94stranger
Introduction
The introduction to class 5 can be found at the head of class 5A (set 1); it will not be repeated here.
Directory of Meanings Set 2:
Extrovert imbalance
NOTES
1) Set 2 cards, like set 1, all have a balanced meaning (accessed separately on the four-mention version of the cards), so these balanced mentions will be included here, as they, rather than the unbalanced ones, may be relevant in any particular reading.
2) I remind readers that the images of these set 2 cards contrast with those of their set 1 counterparts: Inflation with Deflation, Abandon with Control etc. It is therefore advisable to refer back where necessary to the relevant set 1 image.
10. Inflation: Group - Spirit (1 violet/purple):
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Inflation/10.aspx
The image
A statuesque man is shown in close-up with a woman leaning against his shoulder. He holds a snake-like lock of her dark hair between his fingers. The man’s caricature-similarity to a Greek god conveys the idea of something over the top. The woman’s position, closed eyes and air of abandon all suggest complete confidence in the man, thus contrasting with the scene in Deflation.
A Unbalanced: Life has been playing to your strengths, and this has given you a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. Or you may be in the early stages of a love relationship, where you and your partner make each other feel on top of the world. Beware! Inflation also means getting above oneself, and ‘pride comes before a fall’. We all need to feel good about ourselves, and proper pride is fine, but we also need to keep our feet on the ground and not, as the French so elegantly put it, ‘fart higher up than our arse.’!
B Balanced: This is a time of outflow on the spirit side – you are influencing others with your thoughts or ideas. It could be the time after working on a book, when it is published and you explain what you have written, or develop the themes further in dialogue. At all events, there is a release or externalising of spirit energy here. You might be collaborating with others on a project which involves sharing your analytical skills, logical thinking or powers of discrimination. If you are currently getting a lot of positive feedback which reflects genuine achievements, no blame attaches.
11. Abandon: Group – Will (2 red)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Abandon/11.aspx
The image
A very young woman has her legs wrapped around the hips of a standing man. He faces away from viewer, whilst she is towards us. The woman wears a blue dress which has ridden up, whilst the man is naked to the waist. Although the man’s body hides the genitals of both, we may surmise that they are having sex. This impression seems to be confirmed by the woman’s expression and implied by the red sky which forms the background.
A Unbalanced: you are out of control at the moment. Your emotions have taken over, and they are causing you to behave in ways which are not in alignment with your overall good. The problem is not your behaviour, but its context. You need to regain control, because this is not a safe situation for you to have lost it – others may take advantage of you, or you may give a bad impression which will be to the detriment of your real interests. There is such a sense of freedom and relief in letting go that it can be hard to resist, but right now you do need to resist.
B Balanced: Control and Abandon each have their own virtue and bring their own satisfaction. To live without being able to let go is intolerable. Whether you throw yourself around the dance floor, give your all in a sporting event, let out every kind of noise, give way to the depths of your feelings of rage, grief, joy or whatever, or lose yourself in passionate sex, the prescription is the same – letting go is a physical and emotional necessity. Your present situation is appropriate for this, and provided you can collect yourself again when control is needed once more, no blame attaches.
12. Invasion: Group – Heart (3 green)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Invasion/12.aspx
The image
A man wearing a heavy cloak lies asleep in a clearing in the forest, observed by a fox. Several other men, one holding a coil of rope, are seen approaching stealthily through the trees. They are all eyeing the sleeping man, as though intent on invading his space and capturing him.
A Unbalanced: In invasion, you are feeling driven to make contact. However, you need to realise that the circumstances are inappropriate and the other person does not welcome your efforts. Or alternatively, they do not feel comfortable with the manner in which you have approached them. Your difficulty is that you are being driven by some kind of inner pressure, a compulsion which may be making you a bit desperate to make contact. The other person senses that you are not so much in tune with them and present to their needs, as pursuing an agenda from your past which pushes you to try and break down their resistance.
B Balanced: Your warmth and affection are being felt by others and genuinely appreciated. They sense that you have a good heart and they are ready to respond to your warmth. Of course, your outgoing nature will be appreciated to the extent that it leaves each person free to reciprocate more or less strongly, according to their nature. Provided this warmth of yours does not come with strings attached, no blame arises. Also, you will need to remember that such an outgoing impulse does not last indefinitely. There will come a moment when you cannot sustain it without hurting yourself. You can’t always be the life and soul of every party!
