Little Victories

From the Spacious Tarot, the Four of Wands; from the Phenomena Oracle, Tide:

Victory is not won in miles but in inches.

—Louis L'Amour

These branches resemble sparklers, a reminder that our personal victories don't require fireworks but should be acknowledged. Such mini celebrations reward the efforts we are making, even if our work is inner and not readily noticed on the outside. Tide represents cycles, the withdrawal or expansion we experience. In the case of progress, there's generally always a few steps backwards. We need to remind ourselves that we haven't lost everything, that we have made breakthroughs and had some successes. Our small ceremonies can help us remember those achievements and spur us to dust ourselves off and push onward.

'Fraid of Changin'

From the Spacious Tarot, the Tower; from the Phenomenal Oracle, Landslide:

Well, I've been 'fraid of changin'

'Cause I've built my life around you

But time makes you bolder

Even children get older

And I'm gettin' older, too

—Stevie Nicks

Used to mark a well-worn path, a cairn is blasted apart by lightning. We enjoy life when we know what to expect and can prepare for it. As Stevie sings, we build our lives around people and things that give us a sense of security and stability. Yet impermanence and change can alter our lives in drastic ways, as Landslide indicates. Pema Chodron calls this natural occurrence groundlessness. But instead of scrambling to hang on to the old, she advises we look fear right in the eye, "not as a way to solve problems, but as a complete undoing of old ways of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and thinking." In this way, we might transform a breakdown into a breakthrough.

If you would consider...

Go High and Soften

This week I'll be using the Spacious Tarot, a self-published deck that was a collaboration between Annie Ruygt and Carrie Mallon. I'll also be using the Phenomena Oracle, a deck self-published by Jessica Bott. Today's draws are the Seven of Wands and the Fog:

When they go low, we go high.

—Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama first spoke these words at the Democratic National Convention in response to the hateful rhetoric aimed at her husband and family. It is a call to maintain grace, ethics and a positive approach even as others spew contempt while making false and cruel accusations. Fog softens any landscape, whether rural or urban. It reminds us to keep our hearts soft when we're under verbal attack; when we are at ease, we can respond appropriately rather than get caught up in slinging malice and spite. Then we can act and speak constructively, having a positive impact that stands a much better chance of making a difference.

Which One Guides Us?

From the Tarot of the Masters, the High Priestess; from the Key to the Kingdom, the Eight of Spades:

Every single person contains the seeds of goodness, kindness, and enlightenment.

—Thich Nhat Hanh

What is it that this High Priestess reads on her scroll of inner wisdom? Perhaps it is similar to TNH's words, encouraging us to cultivate what lies within. The ego is a partition from these insights, yet it isn't evil; it develops in relation to our life experiences. Its job is simply to protect us and provide us with a self-identity (I am...). But it also filters our decisions with a vigilance: does it benefit me, will it make me look good, help me be successful, keep me from blame, give me power? The luminous self is a rational observer, our true essence that is not burdened by the superficial. Spacious with possibilities, it offers wisdom and kindness that benefits all. The Eight of Spades is paired with a poem that asks an octopus if he has arms or legs, and ends with the conclusion, "If I were thou, I'd call me Us." This sense of "us" - our interconnection rather than separation - is what our luminous self knows and operates from (which is threatening to the ego). It is helpful to realize which side we're being guided by.  

You cultivate the flower in yourself,

so that I will be beautiful.

I transform the garbage in myself,

so that you will not have to suffer.

—Thich Nhat Hanh

Dangled Bait

From the Tarot of the Masters, the Seven of Wands; from the Key to the Kingdom, the Three of Hearts:

Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world but has not solved one yet.

― Maya Angelou

Hera hated Hercules because he was a reminder of Zeus' infidelity. Using her mojo on him, making him temporarily insane so that he killed his family. Filled with despair, he accepted the 12 impossible tasks to atone, one of which was to kill the Hydra (seen in this card) that Hera had created with the intention of killing him. Rather than resenting Hera after his success, Hercules would go on to have other heroic adventures. The Three of Hearts is paired with a poem that describes a carnival worker encouraging people to throw darts into a target and win a prize, only none of the darts ever stick. Humans are often triggered by pot-stirrers using snippets of information designed to instigate yearning, fear or anger. But as the saying goes, "Beware of the half-truth; you may have gotten hold of the wrong half."  As Hercules learned, we need not be distracted by emotional bait dangled before us.

Uprooting Discontent

From the Tarot of the Masters, the Six of Swords; from the Key to the Kingdom, the King of Clubs:

With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Nothing remains quite the same

—Jimmy Buffett

 An attitude is a relatively enduring evaluation of something or someone. A positive mindset sees the world as it is, yet still full of possibilities. A negative outlook sees most everything as a dumpster fire. It's only when we take an honest look at our views that we see how they - rather than things outside of ourselves - are often the cause of our discontent. Refocusing our lens through practices such as mindfulness, seeking out the good, and stress management can help us be more resilient and find the contentment we crave. The King of Clubs is paired with the children's poem "This is the Key of the Kingdom." It visually moves as if starting from a wide-angle lens to a micro-lens. What is the key? It is our ability to awaken our curiosity, imagination and open-mindedness, all traits that require us to move beyond a self-centered perspective.