This is Five and Nine, a podcast newsletter at the intersection of magic, work and economic justice. Welcome to Episode 002.
This episode’s music is The Gondoliers, composed by Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin and performed by Georges Barrère and the Barrère Ensemble of Wind Instruments in 1915. It's part of 400,000 sound recordings made available in the public domain this year.
Listen to the podcast now, or read the transcript below, or both!
This guided meditation lasts just a few minutes and can be done at home, at work, or even on the train. It’s inspired by tarot, mindfulness and metta (lovingkindness) practices.
If you have control over your space, we recommend having your tarot deck nearby and setting an environment for yourself that will help you enter a state of mindfulness and meditation.
If you don't have control over your space, a simple pair of headphones should help. Take a deep breath and find a comfortable position, which could mean sitting, standing, or lying down.
Dorothy R. Santos: Although I love all 78 cards in suits, when the cups show up in any spread, whether I'm reading for myself or others, my mind goes directly to how we wade through the waters and flood of emotions. In tarot, the cups traditionally represent the element of water, which in turn represents the emotions. When the cups appear in a spread, we might be confronted with a difficult decision, or when we feel so passionate that we can hardly contain the overflow.
Years ago, I was deeply inspired by a river bank meditation I heard one night at the East Bay Meditation Center. Along with the breath, mind the flow of water in your mind's eye.
Let's begin.
If you have a deck in front of you, shuffle through your deck face up and draw your favorite Cups card. It might be the Queen of Cups, or the Five of Cups, or the Ace of Cups.
If you don’t have a deck right now, that’s okay. This meditation doesn’t require a card.
We’ll start with a deep breath to ground us. A deep breath in for five seconds. A deep breath out. A deep breath in. And a deep breath out.
Notice the sensation of the breath on nostrils, the chest, the belly.
Imagine yourself on the side of a river. The grass is beneath you. Perhaps there’s a sandy bank. Stones flow across the water.
Walk up to the edge of the river and sit down for a while. Listen to the water, the birds in the air. What kind of birds are they? How clear is the water?
In tarot, flowing water represents the emotions, the depths of feeling we all experience day to day. This river represents the heart, the gut, the joys and sorrows of life.
Now imagine boats flowing along the river. These might be little toy boats. They might be slightly larger, perhaps colorful kayaks. Or even larger, like row boats or steam boats.
What do the boats look like? Notice the color, the structure, the material. Is there wood? Plastic? Whatever boats come to mind are the right boats for this moment. Maybe next time you meditate, there will be a different set of boats.
But these are the boats for you, in this moment.
At this point, you may find thoughts rising up in your mind. Name them. Acknowledge them.
It can be simple as labeling them: “Thinking. Thinking.” “Planning. Planning.”
Each time a thought arises that you can label, place that thought on a boat that floats by. Let the boat keep continuing onward. Allow them to drift away, acknowledging that they’re there.
Understand that they’ll always be there, traveling and returning. In the moment, the practice is just to be present.
If you find your mind drifting, that’s okay. Just place your attention back on the boats. Let them float by. Let them be.
If you have a card, open your eyes and look at the card in front of you. What aspect of the Cups is it calling you to pay attention to right now?
If you don’t have a card, ask yourself, what kind of water is filling your cup right now? What aspects of your emotional life require attending to?
When you’re ready, place one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Extend a feeling of warmth, comfort and love to yourself.
May all beings, including me, be happy and at peace
May all beings, including me, be free from pain and suffering
May all beings, including me, be at ease and comfortable
May all beings, including me, be safe from harm and danger
Thank you.
Five and Nine is a podcast newsletter at the intersection of magic, work and economic justice. We publish “moonthly” — a newsletter every new moon 🌚 and occasional podcasts on full moons 🌝 — , and we provide an ongoing critical discussion through readings, reflections and debate. In this new world, we’re all rethinking the meaning of work and justice in our lives. Our lives and livelihoods are more essential than ever in identifying ways forward for society that can be grounded in care, compassion and sustainability.
During our pilot period, every issue of Five and Nine is free, and after the pilot, we’ll publish more regularly, with paid and free options. Learn more about us here.
Directors of Magic. Dorothy R. Santos and Xiaowei R. Wang
Creative Director. Xiaowei R. Wang
Producer. Ana Mina (aka An Xiao)
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