Checks and Balances

From the Jolanda Tarot, the World:

This is one of those cards that when I first see it, my initial impression is, "What in heaven's name..."  But as I continue to ponder it, I see: the ocean that supports the whale and other marine animals; the whale's spout on which the earth rests; the woman who comes from the earth adding steadiness to this balance; the woman creating light and stars which in turn light up the ocean below.  In daily life, I tend to focus on the "beads" of the necklace - all the different, seemingly random people and events that I come into contact with.  Rarely do I notice the thread that connects all these beads, that makes it into something whole and complete.  It is hard for me to comprehend and remember that my life is interwoven with everything and everyone else. 

From the Bird Signs deck comes the "Waxwing:"

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
~ William Shakespeare, Hamlet

I was excited to see this bird pop up today, as I just saw a visiting group of them in the neighborhood, happily scarfing down cherry laurel and ligustrum berries.  These birds are unusual in that they can live for months at a time subsisting on nothing but berries.  They always come in large groups; their crested heads and Zorro-like masks make them easily recognizable.  Cedar waxwings can become intoxicated if they eat too much fermented fruit.  These birds remind me that like Horatio, I can become intoxicated with my own philosophy, wrapped up in my own ideas and closed to all others.  Being with groups of people give me a chance to bounce my thoughts off them and listen to theirs in turn, offering a checks and balances system to keep me tethered to reality instead of my own little fantasy world of opinions.