Tarot Tuesday #2

Check out this site for a better overview/intro to Tarot than I could (or want to) write.

We'll start next week with a card from the lessons, but for now, let's do my weekly tarot meditation. This is a card I pull; just one - - no big, involved reading, as a sort of focus. If I meditate on the card a couple of times a week, think about the imagery and meanings and number, usually it goves me some guidance. Sometimes it's a kind of "Ah ha!!" moment, but more often it's something I need to look at in my life, personality or spirit for my personal growth or self understanding.
Today's pull is:

Two of Pentacles (aka: Coins)
Pentacles are the suit dealing with the physical/material world.
* JUGGLING
* FLEXIBILITY
* FUN


juggling

keeping everything in balance
coping with demands
getting people to work together
making sure all areas are covered
having a lot of irons in the fire
moving forward smoothly
emphasizing all aspects equally

being flexible

adapting quickly
feeling free to try new approaches
going with the flow

refusing to let change throw you
opening to developments
seeing the possibilities
handling challenges
changing directions easily

having fun

doing something you enjoy
getting a kick out of life
taking time to play
feeling in high spirits
whistling while you work
seeing the humor in the situation
kicking back

This is actually a pretty relevent card for me, (you may not remember; but I do) - that it came up in last tuesday's reading.
It's pretty much a constant lesson for me. I get too caught up in work and taking care of everything and everybody and end up overwhelmed and stressed (and ultimately sick. Fibromyalgia is like that. It kicks your butt if you don't manage and balance and "juggle" carefully)
I'll put this card up where I will see it several times a day. I'll try to take a moment each time I see it to remember what it means and how I can apply it in my life today.

A Day in the Aftermath...

of the Blog Against Theocracy. I have to be honest. I can't let go. I'm obsessed. I keep checking for updates, reading more, checking back to see if a blogger I particularly liked has posted any more.
But I need to! I need to take a minute to be peaceful instead of outraged. To be grateful instead of dismayed. To be hopeful instead of defeated.
Because I don't know about the rest of you, but for every link that led me to something wonderful; something poetic, eloquent, heartfelt, outraged, worried, insightful... There were references or links to bits of absolute, devastating horror.

I wanna be an ostrich again!! Waaaaahhhhhhhh!!!

But I can't. I can't just go back to burying my head in the sand with my hiney in the air (with a big round target pasted on it).
Still, my spirit won't thrive under the impact of this new and deeper understanding I have, unless I can find a balance. It will shrivel and wilt and I'll become angry and bitter and cynical.

Yes, my Athiest friends, I said and mean Spirit. Whether one considers it divine or merely a product of molecular energy, there is no doubt in my mind that each of us is a human vessel (for/of/with?) containing this spark. As is every other living entity. (yup, right down to bugs n bacteria).
For me it is the spark that connects us all; the Good the Bad and the Ugly. (Love old Spaghetti Westerns...sorry!). It's what connects us not only to one another, but to nature and the earth and ultimately the Universe.

So to me creating a balance means I need to outwardly stay aware, informed and active, while inwardly remaining positive, hopeful and grateful.

I had a few more frightening links I was going to post today, but instead I think I'll be hopeful and post this link to What I Learned About Christianity From The Druids.
(Via SA. Thanks!!)
The author opens with the following:
This article is the result of research that I have been conducting on the revival of Druidry in Western society. While Christianity has much to offer the world, it is often thought of as a force of suppression or, at best, of social control. I think that it is important for us, as we discuss emerging theology, to be open to criticism from other religions. Here, I present simply one religious expression’s view of Christianity and draw some lessons that we as Christians can learn. I hope this will generate some beneficial discussion for us.

Now I know some folks will choose to see this as a christian who is seeking to "know thine enemy", but just for today, I'm going to choose hope. I'm going to choose to believe that this is not "Spin", but rather a sincere attempt of one theologist to discern and perhaps amend flaws in the christian perspective in a positive way which would perhaps change our perspective of christianity.

