A Shield of Protection

From the Tarot of the Master, the Six of Coins:

At first sight, this card appears to be like the Four of Coins with its shield and crossbow so prominently displayed. But then I realized the soldier was being protected by the shield, not the other way around, and I was flooded with memories of the death of my dad. When I got the call, I was at the vet with my dog, who dying of an unknown illness. I hurriedly tossed clothes in a bag and left town to be with my mom, but I also sent out an SOS to friends and acquaintances so they would know what was going on. Compassionate teachers helped my elementary-school daughter make sense of what was going on. My husband (whose only shopping experience had been with his boys), helped her find a dress and shoes for the funeral. A friend made daily calls to the vet to check on my dog, and the vet continued to provide care and boarding (and eventually got him well again). As I look at the different faces on the coins in this image, it reminds me of all those people who supported me when I was in crisis mode. As far as resources go, I think it is so much easier to give money  - usually a one-time donation - than to share your time and energy. I will be eternally grateful for those folks who helped restore and maintain balance in my world when I could not.

The geomantic figure produced today was "Puella:"

Puella means "girl" and refers to a peaceful receptiveness; it is the container that holds what is poured into it. Puella is ruled by Venus, the planet of love. Yet in this case, it is the tender side of this emotion rather than the romantic aspect. With the Six of Coins above, I envision it as a hug full of caring.

Sacrifice of Self

From the Tarot of the Master, the Five of Chalices:

A leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even

Water, offered to me in devotion,

I will accept as the loving gift

Of a dedicated heart. Whatever you do,

Make it an offering to me –

The food you eat or worship you perform,

The help you give, even your suffering.

~ Bhagavad Gita

This deck's interpretation of the Five of Cups is different from the RWS tradition. The banner in the background reads ad gloriam dei, or "for the glory of the Lord." I do get a sense of giving up something, but it is a gift willingly rather than begrudgingly given. Yes, it is a sacrifice of sorts, but it is the kind that will ultimately bring joy. When I feel lonely, sad, or some other emotion that makes me uncomfortable, I often try to distract myself by buying, eating or experiencing something that will give me a rush. This tactic works briefly, but then I'm left with the same emotion (and often added guilt). But if my focus is not self-centered and I give compassionately, I wind up with a full heart instead of an empty one.

The geomantic figure created today is "Laetitia:"

Laetitia means "joy," a feeling that is larger and longer-lasting than pleasure. Like these butterflies, there is a perception of lightness and the ability to not be weighed down by life's circumstances. Laetitia is ruled by Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system with a mass greater than all the other planets combined. It represents expansion and includes me moving outside my tiny world of total self-concern.

Struggling Against Reality

From the Tarot of the Master, the Hanged Man:

With hands and feet tied, this young man watches as life flows past him. He is powerless over the people and situations in his life, unable to affect or change them in any way. Will he rage and struggle until he is exhausted, or will he realize he must surrender to reality? I am hoping his open mouth signals an epiphany or a change in perspective. Psychiatrist Dr. Harry M. Tiebout explains what it means when the ego humbly waves the white flag:
One fact must be kept in mind, namely the need to distinguish between submission and surrender. In submission, an individual accepts reality consciously but not unconsciously. He accepts as a practical fact that he cannot at that moment conquer reality, but lurking in his unconscious is the feeling, 'There'll come a day' -- which implies no real acceptance and demonstrates conclusively that the struggle is still going on. With submission, which at best is a superficial yielding, tension continues. When, on the other hand, the ability to accept reality functions on the unconscious level, there is no residual battle, and relaxation ensues with freedom from strain and conflict. In fact, it is perfectly possible to ascertain to what extent the acceptance of reality is on the unconscious level by the degree of relaxation which develops. The greater the relaxation, the greater is the inner acceptance of reality.

The geomantic figure produced this morning is "Rubeus:"

Uh oh... doesn't look like much relaxation going on here. Rubeus means "red" and indicates a fierce passion. It's no surprise that the planet Mars rules this figure, yet its energy can be channeled in two ways: aggression and competition or courage and strength. Looks like it is time to cease fighting and struggling, and allow what change occurs to be inside of me.

