Careful Consideration

This week I'll be using the Prairie Tarot created by Robin Ator.  The card drawn for today is the Lovers:

It's a high noon showdown between the raven-haired beauty and the blonde bombshell - which one will he pick?  The Lovers card is about choice, but it goes deeper than a "chocolate or vanilla" decision.  It deals with commitment, a promise that involves obligation.  Such a pledge makes me wary, because I know on some level my freedom will be restricted by this choice.  If I'm going to be involved in something for the long haul, I need to give this decision careful consideration.

The oracle deck I'll be using this week is the Medicine Cards, created by Jamie Sams and David Carson, with illustrations by Angela Werneke.  This morning's card is "Hawk:"

Hawk is a messenger; his loud screech serves to wake up those who are mindlessly moving through the day.  Hawk's message is to pay attention; small details, body language, or words used are signals I need to be picking up on.  These are "red flags" that I may miss if I'm in too much of a hurry, or if my emotions are driving the choices I make.

Personality Conflict or Counterpart

From the World Spirit, the Two of Cups:

In the middle of a fairy ring, pleasure (Pan) and compassion (Kwan Yin) meet.  "Twos" deal with finding harmony with opposites.  This could very well be my husband and me - he's the procrastinator who loves spontaneity, and I have a "don't delay" mindset that loves organization.  You would think we would drive each other crazy, but usually we complement each other.  He helps me be more relaxed and I help him make sure the important things get done on time.  It's taken quite a few years to get to this place of harmony, but I'm sure glad we stuck it out.

From the Mystic Glyphs comes "Coyote:"

Coyote is the Trickster, who teaches me through humor and extremes to look at myself.  As the saying goes, "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable."  When I've gotten complacent with myself, this fellow will show up and gleefully point out my character defects.  I'll be looking out for that grin today...

Distractions

From the World Spirit Tarot, the Seven of Cups:

A woman dreams about what will fulfill her, but if she wants to find that contentment, she's ultimately going to have to make a choice and take action.  My problem is not a lack of effort, it's the choices I make.  Lately I've been choosing to do for others; nothing wrong in that, but I'm not making any time for myself.  I've been running from crisis to crisis, need to need, with no rest for the weary.  I feel dazed and in limbo, and now I wonder if I'm trying to distract myself from taking a look at something.  I don't know what my dreams or goals are, but it's time to stop, take a "me" moment, and find out.

From the Mystic Glyphs deck comes "Hawk:"

I saw a red-tail hawk on my walk this morning, so synchronicity seems to be at work.  Hawk's message is that I am not seeing the truth of a situation.  I need to pull away from what is distracting me and take an objective look at the big picture.  I'm going to need a really high tree to perch from...

Pause and Ask for Support

From the World Spirit Tarot, the Seven of Pentacles:

A satyr, with a goat and snake as companions, pauses to look at what the vine he has grown is producing.  All three of these animals represent fertility and creative energy, and I am reminded by them that my actions or inaction always produce results, some beneficial and some detrimental.  The thought here is to pause long enough to see exactly what I am creating instead of continuing to plod forward with blinders on.  I could be leaving thistles rather than fruit in my wake...

From the Mystic Glyphs deck comes "Work Unity:"

The outstretched hands in this glyph is an encouragement to ask for help and support in what I am trying to accomplish.  There is a person or a group that will complement my yang with yin (or vice versa), but first I must be willing to let them.  Intellectually I know it does not make me look weak to need another person, but I've got some deep roots growing in the "don't be such a wimp" soil to deal with...
  

Untangling Knots

From the World Spirit Tarot, Justice:

I hate being wrong and I hate making mistakes, but as I look at this card I see a set of tilted scales and know something in my life is out of balance.  On the other pillar sits a book of fire, a record of all deeds both good and bad.  If I could look myself up in it, what would the tally be for being honest/dishonest, selfish/unselfish, and fair/judgmental?  Deep down I know that it is not integrity I'm dealing with, but the need to rectify a situation in which I have not been impartial and have been concerned for only my welfare.  Time to set those scales aright...

From the Mystic Glyphs comes "Backward:"

This glyph suggests that I have missed something important or need to make amends for some action.  I have a chance to make things right, to pay attention to details, and get back on track.  Better to untangle the knot I have now than wait until it has become a massive, snarled mess I can do little about...

Don't Trouble Trouble

From the World Spirit Tarot, the Nine of Wands:

This guy's posture reminds me of a tennis player, ready to volley a ball as soon as it is served.  But he seems to have a smile on his face, which tells me that being alert doesn't have to mean being paranoid.  The authors write, "Dedication, discipline and persistence have prepared you for whatever comes your way, so don't get so geared up for trouble that you sit around waiting for it."  In other words, I don't need to create trouble that isn't there, I just need to keep my eyes open for situations I might need to handle, while I enjoy the rest of my day.

From the Mystic Glyphs deck comes "Deer:"

If anyone has had the pleasure of watching a deer from afar, you've seen how they swivel their ears around constantly on guard for any danger.  Yet this card's message is that I'm being too sensitive -  fear that isn't real is pushing my red alert buttons.  The anxiety may stem from my past that I've dragged into the present, or it may be from the influence of the people around me.  Regardless of where it's coming from, I need to take a deep breath and relax. 

Depths and Do-overs

From the World Spirit Tarot, the Seer (Page) of Cups:

I was pleasantly surprised to see the creators, O'Leary and Godino, dedicated this card to Pamela Colman Smith.  This Page is intuitive and emotionally sensitive; she might not be as intellectual as someone from the swords suit or a go-getter like those in the wands clan, but she knows how to connect on a deep level with others.  For me to connect my head with my heart often takes more than just reading words on a page.  Colman tapped into this ability through her artwork and storytelling.  Nate Summers, of WildernessAwareness.org, wrote in a recent newsletter: "If information is delivered in the form of a story, we tend to retain 70 percent of the information shared. If the information is just presented as statistics or dry facts, we only retain 10 percent of what is shared." Today's message encourages me to go beyond the surface of intellect to find the heart of wisdom.

From the Mystic Glyphs comes the card "Morning:"

Anyone who has ever spent time with a young child knows about the "do-over" when playing a game (especially when not playing well).  This morning is my do-over after a night with a migraine.  What a relief to realize the pain is gone.  Not only that, but after a long spell with no rain and hot, dry days, we finally had a good shower last night.  As the tarot card above reminds me to look below the surface, I see this as a new start.  If I don't like how my life is going, now is my chance to do something different.