Five of Wands - Friends Help You Fight the Dragon

 Fightin' the dragon are the words that immediately come to my mind after drawing the Five of Wands this morning.

 I thank God I know I don't have to fight that dragon alone, unless I choose to do so or for what ever reasons I just can't seem to reach out and ask for help. For me, this is false pride, but that doesn't mean there aren't those of us at some point that don't seem to be able to reach out. This can have dire and tragic consequences. So what do we do?

  I have to be very cognoscente of those that need a friend who might need a hand up. I must not only ask, but simply offer as well, to be a friend that listens over coffee, and who offers a helping hand in some way or another, to a friend or to someone we don't know..

 For most of us, asking for help is one of the most difficult things to manage to do, regardless of our situation, for a myriad of reasons. Familial patterns are often entrenched in our personalities, and it's difficult to break those patterns and change unhealthy behaviours. Perhaps we've learned these behaviours from our parents to keep that stiff upper lip or we've learned that often unspoken message from society, to just suck it up, move on, because no one wants to hear about our problems.  And sometimes we just think it's easier to be in denial, but it's not, because denying reality only compounds the existing adversity, effects not only ourselves but the others  who are around us.

The Five of Wands reminds me to keep reaching out, when I feel like giving up. I need to ask for help or to offer help to another. I especially need to remember to value real friendship and to know that friends are no different than me in our shared humanity, and that 'strangers' are just friends I haven't met yet.



The Qualities of Real Friendship

- Excerpt from the Huffington Post


1. They push us to be more accepting of ourselves.

2. They call us out when we're wrong.

3. They're present.

4. They really listen.

5. They support us through adversity.

6. They keep our stress in check.

7. They keep us humble.

8. They have our backs when life gets tricky.

9. They make friendship a priority.

10. They practice forgiveness.

11. They make us want to be better people.

Five of Wands - Who's Afraid of Monsters?

 In the Five of Wands Jason's fighting the big old ugly monster dragon that's guarding the Golden Fleece, but he's got help from his helper and lover Medea. We all need to find that soft place to fall, someone who can help us battle our demons and dragons. We don't have to do it on our own and today I thank God for that.

 Life will always find some kind of monster like dragon that stands in our way when we're trying to achieve our goals, but with the help, love and support from those that care and love us, in small or in big ways, this is what makes the difference in overcoming, if we are willing to humbly ask for help, or allow them to help us when they offer.

 The other important factor that makes all the difference is my attitude, which has to be a positive one if I'm going to accomplish my goals. And so this New Year I am going to back up my intentions with action instead of simple good intentions which the road to hell can be paved with as we say in the rooms of recovery.

 Though I've been sober twenty three 23 years today,  I still fight my monsterous dragons, that will never change. It's just called life. Today I live life on life's terms. I fight with myself over my procrastination and lack of motivation, because it's always been all or nothing with me, but I've made a lot progress along the way.

 Today I decided I'd go take the hour long walk to my mail box. Understand this can be a real drag for someone who struggles with motivation, especially when it comes to exercising outside in the Winter, because I don't like the cold and I'm just spleeny that way. I've stopped trying to embrace Winter as they say, and just could never get my head around that.

 As I started on my walk to the Super Box Mail Dragon, my neighbour picked me up and gave me a lift! I admit I was glad with the cold wind in my face and by the time I got back I was in serious need of using the facilities, which is so much more comfortable in my own house, as opposed to behind a bush in the woods, in the middle of no where.

 My mail box used to be directly across the road from my house, but now Canada Post in it's great wisdom, in spite of the numerous protests, decided they know how to "best serve" their customers. Before I get off on a tangent, I'll just say this about that.

 I've only been to pick up my mail twice in four weeks since they brought in the new super mail boxes. So instead of seeing this in a negative, I'm trying very hard to see it as a positive. I'll have something to look forward to at the end of my long walk (mail) I hope, like I did today.

 I heard it said once, the definition of an alcoholic is someone who always has to have something to look forward too. And if there isn't any mail, I'll be losing some weight and will feel better about myself mind, body and soul. This I know is the right attitude.

 I was happy to find Christmas cards and even a Christmas cake from my cousin, who happens to work for Canada Post and also is my mailman, but I won't blame him for that! And who doesn't love Christmas cake ;)

So, I'll to take my own advice. I'll keep asking for help when I need it and I'll be hanging on to that positive attitude while weaving the stuff of spirit and heart into my daily life.

Procrastination Monster

Five of Wands - The Beast

A card about struggle, the Five of Wands reminds us that we can overcome the struggle that exists, but we don't have to, nor do we need to, struggle alone. Everyone needs some kind of help at some point in our lives and it's important we ask for help but there's nothing easy about asking. It's a humbling experience.

Letting false pride get in the way, only results in our egos becoming the beast, and the struggle with depression  and confusion that Leonard Cohen speaks about plagues and overpowers us. It's the dragon we need to fight against and we're not likely to win that battle if we have a lack of trust in our intuition and instinct, causing us further depression and apathy. At this point we loose our way in confusion, we loose sight of our vision and courage.

The Five of Wands is a hopeful, empowering card if we heed the message it conveys.

Five of Wands - Rumplestiltskin

Jason is faced with having to fight the dragon, in order to obtain the Golden Fleece. He has his lover and helper, the sorceress Medea close by his side.

There are many creative ways to fight, to defeat the monsters and dragons in our lives. Having our wands a flame, shines a light in the darkness so we can see clearly what we are up against, and to find our way.
Naming our monsters, speaking their name to another, is much like describing our feelings, which can help us to understand what they are. This gives us the opportunity to know how to cope, and they somehow loose their power over us, or we can rid them from our lives.

