In the weeks since joining the Steemit community, I have been seeking the right way to make a meaningful contribution. My interest are always of a spiritual nature, and I enjoy sharing the lessons that have brought value to my life. I am new to this medium and still frantically searching for my voice. What follows is my first attempt. Please feel free to leave comments to help me better communicate my feelings.
I pulled this lesson from a tarot reading I did for myself using the Robin Wood deck.
The passage of time is an illusion. Past, present, and future are happening simultaneously. There is an old adage that states, “Do not worry about the past for it can not be changed, likewise do not worry about the future for it hasn't happened yet.”
The enemy here is worry. It's stress. The best way to relieve stress is to stop and be now. The fact that one can experience the present moment is the most precious gift. No matter one’s current circumstance, there is always something for which one can find gratitude. And Gratitude is the key to happiness.
The Fool card of the major arcana in Tarot is an excellent example. This card usually depicts a carefree youth and an animal companion approachingp the edge of a cliff while in the midst of a journey. Whether the journey has just begun or is coming to an end is irrelevant because Life is the journey, and Life happens now. This is shown in the card in two ways.
The first is the youths possessions, usually consisting of a small sack filed with what one hopes to be the essentials necessary to survive. This represents the past because it shows a connection to what was valued before the journey began. There is no need to worry over it because everything needed is within reach and has been distilled into a bundle that is carried with the traveller.
Second is the cliff which represents the future. The companions are in mid-step at the edge. One more and they will go over. The youth is usually singing or playing an instrument and has their eyes closed or is otherwise kept from seeing the danger before them. After all not many are able to perceive what the future holds in store. The animal is seen to be either warning the youth (acting as a symbol of animal instinct) or playing along trusting that the leader will not allow anything bad to happen. If the youth stops and just exists in the moment they will be able to play their song with no danger of going over the cliff. Furthermore, being present in the moment will allow the cliff to become visible, and the course can be altered to go around it. Or it could be a small step down so that the course does not need to be altered, but caution should be used so that one does not stumble and fall.
Scarcity is scary. Fear is the by-product of a lack of abundance. When one is scared that they do not have enough, there are no small number of evils that can result. But if one were to accept that abundance is all around, the fear subsides, and gratitude can be expressed.
The Four of Pentacles depicts an elderly miser crowned by a coin while standing on two others and clutching a fourth to his heart. All around him the city is decked for a festival, yet he is too focused on clutching onto his wealth to join the fun. He is literally adorned head to toe in his fortunes, his abundance, but the joy of life is passing him by while he is walled in by scarcity.
One must let go of worry and fear to partake of the wonders of the here and now.
Steemit is a well of ideas. Everyday people are sharing their lives with the community. They are sharing their travels, their meals, their hopes and dreams. Every kilobyte of the blockchain is infused with a portion of someone's vital essence. The answers that they have found to be true for themselves. One can use these truths to find questions within themselves that search for answers.
The world is full of answers, but the questions must come from within. This can be illustrated by the Ace of Swords. The aces of the minor arcana hold all the potential of the suit. The swords are tied to the element of air in which resides the intellect and communication. All the knowledge is there, should one seek to ask the right questions.
While stopping to be present in the moment, letting go of scarcity, and searching for inspiration, one must remember to look forward to the future, not only with gratitude for what has already been granted, but with expectation for a better tomorrow. This can be achieved by applying the abundance of the present to the inspiration grown from asking the questions relevant to the now.
A man of means stands looking out at ships on the sea at twilight. This is the image usually presented in the Three of Wands. Twilight shows that time is changing. One moment is leading into the next. The ships are carrying precious cargo, either people or goods. Maybe both. The man stands firmly on the earth secure in the knowledge that the ships will make it to their destination. Goods and information will be exchanged and brought home transforming what is into what will be. One must hold the expectation that what will be shall be better than what is.
“Practice makes perfect,” is a myth. Perfection is unattainable, but that does not mean that one should not strive to be more prefect. However, one should not allow a lack of perfection to be an excuse for inaction. One should not fear making a mistake for this is an opportunity to learn and grow. Make life the practice. Every moment can be a practice to pull one into the future they expect.
The Eight of Pentacles shows a young boy practicing his craft inside a workshop. The open door behind him showing a lovely sunny day. As he sits intently working on his project, the world outside is moving forward without him making an impact. There is nothing wrong with the work he is doing, but he has turned his back on the world outside. He maybe present in his work, and the practice is most definitely looking forward to the future. However, he is working in scarcity without letting inspiration from new ideas come into his work. He could orient himself in such a way that he can continue his practice and interact with the world around him.
This may sound contradictory to the previous point about making contact with the outside world, but it is actually complementary. For it is true that as above so below, as without so within. The world is full of individuals, each a cosmos within themselves. And yet all must live in the world outside blending the various inner realms to paint the greater reality.
Looking at the Magician card, a man stands behind a table on which the tools of magic manifestation are laid out before him. His right arm is raised pointing to the heavens, and his left is pointing down to the earth. Usually, the figure eight infinity symbol is shining above his head showing his mastery of his internal reality. The hand gestures express the principle of as above so below making him a conduit of spiritual change. The implements on the table show that he has the tools to shape the outer world according to the changes he has made within himself.
The magician has become present in the now. He has released scarcity and embraced the infinite abundance found within. He has sought inspiration not only from the heavens above but also from the earth below. He is preparing to now take action to create the future he expects. Once this is done, he will be ready to move into the final lesson for today.
This lesson is the hardest of all. Not many can achieve this lesson for more than fleeting moments. But it should be the ultimate goal for which one strives. For this is the Great Transmutation.
Once all of the previous lessons have been integrated, one can manifest a more perfect reality. At this stage the distinctions of time fold in on themselves, and one can experience the unity of all creation. The past and the future and all of space can be condensed to a single point held within a single consciousness. Man can join in union with God.
Thank you for taking this journey with me. If you have found value in these words please upvote and resteem.
All images are either my own work or are taken from Pixabay.com
