Flow like a flood

It's Thursday, it's back to work for me, and my draw for the day from Mystic Tarot (by Mystic Meg) is 9 of Water. We see nine water fountains and nothing else.

The little companion book to the deck says, 'Nine is the signal of sharing, security and strength in the knowledge that the future is truly exciting.' Well, maybe. In my way of thinking, nine is the signal of the end of a cycle and 'heralds change'...

But in all ways of thinking, that's a lot of water. And that reminds me of a word I've been pondering lately: flow. I want to learn more about this concept from psychology. This Ted talk by the man himself is a good place to start:





May I enjoy 'flow' today. And you, too. :)

Dark Moon Musings

Noblet Tarot, Flornoy 2014

It's the dark moon. Well, nearly. at the moment it's 1% of full waning crescent, but close enough. The moon is passing between the earth and the sun, and thus the side of the moon that is illuminated by the sun is facing away from us. We can't see the moon in this phase from earth except during moments of solar eclipse, when the moon passes in front of the sun, and the night portion of the moon becomes visible to us, surrounded by the sun's fiery corona. Once each month, the moon comes all the way around in its orbit so that it passes more or less between us and the sun. If the moon always passed directly between the earth and the sun at new moon, a solar eclipse would take place every month. Instead, in most months, the moon passes above or below the sun as seen from earth. On the day of a new moon, the moon rises when the sun rises, and sets when the sun sets. It crosses the sky with the sun during the day. The new moon is too close to the sun's glare to be visible. Plus, its lighted hemisphere is facing away from us. The dark lasts about three days before the crescent appears. Many people use the terms dark moon and new moon interchangeably. For some, the new moon begins as soon as the moon becomes invisible. For others, not until the first sliver of crescent appears. Tradition holds that no magic should be practised during the dark moon. Traditional yoga practice holds that you should not practice yoga during the full or dark moon, and some traditional yogis fast during the dark moon.

To me the dark moon is a time between times. A waiting period. It just seems natural that you would pause your practices, rather like the moment between breaths.

Today I've drawn 9 of Cups, traditionally the 'make a wish' card. This dark moon will be a time of harmony and happiness for me. Just hanging out waiting for developments. That's cool.

Cups and more cups

Looks like our house purchase is proceeding, now the question has turned to insurance. Home owners, life, critical illness, income protection, and all that jazz. How much insurance cover do I need? What action should I take with regard to insurance?

Jean Dodal Tarot, Flornoy 2009 

I was really surprised by this draw, as I was expecting a lot of swords, to indicate both trouble and decision making. Three cups in a row! Really?

So yeah, three cups in a row, and on either side, the World and the Empress both look away from the cups. I also can't help but notice that 21 and 3 are both 3, and two of the three cups is a multiple of three. What you make of that is up to the reader, but there it is.

The first message: There's all the insurance in the world out there, and it's an extremely emotive subject that plays upon our instinct to protect the nest.

The second message: This emotion doesn't have a great connection to the actual world or actual nurture. Ie, fears and reality are not necessarily directly linked.

The third message: The best action I can take at this point with regard to insurance is to look away from the multitude of emotions -- most to do with fear -- and look to more pertinent issues.

That's funny, because I didn't think I was being emotional, I thought I was being quite rational and gathering information at this point.  The cups represent being fed, basic needs, and by association, fear of not being fed or having basic needs met. And that of course is the very driver of insurance.

If the two figures are looking away from all this emotion, what are the they looking at instead?

What is the World looking at? 4 of Swords -- I figured a sword would turn up.  There may be a World of insurance out there, but I am constrained by certain limitations. I must avoid being led by emotion and turn my attention toward what is actually a logical best choice. 'Four does not change.' The only unchanging aspect in this equation is the finite amount of money I have to work with. That should be a prime consideration, obviously.

What is the Empress looking at? 7 of Wands -- 'Seven brings troubles that fate has assigned.' The Empress looks toward the likelihood of trouble. Trouble is pretty certain to come, but we don't have much chance of knowing exactly what it might be or when it might occur. There are lots of troubles that never happen at all. But she's looking toward the card that represents problems, so it's important to identify those things that are most likely to be an issue for us, and not get carried away by lots of fears and wild what-ifs.

