This will be my last day with the Osho Zen Tarot here for now, so I decided to do a small reading with it before putting it away.
In recent days, my friend M. and I have been looking into a couple collective spiritual organizations and one in particular has sparked a high enough level of interest that I thought I'd read on what my own focus should be in exploring actual involvement with a spiritual body - I tend to be as non-joiner and very eclectic, so it's rare when I even consider actively picking one path to walk, even for a time.
What I have:
Ace of Water (Go with the Flow)
An indistinct figure is floating in a large pool of water in which soft waves are rising and falling - the water is blue and empty and the figure appears to be naked and shallowly submerged in the water itself. The figure's posture is relaxed and reminds me of a loose version of the Hanged Man's posture - one leg tucked lightly behind the other, the left hand tucked behind the head while the other floats outward comfortably from the body.
I love this image - I have occasional dreams of being in this environment, where there is no weight pulling me down and soft rocking waves sooth and caress.
This is what I have - the ability to float freely in the sea of spiritual exploration with no need to pick a spot of solid ground. I can let it cradle me without clinging to it, go where it takes me without being driven toward or away from any specific path. And because this is an Ace, this method leaves me open to serendipitous opportunities to explore areas I haven't consciously considered before with an open heart.
What you need to know:
10 of Rainbows (We are the World)
The world is suspended in a starry universe and ringed with a rainbow hued ring of dancers holding hands. A glowing aura surrounds the whole, creating a mandala.
What I need to know as I explore specific collective religious groups is that we *are* connected already - this isn't about 'joining' because we are already joined. It is about finding a group in which I can acknowledge that connection. This also tells me what my main criteria is ... do they honor this inherent connection, or identify themselves by how they differ from the whole?
While each figure is in a different position in their dance and each wears a different hue, together they are one - this respect for both diversity and similarity is important to me, and I will need to be sure that any group I commune with share that basic ideal.
The other thing this card suggests to me stems from the standard 10 of Pentacles, which for me has to do with legacy and gifts from the past. While those organizations I tend to be intrigued about are not ancient traditions (indeed, most are quite modern in foundation), it is important to me that there be a some respect for traditional inspirations for their modern practice - to be neither so stuck on tradition that they lose sight of contemporary need or so loose in their orientation that they feel no connection at all to the spirituality of those who came before us. Mainly, I'd like to be with people who understand the history of their own faith and don't treat speculation as fact or reject any interest in the history and origins of their spiritual metaphors, so these are things I will want to research.
A figure wearing a brightly colored diamond patterned tunic with a white loose shirt underneath, green pants and red boots has stepped off the edge of a cliff as if it isn't there - the figure is suspended at a point where the next step could be a crashing fall or - as the posture appears to suggest - take off flying.
The figures arms are held out away from the body like a bird's wings. The right hand holds a white flower up toward the moon... almost as if toasting the moon with it.
The moon itself is a very tiny crescent and stars surround it, though there is a bright sunny glow rising along the horizon.
Far below there are hills covered in trees and some sort of river or road running between them, as well as numerous clouds indicating how high up this image is. Directly below there is some sort of soft pink misty glow - I get the sense that even if the figure falls, it will be a falling into something welcoming and soft. There is no fear here and no need for it.
So what I need to do as I approach this exploration is ... have fun with it, trust the essential goodness and safety of both Spirit and humanity ... trust that I will not be hurt if I let myself go and experience a group religious gathering without holding myself apart or playing it cautious and suspicious.
(If that sounds easy, it's not.)
Something I really like about this trio of cards here - all three of them show figures that are reminiscent of the Hanged Man (sacrificing preconceptions to let things happen), which in turn is reminiscent of the dancing figure on the World card - which is slammed home by this 10 of Rainbows, showing dancers dancing collectively.
The message is simple and clear - get out of my own way once I'm sure that a group is affirming of that connectedness and just experience the connection for what it is.
I feel like breathing a large sigh of relief.
Comments