“Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.”
― William S. Burroughs
I love problem solving. Give me a puzzle or a problem and I’ll worry at it like a dog with a bone or a chew toy. I’ll keep poking at it and prodding at it and looking at it from all angers. I’ll get frustrated when its not so easily solved. I might swear and walk away and then do something else and as soon as I resolve to do that, magic happens. Almost invariably the avenue to solving the problem presents itself as soon as I take a breath to do something else. It also helps to grab the dog’s leash and take her for a walk. The answers come then as well. It’s as if I program my consciousness with the known data and main avenues of approach and I start the program going and I walk away. I love that feeling when the penny hits the slot and the solution appears whole in my brain. There is very little like it. It’s just a matter of stopping. Well stopping and being open to the answer.
Try this experiment with me. Think about a question you’ve had in your mind for awhile. Anything that may be puzzling you will do. Think about it for a minute. Now get up and stretch. Still yourself.. Sh… listen, listen. Now let it go. Did a solution or a new approach offer itself? It’s amazing how often this has worked for me.
Blessings, G
“It doesn’t really matter who said it – it’s so obviously true. Bevore you can write anything, you have to notice something.”
― John Irving
If I were to write about what I noticed, I would write about the cat, one princess by name and disposition, uncharacteristically quiet (she likes to call out both her needs and my inattention from the doorway) in my office looking for the right shadow to jump at. I notice my friends online joking, laughing, complaining, healing and hurting each in turn and cycle, all teaching me so much. I could write about the easy feeling I have from a rather wonderful evening of good food and conversation with some amazing friends from which my three notes to myself read
1) Right Use of Language
2) Game Theory and Schools
3) The Ivory Tower Force
each of which could lead to a short written piece.
I could contemplate the tarot reading I did today for friends. I tried something I don’t do very often. Rather than lay the cards out in any kind of tableau, I did a synchronicity reading, letting cards come as they would. I find this type of thing works well when I am doing an online reading where the person being read for can not shuffle the cards themselves. In this case the cards came out pertinent to the situation. I don’t do readings very often anymore, preferring to use the cards for purposes of meditation and contemplation. When I do a reading for someone I are giving them access to information that they have chosen not to give themselves in another way. The information is filtered through my consciousness which makes me responsible for what the person does with the information. But some people I don’t say no to and as I said this was one I feel relatively good about.
Blessings, G
Mercurial Knight
Ready to fight with words or sword
takes on all comers
Oh yeah?
Well what about..?
I see how you can say that
but have you considered this?
There is no idea you can propose
in any direction
that I cannot conquer
Go ahead
Challenge me in any way
I can win any contest
but empathy
What use is that?
I have the life of the mind
which is a higher pursuit
Your feelings are almost
as meaningless as my own.
Don’t make me feel
This has gone on long enough
I never stay long
especially when people prattle
about things like pain or love
On to the next match.
The suit of Swords represents thought, ideas, plans and conflicts. Princes deal with the transmission and the endurance of the energy, the result of the union of the King’s Force and the Queen’s generative and nurturing of the energy. The Prince of Swords is ready to engage and discuss any viewpoint and show others exactly how they’ve gotten it wrong. He is courageous ever willing to charge into the fray to fight for what is right. He tends to put such a great amount of force into every action that he may lack staying power after the initial thrusts. He is often unaware of the affect his words and actions may have on others and can become quite puzzled when something he has said or done to champion his current cause or argument has hurt his ‘opponent’. After all was he not in fact cutting through their misapprehension and showing them the error of their ways?
In his mind they should be thanking him. But then the Prince of Swords not wishing to deal with his own emotional nature can be quite blind to the emotions of others.
Astrological Correspondence: 21° Capricorn – 20° Aquarius Elemental: Air of Air – Combine the ambition and accomplishment ethic of Capricorn with the creative intellectual and communicative abilities of Capricorn and you have someone who can intellectually convince anyone of anything. They are witty and argumentative and intensely competitive. For them winning may become everything and since they are not burdened with an excess of empathy how they play the game may be somewhat less important. This is somewhat modified by the fact that they do have an acute intellectual understanding of ethical considerations.
