Author: K. Samways

A Message from the Tarot:

I feel it’s necessary to note that as I was shuffling, a lot of cards were “jumping” out of the deck. No – not because I’m a terrible shuffler (I’m so-so). The cards were primarily court cards and specifically wands. It feels like the collective energy is restless, passionate, impatient, ready to take mastery over their lives, ready to stir change, complete cycles and take rebirth. Awesome! Because we have work to do. 

Justice (reversed)

It seems we are on the edge of Justice (not glory), but we’re not there yet. While the Justice card may speak to harmony, balance, equality, honor and, most importantly, virtue, here we see it in the reverse. Bias, false accusations, intolerance, abuse and dishonesty. Collective! What is going on? 

We each create our own reality, but when we look at the one we share, I think we can see all these challenges are present. Where do we find honesty? Where do we look for clarity? Where do we find the perspective that lacks bias? Where the f*** is  our virtue as a society? It seems we are doing everything to negate virtue and replace it with false idols and ignorant, self-grasping agendas. 

I believe in Yoshitani’s deck, Justice is illustrated with the Amhaeng-Eosa legend which speaks to incorruptible agents used to secretly inspect government officials. It represents the punishment of the corrupt and promotion of the deserving.

Now, in its reverse, it suggests that our current governing institutions have been corrupted and at this time, justice has not been delivered in any sense. The absolute corruption of some individuals is still hidden and has not come to light. In a broad sense, things are kind of fucked up on a federal and worldwide level.

But that in no way leaves us powerless. Because the outer problems of our world are very much reflective of the work we must do on an inner level. We must look at the corruption in our own lives. And we must understand that two wrongs don’t make a right. We must question what is wrong and do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. And we must call out our own errors, not the mistakes of other people. 

For too long it has been far too easy to point to the problem. Unless you’re pointing to a mirror, you should probably just look inward to see where you can find justice and balance within yourself before trying to tackle the rights and wrongs in the world at large. Because many things are out of balance, and many beings are lacking virtue. This includes our own self.

Pay attention to what situations in your daily life tend to throw you off-balance. Discover the conditions under which you find harmony again. Carry this quality with you more and more as you move through your daily activities. 

Ziegler, Mirror of the Soul

A Message from the Oracle:

The Mountain

In the archetypal world, the Mountain is both inside and out. It represents the challenges we must face on the outside and the work that takes place on the inside. To think that we accomplish anything without the mind that thinks it can is false. The Mountain calls to the ocean, tells of itself & and the sea. The rising and the falling. And if the mountain is calling, it calls you to discover yourself, find the balance. The up, the down. Learn each crest. What’s above, what’s below? And how do you tackle the mountain’s many paths without the prayer, “Show me the way?”

How can you awaken that which has fallen asleep within yourself? How do you choose the artist’s path and dive into your inner pain with intention to create something – beautiful or ugly? What do you need to purge? What blocks the doorways to the mountain caves? What sediment has built you up and what rains have eroded you away? 

The mountain asks you to deflate your sense of self and rise to new heights through a sacrifice of ego. Putting aside fears of how you are perceived or will be perceived, how can you follow the fool’s path? How will you conquer your fears and achieve your passions and dreams? What makes your heart beat faster and when do you come alive? What is the first step on the path to conquering your mountain? And what do you need to put in your rucksack?

Be uplifted, and don’t be daunted. And don’t be afraid to ask for support from friends. You don’t have to climb alone. But you do have to make the choice for yourself first. 

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The Poet Dreams of the Mountain
by Mary Oliver

Sometimes I grow weary of the days, with all their fits and starts.
I want to climb some old gray mountain, slowly, taking
the rest of my lifetime to do it, resting often, sleeping
under the pines or, above them, on the unclothed rocks.
I want to see how many stars are still in the sky
that we have smothered for years now, a century at least.
I want to look back at everything, forgiving it all,
and peaceful, knowing the last thing there is to know.
All that urgency! Not what the earth is about!
How silent the trees, their poetry being of themselves only.
I want to take slow steps, and think appropriate thoughts.
In ten thousand years, maybe, a piece of the mountain will fall.

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Tarot: Tarot of the Divine by Yoshi Yoshitani
Oracle: The Wild Unknown Archetypes by Kim Krans