Giddy-up and Whoa

From the Oriental Tarot, the Knight of Coins; from the Art of Asia, "Waterfall" by Gyokudo Kawai:

          I'm with the horse (looking back toward his warm barn) this morning; it's a chilly, wet day that makes me want to stay in bed. But the Knight of Coins won't put up with any groans or dragging feet. He's determined not to waste a minute of the day. Bursten's keywords for this card are 'obtaining' and 'focusing,' and this dependable fellow is very good at both. The Knight of Coins is one of just a few court cards in this deck that has a quiver of arrows by his side, ready to defend. In order to fully reap what has been sown, he must protect it from those who would take advantage of his hard work. I can relate to such a protective mindset. We have a lot of break-ins in our area during the holidays, and for that reason I never put presents under our tree until Christmas day. The Waterfall card has been paired with a quote by Mikhail Lermontov: "Many a calm river begins as a turbulent waterfall, yet none hurtles and foams all the way to the sea." What a great reminder that all the busyness (insanity?) of the holidays will soon come to an end, and a more relaxed pace will be the norm once again.