I feel like our daily card draws are a window into my life, even though I draw with the intention of representing the collective consciousness. So welcome to my life. Enjoy the view. Drinks are in the fridge. We've had some struggles with the medication change to treat our son's ADHD which has made him agitated and verbally combative. Ahh, kids. Oh - and happy Friday the 13th!
Today's card is the V of Wands. It's a card of open conflict! Such violence! Snarling foxes, people hitting each other with giant sticks, random blob people fighting and "accidentally" creating a pentagram and summoning god knows what! Let's throw in a hockey-mask-clad supernatural slaughter machine and we're all set! At least that's what the cards show.
So what do we know about the V of Wands. Wands represent fire energy: drive, passion, creativity, spirituality, and sexuality. The number five in numerology is a number of transformation, metamorphosis, adaptation, and process. And where there's change, there's rebellion. Everyone has their own idea of how something should be done, their own unique ambitions and opinions. And you know what they say about opinions... Everyone has one, and everyone thinks everyone else's stinks.
Message of the Day: I am the first to admit that I am not a fan of conflict. I clam up and shut down. Tarot has changed my approach somewhat, at least when dealing with my son, as I am able to think about the situation and try to approach it from a different perspective and use it as a teaching moment to try to de-escalate the situation. Sometimes it works, sometimes it just pisses him off more. Sometimes he just likes to be angry for the sake of being angry - his words.
There is the obvious approach to looking at this card: confrontation management, learning how to negotiate, and working together as a team. Gather round and let's link pinks and make a caring circle! But that's not how I want to look at this. Sometimes confrontation is necessary for there to be growth. If we all lived peacefully with each other, there would never be change (positive or negative) or growth. Growth - in all its forms - always comes with growing pains. You don't gain new muscle without first tearing down the old.
But sometimes people, like my agitated son, don't see the opportunities that come from confrontation. They see the battle before them and all they know how to do is fight to win, even if they are wrong. I mean, look at the Republican Party (ba da dum! Okay, no more politics, I promise.) I asked him, "what is it you think you win?" To him, it's just a sense of personal victory over the other person. It is difficult to learn a lesson from confrontation when you refuse to step back and look at the whole situation instead of immediately jumping on the defensive. Why is there confrontation? What do you hope to achieve with this confrontation? What are the possible outcomes?
And then we look at personal confrontation: our own inner battles and struggles. Battles with depression, eating disorders, alcoholism, addiction to social media, narcissism, post-partum... these are challenges and battles that are transformative but difficult to fight alone. In these cases, perhaps the fighters in the V of Wands aren't fighting each other but are gearing up to fight WITH you. Perhaps this card is telling you to grab your team/support system and prepare for battle. Afterall, some battles should NOT be fought alone. There is no shame in asking for help; and while it may hurt your pride, that momentary wound is nothing compared to the joy of winning that battle with people who care about you.
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