Painting with a Wide Brush

From the Gill Tarot, the Six of Swords; from The Circle, Appearances:

          Six swords are blasted by the sun's rays, making four of them disintegrate. It is as if long held beliefs and ideas are taken out of the shadows and finally seen for the illusions they are. But what about those two on the ends? They seem to be protected from direct light and appear to be whole. Could these be assumptions and generalizations that have been held back? The Appearances card warns that fiction needs to be separated from fact. Circumstantial proof is not the same as hard evidence. I've noticed lately a tendency for certain groups to take one situation or person and use them to paint everything with a wide brush. It reminds me of a quote by Mark Twain:

We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it and stop there lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove lid again and that is well, but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore.

Everyone Loses

From the Gill Tarot, the Five of Swords:

I should know better than to go into a discussion with someone with expectations set in stone. It happened last night, and things did not go well. That feeling of calm centeredness I've been carrying around has been sliced out and replaced by fear. Had I not made assumptions beforehand, I don't think I would feel like I'm walking barefoot over broken glass now. Gill explains the sword pointing upward is the choice made when we lose the whole punishment or reward approach. It is a decision made on what's best for everyone, with no manipulation or force involved. Otherwise you wind up with this card - everyone loses.

From the oracle deck The Circle comes "Appearances:"

While some of the lessons a Southern woman grows up with are good ones (hospitality, friendliness), others come at a great cost. Keeping up appearances has to be at the top of that list. If someone asks how you are, you tell them "fine" even if you're crumbling inside. No matter what, keep a smile glued on your face and pretend that all is well. Screw it. That's part of what caused all this mess to begin with. I think I'm way past due for an honest, heart-to-heart conversation today.