From Bead to Cord

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Sun; from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, the Spirit of Man:

In the middle of winter I at last discovered that there was in me an invincible summer.  — Albert Camus

          When life gets hard, we hunker down and build walls that separate us from 'them.' We shut out the sunlight of clarity, warmth and creative energy, allowing our ego free rein. As Sean Feit Oakes described, our little self "is defined by what we crave, who we hate, and what we believe to be true." Yet within each of us - and all creation - is a luminous cord that links us to each other; it can move us from the darkness to the sunlight if we pay attention to it. This luminosity shows us that we are neither omniscient (all-knowing) nor omnipotent (all-powerful), but interconnected and dependent on the 'other.' It helps us see beyond imperfection, recognizing the extraordinary in the ordinary. 

          For me personally, I see this luminous cord not as a far-off deity, but as an experience I share in when I acknowledge the wonder and beauty of Nature, when my heart is touched by kindness, or when my heart softens because of someone's suffering. This is where my inner strength lies. We are like beads on a never-ending cord; our physical bodies and the labels we choose for ourselves create our specific bead. Although each of us is different, that cord of goodness and wisdom exists within us all. Through my spiritual practices, I seek to move from bead to that cord. 

Two Wings

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the King of Chivs (Swords); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, the 'Spirit of Man:'

          There is an air of authority about this fellow. He is an intellect who also doles out justice. His rational mind looks for evidence, and he is swayed only by the facts and not emotion. Like the knife stuck in the floor, he is grounded in what is real. The Spirit of Man represents the Higher Self in everyone, the witness within that does not take orders from the ego. Similar to the King of Swords, it sees objectively. But unlike him, this Self realizes we need two wings - both wisdom and compassion.

When we are motivated by compassion and wisdom, the results of our actions benefit everyone, not just our individual selves or some immediate convenience. ~Dalai Lama

What Now?

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Seven of Bolers (Wheels):

Outside the city wall, a man examines a set of wheels and places them in his flat-cart. The roofs of houses and the smokestacks of factories rise behind him. Is the demand for his skill in wagon-making dying out? Will he find a new source of income by learning a new trade? And if he does, will part of his culture disappear? The image of this card seems to blend the Thoth's idea of unfulfilled success with the RWS's need for reassessment. This guy definitely has talent and knowledge, he just needs to apply it to a new area (which is going to require a flexible and receptive attitude).

From the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards this morning comes "Niyan - Spirit of Man:"

The companion book associates this card with the Higher Self: "I am that in you that speaks of Truth. I am your own Self. I am the navigator through experience." We humans are strange creatures. When we find ourselves in a quandary like the wagon-maker above, we want other people to tell us what to do, to give us the solution to our problems. Of course when we get what we ask for, we generally ignore the information. I think it may be because deep down within us, there are answers that would bring us wholeness and joy. Unfortunately, that kind of guidance often requires courage, perseverance and discipline - three things the ego would rather do without.