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Tarot: Gigi Miner's Ethyrial Tarot
It Is Their Nature
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by Gigi Miner |
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It is October. Soon, Halloween decorations will be everywhere. People will be donning garments to make them look like anything other than what they appear to be. Have you ever wondered what the fascination is with disguises? Just imagine if you could change things in your life by simply taking on a new raiment. Would you do it? I would hazard a guess that most of humanity wears costumes on a regular basis. I am not talking about rabbit ears or pumpkin shells. I am referring to the face that human beings present to the world. Very seldom will you see the true character of a person until you get to know them very well, and even then you cannot always be sure.
Most of the disguises that we wear are to protect us. In our lives, we adapt to our surroundings. It is perfectly natural and a matter of survival to learn to change and fit in with one’s environment. Would it not be nice just to be who we are rather then always having to alter ourselves for the sake of comfort and survival? Think about your most peaceful and alone moments. No one can see you and no one will judge you. It is just you. What do you think? How does it feel? I have no doubts that some of us may find it odd to be ourselves without some kind of accoutrement. Many people who have survived abusive relationships, whether as children or as adults, learn to become what the abuser wants them to be. It is the only way to survive. Sadly, once learned, this behavior is hard to thwart.
Ethyrial Tarot Copyright © 2005 Gigi Miner
Used with Permission
Our card this month is the Nine of Wands. We see eight wands fallen in the presence of a scorpion. One wand remains alive. It is easy to wonder if this wand will also fall victim to the venom of this arachnid. Traditionally, the Nine of Wands is seen with a man in the foreground, looking beaten and wounded. Eight wands surround him while the ninth is in his hands. He holds it not only as a weapon, but also as support. Most times when this card shows up in a reading, the client may be feeling like they have been beaten up one too many times and dread that they have yet another battle to survive.
No doubt, you have felt this way. Your back is up against the proverbial wall and still they come, whoever they may be. The onslaught is incessant. Pain will not stop; bills will not cease to grow. More and more and more continues to build upon your shoulders until you think that you should just give up and let the siege come. So what is it that keeps you going? Why should we bother to fight one more fight? Perhaps it is because for some of us, there is no surrender. This battle could be the decisive one. This could be the moment that alters our future. I do not know about you, but I am far too curious to see what is around the next bend to stop my journey. As a teen, I recall moments of major depression. I considered suicide many times, just to be free from the pain. Yet, I would not venture down that path; not because I deem it wrong, but simply for the reason that I stated. I needed to see what was to come. My curiosity for what would happen next always got the better of me. I see curiosity as a gift and as a strength. It propels you forward toward the future. It sends you looking for the creativity to manage your life.
Let us return to our card. I created this card from an old story I once heard. Once there was a great river. On the shore stood a fox, contemplating how he would proceed to the other side against the raging current. Along came a scorpion. The scorpion saw that the fox was looking to cross so he asked the fox if he might hitch a ride.
“Oh no, you are a scorpion and you will sting me and kill me.” The scorpion assured the fox that he would not sting him; he simply wanted a ride across the river, since everyone knows that scorpions cannot swim. The argument continued until the scorpion assured the fox that he would never sting him during the trip as both would surely drown.
Finally, the fox relented and agreed to take the scorpion across the raging river, but only if he would hang onto the very tips of the fur on the tip of his tail. Needing to get across and seeing no other alternative, the scorpion agreed to the terms. Slowly the fox walked into the water. The scorpion took hold of the tips of the fur on the fox’s tail. The water whipped the scorpion back and forth so that he thought he would surely die if he did not get further out of the water. So, the scorpion crawled onto the tail of the fox, sitting just on top.
After a short while, the water came up further and the scorpion had to retreat to the haunches of the fox. The fox continued his swimming against the strong current. Not too long after, the water again overtook the fox and the scorpion found that he had to move to the fox’s shoulders in order to stay above water. Finding the current stronger than anticipated, the fox was getting tired, but kept up his movement toward the opposite shore. Once again, the scorpion moved himself, this time to the head of the fox. This provided quite a view. He could see the shore come into view from this vantage point. However, a sudden rise in the river nearly tossed both travelers and the fox was just barely able to keep himself from going under in the rapids. The scorpion moved himself to the tip of the fox’s nose in order to keep above water.
Just as the two passed the worst part of the river and were nearly to shore, the scorpion stung the fox on the nose. The fox cried out in pain and in utter confusion. He asked the scorpion why he would sting him. Now both of them would surely die. The scorpion looked at the fox as they both began to sink into the water and simply replied, “It is my nature.”
Our Nine of Wands is a reminder of this story. Sometimes in life, we are faced with people that turn on us and wreak havoc in our lives. We ask “why”, over and over. If they were as introspective as our scorpion, they too might reply, “Because it is my nature”. Most people do not know themselves that well. They do not see their own nature. Much like our Halloween adventurers, they wear the mask that gets them by in life. For us, they are not as obvious as the scorpion was to the fox. To us, they look like perfectly nice people. If only they could wear their natural “skin”, then we might be able to recognize them and avoid the inevitable demise that comes with taking them into our lives. Since we do not have this kind of x-ray vision, we are left to get to know people and then decide if we should continue a relationship with them, whether friendship or romantic.
This card can also remind us to be ourselves. It is not necessary to become what others wish us to be. Ultimately, this will only make us miserable. If we live the life of what we are, then we may have plenty of individuals who will not like us, but we will like ourselves. So, too, if we remember that for some, it is their nature, we might be able to more easily let go of the pain that comes from these people. They cannot be other than what they are. Yes, if we could strip off that costume we might recognize them before disaster strikes, but it is not as easy in the human world as it is in nature.
As you venture out during the month of October, look at the masks and clothes that are now in the stores. Use this month to look at the true nature of, not only yourself, but also of those around you. Perhaps this is the time to be rid of the scorpions in your life. Perhaps this is the time to be the real you with no more masks or disguises. Our Nine of Wands can be a cathartic card if we heed its advice. May you always recognize those scorpions and understand that it is their nature.
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Gigi Miner,
Tarot Consultant,
Author & Teacher
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Gigi Miner is a minister, ordained by the Universal Life Church, and has a Doctorate of Motivation from the same.
“One of the greatest benefits of Tarot is being able to take control of your life rather then be a victim of it,” is the motto of this professional Tarot consultant, author, and teacher, from upstate New York.
Moonlighting as an adult education instructor, Gigi brings that experience into her Tarot and writing work, helping clients and readers to find their own inner wisdom. Gigi has taught classes on tarot in regular and e-formats.
Believing that "laughter is the best medicine,” there is often a lighter tone to her teachings. When conducting an adult-education class, one of the main questions she asks is, "Are you having fun?” If the answer is "yes" then she knows that her students are learning more then if she were teaching in a more traditional mode.
Gigi has written articles for various newsletters, including Tarot Celebrations, World Tarot Network, and Gateway to Tarot. She has released a book entitled, “Light-of-Day Tarot & Dream Work,” which is available at www.lulu.com/ladyfogg.
Her Novel, “Card Shark” is now available at all online bookstores or by visiting:
www.lulu.com/ladyfogg.
Her next release, "The Fallen" is due out later this year."
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Contact Info:
www.geocities.com/
ladyfogg
Email : gigiminer@gmail.com
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