It is interesting how the things that are most easy to do to keep fit are also things that we can do for a lifetime. Walking, swimming, and dancing are activities that you can enjoy for a lifetime. Sometimes you walk simply because you want to get somewhere. That is one way to be fit. Then sometimes you walk for the simple pleasure of it. You don't need to stop and get special equipment in order to do it.
Swimming is something that a person can do until they are old. Water supports and is gentle on the body, so that even if you have weak or damaged knees or shoulders, you can move along and let the buoyancy of the water help. Older people and people who are recovering from injuries have discovered this value. Even if you are not in either of these categories, simply swimming offers the delicious feel of movement that is flexible, being able to turn and move easily.
And dancing? What better spontaneous expression of life than to dance just because you love the feel and sound of the music? You can do this forever, and if the music pleases you, you just might try and dance forever.
Funny how people are always looking to new inventions to keep them fit, when the simplest and more pleasant are right here, yours for the having, any time. We don't really need the inventions. We just need to get up and get moving. Pleasure and fitness are ours if we want it. Instead of working our, think of playing your way to fitness.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Subtle Differences
Many tarot images offer subtle nuances as you study them, which can make a world of difference in interpretation. Even though more traditional definitions can be taken as someone else judging us and deciding whether we are good or bad, there is a sort of liberation if we accept that we are beyond that. In the deck I like to use, the card has been renamed Karma, which I like much better. It carries that sense of balancing out the reults of our actions and choices. Judgment can be a sign that you are ready to let go and move on. It could also indicate something that needs to be worked on right now. Acceptance is one comforting way of putting it as well. Once we accept that a certain phase of our life is over and quit misleading ourselves with false hopes, there is a sense of freedom that accompanies it. There is a sense of reconciliation that is part of this process. If we have taken an accurate assessment of our actions and results, we can be more clear eyed about the future. From that perspective Judgment can bring healing.
Here are another couple of quick turns, in different applications than we usually see.
In a question of a new person coming into your life, the Magician or the High Priestess could be someone you find enchanting or fascinating. They can also be high maintenance. The Chariot could indicate that a partner can be too controlling. Strength could sometimes show up when a person is too strong, stubborn. Alternate meanings sometimes appear as a reverse or downside of the quality portrayed, and sometimes just a whole different take on it.
What about the 3 Swords being able to cut through the nonsense to discover the truth? If you are getting this card, perhaps being totally deflated from a letdown, yet riding the pain to the very bottom in order to let go of it and be able to rise again in body, mind and spirit. Being a ble to face the truth, no matter how difficult. A relationship that where attentions are divided three ways. Could be good or bad. Perhaps peace is reached between warring factions. These alternative views can simply be opportunities for different interpretations that open up readings.
Here are another couple of quick turns, in different applications than we usually see.
In a question of a new person coming into your life, the Magician or the High Priestess could be someone you find enchanting or fascinating. They can also be high maintenance. The Chariot could indicate that a partner can be too controlling. Strength could sometimes show up when a person is too strong, stubborn. Alternate meanings sometimes appear as a reverse or downside of the quality portrayed, and sometimes just a whole different take on it.
What about the 3 Swords being able to cut through the nonsense to discover the truth? If you are getting this card, perhaps being totally deflated from a letdown, yet riding the pain to the very bottom in order to let go of it and be able to rise again in body, mind and spirit. Being a ble to face the truth, no matter how difficult. A relationship that where attentions are divided three ways. Could be good or bad. Perhaps peace is reached between warring factions. These alternative views can simply be opportunities for different interpretations that open up readings.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Manifesting Change
The Hierophant is another card that baffles people, yet it has many possible ways to be viewed. In some decks, this is also called the Pope. As such, it can symbolize order and conventional ideas relative to religion and spirituality. It can be about the influence of organized religion in society. But it can also be about order that rules over the outer form of religion, the structure that makes rules both for the clergy and the people, has the final word over individual churches, and sets policies. He is about following rules, not about being free spirited.
In my readings for people, this card seems to come up frequently when a person is undergoing some important heartfelt change in their life, such as changing their idea or practice of religion, a change in career or marital status, a change of major in school, or some aspect of spiritual awakening. Awakening to these changes is a sign of maturity as a person consciously chooses change. The Hierophant can symbolize a person in your life who admonishes you to heed convention and follow the rules. They can obviously be a priest, minister or some other spiritual teacher in your life. In one deck where the Hierophant is depicted as the Buddha, he can also imply compassion for the changes a person is going through, without judging the person's choices. When I see the Hierophant, I see it indicating that the person who is asking for the reading is feeling in their heart that it is time for a change and will be making changes that are visible to others, with the outer changes driven by the inner change.
