Right Action

From the Delta Enduring Tarot, the Six of Cast Irons (Pentacles); from the Southernisms Oracle, Playing Possum:

When we bear witness, the right action arises by itself. We don't have to worry about what to do.

―Bernie Glassman

We spay and neuter the cats we adopt (even though they are indoors), but here, like many places, we have a feral cat problem. Though some people can't afford to pay for the vet's services, others who have outdoor cats simply turn a blind eye to the kittens they produce who must make their own way. The "Playing possum" card points to this habit of pretending, yet the Six of Cast Irons encourages us to not turn away. We all have resources we can share, even if it is only attention or a kind word.

Unedited Version

This week I'll be using the Delta Enduring Tarot, created and self-published by Bridgette Egan. Along with it, I'll be drawing from the Southernisms Oracle (a deck I created based on sayings I grew up with). Today's draws are the Seer of Oysters (Queen of Cups) and 'Playing Possum:'

We think we know our own life, but what we know is only an edited version, colored by our emotions and narrow vision. How close can we come to the original draft?

—Gregg Krech

The Seer of Oysters (Queen of Cups) allows herself to be emotionally open so that others will trust her compassion and insight. Showing us her pearl, she explains that even the things in life that are hard or irritating can be used to make something beautiful and valuable. We don't need to self-identify with the emotions we are experiencing or imagine they will never change. Playing Possum - an involuntary stress reaction that makes opossums appear dead - cautions us not to try to ignore our feelings but to acknowledge them with kindness rather than self-pity. Instead of trying to change our feelings, we can change our perspective, realizing that clinging to any 'shoulds' or 'shouldn'ts' only prolongs our suffering. 

Pursuit of Knowledge

From the Delta Enduring Tarot, the Novice of Moths (Page of Swords); from the Southernisms Oracle, 'Playing possum:"

          The pursuit of knowledge can be witnessed in even the very young. Like this young girl, they listen, observe, and ask questions with a tireless intensity. What this Novice hasn't learned yet is that some sources of information are better and more reliable than others. She's about to touch a saddleback caterpillar, whose spiny hairs contain a venom that can cause severe pain and other severe reactions. She might learn after the fact that using an insect book is a wiser alternative to touching. The saying 'playing possum' comes from the American opossum, which has developed the ability to avoid a fight through an involuntary physical reaction that makes it appear dead. When folks want to avoid being annoyed, they pretend to be ignorant or feign misunderstanding (play possum). I'm sure this young gal has seen plenty of this when her barrage of questions wears people out. As her patient observation and literacy skills grow, she'll be able to find the answers she seeks on her own.

Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.

― Albert Einstein

Happy holidays to all my friends. May you be surrounded by love and anchored by peace.