The Art of Persistence

This week I'll be using the Urban Tarot, a deck and book set created and self-published by Robin Scott. I'll be pairing it with an oracle I created (with the help of Alaska Laser Maid) called "Principles to Live By." Today's draws are Art (Temperance in RWS language) and Persistence:

          An archetypal angel meets an urban angel, one mixing water and the other mixing paint. The Thoth Tarot calls this card Art because it was a representation of creative alchemy - mixing two different elements to form a third. This new element was a symbol of harmony derived from two sides that originally opposed each other (in the Thoth deck, fire and water). It often implies taking the middle way between extremes and finding a compromise that combines a little of both sides. Of course real life never flows and blends together quite as easily as paint, which is probably why the tile Persistence has popped up. This principle means not being easily distracted or discouraged from the objective (easy to do when you are the mediator between two opposing sides). In the words of Jim Watkins, "A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence." His mention of a river reminds me of the Taoist concept wu wei, meaning natural action, or action that does not involve struggle or excessive effort. I don't need to over-react or over-plan; I just need to be present. Time and persistence can wear down most anything.