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Entertaining, Sassy, Creative, Deep, Passionate. Artistic, Tender, Opinionated. Joyful, Stubborn, Grateful, Humble.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Papa


The Hierophant



The day after Christmas, I wonder what he would say about all the holiday hoopla. I don't think this is what He is trying to teach us. So, who is He?


For me....He is Faith, God's Will, Forgiveness. Compassion, The Teacher, my Soul. The inner guidance system out Creator installed deep, deep within each of us, that tells us whether what we choose is right or wrong. Peace. Prayer, you can see Him in each face you deeply look into. You can find him in every church, every child, every flower. He is Silence......yet he speaks volumes. Our Spiritual Teacher, our vision of God, however you see God, or I see God. Life, Laughter, Tears. He is there.


And gifts....guess what, we are the gifts. We have the gifts, and the sweetest gift of all is Presence. Just to be with someone...really be there. Hold them in you heart. Just hold them. Not buy them the biggest most expensive thing....but really see them. Really love them.

I like the arms of his Throne. The ox, bowing his face in prayer. The Servant. The one that works quietly, daily, humbly. And the scroll he holds....what does it say? For each of us, is a different message. To find your message, you have to spend time with him, he will whisper the message to you. Try it....that is the Gift. Be Blessed.....

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Joseph, Wands in Story

I have not posted in awhile. Life has been hectic, as everyone knows, too well. I have spent much time meditating, praying, and feel like I would like to merge the two things I adore, together. The Bible, which I collect every translation and honor. And the Tarot. Which I believe is a gift, a Universal story, a wonderful language of symbols. All stories tell deeper stories. And I love that.
When I laid these 3 cards I drew at random....as if anything we ever do is really random, the story of Joseph flashed before me. Within these 3 cards, is his story. And your story, and my story. And here is the 7 of Wands, in his story....
Genesis 37:3-8 (The Message)
3. Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was the child of his old age. And he made him an elaborately embroidered coat. 4. When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him-they wouldn't even speak to him. 5. Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6. He said, 'Listen to this dream I had. 7. We were all out in the field gathering bundles of wheat. All of a sudden my bundle stood up and your bundles circled around it and bowed down to mine.' 8. His brothers said, 'So! You're going to rule us? You're going to boss us around?' And they hated him more than ever because of his dreams and the way he talked.
Genesis 37:18 (The Message)
They spotted him off in the distance. By the time he got to them, they had cooked up a plot to kill him.
Notice the number 7 of the verse above, and the 7 of Wands card. Outnumbered, pushed away. Far away. Family. Sibling rivalry. They do not kill him, they sell him to a caravan passing by, to be a slave. Rip up his coat of many colors, dip it in blood, and present it to his father, alluding to not knowing what happened to him, he must be dead. Seems like the end of the story, but really just a new beginning. And the Ace of Wands appears.....
Genesis 41:37-41 (The Message)
37. This seemed like a good idea to Pharaoh and his officials. 38. Then Pharaoh said to his officials, 'Isn't this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God's Spirit in him like this?' 39. So, Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'You're the man for us. God has given you the inside story-no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom. 40 .From now on, you're going to be in charge of all my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you.' 41. So Pharaoh commissioned Joseph: 'I'm putting you in charge of the entire country of Egypt.'
Genesis 41:50-52 (The Message)
Joseph had two sons born to him before the years of famine came. Asenath, daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, was their mother. 51 .Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh (Forget), saying ; God made me forget all my hardships and my parental home.' 52. He named the second son Ephraim (Double Prosperity) saying, 'God has prospered me in the land of my sorrow.'
He ends up in Egypt, a slave, a handsome slave the master's wife desires. He refuses her advances and is lied about, sending him to jail. From jail, he interprets dreams, still the dreamer. When Pharaoh has 2 disturbing dreams, no one can understand them. Suddenly he is remembered as an accurate Dream interpreter, and is sent to stand in the presence of the King and tell him what the dream's mean. He says his gifts, abilities come from his God, still holding onto his faith, even after all he has gone through, he impresses Pharaoh and is suddenly moving from the jail, to the Palace. Number one, (The Ace of Wands) next to Pharaoh. A miracle. But not the end of the story yet....
Genesis 45:1-5 (The Message)
1. Joseph couldn't hold himself in any longer, keeping up a front before all his attendants. He cried out, 'Leave! Clear out, everyone leave!' So there was no one with Joseph when he identified himself to his brothers. 2. But, his sobbing was so violent that the Egyptians couldn't help but hear him. The news was soon reported to Pharaoh's s palace. 3. Joseph spoke to his brothers: 'I am Joseph. Is my father really still alive?' But his brothers couldn't say a word. They were speechless-they couldn't believe what they were hearing and seeing. 4. 'Come closer to me,' Joseph said to his brothers. They came closer. 'I am Joseph your brother you sold into Egypt. 5. But, don't feel badly, don't blame yourselves for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead of you to save lives.
The 9 of Wands, he opens up to his brothers, lets his wall down, weeps, embraces them. Then he forgives them, even telling them not to ever feel badly about selling him......imagine that. He now sees that God was always behind every step, every seemingly bad turn of events. God had a plan....He was exactly where God wanted him to be. And he sees his Father again, even provides for his brothers and family.....giving them the BEST of Egypt. Should give us all hope. All the horrible mistakes we make, can be somehow turned into blessing. By God.
Tarot of the Divine Legacy by talented Ciro Marchetti. Thank you!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Tarot 101: The Chariot

The Beautiful Chariot


Number 7 in the line up of the Major Arcana.
The Chariot.

