Emotional States

From the Victoria Regina Tarot, the Page of Cups; from the Alchemist's Oracle, Loudspeaker:

This Page of Cups is depicted as Princess Mary ('May') of Teck, who was engaged to Queen Victoria's grandson Eddy. She was described as nice and cheerful, "quiet and reserved until you know her well." Unfortunately Eddy died soon after, and as the royal family wished, she transferred her engagement to Eddy's younger brother, George. As it turned out, the sensitive and sweet May found a much better match with George in regard to temperament and values. She was also much loved by her husband's parents. Loudspeaker suggests we pay attention to our emotional state. If we become sensitive to what we're feeling, rather than caught up in the emotional energy itself, we may find the underlying problem rather than reacting to what we assume it is. By dealing with the root of the issue, we cultivate a skillful pattern of response rather than an unhealthy reaction.

Who we are as personalities is a collection of all the tendencies of mind that have been developed, the particular energy configurations we have cultivated.

—Joseph Goldstein

Let Me Check My Schedule...

From the Victoria Regina Tarot, the Ten of Wands; from the Alchemist's Oracle, Fun:

I know some folks who easily delegate or sidestep responsibilities and duties without a care for how they might be judged. And then there are the rest of us who trudge along with our daily tasks and willingly take on what others offload onto our backs. It's time to take a look at our motives and the results of our choices. Are we helping or enabling? Are we breaking under a burden that should be shared by others? Do we think we must do something ourselves if we want it done right? The stress of being overworked will catch up with us mentally, physically and emotionally. We might think the answer lies in getting more rest, but the Fun card suggests that it is play that will help us truly unwind, relax and get some clarity. As the saying goes, "Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."

Validation

From the Victoria Regina Tarot, the Six of Wands; from the Alchemist's Oracle, the Solar Plexus Chakra:

The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) is shown in a ceremonial parade after a successful trip abroad. While loved by much of the public, Edward had a troubled relationship with Queen Victoria. She had no confidence in his abilities and gave him little to do. It is nice to be publicly acknowledged for our successes, but relying on such judgment as a foundation for our belief in ourselves can be complicated. As Kurt Hanks wrote, "The more validation I need, the less discernment I have." The Solar Plexus card represents the seat of our will power and self esteem that motivates us to action. It is hindered when we cease to look at our accomplishments realistically, and instead rely solely on the opinions of another. 

A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him. 

—David Brinkley

Seeds of Today

From the Victoria Regina Tarot, the Prince (Knight) of Wands; from the Alchemist's Oracle, "You are exactly where you need to be:"

I can resist everything except temptation.

―Oscar Wilde

Playwright and poet Oscar Wilde is used to illustrate this Knight of Wands. Wilde lived life at full tilt, both shocking and exciting Victorian society. Talented, funny and confident, he was accustomed to getting what he wanted. Yet his lack of awareness and bravado would be his undoing, as he was eventually arrested and incarcerated for two years. The Alchemist's card reminds me of a proverb: "All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today." In other words, it warns us to pay attention to the seeds we are presently planting with our actions - they will eventually bear fruit. Rather than chasing the next pleasure, it is important to recognize the impact we have on others, good or ill. In a letter Wilde wrote in prison, it seems even he came to recognize reality requires more of us than simply a constant quest of desires.

I wanted to eat of the fruit of all the trees in the garden of the world ... And so, indeed, I went out, and so I lived. My only mistake was that I confined myself so exclusively to the trees of what seemed to me the sun-lit side of the garden, and shunned the other side for its shadow and its gloom.

―Oscar Wilde

Don't Settle

From the Victoria Regina Tarot, the Prince (Knight) of Swords; from the Alchemist's Oracle, Embrace:

Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, was Queen Victoria's daughter. Once married and settled in Germany, she realized her new husband was lacking in intelligent conversation and shared few of her interests. Rather than moan and groan, she began to pay close attention to the social concerns of the lower classes. She visited the homes of the poor to learn about their living conditions in hopes of improving them. She would eventually found the Alice Society for Women's Training and Industry, for the purpose of educating women, and the Princess Alice Women's Guild, an organisation devoted to training nurses. Embrace encourages us not to accept "a life that is less than the one you are capable of living" (Nelson Mandela). Like Alice, we must discover what we're capable of instead of being content with what we've been assigned.

Find your own happy street, don’t settle for someone else’s address.

~Christine Szymanski

Arsenal of Anger

This week I'll be using the Victoria Regina Tarot, a deck and book set created by Sarah Ovenall with text assistance from Georg Patterson. This tarot set was published by Llewellyn. I'll be pairing it with the Alchemist Oracle (aka 'Connected and Free'), a deck and booklet set self-published by Lauren Aletta. Today's draws are Strength and Comparison:

Every woman has a well-stocked arsenal of anger potentially useful against those oppressions, personal and institutional, which brought that anger into being. Focused with precision it can become a powerful source of energy serving progress and change. —Audre Lorde

I personally appreciate that most Strength cards are illustrated with a woman. As Lorde said, we do indeed have a well-stocked arsenal of anger. The VR's companion book states, "Don't smother aggressive tendencies or let them run amok. Learn instead to guide and direct aggression with loving calm." Wise women have been transforming their fury and frustration for years, realizing that insight can come if they don't allow that emotional energy to control them. They know it's simply a messenger that arrives in fiery ways to gain our attention. Comparison asks me to consider - before I react - how my planned response was received and what fruit it bore in the past. If still in the thrall of rage (or its cousin resentment), that choice likely won't be wise or beneficial.

Now or Later

From the Tarot of the Master, the Six of Swords; from the Paracelsus Oracle, Amissio:

This deck's Six of Swords card has been given the keyword 'courage.' Small acts of courage occur daily on an individual level: when we make that doctor's appointment, when we say 'no' when expected to acquiesce, when we choose to leave a relationship that has become detrimental to our well-being. These are all small victories, though personal rather than public. Amissio ('loss') indicates why it is so hard to make these kind of choices - there's usually more stuff to deal with in the aftermath. Yet what we choose to do now will determine how our future unfolds. We can deal with the little things now or deal with the monstrosity they grow into later.