As mentioned at the beginning of the month, the Chariot Tarot card symbolizes the successes that come to a person who is in a proper relationship with Being. This is the individual who spends a great deal of time in what modern people call a "flow state" or what used to be called (and sometimes still is) "being in Christ."
The chariot is drawn by two sphinxes, and there are no reins. So how does the charioteer steer the chariot? How does he direct himself to his destination? By being aware and engaged, he gets where he wants to go because he goes were he wants to get. It is allowed to happen.
As Hatmaker pointed out on his blog this week, the greatest frontiersmen could hear a mouse pissing on cotton, and they gave the impression they could see the invisible and predict the future. That's because they were paying attention -- not in a forced and tension-filled way but in a relaxed, fearless and fully engaged manner. They were in the flow.
Consider this 17th century Masonic poem by Scot Henry Adamson:
For what we presage is not in grosse,
For we brethren of the Rosie Crosse;
We have the Mason Word and second sight,
Things for to come we can foretell aright.
Some say that Adamson is implying that Masons have psychic abilities. I don't think so.
I think what he's saying is that when you have integrity -- when thoughts, desires, actions and beliefs are unified such that you live "in the flow" or "in Christ" -- then you are oriented to such a degree that your spiritual and physical compasses are superimposed and things happen for you as if by magic.
No Reins: Martial Arts Training Involution #213
Warm-up thoroughly for at at least 8 minutes. Do 2-3 minutes each of (a) jumping rope (b) light calisthenics and (c) shadowboxing, forms, or light heavy bag work, or 8 minutes of MBF.
How many hours have you spent "in the flow" this week? When you're in the flow, walking with Christ, or whatever you prefer to call it, you are relaxed, happy, productive and engaged -- without effort, tension, or self-consciousness. If the answer is less than an hour per day on average I suggest journaling daily. Analyze your entries. Figure out what gets you into that space and what pushes you out. Set some benchmarks. The more time you spend there the better.
20 minutes of forms. Run through the Fool's Journey, the Star of Ishtar and the Black Dragon three times each, then shadowbox until you get your 20.
Have you done two constitutionals this week? If not, complete this month’s constitutional. Pikes (25), Push-ups, uneven (25), Jump Squats (100), Reverse Bridges (25), Curb Touches (100), Ploughs (25), Burpees (25).
Contemplation. After you’ve cooled down for about 3 minutes, set a timer for 10 minutes. Full instructions in the video below. When the timer beeps, record what you did and what you experienced in your training journal. If you don’t take bearings and spot landmarks, you might get lost.