Tag Archives: Aquarian Tarot

King of Wands

Leave a reply

The King of Wands is today’s card. The ruler of the suit of Wands. Or rather one of the rulers. In this card we see a ruling figure alone with his wand. As the King, the figure carries a lot of power. But also a lot of responsibility. To be a good King, or Queen, means to balance of authority. The King of Wands is a person of passions. A person of bravery and convictions.
Wands is the suit of fire. A great drive for success in life. And as the ruler of this suit. This could be the top. The King may have gotten the authority and the respect so long desired. But this power and respect isn’t always easy. Not just in the getting but in the holding. And at times it lacks the allure it held before it was ours. If this person has focused only on power and respect. They may find their lives empty now.

Alone on the card with the one wand. The card is an echo to where the journey started. And it sends a clear message. There is no top to the ambitions of the world. There will always be another mountain. As we reach one goal, we begin the journey to the next. Like Sisyphus rolling his stone up the hill. While the drive for success can be healthy. It can also be all consuming. Like King Arthur who left everything to fight and die in a war far away. We lose touch with what has lasting value. Unlike the Queen of this suit. The King does not look at the viewer. The focus of the King is the wand. When a fire burns just to burn to burns out the fuel it needs to continue.

With any real power comes responsibility. It is easy to forget or not understand. Not just for those lacking in power. But those who do not own the responsibility. People depend on you. There are tough choices to be made. And as a leader an example to be set for others. In this way a clear focus will help the King. With so many people looking to the King as a guide. Distraction is dangerous for the King. It is more than a single person and a single path. But a Kingdom.

The greatest asset to any person is a true passion. But the King needs it even more. There are people driven from within. Then people driven from without. It is a convenience to be driven from without. Your motivation is in the hands of others. But they will rarely push you as far as you can go. And will often hold you back to promote their own ends. But the King cannot be driven from without. The King must have an inner motivation. An inner passion. An inner drive. This is what becomes the focus. When others are not present. When the storms of life beat down. This inner fire like a lighthouse is the way home.

What this card is telling you is your bound for success. Find the inner lighthouse. Be true to your light. Be patient and kind with others. But also with yourself. You are on the right path. But don’t let the path itself be everything. When you sit in the throne, don’t sit there alone. Keep true to your path. If you haven’t just had a great success. in the near future you will. It could be both. But also recall the message. At the end we find a new start. The journey of life goes in cycles, until we find peace.

Seven of Swords

Leave a reply

We someone in this card who has a heavy load. They are still traveling. And they take too much with them. This is the suit of the mind, and ideas. So what we need to release is an idea. Or many ideas which may have served us at one time. But isn’t anymore.

Years ago I heard heard the ancient people based the seven-day week on what a person could work. They found after six days people needed a day to rest. And the creation of the world in seven days. An extension of this finding. If people needed a rest after six days. Maybe God did too.

But back to our card and what it is telling us. Give yourself a break. Maybe your ideas are too high. There is no perfection in this world. And while we can keep on dreaming of living in a perfect world. We should stop beating ourselves up for not being in this perfect world. In this world there are delays. In this world we have days we don’t work at our peak. In this world we help others at our own cost. In this world, we are not perfect. No matter how hard we try.

In the last card, the six of swords we started our journey. We thought we could leave our troubles behind us. But we created those troubles. And we keep on creating them. We carry to ideas and the troubles with us as we travel. In this card we are still moving. Slowly we learn to let ideas go. In this card we see two swords are being left behind. This is a good sign. But will it be enough, and will it be soon enough.

In the next card we see someone bound. They haven’t done enough to let the old ideas go. And now those ideas and expectations have them bound. We can’t escape our troubles anymore. We either face them, or like the figure in the next card blindfold ourselves to the truth.

In the seven of pentacles we see a person with too much work. They have a pile of work. And it appears to be so much work they haven’t started. It is like the task has defeated them before they could start. I know this has happened to me. And no doubt to you. Those moments where you feel you can’t finish. But you haven’t even started.

The seven of swords is telling us how to escape. We shouldn’t put down all our swords. But we can’t go on carrying them either. Put a few down today. And tomorrow a few more. Then the next day. Find the right balance between what pushes you forward and holds you back.

In the seven of cups we see where our imagination can take us. Is is the opposite in some ways of the seven of swords. We imagine our way into the future. But we fail to focus on the hard work of the present. And we get lost in our images.

