Since the High Priestess card is all about hidden knowledge, I thought I would create a quick spread to become more aware of things I may have been blind to recently. Of course, once I picked my cards I knew this wouldn't be a quick reading. The vibe I got from my cards was very heavy and serious. You should also be aware of any gut reactions or feelings that pop up when you first look at your cards in a reading. These intuitive emotions will really guide you on the right path of interpreting your cards.
What is hidden about my situation that I need to become more aware of? Justice
How can I become more aware? The Hermit
The Justice card always has very serious implications for me. This card represents the law, balance, truth, and fairness. We usually associate this with our court of law. As someone who always follows rules and laws and takes truth and equity very seriously, this card always feels so intense when I see it in a reading for myself.
I need to be more aware of the consequences of my actions and I really need to become aware of how equity really plays out in my classroom. The sword represents the decisions and actions I make and the balance represents the equity. As the person on the throne, I am in charge not only of being the judge, jury, and an executioner to my students, but I must also be a role model of someone who is fair, rational, and impartial. However, at the same time, things can't always be fair and balanced in the traditional sense. Sometimes you can't apply the same "laws" in all situations. Sometimes you need to takes things on a case by case basis and really take in all of the facts before making a judgement.
So what might this actually look like in my classroom?
For example, I have a grading policy and homework counts for X amount. I also have a policy on having homework with you physically in the class at the time I am collecting it. But I also teach 8th graders. And responsibility, maturity, and focus are some of their biggest challenges as their brains are changing and developing. In my early years as a teacher, I was completely rigid. If you stepped into my class, you better have had your homework or too bad. I didn't want to hear sob stories of "I left it in my locker" or "I forgot it in my last class." Everything with me was very black and white. I had no time or energy to deal with shades of gray. As a result, the energy in my classroom wasn't great. I had my students' fear, but I didn't really have their respect. They didn't feel valued as people and individuals and I'll admit I just saw them as students whose job it was to comply with my demands and follow my rules and regulations to the letter. As I've gotten older and wiser, I've learned to develop better relationships with my students based on respect and understanding. That doesn't mean I let them get away with everything, but it does mean that it is my job to treat them all fairly by treating them as individuals and guiding them on the right path to make good choices without just marking them down in my grade book for making typical childhood mistakes.
Another way this could manifest is in terms of the role educators play as mediators in their classrooms. Middle school students are pretty volatile as the amygdala in their brains takes center stage at this time. As a result, they often get into fights with students and their teachers over seemingly petty things from time to time. As the adult, it is my job to be rational and reasonable and to hear both sides of the story during a student vs. student argument and to keep perspective when a student is unhappy with me. This can be challenging as I am still a human being with my own emotions to deal with, but nevertheless I must keep my head and be the voice of reason.
So I think the Justice card is asking me to take the time to really sit down once again and reevaluate how I conduct business in my classroom. Maybe I need to reevaluate my grading policy or my classroom procedures. Or maybe I need to be more aware of the classroom dynamics at play among my students and really observe how they interact with one another. This way I can see who is displaying signs of bullying behavior or who is showing signs of being overly sensitive and taking offense when none is meant.
So how can I be more aware? This is where my good friend The Hermit comes in. I really enjoy this card and not just because he represents my sun sign Virgo. This is the wise sage who trusts his inner wisdom and follows his beacon of light. He is often reclusive and likes to be alone to follow his own individual path. I also feel he leads by example.
So what this suggests to me is that I need to make more time to do some soul-searching and to really look deep inside myself for the answers. The justice situation in my classroom can only be handled by my own introspection. Now is not the time to get advice from other teachers and administrators. These are my students, the ones I see every day. Even the teachers on my team who share the same kids don't have the same 30 kids in a classroom, so their dynamics are different from mine. So I need to silently observe and then find my own answers and my own truth. This time of evaluation needs to happen every year, as I will never have the same dynamics as I will have a totally different set of personalities in front of me next year!
The Hermit is also a deeply spiritual card. So I can't rely on what I have learned in books and from others regarding this situation. Instead, I must rely on my own experiences, my own emotions, and follow my own path.
So the High Priestess spread is not a fast and easy spread. This is a spread that needs special attention as you will be digging deep into what is going on underneath the surface of your teaching. So I recommend carving out some special time to do this reading where you can have peace and quiet to be reflective. I hope you get very insightful guidance.
All my best,
Amy
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