Light as a Feather?

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, Justice; from the Tattwa Cards, "Fire: Seed of Air:"

          Maat appears holding the scales of justice, weighing a heart against a feather. What would make my heart tip her scales? I thought of ahimsa (nonviolence), one of the yamas (ethical observances) in the Eight Limbs of Yoga. It is often literally thought of as the avoidance of physical harm toward another. Yet it actually refers to all types of aggression -  unkind behavior, harmful thought and hurtful speech. I can harm someone by purposefully ignoring them just as easily as if I slapped them. But ahimsa works both ways; my focus on compassion and kindness must be turned inward as well.
          Air of Fire shows up from the Tattwa Cards with the keyword "perseverance." Anyone who's tried to light a candle in an enclosed container knows it will go out without enough air to fuel it. The tattwa symbol itself reflects the pose of Maat as a fulcrum. It pivots between compassion and kindness on one side and self-centeredness and intolerance on the other. I must be tenacious in leaning toward the heart-centered side. But some people are just plain hard to like, much less love. In these cases, I bow to the wisdom of the Dalai Lama: "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."

Truth and Dare

This week I'll be using the Dark Goddess Tarot, a deck created by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince and published by Arnell's Art. Along with it, I'll be using a digital set of Tattwas Cards. Today's draws are Death and "Ether - Seed of Water:"

          La Santa Muerte, the Saint of Death appears in her red form. She has three faces: La Blanca, the protective one; La Roja, the passionate one; and La Negra, the dark, mysterious one. Like the lyrics of the religious song, she too has the whole world in her hands. This goddess represents the truth of impermanence, the natural cycle of beginnings and endings. Wayne Muller writes: "Will we interpret this loss as so unjust, unfair, and devastating that we feel punished, angry, forever and fatally wounded - or, as our heart, torn apart, bleeds its anguish of sheer, wordless grief, will we somehow feel this loss as an opportunity to become more tender, more open, more passionately alive, more grateful for what remains?"
          The keyword associated with Ether - Seed of Water is "daring." There is great potential here for freedom, if I am willing to venture outside my comfort zone in spite of my fears. Yet loss can make me want to do just the opposite; a cocoon to crawl inside and hide is normally what I seek. I feel too raw and exposed to face anything, as if I have no protective skin. I think even La Santa Muerte would give me a brief respite to grieve and work on acceptance. But life will be moving on whether I do or not. I'll never discover a new shore if I'm not willing to step on the boat.

Re-calibration of the Brain

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Nine of Koshes (Wands); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, "Pejuta Wakan:"

          The teacup and parked vardo suggest a pause in the busyness of this Rom's life, yet it isn't a time to rest but a time to make preparations. There is a battle coming, not necessarily the "taking up arms" kind, but a major challenge just the same. I imagine him as a horse trainer with an important race in the near future. His nervous energy is creatively directed into making whips. The task keeps him focused and sharp, ready for action. Pejuta Wakan, the second card, honors the sacred herbs of the Lakota - sage, sweet grass and cedar. These plants represent a type of healing that encompasses more than just the physical: "healing integral to your overall growth and development." To reach his objective, it will be necessary for his mind to be clear, without denial or delusion. "Healing your belief system is the first step in healing yourself physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally."

Luminous Contentment

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Nine of Koros (Cups); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, "Cha Wakan:"

          This version of the Nine of Cups is much more preferable to me than the round, smug-looking man on the RWS. Seeing this young man load his own wagon made me think of the quote by Abraham Lincoln: “Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” Depending on external things - people, places and circumstances - to make me content is like trying to stay in the air by jumping on a pogo stick. That rush I feel at the top won't last long and will be following by a jarring hit when I come back down.
          The Cha Wakan represents the Lakota Tree of Life, an archetype of spiritual knowledge. The creators of this deck have assigned the keyword "acceptance" to this card and offer the wisdom that "although each leaf has its own individual form and life, all grow from the same source, the same roots." If that is true, then it follows all my experiences, pleasant or unpleasant, are really a part of a whole. Instead of sticking a "good" or "bad" label on everything, I can find that contentment the Nine of Cups implies; I can tap into what is often called the luminous mind or buddha nature, where there is boundless space for all of these experiences. The following I found posted as a comment on a blog; the author I could only identify as adam.p88:

