Precious Resource

From Tarot Lukumi, the Six of Wands; from the Diloggun Cards, Edi (seven mouths):

          A warrior returns home with a deer that will provide food and hide for his family. There will be no head stuffed to put on a wall, but likely there will be thanks for the resources the deer provided. Heartfelt accolades for a victory come when there is an acknowledgment of the effort and sacrifice made for more than just self-aggrandizement. The ethic and proverb for Edi read:
Ifa: It is a grave tragedy to die young so we pray, “May we be sufficiently ripe before we are eaten up by death; we seek to attain a long life.”
Proverb: Always being in a hurry does not prevent death, neither does going slowly prevent living.
These sayings are a reminder of the precious life we have, whether we are celebrating or grieving. Mary Oliver questions us: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" And the Dalai Lama answers: "Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it, I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others.."

Whipping Post

From the Tarot Lukumi, the Ten of Wands; from the Diloggun Cards, Oshe (5 mouths):

 Sometimes I feel

Like I've been tied

To the whipping post.

~ Allman Brothers

          The booklet describes this card as an altar of sacrifices. Whether we're working toward a goal or simply working toward a better life, we may feel like the Allman Brothers' song. But sometimes challenges help us grow. What may get sacrificed are character liabilities such as arrogance, closed-mindedness, selfishness or laziness. In this case, pushing ourselves beyond our normal comfort zone can help produce character assets.

          The cowrie throw of Oshe (five shells up) is associated with the following ethic and proverb:

Ifa: Unless we resort to caution and discretion, we will miss the blessings of prosperity.
Proverb: Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet.

Oshe suggests that what might get lost as we work are things of value - relationships with family and friends, hobbies, financial stability, common sense or ethical principles. Hard work is not the problem, but it needs to be undertaken with discernment.

Making Space

From Tarot Lukumi, the Queen of Wands; from the Diloggun Cards, Osa (9 mouths):

          The Queen of Wands is symbolized by Oya, described as sensual, beautiful and dreadfully strong. This Orisha is the patron of the marketplace and the cemetery gates, but what she is most known for is controlling the winds - from breezes to cyclones. She is passionate and at the center of change; her warrior nature has no problem prodding or bulldozing when it comes to getting things (or people) moving so that growth can occur.
          The ethic and proverb for Osa (nine shells up) read:
Ifa: One must cease leading themselves to misfortune. One must cease bringing harm upon themselves.
Proverb: Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.

While the Queen would tell us to get in motion, she would also advise that doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results is insanity. We should find the root of reactive patterns that create our suffering and dig it up, then plant something new.

Prudence and Preparation

From Tarot Lukumi, Temperance; from the Diloggun Cards, 'Ika' (13 mouths):

          Temperance is illustrated with an ancient Orisha - Olokun, revered as the ruler of all bodies of water. It seems appropriate that the ruler of the oceans would be in this card, as the times when most of us are intemperate are probably when we are under the weight of our emotions. We may be stressed with worry, angry about things we can't control, sad about a great loss or fearful of what lies in the future. It's easy to go to extremes when our emotions have us by the nape of the neck.
          The Diloggun Cards produced Ika (13 shells up):
Ifa: Ifa divination is to be performed so that the forces in one’s life be understood and controlled.
Proverb: Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.

It is interesting that these verses hint that divination is not to resolve us of responsibility in decision-making but to be used as a tool to see our blind spots, become more informed and make better choices. In the words of Benebell Wen, divination "helps us look within ourselves to understand our emotions, the reasoning behind our words and conduct, and the source of our conflicts." 

This is Your Life

This week I'll be using the Tarot Lukumi, a deck created by Caelum Rainieri, Ivory Andersen and Raphael Montoliu. It is published by Dal Negro and the artwork was done by Luigi Scapini. The oracle deck I'll be using this week is the Diloggun Cards, a digital set created through the use of art by Mase Lobe. Each card is associated with an Ifa ethic as well as a proverb, with information from a book by Ifa Karade called The Handbook of Yoruba Religious Concepts. Today's draws are the Wheel of Fortune and Oyeku (two mouths):

          This card shows the Tablet of Ifa, a divination tool of Orunmila (the spirit of wisdom)that uses nuts. The horse tail whip (iruke) was used to chase away bad energies while the deer antler was associated with Ochosi, the Orisha of justice. It is thought that through sacrifice, bad energies could be changed into good energies. This Wheel of Fortune feels a bit like walking onto the stage of This is Your Life, but with an intervention twist. Life is not all about the luck of the draw; a lot has to do with my attitudes and actions as I navigate the world.
          Oyeku (a throw with two cowrie shells up) is associated with the following ethic and proverb:
Ifa: The prevalence of temper outbursts and cursing are the causes of difficulty in one’s life.
Proverb: Ashes fly back in the face of he who throws them.
Blame, self-justification and rationalization are easily employed when life isn't progressing as I'd like. But the bottom line is that the thoughts I focus on, how I communicate, and my behavior has a lot to do with how the scales are weighted. 

Pure awareness transcends thinking. It allows you to step outside the chattering negative self-talk and your reactive impulses and emotions. It allows you to look at the world once again with open eyes. And when you do so, a sense of wonder and quiet contentment begins to reappear in your life.

~Mark Williams and Danny Penman

Our area had an internet outage for the past four days in case anyone wondered where I've been. :)

Checking the Compass

From the Wild Unknown Tarot, the Hermit; from the Pictish Oracle, 'Tongs:'

All men should strive

to learn before they die

what they are running from, and to, and why.

~James Thurber

          While the Hermit does represent a time of solitude, it's not about rest and relaxation. Instead, it is a deep dive into our motives and behavior, the patterns we uncover and those we want to change. This self-inventory is not meant for self-denigration nor is its purpose to fertilize the ego. As Pema Chodron explains, "The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently."
          The Tongs symbol was often found on the stones that also had hammer and anvil incisions. This tool allowed the smith to safely grip red-hot metal in a forge and to move and rotate it while it was shaped. Its meaning has to do with detachment - being able to be objective and open-minded rather than getting 'burned' by preferences and prejudices. It takes some practice to be able to do look at oneself objectively and compare it to our personal spiritual compass. But the results are worth it. We may one day make the same discovery as Douglas Adams: "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."

In Living Color

From the Wild Unknown Tarot, the Three of Wands; from the Pictish Oracle, the Eagle:

          The Three of Wands represents an expansion, whether with a career or how someone moves through the world as a whole. It requires an investment, possibly of money and time, but definitely of emotion and effort. The three sticks suggest tying together diverse talents or knowledge to create something sturdy. Now life has gone from black and white to color - it is an exciting experience to see the changes that are beginning to happen.
          The Eagle made ten appearances on class I stones of the Picts. Another name for the eagle was ‘fireun,’ from an Irish root word meaning truth, integrity, or a just man. James Ricklef's words pull together this card and tile: "Every once in a while you need to step back from the details and take a good look at the big picture." It's easy to get caught up in the excitement and not see all the cargo our ship is bringing in. Just as the industrial revolution brought progress in some areas, it also brought pollution and grim working conditions for many of the poor. An honest, objective view with an eye toward what benefits everyone is an idea worth implementing.