Not Gonna Take It

This week I'll be using the Delta Enduring Tarot, created and self-published by Bridgette Egan. Along with it I'll be drawing from the Southernisms Oracle (a deck I created based on sayings I grew up with). Today's draws are Justice and 'Wet Hen:'

         Egan's Justice card sent a warm thrill through me, bringing to mind the words of Albert Einstein: "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." When there is injustice and inequality, people do need to speak up. First, because there are those who may sincerely be unaware of the situation, and secondly so others will have the courage to speak out as well. Holding aloft an IUD-shaped set of scales, a beautiful black woman stands at the front of a long line of women. These gals seem impervious to the anger and taunts tossed out by the crowd; they are here to hold folks accountable and create change (and refuse to back down until that happens). The Southernism today is "Madder than a wet hen." In the past, farmers often found stubborn hens sitting on eggs they wanted to collect. They put an end to their brooding behavior by giving them a quick dunk in cold water. Needless to say, the hen wasn’t too happy about such treatment. And therein lies the root of much injustice - the bullying behavior that takes by force what is wanted without concern for the other. I'm with Twisted Sister on this one: "We're not gonna take it anymore."

Bring a Bulldozer

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Way of the Horse, 'Merlin's Spirit:'

          Can you imagine a parent sending a toddler out to play and then forgetting to check on him the rest of the day? I imagine most of us do this with our thoughts; we allow them to wander all over the place without keeping an eye on them. Martin Luther wrote, "You can't stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair." If I'm paying attention to what neighborhood my mind is playing in, I can steer it to a safer street if necessary. Failure to do so will eventually find me pinned down and feeling overburdened with no clue how I got to this point. Merlin's Spirit shows a meeting of power and strength with gentleness and mercy. We often choose sides, thinking one mindset excludes the other. But that's just the kind of narrow-minded thinking is like a house with no windows or doors (or fresh air). The only way out is to demolish the house and rebuild with a more open floor plan. 

It is only when we become obsessed by our ideas about what we think we are or should be that we become blind to the reality before us. —Mark Unno

Rise Up Unafraid

From the Hezicos Tarot, Judgment; from the Way of the Horse Oracle, 'Close to Shore:'

I’ll rise up

Rise like the day

I’ll rise up

In spite of the ache

I will rise a thousands times again. 

~ Andra Day

          The merfolk and fish rise from the water as the mermaid sends out the call. The image made me think of a spiritual awakening, a point where our perception and perspective of life so radically changes that we no longer emotionally react but thoughtfully respond to it. This awakening doesn't cause us to sit on a pink cloud high above the rest of the earth's struggles and hurts but to dwell in the middle of it all with our hearts open and vulnerable. It makes us present to all that is happening - we don't duck or run from any of it. The Close to Shore card shows an elderly mare making her way to the shore. The spirit horse in the clouds suggest she won't be alive much longer. It is sad that she is alone and without companions, yet the mare knows that death brings predators so she moves away from the herd. Many humans would likely be grateful if the sick and dying isolated themselves, so they wouldn't have to witness what they must one day endure. But part of awakening is compassion, the willingness to sit with another's suffering and not turn away. Sometimes that includes bearing witness to our own suffering too.

One Pocketful of Experiences

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Page of Coins; from the Way of the Horse Oracle, 'Rivalry:'

          The Page of Coins is a student of all the Earth; he wants to understand everything from how a seed develops into a plant to why humans make the choices they do. But he's not content to learn things from a book - he has to test things for himself to see if they are true. There's a quote attributed to Will Rogers that describes him well: "There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by readin’. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." This Page's personal experiences can create a solid foundation of knowledge and skill, but he must be careful not to think his experiments can be generalized to cover all. The Rivalry card illustrates competition, which is not always a bad thing. If each side is determined to best the other, they may grow and develop in ways they might not otherwise have done. Yet if each side simply struts about declaring it has all the answers and knows the right way to do things, nothing concrete or helpful gets accomplished. I am reminded by these cards that my experiences and knowledge allow me to see one tiny facet of the world. There are other timelines, places and circumstances in which I have relatively little factual information. I'd do better to keep an open mind (and add to what I've learned) than declare that I have a greater depth of understanding than someone else.

