My Soul Embrace

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Month: August 2021

Day 243 – Birthdays I Remember-Forget

Tuesday, 31 August 2021

Day 243. Birthdays. Cards in order of appearance: Harmony, Receptivity, New Vision, Success, The Master, Guidance, Inner Voice, Slowing Down, Schizophrenia, The Source, Deck pile shuffle

Birthdays Remember-Forget Context

Here we are at the end of another month, and I’ve remember-forgot some friends’ birthdays.  Rita, who you may have read about in the early days of my blog, has her birthday today.  Now, I don’t know if Susie Dent has a word for remember-forget, but I couldn’t find a word to describe it.  I’m sure, as soon as I write about it, the topic will make an appearance in my life. 

Much like I found out, scurryfunge is that word for the last-minute scurry before visitors arrive, instead of calling it visitor sickness (Day 085), which was our family’s term for it.   Today, however, it’s about remembering and forgetting and remembering again.  A search showed a few songs cover the unable to forget theme along with song titles such as “I forgot to remember to forget” (Bonnie Guitar).

About a week ago, it was Olivia’s birthday and I remembered-forgot to send wishes on that day too. Usually, it’s my thing to remember people’s birthdays, even before we could enter the dates into mobile phones to remind us!

Two Birthdays?!

Both days began with me fully intending to give them a call or take time to compose a text entirely of heart-felt words about how glad and lucky I am to have each of them in my life.  That was the first thing.  Then I got out of bed, and the morning routine kicked in, and I clean forgot about their birthdays until two minutes before the meeting, just before lunch, when I remembered and made a note on my physical notepad to send a message after the meeting at lunch. 

The meetings happened, and I got diverted into action, probably actioning some items the meeting generated for me and forgot again.  It was home time, and finally, the workday left my mind, and I remember the scribbled note on my notepad to send a text.  I’ll do it when I get home – no excuses.

You could see where this was going, couldn’t you?  Yes, I forgot again and at various points throughout the night remembered-forgot loop kept happening.  Until finally, in bed, about to close my eyes and … “shoot!  Too late now, tomorrow.”

Today's Cards

Birthdays. Day 243. Cards in order of appearance: Harmony, Receptivity, New Vision, Success, The Master, Guidance, Inner Voice, Slowing Down, Schizophrenia, The Source, Deck pile shuffle

The Cards - Birthdays Analysis

Carryover Cards

One card carried over from yesterday; Success moved from Future Energy to Distant Past.

Cross

Success moving from Future Energy to Distant Past means Success didn’t last long – does it ever 🤔 – it always feels so short.  Keeping it in with the context of the day, the Success would relate to my ability in the past to remember people’s birthdays as a way of letting them know they’re important to me.

In the Recent Past is The Master, rightly suggests I have somehow become detached from my need to send birthday text messages to people who know I love them.          

Receptivity influences the Harmony card in the Now position, suggesting I do not feel guilty about not sending the texts even if I’m sad the messages didn’t get sent.      

New Vision I see as my yoga card symbolising strength and flexibility connecting to creative energies; it sits in the Goal position as I work on a new way to communicate my affection.

Future Energy has Guidance representing an upcoming “awakening” on what I need to do

Base

We move from Future Energy to Feelings position, which has Inner Voice.  Inner Voice is one of those echo cards.  The card’s name of Inner Voice ties in neatly with Guidance, but it also has the colours from Harmony and Receptivity, both of which encourage a peaceful trusting of your gut instinct.  In short, when getting prompted by my Inner Voice to text a birthday greeting to someone, just do it!

Others’ Views are of me Slowing Down.  Wonder whether this is in response to me Slowing Down as I get older, and the drive to absolutely stay on top of every birthday is too tricky.  Or whether it’s that I need to slow down?

Hopes & Fears suggests I hope I can hold everything together (Schizophrenia) and send caring text messages but fear that it won’t be possible because I’ve let these couple of birthday texts slip through the cracks. 😟

Finally, The Source is in the Outcome position and suggests I need to do some Slowing Down and revisit why I feel compelled to remember people’s birthdays.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
  2. Tarot Layouts – has the layouts in calendar format
End Day

Day 242 – Tinnitus and Sound Therapy

Monday, 30 August 2021

Day 242. Tinnitus. Cards in order of appearance: Thunderbolt, The Fool, Silence, Fighting, Possibilities, Success, The Miser, Morality, Maturity, Awareness, Standard Shuffle

Tinnitus Context

What now?  A blocked ear?  An infection?  Tinnitus?  This is a challenging year for my health!   If I turn to the metaphysical Louise L Hay p. 190 says, “anger, not wanting to hear”; Annette Noontil says p. 55, for blocked ear, “impatience and intolerance with yourself at not knowing how you will be when you arrive at your destination”.  Both are correct as far as I’m concerned. 

I’m a SCUBA diver and traveller; sometimes, I get a blocked ear when doing one or both of these activities.  When I scuba dive, I’m impatient because I just want to get under the water and start diving, but like Annette states, I’m not always sure what to expect when I get there; likewise, flying to some of the more remote locations.

When it comes to the anger side of tinnitus and not wanting to hear, that happens when I go to work, and politicking is in full motion.  It upsets me, and I don’t want to listen to it, so I don’t get involved.  What I didn’t realise was how serious I was taking “not wanting to hear” something.  My notes don’t tell me what was bothering me, just that I had tinnitus, and it was playing up.

Today's Cards

Tinnitus. Day 242. Cards in order of appearance: Thunderbolt, The Fool, Silence, Fighting, Possibilities, Success, The Miser, Morality, Maturity, Awareness, Standard Shuffle

The Cards - Tinnitus Analysis

Carryover Cards

Two cards carried over from yesterday; The Fool moved from Future Energy to Influence, The Miser moved from Hopes & Fears to Feelings.

Cross

In the Distant Past, I’ve been Fighting the tinnitus or ringing in my ears, and it sets me on-edge with everyone.   Recently, the Possibilities to open myself up to new ideas (Recent Past) provided me with a possible way out. I don’t have to put up with tinnitus.

Possibilities expose me to a significant physical shift in Thunderbolt influenced by The Fool.  The Goal, if anyone has tinnitus, is Silence.  Future Energy has Success; gotta be happy with that!

Base

My Feelings on the issue is that I need to fork out money to obtain that Silence.  So, yes, I feel like The Miser.

Others’ Views is Morality, which is somewhat prudish or even a bit of a “goody-two-shoes”, It might be because I try not to get too involved with the politicking.

Maturity in Hopes & Fears means I hope I can take the high road (fits in the perception of Morality).  I fear that I’m not mature enough to follow through on it and get caught up in the weeds.

In the end, Awareness is the Outcome, and it will take time to work out why the tinnitus in my ears exists.  Perhaps, as the ear-nose-throat specialist said to me: “no one comes in here saying they think they’re going deaf”.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
  2. Note, I’m finalising the writing of this post on Day 271, which is after my Second Pfizer jab and I’m experiencing extreme tiredness as an after effect. 
End Day

Day 241 – Kickstarter for a Perfect Bag

Sunday, 29 August 2021

kickstarter. Day 241. Cards in order of appearance: Turning In, Receptivity, No-thingness, Understanding, Schizophrenia, The Fool, Rebirth, The Outsider, The Miser, Participation, Standard Shuffle

Kickstarter Context

Before COVID and depending on the project, I got to travel.  I also work in an office, and for many years I had been searching for the perfect versatile, professional-looking backpack or tote that would carry my laptop and gym gear.

While searching out the Internet or was it YouTube, oh, it doesn’t matter.  I came across this beautiful ad for the bag of my dreams.  The bag was terrific!  It was a 6-in-1, elegant, medium-sized and looked marvellous.  Therefore, I had to have one.  I clicked on the link, and it took me not to a professional bag site but Kickstarter. 

Really?  This was a Kickstarter project?  This site was my first adventure into the Kickstarter universe.  My focus was solely on this superb example of bag design.  And after doing my research into the company, I discovered it was three young girls who had not only found a similar situation regarding the lack of professional-looking bags, but they took action to design the 6-in-1. It’s also fortunate; they had the skills to make it a reality.

What the La Mansio trio probably hadn’t expected was the overwhelming success their bag would attract.  The goal was to reach AU$15,000 from backers to make a run of these bags when last I looked; they had got AU$2.5 million!  I can only imagine the effort to coordinate the unexpected increase in orders for the design. 

Taking the Plunge

So, I, too, added my name to the list of backers hoping the girls could pull off such a massive request.  It was a little scary for me to back a Kickstarter project because there are no guarantees you’ll get a product at the end of it. There’s a line stating failure to reach the target could result in no reward (product).

With the original goal exceeding its target, the problem is the very success.  If you’ve arranged for a manufacturer to produce, say 100, and suddenly you ask for 5000, the original company you selected might not be big enough to cope.  Then you need to get the logistics of the bag sorted out, even if you have a manufacturer that can upscale to the Kickstarter’s success. 

Having said all that, I can wait!  The team at La Mansio seem incredibly competent! I hope the 6-in-1 bag is as good as it looks.

Today's Cards

Kickstarter. Day 241. Cards in order of appearance: Turning In, Receptivity, No-thingness, Understanding, Schizophrenia, The Fool, Rebirth, The Outsider, The Miser, Participation, Standard Shuffle

The Cards - Kickstarter Analysis

Carryover Cards

Three cards carried over from yesterday; No-thingness moved from Hopes & Fears to Goal, The Fool moved from Goal to Future Energy, The Miser went from Recent Past to Hopes & Fears.

Cross

In the Distant Past, I was of the Understanding that a bag I wanted was going to be challenging to find. 

I presumed that if I ever came across such a bag, I hoped it was affordable.  Thus, sending a message to the universe that I was open to whatever solution it wanted to guide my way.    The last sentence encompasses the Goal of No-thingness and the influence of Receptivity.

And here I am now Turning In to reflect on whether it was the right choice to invest in a Kickstarter project.  My internal conflict shows in the Recent Past card of Schizophrenia.  The Fool in Future Energy serves to remind me of the risk.  Fortunately, The Fool is mostly lucky – fingers-crossed.

Base

It’s enjoyable to have a Rebirth of something I had all but forgotten.  The Rebirth has an uplifting feeling, and I like that it’s a Kickstarter project; there’s a sense of connection with the project directly.  And by investing, it’s certainly opened my eyes to how the whole Kickstarter world operates.

Others’ Views are of me being The Outsider.  My guess is, The Outsider is because I’ve now embarked on something, while heard of, isn’t a typical purchasing method.

Now, one of the issues with the Kickstarter is there were multiple funding and reward options; I selected one in the middle around what I thought would be a reasonable cost for such a bag and contributing to the original design and supporting the project. 

The Miser is in the Hopes & Fears and aptly applies to my emotions in the situation.  I hope not to be The Miser with my purchase but fear I may have given too little.  Sadly, it’s one of the areas I spend too much thinking time.

Finally, the Participation is in the Outcome position.  I’m not sure how this applies, but on reading the comments and feedback section of the website, it’s nice to see regular responses from the La Mansio Kickstarter trio.   

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
  2. Tarot Layouts for each the month
End Day 241

Day 240 – Troubleshooting Sentences & Side-effects

Saturday, 28 August 2021

Troubleshooting Sentences. Day 240. Cards in order of appearance: The Creator, Innocence, The Fool, Suppression, The Miser, Conditioning, The Master, Ice-olation, No-thingness, Experiencing, Deck pile shuffle

Troubleshooting Sentences Context

Back on Day 219, I was hoping to keep my posts short, and as we keep discovering, I’m not very good at sticking to that kind of goal.  Nonetheless, I need to do that because as much as I wish I’d had an additional 5-10 hours in a day, positive thoughts aside – it’s just not going to happen.  Instead of writing, I spent it troubleshooting sentences.

Today, my focus was mainly on resolving an error message I’m getting in the SEO tool, saying that I have four consecutive sentences in my blog beginning with the same word.  I don’t.  It keeps reading the widget code and viewing it as my sentence structure – I’m not that clever!  Not clever enough to write code, that is.

All that troubleshooting sentences takes time, even if you keep it to a minimum of reporting it.  And being inquisitive, I like to spend time working out the error.  Being told it’s not a priority affects my sense of impatience with computers but slaps my need for understanding in the face.  Yet, knowing at one point in the future it will get a look-in is surprisingly sufficient.

When I wasn’t troubleshooting sentences, I was feeling mild effects from yesterday’s jab.  I’ve continued to feel spacey and tearful; my belly button – of all places – has a weird light graze scab as if I’d fallen over and grazed my knee, but it’s my belly button.  Oh, no!  The conspiracy has “evidence” Probed! OMG! 😱.  The other physical thing I noticed was that my pee stunk.  Whoooweee! (pun intended).  The Australian Health description of the Pfizer injection does not include the urine smell. 

Today's Cards

Troubleshooting. Day 240. Cards in order of appearance: The Creator, Innocence, The Fool, Suppression, The Miser, Conditioning, The Master, Ice-olation, No-thingness, Experiencing, Deck pile shuffle

The Cards - Troubleshooting Sentences Analysis

Carryover Cards

One card carried over from yesterday; Innocence moved from Distant Past to influence.

Cross

My thoughts are that being The Creator is about troubleshooting sentences.   I suppressed something in the Distant Past, and it made its appearance in the Recent Past as The Miser. You see, I’ve worked on an IT help desk, and all those triage skills that had been hidden away (Suppression) and I’ve been reluctant to use (The Miser) have been dusted off to be used again (The Creator). However, The Creator in me can use the skills I’ve learnt to overcome them.

Deciding to attempt the troublesome sentences is a Goal that The Fool might embark on.  It’s all under the influence or watchful eye of experienced and Innocence.

Future Energy breaks free of Conditioning, and I might even surprise myself by discovering that I know something.  Go figure!

Base

On the whole, I’m feeling surprising Zen, which might be why The Master is in this position.

Others’ Views of me are that I’m tearful, possibly from the fear I’d created for myself concerning the vaccination yesterday; this is the card of Ice-olation.

No-thingness is in the Hopes & Fears position. No-thingness supports resetting or starting my website all over again.  The fear is I’ll lose everything I’ve managed to eke together and making me very sad.

Finally, the Outcome is about Experiencing both the troubleshooting sentence situation and the injection’s effects.  From a purely scientific view, I and my reactions to both these situations are fascinating.   

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 240

Day 239 – My First Pfizer Jab

Friday, 27 August 2021

Pfizer one. Day 239. Cards in order of appearance: Guidance, Slowing Down, Playfulness, Innocence, Control, Sorrow, Existence, Receptivity, Sharing, Trust, Deck pile shuffle

My First Pfizer Jab Context

I didn’t think it would come, even though I did book it back on Day 231; today’s the day I get my first Pfizer jab.  Am I nervous?  You bet!  I’m not a fan of needles that inject stuff into your system.  For starters, on Day 217, I wrote how I’ve fainted from some injections.  Even dental fillings see me avoid as many needles as possible.  Funnily, when it comes to acupuncture, my response is accommodating.  

Anyway, to cope with the stress of my first Pfizer jab, I turned to ludicrous conspiracy theories.   The more ridiculous, the better because they make me laugh inwardly at myself and at the way my mind works. 

I’m not sure whether citing my theories will add fuel to an argument made by others, and in reality, just because it’s a conspiracy theory doesn’t mean it isn’t true 😉.  So, while I would love to go nuts about my in-line chatter to my husband on conspiracy theories, I won’t for fear of adding fuel to a conspiracy fire that is already burning.

My husband found my whole fear persona response to getting my first Pfizer jab funny.  I pretended to be hurt by his amused tolerance at my whispered conspiracy theories.

The Jab Process

The process for getting my first Pfizer jab was straightforward.  Firstly, I went to the Queensland Government (QG) website to book a vaccination.  On the day, the QG paid for parking making it free for people wanting to get vaccinated.  Bonus!  One of the things that scared me was the long line outside the building.  Seriously, it was looooonnnnnng!

In any event, the line moved quickly and once verified, you went through some doors into the convention centre itself.  The place was organised into booths and could cope with about 3,000 vaccinations an hour, no wonder the line was long.

By the time we were about to get called up for me to get my first Pfizer jab, my conspiracy theories had moved from a simple “we want to keep the economy moving” to one of “they” want to control us.  There might have been some probing comments as well. 

My husband took a couple of deep breaths, possibly to encourage me to do the same.  There was that tilt of the head and the amused smile he wore as we got closer for my vaccination.

The Nurse & Chocolate

OMG!  It was my turn.  Help!  Are you sure you’re calling me up?  You don’t want to help someone else first?  No, really?  I’m good.  My husband calmly mentioned to the usher that it was okay, grabbed my hand, and walked me to the booth!

