Hold On to Those Quills

From the Prairie Tarot, the Jackalope; from the Medicine Cards, "Porcupine:"

          Part jackrabbit, part antelope, this card is a version of the "Happy Squirrel." Ator writes, "A creature rarely seen, this jackrabbit wearing an antelope's horns embodies the fantastic, the unexpected, the surprising…." The last time I drew this card (over 3 years ago), I was taking life way too seriously and not laughing nearly enough. And now he's shown up again, giving me the same look my cat does when I don't want to get out of bed at 5 a.m. to dish up breakfast. Okay, okay... let me get my morning cup of coffee and I'll try to manage a smile.
          Porcupine, though loaded with barbs, is normally a gentle, non-aggressive creature. Only if threatened will it release its quills as a weapon. But what happens if I'm feeling prickly, as if I'm walking around with no skin on? I won't make any charitable assumptions about anything said to me; instead I'll be shouting "Man the torpedoes and prepare to fire!" Porcupine combined with Jackalope reminds me that humor can often be a much better response. And there's no mess to clean up later.

Effortless Smiling

From the Prairie Tarot, the Jackalope:

Part jackrabbit, part antelope, this card is a version of the "Happy Squirrel;" Ator writes " A creature rarely seen, this jackrabbit wearing an antelope's horns embodies the fantastic, the unexpected, the surprising…. It can signify luck, a bolt from the blue, or the crazy gamble."  What does it mean to me?  Don't take life so seriously all the time.  Here are three "thought goals" for myself:
1. I can take care of my responsibilities and still have fun.  The trick is to let other people take care of their own obligations so I'll have the time.
2. Life is short.  I don't want to spend all my time being so serious that I miss the beauty, relationships, and belly laughs around me.
3. Fun and laughter can relieve stress and ease pain; they remind me that perfection is just a figment of my imagination.

From the Medicine Cards comes the "Buffalo":

For the native people of North America, the buffalo represented survival.  Nothing from this magnificent animal was wasted when it was hunted (which was done in a sacred manner rather than for sport).  Buffalo is a reminder for me to look at all that is good in my life and be grateful.  These blessings are highlighted today as I will be driving to visit my mom, while a dear friend will be traveling many miles to bury hers.  I do have much to be grateful about that has nothing to do with material possessions.  And being thankful leads to effortless smiling...