Good morning!
What may have seemed like a trivial decision in the past led you to a greater understanding for who you are - and when you decided to own your story to engage life with authenticity you discovered your inner-strength and with it - the ability to stay true to yourself.
The crow flies upward using its knowledge of the sky and its intuition in perfect harmony. It does hold expectations for the future as it is only concerned with its actions in the present.
The Justice card sets up the foundation for your situation. Where you are in life today can be traced back to a time when you made a decision - not really knowing what the future would bring only that at the moment it made the most sense. There would be no way of knowing how different your life would be as a result of something that may have seemed so trivial.
An example of this from my own life was the day I teetered back and forth over meeting a friend at a local bar - something we did regularly on Saturdays but I wasn't really feeling up to it that day. However, I felt it in my gut that I needed to go. At the time I thought it was the whiskey calling and perhaps it was time to consider my life choices - but none-the-less I went. I met my daughter's father sitting at the bar that day - I had never met him before - it was a chance meeting. Had I not gone - I would never have had my beautiful daughter ( or the series of headaches that later ensued thanks to a bad marriage - but worth it for her.) I see that moment today not so much as a random encounter - and it wasn't the whiskey that was calling me - it was my future daughter.
If you look back on your life I am sure you too can pull up memories of events that seemed mundane yet at the same time had a lasting impact and sculpted who you are today.
The crow somewhat playfully stands on the snout of a lion. This bird is no bully or brute, instead, it controls through respect - it appreciates the lion's differences and calls out its strengths. The lion signals to the crow that it is comfortable with the crow's position and lets out a big yawn.
At the center of today's reading is Strength. The events of the past have helped you discover an inner power that comes from owning your story. When you accept your strengths and weaknesses together as a whole you are able to understand yourself and what makes you tick. There is comfort in knowing what brings you joy - true joy, what your triggers are for feelings of shame or guilt and how to recognize when they set off bad habits or negative impulses.
With Strength at the center, you have grown into being a person who can walk into a room with complete confidence - you are who you are and your story is no more or less important or valid than anyone else's. It is your ability to check your ego at the door that attracts more opportunities and support from those who wish to help you reach success. Long gone are the days when you may have felt the need to puff up or shrink during a meeting or situation out of fear.
There is an energy surrounds people who embody inner-strength - it's almost tangible and when you call upon it - you will find that you will attract the people or opportunities that will help you move forward.
The crow sits on a branch staring out at the sky. Below the bird is three cups - cups it is very happy with - thank you very much. When a new cup appears the bird sees it for what it is - a distraction and not worth the effort or the trouble to retrieve it.
The Four of Cups is an acknowledgment that you know what works for you and your life and when you encounter a tempting situation you have the ability to see that is little more than a distraction and adds no value to your current situation.
The Four of Cups here plays to your lesser qualities or weaknesses - it may be a friend who tries to goad you into gossiping or an offer to hit the all-you-can-eat buffet three days into your new diet - although initially you may be attracted to the idea - it is because of your inner strength that you politely decline - knowing that no good will come from it.
When you take the time to develop your inner-strength you will gain a deep understanding for what you truly can achieve and which decisions will help you create the life you desire and which ones will slow down your progress by distracting you or keeping you in a cycle that gets you nowhere.
In addition - You may not always be able to know where a decision will lead - but with inner-strength, your intuition is greater and your logical mind will be less clouded by the emotion of fear.
"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain." ~ Vivan Greene
Peace!
MJ
I am working on my Crow Tarot Guidebook - if you enjoy my readings and how I interpret the Tarot - you will love my book!
It's available for preorder here