Protected Past

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Six of Cups; from the Rumi Cards, 'Start to Shine:'

          The guard catches my eye this morning in the Albano-Waite illustration of the Six of Cups. There is a sense of enclosure and protection that surrounds these children. I don't think it is Pollyanna-ish to do the same with memories that make us smile or warm our hearts. As Cesare Pavese wrote, "The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten." The Start to Shine card is a reminder that good times may not last, but neither do the bad ones either. It is helpful to remember past challenges and hardships, and how they eventually ended or how I learned how to adapt and continue to live with my heart open and tender in spite of them.

Tug of Interest

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Page of Pentacles; from the Rumi Cards, 'Boiling Sea of Passion:'

          Unlike his cousin, the Page of Swords, this Page is not interested in debate and discourse as an intellectual exercise. He could care less about how many angels could fit on the head of a pin. The studies he engages in are for practical purposes that can be put to use in the concrete world, whether that involves learning how to raise chickens, creating haiku, or changing the flapper in the toilet that keeps running. The Boiling Sea of Passion encourages us to follow our passion in order to turn our minds towards something positive and constructive. Study of any kind can help us discover embers of curiosity that we can fan into flames. Rather than sitting immobile in the mud of despair, anxiety, anger or apathy, we can follow the tug of interest and feed our inquisitiveness with some fresh air.

A man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind.

― James Allen

Humble Response

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Six of Wands; from the Rumi Cards, 'The Moon is Waiting:'

          Any successful leader worth his salt will admit to standing on the shoulders of others to meet challenges and achieve goals. And that kind of humility will keep him learning as well as leading. Open-minded cooperation among diversification makes us all stronger and more knowledgeable. The Moon card suggests we set aside any focus on "me, mine, myself" and look at the bigger picture. I had a strange thought this morning... What if we didn't have the concept of religion at all, but rather the only the idea of relationship? What if the spiritual focus of groups concentrated on kindness and compassion toward all other beings, Nature, etc. instead of creeds or dogma? What a glorious light that would shine on our world.

People respond in accordance to how you relate to them.

~Nelson Mandela

River of Thoughts

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Five of Cups; from the Rumi Cards, the 'Ordeal of exile:'

          I'm in sync with this fellow today. Our temperature is supposed to hit 86F by lunch, and our air conditioning has quit working. The heavy pollen and dust (no rain in many days) keep us from opening the windows. Can you hear me heaving a deep sigh? But wait... we have running water and electricity in a home with food and other luxuries. The river in this card reminds me of the default mode network in the mind; when we aren't focused on a task, it kicks in. But whether the mind flows with positive, uplifting thoughts or negative, woeful ones depends on our pattern of thinking in the past - the habits of mind we've nurtured. But now, at this moment, I have a chance to start cleaning up my river by where I place my attention. The Rumi card suggests that ordeals and hardships we face can rekindle our gratitude for what we've taken for granted. Instead of sighing in frustration, I can focus on what it will feel like when our unit is repaired.

All mental and emotional patterns eventually fall apart and dissolve in the light of awareness.

—Hanuman Goleman

Today is the Day

This week I'll be using the Albano Waite Tarot, a recolored version of the RWS created by Frankie Albano and published by U.S. Games. The oracle deck I'll be pairing with it is the Rumi Cards, created by Eryk Hanut and Michelle Wetherbee and published by Tuttle Publishing. Today's draws are the Four of Pentacles and 'Tomorrow's already gone:'

          Is this fellow being miserly or mindful of his resources? It appears he's understood the importance of social distancing, but has he distanced himself from compassion and kindness as well? Wise discernment is required now (Covid-19 has given our little city a wallop), but does one person really need a case of toilet paper and 20 bottles of hand gel? Hoarding mass amounts might make a person feel protected, but all those other people who find shelves empty will keep looking, which means people will be out and about when they shouldn't have to be. The Rumi quote suggests that we do the best we can now, rather than live in dread of tomorrow. As the Dalai Lama stated, "There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do, and mostly, live."

Motive and Outcome

From the Hadar Marseille Tarot, the Six of Coins; from the Greek Alphabet Runes, Mu:

          Coins are about obtaining wants and needs in the physical realm, from good health and relaxation time to a home and financial security. The Sixes emphasize the need to keep things going - in the Coins suit, pass along part of what we have to keep everyone in balance. It could be as simple as turning off the TV to talk with and calm an anxious friend or leaving some groceries on the porch of someone in need. Besides being a Greek letter, Mu is also a term used in the Zen Buddhist tradition that indicates the absence or lack of something. Generosity can be rooted in compassion or obligation. If it grows from a tender heart, we get to share in the joy of the receiver. But if it springs from the pressure of 'shoulds,' we are left with a feeling of resentment or a burdensome strain.

A man's motive in the small actions of daily life, like resting a moment on his pitchfork in the sun and listening intently, may be the most important thing about that man. ~Haniel Long

Thy Name is Fear

From the Hadar Marseille Tarot, the Devil; from the Greek Alphabet Runes, Iota:

          Bursten explains that the face on the Devil's belly indicates being led by one's appetites rather than logic. Appetite, in this case, is more than just hunger; it includes anything that drives us to seek it because we feel it is beneficial for us (regardless of other people). The problem with leaving rational thought and compassion in the closet is that we are often driven by fear. We react in destructive ways, from power pushes to addictive behavior. Iota is related to yod, the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It signifies something tiny and insignificant, as in its usage "not one iota." Together with the Devil, it cautions us not to blow something small into an imaginary, huge problem. Our magnifying minds need to look through the lens of rationality. It may be what we fear is only a molehill in disguise.

Anything that causes you to overreact or underreact can control you, and often does.     

~David Allen