Being Mindful, Keeping Things Simple

From the Fairytale Tarot, the Knight of Swords:

This card is based on the story of Bluebeard, a wealthy man who sported a blue-colored beard.  He finally manages to woo a woman who is able to look past his oddity and marries him.  Unfortunately when he goes away on a trip, she discovers the bodies of his former wives in the basement.  He arrives home angry about her unlocking his secret.  Before he can lop off her head too, her brothers come to her rescue.  This tale emphasizes the impulsive nature of this knight.  He's intelligent and quite a wordsmith, but he often uses his talents to slice and dice those who disagree with him or offend him in some way.  Like his collection of dead bodies, I can end up with plenty of "dead" relationships using freedom of speech without mindfulness.

From the Tao Oracle comes the card "Decrease:"

 Tall evergreen pines stand behind a deciduous tree that is fast losing its leaves.  This time of year, its almost impossible not to notice the color change of many of the trees in the area.  The bald cypress trees have now turned a bright rust color, and unlike most cypresses, they will soon drop their feathery needles.  The shorter hours of daylight, colder weather, and lack of rain all combine to bring about this change.  The trees cut off the sap and fluids to the leaves, creating the autumn colors before the tree sheds its leaves.  It is a protective feature that allows the trees to survive the winter until they leaf out again in the spring.  This card teaches me to simplify my life, not in any ascetic sort of way, but to help me stay in balance during a stressful period.  I'll get a chance to show my colors again when the season changes...