Under the Influence of Ego?

To update my daily draw from yesterday, I have to admit that the day ended on a Ten of Cups note; sometimes life is a process, and I just need to be patient with it.  The card drawn from the Illuminated Tarot this morning is the Seven of Pentacles:

Years ago, when I grew medicinal herbs, I spent a lot of time nurturing the seeds to sprout, getting the beds ready for transplanting, and then keeping the seedlings watered and fertilized to grow into mature plants.  It was a wonderful feeling to do like this man and observe the fruits of my labor.  But like all gardeners, I would find some plants that didn't thrive for various reasons - not enough sun or too much, a need for extra water, or a pest problem.  Sevens involve assessment and evaluation, and pentacles have to do with the physical world.  This card encourages me to pause and take inventory of my life, to see what my actions have produced, and what changes I need to make to get different results.

     From the Dreaming in Color deck today I pulled the "Temptation" card:

These colors and keyword make me think of a smoky bar, full of secrets and sensual pleasures.  Temptation always begins with a thought; in my case, I want to change the way I feel by doing something I think will indulge my desires.  Of course the pleasure is fleeting, and then I'm left with the same uncomfortable feeling I had before with an added topping of guilt.  In pairing this oracle image with the tarot card above, I become aware of how skewed my judgment can be at times.  It's always a good idea for me to have another person to share my perceptions with to keep my ego in check.