Author: ramblinglocksmith

Weekly Reading, May 23, 2021

The Wide World of Wands

Wands are the suit in the Minor Arcana of the Tarot which represent Fire/Spirit/Creativity. I think if we think of a wand initially it seems like an inaccessible magical object. But what I would like to explore this week are the wands, or tools, that we already have in our possession, and how they might be used to create, heal and inspire ourselves, our teams, and our communities.

I’ve chosen the Ace of Wands from four different decks to start this exploration. The aces of any suite represent the essence of that suit in its purest form, so what better way to explore the wands?

In many Native American cultures feathers are used to purify the spirit in ceremony. Many times this is done as part of a smudging ceremony where sage or another herb is burned, and the smoke wafted over those participating in the ceremony using a feather or feathers. For this reason feathers are the suite normally reserved for wands in the Brady Tarot.

This Ace of Feathers is entitled Inspiration and portrays a potential awakening, or an ah-ha moment. Imbued with fire and struck by lightning, this wand carries a powerful blessing and may be able to create or also destroy. We also use feathers to write stories which can have this sort of power.

What is the tool you use to inspire others? Are you aware of its power and what impact it can have?

What other tools do we find in nature? I think we could see a tree as the wand of the earth for example.

Our hands can also be used to create things, bless things or destroy things. Our hands can be used in prayer or meditation, or in the healing of others. What an amazing wand we have already attached to our bodies!

In this Ace of Wands from the Voyager Tarot we see just that, the hand here has many wands to choose from, and it seems to be pressing a magic button that produces a flash of insight that can illuminate a new truth. This hand has the power to purify, and its power may be revealed when we are ready for a change.

It is true that we must be in the right state before pressing this button, or we may be overwhelmed.

Our center is not typically very wand-shaped, but it is a tool that we need to fortify in order to handle the power of creativity and the spiritual aspects of our lives.

The Source as described by the guidance in the Osho Zen Tarot is the vast reservoir of energy available to us. We hold this energy with in us, and it feeds the various wands and tools we have at our disposal. The source might be the most important tool of all, because if we are not grounded or connected to it our tools may not be of much use.

What are some ways that you are aware of and connect to your source?

An actual paintbrush as a wand – now why didn’t I think of that? In the Tarot of the Divine, the Ace of Wands is represented through the Chinese Folk Tale of the Magic Paintbrush. The owner of this paintbrush, Ma Liang, used its powers to benefit the struggling people around him.

We can paint lots of pictures of beauty that inspire others and I fully endorse that use of this wand, who would want to live in a world without art?

But I also challenge myself to paint pictures through stories that can help others as well, because that can create beauty in the world around us.

What is your magic paintbrush? Instead of a paintbrush you may have a musical instrument as a wand. What an amazing power you must have to inspire and provide joy to others.

Weekly Reading, May 16, 2021

This week I decided to do a random one card draw from the Osho Zen Tarot and try to find a similar concept in the I Ching.

The Osho Zen Tarot is a Tarot deck which uses the basic structure of the tarot, but replaces a lot of the cards with very different concepts that are based in Zen with quotes from books by Osho.

The concepts are very interesting in this deck, but when I looked for a similar concept in the I Ching I found more of a how to behind the concept which is interesting.

This card is called Past Lives and is in the spot of the Tarot normally reserved for The Moon. The text of the guidebook mentions that while it is exciting to think about what our past lives might have been like, the real work in this life is to understand our own karmic patterns, and how we might be trapped in them.

Based on my own experience, by using deep meditation and asking the right questions we can become aware of these patterns and find answers that may help us break these cycles that do not serve us. Some of these answers may be deeply buried in our own subconscious, and we may need to wait until the right time in our lives to be able to receive this knowledge.

Paging through the vast knowledge of the I Ching I found two helpful tools or concepts in accessing the ability to break out of karmic patterns.

The first is Hexagram 20 – Wind Above, Earth Below – and is called Overview. The tool here is the ability to keep still and observe what is deep and what is shallow. This comes from cultivating a practice of stillness with awareness. In observing true nature of things we can begin to become aware of cycles both internally and externally. At this stage we don’t do anything it’s with the cycles we observe, we just learn to observe them which in and of itself takes practice.

The second is Hexagram 48 – The Well. The well is a symbol of inexhaustible nourishment throughout many cultures. In order to tap into our essential nature we must dive deep within ourselves to produce clarity and penetrate our problems and self development is the key to this, as well as potentially slowing down to allow the time to dig deep.

I hope you have enjoyed this exploration, when we cross reference tools and cultures we never know what we might find. This week I wish for you the ability to find some stillness so that you may dig deep into the the knowledge of your own well, and discover something of your own karmic patterns.

Weekly Reading, May 9, 2021

On this Mother’s Day, I first thought of doing a deep dive into the Empress, the nurturing archetype who is driven by the preservation of life. But instead I think its better to give a gift in this week’s reading to whomever needs it.

