The world is changing BIG TIME. Iʼm going to unpack a few important keys you need in order to be less stressed by world events.
Iʼm going to use the imagery and symbolism in The Moon tarot card from the Runic Tarot deck to help you understand this even better.
Iʼll probably use The Moon card from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck as well. Heck, I think I may even throw in a few other cards to help explain these ideas!
Note: I will be referring to some imagery in The Moon card shown above. Some symbols to be aware of are the 2 characters fighting - one light, one dark - and the rose at their feet.
Unless youʼve been living completely off grid, the main source of stress comes from the polarities and division that exist between the so called left and the right.
Liberals and conservatives, democrats and republicans.
First of all, just a quick aside. Itʼs an interesting meditation to consider what right and left even are.
We need to learn which hand is our left or right, for example. I mean, we exist in the midst of a infinite space. Ultimately, there are no directions.
But, we have the cosmos reflected around us and the stars. These heavenly lights have been our compass for thousands of years.
Major Conundrum
Thereʼs a major conundrum here, though. The left thinks they are the light coloured figure (see The Moon card at the top) and the right think that they are.
This has created an apparent stalemate. However, the dark can potentially manifest on either the left or the right - it doesnʼt care.
2 of Swords from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (Universal Publishing) to illustrate a stalemate.
So, who is actually protecting the rose? I promise that I will get to that. But I need to unpack a few other things first.
Now, is there is a side thatʼs more aligned with higher values? Thatʼs less selfish? Thatʼs more about win-win?
Personally, my own values are more aligned with progressive views right now, but even virtues can cast shadows.
For example, being too kind can lead to being a doormat. Being too humble can lead to being too meek.
But, as I said, this imbalance can express itself through either the left or the right.
Oddly enough, some people even get upset if you arenʼt definitively with a side. At least politically.
Note: I used to consider myself "meta-political" for many years. But the past several years have changed me. I'm not overly political now, but I do my best to stay informed.
Iʼm not saying here that you shouldnʼt own your bias. You definitely should.
As long as youʼre not completely identified with it, and youʼre willing to face the fact that it might not be The TRUTH. Itʼs a relative truth. Itʼs fragmented truth - no matter how correct it appears to
My Bias
Iʼm going to own my own bias now.
Personally, at least for this moment in history, I'm more aligned with the liberals. At least in Canada where I am.
My values just donʼt align with populist style right wing politics. That said, I donʼt align with things when they go too far left, either!
This lesson is expressed in Tarot by the angel of Temperance who shows us that fire and water can actually blend into something new and of a higher order.
The Pendulum Theory
In high school, I had a history teacher who was a veteran of WW2; he had a thick Scottish accent and was really cool.
Not a typical teacher; a bit of a rebel in the education system.
Something he taught us, he called the pendulum theory and it really stuck with me. When something swings too far to the left, it will always swing back to the right.
This brings to mind another tarot card - the Wheel of Fortune - where it teaches us life is in cycles like seasons and what goes up must come down, and what is down will eventually come back up.
One of my favourite versions of the Wheel of Fortune comes from the Thoth (Crowley-Harris) deck
Demonic Forces
Note: when I use the term "demonic" I'm using it in a way that's not dogmatic. It comes from more of a traditional occult-mystic and philosophical term to describe wantonly destructive forces.
In this case, it's hatred stemming from psychological fear.
But back to our main point and how the world seems to be a much more dangerous place with more hatred and division.
Many people who believe the ideology of the right are full of hate at the people on the left. And vice versa.
I see so much hatred in peopleʼs comments on social media toward anyone who believes differently.
Itʼs actually demonic forces expressing through these words. And the problem, as we've already stated, is that both sides believe theyʼre justified.
They both believe theyʼre protecting the rose.
So back to what I said just a bit earlier. Who is actually protecting the rose? Who is aligned with truth, justice, compassion and wisdom?
Iʼll give the answer a bit later. It might surprise you, but then again, it might not! I still need to unpack a few more things first.
