Giddy-Up

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Ace of Koshes (Wands); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, the Tree of Life:

Expectation, however, leads us into the agitation of hope and fear. When there is expectation, we’re hoping that something we want will happen and we fear that it won’t. 

~ Joseph Goldstein 

We may think that now is a good time to relax from all of our holiday festivities, but it looks like the Ace of Koshes (Wands) has a different idea for the start of 2025. It's time to get moving, not sit on our couches. People often make resolutions for the new year - a firm determination to do something differently. But such thinking usually creates expectations, and when they don't materialize, we give up on our goal. The Tree of Life is an archetype of all spiritual knowledge; it invites us to be accepting and patient as we travel our path. Rather than resolutions, we might create aspirations, which can inspire us and set a direction for us without an expected end result. If we find we have drifted off course, we can find our way back without shame.

Play Date

From the Ship of Fools Tarot, the Three of Cups; from the Wisdom of the Four Winds, the Tree of Life:

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.

~Dr. Seuss

Three lasses have donned fool's robes, making me think of Halloween and going trick-or-treating. But instead of candy, they might be asking for a refill of their cups. I remember over forty years ago going to the grocery store with friends (when we were 'in our cups'). We took dozens of kid and adult sunglasses off their display stand and adorned all the fruits and vegetables in the produce section, chortling the whole time at our artwork. There is nothing like laughing until you cry as a pressure valve release; it can reset one's outlook on life. Pohutukawa - the Tree of Life in Maori mythology - is a tree that can survive on the salty edge of the land, clinging precariously to impossible rocks and cliffs. With its crimson, feathery flowers, this tree has a spiritual meaning for Māori, connecting the beginning and ending of human life. In my busyness, when I forget how precious those limited circles around the sun are, it's time to find some friends for a play date.

And In the Seventh Cup...

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Seven of Cups; from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, the Tree of Life:

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. ~Henry David Thoreau

           Funny how age affects what we think will bring us happiness. When I was a kid, I was enthralled by Jacques Cousteau and desperately wanted to be an oceanographer. This young woman, on the verge of adulthood, imagines what will bring her joy - money, a home, beauty, a handsome partner, good fortune, or revenge. Of course whatever is chosen is still subject to change and transience, including our desires as well. Yet the Tree of Life suggests a solution. "The Creator has planted a Sacred Tree under which they may gather, and there find healing, power, wisdom and security. ...The fruits of this tree are the good things the Creator has given to the people: teachings that show the path to love, compassion, generosity, patience, wisdom, justice, courage, respect, humility and many other wonderful gifts." (Sacred Tree, Four Worlds Development Project) A spirituality, practiced and applied, can help us accept and adapt to change while offering wisdom to act with an appropriate response. [Whispers to young girl: "Choose the one with the handkerchief over it."]

Gee and Haw

The new tarot I'll be using this week is the Buckland Romani deck and book set, created by Raymond Buckland, illustrated by Lissanne Lake and published by Galde Press. Today's draw is the Chariot:

I went to a meditation group last night made of a widely diverse collection of people. I've been asked to do some "beginners" classes with them, and I have decided to use the idea behind the Chariot as an explanation as to why this spiritual tool can be helpful. Last night I woke up in a sweat with my heart pounding (menopause), and my mind immediately started churning. Those thoughts brought up some not-so-pleasant emotions, which in turn produced more anxious thoughts. The irony of course is that I was still lying in my bed safe and sound; nothing had changed except my thought/emotion meter. And that's how I see these two horses - one as mental and one as emotional. They are a team that can drag me wherever they like unless I get them under control. I've got to learn to use the reins so I can direct them where I choose to go.

The oracle I'll use this week is the Lakota Sweat Lodge deck and book set, published by Destiny Books. The creators - Helene Sarkis, Ann Louise Goulene, Wendy Meg Seigel and Alexander Sarkis - based their information on the teachings of Chief Archie Fire Lame Deer. This morning's card is "Cha Wakan - Tree of Life:"

The keyword associated with this card is "acceptance," and the opening text reads: In me all life is One: There is no demarcation of 'other.' My ego would like people to understand and do things like I do, no questions asked. The meditation group I'm supposed to lead ranges from agnostics/atheists to fundamental Christians, and they are from various races, ages and socio-economic categories. I can present to them the various ways I've found to meditate, but I can't force them to choose to follow any direction I give. My job is going to be to keep my ego (that produces the thoughts and emotions of the Chariot) in line and realize the only person I might have control over is me. Then I can accept these people just as they are without trying to change them.