No Expiration Date

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Princess of Fire (Page of Wands); from the Bird Cards, the Dodo:

I think there’s a little bit of wanderlust in each of us. This underneath-our-layers desire to explore, to discover, to fall in love with what we’ve never known or seen.

―Marisa Donnelly

This young woman offers sage to each of the four directions. She's quite aware that there are worlds beyond where she stands and cultures outside her community. Such knowledge creates a burning curiosity and an insatiable hunger to discover more about these strange places. The Dodo was an extinct, flightless bird native to the island of Mauritius. The first recorded mention of it was by Dutch sailors in 1598. In the following years, the Dodo was hunted by sailors and invasive species, while its habitat was being destroyed. Last seen in 1662, it has become a symbol of that which is obsolete and outdated. Yet its message is not to let our own curiosity expire. As the poet James Stephens said, "Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will."

Join In

From the Vision Quest Tarot, Torment (Devil); from the Bird Cards, the Crow:

Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel,

Like I've been tied to the whippin' post.

―Gregg Allman

The Devil in Thoth-speak tells us we should follow our desires and be who we are (not necessarily bad advice). Yet that freedom comes with a caveat - don't forget our interconnection to all people and things. As soon as our actions have stomped on someone's toes and elbowed someone in the face, we will have to pay the piper. In our excitement to do what we desire, we forget that our liberty can't infringe on the freedom of others. Dr. Kevin McGowan, who has studied the Crow for thirty years, says "they never do anything quietly or alone." Their family group lives within a larger community, with different groups changing every day. Their message is to learn to "do your own thing" but without harming yourself or the community. As Ruth Bader Ginsburg stated, ""Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." 

Movement

This week I'll be using the Vision Quest Tarot, a deck created by Gayle Silvie Winter and Jo Dose (illustrator); it was published by AGM Müller. I'll also be using two combined oracles: Bird Cards and Ascension to Paradise, deck and book sets by Jane Toerien (author) and Joyce van Dobben (illustrator); they were published by Altamira-Becht and Binkey Kok. Today's draws are the Two of Earth (Pentacles) and Parrot:

In the cycle of nature there is no such thing as victory or defeat; there is only movement.

― Paulo Coelho

There is growth, flourishing, production and fading in the natural world. Humans are prone to forget that we live under the same laws as the rest of nature. Can we move with this flow without demanding that it be different? Life is good and hard - we forget that change is always a part of it. Though it may move at times at a snail's pace, it is this change that keeps things in balance. Grey parrots are highly intelligent birds, needing extensive behavioral and social enrichment as well as extensive attention in captivity or else they may become distressed. A bird from the wild cannot be happy sitting on a stick all day in a human home. Stagnation is its message of warning: we all need fresh experiences to keep our mind and body healthy.

Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation... even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind. ―Leonardo da Vinci

What is Vital

From the Stone Tarot, the Two of Cups; from the Buddhist Quote Cards, Dhammapada 1:11:

The best partnerships aren't dependent on a mere common goal but on a shared path of equality, desire, and no small amount of passion. 

―Sarah MacLean

The best partnerships help fill each other's cups rather than sucking the other dry. However, there are no perfectly balanced relationships; sometimes we must fill in the gaps if there is an illness or crisis, and at other times one person is more talented and suitable for a task than the other. But it is impossible for one human to fill all of our emotional needs - we each must be responsible for our own well-being. The Dhammapada quote suggests we remember what is of major importance:

Those who consider the inessential to be essential and see the essential as inessential don't reach the essential, living in the field of wrong intention.

Are we expecting our partner (or is our partner expecting us) to have an ongoing supply of superfluous things while ignoring what is vital?

The Buck Stops Here

From the Stone Tarot, the Knight of Wands; from the Buddhist Quote Cards, Dhammapada 4:50:

Are you waiting for the right excuse?

Are you waiting for a sign to choose?

While you're waiting, it's the time you lose

What are you waiting for?

―Nickelback

This Knight is as much animal as his horse, so in accord with his stallion that he needs no saddle, bridle or clothes. Alison Stone, in her book of tarot poems, pairs this fellow with Prometheus, best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking fire from them and giving it to humanity. While his decision worked out well for humans, he was condemned to eternal torment. The Dhammapada verse speaks on focusing on our own deeds:

Do not consider the faults of others or what they have or haven't done. Consider rather what you yourself have or haven't done.

Whether we are led by our mind or our heart, the consequences of our actions rest with ourselves, no matter how we'd like to spin the tale.

Like a Waterfall

From the Stone Tarot, the Nine of Pentacles; from the Buddhist Quote Cards, Dhammapada 24:348:

Truly, we live life at the lip of a waterfall, with reality and experience rushing at us – experienced only and always NOW at the lip – and then, poof, zip, zap, it’s over the edge and gone. But our mind is forever trying to grab at what has already disappeared over the edge.

―Rick Hanson

There are magical times in life when we find ourselves contented with our finances, health and energy. It feels like we are at the center of a wonderful world, full of beautiful and interesting things and people, and we have the opportunity to enjoy them. Our hard work and discipline got us to this place, so we have the right to be pleased. Yet we should also appreciate each moment fully, because as the Dhammapada implies, moments are fleeting:

Let go of the past, let go of the future, let go of the present.

Trying to grasp and hold on to anything will leave us with empty hands. Better to be completely present for life, so we don't miss any of it.

Steadfast Work

From the Stone Tarot, the Eight of Pentacles; from the Buddhist Quote Cards, Dhammapada 25:365:

What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.

―Stephen King

Those who have developed a gift for something - whether it's writing, carpentry or cooking - will soon find themselves in high demand. The sound of crickets chirping will be drowned out by phone calls of folks wanting those services, and they'll soon find steadfast work with few days off. Which brings to mind the words of psychologist Corey Wilkes: "It’s easy to focus on the prestige of 'arriving,' but lose sight of what the day-to-day reality of success looks like." The Dhammapadma quote reads:

One shouldn't scorn what one has received, nor envy others.

When we stop comparing our lives to others, we might discover we're happier and more content than we thought.