Peering Underneath

From the Sacred Sites Tarot, the Seven of Swords:

Bermuda Triangle, North Atlantic Ocean

The Bermuda Triangle is an area where a number of aircraft and vessels are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances.  The earliest allegation began in 1950 in the Associated Press.  Many articles and books followed, with explanations ranging from UFO abductions to leftover technology from the lost city of Atlantis.  Various agencies, such as the U.S Coast Guard, have debunked the theories and stated that in such a high traffic area known for tropical storms and hurricanes, the disappearances were not disproportionate nor mysterious.  The Seven of Swords is a reminder to check for hidden motivations.  In the case of the Bermuda Triangle, the reason for the stories is likely not to uncover the truth, but that sensationalism sells.

From the Mana Cards comes "Po/Ao:"

Po/Ao ("darkness/light") symbolize the unconscious and the conscious.  The unconscious often sends messages to the conscious via dreams, slips of the tongue, and passive-aggressive behavior.  These messages are red flag warnings of unacknowledged or repressed feelings and thoughts.  If I want these to stop invading my waking reality, I need to find what is at their source and deal with it.

Still as a Stone

From the Sacred Sites Tarot, the Two of Swords:

Ryoan-ji ~ Kyoto, Japan

Ryoan-ji (Temple of the Dragon at Peace) is a Zen temple famous for its rock garden.  The garden contains 15  large rocks arranged on the surface of white pebbles in such a manner that only 14 of them can be seen at once, no matter what angle the garden is viewed from. It is said that only through awakening as a result of deep meditation can a person see the last invisible stone.  The Two of Swords card represents conflicting thoughts (often exacerbated by ones emotions) to the point where a decision cannot be reached.  As a friend is fond of saying, "When you don't know what to do, don't do anything."  When my mind becomes calm, allowing me to find my center (past all of ego's incessant blather), I will find my answer.  Until then, I will practice being as still as a stone.

     From the Mana Cards comes "Mamalahoe:"

Mamalahoe ("splintered paddle") symbolizes compassion towards oneself and others.  Self-centeredness, driven by ego, can hinder my ability to be empathetic with other people.  But the flip side of the coin is a reminder not to become entangled with the problems of those folks I care about.  Encouraging each other as we ride the ups and downs of life is a way I can be compassionate, but I must remember that everyone must find their own way; no one can walk the path for another.

Righting Wrongs, Outwardly and Inwardly

From the Sacred Sites Tarot, Justice:

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century as a state temple; it originally was Hindu (dedicated to Vishnu) and later became Buddhist.  When I think of Cambodia, I do not think of justice but of Pol Pot's rule and the two million people he murdered through execution, starvation, and forced labor.  The Khmer Rouge targeted ethnic and religious groups as well as educated individuals.  Today Pol Pot is dead and his government has been driven from power, yet the temple still stands.  Peace rather than war and terror has become the norm.  This card suggests that eventually the truth will be exposed and people will be held accountable for their actions.  As an individual, my responsibility involves looking at myself (rather than pointing the finger at others) and being honest about situations in which I have not been impartial or have treated people unfairly.

     From the Mana Cards comes "Tapa:"

Tapa ("bark cloth") is a fabric made from the paper bark mulberry tree and used in marriage, healing and burial rites.  It symbolizes partnerships but also implies a need for boundaries.  However, as Becker writes, specifying the limits of a relationship doesn't mean acting "unapproachable or unreceptive."  I tend to have thick, concrete walls as boundaries; it is very hard for me to hate only the action without resenting the person behind it.  My work lies in learning to keep my heart open without compromising my principles.   

Support with Timing

  From the Sacred Sites Tarot, the Knave (Page) of Swords:

Notre Dame de Paris

A gargoyle (or technically a chimera, since it's decorative and not a waterspout) watches over the city from atop the cathedral.  The Page of Swords is a watcher and listener too, and he makes me think of Radar from the television show M*A*S*H (who was known for his ability to hear helicopters flying in with wounded long before anyone else could).  The problem with this youngster is that he has no filter between what he sees and hears, and what comes out of his mouth.  He needs to take a lesson from the structure of Our Lady of Paris, one of the first buildings to use the flying buttress to support its thin walls.  This buttress is formed by a massive block on the ground with an arch that attaches to the building (the "flyer") that together act as outer reinforcements.  Likewise, the Page needs support for what he thinks he has heard or seen; sometimes our perceptions don't match reality. 

