I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Saturday, October 3, 2015

The Asshole in My Head

From the Victoria Regina Tarot, the Four of Cups; from the Universe Cards, "Neutron Star:"
          Wow, look at the size of those canning jars. That woman could pickle herself in one, and with that expression on her face, she looks like she might be a dill. Though richly dressed and adorned with many jewels, she seems depressed, apathetic and unhappy. She's the perfect image for what the Buddha described as dukkha, or dissatisfaction with life. This card fits in well with the Neutron Star, which Stopforth assigns the keyword "intensity." This was a huge star that exploded, causing its core to collapse and become extremely dense. One handful would weigh as much as a fleet of ships. Isn't that how some emotions make us feel, as if we carry such weight on our shoulders? I was listening this morning to an interview with Dan Harris, an ABC news anchor and author, who I'm sure could relate to this woman. After spending time in the war-torn Middle East, he came home bearing emotional trauma. A panic attack in the middle of a national broadcast motivated him to seek help, and he eventually found his way to mindfulness and meditation. In his book, he speaks about "the asshole in my head." This is the voice of the ego that tells us the sky is falling and - because we're such screw-ups - we don't stand a chance of getting out of this mess. Through meditation, Harris began to realize the voice was only a phantom, not reality. Mindfulness helped him catch its whisper before succumbing to it. I too can choose to heed its dire forecast or change to another channel.  

8 comments:

  1. Referring to you comment on my post I wonder, if the ego is also part of ourselves shouldn't we also be compassionate towards it instead of treating it like an "asshole" Maybe if we are kind and patient but also firm with our ego, like we would be with a whining child it would ask nicely for our attention instead of throwing a tantrum.

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    1. Our egos are nothing but our thoughts, beliefs and memories. They aren't always assholes :D, sometimes they are like sad, whining children. I think Harris' point was that these thoughts often distort reality. His name for the voice was more a lighthearted poke more than anything, to help him realize its perceptions aren't always what's true. :)
      But yes you are right about compassion; I don't need to kick myself for getting sucked in by what my ego tells me, but a sense of humor in dealing with it sure can help!

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  2. Now that is a title that I could not skip past even if I wanted to!
    We do have to realize that every thought we have is not a true one, and that our fears and internalized "messages" have often distorted our perception.

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    1. :D I have to give credit where it is due: Dan Harris came up with that one!
      Thanks for dropping by SG. :)

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  3. Love your correlation between her sour expression and the size of the pickle jars :)

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    1. She's definitely got a puckered dill expression! :)

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  4. I really like that notion of pickling jars for emotions. I certainly tend to feel my emotions as heavier when I bottle them up! Best get them out, take a look at them, and recognise they are just emotions, not reality :)

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    1. Some of us end up with a pantry full of emotional canning jars before we figure out (as Shrek says), "better out than in." :D

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