Are They Kind?

From the Norse Tarot, the Three of Cups; from the Wolf Pack, Release:

We harm ourselves as well as others if we become callous. To judge without being judgmental requires empathy. ―Charles H. Webb

This Three of Cups seems more sedate than the usual celebration filled with dancing. It reminds me of my husband's uncles and aunts from Alabama (sadly now all departed) who used to come to Georgia to visit. They were originally a large farming family, but once they retired, they sought out their kin. I think they missed that feeling of belonging. Release encourages a letting go of our personal opinions about others. We must judge - discerning whether something or someone is safe and healthy for us - but to be judgmental slides into the area of intolerance. We think other people's beliefs are ridiculous and without worth because they are so different from our own. Yet curiosity will show that we are all shaped by individual experiences in different ways. A better scale would be to ask, "But are they kind?"

"E" is for Effort

    This week I'll be using the Tarot of Dreams by Ciro Marchetti.  Today's draw is the Nine of Wands:

Someone give this guy a nudge and tell him to "Wake up!"  I do understand how he feels; he's put in a lot of effort to get to the goal, but the challenges just keep coming.  I've been on a health regimen for the past few months - walking six days a week and counting calories.  And though I've been very disciplined about it all, I think I'm only losing about 1/4 pound a month.  There are days when I feel like this guy, and think, "What's the use?"  But like the wands behind this fellow, I can look back and see that even though the weight is not coming off as fast as I would like, I do feel better physically and feel better about myself for making the effort.  No, I won't give up, but I do occasionally need to look at the progress I've made to encourage me to stay in the game.

     The oracle deck I'll be using this week is called MentorSpirit by Kathy Tyler and Joy Drake.  It uses color and fractals, combined with one keyword, so I'll be playing it off my tarot card draw for the day.  This morning's draw is "Release:"

What is it I need to release?  I need to let go of my expectations for one thing.  If I am going to get fit and healthy, it's going to require that four letter word: time.  And even though the weight is coming off slower than a snail's pace, at least I'm heading in the right direction.  I also need to release those "shoulds" that keep hounding me - "You should exercise more.  You should eat less."  I know that I'm doing all I can right now, and that if I crank things up any more I'll probably not keep it going.  I'd prefer to enjoy life while I'm doing this, not suffer through it.