Going with the Flow: Polarity
Polarity: The Temperence of the Incidental Tarot
It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged about one of the cards. Since mid-December to be exact…when I briefly touched upon the Death card. It was an eerily appropriate card to close 2012, at its core, a year of tremendous transformation. It was a year dominated by politics and human rights, life and death and somewhere between the two, the dogged pursuit of happiness. And now, it seems I’ve blinked and six months have passed! Between work and wedding planning (this September is closing in like wildfire!) I’ve barely had time to keep my head above water, let alone try to keep up with blogging and my usual philosophical musings.
2013, what little I’ve seen of it thus far, is different. From my eye it has an interesting new life to it. Not that there is suddenly an end to global drama and turmoil…but there is a sense of palpable relief that we made it through 2012, and from that a kind of invigoration to move forward. 2013 is the year of The Lovers, a welcome diversion from the tangles of the Hierophant last year.
For me, not without intention, this year of the Lovers is dominated by the planning of my wedding, set for September 22 (the Fall Equinox for those counting). It is a simultaneously fascinating, exciting and maddening process at times. This brings me to the influence of Polarity, otherwise known as Temperance in the Tarot. The card of divine balance.
Temperance has always been one of my favorite cards, which is fitting, since its message of balance is one that I am constantly charged with pursuing in my life. I like to think that I have two settings at which I operate: FULL SPEED AHEAD and a low idle. The idle is the frustrating part, because rather than using my lack of active direction to fully experience some form of relaxation, I often end up enduring these periods with a sense of urgent anxiety. If I’m not engaged, active, or producing something tangible, I’m haunted by “What could I be doing right now, what should I be doing right now?”
As you can imagine, this is not a healthy way to go about one’s life. There are only so many hours in a day, and at least part of the learning experience of incarnation is found in the state of receptivity. Especially for artists (of all kinds), this is a crucial element of the creative process. We have to stop thinking, sketching, writing, conceptualizing for periods of time, so that we can look around and absorb the state of the world around us. Polarity instructs us to strike a balance between the active and the receptive, and to be able to flow between the two states for a harmonious existence. For this, we often have to purposefully un-learn certain cultural expectations, such as “I need to be working/producing/constructing/progressing at all times, or my precious waking hours are being wasted.” This kind of thinking is an unfortunate side-effect of the Western lifestyle. Capitalism and technology have hoodwinked us into believing that we have to keep up with the manic pace of western life in order to be happy or fulfilled.
Polarity is the embodiment of balance: the ever flowing relationship of yin and yang, masculine and feminine, active and receptive. She reminds us not to drain the well of consciousness and creativity, but to give it–and ourselves–time to receive. Because there is an infinite universe out there, full of wonders to inspire and feed the spirit, if we stop long enough to receive them. For many people, meditating is a daily tool to come into the receptive state. I’ve yet to be able to master complete and sustained quieting of my mind, but I have found that the simple act of turning off all screens (computer, tv, phone, etc) is an effective disconnect tool for me. To let go of my own stimuli addictions for a period of time is for me, a powerful act of receptivity.
The classical definition of Temperance (thanks to Wikipedia), as one of the four cardinal virtues is:
“(Sophrosyne in Greek is defined as “moderation in action, thought, or feeling; restraint.”[1]) has been studied by religious thinkers, philosophers, and more recently, psychologists, particularly in the positive psychology movement. It is considered a virtue, a core value that can be seen consistently across time and cultures. It is considered one of the four cardinal virtues, for it is believed that no virtue could be sustained in the face of inability to control oneself, if the virtue was opposed to some desire.”
Moderation is a tough one for me, at least moderation of behavior. I’ve never been one to over-indulge in hedonistic pleasures (food, drink, sex, etc.), but I do have a very bad workaholic streak that in recent years has been very difficult to moderate. Sometimes I find that the only solution when I work myself into a maelstrom of activity and obligation is to drop everything and wallow–again, not the best or healthiest of habits.
The beauty of Temperance is that it is a life-saver to hang onto in the stormy, choppy ocean of life. Its mediating energy floats effortlessly between our extremes, giving us a faithful marker to reach for as we yoyo through the heights and pitfalls of our routines. A reminder that there is a middle ground, a level path waiting for us when we are ready to step onto it. One foot on the ground, one foot in the water…poised, but not pointed. It is also a reminder to release expectation and submit to the flow of energy that surrounds us. You know how they say to “steer INTO a fishtail” when you skid out on a wet road? It’s kind of like that. You might feel like you are veering out of control in some unknown direction, but there’s a good chance if you just roll with it you’ll feel the necessary release and return to balance. I’ve had to do that recently, let go of a seemingly desperate need for answers, in order to shake off my feeling of helplessness. It’s no picnic, and it doesn’t remove your desire to take action or alleviate the stress of a given situation. But it does serve to lift you out of that awful, rubber-bandy feeling of helplessness. And that is SO worth the price of admission.
I’m doing my best to keep steering into that fishtail right now. Letting go of all the nagging obligations that tug at my shirttails every day: “I should be shopping for wedding favors, I should be planning the honeymoon itinerary, I should be doing some art…” It’s all still going to be there tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Polarity is holding out her hand to rescue me from the rollercoaster for a little while.