Death Card: More than Meets the Eye

After watching the news on June 25, 2009 of Micheal Jackson's and Farrah Fawcet's passing, it seemed like a proper time to talk about this card. The Death card is one of the most mis-understood of the Tarot deck.

In so many movies and TV shows, its appearance takes on a sinister meaning, as a harbinger or certain, horrific doom. The Death and Devil cards have taken on the greatest darkness and occult inferences.

Keep in mind, Tarot cards are just that - cards. Bits of paper with pictures and words printed on them. Wood pulp and ink, nothing more. The only meaning or power they have is what we give to them. They can be used as a springboard to access the inner mind, the human spirit, our intuition and innate higher knowing...but in the end it is the human heart and spirit where the power and wisdom lies.

Of all the Tarot cards, in my view, the Death card is most like a mirror. If there is terror and darkness there, it is only as a reflection of our own fears.

This card reflects our own attitudes and beliefs about death, the soul, the afterlife, and more.

If you believe that death is a final and forever separation from someone you love, with that love somehow ending, then yes, the Death card is one of terrible tragedy and doom.

If, on the other hand you believe that there really is life after death, and that the soul and the love survives...then the death card becomes something else entirely. It becomes a reflection of our hope. It becomes a card of rebirth, transition, and evolution.

When doing a reading, the Death card seldom means the sitter is going to go out the door and meet some spectacular end. The Death card is not the end of a life, but instead is an irrevocable birth into a new life. It can be literal death, yes, as with the case of these celebrities. But it has more to do with some permanent, life-altering change. The face of popular culture will never be exactly the same.  When a loved one dies, as is inevitable, our lives, our selves are never quite the same. When I child is born, or a couple marries...that too is a forever, life-altering change. Change isn't bad...just different. Change can be for the better as well as for the worse...both are a part of life. 

Physical death does not mean the love ends. 

I was so impressed with the compassionate observations by Keith Olbermann as they showed the body of Mr. Jackson being transported.

Death is the great equalizer. No matter what sort of life was lived, in death we are once again just humans at the end of one path, beginning another. No matter how famous these people were, in the end they were fellow humans, wife, brother, mother, son...by whatever title, they were humans leaving humans behind. The mourning is the same. The love that persists is the same for everyone.

Death card is the card of change, a mirror showing us our souls, and a card of new life all rolled into one.

Celebrate the life that was...but also the life that IS...the lives of the survivors, the spirit-life of the one gone on ahead...and the forever life of the LOVE that exists in, through and beyond it all.

May all who grieve be comforted by the touch of life and love eternal.

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King of Coins - trust, respect and psychic ability

Intuition and so-called “psychic ability” is a part of human existence, something we all share. Some are more naturally talented at understanding, clarifying, and communicating that oft-silent, symbolic and dream-like world of spirit and right-hemisphere. These are the ones we call “gifted”.

Yet it is something we all posses in some measure or another. I may not be talented at music, but I can hack out a horrible tune if I have to. Anyone can learn to play an instrument. Only the gifted move us with their music.  The same is true of any human activity. I can learn to change the oil in my car, but that doesn’t make me a talented mechanic. We all need those collective gifts. Just because I like to listen to music doesn’t mean I particularly want to be a musician. Just because I can learn car mechanics doesn’t mean I want to fix my own car. And so it is with intuitive work. Just because you CAN do it, doesn’t mean you want to - so you go see a psychic. And believe me, we who do this a lot are always grateful for that.

Intuition is something we all can do. Sometimes it is nice to have the touch of talent, and a fresh perspective. Even those of us who do this professionally get readings every now and then. It isn’t easy to put emotions and expectations away 100% of the time. So it helps to get other points of view. It is kind of like trying to see the back of your head without a second mirror. Sometimes you need that little extra help. 

Which brings us to the idea of Trust.

Trust is a strong element of intuition. If you are to learn to work with your own intuition, then you must first trust and respect your own feelings.

Intuition is simply a matter of first learning to listen to intuition (spirit, guides, angels, deceased loved ones, the right half of your own brain…however you choose to understand this). Once you are able to hear that whisper, see those images, the next step is to trust yourself. Trust that hearing, feeling, seeing and understanding. If you do not trust the ’source’ of the intuitive information, then you can not use or work with it. If you do not trust yourself and your understanding of that information, then the information is equally useless. If you feel the source of information is you…then both are one and the same.

That is just the esoteric level. On the real-world, physical level, the same principle applies. If you do not trust a reader, or a reading ‘process’ then you simply should not proceed. There may be a valid reason you do not trust something or someone. It might be a scam, or it may simply not be the best path for you. Either way, for intuition to be helpful, an element of trust must be there. If you don’t trust someone to read for you, then you must trust yourself and your own perceptions. If neither of those are present, and you don’t “believe” in psychics or intuition…the answer is simple. Leave it alone and move on to something you do trust. There is never a need for anger, antagonism or taking advantage in a situation like this.

If you trust your own ability…read for yourself. If you don’t care to read for yourself, or don’t yet trust your own ability, find someone to read for you. If you trust them, then deal with them fairly - they have provided a real help to you. You would pay a magician to pull a rabbit out of a hat at a child’s birthday party. You make contributions to ministers and churches who help you through emotional upsets. Intuitive work and guidance is no less. If you trust it enough to seek it, then you should treat the person and reading as fairly as any other part of life. If you don’t trust psychic or intuitive work…then you must respect those feelings and find other avenues to your goals.

Trust is a large measure of respect. If you don’t trust others, you don’t respect them. Distrust for no reason is an injustice to everyone. Treating others with respect is the best way to win trust and respect for yourself.

It is all simple, homespun wisdom we all know…and trust.

May we all trust our feelings. May we all trust our knowing of truth. In the end, may that lead us to trust and respect each other.

Three steps to Insight...9 of cups

The 9 of cups is a card of insight. That covers a wide range of experience and ideas. But today it speaks to trusting your own insight.

It seems to be a natural instinct of teenages to want to fit in. Even adults crave a sense of group 

identity. It is comforting and easy to be part of a group. Human are social animals.

It takes a particular courage to be alone and stand by your own understanding of truth. I wonder if that is the root behind some christian conservatives feeling as though they are being pushed out by society, when actually christian protestantism is a clear majority in this country. Perhaps the fear of philosophical alone-ness is so strong they begin to see opposition at every turn, whether it exists or not. People in the news like Bill O’Reilly and the recently fired Miss California and such spring to mind. 

So the idea of insight can daisy chain right together with many cards and lessons in a Tarot reading: truth, courage, integrity, compassion for oneself and for others.Insight is a key to so much learning. I can talk about truth and integrity all day long, but if someone doesn’t SEE it for themselves, it is all just a jumble of nothing. If you don’t see, hear, feel the truth in a direct and personal way, it is just noise and static. Insight is a critical part of our personal journey in this way.Like many things, there are several components to insight. 

First is the ability see inside a situation. Insight is the ability to read between the lines and see into the root cause and core heart of a matter, no matter what superficial dog-and-pony-show is going on at the surface. Insight is part gift, part life experience, but also in large part a simple willingness to be open to what is really going on. The first step in insight is to see inside. The next step is to trust what you see.If you don’t trust your own sense of truth, your own sense of integrity, then insight is of no value. Intuition is worthless unless you are willing to trust yourself and believe in that insight.

Insight is a cornerstone of learning, compassion, courage and integrity. 

Trust in yourself is a cornerstone of insight. If you don’t trust your insight, how can you use that understanding to act to better your own life and act compassionately to those around you?

If this card speaks to you today, think about those n0t-so-obvious things around you. Are you able to read between the lines, look past the tempest-in-a-teapot and see what it really going on? What does your insight tell you? Just as importantly … do you trust your own experience of this insight? If not, what is holding you back? Why aren’t you allowing yourself to believe in your own truth? Many times the thing holding us back from trusting out own insights is fear of failure or a fear of being wrong.  Mistakes are ok…how else can we learn? 

There is a HUGE difference between “insight” and “impulse”. If you have an insight, once you experience and see your own truth…it is ok to verify it, be thoughtful about it. You don’t have to act on IMPULSE just because you have had an INSIGHT. Ask questions…verify what you have seen. It is ok to be introspective about your insights before you act on them.

Step one: learn to see into the real heart of things…look below the surface and see what you know to be the truth of it.

Step two: learn to trust your own truth…and trust yourself

Step three: Act on that insight only in a compassionate way. If things don’t go well, learn from the mistakes so they don’t have to happen again.

May you see well, and experience your truth in a happy, healthy way.

King of Cups - The Royal Couple

Today's card is the King of Cups. 

You would expect it to be the total opposite of the Queen of Cups we looked at the other day. Not so. Like any good marriage, these two cards work together in a symbiotic relationship, not a dependent one. They don't need or complete each other...yet the two together are far, far greater than the sum of the parts.

The King of Cups is a card of guidance, and wisdom. Like many things, this guidance can be understood in terms of the great trinity of mind, body and spirit.

