Spending Addiction

 From the Nigel Jackson Tarot, the Three of Coins; from the Viking Lenormand, Key:

You’ll never out-earn bad habits. Fix those first.

―Joseph C. Kunz Jr.

We all know folks who are skilled, knowledgeable and work hard, yet they always seem to be broke. Becoming proficient in any field includes money management. Not only do we need to balance the costs of our resources with what we charge for our product or services, we must learn to spend what we make wisely. A big payday means covering our bills and putting some in savings before we splurge. The Key suggests looking for answers - in this case, controlling our addiction to spending. Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz created four steps to take when our craving begins to replace our common sense:

Relabel - Remind yourself of the reality: “I don’t need this, it’s only an obsessive thought, an unfounded belief. Even though there is a feeling of urgency, there’s not anything urgent actually going on.

Reattribute - Place the blame on your brain: “My brain is sending me a false message. Because my desires are ingrained in my brain, they are easily triggered when I’m stressed, tired, unhappy or bored. They feel powerful, but they’re only arising from an automatic brain mechanism, not a moral failure.”

Refocus - The compulsion will pass if given some time. Find something to do that is enjoyable and will keep you active. Teach the brain it doesn’t have to obey the addictive call.

Revalue/Devalue - Realize the impact of the addictive urge. The addicted brain puts a false value on the behavior. It has caused many more problems than it has ever fixed. 

What's Holding the Reins?

From the Tyldwick Tarot, the Chariot; from the Antiquarian Lenormand, the Key:

If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins. —Benjamin Franklin

The Charioteer in this image is a marble sculpture known as the Agrigento Youth; it took a violent fall, likely from an earthquake, losing his nose and parts of his arms and legs. The 'horses' are Naxian sphinx statues that guarded Apollo's temple at Delphi. Greek mythology describes them as merciless to those who could not answer their riddles. This card represents the strength of determination to reach one's goals. But what happens when life sends an 'earthquake' that disrupts our progress? Do we allow our baser instincts and emotions to run the show? Doing so would likely only create more problems than we are currently dealing with. The Lenormand Key offers us a way to meet our challenges wisely, by reining in our wild, chaotic thoughts and seeing with an unbiased perspective. Dispassionate attention can assist us in recognizing any resources that might aid us so that we can move forward once again. 

All Shapes and Sizes

From the Tyldwick Tarot, the Lovers; from the Antiquarian Lenormand, the Key:

The painting in the Tyldwick card is based on a sculpture of Diana that originally topped a fountain. It is interesting that the bust on the mantel below it is that of Hermes. Diana/Artemis remained a virgin goddess, though she did have platonic companions like Orion. Hermes, however, had many lovers - both male and female, mortal and divine. This Lovers card emphasizes just how different love can be in all its guises. The Key implies that if we make the effort, what we desire is in reach. Do we want a fun fling, a deep friendship, or a relationship based on a commitment? What we are willing to invest (and how we define a relationship) is likely to forge what we find.

Smelling the Coffee

From the Cosmic Tarot, Judgment; from the L'Oeil de Lotus, Key:

Once you wake up and smell the coffee, it's hard to go back to sleep.

~Fran Drescher

What is it that wakes us from our coffins - those boxes we live our lives in that seals us off in an attempt to protect ourselves? In rare cases, it is that which is beautiful and wondrous; often it is adversity that forces us to change our perspective. But once our mind and hearts have been cracked opened, we can no longer hide. We feel the pull to be actively involved in this place that includes both joy and suffering. There is a Key, however, that can unlock what is closed: a spiritual practice. Such a practice isn't about getting but about releasing, letting go of all that keeps us stuck. Those hardened layers are chipped away, and we begin to see with fresh eyes and a tender heart. It is a path of transformation.

Trike Ride

From the Legacy of the Divine, the Page of Wands; from the Tea Leaf Reading Cards, Key:

A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark.

~Dante Alighieri

With the look he gives us, it's easy to tell this kid is just brimming with self-confidence. He's willing to follow his curiosity anywhere if it means an adventure will be had. My Uncle John, when he was three, decided to ride his tricycle to town. This trip was much further than just a few blocks. When he arrived, a shop keeper noticed him and asked who he was (intending to call his parents). John gave them his best friend's name, which led to some confusion when the boy's parents were called (but who helped figure out who this adventurer was). The Key symbolizes unlocking something; in this case, it is our sense of adventure. As we get older, we may become less impulsive (a good thing), but we may also lose our nerve to try new things and get stuck in a rut. This Page encourages us to find our courage, hop on our trikes, and go see what we've been missing.

 

A Hare in a Snail Shell

From the Rosetta Tarot, the Prince (Knight) of Disks; from the Day of the Dead Lenormand, the Key:

Festina lente (Make haste slowly.)

The Roman emperor Augustus often used the Latin adage above, believing that a well-trained leader should not be rash: "Better a safe commander than a bold." Coins minted in his honor had symbols of this saying, like a hare in a snail shell or a dolphin wrapped around an anchor. Augustus would definitely approve of this Prince (Air of Earth) who is thoughtful and inventive while also steady and unwavering. This card encourages us to decide today what we're hoping to achieve, plot a strategy for accomplishing it, then make haste slowly. The Key of Lenormand suggests that we have the resources and knowledge for what we want to do, but we still must put forth the effort of getting it done. As they say in 12 Step fellowships, "Easy does it, but do it."

