Appreciative Joy

From the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, the Five of Water (Cups); from the Insectorum Divinorum, Lantern-fly:

Dimmi: Does the pain of regret or loss prevent appreciative joy?*

          When I searched online for this image, I discovered the companion book had misidentified it. Leonardo's mechanism is the first idea for a CVT (continuously variable transmission), which allows an engine's speed to remain steady as it continuously and seamlessly alters its gearing. Do we keep running smoothly when life suddenly causes us to take a sharp, unexpected turn? Or do we feel that we have it worse than most people, who seem to glide along? Appreciative joy is not just about a gladness of heart for the happiness we see around us, it also recognizes the skillful behavior and attitude that cultivates that happiness. This practice takes practice to cultivate. The Lantern-fly, a type of planthopper with a strangely shaped snout, was mistakenly thought to emit light by early experts. Such a misunderstanding is also behind the Five of Cups. Unvoiced expectations, misinterpreted intentions, wishful thinking, and the failure to acknowledge the natural course of things may all need to be examined carefully. 

*My own dimmi, not the book's.

House of Delusions

From the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, the Ten of Earth (Pentacles); from the Insectorum Divinorum, Swarm:

Dimmi: What have you inherited?

          Leonardo's sketch shows the plans for a basilica; for stability, the depths of the foundation must be in proportion to the weight that will rest on it. We all have a foundation from our family of origin - patterns of saving and spending as well as healthy or unhealthy habits that affect the body. Added to this base is the effect of our social community, as seen in the Swarm. While we might like to think of ourselves as rational and street-smart, we all have an innate desire for an easy answer. Cognitive short-cuts (heuristics) can be helpful time-savers, but relying on what is familiar because we assume it is good and safe is not always wise. Whether we are dealing with familial foundations or patterns within our social groups, critical thinking rather than collective thinking is necessary. Our fact finding is not made invalid if others disagree with us - people in distressing situations tend to cling even tighter to the familiar, even when the familiar is a delusion.

The house of delusions is cheap to build but drafty to live in.

― A. E. Housman

Reasoned Judgment

From the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, the Emperor; from the Insectorum Divinorum, Hemiptera:

Dimmi: What are the boundaries of safety and order in this situation?

          The fantastical elements of this armor were added by Leonardo, whose sitter for this sketch was just an ordinary man. Without this knowledge, how easy it would be to judge him as some pompous ruler with more concern for attire than his kingdom. Hemiptera is an order of insects known as 'true bugs;' they are distinguished by their piercing mouth parts used for sucking sap from plants (but in some cases animals) with nymphs that resemble the adult form. Both these cards point to the danger of making a snap judgment without being aware of factual evidence. Assumptions may seem to protect us; rather than investigate and confirm, we fill in what is unknown based on our preferences and biases. But such misinformation just creates more chaos and insecurity, not safety and order. 

It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into.

~Jonathan Swift

Try a Little Tenderness

From the DaVinci Enigma Tarot, the Empress; from the Insectorum Divinorum, the Housefly:

Dimmi: How do you take up your unique place as a living being?

Where can you guide others with love and kindness in this matter?

          This study of St. Anne (Mary's mother) shows a look of tenderness wished for by Leonardo, who had been an illegitimate child abandoned by his mother. The question posed by this card asks how we nurture and support others. Some of us connect through empathy, some by offering reason and guidance, some through physical or material support, and others through helping people find their passions and following them. The Fly card suggests a duality, as this insect can be both an important pollinator and a pathogen carrier. How do we relate to humankind - with tenderness or sanctimoniousness? 

Care is a state in which something does matter; it is the source of human tenderness.

~Rollo May

Mere Opinions

From the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, Experience (Justice); from the Insectorum Divinorum, Diversity:

Dimmi: How does experience inform your integrity?

Where do you need to be just or impartial in this matter?

          The young girl in Da Vinci's sketch seems to point off into the distance as if inviting me to explore something. In this version of Justice, the question is asked about how open or closed-minded we are. Do we base what we think is ethical and equitable on our personal belief system or on the well-being of all? Leonardo wrote, "The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions." The Diversity card is a reminder of what a varied assortment exists in the bug world - approximately 17,500 species of butterflies and 350,000 species of beetles. The medley of humans is no different; we are all influenced by such things as our culture and education, but more than anything else, our life experience. Yet even if we can't travel the world, we can learn from books, documentaries, and people who are different from us. Mere opinions and personal beliefs do not produce equality.

 Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. 

~John F. Kennedy

When the Teacher is Ready...

From the Da Vinci Enigma, the Three of Earth (Pentacles); from the Insectorum Divinorum, Scarab:

Dimmi: What viewpoint is guiding or confusing the issue?

          Da Vinci wrote, "Perspective is the bridle and rudder of painting..." Indeed, drawing or painting a three dimensional subject in two dimensional form requires a knowledge of how to give the illusion of depth. The traditional meaning of mastery mixes well with the suggestion of a need for perspective. When we become good at what we do - no longer struggling with basic knowledge or skills - it may seem that others have nothing else to teach us. Scarab beetles are known for gathering dung then rolling it into balls for food for themselves or their larvae. The companion booklet describes them as symbols of tireless effort. Because life never stops changing, it is beneficial to continue learning, widening our knowledge and skills so that we can adapt and evolve.

It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning. 

~Claude Bernard

Renunciation

This week I'll be using the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, created by Caitlin Matthews and published by Connections. Along with it, I'll be drawing from a self-published oracle created by Esmeralda Rupp-Spangle called the Insectorum Divinorum. Today's cards are the Ten of Air (Swords) and the Nightcrawler:

Dimmi: What do you have to relinquish?

          Da Vinci's sketch shows a hanged assassin; though he managed to murder his target, things did not turn out the way he imagined. We all have our pet opinions and viewpoints that we guard ferociously and grasp tightly. Even when presented with facts that debunk our ideas, we rarely relinquish them. Often only hitting rock bottom makes us question our perspective. The Nightcrawler is an earthworm that provides natural aeration of soil, allowing water and oxygen to penetrate more easily into the ground. It suggests that perhaps we should prop open the door of our mind, allowing the fresh air of a more panoramic view. 

Renunciation, though often understood to mean “giving up,” is, more accurately, the willingness to experience things as they are, not as we want them to be. —Ken McLeod