This card is telling you today to take a break. Give your self credit for what you have done. You are an amazing person for everything you do. And maybe even more so for the things you hope to accomplish but do not. I’ve long felt t0-do lists were healthy. But those who fail on their lists are the good ones. They have aimed higher than they could reach. But how many people will make a list below what is possible: they always mark off every item. A trick for to-do lists by the way. Make a bunch of easy items. You can cross them off first. And it gives you the feeling of getting things done. This can be great motivation.

Don’t be bound to ideas which no longer serve you.

The Fool

Leave a reply

In many ways we are The Fool. The whole of the tarot is a journey of The Fool. The card number for The Fool is zero. Because it stands outside of time. Like a fool. The real magic of the card lays in this emptiness. We stand before our journey has begun. Maybe we are aware of a fresh start. And maybe it will be a surprise. What we will never know is how far the journey will take us. How much we will grow.
This card is normally placed at the start of the deck. But because of its number it doesn’t have a place. Taking the position at the start the next card is the magician. We start our trip, we get our tools. But at this point we don’t even know what we need. The trip is raw. In the image on the card a figure carries a stick. This is a wand from later in the suits. It shows the power we carry with us from the start. We may not know where the trip will end. But we begin with the power we need to complete the journey. Even before we gain our tools from the magician. We are ready.

Bundled up and looking at a white rose. This white rose represents our innocence. We believe in ourselves. We believe in the world. And in our journey. Soon tests will come. But they haven’t yet. For many those tests will deplete our faith. But for others it will only grow stronger. But now like a child we enter the world. Ready for what life give us. We trust life and the goodness of the world.

The last card in the tarot deck is the world. Once The Fool has come to the end. We find ourselves at the start again. We come full circle every time. There is a truth of oneness we accept as we grow in life. At the end of the cycle we see this truth. And once again we see the goodness of the world. We live in peace. We once again believe. But this moment is passing for many. Because a new journey begins. Back in the foot steps of The Fool. There is a new lesson.

The journey of The Fool echoes the shape of zero. Around and around and around. A humanity we are a fool together. Can you look at the state of the world and not see we are fools. And we repeat the same lessons over and over. But we never seem to learn. Maybe some of us learn. But the path of humanity is to take us all into peace. And until this path is complete we walk together on this road. The road of The Fool.

What this card is telling you today is be ready. Pack your bags. Though it is likely not a material journey. It could be anything. Pack your ideas, and your emotions and be ready for change. Because a shift is coming in your life. You may be aware of this new start. It could be a new love. Or a new job. Or a new house in a new town, with a new love. But it could be a new point of view. We think of the big changes in life so often. But sometimes little changes are more important.

Have you eyes open. And your mind open to what lays ahead for you. Know you will not know the path yet. Also know soon you will be given the tools you need. But you are ready now. The lesson you move into will take the skills from the last lessons in your life. We are always where we are meant to be, if we know it or not. Hold on to the lessons of the past as you move forward.

Even if this card means a change of mind. We could be going through something as radical as a change of religion. Remember to hold the truths from where you came sacred. These truths don’t change. And they will still help and guide you. There is only one truth: love. Only Love is real.

I send you on your journey in peace. You have moments of joy ahead. But also moments of sadness. There will be confusion. But if you carry on you will find the path. Try to hold on to your white rose. Your faith in yourself.

Ace of Pentacles

Leave a reply

The Aces are seeds. This makes them easy to understand. But hard at the same time. There is so much raw energy. And potential.

The Ace of Pentacles may really be a seed. It is Spring time. A new beginning. The trite answer would be a marriage or a new job. There is nothing wrong with these. But they aren’t the full picture. Because it could be many things.

What we know is Pentacles is about the earth. It is about bringing into manifestation. The element of earth covers a wide area. From the money we earn in our lives. To the family and friends we love. Down to the art projects we create or the things we buy. A new house would be a new start in earth. And yes so would be a new job.

Sometimes we plant a seed and we don’t know what will grow. Yes, most farmers know they plant corn, or wheat. But there is still so much uknowns. Just because it is planted doesn’t mean it will grow. Just because it is watered doesn’t mean it will grow. And even if it does grow. There is no certainty of success. A cold snap could threaten. Or bugs could consume. Fires burn and rains flood our growing plants. Our plans face many risks as they emerge in the world.

And the Ace of Pentacles is all about the potential. But also about these risks. The next card in the deck is the Two of Pentacles. Sometimes our plans are either helped or harmed by other’s plans. Some people will have plans which support our own. And some will not. As we enter into the world with our seeds. We seek out allies. But even allies won’t support us 100 percent. Because they have their own paths. And those paths are not our paths. We may walk together for a time. But we always walk alone in the end.

