Posted: No Swimming

From the Neuzeit Tarot, the Six of Swords; from Rory's Story Cubes, the Bridge:

Recurring, unhelpful thought patterns shape how we feel and what we do. They feed into anxiety and anger. They limit us...

—Rick Hanson

Last night, I saw a recommendation by cardiologists that advised people not to check their smart phones for an hour after awakening because it can set a negative, reactive tone for the rest of the day. In this card, four sharp tips point outward, as if looking for people, places and things that have caused our anger or fear. But two tips point at each other, an acknowledgement that the agitation and unease we feel is rooted within us. The Bridge offers us an option, which neuropsychologist Rick Hanson explains: "We don't have to believe our thoughts—we can recognize that they are just thoughts. We can step back and evaluate whether or not our thought patterns are truly serving us, or reinforcing limitations, assumptions, and self-doubt." That stream of thoughts will always be there, but we don't have to swim in them.

Changes in Latitudes

From the Tarot of the Abyss, the Six of Swords; from the Nature Mandala Cards, Harmony:

With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Nothing remains quite the same

—Jimmy Buffett

The Six of Swords illustrates a change in our frame of mind. We may hold our ethics and values close, as this woman clings to her baby, but we recognize our attitude and opinions need restructuring. Yet unless we look at our part in the chaos and turmoil, we'll just rebuild another frame similar to the one before. By seeing the whole of the matter, as this woman does from her new vantage point, we can choose what will bring Harmony. Harmony doesn't mean we don't debate views or hold people accountable for their damaging words or actions. It just implies that we refuse to nourish the rage and hatred within us. As Zenju Earthlyn Manuel wrote, "The practice is to make companions of difference and harmony... We cannot take the teaching of harmony to serve the desire for sameness and comfort."

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.

A New Framework

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Six of Swords; from the Diloggun Cards, Oyeku (two mouths):

Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk.

—Doug Larson

The Six of Swords is about a transition, a radical change in ideas and attitudes, in order bring calm and harmony to our mind and life. Imagine being possessed (as this priest), and suddenly experiencing everything from another's perspective. It's so hard to get past our habitual ways of viewing things and glimpse another viewpoint. But in this case, peace comes with a price - letting go of our usual frame of reference. The prophecy and proverb for Two Mouths are:

Ifa: The prevalence of temper outbursts and cursing are the causes of difficulty in one’s life.

Proverb: Ashes fly back in the face of he who throws them.

Anger and resentment are perhaps the two biggest obstacles to adopting a new frame of reference. But if we become miserable enough, perhaps we might be willing.

Our Security?

From the Tarot of the Cat People, the Six of Swords; from the Insectorum Divinorum, the Queen:

Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay.

―Jiddu Krishnamurti

These swords seem to be balanced upright between rocks rather than embedded into the earth, implying ideas not grounded in fact. This traveler suggests she has seen through the traditions of her culture and clan. Long-held customs and practices make it easier to believe we're supposed to hate this group or do things only this way. But traditions aren't truth. It takes a strong will and a brave heart to separate from them, because it often means leaving behind people we've known a long time. The Queen bee represents heavy responsibilities, which fits with standing up for truth rather than tradition, yet it opens us to learning more about the world and all its inhabitants.

Crossings

From the Badgers Forest Tarot, the Six of Swords (Badgers); from the Gemstone Oracle, Carnelian:

A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.

— Johann Wolfgang Goethe

Changing an attitude can feel as perilous and anxiety -producing as changing one's address. According to psychologists, an attitude refers to a set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviors toward a particular object, person, thing, or event. To leave behind what we feel so sure of and what our identity is attached to can require a mighty big bulldozer. Sometimes we are able to accept new, factual information or we may be influenced by someone we love and trust. Other times, the discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs will sway us to another side. Carnelian represents courage and determination; it suggests that once we are bold enough to cross over to a new perspective, things will feel more peaceful.

Mind Shift

From the Morgan Greer Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Celtic Book of the Dead, the Wheel:

Life's true wonders unfold when we dare to shift our minds and embrace the transformative dance of paradigm change. ―Itayi Garande

Our personal paradigms, or patterns of thinking that create our worldview and affect our actions, are mostly unconscious. Some of us suffer from paradigm paralysis. But occasionally, the universe gives us a head slap that forces us to see facts we can no longer ignore. Our old defense mechanisms - denial and rationalization - cease to work. As Garande describes, we experience "a shift in our perception of reality, a change in our beliefs and assumptions, and a new way of looking at the world around us." We willingly move towards other shores. The Celtic Wheel represents turnings and changes. It asks us if what we've learned and experienced in the past is helping us make better choices in the present. If not, perhaps we need a paradigm change.

The Change We Seek

From the Greenwood Tarot, the Six of Arrows (Swords); from the Rune Cards, Horse (Ehwaz):

Our habitual and often default ways of thinking and reacting cause us to suffer.

