Scorched

This week I'll be using the Margarete Petersen Tarot, created by Petersen and published by Königs Furt. The oracle I'll be using is Elemental Dice, an idea developed by my good friend Carole Beasley. Today's card and dice roll are Mother of Feathers (Queen of Swords) and Wildfire (Fire + Darkness):

The lies we tell other people are nothing to the lies we tell ourselves.

―Derek Landy

Petersen's rendition of this Mother/Queen looks like a giant iris and pupil. Indeed, she is adept at perception and insight, able to see beyond the masks people wear. Part of the reason she is so good at knowing others is because she isn't afraid to look within at how her own mind works. She knows all too well how wishful hopes, strong opinions, and intense emotions can affect our ability to discern reality clearly. Wildfire, an uncontrolled fire that spreads rapidly in a natural area, is often started by something without any pernicious intention. Likewise, unasked for advice or observations - however well intentioned - may land on an unreceptive audience. Sometimes not lighting that fire is the better choice.

Reckoning and Responsibility

From the Margarete Petersen Tarot, the Ten of Feathers (Swords); from the Elemental Dice, Fire + Darkness (Wildfire):

 Talkin' 'bout your troubles and you never learn

Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel turn.

~ Blood, Sweat & Tears

          'Spinning' is a good description of the agitated state of the mind when we adamantly insist our ideas are the right ones and reality refuses to cooperate. Depending on our constitution, we can ride that carousel for a long time before falling off. Peterson's painting shows feathers coming to rest among the branches of a plant. When our beliefs eventually become grounded, we see them for what they are: assumptions, projections, and emotional thinking. Hopefully, that full moon will come out from behind the clouds, bringing the light of discernment. The dice roll of Wildfire inspired some research into what causes the majority of forest fires. Unsurprisingly, the National Park Service reports that 90% of wildland fires are caused by humans - unattended campfires, burning debris, discarded cigarettes, and arson. When our beliefs and perceptions are finally ground to dust, it is tempting to blame our situation on other people or situations (so that we look like the victim). Yet such thinking will only place us right back on that spinning wheel. Yet it would be better to accept responsibility than have to deal with another reckoning.