And the truth of this is seen in the number one. We start alone. And in the end we are alone again. Even when we have friends and family in our lives. There are spaces inside ourselves where they cannot touch. But these spaces are ours. and they are meant to be ours.

At the end of this journey is home, family, wealth and success. These are the things which bring happiness, right? Maybe, but not always. It has to be the right family and friends for us. And wealth in itself is only part of the path to pleasure. While success is good. The wrong type of success is empty. We must do our own dharma and not another’s. Today with the planting of the seed is where we start. We are not farmers and don’t know 100 percent what crop our seed will grow. But if we plant with love. A love for ourselves and others. Then if we tend it with care and thought. We grow the happiness which will be of real value to our lives.

And if a crop isn’t right? A farmer might burn it, or turn it back into the soil. We must not be afraid to start over in our lives. Don’t put more and more resources into a wasted future. Since the plants return to the soil they feed the next plan. We may start over. But we do not start from zero.

This card for many may be a point of starting over already. You’ve lost something of real value. And now you begin to heal. As we heal, as we grow, as we plan. Listen to your body. One of my favorite new tricks is flipping a coin for answer. Take something you are 50-50 about and assign one to heads or tails. Then flip the coin in the air a fair height. While it is still in the air your body will be rooting for one or the other. If you think heads and there is a tension. You know what the answer is already.

Ace of Swords

Leave a reply

A new idea is born. Today we have the Ace of Swords. A new journey begins. One of the mind. But the path is far from easy. In the end it may take us to a place of defeat.

Swords is the zone of the mind. Our intellect and mental framework of the world. It is how we view our place in the world. The thoughts which guide and create our lives. In its pure form this card is about meditation. Take a moment to bring your mind to a point of still thought.

On the card we see one sword. When our minds are focused they are sharp. They can be our greatest weapon. Or they can be our greatest defeat. Aside the sword grows two white roses. When we take the time to create stillness in our mind. We can achieve a purity of thought and action. We think our thoughts are outside our control. And we control our actions. But we direct our thoughts. And our thoughts direct our actions. Be careful what you think.

It is this warning which makes meditation so important. Our minds can be our servants. They were given to us to serve our interests. But they can also run lose like monkeys and drive us crazy. We need to control our own minds. If we don’t something else will. And without focus our mind creates chaos. Because the mind can only create what is knows.

When your mind knows peace. It will create peace. When your mind knows love, it will create love. Feed your mind on the things of love and peace. And your thoughts will be of love and peace. If you feed it on the things of hate and fear. Your thoughts will be of hate and fear. You can dream of love, or you can dream about illusion.

This card is telling you about a new idea in your life. It is too soon to tell if the idea is good or bad. Take the idea in hand and play with it. Like a new sword. Test the strength and flexibility of the idea. But do not own it yet. It is too young and unformed. Wait for the idea to develop. Watch and see as it changes. And take the time to meditate on the new idea and what it means for your life. Does this idea serve to bring more love into your life. Or does it serve to bring you more hate and fear.

If an idea is grounded in truth, then it must be grounded in love. Because anything other than love is a lie.

If you have not encountered the new idea. Chances are you will soon. It is at the point of newness when being still can be the hardest. But it is also the most important. Still your mind, act from a place of stillness in yourself. Do not react to the world. Do not be pushed into a mistake just because it is exciting. Every idea is new at some point in the world. And this idea may be new to you. But it doesn’t make it a good idea.

I can’t say enough how important meditation is at this point. The sword in the photo is the mind. And like the sword in the photo when our minds are still. Then our minds are ready for action. They are  not tired, or distracted or unavailable. Rest your sword, still your mind. Because if this new idea may just need your complete focus. This could be a life changing moment. An idea which could change the world.

And a final note is even the right ideas can end in defeat. We may put too much of ourselves into these ideas. Or we may invest too little. Some hold on to an idea long past its usefulness. The last card in the suit of swords is the ten of swords. And in this card we find ourselves defeated by our own minds. Today is the point where we make choices to avoid this end. Or we make choices which ensure our defeat. It isn’t just about the right idea, but the right time and the right effort.

The true swordsman doesn’t carry a sword is an old saying. Take up an idea which serves you. And put it down when it serves you no longer. Known when you need the next idea, it will be ready. But if your hands are full of ideas from the past. You will not be ready.

Nine of Swords

Leave a reply

The darkness sits in the room. Like a second person. But there isn’t a second person. We’ve done wrong. Sinned against ourselves and God. No one is ever going to love us again. This is hell.

