Where and Why!

Hi There!

Hope you had a fine weekend -- I'm making progress on my new roulotte.  Got the trailer part almost done (just need to put the tires on).  Began painting some of the upper roulotte part.  I'm going to try and paint it all before assembly.  Will probably paint it again after assembly, but figure this will make it last longer.

Still haven't quite figured out the "floor plan" yet -- it'll either be 4 feet by 8 feet ... or it'll be 6 feet by 8 feet.  I've got to get the tires on the trailer before I can figure it out for real.

How about we jump into the reading?  We'll pull two cards; the first will suggest some behavior or attitude; the second card represents the destination the first card suggests.

Our first card -- the Knight of Swords!

This is a fun card -- I very much identify with it.  I've mentioned before, there are masculine cards and feminine cards ... and this is probably one of the more testosterone-laden cards.  I mean, we have a Knight in shining armor, he's swinging a sword, and riding a charging horse!  In my Robin Wood deck, the horse even flies!  What could possibly be more "guy" than that!

Of course, even though it sounds great, being a Knight suggests some strong weaknesses to go along with the positives.

This Knight is always ready to charge into a challenge -- he's confident that he can solve most anything by beating it to submission!  That's the good part -- energy and confidence.

The bad part?  Well, most problems need a little more tactful approach rather than "beating them into submission".  Furthermore, while this Knight has jumped right into the fray -- he never took the time to figure out which direction (or approach) offered the best chance of success.  He didn't take the time to consider the problem first in order to determine how he should solve the problem.  He might have even adopted a familiar method he's used before -- without determining if the old method best suited the new problem.

Basically, this Knight's main weakness is focus.  He's ready to take on the problem, but lacks the focus necessary to approach the problem in the best manner.

We might consider situations in our own lives where we've made similar errors.  Are there issues where you are trying to solve them in the same old way?  While familiar and comfortable to you they may be, they may not be the best way to approach the situation.

What might happen to us if we pursue problems in this manner?  Let's look at our second card, the Four of Cups.

While this card doesn't appear to be distraught -- he doesn't look too happy, either.  He's not satisfied with where he is -- he's made it to a particular position, but doesn't seem to be able to move forward from there.

Perhaps he needs to change his tactics?  He may need to re-analyze how he perceives things -- relying on old and familiar methods won't always let you understand current and complex situations.  Old methods might even make problems worse.

What do these two cards suggest? 

Bottom line -- take the time to understand where you're heading and WHY you're heading there.  Your initial motivations may no longer be relevent -- the world changes, issues change, and you change.  A little initial internal review may offer insights and understandings you'd otherwise miss.  Before you charge into a problem, make sure you understand both yourself and the problem!

And that's it for now -- hope to see you again before the weekend.  Have a good one till then!


Woodsong