“A posse of youths, who are brandishing staves, as if in sport or strife. It is mimic warfare, and hereto correspond the Divinatory Meanings: Imitation, as, for example, sham fight, but also the strenuous competition and struggle of the search after riches and fortune. In this sense it connects with the battle of life. Hence some attributions say that it is a card of gold, gain, opulence. ”
-A. E. Waite
You’re into week two of your program, and experiencing “the battle of life.” Though last week you worked to integrate and harmonize your new activities and habits with your existing lifestyle, you’re probably still encountering difficulties. Anyone can maintain a habit for a few days, and after a few months it feels natural. It’s when you’ve only been practicing a habit for a few weeks that you’re likely to feel tired, unmotivated, bored, in need of a break or a treat, etc.
Five of Wands gives us some motivational advice to help us push through this difficult week, and indeed the rest of the program. However, this advice is not advisable for all people and all goals. Consider your situation and the following advice carefully before proceeding.
You’ve already created a sense of repose and peace in your activities, which triggers a certain set of emotions: contentment, relaxation, enjoyment, etc. It’s also possible to bring other emotions to bear on the problem: anger, fear, triumph, the competitive spirit. If you can do this, you’ll be firing on all cylinders, so to speak, and your whole psyche can be brought to bear upon your chosen goal. Harder to say “I’m not in the mood” when all your moods are involved, isn’t it?
The trick is to declare a sort of mental war, a “sham fight” as the Five of Wands would have it. Sham is the operative word here, and it relates mostly to your “opponent.” There are two things you never want to declare war against:
Both are incredibly problematic. You can’t love yourself, strive to improve yourself, and be angry with yourself all at the same time—and yet so many of us try! Better to keep things simple. You love yourself. You try to improve yourself or your circumstances because you genuinely believe it will make you happier, you have something to offer, you are called to do so, etc. Don’t bring anger into the game. To misquote Yoda: “Anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, and suffering leads to throwing your hands up and saying ‘I quit!’”
Likewise, you don’t want to declare war on another person. This can be a tempting option for some people. “I’m not going to be fat like my dad.” “I’m going to prove to Grandma that I’m not a failure by running my own business.” These beliefs can seem inspiring, but in the end they’re poor motivation, because they place the power out of your hands. What if you run your business and Grandma still thinks you’re a screw-up? What if you lose some weight and are healthier, but are still built like your father? These sort of motivations introduce far more problems than they solve.
So what is a good opponent for a “sham fight?” A nebulous external influence you want to defy. Here’s a good one: “My family has a history of heart disease, but I’m going to kick its butt.” Here’s another: “The consumerist culture around me insists I spend all my money, but I’m going to live a minimalist lifestyle and save for what I really want.” Another: “The standard American diet is horrible, but I’m not going to listen to food corporations. I’m going to prove that we can eat better, even on a limited budget.”
In this instance, you have an opponent—heart disease, consumerism, the food industry—that you can compete with wholeheartedly. They’re trying to coerce you, but you’re going to fight back. It’s a way for you to tap into all those great feelings of righteous anger, justified frustration, and triumph, without hurting yourself or another person. It can also help you counteract that particular influence, because there is usually significant pressure for people to stay just the way they are…and the more openly you defy that expectation, the more likely you are to succeed.
To discover your “opponent” and whether this process is right for you, answer the following questions:
As stated above, this technique isn’t useful or applicable to everyone—but when it works, it’s phenomenal. If it’s not for you, just hang in there and stay on plan for one more week, until the Six of Wands, when everyone gets to have a good time. Until then, best of luck!