Who's Zoomin' Who?

From the Deck of the Bastard, the Hermit; from the Marseille Oracle, "Deceit:"

          The Hermit is almost always an older person. Like the knight, he too is on a quest. But what he searches for is a spiritual life, which is why he prefers solitude. He's made plenty of trips around the sun by now, and he's got lots of experience in dealing with the ups and downs of life. What he's discovered is that joy radiates from the inside out. If his life doesn't reflect such happiness, it's an ego problem needing the diagnosis of a self-inventory. Assuming that he's veered off the spiritual path, blaming other people won't help him find his way back.
          The Deceit card shows an old-fashioned straight razor used for shaving. Without the safety of modern shavers, it was often referred to as a "cut-throat razor." The keyword for the card made me think of Aretha Franklin's song "Who's Zoomin' Who," or in other words, "Who is fooling who?" I can imagine myself in a hermit hut listing all the people who've made my life miserable. Yet to clearly see the patterns in my life that put me in those situations or my habitual responses that caused my problems is going to require an exacting honesty. Better make sure that lantern is burning extra bright.

Sharp Edges

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

When I see the Ace of Swords, I automatically make a list: think logically, live justly, and speak truthfully. The crown indicates there is power in choosing reason, justice and truth. But hanging on the crown and tied to the sword are two branches, one a laurel and the other a palm. Laurel generally means victory, so this sounds like a good thing. But the palm branch indicates a sacrifice must be made too, which to my ego doesn't sound like a plus. This Ace reminds me that sometimes my individual wants must be sacrificed for the greater benefit of others. For true success, it is a necessity.

From the Marseille Oracle comes "Deceit:"

When I look at this old razor, I wonder how in the world we survived without Gillette. No way would I do any shaving with that thing. Although it is labeled "deceit," the keywords in the booklet make a little more sense - conflicts and misunderstandings. The advice it gives is "Wait for better times." I've often heard that we should speak our truth, though often this really means we give our opinion about something (not anything factual). Sometimes its better to hold my tongue, rather than using it to cut someone to ribbons. As the Ace above encourages me, I need to remove myself from the center of the Universe today.