Expanding

From the Restored Order Tarot, the Universe; from the Oracle of Kabbalah, Lamed (artwork by Linda Saskia Menczel):

Life is not shrinking for me; it's morphing into a whole new world of possibilities. 

―Peyton Manning

As En Vogue sings, "Free your mind, and the rest will follow." The Universe is not just about completion; it is a moment when the world opens up, allowing us to see it with new eyes. What was narrow has become wider, and what once impossible is now full of potential. Lamed is shaped like a staff or prod that guides animals, instructing them in the right way to go. This letter means to learn and to teach, not simply on an intellectual level, but a practical one that helps us live principled and responsible lives. Lamed also prods us to get moving - we're sure to learn and share more as we travel down new paths.

Experience the Feeling

From the Restored Order Tarot, the Queen of Cups; from the Oracle of Kabbalah, Lamed:

Lamed painting by Victor Brindatch

This Queen of Cups looks a little sad, yet she only dips one toe in the sea. I can hear Pema Chodron in my head saying "feel your feelings, but drop the story line." Most of us either try to distract ourselves from them because to lean into them can be frightening. Others may wallow in their feelings, not really paying attention to them but simply creating self-pity. We tend to self-identify with our emotions (and the thoughts they create), as if this transient feeling is who we are, the entire color of our life. It becomes frozen within us. Lamed is the tallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet and means to teach or learn. It's shape resembles a staff to guide animals, suggesting being prodded in the right direction. It is a reminder that when feelings seem to overwhelm us we can remember that they are only intense energy that momentarily floods the body; without adding fuel from our thoughts, they will pass.

All we need to do is allow ourselves to experience the energy—and in time it will move through you. It will. But we need to experience the emotion—not think about the emotion. ~Pema Chodron

Upward Spiral

From the Restored Order Tarot, the Universe; from the Oracle of Kabbalah, Lamed:

 Lamed painting by Dani Antman

          The door of completion opens on the Universe card; some level of skill and understanding or some goal has been reached. The androgynous figure holds two wands and acts as a connector, both receiving but also sending. What has been gained is meant to be returned to life in some fashion, not hoarded. Lamed means to learn (and alternately to teach). Ginsburgh suggests its towering form (which rises above the upper line of script) symbolizes an aspiration to understand. Yet this aspiration is rooted in the heart, not motivated by selfishness or self-centeredness. Keep moving and learning, Lamed tells the figure in the Universe card. If your heart is in the right place, more will be revealed.

Always take the high road, it’s far less crowded.~ Charlie Munger