Time for Delight

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Nine of Coins; from the Way of the Horse Oracle, 'Field of Dreams:'

          A fairy sits atop the fruits of her labor and spends time with her friends, a ladybug and butterfly. By the time the Nine rolls up in this suit, much has been learned about caring for our resources of money, time and health/energy. Some skills are worth acquiring:  balance, knowledge, altruism rather than accumulation, assistance rather than pride and ongoing assessment. But here this little fairy reminds us that we also need to learn another skill - how to take the time to enjoy and appreciate what we have. She knows that the Ten will soon arrive when all of her physical assets will pass on, so she will savor them while she can. The Field of Dreams card shows a horse running full tilt through a field of lavender. It represents following the heart's desire to find fulfillment. It's easy to get so completely caught up in the daily tasks of living that pursuing what inspires and energizes us gets left behind. Yet as Elizabeth Warren once stated, "People will tell you to plan things out as best you can. They will tell you to focus. They will tell you to follow your dreams. They will all be right."

Relax the Reins

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Devil; from the Way of the Horse Oracle, 'Dominance:'

          The Devil represents an unhealthy, unskillful attempt to feel differently and avoid what is unpleasant. Have you lost control over a situation or group that you're supposed to be managing? Try a little rage. Feel hopeless and depressed? A pint of ice cream with a thick slice of cake might help. Frustrated about your job and boss? There's a bottle of vodka with your name on it. Now of course these 'fixes' are just an illusion. Nothing gets better (at least in the long run) when we resort to such solutions, and we often feel shame about them later. Yet a much bigger problem comes when we continue to repeat and reinforce this behavior. The result is a habit or addiction that makes us feel even more powerless. The Dominance card shows a horse whose rider is pulling too hard on the reins, creating strain in the horse's neck and pain from the bit in his mouth. I've seen riders do this who are frightened; their fear makes them want to over-control the horse. The more unhappy the horse becomes, the tighter the panicked rider pulls on the reins. Both these cards remind me there are parts of life I just can't control no matter how much I try. I'd do better to heed the words of Marcus Aurelius: "You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."

I've got a crew coming to rip out and replace all the windows in my house today that have been painted shut over the last 50+ years (and I have to be here along with the cats). Just wanted to give you a heads-up in case I don't get a chance to reply to any comments or visit your blog today. :)

Don't Fear the Messenger

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Star; from the Way of the Horse Oracle, 'Eye of the Storm:'

          The Star card comes right after the head-slap from the Tower that wakes us from our fantasy. I often think those two streams of water represent what I wanted my life to look like and what my life actually looks like. Can I blend them into accepting where I stand right now? I doubt life will ever look like my favorite daydream, and that's okay. The goal is to stay awake rather than build another tower. In the words of Prince, "Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to get through this thing called life." Hopefully between my spiritual tools and my tribe, I will be reminded that life includes joy as well as struggle. The Eye of the Storm card represents those emotional surges that can knock the Star maiden back on her bum. The companion book describes the 'gift' of this card: "When you learn to use emotion as information, you no longer panic in response to strong feelings." After going through one harrowing experience, any surge is likely to be met by freaking out, shutting down or fleeing (often through distractions or addictions). But what if I stood my ground to find out what the message was instead? I have a new-ish car that has lots of dashboard lights, most of which I have no idea about their meaning. On a trip the 'service' light came on, which gave my emotions something to bounce on. But I decided to investigate rather than panic; after reading the car manual, I figured out that it was just time for an oil change. Nothing to worry about, just a reminder. My emotions are meant to get my (often very busy) attention; my feelings aren't meant to be feared.