By Michelle Crandell
The Fool practices welcoming change. As he does so, a new question enters his mind. “How do I stay centered, true to myself?”
He spots a woman sitting in the center where two roads cross. Two men stand before her, arguing. The Fool approaches. “The woman is blind!” he sees. “The men are brothers!” he hears. One brother says, “The inheritance is in my possession. ‘Possession is nine tenths of the law.’ Besides, I’m rich, so I know what to do with money.”
The other brother counters, “I’m poor. I need this inheritance to live securely. He’s squandering it. I’ll use it wisely because I am frugal. Our father didn’t leave a will, so the inheritance is rightfully mine, too.”
The woman listens carefully. She awards half the inheritance to each brother. Both are unhappy with this outcome. They complain; she ignores them. Finally, the brothers give up and go their separate ways. Intrigued, the Fool asks, “How came you to this decision?”
“Restoring balance is my life’s work,” she replied. “My decision gives Rich Brother an opportunity to learn the limits of wealth and Poor Brother an opportunity to live more securely.” The woman smiled. “Justice, harmony and fairness don’t just happen. They are creative acts.”
“Sadly, my ruling only helped so much,” she continued. “Neither brother possessed an internal sense of fairness. Both were willing to trade brotherly love for personal attainment. Both left unhappy.” Then she laughed, “They did agree my ruling wasn’t fair. That’s one way to restore balance, I guess.”
Michelle Crandell provides individual readings for a fee. Once a year, she teaches LEARN TO READ TAROT. For more information, email michelle.crandell@gmail.com or call 501-655-6242.