In the booth, I met Jamie the nurse (not her real name), and after verifying my identity and my health status, again (thus, throwing out at least one of my conspiracy theories – if “they” were all-knowing, why did they keep asking me who I was?  Weren’t the computer systems accurate?  It did give birth to another theory; isn’t this fun!  Okay, I’m going to LOL it… LOL!).

Jamie listened to my concerns about fainting, and we all decided me lying down was probably the best approach.  So, my request to lie down meant going to another booth with a “bed”.  I lay myself down, rolled up my sleeve and ten seconds later, I was “one of them” – the vaccinated, that is. 

I was ushered to a waiting area for 15 minutes from the booth to ensure my first Pfizer jab had the desired effect.  No problem.  Time’s up!  It was time to leave the convention centre and head home.  Apart from a minor twinge in my left arm, I was feeling good.  So well, in fact, that a trip to Max Brenner’s Chocolate Bar in Southbank was in order.   It’s a bit like Harry Potter when you eat chocolate after an encounter with a dementor (comme ci, comme ça).

Afterward

At the chocolate bar, I began to feel a little spacey, headachy and nauseous.  The spaciness and nausea felt like when you were going to “come down with something”, and your body was fighting it – guess it was.  On the other hand, the headache could very well have been the tension release from blocked blood tense muscles ahead of the jab.

The rest of the day was me trying out the motorised scooters around Southbank, which was fun.  We also went for a walk and soaked up the rare opportunity of going into the city together and not for work.  It was incredibly relaxing, which suited the spacey feeling.

Well, I’ve got to go to the mothership now and get beamed up.  Now that I’ve had my first Pfizer jab, I’m sure to get the second one. 

Ciao!  Ooh, another language – I didn’t know that before.  No one told me the jab would let you speak another language!  Where do I line up for shot duo?  Okay, so I can’t spell in another language – yet.  🙄. 

By the way, I’m not trying to belittle or promote conspiracy theories; look on them with amused tolerance, if you will.

Today's Cards

Pfizer one. Day 239. Cards in order of appearance: Guidance, Slowing Down, Playfulness, Innocence, Control, Sorrow, Existence, Receptivity, Sharing, Trust, Deck pile shuffle

The Cards - My First Pfizer Jab Analysis

Carryover Cards

No cards carried over from yesterday.

Cross

In the Distant Past lies Innocence, depicting the appearance of an aged man in seeming conversation with a grasshopper.  Whether to jab or not to be jabbed was the question; it does not have a malicious base, and even in the Recent Past, I felt powerless, which is why the Control card appeared in this position.

I listened to where I needed to go and find Guidance (Now), encouraged by Slowing Down as an influence.

As we’ve already established, Playfulness with a conspiracy theory is my Goal when embarking on having my first Pfizer jab.

Future Energy is Sorrow, or what I’m calling the “allow myself a moment of self-pity” card.  The Pfizer jab didn’t make me sick, but it did affect me.  Not so much the contents of the syringe, but the shot itself did some damage – a big bruise.

Base

My Feelings on my first Pfizer jab are an acceptance of all things being as they are, and my time here, on this plain, and now, in this time, is all I have; its Existence.  Or, more succinctly, “it is what it is”, and I feel okay with that.

Others (Others’ Views) believe that I am open receptive to being vaccinated, and after weighing up my options, I have come to accept its necessity – this is Receptivity.

Oh, here we go!  Inner Hopes & Fears has the card of Sharing.  The reason I leant toward getting an injection is I have a family with underlying health conditions, and the last thing I want to do is to cause them pain, which is my fear.  I hope to share time with family in person one day.

Finally, with decisions made and fighting the system removed, the Outcome is Trust.  It’s how I feel about getting my first Pfizer job – Trust, pure unadulterated Trust.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 239

Day 238 – The Improvement – Not

Thursday, 26 August 2021

Improvement. Day 238. Cards in order of appearance: Abundance, Laziness, Ordinariness, We are the World, Traveling, Going with the Flow, Exhaustion, Completion, Turning In, Compromise, Standard Shuffle

The Improvement Context

Back on Day 181, I wrote about applications and organisations “improving away features”.  As it happens, today, it was Microsoft Word that provided me with the perfect example.  Quite often, when a feature disappears, I ask in frustration whether it was really the improvement?  The other question I ask is whether I was the only person using it?  Hence perhaps why the change happened.   

When I write these posts these days, I use Grammarly.  And, up until today, MS Word’s built-in “Grammar & Spelling” checker received the improvement.

By the way, Grammarly is great for improving grammar; I recommend it for people who are lazy with commas 😏.  However, there are times when a passive sentence, written well, is not identified as such.  It might be because nothing in the sentence lends itself to making it an “active” sentence.  Microsoft Word and Yoast SEO (the website plug-in) helps, amongst other things, assess an article’s readability.

My process was thus: first, I would write the post, and depending on my level of confidence in my writing, I would activate Grammarly while I type or after I’ve typed it.  Once Grammarly is satisfied, the content goes into the website template, and in there, I try to get green “bullets” from Yoast SEO for readability.  There is the odd occasion when readability says there are too many passive sentences. 

Not wanting to make the reading experience too tedious for the reader, I go back to the Word document and use Word’s “Spelling & Grammar” checker.  Its ruthless stance on active and passive helps me narrow down the offending sentences when I run the check paragraph by paragraph, then line by line.  If possible, the line is either massaged or beaten into submission – you will be active!  Ahh, that’s the improvement it’s after.

The Feature

Today, with new eyes, I head back to a sentence that had refused submission, hoping to try again and perhaps cajole it into activity.  Once reworded, I seek out my harshest critic in Word.  What?  Where’s it gone?  The “Tell Me” function in Microsoft is lovely mostly.  It usually remembers what you’ve previously used, so where is it?  I didn’t reboot.  Hmmm.  The loss of it in Tell Me almost feels like gaslighting.  You’re sure it was there, but perhaps it wasn’t. 

Okay.  Let’s tackle this from a different angle, the long way.  Tools, Spelling & Grammar, Huh?  Alright.  Maybe there’s been an update in O365 for MacOS, which has reset things.   Oh, no!  Please don’t tell me that it is not there (drum roll) “the improvement”.  So, how do I get the old stuff to show the even longer way?  You know, back to basics. 

A search using my friendly browser turned up an article updated not so long ago, 12 July 2021, by Anne Hennegar at Time Atlas on Word Readability Statistics and Alternatives.  Anne writes about how to ensure all your settings are correct.  Done.  All preferences are in place.  Now, back to Tools, Spelling & Grammar – still nothing.  There seems to be this new thing called “Editor”, and while it looks fancy is no help whatsoever. 

That’s a bit harsh.  It did help me pick up a couple of capitalisation errors, some spaces after full stops/ periods.  Editor also didn’t like a semi-colon I used somewhere, but Grammarly thought it was fine.  Since I set the Grammarly preferences to default to Australian English, Grammarly thought it was fine.  On the other hand, Word lets me believe I’ve selected Australian English, but it still has a couple of subtle American English-isms that irk me.

Disclaimer

Now, I’m just playing around, but there is an element of frustration.  The average Australian will have you believe that other language quirks are “meh”, and it doesn’t annoy them.  It’s part of the Australian “brand”, not to get annoyed but to poke fun.  There’s some level of annoyance if you’re corrected, and the improvement isn’t noticeable, particularly when it comes to nicknames.

And you’d be letting the team down by saying something was more significant than a “meh”, and for the most part, it doesn’t.  But everyone has at least one gripe; what makes it difficult to spot is that different Australians have one annoyance – and who said we’re not a diverse nation? 

However, there’s this beautiful thing called technology, and if I don’t understand the meaning of a word, I can look it up.  I don’t see sense in making everyone the same; fun is the differences, and changing it wouldn’t be the improvement we’re seeking.  

So, type colour any way you want; a spell checker will know what you mean and correct it as complementary to your culture.  There are cultural nuances, too; I’ve written about one on Day 188.

Back to what’s the improvement.  Now, where do I go to tackle passive sentences?  Yoast SEO tells me they exist but doesn’t tell me which ones.  Hmmm, maybe I’ll dump them into a plain, unformatted WordPress page; there are a couple of “spelling and grammar” check things in there.

Then

Before The Improvement. Previous output.

Now with The Improvement

After The Improvement. Simply checkboxes without statistics and ambiguous words like clarity.

Today's Cards

Improvement. Day 238. Cards in order of appearance: Abundance, Laziness, Ordinariness, We are the World, Traveling, Going with the Flow, Exhaustion, Completion, Turning In, Compromise, Standard Shuffle

The Cards - The Improvement Analysis

Carryover Cards

Two cards carried over from yesterday; Laziness moved from Feelings to Influence, Going with the Flow moved from Goal to Future Energy.

Cross

Travelling in the Recent Past was my journey to O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.  It allowed me to get to Abundance.  And We are the World is in the Distant Past gave rise to today’s Abundance.  Abundance, however, is influenced by Laziness. 

As I sit here on vacation, I can see how Laziness and Abundance work together, looking out at the beautiful scenery.  The Abundance of beauty, energy, love, relaxation and Laziness to do anything with any of it.  Focussing on writing stops me from soaking in the beauty of where I am.  Ahh.

Ordinariness as the Goal is simply just enjoying life and worrying about something as “trivial” as the improvement of Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar feature!

In the end, Future Energy will be Going with the Flow.

Base

My Feelings are of Exhaustion at all levels of my being, physical, emotional and spiritual.  Maybe it’s the physical exercise 🥱, and it’s fighting to let go or finding a sweet spot between my self-inflicted merry-go-sorry. 

At least today, the Others’ Views is an easy one to identify because it’s the Completion card, and we’re leaving O’Reilly’s.  Aha!  That’s why I’m exhausted; I don’t want to go 😢. 

Hopes & Fears has Turning In.  The good thing about coming up here and getting close to nature is that it reinvigorates my desire to meditate.  Therefore, I hope this is true, and I can put it into practice when I get home.  The sad thing is Turning In might not happen, and that’s the fear.

Finally, the Outcome is Compromise.  Maybe we’ll squeeze a short walk in before we get home?  Now that’ll be the improvement I had in mind.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
  2. Queensland Health Coronavirus Vaccines page
End Day 238

Day 237 – Hiking and Haloes

Wednesday, 25 August 2021

Hiking. Day 237. Cards in order of appearance: Beyond Illusion, New Vision, Going with the Flow, Harmony, The Master, Change, Laziness, Receptivity, The Creator, Past Lives, Washing Machine

Hiking Context

It was a beautiful day, and we were on vacation to go hiking, and it was time to challenge the limits of my ankle and push it we did.  Since we’re at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat to go hiking as frequently as possible, and we’ve been successful over the past two days (our muscles aren’t sore), today’s our last opportunity for a massive hike.  We’re leaving tomorrow so, it’s today, or it’s no way.

Well, the track we picked was about 13 (≈8.06 miles) kilometres.  When I see it written down so simply, it doesn’t nearly capture the effort or enjoyment hiking it gave.  The total elevation gained was equivalent to 44 flights of stairs.  Happily, by the time we got back to our accommodation, we were both feeling like we’d passed a saint’s trial and had haloes atop our heads.

The hike was sweaty work, and consequently, we looked forward to a shower, sitting in front of the fireplace contemplating what to order for dinner.  It was “treat night”, which meant not doing the cooking.  The meals can be expensive, and we know from other establishments that being expensive doesn’t mean satisfying or tasty. 

We arrived back at our accommodation, and the swipe card didn’t work.  Ding, ding.  Nope.  Bah-bowng!  Try again?  Bah-bowng!  Although we had our mobile phones with us, they were useless in this situation, because our chosen service provider, ah… doesn’t have a service in this location. 

Dishearteningly, we didn’t even have car keys on us – why would we?  We expected the swipe card to the unit to work as it had up to that point?  Sadly, the wi-fi wasn’t strong enough to reach us outside the villa either.  There was no avoiding it; we had to do the hike to reception.  😟 

Not Unusual, just Inconvenient

To put the reception walk into context, according to my app, it was a 3.84-kilometre (≈2.36 miles) round trip.  Impressively, it could kick my heart rate from a comfortable 65-70 bpm to a fat-burning 116 bpm and give me an elevation gain of 124 metres (419 ft).  Now, remember, we’re at a rainforest retreat with separate villas with breathtaking views, and consequently, a “breathtaking” walk to reception. 

I’d done quite a bit of travelling for work, and now and again, an extended stay would produce a similar situation.  In those circumstances, heading to reception was a matter of walking down a hallway, hitting the elevator/ lift button and riding it to its destination.  It’s both shorter and less hilly but also less rewarding!   

By this time in the trip, we’d done this twice every day.  Alas, today, was going to be four times and if we were in doubt we’d earned our haloes of exercise-y goodness before we got locked out, no doubt existed after the extra hike to reception.  😇

Today's Cards

Hiking. Day 237. Cards in order of appearance: Beyond Illusion, New Vision, Going with the Flow, Harmony, The Master, Change, Laziness, Receptivity, The Creator, Past Lives, Washing Machine

The Cards - Hiking Analysis

Carryover Cards

Fascinatingly, five cards carried over from yesterday; Going with the Flow moved from Feelings to Goal, Harmony moved from Goal to Distant Past, The Master moved from Influence to Recent Past, Change didn’t go anywhere, Laziness moved from Recent Past to Feelings.

Cross

Harmony in Distant Past formed Beyond Illusion to be in the Now with a New Vision as Influence.  The Goal of Going with the Flow, and the Recent Past of The Master, work together to help Change in Future Energy.

Yesterday, Harmony was the Goal today shows its fulfilment by existing in the Distant Past.  Walking through a rainforest is harmonious, and the cards moved quickly enough to make a Distant Past two days ago.

New Vision influences Beyond Illusion, and I’m taking this to be the excitement around my ability to challenge my broken ankle’s healing (Day 018) and enjoy its recovery.  New Vision knows that my ankle’s recovering well in this scenario, and Beyond Illusion is its change.

Going with the Flow moved from Feelings, and the Feelings created today’s Goal.  Going with the Flow is not aimless meandering if it is the purpose. 

It’s a card of trusting in the universe/ powers that be/ God that you can take this opportunity to simple coast along; the ideal “drift time”.  Because there is only one of each card, support or echo cards like The Master appear to credit Harmony and the Goal by remaining impartial.

Yesterday’s walk began to change me, and today’s hike to push the shift by having the Future Energy of Change remain in place.

Base

My feelings of Laziness came to the fore after we’d returned from reception, the additional hike had exhausted me and reduced my motivation for blog writing.  Alas, I’m aware it’s a flimsy excuse.

Others’ Views are that I have Receptivity and an openness to change and acceptance of the circumstances; that’s probably just misconstruing my Laziness.  Lounge sitting?  I’m there!

The Creator is in the Hopes & Fears position and uses existing knowledge to overcome current challenges.  It’s true.  Today, I had hoped my previous understanding of swipe card access and hotels would accurately identify our issue.  Likewise, my fear was we would have to move to another villa because of a misinterpretation.

The Outcome position is Past Lives confirming my “past work life” (previous job), where I travelled frequently did help with a course of action.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
  2. Fat Burning Range Calculation
End Day 237

Day 236 – Bird Feeding & Morans Falls

Tuesday 24 August 2021

Bird Feeding. Day 236. Cards in order of appearance: Creativity, The Master, Harmony, Completion, Laziness, Change, Going with the Flow, Flowering, Suppression, Ordinariness, Standard Shuffle

Bird Feeding Context

Yesterday (Day 235) was big enough to fuel our curiosity walks in the Lamington National Park.  Today’s agenda was bird feeding and a relaxing shorter walk than yesterday. 

But the morning saw weather with skies turned to grey, rain and wind, which kept us confined to relaxing and reading by the fireplace.  Amidst this sloth, we got a text advising our internet at home was working (Day 233).  Hooray!

However, by the afternoon, the sun came out, and an opportunity arose for walking.  Moran’s Falls, 450 metres away, was a short walk. We would squeeze in the bird feeding of rosellas and king parrots, if there was still daylight after the walk.

On the path to Moran’s Falls, or should I say on the way back, rather than return the way we came, we followed the other path assuming it would take us back circuit fashion.  It did do that.  It was just a longer walk than we anticipated; try 4,550 metres more.  In the meantime, it was unlikely we were going to make it to bird feeding.  Nonetheless, we headed up to the guest house to try our luck.

I’d like to point out we did not rush to try and feed the birds; we went to purchase track pants for my husband because, somehow, he’d forgotten his.  With the weather being a little colder, track pants were worth the “captive audience” price.  So, bird feeding, a secondary thought, paid off. 