Tread Water or Fly

From the Tarot of the Master, the Wheel of Fortune:

Sometimes you're wearing a ribbon in your hair with a steady cash flow, and sometimes you're being run over as if you were a slight bump on the road. At times you're the predator chasing what you desire, and other times you're the prey running from what you fear. Life is full of moments that are pleasant or unpleasant, joyful or sad, optimistic or crushing. No matter what is going on, things will eventually change, moving from one cycle to the next. If I'm smart, I'll learn to appreciate the good times and patiently tread water during the bad, knowing that none of it is personal. All of it forms the pages in a book that I am writing, and those pages never stop turning.

The geomantic figure created today is "Carcer:"

Carcer means "prison," and though the falcon above isn't in a cage, he is tethered to a roost. But just as the Wheel above will eventually turn, he too will gain his freedom when he is loosed for the hunt. Do you think he will refuse to budge, choosing instead to sit and complain about how badly life is treating him? I don't think so. Those precious moments of flight are to be savored rather than wasted, no matter how normal and routine they might be.

An Education in Frustration

From the Tarot of the Master, the Ten of Wands:

I can almost hear the thoughts in this little toad's head. He's hungry, but the bugs and snails have found a lattice of rods to crawl up to get out of his reach. Not only is he worried he won't get a meal, he thinks the birds will soon find them and then they'll be none left for him. According to the little booklet, the suit of wands deals with masculine energy. But in this particular card, that energy has been stymied, resulting in a feeling of frustration. But who has restricted this toad to only this little patch of the garden? He's the one who refuses to leave "his" domain and look for grub elsewhere.

The geomancy figure created this morning is "Tristitia:"

This figure's name means "sorrow," and it refers to the difficulties and disappointments we often face. With his head bowed down, this man stands at the edge of a mountain, probably feeling as if he is at the end of his rope. The celestial body that rules Tristitia is Saturn, a taskmaster with the objective of teaching life lessons. Wisdom, patience and discipline are going to be needed now if I want things to get better. I might as well move away from the edge and settle in for the lesson...

Spilled Milk

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Master created by Giovanni Vacchetta and published by Lo Scarabeo. Today's draw is Death:

Death uses his scythe to gather all sorts of material items: symbols of worldly and religious power and symbols of careers. He knows their owners have no use for them now. The Lo Scarabeo deck has keywords along the sides of the cards, and (without my first cup of coffee) I mistakenly read "conclusion" as "completion." Even after I realized my mistake, it made me want to compare it to the World card. The World card deals with cycles - one stage or phase is finished and then you move on to the next. With Death, whatever is the subject matter becomes closed forever. There is no hope of building or restoring that relationship, job, or physical form. No one narrates in the background that this time things will be "better, stronger, faster." But all is not lost; the ship behind Death sails away to unknown lands. I can begin again, but I need to let go and move away to do it.

The oracle I'll be using this week is a set of digital Geomancy Cards that I created on the computer. Instead of choosing a card, I make four groups of random dots with pen and paper. The odd and even numbers create the geomantic figure. Today's figure is "Amissio:"

Amissio means "loss," and can be seen illustrated here by the mice eating the ripe fruit that has not been gathered yet. If I were to connect the dots (unlike the figure in this card), I would created two triangles that resembled overturned cups. What is spilled cannot be fixed or made whole again. Amissio is ruled by Venus, a planet emphasizing harmony and beauty, especially in relationships. I do not like to be discarded by other people, as if I'm a used tissue. But if there is no hope of reconciliation, it would be healthier to focus on the other relationships in my life instead of obsessing over how to fix this one.

Deep Breaths and Patience

From the Tarot of the Absurd, Strength:

Except for one high-heeled shoe, a woman straddles a lion bare-naked. Out of all the tarot decks I have, I can only think of one that shows a man on this card - all the rest show a woman. I recently ran across an article about a study that showed women are seen as better leaders than men by those around them. In fact, the outcome of the study revealed the women out-scored men in all but one of the sixteen leadership competencies. Why? It is not a male vs. female thing, but a result of many females operating from a feminine foundation of characteristics: cooperative, communicative, relational, receptive, intuitive and encouraging. We take the "soft" approach rather than the forceful one (that's why the bare foot is on the lion, not the one with the shoe).

From the Post Psychedelic Cyberpunk comes the "Telescope:"

The telescope is a tool for looking at far away objects. It reminds me that taking the soft approach instead of a forceful one requires long-range plans and patience. Though I fear people will think I am promoting females rather than the feminine, I can't help but think of pregnancy. A woman will not only endure nine long months of carrying a developing child, she is also willing to go through the pain of delivery. She knows that what is achieved at the end of this period will be worth the hard work and perseverance she put into it.