13. Hyper-activity: Group – Form (4 orange)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/HyperActivity/13.aspx
The Image:
Some travelling players are making a journey by covered ox-cart to give a show. The oxen drawing the cart are rearing to a halt, frightened by the sudden appearance of a snake crossing the road in front of them. The occupants of the cart are thrown into disarray.
A Unbalanced: You are in a state of compulsive over-activation. You are caught in a cycle of speediness. The longer it goes on, the more potential harm it can do to your health. Is your work the chief culprit? Is the pressure to produce results stressing you too much? The most severe form of hyperactivity, where it is chronic and long-term, is the ‘workaholic’ condition. This is an addiction, and in extreme cases it can lead to a fatal heart attack. Are you really helpless to stop all this running around? Are you using business or busyness as an alibi for running away from painful truths that you need to face?
B. Balanced: Life – modern or otherwise – does not always conveniently arrange that the demands on our physical and nervous energy should remain at a constant, moderate level. When being chased by a tiger, hyperactivity is an essential strategy! Hyperactivity, in the sense of a high degree of physical activation for a limited period, is a capability built into our bodies. Not only is it benign to use that capacity, but probably harmful not to use it. The couch potato is not a model for healthy living! If you experience periods of intense activity, after which you are able to rest and recuperate effectively, no blame attaches.
14. Possession: Group – Unconscious (5, indigo)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Possession/14.aspx
The image
A hooded figure cowers beside a rounded boulder in the depths of the forest. His head is in his hands and he hides his face. We surmise that he feels, or even imagines, rather than sees the presence of the many creatures which crowd in on him from every angle. The scene is a representation of what is taking place in his mind, rather than in the outer world.
A Unbalanced: Something or someone has gained a powerful emotional hold over you. We assume that we own our ‘possessions’, though in some cases it seems rather as if they own us; have taken us over. Your problem here is that you are being dominated by an outside influence - an individual, an artefact, an idea, an emotion. We absorb influences every day of our lives, they may be as necessary as food and water. However, our self must protect us from being overwhelmed by those influences, help us integrate or reject them. Here, a weakness of self has lead to your psychic boundaries leaking, and to you being swamped.
B Balanced: You have opened yourself to the Unconscious in a deliberate and controlled manner. You may be a writer or artist bathing in a stream of material from the Unconscious. Perhaps you are in therapy, unearthing a cache of painful buried memories or you are exposed to unconscious material through vivid dreams. You might be a clairvoyant receiving support from outside the Earth plane – from spirit guides, for example. In balanced obsession, you were driven by an inner urge to contact the Unconscious; now, you are experiencing the fruits of that search. If you have strong anchors, are well-grounded and can call on support as needed, no blame attaches.
15. Domination: Group – Self (6 yellow)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Domination/15.aspx
The image
An imperious-looking woman sits astride a bronze horse-fountain in the middle of a pool. Water gushes from the horse’s mouth. Both the rearing posture and the expression of the animal suggest fear, whilst the woman holds something resembling a riding crop. The woman’s body language confirms her expression – that of the will to dominate.
A Unbalanced: Your present attitude or situation is that of asserting yourself by force of personality, in order to override the desires of another or others. Are you afraid that someone may take control of the situation, if you do not? Put yourself in the other person’s position: if you were the one being ordered around, would you not feel angry, resentful and rebellious? That is what your behaviour is creating for others. This is not a secure, stable situation for anyone. You must try to recognise and face up to your fear, and find a way to co-operate: a battle of wills can have no satisfactory outcome.
B. Balanced: You are taking a leading role in interaction between people – whether in your family, at work, in your community or elsewhere. If you have particular gifts – special training or experience, a particular character or temperament, you may be required to play an important role within a group. There is no harm in putting your talents at the disposal of others, of playing a more than equal part, if others recognise the need for it, and consent fully to it. If your preponderance is limited to a particular context, is later withdrawn, and does not result in you acquiring generalised feelings of superiority, no blame attaches.
16. Exhibition: Group – Communication (7 blue)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Exhibition/16.aspx
The image
The couple whom we saw stage-struck in Inhibition are now seen in the opposite light – performing with abandon, the young man lustily singing and playing a stringed instrument, the young woman exposing herself with abandon in a vigorous dance. No sign is given of reaction on the part of the spectators: the spotlight is on the performers and their mood.
A Unbalanced: You are over-exposing yourself in some way. Do you have a compulsive need to be the centre of attention all the time? This card is saying that your constant talk, jokes or fooling about are not being well-received. Or you may be a professional performer or a teacher, jaded by overwork and needing to recharge your batteries. A small child needs the attention, encouragement, praise and love of its parents. If you did not get this, an admiring audience of millions will not be enough to take away your empty feeling. To have inner peace, you may need to work through those old feelings of emptiness.