~Rebecca Li

Years ago, Stephen Stills wrote a song called "Love the One You're With." This card's anthem could be called "Love the One Within." It is a choice to stop blaming, sighing and ranting; instead, we become aware of our own mindset and attitude and how they affect our well-being. Potter's card shows six swords arranged in a six-pointed star - a symbol of peace and harmony. It's time to be a good partner to our own self and start choosing the thoughts and actions that will help us find equanimity. Horse (Ehwaz) implies partnership and movement. As Barack Obama eloquently said, "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."

A More Lasting Harmony

From the Sacred India Tarot, the Six of Arrows; from the Land Sky Oracle, Aparigraha:

Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.

— Albert Einstein

Bhishma (aka Bheeshma) was the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces during the Kurukshetra War. He did not become the king after the death of his father, having taken vows of celibacy. But he played a major role in the affairs of the Kuru kingdom, helping to guide and manage it to a relative state of peace. However, when peace of a kingdom (or peace of mind) is forced through subjugation, its stability will tenuous at best (as what eventually happened in his realm). Aparigraha is a moral guideline often translated as non-attachment or non-greed. We generally think of peace and contentment as getting what we want and keeping what we believe we are entitled to. But when our desires bump into the similar beliefs of others, a war of the wills is at hand. Would it not be better to use communication and compromise to achieve a more lasting harmony?

There can be no peace if there is social injustice and suppression of human rights, because external and internal peace are inseparable. Peace is not just the absence of mass destruction, but a positive internal and external condition in which people are free so that they can grow to their full potential.

— Petra Karin Kelly

By Oar or Sail

From the Legacy of the Divine Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Tea Leaf Reading Cards, Horse:

Well, it's not far back to sanity

At least it's not for me

And if the wind is right you can sail away

And find serenity

—Christopher Cross

Both card draws today suggest movement, in this case, away from the status quo. One of the quickest ways to lose your sanity is to continue trying to solve a problem or communicate with someone over and over with no progress. No matter how many different tactics we try or how respectful our words, the situation or relationship remains unchanged (often only getting worse). George A. Kelly, considered the father of cognitive clinical psychology, defined a psychological disorder as: "Any personal construction which is used repeatedly in spite of consistent invalidation." When chaos is beyond our control, the best thing we can do is recognize that fact and move one (mentally or physically).

Lifting the Anchor

From the Nigel Jackson Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Wolf Pack, Caution:

I finally realized that we don’t get over it. In fact, trying to get over it isn’t even a rational thing to do. We will, ideally, move through it and move on, but it will always be something that happened to us. We are forever changed by our experiences. 

~Crystal Jackson 

I was talking to a friend the other night about an incident that happened years ago that she's stuffed deep inside; every now and then the shame overwhelms her. We often respond to anger, grief and shame by trying to cover it up or ignore it, by attempting to find a reason it happened or see the lesson in it. We simply (and reasonably) want to get away from what we feel. But the Caution card suggests that dealing with such emotions is a process. We must acknowledge and accept what happened, realizing that we can't change it. There may be some action or ritual we could do to honor our experience. We can then feel our feelings without the story around them, allowing them to pour through us and out of us (a therapist might be helpful). Eventually we will be ready to move on without dragging that anchor behind us. 

A Little Discomfort

From the Anima Mundi Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Nature's Pharmacy deck, Valerian:

Pain... lops off the branch of every indifference.

―Rumi

Birds take to the sky as the season for migration begins. Our history with a person or group can lay down roots that make it hard to move on, even when things become difficult. But as Rumi notes, pain can a great motivator for us to seek peace and mental ease elsewhere. Valerian's roots are dried and used in a tea or capsule as a sedative or sleep aid. The downside is this herb's smell - imagine a boy's gym locker at the end of a school year. Both of these cards are a reminder that change, even when it is for the good, can be unpleasant. But a little discomfort at the beginning is better than a lifetime of it.

Goodbye to the Familiar

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Six of Winter (Swords); from the Haindl Rune Cards, Uruz:

The world is full of people who have never, since childhood, met an open doorway with an open mind.

―E. B. White

These fairies have grown tired of the quarreling and sniping among their community. It can be hard to be a part of a group where no one listens to anyone but themselves and thinks their ideas and experiences are the only legitimate ones. It can be even harder to leave behind that association when one has a long history there. Here in the U.S., churches affiliated with the Southern Baptists are leaving because of their refusal to allow women as pastors. The United Methodists have fundamentalist groups splintering off because they disagree with their compassionate LGBT views. Uruz represents the aurochs, an extinct species of wild oxen that stood six feet tall at the shoulder, weighed more than 3,000 pounds, and had horns that measured 4.5 feet from tip to tip. It is easy to see why this rune is associated with strength, endurance and courage. As Raymond Lindquist wrote, "Courage is the power to let go of the familiar." Sometimes it's the only way to find or create something different and better.

