The Abundance of the Empress
This post treads down the same path as the previous three – they are part of a writing challenge by Lyn Thurman this month: Writing the Wisdom of Your Soul. It explores the archetypes represented by the traditional Tarot and offers a way to communicate with your psyche, subconscious, higher self – label it however it makes sense to you. All of those words appeal to me in different circumstances – what follows is my interpretation of Lyn’s prompts. Today's card is The Empress.
The best leaders provide guidance and freedom while establishing compassionate boundaries. This could be applied to leaders of companies, leaders of corporations, and even parents. I have an abundance of guidance – generous, heart-centered entrepreneurs, writers and thinkers who offer much of their work at little or no cost so that I can have a taste, see whether or not their paid offers might be a fit for my needs. Sometimes I upgrade. Sometimes I am satisfied with the wealth available for the cost of my time to read and implement their guidance.
Likewise, I have a fair amount of freedom to act how I please, to choose which paths I wish to explore. Sure, there are constraints on this: I work full-time, I have two little boys who are not yet tweens, and I have a hubby, a home, an extended family, friends, etc. I also have freedom of expression – my culture allows it (to a point, but let’s not nitpick), my finances allow it (baby, you should see my yarn stash), and my abilities allow it (we call them “serial passions” around here).
Where I have allowed my internal Empress to falter is lack of boundaries. How’s that? Well, along with my other abundances, I have built up an abundance of overwhelm: Art supplies, books, electronic media, laundry, toys. Oh, but the paperwork! The paperwork is the one thing that’s snowing me under most thoroughly, threatening my everything. It’s become a panic point for me – even thinking about it is enough to make me desire a nap, posthaste. An abundance of abundance is really over-abundance that serves no one and just creates waste.
And yet? Establishing boundaries is absolutely my single greatest need in my push towards triumph – when I conquer that hill, I will have so many pieces in place that I will be ready to launch into my next iteration. What I ask from my Empress now is for assistance erecting those compassionate boundaries inside of which my creativity can flourish. Maybe that looks like implementing systems to get all of the responsibilities that I find less than appealing completed with greater ease and on a schedule that feels more comfortable than my current “wait until something is absolutely SCREAMING for help before you pay it any attention” system. ‘Cause that one ain’t doin’ me any favors.
The Empress has provided me another sweet reminder of abundance, too: There are lots and lots of different ways to achieve a particular goal. So my BIG goal is to have the financial freedom to write and speak full-time, yeah? That leaves LOTS of room for the “How” to settle itself as long as I’m taking some steps toward that end right now. Traditional means. Not-so-traditional means. There’s fertile soil in which to sow the seeds I’ve collected over the years and the harvest will be abundant. Can’t you just see the Empress kneeling in the soft loam, kneading her fingers through the dirt, the expression on her face radiant when she pulls out a beautiful carrot? I can.