Intentions for Planting

This week I'll be using the Llewellyn Tarot, created by Anna-Marie Ferguson and published by Llewellyn. I'll also be using the Beasts of Albion, an oracle deck created by Miranda Gray and published by Aquarian. Today's draws are the Knight of Pentacles and the Otter:

When you assess your own life, consider it with the eye of a gardener. Underneath the surface lies rich, fertile soil waiting to nurture the seeds you sow. Even more than you can imagine will grow there if given a chance. – Steve Goodier

This Knight is not an exciting party boy like his cousin the Knight of Wands. People are more likely to call him solid and dependable. He is a methodical planner as well as diligent and committed when he puts those plans into action. He seems to ponder what he will plant next in the freshly plowed field in the background. He prods me to set an intention for the new year with a plan for execution rather than just assuming my expectations will magically appear. Yet Otter shows up, an animal known for playfulness and delight in simple pleasures. His appearance suggest my plans should not be so demanding that they will become a daily burden, tightly wrung of any joy. Such an onerous agenda would be unlikely to see a harvest.

Holy Grail of Relationships

From the Shining Tribe Tarot, the Gift of Rivers (Queen of Cups); from the Animal Tiles, Otter:

What would be the Holy Grail of Relationships? For me it would be someone who would listen sincerely and deeply to my thoughts and feelings. The energy (snake) and passion (flower) of emotions need a sounding board, or I might take some fleeting mood to be a permanent reality. This is what the Queen of Cups does so well - allowing a person to feel heard and cared about without adding to their distress or giving them false hope. The American river otter is well adapted to semi-aquatic living, a nod to the necessity of balancing our emotions and logic. Yet they are also playful creatures, engaging in chasing, mud sliding and water play. The happiest folks I know are the ones who haven't forgotten how to have fun, no matter what their age. As Jane McGonigal wrote, "The opposite of play isn't work. It's depression." I have a feeling this Queen might agree.

If That's the Test Drive...

From the Prairie Tarot, the Ace of Coins; from the Medicine Cards, Otter:

The first wealth is health.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

          Last Tuesday, I went for my second Covid vaccination. Later that day, I felt tired but carried on as usual. But about 3:00 am that morning, I had a fever I couldn't manage with ibuprofen or aspirin and felt like someone had beaten me with a bat. I felt unplugged and could barely manage moving from the bed to another room. But yesterday around noon, everything suddenly got better; it seemed like a miracle. I know some people have avoided the second vaccine because they are afraid of similar side effects. But my reasoning is, if that's the test drive, I sure don't want the car. It's one thing to feel awful for a few days, and another thing to be in the ICU for weeks. Playful Otter shows up to remind me not to look at the piles of laundry, the unclean house or the yard chores that have gone undone. I think I'll take his advice and just enjoy the season, at least for today.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. ~John Muir

Catching Salmon

From the Druidcraft Tarot, the Five of Cups; from the Druid Animal Oracle, Otter:

          We are wired to be more sensitive to the negative than the positive; it's something our brain came up with hundreds of years ago to keep humans alive ( known as negative bias). As neuropsychologist Rick Hanson explained, good things are like Teflon in the brain (they slide right out) while bad things are like Velcro (you can't hardly shake them loose). Researchers have found we need a five to one ratio of good to bad to just balance things out. Seeing the positive in life will take a great effort that involves intentionally dwelling on each small thing that's good and experiencing it fully. The Otter gives an extra push towards joy by encouraging play and wonder. What activity makes you giggle or your heart sing? What is it that makes you stop in your tracks with awe? What engages you so fully with curiosity that your focus becomes like a laser? The authors suggest that the salmon (pictured in both cards) is the wisdom that comes from breaking routine and having some fun.

Guiding from Experience

The week I'll be using the Shining Tribe Tarot, a deck and book set created by Rachel Pollack and published by Llewellyn. The oracle I'll be using is a wooden set of Animal Tiles, hand pyro-etched by my multi-talented friend Carole. My draws this morning were the Speaker of Stones (King of Pentacles) and Otter:

          Pollack writes that the spiral of dots above this figure's head represents knowledge of the mind, while the radiating design on the belly implies knowledge of the gut (instincts). Yet this King is grounded in reality; I imagine that table in front of him/her is for drawing up plans rather than divination. Ideas and hunches may be taken into account, but past experience will likely be given more weight. As a guide for his/her kingdom, concrete information instead of abstract thought or feelings will hold more weight for the Speaker of Stones. Otter pops in to back up this King. Unlike sea otters who spend most of their time in the ocean, river otters spend much of their time on land to prevent their fur from becoming waterlogged. If I am looking for wise guidance and direction, I might first have to take a step back from tradition, personal preferences and the viewpoints of others. I am reminded of the Buddha's advice given to the Kalama people:

Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted and carried out, lead to welfare and to happiness' — then you should enter and remain in them. ~ Kalama Sutta

Dropping the Rock

From the Shining Tribe Tarot, the Fool; from the Animal Tiles, the "Otter:"

       The Fool card makes an appearance today after a long, stressful week, and it makes me feel as if I've put down a heavy burden I've been carrying. Why is it this Fool seems to fly instead of fall off that cliff? She's carefree - not weighted down by the regrets and frustrations of the past or her fearful expectations of the future. She's so immersed in the present moment that she has no restraints, mentally or emotionally. This draw reminds me of a paperweight I once saw that was engraved with the words, "What would you do if you weren't afraid to fail?" I believe I could fly (at least metaphorically).
       As you might have noticed by my avatar, I tend to have a lot of beaver energy - planning, building and maintaining. All that industriousness is not necessarily a bad thing, but Otter comes this morning to suggest I balance my work with play. I was reminded by a woman after the meeting yesterday that a big part of care-taking involves self-care. Now this is a woman who laughs loudly and often; she's full of otter energy. The more reasons I can find to laugh or smile, the lighter my worries will be (even if they don't disappear).

Get Moving, But Don't Stress Over It

This week I'll be using the Shining Tribe Tarot set created by Rachel Pollack.  This morning's draw was the Eight of Trees (Eight of Wands):

A house is ablaze, and several trees and shrubs have been burnt.  But a woman, with hair flying behind her, leaps and glides effortlessly over all of it.  The Tree/Wand suit is often associated with fire, indicating the energy, enthusiasm and passion behind this group of cards.  Depending on how mindful we are, fire can be useful or destructive.  In describing this card, Pollack states, "It may indicate a time when plans or structures in our lives seem to burn up around us."  I can't think of a better statement to describe what is happening with me right now; what I've relied on in the past seems to be going up in flames.  I believe this destruction will help me move on to new places and people I can learn from.  Like this lady, I will quickly leave without feeling the need to get entangled in the confusion.

     The oracle I'll be using this week was created especially for me by a dear, multi-talented friend in Australia.  She carved a wooden turtle box then filled it with tiles of animals that have a special meaning to me.  These tiles were pyroetched by hand.  The animal tile chosen today is "Otter:"

 

It seems when I am under stress of any kind, Otter never fails to show up.  Here in my neck of the woods, we have river otters.  Otter teaches me to tap into my playful side and not to take life so seriously.  He prefers to go with the flow rather than fight it.  Extremely inquisitive, he encourages me to seek for knowledge but not as a goal to achieve.  Instead, my curiosity should nourish me on a daily basis.