My two real advice cards, then, seem to be 4 of Swords and 7 of Wands, as they are the ones that pull away from the quagmire of emotion in the middle. Both cards suggest protection. 4 of Swords shows a central flower encased in 4 curved scimitars. It is protected by the four interlocked blades. Similarly, 7 of Wands shows an upright wand shielded behind 6 interlocked wands. One is surrounded, the other is shielded. There may be a story in that, but either way, a lone figure is protected, which would have been quite vulnerable on its own. Both are defended.

It seems to me I should examine my current protections and look for gaps that would need to be filled by insurance coverage, rather than being led entirely by the hungry mouths of emotion.

It's interesting that no Coin cards have turned up. I suppose once you identify the type of cover you need, the money side of it is ruled entirely by ability to pay. Not much use looking at prices. Just identify cover and then buy what you can afford.

Analyse it all you want, it comes back to the first impression. All those cups cards shouted to me at once: 'Too much emotion, whether you realise it or not. Dial that back and then proceed.'

9 of Cups

Jean Noblet Tarot by JC Flornoy

'As for the pips? To cite a 1650 text of rules for the game: 

"...from the ten to the ace, these cards bear no small resemblance to the dregs of society, people who are much more a burden than a pleasure." 

In other words, they aren't of much use in the tarot.' 

 These words are all the guidance we get about the pips in Jean-Claude Flornoy's LWB to the Jean Noblet Tarot. One wonders why he bothered including them in the deck at all, if that's his take on it.

There are many TdM readers who use only the trump cards (or majors) for reading, and who tend to stick to a basic 3-card line made up of these. Many TdM readers use only lines for their readings, and most seldom use pre-set designations for card positions.

In The Open Reading by Yoav Ben-Dov, the 'row spread' is discussed. Ben-Dov suggests that a 3-card line drawn from a complete deck might not give enough information, because the pip cards do not offer 'much detail'. 'The obvious solution is to lay a larger number of cards in a horizontal row, so that their combination is interesting and complex enough.' He recommends seven cards, or two sets of three to examine two options, or just laying out a row until we 'feel we have enough,' though there is a danger in this of stopping the spread when we get to an outcome we like.

Despite all this,  I still think a one-card draw can be useful, even from a TdM, and even with plain pips, particularly as a Card of the Day. However, you won't get much joy from the Noblet LWB about it!

A literal reading of 9 of Cups might be a 'big social gathering', because nine is 'a lot' and we see cups of wine here. Because the rows are very symmetrical, you might see it as some sort of orderly hierarchy, or everyone knowing their place. It isn't really a 'pecking order' because no one's on top and no one's picked on. You might also notice the bars and leaves create tidy little compartments, so the card might mean separate-but-equal, or it could be respecting one another's personal space and boundaries. It might be pointing to 'a lot' of enjoyment of food and drink - but not to insensibility, because of the order seen in the card.

A more figurative reading might include the concept of 3 times 3, and the fact that the cups can represent the emotions, and you get the traditional association of the 9 of Cups as the 'wish fulfilment' card.

However you look at it, 9 of Cups is most likely going to get a positive spin. Well, unless you turn it upside down. Inverted, the orderliness of the image disappears. It doesn't make sense to see upside down cups. Now the image speaks of confusion. For some reason, I suddenly see the decorative elements as red arrows pointing toward the middle of the card. It makes me think of conflict. So the card reminds me of a large group of emotional, disorderly people scuffling about. They might be drunk. A party or social gathering gone wrong. People unable to control their tempers or cope with their high level of emotion. The group is breaking up. It will fall apart as the cups drop and crash to the ground. That's how I see it, upside down, and having no question to put the card into context.

Fortunately for me, I drew the cup right side up this morning. And now I'm going to have another cup of coffee.

Have a great Sunday!

Confronting the stalker cards

'Stalker' cards are those that keep turning up over and over, no matter what deck you're using, what question you're asking, or sometimes even what person you're reading for! The lovely and wise Pearl Annie shared a technique for looking at stalker cards (she calls them 'cards that haunt me') in a group on Facebook called The Tarot Readers Development and Study Group. She shuffles her deck thoroughly and then divides it into five piles to determine what plane of existence the stalker card is attempting to deal with: Fire, Water, Earth, Air or Spirit.

I thought I'd just try that with my two recent stalkers, Knight of Wands and Chariot.

Three cards into the Fire pack, I found the Knight of Wands. I placed the two cards before him face down above the Fire pack, and placed him on top of them facing up. Then after two more cards, I found the Chariot! So I placed it and its previous cards below the Fire pack. 

