Asshats and Angels

This week I'll be using the Shadowscapes book and deck set published by Llewellyn. The artwork is done by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and the book is written by Barbara Moore. I'll also be drawing from a set of Cedar Runes; The Serpent and the Eagle by Chris Travers will serve as an accompanying text. Today's draws are the Five of Swords and Othila:

          I often think of the aggressive fellow in the Five of Swords as a rebel without a cause - someone who fights with no clear end goal to achieve other than to win. Moore describes his actions as "steeped in the battles of self-interest and power." Basically, he engages with others to build and stoke his ego: "Look at me, I'm right, I'm smarter, and I'm stronger." Meanwhile, everyone else sees only a narcissistic asshat. Othila is often translated as 'ancestral estate,' but Travers suggests it alludes to an ancestral responsibility, such as a king who passes the scepter to his son to serve the kingdom or a philanthropist whose children take over his foundations created to care for the welfare of others who aren't as fortunate. What's the difference between the asshat and the king/philanthropist? The first judges himself as separate and better than others. The king and philanthropist consider themselves honored and blessed to be in their position, and they feel they should be generous to others because they are a part of the family of humanity.

Home isn't where you're from, it's where you find light when all grows dark.

― Pierce Brown