Resisting Change

From the Middle Way Arcana, the Wheel of Fortune; from the Vertical Oracle, Zero Point:

The fact that impermanence and change govern our lives might seem obvious. It is less obvious that much of the confusion and anxiety we experience in our everyday lives comes from resisting change.

~David Nichtern

The Buddhist Wheel of Life shows six realms which illustrate how we relate to life and how such patterns can cause us misery. In the God Realm, there is blissful self-absorption, but also a niggling worry that things won't stay as good as they are now. In the Jealous Gods Realm, things are good but not as great as some have it, thus there is envy and constant comparison. In the Human Realm, our portions of pain and pleasure are driven by a longing for certainty. In the Animal Realm, rigid and defensive behaviors are an attempt to avoid all pain and discomfort. In the Hungry Ghost Realm, there is an addictive drive to fill an emptiness within us and find contentment. In the Hell Realm, anger and rage are the lens through which all of life is seen. Zero-point energy in quantum physics is the energy that remains when all other energy is removed from a system. In this case, it suggests we let go of our our struggle to force life into a form that we prefer. Instead, we can learn to relate to life with acceptance and adaptation; then our focus will be on flourishing rather than fighting.

Uncarved Block

This week I'll be using the Thoth Tarot, created by Aleister Crowley with Lady Frieda Harris and published by U.S. Games. As a companion book for this deck, I'll be utilizing The Crowley Tarot, written by Akron (Charles F. Frey) and Hajo Banzhaf. I will also be drawing from the Vertical Oracle, created by Antero Alli with Sylvie Pickering and published by Vertical Pool. Today's cards are the Hanged Man and "Zero Point:"

          To bring me to a point of powerlessness and surrender, I have to be like this fellow - metaphorically having my feet and hands immobilized. All the avenues for struggle and fight would have to be removed. Yet even then, the battle goes on internally in the mind. I can sort through every file I have in my memory, attempting to use logic to solve the problem. Hopefully I will eventually exhaust myself, allowing me to relax into reality. Through accepting "what is," I realize I can't know or solve everything. Uncertainty is an uncomfortable place for me, but if I can stay there long enough, answers might come in unexpected ways.
          In geometry, a single point contains the potential of all possibilities. If it expands evenly outward in all directions, it might become a circle; going straight in one direction, it might become a line. Alli suggests this is a fresh start, "a clarity born from surrender to the moment." The Hanged Man often shows up when I am like the line - I have a very specific goal and one way to get there. Zero Point, on the other hand, encourages me to be like Taoism's "uncarved block." I must empty myself of preconceived ideas and expectations, so I can become the point that expands in a whole new way.

Starting at Zero

From the Thoth Tarot, the Hanged Man:

Unlike the RWS Hanged Man, this fellow has his hands and one foot nailed into place - not much wiggle room there.  His enforced immobility reminds me of holidays at the lake or ocean when I was much younger.  Back then, parents believed you shouldn't swim right after eating, so we were required to sit still while our pimento cheese or bologna sandwiches digested (as we sadly watched the water lap the shore in the 100 degree heat) .  This fellow has something to digest too, except it is in his head rather than his stomach.  The upside down number 4 that he makes with his crossed leg indicates the material world has been put on hold; there is a sacrifice of "getting things done" in order to allow new ideas the space and stillness needed to seep into his brain.  Only then will he get to splash around in the water.

From the Vertical Oracle comes "Zero point:"

The zero point is the place where there is nothing - no dogma, opinions, labels or judgments.  It brings to mind the wooden, uncarved block of the Taoist or the empty cup of the Zen master.  There is only potential and possibilities from this place, with no past to regret or future to fear.  With the Hanged Man above, it encourages me to be still, let go of my baggage, and see from a completely new perspective.