The Object of My Desire

Every time I pull this card I get a new vibe from the queen's expression.  Not only are the faces of this queen so different from each other between decks, even in a single deck the expression changes from one glance to the next.  She can come across as shrewd, evil, nostalgic, caring, concerned, coniving, wistful, gracious, humble, and on and on.  

Here she is attending to matters of the material world, specifically material possessions.  This could be things such as the bank account, the home, the garden, or even by extension the family or work.  But today the card is speaking to me more of objects:  my books, pens, notebooks, bookbags, etc., the things of my day-to-day life.  The objects I decorate my house with, the mirrors and goat figures, the colorful tablecloth, and the industrial end tables.  I also think of the objects I use, like the knives and pans in the kitchen.  In many cases, I will spend what some others might see as obscene amounts on these things.

It is fitting today to contrast the spiritual concerns of the cards over the last few days with the physcial concerns of this card.  

Do you like to have "nice things?"  How much is too much to spend on a fountain pen?  A blouse?  A book? Couldn't that money go to feeding the hungry, providing scholarships, or helping to fund research for a cure for cancer?  What do you think the Queen says about "nice things?"

My personal take is that we should try to be discerning when chosing the objects we buy.  Does this object add to our personal growth?  I know that with a nice fountain pen and notebook, I write more, think more about what I'm writing. Writing becomes meditative, prayer-like, healing.  For others, that same money might lead to similar fulfillment if it were spent on a good comptuer.  I have had the same knives and pans for the last 25 years.  The quality and performance is well beyond the "outrageous" price I paid for them back then.  They make cooking a joyful and even at time artful experience.  And though I'm far from being a clothes horse, I do tend to pay more for quality shirts and pants that will hold up to my daily walks to work and back.

So how about the objects of your own desire? Where's the true value in them?

A wonderful article by Alain de Botton addressing some of these ideas  can be found at

http://www.thebookoflife.org/good-materialism/