Another poem from "Poems of Arab Andalusia" translated by Cola Franzen.
Invitation
A morning damp with dew
and the earth's cheek
covered with green stubble.
Your friend invites you
to enjoy two simmering pots
already giving off
a savory odor,
some perfumes,
a carafe of wine,
a delicious place,
and I could offer more
if I wanted to;
but it's not seemly
to entertain friends
with too much pomp.
'Abd al-'Aziz ibn al-Qabturnuh
Sorrow, Loss, Emotional Pain...doing a 2006-in-review meme did cause me to reflect on some painful memories.
Suffice to say the storm is still a bit of an open wound. It's healing. Slowly, but it's healing.
I find it hard to focus during a Full Moon period--so much energy, hard to channel it. Combine that with Yuletide kicking into full gear and it's all that tougher to slow down long enough to even do a decent meditation. But reflection is important, so I decided to take a shower to clean up, then sit in a tub of clean water and let it drain off the distractions. When I was done, I was able to sit and shuffle the cards.
I'd just made a LiveJournal comment, so I had the face of the person to whom I commented on my mind when I was shuffling with my eyes closed. Still, no card was saying "pick me." I continued a bit longer, and then opened my eyes to see one card sticking out about a third of a card higher than the rest of the deck, a "pick-me" signal if there ever was one.
The Hanged Man.
Robin sees this card as suspense, change, a new point of view. Sacrificing to gain wisdom. Not that taking a shower and staying off the computer to clear my head is all that much of a sacrifice, but the little things are building blocks of larger elements of wisdom.
Back on the way out of town, I stopped to do my Tarot contemplation today in the Delta Crown Room at Armstrong International Airport. It's a quiet space in the sea of hectic activity that is an airport.
The card was the Seven of Wands.
Robin sees this card as success in a struggle, or defending agains all odds. The card depicts a warrior, armed with a staff that is tipped with a quartz crystal. He's dressed in highland style, in just a kilt and a tartan wrap. He appears to be fending off six other staves (making the seven Wands of the card).
So, struggle? Success against all odds? I don't know of any major struggles I've got going in my life at the moment. Given that, maybe we're dealing with a bigger picture. When leaving home to go to the airport, I kept thinking how some things in New Orleans are coming back rapidly--the burbs are more than fully functional, they're supporting many folks from the city. The city proper is still a mess, however. Occasionally I pause to consider the notion that I really don't have to live in New Orleans to do what I do for a living, but then, the thought of leaving is just a horrid one. Struggle to the end. Make it work. And so we will.
I'm at a Starbucks, decompressing after teaching today. I decided to do my daily Tarot reflection, shuffling the cards here in the corner of the shop. I was shuffling when a card popped out of the deck and dropped on the floor. It was the Eight of Wands -- we'll get back to that shortly.
When this happens, I figure the cards have something urgent to say, but maybe not what my focus was. I continued to shuffle and another card said "pick me" -- the Two of Cups.
Let's consider the "urgency" first. The Eight of Wands -- sudden activity, travel...these certainly work for me. I was going to go to a mall nearby after this starbucks, but I think I'll head straight to the airport, just in case there's a good reason for me to be there early.
The Two of Cups, which is no big surprise. Close friendship, platonic relationship, healing relationship. I've been pondering a friendship this morning that fits the healing part, for sure. I don't know what direction that will go just yet, but the plane ride will make a good time for reflection.
