Monday, December 18, 2006

Monday in Progress

Today’s Card
Death. Putting the past behind you, changing status, moving from the known to the unknown. Getting back to basics.
Today’s Hexagram
Wei Chi (Before Completion). There may be progress and success in these circumstances but no advantage in any way. In the forefront and background is the trigram Li (Fire), which represents brightness and warmth.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Saturday in Progress

King of Wands
Today’s Card
King of Wands. Earns respect and willing compliance and carries authority naturally. Instills confidence and has the courage of his or her convictions
Today’s Hexagram
I (Providing Nourishment):. We must look at what we are seeking to nourish and, by the exercise of our thoughts, seek for the proper aliment. In the forefront, Sun (Wind) is transforming into Ken (Mountain). Penetration and following are giving way to stillness and obstruction. In the background, joy, pleasure, and attraction are giving way to movement, initiative, and action.

Wands over pentacles for sure today. Neither my paycheck nor my wire transfer has processed yet. So I am running on empty in the capital department. Not very productive at work today either. But it was a good day to see friends and talk. Tomorrow’s for church. I haven’t been in years.

Friday, December 15, 2006

The Perfect Storm

Some things turn out all wrong
And some things turn out all right
Some things don't turn out at all
But then again they might
- Joe Walsh
Today’s Card
The Hierophant
The Hierophant. Getting an education. Dealing with the Establishment and other people’s expectations. I am coming to view it as the consequences card for not being able to stay within the bounds of convention.

It was a helluva day. Big Mistake yesterday lead to Huge Consequences today. S2 found an email from EW and attacked me thru her. It was horrible and caused great pain, but it was done from pain. Hopefully, it will be cathartic.

I think that the therapist we are seeing is more interested in milking the insurance than in helping us cope with the issues. We spent today’s session on a misguided talk about our grandparents rather than working on issues. I know therapy isn’t fast but this approach serves no purpose.

Later S2 and I talked and started coming to terms with the division of property.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Untitiled

I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round I really love to watch them roll
- John Lennon
3 of Pentacles
Today’s Card
Three of Pentacles. Coordinating with others, finding all the needed elements. Getting the job done together.
Today’s Hexagram
K’un (The Receptive). When the superior man must move, if he takes the initiative he will go astray. If he follows, he will find his proper lord. The situation is expected to remain the same in the immediate future. Things most and least apparent are the same. It is a time for docility and receptivity.

So it seems the guidance for today is to work hard and follow whatever direction I am given. K’un is a clarification of a previous hexagram which basically said to stand still: “Movement in any direction is disadvantageous.” That was the opposite of what has been turning up. Today’s course is pretty well charted already. Sticking to the plan seems the best way forward.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Upgrading and Repairing PCs

The World
We’ve gotta roll with the punches
Learn to play all of our hunches
Makin’ the best of whatever comes your way
- Jimmy Buffett
Today’s Card
The World. Healing. Realizing your goals and achieving synthesis. Sharing a gift or talent with others. Counting your blessings.
Today’s Hexagram
Ta Kuo (Preponderance of the Great). When under a weak beam, there is advantage in any direction. There will be success. Most apparent are joy, pleasure, and attraction, underlined by danger and the unknown giving way to following and penetration.
Healing Hands

Hmmm. An interesting card for a day that starts out with minor oral surgery.

Later. The dentist is good. He actually got the pain killer to work for almost the whole procedure. Then only a little aspirin and some psychic recharging the rest of the day. EW was very generous with me today. Bosslady also said I should go home. So I did. I should be back at work, fully functional and optimistic again tomorrow.

