Jack of Many Trades

Divination Deck: Phoenix, Soft-type

Originally posted: 2014-01-12

AmberThe second Firebird card is the soft-type card, in which the energy of the Firebird is tempered by incarnation. In terms of the universe where this deck originally came from, the Firebird and the Dragon both are powerful, ancient forces who remember the beginning of the world. They began seeking incarnation after their first conflict with the forces of entropy. (We'll see them later in the position of the hard-type elements.) Incarnation limits their power considerably, as they can only do so much without damaging or destroying their mortal hosts. At the same time, incarnation allows them to see the world through the eyes of someone who understands it in an entirely different way, to affect the movements of human culture, and also to be shielded in many ways from their enemies.

The Firebird incarnate, then, is generally a person whose nature allows her to mesh well with the Firebird. She may naturally embody the softer, more reactive and yielding nature of the Firebird, the healer or diplomat, or she may embody the fire of change and rebirth and the necessary destruction that goes with it. I use female pronouns here, but she doesn't have to be female either physically or in identification.

The soft-type Firebird card may represent a person who fits this criteria. If so, she has a tendency to make rash choices but never gives in if they don't work out. She believes she deserves to live passionately, in whatever way she thinks of it. She may be someone who wants to Change the World and do Important Things but has had trouble staying on task. If the card doesn't represent a specific outside person, she may represent some or all of these instincts in the querant, or she may represent a situation where your instincts are telling you to act up but you would be best served by yielding or letting others have what they think they want. You can end up on top by staying where you are if your opponent is actually headed downhill.