Check Your Shoes

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Seven of Wands; from the Rumi Cards, You Are:

There's none so blind as those who will not listen.

― Neil Gaiman

The Seven of Wands is generally about standing up for yourself and defending your ideas - a worthy ideal. But this young man has a shoe on the right foot and a boot on the left, suggesting a lack of preparation. Perhaps the wielders of of the other staves are just trying to point out the holes in his theory or plans. They might not want to throw out his ideas, but simply patch them up so they hold water. Rumi's card warns about hyperfocus - having blinders (and ear plugs), attending to only what we seek and desire. That results in our whole identity being centered on one limited thing. Or, we could consider Dorothea Brande's words: "Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier." 

Still Time

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, Death; from the Rumi Cards, Whatever you look for, you are:

Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows 

an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draw it.

Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Joy follows 

a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves. 

~ Dhammapada (Eknath Easwaran translation)

          When the Buddha spoke of the mind, he wasn't just referring to thoughts, but also feelings and volition. The mind's habitual patterns shape the kind of experiences we'll have in this life. Both these cards made me wonder what would be engraved on my gravestone (or stuck on my Folger's can, since I plan to be cremated). Imagine that an accountant could add up my entire life's thoughts, feelings and motives, then would use the top thing of each category as my epitaph. Would it read, "she thought most about checking her emails and texts?" Would the ranking of my feelings be topped by resentment or by compassion? And what would dominate the motive behind my actions - selfishness or benevolence? Skully on the death card reminds me that there's still time to leave behind some of those unflattering habits.