I have been reading, devouring, the new book by Kim Huggens, ‘Tarot 101’.
Just love it. You need to buy it, if you want a new way to see the cards.
I picked it up this morning, and it fell open to page 43, ‘The Chariot.’
She goes into depth with each card, explaining and giving you questions to
ponder, or journal with, as I am doing right now. She talks about how
different the ‘Chariots’ can be, from deck to deck. True. And each
different angle of the Chariot, can invoke many different images to the
Reader of the Cards. I pulled out the Chariots from ‘The Bohemian Gothic
Tarot,’ by Magic Realist Press, ‘Shadowscapes Tarot, by ’Stephanie
Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, ‘Universal Wirth Tarot’ by Lo Scarabeo,
Torino, and Initiatory Tarot of the Golden Dawn, by Lo Scarageo, Torino.
And here they are….
Part of the journey of the Hero’s Quest. Here are some
of her questions, and some of my answers. So, enjoy!
What quest am I on
currently? Today, I would say I have lost my map. This last year has been
quite a ride in the Chariot. Not easy, and sometimes my Chariot has seemed
to be broken. Literally. I need to think about where I want to go from
here, and plan to get to a destination. Life seems to have had other
lessons for me. Just when I think I have a plan, No. Road block ahead.
Turn around, Stop. Start over. I think I will meditate on this card today,
see what comes up.
How do I approach a new challenge? I study it to death.
I read everything I can to know everything I can, to think I have all
bases covered. Sometimes that works, most times not. Each challenge is
unique in it’s own way. And is a Journey in a Journey. Being the Pisces
that I am, I don’t like conflict, or confrontation. Yet the Chariot would
say, take control. Plan, do it.
So, who is driving, today?
On some of the Chariot Tarot Cards, the guidance, or power that directs
the Chariot, seem be other things….statues, set in stone, weathered by
time yet wise. Excitedly playful unicorns, an easy journey beginning in
the clouds, taking you anywhere, just let go, let the Chariot go where
ever it wants to go. Men/people, advisors, inspiration, not trying to do
this alone. And wild horses….dust flying in the wind, black and white,
choose something, and race toward it.
How quickly am I making progress? It
would appear, slow. So slow. But, on another level, things from the past,
unfinished things, have shown up in my life, and are now finished. Maybe
they were detours I needed. It wasn’t like I sought them out .Really didn't want to go there. Life set
them right in my path. And I rode them out, until they were finished.

Where has the Charioteer come from, and where is he going?
He has come a
long way. He has learned so many things, and unlearned so many things. I,
personally, know you can make plans, set in stone, and it does not happen.
So what do you do then? Get mad, at yourself or the Powers that Be? Or
ride out the storm, see where life takes you? I am there. I trust in Life,
the Universe, God. I will make it to my goal, maybe not in my or your
timing, but Life’s timing. I think my favorite Chariot card, from these 4
chosen ones, is the one with the Unicorns pulling it. She has let go, is
enjoying the ride. Made an Altar, written out Prayers, put my favorite Angels on each 4 corners, chosen my favorite Tarot Cards to watch over the process, add some beautiful stones, my ivory pearl Rosary, and a beautiful candle to burn as often as I can. Or/And stuck her desires on her Vision Board, and goes there
in her mind, just to visit and feel like she is already there. And let
Life be Life. Sometimes it feels like someone else is driving, and maybe
some days, that is a good thing. Let someone else drive the Chariot. And
relax, knowing the places and people you need to be with, the lessons, the
joys, will be there when you get there. But make your list and have a
plan, anyway. I have done that. And stop trying to control everyone and
everything. Only one of these Charioteer’s seems to be in Control mode.
And he is stirring up a lot of dust, making a big show of it. Ego.
The 2
images that guide the Chariot, seem to be the 2 choices you always have.
Life always gives you at least 2. And I think, both ways may take you to your
destination. So, either way just has different scenery. You really can’t
screw up. Just keep going. So, get out your Chariot card today, and see
what it tells you, see what journey you are on, or getting ready for. And
play with it…enjoy the ride. And buy the book, you will love it.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

The Llewellyn Tarot


The 8 of Cups.

Painted by the talented Anne Marie Ferguson, part of the 78 Tarot Cards from The Llewellyn Tarot. One of my very favorite decks, so beautiful. And a book I have been reading by Paul Fenton-Smith, 'The Tarot Revealed.' I do believe I have everything he has ever written, and eagerly await more. Keep writing Paul. For some reason his take on this card, and his way of looking at the cards, really resonated with me. Has given me some new ideas of what I see here, and where she is going.