If you look at the 2 of rods and the 3 of rods, at first glance they look very similar. There is a man standing looking out on the horizon, grasping a staff. However a closer look reveals in the 2 that he is holding a globe and considering his prospects. He is perhaps one who has formed a business partnership and is sending his crew and ships out into the world to do his business for him. The 3 shows with with perhaps a nicer robe, the ships returning to port laden with trade goods and the results of a profitable enterprise. So in the first scene, the ships are embarking on their journey, and in the next scene they return, with 3 being the number of manifestation, the results of the effort appear to be good.
Forming a plan, taking action, making dreams come true, forming strategic partnerships and making good use of resources. A good omen to see these cards come up in the same spread, indicating successful manifestation of a person's plans.
In my readings for people, this card seems to come up frequently when a person is undergoing some important heartfelt change in their life, such as changing their idea or practice of religion, a change in career or marital status, a change of major in school, or some aspect of spiritual awakening. Awakening to these changes is a sign of maturity as a person consciously chooses change. The Hierophant can symbolize a person in your life who admonishes you to heed convention and follow the rules. They can obviously be a priest, minister or some other spiritual teacher in your life. In one deck where the Hierophant is depicted as the Buddha, he can also imply compassion for the changes a person is going through, without judging the person's choices. When I see the Hierophant, I see it indicating that the person who is asking for the reading is feeling in their heart that it is time for a change and will be making changes that are visible to others, with the outer changes driven by the inner change.
If you look at the 2 of rods and the 3 of rods, at first glance they look very similar. There is a man standing looking out on the horizon, grasping a staff. However a closer look reveals in the 2 that he is holding a globe and considering his prospects. He is perhaps one who has formed a business partnership and is sending his crew and ships out into the world to do his business for him. The 3 shows with with perhaps a nicer robe, the ships returning to port laden with trade goods and the results of a profitable enterprise. So in the first scene, the ships are embarking on their journey, and in the next scene they return, with 3 being the number of manifestation, the results of the effort appear to be good.
Forming a plan, taking action, making dreams come true, forming strategic partnerships and making good use of resources. A good omen to see these cards come up in the same spread, indicating successful manifestation of a person's plans.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
One Picture, many Stories
One of the classic works of film, Rashomon, is famous for the way it tells its story. Each character gets an opportunity to retell the same tale from a different point of view. You could say that it becomes several different stories, but it also offers several different ways to understand the same sequence of events.
So it is with the images in a tarot deck. It is said that every picture tells a story, yet it is also true that every picture in a tarot deck can tell a number of stories.
Look at the Tower. It is about rapid change. One viable interpretation of that includes events like layoffs, accidents, sudden illness, sudden death, divorce or other radical changes where a person is jolted out of their current circumstances. Those lightning bolts can also be wake up calls. Perhaps a person has let their ego become too large and they needed that jolt from the lightning bolt to bring them back down to earth. From the rubble, then there is a place to rebuild and create something new. If you have ever seen an old building demolished to make way for new construction, you know what I mean. Then there are other powerful, positive connotations. How about those people who get jolted out of their job and subsequently find a way to either create a new business for themselves or get into another job they like better? Ever know someone who became more peaceful or more fit as a result of finding ways to overcome a serious illness or injury? Ever hear someone who is in a new relationship describe how it "rocked their world"? Not a bad thing at all.
Take a look at the 6 of Cups. In Rider-Waite-Smith and other decks, the image is of a little boy offering a bouquet to a little girl. Waite said that the image could be about the influence of a past life. It can also be about a relationship between an older and younger person. It can be about a platonic (non-physical, non-sexual) relationship. It can also be about friendship. It can signify the openness, joy, sweetness and innocence that is common to children. It can signify a relationship that is protective with one person looking out for the other or one acting as a mentor to another. It can be about reconnecting with old friends from childhood. It can be about old patterns of the past.
Look at all the possibilities present in each picture. Of course, which meaning might apply to each reading is influenced by what other cards are drawn and the art of the reader to intuit what is going on and what is the most appropriate interpretation for this reading.
