December 27, 2020: 6 of Chalices and VII The Chariot

My Inner Focus card today is the 6 of Chalices.  The image on this one really does have an inner focus, and unlike most cards in the Decameron Tarot, this one has a serenity that is connected to solitude rather than sex.  The image shows a person with his/her back to us, sitting alone with legs crossed and spine straight in a flowery meadow beneath some thickly-leafed trees, reading from a book.  The key phrases for this card are: melancholy, the need for serenity, and sad memories.  I can identify with the feelings created by this card because I enjoy my times of solitude and I grab them when I can.  I rarely have the opportunity to create the scene in this image, but I walk daily for exercise, and that is usually my time to contemplate, meditate or ponder the world and its complexities in a solitary fashion.  

My Outer Focus is VII The Chariot.  Like many cards in the Decameron Tarot, this one exudes light-hearted sexuality.  In this image, we see the rear of a primitive yet strong two-wheeled wooden cart.  On the cart are two people, a woman we see from the shoulders down who is laying on her back with her legs below the knees dangling off the chariot bed, and a man laying on his side, visible from the chest up, next to her.  The man, who is grinning broadly, is resting his chin on one hand while lifting the bottom of the woman's dress with the other hand, exposing her thighs and pubic hair. The woman is reaching toward the man's broad-brimmed hat and lifting the hat away so she can see his face.  The key phrase for this card is: there could be a pleasant surprise during this journey; be careful not to allow the opportunity to slip away. 

I think the message of this pair is specific to me now, after a few days of safely-distanced holiday celebrations.  I do value my solitary time, and I need that time to be healthy and balanced.  But like everything else, too much of a good thing creates imbalance.  I am in the end the one in control of my personal Journey.  Yes, I cannot control the many challenges that appear on the road, and I cannot control the gifts that are offered as I travel through life.  The timing of both of those things and when they appear are also not always under my control.  While the messages of these two cards appear on the surface to be opposing, I can see them as representing polarity (opposing energies that support each other in order to create balance) as opposed to duality (opposing forces the repel each other in order to create chaos).  

I can maintain my quiet center, maintain its strength and health so it is an effective tool, and then use it to choose which road I travel upon as the day progresses.  I don't need to hide away in order to access this quiet center, and can continue to interact and have fun.