Sowing, Reaping, Recentering

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Nine of Pentacles; from the Archetype Cards, Exorcist:

There's a season for sowing, a season for reaping. Self-discipline helps you know which is which.

~Gary Ryan Blair

          This woman has found something she enjoys and has turned it into a livelihood. But it wasn't just passion that got her to a place of self-sufficiency; having good work ethics made a huge difference. Yet she's found balance too, knowing when to keep her hand on the plow and when to enjoy the harvest. The Exorcist brings up something that may slip our awareness that could destroy what we've created - triggers. A trigger is a stimulus (person, place or thing) that cause a strong emotional reaction, often leading us to react unskillfully. The trigger may even come from within, such as a memory or sensation. A therapist or support group can be helpful in recognizing our triggers and coping with them through cognitive behavior exercises, deep breathing, meditation, journaling and physical movement. As Arlin Cuncic explains, the goal is to "detach yourself from the trigger, re-center, and focus on your coping strategy." Life shouldn't be simply survived, but appreciated and enjoyed.

Clean Up Your Own Backyard

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Knight of Pentacles:

This fellow is quite literally a "Greenman." Unlike the RWS Knight of Pentacles who looks over a plowed field, the St. Croix Knight sits in a field of flowers. Even after all of his hard work, he still seems to have (ahem) "staying power." He may be resting from his labors, but I'm sure his mind is thinking about the water and soil needs of his plants. Just because he's seeing results doesn't mean he'll neglect his duties. His cousin knights (of wands, swords and cups) don't have much tenacity when it comes to seeing things through from beginning to end, but this guy is diligent and unwavering.

From the Archetype Cards comes the "Exorcist:"

I'm guessing Myss didn't have Linda Blair in mind when she added this archetype. The emphasis on looking at your own destructive impulses made me think of an old Elvis Presley song titled Clean Up Your Own Backyard. In other words, before I start pointing out other folk's defects, I need to take a good look at my own. The Knight above is very detail-oriented, which is normally a good thing. But sometimes he can be stubborn and rigid about his ideas. I've found myself sitting in this seat lately, and I don't like it. I can get so caught up in my definition of how something is supposed to be, I shut out the views of other. I need to exorcise myself of this habit, otherwise my world is going to shrink to a very small size.