This card has flipped out several times this week, even in other Tarot Decks I may be using to Read with....here it is. I, personally, don't usually see it as a happy card. It feels dark, only moonlight to guide her. And rough terrain, she seems to be clad in a very covering night gown, must be cold, damp out there. Holding something in front of her, white, something white? A blanket? A cape? Her hair seems drenched with dew...just laying stuck to her shoulders and back. She is leaning forward, using a wooden pole of a crutch to help her climb over the rocks and the mud that seem to be in her path. I think she is barefooted. Seems to be moving slowly. The rocks look dark, slippery, mossy, water crashing over them. You cannot even see land, just the spot she stands on, maybe it goes out to the right side of the card, it may be a path, or a dark forrest. It looks traveled before, this dark ghostly path. She may have not found it yet, or she may not even see it yet. She seems to have gone as far as she can go, right to the edge of the land. Right on the edge. Ever been on the edge? Not my favorite place to be. And the golden cups. 8. I have always thought it strange how they are arranged, being a tad OCD here, I want to straighten them out. Line them up. But thanks to Paul, I see this is good. I love his ideas, and one of them is to know your Tarot. Know all the cards. Know the one that comes before this card ,and the others in their line up on the 1-10 Cups in the Minor Arcane, know what the numbers stand for, gather all the information about this card, before I add what I feel about this card, my own Gestalt twist to it.
If I step back in time, here are the 5,6 and 7 of Cups. What may have happened to bring her to this dark night, sad and lost, 8 of cups card? 5 of Cups, a loss. Grief, this too shall pass, a gray flood of emotion that matches the gray overcast sky. Yet, hope, as 2 cups still stand, behind him/her. Unnoticed. When he does have time, to get past the spilt cups he will never have again, he walks into the 6 of Cups card. Ah, such happy memories, the sweetest friend to share them with. Home, and a big tree to climb, pets and blooming flowers, jonquils, must be spring. A time of hope. Then, moving into the 7 of Cups, knocked back down on your knees. Choices, confusion, which way is the right way? She weighs her options, and makes a choice. The choice adds another Golden Cup to her collection, but at what cost? 8 is the number for the Major Arcana Strength Card. This calls for a time of strength. Inner strength, maybe outer strength. Going through something you aren't sure you can make it. So you look in those cups, which before were full of many choices. Now they sit empty. Yet, hope springs eternal. She has arranged them with one off to the side. Room for one new one to rest with the collection. But where is it? That is what she is hunting for. And that is why she is leaving, even in the dark of night. Unsure, and no compass but her heart....she is moving on.
If you lay the next card down, she walks into the 9 of Cups card. The card of joy, your wish coming true. Her gamble paid off, and listening to her heart, was the right thing to do. Even thought she appeared alone, and no brilliant guidance from well meaning friends. She walks on. In the 9 of Cups, she is surrounded by golden cups, and sunlight, and her pure white veil blowing in the wind! Look back through the cards....was it the white dress she wore as an innocent child in the 6 card? Then a white cape to protect her, in the 7 of cups card? And the 8 of cups card....it looks like a security blanket she clings to in the dark. Looks like all she carries away, except the club (Ace of Wands?) she is leaning on? In the 9 card, it billows in the wind, a lovely veil. She is blessed with Grace and Glory as she sits in the sweet meadow that was a miserable dark marsh in the card before. And life gets better....really! From that card she gets ups and walks into the 'I am so happy and home, and loved. The pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow. Her white veil, now an apron to wear in her happy home with her husband and children. The dark stream that once looked so scary, now tumbles joyfully around the sitting golden cups. Her children play in it. No ghosts here. And the final card here, the Page of Cups. The missing cup from the 8 card, held up with a couple of fish in it. The white cloth is still showing up, as a tunic, decorated with a royal blue satin sash, and a sage green cloak to cover the fearless Page, as he steps on the rocks in his leather boots and protective clothing. I say he is the child in the 10 of cups card. He was holding a fishing pole and enjoying the clear blue water, filled with fish, fun, happy summer days. It feels like the person going through the passage of the cups cards is a female. Ah...emotions. The heartfelt things only girls are supposed to cry and then dance for joy, when the sun comes back out, and the test is over, right? But this Page feels like a male. A young man with such passion, hope, visions of art, music, joy. Maybe his mother has been the one going through the lessons of the Cups cards....and he has watched and learned. Now is his turn. He has such excitement, can see into his future and only see good things. Such is life as a teenager. But life brings these lessons to us all, and that is good. She, his mother will be there, to comfort and guide him as he makes takes his own path into the world. No one can do it for you. But they can listen, and care.
'Tears endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.' Psalms, true!
So, thank you Paul! I no longer look at this card as a sad, dire, dismal card. It is only a place in the dark, we all have been there and will go back from time to time. Life lessons. Looks like the golden cup to fill the empty spot on this card was so worth it to go after. Take the risk, it is so worth it. !






Monday, May 24, 2010

It is good to be Queen. Don't you think? I was out wandering in a local park, camera in hand, and found this lovely flower standing up, waving in the breeze, all by itself. Well, not really. Surrounding it was a field of yellow flowers. And I have no idea what their real 'flower' names are, I just loved them. Sorting through the stack later, I found this one, and the Queen of Pentacles from Ciro Marchetti's Divine Legacy Tarot, are a divine match. The colors, the symbols, the ladylike beauty of Mother Nature.