Sometimes we get locked into thinking that a card only has one meaning, and although there may be dominant possibilities, it is always refreshing to step back, take another look and consider other ways of seeing the same picture.
So it is with the images in a tarot deck. It is said that every picture tells a story, yet it is also true that every picture in a tarot deck can tell a number of stories.
Look at the Tower. It is about rapid change. One viable interpretation of that includes events like layoffs, accidents, sudden illness, sudden death, divorce or other radical changes where a person is jolted out of their current circumstances. Those lightning bolts can also be wake up calls. Perhaps a person has let their ego become too large and they needed that jolt from the lightning bolt to bring them back down to earth. From the rubble, then there is a place to rebuild and create something new. If you have ever seen an old building demolished to make way for new construction, you know what I mean. Then there are other powerful, positive connotations. How about those people who get jolted out of their job and subsequently find a way to either create a new business for themselves or get into another job they like better? Ever know someone who became more peaceful or more fit as a result of finding ways to overcome a serious illness or injury? Ever hear someone who is in a new relationship describe how it "rocked their world"? Not a bad thing at all.
Take a look at the 6 of Cups. In Rider-Waite-Smith and other decks, the image is of a little boy offering a bouquet to a little girl. Waite said that the image could be about the influence of a past life. It can also be about a relationship between an older and younger person. It can be about a platonic (non-physical, non-sexual) relationship. It can also be about friendship. It can signify the openness, joy, sweetness and innocence that is common to children. It can signify a relationship that is protective with one person looking out for the other or one acting as a mentor to another. It can be about reconnecting with old friends from childhood. It can be about old patterns of the past.
Look at all the possibilities present in each picture. Of course, which meaning might apply to each reading is influenced by what other cards are drawn and the art of the reader to intuit what is going on and what is the most appropriate interpretation for this reading.
Sometimes we get locked into thinking that a card only has one meaning, and although there may be dominant possibilities, it is always refreshing to step back, take another look and consider other ways of seeing the same picture.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Secret Adventures
So frequently it happens that when a person sits down for a reading, one of the things they say is "I wonder if I am going to get the Devil" or "I hope I don't get the Tower" or "I hope I can get through this reading without getting the Death card" and I wonder if they don't secretly wish that they do get these cards.
Why? These cards all presage a change and present some dramatic issue that is up for examination. While people may profess to not want these things, they may actually be desiring them. "How can this be?" you ask. For example, some people are in an unhappy marriage, but they don't want to be the one who files for divorce, so they are relieved when the other person does it. Some people may feel stuck in their current job and the only good thing that they have to say about it is that it gets them a regular paycheck. So when the company decides to lay some people off, merge with another company or close a facility, in a way they are relieved. They may dread the prospect of having to look for a new job, or become single again, but secretly they feel the excitement of the challenge, of the new opportunities. Once the initial shock and dismay have worn off, the world is full of exciting prospects. Of course, it will feel much better once that person begins dating again or finds another job that might even be more interesting or more pleasant.
That in turn gives way to three cards that people also puzzle over or feel that they may not be up to: The Fool, The Magician and The High Priestess. These represent the next stage of life that the person is presented with. Often times we sell ourselves short. We may think that we are not capable of greater success or more love, ecstatic joy or noteworthy achievements. Yet, how often is it true that we simply have to remove our own blockages, give ourselves permission to do what we want, take that project off the back burner and move it to the front burner raise our self esteem and claim our space?
In this stage of our evolution, we no longer care that the choir director told us that we were not good singers when we were young, and we cut loose and sing whatever we want, anyway we want and people tell us that they enjoy hearing it. This is the time of life where we set the spread sheets aside and write stories or poetry that other people enjoy reading. This is the stage of life where we just get comfortable in our own bodies and wear what we want feeling that we are just as attractive as anyone in the world, even though in earlier situation, it was always someone else who got the attention for their looks. These three cards remind us that we should dare to be whatever we want to be before we die. They remind us that grasping every opportunity for happiness is a challenge and a pleasure. It is life affirming to be a risk taker, and to dare to have our way in the world.
Within each person is a secret adventurer, and that is why people profess to dread the appearance of Death, the Devil and the Tower, and beam when seeing the Fool, Magician and High Priestess. Life is a road we travel, and tarot images are maps and signposts along the way.
