Happy Friday!
Ready for this week to be over and to relax over a weekend. Am heading off to a Celtic music festival at Sherwood Forest (near Austin); I really enjoy Celtic music so am really looking forward to it.
I get a daily "This day in Texas history" newsletter -- today's was very interesting.
Turns out that on this day in 1865, Jacob Friedrich Brodbeck -- a German immigrant living in Luckenbach, Texas -- is reported to have successfully flown his "airship" for about 100 feet at a height of 12 feet. He used a spring-powered motor! Once the spring was exhausted, the airship crashed. Frustrated, Brodbeck burned the pieces.
Also, in 1902 -- one year before the Wright brothers -- Texan Reverend Burrel Cannon is said to have flown his airship (the Ezekiel Airship). Actually, Cannon was too big to pilot the craft, so a smallish employee (Gus Stamps) piloted the craft. The flight covered 167 feet at a height of 10 feet. Powered by an 80 horsepower engine, Stamps grew wary of the vibration and shut the engine down. The craft then glided to a successful landing.
Cannon then crated the machine and brought it to a railroad yard; he intended to ship it to Saint Louis for the 1903 World's Fair (where there was a $100,000 prize for a flying machine!) Unfortunatly, a strong windstorm swept through the area and overturned the railcar carrying the flying craft -- destroying the craft.
Cannon was unable to secure funding for repairs.
So, if you're a Texan, you can claim a Texan was the first in flight. If you're not a Texan, you can say "Those darned Texans and their tall tales!"
-- or, you can say "Maybe they were the first to fly ... but they were the first to crash, too!"
On to the weekend reading! We'll draw two cards -- the first will suggest some topic to consider, the second helps us understand the implications of that topic.
Our first card is ... the Six of Swords.
We actually saw this card in yesterday's post -- I used the Rider-Waite-Smith Six of Swords as one of the images.
If you've ever watched an old black-and-white movie where a gypsy fortune teller turned over a card and said "You will be taking a trip over water" ... this is the card she turned over.
Doesn't mean you'll be taking a trip over water though!
The Six of Swords suggests some sort of change -- especially a change from a known and familiar condition to a new and unknown one. Perhaps a physical move from one dwelling to another -- or a job change -- or maybe hanging out with a new group of friends. Things like that.
The interesting thing about this card is this -- let's say you have a job that you really hate. You find a new job that excites you and turn in your notice. What happens now is really interesting.
You're about to leave this job you hate -- when you start having second thoughts. You may not enjoy the position -- but you're familiar with it and start becoming uncomfortable about moving to a new and unknown situation. I call it the "Job Changing Blues". Everyone has it.
Some people have it to the point where they won't ever consider making a change! Even if they dislike their current situation (and this doesn't have to be a job), the thought of changing is so daunting that they won't consider the possibility.
Well, you can't do much about the unknown part -- but you can make decisions based on the known. If you're unhappy with your situation, then you know that you're unhappy with your situation. If you change, you may not like your new place -- but you may love it -- so don't worry about it! Keep in mind your current feelings about your current situation.
Let's see what our second card offers -- the Knight of Cups.
This card suggests what is happening when we just can't get around to making a change. The Knight of Cups can get hung up over thinking about a situation. He can become completely stymied because he just can't convince himself to do anything. If we look at the picture, we see his horse is standing still while the Knight contemplates his cup. He doesn't know what to do -- so he does nothing -- which is doing something! Except -- it's likely doing something that he already doesn't like to do!
If you find yourself hesitant to make a Six of Swords sort of change -- because you're stuck being a Knight of Cups -- at least recognize what's going on. If you feel it's necessary to make a decision, then make the decision. All a choice does is set you on a path. Stumbling blocks may arise along the way, but those are things you deal with as you go.
And that's it for today -- hope you have a great weekend!
Woodsong
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