Checking the Compass

From the Wild Unknown Tarot, the Hermit; from the Pictish Oracle, 'Tongs:'

All men should strive

to learn before they die

what they are running from, and to, and why.

~James Thurber

          While the Hermit does represent a time of solitude, it's not about rest and relaxation. Instead, it is a deep dive into our motives and behavior, the patterns we uncover and those we want to change. This self-inventory is not meant for self-denigration nor is its purpose to fertilize the ego. As Pema Chodron explains, "The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently."
          The Tongs symbol was often found on the stones that also had hammer and anvil incisions. This tool allowed the smith to safely grip red-hot metal in a forge and to move and rotate it while it was shaped. Its meaning has to do with detachment - being able to be objective and open-minded rather than getting 'burned' by preferences and prejudices. It takes some practice to be able to do look at oneself objectively and compare it to our personal spiritual compass. But the results are worth it. We may one day make the same discovery as Douglas Adams: "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."