Thinking, Doing

From the Songs for the Journey Home, the Three of Flames (Wands); from the Raven Cards, 'Think Big:'

          The Three of Wands/Flames shows the same lady juggling eggs. When we want to try to expand our horizons or take advantage of some new opportunities, we may imagine what that would look like and how we would accomplish it. Once we find a workable strategy, we can employ it. But the Raven Card warns us not to let any unwarranted fear sink our ship. No one would give the advice to "Think small, start big," but that is exactly how fear corrupts our mind. We are so anxious that we can't imagine any sound strategy, but we impulsively jump in deep water anyway. The lady in the Three of Wands would suggest we think big, come up with several alternate plans, and wear a life vest.

One must live the way one thinks or end up thinking the way one has lived.

 — Paul Bourget

Intellectual Bully

From the Songs for the Journey Home Tarot, Wind Awakening (Knight of Swords); from the Raven Cards, Think Big:

          The trees bend in the wake of this young man. When it comes to ideas, he is an intellectual sponge. He soaks them in and examines them in his mind. When he finds one worthy of his laser-like attention, he becomes a zealot. Whether it involves philosophy, medicine, politics or some other field, he becomes a new convert who can be arrogant and pushy. It's not that the idea he's taken hold of isn't worthy of merit, but he generalizes it to cover all situations. But there is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to people or life. The Raven Card reminds me that thinking too less of yourself is just the flip side of thinking too much of yourself. Alan Morinis explains in his book Everyday Holiness that humility is "taking up the appropriate amount of space while leaving room for others." In the Knight's case, he doesn't yet have the experience to realize his blanket won't cover everyone. The Raven suggests that someone may need to speak up and point out (giving details) his errors of judgment. If he really is searching for truth, he should be receptive of the facts.