Information? There’s that. Understanding? Not so much. Information is fast. Understanding takes time.
This January, being a month of clearings on all fronts, I’ve had the opportunity to check with my understanding of what I’m doing. If I spotted the slightest confusion about it, or downright misunderstanding, I took the bull by its horns and remedied what there was to remedy. You can’t make clear what you don’t understand. You can’t clear out confusion, when you lack basic knowledge. I divined with the cards too. I do this to clear my own blind spots, not only those of others.
First I ask the cards about how I understand exactly my position vis-à-vis what I want to achieve. I often think I have enough information about my ways of doing things, but do I also understand why I’m doing things? For what purpose? It’s not a given that knowing yourself equals understanding yourself.
I use the cards to ask about both: What do I know about myself? How do I understand what I know about myself?
Every new year I start with such an investigation. To give an example: December has been a month of publishing: The Heart Sutra and Tarot, The Childless Witch, and Read Like the Devil, the essential course in reading the Marseille Tarot have been launched. Following these beautiful works, both in content and in looks, demanded a re-vamping of EyeCorner Press. I knew why I wrote these books, but do I also have a clear understanding of where I’m going with my prolific publishing? Gertrude Stein used to say: ‘I write for myself and strangers.’ That worked for her, but is her understanding my understanding as well? It’s not a given that another person’s truth and justice are also my own. Just think about it. The world is full of convictions. But how many are the result of personal, deep understanding of a situation? Not many.
If you have convictions, but realize that they are not yours, take your cards and ask about it. You may want read some old cards for situated wisdoms, or playing cards, as they have a way of hitting just the essential nerve.
The cards today highlighted the family business: the Page of Coins and the King of Coins have an encounter of the hearts. Who does the third drinking cup belong to? Something to look into. Earlier today a Jungian colleague, professor of classics at Maastricht University, spoke of a major case of synchronicity involving the archetype of the Magician in a situation dating back to 1990 when I shared some news with her. It was my time to gape. Indeed, three are drinking in the picture here, even though we only see two people in action.
Speaking of playing cards: as I’m archiving the foundation courses, so I can focus on new material, the Playing Cards Foundation Course will have its last run beginning in February. Registration opens in just a few days on January 25th.
As usual, I hope to see as many of you as possible for another round of investigative cartomancy, where we tackle precisely the question of what we know and how we actually understand what we know.
Stay safe in the New Year, and read come cards and books. I’m always happy when you grab mine.
TAROFLEXIONS 