"The Answer is Simple" by Sonia Choquette
This deck is the one I turn to when I want something more straightforward than, but just as assertive as the Tarot. I am sometimes inclined to overanalyze situations, and the Tarot can enable this terrible habit by having so many layers of symbolism for my mind to latch onto. So, when I want to be "gentle, but firm" with myself, and make it easy to remain detached, I use the Simple deck.
There are 62 cards. Each is numbered and contains a word or phrase, such as "Stop" or "Decide the outcome." The illustrations are bright, colorful, and playful. They bring light in the form of laughter to a situation, which helps one avoid taking oneself too seriously.
For instance, if a situation requires moderation, one might draw Temperance from the Tarot. In Rider-Waite, Temperance features a very serious-looking angel doing a highly symbolic balancing act with water and cups. There is of course wisdom to be drawn from this card. On the other hand, one could draw "Be Patient" from The Answer is Simple. It shows children lining up at a yellow slide, waiting their turn. It's a refreshing image. Who needs a serious angel? Patience: you've got this. You've been practicing patience since you were a little kid.
Cards illustrate dramas. Sometimes we want our dramas to have great depth of meaning and purpose, but most of the time, dramas are silly things that the ego gets tangled up in needlessly. If you find yourself doing far too many spreads on the same irksome topic, perhaps you should give this deck a try. You may pull card #3, "Drop it", which shows a hot air balloon rising as a woman drops weight from it.
I picked "Drop it" yesterday, and read this handy little insight in the guidebook:
Quote:
"The ego lives in the past and loves to rehash its suffering over and over again. The Spirit, on the other hand, lives in the present and looks to joyful new possibilities every day. What is your ego dwelling on again, distracting you from the joy of the moment? Where is your attention - on your ego or on your Spirit? Are you focusing on the past or the present? What old news of yesterday are you clinging to? Isn't it time to let it go?
Your Spirit is beckoning you to drop the past and focus on the moment, where there's a bright and beautiful present waiting for you. Pay attention to what's in front of you now. Notice the sounds, colors, feelings, people, and events of today. This is the day that will change your life for the better, and you're at great risk of missing out on it - so don't. Look up: Before the day is over, you'll receive a beautiful present... if only you're able to notice what it is."
As a result of taking this advice to heart, I arrived on time and prepared to a lively Nerf game in the snow on my college campus. A baker's dozen people showed up. There is a past in which I was a lonely child, in which I felt worthless and unwanted and truly believed nobody wanted to play with me. So I never played much. Do you know how much that sucks? Yesterday, there was one other woman at the game. The rest were young men. I teamed up with the woman and we died pretty quickly on the first couple rounds of Last Man Standing. But then we got the hang of it. When we played Humans vs. Zombies, we brought down the two final humans - dodging Nerf darts, circling, and diving for them relentlessly while the other zombies kept getting shot and having to run all the way back to the spawn point (In plain English: we pwned).
We took a break before playing Capture the Flag (with Nerf weapons, guys!!) and I had a lot of fun chatting with the other players. During CTF, I aimed like a boss and dodged just as well and saved my teammate's butts a few times. In other words, I played the game and thoroughly enjoyed it! I made some friends, got a good workout, improved my Nerf blowgun skills, and - here's the surprise gift - reminded my ex of why he fell in love with me in the first place. I worried that he was going to get shot or run into a tree while he attempted to gaze longingly into my eyes. I felt like an idiot for ever having been sad. Ever.
Oh. I asked about that ex-in-love-with-me-again situation today and the card said "Be patient." But that's another story, outside the scope of this review.
I will always keep this deck, because it's nice to ask a serious question about a serious topic and receive an answer that makes you smile. Even when it gives advice that's been historically difficult to follow, the lighthearted mood encourages you to try again, and succeed. Why not? The answer is simple. It's a deck to consult when you're a little unsure, but you know you really want to put away the oracles and live a little.
