Two-Way Street

From the Prairie Tarot, the Seven of Cups; from the Medicine Cards, Whale:

          A man stares at a blank canvas while multicolored cups dance above him. Where will he find emotional fulfillment - that person, group or purpose that could bring meaning and joy to his life? All the cups except one seem to be tilted so that anything in it would spill out. My guess is that these are avenues that have been tried before and found wanting. But the mind and heart like the familiar, and he might have a go one more time just in case it is different this go-round. The majestic Whale brings to mind a quote from Carl Sagan: "For most of their history, whales may have established a global communications network." Unfortunately, noise pollution in the oceans has disturbed the haunting songs of whales. Humans also have a communication problem, but theirs can't be blamed on anything outside themselves. We seek what we want and think will bring us happiness, but forget it depends upon a relationship with others. Do we bother asking them what they desire and expect? Do we discuss what we each are willing to give rather than just get? Relating requires connecting, and it's a two-way street.

Watch for the Follow-through

From the Prairie Tarot, the Seven of Swords; from the Medicine Cards, the Whale:

          The white man, standing in front of a group of teepees with swords hidden behind his back, automatically makes me think of the many promises given and broken to Native people. As Maya Angelou once said, "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." Whale, known as the Record Keeper (having been around for millions of years, first on land then migrating to the water), would agree. When there is a history of betrayal, trust should not be quickly extended just because someone says they are sorry. As Dale Carnegie encourages, "Pay less attention to what men say. Just watch what they do." Trust is earned by consistently following through with what has been promised.

A Practice without an End Goal

This week I'll be using Poppy Palin's Waking the Wild Spirit tarot deck, published by Llewellyn. I'll also be using the 2nd edition of her companion book, Stories of the Wild Spirit, published by Slippery Jacks Press. I'll also be drawing from Saltwater Reading Cards, created by Laura Bowen and published by Rockpool Publishing. Today's cards are the Two of Water (Cups) and 'Whale:'

          Palin's keyword for this Two of Water/Cups is 'dream,' but not the random nighttime kind. This is an intentional mental picture that turns the mind toward what is healing and what brings reconciliation. Many people who meditate for the first time (or irregularly) feel like it uncorks a bottle of nonstop, arbitrary thoughts and feelings. What they don't realize is that this is the same indiscriminate thinking that flows in the background of their mind all day long; without attention, it isn't noticed. Tonglen and Metta meditation are good examples of working with conditioned patterns - both cultivate tenderness and compassion towards ourselves and others. Yet sometimes spiritual work can make us feel like a self-improvement project that never shows much progress. Here Whale appears, breaching through the surface of the ocean and reminding us to take a breath of air. Psychiatrist Mark Epstein emphasizes that the point of meditation is not supposed to be goal-oriented. Instead, it allows us to objectively watch our thoughts and emotions so that we see them as impermanent rather than solid; there's no need to react to them. We can open to the flow of spacious 'nowness' always available to us - a fresh breath of air.

Past and future preoccupy us because we are trying to control things, while being in the present necessitates openness to the unexpected...We surrender to impermanence when we meditate. Wherever it may lead. ― Mark Epstein

Mentally and Acoustically Oriented

From the Prairie Tarot, the Page of Swords:

This fellow is as intellectually sharp as his sword, and his talents in observation and listening are highly tuned.  He reminds me of Sherlock on the new show "Elementary;" he almost exclusively relies on his brain to process information (see how he leans on his sword?), to the extent that he has almost no emotional sensitivity or tact.  All those leaves blowing around in the background are the stir he has caused by saying what was on his mind, which is often powerful because of his need to base everything on fact rather than opinion.  And of course there is nothing wrong with truth, but there is a way to be honest and respectful at the same time.

From the Medicine Cards comes "Whale:"

When I think of Whale, I think of the haunting songs it creates.  Cornell University researcher Christopher Clark stated, "With sound that is loud and low, in other words, 'beautifully designed' for long distance travel, the singing of a whale in the waters off Puerto Rico could carry 2,600km to the shores of Newfoundland."  Clark also notes that whales are highly acoustically oriented, with their consciousness and sense of self based on sound, not sight.  Would I change my tone and use my words more carefully if I were oriented in this same way?