Me Against the World

Within The Mystic Faerie Tarot, I'd say I have found my favourite High Priestess. Hers is such a calming image. The palette of different greens helps me to tune out, relax, and quieten my thoughts. She is soft and gentle and I love the feathers in her hair. Apparently, they are from birds which impart secret knowledge to only those who are willing to listen.

This Priestess sits back, closes her eyes, and clears her mind, for she wishes to hear the messages from within the sphere she holds. She is feminine and the veins within her dress link her to the plants she sits in front of. In contrast, The Emperor sits forward, eyes wide open, and stares at us. He is masculine and has his feet firmly set on his stone throne. Notice that he wears shoes. These are man-made and symbolise his connection to industry and social convention. I am guessing that there is no natural need for them in the world of the fae.

In a way, these two characters remind me of my boyfriend and I. He reacts to the world around him far more than I do, since he is out in it every day. I am more tuned in to my own intuitive and internal path like The Priestess. And these two energies are where the contrast lays in this draw. All morning, I have been aware that there are things which I need to get on with, but my head has been foggy and my eyes near to closing all day. I want to disappear into my inner world, rather than make contact with the outer one.

Looking at these two characters on the cloth in front of me, I can't imagine them getting along as well as my boyfriend and I do. Deep in meditation and stillness, the Priestess relies on the truths she finds deep within her subconscious. On the other hand, The Emperor perches on the edge of his seat. He reacts to the external world about him and probably doesn't have time for what he would probably call her 'airy-fairy nonsense'. This is a relationship which I have been in for a while; me against a world that I don't really feel part of or want to conform to. Don't get me wrong, I have tried to chase the dreams I was encouraged to time and again, in the hope of becoming like everyone else. I think it was those few hits and many misses which sent me falling into this spiral of stress and ill health. Sometimes, the world around us is relentless and will just not let us be.

For today, there is a fight between doing a little of my freelance work or curling up on my bed, closing my eyes, and leaving it until after the weekend, when I hopefully feel better. For now, it's me and my bed against the expectations of the world outside.



Illustration from The Mystic Faerie Tarot by Linda Ravenscroft