The Nine of Swords is as close as it comes to total defeat. We sit in our shame. And events from the past are relived in our mind. The woman at work. The person in traffic. An ex-lover, a former boss or even parents and family play their roles. The mind in this card is turned on itself. It cannot stop thinking about sins. For hours as you try to rest. It brings us image after image. Even after event from the past. And you know there is no forgiveness. How could there be when you can’t even forgive yourself.

In the last we had the eight of swords. We were bound, powerless. We couldn’t move. And maybe we cannot forgive ourselves now for allowing this to happen. But we need to be gentle with ourselves. If we had known better. We would have done better. Look back and understand it is past. Don’t be a victim to the past.

In this card we see a person sitting in bed. They weep openly. Their face covered by their hands. They can’t even face their shame. They are wearing a shapeless piece of clothing. We have lost ourselves in our sorrow. Our depression has taken over our lives. Its voice is all we hear in our head now. But it can change.

Above the figure nine swords sit on the wall. They are there like trophies. We focus so much on our failings. Winners put trophies on their walls of success. And we put our failures in the same place of honor. We may not have real trophies. But we obsess about them all the same. Our favorite sad songs sing in the back of our minds. And we fall again and again and again.

But this isn’t real. Go back to the moment honestly. You will see a person trying the best they can. If they didn’t love themselves at the time. It is all the more reason you should love them now. And love yourself now. Remember only love is real.

In the next card we have the Ten of Swords. The darkest card in the deck. It is total defeat. Not even death is as dark as this night. We become broken, lost and lonely figures in the world. But this doesn’t have to be our fate.

This card is trying to wake you up from the dream. There are things in your life you can change. Get up and change them before it is too late. And there are things you cannot change. Just learn to accept these things. Move on to the battles you can win. Of course the hardest part is knowing which is which. If there is a battle you are fighting. This is the time to ask yourself if you are failing. And if it would be better to let it go than to go on with the struggle. Or it may be you need to let the past go. We’ve all fallen down. All had broken hearts. All of us had dreams which didn’t come about in this life. And we all no doubt will again. This is the life we choose to live. And the more we focus on the mud, the less we can see the flowers.

This card is a dark card. But the darkness is inside of you. And all you have to do it turn on a light. The magical light always at your fingertips is called forgiveness. It means you forgive yourself. And you forgive others. They did not mean to harm you. What they did, was what they felt was the best. When it hurts it is hard to see the truth. And when it hurts it is hard to let it go. The biggest problem with this card is the pain never goes away. This card is telling you forgiveness will take the pain away forever. Then you can let it go. Let it go and allow yourself to heal.

Page of Wands

Leave a reply

The Page was a student. One who served a knight. This page is in Wands. What are the lessons we need to learn. We are growing. And developing our energy.
Wands is about fire. It is about having passion. What is it which drives us in life. What is our dream. The mission of our life. This card to pointing towards events which are helping us on the path. Events may result in ends we don’t foresee. And what we fear today will no doubt be the best for tomorrow.

There are many steps to understanding our passion. Our dharma. It is said the dharma of fire is to burn. And the dharma of water is to be wet. But how many of us live our dharma. Krishna said it is better to live ones own dharma. Even imperfectly. Than to live another’s perfectly.

The future is bright for us. The next card in the deck is the knight of wands. We shall be heroes. But first we need to be a hero to ourselves. Look out for your dream. Take time and invest energy into your passion. If you don’t know what yours is this may be a good time to focus. Think about what brings you joy. What one thing makes the time pass without notice.

We all live our lives working jobs we do not love. Jobs which do not feed our soul. Imagine a world where everyone found their place. Found the one thing which fed their soul. And served the community. The more you work on being you the easier it will get. And being yourself makes it easier for others to be themselves.

When we aren’t living our dharma. We may be trying to live another person’s dharma. But this makes it harder for them to follow their path. They in turn may seek to follow another person’s path. The knock-on effect is endless. But one person on their own path. Not only serves as an example. But sets others free of competition. There isn’t meant to be a contest to serve our dharma.

A page of cups would be learning too. They have to learn about their emotions. And a page of swords is learning about their mind.

But the fire of wands is also about our own source of life. Our heart. What is it which makes us brave. Where do we find courage. Where is our love centered. Remember only love is real. So if you are not living for love. What are you living for then?

