“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” –Helen Keller

I settled down in the high-back chair, off in the corner surrounded by bookshelves. I was just a little nervous. I hadn’t had a lot of readings, but enough to know I couldn’t be sure what to expect. But he smiled and just radiated kindness. So I sat.

I wasn’t having the best day anyway. At the grand opening of this new age store, looking to unsour my mood. I was disappointed my friend had cancelled, stressed from the unfamiliar drive, and frustrated I didn’t have much to spend on goodies anyway. I’d almost stayed home, but figured it would cheer me up, so I made myself go.

“I’m very new to all this,” I said to my reader, hoping he’d forgive me any reading etiquette lapses.

“Oh no you’re not!” he corrected me. “You’re an old soul.” I immediately assume that’s an over-popular distinction. But I’m just as happy to entertain the notion anyway. Who wants to be a toddler soul?

“But you don’t come down to Earth very often. That’s why people puzzle you! So you look around at these people and all the things they do, and think, ‘Huh? Why would they act like that?’ It confuses you, the silliness you see.”

I laughed out loud. I had to admit, I do that. I felt myself become at ease and listened to the rest he had to say. Finally, he asked if I had any more questions…I asked the thing that had been bothering me, ever since I’d plugged in to the woo-woo world.

“How do I know, if I’m on the right track? With all this seeking stuff?”

“Joy,” he told me. “Joy is the best compass.” It was so simple, and rang so true.

I got up, in a bit of a daze. A couple minutes later  when I got my wits back about me, I thought of grabbing his card. But he was gone! Not a trace anywhere to be seen. I wondered, just for a minute, if he was an angel…I kind of hope he was.

Today’s Tarot is a very interesting rendition of the Five of Swords (Venus in Aquarius), reversed—Comparison, called Five of Clouds in Osho Zen. Funny thing about the Five of Swords—you’re not always sure who’s who. Are you the winner or the loser? And do you like where you are an how you got there?  Who is walking away with a victory?

Comparison is similarly ambiguous—Oak and Bamboo.  One is rigid, one bends. Each has it’s strengths and weaknesses. The victor would be entirely dependent upon the challenge.

Beware comparing without taking into account the frame of reference. Others are not you—thoughts, goals, and dreams may not be what you’d expect. Everyone has different experiences; each is blessed with individual strengths, perfectly suitable to their individual journey.  Don’t declare one better than the other. Make that determination for your path, sure. But you can’t know what karma they’ve signed on for, why they are where they’re at.

Do what YOU feel good about. That’s how to invest free will. Let others walk their own path.  Remaining true to yourself, you make the most of your own strengths. If you’re an Oak, live as an Oak. And leave the Bamboos in peace, knowing they have a different path than you. They are doing what Bamboos doing, which is right for a Bamboo. A lot of what appears to be weakness turns into a strength as it’s lived.

Respect differences, not as proof on one being superior to another, but as the inevitable offspring of free will and different life paths. My lessons are right for me, yours are right for you, and theirs are right for them. And that’s all we need to know.

What do you think about comparisons?

Osho Zen Tarot Set by US Games

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