Tarot Card of the Week
The Tarot is a deck of 78 picture cards dating back to 15thCentury Italy. In the past it was used for divination although most modern practitioners see it as a tool for self-discovery rather than fortune-telling.I always use the Rider-Waite deck because these traditional images reflect my own Jungian view of the way in which we relate to the cards. If you would like a more in-depth look at The Tarot and its place in the modern world go to www.mistletoemoon.com – other websites are available!
Like many other people, I use the Tarot as a focus for meditation – which is just a fancy way of saying that the cards give me the basis for a daily practice of just a few minutes of peaceful time to contemplate an aspect of my life. It is not as self-absorbed or navel-gazing as it might seem. It provides a foundation for my thoughts about something or somebody else in my life.
Why not give it a try?
************************
Tarot Card of the Week April 21th – April 27th
The Six of Cups
The Six of Cups shows two happy children standing in a safe and sunny courtyard as they exchange the gift of flowers. There are cups of white flowers in front of them and unnoticed in the background, an adult keeps watch.
When we see the sixes of any of the suits – wands, cups, swords or pentacles – we are looking at the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next phase in our relationship with the world. This is a time for completion or closure, and for moving on. A new start is called for and we can choose whether to carry memories of the past into the future with us.
The suit of cups represents our emotional life; our feelings about the world around us. The white flowers are expressions of innocence but more importantly in this context, of the pure joy of giving and receiving unconditionally.
The Six of Cups is often linked to nostalgia, to childhood memories of those perfect summers or snowy winters in a bygone age, often so much more joyful than the present. But perhaps we are haunted by memories of the past, unable to let go of grievances or to forget past mistakes. The Six of Cups reminds us that holding on to grudges, regrets or bitter feelings can colour the way we view our future and affect our relationships in the present. Forgiveness and acceptance are necessary in order to move towards peace and happiness.
The Six of Cups calls to our Inner Child, to forget present woes and remember how to have fun. Easter is a great time to embrace the fun of childhood with chocolate egg hunts and tractor rides through the bluebell woods. The renewal of life in the woods and fields around us reminds us of the eternal cycle of life and of our unique place in the world.
************
Fun Fact of the Week
Modern psychologists believe that we can only hold approximately four items in our short-term memory at one time and they only stay there for 20 to 30 seconds before being ‘wiped’.
Try it for yourself with a friend. Each of you writes down a list of around 15 random words. Swap lists and spend two minutes memorizing them. Now each of you ask the other to name five female members of their family (or males, or friends beginning with the letter B . . . . the idea is to distract the person for a minute or two). Then get a blank piece of paper and each of you try to write down as many of the words that you can remember.
So, our short-term memory is a kind of filter. We only send the important and meaningful stuff into our long-term memory. The crucial question is how we decide what is important and how we attribute meaning to the events of our lives.
Miranda Smith
