Waiting for the Tsunami

From the Alchemical Tarot Renewed, the Five of Coins; from the Oracle of the Radiant Sun, Indecision:

          This beggar walks with hand outstretched and eyes closed. Place suggests the four coins at his feet represent the four elements - resources - that the man walks past. He states "he will not accumulate anything because the Quinta Essentia is missing (the fifth element - essence)." His poverty is a result of a decayed spirit. Before he lost his wealth and health, his principles of humility, kindness, and generosity became scarce . Like Scrooge, he is missing out on what is needed for joy. The Indecision card represents Venus in Libra, a mix of love with a desire for harmony. Libra can sometimes be so terrified of rocking the boat, he just sits there waiting for the wave that will wash him overboard. Sure other people may be shocked by our situation, but exposed vulnerability can often ignite compassionate action.

You are different now. Is the person who did that action five years ago the same person you are now? If she were exactly the same person, you would still be doing the same action. The present "you" exists in a continuum from that person, but is not exactly the same as her. Look back at the person you were with compassion. You can understand the suffering and confusion she was experiencing that made her act in that way. ~  Thubten Chodron

Dry Well?

From the Alchemical Tarot Renewed, the Six of Staffs; from the Oracle of the Radiant Sun, Decision:

          Instead of a warrior returning victorious from battle, Place shows a craftsman (notice the work apron) who is being honored for his skills and the progress he's made. He holds his own torch (no shame in being proud of one's own accomplishments), but I'm curious about the serious look on his face. The Decision card shows the action of Mars in the mental awareness of Gemini. The timer clock is ticking in the chess game as everyone waits to see what the craftsman will do next. After impressing others with our innovation or talents, the ebb time can be stressful. We may worry that our creative well has run dry, and nothing we do from this point on will match what's already been done. I don't think creativity gets permanently used up, but we can block ourselves from it. If we isolate ourselves from the wisdom of others, additional knowledge and simple curiosity, we cover our well. It would be more beneficial to ride around on that solar wheel than hide in that dark building while our well refills.

The unfed mind devours itself. ~ Gore Vidal

Entangled or Empathetic?

From the Alchemical Tarot Renewed, the Lady of Vessels (Page of Cups); from the Oracle of the Radiant Sun, Convention:

          The Lady/Page of Vessels frames her world through her feelings, as seen by the vessel she balances on her head. She is sensitive, intuitive and empathetic, but like trying to walk on water, she almost always gets soaked. Without a way to ground herself, her empathy can easily slide into codependency and her intuition into neurosis. A woman in a meeting I attended a few weeks ago said, "My higher power was whatever the expression was on your face." Her words perfectly express the emotional submersion in which this Page/Lady can find herself if she's not alert. The Convention card represents Venus in Capricorn, a person who often needs a relationship to feel successful and secure. But what happens if that relationship changes, or if that person develops in a different direction from our own? If we base our worth, stability and purpose solely on another, we demand they keep us from drowning. Yet no one should ever feel like they have to be our foot bridge.

Sound of Trumpets

This week I'll be using the Alchemical Tarot Renewed along with the book Alchemy and the Tarot, both created by Robert M. Place and published by Hermes Publications. Paired with it will be the Oracle of the Radiant Sun deck and book set, created by Caroline Smith and John Astrop and published through Eddison-Sadd Editions. The draws for today are Judgment and Choice:

          The skull with barley sprouting from it is a nod to the Egyptians who put buried grains with the dead; when it grew, the person was said to have risen. From an alchemical standpoint, the two people who've risen from the grave represent base metals that have been turned to gold. Looking through a spiritual lens, those folks heard the call but first had to remove their impurities (dirt, stone slabs) to be reborn. The Choice card represents Mars in Libra, a combination that produces a person who likes to follow the rules but expects everyone else to do the same (and is not very diplomatic about it). These two draws reminded me of how righteous indignation can keep me deeply buried. My first stepfather was very gifted and creative when it came to physical and emotional abuse. I had valid reasons to back up my hatred; the only way I would forgive would be a full confession and apology (which I knew would never happen). But at the beginning of this year I found out he was terminally ill and would likely not live to see another year. I wondered what I would do if I were in his place. Suddenly I realized that the suffocating dirt on top of me was shoveled by my own hand. My rage has since dissolved and now the heavy slab has been removed from my heart.

Insiders and Outsiders

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Nine of Wands; from the Oracle of Dreamtime, Platypus:

          The Nine of Wands shows a group of Aboriginal didgeridoos and a carved petroglyph. I can't think of a better illustration for being alert and ready to defend than an indigenous people who have been overrun by outsiders. Take away a person's culture and land, and you rob them of their spirit. All over the world today, people are appropriating native culture for their own purpose (usually to line their pockets) without a thought as to how it might dishonor or hurt those from whom it was taken. The story of Platypus tells of the three tribes of animals - the mammals, the birds and water creatures - that asked platypus to join their tribe. Platypus told each of them he recognized a part of himself in each tribe, but decided not to join one of the groups but all of them. The wisdom this story imparts is that of diplomacy, tolerance and unity. It's message is important today as the media constantly reminds us of "the threat of terror" and attempts to convince us we have a terrorist living next door. A conspiracy is knowledge with large gaps of missing information that is filled in with fear and opinionated beliefs. While there is a need to be watchful and cautious, we could stamp out paranoia by getting to know our neighbors (locally and globally); we might discover we have more in common than we thought.

Smashing Pumpkins

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Two of Swords; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, Seal:

          If you've ever made a paper snowflake, you realize it's impossible to know exactly what it's going to look like until you unfold the paper. Decisions are the same way. We can try to pare away the emotions that might be coloring our perception. But even then, there is no way to be 100% sure of what consequences a choice will have, especially in the long run. The Dreamtime story of Seal recounts how these creatures played, rested and multiplied on Seal Rock until the humans found them. Instead of taking only what was needed, the humans killed them all, leaving the island empty. The people did not think about the future, of how their exploitation would shift the natural balance. They only thought of themselves and refused to acknowledge what might follow their actions. The story has implications for the Two of Swords; we can easily compartmentalize in our mind what we don't want to see, if we've already created an idealized outcome of what we want. Though we may ignore evidence to keep our fairy tale alive, glass slippers and pumpkin chariots won't likely be in our future.

Airing Out the Shed

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, Waratah:

          An old potting shed is filled with tools, pots, soil and a few herbs hanging to dry. But a peek out the door will prove that we're not in Kansas anymore. The landscape has changed from an earthy environment to a cosmic one. All those implements that were once so helpful aren't very useful now. The law of impermanence would suggest that the thinking that originally solved problems and created solutions may need to be tweaked or completely tossed out. Just try to talk to a grown son or daughter like you did when they were two years old ("Go sit in the time-out chair!"), and you'll understand what I mean. I don't necessarily have to toss my values and ethics, but my ideas need some major renovations. The Dreamtime story of the Waratah tells of how this flower became red. A wonga pigeon risked flying above the protection of the tree canopy in search of her mate and was killed by an eagle. Had the pigeon not given in to her fear (which made her act unwisely), she could have searched the whole forest for her partner who was still there. When I am afraid, it is easy to want to double-down on what has worked before. Yet it may be wiser to try new logic than to continue to use what no longer works.