Tarot Tuesday #3

Here's the second excellent lesson from LearnTarot:
Tarot Lesson 2

I want to preface today's tarot meditation with the horoscope I got this morning from Tarot.com:

The sensible Taurus Moon runs into trouble today as it tensely squares the long-term opposition between dreamy Neptune and realistic Saturn. Yesterday's smooth sailing is replaced by a series of dilemmas. We struggle to find a way through the increasing uncertainty of the harmonious trine between the Sun and imaginative Neptune, which is exact early tomorrow morning. The solution may come as we relinquish control and trust our intuition.

K... well. I got that with the whole peace vs blogging and reading blogs thing. Then after this am's posts, my mundane life went topsy turvy!! Nothing major or life shattering; just a bunch of material crap that kept me hoppin'. Harmony has been a bit rough, so it's a perfect time for a meditation card to help show the way.

Okay, I have to laugh at myself. This is the perfect card for the current situation.

THE DEVIL

* BONDAGE
* MATERIALISM
* IGNORANCE
* HOPELESSNESS

ACTIONS

experiencing bondage
accepting an unwanted situation
being obsessed**
feeling tied down against your will
losing independence
allowing yourself to be controlled
being addicted and enslaved
submitting to another

focusing on the material*
being caught up in appearances
believing only in the physical
forgetting the spiritual
getting and spending
overindulging the senses

staying in ignorance
being unaware
operating within a narrow range**
experiencing limitation**
choosing to stay in the dark
fearing the unknown
being taken in by appearances**

feeling hopeless**
believing the worst**
despairing**
lacking faith**
seeing a cold world**
thinking negatively**
foreseeing a bleak future**
doubting **

DESCRIPTION

Lucifer. Mephistopheles. Satan. The Prince of Darkness. No matter what we call him, the Devil is our symbol for what is bad and undesirable. From our human perspective, we see the world as a struggle between light and dark. We want to vanquish the bad so the good can prevail. In fact, good and bad cannot be separated, just as you cannot separate a shadow from its source. Darkness is simply the absence of light, and it is caused by errors that hide the truth. Card 15 shows us these errors.

First is ignorance - not knowing the truth and not realizing that we do not know. Second is materialism - the belief that there is nothing but the physical. As spiritual beings, we long for the Divine, but we lose contact with this source of truth if we trust only our senses. There is also hopelessness, which robs us of our joy and movement toward the light.

Traditionally the Devil stands for evil, but it does not have this rather frightening meaning in a reading. This card lets you know that you are caught in an unhealthy, unproductive situation. You may be in the dark about something - ignorant of the truth and its implications. You may be obsessed by a person, idea, substance or pattern that you know is bad for you (or maybe you don't!). Sometimes this card reflects back the negativity that has made you doubt yourself and your future. We are prone to many errors in life. Card 15 lets us know when they are serious enough to require attention. When you see the Devil, examine your assumptions carefully. Make sure you are not working from a false picture of yourself and the situation. Hold fast to the highest vision of who you are.


*NOTE: Emphasis mine.
**NOTE: these are most clearly seen through the recent struggles I have had in defining labels, choosing to identify with "movements" and my ensuing angst in these areas. I see this card as a reminder in the coming days to remember to choose the path of spirit: PEACE.

1st Impressions for me:

When I get this card in a reading or as a meditation, I need to take a serious look at myself. Although I don't "do" christian symbology, the concept imaged in this card is a good one, if we think along the lines of "money as the root of all evil" and the idea that being in bondage to things of a physical nature tends to separate us from being awake/aware of things beyond our immediate ken. Things within the realm of spirit, howsoever we choose to name them.

The things that came about to overwhelm me and disturb my inner peace (so newly reclaimed) were mundane issues and matters. Bills, and communications around debt, primarily. My perceived need to get my sweet GirlyBoi some clean clothes to wear for work and make Birdy Bread for my FIDS. These are things that do indeed exist in our day to day world; responsibilities that must needs be met. This is a given. My problems arise (within me) when I am unable to separate myself from the thought that in order to have inner peace, I must do such and such along with my addiction to the outcome. (Ie: That they must needs resolve in a way that meets my expectations.)

This card is an excellent reminder that I need not submit to the bondage inherent to that kind of thinking. That I can go about my business on the mundane/physical level without becoming attatched to the outcome. That I can perform each act in peace and calmness, doing the act for the simple reason that it is the thing to do, and let go of the attendant stress or worry or expectation of the outcome. This freedom from attachment allows me to go peacefully through my day.

Good card!
Peace, out!!!

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.