Personal Agency

This week I'll be using the Albano Waite Tarot, a recolored version of the RWS created by Frankie Albano and published by U.S. Games. The oracle deck I'll be pairing with it is the Rumi Cards, created by Eryk Hanut and Michelle Wetherbee and published by Tuttle Publishing. Today's draws are the Fool and 'Don't Despair:'

What people have the capacity to choose, they have the ability to change.

~ Madeleine Albright

I think the Fool often gets a bad rap. Yes, he has little experience in the world, but that bright yellow background is a hint that he's aware moving forward has unknown risks. Now the Fool could plant himself on that edge and curl up in a neurotic ball, imagining every worse case scenario. However, he understands that just staying on that cliff is to choose to be stuck. He doesn't want to abdicate his personal choice and pretend that life has left him no options. There are always options, though not all are fun and pleasurable. His landing won't be smooth or easy, but it will be an exciting adventure. The Rumi card is a reminder of impermanence, suggesting that the flow of life is dynamic and ever changing. Hard choices might bring hard landings, but even those won't remain the same unless we give up our personal agency.