She, this Queen in green, gold and white, is a blend of ..... Paula Dean, wonderful cook, loves to feed everyone. Martha Stewart, talented, can do anything with your home or garden, or your money. For good or evil. But her intentions are good. She knows how to grow things. Make money, with just about anything laying around the house. If she is a full time Homemaker, she has the coolest home on the block. And if she works outside her home, she loves real estate, flipping houses, decorating on a dime, maybe banking, investing, she know how things grow, and no sitting around watching TV for her. She has things to do, and not enough time to do them.......and she has a little group of her own ducklings following her. A soft, loving Mother, and great Wife, she can do just about anything. And make it look easy. I can imagine her loving her huge garden, taking her veggies to the fresh food market, handing out samples of her baked goodies, having a bit of time to chat with everyone. Gracious....funny, not afraid to get her hand dirty, loves her work. What ever it is. And flowers.....talk about the 'green thumb.' She has them blooming all over.
One another level, I see her as very Spiritual. She understands the Laws of Nature. Plant a seed, watch it grow. What you reap, you sow. She is patient, but can decide the whole garden is done, and rip through it with her garden tiller, bury the old, finished plants. Embrace the new. Cycles, she loves them, and understands them. I love how this plant mimics the star on her forehead. She has Wisdom, Patience, feeds your soul as well as you tummy. In a field of 'ordinary' women....she stands out. And different.....she enjoys that. Who wants to be like everyone else. No cookie cutter mom here. Her husband keeps quiet about her....can't let it out how lucky he is. She wrote the book on Sex. She knows all the ways to pamper him. Touch is a way she makes love. He melts under her tender, massaging hands. She knows how to keep him coming home. She is his home. Her heart is a safe place to be, as she protects, fiercely if need be, all she loves. In her Tarot Card, here, she reminds me of a Southern Belle. Emily Post, maybe? Need to keep the rules. But another side of her could be some sexy chic, mud wrestling on Saturday night, making stacks of money, having a blast with all her crazy friends. If you need advice, she will give it. You will at first be comforted, then slapped silly with: why did you do that, knowing it would go there? Ms. Practical. Do this, get that. But she will have a plan to get you out of trouble, and can charm everyone around her, with her soft, delicate side, as she gets exactly what she wants. And they never seen it coming. She is my hero today. Think I will get out, find some flowers growing in the wild, bring them home to enjoy. Remind me of her.

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Shadowscape Tarot

Are these not absolutely beautiful cards? Designed by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, and Barbara Moore, the deck is called 'Shadowscapes Tarot.' And the book that comes with the deck, is awesome. Thick, full page pictures of each card, artist descriptions and intuitive descriptions. Her artwork is delicate, detailed, and full of images. And her interpretations of each card, not your usual little white book descriptions. I love it. Bought 2 sets the first time I seen it.

I drew these cards today, at random. Sit with them, waited until this story floated up. See what you think, they are the Page of Wands, The Hanged Man, and the Two of Swords.

Once upon a time,
there was a young man. Handsome, eager, zealous. Filled with faith, joy. So much, he could not hold it inside his heart, so he sang, and played music. And his music was so sweet, it was told that the music drove demons away. Demons named Fear, Depression, and Greed. Anyone that heard his music, notes plucked from stings of harps, and lyrics from his innocent, pure heart, they were relieved of whatever torturing their suffering was. He was a bit naive about the ways of the world, how life could test you. He thought he had this gift of song, and the King favored him. Life was sweet.
As time passed, he had many exciting adventures. Some, so glorious he danced in the streets, and others so painful, he wept through the long night. And he learned, this is called Life.
One day, he was so excited! He had the idea to build the most exquisite temple, a most Holy place, filled with music, gold, shimmering jewels, ah, so lovely he could hardly wait to get started on it. He sketched, and planned, he envisioned it, could almost touch it. A knock at the door, a messenger. The message was to stop. Stop his plans for the beautiful temple. Put them in a box, pack them away. Wait. It was not meant to be, for him to build this Holy house. But the messenger promised, one of his sons would build it. How sad he was. No matter how many reasons he could think of, that he should build the very best Temple, he was told no. No.
There were many great things he had done in his life, and quite a few great mistakes he had made. And sure enough, a diligent scribe to write it all down. Horrible details, everything. You have to know how it broke his heart to pack his dreams, plans for this Temple filled with music, and let them sit there until one of his sons would grow up. At times they were quite a rowdy bunch, he despaired they would ever grow up. And what if none of his sons wanted to build it, finish the vision he started on parchment paper? The Wise voice inside his heart told him not to question. And gave him no reason. No answers. Someday, it would be built, but not by him.
So, he was told to stop, pack the plans, the gold, the jewels away. Let it go. And he died not seeing it built.

This story is about enthusiasm, joy, adventure. Stop, wait. Then, no. 2 paths ahead, and both are a NO.    Ever felt like that?  Like why? And what happened? Why have the vision, and the tools and you are ask to give them to someone else?
Did you recognize the story? It is about King David, the young shepherd boy that sang to the sheep, then sang for the King. It is about his joy at building God a beautiful Temple. Then here comes the Prophet Nathan, with a message. No. Stop. Put it away. Your son will build it for Me. So he did what God ask. Sadly.

And his son Solomon did build it. Most magnificently. I believe David could see it shimmering from earth to heaven. So lovely it was. What he dreamed, started with a pen and ink, was now a vision of beauty. Done.

Sometimes it's just not our job,  and we have to let it all go. Walk away. And trust.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Several years ago, a man named Guy, I was engaged to at that time, and I went to New Mexico, ate guacamole every day, visited every Prayer Chapel we could find, lighting candles, holding hands and soaking up the Holy Silence, a sweet memory. We stumbled upon this site, walked all over the place. It is the Aztec Ruins National Monument. I took piles of pictures, and just recently came upon them, and found this one. Clearly you can see the white image in the picture. This was taken with a 35 mm. Minolta camera, I had not gone digital yet. And is original, no enhancements, no Photoshop. Having Ciro Marchetti's 'Tarot Of Dreams,' front and center on my desk, I just had to ask the Tarot what was in that picture? And these 3 cards came out. What a story!

The Queen of Swords, The Knight of Wands, The 4 of Wands

Do you see what I see? The white vague image in the photo almost reflects the Queen of Swords, woman with the sword held in front of her. Even in one place the light goes up and down, like the silver sword. Her white feathered wings, seem to be reflected at the outer corner of the window. Indians decorated with feathers, maybe not white, but in the afterlife, she may carry white feathers. 2 round grinding stones sit in the window. I remember kneeling down and peeking in little stone fireplaces, they had placed in a corner of each little room, to heat and cook with. Made out of the same type of rock as the building was made from. This Queen of Swords, a woman that could use a sword or sharp knife to hunt, skin, or protect herself and her children, if she had to. Or possibly is was a Prayer Stick, they used these also and decorated them. Either way it was used by her to fight a battle, and protect her famliy.

On the Knights front side, he carries a round, engraved, golden shield. Look up, on the unfurled flag, is another golden orb. Part of a symbol on a huge orb, this fiery yellow circle grabs my attention, then connects with the fire the dragon is breathing. These two, Knight and Dragon, dressed for battle, ready to go.

And the 4 of Wands card, a open door, in the photo, past the window, a closed door. What once was a door, is now filled with stones and clay mortar. And look at the strong wooden wands, they show up as sturdy poles in the door and window, to hang beautiful woven blankets with. For privacy and beauty. More wood seems to brace the top of the window.

So, when I ask the Tarot, tell me about this photo, this is what I get....

They were married, these walls, stones, all that is left of their home. She spent more time there than he, I think it was her home. He was off doing man things, riding his horse, wild and beautiful. He was younger than her, I feel like 1o months younger. He was playful, spirited, wild. She was strong, smart,  edgy, a bit of a wild woman herself. They don't feel like a quiet, boring couple. The cards feel like they were 2 passionate, talented, decorated-maybe tattooed lovers. Marriage didn't soften them, it fueled them, they fought like they loved, wildly. He died first, the last thing he seen was his horse. And the Sun, as he melted into the golden rays of the Sun. She, a widow. I do not see her remarrying, he was a hard act to follow. When he ascended into Grandfather Spirits homeland, he took her heart with him. A part of her still lingers at the window. Watching and waiting for him to come home. If those walls could speak, (and I believe they can!) these two Aztec (Pueblo) Indians gave the neighbors something to talk about. Of course, now she is with him. A glance in the door of the 4 of Wands card shows golden prisms of light, a beautiful place they rest. Talk about happy hunting grounds. They are there.

Just in case you would like more information, thank you Google, about the Indians that lived here, I am including this....
History

