Sword Dance

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Prince (Knight) of Swords; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, 'Whale and Starfish:'

 Eloquence is the power to translate a truth into language perfectly

intelligible to the person to whom you speak. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

          This young man is learning how to do a demanding sword dance (notice the books on the floor). Like developing the eloquence of speech, knowledge and understanding is needed first, then comes practice. Words can cut and cause harm or healing; they can sever ties of injustice or bonds of friendship. They have power. The tale of Whale and Starfish involves a lie told for what the Starfish saw as the greater good. Yet as with most half-truths, physical and emotional damage was the end result. It was an effort to avoid conflict rather than an effort to resolve differences. As attorney Vibeke N. Martin explains, "Honesty and truthfulness are not the same thing. Being honest means not telling lies. Being truthful means actively making known all the full truth of a matter." Telling the whole truth requires eloquence, patience, and kindness. It is very much a sword dance. 

The Roots of Friendship

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Three of Cups; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, the Southern Cross:

          While the lotus buds arise from different areas of the lake, they are all rooted in the mud below. It reminds me of C.S. Lewis' quote: "The typical expression of opening friendship would be something like, 'What? You too? I thought I was the only one'." Sometimes we find each other in common challenges, other times in common interests or passions. There may be glaring differences in some areas, but usually there is at least one deeply shared principle. Yet the roots of relationships can be cut, such as when trust has been broken. But the Southern Cross card brings up another possibility. The first three humans believed God would provide food if they refrained from eating animals. When the available food sources ran out and they began dying of hunger, two of them killed an animal in order to survive. The third man refused to partake, parted ways with them and eventually died, becoming part of the constellation. Many friendships break apart because one friend tries to force their beliefs on another or denigrates the other person's beliefs. Our ideas are shaped by the causes and conditions that we've grown in.  Perhaps that acknowledgment could lead to more tolerance.

Derailed

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Eight of Swords; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, Frog:

          I've noticed that people (including myself) who've experienced traumatic events can get trapped in the mindset of "it might happen again." Of course, it's possible that we may deal with another challenge, but there's no guarantee that it's right around the corner or even that it will happen at all. However, after our sense of control and ability to cope seem to disappear, we can be left feeling over-stimulated and on high alert. But these symptoms are the result of our thinking not reality; we are still living in the story of what happened and not in the present. The chamomile in this drawing is a reminder to calm down and take a break from the mental chatter.
          The Aboriginal tale of Frog explains that he was so thirsty, he drank up all the water everywhere and became huge. When the other animals became hot and thirsty and realized what happened, they decided to make Frog laugh to bring back the water. While most of the animals did funny things, Eel pitched a hissy fit that tickled Frog so much he unleashed all the water. The lesson from this story is that humor can lighten situations and change perspectives. It can also help us not take life so seriously, brightening our dark moods and derailing our mental habits.

Learning the Hard Way

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Princess (Page) of Disks; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, Crow:

          According to Genetti, the Princess of Disks is a symbol of preparation who learns by doing. Each bit of knowledge and every practice applied is a step toward the goal. But what happens if she fails a test or one of her experiments is a flop? Hopefully her teachers will offer the same advice as James Joyce: "Mistakes are the portals of discovery." Failure is an important part of of the learning process, and in some cases has led to useful inventions and beneficial medicines.
          The Crow was originally not a bird; he tricked the Seven Sisters into giving him fire (which the humans did not have). Unfortunately, once he got it, he refused to share it with the humans. They gave him food to cook, and while he performed this task, he kept the choicest morsels for himself. The people finally got tired of this behavior and created a fire hazard that eventually ignited and burned him, turning him into Crow. The lesson of this legend is to look carefully and deeply at one's motivations. In the case of the Princess, hiding mistakes or blaming them on others doesn't help us develop maturity or responsibility. Neither does it help us learn.

Deep Connection, Disconnection

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Ace of Cups; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, Koala:

          The Ace of Cups represents the deep connection, empathy and tenderness humans can feel for themselves and other living beings. As the Dalai Lama reminds us, "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." Yet the reversed, fiery cup at the bottom of the card emphasizes what happens when love for self or others gets twisted by obsessive self-interest, greed and control. Such toxic love is what destroys humanity.
          The story of Koala is one of greed; there was a drought and all the animals but Koala seemed to be thirsty. A bird followed him and found him secretly drinking from a water hole. The gum tree next to the water was set on fire, and Koala lost his tale. But how did such violence (other than punishing Koala) help the rest of the animals? The fire would surely dry up much of the water hole. As the Dhammapada expresses, "For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love. This is an unalterable law."

Closed Parachutes

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Four of Swords; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, Emu:

You have permission to surrender to what is, right here and right now. It is more than OK to surrender to the body’s true condition and its needs: the need for rest, sleep, and self-care. It is a practice. —Alex Tzelnic 

          Genetti writes that the sword is a symbol of the mind in action; yet it can become a stumbling block rather than an ally if we don't practice self-care. Discernment and openness is quickly replaced by delusion and narrow-mindedness when we are exhausted and not meeting our basic needs. When we meet new situations or challenges, the tired mind becomes like a parachute that doesn't open when we jump from the plane.

          The legend of Emu is one of competition between it and the wild turkey. The constant tricks and lies between the two birds ended up costing offspring their lives and the emu the ability to fly. When self-worth is tied to competition and comparison, disaster is sure to follow. Everyone else suddenly becomes the enemy instead of someone to work with in cooperative effort. I just finished reading Michelle Obama's book Becoming; the compassionate leadership of this husband and wife contrasts sharply with the narcissism of the present administration. Perhaps part of resting the mind means resting it on something other than our own interests.

Keen Awareness

This week I'll be using the Wheel of Change Tarot, a deck and book set created by Alexandra Genetti and published by Inner Traditions. The second deck I'll be drawing from is the Oracle of the Dreamtime, a compilation of Australian Aboriginal art and Dreamings by Donni Hakanson; this deck and book set was published by Journey Editions. Today's cards are the Six of Swords and 'Gray Owl:'

          A caribou lies dying in the snow while Canada geese begin their migration southward. Some of us would rather beat a dead caribou than change our minds about anything. Yet, as James Ricklef reminds us, "Changing your attitude and perspective is more effective than changing your circumstances." Why? Because usually the problem is not an external one but has its root in the way we think about the situation. When we widen our perspective, change seems to magically appear.
          According to Aboriginal legend, there was once a member of the tribe who didn't have the heart to hunt animals or be a warrior. Yet he had the most acute hearing of any human known, and he often alerted his people to danger in the middle of the night when they would have been killed otherwise. When he died, the people mourned. Yet his spirit was soon found in the gray owl that awakened them at night as before. This story suggests that it is our alertness that protects us. In adding its meaning to the Six of Swords, the combination implies that being aware of our mindset can help us determine when a beneficial change is needed.

In the beginning, meditation was an attempt to alleviate my suffering. In a regular dose, repeated again and again and again, it was an antidote to confusion and a troubled heart. I think it worked, but not like I expected. It didn’t take away the pain but taught me to sit quietly with it. It eliminated the unnecessary fretting and showed me the beauty of how things come and go—empty, as the masters would say. It showed me that there is more to life than my thoughts about it, that my feelings weren’t the full truth, and that existence is vast and interconnected, including far more than I imagined. 

—Diane Musho Hamilton