Glimmers of Light

From the Osho Zen Tarot, the Three of Cups; from the A'HA Oracle, Omniscience:

          Misery does love company, which is why we can always find someone to gripe or rant about a person or situation with us. That quality is a dime a dozen. But what I want is someone who knows how to see a glimmer of light in the darkness and who can find fun or humor in a frustrating situation. I don't want to be an Eeyore, I want to be a Pooh-bear (with a weekend here and there as a Tigger). And I want to hang out with people of the same mindset. Life is too short to spend it raging or whining (and I've done enough of that already). Omniscience means all-knowing, to perceive all things. No one wants to make a bad choice or miss an opportunity, which is why we go to fortune-tellers and read books on how to improve our intuition. But in my opinion, I think that is an impossible goal for humans; I'd settle instead for a bit of clarity. And spending time with the right kind of friends might grant me the ability to see with a wider vision.

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. ~Maya Angelou

Shadow Side of Nostalgia

From the Osho Zen Tarot, the Six of Cups; from the A'HA Oracle, Shadow:

          Give my brain a few moments of intense pleasure, and that experience will be filed away for life. Then when I'm annoyed with my current partner, I'll pull up a memory of a beau from the past and think, "Now that's the way life should be." The problem is, I conveniently forget the other one thousand ways the guy from the past was a jerk. Nostalgia can be an enjoyable activity as long as it doesn't keep me from living in the present. The Shadow card suggests I look at the parts of my personality of which I might be ashamed or afraid. My shadow shows itself in my interactions and relationships with others; what frustrates and annoys me about others is likely a denied trait or mindset I have myself. Yet when I acknowledge and accept it, I can better understand and accept that same side in others. Then I won't have to go fishing in the past to find something more palatable than the present.

Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. ~Carl Jung

Love as Space

This week I'll be using the Osho Zen Tarot, created by Ma Deva Padma with Osho and published by St. Martin's Press. I'll also be using the A'HA Oracle, created and self-published by Linnie Lambrechtsen. Today's draws are the Lovers and Temple of Gentle Reasoning:

Love is space. It is developing our own capacity for spaciousness within ourselves to allow others to be as they are. That is love. And that doesn’t mean that we don’t have hopes or wishes that things are changed or shifted, but that to come from a place of love is to be in acceptance of what is, even in the face of moving it towards something that is more whole, more just, more spacious for all of us.
—Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams

          This Lovers card has two images of the same set of partners, one of which is inside a heart. As Padma explains, there is a whole spectrum of love: "as we begin to mature, we can begin to experience the love that exists beyond sexuality and honors the unique individuality of the other." Sex, while exciting and pleasurable, is just the tip of the iceberg in deeply committed relationships. The Temple of Gentle Reasoning (the heart) resembles a stupa - a hemispherical structure containing relics of Buddhist teachers that is used as a place of meditation. It reminds me that true love requires me to look beyond any fixed ideas I might have about it, to allow it enough space and freedom so each individual can continue to develop over time. As one-half of a decades-old partnership, I am beginning to understand this wisdom.

Everything Depends

From the Tarot of the Hidden Realm, the Hanged Man; from the Heart of Faerie Oracle, the Queen of Owls:

 In this treacherous world

Nothing is the truth nor a lie.

Everything depends on the color

Of the crystal through which one sees it.

– Pedro Calderon de la Barca

          This young fairy hit a brick wall, trying to force, manipulate or at least pretend something is as he wants it to be. But he has finally had an epiphany; the world won't change for him, but he can change his perspective of it. The Queen of Owls is known for healing. Anyone who's been in physical pain long enough or had chronic health issues knows how it washes over every part of one's life. Yet there is primary pain and secondary pain; the first has organic causes and the second a mental origin that refuses to accept, magnifies fear and rages that life is unfair. It is the secondary pain we have a choice in through mindfulness and mind training. Life is hard, but we don't have to make it any harder than it already is.

Unfolding Moments

From the Tarot of the Hidden Realm, the Seven of Pentacles; from the Heart of Faerie Oracle, the Hidden One:

          Before there were sonograms and amniocentesis tests, the only real way to assess a pregnancy was by the health of the mom, an expanding belly and baby kicks or movement. Like so many projects or endeavors, often the final assessment can only be determined by the fruit born. Yet when patience is required, it's easy to become obsessed about things that we can't control. The Hidden One pops up (making us trip on the tree root or stump our toe) to remind us to get out of our head and pay attention to the rest of the world. The present moment is the only one in which we have a genuine choice.

Patience is a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and

accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time.

― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Core Courage

From the Tarot of the Hidden Realm, the Six of Wands; from the Heart of Faerie Oracle, the Faerie of Growth:

I accept that no one is coming to make my life right, or save me, or redeem my childhood, or rescue me from the consequences of my choices and actions.

― Nathaniel Branden

          We all experience them - the dark nights of the soul that crush our bones, constrict our breath and make us want to curl up and do anything but face what life has left on our doorstep. Yet this young fairy has reached deeply into her heart and mind to find the courage to keep going. Not just to slog through each day, but actively looking for any beauty and kindness to be found there. This is her victory, not over some external force, but over the internal darkness that attempts to drag her into its depths. The Faerie of Growth implies two actions: movement and change. Nothing positive can happen if we don't participate with a sincere effort. Perhaps she can help us acknowledge and affirm Branden's words: "I accept the reality of my problems, but I am not defined by them. My problems are not my essence. My fear, pain, confusion, or mistakes are not my core."

Choosing Happiness

From the Tarot of the Hidden Realm, the Ten of Cups; from the Heart of Faerie Oracle, the Prince of Light:

          This turns the 'what's in it for me' version of the Ten of Cups on its head. An older fairy woman uses rose petals and lavender to send out blessings to her loved ones. She recognizes her good fortune in the relationships she's had over the years; though some have passed, she still retains the love they shared with her. She finds joy and contentment in the achievements and opportunities of others rather than being envious or judgmental. Her heart has been opened by hardship, rather than closed by it. The Prince of Light comes to bring peace and compassion among individuals. He helps us move beyond our ideas of entitlement and encourages a generosity of the heart. If we lay aside self-centered concerns and consider what is good and beneficial for all involved, how might our view of a situation or relationship change?

The joy of letting go comes from insight into what truly brings happiness and suffering, and choosing the lasting happiness. Letting go may take some work but it can be a joyous relief.

—Hai An