Why? These cards all presage a change and present some dramatic issue that is up for examination. While people may profess to not want these things, they may actually be desiring them. "How can this be?" you ask. For example, some people are in an unhappy marriage, but they don't want to be the one who files for divorce, so they are relieved when the other person does it. Some people may feel stuck in their current job and the only good thing that they have to say about it is that it gets them a regular paycheck. So when the company decides to lay some people off, merge with another company or close a facility, in a way they are relieved. They may dread the prospect of having to look for a new job, or become single again, but secretly they feel the excitement of the challenge, of the new opportunities. Once the initial shock and dismay have worn off, the world is full of exciting prospects. Of course, it will feel much better once that person begins dating again or finds another job that might even be more interesting or more pleasant.
That in turn gives way to three cards that people also puzzle over or feel that they may not be up to: The Fool, The Magician and The High Priestess. These represent the next stage of life that the person is presented with. Often times we sell ourselves short. We may think that we are not capable of greater success or more love, ecstatic joy or noteworthy achievements. Yet, how often is it true that we simply have to remove our own blockages, give ourselves permission to do what we want, take that project off the back burner and move it to the front burner raise our self esteem and claim our space?
In this stage of our evolution, we no longer care that the choir director told us that we were not good singers when we were young, and we cut loose and sing whatever we want, anyway we want and people tell us that they enjoy hearing it. This is the time of life where we set the spread sheets aside and write stories or poetry that other people enjoy reading. This is the stage of life where we just get comfortable in our own bodies and wear what we want feeling that we are just as attractive as anyone in the world, even though in earlier situation, it was always someone else who got the attention for their looks. These three cards remind us that we should dare to be whatever we want to be before we die. They remind us that grasping every opportunity for happiness is a challenge and a pleasure. It is life affirming to be a risk taker, and to dare to have our way in the world.
Within each person is a secret adventurer, and that is why people profess to dread the appearance of Death, the Devil and the Tower, and beam when seeing the Fool, Magician and High Priestess. Life is a road we travel, and tarot images are maps and signposts along the way.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Every Picture Tells a Story
What does it mean when the same card comes up over and over again? The most obvious answer is that spirit has a lesson to teach that keeps coming through, so the same card keeps coming up so that you are certain to get the message.
In this way, there is a lesson for the reader as well as the readee. This wonderful teaching tool keeps speaking to us over and over again. Even after you have worked with a deck for a long time and done many readings with it, there are still more lessons to be gleaned from it.
There are always those instances where you see a card again for the first time. We get busy and so spirit focuses our attention by bringing the same picture back for us to look at again and again until we get the message we need to get from it. Every picture tells a story, but on different days, the same picture can tell different stories.
In this way, there is a lesson for the reader as well as the readee. This wonderful teaching tool keeps speaking to us over and over again. Even after you have worked with a deck for a long time and done many readings with it, there are still more lessons to be gleaned from it.
There are always those instances where you see a card again for the first time. We get busy and so spirit focuses our attention by bringing the same picture back for us to look at again and again until we get the message we need to get from it. Every picture tells a story, but on different days, the same picture can tell different stories.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Big Events
As those of you who read this blog regularly know, I add a new article about every day, but this weekend I was just not up to it after working the Boulder Creek Festival.
Outdoor festivals always contain potential weather problems, and even though this is a well attended, long established event, our beautiful smooth flow was interrupted by serious rainstorms and dropping termperatures.
There is a certain altered state that readers get into after hours of reading and combine that with going from warm to cool to very wet, including breaking down the tent and packing up soaking wet, and the next thing on my mind was getting out of my wet clothes, showering and putting on something warm and dry. Sleep came rapidly after these long days.
It was wonderful, and it really required a lot of energy, and I am happy I did it. Not only were there people I know who dropped by to say hello or have a reading, but there were also many people who decided to have their first reading in the midst of the festival atmosphere.
Life is good.
Outdoor festivals always contain potential weather problems, and even though this is a well attended, long established event, our beautiful smooth flow was interrupted by serious rainstorms and dropping termperatures.
There is a certain altered state that readers get into after hours of reading and combine that with going from warm to cool to very wet, including breaking down the tent and packing up soaking wet, and the next thing on my mind was getting out of my wet clothes, showering and putting on something warm and dry. Sleep came rapidly after these long days.
It was wonderful, and it really required a lot of energy, and I am happy I did it. Not only were there people I know who dropped by to say hello or have a reading, but there were also many people who decided to have their first reading in the midst of the festival atmosphere.
Life is good.
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