Zen Quotes and Tarot - Thinking Outside the Box

I love my page a day Zen calendar! Yesterday, when I read the quote for the day, the cards that I felt described it, flipped through my head in a rapid succession.

"We experience ourselves, our thoughts, and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us."

-Albert Einstein

From the Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot~

After reading his quote and digesting it for a spell, I came to the conclusion that he was basically saying, "Think outside of the box!". So after laying out the RWS cards first, I then got the Osho Zen and did the same. Aha! Check out the girl with her head in the box. lol! In the book, this card is called Clinging to the Past, and described as, "Its time to face up to the fact that the past is gone, and any effort to repeat it is a sure way to stay stuck in old blueprints that you would have already outgrown if you hadn't been clinging to what you have already been through." Einstein also said that insanity was trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!

From the Osho Zen Tarot~

I really like the Osho's version of the Devil too. It's called Conditioning, and upon reflecting on that too, I thought of how very true that was. If we're conditioned or taught that things should be a certain way, then they most certainly will be. So today I will look in the mirror and not see myself as just another sheep in the herd. I will think outside the box, and become conscious of my own true identity (without feeling guilty about it!). I will see us as all interconnected beings who are simply struggling within the narrow confines of what we've been taught from the past. I will widen my focus and attempt to show love to everyone. This will be MY new vision. How will you think outside the box today? :)

Waning Half Moon Tarot Spread

The Waning (decreasing) Half Moon, or the Last Quarter Moon is an ideal time during the lunar cycle to rid ourselves of negative influences (both inner and outer), that can feed our addictions, divorce us from our emotions, hinder our decision making processes, and cause unwanted stress in our everyday lives. In order to protect the continuing growth of our higher self, we must purge, and sweep them out on occasion. Like dirty bath water spiraling down the drain, it must be allowed to flow out in order to make room for the fresh and new. Time for a soul smudging! During this phase I like to burn Dragon's Blood incense, so I feel protected and safe at this vulnerable time.

This spread is modeled after the Waning (decreasing) Moon, and is designed to be read as mirrored pairs. For this spread, I used two decks: Tarot of a Moon Garden and the Deviant Moon Tarot. The left side (Moon Garden deck or the lighted side) is what's leaving or needs to go, so these cards should be read in a somewhat negative light. I don't particularly care for reversals, but that's one way you could approach reading them. I also see them as sometimes being "too much of a good thing". Holding on to certain behaviors or habits that no longer serve our greater good can cause us to stop growing, I believe. At some point we must surrender them and just let go. Make room for the new, expanding you!

The right side (Deviant Moon deck or the darkened side) is what can aid you in "pushing" (or releasing) these negatives out, or they could give you some insight as to WHY they need to be released. I did assign some designated positions to the Waning Half Moon spread, but I always like to encourage free-flowing, unstructured associations as well. :)This is, after all, a spread based on the Moon, so follow your intuition!

Waning Half Moon Spread

Position One: Main Focus
Position Two: Supporter (of Focus)
Position Three: Root (what's hidden and/or where it's coming from)
Position Four: Heart (of the matter/what needs addressed)
Position Five: Shadow/Stressor (what's bearing down on the situation or dogging it's heels)

Pair cards up with the b group. See how they interact visually. What would a conversation between those two cards sound like? I like to check elemental dignities on them as well. If I see two enemies side by side... I know that this will be a particularly difficult adjustment.

For instance, in this spread I got the Ace of Wands (or Staffs as it's called in the Moon Garden deck) and the Queen of Cups as a pair. Fire and Water. The first thing that popped into my head with this pair was that the Queen appears to be dampening the enthusiasm of the Ace. The Ace seen in a negative light could be interpreted as having too much energy that could be destructive and chaotic. The Queen of Cups helps by providing calm, caring control. Notice the drop of water falling from her cup? She's adding a small amount of water a little at a time to keep the Ace in check. It reminds me of a mother giving gentle guidance to a child who has ADHD. Looking at this pair brings to mind the Strength card. :) I was also reminded of my Dad, who used to burn large piles of autumn leaves in the back yard. He always kept the hose handy to keep the edges of the fire within certain boundaries.
On an interesting side note, I took the corresponding cards out of the Deviant Moon deck just to have a look see. Remarkably, the Ace of Wands from that deck looks like The Ace of Staffs and the Queen of Cups combined! How cool is that!?

At this current time, the Moon is in Scorpio. I associate the Death card from the Major Arcana with this astrological sign. Change. Transformation. Something must "die". Here's the Moon card from the Tarot of a Moon Garden, and the Death card from the Deviant Moon Tarot. I had to smile at how apt they are for this spread. The next time the Waning Half Moon comes around, I'll be looking at that corresponding astrological card as well. I think it adds some depth into the reading as a whole. :)

More info on the Moon in Scorpio.

And finally, a quote I stumbled across that seemed to fit:

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But it's Death will produce many new kernels--a plentiful harvest of new lives."

John 12:24
(New Living Translation 2007)

Many Blessings and.... well.... Good Riddance! ;)