(It doesn't matter what order you put them, that's just the order I said out loud as I laid them out so I stuck with that, even though normally I would have done Fire - Water -Air - Earth - Spirit. It's early, and I am a witch of dismal memory.) 

Both cards have fallen in the Fire pack, which comes as no surprise at all, but you never know until you ask. Knight of Wands is a Fire card of course, being Wands, and its elemental affinity is Air, so he is Air of Fire. The Chariot is a Water card, associated with the moon and Cancer. It's action that they're calling for, both in thoughts and feelings. I should act on thoughts and feelings, and not just think or feel them. 

I thought it would interesting to take this technique a bit further. What would happen if I looked to see what cards fell in the same spot in the other packs? Would that give me insight into how to support the Knight of Wands and Chariot across all planes? How can my other aspects aid this one that wants so much to come out?

I counted down into each pack and repeated the laying out of the cards as I did for the Fire pack:

Aiding the Knight of Wands

Fire - Knight of Wands, Water - 9 of Wands, Earth - Queen of Wands, Air - 2 of Cups, Spirit - 8 of Wands (confession, the 9 of Wands and Queen of Wands came out reversed, but I turned them over for the photo, so I'm going to read them reversed). 

I can aid the Knight of Wands' manifestation by watching out for feelings of being judged by others, being more sympathetic and forgiving of my physical body and habits, sharing ideas with others, and engaging in a daily spiritual practice. 

Aiding the Chariot

Fire - Chariot, Water - 7 of Wands, Earth - World, Air - 9 of Cups, Spirit - 2 of Pents Rx (confession, 7 of Wands was reversed so I will read it that way.) 

I can aid the Chariot's manifestation, again by avoiding defensive reactions, glorying in my physical self (note the glorified naked form in the card), thinking about where I am satisfied and successful, and accepting that being alive means not always (or even usually) feeling anything like being on an 'even keel'.

In summary 

My stalker cards want very much for me to make progress. The other cards show the blockages to these cards -- possibly they are the real reasons the stalkers keep stalking. They're not waving but drowning, as the poem says. They're stymied by attitudes in the other planes. The cards are telling me to stop seeking balance and get on with things. Lighten up. Stop looking for perfection in myself or my methods. Just DO something. Knight of Wands and Chariot will be satisfied if they see me do something, anything. So stop telling myself it won't be good enough.

Good insights. 

Finding Metta in the 9 of Cups

Yesterday I offered you a spread for setting empowering intentions in your thoughts, words and actions for the week. Today's card, 9 of Chalices from Silver Witchcraft Tarot (Barbara Moore and Franco Rivolli, LoScarabeo 2014) continues the theme. 

The 9 of Cups is sometimes called the wish card, and is also associated with deep personal contentment. Let's use the energy of this card to send our intentions into the universe, using a beloved and beautiful mantra that is associated with jivamukti yoga:

LOKAH SAMASTA SUKHINO BHAVANTU

This mantra may be translated as: 'May all beings everywhere be happy and free.' 

It appears to be based on the longer, traditional Metta Bhavana ('Lovingkindness Meditation'). Please view this lovely rendition by Imee Ooi. The video provides text in Pali with English translation: 

Fingers crossed

I'm really glad it's Friday, but I feel like crap. I'm tired and feel unwell. I look like warmed over death, too. Such dark circles under the eyes.

There's a meeting today that will help define the functions of my role in my new job. I hope that it is a productive meeting and that I get an outcome that I can live with for the next 10 months. I'm very happy that my head of service is attending the meeting; he will go to bat for the role (not necessarily for me personally, but for the role.)

I am hoping that the 'wishes fulfilled' today will be a good outcome from the meeting and for me to feel better. I'm really tired of feeling ill and anxious.

This 9 of Cups is the traditional RWS image, with a brown patina and the 'distressed' borders of Deck of the Bastard to make it look old. To be honest I'm not sure how successful the deck is in looking old. It looks like a new deck trying to look old, but that's okay. The creator has included the title of the card on the side, and key words on the top and bottom. Interestingly, she has put upright and reversed meanings. I think her choices of key words are succinct and insightful, and, much to my liking, they rarely stray from modern tradition.

So...what can I do today to increase my happiness and positively impact my future? Sigh. I can stop focusing on things that do not satisfy, or ways in which I am unhappy, and focus instead on my blessings. That is so easy to say and so hard to do sometimes, particularly when you are feeling physically ill and emotionally out of kilter.

