Listening and Learning from Others

The card chosen today from the Margarete Petersen Tarot is the Three of Wands:

In the middle of this blazing card is a figure giving birth; beside it, is a primitive drawing of a deer-like animal.  Petersen labels this card as the "fire of creativity" and describes it as "gathering something in the world of the unknown and bringing it into the world of the known."  When I look back over my life, I find many instances where a task that first seemed impossible was accomplished by working with others.  Respectful cooperation can create much good in the world - its power should never be underestimated.

"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality."  ~ John Lennon

     From the Froud's Heart of Faerie oracle today comes "The Leaving:"

A youngster stops to ask directions from one of the forest residents before he makes his journey.  This card is about leaving something behind and moving forward, but being prepared and asking for guidance before you leave.  The spiritual path I've been on for the past year has come to an abrupt halt (my decision), and I am tentatively seeking out other routes.  I asked a friend last night on the aeclectic.net tarot forum to do a reading for me with her "story dice" (see here: http://www.storycubes.com/ ) on my new mission to see what I might need to know.  Basically I learned that I need to build a bridge between the intellectual (pretty much what all the old path consisted of) and the physical (I need to be able to use this in practical, grounded ways).  I also need to remember as I take these first steps, my spiritual foundation will have to be built brick by brick rather than attaining it instantly (forget how-to books or weekend seminars). 

Friendships: The Havens of Hope

The card chosen from the Margarete Petersen Tarot this morning is the Three of Cups:

Against a swirling background, several figures dance with their arms raised inside a square.  I just got off the phone with a woman and friend I've known for over 18 years.  We don't get to see each other much, but we both know that if we need the other for any reason, the other would be there for support.  She is the kind of friend who makes an effort to stay in touch, no matter how hectic our lives become, and I have been blessed in many ways by having her in my life.  The figures in this card represent our "tribe" of friends and family with whom we can share our joys and pain.  The square represents the stability they offer through their encouragement and commitment. 

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." ~ Albert Schweitzer

     From the Heart of Faerie deck today comes the card "The Queen of Passage:"

This fairy represents surrender, transition, and trust.  Life is about change and moving from one phase to another.  Trying to stay in one place will just stagnate my mind and spirit.  With the help of the raven and kestrel, this queen sees the big picture and knows that transitions are neither good nor bad but part of our evolution.  The pomegranate she holds reminds me of the myth of Persephone, who spent part of her time in the underworld and part of her time on earth (representing the change in seasons).  Ebb and flow is just a part of the laws of nature - it is the rhythm of life and need not be feared.

Walking Among Flames

From the Margarete Peterson Tarot today comes the Nine of Flames (Wands):

A figure can be seen crouching in the front corner of this card with fiery colors all around it.  When I pulled this card in the dim light of the early hours, I thought the white and yellow area was a figure of Avalokiteśvara (Kwan Yin), the bodhisattva of compassion.  Bodhisattva can be translated as "wisdom-being" or "awareness-being."  Peterson sees this card as showing an evolution in maturity - though it is still hidden, it can be felt.  There is wisdom and maturity in being able to walk the middle path between aggression and passiveness, destruction and creation.  If I light the fire, I must learn to watch it carefully, contain it, and direct it.

     The card drawn from the Froud's Heart of Faerie Oracle today is the Prince of Shadows:

Here is the beautiful and exciting bad boy that everyone seems to be draw to like a moth to a flame.  The handsome outer appearance and charm hide the fact that there is no heart underneath.  He represents all that I am drawn to when I am ungrounded and need reassurance.  But what seems like a quick fix will ultimately plant a poisonous seed within, destroying me from the inside out.  Addictions, risky behaviors, or unhealthy relationships can grow from this seed and lead me down a dangerous road.  Don't judge a book by its cover, but by the healing or venom it produces.

The Usefulness of Clarity and Humor

This week I'll be using the Margarete Peterson Tarot, a deck that took Peterson 22 years to complete.  Today's card is the Ace of Feathers (Swords):

A peacock feather seems to hide the moon behind it, suggesting mental clarity without emotional baggage.  The "eye" of the feather represents seeing the truth objectively.  It has been said that in the days of chivalry, "by the Peacock” was a sacred oath, because the peacock was thought to have the power of resurrection and renewal, like the Phoenix.  This idea might have been born from seeing the peacock drop all of his beautiful feathers during molting season and then later replace them.  I do know the power of thought - changing my thought can alter not only my mood and attitude, but my life as well.

