Razed Relations

From the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, the Deluge (Tower); from the Insectorum Divinorum, the "Cockroach:"

          Matthews uses Da Vinci's study of Noah's flood as a replacement for the usual Tower. I would speculate that a great flood could indeed raze the earth as easily as fire. Matthews connects this card with the "heretical" views of the period; though the Roman Catholic Church tried to implement a counter-reformation at the time, their efforts weren't successful. The genie was out of the bottle, and no way was it going back in without a fight. What it did do was cause increasing damage to its own image; a scouring, radical change happened as people began to question the Church. A big divide appeared as the people began to see it as a human construct, fallible and made in man's image. The dimmi for Deluge asks, "What are you shoring up in this situation that needs to pass?" The Cockroach scuttles over as if on cue, with the key phrase "persistence in the face of disapproval." My unquestioned thoughts, beliefs and opinions can cause me to become arrogant and intolerant (exactly the characteristics I am fond of pointing out in others). They can lead me to "poke the bear" with a sense of smug satisfaction and and self-righteousness. While I might get a retaliatory reaction, I doubt my blather will cause anyone to change their mind. Yet respectful dialogue and discussion offer an alternative, and they aren't as likely to raze the relationship like a heated debate can.