Chaotic Creation

From the Tarot of the Abyss, the Empress; from the Lantern Oracle, Gatekeeper:

Rather than the demure, serene Empress often seen in decks, Tourian's gal is windswept with swirling energy. Most forms of creation are chaotic and messy rather than ordered and sedate. Just look at all the crumpled first drafts of writers or the trashed test runs of inventors. What seems turbulent and uncontrolled is actually a process of insight and self-discovery that will become an expressive formation. Yet there will always be critics or hecklers who want to dismiss or deride what we've created. The Gatekeeper is a symbol of assertively protecting what is important to us. She doesn't need to ride out into battle (or post snarky memes on Facebook), she just needs to nurture and safeguard what is necessary and essential for a fulfilled life.

The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.

~Pablo Picasso

I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - 

things I had no words for. ~Georgia O'Keeffe

She Holds the Keys

From the Tarot of the Abyss, the High Priestess; from the Lantern Oracle, Voice:

During meditation, we create a refuge in which we can better discern and understand what’s going on in our constantly shifting private landscape. —Lauren Krauze

I appreciate that Tourian's Priestess also has a set of keys (often assigned only to the Hierophant). Her yin-yang symbol applies to the aggressive self-will of the ego; it wants to do what's best for us but it lacks essential information because its strategies were formulated at a young age. This mental construct looks for pleasure and avoids discomfort, unaware that horrible consequences can come from some pleasures and good things may come from discomfort. Yet we each have a higher nature - which the priestess helps us access through meditation. It sees with clarity, without preference or prejudice. The Voice card is a nudge to speak one's truth, and so I will give my personal thoughts on meditation. There is a mindfulness movement that seeks to bring calm and comfort to people, to help them de-stress and experience bliss. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, unless it is passed off as a spiritual practice. McMindfulness serves the ego, wanting only what feels good. A meditation practice helps us discern the habitual thought and emotional patterns that create suffering in our lives and in those around us. It requires us to change, not sink back in our comfy recliners.

None of us dreamed that mindfulness would become so popular or even lucrative, much less that it would be used as a way to keep millions of us sleeping soundly through some of the worst cultural excesses in human history, all while fooling us into thinking we were awake and quiet.

—Clark Strand

Do No Harm

From the Tarot of the Abyss, the Two of Cups; from the Lantern Oracle, the Unknown:

When most people are single, they crave partnership. When others are in committed relationships, they crave independence. ~Kendall Wood

Tourian describes this card as a meaningful relationship, one that is interdependent but not co-dependent. Their tails resemble the caduceus, a symbol of healing and the vow to "do no harm." It is easy to see new partnerships in a rosy light, but once they are out in the bright of day all the imperfections are seen. Can we still embrace the other without being harsh and critical? The Unknown card suggests that when we experience something new, we fear change. But when we have been in a stable situation, we may feel constricted and stagnant. Yet are either of these judgments true? Or is it simply wanting things and people to be the way we want them to be, according to our will? To change if we change, and to be settled when we are comfortable? Relationships, being composed of two people who've been shaped by different conditions, will always have an air of mystery if both partners feel free to grow and rest in their own natural cycles without the other partner feeling left behind or judged. 

An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person's main task in life - becoming a better person. ~Leo Tolstoy

No Amount

From the Tarot of the Abyss, the Two of Pentacles; from the Lantern Oracle, Assistance to Access:

A woman is seen with a pentacle pendulum, shown at different times of the day. She has many obligations to fulfill and tasks to complete, and she's well aware of how thinking about one while doing another can lead to distraction. If she is to maintain her health and balance, she needs to deal with what's in front of her, not what lies ahead. Assistance to Access suggests needing help to get through a passage or part of our life. We may fear we look vulnerable, needy and inept if we ask for help, but actually it is just a sign of humility.

The truth is that no amount of money, influence, resources, or determination will change our physical, emotional, and spiritual dependence on others.

― Brené Brown

Turning the Attention

From the Tarot of the Abyss, the Five of Cups; from the Lantern Oracle, Radical Self-Love:

Yep, this is me checking the new cases of viruses - 41 new cases yesterday (a lot in our small rural-metro area). Already the hospital is worried about the overflow, especially since we were a hot spot when Covid started. Yet the two full cups remind me that not all is lost. We have vaccines, and though they're not perfect, they are keeping people from an extended stay in the ICU. And while our governor isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, at least we don't have Florida's fellow (where the cases are sky-high). He is a Trump-wannabe who just signed an executive order keeping any city or county from passing a mask mandate. Pure insanity. The Radical Self-Love card is not meant to encourage self-pity or self-indulgence, but kindness and compassion towards oneself. I would not want to live on a diet of junk food, so why should I feed my mind an unending diet of how awful the world is? It has it's problems, but there is still beauty, joy, and love to be found if I turn my attention in the right direction.

Misaligned Values and Actions

From the Tarot of the Abyss, the Five of Pentacles; from the Lantern Oracle, Misalignment:

          Two people are cast out of their lodgings in the dead of night. What did they do to deserve their eviction? I can't help but think of the eviction moratorium that went into effect with the pandemic, but with the arrival of August has expired. The worst part is this caveat: "As of August 1, 2021 tenants will owe their landlord any unpaid rent and any fees, penalties, or interest as a result of their failure to pay rent during the period of the CDC order." Who in the world would be able to make past due payments as well as pay rent too? Misalignment makes me think of how overworked back muscles can pull vertebrae out of line, creating a lot of pain. Our actions may also be misaligned with our values - saying we believe in kindness but acting with intolerance and mercilessness, for example. I understand that landlords must pay property taxes, housing repairs, and their own bills, but wouldn't it benefit both parties to just start on a fresh page?

Dangling in Front of Us

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Abyss, created by Ana Tourian and published by U.S. Games. Paired with it will be the Lantern Oracle, created by Angelina Mirabito, illustrated by Yuly Alejo, and published through Blue Angel. Today's draws are the Four of Cups and Creative Power:

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. 

– Thomas Merton

          This young man napping in the branches of a tree seems exhausted. A vacation with others, the end of a big project, or the day after a celebration can leave anyone feeling worn out in body and spirit. A bit of solitude for restoration might work wonders, but what if the apathy persists? The Creative Power card suggests this has to do with generating ideas and producing them creatively. Every artist or craftsperson has probably experienced a block that seems to keep them in neutral gear. Focusing on how bone dry we are won't help us make any progress. Pablo Picasso stated, "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." I'd probably change 'working' to 'playing.' Whatever creative work we do, can we try doing it just for fun, not to make something that fits our judgment of 'good'? Or perhaps we could try another form altogether - writing, sewing, painting, woodworking, etc. - just for the heck of it. When we lose ourselves in play, we might just find the thread to our creative power dangling right in front of us.