Jumping on the Boards – Why We Succumb to the Lure of Self-Sabotage

8 of Swords, self-restriction, self-limitation.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the ego.
RWCS, US Games version

At one time or another we’ve all snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.  We know not to go down to the basement of deserted old house all alone, or wander in an abandoned mine.  Then, there are days where, for whatever reason, we invite chaos into our lives either through random actions or by our mental outlook.  Usually we extend the invitation when things are running smoothly.  Here’s an interesting looking loose end, we think. I wonder what will happen if I pull this thread? Suddenly, by our own design, our whole picture starts to unravel.

What turns us into major league thread pullers who suddenly let anxiety freeze us into indecision? Three little letters, my friends –  E, G, and O.  Our ego stems from our mind, our ability to rationalize, to remember and to over-analyze.  Our ego is designed to be our first line of defense in a hostile environment.  It tells us whether or not we are safe and if we are operating within the boundaries of our personal normal.  What happens when we suddenly change our behaviors to accommodate new goals and ambitions?  Our ego, who defines our sense of self, goes into hyper-drive thinking up new ways to get us back to our habitual program – even a program that has proven detrimental to us in the past.  

We don’t fall victim to self-sabotage out of stupidity.  We fall

9 of Swords, RWCS by US Games
Anxiety, guilt, obsessive thoughts.
An ego in full control

for it because the ego knows that it works. The ego is thorough, relentless and infinitely patient in its mission. It is no friend to out-of-the-box thinking.  It will lie to us and play on our fears (Nine of Swords) to keep us operating in the familiar.  How do we halt the progression of an ego gone wild? One of the first things to do is to identify self-sabotaging thoughts or behaviors for what they are and to do so without judgement.  Judging yourself and others feeds your ego.  The bigger the judgement, the more power you’ve surrendered to your ego self.  

"OSHO's Zen Tarot"© by Deva Padma
shows the value of quieting the mind and
engaging inner stillness when the mind's
illusions seize control.

Two traits of self-actualized people are acceptance of their human frailties and acceptance of the frailties of others, as well.  Stop listening to your ego’s judgment when you think of your life choices.  Listen with your heart and come from a place of compassion instead of the place of self.  Does this mean you surrender your own best interests and stay in situations that cause you emotional, or even physical pain? Just the opposite. People don’t stay in bad relationships because they are placing other’s needs first. They stay because their ego is being fed in some way.  I am noble – look how I suffer.  I do this for my family even though I am unhappy.  Really?  No.  You do it because your ego likes a steady banquet of martyrdom.

9 of Wands, RWCS US Games
Battered, beleaguered, but determine
to persevere.  Battling yourself can
be exhausting, but so worth it!

Tarot’s Eight of Swords shows us a woman kept prisoner by her own ego.  (Swords being the suit of mental outlook, thoughts and communications.)  She stands loosely bound, blindfolded and semi-encircled by eight swords.  No one holds her there accept her own state of mind.  She can slip the bonds and walk away, but for whatever reason she choses her self-imposed prison rather than risk to her safety for the adventure and freedom outside the circle of swords.

One of my greatest teachers, Linda Becker, (author of “Living With Soul – The Great Spiritual Revolution”) taught me to give my ego a name and to envision locking it away in a box when it demanded I feed it with self-defeating thoughts or behaviors.  It's a simple method, but one that works – even when I have to pull my ego off me just like Spiderman pulling off that black, Venom costume.  Out of control egos are sticky things. Chakra meditations that are designed to open the heart also work wonders for controlling the ego.  

No one is immune to their ego running amok. As with everything in life – it’s not a question of whether or not you make a mistake, but of how well you recover from the mistakes you do make.

