A Brutal Teacher

From the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Button Oracle, Arjuna:

Experience is a brutal teacher. But you learn. My god, you learn. 

— C.S. Lewis

Just when we think we have figured things out and have put our plans and strategies into action, we crash and burn. But we don't have to stay at rock bottom unless we refuse to change our ideas and see things through fresh eyes. The button shows Arjuna, an unrivaled archer whose story is told in the Bhagavad Gita. He finds himself in the middle of a war he doesn't want to fight because he will have to kill some of his relatives. Yet Krishna tells him it is his duty as a warrior to see that justice is protected and the greater good preserved. In other words, even though the right course of action is difficult, we at times must do what we don't want to do. Or we can keep lying on those cold, hard rocks.

Free of Blinders

From the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, the Eight of Swords; from the Button Oracle, Teddy Bear:

We must reinvent a future free of blinders so that we can choose from real options.

~David Suzuki

This kitty would love to get out and try to catch a bird, but the window is firmly closed. Is there no other way outside, such as people coming and going out the doors? He's like most of us; we see an option or a solution but believe it is the only one worth pursuing. When we find that those closed, we don't bother to consider other doors that might offer us an attainable opportunity. Instead, we fruitlessly stay focused on what is out of reach. Teddy Bear represents comfort and reassurance. Whether it's a walk outside, a chat with a friend or time with a pet, we all have ways we can calm and clear our mind. And once our mind is open, we may see our options are too. 

Relishing

This week I'll be using the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, created by Granny Jones (Rebecca Jones) and published by Kangaroo Press. Along with it, I'll be drawing from the Button Oracle, a set I made myself from a collection of buttons. Today's draws are the Four of Swords and Horseshoe:

When it comes right down to it, wherever you go, there you are.

― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Hurray for Granny! Looks like she's found a little island where she can rest and get away from it all. But did her mind pack a bag filled with her worries and stress too? Mindfulness practice doesn't mean a brain wipe; we simply keep our attention active and open to where we are and what's going on around us without judging. When the past or future interferes, we give it a quick nod, then come back to where we are. As Jon Kabat-Zinn stated, "Breathe, then let be." It's a work in progress. Horseshoe represents good fortune, and its quote comes from Bret Harte: "The only sure thing about luck is that it will change." Her words may be true, yet that doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy a wonderful day. On the contrary, we should relish each second by keeping our mind where our body is. 

 

Dance with a Limp

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, Death; from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, Sacred Herbs:

Eventually, everything goes away.

― Elizabeth Gilbert

Winter is a season that shows us how to let go, rest and weep for what we've lost that once gave us a sense of security and brightened our days. Form becomes formless energy, which does not die but exists in new ways. Sacred Herbs suggest we find rituals to accept and heal this emptiness and numbness we're left with, a process that will happen on our own timetable. As Anne Lamott wrote, "It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp."

On the Same Branch

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Trickster/Devil; from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, Skan (Motion):

Mischief and malice grow on the same branch of the tree of evil.

~Aaron Hill

The Romani Devil is more like a trickster, similar to the Norse god Loki. But anyone familiar with Loki's story knows even he has at times crossed the line from mischievousness to maliciousness. The kettle this trickster overturned might have held a meal for a hungry family. So it is with us - when we want to cut loose and make merry, it's wise to maintain a few boundaries in order not to cause harm to ourselves or others. Skan represents motion and movement. In nature, it appears as change. Change is not evil unless its focus and motive is to undermine or abuse. As Cynthia McKinney stated, "We are way more powerful when we turn to each other and not on each other."

Giddy-Up

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Ace of Koshes (Wands); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, the Tree of Life:

Expectation, however, leads us into the agitation of hope and fear. When there is expectation, we’re hoping that something we want will happen and we fear that it won’t. 

~ Joseph Goldstein 

We may think that now is a good time to relax from all of our holiday festivities, but it looks like the Ace of Koshes (Wands) has a different idea for the start of 2025. It's time to get moving, not sit on our couches. People often make resolutions for the new year - a firm determination to do something differently. But such thinking usually creates expectations, and when they don't materialize, we give up on our goal. The Tree of Life is an archetype of all spiritual knowledge; it invites us to be accepting and patient as we travel our path. Rather than resolutions, we might create aspirations, which can inspire us and set a direction for us without an expected end result. If we find we have drifted off course, we can find our way back without shame.

Not a Hitching Post

From the Buckland Romani Tarot, the Three of Chivs (Swords); from the Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards, Unk (Passion and Satisfaction):

The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post.

—L. Thomas Holdcroft

In the Buddhist Wheel of Life, the hell realm is both fiery hot and icy cold. Psychologically, the hot part includes rage and desire for revenge, while the freezing part contains the protective armor we put on to protect ourselves from further hurt. Unfortunately, this armor also blocks our ability to be kind, tender and compassionate. Betrayal is painful and we need to grieve it, but it is meant to act as a rearview mirror, not our headlights. Mother Earth supplied humans with Unk - passion and the satisfaction that comes from it. A heart burnt to a crisp from anger or frozen from disconnection will never find satisfaction because it exists only the past, which cannot be changed.