A Bit Crumbly

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Five of Earth (Pentacles); from the Bird Cards, Tropicbird:

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present. ― Marcus Aurelius

The Five of Earth indicates a change that brings disruption and imbalance after stability; it's no wonder why its keyword is insecurity. After a scan last week, I was alerted by my physician that I had osteoporosis in my femurs and hips - even though I am active, a nonsmoker and eat well. I immediately began to feel like that nibbled corn and broken basket. The Tropicbird, a seabird with elongated tail feathers, is built for life on the wing. Because their legs are located far back on their body, walking on land is difficult and forces them to use a shuffling gait. Its message is to use the resources we have (including logic) to do what we can. It might not change the facts, but it can give us some options to deal with them.

Charitable Assumption

From the Rosetta Tarot, the Empress; from the Ascension to Paradise deck, the 'Tropicbird:'

          The Empress is the Great Mother, representing unconditional love, sensuality, pure emotion (rather than intellect) and creative potential. Being connected to Nature, she also has a chaotic side too; she is both the tornado that destroys and the life force that renews the land afterward. She embodies all emotions - not just the sweet ones. Unlike her husband the Emperor, she has nothing that keeps her in bounds. The Tropicbird is found around warm, tropical oceans. This plunge-diver is a strong flier and easily recognized by its tail streamers. Yet because its webbed feet are located far back on its body, the tropicbird has difficulty walking on land. Combined with the Empress, this bird suggests that our attachments may interfere with our clarity (fundamental attribution error). Social psychologists Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross believe wisdom is based on more than knowledge; it requires the ability to objectively consider what motivates others. Rather than simply judging others by their actions, they encourage each of us not to "rush to judgment about individuals until you know, and feel you truly appreciate, the situational forces and constraints that are making their influence felt." Sometimes it may be best to just make a charitable assumption.