Skinflints and Fires in the Mind

From the Anna K. Tarot, the Four of Pentacles:

On a cold winter day, a man buries coins in the ground while his family watches.  What strikes me as odd about this picture is that the people all seem to have adequate coats and hats for the weather, the man has a huge bag of apples on his back, and a stack of firewood is bundled beside him.  I get the feeling that he is protecting his stash from his own flesh and blood!  I once worked for a man who had four children, and I remember hearing stories from them about what a skinflint their dad was.  Everything he bought at the grocery store was marked with a date - from shampoo to food.  If it was used up before the date, they had to do without until he thought it necessary to buy more.  The nutty part of all this is that this family, while not rich, would be considered financially well-off.  He felt he was teaching them a lesson in money management while they all thought he was being mean and tight-fisted.  Moderation is a smart choice in this day and age, but denying myself any enjoyment when my basic needs are met seems based more on fear than reality.

From the Green Man Tree Oracle comes "Gorse:"

A fire in the mind.

This thorny evergreen is well adapted to withstand fires; its seed pods  are opened by fire, and it readily resprouts from the roots when burned.  The danger is that it is also highly flammable.  Gorse reminds me that inspiration can bring about creative thinking and actions or destructive ones.  Like the man above, I may be fueled by paranoia or resentment instead of a just cause.  I must be discerning in order to figure out which fire I'm tending...