Taking Our Place

From the Wheel of Fortune Tarot, the Eight of Disks; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, Koala:

Affairs are easier of entrance than of exit; and it is but common prudence to see our way out before we venture in. —Aesop

Weaving - both from a loom and from spiders - illustrates this card of prudence. The Eight of Disks is a caution to employ careful planning and attentiveness when we use our skills and resources. It is easier to use our finances, bodies, and material possessions wisely and carefully now, than having to spend time repairing them later. Koala, in the Dharug language, means "no drink" - referring to the fact that this animal receives almost all of its hydration from the moisture in eucalyptus leaves. Thus, Aboriginal Peoples have seen it as a symbol of water stewardship. All that we have is limited and constantly changing. As Linda Hogan wrote, "Caretaking is the utmost spiritual and physical responsibility of our time, and perhaps that stewardship is finally our place in the web of life, our work, the solution to the mystery that we are."

Deep Connection, Disconnection

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Ace of Cups; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, Koala:

          The Ace of Cups represents the deep connection, empathy and tenderness humans can feel for themselves and other living beings. As the Dalai Lama reminds us, "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." Yet the reversed, fiery cup at the bottom of the card emphasizes what happens when love for self or others gets twisted by obsessive self-interest, greed and control. Such toxic love is what destroys humanity.
          The story of Koala is one of greed; there was a drought and all the animals but Koala seemed to be thirsty. A bird followed him and found him secretly drinking from a water hole. The gum tree next to the water was set on fire, and Koala lost his tale. But how did such violence (other than punishing Koala) help the rest of the animals? The fire would surely dry up much of the water hole. As the Dhammapada expresses, "For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love. This is an unalterable law."

Lighten a Load

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Ten of Wands:

The usual RWS version of the Ten of Wands shows a man hunched over with a heavy load as he walks uphill. Yet Genetti has a group of national flags with one of the earth standing above all of them. Like the man with his burden, the earth does support, nurture and sustain us, often at a heavy cost. Yet do we feel concern and appreciation or a sense of entitlement? Normally I would interpret this card as me having taking on more obligations and responsibilities than I should. But this image reverses that and makes me ask if I am allowing someone else to carry what I should be carrying myself.

From the Oracle of the Dreamtime comes "Koala:"

The story of the Koala tells of how this tree-climbing marsupial lost his tail because he secretly hoarded water for himself during a drought. This wisdom story emphasizes that if we all share, there will be enough to go around. In adding this meaning to the card above, I am encouraged to do what I can to help ease another's burden. Perhaps I cannot take the whole load myself, but if I take some of it, the other person's load will be considerably lightened.