Some believe that every human spirit is composed of conflicting yet complementary forces that we must strive to keep in balance in order to live in health and harmony. This idea can be found in the belief systems of many cultures. In the Chinese tradition, these governing forces are known as the Yin and Yang. Yin represents female energy and is characterized by darkness and the moon, while Yang symbolizes male energy characterized by light and the sun.
In the Hindu tradition, this concept appears as “twin realities,” personified by the deities Shiva and Shakti. Shakti, or “the Divine Mother,” represents the feminine principle of creativity and is the catalyzing agent for new energy. Shiva represents the masculine aspects of contemplation and consciousness. While he is known as “the destroyer of the world,” the destruction Shiva wreaks usually signals the end of a cycle and the release of false beliefs or negative emotion.
The common thread among all these traditions is symbiosis: the idea that one force cannot exist without the other. Without good, there can be no evil. Without darkness, there can be no light. Without female, there can be no male.
Weighing the Issues
When the forces of positive and negative energy are out of balance, our lives can get off track. This imbalance can have an impact on nearly every aspect of the human existence, including physical and mental well-being, financial security, employment, and our interpersonal relationships. Sometimes, all it takes is a minor adjustment to restore equilibrium. Other times, the balance can be significantly skewed, and a major change must be undertaken to resume positive direction.
Unfortunately, when your center is off-kilter, it can be difficult to see what’s causing the trouble, even if the solution is easily accessible. At times like these, the tarot can be used as a diagnostic tool to locate the source of underlying problems as well as to shed light on a course of action to address and fix them.
There are several cards in the tarot that serve as indicators of both balance and imbalance. Depending on where it appears in a reading, the Temperance card is usually a sign that you’re already on the road to recovery from illness or heartache. If taken at face value, the Two of Pentacles can be read as indicating an inability to keep your finances in check. However, it can also be a warning that you may have taken on one too many projects and that your personal juggling act may be about to crash. The Justice card can be taken to mean that it’s time to grow up and become accountable for your actions, while the Six of Pentacles is a warning that your current course of action may not be aligned with your authentic ideals, and will lead to misery.
Restoring Harmony
If there is a particular issue that’s troubling you, a simple tarot reading often brings clarity to the situation. A tarot reading will allow you to focus on a specific problem by examining the balance of opposing forces. That way, you can concentrate on developing a course of action aimed at restoring balance. But how might this reading work?
The first step is to choose a card to represent your dilemma. Imagining a hypothetical subject will help to illustrate the way this diagnosis might work. Consider “Lorna,” a woman who ran a successful catering business, but is having money issues — that Two of Pentacles card sums up her situation perfectly. No matter how much she earned, the money seemed to be gone before the end of the month, and the bills were piling up. Like the mythical Sisyphus, who was condemned to roll a heavy boulder uphill only to see it come crashing down every time he seemed about to achieve salvation, Lorna was slaving away but barely breaking even.
First, I concentrate on the positive energy exerting influence over the situation. After shuffling the deck, I prompt Lorna to select a card. The Three of Pentacles indicates that she is well-suited to her work, and highly regarded in her field. Others seek out her expertise and hire her when they want the best. So far, so good.
Next, I concentrate on the negative energy exerting influence over Lorna’s situation. The Ten of Wands suggests that no matter how accomplished and talented Lorna might be, she is bearing too heavy a burden for one person to carry alone, and is so focused on getting the next paycheck that she has stopped looking ahead to the long-term.
Finally, I have Lorna focus on what she would need to bring the two opposing forces into alignment. The King of Wands is an excellent indication that Lorna actually has the wherewithal not only to succeed, but to exceed her expectations if she puts her mind to it. However, the next step in her journey requires courage, dedication, and vision.
Instead of simply taking on every job that comes her way, Lorna must build her business. By growing her company, Lorna can attract financial investors and hire competent help to whom she can delegate many of the myriad day-to-day functions that have been troubling her. Overextending herself prevented Lorna from having the time and energy to focus on finding a way to break the negative cycle she’d locked herself into. Taking a step back and evaluating through the tarot, she was able to see and seek the balance her life needed.
If you’re feeling out of sync and don’t know what’s causing the problem, why not let a KEEN advisor help you get to the bottom of the situation and help put you back in balance?
