Dust Them Off

From the Gaian Tarot, the Magician; from the Goddess Oracle, Sophia:

This Magician would never let his djembe collect dust; it is a tool he uses to create the music that fills him with joy. Yet it is easy to forget the tools and resources we have (especially if we're busy comparing ourselves to others). We have our passion, our relationships, our mind, and material possessions (including our body) to work with. Why not make something joyful with them? Sophia is the personification of holy wisdom. She is more than common sense and strategic planning; she understands what is beneficial. As Ajahn Brahm described, "wisdom is warm and full of humor." Manifesting our own joy need not subtract from another's.

Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious.

― Zhuangzi

New Source

From the Gaian Tarot, the Four of Water (Cups); from the Goddess Oracle, the Corn Woman:

A woman gazes into Glastonbury's Chalice Well, a symbol of the depth of emotion. With the Four of Cups, it represents emotional satiation, when we feel like we just can't take any more sadness, anxiety, irritation, chaos or whatever has caused our cup to stagnate. Yet why is she still staring in that well? The Corn Woman, a goddess of indigenous cultures, offers nourishment. She reminds us that the empty cupboards that we keep opening, expecting them to bring us fulfillment, will only continue to disappoint. We must change our source if we want to find spiritual nourishment.

Remember, the entrance door to the sanctuary is inside you.

~Rumi

 

Personal Celebration

This week I'll be using the Gaian Tarot, a deck and book set created and self-published by Joanna Powell Colbert. I'll also be using the Goddess Oracle, a deck and book set created by Amy Sophia Marashinsky and illustrated by Hrana Janto. Today's draws are Four of Fire (Wands) and Maat:

Sometimes we need our own personal celebration or ceremony, one without invitations or fanfare. Maybe it is to express a deeply felt sense of gratitude, to mark a challenge met, or to build up our courage for an event soon to come. No matter how simple in appearance, these rites can have a powerful influence on our spirit. Maat, the Egyptian personification of truth and justice, reminds us to go forward with integrity. Having principles is important, but to maintain our wholeness, we need to act from them. When we do, we'll likely find we have a reason to create another sacred circle.

I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.

― Charlotte Brontë

Putting It All Together

From The Classic Tarot, the Nine of Staves; from the Constellations Deck, Libra:

Commit to doing something long enough, and our efforts will produce beneficial experience. We'll be quicker to discern a fluffy distraction from a detail that needs our attention. When we're close to the finish line, we develop a laser-like focus - much like that center rod - and block out nearly everything else. (Note there are no vines or blooms on this card.) Yet Libra, whose Latin meaning translates 'to balance or weigh,' warns us not to lose our equilibrium in the final stretch. We still need to take care of our own well-being and other obligations. It won't hurt us to pause, catch our breath and take care of a few necessities before we push on. 

The proportion of ingredients is important, but the final result is also a matter of how you put them together. ~Alain Ducasse

The Task at Hand

From The Classic Tarot, the Eight of Staves; from the Constellations Deck, Coma Berenice:

The Eight of Staves represents an efficient use of our creative energy - getting those projects done we've being putting off or that required a block of our time. The cut flowers on either end of the card imply something good coming from its completion, but the buds below them suggest there are other plans that will have to be ignored for now. Multitasking is not going to work if we want to bring this enterprise to its fruition. Coma Berenices (Berenice's hair) was named for Queen Berenice of Egypt who vowed to cut off her long, glorious mane of hair if her husband returned safely from war. When he did, she kept her promise. This constellation encourages us to fulfill the pledge we've made before we start making other commitments. Focus on the task at hand. 

Mimic Water's Movement

From The Classic Tarot, the Fool; from the Constellations Deck, Hydrus:

Unlike the RWS, this Fool is not a jester but a homeless wanderer. With his strange clothes (and missing a shoe), people were afraid of his eccentricity - enough to send a dog to chase him off. But on another level they envied his ability to travel life lightly, both in terms of material possessions and emotional contentment. He doesn't grasp at outer things to create his happiness; his wonder and enjoyment of life does that for him. The Fool's card is without a number, suggesting freedom and unlimited potential. Hydrus is named for a water snake, a group of snakes that spend a significant time in or near fresh water. I recently had an encounter with a red-bellied juvenile on my backporch (likely washed up from the storm drain); I used a pine cone gripper to relocate him elsewhere. Whether on land or in water, the snake's undulating movements mimic the movement of water. Both these cards offer the advice that we can glide through life happily if we don't get stuck by our demands for life to be a certain way.

Most emotions do not arise out of the immediate moment, but are generated by our self-centered demands that life be the way we want it to be. 

— Charlotte Joko Beck

It's Not a Question of How Many

From The Classic Tarot, the Queen of Staves; from the Constellations Deck, the Monoceros:

"Well, now that we HAVE seen each other," said the Unicorn, "if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you. Is that a bargain?"

~Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

Because she is so fierce in following her own passions and creative inclinations, the Queen of Staves has a gift for encouraging others to do the same. She will prod, cajole and support us so that we believe in our abilities enough to take a leap of faith. Sometimes her enthusiasm and confidence in us is enough to motivate us to give something a try. In today's world of competition and looking out for one's self, her dedication is as rare as the mythological unicorn for which this constellation is named. The thing is, we all have the ability to nurture the talents of another. And though our encouragement might not always have an effect, there might be a few for which it makes a huge difference - much like the story of the little boy tossing the starfish back into the ocean.