The Unpredictable Path

This week I'll be using the Victorian Romantic Tarot, created by Alex Ukolov and Karen Mahony with Magic Realist Press as publisher. I will also be drawing from Dreaming in Color: the Luman Deck, created and self-published by Mindy Hope Sommers. Today's draws are the Hermit and Journey:

People will choose unhappiness over uncertainty.

― Timothy Ferriss

The Hermit represents a time of withdrawal in order to do some inner searching. It is a time of questioning: Do I react or respond to life? Am I mostly content, or do I constantly try to fill my life with people, possessions or busyness? What motivates me? Does my mind rarely stay in the present, instead dwelling in the past or future? Such an assessment helps us see our patterns and shows us how we got to where we are. We can then choose to continue our path or make some changes. While the water is visible in the Journey card, the path forward is a bit murky. Such is the way of the spiritual traveler - there is no certainty because the unpredictable path is the practice. Yet we can take Thich Nhat Hanh's advice to heart: “At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.”

Kind but Tough

From the Scrying Poetry Tarot, the King of Cups; from the Tapestry Oracle, Journey:

Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

          Victoria insists in her haiku that the King of Cups can be kind as well as tough. Compassion doesn't mean we don't hold people accountable for their actions; forgiveness doesn't mean people get a pass for their behavior. Yet as the Journey card shows, walking between passiveness and aggression isn't easy. Anger or hurt usually triggers a desire to escalate or escape. The horse in the waves is a key, suggesting a need for self-care. No one can go without refilling their own cup. As the Dalai Lama encouraged, "if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself."

Cloudy Boy, a furry bodhisattva

2005-2021

Mix It Up

From the Spirit Within Tarot, Temperance; from the Answer Deck, 'Journey:'

          A disc jockey stands in front of an audio mixer that allows him to combine music in various ways: seamless segues, 'scratching,' and harmonic mixing. In some cases there is an equal mix and in some cases there isn't, but the result is always different than the original two options. While Temperance often suggests a moderation in our behavior, I was reminded by a quote from Mark Twain that it also can point at our thinking. Twain wrote, " It is discouraging to try to penetrate a mind like yours. You ought to get it out and dance on it. That would take some of the rigidity out of it." Indeed, dance out those sticky cobwebs that make everything look black or white and set in stone. The Journey card reminds me that my life should not be simply compartmentalized in beginnings and endings, successes and failures. The 'doing' is more important that the outcome (to borrow a phrase from Arthur Ashe). As I travel along this road, do I pay attention to someone other than myself? Do I smile, offer kindness and look for beauty? Can I enjoy my trip around the sun and let humor soften the hard places? Mix it up, this young fellow tells me.

Alert and Agile

From the Fey Tarot, the Nine of Wands; from the I Misteri della Sibilla, the Three of Clubs (Journey):

          There have been a few times in my life during which I was filled with so much rage, I was tempted to kill someone. All these situations involved protecting a beloved person (or pet) who had suffered abuse at the hands of someone. But like the older fey hiding in the tree with the younger one, I thankfully realized that often it is better to get out of harm's way and stay alert rather than to attack. When my fight is fueled by fiery anger, all of my energy goes to obliterating the enemy instead of finding a solution to the problem. The Three of Clubs represents mental agility, and the journey it symbolizes is an attempt to look beyond the normal boundary of temporary, quick fixes to a more lasting remedy. I not only have to consider my side of the equation, but the side of my antagonist as well. These types of resolutions are indeed a journey, so I might as well settle in for the ride.

The Sibilla card made me think of the recent passing of a Southern Rock legend:

Gregg Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017), the original "Midnight Rider." 

May he find peace on the journey ahead.

Lovely, Dark and Deep

From the Illuminated Tarot, the Knight of Pentacles:

The recoloring of this card makes it feel like a transition time - either sunrise or sunset.  This knight is the guy who is going to read all the directions on how to put something together, then lay out all the pieces and gather all the tools he'll need before getting started.  He drives impatient people crazy with his methodical mindset, but they put up with him because they know he'll do the job right the first time.  He doesn't quit when things get frustrating (the oak leaves he and the horse wear show his strength in persevering); he'll continue to plod along until he finds a solution to the challenge.  He encourages me to stay strong and keep putting one foot in front of the other (even if progress seems to be at a snail's pace) as I move through a time of change.

From the Dreaming in Color deck comes the card "Journey:"

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

~ Robert Frost

In her booklet, Sommers explains that this is not a vacation type of journey, but one of the spirit.  The darkness of the colors represent the inner, intuitive self.  I suppose all of us are on this type of journey, but most of us are clueless until the unconscious (or life) sends us a clear, wake-up call.  We suddenly find ourselves boarding a train, destination unknown, whether we like it or not.  Though it is often "dark and deep" (and a bit frightening), we hopefully will find like Frost that it is lovely as well. 

 

The Day is Short, the Road is Long

From the Sheridan Douglas Tarot, the Five of Wands:

As I said in yesterday's post, the green color represents progress, but obviously these two don't see eye-to-eye on how to get things accomplished.  The five wands in the top right corner are placed in the shape of a pentacle, representing humans.  Where there are humans, there are differences of opinion.  But sometimes this doesn't refer to me in conflict with another person, but with myself.  I've already got a long list of things to do today, and the sun has just peeked over the horizon.  The war within is what will make it to the top of my priority list.

From the Pages of Shustah deck comes the "Journey:"

What a lovely coincidence to draw two green cards on Earth Day!  The Journey card represents exactly what it has been named.  As I look at this image, I see the path is long and winding rather than a straight shot.  It appears I might as well enjoy the scenery as I progress along the way instead of constantly worrying about ticking things off my list.  Perhaps the time constraints I alluded to above aren't really relevant at all.

Heads and Feet

   This week I'll be working with the Golden Dawn Tarot, created by Israel Regardie and Robert Wang.  Today's draw is the Queen of Swords:

With the severed head dripping on the floor, I take it this queen does not suffer fools gladly.  In fact, she is known for her BS detector, and will slice and dice through any words or actions that aren't authentic.  She has no time for head games, she's only interested in the truth and facts.  She wears as a crest on her chest a cherub's head and wings.  These beings became depicted by Renaissance artists as cute babies with wings, but actually they were fierce creatures with swords; they are first seen in Genesis guarding the gates of Eden.  This queen uses the cherub to guard her heart, because she will not allow emotion to overshadow her decisions.  Her throne is above the clouds, indicating she has both a clear head and a clear vision of all that surrounds her.  Though she wears armor, her feet are bare, implying that her ideas and choices are balanced and grounded.  She encourages me to protect myself by using my head rather than my heart to filter information today.

     The oracle deck I'll be using this week is The Circle, created by D.R. Taylor.  All the cards are like pie slices, so they can be used in a circle spread.  This morning's draw is "Journey:"

This card reminds me of walking along a beach, as my feet leave their prints in the soft, wet sand.  I can look back and see where I've been, but only I can make the choice of where I'm going.  I may see other folks' footprints, but they do not fit my feet.  There is a sense of adventure implied in this image - new experiences and new ideas - that I'm eager to meet along the way.