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, March 11, 2016

Getting Out of the Trap

From the RochesTarot, the Hanged Man; from the Animal Shaman Vision Cards, the Deer:
          The element associated with this card is water, and it represents a sort of old-time-religion baptism. What is "buried" (washed away) is the old way of doing things. Unfortunately this guy is still hanging upside down. He's having a hard time surrendering the situation, which would allow him to see without the constraints of his ego. I'm guessing he works for the city and is responsible for cleaning up the graffiti left in public areas. That task would be like shoveling the driveway in the middle of a blizzard. He will never get "finished," but why would he want to? There would be no job to fill. For now, he's being forced to examine how little external control he actually has; hopefully he'll consider other viewpoints so he can get on with life.
          Several months ago, I was taking a stroll on the river walk when I noticed a slight movement in the woody area on the slope above me. A group of deer had paused to watch and see what I would do; their big ears swiveled to pick up any sound I might make. These animals prefer to run rather than fight. And unlike the Hanged Man, who I'm sure has been loudly complaining to whomever will listen, the deer know that quietness will serve them much better. I suppose these qualities are why the deer is often associated with gentleness. When I'm struggling with letting go of a situation I can't control, tenderness and self-compassion (as opposed to self-indulgence or self-pity) can ease my tight grip.
Perhaps the biggest tragedy of our lives is that freedom is possible, yet we can pass our years trapped in the same old patterns. ~ Tara Brach


4 comments:

  1. Endless mountains of paperwork can be hanged man too. Having been a secretary for years I have a semi-system of keeping the flow down. But when Rob cleaned out the taxes drawer this year he came down with a Paul Bunyan sized fist full of filled check registers. wondering if they had any relationship with tax papers. I had to laugh at myself. Only once in the half century of writing checks did I need to go back in an old register to find something. Blush. One more paper dragon, outta here. I've already forgotten where I'm going with this, but have a great day friend :)

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    1. Clutter of any kind can definitely feel like you're buried under an avalanche. Good on you guys for cleaning out!

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  2. Dusting and vacuum cleaning come to mind as a hanged man job
    With knots etc it is often the more you struggle the tighter they get ;)

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    1. My hanged man experiences generally involve trying to control a situation that I have no power to control. Hard to just sit and watch the Titanic sinking!

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