Smirking or Smiling?

From the Hoi Polloi Tarot, the Nine of Cups; from the I Ching Pack, Hexagram 42:

The RWS version of the Nine of Cups, with its over-stuffed, arms crossed fellow, always strikes me as smug contentment rather than authentic joy. With his cups above him like trophies, he seems to be bragging about how much happiness he's accumulated. But I tend to agree with Nietzsche: "The mother of excess is not joy but joylessness." This guy seems to be trying to fill up a hole in his soul rather than fully appreciating his experiences. It's like someone going on an international tour with their focus centered on taking selfies and photos to put on Facebook. There's no need to prove how happy you are; genuine people tend to glow with it. The Hexagram 42 - 'reduction' - gives the example of the mountain shedding its snow and replenishing the lakes below it. Likewise, personal emotional fulfillment often comes when we selflessly give to others, sharing our blessings rather than hoarding or advertising them.

Mind Expansion

This week I'll be using the Hoi Polloi Tarot published by Hoi Polloi Inc. The oracle I'll also use is the I Ching Pack created by Richard Gill and Anthony Clark, and published by Thorsons. Today's cards are the Page of Pentacles and Hexagram 42:

One learns from books and example only that certain things can be done. Actual learning requires that you do those things. – Frank Herbert

The Page of Pentacles is often known as the student; it's not that he is forced to learn, it's that he has a great enthusiasm for it. We are lucky in today's world that we have so many options besides formal studies - from books to podcasts to online classes. We can dig in and enjoy whatever inspires or excites us. Yet this Page goes beyond surface learning by practicing and applying the knowledge he's gained. He wants more than a brain full of data, he wants a full life too. The 42nd Hexagram has been assigned the keyword 'expansion.' The Page is well on his way with his studies, but like the man shooing away the birds from the grain, he needs to be wary of distractions. However, he might also expand his perspective by moving beyond the teachers and books he prefers. As Marvin Minsky put it, "You don’t understand anything until you learn it more than one way."