Another thing, we are in Queensland when mask-wearing is mandatory indoors except when seated to eat.  Wearing a mask outdoors is not needed, but social distancing is still stipulated.  Because it was a windy day, we were also the only one’s bird feeding, and we got a few who hadn’t flown to roost yet.

Bird Feeding. Mark, husband, feeding king parrots with frypan like dish
Bird Feeding. Mark, husband, in deep conversation with Rosella on his shoulder

Today's Cards

Bird Feeding. Day 236. Cards in order of appearance: Creativity, The Master, Harmony, Completion, Laziness, Change, Going with the Flow, Flowering, Suppression, Ordinariness, Standard Shuffle

The Cards - Bird Feeding Analysis

Carryover Cards

Two cards carried over from yesterday; Flowering moved from Future Energy to Others’ Views, Ordinariness moved from Feelings to Outcome.

Cross

Our home internet fixed, which broke on Day 233, is fixed in the Completion card, which has moved to the Distant Past; it, in turn, forms the Creativity of today’s Now, which The Master influences.  

I’m taking Creativity to mean adapting to the changing weather patterns and working out what to do in a remote location with very patchy wi-fi.  The Master’s presence simply implies that our Creativity did not come with any attachments.

Today’s Goal was Harmony but using a lack of technology access as an excuse brought about Laziness in the Recent Past.   Harmony is simply enjoying being here at O’Reilly’s, and Laziness is indulging too much and neglecting to use the free time to write my blog.

Completion forms the basis for Creativity to exist, and Creativity inspires Change in Future Energy.  When we returned from the walk, I was changed – in a good way. 😁

Base

My Feelings on the day as we had an agenda, but it wasn’t set in concrete and therefore, our approach to fulfilling it wasn’t pragmatic but more relaxed, a Going with the Flow if you will. 

This Going with the Flow was evident with the unintentional but enjoyable extended walk to Moran’s Falls.  It was present by not rushing to the bird feeding activity and accepting the outcome regardless.

Flowering moved from Future Energy to Others’ Views showing its progress from possibility to an expression of reality.

I fear most that I’m suppressing (Suppression) something, which is why the Laziness card appeared.  On the other hand, I hope the hidden has surfaced and cleared.

Yesterday’s feelings of Ordinariness have manifested as a possibility in the Outcome position.  You can’t get any more ordinary a day than one spent Going with the Flow.  It’s experiencing a day, moseying through a picturesque rainforest and ending it bird feeding, a natural state of bliss.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 236

Day 235 – Curiosity and Wishing Tree

Monday, 23 August 2021

Curiosity. Day 235. Cards in order of appearance: The Fool, Compromise, Maturity, Silence, Fighting, Flowering, Ordinariness, Success, Postponement, Moment to Moment, Washing Machine

Curiosity Context

While Mark and I had visited O’Reilly’s in the past, it’s usually to do some Uni assignment or simply to just getaway.  The trips had been for weekends arriving on Saturday and departing Sunday.  Therefore, this extended-stay provided us with an opportunity to use our curiosity.  We could discover the Wishing Tree.

Since this was our first day, the walk we planned would be friendly and easy for us.  That meant we’d have to reign in the curiosity a little, but not too much.  So, first up was the Wishing Tree walk.  What is the Wishing Tree?  Why was it called the Wishing Tree?  Ooh, let’s take a look.

It was fantastic exploring the rainforest.  As it turns out, the Wishing Tree was a massive tree with a base about the size of a medium-small tepee.   Further along, the walk was a suspension bridge between trees (not very big) which is scary and fun at the same time! 

Along the loop, there was a sign to go to a flying fox; I love flying fox ziplines!  Although we suspected it would be closed, considering the lack of people we encountered on the walk, my curiosity wanted to see what was at the top of the loose-rocked climb. 😉 Disappointingly, as expected, it was closed.

With our curiosity sated and enough exercise to feel like we exercised, we walked back to the unit and relaxed in front of the fireplace.

Curiosity. View from Bower 33.
Curiosity. Fireplace O'Reilly's Bower 33

Today's Cards

Day 235. Cards in order of appearance: The Fool, Compromise, Maturity, Silence, Fighting, Flowering, Ordinariness, Success, Postponement, Moment to Moment, Washing Machine

The Cards - Curiosity Analysis

Carryover Cards

No cards carried over from yesterday.

Cross

Silence in the Distant Past probably refers to previous visits.  The peace and relaxation from being at O’Reilly’s prompted an unconscious desire to embark on a trip with The Fool and allowed us to indulge our curiosity. 

The Fool today is influenced by Compromise.  That Compromise comes from the cancellation of a ski holiday to NZ (Day 204) and the desire to still go on a trip anywhere possible.

Having Maturity as the Goal enabled us to make that decision, although until we got to O’Reilly’s (Recent Past), I had been Fighting to keep my tension from last-minute packing stress under control.

In the end, Future Energy is Flowering and opening up my heart to the beauty of being in and amongst nature.

Base

Today my Feelings were of Ordinariness.  Our curiosity took us exploring, but I think that’s just a natural part of our soul.  Sure, sometimes it gets us in trouble, but at others, it’s rewarding.  You know the saying: “curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back”.  Curiosity is a double-edged sword.

Others’ views are of me having Success.  Now, what that Success is for isn’t clear, but if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say it was finally going for the bushwalk I’ve been promoting for weeks.  Maybe it just satisfies that curiosity on the Wishing Tree.

Postponement is in the Hopes & Fears position, and it’s been thirty-two days since its last appearance.  Hmmm, what am I postponing?  Writing?  It’s tough trying to blog when you’re in this beautiful place with your husband.  I hope there’s time to rest and play but fear this isn’t possible – Compromise (?).

The best thing about being on this kind of vacation?  It’s about being able to take it Moment by Moment, and this card fits in the Outcome position of the layout.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
  2. O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat 
End Day 235

July 2021 Stats

Statistics for July 2021

Brief July Stats 2021 Analysis

It’s July 2021 stats time!  July begins on Day 182 and finishes on Day 212, with ten cards per day; by the end of the month, the cards dealt was 2,120. 

During the 31 days, ten cards made seven appearances.  Three cards didn’t make an appearance at all.  The cards that didn’t appear in July were:  Participation, Guilt, and The Burden.  Where June lacked Success, July lacked socialisation, guilt, and the weightiness of being burdened.

Ten cards made appearances seven times, and they were: The Master, Sorrow, Compromise, The Dream, Ice-olation, Sharing, Projections, Aloneness, Fighting, Clinging to the Past. 

Distribution of the Ten

Cards like Sorrow and Compromise are predominantly in the Cross part of the layout.  That’s from positions one to six or Now to Future Energy.   

If I were reading this for somebody, the beginning of the month shows something external is affecting the Questioner.  The influence is either in the news, family, in the community, is dominating the general mood at work, or it could be all of them.  Sorrow appears again later in the month in the Outcome spot, implying more of the same.   I thought I would peak at the Sorrow card and discovered it was on the “inner” cards or in the Base positions, Hopes & Fears, Feelings, and Others’ Views from midway through the month. 

Suppose we apply the principle that we manifest our destiny from our decisions and feelings, whether we’re aware of them or not.  In that case, Sorrow is perhaps unconsciously becoming a determined Goal awakened by surroundings and influences triggering something in the Distant Past.  The Sorrow loops around to influence upcoming energy in the Future and the Outcome.

Just from typing up Sorrow’s story, I can see the resemblance to COVID’s presence.  The Coronavirus’s presence in New South Wales and the other Eastern states of Australia has weighed me down in July.  This month, we have had: a snap three-day lockdown and to cancel our trip to New Zealand, and my mother’s trip in October was becoming uncertain.

Ice-olation was at the beginning of July and received no appearances after Day 200.  The Ice-olation card that emerged from the Distant Past became an Influence or Block.  It was also how others saw me, sat in Hopes & Fears and became the Outcome on some occasions.

Distribution Across Month

The heaviest concentration for The Master is the centre of the month, and its highest concentration is in the Recent Past position.  Projections is also toward the middle of the month but is distributed evenly over the layout.  Other cards evenly distributed across the month are Clinging to the Past, Sharing, The Dream and Compromise.

Aloneness is evenly spread over the month but has avoided becoming anything tangible; it has been an Influence, Goal, Feelings, a Hope or Fear.

The main focus of Fighting’s presence is in the Base, or the “emotion” positions, in the latter part of the month.

Compromise happens across the entire month but has mostly confined itself to the Cross spots.

Year-to-July 2021

July Stats. Year-to-date number in layout positions. The Source, 2, 6, 6, 3, 3, 2, 2, 4, 9, 2 & Control: 4,1,5,4,4,5,3,6,5,1

From a year-to-date perspective, The Source is still in the lead on 38 appearances receiving five in July, followed by Control with 37, which received six.   The cards that are shying away from appearances are:  Success, Turning In and Going with the Flow.

So, can we read anything into the overall spread?  It appears that my inner search in identifying my soul’s makeup (The Source) is still weaving through the winter months.  Yes, it’s winter in Australia in July.  Control in the Osho Zen cards is about the impartial balance often used to describe the court or law and order system.  The strictness and impartiality lack warmth but is fundamentally fair, even if it sacrifices compassion. 

While Control is rarely in the Influence and Outcome positions (one appearance each), I don’t set out to Feel in Control (three), although it is undoubtedly the perception I emit in Others’ Views (six).

That’s it for another month.  Will The Source and Control hang in there, or will they be usurped?

July Stats - By Day By Position

Top ten highlighted
July 2021 Stats. By day by position

Overall Yearly Trend - Highest to Lowest

Sorted By July's Stats - Highest to Lowest

Day 234 – Driving Long & Winding Roads

Sunday, 22 August 2021

Driving. Day 234. Cards in order of appearance: Morality, Politics, Ripeness, The Miser, Adventure, Awareness, Sorrow, Ice-olation, Playfulness, Possibilities, Washing Machine

Driving Context

It’s finally here.  We’re going to O’Reilly’s, and I can’t wait.  What I’m dreading is driving up the narrow winding road.  Although I’m the first to admit I love a long and winding road leading to a vacation door, I’m not a fan of one lane roadways with sheer drops on one side and a cliff wall on the other.   

You may notice references to the Beatles song, Long and Winding Road; it’s very much how I used The Eagles, Hotel California song on Day 088.  To recognise the referenced or amended line, I have underlined the relevant text.

Anyway, the cliff and the wall inhibit the freedom of driving smoothly up the mountain.  There’s the constant stress of a car coming in the opposite direction.  Blind curves blocking the vision of the upcoming road are particularly challenging.  The hairpin and blind curves always disappear, even if you’ve seen that road before.

But if you want to get great walks atop the mountain, it always leads me here to O’Reilly’s spoor.  Although there can be wild and windy nights keeping you locked inside with a pool of tears, it leaves you crying for the day.

There is an advantage to having one road and one path, and that is you don’t need to know the way.  The truth is there’re many times you’re on the road alone, and the tension escalates as a result of doom complacency.

Doom complacency is taking for granted, you’re on your own, but at any moment, another oncoming car could appear.  I can tell you there have been many times my family and friends have wanted to cry.  Anyway, you’ll never know the many ways I’ve tried to relax my passengers, but still, they lean back when I drive the long and winding road. 😱

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Okay, there’s no ranch.  As you might be aware, yesterday, the home network went down; the fix for the web is due on Tuesday.  I just wanted to get back to before the description of the drive up the mountain to O’Reilly’s and before I got carried away with a Beatles song. 

That means there are two full days our Millennial cat sitter was going to be without wi-fi!  Luckily, he’s good with that; he has heaps of data on his phone plan.  Of course! 😮‍💨

The cats and cat sitter got settled, there was a look on all their faces said – wait for it – “don’t keep me waiting here“.  I’m so sorry about that; I couldn’t help but get one last lyric in before we set off driving on the road to the analysis.

I can’t believe we’re actually going away – we have one up on COVID – and I wish we had booked a little longer.

Today's Cards

Driving. Day 234. Cards in order of appearance: Morality, Politics, Ripeness, The Miser, Adventure, Awareness, Sorrow, Ice-olation, Playfulness, Possibilities, Washing Machine

The Cards - Driving Analysis

Carryover Cards

No cards carried over from yesterday.

Cross

The Miser sits stingily in the Distant Past feeding the Morality of Now who Politics influences.  Ripeness is the Goal that encouraged Adventure and prompted Future Energy Awareness.

I suspect that The Miser refers to booking a holiday we initially didn’t want; driving somewhere close to home just seemed like a bit of a waste of time.  This resistance to spending more money on a close-to-home vacation led to the Politics of when we arrived wishing to spend a little more time.

When we arrived at O’Reilly’s, we felt the time was right (Ripeness) to extend our stay if possible.  In increasing the number of days, the retreat had to shuffle rooms (doing the right thing, Morality). 

The Adventure was getting out of the house, and while driving to O’Reilly’s, it began to dawn on me (Awareness) just how much we needed the break.

Base

There were Feelings of Sorrow as I left our cats and fish as home, not nearly enough to have me stay, especially since I knew they were in good hands.

Others’ Views is that I’m heading into Ice-olation.  Usually, I would treat this card with its more profound, spiritual or philosophical intent, but today, driving to O’Reilly’s pseudo-remote location is the literal isolation that others might see.

Hopes & Fears has the card of Playfulness, and it is what I’m hoping for, but alas, I fear the daily writing might interfere a little with playtime.

Now that we’re here at the retreat, the Outcome of Possibilities opens up to us for the next few days, at least. It also means I don’t have to think of the drive home until then.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
  2. The Beatles, The Long and Winding Road
End Day 234

Day 233 – OMG! Home Network Down! No Wi-fi!

Saturday, 21 August 2021

Home Network. Day 233. Cards in order of appearance: Completion, Rebirth, Understanding, Comparison, Totality, Inner Voice, Patience, Mind, Stress, Ordinariness, Standard Shuffle

Home Network Context

As a word of caution, there could be a lot of exclamation marks in this blog!  See 🤪.  The Network Termination Device (NTD) broke today. If you’ve read the title, you know that something drastic has happened. Unlike Day 118, where it was an update, here it was the home network.  It meant no Internet, no home network which runs the wi-fi!  Having the NTD go down doesn’t sound like anything too concerning, right?  Wrong!

Some of you might be able to imagine just how disastrous being without the Internet might be.  It affects so many things!  The flow-on effect of not having a working Internet meant that I could not watch my AFL team play their final game of the year!

Even little things like turning on the air-conditioning from the phone meant we had to get up and go to the panel!  Oh dear, oh my!  Cry! 😭  So, okay, it’s a first-world problem.  It also made working on the website incredibly difficult until I learnt to use my phone as a hotspot for my desktop Mac!  It is possible even if it seems complicated.

Using Your iPhone as a Desktop Hotspot

After numerous searches, I found nothing helpful; it was always about connecting anything and everything else except the desktop.  So, with my husband’s assistance, here’s what we did in getting the Mac to use the iPhone as a hotspot:

  1. Go to the wi-fi symbol on your menu bar on the Mac
  2. Don’t have it there and want it there – get wi-fi on menu bar go to:
    • Apple
    • Preferences
    • Dock & Menu Bar
    • Select wi-fi, Menu Bar & Control Centre
    • On the right, there’s an option to “Show in Menu Bar.”
    • Select and exit Preferences
    • Don’t have wi-fi on the menu bar. Here’s how to get it to show
  1. On your iPhone, go to:
    • Settings
    • Personal Hotspot
    • Select the scary “Allow Others to Join” – in this case; your Mac is one of the Others
  2. Back on the Mac
    • Go to the wi-fi symbol
    • Your iPhone is a listed option
    • Select your iPhone from this list. You might get a “pairing” request between iPhone and Mac; simply okay if the code matches.
    • You should be up and running on your Mac using your iPhone!

Note:  the limits you experience result from the speeds your phone gets.  And the further away your iPhone is from the Mac, the slower the connection will get.   As an approach to get the Mac and iPhone working harmoniously, connect your iPhone USB to the Mac.

Today's Cards

Home Network Down. Day 233. Cards in order of appearance: Completion, Rebirth, Understanding, Comparison, Totality, Inner Voice, Patience, Mind, Stress, Ordinariness, Standard Shuffle

The Cards - Home Network Analysis

Carryover Cards

One card carried over from yesterday; Completion moved from Distant Past to Now.

Cross

In summary, Comparison is core to all of today’s cards, as it feeds the Now of Completion and has provided the platform for the influence of Rebirth. The day’s Goal was one of Understanding, and in the Recent Past, there was a Totality in the evolution of the Future Energy of the Inner Voice.

But what does the card combination mean in the cold light of day?  Honestly, I’m not sure how Comparison feeds into today’s reading because I often fall into the trap of making them when I shouldn’t.  So, I’m going to skip this card.  Suffice it to say, it’s a safe assumption that it’s applicable.  Maybe I was comparing the newer modem models to the old ones. 

