Ace of Pentacles - I Vant To Be Alone

There is a report on a scientific study done, which was published in Science Magazine, that has found that there are people who would prefer giving themselves electrical shock over sitting alone in a room doing nothing!

Here's a quote from the article.

" In 11 studies, we found that participants typically did not enjoy spending 6 to 15 minutes in a room by themselves with nothing to do but think, that they enjoyed doing mundane external activities much more, and that many preferred to administer electric shocks to themselves instead of being left alone with their thoughts. Most people seem to prefer to be doing something rather than nothing, even if that something is negative. "

That sounds pretty crazy. But I am not really so surprised, knowing we are presently living in a busy society of human doings rather than human beings, in pursuit of stuff and things.

Many of us are not comfortable in our own skins, constantly trying to find peace, happiness, and contentment outside ourselves or on accumulating things. We don't believe that a withdrawal from the busyness, sitting quietly with our thoughts doing nothing, could ever be beneficial, especially because it feels so foreign and uncomfortable.  We often are defined by what we do, rather than by who we are as individuals

During Lent and leading up to Easter, is a time I naturally withdraw into myself in reflection, taking a kind of self-inventory. Easter seems to have gotten absorbed into more of a consumer holiday, filled with chocolate bunnies, candy, eggs, consuming copious amounts of food,  and even gift giving.

The Ace of Pentacles in the Mythic Tarot is embodied by Poseidon, who points the way. He is the father of all the waters, the god of the sea, and of the earth's surface, lord of all the universe rising out of the ocean, where we all come from, and he symbolizes the inner most representation of our creative selves. 'Husband of the earth' is the meaning of his name, the fertility god, who's creative energy is turned downward into our world.

The Ace of Pentacles is husband of the great Earth Mother, Demeter or The Empress. Pentacles, symbolic of the receptive Earth, which is the element of patience, stability, commitment, discipline, permanence and strength. These are all qualities needed that enable us to find our meaning, purpose and happiness, and we can find them, when we take time to be alone with our thoughts, with the right energy we can create the fertile ground, for the promise of good things to come.

Ten of Swords - Resurrection

 

The Minor Arcana card I drew this morning, the Ten of Sword's, is a very appropriate one for this beautiful and glorious Spring Easter Day. 

Upon first looking at this card it looks ominous as depicted in most renditions. It is a card of perfect desolation, representing an apparent hopeless ending. The darkest hour is just before dawn, but there is major change and transformation on the way.

In fact, it speaks of triumph, conquest and resurrection, in spite of the harrowing and fearful imagery of extreme danger, bloodshed and fear. The man who lies limp and defeated has been tortured and seemingly clings to life by a thread. He is a Christ like figure. However upon closer examination, the emphasis is actually on overcoming, and triumphing over defeat, and on the resurrection of life and rebirth.

 In the distance, the sun is slowly rising in the horizon, heralding a new beginning in the midst of the defeat. The sun is life giving.

Once the crisis is over, the sun shines again. We have been freed of some deep rooted wound and burden within ourselves, that has been released and redeemed but our suffering. It is the final conclusion and the end of a difficult situation. A new life begins, and the sun shines brightly upon us.