Going with the Overflow

Haindl Tarot

As I was heading into the week, I drew a Tarot card from my current favorite deck by Haindl.

My question: What is the theme for the week?
My card: Three of Cups (Overflowing; Hexagram 28)

from the guide:

28 Preponderance of the Great. Three cups are in an upward pointing triangle symbolic of fire. The cave indicates that the card deals with inner experience. Rocks at the bottom hint at danger; however, the cups overflow with joy.

The I Ching hexagram on the card is 28 Ta Kuo ~ whose declaration is Preponderance of the Great. The bottom three lines are Xun (entrance, the wind); the upper three Dui (joy, the marsh). Together as Ta Kuo, they signify a large excess. The large masculine is excessive and the feminine is needed to properly counterbalance that excess.

In order to follow the energy of life, we discover that it is always seeking the best of what we may become. Nature's creativity thrives in diversity and brings opposites together. Cooperating with creative change generates the means to take us beyond our defenses in order to strike a balance and embrace the change.

Within this structure, the chance of danger remains. Creativity brims with life and vigor. Reaching for those elements presents an overstepping of the edges of safety and comfort. That's always a danger zone. Sometimes we tumble over that edge. Our response in those moments can take us further into that overflow of joy and trust or scrambling back to fear and limitation. The choice is always ours.

What is your experience of joy? How do you work with the sense of fear or loss that can arise with it? How does creativity show up in your life? What stops you from stepping fully into the flow? or into the overflow?

Expanding Horizons

Haindl Tarot

from the guide book:

I Ching Hexagram: 50 The Cauldron (Success)
The ruin cathedral's window opens to the sky. The remains suggest that humanity's ancient need to give structure to religious feeling.

Today, I took an enjoyable class on the minor arcana of the tarot. Each person brought their own personal deck and focused on the cards as we went through the general meaning of the numbers and the suits. When we finished the teaching part, we shuffled our minor arcana cards and drew one.

As I shuffled, I thought about an opportunity that had surfaced in my life yesterday. I was already leaning toward accepting it, but there was that little bit of doubt ~ of feeling that, perhaps, I was making a mistake. The questions that played in my mind were: How do I respond to this opportunity? Does it offer me what I need for my next step? Show me an energy to direct me.

The card I drew was the Three of Wands. In the Haindl deck, which I use, the word Virtue is on it as well as the I Ching hexagram 50, The Cauldron. Perfect.

The Three of Wands is about being prepared to take risks and explore new opportunities. It represents initiative, ambition, drive and desire ~ with a dash of risk-taking. It symbolizes an inner balance and optimism as well as the energy needed to take on great adventures.

In some other Tarot decks, the Three of Wands features the Caduceus, Mercury's winged wand twined with two snakes, which is the symbol of the healer or shaman who can travel between worlds.

It's message is one of following one's intuition, staying in the moment and moving forward. It suggests to act quickly on an idea or desire because this is the perfect timing. There's nothing to lose from taking the risk. Embrace the change and follow the vision.

This was a surprising, as well as not surprising, card to draw. I chuckled when I saw it. Three weeks ago (to the day), I had voiced to the Universe that I wanted an opportunity like the one that showed up yesterday. And now, it seems, even the random-seeming draw of a Tarot card confirmed what I already knew: that it was time to move forward and expand my horizons on this one.

What method do you use to confirm decisions you feel may be a flight of fancy? What belief system do you have that helps you move forward? How do you work with your own intuition? How do you share what you intuit with others?

Preponderance of the Great

Haindl Tarot

From the guide, on the Three of Cups, Overflowing:

Three cups are in an upward triangle symbolic of fire. The cave indicated that the card deals with inner experience. Rock at the bottom hint of danger; however, the cups overflow with joy.
I Ching Hexagram in upper left:
28 Preponderance of the Great.

The divinatory meaning of this card begins with great feeling, an extreme joy that can turn to tears. Cups are indicative of emotion. The three also evokes celebration, community and creativity. It represents coming together for the greater good of the community. Its creative focus suggests pursuing creativity in a group environment for connection and full access.

On the bottom of the card, it shows the link to Mercury in Cancer and the expression of the mind, language, learning and information for survival. The Haindl image shows emotions in the natural flow of the water, filling the cups and overflowing with the outpouring of emotions with significant others.

My question as I drew this card was: What energy will carry me through the final day of this election season? 

As usual, I'm amazed that the card drawn fit so well. Although this indicates that the experience is predominantly inner, my circle of friends ~ with our connection and understanding of each other ~ will slip it into the realm a shared experience as well. 

Another way I shared an experience tonight was by observing a speech online as it was being given in Philadelphia. I commented and watched my comment roll through with everyone else's. I felt a part of history in the making. Yet I sat at home alone while doing it.

With the undertones of rocky times, the entire election also carries an energy of joy ~ of the possibility of breaking another glass ceiling. Even with the dark undertone, the sense of hope and joy bodes well. Community joining together to support and celebrate brings joy, even if there are some rocky or dangerous moments. What might the danger be? What might bring us to those difficult places? How much will it darken the mood of the election?

Mercury in Cancer brings the focus of communication on all levels ~ with the result being the survival and strength of the community. Lots of emotion, which indeed is true around this election. 

My favorite pointer on the card is the I Ching numeration of 28 spotlighting Preponderance of the Great. This refers to an advantage for standing in personal power, fully accepting the need for change and fully present to the flow necessary for success with a knowing that the current situation cannot last and change must come. It is also being prepared for that change. 

What is the change and creativity this brings for me? My personal power rests in creativity. I look forward to the energy shifting through the next couple of days ~ being able to let go of the collective breath and find my own pattern again.

What does the Preponderance of the Great mean to you? for you? What do you look forward to as this election draws to a close? How do you find the pattern for your own creativity? How does your community support you through this time? What are you willing to let go of in order to bring about change?

What Brings Strength

from the Haindl Tarot

I'm amazed by the fact that I haven't written on my blog for nearly a month. The year began swimmingly well, then..... Ah, well. That's how life goes, isn't it?

A few weeks back I participated in a fantastic tarot workshop. Afterward, I roamed the local New Age bookstore and looked at several tarot decks. I have a couple of them, but neither has felt quite complete for me. So recently, I bought a new tarot deck ~ or two. I really love this one. It's designed by Hermann Haindl and the cards are exquisite. I love the ethereal earthiness of them.

From the pamphlet:

The Ace of Stones in the West. The eagle landing on the rock is the two fundamental realms joined. Earth and sky, "ordinary" reality and spirit, feminine and masculine. The sky, the Earth, the rainbow are beauty and gifts.

For me, the flecks of white represent feathers and fluff tossed by the wind. So much of my life is touched by the lightest of substances being blown through it by Spirit.... chance encounters, odd phrases tripping off the tongue and caught, a sudden outburst of weather. Each of these connect and focus my inner eye.

The Eagle making contact with the Stone reminds me of the balance of Air and Earth, Breath and Body. The Stone appears so huge in comparison to the Eagle. If the Eagle touched down too quickly or at the wrong angle, great damage could be done. Behind the Eagle shines the Rainbow, always a symbol of magic and promise for me. It is the bright, silent and present witness to the connection between Air and Earth. The connection that brings support and strength from above and below to balance and sustain my being.

What brings you Strength? What do you see in the Ace of Stones? Are there other systems you use to remind you of your connections with Spirit? with Nature? with Life? How do you share those connections with others?