Wider Than What Hurts

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, the Hag of Air (King of Swords); from the Tattwa Cards, Water/Seed of Fire:

Dhumavati ("the smoky one") is a widowed Hindu goddess associated with all things considered inauspicious. Though she personifies the dark side of life, Dhumavati is included as one of the ten wisdom goddesses. When life is full of sorrow, frustration and pain, she tells us to embrace life rather than curse it, to maintain a wide perspective. As Mark Nepo reminds us, "When we narrow our focus, the problem seems everything." Water/Seed of Fire is a combination of opposites, thus its key phrase 'creative tension.' Is it possible for two things to be true, that life is full of joy as well as suffering? Nepo's advice is helpful: "In actuality, misery is a moment of suffering allowed to become everything. So, when feeling miserable, we must look wider than what hurts. When feeling a splinter, we must, while trying to remove it, remember there is a body that is not splinter, and a spirit that is not splinter, and a world that is not splinter."

The Power of Different

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, the Empress (Dark Madonna); from the Tattwa Cards, Earth/Seed of Water:

My grandsons' elementary school had very few white children, so it wasn't unusual to see brown Santa decorations around Christmas. Humans tend to like their heroes to look like them. But it was unusual for the Black Madonna to show up in the predominantly white-skinned Europe. It appears we prefer our miracle workers to be different and unique. This Mother of Miracles encourages us to wish for the best outcome for all concerned, keeping our heart open and not limiting any situation by our definition of 'best'. Earth/Seed of Water suggests boldness in putting a new venture in motion, yet accepting the help of our allies when doing so. However, those partners may be different than we imagine. In the words of Bonnie Hammer: "This is the person you think is your antagonist, who ends up being your greatest ally: the person who pushes, criticizes, and challenges you to meet a standard of excellence you might not otherwise achieve."

Bearing Witness

This week I'll be using the Dark Goddess Tarot, a deck created by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince and published by Arnell's Art. Along with it, I'll be using a digital set of Tattwas Cards. Today's draws the Hag of Earth (King of Pentacles) and Earth/Seed of Ether:

Coyote visited She Who Watches, the chief of a prosperous and peaceful people. Coyote warned her that the world was about to change, and asked her how she intended to protect her people. When the chief replied that she would watch over her people for as long as she could, Coyote turned her to stone. The message of this card is to endure without letting despair cloud our eyes. We can honor what was while adapting to what is. The keyword for Earth: Seed of Ether is renewal, a desire to move forward regardless of fear and in spite of our limitations and challenges. As the late Bernie Glassman explained, "When we bear witness, when we become the situation — homelessness, poverty, illness, violence, death — the right action arises by itself. We don’t have to worry about what to do. We don't have to figure out solutions ahead of time... Once we listen with our entire body and mind, loving action arises." May it be so.

One Step at a Time

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Four of Koshes (Staves); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, Sweat Lodge:

Four gaily dressed lasses dance around a fire, putting on a celebratory show. How often do we celebrate the simple things - modest accomplishments, tasks finished or small steps taken in a new direction? Any progress is simply the sum of small actions taken in the right direction. Yet Sweat Lodge suggests the need for purification. In this case, those old negative thought patterns can rain on our joy and hinder our forward movement. Being aware of them is necessary as is questioning their logic. We might also consider how this line of thinking has affected us in the past, whether it has been helpful or harmful. As Mark Twain put it, our habits have to be "coaxed downstairs one step at a time."

Continue

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Eight of Koshes (Staves); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, Great Spirit:

You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.

What mood is that? Last-minute panic.

― Bill Watterson

Under an oak, someone has started setting up a 'bender' tent, or a temporary shelter. Judging by the leafless trees, the temperatures are probably dropping along with the sunlight. Best to get a move on if that shelter is going to be set up before evening. The Great Spirit is All That Is, residing in and surrounding everything, including us. We have a connection to this creative power of the universe that we can plug into for inspiration when we open our heart. Doing so makes space for more than just our struggles. As Curtis Mayfield sang in Keep On Keeping On, "Continue to give, continue to live."

Energy Use

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Eight of Koros (Cups); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, Thunderbeings:

The phrase “better the devil you know” may sound like common sense, but should the fear of the unknown keep us from moving on and actually finding out for ourselves? We all have had relationships with people or groups who have an unhealthy effect on us, but having history with them can create a strong pull to keep us in a rut. Thunderbeings represent the powerful force of electricity in nature. Their message asks us how we are using our own energy and agency. As Randy Pausch wrote: “Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier.”

Widen the Lens

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Four of Koros (Cups); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, Earth:

The name Buddha associated with the First Noble Truth was dukkha, dissatisfaction with the circumstances of our lives. It occurs when we don't get what we want or when we get what we don't want. If we feel off kilter, we can trace this feeling back to the root of our craving or longing. It could be knowing what we were enjoying wasn't going to last. It might be our mental chatter about how things should or shouldn't be. Or it could have arisen from physical discomfort or an unpleasant emotional response (such as anger). When we are aware of the cause, we can choose to skillfully place our focus somewhere else. Earth's message is renewal, and suggests remembering the cycles we go through are not permanent unless our mind hammers a stake in them. Widen the lens.