I have a new obsession, buying Tarot cards. It has become the way in which I connect with my deities, my ancestors, and myself. Different decks for different pulls and questions. Different decks for different aspects of my life as I journey down my path. It is serious and yet not so serious it ruins the excitement I feel when I lay a new spread before me. Interviewing and getting to know each deck is rewarding work.
In the past I collected magic the gathering cards and played the game endlessly with my friends. The hobby took up a lot of time and resources. It was fun and it was a good distraction from day to day life. We need that sort of respite, life is hard and community and laughter helps. But those decks did not help me along my path. They were what I used when I took a needed break from walking the journey that lay in front of me.
I have been thinking of that contrast today as I try my best to do my day job and also invest in the calling I have found in myself. The question occured to me, which am I drawing from? Which is the appropriate deck to draw from when I am feeling the need to find answers and inspiration. Knowing where to draw respite or inspiration from is as important as the drawing itself.
Hobbies are important. The Wayfarers Hearth is our mission of proving to people we need spaces to sit and reflect, rest, and recover. But it is important that we pay attention to how we are doing this work. Hobbies can be a way to do these things but if we do not pay close attention, they can also become distractions or crutches. We retreat into them in an effort to abdicate responsibility for our lives. We need vigilance to tell the difference and know when to play, and when to focus on the path we need to walk.
Likewise tools that help us walk that path are important. I use Tarot to engage with my faith and spirituality. To seek wisdom and hidden mysteries. To connect with my subconscious and the spirits of ancestors and deities. The answers these decks provide are an invaluable resource for me. But these too have a danger to them. If I pull from them to often I risk leaving the choices of my path, the directions I go, the understanding I need to walk with confidence. Again they can become a crutch where I rely on outside influences to do the work for me.
So what do we do? I am not sure I have far answers for you. Because the answers are not easy for me either. The question has been plaguing me all day. But I think that awareness of the pitfalls of hobbies and the work of walking our path, be it spirits or gods, is the key. I must be deliberate when it comes to the deck I am drawing from. Is it the right time to rest? Is it the right time to seek answers? Am I using either as a crutch to distract me from the dangers of my path?
Ultimately you are the only person who can answer these difficult questions for yourself. I hope you take the time when you can to identify when hobbies do more harm than good, and when reliance of craft and outside influences are the same.
Walk well, friends. The Path is long but the rewards are there for the taking. Be careful which deck you are drawing from, and why. If you use your discernment you will choose wisely and find the rest or advice that you need. So Mote it Be.
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