LADY ORACLE

ALL FEATURED DECKS AVAILABLE FOR SALE THROUGH "LADY ORACLE TAROT"

"The Definition of Insanity "

9 of Swords, guilt anxiety
"the dagger of the mind"
from RWCS by US GAMES

The standard meaning of insanity can be located in any of a dozen dictionaries.  I learned the only significant definition for this word in a sales training class.  The definition of insanity is to keep repeating the same unsuccessful group of actions and to expect a successful outcome each time.  A tarot spread will make you face the inevitability that comes from repeating unsuccessful patterns in your life.  How many times do we ask ourselves, “Why do I always get these cards?” Simple - your life, your choices.  Don’t shoot me, I’m just the tarot reader.  Whether your trials come from the pressure you exert upon yourself (swords), emotional quagmires that you persist in wading into (cups), ill-conceived, irrational moves that take you nowhere (wands), or greed and avarice (pentacles), tarot will show you the patterns of your particular dance.  

The Moon - illusion
the crayfish crawling from the water
represents the subconscious
from RWSC by US Games ©

The founder of analytical psychology, Carl Jung, found this to be true and often recommended tarot journaling for patients.  Where Freud believed the origins of most psychological conditions were sexual in nature, Jung favored the idea that all people held an intrinsic spiritualism and that a healthy psyche had all its parts integrated.  A rather simplistic explanation on my part, I’m afraid.  Jung gave us concepts such as, collective consciousness, synchronicity and my personal favorite, archetypes.  He used dream analysis and believed that symbolism was a huge component of the human mind (true that) and therefore, the key to unlocking the subconscious.

Tarot illuminates your path.  It acts as your guide through

The Hermit, seeker of inner truth
from RWCS by US Games©

your present situation, then takes your actions, if unaltered, to an inescapable conclusion.  If you don’t like the pictures the tarot spread shows you, then make different choices – break your pattern and you change that pesky outcome row.  Tarot’s responsibility is to show you the journey of your soul, yours, particular to you, not the person(s), situation, or event that initially led you to seek answers.  

The next few years promise to be filled with societal and global change.  This is the natural order of things and pretty darned exciting stuff to boot.  Prepare yourself by asserting control over your own actions.  By taking accountability for your life, you free yourself to become who and what you were meant to be. (I know, I know – this is my mantra) Step firmly out into the world and embrace your destiny, but know that it’s you who gives destiny a helping hand.

LADY ORACLE 

Here's a link for further info on Carl Jung

Check out this book on tarot journaling  or, 

this one too.

Take a look at tarot symbolism as well!

Let me know what you think!

www.ladyoracle.net

"To The Nines" - Numerology for the Solstice Through Tarot

When you add the numbers for the date of Winter Solstice,

9 of Wands, perseverance, resillience
RWCS US Games©

12/21/12 you get 9.  (1+2+2+1+1+2)  9 is a fun number to write - almost as much fun as 6, but not nearly as much fun as 8.  In tarot, the number 9 represents struggles and compromises in Minor Arcana cards.  However, the struggles and compromises vary in each of the four tarot suits.

In the RWCS deck, the 9 of Wands shows us a man, his head bandaged from a battle wound, leaning heavily against one of his wands.  It's been an effort for him to keep his wands in alignment.  Wands are the suit of action and our hero has fought hard for his success.  He's going to be rewarded for his perseverance, as well as for the strength of his resolve.  The goal has been met, but what has he compromised in order to reach it?  Innocence and complacency, certainly.  He will never again have a truly unguarded moment.  He knows he must stay vigilant in order to defend both himself and what he protects.  Where the Knight of Wands believes in his own invincibility, the warrior in the Nine knows he can be defeated - knocked down.  But now he also knows that he has the stamina to get back up and fight.  What he loses one day, he regains on another.

9 of Cups, Tarot's wish card
Having it all, self-satisfaction, smugness
RWCS US Games©

The 9 of Cups has it much easier.  A wealthy man sits on a stool in front of a table holding 9 goblets.  His arms are folded across his ample stomach.  Cups deal with emotions and our merchant prince of the 9 doesn't know what it is to be in want.  He is well satisfied with his lot in life and he keeps his feet planted in a balanced position.  He has reached his goal of having it all.  Separating him from his creature comforts would be a difficult task.  He guards the luxuries in his life whether he needs them or not.  They are his to consume or hold on to either by the laws of man or by divine order.  The smugness of his expression shows us his contentment in his own consequence.  He likes to be envied.  So, what is his struggle and what compromises has he made?  This is a tough question is answer for a card that represents so many positive things.

