Dirt Clod Dharma

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Fool; from the Way of the Horse Oracle, "Dharma's Reflection:"

"Great... a suspended dirt clod with crumbling edges. Probably sharp, jagged rocks below that ground cover."
You don't have much trust or sense of adventure.
"I'm a realist. Who are you?"
Would you believe a deity or angelic-like being?
"Only if you could snap your fingers and instantly connect this piece of terra firma with its mother ship."
You can just think of me as your higher self then. How about I share some dharma with you?
"Is that like a Snickers bar? I am kind of hungry..."
No, it is teachings about truth - this particular set I'm going to tell you about is called the Four Reflections.
"Will it be useful for my present situation?"
Dharma is always practical. The Four Reflections state: 1) Life is precious; 2) Everything is impermanent and changing; 3) Our thoughts, words and actions have consequences - so it's a good idea to be mindful and not reactive; 4) Our suffering is caused by a constant desire for stability in an unstable world.
"So you're saying I should quit whining and fretting because things will change eventually. What am I supposed to do while I'm waiting?"
Enjoy the beautiful view from here.

Prescribed Potion

From the Hezicos Tarot, Temperance; from the Way of the Horse Oracle, "Intuition:"

Though Temperance is often interpreted as moderation, today I see it more as a compromise that results in harmony. This angel takes two different things and combines them to create something new. I want to take her mixed potion and pour it over my family, my country and the world. But is there a recipe for this concoction other than stir and mix? The Intuition card strongly suggests the necessary ingredient will not come from logic (goodbye opinions and dogmatic beliefs), nor will it come from emotions (goodbye resentments and fears). Instead it will be found deep below my ego, if I am receptive and listen quietly.

The Thunder Won't Hurt You

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Queen of Swords; from the Way of the Horse Oracle, the "Lightning Horse:"

Some people might find this queen, with her bristle-topped crown and her no-nonsense expression, a bit intimidating. She has no time for manipulators or finger-pointers, but she will give you an honest answer. She won't wrap it in cotton batting, because she knows this is something you need to hear, whether you want to or not. Her words may pierce like the tiny sword on her choker necklace, yet they are not meant as an attack but as a wake-up call.
The Lightning Horse reminds me of a camping trip years ago on Cumberland Island. In the middle of the night we had an intense thunderstorm roll in, and the lightning was so incredible it lit up the night. If I hadn't been so terrified, I probably would have realized it looked like midday every time it crackled across the sky. This card is about innovative inspiration and a glimpse of what comes next. The queen tells me it's time to quit hiding in the dark; I need to take action on what I've seen in the flash of light. The loud, ground-shaking thunder I've been worried about is really of no consequence.

Nonverbal Communication

From the Hezicos Tarot, the Six of Cups; from the Way of the Horse Oracle, the "Language of the Breath:"

The children playing at the beach bring back memories of my childhood for me. Whenever I choose the Six of Cups card, I generally look to see what from my past can be integrated into my present. For a while I was stumped as I looked at this card, but then I remembered that for the past several nights I've dreamed about my Grandfather Garrison. I lived with my grandparents from birth until about age five, a time period I am very grateful for now. My grandfather was a quiet, kind and gentle man. He grew up on a farm in Kentucky, and I often wondered if spending so much time outdoors early in life was why he liked to take long walks every day in the evening. Once, when he had become quite elderly, he didn't come home from his walk. My grandmother was in a panic and about to send out the cavalry, when he showed up. He apologized for the worry; he had gotten tired, sat down on a park bench and had fallen asleep.
My first reaction to the horse card was to notice how it appears to be taking a look back - quite appropriate paired with the Six of Cups. The Language of the Breath emphasizes nonverbal communication, something I most definitely see with my grandfather. He had a way of just being with people without saying much, a way of making them feel supported and listened to without ever trying to fix them in any way. I think his message is a timely one for me, and I would do well to heed it.

A New Understanding

This week I'll be using the Hezicos Tarot, a deck created and self-published by Mary Griffin. I'll also be using the Way of the Horse, a set created by Kim McElroy and Linda Kohanov and published by New World Library. Today's cards are the Ten of Swords and "Lionheart:"

Being a person who lives a large part of her life mucking around in her head, this image feels very familiar. I love to learn, analyze, take apart and put back together ideas. But every now and then, I run across something that my brain just can't process. The reason may be that I'm tired, I may not be familiar with the terms or language used or I'm just be coming at it from the wrong angle. Now normal people would probably just set it down and forget about it for awhile. But I'm like the wind-up car that runs into the wall then backs up and runs into the wall again - over and over. Eventually I wind up like this poor elf, completely wiped out. It is interesting that he lies across a mushroom. Did you know that the part of this plant we see above ground is the fruit? The actual plant itself lies beneath the soil. So this message suggests that by giving up his mental attack, his brain will bear fruit all on its own.
The Lionheart card encourages me to stop being aggressive but avoid doing nothing. In combining these two cards, I get the impression that giving up and walking away is not the answer. Instead I need to listen and be receptive. I need to walk around the problem or idea and look from every angle to see what perspective I might be missing. And if I relax with this information instead of trying to force it into a mold, I might just discover a new way to understand it.

Move at the Pace of Guidance

From the Osho Zen Tarot, the Seven of Rainbows (Seven of Pentacles); from the A'HA Oracle, "Lavandula:"

It's been quite a few years since I've been pregnant, but I remember those months clearly. Being vertically challenged, my belly seemed almost as extended as I was tall. Though excited about a new baby, I also longed to be able to see my toes again. There is no rushing a baby's development however, and a healthy one requires those nine months to grow strong. But waiting patiently has never been easy for me - and probably not for others either. Yet Henri J.M. Nouwen explains we need to trust the process: "The word patience means the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us."
If being patient just meant waiting, that might not be so hard since nothing will appear until it's time anyway. But Lavandula (the genus of lavender) is a herb known for its calming, relaxing properties, and it reminds me part of patience is being untroubled rather than agitated. Instead of being a micro-controller, I can do as Christina Baldwin suggests and "move at the pace of guidance."

Resting in Alaya

From the Osho Zen Tarot, Harmony (Ten of Cups); from the A'HA Oracle, "Separation:"

It is interesting that Padma chose to use an individual to illustrate the Ten of Cups rather than a group of people. In deep meditation, this woman rests in the nature of alaya. Judy Lief explains it this way: "The alaya, or essence, is the open, unbiased expanse of mind. It is stillness. It can be envisioned as an expanse, or simply as a gap in our ongoing preoccupations, activities, and concerns." The dolphins leaping from this woman's heart chakra symbolize the natural joy and peace that arise from this place. And this essence is what I can carry with me into all my relationships.
The A'HA card seems to show just the opposite experience. People are separated into little hourglass-like test tubes, depicting how they perceive their lives. What I encounter and deal with may look very different than the events in other folk's lives. Yet on the inside, we all are capable of feeling joy or grief, fear or courage, peace or frustration. We are much more alike than those outer appearances would suggest. There's a lot of truth in the saying, "Don't compare your insides to other people's outsides."