The Pueblo Indians are believed to be descended from the three major cultures that dominated the region before European contact:
Mogollon, an area near the Gila Wilderness
Hohokam, archaeological term for a settlement in the Southwest
Ancient Pueblo Peoples or the Anasazi, a term coined by the Navajos[1].
Historically, they supported themselves mostly by maize agriculture, although they lived in one of the more arid regions in North America. European settlement began in the late sixteenth century, but the desert surrounding the Rio Grande Valley precluded massive intrusions into Indian land until the mid-nineteenth century. As a result and despite forced conversions to Catholicism by the Spanish, the Pueblo tribes have been able to maintain much of their traditional lifestyle. There are now some 35,000 Pueblo Indians, living mostly in New Mexico and Arizona along the Rio Grande and Colorado River.
These peoples were the first to successfully revolt against the Spanish in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, which expelled the Spanish for 12 years. The code for the action was a knotted rope sent by runner to each pueblo; the number of knots signified the number of days to wait before beginning the uprising. It began August 10, 1680; by August 21, Santa Fe fell to 2,500 warriors.[2] On September 22, 2005, the statue of Po'pay, (Popé) the leader of the Pueblo Revolt, was unveiled in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. The statue was the second one from the state of New Mexico and the 100th and last to be added to the Statuary Hall collection. It is the only statue in the collection created by a Native American, in this case, Cliff Fragua, a Puebloan from Jemez Pueblo.
Most of the Pueblos have annual ceremonies that are open to the public. In many cases, one such ceremony is the Pueblo's feast day, held on the day sacred to its Roman Catholic patron saint. (These saints were assigned by the Spanish missionaries so that each Pueblo's feast day would coincide with a traditional ceremony.) Some Pueblos also have ceremonies around the Christmas holidays and at other times of the year. The ceremonies usually feature traditional dances outdoors accompanied by singing and drumming, interspersed with non-public ceremonies in the kivas. They may also include a Roman Catholic Mass and processions.
Formerly, all outside visitors to a public dance would be offered a meal in a Pueblo home, but because of the large number of visitors, such meals are now by personal invitation only.
Culture
Historically, the Pueblos were large communal buildings; each family lived in a single room of the building, but if a family grew large enough, side-rooms were added. Among the Jemez and the non-Tanoan-speakers, ownership of the room was largely matrilineal, from mother to daughter. Thus if a Hopi, Zuñi, Keres, or Jemez man were to divorce, he would move from the home of his former wife to the home of his mother or a sister. The other pueblos were patrilineal.
The pueblos are unique among Native American dwellings in that they are constructed as apartments, the flat roof of one level acting as the floor and front yard of the next, with ladders connecting the floors. The walls, especially on the ground level, had no doors or windows—only entrances in the roof. This, coupled with the fact that many were built on the tops of mesas, made the pueblo easier to defend from attack.
Men were expected to tend the fields. They would defend the community in war societies; tribes such as the Navajo, Comanche, and Apache were their traditional enemies. The Spanish successfully re-conquered New Mexico after 1692 by allying themselves with the Pueblo people against their traditional enemies (although events in the 1800s were to modify these political alliances).
Pueblo prayer included substances as well as words; one common prayer material was ground-up maize—white cornmeal. Thus a man might bless his son, or some land, or the town itself by sprinkling a handful of meal as he uttered a blessing. Once, after the 1692 re-conquest, the Spanish were prevented from entering a town when they were met by a handful of men who uttered imprecations and cast a single pinch of a sacred substance.[3]
The Puebloans employed prayer sticks, which were colorfully decorated with beads, fur, and feathers; these prayer sticks (or talking sticks) were also used by other nations.
Cloth and weaving were known to the Puebloans before the conquest, but it is not known whether they knew of weaving before or after the Aztecs. But since clothing was expensive, they did not always dress completely in the European tradition until after the conquest, and breechclouts were not uncommon.
Corn (maize) was a staple food for the Pueblo people. They would use pottery vessels to hold their food and water.

Thursday, April 08, 2010

Legacy of the Divine

Using the Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti, and the book 'Writing Poetry from the Inside Out', by Sandford Lyne, I write.

From each card, a word
from each word, a thought
and each thought, poem-sketching.

The World......Open
The Wheel.....Life
Temperance.....Reverence
9 of Pentacles.....Gardens


Walk the Garden's
path

reverently.

Watch tender stalks
burst

born of precious seed.

the pounding rain
the burning sun
cold, wind of change...

life.

Let the Angels
open you

tenderly perfumed, velvet petals

dance in today's light

you are beauty.

Friday, January 29, 2010

 From the Rime of the Ancient Mariner...


The Moving Moon
went up the sky.
And nowhere did
She abide;
Softly she was
going up,
And a star 
or two abide.

by Samuel Talyor Coleridge 1772-1834


 Space.com

Tonight's full moon will be the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. It offers anyone with clear skies an opportunity to identify easy-to-see features on the moon.
This being the first full moon of 2010, it is also known as the wolf moon, a moniker dating back to Native American culture and the notion that hungry wolves howled at the full moon on cold winter nights. Each month brings another full moon name.
But why will this moon be bigger than others? Here's how the moon works:
The moon is, on average, 238,855 miles (384,400 km) from Earth. The moon's orbit around Earth – which causes it to go through all its phases once every 29.5 days – is not a perfect circle, but rather an ellipse. One side of the orbit is 31,070 miles (50,000 km) closer than the other.
So in each orbit, the moon reaches this closest point to us, called perigee. Once or twice a year, perigee coincides with a full moon, as it will tonight, making the moon bigger and brighter than any other full moons during the year.
Tonight it will be about 14 percent wider and 30 percent brighter than lesser full Moons of the year, according to Spaceweather.com.
As a bonus, Mars will be just to the left of the moon tonight. Look for the reddish, star-like object.
Full moon craziness
Many people think full moons cause strange behavior among animals and even humans. In fact several studies over the years have tried to tie lunar phases to births, heart attacks, deaths, suicides, violence, psychiatric hospital admissions and epileptic seizures, and more. Connections have been inclusive or nonexistent.
The moon does have some odd effects on our planet, and there are oodles of other amazing moon facts and misconceptions:
  • A full moon at perigee also brings higher ocean tides. This tug of the moon on Earth also creates tides in the planet's crust, not just in the oceans.
  • Beaches are more polluted during full moon, owing to the higher tides.
  • In reality, there's no such thing as a full moon. The full moon occurs when the sun, Earth and the moon are all lined up, almost. If they're perfectly aligned, Earth casts a shadow on the moon and there's a total lunar eclipse. So during what we call a full moon, the moon's face is actually slightly less than 100 percent illuminated.
  • The moon is moving away as you read this, by about 1.6 inches (4 cm) a year.
The moon illusion
Finally, be sure to get out and see the full moon as it rises, right around sunset. Along the horizon, the moon tends to seem even bigger. This is just an illusion.
You can prove to yourself that this is an illusion. Taking a small object such as a pencil eraser, hold it at arm's length, and compare its size to that of the moon just as it rises. Then repeat the experiment later in the night and you'll see that the moon compares the same in both cases. Alternately, snap two photos of the moon, with a digital camera or your cell phone, when the moon is near the horizon and later when it's higher in the sky. Pull both photos up on your computer screen and make a side-by-side comparison.
Astronomers and psychologists agree the moon illusion is just that, but they don't agree on how to explain it.


