I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Friday, August 23, 2013

Some Things Can't Be Washed Away

From the Rohrig Tarot, the Hermit:
At the top of the mountain, a mask has come off - here there's no reason to play any role. The maze-like grid on the face reminds me of those pencil and paper games, where you start at one point and try to find your way to the center or finish point. This is an uncomfortable place for some people; there is nothing to hide behind and the only thing to listen to is your own thoughts. In the solitude there are no distractions from a self-inventory that can bring deeper self-knowledge. The path that has been walked will be evaluated, and the conclusions found can be used to determine the direction to go from here. Clarity is the purpose of the Hermit; it can lead me to the center of the maze.

From the Master Tarot comes "Man of Power:"
Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?
~ from Shakespeare's Macbeth
This depiction of Pontius Pilate shows him washing his hands in an effort to wash away blame. The card represents two faces of the ego: the blindly dogmatic one that refuses to see and the cunning one that sees but claims otherwise. Either way, the ego thinks it can evade responsibility. But as Shakespeare's Macbeth discovered, truth has a way of coming out in strange ways. It's easy to think I don't have any influence over others in my small world. Yet I must still acknowledge and be accountable for the affects my actions or inaction.

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