Wednesday 7 August 2013

Fairy Lights Pairs: 10 of Wands and Hierophant


This pair from Fairy Lights Tarot reminds me of the story of Solomon and the two mothers:

16 One day two women came to King Solomon, 17 and one of them said:
Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. Not long ago my baby was born at home, 18 and three days later her baby was born. Nobody else was there with us.
19 One night while we were all asleep, she rolled over on her baby, and he died. 20 Then while I was still asleep, she got up and took my son out of my bed. She put him in her bed, then she put her dead baby next to me.
21 In the morning when I got up to feed my son, I saw that he was dead. But when I looked at him in the light, I knew he wasn’t my son.
22 “No!” the other woman shouted. “He was your son. My baby is alive!”
“The dead baby is yours,” the first woman yelled. “Mine is alive!”
They argued back and forth in front of Solomon, 23 until finally he said, “Both of you say this live baby is yours. 24 Someone bring me a sword.”
A sword was brought, and Solomon ordered, 25 “Cut the baby in half! That way each of you can have part of him.”
26 “Please don’t kill my son,” the baby’s mother screamed. “Your Majesty, I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don’t kill him.”
The other woman shouted, “Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby.”
27 Solomon said, “Don’t kill the baby.” Then he pointed to the first woman, “She is his real mother. Give the baby to her.”
28 Everyone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly. (Kings 3:16-28, Bible, Contemporary English Version). 

There's something about the woman with the baby standing before the authoritative-looking male figure which made me remember this tale. The mother who had been so burdened (10 of Wands) has now been given her child by the wise king (the Hierophant, his head asparkle as he is levitated by faeries). 

The card pair perhaps points to where we could turn when 10 of Wands burdens oppress. The Hierophant is sometimes maligned as a card of rigidity and dogma, but there are times when turning to a higher authority, to established institutions, is called for. There are times when someone other than ourselves actually may know better. And there are times when we have no alternative but to appeal to these higher authorities. 

What this card has to do with me today, I don't know. The work day is over and I was neither burdened nor put in the position to act as or appeal to a higher authority. And the evening's entertainment is to go to the cinema to see 'Alpha Papa'. Ah ha!! 


2 comments:

  1. Yep, when you're struggling it's not always best to try to reinvent the wheel. :-)

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  2. I really like that idea of turning to the Hierophant in times of overwhelm :) And I can definitely see having a child as taking on more than you expected :D

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