Opposing Points

  From the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot, the Two of Swords:

Two people sit over a book of scriptures, each trying to make their point in an argument.  Do I think one will ever convince the other that his ideas are right?  Doubtful.  We humans tend to wear our opinions like badges - "say it loud, say it proud" is our motto.  Just look at the proliferation of sects and denominations of religions we have.  I don't mind listening to another person's thoughts about something, but I'd prefer not to have their opinion shoved down my throat.  Manners, people, manners...

     From the Mirrors of the Heart comes "Openness:"

What a great image to illustrate this concept.  The light shining above the woman's head and the shining heart on her chest let me know she is open to ideas and her feelings (no prejudgments).  The two birds, one black and one white, tell me that she doesn't see in dualities - all or nothing, black or white.  She sees everything on a continuum, so she doesn't need a lot of labels like good/bad or right/wrong.  Yet her feet are firmly rooted in the earth, so I know she's not going to run off to every new seminar or join the latest group that she hears about.  Just because she's open doesn't mean she leaves her common sense behind.

Lights in the Darkness

From the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot, the Page of Cups:

“It is usually taken for granted that you dream of something that has made a particularly strong impression on you during the day, but it seems to me it´s just the contrary. Often it´s something you paid no attention to at the time -- a vague thought that you didn´t bother to think out to the end, words spoken without feeling and which passed unnoticed -- these are the things that return at night, clothed in flesh and blood, and they become the subjects of dreams, as if to make up for having been ignored during waking hours.” ~ Boris Pasternak

Here's one sensitive young man who not only doesn't ignore his dreams, he actively participates in them.  He knows his dreams, intuition, and imagination are there to help guide him, nudging him along the path.  They're not a waste of time; they are lights in the darkness.

     From the Mirrors of the Heart deck comes "Love:"

“You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not.” ~ Jodi Picoult

The noun "love" is easy to banter about, but the verb "love" is another thing altogether.  Can I love those who don't love me back?  Can I love those whose philosophies are at opposite ends of the spectrum from me?  This kind of love requires tolerance, respect and kindness.  The bird on the girl's head and the heart at her throat remind me that thoughts and words are a part of it.  Not an easy verb to put into action...

Walking on Rainbows

From the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot, the Fool:

"...the child has not yet become a slave of the expectations of habit... He comes utterly without preconceived opinions... The child perceives the world as it is, without putting more into things than he experiences” ~ Jostein Gaarder

There are days when I am world-weary and days when I delight in wonder.  I wish it were as easy to turn off my expectations and preconceptions as it were a light switch.  In the image above, the snake that sheds its skin and the butterflies that have changed from caterpillars remind me what worlds can open up - how I can be transformed - when I stay in the moment and trust the process.  And while my logic tells me that kid is trying to walk on something that isn't solid, another part of me knows that this chair I'm sitting on isn't either...

     From the Mirrors of the Heart deck comes "Trust:"

When I first saw this card, I didn't like it, but not because it is so simple.  I wanted to understand what I was looking at.  Is it a shadow on a stone?  Is it a figure under a sheet?  I wanted to know, yet I couldn't, as there is no booklet that comes with this deck.  I am a naturally curious person who likes to observe, make notes, analyze, and figure things out.  And if I can't decipher it myself, then surely there must be a book or something on the internet that will inform me...  Trusting in what I can't see or know is a tough one.  But I know it is in that place of unknowing, that place of mystery, where I will find serenity and beauty.

Rise and Shine

From the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot, the Tower:

A bulky, muscle-bound fellow runs for cover, trying to ward off debris that is exploding around him.  As the saying goes, "You can run but you can't hide."  Life is full of unexpected changes for everyone, regardless of a person's money, religion, power, or physical abilities.  The experience may feel like the world is crashing down, and the pieces will never fit together again.  Actually, that is the point.  If I've built a wall to protect me from opening my eyes and mind (reality), the Universe has a not-so-subtle way of giving me a head slap.  It's not meant as a punishment, but as a way to prod me out of the concrete cubicle I've created for myself.  The pieces will fit back together, it will just be a different picture than before.

