Don't Waste Your Breath

From the Art of Life Tarot, the Ace of Swords; from the Tao Oracle, Waiting:

I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my ship. ~ Louisa May Alcott

Hexagram 5: Clouds ascending into the sky.

          What a wonderful thing to mature to the point where we learn to think for ourselves instead of blindly following what someone tells us is true. Hopefully such maturity will also be accompanied by the ability to be honest and admit mistakes. I see such a wide divide in this skill with our two presidential candidates. One is willing to say she made a mistake, while the other continues to try and put the blame on someone else or use 'bait and switch' tactics. A true leader shouldn't be afraid to navigate those storms, in my opinion. Waiting suggests using this time not in frustration, but as planned inaction. There is no need to force a situation in order to make progress or cause change; right now one's own well-being should be the focus. In regard to the Ace of Swords, some people are not ready to see what the evidence is trying to show them. If I am trying to tell them the truth, they will not be able to hear it. Until they see through their illusions and untangle themselves emotionally, I will be wasting my breath. Sometimes the Titanic has to sink before people wake up to reality.  

Finishing and Waiting

From the Hoi Polloi Tarot, the World; from the I Ching Pack, Hexagram 5:

          The four heads in the corners of this card can alternately depict the fixed astrological signs or four of the apostles of Jesus. The fixed signs represent someone who is determined, persistent, confident and has the ability to maintain focus. Such a person has the ability to move patiently and steadily toward the goal; it makes sense that they would reach the wreath of completion. The four apostles (at least in Albrecht Dürer's painting), symbolize four temperaments or personality types: sanguine (optimistic and social), choleric (short-tempered or irritable), melancholic (analytical and quiet), and phlegmatic (relaxed and peaceful). I liken them to the suits of tarot; I usually need to call on each of them at some time or another to make progress.
          Hexagram 5 is made up of the two trigrams that represent Water over Dragon. The image they suggest is of a sleeping dragon waiting for the storm to break. The book cautions that this is a time for "resolute patience, conservation of energy and avoidance of all precipitate action." Now I admit, I have trouble in those gaps between finishing one project and starting another. I don't like to be bored. Often I jump into action before thinking and wind up in the middle of something I regret later. For a brief moment, I imagined the World's lass as a drummer in a clothes-optional band. Perhaps waiting patiently and calmly would be the better option.