Winning an Earthquake

From the Osho Zen Tarot, the Knight of Clouds (Swords); from the A'HA Oracle, Unfurling:

You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake.

~Jeannette Rankin

This armored knight looks like he's spoiling for a fight. Fierce, intellectual arguments that leave no room for listening are his strategy. He firmly believes he alone knows what is true and just. When others sputter to defend themselves or simply walk away, he feels he's won the battle. But did he actually change any minds or hearts? He might take some advice from MLK, Jr.: "Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon... which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals." Unfurling shows some ferns slowly unrolling new fronds. Transitions and growth take awareness, patience and effort. It's not just others who need to change, but ourselves as well. Perhaps if this knight would channel some of his energy toward self-reflection, he might evolve into a wise king.

Bridge Building in the Mind

From the Osho Zen Tarot, the Two of Clouds (Swords); from the A'HA Oracle, Dragonfly:

Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.

―Paul Tillich

The term "schizophrenia" was first used in 1911 by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler; it comes from the Greek roots schizo (split) and phrene (mind). Although Padma isn't referring to the psychiatric disorder, she is pointing out how making a hard decision can make our mind seem fragmented. It doesn't help matters when we are stretched between the past (that might happen again!) and the future (what if this happens?!). Dragonfly represents a deeper understanding that leads to transformation. How can we build this bridge of wisdom to help us make a decision in the present? Each plank might be formed by these questions:

• How does each option stack up next to my core values?
• Do I have enough knowledge about each option so that I don't have to make assumptions?
• When I imagine myself having made a particular choice, how does it feel in my gut?
• What techniques or practices can I use to calm my emotions so that my decision isn't hijacked?
• Although the responsibility for my choice is mine, do I realize that making mistakes is part of what helps me to develop and mature?

The Shine of True Colors

From the Osho Zen Tarot, Silence (the Star); from the A'HA Oracle, Integrity:

 

The thing about chameleoning your way through life is that it gets to where nothing is real.

― John Green

It's a humbling experience to have a strategy and big goals, to think we have expertise that will see us through, and then suddenly our plans crash. We realize how very little we actually knew and understood. The Star/Silence suggests a time of healing that will require stillness and receptivity. Instead of talking, we listen; rather than fantasizing, we contemplate what went wrong. Otherwise, we'll be stuck on a rinse and repeat cycle. Integrity means our words and actions are shaped by ethical principles in all circumstances. Like the cracked egg in this illustration, it doesn't imply we are perfect but that we are genuine and sincere. Rather than hide our mistakes and flaws, we learn from and try to transform them. Peace of mind always outweighs appearances.

An Organ Grinder's Monkey

From the Osho Zen Tarot, the Seven of Fire (Wands); from the A'HA Oracle, Tiki:

Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.

– Nikos Kazantzakis

No matter what kind of work or service we do, there's always a concern about how the public sees us. So not only do we have to accomplish our objective, we feel we have to do some glad-handing and people-pleasing along the way. It is easy to become entertainers as we try to keep interest and opinion high while hiding any not-so-shiny parts. The tiki statues of Polynesian cultures are symbols of their ancestors. Each part had its own meaning: the size of the head represented power, the mouth and tongue were a challenge to opponents, and the eyes reflected infinite wisdom. What would advice would our ancestors give us when we spend so much time tap-dancing to the tune of others?  Perhaps they would tell us to let go of expectations and demands - to cease being an organ grinder's monkey. They might offer the wisdom such as found in the 22nd chapter of the Tao Te Ching:

He does not show off, therefore he shines.

He does not justify himself, therefore he is revered.

He does not boast, therefore he is honored.

He does not praise himself, therefore he remains.

Mental Habits

This week I'll be using the Osho Zen Tarot, created by Ma Deva Padma and published by St. Martin's Press. I'll also be using the A'HA Oracle, created and self-published by Linnie Lambrechtsen. The card draws for today are the Rebel (Emperor) and Eternity:

No matter where you go or what you do, you live your entire life within the confines of your head. ―Terry Josephson

Rather than an Emperor who sets down the laws and enforces them, Padma's card illustrates self-sovereignty. We often like to point to things outside of ourselves that constrict and confine us, forgetting about what lies between our ears. All of us have an inner committee, shaped and conditioned by our previous experiences, that run our lives based on concretized concepts and values. That committee is frequently influenced by our present moods and emotions as well. The Rebel questions his mind's decrees, refusing what doesn't reflect reality or could harm his or another's well-being. The Eternity card asks us to ponder what will be left when we step off the space/time track. Our actions are our only true belongings, which may well affect people and places long after we are gone. To leave behind a healthy inheritance, it must be shaped by wisdom and compassion, not by our mental habits.

Goodbye to the Familiar

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Six of Winter (Swords); from the Haindl Rune Cards, Uruz:

The world is full of people who have never, since childhood, met an open doorway with an open mind.

―E. B. White

These fairies have grown tired of the quarreling and sniping among their community. It can be hard to be a part of a group where no one listens to anyone but themselves and thinks their ideas and experiences are the only legitimate ones. It can be even harder to leave behind that association when one has a long history there. Here in the U.S., churches affiliated with the Southern Baptists are leaving because of their refusal to allow women as pastors. The United Methodists have fundamentalist groups splintering off because they disagree with their compassionate LGBT views. Uruz represents the aurochs, an extinct species of wild oxen that stood six feet tall at the shoulder, weighed more than 3,000 pounds, and had horns that measured 4.5 feet from tip to tip. It is easy to see why this rune is associated with strength, endurance and courage. As Raymond Lindquist wrote, "Courage is the power to let go of the familiar." Sometimes it's the only way to find or create something different and better.

Two Oars

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Two of Summer (Cups); from the Haindl Rune Cards, Thurisaz:

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one. – C.S. Lewis

True partnerships, whether in romance, at work, or as friends, truly are a gift. We seem to speak each other's 'language,' understanding how the other thinks and does things. It generates a warm feeling of belonging and connection that can sustain us through stormy seas and add enjoyment to balmy days. Thurisaz refers to the thurses, a race of primeval giants who represented raw, unguided potential. They were considered an enemy of divine order, so it makes sense that this rune would also symbolize thorns. When one person in a relationship develops new interests that the other doesn't share, such change can feel like the partnership has become unmoored and in danger of ending. Yet sincere interest and encouragement can be the two oars that keep it moving through those transitions.