Personal Best

Daily Draw: Art of Life Tarot ~ Justice

Pretty sentiment.

Cynicism set aside, some simple recent goodness.
A boxer at Costco found Rob's wedding ring, just picked it up and handed it to him. We'd have never known where it went.
I've been writing letters of enquiry, trying to be proactive about my vision loss. So far none of them have been ignored, all have been answered promptly.
I don't believe in karma or personal justice, but I do believe in living each day as my personal best and recognizing I'm not in charge of anyone else's best. I can be true to that.

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." ~ e.e. cummings 1894-1962

Art of Life Tarot, by Charlene Livingstone, published 2012 U.S. Games Systems

Fecund or Sterile

Daily Draw: Lover's Path Tarot ~ Princess/Page of Coins

Fecund. Capable of producing abundance.

It is often said I'm 'full of it'.  Do you suppose that means the same thing?  I'm guessing not...

"He has the lucidity which is the by-product of a fundamentally sterile mind. He does not have to struggle... with the crowded pulsations of a fecund imagination. On the contrary he is almost devoid of imagination." ~ Aneurin Bevan 1897-1960

Ten Thumbs Down

Daily Draw: Lover's Path Tarot ~ 7 of Wands

Long story short, Siegfried was left at birth to raise himself in a forest...so he would grow up heroic, brave and strong. Here he is, battling a dragon to death for gold.

This card makes me wonder what a forestling would know of gold. Raised in a vacuum I also doubt he'd invented pockets to carry gold, but experience had probably taught him wounds could be fatal. I give ten thumbs down to the whole experiment.

"For every winner, there's a loser. And that person didn't really need to lose. They just didn't understand the game plan." ~ Buzz Aldrin 1930-   "What I've Learned", Esquire, January 2003

Repent At Leisure

Daily Draw: Lover's Path Tarot ~ 4 of Cups

Unions have many glues, not all based on love.
Isolde married Mark for status and wealth and repented in leisure, pining for Tristan.

I'm reminded by this card power and money can be powerful aphrodisiacs. Nothing wrong with that, we are none of us one dimensional in our attractions. But at some point we'll be going home with our choice, and behind closed doors another life exists.

"Regret is an odd emotion because it comes only upon reflection. Regret lacks immediacy, and so its power seldom influences events when it could do some good." ~ William O'Rourke 1945-

Apply And Repeat

Daily Draw: Lover's Path Tarot ~ 8 of Swords/Arrows

Psyche was tasked by Venus to sort a warehouse full of eight kinds of grain into their individual piles in one day. And then maybe she'd grant her wish to be reunited with Cupid. I can empathise with Psyche.

Rob's dad, rage, breast cancer, my sister, lung cancer, my mother, my eyesight. Not that I'm counting, but there are my eight types of grain and they have all run together in a warehouse of fear and pain.  I'm reminded by these swords, I am a pragmatist and adapt is my watchword this year. Apply and repeat. Apply and repeat.

"Just drive down that road until you get blown up." ~ George S. Patton Jr. 1885-1945

Second Time Around

Daily Draw: Lover's Path Tarot ~ World/Triumph

Ariadne thought she'd found her perfect eternal love in Theseus. Is anything worth getting via betrayal, treachery, and murder worth having? He took her as his own, then dumped her on the first island he came to. Where heartache, shame, and sorrow nearly caused her to take her own life.

Ariadne was found by Dionysus and as gods lived happily ever after. This card makes me wonder how many billions of  women have thought their life not worth living with the loss of their mate yet took another? Is need stronger than grief? Isn't love a funny thing?

"A bride at her second marriage does not wear a veil. She wants to see what she is getting." ~ Helen Rowland 1875-1950

Intuition

Daily Draw: Lover's Path Tarot ~ Page/Princess of Cups

Isolde's maid Bragwene represents the best side of being a personal employee. In a corporate job you have a job description, as you do in a service position. Having been a personal employee for ten years, the net of service is cast much wider.

I'm reminded by this card in a personal position intuition plays a huge part, calling on heart, mind, and familiarity of observation to give the best service possible. Wonder what would happen if that was part of our job description in any employment. Chaos I expect, the world would fail if employees were allowed to think outside the box, but it would be a fun experiment.

"Intuition is the clear conception of the whole at once." ~ Johann Kaspar Lavater 1741-1801

Goes Against The Grain

Daily Draw: Lover's Path Tarot ~ Hierophant/Tradition

The story of Romeo and Juliet, standing in for the Hierophant in this deck could be a microcosm of one side of the history of the world. Who knows where they spring from but we develop passions and interests in the course of living life, and soon find out just how vocal or physical a society that opposes that life becomes.

