Daily Draw: Tarot of Gnomes ~ 4 of Coins

This card is titled La Vanita, the image of the magpie sitting on a nest of hoarded shiny bits tells a clear tale in the regular RWS tradition of greed even to the point of holding things that are no earthly use to us. I used to be this way, which is a mindset based on growing up with parents and grandparents who lived through the great depression of the 1930's. "I don't need it right now, but I might, hang on to it". "I don't know what it's used for but I might figure it out one day, hold on to it". "I hate this but so-and-so gave it to me", "I already have 2 but I might run out some day so hold on to it." And on the story and storing goes. It is a form of vanity (my needs are greater than yours) and hoarding (maybe 1 in 100 of those items may come of use) and stinginess (I know someone who could use this but its mine all mine). None of these traits are attractive, and all of them weigh us down with stuff...crapola...junk. Do you know what is the number one growth industry in America? U-Store-It units. And trust me, once something goes into storage the chances of it coming to use again are slim to none. So then we have 3 unattractive personality traits followed by the 4th, wastrel. Spending good hard-earned money on storing excess who knows what...certainly not needed what.

I used to be this way, stuff-rich, space-poor, riding the $$-go-round. Then I met Flylady. It changed my life, all for the better. It took me 9 months to go through every drawer, cupboard, shelf, crevice, tabletop, counter, and door sill in my home, 15 minutes a day, on the timer, but when I was finished I'd sorted out all those spaces into Keep, Fling, Donate. Every item I owned got the once over, and by the 2nd month I'd had an epiphany. Stuff no long had a hold on me because I'd had a rapid lesson in just how much I had I didn't need/want/use and how much money I'd wasted over the years in so many different ways. 4 of Coins is a great card to remind me of vanity and greed and letting go....it's just stuff after all. And it gives me great pleasure and a spiritual uplift now, to let something fly free to someone else who needs it more than I. And the lesson of want vs. need.

Letting cars pass by,
magpies wait on barbed wire
eyeing the red roadkill. ~ Michael P. Garofalo 1946-