Wednesday January 3rd, 2024

Today, as we focus on mindfulness and delve into the depths of Stoic wisdom, the card that has graced our presence is the Five of Wands. Residing within the realm of the minor arcana, this card traditionally signifies conflict, tension, and competition. Yet, let’s not look at it in dismay but consider it an opportunity to examine our habitual reactions towards the clashes of life.

In the classical image of the Five of Wands, we see figures engaged in a seemingly chaotic struggle, each waving a wand chaotically, echoing our daily struggles and internal battles. Marcus Aurelius, a Stoic emperor, once said,

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

This card challenges us to lean into this wisdom, to relinquish our desire for control over external circumstances, to harness the power within, a power that understands that competition and conflict are but external projections and not the core of our being.

Reflect upon the Five of Wands today and consider the ways in which internal conflicts shape your actions. Observe the struggle, not as an external enemy, but as an internal dance, a conversation between aspects of yourself, each wielding a wand of possibility. Just as the figures in the card, our conflicting thoughts and emotions can create chaos if not recognized and respected. Recall the words of Epictetus,

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

Therefore, amidst the supposed chaos and conflict, find your space of serenity, your core, where you can observe the dance of conflict without being swept up in its whirlwind.

Moving onwards, allow the wisdom embraced by the Five of Wands to guide your actions. In times of conflict, be it internal or external, summon your mindfulness to detach, observe, and respond with equanimity rather than react blindly. Let the wands of conflict dance around you. As Seneca reminds us,

“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”

Your task, or your great performance, is to discern reality from mere imaginative struggle.

Journal Prompt: What conflicts have you stirred internal turmoil recently? How can you observe them impartially, and strip away the layers of your imagination to see the reality? Pen your thoughts, and in this gentle unraveling, may you find your serenity amidst the chaos.