First and foremost, the man in the 9 of Cups has compromised his mobility.  Hopefully he remains content with his luxurious lifestyle, because he can't pick up all of his cups at once and move them to a new location - not without risking loss.  And to let someone help him with the burden of carrying the goblets is to allow someone else control of a portion of his own fate.  Having it all must remain the ultimate goal of 9's merchant prince in order for him to remain content.  The 9 of Cups stays on his seat continuing to view life from the same perspective.

9 of Swords, guilt and anxiety
RWCS US Games ©

The suit of Swords, or gloomy, doomy swords as they're often called, speaks to matters of spirit and the mind.  The 9 of Swords  depicts a woman who's woken up from a nightmare.  She's unable to return to sleep.  Her guilt and anxiety torment her and she buries her face in her hands.  Her struggle is simple.  The lady battles the monsters in her own mind.  They've overwhelmed her to the point where sleep can no longer offer her sanctuary.

Her blanket is covered with red roses which symbolize love and passion.  The image tells us that she is loved by others.  Has she perhaps compromised the love and good wishes of those who care about her?  And because Swords deal with matters of the mind, has she truly compromised their love, or does she merely think that she has.  Time will tell.

9 of Pentacle, self-reliance, high-minded pursuits
RWCS US Games©

Pentacles give us a glimpse of the material world.  The 9 of Pentacles shows us a strong woman, one of wealth and position.  Most importantly, she is aware of her own worth.  The falcon on her arm gives her a complete over-view of her domain.  She gains her information from him alone and makes her own very successful choices.  What has she compromised?  Her ability to partner.  She is sufficient unto herself.  To share her kingdom would mean taking another's wishes, needs and opinions into consideration.  She would sacrifice a measure of her independence if she were to allow someone else into her life.  Her struggle is one of opening up and sharing herself with someone else.

Number 9 in the Major Arcana is The Hermit - tarot's seeker of inner truths.  The Hermit withdraws, holds himself apart from the rest of the world to gain the insights needed to put his life in perspective.  He has a fundamental need to be alone - to periodically reexamine the lessons he's learned along his journey.  What better card could we have for the Winter Solstice?  The end of the year is a perfect time to engage in self-reflection.  Where have we traveled this year and what do we hope to gain in the coming one?

The lessons of the 9 cards can be summed up as follows:

Sometimes it's a struggle to move forward in life, especially when we feel overcome by circumstance that are beyond our control.  The key is to persevere.  If we didn't take the field in a blaze of glory today, there's always tomorrow.  The point is not to give up.  We will eventually succeed.

Don't stagnate yourself with images of who you are based upon what you have.  Stay flexible and have the courage to reinvent yourself.  Sure it's a risk, but so is standing still.  It's simply a different type of risk.

The poet, Omar Khayyam, wrote, "The moving finger writes and having writ, moves on. Nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line; nor all thy tears wash out a single word of it."  Guilt over a past indiscretion is useless.  You can't change your past, but you can improve your future.

Lastly, a well-lived life is one worthy of sharing.  Control over your destiny is great, but you don't have to maintain an isolationist policy to achieve it.  The more love you give, the more love you get back.

 Look forward to next year for the opportunities it will give you to experience and grow.  Mark your passage on this earth by the impressions you leave with the other people you meet along your journey. It can be entertaining as all get out.  Here's to 2013.

LADY ORACLE


Pivot Publishing - B PPBPVP2815 AnahataHeart Chakra, Flawless -14 x 14- Poster Print (Google Affiliate Ad)Third Eye Chakra pillow (Google Affiliate Ad)