The Prescription For Resolving The Stalemate & Conflict
Thereʼs a prescription for healing this division and itʼs expressed in Tarot by two cards in particular.
The High Priestess and The Chariot. Notice the two poles in both of them.
The High Priestess has the poles of severity and mercy behind her, and the two sphinx creatures pulling the chariot illustrate polarity with the gold and silver colours.
These colours remind me of the sun and moon.
The High Priestess in this case, is about receiving intuitive insight. This insight comes from deep within yourself from beyond the thinking mind.
In order to access it, you either need to be still - or be doing dishes or taking a shower lol. At least, thatʼs my experience! Sheʼs also about allowing and accepting.
The Chariot is about Will. This is about bringing the conflicting forces within you into alignment so that you can move forward with drive and steer through life.
We need both these qualities in order to deal with our lives and to co-create a better world not only for ourselves, but for everyone.
By strengthening our will and self-discipline and also paying attention to our intuitive messages, we can begin to bring the conflicting elements of our personalities into greater alignment.
Because this inner conflict is whatʼs being played out on the world stage.
“You are the world, and the world is you.” - Krishnamurti
Fake News! & Dis-Information
Now we get to another interesting lesson with this card The Moon.
Because The Moon is also about deception and illusion. Think of how you see things at night compared to in the day time. They are quite different from each other.
So another factor in this day and age - and itʼs only going to get stronger - is disinformation on the internet.
Thatʼs fake news! No, thatʼs fake news! We need to develop the skill of being able to discern the facts through the barrage of information.
Sure, sometimes itʼs only a spin, but other times itʼs outright false. Deliberate lying.
Example: Recently, there was a viral video on TikTok claiming that Diana Fox Carney, the wife of newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, said that Mark Carney wants to make Canada poor.
Now, this is obviously a ridiculous claim, but it still went viral. And people in certain echo chambers are going to feed on that. It strengthens their ego identification.
I mean, even if that were the intention, why would anyone say so in a public arena?
The fact of the matter is that she said something in French. Because here in Canada, when public figures make speeches, they often alternate between English and French.
She said, “un Canada fortˮ and to some, “fortˮ might sound like “forˮ because the "t" is quite soft with a rolled "r." They heard it as “poor.ˮ
The direct translation is, "Canada Strong" which was her husbandʼs campaign slogan. This is only one example and it will only get worse into the future.
It's important that we take breaks and unhook from the drama of it all. This skill of discernment, as well as intuition and will, is how we can begin to break free.
So, Just Who IS Protecting The Rose?
Ok back to who is protecting the rose? Letʼs close that loop now. The answer is, we all are. Thatʼs correct. We all are.
No matter what side youʼre on.
Ultimately, everybody wants the same things: prosperity, security, freedom, health, etc.
But people have different opinions on how that can be achieved.
Yes, some opinions are more accurate and correctly thought through than others!
Some opinions are of a higher order than others.
This is expressed in Kabala with the emanation named Hod. Donʼt worry if you donʼt know anything about Kabala.
For our purposes here, there are 10 emanations of The Infinite One culminating in Malkuth, which is our earthly experience.
Hod is about books, learning, intelligence and much more than I want to get into here, but the main lesson is that the mind can be extremely clever.
The shadow side of Hod is that when thought starts from the wrong point, no matter how clever and logical itʼs reasoning, itʼs going to come to the wrong conclusion.
We still need to call out “evilˮ when we see it! But, because of the sophistication of some peopleʼs arguments, we need to be very alert so that we can call out evil when we see it!
But, weʼre back to the conundrum that both sides believe the other is evil and their side is right!
Donʼt worry. It WILL work out. Iʼll explain how this is so a bit later.
But for now, we need to accept that even if we cannot for the life of us understand how a person can see things that way, that is how they see it.
The More You Resist A Problem, The More It Persists
Letting go of resistance doesn't mean being passive. It does NOT mean giving up.
