“Sometimes we need to be our own village by utilizing all of our skills and learning more”
(from Daily OM website)
I read this quote on a spiritual blog (OM) and immediately thought of Tarot card ‘Pentacles 9’! The card is often explained as obtaining success and wealth, with the ‘warning’that you should be careful not to isolate yourself too much in your own (lush) castle garden…
When you look at it differently – not necessarily in the sense of wealth and success, but more in the sense of autonomy and independence – then the comparison with ‘being your own village’ is very apt!
Everyone is ‘born’ with numerous skills and talents. If you just want to ‘survive’, you can fall back on these skills. However, chasing dreams requires much more than this; Most people rely on the support of a village or city to manage their affairs; This can mean anything from asking for help from friends and acquaintances, leaning on loved ones in times of grief, to hiring a
professional craftsman/woman to do jobs. But every person can also be his
or her own village!
We fulfill many roles throughout our lives, all of which are representative of our capacity for autonomy and independence. At various times in our lives, we are our own counselor, custodian, caretaker, cook, healer, teacher, and student. Our enthusiasm and energy to fulfill these roles gives us the power to maintain control over the direction of our own lives.
In the past, people learned all the skills needed to survive. Today, most people specialize in a single discipline, which they sharpen throughout their lives. That’s why we sometimes feel uncomfortable being at the helm of our own existence. We question our ability to make decisions about our own health, happiness, and well-being, and we often feel dependent on others who we believe to be “capable.”
This is most evident with so-called ‘thinking’ professions. For example, you can be a judge or a lawyer, but what if anarchy breaks out and all laws fall away (or change), what can you do to earn a living? When someone asks me what I’m good at, and I say: ‘booking TV commercials’, I always immediately think that I can’t really do anything that is of use to anyone 🙂 That’s pretty scary and it sometimes makes you insecure.
But basically, it’s just a matter of believing that we have the necessary skills and intelligence to deal with any circumstance that the universe throws at us.
By proving that we can each be our own village (by taking action and taking the bull by the horns), we can accept that we are strong enough to live an autonomous existence. And an autonomous existence does not necessarily have to mean that you live ‘off the grid’; It’s all in the little things: Being conscious of your money, cooking for yourself, making small repairs to the house, living a healthier life, following a specific study or training. This kind of thing means that you can take care of your own affairs and are happy and satisfied with it.
Being your own village doesn’t mean embracing isolation – On the contrary, being your own village is more about celebrating your own miraculous inner strength and ingenuity and your (innate) ability to make your own life ‘a success’.
I really enjoyed reading the article and being able to connect it to this tarotcard. The 9 of pentacles became alive in front of me! You can read more of these inspiring articles on the website of Daily OM.