Let's Talk About Agency

The notion of “agency” has captured my attention. The term means being in control of one’s life and psychologically grounded in who you are, even in the face of change or challenges. It requires self-reflection and a concerted effort to stay focused on your standards not someone else's, even a parent. Many people are dependent on another, or crave approval and recognition which can make this self-regulating condition more difficult. As a twin, I understand the confusion around one's sense of self. Often, we don't know who we are deep down inside or what we really want.

The strength of our agency comes from within. For most of us it is a process of continuous development, regardless of the circumstances. Admittedly, there are degrees of self-assuredness. If expectations are too high there is a tendency to become overly critical and empty oneself of confidence. If you are a sucker who gets pushed around you have zero agency. For example: Many House Republicans knowingly communicate false narratives to appease Donald Trump. They are useful fools for a wannabe dictator but unsuitable leaders for American democracy.

Let's talk about people who exhibit having agency. Taylor Swift is a global phenomenon. Yet she has spoke about her isolation and personal struggles. Houston Texans' quarterback CJ Stroud took his team to the playoffs and made the Pro-Bowl in his NFL rookie year contrasted to Johnny Manziel, a stellar college football player for Texas A&M whose off the field controversies contributed to an unsuccessful career as a NFL quarterback.

Most of us are not superstars. Some are inflicted with low self-esteem and relinquish their agency to a person who may take advantage of them. I have empathy for people whose lack of self worth haunts them with sleepless nights. When you recognize an opportunity to make decisions for yourself or not seek someone's approval: Just do it!

Inch-by-inch, step-by-step, a key to reclaim one's agency is to be a better communicator. Here, I address my readers and "talk" in a figurative sense. Although, some might even hear the words in their head while reading. David Abram in his book, "The Spell of the Sensuous" considers this is a form of synasthesia, where "sensory information in the brain triggers unrealated senses that are experienced simultaneously". Humans have this profound gift of language which helps us to survive, and more. It is imperative we find our voice and personal style of expression to get what we need. Most folks do not resort to the uncivilized behavior of murderers or thieves to satisfy their desires. In our everyday work world conversations are a two-way street but not in an armed robbery.

Let's consider the situation of an over abundance of agency. It can lead to smugness, and apathy for people. "According to David Brooks, author and columnist at the New York Times, a mere 30% of people worldwide are adept question askers. He attributes this deficiency to a lack of basic curiosity about others. The skills of listening well, expressing oneself clearly, asking open questions, and being able to respectfully engage in conversation are critical to learning and life." - Adam Fischer, Head of the Rashi School, a place of Jewish learning for children.

I am reminded of the tarot card, The Magician. Its beneficial aspect is manifestation through effective communication which helps us achieve our goals and connect to people. Generally, this card is depicted with the symbols of the four suits of the tarot displayed on a table before a practitioner. These demonstrate his or her resourcefulness. In turn, the figure represents a divine messenger: the Greek god Mercury, an angel, or prophet whose intentions are for the good. A bad aspect of this card is in the misguided use of the power of speech. How we talk to others and especially to ourselves can be destructive or transformative.

In a traditional deck this card is numbered I or 1 in the Suite of Trumps. However, I prefer the tarot's connection to the Hebrew alphabet. Each letter has spiritual, and inherent magical properties of a highly technical nature, not like birthday parties or circus act magicians. The important point is to be mindful of what you say. "Scholars who support the Hebrew etymology say the incantation "abracadabra" is a corruption of the Hebrew, ebrah k’dabri, meaning 'I will create as I speak,' ie that the act of speech will magically create new realities" (Rabbi Julian Sinclair's article in The Jewish Chronicle, 2018).

The Magician card lines up with the 2nd Hebrew letter, “Bet". Her numerical value is also 2, and she sounds like "b" as in book or at times like "v" as in "vault". Symbolically, she represents a house, a profoundly personal term which can signify protection. Decades ago one of my anthropology professors, Charles Laughlin likened a pseudoscientific therapeutic method to modern day magic. It initially arose from studies of "excellent communicators and agents of change" such as Milton Erickson, and Virginia Satir. It's approach to wellbeing is through altering one's thoughts and behavior, such as pay acute attention to how you talk to others and what you say to yourself. Another technique is to perceive and understand the subtle clues gleaned from non-verbal communication. For example notice a person's facial expressions, posture, tone of voice, and eye movements to give you a more complete picture of what they try to convey.

However, this method also has a dark side. If you're unscrupulous about gaslighting other people, and have the ability to read body language, an adept practitioner can manipulate the thoughts and behavior of those who are impressionable and vulnerable. Be extra careful of people who enjoy dominating others. Trust your gut instincts and intuition about these individuals. Stay far away from them, or minimize your contact as best you can.