Week ahead - Deck of the Bastard

Rough night with dental discomfort/pain and nausea. Let's look at the cards for the next week and try a little predictive reading, then look at them again on each day:

Row 1: Sat Sun Mon
Row 2: Tue Wed Thu

Row 3: Fri

Today - 6 of Pentacles

This is a time when I must assess how much of my neediness in the material plane is down to perception. I feel quite on my knees to/at the mercy of events with regard to my physical body at the moment. I do feel at the mercy of those who seem to have more power over this aspect of my life at the moment; in this case, the dentists. I also feel that I am begging for mercy from a higher source for a good outcome.

It would probably not be a bad idea to get some perspective on events. There are many people in the world much far worse off than me with my dental pain/discomfort but the resources to eventually take care of the problem, even if I have to experience some pain for a few days or weeks, and even if the procedure is not the most pleasant in the world. No matter what happens, the worst case scenario for me is a tooth extraction. My life is not on the line. I'm not looking at chemo or open heart surgery. 

So this card is both an assessment of my current feelings and a call to remember I'm not the only one having troubles and in fact am better off than most.

Sun - Empress

It's hard not read every card in light of my most pressing problems. The Empress here suggests a day in which I should nurture myself in every way possible, mother myself. I should focus on the ways in which I do feel healthy. I should avoid talking about my problems. The Empress is a doer, not a talker. 

Mon - Justice

It's Easter Bank Holiday. It hardly seems fair to me that my dental woes have invariably fallen across weekends when the dentist is closed. Then, it hardly seems fair that the dentist is closed on weekends. A practice open on Saturday would do a booming trade. I can only hope that whatever discomfort I've been in for the last few days has seen a reduction.

In any case, the Justice card doesn't seem a harbinger of doom. Depending on how you number your cards, Justice is my year card. (The numbers of your date of birth added together and reduced is your year card. Mine is 8, which in some decks is Strength, in others Justice. I lay claim to both because my age is 47, 4+7=11, which seemed a coincidence too handy to ignore). 

It could be that Monday will be a day when I must deal dispassionately with the fact that life is impartial in dealing out woes. Or a day when I make connections between events and see the cause and effect. I might reach a solution or decision of some kind. 

Tue - 3 of Pentacles

It's back to work after being off since 11 April, but I must say, it hasn't been an especially fun holiday. There will be so many tasks to catch up on. I am not looking forward to it. I think I will probably be consulting with my manager a lot (if she's in). Team work is called for. 

Wed - The Devil

I think I know what this might point to. I originally booked off half a day's annual leave for this day (hubby asked me to). Should I go ahead and take it? Or should I stay at work for the day? The Devil is about feeling helpless, in bondage, thinking negatively, believing the worst, choosing to remain in ignorance, or any number of bleak concepts. It could be a day that I am tempted to call in sick altogether. But perhaps this could just point to a very busy day at work in which I feel like a slave! 

Thu - Wheel of Fortune

Does the worm begin to turn? Something is going to change on Thursday, anyway. I do hope it's for the better.

Fri - 9 of Cups

This looks hopeful....particularly following on from Devil, to Wheel, to 9 of Cups, as if a low point is reached on the Wednesday but looking better by the Friday. It is generally interpreted as achieving what you desire. I know what I desire as an outcome -- a settled down mouth, no pain, and able to eat without worrying about it. 

I'm going to do each entry for the next week in the evening to see how things actually panned out.

Happy chappy - 9 of Cups

Robin Wood Tarot

Oh good. It's nice to get a good card, though some people seem to have a negative view of the 9 of Cups. This one is called 'Lord of Material Happiness' by the Golden Dawn. Even Crowley gives in and calls it 'Happiness', and you know how downbeat his card titles can be.

The card suggests a sense of inner fulfillment and quiet joy. It is time in which life can fill you with wonder and delight. The number is 3x3, a powerful number, which hasn't quite reached the tipping point feeling of 10, and so to some, is the number of perfection.

The 9 of Cups is associated by Golden Dawn with Jupiter (a planet of good fortune, abundance, wisdom and expansion) in Pisces (a watery sign which we looked at yesterday - emotional, romantic, imaginative, impressionable, intuitive).

