Wise Investments

From the Prairie Tarot, the Magician; from the Medicine Cards, Frog:

A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.

― Saul Bellow

          In the tarot, there are generally two types of Magicians portrayed: the sleight-of-hand illusionist or a man with his resources on the table who uses them and his mind to manifest his goals. This fellow is obviously a street magician whose purpose is to amaze and entertain. In the real world, he shows up to try to sell us fool's gold - the online degree from a shady college, the pills that melt our fat away, or the oil-anointed candle guaranteed to help us find our true love. Yet Frog appears, croaking to call in the cleansing rain to wash away the illusion of finding an easier, quicker way to our objectives. In the words of Jesse Owens, "We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort."