Compass of Common Sense

From the Mythic Tarot, the Knight of Wands:

Illustrated here is the myth of Bellerophon, a young man wrongly accused of making advances toward the king's wife.  To rid himself of the competition, the king sent Bellerophon to kill a ferocious chimera.  The young man was not intimidated by the possibility of death, and managed to kill the beast with the help of Pegasus and a block of lead attached to his spear. Of course it would be natural to be proud of such a feat, but Bellerophon's ego convinced him he was now a part of the A-List.  He decided to ride Pegasus to Mt. Olympus and hang out with the gods. Zeus was not amused and sent a fly to sting Pegasus, who threw the impudent young man back to earth. Bellerophon spent the rest of his life as a blind and crippled hermit. His downfall reminds me of a recovering alcoholic or addict, who after staying sober or clean a year, goes on a binge to celebrate. The Knight of Wands encourages me to dive into adventure and meet my challenges head on, but warns that common sense rather than pride should be my compass.  

From the Symbolon Deck comes "The Absolute Fool:"

The title of the card lets me know without a doubt this fellow isn't just a fool, he's the epitome of dunderheads. He dreams of being a hero but has neither the skills nor the knowledge to become a "knight in shining armor." The booklet tells me the way of wisdom is not filled with showy acts of bravery and fighting; instead, it is a path of humility that doesn't seek the approval of others. It is important to do the right thing - the courageous thing - but don't go around asking for pats on the back for doing it.

Just Keep Swimming

From the Mythic Tarot, the Seven of Cups:

Naive Psyche was tricked by her sisters into unveiling the identity of her husband, Eros. Of course now she's sorry and wants him back, but Mama Aphrodite does her best to make it nearly impossible. The seven cups all offer choices of things that might fulfill us, some of them a fleeting pleasure and others a lasting joy. But like Aphrodite, life doesn't serve up what we want on a silver platter (with a spoon included) just because we want it. As Psyche proved, it often takes dedication and effort fueled by a strong heart to reach the cup we seek.

From the Symbolon Deck comes "Moira:"

Moira was the personification of Fate, representing a natural order of things. We can kick, scream and rant that life isn't fair all we want, but it won't change what is. We may choose to become bitter and close our hearts and minds, or we can accept reality and look for other potential opportunities elsewhere. Using hindsight, it's helpful to remember how one blocked avenue led to another path with even greater results in the past. As Dora the fish advocated, "Just keep swimming."

Don't Bring Me Down

From the Mythic Tarot, the Four of Cups:

You got me running going out of my mind,

You got me thinking that I'm wasting my time.

Don't bring me down, no, no, no, no, no

~ Jeff Lynne, ELO

Psyche, a new bride, listens to her two sisters whisper that her groom must be a monster since he only visits at night. Misery loves company, and these two want to make sure their happy sister doesn't remain content for long. I'm not surprised I've drawn the Four of Cups today, as the things that used to bring me joy - my tarot blog, my nature journal, etc. - seem to be more of a chore than a pleasure these days. I couldn't really put my finger on what changed, but I do know that there are several people in my life whose misery is overflowing onto me. They are either deeply depressed or dealing with amplified anxiety (like the black and red dresses of the sisters). I really gotta go dust off that Electric Light Orchestra album...

From the Symbolon Deck comes "The Inquistion:"

Here is the "finger-pointing" card; a scapegoat must be found in order to have someone to blame. That finger should be pointing at me too; in my effort to find out why my life suddenly seems to have lost all its color, I am putting all the responsibility on others. Even if people are unloading on me, I'm the one standing there listening to it. Time to take my own inventory and see what part I'm playing in this blue funk.

Victory Comes in Different Guises

From the Mythic Tarot, the Six of Wands:

I pulled this card earlier today; it shows Jason holding the golden fleece overhead. I was stumped by it, unable to think of any recent or upcoming achievement. But it later dawned on me what it was about, after attending a memorial service for a friend who died. Pancreatic cancer took him quickly and mercilessly. So where's the victory in his death? The answer was in all the people his life touched, and as an AP correspondent, he touched many. There were no sermons or speeches at the memorial, just lots of people sharing how they had laughed and learned with this man. Sometimes triumph and recognition comes in unexpected ways.