Qualities of Jupiter in Pisces:

spirit of charity
genial and benevolent manner
subtle sense of humour
innately visionary
broad perspective
inclined to mysticism
interested in metaphysical issues
inclined to introspection but tending not to dwell on things too much (Pisces intro vs Jupiter's expansiveness)
can have difficulty keeping grounded
can gets hopes up only to be let down
sometimes inclined to use prayer or faith where action would be a better choice
~Solar Charts

I think all of these would be a good description of the happy chappy in this card. Some people interpret this card to mean smug self-satisfaction, but I don't really go along with that. Numerologically and astrologically, this card just means happiness.

It's okay to be happy sometimes, you know. You don't always have to go searching for the turd in the punch bowl.

Happy happy joy joy

CBD Tarot, 2010

I'm very pleased to see 9 of Cups from CBD Tarot today, as I'm off to the workplace that I don't much enjoy, and the LWB says, 'a group or organization working harmoniously with everyone finding the proper place.' Yay! This bodes well for a smooth-running work day.

Nine of Cups is known as 'Lord of Material Happiness' in the Golden Dawn tradition. The RWS interpretation is usually something along the lines of fulfilled wishes, happiness, a feeling of well-being, a satisfactory conclusion or outcome.

However, there is a sense with the number nine that as an ending is being reached, the tipping point to a new cycle is also coming close. So in some readings, depending on surrounding cards, the interpretation may be more along the lines of a coming end to a happy period, rather than predicting a happy period.

Tippy tables

The last draw of the week with Druidcraft Tarot (Carr-Gomm & Worthington) yields the 9 of Cups. It offers an interesting perspective on the card image. In the traditional RWS, we see a portly, self-satisfied looking fellow posing as for a portrait before a draped display surface on which are arrayed his collection of 9 golden chalices. But in this 9 of Cups, the man is sitting on his own at a banquet table laid out with nine cups and a fish. Is he alone in the banqueting hall? There's a tapestry across the hall that has a face on it which reminds me a bit of the Gundestrup Cauldron. I like the way it is weighed down with hagstones at the bottom. :) I can't help but notice the very dark space under the table by the man's feet, and wonder what could be lurking there. My eye seems to be continuously drawn to it this morning. And is the man looking at someone approach from the other side of the hall? Or is he imagining someone is there? Or does he just not care that no one else is there?

RWS

Life feels good for the man in this card, but there are all these hints that he may soon realize that something is missing. That's also part of the nature of the 9s, and all odd numbers in numerology. They are unstable, they are tippy. Unlike 2s, 4s or 8s, which are even numbers and thus have some stability behind them, the odd numbers by their nature cause imbalance and impetus to roll forward or fall back. Just think of the number of legs on a table. You can have 2, 4, 6, 8 and have a pretty stable table, but if you have 1, 3, 5, etc, it's likely to tip over. So with the Nine of Cups -- he's happy and fulfilled, but there's a sense it won't last. It's likely to tip into a new realization or new phase or new cycle.

BUT, for the moment, he's happy, and that sounds good to me for a Friday. (Even if it is Friday the 13th. See--there's that tippy bit!)

Relax into the peace of the moment

Our last draw of the week from Crystal Tarot (Permutt) is 9 of Cups. I have to admit I'm sorry to see the end of this week's draws because I think this is a charming, pretty deck, and it's been fun to learn bits and bobs about the associated crystals. I may extend the draws for another week.

Nine of Cups is the card of self-satisfaction and contentment. It is similar to the Nine of Pentacles, the familiar image of the lady of the manor relaxing in her vineyard/garden with her falcon on her arm. But where that card speaks of being deeply contented with one's physical and material life, the Nine of Cups is more about emotional/spiritual satisfaction.

'Pause, contemplate, and allow yourself to be happy,' says the companion book. 'Yes, there can be more, but this is not the instant to pursue it. You are content emotionally and spiritually. Keep it all very simple, this is not the moment to start complicating things.'

The associated crystal is ametrine. This a rare stone that is formed with citrine and amethyst exist in the same crystal. Apparently, it is only found in a mine in Bolivia, and in small amounts in Brazil. So it seems highly unlikely I would ever come to own such a stone. I think it is appropriate that ametrine is assigned to this card, though, because deep emotional and spiritual self-satisfaction is pretty rare. Wouldn't you agree? The stone combines both citrine and amethyst properties in its magical/healing aspect. It is not a stone that has been known for long, apparently having been discovered in the 17th century. It is said to balance male and female aspects and enhance universal equilibrium.

