Tarot Strategies for Life Change

The Hermit, The Magician and the Move

Tarot readers are known to read for themselves, and I admit to doing so on occasion.

Sometimes I like to get a bird's eye view of a situation or get a heads up. Sometimes, I'll do it just for fun.

Last week, I hired a man with a truck to help me move items out of my storage unit. I was curious to see what the cards would tell me. I just picked cards quickly--this was not intended to be a formal exercise.

The Hermit represented me and The Magician represented him. 

How perfect. 

I had been looking for someone who could help me move the furniture at a reasonable price. The Hermit represented me perfectly--someone searching. The Magician represented him perfectly. He had the tools and expertise to make it happen (it was truly amazing how well he packed everything and got so much into his small vehicle).

It also turns out that he is adept at repairing things, too. So, like the Magician, he is versatile and skillful.

So even for this casual exercise, the Tarot can shed light.

Americans More Accepting of New Age and Eastern Beliefs

The results of a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life are out and it appears that more Americans are open to New Age and Eastern beliefs than ever. 

Some of the more interesting findings are that 49% of respondents have had a religious or mystical experience, defined as a "moment of sudden religious insight or awakening."--for the first time exceeding the percentage who have not. 

24% of the public overall and 22% of Christians say they believe in reincarnation and 25% of the public overall, 23% of Christians believe in astrology and approximately one-in-four believe in spiritual energy located in physical things such as mountains, trees or crystals. 

Nearly three-in-ten Americans say they have felt in touch with someone who has already died, almost one-in-five say they have seen or been in the presence of ghosts, and 15% have consulted a fortuneteller or a psychic.

Buddhism and Ruminations Upon Cleaning Out The Storage Unit

Today my project was sorting through the junk that has been sitting in the storage unit. 

When I moved into my current space, it was supposed to be temporary. But temporary turned out to be permanent and the stuff in storage has sat all the while.

I didn't want to sort through old stuff placed willy nilly in the stuffed unit. The years, not to mention changes in dampness and temperature, had taken their toll. 

Records and memorabilia that had great meaning at the time, were no longer relevant. Of course, many items stood the test of time very well. And poring through the treasures brought back all kinds of memories.

I came across some items that were artifacts of my life in corporate America. Records, a favorite mug, a desk clock, a pile of old business cards, hooks for the drop  ceiling that held my hanging spider plants were mute testimony of a chapter long ended.

The list of members of an industry networking group now defunct once held great importance. It is safe to say that the vast majority were names of people who were long gone from the industry, not to mention from their employers. And most of their employers no longer exist--they have either been pushed out or merged into oblivion.

In the end, the Buddhists have it right. The material world is impermanent and ultimately an illusion. It is when we can recognize that the essence of a thing is the meaning that we attach to it, that our perspective widens and that the essence of ourselves is spirit that we are free.

Life change, Pluto, Caregiving

Change is funny. 

I mean the kind of change that occurs when people undergo a mental or an emotional shift. 

People, especially if they are at all like me, do not embrace change easily... regardless of what we say. 

In my experience, deep change, the kind that results in wisdom and compassion... the kind associated with the transits of Pluto, seems to occur when my back is against the wall and I have surrender to the inevitable.

Here is another example was caring for my father in his last days. 

We had shared the same house. Little by little I fell into the role of primary caregiver as he became more frail. I struggled to hold on to the life that I had. But as I took over more and more of the day-to-day and he needed more care and supervision, I had less and less energy and time to devote to my own needs.

Finally I just had to let go. I realized we were at a point that I had to put my focus front and center to caring for him. 

Once I made that decision to surrender, the entire energy shifted. The day-to-day was still very difficult, but we were blessed by a kind of grace. 

As for my father, he fought death, the ultimate change, tooth and nail to the bitter end. But after being in pain, he let go, he relaxed... and crossed over. And as his spirit was released from his body, his pain disappeared along with his infirmities. And he was filled with joy and love.