Moving Right Along

From the Everyday Enchantment Tarot, the Eight of Wands; from the MentorSpirit Cards, 'Truth:'

          This single mom is receiving the official papers she and her son need to move abroad. Her house has been sold, so she has been busy packing, cleaning, and tossing out (or giving away) what can't be taken with them. Palin offers the three Ds to describe this card: directness, direction, and decisiveness. Anyone who's had to move with kids or pets in tow will recognize these keywords and the urgency behind them. It's a card that alerts a person to stay on their toes, mentally and physically. This woman has lots of hopes surrounding her move, but the Truth card is a reminder that not all that is hoped for will be just as we've imagined. Buddhism warns of faulty hope, considering it a fluffed up looking version of fear. Faulty hope has fixed expectations, depends on external agencies and rests in the future rather than the present moment. It is hope with lots of attachments (that whisper quietly of possible disappointments). Are we willing to feel insecure without reacting, to be patient, and to stay in 'nowness'? Then all the enthusiasm and energy of the Eight of Wands can be used to meet any challenge as it comes.

Life ultimately means taking responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual. ~ Viktor Frankl

Too Much or Not Enough

From the Idiosyncradeck Tarot, Temperance; from the Answer Deck, Truth:

          Planets and stars shine against a night sky, while fungi on the ground and a tree trunk glow (and yes, there really are bioluminescent mushrooms). Bott states, "Only when it's dark can you see the little lights glow," suggesting that an "all or nothing" attitude is not a balanced, harmonious way to live. Light and dark coexist for a reason. Both my behavior and ideology of the past were a prime example of lopsided living. Did it make my life happier, more secure or fun? Absolutely not. But the problem with such a realization is that it can be easy to slide to the other end of the continuum. Truth asks me if I am still sitting at one end of the see-saw. I'm learning in my study of Mussar that even "good" traits can become unhealthy if pushed too far beyond the midpoint. For instance, patience sounds like a spiritual principle everyone should practice, but taken to an extreme it can become indifference, complacency or procrastination. Inner strength also sounds beneficial, but lacking moderation, it can create a loner who refuses to take advantage of the support and encouragement other people may extend. As Dave Barry once wrote, "No matter what happens... somebody will find a way to take it too seriously."

Which is Which?

From Waking the Wild Spirit, the Two of Air (Swords); from the MentorSpirit Cards, "Truth:"

 

A mind devoid of insight into its own nature is a chaotic mind, a mind of unease. No matter how savvy and independent and self-controlled we may presume ourselves to be, without mindfulness, chaos is what we discover when we begin to look under the hood. 

~ Kathleen Dowling Singh

Knowing that this card represents the Two of Swords, I wonder if one of those baby birds the mother is feeding is the product of a brood parasite (a bird that lays its eggs in another species' nest). Can the mother tell which is which? Both peep loudly and open their mouths widely to trigger her feeding behavior. These two babies are like my competing thoughts, when I don't know which choice to make.

The MentorSpirit card reminds me that in most cases, given enough time, what is true will be seen clearly. Eventually the baby birds will sprout their wings and it will be clear which one is the real offspring. And if I wait and watch patiently, I'll soon find what is authentic too.