Be It Resolved
Dear Maribeth,
I avoid New Year’s resolutions because they can feel forced or selfish. Can the cards give us guidance on how to achieve more universal goals?
Allie
Dear Allie,
I like the way you think. Let’s see what advice we can get from the cards to help guide us to benefit the greater good.
The Hierophant came up first and reminds us that society has created an environment that we must learn to live within. We cannot change the world. But we need to take responsibility for ourselves and be sure our actions properly represent our values. Our belief systems need to be important enough to us to carry through in every aspect of our daily living. If you don’t believe in it, you shouldn’t do it. And if you do believe in it, you should promote it.
The Eight of Pentacles shows a person diligently working in a way that contributes to the village seen in the distance. Each one of us is part of a greater whole, and our participation really matters. Every person has a job to do. The more pride we take in our work, the better the result. The work that you do every day must be reflective of what you feel is important. If you are working in a coffee shop and helping people get their necessary caffeine so that they can make their contribution to the world, then that is an honorable profession because you respect it that way. This attitude helps you serve coffee with a smile, and we all know how important that is! Even though not one of us can change the world by ourselves, every one of us definitely can make a difference.
The Seven of Cups is about choices. The shadow person is faced with each cup being filled with a different possibility. The 3 cups at the top symbolize mind (the head), body (the snake), and spirit (the luminous angel still hidden). These are the 3 most influential forces that we use when we are trying to make a decision. The next row of cups shows us other factors that can motivate our decisions. The castle stands for security and power, the jewels represent wealth, the victory wreath is for success and the blue dragon implies adventure. With all of these temptations going on every time we make a decision, it is easy to see why we can find ourselves behaving selfishly.
Based on these cards, my suggestion is to remember to consider the impact of each decision you make. How does it affect the environment? Your co-workers? The people you meet each day? Your family? Believe it or not, many small and helpful gestures will make a universal difference. If we can all fix up our own actions and interactions, we would create a ripple effect. Your resolution could be to live simply and be true to yourself, while thoughtfully considering the impact of each decision you make. Good luck! The world would be wonderful filled with more people like you!