Working with the Unseen

Ginger pointed to this beautiful article describing "the Invisibles" as the shaman's animistic layer of the world where the souls of the of landscape, people, animals, and objects of the physical world exist unseen. The article describes beautifully how the Tarot energies that participate in the cards, energies living in what I consider the Higher Self, "aren't cognitive processes that the querent has control over, but are better understood as invisible personalities (or spirits) that the querent is having a relationship with in the context of the reading."

In the words of the Little Prince's fox, in reply to the Prince asking what makes his rose different than hundreds of other roses, the fox explains, "L'Important c'est invisible pour les yeux." What is Important is Invisible to the eye.

The fox describes perfectly to the Prince how anything that is unseen is automatically more important than what can be seen. Another word for the Invisibles could be the Importants, very Important because we cannot see them. This word also fits because these mythic, mystic energies see YOU as the most Important thing there is. This is why they operate and come through to you because that is the aim of the divine energy flowing through as the Invisibles.

The Invisibles and the Unseen are the origin of everything that is seen:

• This is where, in the non-doing of the Tao, things get done
• This is where new ideas come from
• This is where new theories, inventions, scientific discoveries, and plays come from
• This is where spiritual insights come from
• This is where shared symbolism lives
• This is where miracles come from
• This is where meaning comes from
• This is where synchronicity connects everything

All of these come through to us not because we are worthy, but because we are special. The only thing we can do is try to block it, which we do unconsciously. (Or maybe the Divine should just try harder).

A conversation:

SATAN: So God, am I making you crazy? Doing things the way you hate.

GOD: God doesn't hate.

SATAN: I bet you wish you could be me for just a while, so you could hate. So you could hate me for a while.

GOD: Actually, every day, for at least a moment, I wish I could be you.

SATAN: You are God. Why do you wish you could be me?

GOD: I want to do what you do. I want to tempt them, pester them, haunt them, possess them. I want to lure them, and seduce them, and madden them, and then fill them and fill them, free will or no, with Love until they cry "In the name of Satan, get thee behind me, Jesus."

I Love You, Tarot

If soul journeys can be decoded using the language of storybook symbols, then Tarot is one of the dictionaries for this language. Tarot is full of fairytale symbols: kings and queens, princesses, towers, knights, monsters, children, magicians, and quests. I love you, Tarot.

Suggested Resources:

The best Fairytale Tarot commentary and guidebook is Isha Lerner's Inner Child Cards Workbook. This is also a great resource for Tarot beginners.

Discover magical Fairytale tarot card spreads at Once Upon a Time's wonderful tarot blog.

For advanced Tarot study, Auntie Moon is posting this amazing series of the astrological energies associated to each 10-day section of the year by tarot card.

Why We Need to Tell Stories

With a few exceptions, any time I discuss spirituality or my personal feelings on it, I immediately wish I had not. Everything feels like it comes out wrong. For me, literally saying "I believe this" or "this is what I practice" leaves me feeling off. This discomfort is a gentle reminder that, in the dimension of physicality that uses voices and words, the mysteries must be explored externally, but using the language of metaphor. Myth and story and parable take away the responsibility of being understood, and I feel better. Plus I hate to call myself a spiritual person out loud, because I know there is no one who could vouch for me.

Oh Uh-Oh

Oh, crap.

Craaaaaaaap, that's cute.

Lost at Last

Fairy tails represent the soul journey, and they are a lot about being lost and probably frightened. The journey takes all your courage and heart and goodness - takes it right out of you. You cannot bring anything about on your own - so you finally wish for things to change because you have run out of any other ways to fix everything. You do not write your own story, but you live it which is much more surprising and magical.

Happy New Year

Today starts the Year of the Rabbit, a year of great energy for connection to and establishment of artistic pursuits. My Chinese New Year's Resolution is to post art and writing on a daily basis. I already invalidated my January New Year's Resolution to Only Buy and Use Handmade when I bought a sewing machine.

Here is an early sketch of a special witch from a tale that has been a long time in crafting. More on that soon.

Wonderfulness

Colette Baron-Reid just launched her new book on navigating the Inner Landscape: The Map, and it looks fantastic.

Terri Windling recently posted this great commentary and link to a beautiful idea of the Long Tale as conceived by the inspiring Amal El-Mohtar.