Dew Drops

From the Gaian Tarot, the Ten of Water (Cups); from the Goddess Oracle, Shakti:

          As a card of transition, the Ten of Water shows salmon completing their life cycle: swimming from the ocean to freshwater where they spawn and die. Even in times of normalcy, we lose loved ones through geographical moves, death, or disinterest. It is the nature of life to be impermanent, though that doesn't make the grief easier to bear. Shakti represents the universal energy that animates and energizes everything, yet even her power moves in a cycle of creation, maintenance, and destruction. To reflect on the fact that everything which arises will pass away is not morbid; it allows us not just to get our worldly affairs in order, but our inner affairs as well. Yet it also allows us love more deeply and offer compassion without conditions, knowing that we all share the same fate.

Like dew drops

on a lotus leaf

I vanish.

–Senryu

Available Resources

From the Gaian Tarot, the Five of Earth (Pentacles); from the Goddess Oracle, 'Shakti:'

          A hiker lost in the woods has built himself a shelter against the cold, driving rain. In times of stress when we are in survival mode, do we look for resources around us or curl up in a ball?  Do we rely on the skills we've learned or go into a panic? Does pride (or its flip side of self-loathing) keep us from reaching out to others? Shakti is the Hindu feminine principle of energy; every god has his Shakti, without which they would have no power. This power can energize, create and destroy. It is the force behind all of Nature. Shakti invites us to get moving in order to help ourselves. Life may not look like what we want at the moment, but we still can work with what we have.

We are not attached to our original recipe, our original dream, trying, often forcefully, to make it come true. We are using what’s on hand and dreaming up what to do next with the resources, both inner and outer, that we have available. ~ Edward Espe Brown

Cutting the Mustard

This week I'll be using the Gaian Tarot LE, created and published by Joanna Powell Colbert.  Today's draw is the Guardian of Air (Queen of Swords):

Atop a mountain, a snowy owl flies overhead as a woman plays a crystal singing bowl. I have a metal Tibetan bowl, and when it is played, the sound grows in strength and vibrates the stick until it rattles against the bowl's side. The Guardian of Air encourages me to make sure I don't stumble and mumble when I speak; I need to make sure I state clearly what I mean without worrying about who I rattle. I can be tactful, but my words should be truthful. Yet before I open my mouth, I need to take a look at myself. Like the pellets of fur and bone the owl expels after eating, this bird tells me I am also holding onto a pattern of thinking that is not beneficial. It will be helpful to replace this worn out template I've been using before I attempt to say what's on my mind.

The second deck I'll be using this week is the Goddess Oracle, created by Amy Sophia Marashinsky and Hrana Janto and published by Element Books.  This morning's card is "Shakti:"

Shakti is actually inseparable from her counterpart Siva; Shakti is the imminent/manifest component of this energy and Siva is the transcendent part. Imagine a soul trying to create in this world without a body - it would be impossible. Shakti is what gives this force shape and form so that it can physically exist - she is the container. I am reminded by this card to be aware of the "container" I use for my words. Tone, body language and the words I choose can change the meaning of what I say from compassionate to passive-aggressive, from humble to condescending. The line "I'm not rude, I'm just honest" is not going to cut it.