A Marriage of Intellect and Intuition

From the Gill Tarot, the King of Swords; from The Circle, "Fertility:"

          I find Gill makes use of some thought-provoking symbols for her King of Swords. The lightning suggests he leaves his mind open to inspiration and new ideas. The feathers on his throne hint that he realizes knowledge can change over time; just as a bird molts each year, some ideas should be left behind. Yet even more interesting is the keyword Gill assigns him: intuition. Most folks would think it odd to assign such a word to this intellectual ruler. Yet as neuroscientists and psychologists begin to study intuition more in depth, they're finding it's not quite the 'woo-woo' topic as originally thought. Today cognitive scientists think of intuition as a set of non-conscious cognitive and affective (emotional) processes. Intuition is faster than rational thinking (which sounds good), but it's not infallible. Yet the good news is it can get better with practice. Intuition is associative; it involves the brain's ability to pick up on recurring patterns. The more we are exposed to an area of knowledge, the easier it becomes for our brains to pick up on patterns that are relevant.
          Fertility (from The Circle deck) could be defined as the ability to produce and support the growth and development of something. That little egg will never mature without support, just as any concept or potential solution must have effort behind it. The King would prod me to see if my idea was more than a fleeting thought. Can I describe it in detail? What factual knowledge backs it up? Have I applied it in the real world or only in my head? Intuition may have helped me conceive the idea, but I'm going to need logic to prove its worth.

If a Mama Bird Can Do It...

From the Gill Tarot, the Seven of Swords:

There is a lack of contrasting colors in this image, making the swords almost blend in with the background. It made me think of the phrase "trying to find a needle in a haystack." No wonder Gill gives it the subtitle "Uncertainty." That feeling of limbo is an uncomfortable place to be, and it may tempt me to create certainty where there is none. In order to have a mental map and direction, I might state assumptions and opinions as truth when there are no facts to back them up. I might use results as a way to justify the not-so-nice actions I employ to reach that end. I may even use words to imply something that isn't real, a half-truth that could be used to manipulate others. But doing any of these will only create chaos and resentment; I'll wind up with way more problems than just the uneasiness caused by uncertainty.

From the oracle deck The Circle comes "Fertility:"

The nest and egg suggest possibility and potential, yet things are still in the incubation stage. Sometimes answers, solutions and plans take time to develop. Patience is required even though some discomfort may be involved with the wait. This card encourages me to sit lightly, stop being so neurotic, and give that egg a chance to hatch out on its own.