Your Choice

I hope things have been going well -- I'm again in California this week ... but am off to D.C. next week. I'm pretty ready for a change!

I just deleted a coupla paragraphs about my broken tooth and trying to get to see a dentist -- when I realized no one wants to hear about my tooth and my dentist! I don't even want to think about my tooth and my dentist!

One thing she's started doing is taking my blood pressure when I'm sitting in the dentist's chair. It's usually pretty high -- and they fuss at me for it. I always tell them "Do you think the fact that I'm sitting in a dentist chair with all these shiny sharp objects all around me that you're going to poke me with just might have something to do with it?" They haven't figured that part out yet!

Let's get started with the reading!

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

Our cards this week are:

Eight of Wands (Reversed)



The Lovers








By the way, there are only two cards in a Rider-Waite-Smith style deck Minor Arcana that do not have people depicted on them. The Eight of Wands is one of them! Doesn't mean anything -- just thought I'd throw that in!

This Eight normally suggests some sort of movement -- some like to say it suggests travel. I generally see it suggesting some advancement from one state (or status) to another. I'm not talking like moving from Texas to Oklahoma type states, I'm talking more about current situational states. You might be troubled by some matter -- the Eight of Wands might suggest being able to putting that trouble behind you and moving forward.

Being reversed, the Eight could suggest some sort of difficulty in movement. If you think about it, being hindered in movement is another way of saying "being held back". In this sense, the reversed Eight of Wands could suggest feeling oppressed!

How can we address this? Let's take a look at The Lovers for some advice.

This card has a fairly rich set of meanings, but you're basically looking at choices you can make. You might be looking at the choice to remain with a comfortable and known (but limited) environment -- or to select an environment with more potential for advancement (but also more risk as well). Trying to select between the known and the unknown.

If you think about this a moment, it kind of makes sense that the "known" environment may feel limiting. After all, you "know" the environment; you know the boundaries already. A new environment may look inviting and limitless -- but you may find it equally limiting once you get there. Or -- you may find it exhilarating and fulfilling. You just don't know until you've tried it.

And that's the dilmena -- which is more important to you? The security of the known? Or, the potential of the unknown? This is a great simplification -- but that's pretty much the choice.

So how do these cards link together? Well, if you're feeling held back and oppressed -- but choose to remain in that environment because it is the one you know ... then you're not really being oppressed. You've CHOSEN this route -- which means you've taken control and have actively decided this is the course you prefer. If you're in control, then you're really doing what you want ... so there's no need to feel limited.

In this case, I'd look for situations where you may feel you have little control ... situations that might seem stagnant, situations that bother you. Then realize that it's completely your choice whether or not you remain in these situations. You always have control to leave the situation and look for change. If you weigh the risk of change versus your feelings about the situation and choose accordingly, then you no longer have to feel that you're not in control of things. You are in control -- because you've chosen the course you wish to take! Regardless of what that choice might be!