Deserving

From the Roots of Asia Tarot, the Knight of Cups; from the Mahjongg Oracle, the Chrysanthemum:

If you can learn to love yourself and all the flaws, you can love other people so much better. 

—Kristin Chenoweth

The booklet states that this Knight of Cups represents learning to love all of ourselves. That's a tall order for anyone. But we can start by dropping our requirement for perfection, guiding our inner critic off an exit ramp, and refusing to compare ourselves to others. This is easier if we are also practicing self-care (not self-indulgence, which gives us a quick jolt of pleasure followed by guilt). Wise friends can buoy us if we sink rather than swim. Chrysanthemum is seen as a symbol of the sun, a representation of good times like social activities, holidays and entertainment. How much easier it is to enjoy life when we're not consumed with worries about whether we're making a good impression! It may help to remember Sharon Salzberg's words: “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”