Crap on a Cracker

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Six of Swords; from the Archetype Cards, the Samaritan:

On most RWS based decks, the Six of Swords usually shows the swords in the boat with the seafarers. Yet St. Croix's card shows them passing through a dark tunnel, leaving the swords bolted above the opening. Sixes are about a return to harmony and balance. It's easy to blame any dissension and conflict on others rather than think it is rooted in the rigid opinions and beliefs we hold. Samaritan refers to the biblical parable about helping someone who's supposed to be one's enemy - but the catch is to do it without expecting recognition or thanks for the aid given. The false self is always looking for a way to shore itself up. It needs to be right and the smartest, to always be complimented and put on a pedestal. If we fall under its sway, it will twist our motives and our relationships. Only the desperate will want our crap on a cracker.

Curiosity, Not Assumptions

 From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Two of Swords; from the Archetype Cards, Magical Child:

Those hard decisions are often between the choice of the mind and the choice of the heart. Others, thinking to help us, will generally take one side or the other. We can easily get caught up in discussions that create more chaos than direction. Yet only we know what crosses the line of our personal ethics and values; only we know the depth of our experience and what it has taught us. Our own insight is what will give us confirmation. The Magical Child can also help us let go of the rigid outcomes we assume for each choice and see a wider range of possibilities. As Zenkei Blanche Hartman teaches:

Beginner’s mind is Zen practice in action. It is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and expectations, judgments and prejudices. Beginner’s mind is just present to explore and observe and see “things as they are.” I think of beginner’s mind as the mind that faces life like a small child, full of curiosity and wonder and amazement. “I wonder what this is? I wonder what that is? I wonder what this means?” Without approaching things with a fixed point of view or a prior judgment, just asking “What is it?”

The Beating Stick

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Seven of Pentacles; from the Archetype Cards, Lover:

A woman wearing a leopard outfit (a symbol of power and resourcefulness), reaches out to arrange her many projects. St. Croix suggests she do an evaluation before she unleashes her energy. What will need the most attention? What should take priority of importance? Does she have the resources needed? The Lover card asks where we have placed our devotion. In the case of the Seven of Pentacles, hopefully it is not with the passion of perfection. It's all too easy to get lost in the weeds instead of simply assessing whether we're making progress, which rarely moves in a straight path. As Rebecca Solnit wrote, "Perfection is a stick with which to beat the possible." 

Apportionment

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Six of Pentacles; from the Archetype Cards, Slave:

When we are motivated by compassion and wisdom, the results of our actions benefit everyone, not just our individual selves or some immediate convenience. ―The Dalai Lama

Yab-yum statues, seen in Tibetan Buddhist art, often just look like deities copulating to Western eyes. Yet this form actually represents the primordial union of wisdom and compassion. The male symbolizes mercy and appropriate response (compassion) and the female depicts insight and intelligence (wisdom). As an illustration of the Six of Pentacles, it implies an equal footing when it comes to giving and receiving. But this is not always the case, as the Slave archetype warns. I am reminded of the phrase "I serve at the pleasure of the president," meaning that one's position depends solely on the contentment of another rather than our own. Giving up our integrity or agency in return for something we think we need is not a balanced or healthy type of apportionment.

Information Distribution

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the King of Wands; from the Archetype Cards, the Detective:

This particular King of Wands is based on Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. The Hermetica was attributed to him, a work of occult, theological, and philosophical subjects. St. Croix suggests this King's message is "by sharing your wisdom, you create magic." In other words, hoarding ideas is simply a power play; nothing useful can come from them until the knowledge is distributed. Once the information is out of the box, we can use our Detective skills to examine the ideas and insights to see if they bear any truth and, if so, how they might apply to our lives.

Ideas are more powerful than guns. ~Joseph Stalin

Work-based Focus

This week I'll be using the Tarot de St. Croix, created and self-published by Lisa de St. Croix. Along with it, I'll be drawing from the Archetype Cards, created by Caroline Myss and published by Hay House. Today's cards are the Eight of Pentacles and God:

Some people want to see God with their eyes as they see a cow, and to love Him as they love a cow - for the milk and cheese and profit it brings them. This is how it is with people who love God for the sake of outward wealth or inward comfort. They do not rightly love God, when they love Him for their own advantage. ― Meister Eckhart

The Eight of Pentacles suggests a work-based focus, one where physical effort is expended beyond mental fantasy. Sure, a vision is needed as a starting point, but no concrete progress can be made until we buckle down to the tasks at hand. The God archetype (and Eckhart's quote) imply a ploy that people often use to get out of taking responsibility for any personal exertion. "If it's God's will" can suspiciously sound like "I'm going to let someone else handle it." It might be better to follow the advice of an Islamic proverb - Trust Allah but tie up your camel. It's the results we can let go of, not the work.

Creative Response

From the Urban Tarot, the Prince (Knight) of Wands; from the Principles to Live By, Equanimity:

Scott uses the role of comedian/newscaster in this card, bringing to mind such folks in this field as Stewart, Colbert and Oliver. The Prince/Knight of Wands is Air within Fire, having intellect combined with energy and enthusiasm. His passion is fueled by a desire to stand up for what is right while fighting to protect the vulnerable. His push for change is guided by such motives, and he can be tenacious. He invites us to have the courage to do the same. Equanimity (illustrated with the alchemical symbol for earth) suggests the need for being grounded and having a calm, even temperament. Activists of all kinds know that if they don't embrace this quality, their fire will soon burn out. There is conviction and action without clinging to hoped-for results. Equanimity allows for clear seeing and appropriate action, as Dawn Scott expresses: "When we call on forbearance in the face of insult and injury without reacting, it frees up our energy so that we can respond creatively."