This card has come up because you are a student. We are all students. But this is pointing out lessons going on in your life now. What you are going through may not be easy. I doubt the training of a knight’s page was easy. But it is valuable. What you are doing is putting you on your path. And you may not see the whole staircase. But focus on the next step, and the next step.

This card is not a card of action. The knight takes his passion to battle. But first the knight must learn. We are not ready to put our passion into practice today. Even for those who have been very active in their dreams. This card should inspire a pause. It may be time for some to reflect on there they are on the path.

Some may get this card to refocus them on their goal. They may have forgotten their passion. In the day-to-day they lost sight of the big picture. It isn’t always easy to focus on the small steps. And the big picture at the same time. If our passion feels weaker lately. We may have lost sight of one or the other. This card is giving us space to re-focus.

Six of Wands

Leave a reply

We have come home to rest. The six of wands shows victory. We ride in the place of honor. The crowds rally around. This is in the tradition of Ancient Rome. Where war heroes were honored with a parade. We are the champion.

Six is a card about return. This success didn’t come in a day. The battle may have been won in day. But it took years for us to be ready. We worked hard. Put our hearts and soul into our passion. The battle only lasted a day. But the preparation for the battle took a life time.

Most recently we had the five of wands. This card gave us the moment to change our focus. Among many on the field of battle our role was clear. In the card four figures hold wands. And one wand stands on its own. This one is un-seen by the figures on the card. The leadership role in our lives waits for us. If we do not step in with a vision, no one will. The figures in the battle are in chaos. Like our life when we wait for someone else to guide it. We took charge, or we wouldn’t be here today.

The figure on the six of wands sits upright. They know they are successful. Their eyes are not on the crowd. But set on where they are going. They see the road ahead. With a strong focus on their passions. They know more battles lay in their future. But they have accepted the honor. A wreath sits a top their wand. They are aware of the crowd cheering them on, and gain courage from them.

The figure wears red. This reflects a being consumed with passion. But also in the best of cases a person of heart. If our passions are guided by our hearts the path is true. But when we listen to other voices we get lost. If we stop and listen to the voices of the crowd. We can lose our focus. But if we rush past the crowd we lost our courage. The word courage comes from old French and Latin. It’s root is in the word for heart. Though we battle alone. Our heart gains strength from a connection with others.

In the next card we return to battle. We face the odds alone. But we know we are not alone. The crowd is still with us in spirit. Our family and our friends are there in the battle. The biggest battles of our lives we must fight ourselves. And it is easy to feel alone at these times. But we are not.

It is interesting how there is also movement in the six of swords. But this movement is different. In that card we go alone into the unknown. Here we face the unknown with a community. It is important to know we don’t always need people to tell us we are right. At times we need to be our own guide and take a path others advise against.

This card is telling us to rest for a moment. Don’t take your eye off your goal. But spend time with friends. Take some time to reconnect with the community. You have come from a great struggle. And another great struggle waits in the future. Accept the support and love of those around you now. You will need it in the times to come.

Check in with your heart. Are you being guided true on your path. The figure in the card is focused. The path is clear. Is your path clear? Do you know what your passion is and why you fight? Make sure you do.

This card may also be a warning. Don’t listen to the voices of the crowd. Even those who love you can mislead you. Listen to your own voice. Also a warning to keep focused. Even while we step away from our struggles, focus. There is one truth. Love.

Ten of Wands

Leave a reply

The weight of the world can get heavy. This card shows the burden.

What this card shows us is too much. Like all number tens in the tarot. This card is about a completeness. In this case we are tired. Completely overwhelmed. We may feel broken by life. A failure.

On the card we see a figure. And we don’t this this person’s face. Who we are has been lost to our struggle. On the figures back are 10 wands. The focus is down. And on the load.

Wands are about fire. Passion and energy flow from wands. But this card is different. Have our passions resulted in too much for us. Have you decided to take on more than we could handle?

This is one of the darkest cards in the deck. In the minor arcana the tens are the best. Or they are the worst. In this case it is the worst. We are at a point of crisis, but we still have a choice. Much of the burden on our back isn’t ours. We can choose to carry this load. Or we can choose to set it down. It takes strength to carry on, pride to set things down, and wisdom to know which is which.

In the card before we had a defensive stance. Maybe it is a sign we knew we were falling. We stood in the gap and stopped those who could have helped us. And now when we turn around it is hard to see anyone there for us. The figure in this card has taken on too much. But much of it is by choice. And much of the load could have been lightened by help from others.

Maybe it is a passionate belief in ourselves which makes us defensive. We are too stubborn to accept we aren’t perfect. And now our own expectations are bringing us down.

