VIC. I.T VIR (VICTA JACET VIRTUS) / Virtue Lies Defeated
Note: This drawing from Arturo Reverte's The Club Dumas book may be similar to some other real-life tarot cards, but I want to comment about the title of the card. The original drawing is actually a knight with the sword in the Archangel Michael position (a halo of light around his head) ready to cut a woman (not a monk) down.
This picture simply tells us two things:
1. A good man in form of the monk gets beaten down a knight with club - where good gets beat down by unjust people. Sounds like life is unfair and cruel to us. The actual drawing is having a knight with a sword in the pose of Archangel Michael ready to strike down a kneeling woman.
2. The wheel of fortune at behind shows of the cycle of reign (past, present and future). In the counter-clockwise direction, the man in facing up shows of "I Will Reign", while on the man on top shows "I Reign", and the head down position shows "I've Already Reigned".
There is also another meaning here:
The traveler whose consciousness reflects the level of Netzach/lower feeling will find that his emotional response to the 'ups' and 'downs' of life is colored by his ego's assessment as to whether what is happening to him is 'just' or 'unjust'. If he believes that the experience is 'unjust', he will feel victimized by powers that are apparently beyond his control and may come to believe that there is no moral order in the world or that the world is actually 'evil'. If he believes that his experience is 'just', he may draw the conclusion that by behaving in accordance with certain rules, he can control what happens to him in the future. For example, he may expect that good behavior will result in favorable experience ('favorable' as defined by the ego, of course). Notice that the two perceptions are extreme opposites -- the belief is either that the individual has no control over what happens to him (and this is perceived as 'evil'), or that the individual has absolute control over what happens to him (and this is perceived as 'good'). From the ego's perspective, the most important thing is that it always be 'in control'. If it perceives that it is *not* 'in control', it feels that it is being 'victimized'.
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I tend to notice some similarities in Malaysia as with what is explained above and in the card. Sunday's clampdown on the outlawed Hindraf activists by the police in several states tend prompted some commentary on what is happening in Malaysia's society. Some would say that freedom has been stifled, some say that the level of freedom entitled has not reached to the accepted point although there is. But this is where how a virtue lies defeated.
If you see a knight beats down a monk, it's like a police coming in down and arresting people for non-violent crimes, crimes that do not make sense, crimes that violate the moral code. Sound's unjust, yes. Let's recall first hand, what is the definition of virtue? Virtue means moral excellence, a trait that is morally excellent and thus valued as a foundation of principle and good being.
We also look at the wheel. This also reflects on what is happening in Malaysia. Currently BN is running Malaysia, and inevitably someday they will fall eventually. It is clear, that as mentioned in the wheel of fortune picture above, no man or entity is omnipotent. Their slogan of "Now and Forever" seems to challenge the law of nature. There are people wishing for change to happen, but the question posed is when is likely change will be seen? When? Only after disaster strikes? Only when people finally realizes false promises all around? When people finally realize that things have gone wrong and upside down?
because they had objected to the unlawful confiscation of their Hindraf Makkal Sakthi shirts. To continue to detain them for this reason is in complete breach of the law and demonstrates the arbitrary conduct of the police. - N. Surendran's press statement on HRP arrests.
Hindraf tried to tell Malaysia how things go wrong. Instead they were treated as criminals with weapon arms. When they want to leave with their shirts, the police threatened to hold them further in prison. Hindraf fell short of reaching out to the mass reaches. Had they speak to the masses in Bahasa Malaysia, they might have captured the attention of 15 million Malaysians who are Malays - since the bulk of them forms the electorate in Malaysia. When they are arrested, this means that their virtue of doing what is right has been defeated by the evil. A convoy has been assumed as an illegal assembly.
Shouldn't the police pay more attention to getting those violent criminals and the safety on the streets rather than going after people who want to assemble in big groups? Perhaps paranoia has already affected them or what they do puts me into thinking that they are acting on behalf of their political masters who are hell bent to whack the opposition to kingdom come?
Do I support Hindraf? Not entirely, but I see the latest arrest as a virtue being defeated. God is not there on that day? You bet it.
We also look at the wheel. This also reflects on what is happening in Malaysia. Currently BN is running Malaysia, and inevitably someday they will fall eventually. It is clear, that as mentioned in the wheel of fortune picture above, no man or entity is omnipotent. Their slogan of "Now and Forever" seems to challenge the law of nature. There are people wishing for change to happen, but the question posed is when is likely change will be seen? When? Only after disaster strikes? Only when people finally realizes false promises all around? When people finally realize that things have gone wrong and upside down?
because they had objected to the unlawful confiscation of their Hindraf Makkal Sakthi shirts. To continue to detain them for this reason is in complete breach of the law and demonstrates the arbitrary conduct of the police. - N. Surendran's press statement on HRP arrests.
Hindraf tried to tell Malaysia how things go wrong. Instead they were treated as criminals with weapon arms. When they want to leave with their shirts, the police threatened to hold them further in prison. Hindraf fell short of reaching out to the mass reaches. Had they speak to the masses in Bahasa Malaysia, they might have captured the attention of 15 million Malaysians who are Malays - since the bulk of them forms the electorate in Malaysia. When they are arrested, this means that their virtue of doing what is right has been defeated by the evil. A convoy has been assumed as an illegal assembly.
Shouldn't the police pay more attention to getting those violent criminals and the safety on the streets rather than going after people who want to assemble in big groups? Perhaps paranoia has already affected them or what they do puts me into thinking that they are acting on behalf of their political masters who are hell bent to whack the opposition to kingdom come?
Do I support Hindraf? Not entirely, but I see the latest arrest as a virtue being defeated. God is not there on that day? You bet it.
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