Prudent Forethought

This week I'll be using the Alchemical Tarot Renewed along with the book Alchemy and the Tarot, both created by Robert M. Place and published by Hermes Publications. Paired with it will be the Oracle of the Radiant Sun deck and book set, created by Caroline Smith and John Astrop and published through Eddison-Sadd Editions. The draws for today are the Chariot and Vision:

Few things are brought to a successful issue by impetuous desire, but most by calm and prudent forethought. ~Thucydides

           Place illustrates this Chariot with Phaethon, son of Helios (the god who drove the Sun chariot across the sky). The boy managed to talk his dad into letting him take the reins one morning. Unfortunately Phaethon had more enthusiasm than skill or sense, and he ended up scorching fields and drying up rivers on his maiden voyage. Progress toward any goal requires more than just desire, but knowledge and self-discipline as well. We need to know what is worth paying attention to and what is simply a distraction. The card Vision shows the Sun in Pisces (good fortune paired with understanding and sacrifice). It seems to underscore the traits of a skilled charioteer who wants to reach his objective without leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Abraham Lincoln nicely summed up the need for such preparation when he said: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax."

Just saw on Amazon that the Oracle of the Radiant Sun (which has been out of print) was released again in 2019.