The other day, this song, Down to the River to Pray by Alison Krauss, came up on my shuffled playlist. I was on a run, working through some problems (running is often meditative for me). As I lost myself in the beauty of her voice and the loveliness of the song, a meditation based on the tarot appeared—like Athena from Zeus's head—fully formed in my mind.

We all have ideals, a vision of the person we wish we were or want to become. This vision is, or should be, the thing that guides every action we take, every word we speak, and every thought we entertain. If those actions, words, or thoughts do not move us closer to that ideal vision of ourselves, then we should not do, speak, or think them.

But we all fall short of our own ideals. That is, it seems, the point of life, to continue to strive, and to grow, and to learn.

There are times when drama, politics, or old scars impede my vision. They get in the way, so much so that I feel covered in goo and as if slogging through oatmeal. I'm so covered in it that I cannot see my way let alone move forward. I was in such a place when this song came on my iPod as I ran along the lakeshore in the cool early morning air and the warm early morning sun of a spectacular fall day.

Although the song refers to the Christian tradition, thinking of it metaphorically and archetypally, I realized that "going down to the river to pray" was exactly what I needed to do. On the heels of that thought came the image of the Star card. The Star is healing and refreshment—a place to wash the ick off.

Copyright © 2010 Barbara Moore. All rights reserved.