“From the four great staves planted in the foreground there is a great garland suspended; two female figures uplift nosegays; at their side is a bridge over a moat, leading to an old manorial house. Divinatory Meanings: They are for once almost on the surface--country life, haven of refuge, a species of domestic harvest-home, repose, concord, harmony, prosperity, peace, and the perfected work of these. Reversed: The meaning remains unaltered; it is prosperity, increase, felicity, beauty, embellishment.”
-A. E. Waite
At this point, you should have worked out a plan of attack that
Now is the time to embark upon your personal project. Congratulations! Hurray! Confetti!
Most people at this point want to charge in with a full head of steam. The idea is that you have to be brutal and committed at the beginning, because inevitably you’ll run low on willpower and slack off at the end.
This is not entirely untrue, and you should make every effort to commit to the steps you’ve laid out and achieve that first milestone. However, if you’re gritting your teeth every step of the way, you’re missing a great opportunity to bolster your progress, as laid out by the Four of Wands.
The Four of Wands is a lovely card, both visually and symbolically. It is peace, harmony, prosperity, and beauty, both inside and out. And it’s the next step on our path, so we must consider what this means: how do concord, harmony, and “the perfected work of these” fit in with your plan?
Well, go on, answer! I’m asking you. Now that you’re starting your plan, how are you making it harmonize with the rest of your life? How are achieving a sense of repose and peace even when you’re working hard? In what way does the plan beautify and embellish your existence?
The truth is that human willpower is indeed limited. It is hard to make ourselves do difficult, unpleasant things, especially for any length of time. Even when we know the end result will be wonderful, the day-to-day grind is what gets people down.
So for now, as you begin, don’t focus on that end goal. You’ve laid out your plan, so you’ve got a milestone and a reward coming up, but you don’t need to think about them now. What you should do this first week is discover how to make your tasks, whatever they are, as easy and pleasant as possible.
I’ll use exercise as an example. I know I need to exercise and that I feel infinitely better both physically and mentally when I do. However, I have a busy schedule, so I’m not able to go to a gym. It’s quite hot right now so I know I’m not going to run outside. I’m stressed, so I don’t want to have to remember any sort of complicated program. I just want to move! So how can I motivate myself?
Well, first, I harmonize it with my life. It’s easiest for me to exercise when my child is in bed and the house is a little cooler. Alright, so that’s when I exercise. The best part is that it’s a clear signal. Child in bed=exercise time.
Next up is to find repose in the activity. Is there any way to make it peaceful, restful, or more enjoyable? There is! I love music and don’t often get a chance to listen to my favorite songs. When I’m running on the treadmill with my headphones on, my mind goes to other places, giving me a much-needed mental break. In the end I stop running feeling relaxed and refreshed, not exhausted, because even though my body was working my mind was not.
Finally, embellish. Harmony and repose isn’t enough; we humans are great at postponing or ignoring even nice, restful, easy activities. You have to make yourself want to do it by giving yourself a fun little reward…even if it feels a bit silly. Personally, I love Christmas lights, lanterns, and candles. So, I have all those around my workout space, to reinforce the pleasant feelings I experience during and after exercise.
In short, don’t treat this plan as your personal boot camp. Meeting your goals and enjoying the process are not exclusive propositions; the more they overlap, the better you’ll do in the long run.
So to sum up, review your plan. How can you:
Really, you should be enjoying this stage, because next week things are going to heat up a bit with the Five of Wands. Until then, good luck, and go in peace.