Signs, Hummingbird:

          Who hasn't read a book or magazine and dreamed of visiting some far off place, having an exciting job or making a difference in the lives of others? Reading always feeds my fantasies. I suppose that's where change starts - in the dreams of what could be. But Hummingbird shows up with the keyword "energy," suggesting my ideas need more than just imagination to fuel them. In Buddhism, a vow (or commitment) is composed of four parts: basis (the object of focus), intention (the wish), endeavor (acts of effort), and completion (the fulfillment of the objective). The Seven of Cups has the first two parts covered, but to make what I envision a reality will require physical work and perseverance. So while I agree with Dr. Seuss who said "Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living," I also need to heed the words of H. Jackson Brown Jr.:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.