Removing Hindrances

From the Tarot of the Secret Forest, the Sun; from the Faeries' Oracle, the Friends:

The teachings emphasize removing hindrances to seeing clearly so that one can abide in the clarity of reality as it actually is. —Gaelyn Godwin

In the Secret Forest, the thick canopy of trees shelters most of the woodland, but occasionally trees fall and open up an area to the Sun. The the darkness is replaced with a brightness that clarifies what once was seen only dimly. What are the hindrances that keep us from seeing with clarity? Buddhists identify five categories: 

1) Sensual desire (craving and grasping for what brings us pleasure)

2) Ill will (hatred, jealousy, self-righteous indignation)

3) Sloth and Torpor (laziness, disinterest, confusion, sleepiness)

4) Restlessness and Worry (an undercurrent of irritation, rumination, anxiety)

5) Skeptical Doubt (cynicism, as opposed to questioning doubt that looks for answers)

When we see reality as it is, we can make better choices with skill. The Friends card reminds me of a dear friend; like these two beings, we are very different in some regards (race, religion and personality). Yet our values bond us, and our differences help us see each other's blind spots.