Attentive to Attention

From the Tarot of the Absurd, the Page of Cups; from the Post-psychedelic Cyberpunk Deck, the Key:

          The young Page seems to be in a stupor from whatever she's been reading. It is easy to become emotionally intoxicated by what we hear, see or read, often unaware what's happening until we've reached a tipping point. A cup of black coffee and a walk in the sunshine might be what she needs to clear her head. We've slid headlong into the information age, thinking we need to know something about everything and everyone, but how much of it is actually useful? The Key points to the words of Herbert A. Simon, "What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention..." We need be attentive to what we give our attention. 

Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.

― Jon Kabat-Zinn

One Grain of Sand at a Time

From the Tarot of the Absurd, the Hermit; from the Post-psychedelic Cyberpunk, 'The Key:'

“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he'd had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.” 

― Anne Lamott

Living with Loss

From the Tyldwick Tarot, the Three of Swords; from the Antiquarian Lenormand, the 'Key:'

If no one will listen to my sad story, I can tell it to myself in my head, over and over, and feel sorry for myself, and so have an identity as someone who is being treated unfairly by life or other people, fate or God. It gives definition to my self-image, makes me into someone, and that is all that matters to the ego. ― Eckhart Tolle 

At first glance, this might look like a nice stone cottage, but look closer and you will notice the window has been bricked up. It is normal to love and then grieve when we lose what we love, yet that grief can consume us and become an identity we take on. When life consists of nothing more than our cloak of self-pity, we imprison our mind and heart. It offers self-indulgence but no lasting comfort. The Lenormand Key suggests there is a solution that will offer a breakthrough, an epiphany that will bring in some much-needed light. Part of that realization is understanding we have abandoned our power to choose and take responsibility for our own life. When we accept our power, we will see the wisdom in the words of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: "Acceptance is not about liking a situation. It is about acknowledging all that has been lost and learning to live with that loss." Sounds like my 2019 word of the year - resilience.

Clearing the Air

This week I'll be using the Navigators of the Mystic Sea Tarot, created by Julia Turk and published by U.S. Games. The other deck I'll be drawing from is the Celtic Lenormand, with artwork by Will Worthington and booklet by Chloe McCracken; it was also published by U.S. Games. Today's cards are the King of Swords and the 'Key:'

          Turk assigns the keyword 'purification' to this logical, intelligent King. He clears the air of any assumptions, rumors, misunderstandings and other false information. He separates what can be known through evidence with what is simply opinion made important with bluster. As Horace Walpole put it, "When people will not weed their own minds, they are apt to be overrun by nettles." The Key represents unlocking something that brings insight and breakthroughs. Now that the King has removed FEAR (false evidence appearing real), we can see the keyhole. Cutting away those emotional judgments allows reality to be seen with clarity. In order for the information supplied by the Key to be functional, we can be curious rather than adding more emotional labels. As Jack Kornfield encourages, "Look through this gate for the wisdom that lies there. — What matters now? — What would the wise one do now?"

Crossed Daggers

From the Legacy of the Divine, the Page of Swords; from the Tea Leaf Reading Cards, 'Key:'

          The companion book calls the Page of Swords an "acolyte of the power of the mind," yet I would add the power of speech as well. Those two crossed daggers on his pillow suggest disagreements; he watches and listens carefully to learn how to be a skillful debater. I'm convinced that the majority of Americans have lost this ability - they know how to argue but not present a rational explanation for their ideas. Seeing information on Facebook, on the cover of the National Enquirer or because one believes in something strongly doesn't make it a fact. What is the Key, then? First, I need to take a hard look at what I believe. The evidence for my ideas should be well-documented and credible and include research that can be replicated and observed. I shouldn't just attempt to prove the other side wrong, I need facts to prove I'm right. But to do this successfully, I need to begin with an open mind and look at both sides objectively instead of relying on tradition, preferences or prejudices. 

The Key to Strength

This week I'll be using the Nigel Jackson Tarot, created by Jackson and published by Llewellyn. I'll also be using the Viking Lenormand, created and self-published by my dear friend Carole Beasley. Today's draws are Fortitude (Strength) and 'The Key:'

          Fortitude indicates courage and strength in adversity. It doesn't mean the difficulty disappears; rather than reacting to it, we tame it with patience and kindness. Jackson includes three broken pillars in his card, a Renaissance symbol of fortitude. In kabbalah's Tree of Life, there are three columns: justice, beauty, and mercy. Justice represents power and severity, separation and distinction. Mercy represents unity and harmony, benevolence and goodness. But the middle pillar - Beauty - is the ideal balance between the other two. Such is the meaning of the Strength /Fortitude card. The Key implies that a door can be unlocked, an insight can be had, and a solution can be found. Perhaps its message is that people and situations can't simply be sorted into two columns of good/bad or right/wrong. To be able to see from a viewpoint of inclusivity - seeing the whole rather than just a few parts - is what will allow us to find strength in adversity.

Stuck in the Muck

From the Navigators of the Mystic Sea Tarot, the Five of Pentacles; from the Celtic Lenormand, the "Key:"

          The NMS card made me think of those wind boxes in which a contestant tries to grab money that's blowing around. But here the fellow has handicapped himself - one foot is stuck in the muck and the other resolutely holds a whip. He might want more time, energy and money as well as better health, but he's working against himself. The Key card shows up to impress upon me that there is something within that I need to unlock and take a look at. How are my assumptions and projections keeping me from seeing clearly? If I only think the correct outcome should look a certain way, then I may miss an opportunity right under my nose. Am I blaming someone for my troubles or whipping myself over past mistakes? Either way, I won't be able to find a solution until I let go of those ideas.