Crafting Anew

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, the Witch (Queen) of Fire; from the Tattwa Cards, Water: Seed of Earth:

Your life does not get better by chance; it gets better by change. 

— Jim Rohn

Cerridwen's message is "craft anew with the bones of the old." We can learn a new skill set, add to our knowledge, and open our mind to new ideas and perspectives. We don't need to accumulate stuff to transform ourselves - it's an inner change that is needed. Water: Seed of Earth suggests we move from planning to instigating, but it encourages us to find alliances who can help strengthen and boost our commitment to change. As Michelle Obama said, “Choose people who lift you up.”

Understanding Interconnection

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, the Six of Earth (Pentacles); from the Tattwa Cards, Water/Seed of Earth:

Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction. ―Erich Fromm

The Six of Earth is represented by the Kwaquitil wild woman of the woods known as Tsonokwa. She was said to eat greedy children, yet she was invited to attend potlatch ceremonies in which the host gave away possessions. Generosity was what Tsonokwa honored and rewarded. She knew that greed was destructive and devoured the heart. Water/Seed of Earth's keyword is alliances. When we are known for watching over and protecting the well-being of others, for leveling the playing field instead of creating pinnacles, we form trusted relationships. It's not an "I scratch your back, you scratch mine," mindset, but understanding that we are all interconnected and dependent on each other.

Big Personalities

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, the Five of Fire (Wands); from the Tattwas Cards, 'Water - Seed of Earth:'

          Eris, the goddess of conflict and strife, reminds me of 'big personalities.' These folks are outgoing, opinionated, and loud; they don't intend to be the center of attention, but they're hard to overlook. They have few filters, so whatever passes through their mind comes out in sometimes inappropriate questions or statements. But the reason big personalities annoy people the most is that they have an uncanny way of revealing our blind spots in flashing neon colors. We can't beat them or ignore them, but we can mirror for them what is appropriate: softer tones, respectful language, and active listening skills. And we might learn some helpful information about ourselves. The Water: Seed of Earth card is associated with alliances, finding people who support your cause or goal. In the situation of the Five of Wands, if the intention is to gang up on the big personality, things are liable to go poorly. But if there is group mirroring of what is expected, the room might start feeling a little more spacious.

The Three Es

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, the Wheel of Fortune; from the Tattwa Cards, Water: Seed of Earth:

          Fortuna, the European goddess of fate and fortune, is a lot like La Santa Muerte; neither goddess cares about labels like good/evil, rich/poor, or famous/unknown. They deal the same cards of change and death to everyone. How are humans supposed to find contentment in such a world? Surely not externally, where all the impermanence is happening. So that leaves the mind, where three things can trip me up: emotional labels, expectations and entitlement. When I start sorting situations by label (awful, fantastic), it becomes easy to self-identify with the emotion attached to them. I can find myself chin-deep in a bog of feelings from which it seems I'll never climb out. Along with labeling, I can set myself up for disappointment when I assume that a certain action will lead to a specific result. Life doesn't work like math, and unfulfilled expectations can leave me disappointed and looking for someone to blame. The third 'E' could learn from today's Tattwa card, which is often given the keyword 'alliances.' Entitlement comes from self-cherishing, when I think my circumstances are more important above all else. I notice this when there is a major event that affects me - it always feels like the world should stop turning and pay attention. But what actually helps me is to realize that everyone without exception goes through similar experiences. I agree with Andrew Weil; instead of chasing pleasure and happiness, I should be working for contentment: "an inner sense of fulfillment that's relatively independent of external circumstances."