So how does The World fit today? Between the love and support I received today and some poetry I read, I found that my world is much more complete than I have any right to expect. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it isn’t a train…or New Jersey.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

It’s a Good Night for Singin’

She ain’t ashamed to be a woman or afraid to be a friend.
I don’t know the answers to the easy way she opened every door in my mind,
But dreaming was as easy as believing it was never gonna end.
And lovin’ her was easier than anything I’ll ever do again.
- Kris Kristofferson
Four of Swords
Today’s Card
Four of Swords. Giving yourself time to heal. Consolidating resources and preparing for the future by ensuring that your base is secure.
Today’s Hexagram
I (Increase). Advantage lies in every direction, even in crossing the great stream. Following and penetration are transforming into brightness and warmth which lead to action and initiative.

Good progress at work today. Then home to the dogs. Rose is at the age where she needs more attention than I can give right now. Buddy is still pouting, but at least he is playing with her.

Four of Swords was a good card for today. Peaceful. Restful. Recharging.

Tomorrow’s for the dentist and knives again.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Monday Night Football

Rider-Waite Four of Cups Four of Cups Photo by: Rider-Waite
Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
The dear respose for limbs with travel tir’d;
But then begins a journey in my head
To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired

—William Shakespeare

Today’s Card
Four of Cups. Being a bit of a mystic, I see this card differently than most. I see the young adept manifesting his desire. He sits with his back against a tree and visualizes the cup. And tho his eyes are closed, it appears before him. I don't know that I've always seen it that way, but I do now. We each create our own worlds and our own happines through the choices we make. I choose to get thru a difficult time with dignity, calmness, and the happiness I can find.
Today’s Hexagram
Sun (Decrease). Thru sincere sacrifice, there will be good fortune and freedom from error. Firmness and correctness can be maintained. In the foreground lie stillness and obstruction. In the background are joy, pleasure, and attraction.

Enjoyed watching EW at work all day—assertive, decisive, glowing with enthusiasm. Dinner and then the first Monday Night Football I’ve seen this season. The Rams and Bears played like two high school teams. It was a quiet good time.

 

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Christmas Shopping

Strenght
Today’s Card
Strength. Knowing you can endure. Refusing to get angry and trying to understand what others are feeling. Being kind. Tempering force with benevolence and demonstrating the strength of love.
Today’s Hexagram
Heng (Duration). Continued progress with no error indicated. No changing lines indicate a continuation of things as they are. Movement and initiative Chen (Thunder) are in the forefront, backed by Sun (Wind), which represents penetration and following.
Yin and Yang Spread

Yin and Yang

  1. The Hierophant
  2. Knight of Swords
  3. Nine of Swords
  4. Five of Pentacles
  5. Four of Wands
  6. The Fool
  7. Three of Wands
  8. King of Pentacles
  9. King of Cups
  10. The Lovers
  11. Four of Swords
  12. Nine of Cups

Found the perfect gift for Dad, the man who needs nothing. I found him a daily ca lander of cross word puzzles. He turned off his Internet access when he couldn’t find a crossword puzzle he could run on a 19.2K connection. So now he will have one for every day of the next year.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

The Return of the King

The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
- Tom Petty
Four of Wands
Today’s Card
Four of Wands. Claiming self-determination and opening to new possibilities. Being surprised.
Today’s Hexagram
Ta Chuang (The Power of the Great). Remain firm and correct. No changing lines indicate a continuation of the status quo. Movement and instigative are in the forefront, back by strength and creativity.

OK. The surprise was in the support I continue to receive from my son. He has learned the lessons I tried to demonstrate for him over the last 25 years. Now it is his turn to help me remember them. He has become a man with his own standards of integrity, compassion, and honesty. I am humbled and honored.

Status quo was appropriate, too. It was a sleepy day, time to recharge the batteries and let pain and sadness wash over me, rocking me gently in the lap of the waves. By early evening, I think I was done with it. It’s funny how if you let the negative energies pass through you, you can come out the other side stronger. But if you suppress them or ignore them, they get stronger.

Spent the evening quietly watching TV with EW. Interesting way to get to know the bunch. The progeny may be a little confused right now, but they are good, smart kids and I like them.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

After the Storm

It’s a mighty long way out of the darkness
To where the sun is free to shine…
Then the border guide took us by the hand
And led us thru the hole into the promise land beyond
And I can hear him now whispering soft and low
“Boy, when you get to the other side, just you run like hell.”
- McJohn, Blondo, and Kay
Four of Wands
Today’s Card
Four of Wands. Escaping opression, breaking free of bonds.