I like my breakfast toast burnt. You wouldn't believe how many times I've been scolded, dissuaded, mocked over that simple pleasure. I think it is a lack of charcoal in my system that leads me to that desire, but believe me, it goes against the grain of a lot of people.

"Carbon itself is not carcinogenic: after all, diamonds, not known for causing cancer, are made entirely of carbon and indeed it's a major constituent of the human body. However, 'black' carbon like graphite and burnt toast has been touted as a possible carcinogen because it is a roughly flat molecule. Other flat molecules, such as benzene, are carcinogenic because they can insert themselves into the small gaps of the DNA spiral, disrupting DNA replication. However, I don't know of any direct evidence that 'flat' carbon can actually do this." ~ Speculative Science, Guardian.co.uk

The Lover's Path Tarot by Kris Waldherr, 161 page book and deck published by U.S. Games Systems, 2004.

Amazing, That Feeling

Daily Draw: Spiral Tarot ~ 8 of Swords

One of our most common self made prisons is weight. We eat, and eat some more, and then are stunned when we pull on our favorite pants and can't get them buttoned.

I'm reminded by this card to wonder just how it is there are times  in our life when it is all a go. Mind, body, and spirit just wake up organized and the idea of more food that we need is anathema and we even enjoy exercising.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could bottle that attitude. For me, it usually lasts about eight months and twenty-five pounds. Amazing, that feeling...

"Reality check: you can never, ever, use weight loss to solve problems that are not related to your weight." ~ Phillip C. McGraw 1950-

Get Along

Daily Draw: Spiral Tarot ~ 5 of Wands

I did not get the competition gene. I've had friends and family who live to win. I appreciate that they enjoy the challenges, but I'm not interested.

I'm reminded by this card we don't have to have it or get it to get along.
 
"If we have our own why of life, we shall get along with almost any how." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche 1844-1900

Cleaner And Simpler

Daily Draw: Spiral Tarot ~ 5 of Cups

In a world where it seems we are under a magnifier 24/7 our emotions are often raw. When I was a child the world was our community, where occasionally something bad would happen, and the six o'clock news. When news was news and not a junkdrawer for faux celebrities.

I'm reminded by this card, poised between tragedy and the unknown, the world wasn't a kinder place then, our parents were teens during the Great Depression and our fathers fought in the deliberate blood bath of WWII. But the total immersion in both useless and disturbing minutiae of the world today is creating a mutation of personality and spirit, bent on showing our worst side. Those 2 Cups as yet unfound won't be enough to stop the world slide, but it might be enough to make our own life cleaner and simpler.

"Our family was nearly torn apart on several occasions by arguments started when the refrigerator door was open for what my father deemed as too long." ~ Weston Locher

Because We Can

Daily Draw: Spiral Tarot ~ Ace of Wands

I can hear the crackle of energy in this card, feel the zip running up and down  my spine.

I did my first hill walk of 2016 Monday and my legs are sooo sore, unless I keep moving I can hardly move at all. Let's dance today, because we can, let's create because we can, let's live, it is the option with the most bling.

"Try getting up earlier. You could even see it as a way of living longer." ~ Victoria Moran 1950-

Betrayal

Daily Draw: Spiral Tarot ~ 7 of Swords

Mostly seen as the sly or sneaky card, someone to stay away from or watch like a hawk. Or more likely watch our self...

I'm reminded by this card of just how easy it is to self betray. To forget our lessons, ignore the warning signs, just leap into the morass as if we've decided it is a good day to die rather than live. Funny folk, people.

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters." ~ Alan Simpson 1931

Baldy

Daily Draw: Spiral Tarot ~ 3 of Swords

What do I grieve for?

I'm reminded by this card, I'm thrilled and grateful to still be alive but if I'm allowed a petty whine, I grieve for the loss of my hair. Four years out from breast cancer, I'm also four years on hormone blockers. There are a number of side effects, the most obvious is 1/3, maybe even 1/2 of my hair is gone. A real pain in the patootie. As of about an hour ago, it is all about 1/2" long. That aught to fix it's wagon...

"Better a bald head than no head at all."

Nothing But Excuses

Daily Draw: Spiral Tarot ~ Ace of Cups

The spiral represents the ongoing life/death process and the energy of love. No mention of the responsibility that comes with love.

Twice a week at the memory care home mother gets a shower. The staff get hit, kicked, bit, and spit upon for their effort. With plenty of shouting to frost the cake. When I think of the responsibility of love I think of how my dad would look at me if he knew I'd placed her in a home. The bruised eyes, the long face...and there would be absolutely nothing I could say in my defense. Not to my father.

