Crumbling Infrastructure

From the Idiosyncradeck Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Mixed Emotions Cards, Relieved:

If a given idea has been held in the human mind for many generations, as almost all our common ideas have, it takes sincere and continued effort to remove it; and if it is one of the oldest we have in stock, one of the big, common, unquestioned world ideas, vast is the labor of those who seek to change it.

― Charlotte Perkins Gilman

We grow up with a culture and society that firmly shape our ideas. As we age, we may drop some of our views and add others. But occasionally, the whole framework we've rested our purpose and meaning on comes crashing down - we see that what we've held dearly as righteous fact is only a skewed opinion. We had been believing what someone told us was true, often to keep us toeing a line. Not having that structure to rely on may leave us in an uncertain limbo. Yet Relieved suggests we look at it as an expansive freedom that gives us the opportunity to explore and investigate on our own. What amazing things we might learn!

Seeing Clearly

From the Slow Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the ROAR Oracle, the Mirabal Sisters:

The fundamental job... is to see clearly what is real and true, and to not be fooled. 

―Lewis Richmond

The Ten of Swords is the end of a cycle, when the intellect realizes it doesn't have everything nicely boxed as it thought. Seeing this lady on the floor in her kitchen suggests a possible "death" from toxic positivity. This mindset emphasizes extreme positivity in all situations, to the point of denying and invalidating negative emotions and experiences. Encouraging statements are used to ward off anything that looks remotely gloomy or detrimental. But suppressed emotions only serve to activate the body's stress response. The Mirabal sisters are considered national heroines of the Dominican Republic for standing up to the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Their message is that we need to stand up for what is true, no matter how difficult that might be. 

A Brutal Teacher

From the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Button Oracle, Arjuna:

Experience is a brutal teacher. But you learn. My god, you learn. 

— C.S. Lewis

Just when we think we have figured things out and have put our plans and strategies into action, we crash and burn. But we don't have to stay at rock bottom unless we refuse to change our ideas and see things through fresh eyes. The button shows Arjuna, an unrivaled archer whose story is told in the Bhagavad Gita. He finds himself in the middle of a war he doesn't want to fight because he will have to kill some of his relatives. Yet Krishna tells him it is his duty as a warrior to see that justice is protected and the greater good preserved. In other words, even though the right course of action is difficult, we at times must do what we don't want to do. Or we can keep lying on those cold, hard rocks.

Selective Reality

From the Tarot of the Cat People, the Ten of Swords. From the Insectorum Divinorum, Parasitism:

It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept. ―Bill Watterson

Humans can be really smart, but we also can be extremely stubborn when it comes to clinging to certain ideas. We want to feel secure and safe, and we're often willing to put blinders on to keep from dealing with anything but our preferred reality. Parasitism is a relationship where one species benefits at the expense of its host (like the flea). Some folks make a living off of other people by trying to convince them to see life through a distorted lens. Yet there is misinformation (when people say something but don't have all the facts) and disinformation (when the intent is to mislead with false propaganda).  Reality can't be ignored forever; sooner or later we must wake up and view life with an open mind if we want to deal with it appropriately.

Start Afresh

From the Badgers Forest Tarot, the Ten of Badgers/Swords; from the Gemstone Oracle, Citrine:

You could think you were starting something afresh, when actually what you were doing was carrying on as before. ~ Rachel Joyce

Humans are great spin doctors when we have a cherished idea or belief we refuse to release. We cherry pick information to back up our opinion, carefully ignoring any evidence that contradicts it. All the while we spin stories and paint pictures with our words, as we attempt to prove we are right. But avoiding the facts of reality will always bring us to rock bottom, with nowhere left to turn. Citrine's message is that it is time for a fresh perspective and starting over from scratch. We're only done and dusted if we refuse to be openminded and embrace the truth. 

