5/5/11—Considering Fame and Fortune

Today's Draw: Seven of Pentacles from the Fire Tarot. Most of us want more money and power, but do you possess the personal responsibility and integrity it takes to manage wealth and power? Have you ever considered this part of the equation as you wish for more? What difference do you think "more" will make in your life?

The Seven of Pentacles is traditionally about planting the seeds of material success, watching them grow and preparing for their harvest. It's a time when you can feel good about what you've accomplished. But the Fire Tarot, new from Lo Scarabeo, is not a traditional deck. And it has a different twist on what this card is about. 

In the Fire Tarot, the Seven of Pentacles depicts Nero's madness. Nero was a Roman Emperor and he was unpopular because of his tendency to use his power as a funnel for his anger. The dude possibly killed his predecessor, definitely killed his mom, killed those who spoke against him, married his half sister then killed her....you get the picture. And legend has it that, as a devastating fire burned in Rome, terrifying its citizens, he stood a safe distance away and played the lyre. Then he built a new palace on the ruins, displacing many citizens in an already cramped Rome.

So it's a good story for a card that warns material power and success contain the seed of destruction for those unprepared to bear the mantle. We see it every day. The power-hungry boss. The critic who uses words to skewer. The bully who uses their size to intimidate. And from another perspective, there's the lottery winner who, within a year or two, ends up in serious debt. There was a study done with lottery winners and the majority of them said they were happier or as happy without the money as they were with it. 

It all comes to down to "be careful what you ask for". We all think we want more power and money, but really ask yourself how much you can bear responsibly. Oprah is someone who bears it responsibly. Hitler didn't. Chances are, the rest of us fall somewhere in between the two. And in the bigger picture, as we're praying and manifesting for things in our lives, it's wise to pull back and ask, "how will the affect the rest of my life, am I ready to manage this, and what do I hope to achieve from this?" If the answer to the last question is "happiness", why not ask for happiness instead? 

One of the rules of The Secret that you don't hear as often is to ask for a feeling, rather than a thing. Say, for example, that you want to drive a Mercedes. So the universe fulfills your wish for a Mercedes and two days later it's totaled, breaking your leg and leaving you with the payments. The universe has given you what you want. Nothing to complain about. But say you asked for the feelings instead...to feel safe and luxurious on the road. Well, a lot less is left to chance there. And you may end up with a Lexus instead and find that it's cheaper to repair and provides a nicer experience. The universe has more room to fulfill your wishes in a way that best benefits you. 

Now, most of the people who will read this will probably sway much closer to Oprah than to Hitler in the way they manage money and/or power. But it's a key consideration that I'm guessing few will have thought through prior to today. People tend to be mesmerized by the sparkly thing as the end of path and blind themselves to all the stuff that accompanies the sparkly thing. So today's card is just saying to examine the seeds you plant farther out than the sparkly outcome you want, because nothing comes without "strings" of responsibility and consequence. 

To answer the questions myself, I don't want Oprah money. Never have. What I want is to feel secure and comfortable knowing I have at least as much as I need to cover the things I want and any emergencies that happen along the way. Simply stated, I don't want to have to worry about money. And that's what I ask for...not more money, but more security. And you know what? I'm pretty close to being there without having "more". As for power, I joke about wanting to be a cult leader. But I do want to be a spiritual teacher. And I feel I possess the responsibility to manage the "power" that comes with that. However, when I envision that future, I don't envision throngs of followers. I envision the satisfaction that comes from spreading enlightenment and healing people who want to be healed in that way. 

What do you wish for? And if it's a thing, rather than a feeling, how do you want it to feel?

As a side note for collectors, I really like the Fire Tarot. It's non-traditional and has a really interesting take on the cards.