As a matter of fact, as you let go of resistance to what is, you unleash more energy you can use to take effective action.
You do not need to agree with them, ever! BUT on an emotional level, you need to let go of your resistance to them.
At least if you want to continue to grow and co-create a more meaningful life.
The more you resist something, the more you hold it in place. This is a Universal Principle.
This is all necessary for the transformation that is trying to occur.
Nothing is carved in stone, though. Nothing is a given. itʼs up to you and itʼs up to me to birth this transformation into the world.
Is There More Darkness Entering The World?
I ask this sincerely, and at the risk of sounding like an apocalyptic religious apologist, which I'm not.
If you're not familiar with the term "apocalyptic" it refers to the "end of the world."
I prefer the Norse mythology where the end is called Ragnarok. Once Ragnarok occurs, the world begins again. A new iteration and exhalation by That Which Cannot Be Named.
To me, there is more darkness entering the world and coming to the surface.
But is it all bad? Let's discover some perspectives.
Aleister Crowley discusses this darkness in his description of The Aeon card in The Book of Thoth.
The Book of Thoth
Itʼs easiest to quote from his book directly:
“The time for the birth of an Aeon seems to be indicated by great concentration of political power with the accompanying improvements in the means of travel and communication, with a general advance in philosophy and science, with a general need of consolidation in religious thought.
It is very instructive to compare the events of the 500 years preceding and following the crisis of approximately 2,000 years ago, with those of similar periods centred in 1904 of the old era.
It is a thought far from comforting to the present generation, that 500 years of Dark Ages are likely to be upon us.
But, if the analogy holds, that is the case. Fortunately, today we have brighter torches and more torch-bearers.ˮ The Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley, pg. 116
If it sounds a bit bleak, remember that as brilliant as Crowley may have been, like anyone, he was a flawed human, and a product of his time.
And I believe that time is accelerating right now. I think (but you may need to research this for yourself) that this is even a current scientific theory.
There is certainly some truth to what he is saying as giving birth always has an element of danger about it.
An Inspiring Perspective On Darkness In The World
Another spiritual teacher, Lester Levenson, who created The Sedona Method, has a perspective on darkness that I really resonate with.
His insight is that these layers of pain or limitation have been dormant in the subconscious of humanity for centuries.
In these times, this negativity is coming up from being hidden from awareness to where it can now be seen.
Now that it can be seen - on the world stage, for example - it can be consciously faced and healed.
The first step in this, is to see it within ourselves. The more individuals that take responsibility for their “pain body,ˮ the more this healing will be reflected back from the mirror that is the world.
Of course, thereʼs still much further to go. But for me, this is both an inspiring vision and one that makes a lot of sense.
The Final Word
What it boils down to is Love. By love, I donʼt mean the sentimental feeling that comes and goes.
I mean the deep feeling of connection with others and with all Life. We are all interconnected in the One Web of Life.
“All the worldʼs a stage and we are merely playersˮ - Shakespeare
So, with all this complexity (complexity is another quality of The Moon, by the way), we need to be sensitive to the nuances in our circumstances.
There is no one size fits all solution.
The Moon reflects the light of the sun at night, when itʼs dark. Pretty fascinating.
The Moon is also changeable through various phases, although itʼs still the full moon as itʼs how much light is reflected and seen from our vantage point on earth.
So, yeah...with all this complexity, uncertainty and illusion, what do we do?
- work on our own healing through seeing how we often judge and resist without consciously thinking.
- continue to own our opinions, but give others the same freedom - even when we know weʼre right.
- Work on letting go of the resistance we feel towards people with opposing opinions. Remember, this doesnʼt mean we agree with them! Itʼs on a feeling level that we let go.
- Realize that if you choose to take action or voice your opinions publicly, they will be more effective if youʼre actively working on healing your own pain and feelings of isolation/separation.
If you've read this far, congratulations and thank you! You can read more related articles below and please consider subscribing to my free newsletter below if you're not already a subscriber.