Struggling Against Reality

From the Tarot of the Master, the Hanged Man:

With hands and feet tied, this young man watches as life flows past him. He is powerless over the people and situations in his life, unable to affect or change them in any way. Will he rage and struggle until he is exhausted, or will he realize he must surrender to reality? I am hoping his open mouth signals an epiphany or a change in perspective. Psychiatrist Dr. Harry M. Tiebout explains what it means when the ego humbly waves the white flag:
One fact must be kept in mind, namely the need to distinguish between submission and surrender. In submission, an individual accepts reality consciously but not unconsciously. He accepts as a practical fact that he cannot at that moment conquer reality, but lurking in his unconscious is the feeling, 'There'll come a day' -- which implies no real acceptance and demonstrates conclusively that the struggle is still going on. With submission, which at best is a superficial yielding, tension continues. When, on the other hand, the ability to accept reality functions on the unconscious level, there is no residual battle, and relaxation ensues with freedom from strain and conflict. In fact, it is perfectly possible to ascertain to what extent the acceptance of reality is on the unconscious level by the degree of relaxation which develops. The greater the relaxation, the greater is the inner acceptance of reality.

The geomantic figure produced this morning is "Rubeus:"

Uh oh... doesn't look like much relaxation going on here. Rubeus means "red" and indicates a fierce passion. It's no surprise that the planet Mars rules this figure, yet its energy can be channeled in two ways: aggression and competition or courage and strength. Looks like it is time to cease fighting and struggling, and allow what change occurs to be inside of me.