Step 8, part 2, Whispering Tarot, The Emperor
dadsnook2000 said:
Step EIGHT-Two asks us to list as many metaphors for our chosen card as we can.
Then, we are asked to put them into given statements.
Finally, we are asked, "What do these metaphors suggest about your own situation?"
1) Metaphors and sayings for the Whispering Tarot Emperor:
I started by looking at the card:
- on top of the world
- out in the middle of nowhere
- out in left field
- boxed in - the square wooden throne
- old goat - from the picture in the card; because old goat has the "dirty old man" connotation, which doesn't fit, I changed this to "old fart"
- world at one's feet
Reviewing previous steps and writing:
Step 2, Description:
- a breath of fresh air
- above it all
- on the throne
- the head that wears the crown
Step 3, Emotion:
- calm, cool, and collected
- as far as the eye can see
Step 4, Story:
- four corners of the globe
- being/feeling centered
- a dream diary
- the center of the universe
- the power behind the throne
2) Put the phrases into statements:
I am on top of the world.
I am out in the middle of nowhere.
I am out in left field.
I am boxed in.
I am an old fart.
I have the world at my feet.
The situation feels like a breathe of fresh air. OR I need a breath of fresh air.
I am above it all.
I am on the throne.
The situation feels as if mine is the head that wears the crown.
I am calm, cool, and collected.
I am master of all I survey. (as far as the eye can see; four corners of the globe)
I am centered. I feel centered.
I am the center of the universe. OR I am at the center of the universe.
I am the power behind the throne.
3) Thoughts on my own situation:
The statements are divided between those that express centeredness and power and those that might be the reversed meanings. Today I feel more attuned to the second group.
- I am out in the middle of nowhere.
- I am out in left field.
I am applying for admin/secretarial jobs, something I have not done before. I have used applicable skills as part of past jobs and in self-employment, but right now i am feeling like that doesn't count. I try to emphasize the ways that my past experience does apply, but I come away from interviews and even from writing cover letters feeling like a fake. i feel both over- and under-qualified for the work I am seeking. I feel frustrated and unsure how to approach this differently.
- I am boxed in.
When I returned from living overseas for 12 years, my parents made the move easier by inviting me to move in with them. This temporary arrangement has continued longer than expected, and because part of my job hunt is through civil service applications, and some of those jobs have specific residency requirements, I have waited to move to my own home until I know where my job will be.
If it were not for potential civil service restrictions, I might take a leap of faith and find a home before finding a job. But in order not to (potentially) move twice, and in today's economy, it seems wiser to wait.
I feel boxed in, in that I have only one room that is truly my own space here. so many of my possessions are literally boxed in - still boxed up from the move and in storage. It frustrates me not to be able to find or access things easily.
- I am an old fart.
This is not true, but I feel like I am in a rut and not doing anything and not going anywhere. I made a list of things that I do that belie the statement, including having started taking a tap dance class this fall, and exploring 21 Ways to read a Tarot Card!
- I need a breath of fresh air.
This is a reminder not to let myself truly get into a rut. I made a list of things that would help with this, including:
- Leave the house every day, if only to walk to the mail box. This is winter specific, as I do not like cold weather. I need actual fresh air!
- Take myself on Artist's Dates. From Julia Cameron's work, specifically The Artist's Way.
- Make weekend visits to family or friends. Change of scenery.
I did not make a sentence for the phrase *dream diary.* When I saw it, twice, in my fairy tale, it made me think of Julia Cameron's Morning Pages, which I have done in the past. I made a list of ways that that practice benefited me, and added Morning Pages to my "breath of fresh air" list.
(Lists truncated, but you get the idea.)