Sobering Up

This week I'll be using the Touchstone Tarot, created and self-published by Kat Black (though now published by U.S. Games). Along with it I'll be using the John Waterhouse Oracle, created and self-published by Elaine Wilkinson. Today's draws are the Ten of Swords and Tristan and Isolde with Potion:

People just make stupid mistakes. And they keep making them and keep making them, and suddenly they can't dig themselves out. ―Karin Slaughter

We all like to be right. But sometimes we defend our beliefs and opinions even in the light of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. We refuse to admit our mistakes or misjudgments, holding on to them like a life preserver. Yet they are really a bag of rocks that cause us to sink rapidly to the bottom of the ocean floor. Pride is the rope that binds that bag to us. However, admitting our errors and realizing we're a fallible human are what will save us and our relationships. The Tristan and Isolde painting show the moment they accidentally drink a love potion and fall in love with each other. The problem was that Tristan was supposed to take Isolde to his uncle the king who was to marry her. Reminds me of getting drunk in a bar and going home with an inappropriate partner. We all need to sober up at times and see reality clearly, but only if we want to enjoy life without feeling angry and frustrated all the time.

I Don't Know

From the Spacious Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Phenomena Oracle, Drought:

The Spacious Tarot guidebook suggests the Ten of Swords is what happens when the mind is left to run unchecked. We don't stop to consider that it is the instigator of our actions and often motivated by ideas that are wrong. I am reminded of how easy it can be to slide into the role of advisor and problem solver. It is an addictive position, giving us a feeling of being needed and wanted. But it can also be a snare that that traps and drains us; any honor we feel doesn't energize us for long. Resentment and blame are the red flags to look for, the hint that we should at times rely on the phrase "I don't know" instead of attempting to be the Oracle of Delphi. As Joko Beck urged, "Be willing not to be an expert." Drought shows what happens to the mind when we are busy telling rather than listening. A satisfied mind does not open to new knowledge and refuses information that conflicts with its current ideas. A dried-up mind can neither produce nor sustain any growth.

Course Change

From the Tarot of the Enchanted Forest, the Ten of Challenges (Swords); from the Mushroom Spirit Oracle, Fairy Inkcap:

Our opinions and the actions that result from them all have consequences. When we're making the wrong choices and rigidly holding on to blind beliefs, life will give us gentle nudges to correct our course. When we refuse to listen, we eventually get a brick to the head that will flatten us. Life isn't punishing us, it's trying to save us. The tiny, delicate Fairy Inkcap brings the gift of humility, a subtle attribute that can be life changing. 

For me, humility has come through recognizing the subtle ways in which arrogance permeates my life. It is the arrogance of needing to be right, of projecting my worldview on to others, of all the judgements and predispositions that I carry with me all the time. It is a filter between my self and the experience of life as it actually is. ―Lorenz Sell

Mental Traps

This week I'll be using the Dark Mansion Tarot, an independently published deck (Taroteca Studio) by Krzysztof Wasiuk and Magdalena Kaczan (artist). I'll also be using Miss Mai's Victorian Oracle, a self-published deck created by Mai (surname unknown). Today's draws are the Ten of Swords and Bat:

Nothing will work unless you do.

―Maya Angelou 

A long list of jobs, friends and partners that last only briefly likely means the problem lies with us, not them. Mentally hitting rock bottom is not a pleasant place, but it can be an eye-opening position if we are open-minded enough to question our ideas and how we express ourselves. Bat suggests we make a sincere effort to see from another point of view rather than just our own. Its use of echolocation suggests we should pay attention to what is reflected back to us when we interact with others. Can we attempt to see from their perspective? Is it possible to just listen without correcting another person? The mental trap of superiority is a lonely place to be.

In the eyes of the ego, self-esteem and humility are contradictory.

In truth, they are one and the same.

― Eckhart Tolle

Unrealistic Demands

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

There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them. 

~Anthony De Mello

This fairy, with wings torn and caught by briers, is about to meet his end because he's trespassed on a badger's territory. We all have beliefs and ideas that we are so sure are the Truth, we never question them (or listen to others who do). Buddha said that life contains suffering because we crave for reality to meet our preferences and specifications. It will never do so on a consistent, permanent basis. Wunjo is a rune often translated as 'joy,' and suggests that we must challenge our rigid ideas if we don't want them to challenge us. Do we enjoy life or simply trudge through it, grumbling about everything? If the latter, joy will only be found when we release our unrealistic demands. As Socrates said, "He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have."

