This is the process of internal tempering through the hammer blows life gives us. As we learn lessons, we become a refined human being with a tempered nature; the harder the knocks, the denser our mettle, and the more we resolve to survive and excel.
Every knock you take, and every turn you take to better yourself, is crafting you into a monstrous-sized star with a refined ego that is glad to be part of the process. We bring together many elements within our life to establish a greater sense of applying our self in the world. These elements could be many things, including projects that require huge amounts of effort to enact, or a degree. When we push through for the betterment of the self, an immovable core is established within. This is not a plumped up ego; it is the core of the personality that defines what we are. We have worked hard with our issues and forged a stronger self.
This is a long process of transformation that is started by the self. It is the effort to command our self to actualize the great demands laid out very early by the initial spark. This card is how we paint ourselves, it is the story we write, it is the way we translate the spark’s desire according to what is acceptable to our mental, emotional, and physical life.
This path is the one where our efforts pay out internal rewards. All the positive steps we take will add to the richness of the personality and ability in the world, and each new step will open our life to new options, and new ways of expressing our self in the world.
Advanced Notes:
The Hebrew letter for this card is ‘Samekh’ meaning ‘prop’. This can be viewed as our great effort to lift the lower self up towards the light that has been guiding us to betterment. We are acknowledging the higher will in our core, and bringing our efforts to the table as if to show that we have heard the messages deep within our psyche. This is no easy task, and we can use the archer depicted on some cards as an analogy. Here we have some one pulling back on their bow and learning through temperance how to adjust their aim until ready to hit their mark. The final process is a speedy one, but the journey can be epic in length.