In the ten of pentacles and cups we see a happier scene. In both these cards the figure isn’t alone. The ten a pentacles shows a family and the ten of cups love. But where we are there is no family and there is no love. Or rather when we look around us we do not see family or love.

Maybe the secret to getting out of this despair is to find family. To fill our lives with love. First for ourselves and our dreams. Then for others. True dreams are not a weight. The weight we carry is a sign of how far we are from our dreams.

There is a positive side to every card. This one is a strength of will we are building. We cannot live our lives alone. But dark periods test our ability to be on our own. And when we come through the crisis we are stronger. Since this is number 10 the next number is 1. We start at the beginning. A fresh energy and passion emerge from this night. A new day will arise. Take into the tools you a developing today.

Remember only love is real. And love has no burden. Only love is real. And love has no darkness. We are not failures. We are not broken. And we are not lost forever. If we open our hearts we will find the path again. To a bright future we cannot imagine today.

So today shoulder what you must. Hold on now, knowing tough times don’t last. But tough people do.

Strength

Leave a reply

Strength. It seems so simple. The word reminds me of a time with my dad. We were watching a game. And I asked him a riddle. In return he asked me a riddle. Something about a seven letter word with one vowel. After a long time, and many guesses I gave up.
The answer was strength. Watching the game he told me they were using the word.

We often first think about strength in terms of ability. Like Hanuman who lifts a whole mountain. Muscular people at the gym. In passing we think about the strength of a tree. Or a strong pillar. Something which holds weight. But both these are physical terms.

In the tarot strength is more. It isn’t just about the outside world. We also need strength with ourselves. It isn’t just the action. Being able to remove a foe. Or even the ability to withstand a foe. It is taking the time to think. It is about feeling what is right.

Our lives are full of events which can upset us. But if we race off in anger all the time. We show weakness. And if we remain unmoved through all events. This can also be a weakness. The lion is a figure on many Strength cards. We must be like the lion.

It sits under a tree. As a heard goes by, it watches. You may not think it is acting on its environment. But the lion is strong enough not to run at the first prey. It sits and waits for the moment. Then in a flash, it springs to action. In the moment strength is about movement. It is about taking clear action. An action so fast it looks unplanned. But is really the result of a thought sitting in our minds for a long time. Without holding back, without pause. The lion will kill the prey.

In the card before we were on The Chariot. This card shows a figure with two horses. They are the polarities of this world. The figure is using their power. But he is only channeling their potence. They remain outside. They also remain apart.

In this card we see a knight. Looking right at us with a sword at hand. But it isn’t raised. Not a person eager for a fight. The sword and the armor speak to a readiness. But his pose and his square shoulders speak to a calm. The knight is waiting like the lion.

The knight has a greyhound. Dogs are know to be loyal. But also represent out instincts. When the moment is right action will take place. Greyhounds are known for their speed. So the knights action will be quick. True to instinct and loyal to the heart.

The number of this card is eight. Eight is a card of power. Connected to infinity. In the minor arcana they are about change. In Wands the change is fast. And in swords we see a need for change. This card is about the nature of change. There are two kinds of strength. Like an oak, which breaks in the wind. And like a bamboo which bends in the wind. The greatest strength is being able to do both. As needed. And given the nature of constant change. We always have to struggle to maintain our balance. It requires constant strength is adjust to the world. Because the world is change.

As the figure takes these energies inside. As these energies are united. The figure grows stronger. And will soon be able to set their own path. They step into the darkness, the unknown. True strength must be used in the world. In the next card we see The Hermit. A figure with the strength to be a guide for others.

This card is telling you to think about your strengths. And where you are weak. How can these two forces work together. Instead of being at odds. This card suggests you are trying to hard in one area. And maybe not hard enough in another. Your efforts are not balanced. They are not clear. And not true to your heart. This is a card calling you back to your heart. The source of all our true strength. Come home.

Whatever you struggle with right now. Taking a step back will only help you. Go back up under the tree with the lion. Ask yourself if this is a real threat. Is the action needed clear. Will it be quick and done? If not you may be using the wrong tactic.

Give a different voice in your head the switch. Be open to opposing ideas within you. And from without. The true warrior knows to listen to wise council. The warrior is willing to adjust plans. Meditate. Focus on this thought: only love is real.

The riddle my dad gave me wasn’t fair. The clues weren’t in the question. But if I had the strength to be patient. The strength to work our a plan. To figure out a process to get me to the answer. I would have been able to solve it on my own. But I was young.