Perhaps the Wisdom of God is symbolized by the lofty hawk or eagle because from the Almighty's perspective, all connections between incidents are perceived. All potential pasts and futures are observable from these great heights. It may truly be said of this Knowledge that man is not fit to wield it of his own accord. For man as we tend to understand him knoweth himself not, nor his neighbor, and his nature is such that he is oblivious and impervious to all connections between things and events, being too concerned with his own miniature world and its experiences. Man is all too often full of weakness and ignorance as to be able to successfully harness such a great Knowledge toward any end other than base self-gratification, and it would be most unwise for him to manipulate it simply for such reasons. And yet, he must use it in a way that is responsibly in tune with himself as he is intended to be, and therefore one can easily suggest that the use of Knowledge must be inherently geared toward self-preservation, for lack of a better word. By "self-preservation," I really mean to say, "the process by which an individual maintains their own purity." For man "liveth not on bread alone," but also by the spirit, who is entirely pure in substance and nature. But to return to my original point, such Knowledge is not wholly banned from man's grasp (as any mystic will tell you) for the axis upon which this Knowledge of all things revolves is the Self. To know oneself is to know one's past, present, and future. It is to hold the keys to all possible realities, and to possess the foresight and prudence to know which ones are not possible. For our relationship with the Universe is represented best by the nail, the letter Vav, the Son of the Holy Name, Tetragrammaton. We are undeniably pinned to the events that occur around us; that which transpires within exhales into the without, and whatever we are exposed to without we inhale inwards. Thus, there is a constant flow of influence in the shape of the lemniscate, or symbol for infinity. "Change is stability." God is expressed by but also beyond both these concepts, for neither heaven nor earth may contain him. He is not solely in the world around us and he is not solely within the human spirit. His Representative may be found and the junction-point between the two, and this is Adonai, the Holy Reconciler and Judge who perceives one's life as it truly is. But this is simply the most pure representation of God that we may know in the flesh. The purest idea of God exists beyond even this, beyond all ideas of here or there, or I and they, in a state in which neither of these polarities exist. God in this condition simply must be the great I AM WHO AM, Eheieh, Kether the Crown of the Qabbalists, and this is the true idea of paradise, the Kingdom of God. He is as a child who is conqueror of all things, or as a seed that has been scattered everywhere and nowhere at once. It is impossible to attempt to say anything about him, for any said thing about him is a blasphemy against his holiness, and therefore to men his Wisdom seems as folly.
I say all this because of two concerns. The first is that the Tarot, being a representation of both God's Wisdom and Understanding, can show us, after meditation and appeal for aid from the Angel, these lofty perspectives. Therefore, the Tarot can be a dreadfully potent tool, one to be greatly respected by all men, however blessed, who know not necessarily how best to use the wisdom it imparts (except through the council of their Guardian Angels, but this is an experience achieved by relatively few of our race, or at least it would seem given the current state of affairs). Therefore it is imperative that we seek to redeem this Art from the piteous state it is often cast into - often being called "fortune-telling" and the like - for in this Art lies Hope. Hope is perhaps the most characteristically human virtue, the belief that out of utter despair and desolation something may be done by our bold hands to remedy things and strive forward to a different tomorrow. Perhaps not even a tomorrow that will immediately shine brighter but perhaps at least a tomorrow that will lead to further tomorrows that shine progressively brighter with optimism. No other being on God's great earth carries hope in its heart and relies upon it so heavily for its own survival. It is therefore safe to suggest that Hope is truly Power, which is truly in turn Wisdom, and therefore Hope is a force that elevates us to God's own place in the Universe. For if God can create a world out of blackest nothing, then surely we, being made in his likeness and who have tremendous power to change the future, can also build out of bleakest horror something of worth, something worth protecting and believing in, simply because we have Hope - the desire to make change. Simply because we believe somewhere in our hearts that the seemingly impossible just might be possible, even if for a moment. And so this is my second, more pertinent concern that has weighed heavily on my mind and the minds of many others this week, I am sure. That in the face of oppressive tragedy we must cling to hope firmer than ever, and we must choose to believe that out of this aching trauma something good can come. For if we give in to the darkness and see it simply as misfortune there will no longer be any light to cast it away. It is our moral responsibility to preach the light, and defend it, and love it, and hold true to it despite the raging darkness because believing in the light is what makes us human. It's what gives us empathy, and courage, and creativity, and it being an emanation from God Himself, it urges us to fight for the betterment of the world for all peoples by turning chaos into order, darkness into light, and despair into Hope.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, take hope that even though all may seem lost in a void of meaningless violence, some good may arise from these wastes, though it may not yet nor ever be seen by eye or heard by ear. The Spirit moves in many ways, and we must believe in It and ourselves enough to stand for what we know is true and just in these sad moments.
"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come home again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."
Psalm 126
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