B Balanced: You are in the public eye at the moment, whether it is a small or a large public. You may have to give a talk to colleagues, teach some students, perform on stage. You may be in the paper, on radio or TV. There are many occasions in life where exhibition is needed, and entire professions in which it is an integral part. But care is needed – people in the public eye, such as rock stars and politicians, all too easily become addicted to the sight and sound of themselves. If your exposing of yourself is not compulsive, but a skin which you can put on and take off at will, no blame attaches.
17. Spirit Denial: Group – Conjugation (8 magenta)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Spirit_Denial/17.aspx
The image
A woman stands naked in front of a mirror, in which we se the reflection of a man throwing some coins on the bed. At the edge of the picture a little girl appears, clutching a soft toy, having been disturbed in her sleep. The sight of the man leaving money, under the mistaken impression that she is - as her reputation has suggested to him - a prostitute, produces such an effect on her that she rips off her necklace in fury.
A Unbalanced: You are behaving in some way that means a denial of your spirit side. Are you someone who has very strong feelings, and can have great difficulty in accepting that what you feel like doing is not always the best course of action for your whole person? Emotional sensitivity is a vital part of psychological balance, but here your emotions are tending to get out of hand. You need to calm down and accept the voice of reason. Your wellbeing requires you to take a more thoughtful, considered approach to your situation, even though your emotions may be clamouring – I won’t listen!’
B Balanced: You are centred in the emotional aspect of a relationship, situation or event, and appropriately so. You could be an actress calling on great emotional resources to do justice to a character you are portraying. You might be using your feeling side to relate to children, or experiencing a time of intense emotion with a new partner. Major events in your life, such as the death of someone close to you, may be exerting a powerful emotional influence on you. Provided this intense emotional activity is a suitable response to your situation, and no self-indulgence is involved, no blame attaches.
18. Flow: Group – Quest-ion? (9 grey/brown)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Flow/18.aspx
[Notice of intention to withhold information.
We have decided to withhold the detailed meanings for all the cards of group 9 until we can publish all this material commercially. We are really sorry for the inconvenience this may cause. See 9 Ebb (set 1) for details]
The introduction to class 5 can be found at the head of class 5A (set 1); it will not be repeated here.
Directory of Meanings Set 2:
Extrovert imbalance
NOTES
1) Set 2 cards, like set 1, all have a balanced meaning (accessed separately on the four-mention version of the cards), so these balanced mentions will be included here, as they, rather than the unbalanced ones, may be relevant in any particular reading.
2) I remind readers that the images of these set 2 cards contrast with those of their set 1 counterparts: Inflation with Deflation, Abandon with Control etc. It is therefore advisable to refer back where necessary to the relevant set 1 image.
10. Inflation: Group - Spirit (1 violet/purple):
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Inflation/10.aspx
The image
A statuesque man is shown in close-up with a woman leaning against his shoulder. He holds a snake-like lock of her dark hair between his fingers. The man’s caricature-similarity to a Greek god conveys the idea of something over the top. The woman’s position, closed eyes and air of abandon all suggest complete confidence in the man, thus contrasting with the scene in Deflation.
A Unbalanced: Life has been playing to your strengths, and this has given you a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. Or you may be in the early stages of a love relationship, where you and your partner make each other feel on top of the world. Beware! Inflation also means getting above oneself, and ‘pride comes before a fall’. We all need to feel good about ourselves, and proper pride is fine, but we also need to keep our feet on the ground and not, as the French so elegantly put it, ‘fart higher up than our arse.’!
B Balanced: This is a time of outflow on the spirit side – you are influencing others with your thoughts or ideas. It could be the time after working on a book, when it is published and you explain what you have written, or develop the themes further in dialogue. At all events, there is a release or externalising of spirit energy here. You might be collaborating with others on a project which involves sharing your analytical skills, logical thinking or powers of discrimination. If you are currently getting a lot of positive feedback which reflects genuine achievements, no blame attaches.
11. Abandon: Group – Will (2 red)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Abandon/11.aspx
The image
A very young woman has her legs wrapped around the hips of a standing man. He faces away from viewer, whilst she is towards us. The woman wears a blue dress which has ridden up, whilst the man is naked to the waist. Although the man’s body hides the genitals of both, we may surmise that they are having sex. This impression seems to be confirmed by the woman’s expression and implied by the red sky which forms the background.