There are visualization techniques to help you claim your agency. One is to imagine nestled in the hollow of the Hebrew letter Bet. Feel you are at "home" and decorate it as you like. It is a safe haven to express yourself in imaginary talks with people you have a troubled relationship. It is where you can develop, rehearse, and prepare for any possible backlash you may get when you do meet up in real-time. Contemplate a positive outcome. Now, you are ready to speak up for yourself. Also, for those folks who remember their dreams pay attention to images of houses, buildings, or what seems to be homes. Notice the mood and atmosphere accompanying these structures too. These symbols in your dream-theater can indicate your inner state of security, and sense of agency.

Street Tarot

God -King, Macho-Man

It appears there is an unparalleled preference for an authoritarian strongman around the world and, unfortunately, here too in the United States. Given the tough-guy subject matter of this blog, I took the gloves off, don't pull my punches, and name names. So be prepared.

What some call "Trump-porn" on social media showcases fantastical images of this hard-core criminal as a beefed-up Adonis wrapped in an American flag, or soaring with eagles amongst the clouds, Sky God like. While he occupied the Oval Office the myth of his supercharged masculinity was maintained with high testosterone, angry rallies, and magnified by his youthful, soft-porn wife and their young son. Machismo in a strongman has to discharge its heated energy somehow and now Donald has out maneuvered and verbally manhandled everyone in his way to regain the office and, perhaps, help himself stay out of prison. Hence, his milquetoast detractors and former friends, now foes, are reduced to writing books to express how much they loath the man, or are under indictment for crimes centered around him.

The recent Haberman, Savage, and Swan article in the New York Times about what another Trump term as "President" would be like failed to take into account the pseudo-religious 2nd coming of Trumpism and its inevitable goal. Within his base is a fervor the journalist and pundits wrongly term a cult of personality. Actually, it is more akin to a devotional cult. As pastor, Charles Pace said, “Donald Trump is the anointed of God. He is the battering ram that God is using to bring down the Deep State of Babylon.” Even Trump's campaign made a direct link between himself and David Koresh, the American cleric of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect of the Seventh Day Advents, and infamous for the siege at Waco, Texas, the very place Trump kicked off his 2024 presidential campaign.

In addition, he brought the telegenic, female televangelist, Paula White into the White House during his 1st occupation. As the chair of his evangelical advisory board, she appealed to and could fundraise off America's post-Jesus, white nationalists who were attracted to her prosperity theology. For his part, he anointed, excuse me, he nominated anti-abortion judges to the Supreme Court and federal bench, and levied a policy assault on asylum seekers, immigrants, and minorities. In return, Paula helped amplify his "halo effect" to ensure this religious right-wing base would give him their money, vote, and eventually their loyalty and forgiveness for his criminal conduct. It doesn't matter if he's convicted, and incarcerated, although a small group of evangelicals have recently pledged support for someone who is not under indictment.

You see, most MAGAs have bestowed on a singular man the designation reserved for the divine right of European kings. Trump's charisma is undeniable, but coupled with a self-serving deification would enshrine him with total unaccountability by any American institution; not by Congress, the courts, or opposing voters. In fact, there will be no opposition. The executive branch will be stacked with "yes" people in a regime where facts and law are considered mostly irrelevant. All that would matter is the diabolical scheme to ensure Trump and his kind will reign forever. Certainly, a man or woman who loves power more than country will weld it through the Insurrection Act, which grants a President, as the Commander in Chief, the ability to call up the US military to quell a domestic insurrection or an invasion. This order is not reviewable by the courts. So, keep the God-King Macho-Man image in mind when you hear Trump's toxic, uber-masculine rhetoric as he wages a stochastic terrorism assault on the supremacy of the Constitution of the United States, our rule of law, and anyone who gets in his way.

I am reminded of the tarot card, The Emperor, who expresses a divine and earthly authority. Traditionally depicted as a man wearing a crown and adorned in other regalia as he sits on a throne, this card is the IV or 4th in the Suit of Trumps that begins with 0 and ends at 21. I prefer the sequencing and equivalence to the Hebrew alphabet, which is numbered 1-22 and renders this card associated with the 5th letter, “Hei", which sounds like an “h” as in "hay". Her numerical value is also 5, and the symbolic/spiritual meanings are "Window” “To Behold” and “Light”. These three terms also demonstrate The Emperor’s positive qualities, such as a charismatic, benevolent leader whom people long to connect to and foresee a bright future in his reign. Other favorable terms are; "Father figure, Generous protector, Law and order”. However, The Emperor's negative aspects include “Control freak, Immaturity, Little to no moral and ethical discipline, Lawlessness, Loss of formal authority, Highly manipulative. Mean, Revengeful". Of course, the Emperor card can relate to a woman, however, these dark traits remind me of a would-be Emperor Trump. He is a sociopathic man who lacks compassion and empathy, a void his fans excuse as being only for sissies and not for strongmen. Although, for supposedly being a rich strongman, he sure acts as a poor, besieged victim.

