The Guard at the Veil

From the Gaian Tarot, the Priestess; from the Goddess Oracle, 'Vila:'

          The symbols of the Priestess hint at hidden wisdom and healing. These keys are not given from another, as in the Hierophant, but found within. Yet there is a guard at the veil. In the words of Lewis Hyde, "Likes and dislikes are the lapdogs and guard dogs of the ego, busy all the time, panting and barking at the gates of attachment and aversion and thereby narrowing perception and experience." With ego at the helm, we see only fabrications of reality - what we expect and what we want, but not what is. Meditation is one way to dive below the ego and access our wisdom and compassion, though there are surely other practices that will allow us to do the same. Vila is a goddess whose energy moves through all of the earth and enlivens nature. Her message is shape-shifting, not in a literal sense, but a metaphorical one. She would encourage us to lay aside our fabrications of people and situations, and step inside a perspective that is not our own. Instead of a self-centered view, we objectively experience real life in all its forms.

Available Resources

From the Gaian Tarot, the Five of Earth (Pentacles); from the Goddess Oracle, 'Shakti:'

          A hiker lost in the woods has built himself a shelter against the cold, driving rain. In times of stress when we are in survival mode, do we look for resources around us or curl up in a ball?  Do we rely on the skills we've learned or go into a panic? Does pride (or its flip side of self-loathing) keep us from reaching out to others? Shakti is the Hindu feminine principle of energy; every god has his Shakti, without which they would have no power. This power can energize, create and destroy. It is the force behind all of Nature. Shakti invites us to get moving in order to help ourselves. Life may not look like what we want at the moment, but we still can work with what we have.

We are not attached to our original recipe, our original dream, trying, often forcefully, to make it come true. We are using what’s on hand and dreaming up what to do next with the resources, both inner and outer, that we have available. ~ Edward Espe Brown

A Good Death of Sorts

From the Gaian Tarot, Death; from the Goddess Oracle, 'Lilith:'

          For months I have lived with spirit-crushing, unending pain. I went from one doctor's diagnosis to a specialist, then to a second specialist and a third. I've spent thousands of dollars, taken medicines that were supposed to help, and followed through on every suggestion given. When the pain became suffocating, my mind reacted and began to think of ways to permanently escape it. I pulled out every spiritual tool in my toolbox to cope. I felt just like the broken boat and decaying heron in this card. Yet today, I am the eagle flying above the glistening water. The pain is gone, thanks to the last doctor I saw who found the cause. Lilith, a goddess labeled a demon by Jewish mythology, was Adam's first wife who refused to be submissive to him. Her message is not to give my power away. No need to blame those who ineffectively treated me; I'm experiencing too much joy being blissfully pain-free at the moment. But the next time other's ignore the feedback I give them in favor of what they think they know, I will seek help elsewhere much faster.

Self-imposed Time-out

From the Gaian Tarot, the Nine of Fire (Wands); from the Goddess Oracle, 'Artemis:'

          Rather than a caffeinated drink or calisthenics, this fellow is using meditation to tap into his inner resources and get a second wind. He raises his life force through connection with primal energies. His purpose is not to relax but to find a center of calm alertness. From that center, he will be ready for the last hurdle that will challenge him. Artemis was given the gift of self-rule by her father, and so this unwed goddess spent her time running wild and free in the forests. She asks, "Do your boundaries seem blurred and indistinct? Do people's opinions and judgments sway you more than your own discernment?" Like the fellow who takes time to meditate and collect himself, we all need a way to refuel ourselves without the interference of others. We all require time to tap into our own inner well in order to have the energy and clarity to meet what lies ahead.

Mercy Attached

This week I'll be using the Gaian Tarot, a deck and book set created and self-published by Joanna Powell Colbert. I'll also be using the Goddess Oracle, a deck and book set created by Amy Sophia Marashinsky and illustrated by Hrana Janto. Today's draws are Eight of Fire (Wands) and 'Maat:'

           Meteors fall at great speed through the earth's atmosphere, heated by friction until they glow. The chunks of rock and metal that survive the journey and fall to the ground are called meteorites. These are usually pebble to fist-sized, but a few have been the size of buildings. The Gaian companion book suggests, "Stay open to inspiration, and when it strikes, move quickly before it fades away." Creative ideas and solutions don't usually burn with enthusiasm for too long if no effort is applied. The Egyptian goddess Maat, known for truth and justice, uses her feather to weigh the heart. It may be easy to claim we are honest in word and deed, but she also asks, "Are your standards too rigid? Can you or anyone else ever hope to live up to them?" Justice may be as swift as the meteors, but it does not place an impossible burden on anyone.

I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.

~ Abraham Lincoln

Restoration

From the Llewellyn Tarot, the King of Pentacles; from the Beasts of Albion, the 'Squirrel:'

          Like his son the Knight, the King of Pentacles enjoys building and growing. But because he has gotten older and matured, he also sees the practicality of saving and restoring. He would find our 'throwaway' society repulsive; his idea would be to at least make things serviceable if possible and give it to someone who could use them. While the King would appreciate Squirrel's forward-thinking in reserving a cache of food, he might not look favorably on its constant skittering to and fro. Busyness should have a purpose and not simply be a distraction, in his opinion. Yet lest we think him a nose-to-the-grindstone kind of guy, he would assure us that play and relaxation have a purpose too. As a believer in restoring things, that would include the body and spirit.

Wise Selflessness

From the Llewellyn Tarot, the Four of Pentacles; from the Beasts of Albion, 'Toad:'

          This Four often gets interpreted as being stingy with one's money, time and energy. However, it could also be looked upon as a time for prudence with these resources. In Buddhism, those that take the bodhisattva vow have the aspiration to develop selflessness in order to be of help to others. Yet Chogyam Trungpa stated, "it is necessary and very important to avoid idiot compassion. Working with the world requires some kind of practical intelligence. We cannot just be 'love-and-light' bodhisattvas. The bodhisattva’s approach is to help others to help themselves." The Toad, with its bumpy skin, is not often seen as beautiful by most and has been feared by a few. Gray suggests its meaning is to look within ourselves to find what is good and work toward self-acceptance. Many people feel their worth is only found in how happy they can make other people. They rely on feedback from others to know if they themselves are valuable. Trungpa's words and the Toad's symbolism might be the dose of reality they need.