Samhain Tarot Card-The Nine of Swords

Tarot Card for this day of Samhain is one that certainly seems to fit the current mood of the country, and for that matter pretty much the whole world, but especially the US.

The Nine of Swords is a card that advises against falling prey to unfounded fears. Like I said, it fits us here in the US and a few other Western nations better than it does a great lot of the rest of the world, whose fears are not so unfounded.

People in the US never seem to catch on to the fact that, in a market-based capitalist economy, there will be downs as well as ups. A bull market will often produce a bubble, which will only serve to heighten the effects of the unavoidable bear market adjustment.

Further problems have been created due to the increased amount of investors, which in all too many cases amount to people who simply don’t know how to play the market, and who were easily manipulated by unethical brokers. After so long, many of the biggest names in the banking and Wall Street brokerage firms fell prey to their own con game, fueled by petty mid-level managers looking to pad their commissions.

Over regulation was the cause of this, and yet at the same time, under-regulation due to lack of needed oversight was an equal contributor. In other words, it’s the fault of everybody involved, and now the world is paying a heavy price.

Because of this, consumer confidence is at an all-time low resulting in declining sales, further leading to decreases in the GDP.

But hey, oil prices are plummeting, and gas is back near two and a half dollars a gallon, so there is that silver lining. Furthermore, home values are plummeting, which is good for those looking to buy homes if of course you can get the loan to buy one. If you can, my advice is to do it quickly before the government manipulates the housing market and prices back up toward artificial levels again. Just be careful what you sign. If you take out a loan or a mortgage, make sure it is at a fixed rate.

All in all, this is probably the largest overall worry in the world, combined with concerns on how the coming new Administration will deal with this problem and others, whether it be Obama or McCain.

Will McCain prove adequate to handle the economy, and will he increase military involvement overseas? Will Obama usher in a new era of big government spending and bring us further over towards socialism? These are all things of concern to the opposite camps involved, and to some in both, or neither. What effects either candidate, if successful, will have on the future make-up of the Supreme Court, the likely effects on health care, the environment and global warming, jobs and the economy, national security and the war on terrorism, immigration policy, guns and gun control, Pro-Choice versus Pro-Life issues, and education-all of these comprise a witches brew of worry. For now, the economy seems the main ingredient of concern, especially the banking-Wall Street-Housing fiasco, and concerns over the long term results of the recent Bailout Bill passed largely against the wishes of the American people.

The Nine of Swords suggests that this will work itself out in time, or would if we use common sense, moderation, and patience in our approach. Otherwise, we end up deepening and extending the crisis, the usual result of acting out of fear and emotion. Unfortunately, it seems our politicians need to follow this advice more than the American people do in general.

On a personal level, try to realize that your fears for the coming year regarding how this one has ended might be greatly unfounded or exaggerated, and that even if they are not, you do yourself no good by succumbing to fear or panic. Take a deep breath and try to approach your problems rationally. Try to adopt an inner feeling of calm, no matter how difficult it might seem to attempt to do so. Once you have achieved this calm, you can begin to think things through more clearly.

Thanks to Tarot Girl for the card. Incidentally, check out her latest post regarding her new spread to help develop the five senses and the sixth sense to its greatest potential.