At first blush, this seems an unlikely card to draw at the end of a long and often happy relationship, but there it is. The last few years have been solitary anguish interrupted by fits of anger and joy. I am eroded, but I remain. And now it seems, I am free again.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Inferno

Ace of Cups
What have I got to do to be heard,
What do I say when it’s all over?
And sorry seems to be the hardest word.
- Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Today’s Card
Ace of Cups. One of my favorite cards.
Today’s Hexagram
T’ai (Peace). “We see the lesser gone and greatness come upon us. There will be good fortune, with progress and success.” In the foreground Water is transforming into Earth, danger and the unknown transforming into receptivity underlayed with strength and creativity.
The Magician

After an interesting day, I have drawn the Magician on three successive cuts. This is the card of doing what needs to be done and acknowledging motivations. It is also the card of setting aside distractions and carrying out a plan.

It looks like the reckoning I have been postponing will come about just after midnight. Once again, I find myself praying. Let the pain heal quickly. Let the damage be minimal. Let me live up to my own standards.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

No Night Without Stars

The snow is a-lying up on Bewcastle Fells
And the wind strips the skin from my face
The bare bones of a tree give some shelter to me
Our bit is a draughty old place
Oh yes, it’s a draughty old place
- Maddy Prior and Rick Kemp
The Wheel of Fortune
Today’s Card
Wheel of Fortune. Sensing the action of Fate. Changing, having the tempo of life speed up, and being swept up in new developments. Mostly, rejoining the world of activity.
Today’s Hexagram
Wu Wang (The Unexpected). While great progress is indicated, it is not advantageous to move in any direction if you start making mistakes.

The World was really an appropriate card for me today. The pace of life has sped up beyond all expectations, and it seems that the future is in the hands of Fate. I am awaiting the outcome of decisions that are beyond my control at the moment and praying for the best. May the pain heal quickly. May the world settle into its new patterns with as little destruction as possible.

Monday, December 04, 2006

The Book of Five Rings

And now I’m glad I didn’t know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I’d have had to miss the dance
- Garth Brooks(?)
The Chariot
Today’s Card
The Chariot. Knowing who you are and having faith in yourself. Letting nothing distract you.
Today’s Hexagram
Fu (Turning Point). “There will be a free course and progress. He finds no one to distress him in his exits and entrances. Friends come to him, and no error is committed. He will return and repeat his proper course. In seven days comes his return. There will be advantage in whatever direction movement is made.”

First day back at work from “vacation.” I have never been so glad to be at the office in my life.

For the Homework Assignment:

  1. Four jobs I have had in my life:
    1. Instructional Designer/Technical Writer
    2. Trainer/Teacher
    3. Truck Driver/Lumper
    4. Musician
  2. Four movies I have watched over and over
    1. The Lord of the Rings
    2. Serenity
    3. Young Frankenstein
    4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  3. Four places I have lived (With the exception of 2, I could probably name at least four cities in each of these regions.)
    1. Brazosport, Texas
    2. Phenix City, Alabama (they never did learn to spell it correctly)
    3. Greater Houston, Texas
    4. Central Texas
  4. Four TV shows I love to watch
    1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (funny)
    2. West Wing (thoughtful)
    3. Grey’s Anatomy (emotional)
    4. American Football (always surprising)
  5. Four places I have been on vacation (This is a tough one.)
    1. Arkansas/Oklahoma
    2. Pale Face
    3. Big Bend
    4. South Padre Island
  6. Four of my favorite foods
    1. Anything with garlic, tomatoes, and basil
    2. Most Japanese Foods
    3. Most Chinese Foods
    4. Most Mexican/Central American Foods
    5. Most other foods
    6. Food in general
  7. Four people who will answer back
    1. PT (telepathically, at least)
    2. Captain Flatulence
    3. Dad
  8. Four people I know will not answer back
    1. I’ve forgotten