This reminds me of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale about the of the manikin Rumpelstiltskin, who gave the young maiden gifts, enabling her to spin straw into gold for the King who eventually promised to marry the young maiden, which he did, making her Queen. The final gift to the little man, was to be her first born child, if she could not speak his name, as she did not know what it was. It was then that the young Queen summoned a messenger to spy on the little manikin, to find out his name.

When the young Queen speaks his name, the spell is broken, and the young Queen is free from the emotional bondage of the manikin, and is able to keep her new born child. The manikin tore himself apart in his rage, once she spoke his name aloud, Rumpelstiltskin.

"The devil has told you that! The devil has told you that," cried the little man, and in his anger he plunged his right foot so deep into the earth that his whole leg went in, and then in rage he pulled at his left leg so hard with both hands that he tore himself in two."

Five of Wands - Don't Worry Even Monsters Have a Soft Underbelly

Struggling with, and fighting our dragons, demons or monsters, whatever you want to call them, is what the Five of Wands is about. Some are of these critters are bigger, badder, and meaner than others. They all call for certain skills, weapons, and the means to overcome them, if not completely defeat and eliminate them. Then, there are others that will go away for a time, giving you a reprieve, only to return in the future, maybe bigger, badder and meaner than ever. These can be the most troubling and stressful. They are like the thing that came to dinner, and wouldn't leave.

Being prepared is the best defense. We might even create our own monsters. In this case, prevention is worth a pound of cure. Many of us can be our own worst enemy. So finding a way to avoid that by addressing a particular personal problem, perhaps in the form of a network or support group, can make all the difference to our happiness and peace of mind. Sharing a problem with another, can help lessen your load. We can't always solve our problems on our own.

These are not easy circumstances to deal with, but all part of the journey of life. We sure don't need being placated to, with maudlin platitudes. Solutions, and resolutions are certainly needed, but sometimes what we really want and need is a lend of an ear, someone we trust, who can sit and listen. When we talk to another person, it can help create some kind of order to our world, and often we can find an answer to problems, having talked it out. Reaching out to ask for help is the hardest part for many of us.

The three things that have helped me with my struggles and my monsters.

1. Having a sense of humour, is always therapeutic.
2. I'm human, and so is everybody else, not super human, as much as we might try.
3. Drop the false pride, because humility isn't humiliation.

Don't worry, even monsters have a soft underbelly.

Five of Wands - Awakened

I haven't been able to get to my blog the past few days. I've been busy battling the dragon like Jason. It felt like the dragon was winning. This card describes exactly what I have being experiencing. But the dragon-fight is with myself. Fighting ourselves can be the worst kind of battle when " the powers of the earth resist change "

I have been experiencing  'regressive inertia'. It has been more than a rut, but a combination of things that have resulted in me avoiding, procrastinating, and resisting reality. All this has collided with my creative energy, but now it's come to an apex and I am ready to accommodate reality and my imagination.

The Feminine energy of the High Priestess helped Jason and I must trust my intuition and my instincts and allow them to help me do the right thing, so I can grow and achieve my goals.

I have heard it said, and have experienced myself, in various situations, using the metaphor, of how the last mile of the race is the hardest, because you are exhausted, feeling overwhelmed, and want to give up. This is were faith, courage, trust, persistence and prayer come in for me. No one said a good life would be easy, but it is worth fighting for. 

Five of Wands - Intuition

When I was a child, I always sensed the presence of the Creator, the God of my understanding, even though it wasn't developed in the way it is now, the presence was there. An innocent trust was what defined my faith, and the way it was manifested, was through my intuition. My intuition was greatly affected by outside factors, and forces beyond my control, and diminished greatly for a time, and I lost my way in my adolescence and early adult life.

Like Jason, it seemed I constantly was fighting that dragon.  Fortunately I never completely lost my faith, and perhaps I was too stubborn to let people, places, and things to overpower me, and I held on, regardless of what was happening. Fortunately I have had many rallying helpers like Medea, akin to the High Priestess, who embodies the feminine power of intuition and instinct, to assist me in my dragon fights.

 We can have a creative vision, but the realities of life, in the form of the dragon represent the powers of the earth  resisting change. These can be found in the many material limitations, be it money, physical restrictions due to illness, or fatigue, and can coincide with fear of failure, inertia or apathy, that often are the cause of trouble, and struggle within the inner or outer self. These obstacles that arise, cannot be avoided in life, and accommodations or compromise must be made, while still maintaining the integrity of our creative visions, and lost treasure, like the Golden Fleece.

Five of Wands - Struggle

Here in the Five of Wands we see Jason having to face and fight the formidable dragon, who guards the Golden Fleece. The card represents struggle.

 As an artist who wants to make good art , I am no different than any body else in that, I always need to be prepared for the unexpected  struggles in life, especially when aspiring and striving to accomplish goals. Often times, the closer we are to actualizing our dreams, the unexpected happens from out of no where, and we have to be prepared to fight that Jabberwocky dragon. We then find out just what we are made of, and how bad we want to achieve that goal. Nothing we want comes without hard work, commitment, persistence, and fighting for our creative visions. These visions can be limited by our own regressive inertia, fear of failure, or apathy, all of which represent our own inner dragon, that we need to do battle with, and cannot be avoided.. We need to rely on our gut instincts, be willing to make compromises, without sacrificing personal integrity.