For this week’s reading I picked the Chariot which often signifies the journey for me. It’s the path, in all its forms. Here are some explorations of what it means to walk your path, and how you might see yourself on your current journey. I hope it nurtures you!

The Chariot is typically the seventh card in the Major Arcana, and before we get to some versions of this card with more literal chariots and journeys I’d like to start with this one from the Osho Zen Tarot.

This card is titled awareness, the journey to truly know oneself is often the most difficult journey of all. But what does that mean?

In many ways it’s the anti-chariot. Inaction or no-action is the only way to get there. Having no-mind, meaning dropping the memories of our past and burden of constantly trying to project our future is a difficult path indeed. It requires complete stillness in the present moment. And in order to achieve this clarity and achieving this no-mind requires awareness of what memories or projections we are carrying in the first place, and how they are affecting our lives today.

Once we take this most challenging journey we may eventually arrive closer to the present moment. Is this part of your current journey? If it is what tools are you using to create this awareness in your own life?

In this version of the Chariot from the Tarot of the Divine we see the protagonist from the Norwegian fairytale of the Three Princesses of Whiteland. Here he is shown on the last leg of his journey after many years and cycles of trials and tribulations. He has persevered and harnessed his emotions to finally follow a straight and clear path.

Some of our journeys are long and require perseverance to continue on them. We learn many things through all of the tests of this type of journey, so its a worthwhile endeavor even though it takes a lot of energy to continue on. Sometimes we may even need to take a rest and come back to continue the journey later.

Is this your journey? If so what have you learned so far, can you do a journaling exercise about that? Try writing down all of the tests and what you have learned, and also consider how you are practicing self-care to make sure you are maintaining the energy to persevere. The victory at the end of this journey is vast and I am excited for you to experience it!

Here is the Chariot from the Brady Tarot. Quite a journey indeed! Most paths for those seeing themselves in the card of the Chariot are on tough roads with tough choices. But its probably also true that this person loves the challenge of building this Chariot or team.

This chariot has an innovative design even if it appears precarious. There are intertwined horns representing emotions which are supported by roots representing the physical self and world. The “wheels” are birds in flight, a crane and a falcon bound together by the sashes of fire (sprit) and air (mind) to have a vessel for the journey. They are working together but potentially under duress. And then we have a magpie steering this most unusual chariot.

This might be the journey of a team just starting out, inventing a new way of travelling to get them on their journey. Everyone is contributing something to the chariot, and they have all taken on certain roles. At some point they will need to invent a more permanent and stable vessel if they want to make it to the end of the road.

How are you using ingenuity in your current path, do you have help from others? Have you thanked them lately? Is there a plan to build a stronger vessel?

And lastly here is the Chariot from the Voyager tarot. Some of the imagery here is that of a traditional chariot and Greek Charioteer. There are a lot of different types of roads here in many different environments air (the balloon), space ( the astronaut), water (the surfer) to name a few.

The Crab represents someone who is at home where ever they go because they have found security within themselves. One way to maintain a long journey is to first prepare yourself by knowing this security within.

There is also a lot of motion on this card – all of it either out or up, none of it slowing down or stopping, or in a downward direction. This kind of path is either exhilarating or exhausting depending on who you are. The person who is exhilarated by this journey has often found a stillness within to counteract the constant motion.

Is this your type of journey? Are you maintaining stillness within, or are you getting carried away? If you are on this journey and you find it exhausting, you can always pull the reigns on the chariot and find a different path. There is no wrong path as long as we are learning about ourselves and/or helping others learn about themselves.

I hope you have enjoyed this exploration of our different paths and Chariots, and that you have found something of yourself helpful in it.

If you cannot find your path then for you I give you this vision of fireflies, which inspire us by illuminating all of the many paths to choose from, and providing light in what might seem like darkness. One of them will lead you to a path that’s meant for you.

the goal is not to have one

dreaming without sleeping 
faltering she fell
and yet she flew 
and landed on a single petal

wind through her hair found 
blinders for her eyes
and  still she saw waves of madness
through the moonlight

the silence wasn’t really there
but she heard it 
with words on the tip of her tongue
never spoken

breeze high
crouch low
see far
and hear nothing

Weekly Reading, April 25, 2021

This weeks reading using the Tarot of the Divine speaks to the two messages of building a solid mental foundation through your daily practice, whatever this means for you, and also that no matter how bad it looks, if you return to that practice and hold hope in your heart, things will get better.

The first card is the Page of Coins, in this deck represented by Beaivi Nieda, the goddess of medicine and healing from the Sami people in the Northern regions of Norway where the Sun represents and end to the long winter. This is a Sun deity who are usually male, but here since the sun brings back fertility and plants and animals its female. Her mother, Beaivi is also the goddess of mental health as long winters can impact mental health in very harsh ways.

You may be in a long winter, but you should know that the Sun will always return, and if you have set up a solid foundation of mindfulness to fortify your center, and you know how to find your center in the midst of darkness, you will be ok.

