“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony” -Mahatma Gandhi
The Zodiac sign Libra is represented by scales, which strive for balance and harmony. This sign is initiated by the Autumn Equinox, which is the halfway mark on the wheel of the year. Both Libra and Autumn are aligned with Air, which is symbolized in the Tarot by swords.
Libra’s corresponding Tarot card is Justice.
The Zodiac sign Libra is represented by scales, which strive for balance and harmony. This sign is initiated by the Autumn Equinox, which is the halfway mark on the wheel of the year. Both Libra and Autumn are aligned with Air, which is symbolized in the Tarot by swords.
Libra’s corresponding Tarot card is Justice.
In this card, we see the Greek Titaness Themis, also known as Justitia in Latin. She sits on a stone throne, draped in androgynous robes. In one hand she holds the scales, which are in balance. In the other, she holds a sword. The sword is pointed straight up, signifying truth. Note that her grip isn’t tight, it is an easy balance.
It’s really important to acknowledge that the purpose of the sword is not to punish. When I first came to this card I think I imagined an all-knowing judge who would cut down injustice. There is an invitation to judgment and fear in that reading, which is the calling card of the ego. Our ego likes to believe there is an absolute right and wrong and it absolutely believes in punishment. But that’s not how the divine works.
The ego has four rubber stamps at its disposal - good or bad and right or wrong. That is it. The ego wants to keep us safe, but it’s not very good at discerning what is actually in our highest and best.
If you’ve had a reading with me, you’ve likely heard me share this example. When we get an A in school, the ego says that is ‘good’, but of course, one A is never enough. The ego demands straight As for all time. And if we experience the humiliation of a fart in grade school, the ego determines that is ‘bad’ and demands flatulence control for all time.
I use this example because it is both true for me and points out the ridiculous consequences of faith in the ego. I didn't eat beans until I was in college!
The ego loves to tell us that it knows what is ‘wrong with us and that if we can just identify the fault, we can somehow fix the problem. The consequence is that we become problem-seekers and inevitably we blame ourselves and others for everything.
This is where the 7 of Pentacles can become a mentor for our work with Justice. This card has been showing up for many of my clients lately. I personally have always pictured the Pentacles as pumpkins growing on the vine, so it feels especially accurate for the season.
In this card, we see a farmer who has taken a step back to review how his garden is growing. His expression is pensive and a little forlorn. While he may feel compelled to weed or pick his crop, it is not yet harvesting season.
With all the 7s in the Tarot, we are invited to introspect. We asked to reassess where we are on the suit’s journey before further action can be taken. In the 7s, we feel like we should be in doing, but the card's guidance is to have patience and take pause.
The Pentacles are earth energy. They are tied to our bodies, our finances, our beliefs. No wonder that an invitation to review our relationship to these things would kick up some anxious energy to do.
If you take a moment to review your beliefs about your body, your finances, your personal growth, the mind naturally pulls to what is not working or what could use improvement. Maxims like, “There’s always room for improvement”, “You can’t learn from success” and “We only learn from our mistakes”, or Jung’s, “The word happy would lose its meaning if it weren’t balanced by sadness” all support the ego’s belief that growth is tied to conflict.
Paradoxically, the ego also believes its job is to avoid hardship. The result is that we become accustomed to making meaning out of hardship alone. That ongoing state of contraction is actually showing up as a clue to demonstrate resistance to real growth.
If we decide that meaningful growth is what we desire, if we want to become farmers for joy, then our focus must shift. In the garden of your life, you no doubt have some “pumpkins” that are flourishing and others that are not. Perhaps there are some that have begun to rot. It is normal to review them as a whole and then focus only on the weeds and the rot, thinking that the healthy fruit can survive on its own.
When we put energy into fixing and fixating on relationships that are toxic, when we give credence to the inner-critic, and when we ruminate on past “failures” or future fears, we are watering and nurturing the weeds and the rot. Sure, our healthy relationships may be self-sustaining, but if those are not our deliberate focus, then we are missing out on them and they are missing us.
This month, our job is to become master gardeners of joy. In order to do so, we must learn how to let the attention-seeking problem "pumpkins" die on the vine of neglect. This month's New Moon ritual is designed to help you do just that!
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