Moss Gathering

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the King of Pentacles; from the Rumi Cards, 'Before you pierce:'

"A rolling stone gathers no moss" is attributed to  Publilius Syrus, and was the proverb that popped into my mind upon seeing this very green King of Pentacles. The saying was intended to mean that people who never settle down and forego all commitments and responsibilities have empty pockets. Yet this King seems to have gone to the other extreme; he's got the wealth but seems overgrown with the burden of duties and obligations. Rumi's quote comes from a composition that also says: "Each time that builders come to repair an old building, don't they begin by destroying what was there before?" To abdicate his position would be reckless, but he could begin to delegate and simplify to find sanity again. What could be cut away that is superfluous and expendable? 

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.

~Hans Hofmann

Passing of the Keys

From the Fountain Tarot, the King of Coins; from the Devas of Creation, First Light:

          Gruhl assigns the phrase 'ordered stability' to this king and describes him as traditional, practical and hardworking. The plants that surround him imply his knowledge of the natural rhythms of life. At this stage, he's not looking for the latest fad to invest in but sticks to what's tried and true. He's got stability and security in spades, but not much originality or innovation. Yet even he knows that all that he owns will be passed along to another one day. First Light is the first ray that pierces the void. This deva is the beginning of a paradigm shift that will eventually open up new possibilities and prospects. Both these cards remind me of handing over the restaurant to our nephews when my husband retired (they officially paid us off for the business yesterday). We had the building's inside and outside decorated with 'hippie decor,' but now all that has been painted over. The menu has been altered and none of the original employees remain. It was hard to adjust to all the transformations at first, but now we see change is not such a bad thing. Time can be a great help in adjusting.

Wrap It Up

From the Touchstone Tarot, the King of Coins; from the John Waterhouse Oracle,  A Sick Child brought into the Temple of Aesculapius:

          I'm a bit miffed today after corresponding with my lawyer (for the accident I was involved in on the first of July last year). I have several large medical bills still in limbo, waiting to be paid. The problem is that two of the folks I owe (the hospital and the chiropractor) are places I depend on when I get sick or injured. When I had the allergic reaction to poison ivy several weeks ago, I had to go to a walk-in clinic to be treated instead of my usual doctors. The lawyer wants to get the most money he can out of the settlement, while I just want to pay the bills and get on with life. I told him that in an email yesterday. Like the King of Coins, I like my debts to be settled rather than hanging over my head. Even though most of the physical injuries have healed, the emotional healing can't happen until all the paperwork and settlement is complete. I'm beginning to think hiring a friend to do this wasn't the best idea!