I had this conversation with an Astrologer last week where I described how literal Astrology plays out for me. For example, the Full Moon eclipse in Libra fell on my Sun. So, during the time preceding the eclipse, I was averaging a loss of a body part a week. I mean, seriously? Can you get more literal than that?
Anyway, tarot has a tendency to work the same way for me. So, when I went to the cards to ask about the New Moon Eclipse in Taurus, I wasn't surprised to see the Faith card come up.
I was drawing from my Legacy of the Divine deck. In this deck Faith is the deck creators interpretation of the Hierophant. The Hierophant traditionally represents Taurus. Uh huh, there ya go. Literal Tarot is Literal.
I think the Universe gets that fact that I don't do hints very well--which is ridiculously un-Libra of me. But, yeah, I need literal. This is what I took from the draw.
How's your faith?
That's a pretty direct and intrusive
way to start a conversation. But, really, how is it?
I'm not talking about your religious or
spiritual routines. I'm asking about your foundational belief system.
Have you been shaken at your core
lately? To a point where you don't know which way is up or what to
expect? If so, did you have faith to turn to?
Martin Luther King Jr. is quoted as
saying, “Faith is taking the first step even when you cannot see
the whole staircase.”
That is kind of what I'm talking about
here.
Faith and Hope or inseparable. One
cannot really exist without the other. Without Hope, there is nothing
to have Faith in. Without Faith, there is nothing to be Hopeful
about.
Faith is a very personal concept. Even
if two people go to the same church services and practice the same
spiritual routines, their faith or understanding of their belief in a
higher power will differ.
There are absolutely events that occur
that strengthen our faith. There are people that inspire us to renew
our faith. Stories that reinforce or confirm our faith. But, the
primary source of faith is connected to an interpersonal relationship
with something larger and outside of ourselves.
Faith CAN be shaken. And, it should be
shaken or we would be even more prone to take it for granted.
In those times when Faith is shaken,
what do you do? Do you avert your eyes and heart from the belief that
there is divinity in the world? Do you become bitter? Afraid?
Or, do you hit your knees and pray in
search of answers and hope?
I mean, to me, abandoning your faith in
light of crises is like abandoning your car on the side of the road
if it starts to sputter a bit. In this instance, it would be better
to focus on what it is screwing up your car rather than just to walk
away from the situation. But, people do this!
Something comes along and rattles their
cage and it is as if their entire belief system and ability to access
faith gets washed down the drain. But, in these times of crises is
when we most certainly need our faith more than ever.
How are you about the faith of others?
Are you the type of person who shudders when someone is struggling to
get up from a devastation and they are expressing hopefulness about
the situation? For example, Lady X is 50 and is getting a divorce. A
thirty year cycle of her life is ending. She's been emotional and
deflated for a long time and finally she gets to the point where she
says, “You know, I think everything is going to be a OK. I'll find
love again with someone else. And, even if I don't, I still have
plenty of love inside me.”
How would you respond to that? Are you
the type of person that would come in with the negative potentials of
the situation? Or, would you see that little glimmer of hope in the
person and reinforce that even though you know there could be bumps
on the road ahead?
Can you nurture someone else's faith
even though it may be different from your own? That's a hard bridge
for some people to cross. Instead of focusing on the person, their
hope and their problems what ends up happening is an attempt to
convert the person to your belief system. What that does is confirms
YOUR faith but, in turn, debases the person who is struggling. In
other words, it makes you feel better. You soothe your insecurities
in regard to the situation but end up smashing the other person's
belief system in the process.
Little word of advice, other people's
faith or belief systems are none of your business. And, they don't
have to be relative to what you believe in order for everyone to
inhabit the same planet.
There are some people who reinforce
their faith with affirmations from other people. They say what they
believe and wait for people to either agree or disagree thus putting
that locus of belief under the power of another person.
That's pretty weak, I think. Your grasp
on your personal faith should have nothing to do with the person
standing next to you or what they think. On that same note, your
faith should not begrudge someone else of theirs.
Tricky, huh?
Faith is essential particularly in
crises. So, I'm just wondering (in a gut check kind of manner) how's
yours?
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