TWO for Tea in FebruaryLet us be likeTwo falling stars in the day sky.Let no one know of our sublime beautyAs we hold hands with GodAnd burnInto a sacred existence that defies -That surpassesEvery description of ecstasyAnd love.
~Hafiz
...Like ocean and water, like fire and heatOh you can't separate it, that's what you are to me...One in the morning, one in the eveningOne in the waking, one in the dreaming...But the opposites make it whole, two parts of one soul…Rock and then we roll and then we roll...
~Back To You,Trevor Hall
So here we are in the 2nd month of 2018, in February, taking the time to explore the number 2. And what a perfect time to do so, with Valentine’s Day on its way and love tending to be the theme of this month. We are beginning to move towards longer days and here in Santa Barbara we are picking up the pieces and beginning the slow recovery that occurs after incredible tragedy, so more love can only help our process.
The number two is related to duality, to polarity, and also to the divine feminine, most specifically to the High Priestess. In the sun and moon tarot which works with me, the High Priestess stands between two columns, one dark and one light and she has a hand on both, integrating them, and in order to do this I believe she must use her heart. (I forgot to mention last month, for ACES & number 1, that one is also related to the masculine and most specifically to the Magician, but this must be the place to mention it, because it's just what’s happened, and the Magician and the High Priestess do make quite the striking couple!)
~Brian Reeves
So the number 2 represents that feminine aspect in all of us (regardless of chromosomes, gender orientation or body parts) that bends and serves for the good of all, in honor of love. Even just the shape of the 2 compared to the 1...see how it sits on bended knees, curving forward in supplication...it is the reminder for us that in order to be in relationship it takes intense work, it requires the surrender, the graceful yielding of the ego in order to create and enter into that sacred temple that is love. When you put two 2s facing each other you see that they create a heart together.
I don't knowI don't know which side I'm onI don't know my right from leftOr my right from wrongSay I'm a foolSay I'm nothingBut if I'm a fool for youOh, that's somethingTwo hearts beat as oneTwo Hearts Beat as One ~U2
For the last 9 months I have been dedicating myself to the conscious work of love within myself and with another. In the beginning, last April, when I was pleasantly surprised with an opportunity to explore an old acquaintance (& major crush) in a new journey of relationship, I told myself that no matter what, I was going to see the situation through. I am thoroughly dedicated to love and growth and clear that this next phase of healing on our planet involves the love and healing of the relationship between the masculine and the feminine...I was, and am, ready willing and able to do whatever it takes to keep my heart open and trusting, to maintain my commitment to love and to the integrity and sincerity of what we are both offerring each other...even when I was scared to death and may have had good reason to think/feel otherwise. I trust love, I trust myself and I trust that the universe is unfolding in more wonderful ways than I could ever plan...and so I also trust him.
HowDid the roseEver open its heartAnd give to this worldAll itsBeauty?It felt the encouragement of lightAgainst itsBeing,Otherwise,We all remainTooFrightened.~Hafiz
On Epiphany, January 6, we ended that relationship; the fantasies and plans we had imagined in the beginning were burned away with the (literal & symbolic) fires of the reality of difficult transitions, varying definitions of radical truth and differing perspectives about the benefits of self inquiry and the strength of vulnerability...And I am so incredibly GRATEFUL for the experience!For me, this was the most conscious I have ever been in a romantic relationship, and the most compassionate, calm, loving and persevering...I feel as though I surrendered and yielded to the wonder of what was unfolding and also loved and took care of myself through the entire process. I asked for what I needed and wanted, and I asked difficult questions, even when it was not comfortable for him (or me), and he showed up and offered me what he had to give in the moment. And whenever a risk arose I chose to risk the relationship over risking my authenticity. This situation helped me to raise my bar on what I want, what I choose, what I receive and also on what I am capable of giving and patiently enduring in the complicated journey that is adult love… And more than that, I feel as though I have done incredibly important, beautiful conscious & unconscious work in my core relationship wounds, the vestiges of imprinted family dynamics I picked up as a child in order to assist me in opening my heart as never before...I feel like I was primed and prepared for BIG LOVE. And I am experiencing that BIG LOVE now centered in my own heart and thriving. I am really really very proud of myself!
So meet me in the streetsIn the dark, in your bare feetMeet in a place like your heartDrop a phat beatWind begins to blowIt's a sweet validationNature has her signsAnd they're clear affirmationsWe Are On Time ~Nahko Bear
I recently came across a powerful quote that while it may imply hetero-sexism, I do not offer it in that vein. To me, the word “woman” applies to the feminine in every one of us, and the word man applies to the masculine, I see it in an archetypal way. And I also have to say that I feel, in my experience as a hetero/cis woman, that it very much applies to me and the men I have known. Unless a man truly connects with my heart, engages me in a loving way, he is not getting anywhere in touch with my body. Although this was not alway the case, in my youth I used sex to avoid intimacy; it has been a powerful and beautiful journey to move things in another direction.
Before you can touch a woman you need to touch her heart.Before you can touch a man's heart you need to touch him.