     From the Mirrors of the Heart deck comes "Awakening:"

Two "seed people" lie buried in the ground, but a third has begun to emerge above ground.  Why is it that sometimes we walk around, aware of all that is around us, and other times we do our best to ignore all the nudges the Universe uses in an attempt to wake us up?  Personally, I would much prefer a tap on the shoulder to a two-by-four upside my head.  Here's to a day committed to having all my senses fully awake...

LSD

From the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot, the Knight of Pentacles:

“LSD stands out for learning to slow down.” ~ Santosh Kalwar

With most knights, you think of them charging (or at least trotting) off into the horizon, but this knight isn't even on his horse.  He's sniffing flowers and writing in a ledger instead.  Of course with the three bars of gold and the abundance of fruits and flowers behind him, it looks like he has plenty to take care of right where he is now.    He encourages me to keep a steady, slow pace and carefully focus on the details.  Its better to take my time and get things right the first time than to have to go back and correct my mistakes later.

     From the Mirrors of the Heart comes "Courage:"

The clock on its back surrounded by leaves reminds me of a sundial, and the difference between moving by time set by humans and time set by nature.  Courage, I believe, is much easier when you have to act quickly and don't have any time to think about what you're doing.  But courage that truly shows its colors is the kind that sits patiently with the pain of a friend going through the grief of losing a loved one; it can be seen in  waiting with hope for a diagnosis to come back from the lab or in caring for an elderly parent.  Courage comes in many shades, but the one that runs on nature's time is the one that requires a full heart.

Lumps of Sugar and Sleep

From the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot, the Queen of Wands:

There's no doubt this woman if full of fire - she's surrounded by it.  The ram's horns over her throne suggest she's used to getting her way, but she doesn't have to butt heads to do it.  She's got plenty of charisma and charm; if she wants to get you to do something, you'll feel like you have your own personal cheerleader and life coach wrapped into one.  The web-like throw on the arm of her throne implies that her business is to knit groups of people together for a common goal.  This queen is wired to follow her passion, but you can be sure she'll have a posse of folks with her for support as she rides out on her quest.  She reminds me that if I want to lead a horse to water, lumps of sugar work much better than a whip.

     From the Mirrors of the Heart Oracle comes "Quiet:"

There are times when I am writing or in the middle of a project, and I hit a brick wall.  I can't seem to find a solution or direction anywhere.  I'm a "let's get it done now" type, so giving things a rest are not in my nature.  But if I will take time out, whether through meditation, a walk outdoors, or a good night's sleep, it seems like the answers pop miraculously in my head.  Letting go to let things in...

Fictional Assumptions

This week I'll be using a Polish deck, the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot, created by Alla Alicja Chrzanowska and Alina Konwinska.  Today's draw is the Nine of Swords:

A man sits forlornly in a chair with a book in his lap, swords beneath him, and floating bubbles above him.  Swords often represent thoughts, and this particular card reminds me how they can be beneficial or detrimental.  All of his worries and anxieties are represented by the bubbles drifting overhead; the book symbolizes the ways he's tried to find a solution to his problems.  But as Einstein wisely said, "Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them."  What this fellow hasn't realized is that there is very little substance to those bubbles - they are just created by his expectations and assumptions.  If he would only pick up one of those swords (a new way of thinking), he could eliminate them by seeing they are not based in reality.

     The oracle deck I'll be using this week was created by Lily S. May using carved linocut prints.  This morning's card is "Respect:"

How would your life be different if…You stopped making negative judgmental assumptions about people you encounter? ~ Steve Maraboli

Respect, to me, means being courteous while at the same time recognizing my ideas and ways of living may be quite different from others.  This difference doesn't mean I need to fear them, nor does it mean I need to try to forcefully impose my mindset on them; rather, I might see what I can learn from them.