Interestingly, when the wi-fi network came to a grinding halt, I’d say this is Completion. At first, I thought having Understanding as the Goal was associated with how the Internet works and how the NTD fits into our home network; but I knew that. 

So, I came later to believe it was reconnecting with my Understanding of how things worked before home networks existed.  The Understanding prompted the Rebirth of the non-technological world, and all the fondness nostalgia brings.  Of course, the downside of not having a home network also emerged.

During the in-between stage of Understanding and Rebirth, my enthusiasm for the old ways and getting the home network up and running as quickly as possible was the Totality card.  Totality is the commitment that I made to the circumstances. 

The key to resolution would be to listen to that pesky Inner Voice, which would undoubtedly tell me to be patient. 

Base

Oh, look!  Patience was what I was Feeling.  At least for a time, while I trusted everything would be fixed soon.

Before we continue, Others’ Views of me is Mind.  Mind is the card of confusion and having too much going on mentally and appearing stressed at the home network not being functional.  There is an element of truth to the card’s appearance.

Hopes & Fears has the card of Stress.  Given the day, it was stressful not to know the broken element.  However, the Stress existed between hoping the home network would get back on its feet quickly or fearing it would take weeks to return to normal.

Finally, the Ordinariness of the Outcome contributed to a balance between the fix taking a couple of days without a landline wi-fi and getting it repaired.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 232

Day 232 – Overcompensating & Sloth-ing

Friday, 20 August 2021

Day 232. Cards in order of appearance: Guidance, Receptivity, Traveling, Completion, We are the World, Exhaustion, Awareness, Past Lives, Playfulness, Intensity, Deck pile shuffle

Sloth-ing Context

It’s been a week of tension & emotion, very merry-go-sorry.  However, I recovered from my “sloth-ing” yesterday; & I spent the day simply.

Back on Day 219, I said I was going to write notes simply.  And I’ve said this before; I’m not very good at doing just simply transposing notes.  On the other hand, I need to. While I have a couple of exciting days coming up in a few weeks, today’s notes are scant.

As you know, from the past couple of days, particularly yesterday, Day 231, I was suffering a headache from the comedown stress.  Another part of the anatomy of going on leave is you overcompensate your energy by going to the other extreme, “sloth-ing”. 

Another phrase for “sloth-ing” is the Scottish phrase from the 1800s “, hurkle-durkling”.  According to Susie Dent’s “word of the day” in Twitter, it means “lying around in bed or lounging about after it’s time to get moving”.

Sloth-ing was what I did yesterday.  It was the lounging, the relaxed, casual suaveness of one not having to go to work.  Or should that be smugness?  Anyway, today, I have renewed vigour and am ready to tackle the world, one household chore at a time.

Today's Cards

Day 232. Cards in order of appearance: Guidance, Receptivity, Traveling, Completion, We are the World, Exhaustion, Awareness, Past Lives, Playfulness, Intensity, Deck pile shuffle

The Cards - Sloth-ing Analysis

Carryover Cards

Two cards carried over from yesterday, We are the World moved from Hopes & Fears to Recent Past, and Exhaustion moved from Outcome to Future Energy.

Cross

Completion in the Distant Past seems to indicate work finishing and vacation or “sloth-ing” beginning.  Guidance is about connecting to your inner guide; I am open to following Guidance because it is in the Now position and influenced Receptivity.

My trip to O’Reilly’s is ever closer, and it’s getting to a point where Travelling (the Goal) there is a viable possibility; COVID lockdowns are an ever-present threat.

It appears yesterday’s hope or fear in We Are the World has come to pass in the Recent Past, where communal help came to the fore – in this case, a neighbour feeding our cats.  Did I mention I love our neighbours?!

On the cards for the Future Energy is Exhaustion.  Perhaps I push myself too much, too soon.

Base

The more I began to wind down, the greater my Feelings of Awareness that I needed this trip more than I would like to admit to myself.

By any stretch of the imagination, I cannot see how Past Lives might be what Others’ Views of me are.  Maybe?  Nup, nudda, nothing.  It’s the tricky bit about reading this position for yourself; your objectivity gets lost. 

So, the glass half full approach says, you get to see how the cards don’t always play nice.  Going with the glass half empty, it’s a dull read. 🍷

Hopes & Fears has Playfulness.  And Playfulness is what I’m hoping the holiday will be all about; nothing but fun, fun, fun!  The fear is that a lockdown will prevent quality sloth-ing or quality Playfulness from taking place in the way I want it to occur.

Intensity is the Outcome of a dog let off the lead in the leash-free dog area!  Relating this to my holiday, bring … it … on!

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7

  2. Merry-go-sorry, well, it sounds like a merry-go-round, but instead of one being on a static horse going up and down round and round, it’s your emotions.  For a better definition, refer to Susie Dent’s Twitter page and look for word of the day.

End Day 232

Day 231 – Comedown after Stress

Thursday, 19 August 2021

Day 231. Cards in order of appearance: Silence, Healing, The Outsider, Experiencing, Understanding, Politics, Beyond Illusion, Healing, We are the World, Exhaustion, Deck pile shuffle

Comedown Context

Well, it’s the first day of leave, and I’ve had a headache all night and have had it for most of the day too.  Surviving the day was a challenge, but I realised the headache was hanging around because I was coming down from the previous day’s stress.  Yet, I hadn’t let go. 

When I left the office yesterday, there were three minor tasks that I had wanted to accomplish before I left.  Yeah.  Yeah.  I know I said I was okay with not completing everything, but the truth is most of the stuff I didn’t get done I WAS comfortable leaving until I got back.  There were some with time frames on them which couldn’t be left until I got back. 

So, I bit the bullet and logged in from home to finish those three things hanging over my head.  The relief I felt from getting them out of the way without anybody noticing was worth every second of it. 

My headache didn’t leave as soon as I completed those tasks; a stress comedown can take minutes or days.  How long the relief takes depends upon how long you were under pressure and didn’t change chair position.  If you’re tense and sitting in a focussed posture at a desk, you may wind up with neck or back tension simply because you hadn’t exercised those muscles.  

I don’t like needles, and I don’t like rushed solutions to problems like COVID.  However, I do understand the need to try at least something.  Even ranting on my high horse needed a comedown, but I was brave and booked my COVID-19 vaccination.  Trust me; this is a big deal for me.

Today's Cards

Day 231. Cards in order of appearance: Silence, Healing, The Outsider, Experiencing, Understanding, Politics, Beyond Illusion, Healing, We are the World, Exhaustion, Deck pile shuffle

The Cards - Comedown Analysis

Carryover Cards

One card carried over from yesterday; Beyond Illusion moved from Hopes & Fears to Feelings.

Cross

Experiencing is in the Distant Past providing the grounds for the Healing influence and the Silence Now.  In the Recent Past, there’s an Understanding that the Goal is to be The Outsider. By being The Outsider, the Future Energy is Politics.

How do the cards relate to my day?  Despite my headache, or perhaps it was a sign of it, I underwent Healing or a comedown from the previous day’s stresses. Under the influence, the noise of having to get this or that done, went away and there was mental Silence.

The Distant Past position is tricky because the trigger for the root of the current situation isn’t always easily identified.  So, what the Experiencing card is referring to is unclear to me.  But if I had to guess, it would be a previous holiday experience where I had experienced a similar comedown.  Could it be when I broke my ankle back in January (Day 018)?

Nonetheless, I understood from previous vacation departures that leaving without completing everything I’d set out to do would not bode well.  Once this Understanding dawned on me, I knew logging in by stealth (Politics) to complete the activities would give me a far better break.

Base

My Feelings on the subject are that completing the tasks would morph my leave to a new level.  The Beyond Illusion comedown chrysalis from stressed caterpillar to relaxed butterfly sums up my feelings perfectly.

From Others’ Views, I had completed (Completion) everything.  It also implied my logging in may not have gone unnoticed.

Hopes & Fears shows the We Are the World card.  We Are the World is unity and togetherness; without the Completion card (being used above 😁), the card also substitutes for finalising things.

I hope no leftover activities will impact anyone looking after my role in my absence; this is the spirit of We Are the World, teamwork.  The corresponding fear is the reverse is true.

At the end of it all, in the Outcome position, is Exhaustion.  Everything I had to give I gave.  Exhaustion is the ultimate comedown from a highly stressful pre-holiday period. 

Waiter!  Where’s the Mojito cocktail!

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 231

Day 230 – The Last Minute

Wednesday, 18 August 2021

Day 230. Cards in order of appearance: Existence, No-thingness, Compromise, Clinging to the Past, Breakthrough, Traveling, Thunderbolt, Playfulness, Beyond Illusion, Projections, Standard Shuffle

Last Minute Context

Have you ever heard of the saying, “nothing would ever get done it if weren’t for the last minute?”  The day before a vacation or holiday is that proverbial last minute. 

There’s work that has been sitting waiting for attention for months and sometimes years!  But for some reason, when the countdown clock for recreation leave starts, it’s like you find another speed.  Is that why things suddenly get done?  Or is it something else?   

I don’t mind what it is; it’s like spring cleaning.  Love it!

Well, I’ve been thinking about this, and I think it’s because when we know we’re going on vacation, we push back on taking on new activities due while you’re away.  

The time typically spent ramping up is then spent completing those immediate tasks.  And once completed, you get to move to the backlog pile.  For some reason, getting through that guilt backlog at the last minute is a good thing!  Is that because you know when you get back, there’s going to be a backlog of work waiting for your anyway?

So, does this productivity mean that vacations are a good thing for our office and us? I’d say so because it creates that last-minute where everything happens!

Today's Cards

Day 230. Cards in order of appearance: Existence, No-thingness, Compromise, Clinging to the Past, Breakthrough, Traveling, Thunderbolt, Playfulness, Beyond Illusion, Projections, Standard Shuffle

The Cards - Last Minute Analysis

Carryover Cards

No cards carried over from yesterday.

Cross

The experience associated with the last minute comes from incidents in the past.  And today’s Clinging to the Past suggests that I like hanging onto some work, just like Mel’s “guilt pile” from Day 075.  But recently (Recent Past), I’ve had a Breakthrough, and my attitude to hanging onto work has changed.

Hanging onto work creates some of the stress associated with the last minute.  However, previous experience has led to a place where Existence is influenced by the blank slate of opportunity for change, No-thingness.

Of course, when it comes to the final hours on the last day and trying to get things done, reality’s Goal is Compromise.  Compromise, however bitter, will need to be made.

Following the last day of work is the first day of leave (Future Energy), and my break involves Travelling. 

Base

Thunderbolt has reflected my Feelings about the Breakthrough; it’s like lifting a load.

On the surface, Playfulness starts to peak through the stress as the sun begins to set on the “last minute” day – well, that’s Others’ Views.

When it comes to Hopes & Fears, I hope to transform my state of being from sluggish to dynamic, but I fear the break won’t be long enough for Beyond Illusion (altering conditions) to take place.

We arrive at Projections in the Outcome position, which says the idea of a break is so big that it may not meet my expectations. 

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 230

Day 229 – Pre-holiday Stress Analysis

Tuesday, 17 August 2021

Day 229. Cards in order of appearance: Success, Integration, Experiencing, Guilt, Politics, Morality, Laziness, Totality, Sorrow, Fighting, Washing Machine

Holiday Context

How is it just before you go on holiday you get that mixture of excitement and stress?  You’re so excited to be going on vacation, but at the same time, you have much to hand over!  Where do you even begin when all you want to do is get on with the vacation?

This mix of work-rest-go-round is how I was feeling today?  In two days, I go on vacation, but there’s so much to hand over.  Plus, today’s my birthday, and I will treat myself by keeping the day’s blog to the analysis.

Thank you for being patient and understanding!

Today's Cards

Day 229. Cards in order of appearance: Success, Integration, Experiencing, Guilt, Politics, Morality, Laziness, Totality, Sorrow, Fighting, Washing Machine

The Cards - Holiday Analysis

Carryover Cards

One card carried over from yesterday; Integration moved from Others’ Views to Influence.

Cross

In the Distant Past, I’ve felt Guilty about not getting everything done before I go on leave.  After juggling Politics in the Recent Past, things settled down like who will be doing what part of my job.  I am Now in a period of Success. 

My Success today unfolded due to the influence of Integration of skills.  Remember when I spoke of the effect of the soothing Gantt chart and the MS Project’s alternate use as a minutes application, Day 165. That merging of a tool with the new role removed some pre-vacation stress because I could hand over each of the “mini-projects” seamlessly.

Experiencing is the Goal I set for myself today, the balance of enjoying the additional energy gained from awaiting a recreation discovery.  While I’d like to use the phrase, “I can’t wait to go on holidays”, the truth is I can, but the anticipation is an exciting experience.  After all, there’s still one more day before I go!

That brings us to Future Energy with Morality and its adherence to a strict code of restraint and constraint.  Both of which I’m going to need to stay grounded tomorrow.

Base

While Feelings are facts, when you need to get things done before someone takes over, your areas of Laziness become exposed.   At least that’s how I feel about it; whether the feeling is real or imagined doesn’t matter.

Others View me as having committed in Totality, which is a contrast to my feelings of Laziness. 

Sorrow is in the Hopes & Fears position, and I strangely interpret this as the self-pity card (it’s not the writer’s intention – but “hey”, I’m doing the interpreting. Right?).   I fear that I will become overawed by the situation and immerse myself in wallowing.  I’m also a little sad to be going on leave, now everything is organised.  Anyway, on the hope side of the equation, I hope to avoid the fear .

Ahh, the Outcome of the pre-holiday ramp-up is the stress that might arise if the slightest change to the exit plan occurs; this is what the Fighting card says.  Bring on the holiday! ⛰

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 229

Day 228 – The Dream of Happiness

Monday, 16 August 2021

Day 228. Cards in order of appearance: Suppression, Breakthrough, The Outsider, Exhaustion, Past Lives, Intensity, Completion, Integration, Healing, Silence, Washing Machine

The Dream Context

As of Day 219, I had claimed I would simplify my writing to help catch up-up.  Of course, yesterday, Day 227, was not short – text wise.  Today, then I will do better.  My notes refer to a conversation with my husband and my thoughts on Osho’s interpretation of The Dream.  Or at least what’s written in the book which accompanies his cards.

Notes:

  1. Mark thought that the activity on Day 212 responded to his saying I wasn’t fit enough for a seven-day walk in the outback (Larapinta Ranges). My response to that was, “Excuse me?!” 

Hmmm, maybe I protest-eth a little too much!  Okay, there was some truth to it, but the main and dominating reason was to exercise my ankle on more rugged terrain than the footpaths around the home.

  1. What are my thoughts on The Dream card text by Osho following yesterday’s Outcome?

Viewpoint Parameters

Before I begin on a “rant” which I could wind up agreeing with, in maybe one to twenty years, I’m going to set some disclaimers, parameters or simple justifications. 

Firstly, for the most part, I sincerely enjoy Buddhism and some of its affiliated off-shoot religions.  Osho, in particular, I’ve found has been more flexible with some views.  Yet, at his core, he’s still following Buddhist religious principles.  By the way, it’s wonderful.  But like in Christianity, there’s a dichotomy between free will and things each religion sees as a foundational precept.  I hold no judgement on this because “it is what it is”.

That said, I’m all for the free will angle (which is hard for me as I’m an authoritarian at heart, I think).  Therefore, I’m pursuing my critique of The Dream, as it stands, from today’s perspective. 

First, the pages I’m referring to:

The Dream card with Osho's description of card.
The Dream Osho's Interpretation

The Interpretation

One of the things I occasionally enjoy is a paradox, and as Madonna sings in the song Like it or Not (Confessions on the Dance Floor – LyricFind), “Life is a paradox, and it doesn’t make much sense”.  Osho’s The Dream card is also a paradox from where I sit.  

On the one hand, we that humanity is a communal being, and we thrive in communities. Then, on the other hand, we have schools of thought encased in religion, saying that we focus on love relationships to avoid admitting we’re alone.  Almost saying we should go it alone.  

Oh, okay! I’m deliberately obtuse about the interpretation of The Dream the way Osho teaches it, and I’m sure he doesn’t mean we should go it alone.  Who would open my jars or help with the housework?

Many people know they’re alone, but why does it mean we have to acknowledge it every minute of every day?  Anyone who has listened to Billy Joel’s My Life (MusixMatch) and identified with the lyrics:

They will tell you you can't sleep alone in a strange place
Then they'll tell you you can't sleep with somebody else
Oh, but sooner or later, you sleep in your own space
Either way, it's okay; you wake up with yourself.

Billy Joel

To me, this made perfect sense. You’re always alone, and even if you wake up with somebody next to you, you’re still alone.

