Reaching Out

 From the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, the Queen of Buttons (Pentacles); from the Button Oracle, Viking Ship:

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.

― Charles Dickens

Granny is doing a jig because she got some great deals at the market, and now her basket is overflowing. She has enough for her family and can share with the elders who find it hard to get out as well as with the parents who are stretched thin to feed their family. The feeling she gets from reaching out to others more than makes up for a half-empty basket to take home. This Queen believes resources should be shared rather than hoarded; the community is healthy when everyone's well-being is considered. The Viking Ship button brings to mind those bold risk-takers who sailed most of the North Atlantic as looters, traders, colonists, and mercenaries. It suggests we practice fearlessness in reaching out to others, especially those we don't know well. Who knows, we might end up with a friendship we treasure.

Getting There

From the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Button Oracle, "Viking Ship:"

          Granny's card for the Six of Swords made me think of a song called "Get Here" written by Brenda Russell; she says in the verses, "I don't care how you get here, just get here when you can." If one way doesn't work (busted bike), try another, no matter how crazy it might sound (UFO). Whether it's sadness or self-pity, fear or anger, my emotions can be like quicksand. Logic and reason are nowhere to be found though desperately needed. How do I move from this hellish place and change my mush mind into a saner head space?
          The Viking Ship button seems to fit with Granny's idea of moving on. But the keywords for it don't have anything to do with escape; instead they suggest an exploration, adventure or quest. Escape implies looking for a safe place where I won't be bothered. And as Helen Keller emphasized, "Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it." Yet a quest would entail me actively looking for something - in this case, new ideas and thoughts to replace the old.

Rethinking Goals

From the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, the Five of Swords:

Uh-oh... What happens when you mix self-righteous anger, an outcome viewed as either win or lose, and a refusal to hear the other side of an argument? You get the Five of Swords, which I've often interpreted as a Pyrrhic victory (a fight won at too great a cost). Yes, I might wrap you tightly with intellectual barbed wire, not allowing you to move an inch, and I might declare myself the "winner." But what gets lost in the fray - relationships, a possible cooperative deal, and a solution to a problem - is more costly in the long run. We've got a meeting today with a prospective buyer for the bankrupt senior home where my mother-in-law lives; I'm thinking I might need to find a roll of duct tape before I go.

From the Button Oracle was drawn the "Viking Ship:"

adventure, exploration, quest

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. ~ Helen Keller

The sail of a Viking ship could strike fear in the hearts of medieval Europeans. These sailors boldly explored near and far as looters, traders, colonists and mercenaries. But what would happen if you took that same sort of fearlessness on another type of quest, one that would be a victory for both sides? Perhaps that is the type of adventure I'm to explore as we sail rough, emotional seas at the meeting.

Daring Adventures

From the Granny Jones Tarot, the Three of Wands:

In the Two of Wands, a decision is made whether to maintain the status quo or expand efforts in new directions.  Expansion has been chosen in the Three of Wands, as shown by these travelers on their way to a city in the distance.  But just because someone's ambitions get them moving, it doesn't mean he or she doesn't need some help along the way.  In this image, perhaps the robed man tells them the exact streets to take to reach their destination and who they might talk to once there to get the information they need.  This card reminds me that there's no harm in asking for advice and suggestions from someone knowledgeable; it could save me from wasted time and frustrations in the long run.

From the Button Oracle comes the "Viking Ship:"

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.  Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." ~ Helen Keller

Vikings were the great sailors of their day; these bold risk-takers sailed most of the North Atlantic, and reached the Americas several hundred years before Christopher Columbus was even born.  For three turbulent centuries, the glimpse of a square sail and dragon-headed prow on the horizon struck terror into the hearts of medieval Europeans.  I have no desire to terrorize anyone, but this button does encourage me to take a step out of my cozy cocoon.  The insecurity of the unknown is worth experiencing for the "daring adventure" on the other side.