"Moral justification is a powerful disengagement mechanism. Destructive conduct is made personally and socially acceptable by portraying it in the service of moral ends." ~ Albert Bandura 1925-

Spiral Tarot card art and 158 page book by Kay Steventon.  Published in 1998, US Games Systems.  The Spiral is based on archetypes from Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Arthurian myths, and includes the symbols from the Kabbalah's Tree Of Life.

Collecting Collections

Daily Draw: Harmonious Tarot ~ 2 of Coins

This type of daisy is an invasive weed in livestock pastures here, cutting the value of both grazing land and harvested hay or alfalfa.

I'm reminded by this card, just because something is pretty or costly, it doesn't automatically equal value. For years half of my income came from parting out personal estates on Ebay. It was fun, but the biggest thing I got out of it was curing me of collecting anything just to own it.

"I have the world's largest collection of seashells. I keep it on all the beaches of the world... perhaps you've seen it." ~ Steven Wright 1955-

Just Looking, Thank You

Daily Draw: Harmonious Tarot ~ Ace of Cups

Be careful what you look for, you might find it.

How do you know, if you don't look? Amazing what the heart can stand.

"Look for what is, and not for what you think should be.” ~ Albert Einstein 1879-195

Golden Mean

Daily Draw: Harmonious Tarot ~ 4 of Wands

I'm not surprised this young man's story has drawn praise, but hate? He paid off his mortgage in three years, living frugally. Would be harder with children, quicker if a couple were willing to do it.  But absolutely yes, we can be debt free if we put our mind to it.

I'm reminded by this vine covered cottage, anything worthwhile is worth working toward. On the other hand, having had uber-frugal in-laws, tightwad can turn into the whole of a life style based on skinflintiness.  Oh for that golden mean in the middle. What do we really need besides shelter, food, and love?

"I fantasize about the hospital
The army, asylum, confinement in prison
Any place where there's a cot to clear my vision" ~ That Black Bat Licorice, Jack White

Hero I Saw Within

Daily Draw: Harmonious Tarot ~ Page of Cups

I've been thinking about my little brother a lot this week. I'm not sure where he is, or what he is doing, but the first day it isn't pouring rain I'm going to try to find him, starting where he was last I knew.

I'm reminded by this knave, there are a lot of ways to loose people. How about I don't make it my fault?

"Reminiscing what could have been,
The hero I always saw within.
From time to time the thought came back,
Wasn't I your sister? Wasn't I your blood?" ~ Shirley Rodriguez

The Trough

Daily Draw: Harmonious Tarot ~ King of Swords

Speaking of judging by appearance...here is our King of Swords, arriving at that position by assimilating all the lessons from the Swords suit. Right.

This card reminds me many would be leaders haven't learned anything at all from life experiences. Being senior adults has only honed their me me me gene. Leaders aren't groomed here, only shown the trough where they quickly learn to gorge.

"I don't wanna talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper! I fart in your general direction! You mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" ~  Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Held Up For Sport

Daily Draw: Harmonious Tarot ~ Emperor

Strength developed from self-control and wise use of discipline. (Heart of the Tarot, Echols). Drawing the Emperor card always gets my back up. Probably because I'm of commoner stock rather than the intelligentsia. All I see is arrogance and unearned easy street. A petty one sided viewpoint that does me no credit.

I did a Emperor search on my blog this morning and read through 18 past posts to see if I've had a varied or narrow viewpoint.  Mixed results, usually fueled by first impressions. I wonder, given the opportunity and time, if I'd be friends with any of these men. Or at least respectful. I sincerely doubt it.

"The accomplishments of the body are obvious and clear to all: those of the mind are recondite and doubtful, and therefore grudgingly acknowledged, or held up as the sport of prejudice, spite, and folly.”
 William Hazlitt ~ 1778-1830

Combine Or Cut?

Daily Draw: Harmonious Tarot ~ Temperance

"To mingle or combine together at the appropriate time." Spiritual Tarot, Thomson.  That could just as easily be "to cut away or discard at the appropriate time" couldn't it?

I'm reminded by this card of my ruthless streak and not always knowing if it needs to be tempered. I'm considering a huge cut by today's social standards. I can do it without a backward look, am only waiting because somewhere some tiny part might be useful, something I haven't realized or recognized yet.

"The sacrifice which causes sorrow to the doer of the sacrifice is no sacrifice. Real sacrifice lightens the mind of the doer and gives him a sense of peace and joy." ~ Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948

This week's deck is the Lo Scarabeo Harmonious Tarot 2005, based on the art of Walter Crane, with tarotization by Ernest Fitzpatrick.

