How You Look At It

From the Tarot of the Cat People, the Devil; from the Insectorum Divinorum, Ladybugs (Symbiosis):

The Devil makes me think of the Three Poisons in Buddhism: attachment (craving that is never satisfied), aversion (aggressively trying to avoid anything that causes discomfort or displeasure), and indifference (a 'don't care' attitude that ignores others and often leads to a feeling of restlessness or boredom). They originate as normal human feeling tones - pleasant, unpleasant, neutral - but then we feed them with our thoughts and add emotions to the mix. I recognize myself in those cats with the flattened ears as I count down the minutes to my endodontist appointment this morning. But do I want to be chained to that feeling? The Ladybugs represent symbiosis, an interaction between two different organisms that benefit both (as these beetles eat aphids that harm plants). Their message would be to ask, what happens to this aggressive energy when I stop self-identifying with it? Can I just see the moment as a brief discomfort that can help eliminate a pain that will only get worse? 

Evenly Weighted

From the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, the Twins (Lovers); from the Insectorum Divinorum, "Symbiosis:"

          Matthews uses Da Vinci's painting of Mary and Anne with the young cousins Jesus and John the Baptist for this card. The Twins label she employs is not meant in a literal way, but rather it suggests two people who are united with a common purpose and love. The dimmi asks, "How do your desires and affinities make a perfect match?" This query can relate to myself and another, or what I am passionate about and have a talent for. In either case, the relationship will be one that flourishes only if I make a discerning, knowledgeable choice.
          Symbiosis is a mutually beneficial relationship between two different beings, in this case, plants and ladybugs. Such a partnership is balanced; the ladybugs eat aphids which protect the plant, and the plant offers them food and a place to lay their eggs. In adding these two cards together, I am encouraged to look at where my life is unbalanced, either in a relationship (one person responsible for all the effort) or my personal life (I am trying to do something for which I don't yet have the skills or tools). Just like a seesaw, it's going to get quickly tiresome if one side is much heavier than the other.