The Golden Tarot of Klimt, Tarot of the Divine Legacy, Initiatory Tarot of the Golden Dawn, Universal Fantasy Tarot ( And FYI, I think I have them posted in reversed order or my writing about them. So, be creative here, and look at each card from the right side of the page, to the left. ) It is just one of those days...

This Beautiful Moon.

All the books, say all different things about what this card means. As they should, they are written by many brilliant people, that see the Moon through their own perception. I go by the Art. Or how I feel when I see this card. Or what other cards show up with it. 
Today, I really feel this card. The Woman by Gustav Klimt, curling up, eyes closed tightly, in a fetal position. Naked....out there. Really out there. The Beautiful Lady in Ciro Marchetti's Moon card, she, basking it the glow of the full moon. Soaking it up.,A site filled with mystery, seduction, silence. The depiction from the Initiatory Tarot of the Golden Dawn. A place you don't want to be. Spooky, haunted wild animals roaming....the crayfish with sharp claws....waiting to slice your feet. The Moon's face...somber. Go away. We don't want you here. And the Universal Fantasy Tarot Moon. Finally more than one person shows up here. But who are they? You cannot see their faces...hidden by wild heathenish masks. The look hungry to me, and fierce. Warriors on a hunt. Someone you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.This is all an Illusion. Really. Don't believe what you see, as you can't really see the truth. You are wandering around in the dark. Stop. One way to go 'with' this card, and reap the benefits of drawing it, is to sit with the memories. To let the past float up. To cry. To feel it. And to wait for the Sun to come up, light to flood your path. Morning will come. It will. So, maybe go back to bed, curl up with hot cocoa and read. And pray. And just let whatever has been hidden, lurking in the corners of your soul...come up.

Monday, January 11, 2010

at my gate

the hoarse frogs

keep singing

  











A loyal, tired warrior, 
standing, waiting, listening, with his faithful friend. 
He, by the beautiful white stallion, 
looks past the remains of the broken gate.
The battle is won?
Or is it, 'one' is still standing.  Barely.

Hoarse, from calling...
are any of my wounded brothers, alive?
Glance over here,

and see tearful eyes, seeking yours.

There was just one.
Who quickly cast off
his heavy sad helmet.
And stands away from the fallen.
You both shall sing again...
on another day.

Issa Haiku


Sunday, January 10, 2010

The Rumi Tarot

 
After posting this morning, I had reread what I had written. And I was shuffling the new 'Rumi Tarot' by Nigel Jackson. This card fell out. Talk about signs. Can you read what is written on the bottom of this Knight of Staves?   
'The Alif rejoices and fulfils your wishes.'

Ayliffe (Alif) is the lady that just passed, I had written about. I looked up what this could mean, and why it is on this card, from the book, 'Guide to the Rumi Tarot.' 

It says, and I quote, 'A majestic Knight dressed in an orange and green tunic and steel helmet is depicted seated on his horse. He bears the scepter-stave and also a bow and quiver of arrows. He rides through a hilly landscape against a blue sky with white clouds. 
The verse alludes to the Alif, which is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet; in Sufi esoteric symbolism, it stands for the supreme unity.
The Knight of Staves is a symbol of initiative, drive and FEARLESS QUESTING INTO THE UNKNOWN.'

Meaning: Departure from the familiar, Intuition, CHANGE OF RESIDENCE, Emigration, Stable financial sense. 

and fulfils my wishes?   

Thank you....so very much, they are, in just a moment, being posted on my bulletin board right here by my desk.

She definitely is fearlessly questing into the unknown, with her new change of residence. Those mischievous twins.  



Issa


winter withering--
amid the storm
a sacred lantern


-Issa, 1821


This has been quite a winter. The ice on the inside of my window, makes a lovely pattern of lace. It greets me each morning as I sit down with my fresh coffee, at my computer. And read the morning news. And pray.

These cards depict how I feel today.

