Motive and Outcome

From the Hadar Marseille Tarot, the Six of Coins; from the Greek Alphabet Runes, Mu:

          Coins are about obtaining wants and needs in the physical realm, from good health and relaxation time to a home and financial security. The Sixes emphasize the need to keep things going - in the Coins suit, pass along part of what we have to keep everyone in balance. It could be as simple as turning off the TV to talk with and calm an anxious friend or leaving some groceries on the porch of someone in need. Besides being a Greek letter, Mu is also a term used in the Zen Buddhist tradition that indicates the absence or lack of something. Generosity can be rooted in compassion or obligation. If it grows from a tender heart, we get to share in the joy of the receiver. But if it springs from the pressure of 'shoulds,' we are left with a feeling of resentment or a burdensome strain.

A man's motive in the small actions of daily life, like resting a moment on his pitchfork in the sun and listening intently, may be the most important thing about that man. ~Haniel Long

Magic Beans

From the Veritable Tarot de Marseille, the Ace of Pentacles; from the Greek Alphabet Runes, Mu:

          According to Bursten, Coins involve obtaining and providing for oneself while the Aces are like planting a seed that will grow. Today I feel like Jack's mother who discovers her son has traded the family cow for some magical seeds. I've lost quite a few physical things lately, and this Ace feels like a slap in the face. I don't want to start over, to have to "regrow" what once was. But unfortunately life is doesn't give us do-overs; we just have to deal with reality as best we can. Which brings up the Greek letter Mu, which also happens to represent an important quality in Zen Buddhism. Mu (Wu in Chinese) can't be easily defined in English but may perhaps be understood as "not applicable." Robert Pirsig ( Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) suggests this word is useful when one's understanding of the context of the question needs to be enlarged. He writes, "Because we're unaccustomed to it, we don't usually see that there's a third possible logical term equal to yes and no which is capable of expanding our understanding in an unrecognized direction." Mu reminds me that my focus on the past is neither helpful nor relevant to this Ace; I need to widen my perspective. And who knows, those beans just might sprout into something wonderful.