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Songs of Distant Earth

When we came to the station all the trains were rusty
The air was empty and the platforms overgrown
There were old tin cans and cats and the doors were crusted
With mud and leaves and names carved long ago
and the rails go on forever in a silver trail to the setting sun
You can follow them anywhere you want to go
- Al Stewart
The Five of Swords
Today’s Card
Five of Swords. Thinking of your own needs. Concentrating on yourself while in a hostile environment. Experiencing conflict. [duh!]
Today’s Hexagram
Chun (Difficulty at the Beginning). Advantage lies in being firm and correct. Great progress after a difficult start. Uncertainty and danger (water) are in the forefront with motion and initiative (thunder) underlying.

Rose has forgiven me for taking her to the vet. She even growled at me while we played this morning. Soon she will be barking! Oh, joy. She is 10 weeks old and already weighs more than 12 pounds, so her bark will probably sound like thunder.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Are the Dead Alive?

O shut the door! and when thou hast done so,
Come weep with me; past hope, past cure, past help!
William Shakespeare
Today’s Card
Nine of Pentacles. It was so not a day for this card.

Got Rose into the vet today. She has not forgiven me yet. She cried all the way there, shook while we were there, and cried all the way home. OlderDog even took pity on her and groomed her a bit.

And that was the good part of the day. Mostly it was a day to be survived, except for the Ace of Cups.

Friday, December 01, 2006

Rose Is Rose

The reasons I can't stay don't have a thing to do with being in love
I understand that loving a man shouldn't have to be this rough
And you ain't the only one who feels like this world's left you far behind
I don't know why you gotta be angry all the time
- Tim McGraw
Today’s Card
Four of Swords. Taking a break to gain a better perspective or listen for your Inner Voice. Getting ready for the future.
Today’s Hexagram
None.

Rose was confident enough to bark at me today. She wanted to play rough, so I let her. She learned quickly: to control the wrist, sit on the elbow. She is such a good dog. Vet was closed again today.

The evening was filled with music. Song is therapeutic, providing direct access to the soul through the breath. I don’t think I have ever had so much fun playing and singing.

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Waiting for the Dark, Waiting for the Light

Six of Swords Six of Swords Image source: Read Tarot

If he’s waiting for anything, he’s waiting for death, and he’s curious about what the face of death will look like. Will it be an old woman who creeps through the world with a scythe, or will it be a beautiful young girl who approaches him with open arm?

—Ivan Klima

Today’s Card
Six of Swords. Beginning to get your health back, heading toward a more positive place. Mostly just feeling hope again.
Today’s Hexagram
None.

My main computer fried tonight. (Ironic that I was helping someone else fix a similar problem earlier.) My fall back system does not have the horsepower to do much. So the next few posts will be brief. I may pretty them up later.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

A Tale of Two Cities

The Hermit @ Learn Tarot Image Source: Learn Tarot

The Eagle's gift of freedom is not a bestowal, but a chance at a chance.

—Carlos CasteƱeda

Today’s Card
The Hermit. My card. Hmmm. Seeking a greater understanding from within. Quieting oneself.
Supplemental Card
Two of Pentacles. Balancing demands. Moving forward gracefully.
Today’s Hexagram
Lu (treading carefully). To step on the tiger’s tail without getting bitten. There will be progress and success.

Since my card was the card for today, I decided to draw a supplemental. The two of pentacles is a good card. It goes well with Lu.

Rose has driven Buddy completely out of the house. He is having trouble coping with this frisky intruder, but he treats her kindly. He even almost played with her when he thought I wasn’t looking.

In My Hometown

My hometown was defined by chemical factories. I couldn’t wait to leave there

This is where I grew up. It may explain a bit about me. All the smart kids in my class could identify dozens of chemicals by smell. We knew that if you actually heard the explosion, you were OK. I once slept through a plant explosion that blew open the front door of my house.

