Knowing When to Fight

From the Tarot of the Masters, the Nine of Wands; from the Key to the Kingdom deck, the Four of Spades:

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

― Sun Tzu

This rendering is from Théodore Gericault's painting, Nude Warrior with a Spear. This fellow has a relaxed posture yet he is still watchful. He has fortitude, yet he chooses his battles wisely instead of attacking everything that moves or makes a noise. Prolonged challenges can make us weary and may lead to us becoming overly suspicious and high strung. We must not lose our ability to think rationally and ask questions before react as Sun Tzu describes - fighting blindly and desperately like a mad bull. The Four of Spades offers a riddle about sleepy, summer days and an insect that stings (yellow jacket). Anyone whose ever been around bees and wasps will tell you not to swat at them because you might get stung unintentionally. Better to suss out a situation than kick a hornet's nest and create a conflict.

Give Me the Good News

From the Tarot of the Masters, the Two of Coins; from the Key to the Kingdom, the Nine of Hearts:

You gotta dance with the one that brought you.

~ Shania Twain

Ricklef's rendition of The Star by Edgar Degas brings to mind a line from Twain's song. Sometimes we don't have a choice about the many obligations we must juggle. Yet wouldn't it be better to dance with them rather than being disgruntled and sullen? To be resilient means we are flexible as a dancer, able to rebound instead of curling around our resentment. The nursery rhyme associated with the Nine of Hearts is:

What's the news of the day,

Good neighbor, I pray?

They say a balloon

Is gone up to the moon.

Humans have a cognitive bias toward what is negative. We must balance out this tendency if we want to relieve our stress and anxiety. Instead, we can note: what made us laugh or smile, what touched our hearts, or what made us pause in awe or wonder.

Under the Influence

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Masters (redrawn classic paintings) created and published by James Ricklef. I'll also be using  a transformation deck called the Key to the Kingdom created by Tony Meeuwissen and published by Running Press. Today's draws are the Queen of Swords and the Four of Hearts:

The truth is that you are responsible for what you think, because it is only at this level that you can exercise choice. What you do comes from what you think.

― Marianne Williamson

This Queen of Swords is based on the painting Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent. As Ricklef explains, sometimes there can be a "fine line between ambition and obsession, brilliance and madness." People with great intelligence generally tend to have a way with words, using them as a tool to get what they want. Lady Macbeth knew that as a woman, she could only rise in power through her husband, so she used manipulation and emasculation to motivate him to murder. Shakespeare's play ends with the Lady killing herself and Macbeth (who became something of a tyrant) beheaded. Intelligence needs ethical boundaries. The Four of Hearts is paired with this verse:

A man in the wilderness asked of me,

How many strawberries grow in the sea.

I answered him, as I thought good,

As many red herrings swim in the wood.

Motives, when under the influence of greed or anger, have a way of dismantling common sense. 

Stretching to Grow

From the Rider Waite Tarot, the Three of Pentacles; from the Ostinato Oracle, O'Alta:

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.

― Pablo Picasso

A craftsman listens closely to a monk, who has an idea of what he wants to be created, and to a nun, who holds architectural plans that show what structures can or can't be changed. This fellow can't use a cookie-cutter approach, perfecting one skill to be used for every assignment. Skilled workers learn on the job, as each project has different requests and requirements; they must employ both knowledge and intuitive creativity. O'Alta (ottava alta) indicates that the notes on the music sheet should be played one octave higher than what’s written. Like the craftsman, sometimes we need to stretch ourselves if we want to develop new ideas and approaches.

A Little Shade in the Sun

From the Rider Marseille Tarot, the Sun; from the Ostinato Oracle, Mezzo:

Let's go outside and look at the beautifulness. 

~Grayson, age 4

The Marseille features on this toddler make him appear old in a young body - the naive Fool has now become the Wise Child. Having made many trips around the sun by this point, hard knocks have taught him humility and unexpected joys have created gratitude. He would agree with Albert Einstein: “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.” Yet such an attitude helps him look with curiosity and playfulness while seeing with clarity what most people miss. Mezzo is an Italian word that means "middle" in music. Rather than singing or playing at full range, it moderates the fullness. When we are enjoying the Sun's influence, it can be tempting to want to drink it all in at once and over-indulge in whatever we are enjoying. But moderation will allow us to enjoy the sweetness and 'beautifulness' without any after-affects later.

Spark of Essence

From the Rider Marseille Tarot, the Ace of Swords; from the Ostinato Oracle, Marcato:

Inspiration is God making contact with itself.

~Ram Dass

A sword holds a crown on which an olive branch and a palm branch hang (symbols of peace and victory). The crown is an open rather than a closed one, suggesting an open, curious mind. Six yuds (yods) surround the sword, a letter that represents the spark of Essence within each of us. The Ace of Swords breathes inspiration into us, giving us a chance to create and problem solve in a fresh and exciting way. It only requires that we let go of our preferences and receive it without contempt prior to investigation. Marcato ("marked") is a musical instruction indicating a note, chord, or passage is to be played louder or more forcefully than the surrounding music. Parkway suggests it means that we act with intention - mindfully and purposefully instead of impulsively or haphazardly. As Kristin Armstrong stated, "We either live with intention or exist by default."

The Task at Hand

From the Rider Marseille Tarot, the King of Wands; from the Ostinato Oracle, Bar:

 

When the mind is diffuse and many-pointed, it cannot be effective. The mental powers are divided up, and less remains available for the task at hand. 

—Eknath Easwaren

This King has a one-pointed focus on what he wants to get done. He has priorities, and nothing distracts him from the top of his list unless there is a real emergency. I'm sure today's habit of people constantly checking their smartphone while doing other tasks would make him blow a gasket. He would definitely agree with Daniel Goleman: "One way to boost our will power and focus is to manage our distractions instead of letting them manage us." In music, Bars are vertical lines used to bound segments of music, usually indicating one of more recurring beats. Parkway suggests this symbol implies a need to set boundaries. Boundaries can help keep our distractions at a minimum so that we can take care of our obligations in a timely manner. But they can also help us make time for the things we enjoy as well.