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

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Cave Contemplation

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Hermit:
A woman holding an aspen staff emerges from a cave. The creator states this card is about contemplative solitude and coming face-to-face with one's shadow. Contemplation means marking out sacred space so I can view something with continued attention. That "something" is myself - my thoughts and actions. The focus centers on my blind beliefs, ideas I have accepted as truth that are anything but. I also look at my actions; my misconceptions have undoubtedly triggered behaviors that have not been beneficial for anyone. This is not an exercise in self-absorption, but a way toward transformation. The aspen staff represents community (these trees spread by shoots from their roots, creating a cohesive grove). My time spent alone is not meant as an escape, but to help me live among others with clarity and compassion.

From the Archetype Cards comes the "Judge:"
I can evaluate myself very harshly, and I find it much easier to list my character defects than my assets. But the Judge reminds me that I should look at my whole self with fairness and objectivity. If I can do that with myself, I am more likely to have a balanced view toward others.

2 comments:

  1. The judge is definitely a good card for you. While I was reading the first part about this gorgeous hermit I was thinking how helpful it could be to also reflect on you positive traits when you retreat yourself form the daily hustle. There is so much you can be proud of and feel good about yourself. it almost seems if you have a magnifying glass to seek out your own "failures" Please be kind an gentle to yourself :)
    Hugs

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement Ellen - I don't have a magnifying glass, I have a microscope! :D

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