The article concludes with the following:

This current research is suggesting that a voice, not simply from Christian others, but from religious others needs to also be heard in order to address the contemporary perception of Christianity. That perception, whether correct or not, is increasingly considered mainstream. This paper has raised the criticism by contemporary practitioners of Druidry. Understanding their perception of Christianity will aid in enriching the Christian life. If Christians hear the criticism, doors of dialogue can open and lead to deeper appreciation and respect. By listening and responding to the criticism, the Christian voice might gain credibility.

Hope is good.

I'm gonna take a walk outside now around this beautiful desert landscape in which I'm privileged to live. I'm gonna check out the budding green on my Empress tree. I'm gonna see if there's any asparagus ready to cut. I might even pull a few weeds. I think I'll take along one of my birds. Kisses, My Sulfur Crested Cockatoo, because he loves the wind in his feathers. He's an amazing being who delights in his world. I'm gonna take my cue from him, today.

Happy Holiday Musings

Yule was lovely. A made it home after driving from LV in time to enjoy the day, B joined us for the day and was his usual fun, charming self. My Tam went to spend some time with her Mom (last minute guilt tripping by T's Mom, but T and I made it through it with no game playing or hurt feelings. Yippee! I have to admit that as much as I detest family drama, I do so enjoy not participating in it.)
My Mom joined us for parts of the day, popping in and out in her PJ's (pretty cute, really) and sharing her somewhat eccentric enthusiasm at the opening of every gift. Tam and I made a simple meal of baked ham, mashed taters w/gravy, and steamed zucchini. It was nice to have only a small kitchen mess for a change!
B spent the night so my F could use his truck to go to her OB yesterday. The ultrasound was done and DR. is reasonably sure it's a girl. If F is disappointed she's hiding it well. I of course, am overjoyed that she's having the 6th generation in a matrilineal line of first daughters.
The worst thing about these holidays for me is that I've pulled my head out of the sand once again to start paying more attention to what's really going on in our world. I have this habit of doing this. I go along for months playing ostrich because I just can't stand it. The war, hunger, disease, human suffering and cruelty, ignorance...
I remember during the so-called "Gulf War" (isn't this just the same ongoing war without end??) I broke out in shingles. From the stress. Big ol' tough woman like me, and I'm a freaking marshmallow. In the past I have become physically ill when I allow myself to pay attention to the truth. The horror of the truth of american politics, of hate and bigotry, of the crimes perpetrated in the guise of religion (no matter what religion), of ignorance, of persecution and separation...
So anyway, it seems that I have decided once again, to see if I can live in awareness without the horror of it all overwhelming me. I'm spending alot of time at Clipmarks.
I'm hoping that I can do some small good by clipping bits here and there, taking action and helping spread the non-main-stream-media truth, without getting buried in it. I'm also posting alot of my clips at Yahoo 360, but I'm not really sure where they're ending up. I haven't really figured the site out.
This might be nuts, but I'm going to see if I can somehow separate my politics from my life. I mean, that's always been my problem. I get so caught up that I get ill. So I just go along, doing what I can, (recycling, reusing, speaking my truth and refusing the silence that implies consent whenever physically confronted with hate, ignorance, bigotry and so on; living my life openly as a woman, a lesbian, a witch). What I'm going to do/try this time that's different, is continue to BLOG my life here in my journals, while being active elsewhere. Occasionally I may post political bits here, but overall I'm thinking if I can force myself to separate things, I may be able to avoid the overload that always eventually makes me run and hide my head in the sand.
I don't know. I may only be kidding myself. But I want to try, again. Of course, if it works, my non political readers will never know, because my BLOGS will just go on (or on n off) as usual. And if it doesn't, only my Clipreaders and such who check in on my BLOGS from time to time will know, because I'll disappear from the political postings and readings and activism.
An experiment for the New Year!!!

My New Year's Resolution:

To seek and find balance. Balance between my inner and outer lives. Balance between living my life and the responsibility of living as a fully present human being. Balance between planning and doing.