C Words – Clutter, Compassion and Contentment

I’ve been focusing on clearing clutter this month but I gotta admit: it’s not easy.  Especially when I do have some legitimate stuff I need to buy.  Like the brand new laptop I’m writing on right now!

Once Mercury retrograde was over, I hopped on down to Apple to grab my sweet ‘n shiny MacBook Pro (along with some “accessories” to trick it out!).  There is nothing like some new tech swag to make this homegirl geeked out to the max!

However, my joy got a big time buzzcrunch when an old friend, down on his luck and homeless, came for a visit.  He had been recently released from jail and was currently staying in a men’s shelter.  We picked him up and gave him a hot meal, a long soak in the tub and a spot on the couch to rest his tired body for the night.

Our dear friend was a shadow of the handsome man he used to be.  The spark, that fight that used to light up his eyes was gone, beaten down by addiction, bad decisions and too much time behind bars.  My heart broke into a million pieces to see him in this condition.  We had tried many times over the years to help him but were impotent against something as powerful as addiction.

As he surveyed our cluttery home and late model cars, he remarked how we were “living large”.  

Suddenly, I began to feel rather guilty for having so many material things.  Here I am, sitting with new toys and bitching about how I have so much crap that I have to find some way to get rid of it all…and here he sits, with only a backpack and a few filthy clothes to speak of.  Compassion for my friend replaced anything else I was feeling that day.  However, it also got me doing a ton of questioning:

Who am I to gripe about my stuff or so called problems?  Why do I dare say one word about my non-issues when others around me are really suffering?  (Sorry Theresa, but the clutter of books and gadgets is not an ordeal nor a bad position to be in.)

Perhaps I needed to shift my mindset on my clutter “drama” to a different head space: contentment with what I have.

Could I find contentment with this mess I live in?  Could I appreciate the abundance that the Universe has given me rather than giving in to overwhelm and resentment?  

This turn of events raised so many questions that I decided to look at it through a tarot perspective.  I shuffled my cards and drew one card for each of these questions:

• What do I need to know about clutter?
• What do I need to know about compassion?
• What do I need to do to find contentment?

Here are the cards I drew along with my interpretations:

What do I need to know about clutter? 6 of Wands reversed  – When this card is upright, it signifies success and moving forward into the winner’s circle.  Reversed, the energy becomes stagnant.  Instead of valiant leadership, this suggests a fall.  Clutter can prevent one from moving forward towards goals.  

What do I need to know about compassion?  Page of Swords – Remain true to your ideals but have some clear cut boundaries in place.  A desire for justice needs to be tempered with wisdom.

What do I need to do to find contentment? Queen of Swords – Bring awareness to the present moment.  Look at the bigger picture and don’t waste energy on trivial matters.  Enlightenment comes through adopting a logical approach: you have everything you need, stop frittering energy with worry over having too much and instead just appreciate your good fortune.  Adjust your thinking – and don’t over-think the matter.  Just be.

Notice the two Court Cards are wielding swords – this may also be a sign that cutting back and bringing more mindfulness to my consumerism may be in order.  It can also be an indicator that an adjustment in my thinking may indeed help me to clear the chaos and find order in my home and appreciation for all the gifts that I’ve been given – especially the gift of this life.  After all, nothing is permanent – not my things, the people in my life or my time here on earth.  Ultimately, this comes down to more gratitude, less “attitude”. 

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

Blessings!

Theresa

© Theresa Reed | The Tarot Lady 2013

images from stock photography and my personal collection

So tell me about a time when you felt full of gratitude for all you have?  When have you been truly content?  Share your experiences, thoughts and tarot insights in the comment section below: