A Game of Cards

From the Ship of Fools Tarot, the Nine of Coins; from the Wisdom of the Four Winds, Penguin:

Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will. ~Jawaharlal Nehru

This group of fools has enough gold coins in their leather pouches to take some time off for a friendly poker game. Some folks don't know how to manage their money and overspend, while others are tightfisted and rarely splurge on anything that's not a necessity. I was raised by grandparents who lived through the Depression, then later had a stepfather whose financial missteps kept us living a hand-to-mouth existence. I tend to be frugal with my money and often don't allow myself many purchases for pleasure; my mind insists that poverty could be just around the corner. Yet Penguin - an aquatic, flightless bird - arrives to encourage me to have faith and expand my perspective. I don't have to throw away my past experience, but neither do I need to let it rule me. I can be prudent and still allow myself a few pleasures too.

Just for the Fun of It

From the Touchstone Tarot, the Nine of Coins; from the John Waterhouse Oracle, Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May (1908):

          Black describes this card as "a time to savor," and James Ricklef says the same in Pithy Tarot: "Take time to enjoy what you have. Why else did you work to get it?" Indeed the hooded falcon that represents self-discipline (and why this woman has become independent and self-sufficient) also serves as a reminder to take some time off and do what one loves. Sounds crazy to think we have to train ourselves to relax, but consider the mindfulness movement, seminars on stress, and self-help books that abound to help us do just that. Waterhouse's painting is based on a poem by Robert Herrick ("To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time"):

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,

   Old Time is still a-flying;

And this same flower that smiles today

   Tomorrow will be dying.

Again the emphasis seems to be on taking time to enjoy this life instead of just slogging through it. Looks like a beautiful day ahead to do just that.

Generations

From the Rosetta Tarot, the Ten of Disks; from the Ascension to Paradise deck, the Jay:

          According to feng shui practices, when three coins are tied together with a red ribbon, it is symbolic of good fortune and prosperity. In Meleen's card, nine coins are tied while one coin remains loose (representing a return to the Ace). When my father-in-law retired as an auditor for Sears-Roebuck, he moved here in 1966 and opened a fried chicken restaurant. When he became ill, it was passed to my husband; my husband changed the decor to reflect a "hippie" style" complete with album covers on the ceilings and musicians painted on the walls. We added to the menu (smoked chicken and fried green tomatoes) before passing it on to our nephews five years ago. They in turn have changed the store's appearance and adjusted the food choices. I see those three generations in those three sets of coins, with each group making changes to adapt to new generations and customer demands. The loose coin represents what we decide to do with the legacy we receive - how we use and care for it.

          The Eurasian jay is related to the crow, and it is known for its intelligence and mimicry. The jay is one of several types of birds that take part in a behavior known as "anting." Ants are rubbed on feathers and skin, causing the insects to release formic acid. It is thought that the acid is a way to rid themselves of parasites. Each generation endows the next with both beneficial and unhealthy gifts. Part of receiving that inheritance is to discern what needs to be kept and what needs to be discarded. Clarity and objectivity can help break the cycle of harmful patterns as we continue to be guided by those that are valuable.

Magpie Mentality

From the Golden Tarot, the Nine of Coins; from the Yantra Deck, "Simplicity:"

          It took me a few minutes to figure out why Black would have included the ewe in her card, but then I realized it balanced out the falcon. The falcon represents the assertive, disciplined side of the will; the sheep is the gentle, receptive side. This woman didn't get her financial security through corporate take-overs or hoodwinking her business partners and clients. She took the softer, kinder way (as shown in Strength) of honest and humane hard work. She has been blessed by her efforts with good health and financial stability; now is the time to enjoy life instead of simply adding to her larder.
          The Yantra of Simplicity is paired with a quote from Ernest Hemingway: "The man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without." We humans try to ignore the inevitability of change and impermanence by using a smokescreen of accumulated stuff. Who can worry about death with a stack of boxes from Amazon to open? Yet as my body ages and more friends and family members die, this approach no longer works very well as a distraction. Life is transitory as the Buddha's words imply in the Diamond Sutra:

So you should view this fleeting world -

A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,

A flash of lightening in a summer cloud,

A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.

I've got plenty of people, experiences and beauty to enjoy right under my nose. I have no need to chase after the next bright, shiny object that crosses my field of vision. 

Dreaming Alone

From the Tarot of the Absurd, the Nine of Coins; from the Post-Psychedelic Cyberpunk Deck, "Dream:"

          This woman seems to have created a bower from a tree - a shady garden retreat just for herself. One of my theories about the Nine of Coins is that the woman is single not only to learn how to be independent and self-sufficient on her own, but so she can learn to enjoy her own company as well. Even if I have the resources to accumulate more and more stuff, none of it is going to make me feel secure or happy if I'm not content with myself. There aren't enough distractions in the world to create that reality. Solitude can give me the time to pay attention to my own dreams which will reflect what I need to work on personally and out in the world. No way I'm going to be able to do that if I'm constantly surrounded by a crowd.