Joy Received and Given

From the Roots of Asia Tarot, the Three of Cups; from the Mah Jongg Oracle, Pearl:

Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half sorrow.

~Swedish Proverb 

          The cup at the top of this card pouring out its contents into the other two reminds me of sympathetic joy. This type of joy is pleasure derived from someone else's well-being and good fortune. It takes an open heart to welcome another person's happiness. All too often we are jealous or resentful; it seems we are better at gloating over another's misfortunes. But as the Dalai Lama explains it, there are so many people in this world, it simply makes sense to make their happiness a source of our own. Then our chances of experiencing joy “are enhanced six billion to one,” he says. “Those are very good odds.” The Pearl ('Moon at the Bottom of the Sea') suggests honor, but not simply because of the knowledge, power or resources we hold. It is earned respect because of the generous and compassionate way we use those things.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. ~Maya Angelou

Mindfulness and Reflection

This week I'll be using the Roots of Asia Tarot, created by Amnart Klanprachar with Thaworn Boonyawan and published by AGM Müller. I'll also be using the Mah Jongg Oracle, created by Derek Walters and published by Thunder Bay Press. Today's cards are the Nine of Pentacles and Peacock:

          This particular Nine of Pentacles has been given the name 'The Ripening of the Fruit of Life.' The elephants with the coins held in their trunks reminded me of something Eknath Easwaran wrote in his Mantram Handbook: "In the Hindu tradition, we often compare the mind to the trunk of an elephant - restless, inquisitive and always straying. But the wise mahout, if he knows his elephant well, will just give that trunk a short bamboo stick to hold on to before the procession starts." Any kind of success begins with the discipline of the mind to prevent distraction from what is important. Mah Jongg Peacock represents success, but there is also a seed of pride that can lead to vanity and arrogance. The woman in the card holds a mirror, a symbol of reflection and contemplation. If she is wise, she will recognize that having one's basic needs met and being able to live comfortably are reasons for gratitude rather than preening.

The world is a looking glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.

~William Makepeace Thackeray

Appropriate Response

From the Daniloff Tarot, Strength; from the Kuan Yin Oracle, verse 80:

 artwork by Utagawa Hiroshige

          Look closely in the arch above this woman's head; a dragon appears on one side and a man with a club on the other. We learn at an early age that to get what we want we should use manipulation or intimidation. But if we work on developing emotional and spiritual maturity, we find another way - that of courage and compassion. Our inner lion doesn't disappear but instead is used for care and protection, not a power drive. The Kuan Yin verse reads:

Sun and moon shine in the clear heaven.

A powerful highly placed person

guides you through all obstacles.

Everything acts to further.

This verse speaks of discernment, the ability to see reality clearly. But when our opinions or emotional state clouds the issues, the courage of Strength can help us reach out for help with clarity so we can respond appropriately.

                               

Falling Elevator

From the Daniloff Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Kuan Yin Oracle, verse 59:

Artwork by Elizabeth Keith

 If we watch ourselves honestly we shall often find that we have begun to argue against a new idea even before it has been completely stated. ~Wilfred Trotter

          Some of us find ourselves in the elevator of life rushing toward the ground and headed for a crash. Even so, we hang onto old ideas and beliefs that got us in this situation, believing things might magically turn around. But every now and then we can become so miserable and hopeless that we are willing to listen and entertain some different views and suggestions. If we act, we might have a chance to hit that emergency stop button before we hit bottom. The Kuan Yin verse reads:

Climbing a tower

when you want to hide

makes about as much sense as holding your breath

because you are trapped in a thorny jungle. 

Besides sticking to our guns or being open-minded, we can choose a third option: we stick our head in the sand. We pretend if we don't acknowledge it, it will go away. That makes as much sense as jumping from that tower and expecting to sprout wings. If we want something different, we must learn to think and act differently.

New Normal

From the Daniloff Tarot, the Ten of Wands; from the Kuan Yin Oracle, verse 14:

Some days the memories still knock the wind out of me.

~ Anonymous

          This poor fellow stumbles forward with quite a load of wood. Unlike the usual Ten of Wands, he's not moving up a hill but through a vesica piscis - a symbol often used in the World card to denote conclusion or completion. His tenacious spirit (and probably a strong sense of purpose) got him to the finish line. The Kuan Yin verse reads:

Like a spirit crane that leaves his cage,

You can fly wherever you choose.

North, South, East or West offer no obstacles.

Even the Ninth Paradise has opened its gate.

Even when we come to the end of our commitments and obligations, we may still feel and act as if in a cage. We've become so habituated to being on guard, dealing with crises, and trying to stay at least halfway sane, we often still act as if we are still in the situation that we're now free from. We have to retrain our minds and bodies to live in a new normal. It might take a while before we can relax and enjoy it.

Let Go Completely

From the Daniloff Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Kuan Yin Oracle, verse 5:

 artwork by Hasui Kawase

         I've never seen a Six of Swords illustrated with all of the swords left behind on the shore. But it makes sense to leave behind ideas that were the cause of distress and problems to go in search of better ones. It reminds me of a line from the AA basic text that states, "Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely." It might feel as if we will disappear if we let go of the way we think - identity is so attached to our thoughts and feelings. Yet that 'self' is simply a mental construct. Verse 5 of the Kuan Yin Oracle reads:

Pine and cypress grow and flourish,

Rain, snow, and frost cannot harm them.

One day, people will use their wood.

They are the beams and pillars of our world.

Clearing and plowing the mind's field allows us to plant new seeds that might grow something more useful and wholesome than the weeds and briers we've had there. It will take time to nurture these new seeds, but in the process, we will get to know and understand them deeply.

Soggy Feathers

From the Daniloff Tarot, the Moon; from the Kuan Yin Oracle, verse 93:

          Research has shown that thought suppression (actively trying not to think about something) is of no benefit when it comes to trying to control our behavior. We actually increase the behavior that we were hoping to avoid. On the other hand, studies have found that the expression of our thoughts creates a better outcome when we're attempting to change. Otherwise, we often get triggered by something and act, leaving us feeling as if it unintentionally 'just happened.' Perhaps that crustacean coming out of the water is a hint that some feelings and thoughts need to be aired. Verse 93 from the Kuan Yin Oracle reads:

Even a sparrow does not respect a phoenix

whose feathers are soaked in the rain.

One day the heavens will clear

and her soggy feathers will change back to a cloak.

The flip side of the coin is that we don't need to overanalyze and talk about nothing else but our thoughts or feelings either, ending up with soggy feathers that won't let us fly. Being honest about how we feel or think, we can begin to replace old habits and patterns with new ones. It won't happen overnight, but one day we might find ourselves unexpectedly wearing a lovely feathered cloak.