Buddha nature is that which is aware of these words,

That which watches as impermanent forms arise, endure and subside,

That which is perfectly clear, on which not a speck of dust can alight,

That which is is radiantly awake, which perceives even when there is nothing to perceive,

Buddha nature is effortlessly aware, boundlessly accommodating to every form that appears within it,

It is without preferences, without attachment,

It has no aversion, no ignorance, for all is known only in, by and through it.

It is in all things and all things are in it.

Knowing it is knowing the essence of all things,

Being it is being the Buddha here and now.

It is your very own Original Face, the void that is awake of the scene of this present moment.

From it all things appear,

To it, all things return.

It is your own nature.

Moving in Cycles

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Six of Koshes (Wands); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, "Hanwi:"

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

    a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Ecclesiastes 3:4

          One Rom stands in a wagon; both he and his horse have wreaths around their necks. Buckland explains that he has just won a race; his buddies wave their whips in the air in acknowledgement and celebration. The horse is honored as much as the man, being an integral part of their lives. And though this is a time of excitement and happiness, the Moon (Hanwi) shows up as a reminder that it will eventually pass as more pressing matters come to the forefront. Yet there's no need to go into a tizzy because the good times have been replaced by something less pleasant. Beginnings and endings are the natural ebb and flow of life. My job (from a spiritual practice point of view) is to pay attention and be present for all of it rather than spend my time wishing for an alternative. As Pema Chodron states, "we can have a joyful relationship with our lives, an honest, direct relationship, that no longer ignores the reality of impermanence and death."

Address Book Changes

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Ace of Koros (Cups); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, "Tate:"

          This lovely painting of a cauldron overflowing with water made me think of a backpacking trip I took years ago. We were on a part of the Appalachian Trail that was not marked well and ended up becoming lost deep in the forest. As it was summer and we were hot and tired, we camped for the night. By the time we later backtracked our way out the forest and down the mountain, we were extremely thirsty. The last mile of the hike, we talked about the kind of icy beverage we were going to buy once we got back to town. That thirst is similar to the human longing for someone to love us unconditionally, and the chance to love them the same way in return. As Grey's Anatomy puts it, we all need someone to whom we can say, "You are my person."
          Tate is the Spirit of Wind and represents change. Added to the Ace of Cups, it points out how relationships come and go. All I have to do to remember this is to look through my old, battered address book. Some of those listed have died, moved or just disappeared. But there are new entries that remind me of how, if my heart is open, someone else will be added. I'm the one who can take the lid on or off that cauldron.

Say Yes

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Fool; from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, "Okaga Ska:"

 "You never say yes to anything."

          I've been reading Shonda Rhimes' book, Year of Yes. It was a shock to find out this successful writer and producer was obsessively reclusive. But one Thanksgiving her sister pointed out (not so subtlety as sisters are wont to do) that her immediate reaction to almost every opportunity that put her in the public eye was "no." It made me pause and question how I approach life; if I'm honest, I say "no" way more often than I say "yes." Now I can give reasonable excuses and explanations, but underneath them lies the real reason - fear. Fear that I will screw up and make a fool of myself. Fear that I don't have the knowledge or talent it takes to do things right. Fear that I will be tossed aside because of my defects and deficiencies. Yet here is the eager, enthusiastic Fool who tells me to take a leap of faith without looking down.

          The Lakota Sweat Lodge Card represents the direction of South, the place that produces "the warm winds that enable Mother Earth to bear her fruits." This point represents clearing the ground of old patterns and habits to allow for new growth. No one plants cotton on top of a field full of corn stalk stubble. Time to plow up those fearful "nos" and start saying "yes."