In the Cards - Five of Spades

This card lives at the intersection of the mind portion of the mind-body-spirit paradigm and the idea of authority or society / group identification.

Put those together and you get a twofold message. You could think of them  as the two sides of one coin, or as an “upright” and a “reversed” meaning for the card, both  stemming from the greater ideas of “perception” and “priorities.”

One aspect is the idea of self-discipline. The authority in this case is the authority within yourself, over yourself, responsible to and for yourself. Things that require self-discipline are often things that help us do well in society. Picking up after yourself, not littering, manners, rules of the road, practicing a sport or an instrument. We exercise self-discipline when we embrace whatever it is we are doing, perceive whatever-it-is to be of value, and make it a priority. 

What is the opposite of self-discipline? It isn't necessarily laziness in this case. It has to do with perception too. If we are not self-disciplined about something, it is because we perceive it to be of less value than other things. For example, someone not disciplined about making their bed may just feel that is not important, and perceive a little extra rest to be more important than the appearance of their room. Again, perception and priorities.

When the 5 of spades turns up in a reading, think of perceptions and priorities. What is  important that you are neglecting? Are you putting too much emphasis on some things and not enough on others? Are you perceiving obstacles where there are none, or not putting effort where it needs to be to succeed?

Sometimes it isn't so much mind over matter, as it is to mind what matters.

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