Rest: Prerequisite for Revolution
Thoughts on the Tower
A brief note: Tarot Poetry Circle is back! Tomorrow evening (Wednesday July 17), details at the bottom, after these thoughts:
I often see the Tower as the card that reminds me ‘you’re not in control’, which is a spiritual lesson I need over and over. But today I’d like to talk a little bit about the Tower through the lens of rest—which also has connections with control, particularly our resistance to rest being so intimately tied with our relationship to capitalism.
When I have slow periods in my work schedule, the itch to be “productive” is almost overwhelming. I seem incapable of luxuriating, or doing nothing, or napping. Instead, I slice up the days into chunks of time dedicated to tasks. There is always something to do, something to work toward, something to improve.
Why on earth is taking rest so threatening to so many of us? Rest feels like a WASTE OF TIME, because at rest we are not ‘adding value’, we’re not furthering our agenda.
Building our ideal life, building towards the future, building a business, building relationships, body building, community building…..we are always building. And none of those things are wrong or bad in and of themselves, of course, but….what about when we can never stop? What if something as vital to our wellbeing as REST is a (perceived) threat to the build? What if we believe that taking a break means it will all come crashing down? (see the Tower here?)
When we rest, we cannot maintain the illusion of control. We are vulnerable at rest. We risk being outpaced. At rest, we lose our primary function in the capitalist machine, which is to always be producing. At rest we believe we are under threat; at rest, the system believes we ARE the threat. Our ingrained and enculturated resistance to rest makes sense; from either perspective, it seems like everything will fall apart.
If you’ve explored the work of the Nap Ministry at all, you’ll know that they talk about the importance of rest in allowing us to reimagine what the world can look like. You’ll recall that the Tower is often depicted with a crown that’s been struck by the lightning bolt, representing that some intellectual hubris has been shattered. Capitalism, and particularly our American machine, believes that this is the only way, and that even revolution could only be some revamping and renovation of the current system. I know that *I* subscribe to that. I cannot see my way totally past the structure we have in place….I cannot conceive of something totally new because it feels like too much of a threat. And part of that resistance to change is because lack of real rest has kept me from my imagination. The revolution HAS to begin in our imaginations first, as does anything.
The Tower lies between the Devil and the Star. The Devil is many things, but it can very much be work addiction, and it certainly can represent the failure of our imaginations for life to be any other way but THIS way: beholden to the systems and the stories that keep us on a short leash, on a hamster wheel, exhausted. And the Star IS rest, is inspiration, is reimagining what is possible and orienting our lives towards that promise. It sounds like a no-brainer, right? Why wouldn’t we move towards that with our whole self?
I mean, why can’t I take a nap without the devil on my shoulder whispering that I’m lazy? It starts by using rest to challenge my/our capitalist conditioning. We are all very tired. Revolutions—whether personal or global—cannot happen when we are so collectively weary. Otherwise, it’s all just a falling apart.
The Tower challenges us to rest, which both requires and allows a paradigm shift; which requires us to stop building; which requires us to face those fears of falling apart; which requires us to concede that we are not in control—that control in fact is and has been an illusion all along. Rest may not be ‘the revolution’, but it is radical, and—as Tricia Hersey says-rest is resistance.
Here are some prompts around rest I hope you find illuminating, and I’ll share my pulls below.
What card best represents my relationship with rest now?
What do I fear I will lose if I rest?
What can I only rediscover/reimagine through rest?
What card can help give me the permission/courage needed to rest?
What card best represents my relationship with rest now?
6 of Pentacles reversed. Yep! Rest means I’m not making money. Time to rests means there’s an empty spot in my schedule which totally freaks me out. I never feel that I’ve “earned” rest, which this 6 of Pentacles also signifies.
What do I fear I will lose if I rest?
6 of Wands reversed. Success!, which apparently depends on me always being ‘on’, always working. Again, the productivity monster rears its head.
What can I only rediscover/reimagine through rest?
Knight of Wands. Joy! A sense of freedom. Room to explore.
What card can help give me the permission/courage needed to rest?
The World. This card corresponds to Saturn, and I have a really Saturn-dominant chart. Saturn has that ‘task-master’, disciplinarian vibe….and honestly, when I think of things as a “job”, and I understand why it actually is in service to my Work on a grander scale, then I’m more likely to do it. It’s like a little hack for my personal astrological profile. Saturn is also the lord of time, and to me, time is wealth. Rest slows down time, and makes you feel more abundant, and that’s something I really want to experience.
I’d love to hear about your pulls in the comments, if you’re willing to share. And again, Poetry Circle! Deets just below.
Tarot Poetry Circle is a Zoom gathering where we listen to poems and pull cards! It’s a great way to deepen your relationship with the Tarot and hang out with some cool folks. It’s at 7 PM Central time, Wednesday July 17. To join, simply send me any amount (only have a buck? that’s great!) via Venmo (@oakmoontarot) or PayPal (oakmoontarot@gmail) and leave your email address in the memo. I’ll send you a link just before we gather!
If you can’t make it tomorrow, I do hope you’ll join soon! Keep an eye out for the next dates.
This was a really interesting exercise. I've never read about rest before. Thank you!
>>>What card best represents my relationship with rest now?
4 of Pentacles. Holding on too tightly, greed. I'm not reading the card symbolism as money specifically, because money isn't a big motivator for me. But, other things are, and I'm seeing this as a message that I'm probably pursuing those motivations too hard, which I do know impacts my ability to rest, and my lack of rest.
>>>What do I fear I will lose if I rest?
Six of Swords. I'll get off track, lose my ability to find the future that I seek.
>>>What can I only rediscover/reimagine through rest?
Ten of Pentacles. Closer relationships with family, natural and chosen, and greater enjoyment of those relationships. As an old fellow now, certainly identifying with the seated old man pictured in the card.
>>>What card can help give me the permission/courage needed to rest?
Death. Interesting. A little over two years ago, tremendous responsibility was lifted off my shoulders, or at least the requirement that I take on that responsibility. But, I've never really set it down, even though I can and should. Death certainly seems to communicate that, something I've already known, but not acted upon.
What card best represents my relationship with rest now? 3 of Pentacles - “I honor my life path by receiving support from others.” Teamwork. My caregiver and friends support me when I need rest and aid.
What do I fear I will lose if I rest? 8 of Cups - I fear I will be abandoned; alone. My health conditions can make day to day feel stagnant and lonely. I have a desire to keep moving forward, and my body has a need for a lot of rest.
What can I only rediscover/reimagine through rest? The Chariot - “I step into confident action with ease. Triumph is in my blood. I am confident action and trusting ease.” My inner chronic pain/illness warrior will never give up, I can make it through the pain and illness with rest.
What card can help give me the permission/courage needed to rest? 2 of Pentacles - “I surrender, trust and tune into my balance.” Maintaining a daily routine and balance keeps me graceful and able to manage the continuous changes with chronic illness.
*quotes from The Gentle Tarot by Mari