Social Connections

From the Light Seer's Tarot, the Knight of Wands; from the Tapestry Oracle, Pride:

If you're looking for a small, low-key get-together, you might not want to invite the Knight of Wands. When she's not in search of her next exciting adventure, she's ready to party and cut loose. But if you want to shake things up, send her an invitation. Most everyone will enjoy themselves because her enthusiasm is contagious, and she doesn't leave anyone out of the fun. Just don't look for her to help with the clean-up afterwards. Pride depicts a warrior who has lost his lower leg. Eifler suggests that when we experience any sort of physical or emotional trauma, it can make us hypervigilant with a determination not to ask for the help of others. The Knight of Wands would applaud his bravery but would also tell him that being an island unto oneself can be lonely and joyless. She'd advise him to take a risk, join the party, and meet someone new and different from himself.

The trouble is, once you filter out everybody that doesn't agree with you, all that's left is maybe this one retired surfer guy living in Idaho. ― Barbara Kingsolver

Emotional Resonance

This week I'll be using the Light Seer's Tarot, created by Chris-Anne Donnelly and published by Hay House. The other deck I'll be drawing from is the Tapestry Oracle, created and self-published by Kendall Eifler. Today's draws are the King of Cups and Source:

Have you ever been around someone who seems to have a tranquil influence no matter who or what they're dealing with? The King of Cups has that kind of composure and aura about him. Like the vibrating singing bowl he uses, his calmness can bring the agitated frequency of another in resonance with his own. Yet his emotional intelligence isn't just a part of his personality; he's had to develop it. He knows he must first regulate his own emotional state to be able to work with what's shown up on his doorstep. The Source card shows a figure rooted into the ground. Whether it's cognitive behavioral therapy, a spiritual practice or the use of creativity to channel our feelings, we all need a method that can center us when life is spinning like a dust devil. Once our nervous system dilutes and dissolves our stress hormones, our rational brain can come back online and help us deal competently with reality.

Good Advice

From the Neuzeit Tarot, the Queen of Pentacles; from Rory's Story Cubes, Whip:

The Queen of Pentacles uses material things to nurture others and keep her realm running smoothly. Yet she is quite aware that resources managed unwisely will dry up quickly, so she's learned to be resourceful rather than wasteful. She's an adherent to the adage "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without" when it comes to her own life. Yet the cracking Whip die suggests she might want to snap out of the depression era mentality just a tad. Often we generously give to others while thinking it would be wasteful to splurge on ourselves even occasionally. Yet Theodore Isaac Rubin has some good advice: "Treat yourself at least as well as you treat other people."

Choose the Surfboard

From the Neuzeit Tarot, Strength; from Rory's Story Cubes, Waves:

In the background of this card, there is sunshine and a rainbow on one side and an erupting volcano on the other. Our inner beast is generally purring when we're happy and things are going our way. But our lion often wants to shred the things (or people) that interfere with our contentment and security. Yet we don't have to be unemotional or numb to the difficulties we face, in fact we need the courage our beast can provide. The challenge is finding a sane, useful and fitting response. Waves represent the ups and downs that come to every person, no matter what. Do we meet and ride them, perhaps grounding ourselves in our chosen spirituality, or do we attempt to battle them and sink? Choose the surfboard.

Surfing is attitude dancing. ~Gerry Lopez

What's in Your Knapsack, Justice Thomas?

From the Neuzeit Tarot, the Knight of Swords; from Rory's Story Dice, Knapsack:

The Knight of Swords sits at a desk, looking a bit like a wacky lawyer. But he is logical and as sharp as his blade, make no mistake. He is a defender of justice and freedom, and I can't help thinking he would be as distressed as I am about the possibility of the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade. The fellow (of course it's a male) most in favor of having it struck down is Justice Clarence Thomas, who claims the Constitution is silent on abortion. Well yes, but it's also silent on leaf blowers, ignorant and entitled people, and tofu turkey, but that doesn't mean we have to get rid of them just because I'm not a fan. But the beginning of the Constitution does state that it was written to "promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty." I think what women choose to do with their bodies might fall under that, sir. It might be a religious or personal choice, but it damn sure shouldn't be a political one. Knapsack suggests what we carry with us that is often packed away and out of sight. It reminds me that before he was confirmed to the Court, attorney Anita Hill testified that Thomas had sexually harassed her when he was chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and she worked there as an adviser to him. This was decades before the #MeToo Movement, so Thomas was nominated anyway. Yet I have to wonder if Thomas doesn't harbor some sort of resentment against women because of being outed, hidden away in his own knapsack.

Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts? ~Justice Sonya Sotomayor

Knowing is Not Enough

From the Neuzeit Tarot, the Ace of Wands; from Rory's Story Cubes, Minarets:

The leafy growth on this wand suggests an opportunity for action that could bring some beneficial results. There are three faces on this Ace of Wands that seem to represent the past, present and future. I can't do anything about the past, and though I might influence the future, that would require me taking action today. The Minarets die shows Islamic towers that serve as a call to prayer. They are a reminder not to put off what needs to be done or get distracted. In the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, "Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do."

Inside Job

From the Neuzeit Tarot, the Hanged Man; from Rory's Story Cubes, Apple:

At the end of the day, you can't control the results; you can only control your effort level and your focus. ~Ben Zobrist

Hanging upside down, a man's plans and possessions pour out onto the ground. Sometimes it can feel like no matter what we do, nothing matters. But this would be oversimplifying things. The 'healthy' attitude that Apple implies suggests that we do have some input. Many external things we can't control, due to the fact that multiple causes and conditions come into play, including impermanence and change. Some things we do have influence over (though not complete control), like our physical and mental health. Yet our attitude and the choices we make are under our control and can make a huge difference in our outlook on life. Those moments of surrender and acceptance, like the egg in the bird's nest, hint at a rebirth in our perspective.