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4th October 2009
The Wheel of Fortune - Pt 2: The Circles (Cycles) of Life
"Wheel of morality, turn turn turn. Tell us the lesson that we should learn..." -Animaniacs
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="245" caption="Wheel of Fortune"][/caption]Well, that's the Wheel of Morality, but more generally the wheel that we are familiar with is the Wheel of Life 生命之輪. Life often sets twists and turns in your way to test your faith (no, not religious, just faith in yourself, in life, etc.).There's a phrase/idiom in Chinese: 塞翁失馬，焉知非福。 塞翁得馬，焉知非禍. The moral is that when you are blessed with a "gift," you don't know if it will bring happiness or trouble; and when you are hit with a calamity, you don't really know if that is truly a stroke of really bad luck or a harbinger of good fortune. When you look from behind, you may realize that things have a strange way of falling into place.In 2008, I had the most (physically) traumatic experience in my life: I developed a severe inflammation that was really quite painful, to the point where I wasn't sure if I was going to survive the early mornings (that's when inflammations are the worst). I was carted off to the ER for the first time, where they performed a procedure on me, just to later find out (two days before I was supposed to leave for Taiwan and Japan) that I would need another surgery. Needless to say, I was having major emotional issues. However, now, looking back, I realize that this was for the best. I apparently (now that I can really look at things more clearly) have been brewing this condition for quite a few years (since iaTV time) but I just didn't realize it at the time.Now, a year after the event, I look back and realize that if the issue had not exploded at the time that it did, I would never have gone through the mental changes that made me who I am today, and if I had gotten sick much later, who knows if I would be near people who could help me (in this case I had my parents). So, albeit this sickness brought me pain and suffering that I would never want to experience again, it also freed me from many of my previous (mostly hidden) constraints and I can travel freely.In another example, when I became a lit major, I didn't have faith in myself. I didn't really believe that I would be able to make a living for myself using things related to my major. So I tried many other fields: Law, Web design, Marketing... etc. What seems like lifetimes (of careers) later, I realize that I'm doing for a living something my major would have applied exactly to: translating. Critics, take that! From this I realized, sometimes we just know better what's the best for ourselves, even if at the moment we didn't know. That's why, if you really want to do something, go do it. If you fail at your dream, at least your hard work was for something you love. If you fail at something you hate... you just have a lot of lost love and time. Lose to your dreams, don't lose to your reality. 寧願輸給夢想，不要輸給現實。[caption id="" align="alignright" width="360" caption="Just go for it!"]
[/caption]In 2008, many other things happened.For quite a while, my heart was shattered and I thought it would remain forever broken. But at the time I didn't realize this was the time when I would grow immensely emotionally and as a person, the furthest I have ever gone in such a short period of time. It set the wheels in motion, finally, after being on standstill for so long. And I saw so much that I was unable to before. I believe now in the strength of my heart - of its potential to grow and to love. And to realize this is one of the most amazing gifts anyone can hope to have.There is a reason I brought the Wheel of Morality into the picture: do everything as you deem right. You can lie to the world, but you cannot lie to yourself. If you are true to yourself and do everything in the best interest of everyone and everything (including yourself), you will find that fate and fortune will smile upon you. If not, at least you will smile and be proud of yourself.Everyone and everything will find their place. And Karma will be silent judge.
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17th June 2009
The Wheel of Fortune - Pt 1: The Wheel
Browsing through Mary K. Greer's website, I came across this lovely video. I love the song and the lyrics and it was a fun game to go through the video and try to pick up which cards actually make an appearance. Some of the imagery was very obvious while others need a little interpretation. My favorite was the Hang Man. :D
How long was I asleep? [4S]
When did we plan to meet? [2C]
Have you been waiting long for me? [9W?7W?]When did the sky turn black? [Moon]
Do you still want me back? [5C]
I'll pick it all up piece by piece. [5S or 5C]And the wheel goes round and round. [Wheel]
And the flame in our souls will never burn out. [Tower]
And the wheel, and the wheel goes round.I am a river with a voice. [8W?]
I came into your life by choice. [Lovers]
And none can judge just how that feels. [QnC]You are a messenger from God. [Temperance]
You are the angel I forgot. [Star]
And who's to say that it isn't real? [Fool]And the wheel goes round and round.
And the flame in our souls will never burn out.
And the wheel, and the wheel goes round.I'm not looking for the answers. [Fool]
Oh, darling don't you see [2S]
That just to know the question [3W?]
Is good enough for me.Take up the hearts you came to heal. [3S]
Put down your dagger and your shield. [7S?5S?]
You need fear nothing now from me. [Death]I see the essence of the man. [High Priestess?]
I stand before you as a friend. [PageW]
The truth moves through us even when we sleep. [Justice]And the wheel goes round and round.
And the flame in our souls will never burn out.
And the wheel, and the wheel goes round.Cards that I think make an appearance (list may change and feel free to add): 8 swords, 4 swords, World, King/Knight Swords, Lovers, 2 wands, 9 pentacles, 2 swords, 4 wands, 2 cups, 5 cups, Ace cups, Hermit, 6 wands, 5 wands, Knight Wands, 6 cups, 6 pentacles, Ace pentacles, Queen cups, Hang Man, 5 swords, Ace swords, 10 pentacles, Queen pentacles, Temperance. You can also fit a lot of the cards into the lyrics too. Too cool!
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Sze K. Aka Chan's Posterous
歸去，也無風雨也無晴。
Walking the Fool's Journey.79316 ViewsTwitterFacebook -
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