Lies and Amends

From the Russian Lubok Tarot, the Five of Swords; from the Marseille Oracle, Amends:

We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter. 

—Denis Diderot

This fellow has been swindled in a game, losing all of his money. Of course, the con man first had to convince the mark how skilled he must be and how he could easily take the swindler's money. The Five of Swords is often viewed as a forceful argument yet lies also work - both often end with the self-congratulatory pride of a winner and the shame and anger of a loser. Amends suggests that the offender realizes his mistakes and wants to apologize. As the 12 & 12 (AA) tells us, "He can make little headway in this new adventure of living until he first backtracks and really makes an accurate and unsparing survey of the human wreckage he has left in his wake." The hurt party would likely prefer a living amends (sustained, honest and positive behavior) rather than a moment of humiliation.

Over-Correction

From the Ancient Italian Tarot, the Three of Swords; from the Marseille Oracle, 'Amends:'

          The Three of Swords implies intellectual analysis, the kind that leads to a defensive strategy. Like the bush that has borne berries in the illustration, there is something that needs protective boundaries. Usually, such planning begins when someone has appropriated something without permission or selfishly taken advantage of a situation. Yet caution needs to be taken so that paranoia doesn't reign. As Rick Hanson put it, "Staying with a negative experience past the point that’s useful is like running laps in Hell: You dig the track a little deeper in your brain each time you go around it." There's a difference between putting a fence around your yard and nailing a sign to a tree that states 'Trespassers will be shot.' What happens when we cross that boundary into Rambo La-la Land? We often hurt those who don't deserve it. Thus the Amends card shows up. But just in case anyone thinks it is suggesting self-flagellation, the phrase associated with it is 'Save your energy.' In other words, rectify the situation and make restitution if necessary, but there's no need to beat ourselves up over it.

Changing Trains

From the Deck of the Bastard, the Ten of Swords:

Talk about overkill - how many times do you need to stab a dead man? The Ten of Swords makes me think of the phrase "analysis paralysis," a term for over-thinking a situation so much that a decision is never made or an action never taken. Even the weird hand position seems to be some sort of hand signal, as if he was trying to make one more point. Einstein was once quoted in a newspaper saying, "A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels." Continuing to discuss or mentally deliberate a situation that doesn't change is a good sign I need to change trains. Hopefully the new one will head me in the direction of that sunrise.

From the Marseille Oracle comes "Amends:"

Amends generally mean compensating for any harm caused. While an "I'm sorry" might be appreciated, tangible results are what most people are looking for. "Flogging" myself by saying what a worthless person I am will get no results. As the tarot card above signifies, it's time to think differently and make different choices.