OshoZen 10 of Clouds (swords)

Briar Rose

OshoZen 10 of Clouds (swords) :T10S
Rebirth


From the book: The card depicts the evolution of consciousness as it is described by Friedrich Nietzsche in his book, Thus Spake Zarathustra. He speaks of the three levels of Camel, Lion, and Child.

Camel is sleepy, self-satisfied, Lion isemerging, realizing what we've been missing, then after appectance, we're freed, childlike innocence.

I have no comment. Can anyone shed some other light on this?
 

Judith D

I think the best hint is in the title.
Tens are completion and going on to begin again. So, if you look at the progression from camel - sleepy, self-satisfied, lazy perhaps, living his life of illusion, doing nothing much. Then we wake to the lion within, creative, active, enthusiastic, and following our own truth until we reach that truth in the reality of the innocent playful child. It is a never ending evolution. We start something in life, do it, bring it to whatever conclusion, and start again. And because every aspect of our lives is in this progression somewhere, we are all of these things together at all times, forever being reborn into ourselves.
The traditional RWS is the prone body, ten swords sticking out of his back. It represents hitting the bottom, or ruin, but because it is a ten we know it also represents the possibility of renewal. The worst is over, there is nowhere to go but up.
Our Rebirth card seems to represent the cycle of growth, rather than the rockbottom experience - a more positive outlook on the subject.
 

Grizabella

I like this 10 of Clouds much better than the RWS 10 of Swords. It's much more positive, as Judith says. I like how the 10 of Clouds here shows the breaking free of all the other cards in this suit that are so clenched tight, miserable and controlled into childlike joy and freedom.
 

squeakmo9

I love the RWS version as well as this one. Like Judith said, the worst is over, no more pain, and a new horizon emerges in the distance. Wonderful hope.
I think it is pretty awful to live life sleepwalking and not even realize it...ignorance is bliss? That's what that camel looks like, in a complete fog. The lion is said to walk alone, he bows down to no one, and the child seems to be pleased as punch.
I don't think I could appreciate where I am now without knowing where I've been. I'm confident enough to say I'm not sleepwalking anymore. It has been and continues to be a journey, and I think out of the 3 the turning point IS about living your truth(Lion). Only then can you follow your bliss as this child does.
 

Alan Ross

Solitaire said:
I like how the 10 of Clouds here shows the breaking free of all the other cards in this suit that are so clenched tight, miserable and controlled into childlike joy and freedom.
I'm with you on this one. I like this much better than the traditional RWS Ten of Swords. I found the mirror stuff in the LWB rather cryptic. It seems to be another one of those "don't be anything, just be" things. But I like the italicized commentary. And I particularly like the part that says "Whatever the space you're in right now - sleepy and depressed, or roaring and rebellious - be aware that it will evolve into something new if you allow it."

I feel like I'm a camel a lot these days - sleepy, dull, and self-satisfied. Other times I've been a lion. Once in a while I might hit the child state. This evolution in consciousness that the book describes doesn't seem to progress in an orderly fashion where first you're a camel, then eventually a lion, and then finally a child. I think what happens is that you spend more time in the higher states and less in the lower states as you progress, but also with lots of backsliding. This spiritual evolution thing is a very messy business. At least I feel that it has been that way for me.
 

Master_Margarita

Before I read the commentary and just looked at this card, I saw:

Id, Ego, Superego.

Other than that, it is one of a number of these cards that are working really hard to be koans. It has no meaning, and every meaning. It makes my head hurt.

But it is an absurdly positive card compared to the RWS 10 of Swords treatment, and compared to the almost unformly negative treatment the Suit of Clouds gets in this deck (see the court cards upcoming where the deck authors really get going).
 

Pao

I see it as beginning again completely transformed. Or maybe starting something over for a second time with a totally different approach. maybe the first time you tried it as a camel and didnt work out so now you are trying a different way like a lion or child. I do take the word rebirth into consideration and so we are born again, giving it another try perhaps with a different perspective or level or consciousness. perhaps more mature, more grown with more insight into the situation.

i dont compare it to rws at all because this one does not tell me the situation is over for good but tells me that it goes on differently. things are/will be ok.