Self Subjugation

From the Navigators of the Mystic Sea Tarot, the Devil; from the Celtic Lenormand, 'Birch Rods/Whip:'

          Turk assigns the keyword 'subjugation' to the Devil, the act of controlling and subduing. We can be subjugated through pleasure (what we crave), through pain (what we fear or hate) and through ignorance (what we ignore). It looks like this card illustrates all three methods. How easy it is to 'put the ox's load on the cow' - in other words, to put the weight or blame on something or someone that doesn't deserve it. My attachments, aversions or the bag over my head is at the root of my suffering, not something external. The Birch Rods have both a negative and positive connotation: as self-punishment or as a way to clean and clear things up. The realization that I've screwed up can easily turn into self-hatred or criticism that doesn't help anything. That kind of guilt and aggression towards myself is just another link in the chain that will keep me in that hell hole. Yet if I can focus on self-compassion and kindness (rather than self-pity or self-indulgence), I'll find a way to free myself.

Googling for Answers

From the Navigators of the Mystic Sea Tarot, the Two of Swords; from the Celtic Lenormand, 'Clouds:'

          Some people, when faced with a difficult decision, simply pull the covers over their head and attempt to ignore the situation. Others go into combat mode, googling for information, talking to people who might have answers and checking for any studies or research. This fellow definitely falls into the second group; trying to stay balanced on that cylinder in the water is likely what motivates him. Humans don't tolerate uncertainty very well. Anxiety over not having solid ground beneath us can make us do some crazy things in search of the right answer. The Clouds card reinforces this sense of confusion and ambiguity. Yet it is in this groundless place where we can choose to open our mind beyond our preferences and prejudices, allowing us to dare to do what we've never done before.

I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity. ― Gilda Radner

Moods and Mirrors

From the Navigators of the Mystic Sea Tarot, the Queen of Cups; from the Celtic Lenormand, 'The Rider:'

          The Queen of Cups angles her crystal cup so that the moonbeams reflect on the ocean below. Turk assigns her the keyword 'fascination;' it is rather interesting to understand the moon's pull on the sea as well as how our moods affect our behavior. Being a good therapist, she doesn't take things personally because she is more curious about what is at the root of the emotional symptoms. Of course, even if she grasps what is causing the turbulence, it doesn't mean the person caught up in it will. Sometimes the chaos can be more alluring than the reason behind it. The Rider shows up from the Lenormand deck signaling an agent of change is in route. She doesn't just bring the information, she is the information. Adding a third person provides a mirror, as we tend to see the world as we are, not as it is. Hugh Prather explains it quite well:

If I feel aversion toward someone, if I find myself ignoring or turning away from someone in a group, I am probably avoiding within myself what this person represents that is true about me. If something that you do rankles me, I can know that your fault is my fault too. The criticism that hurts the most is the one that echoes my own self-condemnation. 

Clearing the Air

This week I'll be using the Navigators of the Mystic Sea Tarot, created by Julia Turk and published by U.S. Games. The other deck I'll be drawing from is the Celtic Lenormand, with artwork by Will Worthington and booklet by Chloe McCracken; it was also published by U.S. Games. Today's cards are the King of Swords and the 'Key:'

          Turk assigns the keyword 'purification' to this logical, intelligent King. He clears the air of any assumptions, rumors, misunderstandings and other false information. He separates what can be known through evidence with what is simply opinion made important with bluster. As Horace Walpole put it, "When people will not weed their own minds, they are apt to be overrun by nettles." The Key represents unlocking something that brings insight and breakthroughs. Now that the King has removed FEAR (false evidence appearing real), we can see the keyhole. Cutting away those emotional judgments allows reality to be seen with clarity. In order for the information supplied by the Key to be functional, we can be curious rather than adding more emotional labels. As Jack Kornfield encourages, "Look through this gate for the wisdom that lies there. — What matters now? — What would the wise one do now?"

Keep Your Eye on the Leg...

From the Restored Order Tarot, Intuition/Juno; from the Oracle of Kabbalah, 'Tet:'

Tet artwork by Allison Carter

          In this tarot deck, two major arcana cards have been added: Intuition/Juno and Truth/Jupiter. The companion book states, "In this stage Intuition seduces the ego to follow her - this seduction is the reason why traditionally Intuition is portrayed with one leg uncovered. The traveler must overcome vain personal insights." Intuition attempts to trick the ego so she can become the primary guide. Why? Because if the ego is doing the looking, it will interpret every symbol and bit of information it finds in a self-centered way. Juno was said to have given the peacock its 'eyes' to be all-seeing, giving her access to the past, present, and future. This card represents an understanding that is beyond the personal and the linear. Tet (which happens to be the first letter for 'peacock' in Hebrew), is shaped like an open container. It signifies a space for potential. Yet there is duality in this letter; it is the beginning letter for both 'purity' and 'impurity.' These cards combined offer a caution about being aware of what we put in our inner containers. It won't just affect us but will carry outward like ripples from a stone tossed into a lake. 

Directing the Mind

From the Restored Order Tarot, the Magician; from the Oracle of Kabbalah, 'Shin:'

Shin artwork by Ruth Councell

          With his tools on the table, the Magician uses his will to bring the energy of thought down to earth. It does no good to have available raw resources if there is no vision for their use. How that mental image becomes real depends on how he uses his will - to manipulate, intimidate and control or to nurture, heal and create. Shin's form looks much like three candle flames. It is one of the three 'mother letters' and symbolizes fire (the other two are Aleph/air and Mem/water). Seidman writes that it "burns away superficialities and gets to the core experience." Even when things are dark, it like the coal that still has burning embers inside it, waiting on a breeze or breath to bring it to life again. Anger, divisiveness, and hatred can stir the Magician's will, or on the other hand, kindness, connection, and compassion can ignite it. The mindset that kindles the flame will create a material counterpart.

Whatever harm an enemy may do to an enemy, or a hater to a hater,

an ill-directed mind inflicts on oneself a greater harm.

~ Dhammapada

The Seeds Within

From the Restored Order Tarot, the Priestess; from the Oracle of Kabbalah, 'Dalet:'

 Dalet artwork by Tina Spiro

          The Priestess personifies sacred wisdom, not necessarily in a religious sense, but sacred because it has the power to transform. The pomegranates on her veil are split open, revealing the seeds inside. According to Jewish tradition, the pomegranate has 613 seeds, which correspond to the 613 mitzvot (precepts and commandments). But the seeds the Priestess offers don't come from outside ourselves; the hidden treasure of knowledge is within each of us. She encourages us to look beyond the ego (which prefers things to be black or white) to a spaciousness that is without manmade, fabricated boundaries. Here we find an awareness that contains both wisdom and compassion. The Hebrew letter Dalet's root means 'door,' and it gives us the opportunity to transition to something better. Seidman suggests that recognizing this opportunity depends on our humility, understanding that "We are not separate, and we are not self-sufficient. Rather, we are connected to and dependent upon everything." Both these cards imply a benevolent perspective capable of seeing beyond self-centered ideas and desires.