Now, it’s essential to realise that being alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely.

Happiness on a Platter

What I do agree with is the line in The Dream where, “Nobody, whether it’s your current mate or some dreamed-of partner in the future, has any obligation to deliver your happiness on a platter – nor could they even if they wanted to”.

“Happiness is an inside job” is a line that I used a lot growing up, when I longed for that “dreamed-of partner” to make me happy (Dan McBride’s words from a cassette on “How to Develop a Successful Sales Strategy, Part A) rang through my mind.  The phrase reminded me to listen to myself and make me happy first.  My happiness and confidence in myself will then be able to help others be happy.

And for a long time, I’ve believed that two individuals are not halves of one another but should be two whole people who come together and work as a team, each lending their strengths to the relationship.  Maybe, that’s a bit of the project manager in me coming to the fore, or is it the other way around?

Oh, dear! I’ve gotten carried away.  I’m going to wrap it up there; there are more days to write. 🎉

Today's Cards

Day 228. Cards in order of appearance: Suppression, Breakthrough, The Outsider, Exhaustion, Past Lives, Intensity, Completion, Integration, Healing, Silence, Washing Machine

The Cards - The Dream Analysis

Carryover Cards

Two cards carried over from yesterday; Exhaustion moved from Future Energy to Distant Past, Silence moved from Others’ Views to Outcome.

Cross

It looks like Exhaustion moved quickly from Future Energy to Distant Past. But it has provided the foundation for today’s set of cards.  Because I’m exhausted, Exhaustion has pushed me inward and caused Suppression in the Now.

The Outsider in the Goal position indicates that the withdrawal is voluntary.  A Breakthrough from my view of The Dream can be challenging. 

Past Lives is the period before I met my husband, and yesterday’s anniversary in the Recent Past brought it to mind.

Future Energy has the card of Intensity which is the raw power of an Australian bushfire 🔥.  I can’t say how this relates to today’s reading, except it could reflect my passion that people can be in loving relationships and not use it to fight aloneness.

Base

Completion is my Feelings on the topic of Day 212 concerning my desire to go for a hilly walk.  That’s done and dusted!

Others’ Views on today’s topic is that of Integration.  Integration being able to work with the paradox, making a fusion between aloneness and unity.

I am desperately hoping that Healing is what I’m currently undergoing.  If I’m not Healing, then I fear what is happening is something that will need Healing.  Alas, my Hopes & Fears expressed.

The Outcome card is Silence, and the gaining of inner peace happens in releasing the suppressed.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 228

Day 227 – Our Anniversary Date is a Ski Date

Sunday, 15 August 2021

Day 227. Cards in order of appearance: Traveling, Clinging to the Past, Laziness, Politics, Consciousness, Exhaustion, The Fool, Silence, Creativity, The Dream, Standard Shuffle

Anniversary Context

In 2005, my husband and I met on the Perisher Valley ski field today.  We consider it our meeting anniversary.  Like all such arrangements, we see it as fated to be.  Circumstances threw us together.  Initially, it was just a polite sharing of a T-bar.  But when we separated at the top, little did we know that it was likely to be the last time we were ever to depart as strangers.

After separating, we went our separate ways. I went to the left, and Mark went to the right.  I had decided to ski to the next T-bar along toward steeper terrain.  And, as fate would have it, so did he.  Skiing at the same pace, we bumped into each other in the “Singles” line at the bottom of that T-bar.

I’ll quickly cover for those who are unaware of ski field T-bar and chairlift efficiency strategies.  You see, the aim is to get as many people up the mountain as soon as possible.  The goal allows for the maximum number of runs down the hill, thus increasing your skiing enjoyment. 

One of the best parts of skiing is being able to glide down the hill with the wind on your face, yelling “whee!”.  Or if you’re a beginner on a beginner slope, “Out ta da way.  Whee!  Oops!  Oooh.  Ahhh.  Up .. U… Phew!”, as you regain balance on whatever snow-sliding device you’ve chosen.

Now, back to the story.  Ah, yes.  Getting people up the mountain is a tricky business.  There are chairlifts for two, three, four and eight persons.  There are very few three-seater chairlifts on the Australian ski fields.  That means if you’re not part of a couple or family group who ski with the same skill, there will be times you’re skiing alone, aka single.

Moving People At Snowfields

Chairlifts personnel, or lifties, are at the beginning and end of chairlifts and T-bars to ensure everyone gets off and on without injury.  Lifties also help people get to the next run quickly.  Having four-person chairs travel up with one person at peak times isn’t practical or efficient. 

So, they created a “singles” line.  Singles are then paired or added to an odd grouping to form the number required to travel.  Alternately, where no queue exists, solo skiers raise a hand and yell “single!”.  Anyone also flying solo and who doesn’t mind sharing will respond.

When it comes to T-bars, skiers will typically prefer to travel with another skier.  Not being a snowboarder, I cannot speak to what a snowboarder might want as to T-bar travel.   The other thing skiers prefer when travelling on T-bars is having someone of similar height; it helps balance. 

As opposed to chairlifts, you don’t sit on T-bars, nor can you put all your weight on them.  It’s very much Newton’s law.  For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction.  The amount of weight you can put on the T-bar depends on the angle of the slope.  For example, if you’re on the flat, you simply need to be able to stand up and let the T-bar pull you along. 

The T-bar is T shaped.  One person leans on one side of the T and the other on the other side.  The person on the left can put the right hand on the T upright, and the person on the right the reverse.  If you have one person on the T-bar, it feels lopsided, and when you go up a steep, things can become more awkward.  Not impossible, but it’s more pleasant to have a balancing weight on the other side. 

The Romance

At the second T-bar, I went to yell ‘”single” and saw a familiar ski-jacket from the last T-bar.  I asked if he didn’t mind going up with me again since our “bum differential” was similar.   This time we discovered we were both skiing on our own.   Mark didn’t know Perisher, and I offered to spend the afternoon taking him around the mountain. 

The afternoon skiing with someone about the same level was enjoyable.  When the day was over, we agreed to catch up the following day for more skiing.   On day three, we met again and went to dinner for my birthday. 

It wasn’t simple to stay in touch since we didn’t live in the same state, I lived 1,500 kilometres north, and he was 1,000 kilometres south.  At first, I thought it was simply a vacation friendship with the plan to each head, once again, our separate ways. 

The best thing about that frame of mind was the usual fears about my appearance and actions went out the window.  Self-consciousness took a backseat.  If I wasn’t going to see this person again after the vacation, I was simply going to be myself.  And if being myself wasn’t what he was after, it didn’t matter.  That’s a win-win for me.

So, when do you start counting a day as an anniversary?  Is it the first time you lay eyes on each other?  Hmmm, lay eyes.  Is that rugged up in ski gear or at dinner?   Or was it sometime later when we finally caught up outside of the vacation?   It’s a personal preference. 

For us, it’s 15 August.  Hmmm, today is sixteen years since we first met.  The funny thing is, it doesn’t seem that long ago, for which I’m glad.  It means I still enjoy his company.

Today's Cards

Day 227. Cards in order of appearance: Traveling, Clinging to the Past, Laziness, Politics, Consciousness, Exhaustion, The Fool, Silence, Creativity, The Dream, Standard Shuffle

The Cards - Anniversary Analysis

Carryover Cards

One card carried over from yesterday; The Dream moved from Goal to Outcome.

Cross

Politics was happening in the Distant Past with friends who could not join me on this day in 2005 to go skiing.  One friend had short notice to move across the country, another was settling her house purchase, and another had to look after a sick family member. 

These distant Politics contributed to the Travelling we’re doing now for our anniversary.  Anniversaries allows Clinging to the Past, bringing with them a sense of longing and nostalgia, which is the current Influence.   The purpose (Goal) of the travel is to embrace Laziness.   Not for too long, mind.  Just long enough to gain therapeutic value from it. 

And, of course, Consciousness forms the overall awareness of the situation to plan a trip away in the first place (Recent Past).

The reward for effort in preparing for a vacation is Exhaustion (Future Energy).

Base

The Fool embodies romantic notions and fosters the untarnished wide-eyed Feeling associated with the leap of faith.  It is what doing something special for someone else is about, that making a fool of oneself.

Silence is in the Others’ Views position, and perhaps on the surface, I appear outwardly calm and at peace with myself.  Since Silence is associated with the number 17, and 17 is my birthdate, people see me as me (see Day 225).

Creativity sits in the Hopes & Fears position, and it can be an expression of love.  Osho describes it in this way, “Creativity is the quality that you bring to the activity you are doing” (p.9).  Love is an activity, and I don’t simply mean on a sexual level either.  I hope to bring quality to our relationship, indeed, to all my relationships.  Conversely, I fear that I have no way of knowing whether it measures up – but that’s not the point of Creativity, is it?

The Outcome is The Dream.  Hmmm, it’s the card of fairy tale romances or seeing the world through the eyes of one without facing the reality of being alone.  A relationship is a way of avoiding facing that fact.  Maybe then the anniversary is a way of helping us avoid that aloneness.  Perhaps, I might explore that concept tomorrow.  We’ll see.  🙈

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
  2. We were going to go Skiing in New Zealand, Day 170
End Day 227

Day 226 – Jinxes and the Unknowable Path

Saturday, 14 August 2021

Day 226. Cards in order of appearance: Participation, Morality, The Dream, Change, Beyond Illusion, Innocence, Thunderbolt, Past Lives, The Burden, Inner Voice, Standard Shuffle

Jinxing Context

The last time Mark, my husband, and I took a walk at JC Slaughter Falls, we had news of a lockdown when we got to the summit.  To avoid jinxing the walk, this time we avoided going to the café.  Thus, making the walk purely exercise.

Many things were going through my mind about which to write during the walk but, I put most of them to the side and hoped the topics would return when it came time to blog.  The only thing to write about is jinxing things and how silly it is to have such a superstition, yet we all seem to have a superstition about something.

One of my many and varied comes when I’m watching my football team.  For instance, when the game was on, I was doing housework.  The cleaning was a productive use of supporter energy.  And while I cleaned, my team kept winning. 

When I finally decided to sit and watch the game, the other team scored a goal.  I’d made three attempts to sit and watch the game, and three times the opposition scored with the momentum looking to shift their way.  Coincidence?  Or was I making a difference?  I led myself to believe that my effort was contributing to the team’s momentum. 

At the time, it seemed sitting was empowering to the wrong side.  As long as I actively did the housework, I seemed to be jinxing the opponent.  When I ran out of things to clean, I began on the windows surrounding the television.  It was an exhausting game for me!  But our place was spotless with clean windows to boot!

Unknowable Path

The reason superstitions and jinxes are so effective is because you’ll never know what might have happened if you had done things differently.  There’s no evidence, except the evidence sought with a confirmational bias to prove the point. 

It’s interesting to note, when the next time I tried cleaning, it didn’t work.  That time, I needed to stay put and give my undivided attention to the game.  At other times, my viewing is the reason they lost.  Not watching the game so the team can win smacks of martyrdom, but I do it for my team 😉.

I think I simply feel invested if I feel I’m doing something to help them win; in my head, I believe this. 🙃 Of course, if the team loses, I hadn’t found the right way to assist or beat the jinx, or perhaps it’s just some days you need to experience losing. 

And even though losing can be devastating, it’s still a weirdly “fun” part of the experience.  It’s like picking at a scab or testing a bruise.  You know it’s going to hurt if you touch it, but poke it, we do.  Maybe that’s just me?

The point is, of course, we will never know if the jinx had changed if I persisted in sitting down whether the momentum shifts that happened would have happened regardless.  Now and again, I have to remind myself that while my energy, like the energy of praying, might contribute a little, it’s unlikely to be the only “ALL” difference.  Other factors need to happen to support the focus around the way the wind is blowing.  Some events might just need to be jinx or no jinx.  How’s that for a fatalistic approach?

Escaping a Jinx

How do you escape these insidious jinxes or superstitions to become a logical person?  I’m not sure you can become utterly devoid of them.  Any ritual or even habit can take on a resemblance of a superstition.  The jinx is the ensuing bad luck derived from not following the routine.

Maybe it’s wise to confine superstition and jinxes to unknowable alternatives rather than say that I need to brush my teeth a certain way every morning.  Doing your teeth a certain way might ensure you cover every part of your mouth.  The trick comes from you not brushing for one day and feeling something evil will happen as a consequence.  One time missed won’t hurt.  Right? 

Of course, bad luck might just be the way the cookie crumbles or the pieces land, but you’ll never know.  If it’s not hurting anyone, it can become one of your “things” by which people will remember you as you pass through their life. 

Today's Cards

Day 226. Cards in order of appearance: Participation, Morality, The Dream, Change, Beyond Illusion, Innocence, Thunderbolt, Past Lives, The Burden, Inner Voice, Standard Shuffle

The Cards - Analysis

Carryover Cards

Three cards carried over from yesterday; Morality moved from Outcome to Influence, Change moved from Recent Past to Distant Past, and Inner Voice moved from Influence to Outcome.

Cross

The Change in yesterday‘s Recent Past has moved to become the Distant Past today.  Yesterday was all about the number thirteen and how it was superstition, and today was about jinxes and the preventative superstitions for team losses, another form of superstition.

Maybe both the superstitions come from the same source in the past; the “juju” might be something handed down from adult to child for generations.  The only thing that changes is what superstition is influencing.

In the Context, under “Unknowable Alternate Path”, by Participation as a team supporter, the jinx exists in the Now in the first place.  Of course, I have the overbearing presence of doing and saying the right things (Morality) regarding viewership and Participation. 

The Change in the Distant Past continues its presence in Beyond Illusion, which is the card of the chrysalis shifting from the caterpillar to the butterfly.

Beyond Illusion is the fulfilment of the day’s Goal of The Dream.  The Dream, by contrast, is full of illusion; the illusion, in this case, being my belief that what I do as a supporter matter.  While I sometimes believe, on rare occasions, it does. 

But I’m pleasantly deluding myself as an enjoyment like the wise Innocence of one making playful conversation with a grasshopper, although knowing full well the grasshopper is unlikely to understand.  It’s what the Innocence card in Future Energy presents.

Base

While writing this post, I moved from knowing superstition was in the unknowable; I suddenly felt it; which is why Thunderbolt is in the Feelings position.

Others’ Views believe that Past Lives is affecting me and my superstitions or a jinx; who am I to gainsay otherwise?  😏

 The Burden in Hopes & Fears appears natural when superstitions and jinxes are involved.  Mentally you hope not to be manipulated by your fear of not doing or doing what your superstition tells you, but how do you get out of it?  Yet, the fear of the alternate holds you to your ritual/s.

In the end, you just need to listen to your Inner Voice to ensure the Outcome you want to achieve and not be trapped by a jinx.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 226

Day 225 – It’s All About Thirteen

Friday, 13 August 2021

Day 225. Cards in order of appearance: Silence, Inner Voice, Control, Slowing Down, Change, The Source, Maturity, Comparison, Adventure, Morality, Fan Selection

Thirteen Context

There are many articles on why Friday the 13th is an unlucky day, and some of them are playful (BBC).  Christian beliefs are related to the number of guests at the Last Supper where Judas attended (history.com).  It was similar to Valhalla in Nordic mythology, where twelve gods assembled to feast, and Loki gate-crashed it to cause mischief (Wikipedia 1 and Wikipedia 2).

Back when I did a numerology course, the number 13 was considered a karmic number, as was the number 14 – there are other karmic numbers, of course, but today is about the number 13.

In numerology, numbers get added together and pulled apart into their visual components.  For instance, 13 is made up of one and three and add to make four.  One is leading and being the first, and the three is about multiple activities happening simultaneously.  The number four is about foundations or the building of them.

I had heard at some point; the number thirteen was considered unlucky by the simple fact that innumeracy was prolific in the past and couldn’t count to thirteen.  Twelve was a high as was practical to measure.  The innumeracy argument was thin, but it became more robust when people who could count to thirteen were considered witches or heretics.

Seeking Patterns

So, how does this make it a karmic number?  In truth, I don’t know.  Karmic numbers, from what I remember, are numbers with significant consequences.  There is a degree of complexity concerning karmic numbers that applies to individuals and their birth dates. 

Suffice it to say that a person’s birthday becomes their personal “karmic” number.  Recurrences of this number, either manufactured, coincidental or serendipitous, have applicability to that individual.  

A work colleague in Melbourne often recanted the number of times the number thirteen entered her life.  You see, Sylvia was born on the thirteenth of X month.  Sylvia was fond of saying she met her husband, got married, divorced, second husband, settled house loan, et cetera, but you get the picture. 

Basically, while having a birthday on such a divisive day, Sylvia relished in the number’s infamy, thereby seeking it out and further adding to the list of “thirteens” in her life.  As far as she was concerned, the bingo call sign of “Number 13 – lucky for some” was as apt as they come.  After all, her birthdays got celebrated by a loving family, and it brought gifts and cake.

The critical point about Sylvia’s story is, if you go looking for a connection or pattern, you’re most likely going to find one.

Neglecting Karmic Numbers

Now, look at the number thirteen as the bringer of significant change to foundations.  How you approach the challenge or how the foundations hold up comes down entirely to attitude.  Bear in mind that a substantial change does not have to be something dramatic or earthshattering; it can be subtle and unremarkable – at first.

The shift for the number thirteen will happen even if you pretend the number doesn’t exist.  It’s the order of things, you can call thirteen twenty-six, but it will still be that position however you brand it.  A tree is a tree is a tree.  You can no more change its order like you can change the way the sun rises and sets. 

You are ignoring the number thirteen only compounds the work the karmic number fourteen has to do.  Thirteen is about challenging foundations, and fourteen is about holding steady, rebuilding or sweeping debris.  Although you can’t compound day 13 and day 14 or any month, you can compound on human-made orders such as floors and hotel rooms.

I love the hotel on Thursday Island because it put me in room Thirteen.  It was a balanced hotel.  Why did this hotel have a number thirteen?  Easy.  The locals didn’t even know that “thirteen” was a thing not to have.  Nobody local ever worried about it.   Torres Strait Islanders’ heritage is different and did not have a base of Christian or Nordic.

Don’t worry; each culture has its owns culture-induced fears.  Nonetheless, change still occurs for the locals on karmic days, even if it isn’t a big deal.  Change happens all the time.  It’s simply humankind’s way of explaining the world.

Today's Cards

Day 225. Cards in order of appearance: Silence, Inner Voice, Control, Slowing Down, Change, The Source, Maturity, Comparison, Adventure, Morality, Fan Selection

The Cards - Thirteen Analysis

Carryover Cards

One card carried over from yesterday; Inner Voice moved from Outcome to Influence position.

Cross

Distant Past’s Slowing Down creates a Recent Past of Change that prompts an Understanding which influences a need for Silence.  

At the beginning of the day, the desire for a Goal around balance and Control formed. In the end, The Source is Future Energy.

The above translates to taking time to think on the number thirteen.  For me, the number had a minimal impact today, except maybe understanding the effects of the number thirteen.

Base

My exposure to numerology had given me an understanding of how things might fit together.  Personally, thirteen has been good and bad and sometimes simultaneously so.  For instance, my parents got divorced when I was thirteen.  It was traumatic for my mother, and I knew things were changing, but I wasn’t aware of the impact. 

In the end, their divorce was a blessing for me.  It wasn’t until I gained Maturity, and these are my Feelings, that I fully understood the benefits of something, which was at the time an upheaval.

Others’ Views are of Comparison, or they see me as doing a lot of comparing.  I can’t argue with that!

As for the Hopes & Fears card of Adventure, apart from the obvious of me wanting to simply hope for an enjoyable adventure and fear that the odds will eventually throw an unexpected Adventure my way.

Morality is in the Outcome position, and Morality is about doing things in a socially and societally acceptable way.  When it comes to the number thirteen, I will probably be like Silvia and enjoy the infamy while at the same time being slightly wary.  Hey, a baker’s dozen is always a bonus! 

From what I understand, a baker’s dozen was always twelve plus one for the road.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
  2. As opposed to Day 224, today was bigger than I intended.  Looks like my lifetime character-arc still needs work.
End Day 225

Day 224 – Buying Atoms & Missed Car Appointment

Thursday, 12 August 2021

Day 224. Cards in order of appearance: New Vision, Breakthrough, The Master, Possibilities, Thunderbolt, Letting Go, Healing, Compromise, Intensity, Inner Voice, Deck pile shuffle

Buying Atoms Context

Back on Day 219, I wrote that I would simply type up the notes from my notebook and perform a brief card analysis for the next few weeks.  It’s been challenging to restrict what I want to write, but it is part of my lifetime’s character arc.  Going out on my own with cryptocurrency and buying atoms and a missed car appointment.  So, today’s notes were:

  • I only realised today that I’d missed a car appointment for its service. It was booked for 9 Aug 2021 – three days ago.
  • I needed to go back and check why I missed it and discovered it was the day I had the bad antibiotic reaction (Day 220 – An Unexpected Antibiotic Reaction).
  • From a cryptocurrency perspective, I’ve wanted to purchase something that caught my eye. Since I began getting into cryptocurrency, I have wanted to buy an ATOM in the Cosmos.  Now, I have no learned idea of what that means.  However, I think an ATOM is a coin in the same way that Bitcoin is a coin, and Cosmos is the developer of that ATOM.  So, today I purchased some ATOMS in the Cosmos.
  • Cryptocurrency is much like shares on the stock market, although there’s a lot of obfuscation. So, I’m still learning.  At the moment, I haven’t found anything that uses an easy to understand analogy to help understand the currency world.  I’ll keep searching; maybe I’ll find something. 

Today's Cards

Day 224. Cards in order of appearance: New Vision, Breakthrough, The Master, Possibilities, Thunderbolt, Letting Go, Healing, Compromise, Intensity, Inner Voice, Deck pile shuffle

The Cards - Buying Atoms Analysis

Carryover Cards

One card carried over from yesterday; Letting Go, moved from Outcome to Future Energy.

Cross

Possibilities in the Distant Past and a spiritual Goal to become The Master led to a Thunderbolt.  The destruction created by Thunderbolt’s presence made an opening for a Breakthrough to influence a New Vision of Now.  It also means that Future Energy will have something by way of Letting Go.

And now for the translation.  Possibilities can apply to both cryptocurrency and car booking.  In a minuscule way, the Breakthrough is me tacitly understanding enough about cryptocurrency to branch out on my own and purchase it without the aid of Lee’s husband. 

And when it comes to the car booking, Possibilities is the times available to me, and the Breakthrough is when it dawned on me that I’d missed taking the car in for a service this morning.

In both instances, there was a New Vision.  Once I had successfully bought the ATOMs, my world opened up (not quite to the Cosmos, but it’s a beginning).  And for the car, the New Vision was me recognising the reason I missed the appointment.

When it comes to The Master and the Goal, I sought to become a master in both circumstances.  The Master of understanding for crypto – buying ATOMs – and The Master of changing the car booking.   Yes, I know it’s a stretch.

Letting Go in Future Energy is simply moving on from both; crypto was a big Letting Go because I no longer needed to rely on Lee’s husband, Jon, wholly.  From a car perspective, I needed to let go of the missed opportunity for a car service.

Base

Strangely, Healing is in the Feelings position and appears unrelated to today’s topics.  But is Healing so irrelevant?  No, it’s not.  Healing is me not only feeling better, but it is also about Letting Go, which, if left unchecked, might come back as stress.

Others’ Views are that I’m Compromising.  It is what I needed to do with the car’s rebooking.  For cryptocurrency, there is some truth in that, too, since I limited myself just buying a couple of ATOMs when I wanted to buy more.  I’m not risk-averse yet!

Intensity is in the Hopes & Fears position and applies to today’s topics.  I hope my purchase wasn’t too much of a gamble because it was unguided.  Perhaps the consequences are severe. 

As for the car, the new date is after we have been travelling and therefore I hope missing the appointment doesn’t have dire consequences.  The fear is, obviously, that the results are impactful.  Intensity is like a bounding new puppy not knowing its strength and not wholly aware of consequences.

The Outcome is to listen to my Inner Voice, including buying ATOMs, and everything will work out.  Philosophically speaking, what I bought is what I purchased.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 224

Day 223 – Simple Tasks can Help You Let Go

Wednesday, 11 August 2021

Day 223. Cards in order of appearance: Existence, Stress, Flowering, Patience, Harmony, The Miser, Exhaustion, Slowing Down, Fighting, Letting Go, Deck pile shuffle

Simple Tasks Context

Hello.  Once again, I embark to simply type up my daily notes (refer to Day 219 for why).  My mind was foggy today, and for me to remain productive, I focussed on backlog, time-consuming activities and simple tasks.

  • It’s hard to focus on “thinking” activities when your mind is foggy – like mine is today. For instance, activities that require creativity or problem-solving are out.
  • So, what do or can you do? I pick something dull and straightforward – a simple task.  I am tidying up files, doing filing, trawling data for consistency.  Any time-consuming activity previously abandoned but completed would make life easier in the future. 
  • Uniformity tasks are not something you can do all the time, but, as luck would have it, today was a good day for tidy up activities.
  • That’s it, soothing, repetitive tasks. They’re great for mental health because you let go of clutter.  On some cognitive level, there’s a letting go happening.

Today's Cards

Day 223. Cards in order of appearance: Existence, Stress, Flowering, Patience, Harmony, The Miser, Exhaustion, Slowing Down, Fighting, Letting Go, Deck pile shuffle

The Cards - Simple Tasks Analysis

Carryover Cards

No cards carried over from yesterday.

Cross

In the Distant Past, Patience, I put some simple tasks on hold because pressing work issues may have demanded my full attention.  

Existence is in Now influenced by Stress.  It looks like I’ve entirely disengaged from the Stress and simply enjoying focussing on simple but necessary tasks. 

Flowering in the Goal position suggests the desire to expand and share who I am with others.  The Goal may have formed during the Recent Past‘s Harmony.  But alas, it doesn’t look to be the case with The Miser in Future Energy. 

As you might know, The Miser is about shrinking and keeping oneself to oneself, the opposite of Flowering – Stress can do that to me.  I wonder how doing simple tasks fits into the energy.  Is it The Miser as a form of contraction, or is it Stress avoidance?

Base

Another thing Stress can cause, and that’s Exhaustion.  It’s the constant onslaught of demands to be and do something.   It looks like it’s gotten to me because I have Feelings of Exhaustion which has been appropriately forecast in position seven.

Others’ Views of my focus on simple tasks is that I’m Slowing Down, which to my mind is very perceptive by the viewers without being aware of the real reason. 🥱

Fighting to control outbursts and grouchiness is in the Hopes & Fears spot.  I hope I do not find a reason to destroy my calm because of necessity; this might trigger an outburst or a reaction I’ll need to apologise. 

Now, I don’t have a problem apologising, but it’s my preferred option to prevent someone from being exposed to a grouchy or passive-aggressive comment from me in the first instance (my fear).

Finally, we arrive at Letting Go in the Outcome location.  From my notes, it appears the cards agree with me that a Letting Go is happening at a different cognitive state and performing simple tasks facilitates the shift.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 223

Day 222 – Trial and Error on Self

Tuesday, 10 August 2021

Day 222. Cards in order of appearance: Suppression, Breakthrough, Schizophrenia, Morality, Laziness, Consciousness, Participation, Ripeness, Conditioning, Abundance, Deck pile shuffle

Trial and Error Context

I mentioned on Day 219 that I was behind in blog writing and needed to catch up because being so far behind was stressing me.  Here are my notes from 10 Aug 2021 and the associated tarot analysis.  The main thoughts for the day were around trial and error for experimenting on myself to identify the cause of the heart palpitations.

Notes for 10 Aug 2021

  • Working from home
  • Still feeling unwell from the antibiotics
  • I decided to move back into the study to do the writing.  My husband watched interesting videos on geography, history, music, and film reactionists, distracting me!  It’s all so incredible.  The kitchen was also causing me to get side-tracked as I wanted to help with prepping meals, feeding cats and fish.  
  • Thoughts today were focused on what might be causing the heart palpitations. Perhaps it was a combination of the periodontal salt mix and additional magnesium.  Do I embark on a trial and error activity to identify which aspect is causing them?  It would be helpful to know. 
  • The experiment might look like this: week one, pick perio mix and see what happens; week two, stop perio mix and take magnesium? If this doesn’t work, leave everything for a week, then use the two simultaneously?  But, alas, at present, I’m enjoying not having them, and I might give it a miss until I feel more adventurous.

Today's Cards

Day 222. Cards in order of appearance: Suppression, Breakthrough, Schizophrenia, Morality, Laziness, Consciousness, Participation, Ripeness, Conditioning, Abundance, Deck pile shuffle

The Cards - Trial & Error Analysis

Carryover Cards

One card carried over from yesterday; Conditioning moved from Distant Past to Hopes & Fears.

Cross

Trying to do things properly is causing anxiety and Suppression.  Morality in the Distant Past and Suppression is in the Now influenced by Breakthrough.  The thing about Morality in the Distant Past is it impacts everything. 

Breakthrough is in juxtaposition to Suppression.  I don’t know whether the Breakthrough card is trying to encourage the suppressed to open up or whether it’s causing the inward focus. 

The truth is that Laziness in the Recent Past highlights how I left the experimenting too late.  It’s not the first time trialling what was causing the palpitations that entered my mind.  I simply ignored it, “assuming” (Laziness) the flutters and hoped they’d go away. 

Today’s Goal of being split on whether to act or not, Schizophrenia, contributes to the current situation, but I might just need to let the whole topic subside to gain conscious awareness as to the right approach.

Consciousness is in Future Energy, identifying there could be a more holistic view ahead.

Base

I am keen on participating in my health, and I feel Participation is crucial in growth.  Suppose Participation takes the form of collaboration with others, in this case, my doctor.  Hence, its appearance in the Feelings spot.

Others’ Views is of Ripeness, and again a “timing” card appears (Breakthrough).  In short, others think it was about time I got it checked out.

Conditioning sits in the Hopes & Fears position, and, like always, Conditioning is about escaping or learning things aren’t what they seem.  So, I fear the heart analysis or visit didn’t satisfy what I wanted to know, and there was an error.  On the other hand, there hasn’t been a recurrence, and I hope it stays that way.

Finally, the Outcome is Abundance.  Abundance is like Consciousness in that it is about expanding and sharing what one has learnt from one’s own trial and error.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 222

Day 221 – Yesterday’s Antibiotic Reaction Eases

Monday, 9 August 2021

Day 221. Cards in order of appearance: The Creator, The Lovers, Fighting, Conditioning, Healing, Harmony, Guidance, Politics, Intensity, Thunderbolt, Standard Shuffle

Continued Reaction Context

Yesterday’s antibiotic reaction is over, but I am still experiencing the after-effects as the symptoms continue.  One of the things the response has highlighted is just how important it is to listen to our bodies.  Dr Jay is so good when it comes to my health.  She listens to how I approach healing and prescribes the suitable medication should I need it.

Firstly, since I do not want to use “Google” as my source of analysis, I consult my doctor once I’ve tried to give the healing a go.  If I haven’t gotten rid of the ailment within that time, this is the point where I schedule an appointment.  The reason I set the meeting is to keep what’s happening to my body on record. It’s less about obtaining a prescription or referral.

The arrangement we come to follows an agreed path to my recovery.  In a previous instance, Dr Jay decided to allow me two weeks to heal myself; if things worsened, I would fulfil the prescription and proceed from there. It’s an excellent way of working with my doctor instead of simply accepting what the doctor says.  It does help that she has also and is also studying alternative, complementary therapies.

But today, the side effects like the headache continues, my gums still hurt but to a lesser extent than yesterday, and the spotting has stopped. It’s crucial to listen to your body for signs of change.  The lessening of these signs, for me, are improvement signs. I’ll keep monitoring closely to ensure my body’s recovery is in the direction I want it heading.

Today's Cards

Day 221. Cards in order of appearance: The Creator, The Lovers, Fighting, Conditioning, Healing, Harmony, Guidance, Politics, Intensity, Thunderbolt, Standard Shuffle

The Cards - Reaction Analysis

Carryover Cards

Two cards carried over from yesterday; Intensity didn’t move but stayed in the Hopes & Fears position, Thunderbolt moved from Now to Outcome, signifying that another physical change is afoot.

Cross

My Conditioning in the Distant Past, no reactions to antibiotics, had me believing that I was immune to the side effects of antibiotics.  

The Creator’s experience in the healing Now and working with people in the medical profession helped me identify the best course for my recovery.  And The Lovers typically means a harmonious relationship or connection and their influence on today’s Recently Passing Healing.

As for the Goal of Fighting means the side effects of the antibiotics put me on reactive alert.  And this might cause me to “explode” at the slightest misstep or misunderstanding, for instance.

The good thing about the cards is Harmony is in Future Energy, hinting at things getting better.

Base

At its core, I have Feelings of gratefulness for the prompt response and Guidance given to my concerns.

For some reason, I’ve given the appearance that I’m two-faced or hypocritical when it comes to my health.  And it’s certainly possible for Others’ Views to interpret Politics in this way.  Maybe Dr Lee made inferences from my locking down my health file. 

Quite frankly, I’d never considered locking it down to just Dr Jay would be a problem.  You know, it’s complicated about how this happens in Australia, so for the time being, I think we’ll give it a miss.  Suffice it to say, Dr Lee was unable to access my medical files.