The guidance may come from a literal, physical, mentor, teacher or "hero". Anyone can be our inspiration. Anyone can teach us by example. One example is sports figures. I'm always inspired by Mario Lemieux, who is my age, and how he returned time and again to a high level of play despite so many health challenges. If he can play a period of major league hockey in atrial fibrillation, then I should be able to chunk off a few pounds and exercise for 20 minutes a day.  Another example is the Max Talbot goal in the last 30 seconds game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals last year -where we all learned to never, NEVER give up. You can re-evaluate, change goals, change tactics, change directions...shoot from the backhand if you have to, but that is a VERY different thing than stopping, stagnating and giving up in defeat.

Ok, I'll admit it...I'm looking forward to watching the hockey game tonight...go Pens!

But back to mind-body-spirit trinity and the guidance that the King of Cups card speaks of...

So guidance CAN come in very tangible, physical-realm forms...through others, books, movies - anything. "Truth is where you find it"

Guidance can also come from our own inner knowing, sometimes called our "higher selves". This speaks to the idea of mind...the inner world. Tarot is especially adept at helping us to access that innate wisdom. The King of Cups reminds us of that. Far from opposite, the Queen of Cups shows us the way to find that access...through stillness. When we are able to quiet our physical and mental selves, then we can best access our inner knowing and the intuition that we all posses.

That leaves the third part of the triad...spirit. Everyone has different ideas about this, and we'll leave a detailed discussion of spirituality for another day. For now, let's just related the idea of spirit and spirituality to the King of Cups and the idea of guidance. Spirit here alludes to a source of inspiration that is both outside of ourselves, and outside of physical existence. 

Some call it angels, other spirit guides, the spirit of deceased loved ones, devas, nature spirits, holy ghost...there are many, many different names for the experience of spiritual guidance. By whatever name you choose, it is a wonderful, uplifting experience. If it isn't...then it isn't true and loving guidance. Set your intention to the loving highest and best, and that is what you receive. If anything else happens, then you must seek in-person help to learn what is wrong and how to correct it.

But again, here we see the King and Queen of Cups working together. Far beyond any gender-opposites, we see the yang of active guidance, and actively seeking guidance, coupled with the exquisite stillness of the king of cups. We must be still in ourselves to hear the whisper of true and loving guidance...be it from the subtle realms of spirit or the equally magical realms of our own insight and wisdom.

May you see the guidance that is all around you.

Queen of Cups on a still June day

They are calling for rain today

What is it that makes it quiet before a storm moves in? There is a unique feel and stillness to that time. Perfect for the Queen of Cups card, which has the meaning of “stillness”

I’m sure there is some scientific, meterologic reason for it. No matter. It can still teach us, no matter why it happens. 

I understand this card in terms of yin and yang, the classic Eastern balance of opposites. Storms are very “yang” so there must be some moment of great “yin” to bring it into balance.

The physical world itself is yang, compared to esoteric “worlds” like intuition and spirit. Often during still moments in this world we catch glimpses of the others. In western terms it could be said that in these still times of perfect balance that the “veil is thin” and the distance between physical and spiritual narrows. The queen of cups cards reminds us to notice and savor such times.

Stillness isn’t all about yin…the feminine, dark, receding qualities of life and the universe. Stillness is more about that delicate point where yin and yang are in perfect balance. 

Think of the stereotypes of a “queen”  -  female yes, but very powerful. Just look at the queen on a chess board as an example. Magnetic force is yin, but can lift a car. Another example is the suction of a vacuum sweeper. Yin can be strong and active in it’s own way. That is yin in the extreme. That is the other balance point…the point where yin becomes yang. 

The balance point of stillness is the opposite extreme…where yin isn’t active, neither is yang…there is no great movement outward OR inward and all is still and quiet…like the time before a storm, or at sunset. 

This is a good card for summertime. We often think of summer as very outgoing, active, but to balance the heat and activity, we need to also have stillness…a glass of tea in the shade. Times of quiet to “let the planted seeds grow” Stillness has a purpose. It balances the yang times. It rests our body and let’s our soul breath.

If you move a chalice of clear water, it swirls and maybe spills. Agitated water shows you nothing and does not invite the eye. If you keep the chalice of water still, then it is it clearest, and invites you to into it. It is soothing and pleasing to the eye. 

Stillness lets us see…into ourselves and our souls, and our life path. Stillness is not stagnation…it is exquisite balance and the doorway to insight and magic.

May you drink deep from the cup of stillness when it comes your way.

Highest and best to you all!

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