Don't Look for a Diploma

From the Tarot of the Master, the Eight of Coins; from the Paracelus Oracle, Albus:

          Ask any of the leaders whose head is engraved on those coins how they came to power, and I bet they would say through careful management and cultivation. People who get things handed to them on a silver platter generally lose it all because they haven't developed the skills or knowledge needed to maintain and operate what they're trying to run. Prudence and patience are the watchwords when trying to turn potential into opportunity. Albus in geomancy literally means 'white,' and refers to purity, clarity and wisdom. The Parcelsus deck adds the additional keyword of justice to this card, something impossible to attain without clear, unbiased thinking. Looking at the dead horse in the illustration, I might jump to the conclusion that the animal was neglected or worked to death. But it could also be a case of old age; the owner may have laid the animal to rest above ground to burn the carcass. As the saying goes, we judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions. Justice in such a situation clearly has the scales weighted on one side. Both these cards remind me that there will always be skills and knowledge I need to acquire; life never hands out diplomas.