Next a slightly more extreme example – the Star represents Hope after a disaster. In this deck represented by the Russian folk tale of Alyonushka and Ivanushka, two children left all alone in the world after the death of their parents. And to make matters worse, Ivanushka turns into a goat after drinking water from a goats hoof after a period of extreme thirst. Alyonushka is strong though and she holds hope in her heart, and soon a merchant finds them and gives them a better life. (By marrying Alyonushka, so I’m not sure if that’s my definition of being saved, but I’ll go with that for now.).

Alyonushka had a strong center of hope and she prevailed, and so will you if you cultivate this strong center and have the ability to hold hope in your heart.

Finally the most extreme example in the entire Tarot of hardship – the Tower, represented here by the German fairytale of Rapunzel. Some towers are meant to fall, and after they finally fall we may actually feel relief at the chance to start over – always with our center and our foundation which will remain.

The card shows Rapunzel and the prince falling out of the tower after Rapunzel’s hair is cut off and they are found out by the Sorceress. They then spend a period of time apart and wandering the world, Rapunzel raising twins on her own and the Prince blind and lost, but they do eventually find each other again. And what’s more they are free of this tower.

Holding on to something that is not healthy is not holding on to hope, if your tower is falling, let it fall as it was never serving you in the first place. Go back to your center and rebuild, you will be stronger and happier for it. And if your tower keeps falling, you may want to look at what your using as a foundation to build it on.

the hunter 1

come near 
and I will trip over some words 

a plaid promise that weaves in and out
of different colors
until the story is told

approach and wonder 
at the moonbeams falling through trees
which point like leafy fingers
to the stars

don’t cower in the shadows
you will never be able to hear
  syllables drip from my mouth 
and hit the soft ground
like thuds of paws running In strategic stealth

kneel closer so the scent of anticipation 
looms in the still night air between us
and heated hearts draw nearer and nearer still 

Now crouch as I circle and stalk you
you’ve never felt so hunted 
I’ve never felt so close
to the prey
that I never knew I wanted

the prey that drives my thirst
and without which I’m no hunter
just another lonely stalker
on a forgotten path
to the moon

Weekly Reading, April 18, 2021

Community is Compassion + Support

This week I used a combination of the Literary Witches Oracle deck and the I Ching to explore how to connect more with the divine feminine. (For more on the tools I use please visit the tools of the locksmith page. (https://theramblinglocksmith.com/tools-of-the-locksmith/)

I’m doing this because I believe that the standard leader as an authority figure paradigm is not effective. Authority is not the only way to show strength. Compassion and community also show strength, and so I often look for ways to strengthen team leadership through inviting not only strong intentions, but the ability to be receptive.

First the Literary Witches – a teacup with Leslie Marmon Silko who represents community. When I think about sitting down for others with tea I often think of this as a way to establish community. If you are sitting down for tea, in my mind you are sitting down to share stories and listen to one another. Leslie Marmon Silko shares the stories of her own Native community of the Laguna Pueblo as well as those passed down through her own family. I love the image of sitting down with her over tea to hear all she has to share. Over the course of the pandemic I have started having some of my friend over two or three at a time for socially distanced tea in my backyard.

There are more things than just having tea that we can do to create community, a common dream, a common fight for justice, a common goal on a project or team, a common vision. The work community has the word common embedded in it. Its a shared vision, shared resources, shares support, the ability to listen to and support each other. To strengthen this reading I went to the I Ching which never disappoints me.

The first Hexagram was Hexagram 17 – Following (Lake above, Thunders Below) ( Changing lines 1 and 4). The message is that choosing to follow good influence brings supreme success. Those who want people to follow them and lead in a strong way need to speak the language of the followers.

  • Do not bend on your basic principles, but listen to the common good to form the eventual course of those you are leading.
  • Self aggrandizement and ego will only be met with resistance, a strong leader checks his/her ego and listens to those around them

Changing line 1 – When a person of vision undertakes a challenge they may need to change course. If this comes from sincere communication with those of different opinions and not just current opinion success will follow. You should be listening to those of dissenting and supporting opinions to decide when to change course, not just those who agree with you – because..

Changing line 4 – Beware of flatterers. They will have a subtle but destructive influence. An insincere viewpoint is not a helpful viewpoint, be wary of insincerity and do not consider it as part of the the overall course of action.

Listen to your community, all of your community. Have that cup of tea with those who don’t agree with you. As long as they are sincere, differing opinions are very important to sharing our visions and goals, and to creating a strong team.

The resulting hexagram from the changing lines is #8 – Holding Together – Water above, Earth Below. High level team work is achieved when the right team shares a clear goal at the right time. The relationships of a team are formed in a delicate manner, chemistry can come from shared experience.

Accept the structure of the team if you want to receive its benefits, and take the responsibility of binding people together. Create community on your team and a strong performing team is sure to follow.