A Unbalanced: you are out of control at the moment. Your emotions have taken over, and they are causing you to behave in ways which are not in alignment with your overall good. The problem is not your behaviour, but its context. You need to regain control, because this is not a safe situation for you to have lost it – others may take advantage of you, or you may give a bad impression which will be to the detriment of your real interests. There is such a sense of freedom and relief in letting go that it can be hard to resist, but right now you do need to resist.
B Balanced: Control and Abandon each have their own virtue and bring their own satisfaction. To live without being able to let go is intolerable. Whether you throw yourself around the dance floor, give your all in a sporting event, let out every kind of noise, give way to the depths of your feelings of rage, grief, joy or whatever, or lose yourself in passionate sex, the prescription is the same – letting go is a physical and emotional necessity. Your present situation is appropriate for this, and provided you can collect yourself again when control is needed once more, no blame attaches.
12. Invasion: Group – Heart (3 green)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Invasion/12.aspx
The image
A man wearing a heavy cloak lies asleep in a clearing in the forest, observed by a fox. Several other men, one holding a coil of rope, are seen approaching stealthily through the trees. They are all eyeing the sleeping man, as though intent on invading his space and capturing him.
A Unbalanced: In invasion, you are feeling driven to make contact. However, you need to realise that the circumstances are inappropriate and the other person does not welcome your efforts. Or alternatively, they do not feel comfortable with the manner in which you have approached them. Your difficulty is that you are being driven by some kind of inner pressure, a compulsion which may be making you a bit desperate to make contact. The other person senses that you are not so much in tune with them and present to their needs, as pursuing an agenda from your past which pushes you to try and break down their resistance.
B Balanced: Your warmth and affection are being felt by others and genuinely appreciated. They sense that you have a good heart and they are ready to respond to your warmth. Of course, your outgoing nature will be appreciated to the extent that it leaves each person free to reciprocate more or less strongly, according to their nature. Provided this warmth of yours does not come with strings attached, no blame arises. Also, you will need to remember that such an outgoing impulse does not last indefinitely. There will come a moment when you cannot sustain it without hurting yourself. You can’t always be the life and soul of every party!
13. Hyper-activity: Group – Form (4 orange)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/HyperActivity/13.aspx
The Image:
Some travelling players are making a journey by covered ox-cart to give a show. The oxen drawing the cart are rearing to a halt, frightened by the sudden appearance of a snake crossing the road in front of them. The occupants of the cart are thrown into disarray.
A Unbalanced: You are in a state of compulsive over-activation. You are caught in a cycle of speediness. The longer it goes on, the more potential harm it can do to your health. Is your work the chief culprit? Is the pressure to produce results stressing you too much? The most severe form of hyperactivity, where it is chronic and long-term, is the ‘workaholic’ condition. This is an addiction, and in extreme cases it can lead to a fatal heart attack. Are you really helpless to stop all this running around? Are you using business or busyness as an alibi for running away from painful truths that you need to face?
B. Balanced: Life – modern or otherwise – does not always conveniently arrange that the demands on our physical and nervous energy should remain at a constant, moderate level. When being chased by a tiger, hyperactivity is an essential strategy! Hyperactivity, in the sense of a high degree of physical activation for a limited period, is a capability built into our bodies. Not only is it benign to use that capacity, but probably harmful not to use it. The couch potato is not a model for healthy living! If you experience periods of intense activity, after which you are able to rest and recuperate effectively, no blame attaches.
14. Possession: Group – Unconscious (5, indigo)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Possession/14.aspx
The image
A hooded figure cowers beside a rounded boulder in the depths of the forest. His head is in his hands and he hides his face. We surmise that he feels, or even imagines, rather than sees the presence of the many creatures which crowd in on him from every angle. The scene is a representation of what is taking place in his mind, rather than in the outer world.
A Unbalanced: Something or someone has gained a powerful emotional hold over you. We assume that we own our ‘possessions’, though in some cases it seems rather as if they own us; have taken us over. Your problem here is that you are being dominated by an outside influence - an individual, an artefact, an idea, an emotion. We absorb influences every day of our lives, they may be as necessary as food and water. However, our self must protect us from being overwhelmed by those influences, help us integrate or reject them. Here, a weakness of self has lead to your psychic boundaries leaking, and to you being swamped.
B Balanced: You have opened yourself to the Unconscious in a deliberate and controlled manner. You may be a writer or artist bathing in a stream of material from the Unconscious. Perhaps you are in therapy, unearthing a cache of painful buried memories or you are exposed to unconscious material through vivid dreams. You might be a clairvoyant receiving support from outside the Earth plane – from spirit guides, for example. In balanced obsession, you were driven by an inner urge to contact the Unconscious; now, you are experiencing the fruits of that search. If you have strong anchors, are well-grounded and can call on support as needed, no blame attaches.
