Live Like a River

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, the Six of Cups/Tefnut; from the Tattwa Cards, Water - Seed of Water:

Between the banks of pain and pleasure the river of life flows. 

—Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Tefnut is the ancient Egyptian goddess of moisture and dew - the life-giving water that sustained the desert land. As a representative of the Six of Cups, she asks us to water our own desert. Sometimes we must look back at what made us curious or awestruck, the simple hobbies or activities that brought us joy. Can we remember a time before all the stressful responsibilities and obligations weighed us down? Water: Seed of Water is about flowing and adaptability. It reminds us not to cling to the bank of pleasure and desire nor freak out if we bump into the bank of pain. Neither can hold us for long if we let go and accept what is present. As our memories will remind us, things come and go. Instead, we might live as John O'Donohue's words suggest: "I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding."

Can't Buy Me Love

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, the Ten of Pentacles:

Kin and kind, living and dead, all are part of one another.

For the Igbo people of Nigeria, Ala (whose name literally means 'ground') is the deity of earth, morality, fertility and creativity. She watches over all cycles of physical life: she is there when the crops begin to grow and babies are born, and she is there when someone dies and the field is plowed under after the harvest. When death comes, Ala receives him or her into her womb, known as the 'pocket of Ala.' I love the simple abundance present in this card; it reminds me that even though I'm not even remotely close to the 1% (in 2011, the average income of the top 1 percent of US households was $1,530,773), I am comfortable and have much to be grateful for. Besides, all of us will eventually come to the same end no matter how much we have. The Earth and her rhythms don't play favorites. 

From the Tattwa Cards comes "Water: Seed of Water:"

Diplomacy

With water added to more water, I found it interesting that Mumford associates this card with diplomacy: the skill and tact involved in negotiating relationships. What does this have to do with the abundance above? I imagine it is similar to the way all streams and rivers flow into the ocean. We all have a common bond in that life is terminal for everyone, so why should I be jealous of what another has or too attached to what I own? I have to agree with George Horace Lorimer: "It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy."