The Tao of Tarot...

I stumbled upon this Feng Shui Tarot Deck recently. And I like the art.... a lot. I don't do tarot divination but as a visual artist, i love checking out different interpretations of the cards, especially the major arcana. This one, to me, was a great mixture (both mystically and artistically) of east meets west.

But what really caught my eye was the card above: Strength. This card is in all decks and often includes a depiction of a lion and a woman--symbolizing the balancing of our lower and higher natures. Anyway, the above version is different than normal as it shows a man practicing internal martial arts, possibly tai chi or qi gong. It depicts the balancing of internal strength with the external. The Strength card was once referred to as the Fortitude card--perhaps a more accurate name for the attributes it describes. Below I have found another "Eastern" style pack: the Ukiyoe Tarot. I have shown the Strength card, once again, and this time it has more of a traditional depiction with the lion.

Bang a (Qi) Gong....

art by alex grey

Beginning the next chapter can be overwhelming.

But it's what we strive to do on the Path.

For me, personally, the next stage was not one I chose, but one that chose me. That makes it more important, as the Universe is in on the game.

The next phase of my training will manifest itself as an increased focus on Qi Gong, an internal art from China that aims to cultivate Qi energy within the body. As I've mentioned before, my sensei has routinely incorporated this art into our training, but has now decided to formalize our studies. This means a curriculum, memorization, meditation, and patience.

"You will be frustrated," he said. "It will take a long time to achieve results."

I've studied with him for over three years now, and I trust his methods of teaching. I know if he feels that an increased attention to Qi Gong will boost our abilities then the lessons will be invaluable. I know from our previous exercises in breathing--utilizing Qi Gong methods--that my meditation skills were undoubtedly elevated. Also, a great deal of the nerve points used in the art are ones we already use to increase the pain level of our techniques. However, now we will use them to heal and not hurt.

I think returning to a beginner's mind is an extremely important thing to do as a student of this life. It's humbling, but also generates new focus and expanded understanding.

And that has to be good.... right?



*** Here is the main elemental chart for Qi Gong. It is quite interesting and will take much time to fully take in.