Preceded by Mind

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Ace of Swords; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, Whale and Starfish:

All experience is preceded by mind, led by mind, made by mind. Speak or act with a corrupted mind, and suffering follows as the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox.

—Dhammapada (Gil Fronsdal trans.)

The Ace of Swords parts the night from day, bringing clarity. One part of my daily prayer is "May I move through each moment mindfully, lightly and with clarity." In other words, paying attention, having a sense of humor, and seeing the world not as I want it to be, but as it is. That last one is the toughest; it requires I cut through my emotions and propensities if I want to glimpse reality. Whale and Starfish were best friends in this Dreamtime story, but they lived on an island that had become overpopulated. Many wanted to move to another island, but whale - who had the only boat - refused to let anyone use it. Starfish decided to lure him to sleep with stories so that the others could leave. However, when Whale awoke and realized what had happened, he attacked Starfish, and the sea star retaliated. Our minds have a way of rationalizing whatever we think is right without considering what harm our actions might lead to. To quote the Dhammapada once again, "Hatred never ceases through hatred."

Trail into a Rut

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, the Whale and Starfish:

Habit is necessary; it is the habit of having habits, of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly fought against if one is to remain alive. ―  Edith Wharton

          Genetti uses a garden shed to represent an individual's life. It is filled with tools needed to survive and thrive; the sharp tools are symbolic of the ideas and beliefs held. As we age, we may accumulate more tools that create a certain mindset. We become comfortable and complacent with what we think, ignoring the larger, changing world outside our door. Soon we develop an "us against them" mindset which cuts us off from others. Fear of of new developments led to selfishness and betrayal in the myth of the Whale and Starfish. The animals, living on a crowded island, heard of the land of Australia and wanted to use Whale's canoe to get there. When Whale refused, Starfish tricked him, giving the other animals time to sneak away. Holding tightly to what one has, whether ideas or material things, won't stop life from changing and transforming. It is much healthier to relax our grip and be curious than to try to set our preferences in concrete.

Sword Dance

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Prince (Knight) of Swords; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, 'Whale and Starfish:'

 Eloquence is the power to translate a truth into language perfectly

intelligible to the person to whom you speak. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

          This young man is learning how to do a demanding sword dance (notice the books on the floor). Like developing the eloquence of speech, knowledge and understanding is needed first, then comes practice. Words can cut and cause harm or healing; they can sever ties of injustice or bonds of friendship. They have power. The tale of Whale and Starfish involves a lie told for what the Starfish saw as the greater good. Yet as with most half-truths, physical and emotional damage was the end result. It was an effort to avoid conflict rather than an effort to resolve differences. As attorney Vibeke N. Martin explains, "Honesty and truthfulness are not the same thing. Being honest means not telling lies. Being truthful means actively making known all the full truth of a matter." Telling the whole truth requires eloquence, patience, and kindness. It is very much a sword dance. 

Damaged Bowls

This week I'll be using the Wheel of Change Tarot, a deck and book set created by Alexandra Genetti and published by Inner Traditions. The second deck I'll be drawing from is the Oracle of the Dreamtime, a compilation of Australian Aboriginal art and Dreamings by Donni Hakanson; this deck and book set was published by Journey Editions. Today's cards are the the Four of Cups and Whale and Starfish:

          In this potter's studio is a bowl of clay, a bowl of water, an unfinished bowl on the wheel, and a glazed and fired bowl in the window. Mix the clay with the water and a temporary relationship forms. It is shaped by time and experience; the glaze symbolizes the joyful moments, and the heat of the kiln represents the hard ones. At any point of the process, the pottery can become misshapen or damaged. What can cripple a relationship? The indigenous story of Whale and Starfish tells of a great need caused by overcrowding. Whale had the only canoe that would allow the other creatures to spread out over the earth, but he refused. His friend Starfish distracted him while the others took off in the canoe. The friendship was doomed because of betrayal and selfishness. Sounds like the same reasons for a lot of emotionally damaged 'bowls' today.

The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them
to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them. 
~ Thomas Merton