Rowing Away or Setting Fire

From the Daniloff Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Kuan Yin Oracle, "Ashes and Ruins" (verse 99):

Kuan Yin painting by Suzanne deVeuve

This is the second Six of Swords I've drawn recently that showed all the swords (ideas, opinions) being left behind. Clinging to our personal beliefs while railing against those of others will provide no peace of mind or harmony. We're obviously attached when our bias keeps us from accepting the truth even though the evidence is clear. But this fellow has chosen not to ride that elevator down to rock bottom (as in the Ten of Swords), and instead leaves his assumptions behind. The Kuan Yin verse reads:

A rider who whips his horse and lets go of the reins

will surely stumble.

A man who sets his own house on fire

will find only ashes and ruins.

Pride and arrogance embrace a scorched earth policy - a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy. The problem is that if we don't wake up from our delusion of greatness, we'll end up burning down all of our own resources and relationships too.

 

Crap on a Cracker

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Six of Swords; from the Archetype Cards, the Samaritan:

On most RWS based decks, the Six of Swords usually shows the swords in the boat with the seafarers. Yet St. Croix's card shows them passing through a dark tunnel, leaving the swords bolted above the opening. Sixes are about a return to harmony and balance. It's easy to blame any dissension and conflict on others rather than think it is rooted in the rigid opinions and beliefs we hold. Samaritan refers to the biblical parable about helping someone who's supposed to be one's enemy - but the catch is to do it without expecting recognition or thanks for the aid given. The false self is always looking for a way to shore itself up. It needs to be right and the smartest, to always be complimented and put on a pedestal. If we fall under its sway, it will twist our motives and our relationships. Only the desperate will want our crap on a cracker.

Now or Later

From the Tarot of the Master, the Six of Swords; from the Paracelsus Oracle, Amissio:

This deck's Six of Swords card has been given the keyword 'courage.' Small acts of courage occur daily on an individual level: when we make that doctor's appointment, when we say 'no' when expected to acquiesce, when we choose to leave a relationship that has become detrimental to our well-being. These are all small victories, though personal rather than public. Amissio ('loss') indicates why it is so hard to make these kind of choices - there's usually more stuff to deal with in the aftermath. Yet what we choose to do now will determine how our future unfolds. We can deal with the little things now or deal with the monstrosity they grow into later. 

Recycled Thoughts

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Six of Air (Swords); from the Bird Cards and Ascension to Paradise decks, Goose:

The early experiences we have gone through develop our core beliefs, and then we operate on that basis. We need to be willing to bring awareness to ourselves, inquiring deeply into our operating system and what is underneath it. Over time we see our core beliefs, and when we see and understand their erroneous nature, we can release them. ~Lama Palden Drolma

The keyword given for the Six of Air/Swords is clarity. Suffering is often what helps me be willing to follow the roots of my misery back to my own mindset. At some point, that mindset was probably useful, but it wasn't meant to be permanent. But since it was helpful at one time, the mind keeps trying to recycle it. Goose has long been know as a guardian and gatekeeper, honking and flapping as an alarm when an interloper appeared. My body is the goose of my thoughts - its tension and constriction can alert me that my thinking is headed in a direction that will bring neither peace nor clarity. 

Dig Up the Root

From the Tarot of the Masters, the Six of Swords; from the Key to the Kingdom, the Jack of Diamonds:

I've left groups when the purpose or principles changed that I not support them. But then there are also the clubs and organizations I left because of personality conflicts. The Six of Swords is about moving away from agitation and frustration into calmer waters. Yet the Jack of Diamonds offers a warning with the rhyme it is associated with about Little Jack Horner who, because he pulled out a plum in his pie, declared that he was a good boy. It's easy to see myself as being right and others wrong because of disagreements, but even if I leave, I need to make sure I'm not carrying the problem with me (a self-righteous attitude). 

When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of just hacking at the leaves.

~Anthony J. D'Angelo

A Better Neighborhood

From the Tarot of the Secret Garden, the Six of Swords; from the Faeries' Oracle, the Sage:

Emotions surge, thoughts follow, and soon there are stories in my head that have nothing to do with reality. It takes some time, but I eventually figure out that those people and things outside of me aren't the problem; it's my reaction to them. The Six of Swords is about moving our mind to a better neighborhood where there's less pollution and clearer skies. The Sage represents wisdom, patience and the willingness to always be a student of life. He reminds me not to get caught in thinking that I've finally got it right, that at last my ducks are in a row. Because just as surely as I do, the pond will have dried up. I'll always need to check my mind's sailing course, and because life is in a constant flux, I'll need to continue to make corrections and adjustments. 

 

Leaving for Greener Pastures

From the Tarot of Pagan Cats, the Six of Swords; from the Brownie Wisdom deck, Free as Air:

After the bully from the Five of Swords (who is only interested in submission, not discussion), this mama cat is leaving the territory. It's no wonder so many people have left their homes and countries for an opportunity to live and think freely. My elderly neighbor's cat with four kittens has moved them all into my yard under the cover of night (probably because her great-grandson kept picking them up). I discovered them when I noticed the cast iron plants were swaying wildly back and forth. Now I'm trying to take this Brownie's advice and smile rather than show my displeasure by frowning. It's not that I dislike them - how could I not like such fuzzy cuteness? But I feel responsible for their welfare, and at the moment my plate feels overly full.