Exceptional Days

This week I'll be using the Buckland Romani Tarot, created by Lissanne Lake and Raymond Buckland; this book and deck set was published by Galde Press. Along with it, I'll be using the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, created by Chief Archie Fire Lame Deer and Helene Sarkis; this deck and book set was published by Inner Traditions. Today's draws are the Ten of Bolers/Wagon Wheels (Pentacles) and 'Water:'

 Our life is what our thoughts make it.     

~Marcus Aurelius

          I believe many of us often have exceptional days in our lives like this Roma family - a safe place to live, food to eat, a companion or two and the wonders of nature to admire. But usually, some small frustration appears, like a long wait or an annoying phone call. Suddenly that is all we can see, ponder on, and talk about. We lose our perspective as we focus not on all the good around us, but on this one irritation that has suddenly mushroomed into a mountain. The verse for the Water card reads:

I am clarity and purity; therefore I am cleansing.

I am liquid and flowing; therefore I am change.

I bring forth life; therefore I am creativity.

I sustain life; therefore I am nurturing.

It's time for a mind cleanse when our focus becomes so narrow. We can change our thoughts by using our creative imagination, bringing back memories of joyful times in the past and reliving them. We can look with fresh eyes at all that nurtures us that we have taken for granted. If we do this regularly, we might be surprised to find just how many exceptional days we've been given.

The Duty of Love

From the Deirdre of Sorrows Tarot, the Hierophant; from the Victorian Flower Oracle, 'Lily:'

          Notice anything different about this Hierophant? He offers a blessing without anyone kneeling at his feet. Together with Lily (pure motives), I am reminded of Father Joe, a priest who shepherded an Episcopal church made up of a formerly all-white congregation and an all-black congregation after a flood destroyed one of their buildings. In second grade my daughter decided we needed to go to church, and after hearing good things about this one, I hesitantly decided to try it out. When I met Father Joe, I gave him a long list of things I didn't believe in and another list of things I highly doubted. He just smiled and said, "Come anyway." He knew that I needed a spiritual group to belong to more than I needed dogma to believe in. His church reminded me of AA whose preamble reads: "The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking." I wonder what the world would look like if all the churches were concerned with alleviating the suffering of the world rather than saving souls. Father Joe has been retired for several years now (and I haven't been to church in two decades), but I still consider him a dear friend and spiritual advisor.

The first duty of love is to listen.

~ Paul Tillich

Wall Sitting

From the Deirdre of Sorrows Tarot, the King of Wands; from the Victorian Flower Oracle, 'Wallflower:'

          Deirdre's King was fashioned on the mythical Finn of Irish lore (whose tales sometimes remind me of Paul Bunyan of American folklore).  His advice is not to procrastinate, pretending to plan extensively. But when you're around big personalities (and you happen to be an introvert), you might take Wallflower's timid approach. Yet if we choose either tactic, others will miss out on our companionship and perspective. Share a part of yourself, and give folks a chance to see your inner light.

What is the light? You are the light, with your ability to be conscious and mindful, and to act with wisdom and foresight. To serve the light means to show up—by which I mean, to be present—for yourself, as your best and highest self, and to show up for others in your life as well.

—Dawa Tarchin Phillips

Mind Games

From the Deirdre of Sorrows Tarot, the Five of Coins; from the Victorian Flower Oracle, 'Honeysuckle:'

          Barefoot with just a satchel under her arm, this woman appears to be running away. Perhaps the abuse at home got to be too much or she uncovered information that made it too dangerous to stay. Either way, she's in a position where she might feel destitute. Yet O'Donoghue writes in her companion book, "You are not bereft of friends and your life is better than you think." The Honeysuckle card suggests mind games, the convoluted ways we attempt to get our needs met. Rather than stating things directly, we throw out vague hints. We may not have learned how to do this or we may be frightened of rejection. But no one can offer help if they don't know it's needed. This is a time for courage and clarity, so turn on your hazard lights.

Secrets

This week I'll be using the Deirdre of the Sorrows Tarot, a self-published set created by Deirdre O'Donoghue and illustrated by Wayne McGuire. Along with it, I'll be drawing from the Victorian Flower Oracle, created by Alex Ukolov, Karen Mahony and Sheila Hamilton; it was published by Magic Realist Press. Today's draws are the Knight of Swords and 'Camellia:'

We've learned from experience that the truth will out.

~Richard P. Feynman 

This pairing of a truth seeker and a secret keeper remind me of Lancelot and Guinevere, Romeo and Juliet, and a busload of politicians. But as Feynman states, nothing stays hidden in the dark forever. If we truly grasped how our covert behavior would eventually be hung out on the laundry line for all to see, how it would hurt us and so many others, would we still be so eager to engage in it? Probably.

We have a secret, just we three, 

The robin, and I, and the sweet cherry-tree; 

The bird told the tree, and the tree told me, 

And nobody knows it but just us three. 

But of course the robin knows it best, 

Because she built the—I shan't tell the rest; 

And laid the four little—something in it—

I'm afraid I shall tell it every minute. 

But if the tree and the robin don't peep, 

I'll try my best the secret to keep; 

Though I know when the little birds fly about 

Then the whole secret will be out.

~The Golden Book of Poetry (1947)

Bigger Picture

From the Ferret Tarot, the Queen of Wands; from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, 'Bat:'

          An orchestra conductor is a fitting role for this Queen. She has a knack for seeing the talents in others, encouraging them to hone their gifts, and then gathering everyone together to create something beautiful or beneficial. Some may say she just likes being in charge and waving that baton around, but she actually has the vision and ability to create a cohesive whole. She is like the Bat, often spoken badly of, but truly with a good side. Bats eat hundreds of mosquitoes and other insects each night, as well as help pollinate plants. Both the person and the animal can be seen in a more favorable light if the focus is not on nit-picking their qualities but looking from a larger frame of reference.

All that is made seems planless to the darkened mind,

because there are more plans than it looked for. ― C.S. Lewis

Without the Mental Baggage

From the Ferret Tarot, the Magician; from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, the 'Sloth:'

          Rhonda Byrne has made lots of money from her books The Secret and The Power, which preach the Law of Attraction. Basically, this philosophy states that whatever you experience in life is a direct result of your thoughts. Literally, what is focused on will appear. People often use the Buddha's words in the Dhammapada to support this:

All experience is preceded by mind, 

Led by mind, Made by mind.

Speak or act with a corrupted mind,

And suffering follows

As the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox.

Though both advocate being mindful of our thoughts, Buddha was talking about the unhappiness we cause ourselves by resisting reality through our attachments (what we crave) and aversions (what we hate). Rather than focus on the outcome, he suggests focusing on what is with clarity and acceptance. The Buddha wants the Magician to widen his perspective, not narrow it. And when he does, he might find many untapped skills and resources. The Sloth reinforces this relaxed view, encouraging us to let go of our rigid opinions and expectations. Move, but without lugging along all that baggage.