I Ching Correspondence: 57)Xun – Proceeding Humbly-
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This hexagram is comprised by the trigram for the Wind being doubled. The breeze when it gently persists offers the most pleasant of weather. Often victory can be had by constant and easy persuasion rather than running roughshod over everything in our path. When we can learn to tailor our path so that it penetrates and encompasses the paths of those we come across then we can win them to our point of view. In this way with humility we help them feel understood even tho we may disagree with them.
When the Prince of Swords turns up in a reading, it may mean that we are feeling criticized or critiqued in our lives at present. Someone is challenging us directly in a fairly blunt way. Do we accept their criticism, testing it against our own perceptions in an open way or do we fight back. The Prince of Swords suggests that it is best to face this criticism head on in a non-arrogant way, explaining our point of view gently but firmly. The card may also mean that we have been too passive in the face of criticism, allowing others to manipulate us by making us feel inadequate. The Prince of Swords may also be suggesting that we have been too critical of others and running roughshod over their feelings. The card may also mean depending on its placement that there is bad news in the offering.
The Prince of Swords reversed may represent someone who charges all over the place, looking for conflict and dragging others into it. He (or she) may be highly manipulative of others using their own emotional natures against them. He leaps without ever looking and charges headlong into situations like a bull in a china shop rather than using any forethought or perception. It may represent a relationship ending in an abrupt surprising way. The card may mean that it is time to go it alone for awhile m taking stock of where we are in our lives at this time. This card reversed may also indicate delays in travels. The reversed Prince of Swords may also represent someone untrustworthy who has entered into our lives.
“Occasionally, there arises a writing situation where you see an alternative to what you are doing, a mad, wild gamble of a way for handling something, which may leave you looking stupid, ridiculous or brilliant -you just don’t know which. You can play it safe there, too, and proceed along the route you’d mapped out for yourself. Or you can trust your personal demon who delivered that crazy idea in the first place.
Trust your demon.”
― Roger Zelazny
When I read quotes about writing or other forms of creating art, I often pause and consider how it may apply to the art of living itself. For aren’t we creating our lives as we go along? We may be inspired by various thing but ultimately our lives are our creations. Oh we can play it safe as Roger Zelazny here suggests and follow along either the path encouraged by others or by our younger selves. Occasionally tho life manages to surprise us with opportunities or possibilities we’ve never envisioned. Do we jump at them and take the chance or do we say, “No, this is my plan and I’m sticking to it” The choice is ours but it is always good to listen not to the voice of ‘reason’ (not to knock reason, it is what stops us from dancing blindfolded through traffic among other things, but if we did naught but listen to our reason we would miss out on so much) but to our inner voice, that inner spark that guides us. Whether we call it our True Will or our intuition or ‘Divine Guidance’, it tends to bring us the lessons we most need.
Of course, when we take the responsibility of choices made by our own inner guidance, we need to be willing to accept the consequences that may arise. Every decision has consequences tho including the decision not to act.
Blessings, G
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Leaving the past in the past each day has been a tough but worthwhile lesson to learn. How easy it seems to let past failures even minor ones build up and bring us down. Realistically we can’t change the past. As I have said many times each moment is the gateway to possibility and despite anything we’ve done up to now, we can only get better. Why does it seem so difficult to jump through this gateway? Is yesterday a quicksand mire holding us to it? Only if we let it, only if we struggle to hold on. No matter how I’ve been in the past. No matter what my weaknesses have been, in this moment I can be the person I wish to be. String enough of these triumphant expressive present moments together and we may actually find that we’ve built beings to be proud of.