The Power in Intention

From the Tarot of the Abyss, the Ten of Swords; from the Nature Mandala Meditation Oracle, Intentions:

Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs. ~ Scott Adams

We all have acquaintances who (even in the face of mountains of evidence) will believe their ideas are the right ones. Some can be like a preacher on a soapbox, shouting their dire predictions and conspiracy theories or hawking the latest get-rich-quick scheme or cure-all. They don't want discussion, they want conversion. These folks will eventually recognize their mental errors when life delivers a stinging backhand. When they reach out for help, do we give them a hand or tell them, "You've made your bed, now lie in it"? The Intentions card seems to point out two sides of the coin - the sincerity of the sufferer and the compassion of the helper. Dawa Tarchin Phillips offers this perspective: "there is great power in intention and how it can shape the present moment and even the future—because if you approach this present moment with wisdom, kindness, and a sense of responsibility, you won’t have to worry about the future. It will take care of itself."

A Run-Over Beer Can

This week I'll be using the Spacious Tarot, a self-published deck that was a collaboration between Annie Ruygt and Carrie Mallon. I'll also be using the Phenomena Oracle, a deck self-published by Jessica Bott. Today's draws are the Ten of Swords and Geyser:

We all have things we believe in, ideas that we expect (even demand) will manifest into something solid and sustainable. But life rarely follows our plans, and can in fact squash them as flat as a run-over beer can. Then we may feel like this felled tree, having all that gave us vitality and purpose cut away. We can become maudlin (stabbing our own self and creating more suffering), or we can let go and try to remain open as the sky above us. The Geyser - an intermittent column of steamy hot water - suggests that such an opening will allow us to be surprised by ideas that are new and different. And if we nurture them and refuse to put concrete around them, those seeds might grow into mighty oaks. 

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. ~George Bernard Shaw

Getting Free

From Tarot by Caro, the Ten of Swords; from the Holtizka I Ching, Hexagram 49:

It never fails to amaze me how we humans will defiantly stick to our beliefs and ideas even in the face of a starkly different reality. Some of us would rather suffer or die than relinquish any of our delusions. The swords that pin this woman (and will eventually cause her drowning) could easily be removed if she simply acknowledged the evidence: "I was wrong. I didn't fully understand. I didn't want to know the truth because it made me afraid." The 49th Hexagram is titled Revolution and refers to an inner and outer change in us to keep pace with the evolving and changing world around us. Part of that change will require letting go of some cherished ideas and accepting others that are more beneficial and wholesome, however hard that may be. As James Garfield said, "The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable."

Egg Cracking

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Rumi Cards, 'Egg of My Heart:'

We all have times when we act as if we're an expert. But when this idea of being an intellectual master becomes a habitual pattern, we begin digging a hole that we unknowingly are standing in. Hitting rock bottom is hard because we rarely see it coming (always thinking we have a strategy to outsmart anything). And if we blame others instead of our own actions for being in that place, we can stay there for a long time. But judging from the Surya Ravi Mudra ("seal of life") he's making with his right hand, he might be at a point of surrender. This mudra is said to help with balance, vitality and positive transformations. The Rumi Card suggests that compassion can often be the trigger that breaks through the intellectualism of another. If I tell someone what they need to do, they probably won't listen. But if I tell them of my own experience and how I coped, they just might. Such compassion is based on equal footing, rather than the offering of an expert to an imbecile. 

Until It Didn't

From the Dark Mansion Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from Miss Mai's Victorian Oracle, Posey:

Things you once cherished as absolute truth are now seen as half-truths or downright lies.

~Sim Campbell

We all have beliefs and ideals we hold onto, but we generally don't see any of them as detrimental until we get an unpleasant dose of reality. We then discover that what made us feel confident and good about ourselves was information that was distorted and misrepresented. As the saying goes, it worked until it didn't. Perhaps even worse is the chant of "I told you so!" from those who tried to steer us in a different direction. But Posy, a symbol of kindness, suggests a different approach. Rather than using the rod of shame, we extend a hand of goodwill. Such an action is not just about being nice; it also encourages those who might be waffling about their own blind spots. People are much more willing to admit they were wrong and become willing to change if they know such an acknowledgment will be met with compassion rather than contempt and humiliation.

