I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Manipulated Hardships

From the Alchemical Tarot Renewed, the Ten of Wands; from the Oracle of the Radiant Sun, 'Jupiter in Scorpio:'
Friedrich Nietzsche said: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger;" Place's use of the phoenix suggests that hardships and challenges can strengthen us. Perhaps if we do these tasks without coercion and for a greater cause, our suffering can have merit. However, clinical psychologist Noam Shpancer states, "the bulk of psychological research on the topic shows that, as a rule, if you are stronger after hardship, it is probably despite, not because of the hardship." And as the Jupiter in Scorpio card shows, sometimes we can be fooled into doing more than our fair share. Words of encouragement ("You're doing great! Keep up the good work!) can manipulate us to continue to carry our burden without help until we stumble across the finish line. Of course, those same folks are the ones who will then say, "Look at what we can accomplish when no one cares who gets the credit!"

Tender love and care toughen you up, because they nurture and
strengthen your capacity to learn and adapt... ~ Dr. Noam Shpancer


4 comments:

  1. I've Never believed "god wouldn't give you a burden you can't carry'.
    I've never believed hard times make you stronger. They might, but along with that comes meaner, which isn't a win win.

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    1. “God does not cause our misfortunes. Some are caused by bad luck, some are caused by bad people, and some are simply an inevitable consequence of our being human and being mortal, living in a world of inflexible, natural laws.
      If God is testing us, He must know by now that many of us fail the test. If He is only giving us burdens we can bear, I have seen Him miscalculate far too often.
      The God I believe in doesn’t send us the problem; He gives us the strength to cope with the problem.”
      ― Rabbi Harold S. Kushner

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  2. Hardships can break and alter.
    Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.....

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