The Star - I Feel Good!

The Star, the card I drew this morning is a very welcomed positive and hopeful card for me this, the first weekend of Summer. It is a card symbolizing the feminine side of nature-feeling, instinct, imagination and intuition. It is the promising Star of Hope.

My past week has been full of delightful, special surprises. Especially rewarding was seeing the fruition of all the work the students created after participating in the PAINTS program over the past three months in our local school. They'd sent out invitations to their parents, family and friends, inviting them to attend their final art exhibit. It was so well received and so wonderful to see how much their confidence soared, and how proud they were in what they accomplished and to now share this with their friends and families was very special. It was a kind of celebration of the power of creativity and imagination. It made me feel very hopeful in my outlook and inspired in so many ways, after having learned so much from this imaginative and creative, great group of insightful kids.

We haven't had a good rain for a few weeks now, and so the gardens are dry. As I was watering my garden early this morning, and was very pleased to see the water I had given the plants last night, which wasn't a whole lot, actually had made a big difference. My tender plants looked perky, like they were almost saying, look at us, we feel good! I'm certain they'd grown more over night because of that small amount of water I'd given them yesterday.

The new young plants in my garden remind me of the children I've worked with, in that, a little bit of encouragement, nurturing, and a hopeful positive attitude is just like watering your garden. A little can go a long way, and can make all the difference.

Similarly I see in this Major Arcana card, The Star that embodies the mythic image of Pandora, who is  looking past all life's negatives toward the light. She sees in spite of the Spites, who have been unleashed by Zeus. She has her focus on Hope.

Some may consider her, The Star naive, seeing the world through rose coloured glasses. I don't see her in this way. She embodies a hopeful, encouraging attitude, full of faith and has an intrinsic trust, that things will work out. The Star represents believing that all shall be well, not about being in denial, but about loving, living and accepting life on life's terms.

Human beings need to know, and strive to be individuals that reflect this kind of attitude toward ourselves, toward others, and wearing the world like a loose garment.

I know speaking personally, I could've never accomplished, achieved or overcome all that I have in my life without having some of this same kind of outlook, that has it's foundation in faith. This positive attitude was imparted to me through the example of other mentors throughout my life, much like Pandora.

The Star - Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down

The quote that I often hear repeated "Don't let the bastards grind you down" is a good way to describe this Major Arcana card, The Star. Here we see hope and inspiration embodied in the image of Pandora who in myth opened the chest which Zeus maliciously gave to mankind and now Pandora has released all the Spites.

This card embodies the experience of hope, meaning and faith giving this promise in the midst of difficulties.

 I thought the above quote was attributed to Viktor Frankl, who survived the Nazi concentration camp and wrote Man's Search For Meaning. I think he would have certainly identified with this outlook when he said " “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

These quotes I believe describe what it means to let go.

Saint Francis of Assisi described letting go well.

"Wear the world as a loose garment, which touches us in a few places and there lightly” – St. Francis of Assisi

This is what I have found I've had to do throughout so many times throughout my life and it has become my own personal philosophy and perspective towards life in general. I've learned to wear the world as a loose garment and I've had to change myself and my attitude toward the situations I couldn't change.

 It sounds simple enough, but it isn't. It's an attitude and skill I've had to practice and continue to make it a life long habit. For me it's about learning to detach with love. Before recovery I was attached to just about everything; my hyper-vigilance and waiting for the other shoe to drop, attached to the past and the future, and attached to my misery and all that it entailed.

I'm so very grateful  every day, that I was introduced to the philosophy of letting go and that star of Hope.

Six of Cups - Experience, Strength and Hope

Most of us have heard our parents, grandparents or others nostalgically share stories about the past, and what it was like back in the day. We can learn a lot from these stories. Now I find myself at the an age where I reminisce, am nostalgic about the past, and I like to share my own stories. This is human nature of course to go back in time, in our mind.

Having and making memories is a beautiful thing, especially when these are shared with others. They bond us, and are the glue that can cement our relationships, reflecting our identity back to us. Of course there are always positive memories, along with the negative. Regardless of what kind of memories, if I can accept and embrace them, I can process them and turn my memories into a learning experience, becoming a stronger individual. I can then help another by sharing my own experience, strength and hope.

It isn't good for our psyche regretting or stuck in a time warp with you 80s hair, or wishing our lives away for the old days. We can't be fixating and starring  at the past, however we can't close the door on it either, pretending it never happened.

Here in the Six of Cups Psyche finds herself emotionally abandoned, mysteriously by her husband Eros. Despite her loss, she has learned something about herself, and has come to terms with what has taken place. She no longer has regrets or remorse about her unrealistic expectations, unreal dreams, and  her great disappointments concerning her lost love Eros.

Psyche has come to this place of serenity within herself. Now she can move forward, building upon future goals. Her past has been tempered, and strengthened, into an emerging promise, that is achievable. The past leads to a future dream that is still possible.

Three of Cups - The Blue Bird of Happiness

Initial completion is what in all of the Threes of every suit represents. The Three of Cups augers the first part of the journey that heralds promise, and emotional fulfillment, love and happiness. Eros the god of love, is close behind Psyche's groom, whom she can not see. Psyche is in her bridal gown, and the nymphs holding the cups toward the couple in happy and joyous celebration.

It is a revelation of life to find out what we naively thought would make us happy once upon a time, changes as we age. When I was a girl of about 11 or 12, I was certain having breasts was going to make me happy. I dreamt of  wearing long necklaces draped over my bosom, I would be twenty, and  be a happy adult, as opposed to being an unhappy powerless kid. Wow, if it had been that easy I would be well happy by now!

I also believed if I could have a horse I would be happy, and I wanted to have a "normal " family. Neither of these things happened, however along with my ideas of happiness my dreams also changed, and this was a good thing.

I dislike that word normal. Normal does not mean happy, and happiness has nothing to do with normality. Frankly, I am not even sure what normalcy is. I know what happiness is for me. Happiness is sometimes an elusive thing, and certainly is different for everyone. Mostly I think it is living and appreciating the moment, and being grateful. Living in the past, or projecting into the future, is not where we find happiness. I now can take responsibility for my happiness, and that feels real good. This a great big life changing lesson, because it is based on reality, not on chasing castles in the sky, and not on having pipe dreams, or searching and expecting someone or something else other than ourselves to bring us happiness. It just ain't gonna happen!

The message of the Three of Cups is, to remember that, our initial feelings of joy and bliss are always changing along the path. The journey is not finished, and hard work lies ahead, but we can fully enjoy happiness in all it's human and divine promise, now.