Leadership comes in many forms.  A good leader balances the need to guide followers in a new direction with the importance of also guarding the welfare of those followers.

Maternity is all about being fully alive.  It is a period of growing, transition, and of new beginnings in the journey of life.  All of humanity has been conceived, born and nourished of women.

The only constant in life is change.  The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice.”  And sometimes a small change can tip the redirection of an entire river.

Arthur C. Clarke famously once said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”  And yet, knowing how the magic works doesn’t necessarily diminish its wonder.

Whether as kids playing king-of-the-hill, as adults maneuvering for business or political gain, or in outright combat, it is important to hold your ground and defend your gains.

The universe is always changing.  Karma is a Sanscrit word meaning “action,” tied to the belief that changes occur in cosmic cycles, and the idea that everything in the universe happens for a reason.

Energy put into important undertakings may sometimes require patience and trust to pay off.  The world wasn’t built in a day, and long-term goals need the same perseverance.

Fear and ignorance are powerful forces that drive many people to do extreme things.  Digging through to understand hidden underlying reasons is often a vital first step to changing such situations.

During the Renaissance, a petty thief might be shamed in a public stockade.  A nobleman who broke a business deal might be shamed by being publicly dangled inverted, or even just painted as such.

Following in the wake of the sometimes chaotic dynamics of a large group operation, a single leader may need to emerge to gather support and help the group coalesce around a common goal.

Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them.”

When seeking knowledge, always be aware of its source.  A school, a church, a professional speaker, a guru or just a friend, even if their information is correct, may have a larger agenda.

Never regret a day in your life. Good days can give happiness, but even bad days can build experience. Worst days can still offer lessons, while best days can create cherished memories.

There is an ancient but well-known saying among sailors: A good seaman weathers the storms he cannot avoid, and avoids the storms he cannot weather.

Rods represent energy in its many forms, including action, creativity, desire, passion and spirituality. It is the suit of ambition, drive, enterprise, initiative and risk-taking.

The author Christan Nestell Bovee once wrote, “The method of the enterprising is to plan with audacity, and execute with vigor; to sketch out a map of possibilities, then to treat them as probabilities.”

The poet Henry David Thoreau once asked, “Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed? If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.”

There is a French expression “entre chien et loup” (literally “between dog and wolf”) that evokes the uncertainty over whether something new and mysterious will turn out to be friendly or hostile.

Actions have consequences. Some consequences can be immediate and obvious. And sometimes, choosing to act for a short-term gain may overlook a potential long-term result.

Patience is a virtue, but some choices have a time limit.  If our doubts keep us from making an important decision that may involve change, a great opportunity may be missed.