Blessings, G
I’ve done a lot of writing about shadows and personal darkness. Yet looking at the vast majority of my art, conversation and writing it all verges on brightness and aspiration and positive energy. When I get into discussions where I disagree with people I tend to pull my punches. Part of the reason for that is that usually I can see where they’re coming from. Part of it is to avoid conflict. I have some fear in that area. Not only what amount of anger or negativity may come out of the other when I’m talking to them but what I may reveal to them about my own negative side.
My temper tends towards the sharp and vicious. When I was younger and much less discriminate and I grew angry at someone, all too often I would clue into their area of greatest personal insecurity and attack them there. I had almost a preternatural instinct for where that was. I hurt a few people deeply and ruined a few friendships and relationships before I gained anything like control. Now if only I could learn a way to combine that control with the insight I could / can help people a lot. To do that I have to not be afraid of my own shadow.
In art and writing as much as I love beautiful things that inspire, I also have a fondness for horror. Oh not so much the slash, slash splatter serial killer Friday the 13th type (tho Freddie who dwells in Nightmares can touch some interesting triggers for me) but the more psychological gut-pulling horror of Edgar Allen Poe or Stephen King. Stephen King has this ability to show the dark side of human beings. The side made even uglier because it is repressed. I also have this enjoyment for stories and art that show the underside of creation, the type of art that H. P. Lovecraft wrote about and Hieronymus Bosch drew.
Yet aside for the occasional picture full of eyes I’ve resisted that in my own art. Part of that it’s been dawning on me has had to do with the same type of fear that keeps me in the ‘nice guy’ role in discussions. Am I that worried what people who enjoy my art may think? That is partly it. Partly there has been a fear of what may happen when the bottle is uncorked and the genie come out. I have a strong suspicion tho that it may just unlock further creativity and growth in me. Facing one’s fear and leaving one’s comfort zone tends to do that.
Blessings, G
She looked right through me
Could any please her sharp gaze?
When would sad eyes shine?
I first saw her
seated on her throne
clothed only in starlight
Lured by a beauty
that can only be experienced
I approached
At that moment
not only did I loose my heart to her service
but everything until then I
believed myself to be
Nothing did I hold back
and nothing did she leave me
as with the sword of her regard
she began to slice
everything false in my existence
As I dissolve
I cry out
in exquisite being / not
spiritual discorporation.
With her I remain
and continue on…
— G A Rosenberg
The suit of Swords represents thought, ideas, plans and conflicts.Queens are the receptive and nurturing form of the energy. The Queen of Swords combines pain and the wisdom that results from it. She has faced the conflicts and heartaches that life has had to offer and come through it with understanding. She is cutting and she does not suffer fools gladly. She gives very good advice borne out of both experience and a keen perception that pierces through the smoke screens that others have thrown up. The Queen of Swords is also very much her own person. She has little fear of standing out in a crowd and anyone who dares criticize will find themselves quickly cut down by the sharpness of her tongue. Despite her somewhat sarcastic wit, there is a usually a graciousness about the Queen of Swords as if yes she sees our drawbacks but knows what it is to overcome them as well. Only at her worst does the Queen of Swords lose this forbearance and understanding and descend to bitterness.
Astrological Correspondence: 21° Virgo – 20° Libra Elemental: Water of Air – Virgo’s practicality and awareness and Libra’s love of beauty combine to give this individual a strong sense of appreciation of the aesthetic. They are able to perceive what is worthwhile in everybody and go out of their way to elicit it. They are very helpful and self aware to a fault and find themselves wounded often when either their regard is not returned or when their humour and help are unappreciated. These individuals tend to be very charismatic and attractive tho they tend to take on the problems of others way too easily and may take life too seriously a good deal of the time.