It’s a strange place really. You can drive for hours and the scenery doesn’t change much from what is pictured. Just coastal flatlands interrupting pestilent pustules spewing steam and god-only-knows-what into the air. I remember reading by the light of the burn-off flares. I remember one time when I was in my late teens, I had a “sunburn” on the left side of my face from driving by a flare that lit up the night sky for miles. I had the windows in the car all rolled up because it was freezing, but I had to turn off the heater for awhile.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Great Expectations

Image source: Learn Tarot
Helplessly hoping
Her harlequin hovers nearby
Awaiting a word

—Stephen Stills

Today’s Card
The Queen of Pentacles. Nurturing and protective, she uses her power to help those less fortunate. A charitable advocate, she rules home and office.
Today’s Hexagram
Sheng (Pushing Upward). Advance to the south will be fortunate. Advantage will be found in a ceaseless maintenance of firm correctness. The situation is shifting, and Yang is becoming much more powerful.

Lots of tension today on the work front. I’m not there, but I can feel it from 30 miles away. The decision will be made about who gets the job that has opened up. CFE is up for it and is a little upset with me for recusing myself from the selection process. But that was the right thing to do—from the work perspective anyway.

Rose is adjusting to her new humans. She will plop down and roll over on her back to chew on me. This morning she had her first encounter with DogsNextDoor. They started barking at her, even though fully grown, they are no bigger than she is now. She took the back steps and the pet door at full speed, even as I opened the back door to see what was going on. She didn’t slow down until she was in the bedroom. She hid for all of a minute and then came out to fuss at me.

Later

Well, the offer at work was made. CFE did not get it, nor did MEd. Yang won out. I am saddened, but the choice was between winners. So there can be no losers in this, even though it may feel that way now to those who didn’t succeed. Still it feels like this morning’s queen was misleading. Perhaps I’m just looking at it wrong.

Tried out with a new (for me) singing group. I had forgotten how good it feels to breathe and harmonize. I think I’ll fit in. Beer good.

 

Monday, November 27, 2006

Foucault’s Pendulum

Up on your wall hangs your degree
Your parents craved so much for you
And though you’re trained to make your mark
You still don’t quite know what to do

—John Kay and Nick St. Nicholas

Today’s Card
The Hierophant. Security at the expense of freedom. Sometimes it means an ability to subvert and escape that authority.
Today’s Hexagram
Hsu (Waiting).No changing lines. Status quo for the immediate future. Water (danger and mystery) in the forefront with Heaven in the background.

Rose continues to make progress with Buddy. No longer afraid of being eaten herself, she turned his aloofness to her advantage. Since he doesn’t want to be where she is, she now bullies him away from his food dish after she eats her own. She is trying to become the chow hound. But he reluctantly let her sleep with him at least part of the night, and they spent some time together ignoring each other in the back yard. Siblings!

 

Attempt at Pictures

This is me, for what it’s worth. This picture was taken in April of 2006, just before I got my hair cut. I’m prettier now but still just as scary looking. Grrr.

The Name of the Rose

It’s too much expect, but it’s not too much to ask

—Mary Chapin Carpenter

Card for the Day
None. I seem to have misplaced my deck. Well, that’s something for tomorrow.

This is for yesterday. I have never blogged before, so this is kind of a test case. I want to see how much I can influence what is displayed.

I drove out to pick up a new puppy with CFE and had a long, rambling talk on the way. Coworker, who fosters pups for the ASPCA chapter in his community, had a new litter of pups up for adoption. (I couldn’t do that. I would have to keep them all, and where would I put them?)

Of course, Rose—Coworker named the litter after the characters of Lost—was the cutest, most special pup of the litter. Coworker might not agree since he kept a different one, but that’s his problem. Rose is acclimating well with Buddy, who is doing his best to ignore her. She has moved from the “Please don’t eat me” stage to the “I’ll cry if you don’t play” stage in only a few hours.