Prove It

 From the Spiral Tarot, the Five of Wands; from the Sacred Journey Cards, Fertilize:

          In this battle of how to do things, everyone holds a wand with some leafy sprouts. This suggests that there may be some validity to each person's opinion. The companion booklet states that this is a 'prove your point' opportunity. Charisma, intimidation, and manipulation can only carry so far, but the evidence of facts and research will likely weigh heavier in the end. Fertilize implies that proving a point is only the beginning step. Soil must be tilled, seeds planted and cultivated, and the crop fertilized. Winning doesn't mean a thing unless it is backed up with effort and action that produces results.

People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive. ― Blaise Pascal

Fertile Soil Underneath the Concrete

From the Spiral Tarot, the Tower:

Did you know that intellectualization is considered a defense mechanism? It allows a person to avoid painful or uncomfortable emotions by focusing on facts and logic. It falls into the "neurotic" defense mechanism category, a group many adults use that isn't as pathological as some of the other defenses. Such a defense can have short-term advantages in coping but may cause long-term problems down the line. Avoidance can keep us from experiencing the emotion, but we also neglect to see and act on the changes needed in our lives. And here is the Tower in a nutshell - "If I don't see it or experience it, then it's not real and I don't need to deal with it." So life sends us a slap upside the head - not as a form of punishment - but to tear down the walls we've built between us and reality. Liberation may look and feel terrifying, but its long-term results are much healthier than any emotional wall.

From the Sacred Journey Cards comes "Fertilize:"

I suppose living in an area surrounded by farmland made me think of bags of fertilizer. Bags are generally labeled with three numbers. The first number is nitrogen for leafy plant growth, the second is for phosphorus for healthy root growth, and the last is for potassium which promotes flower and fruit formation. But if I take a "Tower" perspective and don't deal with anything (forget the fertilizer just buy more bricks), I might as well pour concrete over everything. I abdicate my right to choose and pretend my fantasy will work itself out on its own. Well, hell... I've never cared much for unicorns and such. I guess I better go dust off my hoe and see if I have any fish emulsion left.