The Weight of Apathy

This week I'll be using the New Liminal Tarot, created by Penelope Cline and self-published through Make Playing Cards. I'll also be using the State By State Playing Cards created by Wendy Cipolla Boccuzzi and published by U.S. Games. Today's draws are the Four of Cups and the Four of Spades - South Dakota:

"Okay," I said. "But remember, you can’t fix everything in the world for everybody." "However," said Ricky, "you can’t do anything at all unless you begin."

― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs: Poems

Anhedonia - the technical name for the blahs - is an inability to experience pleasure accompanied by reduced motivation. That feeling of flatness can have a multitude of causes: a lack of sleep or exercise, burnout, feeling trapped or confused, a let-down, hormones, grief, or loneliness. It helps to have at least one friend whose will is stronger than the weight of one's apathy; their encouragement can help us dig out the root and make a change. The Four of Spades shows South Dakota's Mt. Rushmore with its colossal sculpture known as the 'Shrine of Democracy.' However, the area was considered sacred by the Plains Indians; the Treaty of 1868 had granted the Sioux exclusive use of all of the Black Hills in perpetuity. When the government offered them $102 million in compensation, the Sioux Nation said they wanted their land, not money. It's a stalemate that goes nowhere. Sometimes the greatest change we can make to get us moving is to adjust our perspective or expectations.