The Intensity card remains in the Hopes & Fears position from yesterday (Day 220).  And like yesterday, I hope my energy levels will return.  Sometimes, you fear it will take too long for something to happen from a gloomy and impatient perspective, which gives you the impression it will not happen.

Thunderbolt is in the Outcome position and signifies a change in the physical state; presumably, I am continuing to heal, overcoming the reaction, and my energy will begin to return.

Note: by now, you know that I don’t use real names of individuals; this includes doctors too.  Not to mention, I also routinely create composite characters.  That is, people made up using characteristics from different people into a single identity for storytelling purposes. 

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7

  2. Note: by now, you know that I don’t use real names of individuals; this includes doctors too.  I also routinely create composite characters, that is, people made up using characteristics from different people into a single identity for storytelling purposes.

End Day 221

Day 220 – An Unexpected Antibiotic Reaction

Sunday, 8 August 2021

Day 220. Cards in order of appearance: Thunderbolt, Letting Go, Morality, Sorrow, Ice-olation, The Fool, Trust, Guilt, Intensity, Clinging to the Past, Standard Shuffle

Antibiotic Context

Many years ago, I reacted to an antibiotic that contained penicillin.  However, since then, there have been no reactions, until now.  Since I was given the antibiotics for the infection, I’ve felt tired, mouth ulcer, headache, irregular heartbeat and some nausea.

My Reaction

I awoke this morning to sore gums; and, I slept in until 10:00 am, without a late night.  My husband put it down to me having a sleep debt.  There’s some truth to it, but it’s not something that affects me unless I get less than six-seven hours a night.  No, I attribute the tiredness to the recovery.  When your body is healing, it typically needs sleep.

Anyway, I put the sore gums down to being extra vigilant in brushing since I’d been to the hygienist not too long ago.  The occasional irregular heartbeat was ascribed to the “heart flutters”, although the feeling was quite different.  The headache I put down to poor sleeping posture or that I’d slept so long.   And nausea, I felt, was usual with antibiotics.

When I got some blood specs from my lady part, which I put down to “spotting” yesterday, I became worried when the “spotting” continued today, and I hadn’t had any spotting for about three years.  At this point, I looked up the NPS MedicineWise website for possible symptoms of the flucloxacillin antibiotic.

To my surprise, the website listed a few of my symptoms.  The website advised not to stop taking the antibiotic until a doctor requests it because it might be dangerous!  I contacted my doctor, but Doctor Jay (Day 218) was on recreation leave.  The clinic then put me through to Doctor Lee, a doctor working from home during isolation.  Luckily, good sense prevailed, and I stopped taking the antibiotics. 

What I thought was unusual about my discussion with Dr Lee was the question as to why I hadn’t mentioned my allergy.  My response was, “I’d never had that antibiotic before, so how would I know to mention it”?

Now, all I can do is wait and see.

Today's Cards

Day 220. Cards in order of appearance: Thunderbolt, Letting Go, Morality, Sorrow, Ice-olation, The Fool, Trust, Guilt, Intensity, Clinging to the Past, Standard Shuffle

The Cards - Antibiotic Analysis

Carryover Cards

One card carried over from yesterday; Guilt moved from Hopes & Fears to Others’ Views.

Cross

It all began with Sorrow and sadness in the Distant Past.  Sorrow paved the way for a significant shift in the physical body in Thunderbolt, the heart flutters.  Thunderbolt has Letting Go as its influence.

My Goal was to do the right thing reflected by Morality. The right thing, in this case, is to follow the antibiotics prescription.  

In the Recent Past, I’ve felt sadness or that enjoyment has been missing in my life.  Not in the sense of me not loving the people around me, but I’ve felt Ice-olation. 

Ice-olation is the need for tears, and if you don’t cry them, the body takes on the strain.  Now, I don’t have to have anxiety in my life, and there’s no reason why I cannot have both my paying work and my home life work. 

The problem with my extracurricular activity is it challenges me to grow; stay focused on a single task. I’ve been very good at cross-skilling all my life, and that’s because as soon as something got too hard, I’d change to something else. 

The advantage is I became very versatile because of the cross-skilling advances aptitudes in other areas.  However, the task to task to task was also avoidance. 

Letting Go is appropriate because changing this habit means changing how I have operated, but that’s where the stress lies.

The Fool is in Future Energy and shows a change in approach, yet again.

Base

At this point, I feel I need to Trust in the process of the universe to guide me.  Note, Trust is very similar to Letting Go.

Guilt has moved from becoming a fear to something others have noticed in Others’ Views.  I don’t believe the Guilt card has followed us from yesterday in its meaning.  Coming from the internal Hopes & Fears doesn’t necessarily mean it become visible externally.  This card, I think, might be me feeling Guilt at stopping or not stopping the use of antibiotics when symptoms began. 

Today’s Hopes & Fears is Intensity.  Intensity is about dynamic energy, which I hope will return now that the antibiotics have stopped.  The fear is more has been going on, and energy levels will remain low.

Finally, Clinging to the Past is in the Outcome spot.  Alas, not Letting Go of something I’ve always done might be a little trickier than I thought.  😟

References & Notations

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7

  2. Note: by now, you know that I don’t use real names of individuals; this includes doctors too.  I also routinely create composite characters, that is, people made up using characteristics from different people into a single identity for storytelling purposes.

End Day 220

Day 219 – Cat Purrs and Garlic Bread

Saturday, 8 August 2021

Day 219. Cards in order of appearance: Rebirth, Inner Voice, Comparison, The Lovers, New Vision, The Burden, Abundance, The Outsider, Guilt, Beyond Illusion, Washing Machine

Cat Purr Context

Welcome to the first of my abbreviated contexts (I hope).  My thoughts today were about the healing powers of cat purrs.  A Domino’s pizza delivery yesterday provided a surprise gift today.   Anyway, my plan is from Day 219 to Day 243; the contexts will be short and sweet, based solely on my notes with minimal elaboration.  Both yesterday, Day 218, and today have The Burden appear in the cards, and this time it does relate to the cards and writing context. 

The benefit of aiming to write daily is that you get “fresh” news on what I’ve been thinking about on the day.  On the other hand, it is a disadvantage because there are no days off, whether for sickness – which I seem to have a disproportionate amount of this year – family time, or simply needing to prioritise extra time to my income-generating job over the blog.

Note on Pet's Therapeutic Value

Anyway, today’s notes captured how, in my thoughts was the therapeutic value of pets.  Our ginger and white cat, Valentine, always seems to pick the morning to sit on my lap.  His purr always promotes activity in an area where bran and prunes usually work.  Dobby seems to sense when I get an ear infection or if my neck or chest have needed clearing.  Each of our cats’ purrs appears to be slightly different, and the frequency depends on the time of day.

A previous hairdresser mentioned that the cat purr always reminded him of the kidney treatment machine, which he needs regularly.

In The healing power of your cat’s purr, Feliway claims, “A cat’s purr frequency is exactly 26 Hertz”.  However, in a BBC article by Stephen Dowling, in the Complicated Truth about a Cat’s Purr, information indicates the frequency can sit between 20 to 150 Hertz.

Garlic Bread and ANZAC Biscuits

Other notes for the day include how wonderful it was to have good neighbours.  Last night, we ordered Domino’s pizza, and the deal included free garlic bread.  Because our pizza selection included a Cheese and Garlic pizza, we didn’t need the garlic bread.  I gave my neighbour a call to see if she was home and whether they wanted the garlic bread. 

To our mind, it was better than throwing it away.  It worked out, the neighbours were also having pizza, just homemade, and garlic bread would complement the meal.  All worked out well.  The post isn’t always about one thing because more things than my thoughts on cats’ purrs happen.

Today, it was also the neighbour dropping off ANZAC biscuits and in repayment for the garlic bread.  That was such a sweet gesture, and how fantastic was that?!

My Sports Team Lost

The final note was that the Sydney Swans lost today because the opposition played better than they did. It’s what gameplay is about; you win some, and you lose some.

Today's Cards

Day 219. Cards in order of appearance: Rebirth, Inner Voice, Comparison, The Lovers, New Vision, The Burden, Abundance, The Outsider, Guilt, Beyond Illusion, Washing Machine

The Cards - Cat Purr Analysis

Carryover Cards

Two cards carried over from yesterday; New Vision moved from Outcome to Recent Past, The Burden moved from Feelings to Future Energy.

Cross

The Lovers symbolises a time when things were worked well in the Distant Past, bringing forth a Rebirth influenced by my Inner Voice.  From the Recent Past’s New Vision, the Goal of Comparison took shape, and the Comparison brought on a Future Energy fuelled by The Burden.

Translating today’s cards, The Lovers was symbolic of when I kept on top of blog writing, but there had been few distractions.  Rebirth is what I hoped for when there was a smattering of small breaks across the month.  Listening to my Inner Voice is about a New Vision for the website, and it has been pushing me to continue, even when things seem hopeless. 

My undoing began when I started to compare myself to others, in my head at least.  The Comparison, I know, is unwise when it comes to things like your website, but it’s so difficult to avoid. 

Well, The Burden is the backlog of posts still to be finalised.  There’s never a cat purr around when you need one!  Here, kitty, kitty!

Base

My Feelings of Abundance come from being reinvigorated by Rebirth and connection with my Inner Voice.

Others view me as The Outsider.  Others viewing me as The Outsider makes sense when you think of the garlic bread situation today.  I would most definitely seem like someone contributing unexpectedly to the meal.  Of course, dropping off the garlic bread was a drop on the doorstep and go – because we’re in lockdown and unable to have visitors or visit.

For me, it is no surprise that Guilt appeared in the Hopes & Fears position.  Not writing full contexts will most likely make me feel guilty.  Of course, I hope not to experience the emotion, but I fear it’s possible.

The Outcome today is Beyond Illusion, the card for undergoing the chrysalis or emerging from a transformation.  I wonder whether the cat purrs what will get me through the transition.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 219

Day 218 – TeleDoc Conference post Heart Tests

Friday, 6 August 2021

Day 218. Cards in order of appearance: The Source, Innocence, Maturity, Control, Trust, Mind, The Burden, Consciousness, Understanding, New Vision, Washing Machine

TeleDoc Context

One of the most amazing things we have today is technology.  For all the frustration technology causes is truly fantastic.  Pre-COVID, we had to visit our doctor physically.  Still, in the circumstances such as simply getting feedback on tests performed at the hospital yesterday, it’s suitable to have TeleDoc appointments.  In my case, this is merely a phone call. 

In previous years, I’d hardly ever visited a doctor, except for SCUBA diving courses.  This year there has been an unusual number of visits to anything medical.  Luckily, it has given me a healing focus for blogging. 

Following yesterday’s hospital visit, I managed to catch up with my doctor by making a TeleDoc appointment to discuss the outcome and results.  Consequently, I mentioned my refusal of the tetanus shot.  Doctor Jay was okay with that and cited the current thinking that ten years is sufficient.  But she did advise the potential signs of tetanus can look like a stroke. 

Ultimately, Doctor Jay was happy with the outcome, and if the heart flutters return, we will need to use the Holter monitor to capture the fluctuations.

Today's Cards

Day 218. Cards in order of appearance: The Source, Innocence, Maturity, Control, Trust, Mind, The Burden, Consciousness, Understanding, New Vision, Washing Machine

The Cards - TeleDoc Analysis

Carryover Cards

Two cards carried over from yesterday; Mind moved from Goal to Future Energy, Understanding moved from Feelings to Hopes & Fears.

Cross

The Source is Now and influenced by Innocence.  Innocence clouds everything I know. 

Maturity is the Goal of how to handle feedback around the tetanus shot. 

While Control, or my being able to establish it, sits in the Distant Past.   

Maybe there’s a lack of Trust in the Recent Past, which causes the Mind to occupy Future Energy.  I battle with whether the flutters occurred before or after the infection.

Base

My Feelings have The Burden of not accurately identifying the heart flutters, even if the TeleDoc appointment did ease my thoughts a little.

Others’ Views shows that I am body aware and have Consciousness of my situation and circumstances. 

Hopes & Fears is intriguing because if others view me as having an Understanding of my circumstances, I’m scared their Trust could be misplaced. I’ve done an excellent job of hoodwinking them – although that’s never been my intention.  On the other hand, I hope they’re right and understand my body and situation correctly.

Finally, the Outcome shows New Vision which means taking on a new perspective.  As for my situation might be implementing better health strategies – a better diet, for instance.  And all this was possible with the capability of TeleDoc – amazing!

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7

  2. *note, TeleDoc is just what I’ve called it and any reference to actual services with this name is fictional.

End Day 218

Day 217 – Heart Flutters and the Hospital

Thursday, 5 August 2021

Day 217. Cards in order of appearance: Breakthrough, Ordinariness, Mind, Experiencing, Fighting, Slowing Down, Understanding, Harmony, Totality, Success, Washing Machine

Heart Flutter Context

For the past week, I’ve had heart flutters.  Because, over the years, I’ve done First Aid training and partaken in Toolbox talks on heart attacks, I contacted my doctor as a precaution.  My doctor was in the COVID vaccination clinic and therefore was unable to speak with me.  However, the receptionist, Leanne, advised me to ring triple zero upon hearing the reason for my call.  Which, if you’re in Australia, is the number for Ambulance, Fire and Police.

Of course, ringing triple zero was bizarre.  Besides, I felt fine and just wanted to reassure myself and everyone that “nothing serious” was happening.  So, to console the caring Leanne, I advised I would go to the emergency department at the closest hospital.  Leanne, however, was pushing for immediate action.  The action I supported but downplayed the “immediate” bit.

Brisbane was in COVID lockdown (Day 213).  And since my husband was home, he could drive to the hospital with me after work at 4:30 PM.   Leanne appeared content with my response, although I evaded committing to a “when”.  Satisfied, we hung up

The Call Back

Not five minutes later, my phone rang, and it was Leanne.  I’m fortunate to have such an excellent doctor’s clinic, but my famous last words will be, “I know what I’m doing!”  

Anyway, Leanne must have spoken to someone, and she said, “Please go to the hospital immediately”. 

I paused and mumbled, “Ahh, okay”. 

She asked how long it would take me to get to the hospital.  This time, my response was 15-20 minutes.

“Alright.  Are you going now?” Leanne persisted.  To which my response was, “yes, yes.”. 

“Is your husband going to drive you?” she continued. 

Rolling my eyes at the big fuss Leanne was making, nonetheless, I acquiesced and said, “yes, yes”, once again.

Of course, I planned to go to the hospital once my husband got off work at about 4:30 PM.  As if reading my thoughts, Leanne then said, “I’ll call you in half an hour to ensure you’re at the hospital”.  After we hung up, my response was, “Poop!”.  Then to my husband, “Honey!” and he got a quick rundown of the conversation.

One thing COVID lockdowns have encouraged me to do during a lockdown is to have a shower every second day.  I’d washed yesterday and today was day two, but I wasn’t going to the hospital un-showered. My husband was on day two, as well.  So he went in for wash too.

Just as we parked at the hospital, my phone rang.  It was the sweet, caring Leanne doing as promised/ threatened.  😉  After emphatically confirming we were at the hospital, there was an inaudible sigh on the other end of the phone and, satisfied, she hung up.

Hospital

Once in the hospital, the nurse fitted me with stickers and corresponding electrode monitor things around the heart.  The nurse asked many questions about what was going on, like how long it had been going? Was there anything else?  My reply was just an infection I’d given myself from not properly covering a hot water bottle, contrary to recommendations used boiling water. 

The hot water bottle came with a cover covering the top seal; I was stupid and didn’t use it.  So, with the top uncovered, I fell asleep.  In the morning, I discovered that I had a third-degree burn, and the blister had burst.

Not worrying too much about the blister, “Hey, I’ve had them before, and they go away”.  What I hadn’t counted on was the new track pants fleece coming off and getting in the wound and becoming infected.  The other thing I didn’t know is infections can sometimes trigger heart palpitations.

After three hours of monitoring, my heart flutters had disappeared.  My doctor indicated she’d experienced something similar, and it took nine attempts to capture her heart flutters.

Right before being discharged, the hospital doctor prescribed antibiotics and a tetanus shot.  I accepted the script for the antibiotics but rejected the injection.  The contemporarily knowledgeable doctor bristled for a moment, citing the Australian Handbook, but he captured my refusal, and we proceeded.

Four times in my life, I’ve gotten a tetanus shot; at three of them, I’d fainted and awoken hours later, surrounded by worried-looking faces.  Today, I wanted to get out of the hospital and declined medical advice.  Not being stupid, I will follow up on tetanus with my doctor as soon as possible.

From the hospital, it was straight to the pharmacist to obtain the floxacillin antibiotics and home. 

