Right Action

I drew the King of Pentacles from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot this morning, a card based on St. Wenceslas:

  

Wenseslas was the duke of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935, supposedly by his brother.  Because of his good deeds, he was posthumously declared king and patron saint of the Czech state.  One chronicler wrote that Wenceslas "went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched."  This King of Pentacles reminds me that while you can't take your riches with you when you die, you can certainly leave a legacy behind based on your actions while on this earth.
     As an added bit of trivia, the Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas, which tells of Wenceslas taking food and fuel to a poor man on a bitterly cold winter's night, is unusual in that doesn't mention the nativity.

     Today from the Oracle of Shadows and Light was drawn "Fairy of the Highlands:"

This Scottish lass holds a sword, a symbol that often represents truth and justice.  The companion booklet states that she does not want to fight, as it is not in her nature.  Yet it is time for her to pick up the sword, take a stand, speak the truth, and not back down when conflict arises.  She reminds me of Prince Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita who tells Krishna he does not want to go to battle against his cousins.  I think most moral people who are emotionally mature will avoid conflict if possible, but like this lass and the prince discovered, sometimes fear or doubt must be overcome in order to act for the greater good.  It's time to have the courage to fight for what is right.