Jerked Around

Daily Draw: Elemental Tarot ~ 6 of Swords/Air

Rather than crossing water, this figure sits above it on a globe spoked with energy in the form of arrows and pens. Rather than boating out into the unknown for sanctuary or adversity it all comes here in the form of information and communication.

Information is just that, but communication indicates an exchange is taking place. I could sit here all day gathering information with zero communication occurring. How sad is that? Am I getting sound advice? Or scandal? Or propaganda? If we don't communicate how can I judge? I'd rather be in the boat taking my chances than in a cone of silence having my brain and ideals jerked around.

"Mr. Big: The Cone makes its first appearance in the very first episode of Get Smart. The Cone is so silent that Max and the Chief are unable to hear each other, making communication next to impossible."

Agnotology

Daily Draw: Elemental Tarot ~ 7 of Swords/Wind

Do we choose what we believe or do we allow it to be chosen for us? Sale price tags? Expense logs? Voting records? Safety records? Age? Weather reports? Climate change? Bankers? Car makers? Cigarette producers? e-cycle follow through? Health value of supplements?

I'm reminded by this figure with it's head in the mouth of the tiger, the figure of open eyed innocence, of the confusion of multiple options in the foreground, in many cases we are a pack of absolute fools. I read it in the paper, I saw it on the news, it must be so...if someone else thought it, it must be so...?  We are born with a huge natural intelligence. Why do we allow ourselves to be distracted by ooOOooo, shiny?

"We live in a world of radical ignorance, and the marvel is that any kind of truth cuts through the noise. Knowledge is accessible, but seldom accessed." ~ Robert Proctor 1954-

Reap The Whirlwind

Daily Draw: Elemental Tarot ~ 5 of Wands/Fire

Life is tough enough without deliberately adding conflict as part of the day. I learned that lesson by experience, after spending a year in a black rage and reaping the terrible results.

I'm reminded by this figure to allow someone else the power to twist myself up is the height of utter foolishness. This is one life lesson I'll never need to relearn.

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson 1850-1894

Cog

Daily Draw: Elemental Tarot ~ World

I'm over the flu, I think.
I now have a winter cold.
Our annual quilt mystery is over.
I've decided to add a lot more work to it.
The snow is gone.
We now have ice.

Our Wheel travels right along with us, an inner always spinning cog that makes up a part of our whole. Not a side line to be barely aware of, but as much a part of our day as breath and blood.

"You pretend to be more eccentric than you actually are because you fear you are an interchangeable cog." ~  Douglas Coupland 1961-

Straighten Up

Daily Draw: Elemental Tarot ~ 6 of Cups/Water

Emotional Wellbeing. Years ago I watched an Oprah show during which a guest stood up and said yadayada dysfunctional family. Oprah stopped them and said "everyone's family is/was dysfunctional..now, what's your problem".

I'm reminded by that show, and this card of wellbeing, and my 2016 word Adapt (although I keep thinking of it as Adept) to recognize we make our own life, and many of us make a right dogs dinner of it until we get our act in gear. I don't consider my childhood dysfunctional at all, but I've made my adulthood so, in many ways. One place it is never to late to adapt changes, to straighten up and fly right.

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." ~ Henry Ward Beecher 1813-1887

Bone Shroud

Daily Draw: Elemental Tarot ~ 7 of Wands/Fire

(from the companion book) Sudden extraordinary, perhaps eccentric effort. That is so me. It made me laugh. I've laughed twice this month.

I'm reminded by this card of my word for 2016. Adapt.
I'm going to shed my bone shroud. Get me some big pockets. Make some samiches for the journey.

"A shroud has no pockets" ~ German proverb

Lost Kiss

Daily Draw: Elemental Tarot ~ Priestess/Virgin

Shy and shameless, her story has not yet been written.
I remember those days. I dated my first boyfriend for several years, we never did kiss..

I'm reminded by this card that lost first kiss may have been because we didn't know we could.

"I put by the half-written poem,
While the pen, idly trailed in my hand
Writes on--, "Had I words to complete it
Who'd read it, or who'd understand?" ~ James Whitcomb Riley 1849-1916

Elemental Tarot plus 128 page companion book published by St. Martin's Griffin Press, third edition 2001. Astrologer John Astrop, Caroline Smith.

Daily Draw: Ship of Fools ~ 3 of Swords

flu

Daily Draw: Ship of Fools Tarot ~ 9 of Cups

Flu