Well-organized Toolbox

From the Osho Zen Tarot, the Sorrow (Nine of Swords); from the A'HA Oracle, "Prelude:"

Unlike the Three of Swords, where pain comes as a result of an action, I see the Nine of Swords as self-inflicted pain. Here there is worry about the things that might happen, the fallout that might come. There is an unknown factor, and I'm painting it with a multitude of colors based on assumptions and expectations. The deck's booklet speaks of a need for alertness rather than getting tangled up in all the "what ifs" in my head.
Being a maker of mala beads, the Prelude card made me think of my little container that I group beads according to color and size in. The Latin translation of 'prelude' is "to play beforehand." Both the image and translation make me think of being prepared for something that may or may not happen, something that is beyond my control. If all I do is wring my hands, I won't make any useful arrangements or be ready. Change, good and bad, is going to come. But what I can do is make sure my tools are handy and in good working order.