Sanity Filter

From Hadar's Le Veritable Tarot de Marseille, the Chariot; from the Greek Alphabet Runes, "Eta:"

       In the Chariot we see a triumph, or victory parade, which came after a major military success in Rome. At the beginning of the parade were the prisoners and spoils of war, and behind them came the general in his chariot followed by his soldiers. Yet the parade was also a religious rite; two white oxen were sacrificed when they reached Jupiter's temple. This card reminds me that for most any victory, discipline is needed. The faces on his shoulders suggest my personal likes and dislikes are not important now. I must become a master of myself and not allow my emotions and impulses to drag me hither and thither (like the oxen, they will be my sacrifice).
       Eta was derived from the Phoenician letter het, meaning "wall" or "fence." The words I say, the actions I take and the thoughts I think will all have consequences. If I want their effects to be productive and constructive, I need to send them through a sanity filter first. Some may be "wild broncos" not fit for pulling a chariot. It would be better to enclose them with a protective barrier instead.

Enough Already

From Hadar's Le Veritable Tarot de Marseille, the Ten of Batons; from the Greek Alphabet Runes, "Alpha:"

       This is definitely not an RWS version of the Ten of Wands. In Hadar's card, there are two crowns on either side of the woven batons. The booklet speaks of a "crowning achievement," and Bursten's two labels are "creating" and "enough already." Have you ever finished a project (and been pleased with the result), but then couldn't leave it alone? I often find myself rewriting something I've written or trying to fix something that is already complete. That is my perfectionist side coming out to play, and the best thing I can do with that part of myself is put her on a bus headed out of town.
       Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, is often thought to represent a new beginning. It is also used to describe the most powerful or assertive presence in a group. Perhaps the creative achievements I've finished will give me a confident push to start a fresh project. And that would definitely distract "Miss Perfection" from trying to stir the batter of a cake that's already been baked.

Pass the Baton

From Hadar's Le Veritable Tarot de Marseille, the Valet of Batons (Page of Wands); from the Greek Alphabet Runes, "Theta:"

       Bursten assigns the Valet the keyword "learning" and the suit of Batons "creating." This kid has some skills, but he still has a ways to go before he refines them. If he can continue to study, practice his art, and listen to those who've traveled this path before him, his competence will soon match his enthusiasm. I feel like this Valet today, because I had the first inquiry yesterday about the lojong deck I recently self-published. But when I went online yesterday to figure out international shipping, I was astounded at the rates they were charging. I think this Valet is going to have to temporarily exchange his baton for a pentacle.
       Theta was a symbol written on ballots in ancient Greece to indicate a sentence of death (thanatos). Its archaic letter form was drawn as a cross within a circle, signifying a wheel. Is this the end of the Valet's excitement and creativity? I think it probably is just a natural progression from art to business. I'm going to head down to the post office today and ask them what is the cheapest way to send my deck internationally, because I sure as heck don't want people to pay as much for postage as they do for the deck! Hopefully when I get organized on the marketing end of things, I can pick that baton back up again.
     
   

Connections Past and Present

From Hadar's Le Veritable Tarot de Marseille, the Six of Cups; from the Greek Alphabet Runes, "Upsilon:"

       Bursten assigns the Cups suit the keyword "interacting" and the the number six the phrase "keeping it going." When I compare the three flower blooms below the green star to the blooms above, the flowers below seem to be fading while the flowers on top appear at full bloom. No matter if the relationship is with a partner, family member or friend, what's in the past is in the past. Sure my history with them might be full of wonderful memories of good times, but you can't ride that horse forever into the present. Relationships need to be tended and nurtured if they are going to thrive.
       The Upsilon symbol is used in astrophysics to represent the ratio of the mass of a galaxy to its luminosity in solar units. If I were to apply this to people, I would think of measuring how charming and charismatic a person was. And though these are great qualities to have, they can become superficial in relationships. Those connections that last seem to have a deep intimacy that develops and grows over time. The golden allure might bring us together, but it's the close communion that will keep the relationship humming along.

Slightly Off-kilter

This week I'll be using Le Veritable Tarot de Marseille (The True Tarot of Marseilles) restored and reconstructed Kris Hadar and published by Mortagne. Lee Bursten's The Marseille Tarot Companion will be a resource for reading this deck. The oracle I'll be using is one I created myself called the Greek Alphabet Runes. AlaskaLaserMaid on Etsy burned the designs on cedar tiles for me. Today's draws are the Seven of Coins and "Sigma:"

       In his booklet, Burstens assigns "obtaining" to the Coins suit and "going deeper" to the number seven. This combined meaning made me think of the TV show The Voice that I've been watching lately. There are some contestants who have perfect pitch, rhythm and the vocal power to belt out the songs. But as I watch them on stage, they seem to lack something - passion. The coaches constantly tell the contestants they need to feel and relate to what they are singing about, otherwise the audience won't feel a connection to them or the song. The plant on this card looks healthy enough, but there are no blooms or fruits. Like the contestants and the plant, this card tells me I'm on the right track. But I still need to dig deeper and keep working to enhance and tweak my talents.
       Sigma when used as a symbol in mathematics specifies a summation operator. It signifies that the values to the right of it should be added together. Again there is a message of attending to the "whole package" rather than just looking at a few perfect details. It would be like a groom attending his wedding in a tux while wearing flip-flops. I need to step back and see what's off-kilter and correct it.

Dropping the Rock

From the Shining Tribe Tarot, the Fool; from the Animal Tiles, the "Otter:"

       The Fool card makes an appearance today after a long, stressful week, and it makes me feel as if I've put down a heavy burden I've been carrying. Why is it this Fool seems to fly instead of fall off that cliff? She's carefree - not weighted down by the regrets and frustrations of the past or her fearful expectations of the future. She's so immersed in the present moment that she has no restraints, mentally or emotionally. This draw reminds me of a paperweight I once saw that was engraved with the words, "What would you do if you weren't afraid to fail?" I believe I could fly (at least metaphorically).
       As you might have noticed by my avatar, I tend to have a lot of beaver energy - planning, building and maintaining. All that industriousness is not necessarily a bad thing, but Otter comes this morning to suggest I balance my work with play. I was reminded by a woman after the meeting yesterday that a big part of care-taking involves self-care. Now this is a woman who laughs loudly and often; she's full of otter energy. The more reasons I can find to laugh or smile, the lighter my worries will be (even if they don't disappear).

Sangha

From the Shining Tribe Tarot, Tradition (Hierophant); from the Animal Tiles, "Eagle:"

       The red stones (the tribe) have created a sacred space; the green pathways represent the physical realm, and the yellow the spiritual realm. Inside is a place where people can gain understanding, find sustenance and feel the safeness of a refuge. This place is much like the Buddhist sangha, a community of people who share the same spiritual goals and offer encouragement and support to each other. As I deal with a boatload of stress right now, I can see how such a supportive community could be of help. Yet I do have structure from the practices in my spiritual toolbox; these I need to rely on for now.
       The Eagle symbol often shows up in my life when I feel shredded on the inside due to situations beyond my control. It always brings me hope by helping me to look at my life from a wider perspective and see through different eyes besides my own. I am not the only one hurting right now, there are thousands of others sitting in my boat too. And while I can't change what is going on in the outside world, I can work on changing what is going on within me.