Full of Stars

From the Ellis Tarot, the Eight of Swords; from the Brownies Oracle, Plenty:

If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.

—Albert Einstein

Ellis describes this card as refusing to make new choices. Trying on new ideas and perspectives may seem as icky as walking through a wall of spider webs. But in a constantly changing world, we can't continue to stick with what is obsolete, we must learn to be innovative. Our initial reaction to trying on new approaches may feel ridiculous, but according to Einstein, that just means we're on the right path (stepping out of our old thinking). In Plenty, the Brownies remind us of Maya Angelou's statement: "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." Once we stop looking at the sky through a drinking straw, we realize just how many stars there are.

Voyage

From the Ellis Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Brownies Oracle, Plenty:

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. – James Allen

Thoughts can be sticky things, following us around and revving up our anxiety or anger. We generally don't realize we are the ones adding the glue, reinforcing them with assumptions, projections and a lack of factual information. Instead, we could treat them like a door-to-door salesman; we open the door, acknowledge their presence, then tell them we're not buying anything and swiftly close the door. This will have to be repeated often for a while. Plenty brings to mind the Buddhist concept of emptiness. Rather than being a void, it is a space full of everything - an infinite range of possibilities. What it is empty of is the limitations we impose on it with our beliefs and narrow focus. No one can navigate the world well with blinders on. It's time to open our mind and widen our perspective.

Making Room

This week the tarot I'll be using is the Ellis Deck, created and self-published by Taylor Ellis. Paired with it will be the Brownies Oracle, created and self-published by Doug Thornsjo. Today's draws are the Five of Swords and "Plenty:"

          Ellis has a rather different take on the Five of Swords: "As he faced off against yet another opponent, all he could see was the man he was fighting, not a soldier to kill. He threw down his own sword and convinced his opponent to do the same. The two walked away from the battlefield, leaving their weapons to scavengers." Instead of a battle of wits and words, both sides suddenly recognized there was something more important and worth saving. It's hard not to view my opinions and ideas as better than another person's. Yet I can remember this if I don't take our differences as a personal attack, as if I will somehow be "less than" because someone disagrees with me. The mountain of mashed potatoes the Brownies are doling out remind me that there is plenty of room for all sorts of perspectives if my big ego will get out of the way.