~Tony Verheij
And every man that has let me into his heart, has inspired me to actually touch him, with my hand on his chest, over his heart, in the beginning of our relationship. I can think back to every romantic relationship, major and minor, and remember that moment; it’s how I realized that something powerful was happening, because I never thought about it or contrived it, my hand would just reach out and literally connect with his body near his heart during a conversation. And somehow, after that physical touch, he would open up and let me touch his emotional heart. I feel as though when I was touched, in my heart by something he said, I would reach out and touch him to complete the connection; as if guided by our our souls to connect.
Two powerful poems on LOVE by Lisa Citore:If You Want to Change the World, Love a WomanIf You Want to Change the World, Love a Man
I think that is is so important to really reach out and touch each other, to be brave in the expression of our authenticity and in the sharing of our love. We are here for such a short time, how much love can we bring to each other and the world while we are here? I say a whole bunch!!!
I don't want to be the only one hereTelling all the secrets -Filling up all the bowls at this party,Taking all the laughs.I would like youTo start putting things on the tableThat can also feed the soulThe way I do.That wayWe can inviteA hell of a lot moreFriends.~Hafiz
two of cups - love
This coming together of humans, in hearts, minds, souls and bodies, is represented in the 2 of cups in the minor arcana. Here the two of cups is represented by a couple sitting in a sacred embrace in the center of a lotus flower under a full moon. In the water below you can see the reflection of the couple; as above so below...This card represents physical love, sacred union and relationship. It is, of all the cards in the tarot deck, the one most indicative of romantic relationship with another human. When this card appears in a reading it brings attention to a romantic relationship. Depending on where it is in the layout it can be representative of past, present or future, at the root of the matter or the fruit...regardless, if it’s in a reading, love & relationship are present for the querent.two of swords - peace
Here a figure sits in a closed yoga pose, crossing her arms in front of her whilst holding a sword in each hand. She has a decision to make and she is at peace. She knows that she has all the information she needs to make this decision within herself. When this card appears in a reading, it is a signal to the querent that they have all the information they need inside themselves, and it is time for some serious self referencing. It does them no good to seek outside themselves. Often when someone is sitting across from me and I explain this card in their reading, they smile a knowing smile and admit that they do actually know the answer to their question. I give them the confirmation, whether they tell me what it is or not, that their own information is correct and to trust it. They know what they know what they know, and that is that.two of pentacles - change
This figure is juggling in a lemniscate/figure 8/infinity pattern. This card represents a choice to be made that will change things, as choices tend to do. The figure 8 represents the willingness to include the heart in one’s decisions. If the black ball represents body and the white represents mind, the center of the 8 represents the heart. It is a good idea, when a thought comes to you to run it through your heart before giving it to your mouth to speak or your body to move forward in action. Our heart is a powerful mediator and helps us to curb our reactions by feeling into a situation and seeing that perhaps what a person did/said to you was not personal, and is really just an expression of their own pain. The way to stop the cycle of reactivity is to acknowledge the pain and ask about it...“wow, that hurts, what’s going on, are you ok?” From there healing is possible and change is productive.
two of wands - dominion
Through the fire...that is what this card sings to me when I see it. It's the capacity to go through whatever needs to be gone through, in order to forge a new path. The figure is facing the wall of fire, s/he is not afraid of it, they seem to accept and even move towards the challenge ahead of them. They hold a wand in each hand and on their back is a symbol of the tao. This is a card of integration, and balance of the opposites: light and dark, yin and yang, masculine and feminine. When the two of wands appears in a reading it is an indication that there are new challenges ahead, and that the querent, having done their work of inner balance and integration, is ready to face them. There is a sense of being in control of the situation, or at the very least in control of themselves and their capacity to handle what is ahead with a balanced, integrated perspective. Wands indicate action and movement and also the spirit and fire; this card specifically indicates the conscious willingness to go through the fire in order to come out transformed on the other side!
All opposites are of God, therefore man must bend to this burden;and in so doing he finds that God in his "oppositeness" hastaken possession of him, incarnated himself in him. He becomes a vessel filled with divine conflict.
~Carl Jung
hold the tension of the opposites.
~Carl Jung
The number two is also about the dance of duality and opposites, learning to be interdependent instead of dependent or independent…In Jungian Psychology there is a great deal said and written about holding the tension, the space between the opposites. When we hold that tension, with great love and respect for our own perspective and great love and respect for the perspective of the other, there is something magical happens, a magic third appears...but that is for next month.I wish you a wonderful, loving and compassionate February! Please celebrate LOVE wherever you find it and have the courage to follow your heart wherever it leads! And if it leads you to come by and see me on the 4th Friday, February 23rd, we'll celebrate together by witnessing love’s presence in your cards...
I want both of usTo start talking about this great loveAs if you, I, and the Sun were all marriedAnd living in a tiny room,Helping each other to cook,Do the wash,Weave and sew,Care for our beautifulAnimals.We all leave each morningTo labor on the earth's field.No one does not lift a great pack.I want both of us to start singing like twoTraveling minstrelsAbout this extraordinary existenceWe share,As ifYou, I, and God were all marriedAnd living inA tinyRoom.~Hafiz