     The oracle deck I'll be using this week is Heart of the Faerie, created by Brian and Wendy Froud.  Today's card is "Oh No!:"

The Frouds give the key phrases "Just one of those days, Obstructions, and The Unexpected" to this impish fellow.  I'm running on four hours of sleep today, and after the emotional day I had yesterday, this is NOT the card I wanted to choose!  Yesterday I felt overwhelmed by life.  I found out two old friends were battling some serious illnesses, another wanted me to perform an impossible task, and another has had her life turned upside down and wanted me to provide her with an instant solution.  If I had a secret cave somewhere, I think I would have gone and hid in it last night, just to have a break from everyone.  Yet this card and the woman battling brain cancer both gave me the same advice: Don't lose your sense of humor.  And though these are some serious issues, my own inner imp tells me that while I can offer encouragement, I'm fresh out of fairy godmother wands.

Adding Mass, Removing Assumptions

I drew another Ace from the Quantum Tarot today, the Ace of Wands:

In this deck, the Ace of Wands is connected to the photon, a basic unit made of electromagnetic energy, or light.  The energy released in electromagnetic radiation is made up of these particle-like packets that have momentum but no mass.  It is not just sunlight that is made of protons, but also such things as radio waves, TV broadcasts, and x-rays.  Photons travel at the speed of light, are never still, and are created when an electron makes a quantum leap inside an atom.  When I receive inspiration that motivates me to create something original or follow my passion, it is like that leap.  But just as the photon has no mass, to materialize my vision I must take concrete action rather than just dream and fantasize about it.  So what has you charged up and ready to move today?  

     The card chosen this morning from the Universe Cards is "Electromagnetism - perception:"

Electromagnetism, one of the four fundamental forces, is what causes the interaction between electrically charged particles (think of the attraction of static electricity and the repulsion of two magnets with the same charge).  This force is responsible for practically all the phenomena we experience in daily life with the exception of gravity.  Electromagnetic radiation in the form of light is what allows us to see, and why Stopworth associated this force with perception.  She writes, "Look at your deepest assumptions about the world and honestly judge whether these assumptions are viable.  Perhaps they have become like an old, comfortable suit of clothes - familiar, habitual but hopelessly out-of-date.  Your perceptions may need to be challenged..."

Necessary Chaos

   From the Quantum Tarot this morning comes a card many people dread to draw, the Tower:

This card is linked to the idea of quantum foam, a theory developed by John Wheeler.  At the smallest of scales (subatomic) is a place where modern physics breakdown - our theories and laws fail to describe or predict the behavior of the Universe.  Our concepts of space and time cease to be valid.  The pressures and densities are so high at this subatomic scale, space-time is folded and meshed into a foam of mini black holes and wormholes - tiny tunnels or shortcuts through space and time - that form, disappear and reform in this quantum world.  Like this unpredictable, microscopic universe, what can outwardly seem so stable and secure in my world may suddenly come crashing down.  All the things I do to try and protect myself from this unknown force - whether religion, knowledge, a savings account, or a health regimen - seems to offer no defense.  Yet when the terror passes, I realize what I thought was the worst thing to ever happen to me is often what extends the greatest freedom to me...

     The card chosen from the Universe cards today is "Galaxy Formation - organization:"

Most theories about the early universe claim that it was filled with  hydrogen and helium, and that some areas were denser than others.  The denser areas allowed gas and dust to collect, collapse, and then form stars.  It is believed that galaxies formed out of these star clumps through a complex series of collisions and mergers, gradually increasing in size and density.  What seems like chaos at first, very gradually turns into something organized.  It reminds me of doing the Sunday crossword puzzle with my mother-in-law.  We both talk nonstop, and to my husband, it seems like the bedlam during the opening bell of the stock exchange.  Yet there is a method to our madness, and we do eventually get the puzzle finished.  The message of this card involves a natural (rather than forced) structuring that allows for positive growth and evolution.  The final results are more important that how pretty or perfect the process is.

Stagnant Thoughts

The card drawn from the Quantum Tarot this morning is the Two of Swords:

Stopforth and Butler associate this card with dark matter, stuff that can't be seen (it doesn't reflect or emit enough light to be detected).  Like the wind, it can be identified by its effect on other things - its gravitational influence.  Scientists seem to know more about what it is not than what it is.  Like dark matter, sometimes I can't see the whole picture of a situation.  It may be because I don't have all the facts, because my emotions keep me from seeing clearly, or because I am rigidly holding on to fixed beliefs.  Whatever the case, this is not an auspicious time for making decisions.  I need to wait patiently and try to develop an objective view.

     The card pulled from the Universe Cards today is the "Elliptical Galaxy - stagnation:"

 

Elliptical galaxies are roundish or egg-shaped and are made of old stars coming to the end of their lives.  There is little dust and gas to make new formations, so creation seems to be at a standstill.  I was talking to a woman the other day who described her church in the same way - there were no new members coming in, and all the older members had no desire for fresh, innovative ideas.  If I isolate myself away from others and away from learning new ideas, I begin to stagnate.  When I am in this rut, I avoid listening to my Higher Self, and instead rely on my ego, who is content to maintain the status quo.  There may be times when I need make decisions and go in new directions, but my ego will be in no rush to pack my lunch and send me out the door...