Balanced Thinking

From the Swietlistej Drogi, Justice; from the Mirrors of the Heart, 'Growth:'

          Justice seems to be balanced on a tasseled, giant thumbtack as she holds a set of scales. Any judge worth his or her salt must be aware of how their background has shaped their beliefs, prejudices, and preferences. In the words of SCJ Sonia Sotomayor, "I willingly accept that we who judge must not deny the differences resulting from experience and heritage but attempt, as the Supreme Court suggests, continuously to judge when those opinions, sympathies and prejudices are appropriate." Awareness and honesty play a vital role in whether that thumbtack will stick upright or tilt. The Growth card shows a plant rising upward through the mud and water to find the sky. It is challenging to grow beyond personal experience and knowledge, to be able to admit ignorance rather than adamantly stick to our script. Only then will we find clarity and wisdom.

You've never seen me debate anybody. On anything. Ever. My investment of time, as an educator, in my judgment, is best served teaching people how to think about the world around them. Teach them how to pose a question. How to judge whether one thing is true versus another. 

 ~Neil deGrasse Tyson

Safe and Sane

This week I'll be using the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot (Tarot of the Radiant Path), created by Alla Alicja Chrzanowska and published by Studio Astropsychologii. I'll also be drawing from the oracle Mirrors of the Heart, created and self-published by Lily S. May. Today's draws are the Queen of Pentacles and 'Light:'

          This Queen appears to be putting thoughts of love and comfort into each basket of food that she sends out to those in need. For her, nurturing and kindness take on a physical form that goes far beyond a feeling of obligation. In the words of James Ricklef, "Caring for others out of love is a joy; doing it out of a sense of duty is a burden. Choose well." The Light card from the Mirrors deck illuminates the two opposing political viewpoints in America. For one side, everything is a battle; they feel we must fight and conquer all who have opposing views. On the other side, there is an acknowledgment of darkness and the problems it brings. But instead of going to war, there is the idea of looking for creative solutions and nurturing seeds of goodness to balance things out. The Light looks to the well-being of all, not destruction and hatred. In the words of John F. Kennedy, "We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us thru that darkness to a safe and sane future."

Mastery through Discipline

From the Tarrochi Celtici, the Nine of Air; from the Art of Asia Oracle, Ito Jakuchu's "Octopus and Fish:"

          While one pixie stands on a holly leaf and sounds a call to action, two other pixies struggle with swords that seem to be stuck. The holly represents intensity - that feeling of needing to do something that will create positive action NOW. Imaginative people and intellectuals can get stuck much like those swords; they easily imagine everything that can go wrong and often overwhelm themselves with too much information. The ogham for this card is Tinne, suggesting mastery (in this case, of the mind). As Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard explains, "You stop being always projected outside. You start looking in and seeing how your mind works, and you change your mind, thought by thought." The quote paired with Jakuchu's work is from H. Jackson Brown, Jr.: "Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways." Just as people can get physically fit through training, so too can the mind be trained.

Deep Part of Darkness

From the Tarrochi Celtici, the Knight of Fire; from the Art of Asia Oracle, "Winter Moon on Toyama Plain" by Takahashi Shotei:

          Wrapped up with what appears to be a coral snake (though the 'red on black' pattern identifies it is a nonvenomous scarlet kingsnake), this Knight also holds linking 'S' hooks that might hang a cooking pot over a fire. Her totem is a boar, one of the most frequently depicted animals in ancient Celtic art associated with warriors. While she likes to be known as a badass adrenaline junkie, the ivy and ogham (Gort) paired with this card point out her liabilities. The Knight of Fire has not yet learned that cooperation can aid her growth in greater ways than competition. The verse for Shotei's work comes from Robert Bly: "The moon has her porches turned to face the light, but the deep part of her house in the darkness." It's possible that some time spent in self-assessment might shine some light on the benefits of having allies rather than just competitors.

Detachment with Connection

From the Tarrochi Celtici, the Five of Air; from the Art of Asia Oracle, Fang Chuxiong's "Monkeys Grooming:"

          One pixie, dressed as a raven, flies over another who is napping rather than working. The raven pixie is probably aggravated that his buddy is napping and making music rather than shoes. Although he might scare him enough to get back to work, it's doubtful that it will have more than a limited effect on the lazy pixie. People who haven't learned how to maturely communicate their needs to others will try to control/manipulate, people-please or withdraw/stonewall to get their way. Yet Chuxiong's artwork shows another approach, along with the paired quote from Stanley Kunitz: "Touch me, remind me who I am." Through compassion, we can realize that others will not always agree with us because we are different; we can be detached from a person's opinions while still being connected to the person. People don't do things because of who I am but because of who they are. Not taking things personally may offer an opening for discussion.

Power Boost

From the Tarrochi Celtici, the Three of Water; from the Art of Asia Oracle, "Old Man and Tortoise" by Fan Zeng:

          The water nymphs work and play under the watchful eye of a rowan tree. This tree symbolizes personal power because it grows higher up the sides of mountains than any other native tree, often growing in the most inaccessible of spots. The ogam for this card is Luis, a letter representing the attribute of inspiration. Being the in the company of friends or family who have no ulterior motive other than support and love can both empower and inspire us. These relationships can boost our confidence and help us follow our dreams. Yet the Aesop quote paired with Zeng's painting offers a suggestion to pace ourselves rather than become overexcited: "Slow and steady wins the race."

Raising a Ruckus

This week I'll be using the Tarocchi Celtici, created by Laura Tuan and published by De Vecchi Italia. Paired with it will be the Art of Asia, an oracle I created for my personal use. Today's draws are the Queen of Air and Hiroshige's "Eagle Over 1000 Acre Plain at Susaki, Fukagawa:"

          The Queen of Air (owl) is all about blunt communication, whether I want to hear it or not. She's enlisted the help of some flying pixies to raise some noise to get my attention. But this particular card is also connected to the Celtic Ogam Ngetal, associated with healing, and Reed connected to harmony. The Queen of Air doesn't raise a ruckus without reason; she knows that sometimes wounds need to be exposed and cleaned before they will heal. The quote attached to Hiroshige's work is from Robert Green Ingersoll: "A freethinker is an eagle parting the clouds with tireless wing." Harmony will come only when small minds can expand beyond the constrictive boundaries of personal opinion and knowledge. In Tuan's illustration, one pixie sits on a Celtic clasp of a horse and rider with the horse holding a human head. Sometimes I need to try on another person's mind in order to see from a wider perspective.