Who Benefits?
From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Five of Wands:
Four candles, representing the four metaphorical elements that make up everything, surround a central candle that is white. A primordial "soup" swirls in this circle, ready to create. The different elements symbolize the variety of ways people go about accomplishing a goal - the driving ambition of fire, the relationship of water, the solidity of earth, and the intellect of air. The white candle is the purity of the goal itself. Whether I am in conflict with myself or others, the center candle should be my focus. What will lend itself to accomplishing this objective that will be of benefit not only to me, but also the community and the planet?
From the Oracle of the Dreamtime comes the story about "Turtle:"
This aboriginal legend tells of a well-known story-teller who visited different tribes, never staying too long with any of them. He was invited to an island to share his stories there, but he did not know how to swim. The islanders promised they would help him to the shore, and in return for the stories he told, they would teach him how to swim. He agreed, but after being their guest for several days, he realized they planned to keep him there by not teaching him. One night he slipped out to the ocean, holding onto a log, in an attempt to get back to the mainland. The islanders began shooting arrows at him, and he had to hide beneath the log. The Great Spirit, feeling sorry for him, turned the log into a shell, and the man became a turtle. This story implies that I need to protect myself by doing a bit of research and finding out the facts in advance before becoming involved in something. People don't always have my best interests at heart, and the only way I can protect my back is to uncover their motives beforehand.
Four candles, representing the four metaphorical elements that make up everything, surround a central candle that is white. A primordial "soup" swirls in this circle, ready to create. The different elements symbolize the variety of ways people go about accomplishing a goal - the driving ambition of fire, the relationship of water, the solidity of earth, and the intellect of air. The white candle is the purity of the goal itself. Whether I am in conflict with myself or others, the center candle should be my focus. What will lend itself to accomplishing this objective that will be of benefit not only to me, but also the community and the planet?
From the Oracle of the Dreamtime comes the story about "Turtle:"
This aboriginal legend tells of a well-known story-teller who visited different tribes, never staying too long with any of them. He was invited to an island to share his stories there, but he did not know how to swim. The islanders promised they would help him to the shore, and in return for the stories he told, they would teach him how to swim. He agreed, but after being their guest for several days, he realized they planned to keep him there by not teaching him. One night he slipped out to the ocean, holding onto a log, in an attempt to get back to the mainland. The islanders began shooting arrows at him, and he had to hide beneath the log. The Great Spirit, feeling sorry for him, turned the log into a shell, and the man became a turtle. This story implies that I need to protect myself by doing a bit of research and finding out the facts in advance before becoming involved in something. People don't always have my best interests at heart, and the only way I can protect my back is to uncover their motives beforehand.