     From the Mana Cards comes "Pahu:"

Pahu means "sacred drum" and is an important instrument that accompanies the hula.  Because of its beat and rhythm, it is associated with timing.  There is a Hawaiian proverb that can be translated, "too often we only smell the ripe hala fruit after it has reached the ground."  If I am paying attention to what is going on around me, rather than just the intellectual analysis in my head, it will be clear when it is appropriate to speak and act or when I need to be silent and wait.

In the Flow or Fighting the Current?

From the Sacred Sites Tarot, the Empress:

Sanctuary of Demetra/Demeter - Eleusi, Greece

The Eleusinian cult rose out of the myth of the goddess Demeter, who lamented the loss of her daughter Persephone, abducted by Hades; no crops grew until Zeus commanded that Persephone should be allowed to return annually in spring. Demeter thereafter established the Eleusinian mysteries, in which she was honored as the granter of fertility and Persephone as an annually returning vegetation goddess.  In 392 AD, the Emperor Theodosius declared Christianity to be the sole faith of the Roman Empire and set about eradicating all others.  The Empress represents the natural cycles of life, and when we can flow rather than fight these cycles, we live a creative and satisfying life.  This past week, a man from our community who had died in Afghanistan (a Marine) was laid to rest.  During the service, the pastor referred to death as "the enemy," and it made me realize how much fear we create when we divorce ourselves from nature and its lessons.  As the Goo Goo Dolls sing, "When you're fighting the current, you forget how to live."

     From the Mana Cards comes "Pohaku:"

Pohaku (stone) symbolizes relationships, not only with other humans, but with all the earth.  One Hawaiian saying goes: He ola ka pohaku a he make ka pohaku, meaning "There is life in the stone and death in the stone."  Just as a stone can be used creatively or destructively, so too can our relationships be used.  If I think I have "dominion" over the earth and its creatures, I'll have no problem bulldozing down a habitat to make room for a parking lot.  I am reminded by this card that I am connected and related to all; what I do to others and the earth, I ultimately do to myself.   

 

Building from the Ground Up

This week I'll be using the Sacred Sites Tarot, created by Massimiliano Filadoro and illustrated by Federico Penco.  Today's card is the Nine of Pentacles:

Timbuktu - Mali, Africa

On the edge of the Sahara, where the Niger River flows northward into the southern edge of the desert, lies Timbuktu.  It was a natural meeting place for travelers and traders, "where the camel meets the canoe."  Over time it became a prosperous city of merchants and scholars, and by the 12th century, it had three universities.  By the 14th century, the legend of Timbuktu as a rich cultural center had spread throughout the world - amazing, since it started out only as a spot where a well had been dug.  This card reminds me that from perseverance, discipline and hard work, great things can grow.  With the right attitude, even something simple can be carved into something worthwhile and wonderful.

     The oracle deck I'll be using this week is the Mana Cards: The Power of Hawaiian Wisdom, created by Catherine Becker and illustrated by Doya Nardin.  This morning's card is "Ho'oponopono:"

Ho 'Oponopono ("to set right") is a ritual to restore harmonious relationships that involves a mediator leading the discussion among the participants.  Truthfulness, a sincere attitude to right wrongs, and a willingness to listen intently is necessary.  Whether I am trying to build a business or a relationship, honest and non-judgmental communication between me and another is essential, and will hopefully eliminate assumptions or misunderstandings that can be damaging. 

Creating and Receiving

    From the Art of Tarot, the Ace of Pentacles:

The Aces contain such potential, but the possibilities will come to nothing without action from me.  If someone gives me a grill for barbecuing that comes in pieces in a box, I have to put it together if I am going to use it.  In the image above, the invitation to the garden luncheon will be useless unless the guests come.  As Thoreau alludes to, there is a difference between observing life and fully experiencing it (which will require my involvement and participation).  My opportunities will be wasted if I don't take advantage of them; they will be the gifts I fail to open.

     From the Tao Oracle this morning comes "The Receptive:" 

The painting of a pregnant belly with a lotus at the heart chakra represents the quality of yielding and allowing.  Most people want to praise the active creative quality and denigrate the receptive quality.  But just ask anyone who's brought an important, beneficial idea to a bunch of closed-minded board members, and they'll tell you just how essential it is in any project or undertaking.  Today I will try to not keep my cup so full, that there is no room for anything else to be added to it.