Tipping Points

The card pulled today from the Quantum Tarot is the Six of Pentacles:

Unlike leptons (see Dec. 10), quarks cannot exist independently but only in groups called hadrons.  Stopforth and Butler associate this card with the hadron - a composite particle made of quarks and held together by the strong force.  There are two groups of hadrons, baryons (made of three quarks) and mesons (made of one quark and one antiquark).  Because mesons contain both matter and antimatter, they are unstable and don't last long.  The baryons and mesons show the balance in nature, having the qualities of change and stability, just as we experience both abundance and lack.  Like quarks, humans were made to exist in groups and form an interdependence on each other.  When one person is experiencing a crisis in health or finances, another person who is not can help them to keep things in balance.  Giving and receiving are both on the same continuum, and I must be open to both in order to maintain a sense of equilibrium.

     From the Universe Cards this morning comes the "Supernova - culmination:"

A supernova is a star that explodes, but to get to this point we have to rewind.  Normally stars maintain an equilibrium, with the gravity that tries to compress it being balanced by the nuclear reactions in their cores trying to expand them.  The fusion that occurs by turning the star's hydrogen into helium eventually creates a problem - the helium sinks to the core of the star because it is more dense than hydrogen.  Without enough hydrogen in the core, the star begins to collapse, creating a pressure and temperature that creates carbon.  At first the star expands, and begins creating many internal layers until the core becomes iron.  When iron becomes its center, the star collapses in a tremendous explosion called the supernova.  Nature has a way of rebalancing itself, whether in the stars of the universe or the routine of my day.  The unexpected is often just the pendulum swinging back the other way. 

Uncovering and Transitioning

The card drawn today from the Quantum Tarot is the Ace of Swords:

Scientists distinguish between four types of forces acting among particles: strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational.  Particles transmit these forces among each other by exchanging bosons.  To understand this energy transfer, imagine the passing of a basketball between two players on skates.  The pass will cause both the thrower and receiver to be pushed in opposite directions.  In this analogy, the players are the fundamental particles, the ball is the force carrier (boson), and the push backward is the force.  The W and Z bosons that carry the weak force are associated with the Ace of Swords, and cause heavy particles to decay into smaller particles.  It seems a bit strange to connect this Ace with a force that causes decay, until I think of those moments when some truth has been uncovered and I see with fresh eyes.  Once seen and understood, it is impossible to operate blindly under an illusion anymore.  The sharp clarity of this sword cuts away the lies, transforms my ideas and perception, and thus enables a change in my behavior.

     Today the card chosen from the Universe Cards is the "Comet - transition:"

A comet is a mix of ice and dust that forms from leftover planet formation in a solar system.  It only becomes visible when the sun melts the ice, and the comet emits a stream of gas and dust (the familiar head and tail).  The comet represents the disruption of the routine in our lives.  Stopforth writes, "Experiencing transition is an essential part of adapting to the changes in our lives, and we may need to make extra allowances for ourselves during such times.  If we try to carry on regardless, we will only end up prolonging the period of transition and making the whole experience more negative and uncomfortable."   

Pull of the Mystical

    From the Quantum Tarot today comes the Lovers:

Thanks first to Newton, and later to Einstein and other scientists, we know that gravity (the idea associated with this card) is the force that pulls together all matter.  The more massive something is (meaning the more matter in it), the greater the gravitational pull.  I took part in a medicine wheel ceremony last night with five other women.  On the outside, we look very different, and I'm sure our personalities and opinions run quite the gamut.  But we are all on parallel spiritual paths, and this is what pulls us together in a unified whole.  As I age, I find the greatest "mass" that pulls me to others tends to be their interest in the mystical and sacred.  These folks are the ones I want to orbit and learn from.

     The draw from the Universe Cards this morning is the "Brown Dwarf - failure:"

Brown dwarfs are stars that fail to achieve nuclear fusion, the means by which a star can shine.  They do not accumulate enough mass, and therefore they cannot generate enough heat to maintain the fusion process.  I have crossed the path of many people who live a sacred life; we share with each other what we've experienced so that we can support each other as we try to grow and mature spiritually.  But there are also those who seem to only want something from me and others, as if through intellectual osmosis they can attain spiritual heights.  They do not desire to do the work required, so they have no "mass" to build on or share.  They seem to suck the heat out of me, and I've learned the hard way to avoid them if possible.