Welfare of All

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Way of the Horse, Dominance:

Every right has its responsibilities. Like the right itself, these responsibilities stem from no man-made law, but from the very nature of man and society. The security, progress and welfare of one group is measured finally in the security, progress and welfare of all mankind. ~Lewis Schwellenbach

I wonder if this little fellow went down screaming, "But it's my right!" We all have our own ideas about things, but that doesn't mean we should inflict them on others. And trying to do so can have consequences. Dominance shows an angry horse with veins protruding and a mouth open and ready to bite. The companion book calls this a show of 'adolescent authority' in humans, when we feel entitled to loudly state our demands and have them fulfilled. But as Schwellenbach states in the quote above, a democratic society measures demands with regard to the well-being of all. Just ask the groups of medical personnel, hopeful organ recipients, and other employees who refuse to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

Pandemic of Paranoia

From the Hoi Polloi Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the I Ching Pack, Hexagram 34:

Our mind creates our world. An angry mind sees an angry world. A fearful mind sees a threatening world. But when mind is stable, we see a world as that world is. We see a world that is open, fluid, workable, movable. ~Tim Olmstead

I woke up in the middle of the night with the realization that our world has been infected by something more horrific than the coronavirus. We are in the middle of a pandemic of paranoia, an undercurrent of belief that others are 'out there' waiting to destroy what we love. It seeps out of us in the form of anger and aggression or depression and hopelessness; it separates families, neighbors, and nations. The only cure for this disease is discernment - realizing that much of what we think is true is actually misinformation created by our emotional and opinionated mindsets. While I can't change another person's mind, I can certainly take a closer look at what thoughts I'm allowing free rent in my own head. The 34th hexagram's key phrase is 'great power,' and I can't think of a power more influential than that of the mind. As neuroscientist Rick Hanson explains: "What you think and feel, enjoy and suffer, is changing your brain." Yet, he offers some good news: "Neurons that fire together, wire together. This means that each one of us has the power to use the mind to change the brain to change the mind for the better. To benefit oneself and other beings." 

Add Humility

From the Tarot of the Abyss, the Ten of Swords; from the Nature Mandala Meditation Cards, Leadership:

This pair of cards seems to ask who should lead - the one with wisdom/knowledge or the one with life experience? It's easy to make a snap judgment either way, but it's wiser to dig down a little deeper. Years ago, I had a doctor who adamantly told me there was nothing wrong with me when my body told me otherwise. My cousin, who has suffered with a disease for years, had an older doctor she loved with an excellent bedside manner. He retired and was replaced with a much younger doctor who completely changed her medications, explaining that those medications are no longer used for her disease. Since then, she's felt better than she has in years. Both those with knowledge and those with experience can get stuck, assuming what they know or what they've experienced makes them the better decision maker. But if they have a closed mind or closed ears, neither is the better choice.

There are three essentials to leadership: humility, clarity and courage. —Fuchan Yuan

Renunciation

This week I'll be using the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, created by Caitlin Matthews and published by Connections. Along with it, I'll be drawing from a self-published oracle created by Esmeralda Rupp-Spangle called the Insectorum Divinorum. Today's cards are the Ten of Air (Swords) and the Nightcrawler:

Dimmi: What do you have to relinquish?

          Da Vinci's sketch shows a hanged assassin; though he managed to murder his target, things did not turn out the way he imagined. We all have our pet opinions and viewpoints that we guard ferociously and grasp tightly. Even when presented with facts that debunk our ideas, we rarely relinquish them. Often only hitting rock bottom makes us question our perspective. The Nightcrawler is an earthworm that provides natural aeration of soil, allowing water and oxygen to penetrate more easily into the ground. It suggests that perhaps we should prop open the door of our mind, allowing the fresh air of a more panoramic view. 

Renunciation, though often understood to mean “giving up,” is, more accurately, the willingness to experience things as they are, not as we want them to be. —Ken McLeod

Trail into a Rut

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, the Whale and Starfish:

Habit is necessary; it is the habit of having habits, of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly fought against if one is to remain alive. ―  Edith Wharton

          Genetti uses a garden shed to represent an individual's life. It is filled with tools needed to survive and thrive; the sharp tools are symbolic of the ideas and beliefs held. As we age, we may accumulate more tools that create a certain mindset. We become comfortable and complacent with what we think, ignoring the larger, changing world outside our door. Soon we develop an "us against them" mindset which cuts us off from others. Fear of of new developments led to selfishness and betrayal in the myth of the Whale and Starfish. The animals, living on a crowded island, heard of the land of Australia and wanted to use Whale's canoe to get there. When Whale refused, Starfish tricked him, giving the other animals time to sneak away. Holding tightly to what one has, whether ideas or material things, won't stop life from changing and transforming. It is much healthier to relax our grip and be curious than to try to set our preferences in concrete.