The Cave of Treasure

This week I'll be using the Norse Tarot, a book and card set created and self-published by Clive Barrett. Paired with it will be the Wolf Pack, a deck created and self-published by Robert Petro. Today's draws are the Seven of Discs and Transformation:

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.

―AA basic text

This young fellow sits atop a sand dune, watching the waves roll in and the birds fly by. He's supposed to be fixing the broken shields below, but he finds daydreaming much more pleasant. It's one thing to take a relaxing break, but another to idle away the hours without any intention of doing any work. It might seem like a life of pleasure is the way to bliss, yet as Transformation hints, it's the work and challenges we go through that lead us to contentment. We gain confidence, skills and knowledge, as we learn; because we are trustworthy, we form deep bonds. As Joseph Campbell wrote, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” 

But Actually...

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Moon; from the Way of the Horse, Transformation:

But even when the moon looks like it's waning... it's actually never changing shape. 

―Ai Yazawa

A small child might think someone took a big bite out of the moon when it's in crescent form, not realizing the rest of it is just in shadow. People often do the same with bits of information - they make assumptions without realizing they aren't seeing the full picture. There are generally three outlooks: the optimist, who sees the bright side and expects a positive outcome to situations; the pessimist, who anticipates negative outcomes and sees challenges as insurmountable; and the realist, who neither sugarcoats nor catastrophizes circumstances, but looks for evidence and solutions. The optimist can be overconfident and ignore protocols, the pessimist can live with anxiety and take no risks, and the realist can suffer from over-analysis and emotional detachment. If we want a balanced outlook, we'll take a healthy part from all three. Transformation illustrates letting go of habits and beliefs that constrain us, realizing they are costing us our freedom. As Pema Chodron explained, "Renunciation is realizing that our nostalgia for wanting to stay in a protected, limited, petty world is insane."

Three Keys of the Wheel

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Wheel of Fortune; from the Way of the Horse Oracle, Transformation:

Griffin's Wheel is surrounded by the four elements of air, earth, fire, and water - representing the power of the mind/communication, the power of the physical/material, the power of passion/creativity, and the power of emotions/relationships. These powers impact our lives externally, and in turn, our personal relationship to them has its own effect. An infinite multitude of causes and effects keeps that Wheel turning, creating change. The Transformation card symbolizes the ability to relinquish restrictive beliefs and rigid patterns that keep us from freedom and joy through our ups and downs. Ken McLeod offers four keys that may help in this regard:

• Stop seeking security (relax and open to the fullness of life; there is no lasting stability or permanence).
•  Let go of expectations for emotional fulfillment (stop wanting people to be someone other than they are).
• Recognize that you are not an entity (without the burden of a fixed identity, you are free to respond naturally and appropriately to any situation you encounter).

Worldly Winds

From the Osho Zen Tarot, Transformation (Death); from the A'HA Oracle, Omniscience:

Endings are generally always transformative; either we open and become more receptive to life, or we shut down and build an impenetrable wall. Even the stubborn - those who refuse to acknowledge an ending - will find no escape, discovering in their clenched fists only dust. The Omniscience card refers to the capacity to know everything. It is like the response of some people to another's loss when they ask, "Didn't you know? Why didn't you do anything before now?" While in some cases there might have been some blind spots, humans are simply incapable of knowing and predicting all things. It brings to mind the Buddhist Four Worldly Winds: Praise and Blame, Gain and Loss, Success and Failure, Joy and Sorrow. No matter how well we sail and navigate life, everyone will have to deal with them regardless of faith, education or science. 

Learning to sail the worldly winds involves learning when we need to give up on our desires, adjusting them to the reality of the situation. Whilst matching our desires to the world will be difficult, expecting the world to match our desires is utterly futile. ~Vajragupta

Mental Maturity

From the Golden Tarot, the Ace of Swords; from the Yantra Deck, Transformation:

          The Ace of Swords represents clarity of mind combined with eloquence of speech. The angel seems to have cut mistletoe (a parasitic plant) from a tree, implying not relying on outside agents to do all the thinking or explaining. I sometimes see the Aces as an opportunity to mature in that suit. Here is the chance to see the rawness of reality without ducking or running, without adding my wishes, assumptions or emotions to distort it. Isn't this a better starting point if I want to find solutions and be proactive rather than reactive? The Transformation yantra uses the Chartres labyrinth in its design, a path that when walked can often make you feel like you're headed in the wrong direction (which kind of describes the evolving process). The booklet states: "Responding to what arises with alert presence and openness enables us to meet endless changes and challenges of life, not as victims, but as conscious creators." I think the angel with the sword would agree.

In the end, secure happiness comes only with the solid feeling we have when we know that we have become the person we were meant to be in this lifetime - that we have matured and used the life we have been given in the best way we could. ~ Norman Fischer

Inner Tubes and Transformations

From the Bonefire Tarot, the Two of Pentacles:

This guy doesn't look at all stressed from juggling his many duties and roles. What's his secret? The two boats behind him are a clue and represent two ways we can deal with life: rowing against the current or with it. I'm a list maker and like to be able to check off what I need to do each day. But if I can't do what's at the top of my list - for instance looking up some information on the internet - how do I react? If the internet is down, I can cuss and complain (wasting my precious time) or move on to something else on my list. If I don't want to drive myself crazy, I must learn to flow with life. Now where's my sunscreen and inner tube?

From the MentorSpirit cards comes "Transformation:"

"What you're supposed to do 

when you don't like a thing is change it. 

If you can't change it, 

change the way you think about it." 

― Maya Angelou

The biggest transformation I can make begins not with how I look or act, but with how I think. Once I change my attitude about a person or situation, everything shifts. Things that seemed overwhelming become tolerable, even solvable. If I find myself becoming angry and frustrated or anxious and defeated, my best strategy will begin with changing my perspective.