Disorderly Delights

From the Cosmic Cycles Tarot, the Fool; from the Magic Neko Deck, the Jack of Hearts:

That was the thing about the world: it wasn't that things were harder than you thought they were going to be, it was that they were hard in ways that you didn't expect.     

~Lev Grossman

          This young lady is so eager to begin her adventure, there's no telling what she packed in that bag (especially since she also grabbed a potted plant). Let's hope she doesn't slip on the wet floor in her excitement. As she flies off into the unknown, she'll be taking in everything new and wondrous; there'll be no time for worrying. But the Jack of Hearts reminds her that even adventuring fools need to rest at some point. Having a place to crash where she feels safe enough to relax and sleep is important. After all, there's a great, big world waiting to be explored. And a person can face just about anything with a good night's sleep.

Backup Plan

From the Cosmic Cycles Tarot, the Queen of Wands; from the Magic Neko Deck, the Eight of Clubs:

People tend to freak out when something diverges from their expectations.

― Gayle Foreman

          The Queen of Wands is a planner, a director, and a passionate creator. And even though she's an ace encourager, she has no slackers working for her. Like this Queen, we all have something that we're good at doing. Yet the Six of Clubs asks what happens when we find ourselves out of our comfort zone and completely out of our element? For instance, the person whose job becomes obsolete and must reinvent himself or a person who has spent months in rehab and now must deal with life on life's terms. How do they stay calm and not lose confidence? The Queen would suggest having a plan in place that might include a small circle of reliable friends who could encourage us and give us wise feedback. She'd also say that we need to be proactive, looking for steps we could take instead of hiding under our bedcovers. 

Inner Responsibility

This week I'll be using the Cosmic Cycles Tarot, co-created and self-published by Martina Razo (author) and Miriam E.G. (illustrator). Paired with it will be Stasia Burrington's self-published deck, Magic Neko. Today's draws are the Wheel of Fortune and the Seven of Hearts:

When we understand that karma is based on volition, we can see the enormous responsibility we have to become conscious of the intentions that precede our actions.

—Joseph Goldstein

          Karma is neutral like gravity; both Hitler and Gandhi could walk off a ten-story building and they'd both go splat when they hit the ground. Humans, of course, judge karma to be good or bad based on the fall-out from their actions. They don't realize that their intentions create a response, which may be skillful or unskillful, and that response will trigger a reaction or consequence. This young girl has won some tickets that she thinks will change her fate. Sorry chickadee, but you'd be better off looking at your habitual patterns and making some different choices if you want something more than a temporary fix. The Seven of Hearts is associated with open-heartedness, a needed quality to embrace when we actually see how our pattern of choices has created much of our reality. There is no need for self-pity or self-flagellation, but self-compassion would be of benefit. The seed of happiness grows within us, and it can be nurtured each moment regardless of whatever else is happening.

Choke Collared Leash

From the Russian Lubok Tarot, the Devil; from the Marseille Oracle, Progress:

We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.

― Oscar Wilde

          Though it is tempting to blame the Devil for pulling our strings, the hard truth is that he is only a personification of my dark side - those emotions and instincts I let run wild without boundaries. My two greatest inner demons are fear and anger; without rationally questioning the validity of their assumptions, they can quickly put me on a choke collared leash. There are layers upon layers when it comes to the motives of humans, each of us shaped and conditioned by our lives. Yet as adults, most of us get to make our own choices. I've met the Devil, and he is me. Progress suggests that clear awareness rather than blame or excuses will move us in a more skillful, healthy direction. Unless of course, that choke collar has become a secret form of security.

Embracing Paradox

From the Russian Lubok Tarot, the Ace of Swords; from the Marseille Oracle, Clarifications:

Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.

― Rita Mae Brown

          This Ace of Swords shows the paradox of peace and war. We might want our rights and freedoms, but we forget these come with responsibilities and laws. We might rage against what we hate, but we give little thought to any workable solutions. The truth requires us to accept things as they are, then attempt to find a remedy for what is out of balance without creating more inequality. The Clarifications card suggests listening closely, asking questions that help clarify, and measuring our responses so that they encourage cooperation rather than discord. For an example of how not to do this, just watch the 'debate' between Biden and Trump.

Let go of certainty. The opposite isn't uncertainty. It's openness, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow.

― Tony Schwartz

Protecting the Unprotected

From the Russian Lubok Tarot, Justice; from the Marseille Oracle, Cheerfulness:

Well, if one really wishes to know how justice is administered in a country, one does not question the policemen, the lawyers, the judges, or the protected members of the middle class. One goes to the unprotected — those, precisely, who need the law’s protection most! — and listens to their testimony. 

—James Baldwin

          Justice weighs the intentions, actions, and the fallout from those actions on her scales. In a truly fair world, justice would not be denied any group; injustices would cause all citizens to line the streets in protest whether they were directly affected or not. Our current system is broken. As Robert Ingersoll stated, "Justice should remove the bandage from her eyes long enough to distinguish between the vicious and the unfortunate." Perhaps one day we'll have a reason to be cheerful and celebrate if we remember the words of Cornel West: "Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public."

Packed Bag

From the Russian Lubok Tarot, the Knight of Wands; from the Marseille Oracle, Hearth:

While it is well enough to leave footprints on the sands of time, it is even more important to make sure they point in a commendable direction. ~James Branch Cabell

          This young knight shields his eyes from the sand that blows in the wind. He didn't check to see if a sandstorm might be on the horizon because he's too focused on leaving home in search of exotic places and exciting new faces. Travel outside our comfort zones can be an educational experience that broadens our perspectives - unless our bags are packed full of expectations with no openmindedness to what we might find. The Hearth card shows a simple pot of stew cooking among embers. It represents a kind of contentment and satisfaction that comes from accepting even the simple as sacred. When we can find that in even humble circumstances, it's much easier to see with fresh eyes when we go on any adventure.