I Ching Correspondence: 28) Ta Kao – Preponderance of the Great –
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The Trigram of the Lake is over that of Wood – This hexagram talks about times when things feel out of balance and we must stand apart from the world and recommends the attitudes to have during these times. The Tree (Wood) stands tall even when it is solitary and the lake stands in joyous (another name for the trigram Tui is joyousness) reflection whether there is someone to enjoy it or not. Likewise when we feel that the world has become too much for us, we need to contain both that steadfastness and belief in ourselves as well as the inner joyousness of the lake. How much better it is to realize our need for solitude and to embody those qualities rather than having to retreat depressed and bitter?
When the Queen of Swords shows up in a reading, it might mean that it is time for us to express what we see in an honest and clear fashion rather than beating around the bush. It may also refer to someone in our environment who is that blunt and forthright. She (or he) may seem unfeeling but in reality she sees that we have been sugarcoating things for way too long. Indeed not only does she feel but she feels deeply and this has given her the insight to see into the heart of the matter. The Queen of Swords knows what its like to be hurt and to come through it healed but scarred. What have we learned from our wounds? How have we come through them?
The Queen of Swords may also either a need to withdraw emotionally from the situation or someone who is doing so in our environment.
The Queen of Swords reversed can be someone who has been hurt by life and is very very bitter. She (or he) may tear down everything in their environment because they wish the world to feel the pain that they are feeling. Alternatively they may carry it all inside and poison themselves from the inside (this often expresses as many different degenerative illnesses). This card can also represent someone who is overwhelmed by past sorrow and can not bring themselves to enjoy the present moment.
“I asked the Zebra,
are you black with white stripes?
Or white with black stripes?
And the zebra asked me,
Are you good with bad habits?
Or are you bad with good habits?
Are you noisy with quiet times?
Or are you quiet with noisy times?
Are you happy with some sad days?
Or are you sad with some happy days?
Are you neat with some sloppy ways?
Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?
And on and on and on and on and on and on he went.
I’ll never ask a zebra about stripes…again.”
― Shel Silverstein
One thing that most map makers will tell you is that they dislike having blank areas on their maps. Areas where its not quite mountain or prairie, dessert or ocean but some undefined combination of one or more. It was easy a millennium or so back. If there was an undefined place on the map and intrepid explorers not yet found to explore it, the mapmakers would simply put “Here be Dragons” and that was enough for most people. There seemed very few people willing to prove them wrong. If not dragons than just about anything can be put down. It helps if its something that’s slightly intimidating.
We see that a bit now with psychiatrists and therapists mapping their patients’ heads. They too seem to share a dislike of undefined and paradoxical areas. Dragons don’t seem to hold the terror that they did so long ago so now these cranial mapmakers have a new set of mythological creatures, equally guaranteed to cause terror and reluctance to explore further. They call these designations. They use mysterious acronyms like ADHD or PTSD or anyone of several others to define them and then treat them with drugs that make the designations meaningless as those taking them tend to become a lot less interesting to map as their behaviours become if not more animated, more socially acceptable. Whenever these drugs seem to stop working or cause unexpected behaviours, new drugs are tried. No new mapping is done, after all the area in question has been mapped off already, we ‘know’ there are dragons there. It just becomes a matter of treating them. It becomes a matter of finding the right drugs to shut off the behaviours rather than mapping what’s causing them in the first place.
Yesterday we talked about paradox. Today about areas that are less than defined. Both cases where there is not a simple one to one correspondence between map and territory. Both solved with quick fixes. Ultimately both seem to have a lot in common with that story of the Emperor’s New Clothes.
Blessings, G
Reflection on Green Water by G A Rosenberg 
Explosive by G A Rosenberg 
Knots by G A Rosenberg
Holographic by G A Rosenberg 
Prince of Swords by G A Rosenberg
Origins by G A Rosenberg 
Spreading His Wings by G A Rosenberg 
The Storm Personified by G A Rosenberg 
Fireball 2 by G A Rosenberg
Dawning2 by G A Rosenberg
Salute by G A Rosenberg
He Lives There Too (DarkSide) by G A Rosenberg 
Queen of Swords (Revised) by G A Rosenberg 
Entering the Bone City by G A Rosenberg 