Measure Twice

From the Dark Mansion Tarot, the Knight of Pentacles; from Miss Mai's Victorian Oracle, Telescope:

Where you stand determines what you see and what you do not see; it determines also the angle you see it from; a change in where you stand changes everything.

―Steve de Shazer

Both the Knight of Pentacles and the Telescope suggest a change in our perspective. Rather than just being in a hurry to get things done, it is important for us to see the lay of the land. We take a wide perspective, seeing all that is about us, not just where we happen to be standing. We see different angles and associations, including how things are interconnected. We take a long perspective, considering not just possibilities, but how our actions might impact the future in negative ways. As the saying goes, "measure twice, cut once."

Speak Out But Check Your Sources First

From the SKT Revelation, the Archangel Commander (King of Swords); from the Empty Cup Oracle, Telescope:

The Archangel Commander (King of Swords) encourages us to advocate for ourselves and others. It is a time for courage and confidence, to let our voice be heard. But before we start speaking out (especially for other people), the Telescope suggests we might want to step back and consider if we are seeing things clearly. Our discernment might be clouded by emotions, strong desires, or simply our opinions. Regardless of their strength, feelings and thoughts aren't necessarily a good judge of reality. Listening to other viewpoints - even if they oppose our own - may help fill in our blind spots. Better to speak from wisdom than have to print a retraction later. 

The weapon of the advocate is the sword of the soldier, not the dagger of the assassin. 

~Alexander Cockburn

Deep Breaths and Patience

From the Tarot of the Absurd, Strength:

Except for one high-heeled shoe, a woman straddles a lion bare-naked. Out of all the tarot decks I have, I can only think of one that shows a man on this card - all the rest show a woman. I recently ran across an article about a study that showed women are seen as better leaders than men by those around them. In fact, the outcome of the study revealed the women out-scored men in all but one of the sixteen leadership competencies. Why? It is not a male vs. female thing, but a result of many females operating from a feminine foundation of characteristics: cooperative, communicative, relational, receptive, intuitive and encouraging. We take the "soft" approach rather than the forceful one (that's why the bare foot is on the lion, not the one with the shoe).

From the Post Psychedelic Cyberpunk comes the "Telescope:"

The telescope is a tool for looking at far away objects. It reminds me that taking the soft approach instead of a forceful one requires long-range plans and patience. Though I fear people will think I am promoting females rather than the feminine, I can't help but think of pregnancy. A woman will not only endure nine long months of carrying a developing child, she is also willing to go through the pain of delivery. She knows that what is achieved at the end of this period will be worth the hard work and perseverance she put into it.