In the cards this week: overwhelm and satisfaction

Boy, what a combination for these Interesting Times!

This week's Minoan Tarot cards, an odd pairing that fits our times:

Ten of Labryses: Overwhelm. Everything is too much. It's time to step away from the arguments, the drama, and find a new path forward.

The World: You can be fulfilled and satisfied, even in times like these. You are already deeply connected with the cosmos. Step into that connection and let it lead you.

This deck is my creation, my art. Details and many more card pix here.

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I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that a card pair like this has finally turned up. I mean, these Interesting Times are just getting more and more interesting by the day, aren’t they?

The Ten of Labryses corresponds to everybody’s favorite Minor Arcana card, the Ten of Swords, in the Waite-Smith deck (that was sarcasm, in case you didn’t recognize it). It is, after all, the card of overkill, overwhelm, All The Conflict, both internal and especially external. To me, this card feels like shorthand for the world we’re living in right now.

So what is it telling us, besides the fact that it’s All Too Much?

One of the messages of the Ten of Labryses is that it’s time to step back and disengage a little, for our own mental and physical well-being. Move away from the conflict, even though it often draws us in, the way people are drawn to gawk at an automobile accident.

How can you find ways to do that in your daily life? How can you back away from the interestingness enough to find some space, some peace, at least for a while?

For me, this involves stepping back from a lot of social media interaction and limiting the amount of news I take in. I’ve been eyeball-deep in social media for years, active on many platforms, spending a lot of my time and energy on it. For a while, it was helpful - I stayed in touch with my friends, kept up with the larger spiritual community. But everyone is overwhelmed now; it’s not just me. And it feels like we’re just barfing that overwhelm at each other, which isn’t healthy or helpful.

And all the news - I habitually took in every bit of news I could find, just wanting to keep up with what was going on in the world, even after it became overwhelming. I’ve now whittled my news intake down to a few carefully-chosen sources, and I set aside time to read them when I’m feeling up to it.

Instead of filling this newly available time with other activities, I’m using it to “do all the nothing I want,” as Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes fame would say. Meditation. Sitting in nature. Getting back in touch with that still, small voice.

I haven’t left my regular life for any sort of nirvana. There’s still writing, editing, laundry, dirty dishes. But the balance with the peace-and-quiet kinds of activities has given me a renewed sense of energy and direction, a kind of calm vigor, if that makes any sense.

And that idea points me to our second card of the week: The World. This is the one from the bottom of the deck, the “hidden treasure” that can help us find joy in these Interesting Times.

The World speaks to our deep connection with the cosmos, to our innate wholeness and that steady, still center that helps us keep our balance.

It can be awfully hard to find that center and to hear that inner voice when there’s so much chaos going on outside. But this card tells us that ultimately, that’s where our path to joy lies.

Not in any outward condition or situation (though of course we should always continue fighting for what we believe is right). But in what we experience when we turn inward: our connection with the divine, with our own higher selves, with that which goes beyond the material.

Centering yourself in that deep inner connection can help guide the outer parts of your life into cohesion, into a more harmonious whole. It’s a working-inward-to-outward kind of process, and it’s especially valuable when the outer world is chaotic. Having an un-chaotic inner world can balance that out and give you what it takes not just to survive, but to thrive… and find joy.

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You can find the Minoan Tarot here, my books here, and my art here and here. I do apologize, but due to unpleasant activity from trolls, I’ve had to limit comments to subscribers only. I hope you understand.

About Laura Perry

I'm the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne's Tribe, a worldwide inclusive Minoan spiritual tradition. I'm also an author, artist, and creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. My spiritual practice includes spirit work and herbalism through the lens of lifelong animism. I write pagan / polytheist / magical non-fiction and fiction across several different subjects and genres. My book of modern Minoan myths is coming later this month in paperback and hardcover, with the ebook to follow. My Minoan title in the Moon Books Pantheons series is now available for pre-order and will be released on 26 August 2025. I’m also an avid herb and vegetable gardener and living history demonstrator (just in case you thought all I ever did was write books and make art).