I rant endlessly about tolerance.

I've spent the weekend reading, when time allows, Penn Jillette's "God No".  It's funny and insightful and hits one nail on the head..."I don't know what's best for other people".  By the same token, other people don't know what is best for me. I have to know that, and learn that either by taking respected advice or by hard experience.

I also have to admit that "Black Friday" is one of those days where I struggle to keep my own ego and judgmentalism in check. I hate so-called "Black Friday". It's been years since I've ventured anywhere but work on the day after Thanksgiving.  But I sucked it up and took my daughter to the mall so she could see for herself what all the fuss is about.

She was wide-eyed with the adventure, especially since we stopped at her favorite restaurant for lunch on the way. I couldn't wait to leave...the greed and materialism was palpable. I wonder what percentage of that mass of  bargain hunters would be crowing in a few short weeks that "Jesus is the reason for the season" (God No!) and other self-serving hypocrisy after Friday's  mad dash to the cash register. That's the down side to opening up to your intuition. Annoyingly-busy gets turned into the emotional equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard and a soul-sucking walk through a swamp of cynicism.

So what does that have to do with Tarot? It is a wide idea that takes several cards to build. From the major arcana I'd have to say Judgement is relevant, along with a pocketful of coins cards...compassion, magnanimity, craft and service...to name a few keywords from that suite.

Ah well, that's life. It was an adventure for her and a two hour opportunity for me to repeat "people are more important than things" ad nauseam. Whatever the reason for the season may be for other people, I don't know what buying stuff on sale has to do with it. I'd rather have a small thoughtful personalized gift, and that's the kind I try to give.  Soft slipper socks give me a great deal of pleasure on a winter evening, and music is the gift that keeps giving every time I fire up the ipod...and think of them when I hear it. That small, thoughtful, hand-made ethos is something well worth adopting from Kwanzaa.

(To continue a previous rant...that is another reason I like being a person instead of a religion. A freethinker can embrace the best of all of them while being unburdened by the worst parts of them)

Thankfully it is Saturday. I have a warm pair of slipper socks on, the "Firefly" marathon is on television and as soon as I'm done with this, I'm going back to knitting a beach bag for my niece at Xmas while I listen to a playlist of favorites.

I hope your friday wasn't black and that there are brighter days ahead

Baihu

www.modern-oracle-tarot.com