From the Symbolon Deck comes "The Actor:"

Unlike someone trying to deceive by pretending to be someone else, the Actor is obviously playing a role. We all wear different "hats" to deal with different situations - friend, employee, spouse, etc. In order to take care of my responsibilities, I might have to act differently than I feel at times. If a friend calls to talk about some serious stuff going on, I'm not going to say, "You think you have it bad - just wait til you hear about my day!" At the service today, everyone had on their brave face: sad for our loss but grateful for our time spent with this man.

No One Told Me They Required So Much Work...

This week I'll be working with the Mythic Tarot, created by Juliet Sharman-Burke and Liz Greene, illustrated by Tricia Newell, and published by Simon and Schuster. Today's draw is the Eight of Wands:

In this image the ship Argo (meaning "swift" in Greek) sails for home with Jason and the Argonauts aboard. Having finally obtained the golden fleece, they were more than ready to return victorious. The wide wake of the ship and the dolphins gliding alongside it show quick movement. This card speaks of having been restricted by challenges and obstacles, but now breaking free to complete the task and reach the goal. I can relate to such joy after being stuck dealing with the problems of a project thinking, "What next?" At long last, the finish line is in sight.

The oracle I'll be working with this week is the Symbolon Deck created by Peter Orban, Ingrid Zinnel and Thea Weller and published by AG Muller. This morning's card is "The Family:"

The Family card represents having an idea that is brought into reality (at least the beginning stages), and then a creator decides it's too much trouble to continue with it. It reminds me of young men who think fathering a baby is "cool" until they have to take care of it. Once the fun wears off and they discover how much time, effort, patience and money a baby requires, they're ready to skedaddle. Logic tells me that no creative endeavor is all fun; if I truly want a project to reach maturity, I'm going to have to be responsible for dedicating time and effort toward it.

Holy Cooperation

From the Motherpeace Tarot, the Three of Discs:

Three women work together to build a house; the one on the ground shapes and fires the bricks, the one on the ladder has strong arms and legs to carry the bricks, and the one at the top of the ladder knows how to lay and bond the bricks with mortar. All of them have their talents, and though each might be able to build a home on her own, together they can build one of quality. Each woman must labor with humility, knowing she is neither less nor more important than the other. They are all an integral part of getting the job done and doing it well.

From the Toltec Oracle comes Tlawiskalpantekutli:

Though commonly known as the "Lord of Light," Tlawiskalpantekutli is more accurately translated "Lord in the House of Spiritual Blooming." This card heralds a spiritual awakening, a moment of clarity and joy. Sanchez warns that this should not be confused with accomplishment nor should it be considered permanent. He describes it as "a sacred residue left in your heart" that makes us continue to search and work for that connection again. These two cards taken together teach me that working cooperatively with others can be a holy moment and a sacred connection. These are the types of spiritual unions I can discover every day.

Feed the Fire

From the Motherpeace Tarot, the Seven of Wands:

The woman with the headdress makes me think of a foreman of a jury or the chairman of a board. She's trying hard to present her ideas to the others in the group - some of the other women look angry, some bored or apathetic and a few supportive. It's difficult to stand up for what I believe is the best way to do something when I know there is opposition.  But it's also hard to listen respectfully to other perspectives when I'm sure I'm know what I'm talking about.  Every viewpoint is a view from a different point, a different place that may see what I cannot. To be a leader of any kind requires that I learn to listen first, then create a dialogue to come up with the best plan or solution.

From the Toltec Oracle comes "Sholotl:"

Sholotl was the ruler of the Underworld; unlike the Christian hell, this was not a place where a person was sent for punishment. Here a person had all their blind beliefs, all their assumptions and misconceptions burned away.  Bare bones were left to allow the person to build a new world view and understanding without all the baggage they had been carrying. This card is a nudge that I am holding on to ideas that are neither healthy or beneficial. It's time to feed them to the fire and see with a new set of eyes.