Card of the Day: Six of Wands

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The Wild Unknown Tarot [/caption]

I’ve pulled this card many times, and every time I do, it’s always a welcome sight. That luminous turquoise of the butterfly’s wings, rising up out of the tangled chaos of the wands below, into the clear, open air. Many readers include a caution with this card about pride and ego. In the traditional depiction, a man rides high on his horse in victory, wearing a laurel crown, people cheering him on. I get it, and I also know a lot of people (like me) who could use a little pride and ego.

When everything is written, depicted, and referenced from the “universal” human standard of a white man, a lot of meanings and teachings aren’t going to fit properly (even for white men!). If a person has never been allowed or encouraged by the culture to know and inhabit their story, their experiences and feelings, then all the spiritual talk about how terrible the ego is and the deadliness of pride are not going to land right. To the extent that we don’t see ourselves represented in the culture as strong, valued, and worthy of attention, we’re going to need a different kind of work.

Spiritual teachings about pride and ego are true. But many of us need to spend some quality time in the step of reclaiming and settling into ourselves, which includes our ego and pride. To experience the joy and freedom and confidence that comes from truly loving ourselves, affirming our stories and experiences, being proud of our capacity to thrive in a culture that prefers we stay mired in our shame, fear and insecurity—it’s no small thing.

So spread your wings. Take up some space. Look down at the tangles you’ve risen above and let the clear, open air refresh and nourish you.