Clean Up

This week I'll be using the Herbcrafter's Tarot, created through the combined efforts of Joanna Powell Colbert and Latisha Guthrie. The set is published by U.S. Games. Paired with it will be the Green Wheel Oracle, created and self-published by Danielle Barlow. Today's draws are the Six of Air (Swords) and Seal:

Mind changes, and as a result, the world changes. A clear mind heals everything that needs to be healed.  —Byron Katie

Not only are cattails a valuable source of food and shelter for wildlife, they also are excellent phytomediators. Their root systems can take in and store heavy metals like lead, zinc, and cadmium, while microbes living around the roots break down harmful compounds, pesticides, and hydrocarbons. They pull extra nitrogen and phosphorus out of the water, which helps stop harmful algae blooms too. Cattail encourages us to challenge our current way of thinking by cleaning the pollutants from our minds: generalizations, assumptions, expectations and biases. Like moving from an enclosed pen to an open meadow, our mind relaxes and sees things more clearly. Seal asks us to let go of our cares and worries for a while and do the things that make our hearts sing.  A lighter heart and mind are better able to respond wisely rather than impulsively.

Irritation

From the Slavic Legends Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Urban Crow Oracle, Mischief:

Attitude isn’t just a mood, it’s the undercurrent of how we think, act and move through the world.

—Meredith Eastwood

The swords all aiming at a center point on this mast suggests that out mindset matters. While thoughts are temporary, attitudes are more enduring evaluations that incorporate thought, emotion and action. It's easy to point those swords outward, blaming other people, places and things when we're out of sorts, but likely we'd still feel the same even if they disappeared (we'd just pick new targets). Mischief shows crows pulling a cat's tail - not harming, just annoying. When we are irritated with others, there are better options than yelling or bonking people on the head. R.J. Starr states, "[Annoyance] exposes our values, boundaries, expectations, and stress levels;" he suggests we look past the trigger and pay attention to what our self is trying to protect us from. Our focus may need to shift to self-care by improving our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Be Constructive

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Cat People, created by Karen Kuykendall and published by U.S. Games. I'll also be drawing from the Insectorum Divinorum, created and self-published by Esmeralda Rupp-Spangle. This morning's cards are the Six of Swords and Predator:

I’m very headstrong. Once I’ve caught fire, there’s no dousing the flames — all engines full speed ahead. ―Adachi Zenko

The booklet uses the word 'headstrong' in a description of a card that generally means leaving to find calmer waters. But if we have to leave every time someone annoys us with their opinions or beliefs, we're going to be doing a lot of walking. We're about to have some important elections here in Georgia, so naturally Facebook is full of political posts. People that I thought had common sense are posting and reposting some obviously untrue things. My first reaction is to get off social media, but then I decided I would start fact checking these posts through independent sites such snopes.com and politifact.com, then post what I find. No arguments, just facts and information. Predator is illustrated with bats, a mammal that can consume their body weight in insects every night, including up to 1,200 mosquitoes an hour. Social media will always have its trolls and pot-stirrers, but if we don't react angrily, they don't get their fix. As Paulo Coelho wrote, "It's more intelligent to be constructive."

Evolution

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Six of Air (Swords); from the Bird Signs/Ascension to Paradise Cards, Hoatzin:

Change and growth is so painful. But it's so necessary for us to evolve. 

—Sarah McLachlan

In the Thoth viewfinder, the Six of Swords asks us to stop indulging our emotions and journey to the land of reason and objectivity. We need to do some research to find a practical solution for the problem at hand. Hoatzin eats the leaves in its marshy or riverine habitat. Serrations on its beak help cut the leaves into smaller pieces and a ruminant-like digestive system aids in breaking them down. Chicks have two claws on each wing to help them scramble among the branches without falling into the water. These birds have evolved to meet their environment rather than uselessly trying to change it to meet their needs. As Bill Wilson wrote, "It never occurred to us that we needed to change ourselves to meet conditions, whatever they were."

Ready, Set, Fly

From the Animal Totem Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Blum/Gern Rune Cards, Kano (Kenaz):

Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be.

—Jack Welch

The Six of Swords is illustrated with a sugar glider, a small, gliding opossum with a predilection for sugary foods such as sap and nectar. Much like a flying squirrel, it can spread the membrane that extends from their forelegs to their hindlegs and glide up to 55 yards from tree to tree. With nothing solid to grasp onto, necessity is what launches it through the air. What makes us ready to leave the beliefs and mindset we cling to? Kano (Kenaz), symbolizing a torch, suggests that the darkness we've been hiding in (ignorance, denial or avoidance) has been illuminated. Wisdom convinces us that change and action is now a necessity.

Uprooting Discontent

From the Tarot of the Masters, the Six of Swords; from the Key to the Kingdom, the King of Clubs:

With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Nothing remains quite the same

—Jimmy Buffett

 An attitude is a relatively enduring evaluation of something or someone. A positive mindset sees the world as it is, yet still full of possibilities. A negative outlook sees most everything as a dumpster fire. It's only when we take an honest look at our views that we see how they - rather than things outside of ourselves - are often the cause of our discontent. Refocusing our lens through practices such as mindfulness, seeking out the good, and stress management can help us be more resilient and find the contentment we crave. The King of Clubs is paired with the children's poem "This is the Key of the Kingdom." It visually moves as if starting from a wide-angle lens to a micro-lens. What is the key? It is our ability to awaken our curiosity, imagination and open-mindedness, all traits that require us to move beyond a self-centered perspective.

Brought to You by Your Mind

From the Songs for the Journey Home, the Six of Wind Songs (Six of Swords); from the Magic Neko Deck, the Six of Diamonds:

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. —James Allen

Our brains don't know the difference between what is imagined (our thoughts) and reality. So, we can be anxious about an actual experience that is presently happening, or we can endure the same anxiety about what we imagine will happen. I no longer recognize the country I live in, as daily atrocities continue to expand. Since a presidential term lasts four years - barring impeachment or a serious medical condition - we're going to have to endure another three. The Six of Swords/Wave Songs asks if I want to spend that time in a body flooded with cortisol, or if perhaps I'd like to change my thoughts to another channel. We all have the power to take that vise clamp off and find an inner peace. The Six of Diamonds reminds me there are innumerable realms to explore besides those that stoke fear and anger. It would be a shame to waste the next three years not noticing the pockets of beauty, wonder and kindness that still exist. 

Just a Steak

 From the Tarot by Caro, the Six of Swords; from the Holitzka I Ching, Hexagram 53:

The greatest stress you go through when dealing with a difficult person is not fueled by the words and actions of the person - it is fueled by your mind that gives their words and actions importance. 

–Stephen White

This card invites us to learn from past experiences in order to stop repeating them. My husband decided he wanted to grill a steak this week and went up to Publix to talk to the butcher (wanting a quality cut for what he would pay). The butcher told him he was a Trump supporter, but my husband sidestepped that landmine and said, "That's okay, I just want a good steak." He knows it's useless to try to reason with unreasonable people. Hexagram 53 is titled Gradual Progress; instead of pushing our way to where we want to be, we take the steps we need to get there. A quote from Marc Chernoff ties these two cards together well: "The most effective way to move away from something you don’t want, is to move toward something you do want, one step at a time."

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.