Broad or Narrow Views

From the Millennium Tarot, the Empress:

Folchi uses Maria Theresa (1717-1780) to illustrate the Empress, a woman with several impressive titles: Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, Archduchess of Austria, and Roman Empress.  Her reign was marked by great reforms in the areas of justice (she abolished torture and limited forced labor), finance (she cut taxes for the poor and began taxing the nobility), education (she introduced compulsory school attendance), agriculture (she allowed peasants to own their own land), and medicine (she began inoculation of children for smallpox).  During all these reforms and the ongoing wars around her, she managed to have 16 children, 9 of whom lived to adulthood.  The Empress teaches me that whether I'm concerned with a country or a creative project, all parts of it need nurturing attention to thrive and grow.

From the Success Cards comes "Simple Ripples:"

"The world will not die for lack of wonders, but for lack of wonder." ~ G.K. Chesterton

Looking at the Empress above and the man in this image, its not hard to compare the opulent dress and crown she wears with his nakedness.  It makes me think of how many leaders (or Congressmen) live in such luxury that they haven't a clue about the lives of people they rule or represent.  Their insulated world keeps them from experiencing the reality of many others.  As I was searching for information about Maria Theresa, I read of how she would dress in disguise and visit the common people in order to learn the true state of affairs in her realm and hear the opinions of the people she ruled.  I may hold various views, but true wisdom comes when I attempt to compassionately step into the shoes of another in order to experience life from their perspective.