Living Consciously

The Quantum Tarot is the deck I'll be using this week; it was created by Kay Stopforth and Chris Butler.  Today's card is the Five of Pentacles:

Stopforth and Butler associate this card with the leptons, one of the two types of fundamental matter particles (the other being quarks).  There are six leptons: the electron and its neutrino, the muon and its neutrino, and the tau and its neutrino.  The heavier leptons, the muon and the tau do not exist for long - they quickly decay into other particles.  The Five of Pents recognizes this limitation of the physical world.  I may wish that I could have the energy of the Energizer Bunny, but my body will eventually collapse if I don't rest and refuel it.  And while $100 sounds like a nice gift, by the time the gas tank in my car gets filled a few times, it too will be gone.  I must recognize the boundaries of my earthly reality, and do my best to live simply and consciously, rather than wasting my energy, health and finances on things that are just not that important.

     The oracle deck I'll be using this week is the Universe Cards, another creation of Kay Stopworth.  This morning's card is "Nebula - Star Death:"

This is a nebula, a cloud of dust and gases that forms after a star collapses or explodes.  Its beauty is a reminder of the positive that can be found even in death.  Without endings, there can be no transformation or creation.  As long as I am clinging tightly to something, unwilling to let it go, my hands will never open to receive the gifts that are waiting for me.

The Gift of Tenacity

The card pulled from the Jolanda Tarot deck this morning is the Four of Wands:

Clarity, tenacity, passion, and wisdom are represented by the animal figures on top of these wands.  The number four represents stability and security - a solid foundation has been achieved through effort and perseverance.  The dove that flies overhead implies a time of peace that allows for an appreciation of what has been accomplished.  The holly - used since the time of the Romans - is an omen of good fortune.  The red berries can be seen as a sign of passion that motivates us, and the prickly leaves as a sign of protection that keeps safe what has been attained.  This card celebrates goals that have been reached, but also encourages me to reinforce and build on this foundation.

     From the Bird Signs oracle today comes the card "Kingfisher - determination:"

This amazing bird waits on tree branches above a river watching for fish; when it spots one, it will dive underwater after it.  The kingfisher doesn't always catch his meal, so he must return to his perch to try again.  This bird's message is one of tenacity and resolve.  I wish humans had a meter that measured how close they were to achieving their goals.  I am sure many of us give up without realizing we are just a few steps away... 

Fear or Freedom?

On this very chilly morning, I drew the Nine of Swords from the Jolanda Tarot:

Nine menacing-looking birds sit atop swords that pierce a heart.  The threatening look of these feathered fiends remind me of the mockingbirds in my neighborhood during their mating and nesting times.  They fly at my dog, cat, and us if we invade their territory - quite an unpleasant experience.  Sometimes my thoughts can be as frightening as those attacking birds.  They bring up ungrounded feelings of fear, and can overwhelm me like an emotional tsunami.  A clue to the solution is in the heart above which has half a yin/yang sign in it.  To be in balance, I need both parts - logic and emotion, assertiveness and receptiveness.  An emotional tidal wave can drown all rationality; it is time to take a hard look at reality through the eyes of objectivity and reason.

     From the Bird Signs deck today comes the "Eagle - freedom:"

I am lucky to live in a city split by a river, where bald eagles have been known to fish.  It is quite amazing to see these giant birds, looking like a speck in the sky, come barreling down to the water and snatch up a fish.  The heights they reach enable them to look down at a body of water and discern whether an object is a fish or just a piece of drifting wood.  Its message for me today is to remove myself from the drama and chaos in my life so that I can see with clarity.  Then I will know what is truly important and what is just driftwood.

Swimming in Emotions

Today's card from the Jolanda Tarot is the Chariot:

With one black horse moving one way and one white horse another, its easy to see how things can become so tangled that there is no progression forward.  The chalice and the crab are two indications of what caused the problem.  Cups deal with relationships and emotions; the crab is the zodiac sign for Cancer, and implies sensitivity and emotional intensity.  In this case, my feelings are like the two horse striving to go in different directions, only causing more frustration.  The ladybug on the horses' harness is a symbol of joy and reminds me to count my many blessings, but it also has a deeper meaning.  The ladybug can eat thousands of aphids and scale insects in its life, helping keep plants and crops healthy.  These harmful insects are like my over-the-top impulses - wanting to rip someone's head off or give them a severe tongue lashing.  Allowing my emotions to rule my actions and words can only bog me down and leave me with a long amends list.  Only by allowing my intellect to rule over my emotions today will I be able to move successfully in the direction I want to go.

     From the Bird Signs deck today comes the "Swallow - guidance:"

I had to laugh when I drew the swallow - a bird most often found around bodies of water (the emotions again!).  Like the ladybugs, they are well-loved for all the insects they consume.  The swallow is a graceful flyer and rarely spends much time on the ground.  Its message for me is to get above (detach) from whatever situation is driving me crazy and get a more objective  perspective on the circumstances affecting me.