Interpreting Reality

From the Roots of Asia Tarot, the High Priestess; from the Mahjongg Oracle, the Tiger:

The sense of self is inextricably linked to your self-talk — to your thoughts and inner dialogue — and we’re constantly interpreting reality through thought. 

—Brechen MacRae

The High Priestess represents the luminous wisdom within us, the awareness that sees reality without adding all of our prejudices and preferences on top of it. It grants us objective clarity without self-referencing and self-centeredness attached. Make no mistake: what it shines a light on can feel threatening to the mental construct known as the ego. Yet it can help us navigate all of life more successfully, with the benefit of not adding suffering to the world. The Tiger is a symbol of power, strength and bravery. It reminds us that our inner wisdom is of no help if we don't act on it. As the Chinese proverb goes, "Talk does not cook rice."

Snap Judgments

From the Roots of Asia Tarot, the Three of Wands; from the Mah Jongg Oracle, Tiger:

We only need 10 percent of stimulation from the outside world. It is our brain that experiences, figures out, anticipates, and projects what might happen, that leads to our experience. —Guo Gu

          The Three of Wands implies that we have taken our creative inspiration further, expanding beyond the status quo into something new. But the instruction booklet encourages us to be fully conscious of our experience rather than taking a glimpse and automatically filing it into a preset slot. The card's three lotus blooms show one in the bud stage, one beginning to open, and one fully open. It may appear that the center one is the 'best' at first glance. But we may not be fully conscious of all that is involved. The Tiger of Mah Jongg symbolizes authority. In this case for example, someone with more knowledge (even a book!) might help us realize that these are different types of lotuses that bloom at different times. 

The next time you make a snap judgment about a situation, take a few moments to understand an opposing viewpoint. —David J. Lieberman