Tarot Journey

Tarot Journey Part 2

note: this entry of the tarot journey is a continuing reflection of the first card drawn in the last blog...hope you enjoy!

I began a Tarot Journey activity and, with the first card I drew, I was reminded of the nature of journeys - so often, they are personal quests that may look consciously driven, however all quests are influenced at their very core by the values we hold. Travelling to a local church, I had a chance to reflect on my own journey - my journeys - as quests.

What quests are these? My primary quest was to see worldly ideals such as peace and equality, accomplished. I highly valued the acceptance of others because of my values of the need for loving kindness. I felt that every person deserved positive regard - that this was the true nature of equality - and that peace could not be found without it. I chose my friends, my career, and my life based on this quest. I wanted to connect on a deep level with others who were nonjudgmental, tolerant, and kind; the kind of person I hoped to become. I tried to be respectful to everyone, and as I grew to a teenager, I would become angry with those I viewed as rich and I perceived as intolerant and judgmental, the people who refused to help the poor person living on the street corner just down from them. My 'quest' led me to the decision to work in mental health, and to feel obligated to spend time volunteering, as I had time, and not money, to give to the cause. I did not want to be a person who wished for a better world but did nothing toward it.

As I got older, my ideals matured. I had the opportunity to work with many of these "rich" people I had no respect for, and my eyes were opened to what giving, loving, and kind people many of them were. I worked with people who knew the meaning of "tireless giving" much better than I, and I saw my contributions as truly meager compared to them. I had the privilege of working in government shortly after graduating, and was constantly awed by the civil servant's dedication to their work and commitment to making a difference. I looked around me and really saw the consequence of the church - although there was, and still is, much deserved criticism toward the church, I looked with new eyes at the phenomenal amount of work that was accomplished on the backs of these members, these volunteers. I was inspired by the dedication, commitment, and vision, which was acted out tirelessly each day. I learned that it was not these “rich” people who needed to be less judgemental, it was me. I learned about dedication and commitment, and in my life now, I am on a quest to learn how to move forward with some of the integrity, determination, and strength I saw in the giants around me. I have felt privileged to have had these volunteers touch my life.

Sitting in front of the church, I began to have a sense of how much I have grown, and how much I have yet to grow, on my personal quest. I pulled my next card, excited to see where the day's journey would take me.