I take this card to mean I should not push too hard in some of my recent pursuits today, but to enjoy where I am at the moment. That's good advice, and welcome!

Off to the docs

Golden Dawn Magical Tarot, Llewellyn

I'm off to a hospital appointment in another town today to get a second opinion about my hearing loss. I thought I'd do a one card draw on it and got 9 of Cups, then decided to go ahead and draw the next two cards to see a fuller message.

Musings on the Celtic Tarot: Cups

Cups suit from Celtic Tarot, Davis, 3rd edition 2002

The Cups do not lend themselves immediately to a continuous story, as the Wands suit does. There is a thread that runs through them, though. Each card features cups suffused in a kind of effervescent glow, suspended in front of a circular pattern reminiscent of a rose window. The groupings of the Cups and a few subtle cues in the rose window are all the clues you get, really, to help you interpret these cards.

Prairie Tarot -- 9 of Cups

Prairie Tarot, Glow in the Dark 2011

Today I've drawn the 9 of Cups from Robin Ator's Prairie Tarot -- A Tarot of the American West. It's really good to see this card today, because I've got a long Friday ahead of me. But, happily, it's the Friday before I'm on holiday all week next week. So this card speaks to me of the expansive and relaxed feeling of the Friday evening before a weekend off to be followed by five days of sweet freedom, then still another weekend. Actually...that's nine days. 9 of Cups. Nine days of freedom.

The cowboy in the card relaxes in his local saloon, legs crossed, chair kicked back, lounging with both arms stretched out on the bar. He is at his ease. All the cups around, coupled with the saucy portrait of the nude hanging overhead, speak to me of luxury and leisure. Indulgence in slow days of rest and relaxation and contentment. That's what I need! So yeehaw, hand me down my hat...that cowboy's also got a pocket watch hanging from his shirt, to remind me that the respite doesn't last forever...but I'm going to enjoy it while it does!

Life...is just a bowl of cherries...

Do this. Don't do this. Outcome. (Touchstone, 2009)

I've been stressed lately, for various reasons, but when you add them all up, it's a lot to take in! I've got redundancy worries, joined a new union, switched my gas and electric supplier, taken on a tarot project with Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), I've stepped up my exercise regime, and I'm reading a book about meditation practice that is, as it says in the title, 'Unusally Hardcore'. So I asked the Touchstone Tarot, how should I deal with all this? And I drew 3 cards: Do this. Don't do this. Outcome.

So I'm supposed to 'do' 9 of Cups. Strangely enough, the first thing I notice about this card, other than the fact the chap in it looks like he's had a good sip from each of those nine cups, is that there is a bowl of cherries on the table. Which instantly brings to mind the song: 'Life is just a bowl of cherries. Don't take it serious...

Life's too mysterious

You work,

You save,

You worry so

But you can't take your dough

When you go, go, go

So keep repeating "It's the berries."

The strongest oak must fall

The sweet things in life

To you were just loaned

So how can you lose

What you've never owned

Life is just a bowl of cherries

So live and laugh, aha!

Laugh and love

Live and laugh,

Laugh and love,

Live and laugh at it all!'

~by Ray Henderson, 1931 

Message received! Lighten up, the tarot's telling me. Take it easy. Find something about the situation to enjoy. Or just find something, somewhere, anywhere,  to enjoy. At the end of the day, what will most of it even matter?

Billy the Kid

Then ... what should I NOT do? Page of Swords. Just look at that guy. He reminds me so much of the famous photo of Billy the Kid. He's just so cocky! He's got his head tilted to the side with that 'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' expression on his face. Don't mess with me, he's saying. But bring it on!, he's also saying. I can take you. I think the message here is, don't fight it. Don't defy the universe. Don't be belligerent. Don't have an attitude. Don't think you can outsmart the situation you're in. No mental fisticuffs or even full-on gun fights of the mind will help you in the situation you're in. Nope, surrender is best.

And what will be the outcome if I stop fighting it and learn to enjoy the journey? Seven of Coins. What a lovely maiden, like something out of a Vermeer painting. (Actually, she's by Raffaello, from a painting called 'Portrait of a Woman', 1507. I looked it up in the handy Touchstone Tarot companion book. ) Doesn't she look placid, though. She's patient. She's waiting for the plants to grow, and come to fruition, and that's all I can do, as well. That's all any of us can do, really, in any situation. Be patient. 

So okay! I get it. Chill out, don't fight it, be patient. 

I can do that. (She says.)