15. Domination: Group – Self (6 yellow)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Domination/15.aspx
The image
An imperious-looking woman sits astride a bronze horse-fountain in the middle of a pool. Water gushes from the horse’s mouth. Both the rearing posture and the expression of the animal suggest fear, whilst the woman holds something resembling a riding crop. The woman’s body language confirms her expression – that of the will to dominate.
A Unbalanced: Your present attitude or situation is that of asserting yourself by force of personality, in order to override the desires of another or others. Are you afraid that someone may take control of the situation, if you do not? Put yourself in the other person’s position: if you were the one being ordered around, would you not feel angry, resentful and rebellious? That is what your behaviour is creating for others. This is not a secure, stable situation for anyone. You must try to recognise and face up to your fear, and find a way to co-operate: a battle of wills can have no satisfactory outcome.
B. Balanced: You are taking a leading role in interaction between people – whether in your family, at work, in your community or elsewhere. If you have particular gifts – special training or experience, a particular character or temperament, you may be required to play an important role within a group. There is no harm in putting your talents at the disposal of others, of playing a more than equal part, if others recognise the need for it, and consent fully to it. If your preponderance is limited to a particular context, is later withdrawn, and does not result in you acquiring generalised feelings of superiority, no blame attaches.
16. Exhibition: Group – Communication (7 blue)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Exhibition/16.aspx
The image
The couple whom we saw stage-struck in Inhibition are now seen in the opposite light – performing with abandon, the young man lustily singing and playing a stringed instrument, the young woman exposing herself with abandon in a vigorous dance. No sign is given of reaction on the part of the spectators: the spotlight is on the performers and their mood.
A Unbalanced: You are over-exposing yourself in some way. Do you have a compulsive need to be the centre of attention all the time? This card is saying that your constant talk, jokes or fooling about are not being well-received. Or you may be a professional performer or a teacher, jaded by overwork and needing to recharge your batteries. A small child needs the attention, encouragement, praise and love of its parents. If you did not get this, an admiring audience of millions will not be enough to take away your empty feeling. To have inner peace, you may need to work through those old feelings of emptiness.
B Balanced: You are in the public eye at the moment, whether it is a small or a large public. You may have to give a talk to colleagues, teach some students, perform on stage. You may be in the paper, on radio or TV. There are many occasions in life where exhibition is needed, and entire professions in which it is an integral part. But care is needed – people in the public eye, such as rock stars and politicians, all too easily become addicted to the sight and sound of themselves. If your exposing of yourself is not compulsive, but a skin which you can put on and take off at will, no blame attaches.
17. Spirit Denial: Group – Conjugation (8 magenta)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Spirit_Denial/17.aspx
The image
A woman stands naked in front of a mirror, in which we se the reflection of a man throwing some coins on the bed. At the edge of the picture a little girl appears, clutching a soft toy, having been disturbed in her sleep. The sight of the man leaving money, under the mistaken impression that she is - as her reputation has suggested to him - a prostitute, produces such an effect on her that she rips off her necklace in fury.
A Unbalanced: You are behaving in some way that means a denial of your spirit side. Are you someone who has very strong feelings, and can have great difficulty in accepting that what you feel like doing is not always the best course of action for your whole person? Emotional sensitivity is a vital part of psychological balance, but here your emotions are tending to get out of hand. You need to calm down and accept the voice of reason. Your wellbeing requires you to take a more thoughtful, considered approach to your situation, even though your emotions may be clamouring – I won’t listen!’
B Balanced: You are centred in the emotional aspect of a relationship, situation or event, and appropriately so. You could be an actress calling on great emotional resources to do justice to a character you are portraying. You might be using your feeling side to relate to children, or experiencing a time of intense emotion with a new partner. Major events in your life, such as the death of someone close to you, may be exerting a powerful emotional influence on you. Provided this intense emotional activity is a suitable response to your situation, and no self-indulgence is involved, no blame attaches.
18. Flow: Group – Quest-ion? (9 grey/brown)
http://www.rainringcards.com/Cards/Flow/18.aspx
[Notice of intention to withhold information.
We have decided to withhold the detailed meanings for all the cards of group 9 until we can publish all this material commercially. We are really sorry for the inconvenience this may cause. See 9 Ebb (set 1) for details]
