Saturday, November 17, 2012

making your own happiness


The magician here stands before the Stonehenge, a place man-made ages ago that continues to awe and impress to this day. He points is wand upward, ready to work, to channel power from above into the earthly realm. He is ready and able to make use of all the tools at his disposal.

Next to the ten of cups, I see here a reminder of the importance of taking an active role in shaping your life, in creating that environment of comfort, fulfillment, happiness. If you simply wait for things to get better on their own, for good things to happen to you, for someone else to swoop in and fix what isn't working, you might be waiting a long time indeed.

Even more important, the magician is making reality as he conceives of it. Want and will and action. Making your own happiness isn't only about the action...it's about figuring out what you want, what that means for you. In a lot of ways, the more I think about the ten of cups, the more I question this kind of commonly portrayed representation. Is this what true happiness and satisfaction is supposed to be? A heterosexual partnership and kids, a life at home? Does that make me inadequate, if I am alone? Does that mean that a person who chooses not to have kids will never be truly fulfilled, or the person that doesn't like to settle down? At this point in my life, this image makes me feel vaguely uncomfortable. If I were this woman right now, I would not be happy. I would feel trapped, constrained, overwhelmed.

Satisfaction means different things to different people. The important thing is figuring out what will bring you closer to it, and then working towards that, whether the steps be big or small.

1 comments:

Inner Whispers said...

Although that Ten of Cups life is what I have, I have always seen this card as being about unrealistic ideals. Even when you have a family and kids, it's not all rainbows and laughter! For me, the shadow side of this card is strong - people wishing for things, without a sense of what they would really be like. Like the carry water, chop wood Buddhist parable, life is still complicated if you have the 2.4 kids and picket fence.

Perhaps, on the up-side, we can see it as being about feeling connected. Those could be nieces and nephews, or even your friend's kids. It's about enjoying time with others we feel close to, but that sure doesn't have to be family!

Good luck figuring out your own path to satisfaction :)

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