Stuck in Our Stance

From the Ellis Tarot, Temperance; from the Brownies Oracle, Revolution:

The people—confused and excited—hear only the strident voices of the audacious and refuse to listen to the voice of wisdom which, being wise, is temperate.

― Lloyd C. Douglas

When holding an extreme view - and we're so focused on being right, we rarely see it as such - we automatically close our mind to any other viewpoint. We think that to mix our opinions with another perspective only cancels them out, yet we actually cut off any avenue to the wisdom of reality. An open, temperate mind doesn't dump one view for another but sorts through, examines, and finds the best of both. Revolution suggests change, which will never happen (even beneficial change) if we can't soften our beliefs and attitudes. Who know what we might be missing by staying stuck in our stance?

Power of the Few

From the Sun and Moon Tarot, the Ten of Pentacles; from the Wisdom Keepers Oracle, Revolution:

          What can you grow when you're in a committed relationship with other people? I think of families, businesses, support groups, clubs, teams and other organizations. The Ten of Pentacles represents abundance and security on all levels. Hard work and loyalty can build and sustain just about anything (just as the opposites can tear them down). In the Revolution card, the Celtic symbols and keyhole tattooed on this woman's forehead reminded me of Boudica. Queen of the Iceni tribe, she was supposed to take over leadership when her husband was killed. But the Romans honored no such laws, especially for women; they flogged Boudica, raped her daughters and took the Iceni lands as Roman property. She led her tribe and others against the Roman Empire, not just to exact revenge, but to attain the respect and peace the Britons deserved. Though the uprising was initially successful (and caused Nero to consider removing forces from Britain), Boudica was eventually defeated. But she and her troops made a lasting impression. A bronze statue of her riding high in her chariot now stands on the Thames embankment next to the Houses of Parliament in the old Roman capital of Britain, Londinium (now known as London).

Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.

~ Margaret Mead