First Things First

From the Urban Tarot, the Ten of Wands; from the Principles to Live By, Service:

          At some point, we were fired up about making changes, creating a new way of doing things, or moving toward a goal. But now that enthusiasm has waned with the heavy load of responsibility; our day-to-day actions feel like a slow trudge through knee-deep mud. Because we have set things into motion through the choices we've made, it may feel as if we are handcuffed and imprisoned by the situation. The Service tile (the symbol for the Alzheimer's Association), may seem like a strange companion for this card. Yet before we can successfully ease someone else's suffering, we must learn to tend to our own. It requires us to consider, "What do I need right now?" When we develop genuine compassion for ourselves and learn to practice self-care, we naturally open our heart to the challenges of others. The paradox of selfless service with no expectations is that such service can take us out of our self-orbit and create within us a sense of joy.

By giving ourselves unconditional kindness and comfort while embracing the human experience, difficult as it is, we avoid destructive patterns of fear, negativity, and isolation.

― Kristin Neff

A Way Through the Waters

From the Tarocchi Celtici, Borva/Manannan (Moon); from the Elements of Recovery, Service:

The moon has her porches turned to face the light,

But the deep part of her house is in the darkness.

—Robert Bly

          Borvo was a Celtic deity associated with minerals and bubbling spring water (and thus healing); Manannan was a sea deity found in Irish mythology. Two words this deck associates with the Moon are the unconscious and the feminine. Like that piece of pottery that sticks half in and half out of the water, all of us have memories (collective and individual) - some fully conscious and some buried in the waters of the unconscious. While a few memories may be forgotten in an old dusty file cabinet, some are deeply hidden and locked away. Yet the ego can't successfully repress or cloak everything all the time, and occasionally there are situational triggers that produce unexpected thoughts and emotions (and can leave us thinking, "Where did that come from?!). The unconscious 'speaks' in symbols and emotions, which can be hard to interpret. I've done dream work before, and the book I was using said every person, thing and event in my dream was a facet of myself. It isn't easy to find a key to unlock all those symbolic doors when dealing with the unconscious. Part of the problem is that I want to smash the door and force it open, which generally never works (the ego has a handy nail gun). This is where the receptiveness of the feminine comes in, as well as Service. Service is benevolent aid freely given without expectations; it is an act of selflessness and pulls us out of our own self-orbit. You can bet the ego is not interested in anything that does not fluff its feathers, so its likely to go take a nap. Helping another person, particularly listening deeply with compassion, can open a few doors. Through another person's experiences, we can view and reflect on our own. We sense the familiarity of what they say in our own life history, gaining insights from their stories (which is probably why fairy tales and myths are still so popular today).
Note about the Service card: The marigolds are companion plants in the vegetable garden; though they receive no benefits, they keep certain pests away from the vegetable plants.

Endings and Fresh Starts

The new deck I'll be using this week is the LE Touchstone Tarot by Kat Black.  This morning's draw is "Death:"

The source of this image (minus the skeleton) is from a painting done by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio entitled Death of the Virgin.  Caravaggio's work cause quite a stir with the church, because it depicted the death of Mary as ordinary rather than a portrayal of her rising to heaven surrounded by cherubs.  I am reminded by this card that the normal flow of life to have both a beginning and an end.  It is not a form of punishment, it is just the circle arcing back around to meet its beginning.  Everything is a part of nature and follows this cycle, though on a personal basis, accepting this law is rarely easy.

     The other new deck I'll be using this week is the Oracle of the Grail Code by Amy Sophia Marashinsky.  Today's card is "Service:"

Here is another painting of Mary (Madonna Litta) attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.  It is interesting that this one (birth and life) is in stark contrast to the one above (death).  Marashinsky makes a wise statement in her companion book: "If your service is not bringing a feeling of being blessed, then it is time to let go of negative beliefs surrounding your service and/or choose another more nurturing way for you of giving service."  At first glance, her words may sound a bit self-centered.  But if my service causes me to feel resentful and "put-upon," then it is not really service - it's just me trying to earn some brownie points.  I need to find what brings me joy because that is what I really want to pass on to others.