Come Into My Parlor

From the Tarot of the Masters, the Hierophant:

I almost feel sorry for this guy, as I imagine he would like some peace and solitude. Constantly leaders are badgered for money, drilled for answers to unsolvable questions and forced to listen to people drone on and on about their problems. Whether a leader of a country, the head of a group or organization, the manager of a business, or the head of a family, there are nonstop decisions to make and flack to deal with once a choice has been made. I would love to ask Obama how he deals with the stress of his job and where he goes to clear his head. I think to be an efficient and successful leader, it is important to access what the Buddhist's call "beginner's mind," an objective place away from emotional opinions and preconceived ideas.

From the Key to the Kingdom comes the card "Joker:"

Will you walk into my parlor?

Said the Spider to the Fly

The spider in this nursery rhyme tries to tempt the fly by describing all the wonderful things he wants to show him. Of course the fly is no dummy and knows exactly what's up and declines the offer. I am reminded by this card to be discerning and investigate what someone tells me is the answer to the solution I'm seeking. There are spiders out there who have their own agenda and certainly aren't concerned with my welfare.

Who's Calling the Shots?

From the Tarot of the Masters, the High Priestess:

My first thought when I saw this image was, "Is she pulling taffy?" While I do advocate formal sitting meditation, I have found repetitive tasks can work too. Whether pulling weeds, coloring a sketch or walking, I can dive below my normal thought processes to a place of calm. This inner resource allows me to find answers or receive direction without interference of my emotions or prejudiced opinions. It moves me past the veil of the High Priestess - past the ego which runs around like Chicken Little yelling "The sky is falling." This resource enables me to intuitively know how to handle situations yet gives me the responsibility of using this knowledge in concrete ways.

From the Key to the Kingdom comes the "Six of Hearts:"

let me be your vacuum cleaner

breathing in your dust

let me be your ford cortina 

i will never rust

if you like your coffee hot

let me be your coffee pot

you call the shots

i wanna be yours

I remember these candy hearts from Valentine's Day; they were hard as rocks and tasted awful, but we loved them for the messages printed on them. The rhyme for this card, however, made me choke on my coffee. Okay, I get this fellow is probably just trying to express how much he loves someone, but does he really want someone else to call all the shots? I think not. I am reminded by this card that no matter how clear the message inside my head is, I need to make doubly sure when I say it out loud those who hear it, hear it correctly. I'm not volunteering to breathe in anyone's dust!

That's What It's All About

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Masters created and published by James Ricklef. The card drawn for today is the Wheel of Fortune:

You do the hokey pokey and you turn it all around,

That's what it's all about!

The dancing muses reminded me of the children's song, "Hokey Pokey." The kids stand in a circle and stick a different body part (arm, foot, backside, whole self) in the center of the circle as each round of the song is sung. Can you imagine some child in the middle of the song crying out, "But I don't want to change to my left hand! I'm right-handed, and I want to keep using that one!" Of course it would seem ridiculous. But in life, change is immutable, and we often complain of the unfairness of it all. We are constantly challenged to let go of some things and embrace others. Some of these changes might be welcome (the end of an illness, for instance), but adapting to some turnarounds may be incredibly hard. Perhaps developing equanimity to deal with the ups and downs of life is what it's really all about.

The oracle I'll be using this week is a transformation deck called the Key to the Kingdom. It was created by Tony Meeuwissen and published by Running Press. This morning's card is the "King of Clubs:"

This is the key of the kingdom.

In that kingdom there is a city.

In that city there is a town.

In that town there is a street.

In that street there is a lane.

In that lane there is a yard.

In that yard there is a house.

In that house there is a room.

In that room there is a bed.

On that bed there is a basket.

In that basket there are some flowers.

Flowers in a basket,

Basket on the bed,

Bed in the room,

Room in the house,

House in the yard,

Yard in the lane,

Lane in the street,

Street in the town,

Town in the city,

City in the kingdom.

Of that kingdom this is the key.

The nursery rhyme for this card reminds me of layers of understanding. Just when I think I've grasped the key, I find more unanswered questions. The actual treasure is in the search itself. Life might hand out certificates for knowledge in certain areas, but it never gives out diplomas. I attend an endless series of classes while I'm on this earth.

