Do you uplift or destroy with your logic? The Ace of Swords

Today's card is all about the kind of clarity we derive from rational and linear thinking and the danger of being too rational in ways that disrupt relationships and cause alienation.

Sometimes, holistic thinkers are all over the place, and it can show itself in their environment and in the way they conduct ourselves. The office worker whose desk is always a disaster can actually manage quite well for a time, knowing what is where on his desk almost by intuition. An employee who thinks holistically might make a proposal to her boss in a roundabout manner, because she sees the big picture and has trouble communicating in a linear fashion. This can drive a linear thinker crazy and make them impatient.

The office worker needs to take time occasionally to tidy his desk. Both parties in a discussion need to understand how the other communicates. Rational thinkers need to give holistic thinkers time to get to the point, and holistic thinkers need to structure their communication better so as to be heard by rational thinkers and not try their patience.

When our homes, offices or lives are in disarray, applying a linear strategy is often the most expeditious way to get the problem solved. Make a list of things to tackle. Start at one end of a room and clean to the other end. You'll feel better and more organized afterward. The new year is a great time to start off with a clean slate, so use the holidays to tidy up and get organized for January.

On the flip side, we need to be careful not to be overly rational when facing an emotional situation. Sometimes, we can escape into our heads when our hearts feel overwhelmed. It takes courage to be truly present when a loved one is hurting or when we ourselves are upset. When we get together with friends and family over the holidays, we can avoid conflict by trying to understand our different communication styles and being patient with someone who may say their piece with more emotion or in indirect ways. We can keep our heart open as well as our ears.

Rational thinking has its place in terms of organization and helping complete tasks efficiently, but it must be married to the softer, intuitive side of our nature so that we maintain our compassion and humanity in all situations. When that balance is struck, we move forward in our lives in harmony.

Tarot Card of the Day - Ten of Swords

It's typical at this time of year when there's such an emphasis on family and relationships and being happy, that anything that doesn't fit that pretty picture shows up in sharp contrast.

The Ten of Swords is about things coming to a head. We can look at both edges of the sword this way:

1. When you enter into family gatherings, are you going in expecting to fight with a particular relative because you usually do? If that's the case, try to move into the situation with fresh eyes, looking for the good in this person instead of searching for something to react to. Practice relaxation and breathing exercises in their presence so that you can drop your defensive posture and find ways to enjoy being in their presence. Better yet, try to understand why they say things that push your button. What is it inside of you that reacts and why? What is it inside of them that causes them to act the way they do?

Rather than allow a situation to escalate, see if you can't cut it through with the sword of compassion and understanding and put a halt to the cycle of reaction.

2. The other side of the sword is the need to speak up where you have habitually stayed silent. In some cases, dropping a defensive stance doesn't cause the other person to shift their behaviour. There is never a need to withstand putdowns and abuse. If your habit is to stew silently while being mistreated, then this card is an indicator that you now need to speak up and take care of yourself or others who are being disrespected.

Only you in your own wisdom know whether you need to defuse a situation or defend yourself. Trust you'll know in the circumstances which side of the sword to use.