In the cards this week: Discontent

With a side of frustration

Sometimes life is frustrating. Things don’t move as fast as we’d like. We come up against barriers and difficulties that don’t want to budge - at least, not yet.

Patience is key.

I’ve always said I practice patience in the hope that one day, I’ll be good at it! lol Definitely a work in progress there. And it looks like this week will be one of more practice, though hopefully not on a major scale.

I struggled with the design for the Two of Labryses, because the concept behind the card is one of internal and/or external conflict. But despite a lot of armchair archaeologists and their opinions, there’s actually no evidence labryses were ever used as weapons. The Minoans did have double-bladed bronze axes, and they look just like modern axes - not like labryses. Wear marks on them show that they were used to chop wood. Images on the seals tell us that when the Minoans slaughtered animals, they used daggers and knives, not labryses.

Labryses aren’t weapons, but ritual objects with layered symbolism. Still, the labrys is the suit symbol here, so in the end I decided to paint two pairs of hands holding equally-sized labryses, frozen in a pose of conflict.

The hands are reddish-brown and white; the color convention in Minoan art is that men are depicted with reddish skin and women with unnaturally white skin. This alludes to the idea that this suit has both masculine and feminine qualities, as does the suit of Horns. The suit of Daggers is fully masculine, and the suit of Rhytons is fully feminine.

The Four of Rhytons shows four rhytons (ceremonial pitchers) on a table. They’re all full of good wine, but one of them has been knocked over in a fit of pique. It’s a visual representation of those times when we’re frustrated and annoyed even though on the surface, everything looks fine.

That means it’s time to dive beneath the surface and see what’s really going on. This kind of outburst, whether literal or symbolic, means there’s an issue underneath that needs to be addressed. Inner work isn’t always fun and exciting, but it does tend to improve life afterward.

I hope the frustrations of the week are minor for you and you can find the patience to deal with them as they come up.

Two of Labryses: Stalemate. You're stuck in a situation where it looks like neither side can win. Don't keep banging your head against the wall. Take a breath and just let it be for a few days. Yes, the status quo is uncomfortable. But it won't last. The situation will resolve itself soon, and then you can move on.

Four of Rhytons: Discontent. You're dissatisfied with some aspect of your life. This could be because you're bored, not sufficiently challenged by your current activities. Or maybe you're having a hard time getting yourself to put in the effort that's necessary to satisfy you. It's time to focus, do some work, and maybe make some changes so life can be more fulfilling.

---

My Substack is free, but if you’d like to support my work, you can find the Minoan Tarot here, my books here and my art here and here.

About Laura Perry

I'm an author, artist, and creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. I'm the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne's Tribe, a worldwide inclusive Minoan spiritual tradition. My spiritual practice also includes spirit work and herbalism through the lens of lifelong animism. I write Pagan / polytheist non-fiction and fiction across several different subjects and genres. I'm currently working on an illustrated book of modern Minoan myths and a Minoan entry in the Moon Books Pantheons series. I’m also an avid gardener and living history demonstrator.