The Sun - What is the Secret to Happiness?

The secret to happiness is, is that there is no secret!

Truth is I seldom draw this Major Arcana card but when I do my heart does the happy dance, because this card reminds me to be happy regardless of what is going on around me. For me it's a matter of attitude, and gratitude.

Happiness may seem like a secret but it's not. Simply to some of us, myself included take a while figuring out what makes us happy and learning that we're the only ones responsible for making our own happiness, nothing or no one else will. Oh sure people, places and things can add to our happiness, just not what will ultimately make us happy.

When I drew this card today my thoughts immediately went to my late friend Lillian (Diamond Lil) that I spent many hours with. She taught me a lot about happiness. She was also a long time Tarot reader and The Sun was her card, that she kept placed on the door of her refrigerator. After reading Lil's cards one day, which was the best card reading I've ever seen to date, I came to completely understand why the Sun was her card. Lillian was a finest example of what it means to have a striving and victorious spirit, both aspects symbolized by the sun-god.

And like the sun-god Lillian loved her music, played and entertained many folks over her long life. And just like Apollo, music,  an expression of the sun-god that transforms our darkness into light and meaning.When sorrow and fear was brought to Apollo in song he would take those sorrows and fears away.
Music is what healed, helped and transformed Lillian.

The Star - No Blind Hope - Promise

The Star - Egg Tempera on gesso panel - Catherine Meyers - 2017

I've been busy this July and haven't had a whole lot of time to get to writing my usual post on my Tarot blog, which I've missed. But July is quickly coming to a close and I'm staying put, home for the remainder of the Summer. As much as I enjoy visiting and having some new experiences away, the best part is coming home, I must say, because it's very much my comfort zone. That said I need to get out of my comfort zone in order to grow, and to help me appreciate what gives me happiness and affirms how I alone am responsible for that.

This month I attended a wonderful - the 31st women's weekend with life long friends at the beach, saw a great concert with Rawlins Cross at Jost Winery, did a reading for a beautifully spirited young woman and we all ate scrumptious food.

The week before I was over the moon to be included as one of nine students in an egg tempera Master Class with renowned egg tempera painter Tom Forrestall and his son William Forrestall for five days. This was truly a life time opportunity, one of those self-actualizing experiences I'd say for me.

Comfort zones and self-actualizing experiences is a good segue-way to my topic this morning. Connecting with my own creativity, the study and practice of reading Tarot have been both for me over the years, and have changed my life in countless ways.

People often have misconceptions and are misinformed about how Tarot works, and there are probably just as many interpretations and explanations of this, and it's not much wonder folks are often left confused and skeptical. None the less, it's very important I believe to ask and to get the answers to our questions.

If we can dig deep enough, I think we can find our own answers to the question, how does Tarot work, much in the same way we come to understand how creativity works. I'm of the opinion that creativity and Tarot share many similarities and characteristics. In particular they both share two primary elements and qualities when it comes to intuition and perception. One primary per-requisite and conduit to both intuition and perception is having a open heart and an open mind. This has always worked for me. It doesn't mean that the difficulties of life disappeared but I was stronger because of the difficulties, not in spite of them because my heart and mind were open in trust and in faith.

I can give metaphysical and even scientific explanations what quantum physics calls entanglement regarding Tarot or creativity, but I think it all might just come down to what individuals are curious about, enough to find the answers to their questions. It might sound cliche, but it's also following what makes you happy, what Joseph Campbell calls "following your bliss." And for me creativity, reading Tarot and making connection between the two gives me great satisfaction, reward and happiness.

Being human beings, we can't find all the answers to all our questions and there is a certain beautiful mystery to life that can either leave us feeling skeptical and cynical or we can choose a faith based approach, with a trust in knowing that we can ultimately relinquish control, trust the world of the unconscious and trust life enough to take its course.