It Can Be A Gift

From the Tarot of Mystical Moments, Strength; from the Inner Eye Oracle, the King of Hearts:

Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength. 

— Francis de Sales

This young girl, with her cat ears, nose and tail, knows she is part beast. To her, it is a gift. Intense emotions that make her want to wound with sharp claws and teeth can be tempered with practice. That energy can then be channeled into patience, courage, resilience and receptivity. The real struggle, she realizes, lies within. When life gets overwhelming, she reminds us of Dieter F. Uchtdorf's words: "It's your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life's story will develop." The King of Hearts represents a guide to our emotions. His ram horns indicate that he won't back down from strong feelings; the armor he wears on his chest is his heart. He models calm behavior and gives us a safe space to explore the root of our emotions and see how our impulsive reactions create more problems than solution. He knows that it is only by working through our challenges that we will find an inner strength that will keep us grounded. 

The Lure

From the Tarot of Mystical Moments, the Devil; from the Inner Eye Oracle, the Two of Spades:

This is the lure of all things destructive, in that they have us equate what feels good as being good.

― Craig D. Lounsbrough

A lure is, by necessity, attractive and enticing as this lovely spider woman dangling cherries. The Devil promises bliss and soothing relaxation, but he fails to give the full story of how our craving may in time poison us like this amanita mushroom. There has been a pushback in some cases; I've noticed stores posting signs like this in front of all tobacco products:

Will we get hooked by what lures us? The Two of Spades shows a crossroads post and represents an important decision. Do we follow the false information that our brain is giving us, that we desperately need what we intensely desire? Or can we tell ourselves this is a tainted message that we would do well to avoid and go in different direction?

Connecting the Dots

From the Tarot of Mystical Moments, the Seven of Pentacles; from the Inner Eye Oracle, the Six of Diamonds:

No incident, however seemingly trivial, is unimportant in the scheme of things.

― Jodi Taylor

The Seven of Pentacles offers us a pause to assess the fruits of our work. It gives us a chance to connect the dots - actions taken or not taken, resources used, effort expended - to see whether we are making progress, stagnating or moving backward. It appears the young lady in the tree has many fruits and flowers to show for her exertions. But perhaps just as important, she has seeds to reinvest. In other words, her work is sustainable. The Six of Diamonds' tree symbolizes family and our ancestors. It is a neutral card, but it might suggest we look at our work ethic and other beliefs we've inherited to see if they are constructive or destructive in our endeavors. 

Look for the Scales

From the Mystical Moments Tarot, the Seven of Swords; from the Inner Eye Oracle, the Jack of Hearts:

People will reveal who they are if you just pay attention.

― Germany Kent  

There are those who treat others like a tissue - they use them then toss them in the trash. As with the serpent girl stealing bird eggs, it's not always easy to see the scales of those in whom we place our trust. People make mistakes, but blunders are different from breaking someone's trust. Such a fracture involves betrayal and deception; the intention behind the action is completely self-serving without consideration of the other. The Jack of Hearts represents the Lover. The swan that drapes itself around his neck symbolizes devotion and loyalty. Loyalty, this Jack would tell us, is about protecting those we love. It doesn't mean we are always in agreement with our beloved, but our actions are motivated by care and concern. If that's not the case, peek under their appeal and you'll probably find scales.

 

Baited Lines

From the Tarot of Mystical Moments, the Ace of Pentacles; from the Inner Eye Oracle, the Stranger:

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. – Seneca

This particular card made me think of an elderly man I saw fishing at a local lake. He had four poles baited with lines in the water, and he kept a close watch on all the corks. He obviously felt he had a better chance of pulling in a fish if didn't just rely on one fishing pole. Seeds don't grow unless planted by people, an animal or parent plants. If we're looking for an opportunity to come our way, it may help to ask family, friends and acquaintances to keep their eyes and ears open too if we want to widen our possibilities. Then it's up to us to reel in the fish when a cork goes under. The Jack of Spades shows a mysterious stranger and represents the unknown. It can be intimidating when we must move away from the status quo and rely on a chance encounter that offers us new possibilities. But if we plant that seed, we will soon see what kind of plant it produces.  

Gibbering Madhouse

This week I'll be using the Tarot of Mystical Moments, created by Catrin Welz-Stein and published by U.S. Games. Paired with it will be the Inner Eye Oracle, created by Steven Bright and published by Red Feather. Today's draws are the Ace of Swords and the Three of Hearts:

Your mind is a shrieking gibbering madhouse on wheels barreling pell-mell down the hill utterly out of control and hopeless. No problem. You are not crazier than you were yesterday. It has always been this way and you just never noticed. ― Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

We often assume the mind is our ally, but actually it is just a collection of knowledge, an endless fount of ideas, a holder of our memories and the keeper of our emotional patterns. For it to become a help rather than a hindrance, we must be aware of its thoughts, question what it tells us, and compare it to reality. We then must learn to steer it towards a beneficial focus and away from worrying rumination or excessive emotional impulses. The mind becomes a friend when it is trained to respond rather than reflexively react. The Three of Hearts is illustrated with a locket, signifying memories. Reminiscing about the past can be helpful in preventing us from making the same mistake over and over, or if our mood needs a little boost, by remembering a pleasurable moment. Yet there are some memories that poke our old pains and grievances and simply cause suffering. For those, we should take Shunryu Suzuki's advice: "Let thoughts come and go. Just don't serve them tea."

It Can Be Simple

From the Prisma Visions Tarot, the Ten of Chalices; from the Secret Language of Color, Violet:

Someday you're gonna be sitting out under the stars and realize how little you actually need to be truly happy. ~Brooke Hampton

Two kids smile as they hang cups from their favorite climbing tree. Joy can be simple; it need not be based on dazzling fireworks and expensive, shiny possessions. Psychologists identify happiness as "subjective well-being." In other words, it has more to do with how we feel about our life than what have or don't have. A bit of fun, something satisfying to do, and people with whom we have a connection can offset those days when things get challenging. The Violet card suggests seeking balance in our endeavor to find emotional fulfillment. Aristotle advocated a path between excess and deficiency in the pursuit of flourishing - sounds like a wise goal.