Frozen Ideas

From the Jolanda Tarot today comes a card from the major arcana, the Hierophant:

The Hierophant represents orthodoxy, conformity, and traditional teachings.  In this image, he covers himself with a cloak designed with elephant prints.  The elephant in Asia, known for its memory and intelligence, is a symbol of wisdom.  Such a garment seems to reek of arrogance on this pompous fellow.  What is more disturbing is the figure of a woman that seems to be trapped in the bull.  The bull in tarot is often associated with Taurus, one of the fixed signs of the zodiac, thus its meaning of stability but also stubbornness.  The sword, representing truth and justice, is locked inside the woman, as if she isn't allowed to speak or live in a way that she feels to be right.  These symbols illustrate that the Hierophant may represent a sense of belonging, but the shadow side is that we may become a captive of another person's ideas.  This card reminds me of an article I recently received about a Roman Catholic bishop whose love of power seems to have erased all of his compassion for humanity.  You can read about the story here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126985072 

So what is the lesson for me?  I must be vigilant about the groups I associate with, because what looks like belonging and support may really only be a cleverly disguised prison.

     The card drawn from the Bird Signs oracle this morning is "Penguin - purpose:"

Penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere and can survive in temperatures that reach -80 degrees Fahrenheit.  As someone who thinks it's winter when the temperatures dip below 70 degrees F, I can't imagine living in that environment.  Yet these flightless birds manage not only to stay alive, but to mate and raise a family in these conditions.  Carbone writes that the wisdom of the penguin is to teach us to stick to our purpose, even when we meet challenges.  By relaxing rather than stressing out, we will uncover how to flow around our obstacles rather than become frozen in the ice.  When I bang my head against a brick wall, the answers never come, but if I can step away from the aggravation, I will usually find a solution.