Just Watching the Cork Bob

This week I'll be using the Delta Enduring Tarot, created and self-published by Bridgette Egan. Along with it, I'll be drawing from the Southernisms Oracle (a deck I created based on sayings I grew up with). Today's draws are the Hermit and "Act like you've got some raisin':"

Rather than alone on a mountain top, this fellow sits on a deck off his elevated house surrounded by flood waters. Wise to the rhythms of the Mississippi floodplain, this is one of many storms he's weathered. He relaxes while waiting on a nibble from a fish, knowing that eventually the waters will recede. The Hermit relishes these times alone for self-reflection; the lack of busyness allows him to check and see whether he's following his own principles and values or just talking about them. If needed, he can change his thoughts and behavior and get back on course. "Act like you’ve got some raisin’ doesn’t have anything to do with a dried grape, but rather is a strong warning to be polite and use good manners. There is a time for solitary contemplation and a time for reaching out to help others. There's nothing spiritual about self-absorption.

The universe of his own feelings keeps crowding everyone else's out.

― Garth R. Hallberg

Outside the Porthole

From the Slow Tarot, the World; from the ROAR Oracle, Gertrude Ederle:

Bryant illustrates her World card with the World Tree surrounded by four planets. She reasons that once we've experienced life beyond our comfortable little porthole, we can't unsee or unhear that experience. Our perception and understanding of reality widens considerably, and we become accountable with this new knowledge. We can't pretend any longer that we don't know. But how do we deal with the hard, difficult parts of that reality? Gertrude Ederle was an Olympic swimming champion and became the first woman to swim across the English Channel. She explained, "To me the sea is like a person... when I swim in the sea I talk to it. I never feel alone when I'm out there." Ederle would encourage us to see that we have a relationship with every challenge we meet. We can treat it like a friend, an enemy, or someone we could get to know better. The nature of our relationship will determine how we deal with it - through anger and resentment or through curiosity and openness.

Steady On

From the Slow Tarot, the Three of Wands; from the ROAR Oracle, Estee Lauder:

Bryant describes the Threes as representing "the potential of unrelated forces coming together to create something new." In the case of the Three of Wands, it would be a cooperative effort that results in development and expansion. Managing a collaborative effort takes energy, attention, communication, and the ability to make sure everyone feels heard and appreciated. Though people might assume Estee Lauder had a privileged upbringing, she was actually born to a working-class, Jewish immigrant family. With the help of her uncle, a chemist, she began a home-based business of creating face creams and marketing them to friends and local salons. After years of selling products on her own, she officially formed Estée Lauder Cosmetics Inc. in 1946, eventually becoming the richest self-made woman in the world. She stated, "I've always believed that success comes from not letting your eyes stray from that target. Anyone who wants to achieve a dream must stay strong, focused and steady." Most often success comes through steady effort rather than attachment to constant excitement and immediate recognition.

Knowledge and Courage

From the Slow Tarot, the Queen of Wands; from the ROAR Oracle, Ida B. Wells-Barnett:

Rather than having many irons in the fire, this Queen has many branches sprouting from her head. Yet she isn't spinning out, concerned with getting everything done. She knows how to prioritize and delegate when it comes to her duties. She also warmly inspires others, giving them the confidence and guidance to take care of their own responsibilities and goals rather than taking them on. Though she might seem like a never-ending source of energy powers her, she also knows that it is important to pause, reassess, and re-energize (warming her feet on the coals). Ida B. Wells-Barnett was an educator, investigative journalist, and an activist in the suffrage and civil rights movements. Traveling nationally and internationally, Ida was outspoken in her beliefs and regularly faced public disapproval and threats. Her constant documentation, reports, and speeches did not allow for anyone to be ignorant of the ongoing violence and injustice. What a team these two women would make - inspiring others with knowledge and the courage to act.

The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.

One had better die fighting against injustice than to die like a dog or a rat in a trap.

― Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Digging Out the Good

From the Slow Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the ROAR Oracle, Ruth Bader Ginsberg:

On a stormy evening with his hope as bright as the lighthouse, a figure sets sail toward another island. Perhaps he is leaving a toxic environment or relationship and wishes for a new beginning elsewhere. But before he gets there, he should check himself and make sure he's not bringing along the mindset that got him involved with those people, as well as any lingering resentments. Otherwise, he might create more of the same. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a women's rights activist and Supreme Court Justice. Her quote is a reminder that we just don't know how things will turn out: "So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great good fortune." We can use the past to make us more discerning, seeing the blessing that may have come from it - wisdom. 

Dogmatism and skepticism are both, in a sense, absolute philosophies; one is certain of knowing, the other of not knowing. What philosophy should dissipate is certainty, whether of knowledge or ignorance. ~Bertrand Russell

Strong Enough

From the Slow Tarot, the Nine of Wands; from the ROAR Oracle, Sojourner Truth:

Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems. ― Gever Tulley

Goodness, this woman looks exhausted and worn, but she's still standing. I can understand today how she feels; you take care of one thing only for another to arise that must be dealt with. If I get lost in the self-pity of "what now!?" I can fail to appreciate what I have already accomplished and may give up. This resilient lady is likely very aware of the cherry blossoms blooming on the wands behind her, showing the successful progress she has made. She takes the proverb "No hill lasts forever" as gospel. Sojourner Truth was an evangelist and an advocate for abolition and women's rights. In 1851, she delivered her famous “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech, challenging prevailing notions of racial and gender inferiority and inequality. She welcomed the challenge to make a stand for her values and beliefs, ignoring the expectations of others, and she would encourage us to do the same.

 If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them. —Sojourner Truth 

Patience and Passion

This week I'll be using the Slow Tarot, created by Lacey Bryant and published through Modern Eden Gallery. Paired with it will be the ROAR Oracle, created and self-published by MJ Cullinane. Today's draws are the Two of Cups and Maya Angelou:

Bryant suggests that Twos represent outside influences on personal choice, an apt description of the Two of Cups where union is sought between two diverse individuals. In this card, a man and woman sit on the lawn in the middle of a garden of white roses, suggesting a sense of groundedness and a purity of intention. Nothing can tank a partnership faster than untethered fantasy or a failure to be open and honest. Such traits tend to lead to starry-eyed expectations that can quickly sink a relationship. Maya Angelou, civil rights activist and poet extraordinaire, offers this advice: "Seek patience and passion in equal amounts. Patience alone will not build the temple. Passion alone will destroy its walls." While our passion can drive us toward a goal and keep our values intact, it is patience that will keep our bond strong as we mediate compromises and navigate unexpected detours.