Ladybugs In The Cereal

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

-Lao Tzu

So closes another day in the annals of Fort Sill. It was a pretty typical Monday, with the exception of a weird dream last night- something about eating a bowl of Rice Krispies and finding a live ladybug in the bottom of the bowl. Though a little damp, the ladybug was otherwise unharmed. I made it a point not to eat the ladybug, and remembered that ladybugs are considered a sign of good luck. Curious, I thought. Most dream dictionaries, I later found, also identify a ladybug in your dreams (though perhaps not in your cereal bowl) as a good omen, and a symbol of beauty. They are kind of cool-looking, I've got to admit. However, my favorite cereal is and will always be Life. Not that it matters, just thought I'd share that useless information.

So perhaps prompted by my dreams of ladybugs and cereal, I decided to crank out a quick reading- the results seemed to have little to do with food or insects, but here was the result- I used a 14-card spread, nothing too elaborate or unusual. The results are here, I thought they were striking enough to warrant a write up here-

The first card, the present, was the Ace of Swords. Aces reflect potential, here a potential of thought and design. The potential shown by an Ace has not been put into practice or actuality yet, though all the pieces are in place to do so.
Covering this was the King of Swords, which is actually my Tarot symbol. Am I 'sitting on top of' a huge amount of potential? It would seem so, though perhaps a little reflection on my part would help here, to see if there's anything I'm overlooking, anything I don't see yet.

The next card dealt with the past, and here was the 8 of Pentacles, dealing with new learning, and a new application of talents. Learning, in other words. And I had been feeling lately a kind of renewed energy and interest in the world around me- this isn't really anything new, I've noticed my energy and vitality kind of ebbs and flows- some suggest this is tied to the moon and its cycles- I haven't noticed that there's any real exact correspondence, but nonetheless, recognizing the pattern is important to making it work for you. So at any rate, it would seem things are coming up that will mean useful opportunities in the future. I'll keep my eyes open, both literally and metaphysically, ha ha.

The next card is in the foundation position- what brought you up to the current situation, and here was the Queen of Pentacles. Who this person is, I'm really not sure, as I can't think of anyone I know offhand matching the description of this card, though I tend to think it's perhaps an aspect of someone. Pentacles are tied to Earth, and thus a supportive and generating force that keeps me going. This actually fits the description of a couple people I know, and though it's strange that this card was a Queen, the message apparently becomes that there's support- people have got my back on this one. Good to know, and this I take as a go-ahead to take some calculated risks. See where the road goes, so to speak.

The fifth card deals with the near future- those things soon to come. Here was the 6 of Wands, and one thing that struck me about this deck (the Vertigo Tarot) is that there's a surprised (or frightened)-looking eye on the card- not a whole face, just the eye. But it communicates the message all the same- wow, I didn't see that one coming! Though the Six represents the culmination of effort and victory (which, obviously, comes through effort and strength), but perhaps in a way we didn't expect- things turning out better than expected. Tied in with the previous cards, telling of potential and support, I take this as a pretty favorable sign- stop, examine and be surprised. It seems to point to a sense of a whole lot of good stuff I'm missing- what it is, I haven't the slightest, but then again, I only have my own perspective. Looking carefully and taking other viewpoints at this time might prove to be very beneficial.

The sixth card is in the aspirations position- the things we hope for, or the best possible outcome of the current situation. Here was the 7 of Pentacles, pointing to patience. Tara grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the good fortune not to fall on my face too often, I guess. But this points to patience- what this means is that I need to avoid one of my oldest pitfalls- don't rush ahead, take things one step at a time and work through rather than rush ahead. Again, this calls for perspective and understanding of the situation at hand. So far, things are making sense.

Now, in the 7th position, the cards reflect the future. Here is The Tower, and The Fool. Well, that's a pretty strong and clear message. The Tower may sometimes indicate destruction, but then again, like Death, destruction and breaking down allow for re-forming and renovation. I happened across a passage in a book about a somewhat common shamanic experience- being broken down, perhaps literally torn to pieces in a vision, then re-assembled, perhaps with a new piece, like a bone or a stone or jewel or something, added in. This is the message of The Tower, in many cases. The things that are torn down are torn down for a reason- they no longer serve their purpose, or are no longer necessary. Buddha himself said the Dharma was but a raft- cross the river with it, but what's the sense carrying it around on your back after that? Again, renovation. The Fool isn't as much of a Fool as he might seem- the Fool represents starting a new path, a new direction to move in- again, this reflects the idea of change and restructuring- not so much starting anew, but rather moving on and moving forwards. In many cases The Fool has a bag on his back or shoulder- he carries his past experiences with him, and so rarely does he walk into a situation blind.

The eighth position represents hopes and fears- those things we hope will happen or fear to happen- in many ways opposite sides of the coin, one positive, the other negative. Experience tells us that the universe hears only positive. The two cards here were the Ace of Cups and the Star. This tells of a pretty positive message, and this is a good thing. The Ace tells of the potential for happiness, and deep spiritual growth- I admit to being a little wary whenever anyone says 'spiritual', as there are good New Age types and flaky ones, if that makes sense. Our situation is the way it is, so we might as well get used to it and see where this rabbit-hole leads, is my outlook. It's not all spiritual ecstasy and profound wisdom- some days you just stay on the baseline, and that's ok too. The trick is to hold onto the knowledge you learn, and to keep that in mind throughout. The Star is often called the "wish" card- telling of one's heart's desire coming true, and things working out for the best, everything going your way. Interesting, I thought. Again, grant me the good fortune to understand and make use of this, and not to fall on my face too often.

The ninth position tells of hidden influences- things not really abundantly clear, but nonetheless very relevant. Okay, I thought. If there's some new perspective or insight needed, this is the place to find it. Here was the Page of Wands and the 5 of Swords. Again, a message of potential and destruction, similar in some ways to the 7th position. Curiouser and curiouser! The Page tells of a new understanding, in this case a new motivation, a new purpose and drive. The thing about willpower is you need to know what it is you're looking for, and what your aim is. The Five tells of a kind of hopeless path- not that everything is wrong, rather that you can learn from defeat- within the conflict lies the solution. In many decks the Page looks wonderingly at the symbol of his suit, the wand. What can I do with this, he seems to ask- what uses can I put this to? Coupled with the Five, it points to a new direction, and a new way of using gifts. But first must come understanding- to understand is to harness power. Not to exploit, but to work with rather than against. So whatever this thing is, it'll prove very interesting, and possibly very useful!

The tenth and final position represents the outcome- given things that are in place and that have transpired, ceteris parabis, as my old economics professor used to say (all other things constant), this is what you can expect. Here was the 3 of Pentacles and The Moon. An odd combination, I thought. Here we have the 3, pointing to productivity and industriousness- taking that new learning and putting it to great use, and The Moon, a warning against confusion and illusion- penetrate the veil of illusion, and see what's truly there. Upon closer examination, this makes a degree of sense- though there may be this brave new world to explore, don't let the Fool's bag get left by the wayside- don't get caught up in your own or someone else's illusion, is the message here.

So whatever this new direction is, I'll wait and see, trying not to miss anything, and trying not to miss anything. I know what direction I want to go, what my spirit/ghost/heart/prana/choose your term tells me to do and follow- I'm here, I'm looking, so let the sun (or the Star, as the case may be) shine in.