Slow the Hustle in the Bustle

From the Spiral Tarot, the Three of Wands:

The choice to move away from the status quo and take a risk on something new has reaped rewards, represented by the growth of greenery beneath the woman's feet that winds up the staffs. Her desire to expand her boundaries (much like she's done to her dress with a bustle) has been successful, and the boats in the water suggest a partnership with others that is fruitful. The saying "my ship has come in" refers to mothers and wives who had to run a tab for necessities while their men were out to sea. When they came home with their pay, the women could pay off their debt and hopefully have a little extra. Though these ships suggest goals being reached, they also suggest there are still things to be settled and done before a firm foundation is reached.

From the Sacred Journey Cards comes "Joy:"

Sometimes when I am successful in acquiring something or accomplishing an objective, I rush to the next goal. Instead of taking time to enjoy the pleasure of achievement, my brain starts plotting and planning for the next one. This card reminds me that the feeling of fulfillment comes when I take time to celebrate, not when I'm in a rush. I don't want to get to the end of my life and find all I've really accomplished is in becoming a talented sprinter.

The Cialis of All Enterprise

From the Spiral Tarot, the King of Wands:

This king has just as much enthusiasm as the rest of his court (check out that dragon throne), but he knows how to keep the fires burning slowly so they don't go out or burn up what he's cooking. The Page is eager for new adventures and ideas, the Knight is energized by gathering resources to make it happen and the Queen is enthused about nurturing and supporting them. But the King is the Cialis of All Enterprise. He guides around obstacles and through bumpy challenges without faltering. He's not constantly distracted by every "new and exciting" thing that comes along, because his goal is to see things through to their completion. He teaches me to stop channel surfing and finish what I started.

The card from the Spiral Journey set for today is "Nurture:"

Perhaps this is the secret behind the king's success - he knows how to nurture himself so he can keep the coals hot. I tend to get pulled away from projects and goals when other people need me. It's hard to say, "I'll get back to you soon, but right now I need to take care of something." Ellen at Greylady's Hearth and I were just talking about this the other day. She made the statement that there are times we need to put out a sign that says "Down for maintenance" - simply brilliant. If I wait until I have time to take care of my own needs and desires, there will never be any available. I'm going to have to make the time for myself.

A Bit of This, A Bit of That

From the Spiral Tarot, Temperance:

After a long, exhausting night (a definite Tower moment), I was happy to see this peaceful card. The sun shines between two mountains, liquid is mixed in two cups, and a rainbow arches over everything. When struggles happen, I think it is human nature to either believe everything is doom and gloom or to try and firmly shut the door on what happened and pretend you never have to look at it again. But the sun between the peaks, the combination of colors in the rainbow and the mixture in the cups remind me it is never this nor that but something in the middle. Moderation and balance is needed not only in perceiving the situation but also in my actions that follow.

From the Sacred Journey Cards comes "Clarity:"

When I'm tired and emotional, it's easy to believe what I feel is reality. But just because I fear something doesn't mean it is going to actually happen. My thoughts and emotions often mushroom things way out of proportion to what they actually are. I need to go back to Byron Katie's advice. Do I absolutely, positively know this thought is real? How would my life be different if I didn't believe that thought?

Fertile Soil Underneath the Concrete

From the Spiral Tarot, the Tower:

Did you know that intellectualization is considered a defense mechanism? It allows a person to avoid painful or uncomfortable emotions by focusing on facts and logic. It falls into the "neurotic" defense mechanism category, a group many adults use that isn't as pathological as some of the other defenses. Such a defense can have short-term advantages in coping but may cause long-term problems down the line. Avoidance can keep us from experiencing the emotion, but we also neglect to see and act on the changes needed in our lives. And here is the Tower in a nutshell - "If I don't see it or experience it, then it's not real and I don't need to deal with it." So life sends us a slap upside the head - not as a form of punishment - but to tear down the walls we've built between us and reality. Liberation may look and feel terrifying, but its long-term results are much healthier than any emotional wall.

From the Sacred Journey Cards comes "Fertilize:"

I suppose living in an area surrounded by farmland made me think of bags of fertilizer. Bags are generally labeled with three numbers. The first number is nitrogen for leafy plant growth, the second is for phosphorus for healthy root growth, and the last is for potassium which promotes flower and fruit formation. But if I take a "Tower" perspective and don't deal with anything (forget the fertilizer just buy more bricks), I might as well pour concrete over everything. I abdicate my right to choose and pretend my fantasy will work itself out on its own. Well, hell... I've never cared much for unicorns and such. I guess I better go dust off my hoe and see if I have any fish emulsion left.