Strength in Darkness

From the Motherpeace Tarot, Strength; from the Toltec Oracle, Sholotl:

          All that crawls, slithers, hops and runs has come out to see this woman in the light of the full moon. I've noticed that when I'm sitting quietly in meditation, I often find a cat in my lap. People are also attracted to those who are grounded and radiate an inner calm. Yet to courageously stay centered while being tested or challenged is much different than meditating on a cushion. It is the mark of inner strength. Parallel to this card is Sholotl, Lord of the Underworld. The underworld represents a place of darkness, not as punishment but as a time of confusion. It is a bridge to a new level of understanding if we have the courage to walk it with an open heart and mind. This awareness will likely require letting go of what I imagined to be true in order to embrace Truth.

Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people. ~ Carl Jung

Feed the Fire

From the Motherpeace Tarot, the Seven of Wands:

The woman with the headdress makes me think of a foreman of a jury or the chairman of a board. She's trying hard to present her ideas to the others in the group - some of the other women look angry, some bored or apathetic and a few supportive. It's difficult to stand up for what I believe is the best way to do something when I know there is opposition.  But it's also hard to listen respectfully to other perspectives when I'm sure I'm know what I'm talking about.  Every viewpoint is a view from a different point, a different place that may see what I cannot. To be a leader of any kind requires that I learn to listen first, then create a dialogue to come up with the best plan or solution.

From the Toltec Oracle comes "Sholotl:"

Sholotl was the ruler of the Underworld; unlike the Christian hell, this was not a place where a person was sent for punishment. Here a person had all their blind beliefs, all their assumptions and misconceptions burned away.  Bare bones were left to allow the person to build a new world view and understanding without all the baggage they had been carrying. This card is a nudge that I am holding on to ideas that are neither healthy or beneficial. It's time to feed them to the fire and see with a new set of eyes.