Two of Pentacles, Knight of Knives, and the Devil

I am trying a different type of reading today. It’s more free association than definitional. 

You are under a lot of pressure, and while you may achieve balance for a time, it invariably falls apart. The character in the reversed Two of Pentacles (by Martinique Fisher) finds themselves in the middle of two crowds, one of which is calling for their doom. When you are pushed into imbalance, you act. The Knight of Knives (by Cat Rocketship) shows swift, powerful action. You spend a lot of time and resources bringing yourself back into balance. 

The cycle repeats, or at least the Devil says so.

The Devil (by Xaviera Lopez) hints at something larger. Losing balance, cracking under pressure, and then taking steps to restore that system. You hold on to balance again, until you crack. The illusion may be that you feel the cycle (and the balance) must be maintained. The Devil could hint at a darker coping mechanism. 

Zoom out and look. What cycles of behavior are you in? How do they help? How do they hurt? How much energy do you spend to maintain those systems? How do you cope when you crash out?

There is no shame in maintaining rules, systems, heuristics, or behavior cycles. You can’t analyze every situation as if it were new 100% of the time. Humans don’t have that capacity. We make rules and systems so we can spend our efforts on other things. Systems and rules that you follow become problematic when they require more energy to maintain than what they save. These systems may not serve you now, but they have in the past. It’s ok to honor that as you look toward new horizons. If you feel stuck—like you can leave a system that costs you too much—that’s ok too. Change can feel impossible, but it may be within your grasp. Just like the figures on the Devil, the chains may feel permanent, but they are big enough to slip off if only those characters would realize it.