The monthly tarot calendar is a collaboration with Ashes and Earth Tarot
—March 2022—
Balancing the Extremes
March | The Fool & Dugong Tiger
An important lesson I’ve been learning over the last year is that the more dogmatic I’m getting about something, the more likely I’m off track. The more I lean into an absolute, the more I cut myself off from learning and growing.
The Dugong Tiger asks us to balance our extremes. Don’t get me wrong, having principle is important and standing up for your beliefs is important. But you can be firm in those, while still understanding that another person’s truth is totally different. We put way too much emphasis on needing to be right. Most of the time, we disregard nuance and jump right to judgment. While this may feel comforting and validating, it also gives us a false sense of security — and deep down we know it.
The last two years have felt like fighting an uphill battle, leaving most of us mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. Yes, much of this upheaval is necessary, especially when it comes to topics like social justice. So how do we channel that energy and need for change in a way that brings about more humanity in the world? We can, in fact, have both conviction and compassion.
This can also apply to our relationships. Those where we have harmed others or felt harmed by them. Did we take the time to see the other person’s point of view? It doesn’t mean we can’t stand our ground; it’s just about carrying the understanding that everyone has their own trauma, triggers, and pain they’ve experienced.
One last area of extremes I want to point out is with our physical bodies. Are we holding on to rigid beliefs about what healthy looks like? Are we neglecting what our bodies are asking for? And again, what’s right for you isn’t what’s right for anyone else. When it comes to our health, how many times has someone (who’s not a doctor) stated their opinion as utter fact? You have to eat this, or you can never eat that, etc. Be vegan, be paleo, try fasting, and on and on and on. Enough. Eat whatever the fuck feels good to you. Be happy about it and stay in your own lane.
So what stands in our way of achieving more balance? Of letting things go? Of forgiveness? Often, it’s fear. The Fool card represents a leap of faith. What would happen if we just threw up our hands? If we listened more? Why is it so hard for us to give up our extremes? Because we form so much of our identity around them. And through this, we give ourselves that false sense of security. We become so resistant to growth when it requires us to change our long-held beliefs. But ask yourself, what do you lose by inviting in more empathy and more inquiry?
We feel as though we’re giving something up, but really, we’re releasing the tight grip of control and allowing ourselves to be more in tune with the beauty and complexity of the human experience. This month, question your own doctrine. Soften your edges. Have faith that this process will not only open your mind but also your heart.
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