Heard that a friend died yesterday morning. She would have been 97 on the 24th of January. Yes....what a long life. How blessed she was. Really. One of her daughters by her side, holding her frail hand as she passed from this life, to her next. I bet there was huge party as she parted, her husband had just passed last year, and many friends and loved ones, no doubt gathered around her, embracing her, catching her up on what they have been doing on the other side. And I don't believe sitting around strumming harps is on the agenda. They call it Heaven for a reason...and she is happy. Like dancing happy. I can feel it.
I remember staying at her house during a huge family reunion, in the summer of 1980. Having to go upstairs to find a quiet place to nurse my baby son, who happens to turn 30 today. His birthday. Sweet Joshua. It must have been the hottest summer on record....I really think it was. And young, prudish me, I could not nurse him in front of anyone. So, here we hide....in sweltering heat....stuck together. Poor child, I bet he would have loved some icy cold milk from one of those cows standing around that yard filled with family, in Iowa. But no, mothers milk is best. Whatever.
Ayliffe. She was my mother in law's, identical twin sister. Mother in law. What a term. Constance. She was my real mother. Finally, life had given me a mother...one that adopted me into her family, into her heart. She was my best friend. Sadly, she died when Josh was just one year old. But my 2 little daughters, who were 6 and 9, they remember her sweet ways.
Last year, my genealogist daughter, Johnna, sent me recent a picture of Ayliffe. I have not seen her in years. She looked exactly like my 'mother' would have looked, if she would have still been here. Ugh. I could not even keep the photo out. Had to put it away. Maybe I am still grieving for the one, dear lady that mothered me. So, as of yesterday, the twins are together. Reunited. Two little girls that shared the same place under their mothers heart for 9 months....now together.


winter withering.....the season of winter. harsh, sad, cold. so many out of work, homeless. hopeless. their souls withering. passing to a new way of life, one way or the other. winter. followed by spring. that seems a long reach, today. can't even go there.

amid the storm....fox news. storms, and more storms. storms in the atmosphere, storms in the homes, storms in the news. find someone worse off than you, not hard to do. help them. another friend of mine came home to a burnt house with all her furniture strewn around the yard, charred. broken windows, broken spirit, this is the second time her house has caught fire in 3 years. and they say lightening doesn't strike twice in the same place. wrong. find someone to hold, tight. maybe a good book, or a long nap. and wait it out. and pray.

a sacred lantern.... on this hermit's card, his sacred lantern sits. someone once said to me, the lantern holds the light of the star, from the 'star' card in the tarot. I like that. he found the star. hope. harnessed it. uses it to guide him in his dark night of the soul. lonely, solitary time. and that turtle, ugh, time passing so slowly. yet this card gives me hope. maybe just a glance of it, but hope, nonetheless. he is ok. maybe older, way wiser, and understanding of life's cycles. this too shall pass. find a safe spot, wait it out. and I noticed he is studying a skull, pondering maybe, who this was, what their story was. matches the first card, death. death is the story is over, or the story is just beginning. a new story. that's why the star gives us hope. there is always a new beginning. count the stars, if you can see them tonight. that many new beginnings, still there for me, for you. ponder that.


http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Issa

I love writing. I love poetry. And I love Haiku. I found a site online, you can click on it below, all about Issa. I also love things written long ago. And his life, his wisdom, is very much needed today. For the next few weeks, if you read my blog...you will get an entertaining lesson on Issa. I am taking his story, about his life, and selections of his writings in Haiku, and giving them to you using the beloved Tarot Cards. The deck I have chosen is 'The Tarot of Durer.' The art is by Giacinto Gaudenzi. Every day I am on a emailing list, and get a Haiku from Issa. And I shall post it, with the cards that depict it. Or, my version of it! Each card, shall give you a vision of each line of his poetry. What do you think? As you read his story...in time, you will see he was very wise, and experienced much loss in his life. Yet, he wrote. All the time. Maybe it was his therapy. We all need that. And I so enjoy seeing the world, through his eyes....or his words. They live on.

my home village
in an ugly mood...
the winter rain


-Issa, 1821

http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Issa in Haiku Tradition

Chronologically, Kobayashi Issa appears third in the order of the four most prominent haiku poets of Japanese tradition.

About Issa

One of the four foremost poets of Japanese haiku tradition, Issa is in good company (Bashô, Buson, Issa, Shiki).

He was born in the little village of Kashiwabara in the mountains of Japan's Shinano Province on the fifth day of Fifth Month, 1763: June 15 on the Western calendar. He died in the same village on the 19th of Eleventh Month in the old Japanese calendar year that corresponds to 1827: the equivalent of January 5, 1828 on the Western calendar. In the long time between these dates he learned the art of haiku (then called haikai) and wandered the length and breadth of Japan, writing everywhere he went. Though his real name was Kobayashi Yatarô, he chose Issa (Cup-of-Tea) as his haiku name. He called himself "Shinano Province's Chief Beggar" and "Priest Cup-of-Tea of Haiku Temple." A devout follower of the Jôdoshinshû sect, he imbued his work with Buddhist themes: sin, grace, trusting in Amida Buddha, reincarnation, transience, compassion, and the joyful celebration of the ordinary.

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