Today's Cards

Day 217. Cards in order of appearance: Breakthrough, Ordinariness, Mind, Experiencing, Fighting, Slowing Down, Understanding, Harmony, Totality, Success, Washing Machine

The Cards - Heart Flutter Analysis

Carryover Cards

Two cards carried over from yesterday; Breakthrough moved from Influence to Now, Fighting moved from Hopes & Fears to Recent Past.

Cross

Today’s Experiencing heart flutters in the Distant Past is at the root of this reading, and my Goal was to put my Mind at peace on the topic.  In the Recent Past, I’ve been Fighting myself from snapping at others because I’ve had this silent worry gnawing at my nerves.

So, making the phone call to my doctor was a Breakthrough, and the card sits in the Now position.  The Breakthrough’s influence was just living life usually, without stress, and the fluttering was happening.  In other words, Ordinariness. 

In addition to getting medical assistance, I took a moment to step back and work out what else could be contributing to my heart palpitations.  Sitting for long periods each day doesn’t help either.  Consequently, a trip to Officeworks to get a standing option for my desk will help reduce the time I spend sitting for work and blog writing.  Thus, Slowing Down in the Future Energy follows the Breakthrough.

Base

My Feelings on today’s heart flutters experience is I’ve come out of it with an Understanding of what might have triggered it.  It might not be what the hospital or the incredible team at the Prince Charles Hospital in Chermside identified, but it at least provides an Understanding of what my heart flutters are not.

Others’ Views of me in the situation is one of Harmony.  Harmony is where I listen to my “heart” 💗; this appears to be a literal translation and a symbolic one.

Totality is in the Hopes & Fears position, and I fear I have not made the wrong decision regarding the tetanus shot.  Nonetheless, it is something that I need to commit to with Totality, and I hope I’ve made the right decision.  It can be daunting to take an active role in one’s healing.

Finally, the Outcome has Success.  It’s lovely to know the heart flutters I’m Experiencing are not a heart attack or something more sinister.  If you’re experiencing them, get them checked out, it’s better to be safe than have others be sorry you’re gone.  Slowing Down might also help with the heart palpitations in case they are not infection-related. 

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7

  2. Do adults really need tetanus booster shots? By Sara W. Dong, MD, Contributor, and Wendy Stead, MD, Contributor 14 May 2020, Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School

End Day 217

Day 216 – Ekka Show Holiday Postponed

Wednesday, 4 August 2021

Day 216. Cards in order of appearance: The Rebel, Breakthrough, Intensity, Friendliness, Silence, Rebirth, The Creator, Compromise, Fighting, Change, Standard Shuffle

Ekka Context

Today’s main news was the Ekka Show Holiday in Queensland, specifically; the postponement of the Brisbane area public holiday due to Coronavirus, Delta Variant.  Queensland had 15 new community transmitted cases.  Brisbane’s extended lockdown changed from three days to a week, thus postponing the show day until later in the year.   I guess there’s no point in having a show day if you can’t have a show.  😟  It saddened me when I heard this news.

With the show day postponed, it meant plans needed to shift.  However, those plans would provide me with some breathing space, and as much as I hate to admit it, writing every day has become a burden.  Catching up on the missed days is even more challenging.  I’ve been writing two posts a day for a week, the current day’s post plus the published one.  In the hope when the show day comes, I would be able to span the delta.

Bummer, Ekka’s postponement has taken the wind out of my sails.  And as much as I’ve tried to publish only the Analysis, I don’t seem to be able to do it.  To my mind, it seems necessary to write something in the context for, well, context.  Nonetheless, after a brief time of licking my wounds, my efforts will no doubt return.  It’s always surprising when something knocks you for six (cricket reference), not in a good way.

Knocking Something for Six

Expanding on how the Ekka’s postponement hit me for six, in the game of Cricket, the aim is to hit a bowled ball to score a run.  The object is to get more runs than the opposition.  There are two batsmen on the field about 20 metres apart.  The batsman hits the ball far enough away without being caught on the full; it buys him and the other batsman time to run and swap positions.  Hooray!  That’s one run.

Suppose the ball returns to either batsman’s batting position, known as the crease because the fielders have thrown the ball toward them.  At each of the creases have wickets.  The wickets are three sticks close together, known as stumps, whose only job is to hold up the bails that sit on them.

The opposition’s goal is to remove the bails off the stumps, which is how a batsman predominantly gets out.  If a fielder catches the ball on the full, the batter is also out.  The whole of the opposition’s team is a fielder, even if the positions they play have their speciality.

If the batsman hits the field’s boundary, it scores four runs.  When a batter hits a ball out on the full, that counts as six runs.   Considering the size of most cricket fields, this is an impressive hit.

So, when you’re “knocked for a six”, you’re impressed, dumbfounded or aghast, which is very much like Ekka’s postponement did for me today.  Today, I was shocked, dismayed, befuddled and confused, by today’s news.

Today's Cards

Day 216. Cards in order of appearance: The Rebel, Breakthrough, Intensity, Friendliness, Silence, Rebirth, The Creator, Compromise, Fighting, Change, Standard Shuffle

The Cards - Ekka Analysis

Carryover Cards

One card carried over from yesterday; Rebirth moved from Recent Past to Future Energy.

Reading Summary

The Goal of Intensity has The Rebel in the Now influenced by a Breakthrough.  In the Recent Past has been Silence, and further in the past (Distant Past) was a grounding in Friendliness.

All of this leads The Rebel to a Rebirth of Feelings as The Creator.  Others view me as being in a Compromise position while internally, my Hopes are Fighting not to explode with frustration or sensitivity in response to a circumstance I fear I created for myself.  Finally, the Outcome predicts a Change is coming and how I handle the Change will depend on my composure and flexibility.

Cross

How does this relate to Ekka’s postponement?   Well, Intensity is about unconstrained power and enthusiasm, or simply just a lot of energy.  The words I associate with this is “like wildfire”.  My Goal then was to burn off the writing backlog.   A Breakthrough, blocking and influencing the dynamic but controlled enthusiasm of The Rebel would be the extended lockdown.

The Friendliness, which is the basis for this reading, because it sits in the Distant Past position and thus is considered the root cause for The Rebel’s motivation, is unknown to me.  More recently, however, is Silence, and for the three days of lockdown, I was at peace.  The logic and its necessity were clear – as is the extended lockdown.  An extension might give me time to get ready for my upcoming leave.

Rebirth is in the Future Energy, and it looks like my up-and-go is due to make a return!  Woohoo!

Base

With the Rebirth of motivation, my Feelings of becoming a creator, if not The Creator, where I use what I’ve learnt and perhaps repurpose or process it to move me forward more quickly.  Although postponing the Ekka show day saddened me, recreation leave is close; Rebirth is likely while I’m away.

Others’ Views is that I will be making concessions, which might mean a Compromise, whether it is the quality of the output or its timeliness.

Fighting is in the Hopes & Fears position, and like in the Summary above, I hope I do not react poorly under the self-imposed pressure, which is my fear.

Finally, Change is the Outcome, suggesting that something will need to give.  As is the case with most Changes, how we handle the transition from Ekka to no Ekka (😁) makes the difference on whether we excel or wither.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7

  2. By the way, it took longer to get to the point of something being knocked for six than I intended, but at least you have the origin of an Australian phrase.  For another, although it is my interpretation, you can refer to Day 188.

End Day 216

Day 215 – Keyboard Breakdown & Guilt

Tuesday, 3 August 2021

Keyboard. Day 215 Layout in order of appearance: Moment to Moment, Mind, Comparison, Completion, Rebirth, Exhaustion, Thunderbolt, Existence, The Master, Guilt.

Keyboard Context

I’ve spoken several times about technology (Day 118) and how it can interrupt a day that’s flowing smoothly.  The USB hub died today, and the laptop I’m using only has two USB ports.  While the computer has a trackpad and a keyboard, I’m not used to using either.  For me, there’s no substitute for a mouse and a keyboard. 

Working from home for extended periods, I prefer to keep the laptop monitor elevated and operating as a second screen.  When I used the laptop keyboard, I invariably hit the trackpad and then spent most of my day cursing about correcting every sentence from typos.

I’ve been meaning to buy a Bluetooth keyboard-mouse combo, which would allow me to use the phone, mouse and keyboard without lugging the docking station home – or in this week’s situation, going in to work to collect said docking station from carrying home.

Keyboard Hunting

So, I jumped onto the Officeworks website and looked at keyboards. Rather than wait for delivery, I thought I would “click and collect”, believing this to be a faster option.  You know, grab an item off the shelf, send a text message to the customer saying, “please collect”.  I wasn’t expecting to have to collect it the next day, which from experience, is the same as getting it delivered. 

Not what I expected, seeking to cancel the order within one minute of receiving the text, the website had a “senior’s moment” when you typed the word cancel into the search “bar”.  As its response was “502 bad gateway”.  It was time to call the “hotline”.  It might be a hotline for the people answering calls, but it was a “coldline” from a customer perspective”.  After ten minutes, I gave up and thought I would try my luck just heading to the store. 

The plan was to collect another keyboard off the shelf, and when the ordered one arrived tomorrow, return it.  The helpful cashier advised me to do as much.  It turns out the store didn’t stock the keyboard I’d ordered, which is why I had to wait a day for it to come from the warehouse or another store.  Undeterred, I’d been considering other keyboard options and selected one of those instead.  Humph.

Back at the counter, the same cashier asked how I’d paid for the original keyboard online.  PayPal.  Her eyes became apologetic behind the mask as she recited the PayPal enforced refund process, meaning I would need to call the hotline to retrieve my funds.  My face drooped, and I decided to return the keyboard and do the unthinkable; head back into the office and collect the office one until tomorrow’s delivery. 

Passive-aggressiveness and Redirection

At this point in the proceedings, there was a bundle load of guilt.  Guilt because I’d spent time away from work on a futile errand, which turned out it could have waited – more guilt at inconveniencing the cashier.  I disliked my blessedly short burst of passive-aggressive whine at the cashier, who could do nothing about my situation.  While she could’ve asked the payment question before I went hunting for the keyboard, none of this would have happened if I’d just showed some self-control.

I would have selected a cheaper keyboard if I had exercised my usual patience, logic, and clarity of thought.  But no, I had to pick pretty over functional, causing the whole mess.

Piling guilt on top of guilt, I felt guilty about being guilty – I bet Grammarly will pick up that I’ve used guilty too many times in the sentence!  Oh, onto the analysis.

Today's Cards

Keyboard. Day 215 Tabled list in order of appearance: Moment to Moment, Mind, Comparison, Completion, Rebirth, Exhaustion, Thunderbolt, Existence, The Master, Guilt.

The Cards - Keyboard Analysis

Carryover Cards

Two cards carried over from yesterday; The Master moved from Feelings to Hopes & Fears, Guilt moved from Hopes & Fears to Outcome.

Cross

When the keyboard indicated the hub had died, it seemed like the way to fix the issue simply flowed from Moment to Moment.  However, influencing Moment to Moment is Mind, and the Mind complicates matters because it overthinks the emotions that are running rampant. 

The Goal was a simple choice comparing keyboards (Comparison); this area was also affected by Mind.  The Distant Past, such activity was easy to do and once pursued would give a sense of Completion.  More recently (Recent Past), Rebirthing the ego, expecting everything to go my way when I wanted it to, returned.

Fighting the ego, together with the running around for the keyboard, caused Exhaustion in Future Energy.

Base

My Feelings about going from Moment to Moment was that of a Thunderbolt.  Especially since Mind got involved and then it was a case of old expectations applied to new circumstances.

Others’ Views are Existence, meaning what I’m experiencing is simply part of living and living everyday life.  It’s a minor issue and was out of proportion.  (This is probably true).

Hopes & Fears has the card of The Master, which, although today appears like a lot of nothing, the glimmer of learning in the day is the way I was able to pull back from going into a complete passive-aggressive whine at the cashier.  When it comes to today’s hope, it is that I showed enough restraint to contain my frustration long enough to process it without directing it at innocent bystanders. 

The fear is that I didn’t control the frustration, and it caused a mild energy drain on both the cashier and me.

Finally, and to no one’s surprise, it’s Guilt is the Outcome.  I’ve gone into the aspects of how it affected me in today’s context, and I think we’ll leave it there.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 215

Day 214 – Tarot Cards and Essential Services?

Monday, 2 August 2021

Essential. Day 214 Layout in order of appearance: The Lovers, Aloneness, Ripeness, Totality, Participation, Integration, The Master, Experiencing, Guilt, Silence.

Essential Context

Well, we’re in lockdown, and my husband is working from home again.  It’s nice to have him here; we work well together in the same place (in different rooms).  A pre-meeting chat on my work front sees me react to an indignant remark about a tarot reader considering herself an essential service.  

Working in a very “corporate” world, I had agreed that I wouldn’t consider a tarot reader an “essential service”.  To my astonishment, I caught myself making the automatic, unthinking response.  It was a societally acceptable response, but how much thought had gone into it. 

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not that much of a rebel that I need to buck societal nuances for the sake of it – anymore. 😏  The response was flippant, and I had even owned I was a tarot reader.  But following it with I didn’t consider it an essential service.  Then again, it’s not my living.  I knew when the words left my mouth; I was about to give myself a serious chat.  

The warning comes from years of flippant, definitive stances I’ve taken, only to wind up on the reverse and proven, not necessarily wrong, but certainly had my extreme view adjusted.  It’s like in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989), where everything Dr Indiana Jones (Indy) tells the students about archaeology, later, literally comes to pass.    

So forget any ideas you've got about lost cities, exotic travel, and digging up the world. You do not follow maps to buried treasure and "X" never, ever, marks the spot.

Dr Indiana (Indy) Jones

Thinking on Automatic Responses

Likewise, I thought about Tarot readers and automatic responses about “essential services” after the meeting.  Here go the questions: “why would she think the classification could apply to her?”, “why do people really go to tarot readers?”, “what can a tarot reader offer in times like the pandemic?”.   My friend Pauline succinctly told me once she simply needed to talk it out, and the cards seemed to be a conduit for me to get the information from her.  

So, then I played a scenario over in my head of a woman (Sandy, for story purposes) whose husband had lost his job to COVID, they were okay for the moment, but Sandy was worried about the future.  Now psychologists don’t deal with speculation on the future – that’s for stockbrokers, crypto experts, weather personnel and psychics.

On an inner level, Sandy knows the future is mercurial.  Having the ability to talk about her worries to someone who might find that light at the end of the tunnel is worth it to her.

So, tarot readers provide minor stress relief and hope amidst dark times.  If Sandy were lucky to find a talented reader, they might even get assistance.  For instance, a tarot reader had once intuited a phone number for the Blue Mountains Meditation Retreat to help me manage my anger. 

Because life is cyclical in waves of happiness and sadness, the tarot reader might stop at a lighter point.  There’s always sunshine after rain, right?  Providing an outlet to someone in times of distress equals mental well-being.  In some respects, you could view a Tarot reader as an essential service.  There, now I’ve thought about it. 

Today's Cards

Essential

The Cards - Essential Analysis

Carryover Cards

No cards carried over from yesterday.

Cross

The Lovers is in the Now influenced by Aloneness, which I read as a union of the self.  The harmonious working together to foster outcomes bigger than the sum of the two parts.   

Ripeness is a state of readiness and reflects today’s Goal.  I’m sensing that the Yin cycle (refer to Day 193) is beginning to hit its awareness as dormant words, like “tarot”, are returning without my prompting.  For example, in the pre-meeting chat.

Participation is in the Recent Past and provides the foundation for The Lovers to continue a similar vibe.  Participation is collaboration, and The Lovers is the union of participation between two people instead of a small group; that would be the meeting.

Totality in the Distant Past probably reminds me of old bad habits like making unthinking or poorly thought-out remarks.

Future Energy is Integration, and you can see the progression from the Recent Past.  It moves from the separate individuals participating in an activity to The Lovers, a union of energy, which brings about Integration. In other words, the answer isn’t as cut and dry as we’d like it to be but by integrating the idea of essential with non-essential, we take the elements of the truth in both and work with the result.

Base

My Feelings are like those of The Master when it comes to this topic.  People believe The Master sits comfortably with his emotions, looking at issues neutrally, neither with passion nor dispassion.

Others’ Views is that I’m Experiencing life and potentially growth in this case.

Hopes & Fears has Guilt.  Did you know the last time Guilt made an appearance was 53 days ago?  Anyway, I fear that I may have given others the wrong impression of my views on the topic.  I hope in future; Guilt doesn’t happen by avoiding unthinking remarks.

Silence is the Outcome, suggesting perhaps that the Guilt stops and Silence with inner peace appears.  If we’re talking about the remark and my thoughts on it, it would seem I will be content with my conclusion.

References

  1. Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
End Day 214
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