Back to Trump; remember when he was referred to as, "The Donald". It was telling about his noble sense of himself. There is a similar grammatical structure for the word "the" in the Hebrew language and it involves the letter Hei. When she begins a noun it amplifies the standard word she is attached to and turns it's meaning into something extra special. For example, Jews no longer pronounce the Tetragrammaton, or the Holy 4-letter Hebrew name of God, in blessings or prayers. Instead it's replaced by the word, Adoni or Lord. In everyday speech some use the term HaShem, which starts with a Hei and means, "The Name” where the Hei elevates the noun so "The Name" is God, and not to be used in vain.

The Emperor card teaches us to take heed of the kind of people we are drawn to as leaders. This person is a window to the level of civilization and humanity within one's heart. Does he emulate your morals and ethics, or do you turn a blind eye to a hard-core criminal's crimes and corruption? Will this individual lead you to have a balanced and safe life, or take you down the dark side of the street, lie to you, and then steal your wallet and perhaps your wife? So, ask yourself; who is in charge of your life? Are you stepping over your own red lines and principles to follow him?

Street Tarot

Love?

It's telling how we devote February 14th to romance, and not to the platonic love for friends, family, or group with a similar belief or conviction. The main focus of this singular day appears to be on the male as gift-giver. Why is that? Of course, there are economic advantages, as cliches of love are on full display. Protocol requires sending Valentine's Day cards, chocolates, red hearts or roses, and dinner dates are made for the special occasion. This seminal day demands a full-on demonstration of unconditional love. It keeps the romantic myth alive in our society and highlights why we long to find and hold onto "The One".

In Genesis 1: 27, God initially created one being, an androgynous being. Midrash, or Rabbinic exegesis explains a male/female were fused together back-to-back to create Adam, which means "human". This Hebrew word is generally translated as "man". God desired for face to gaze upon face and so this human was separated into two. Biblically speaking, to be considered a human necessarily requires both maleness and femaleness in each of us. Metaphorically, our sex is just a "garment" of a predominant gender. The severance into two beings allows reproduction to occur and Eve gives birth to three male infants.

Our primal hermaphroditic nature is recognized in the Torah and other classic Kabbalistic texts, as well by Karl Jung, the Swiss psychoanalyst, in his notion of the opposing sexual archetypes the "anima" or"animus" in our unconscious. And medical science's discovery that the gender-stimulating hormones testosterone and estrogen are produced in all of us to varying degrees also confirms our dual gender character traits.

Let's briefly consider what constitutes a good vs. evil relationship. It is actually a sophisticated subject, which is why we often get dating and marriage wrong. With 14-years of experience as a federal criminal appeals attorney, I’ve come across a few “seducers”. These hard-core guys employ sweet, pillow talk to get girlfriends to be "mules” and smuggle drugs onto planes and across State borders. I’ve handled cases were being in love ended by serving 10-years in prison due to mandatory minimum sentences. It is both a sham and a shame. Many folks are impressionable and there are plenty of master manipulators to take advantage of them. This is what constitutes an evil romance.

Eventually, the human, Adam was molded out of the earth and brought alive through the breath of God, while a mate was cloned from a rib and then re-formed. It was only then Adam was identified in Hebrew as ish or man, and his mate was referred to as ishah or woman. The feminine seems to imply a man with a womb. Anyway, unlike Eve and her guy, we have parents but must search for our “Soul Mate”, and recreate a divine union. Through a civil marriage our legal family is born and property can get passed through it. Allegedly, finding the "The One" means they will now have our backs no matter what! This kind of romance is good. Even a flawed or bad affair is okay if we learn from our mistakes, and forgive others, even ourselves. Most importantly, is that we recognize con artists and know not to get intimately involved with them.

I am reminded of the tarot card, The Lovers. Usually depicted with a naked man and woman or children, plus a couple whose clothes and coloring are opposite to each other, while a monkish, angelic-like figure hovers above. Generally, this card means love, harmony, and choice in relationships. In a traditional deck, which is numbered from 0-21, it is VI or 6 in the Suit of Trumps. However, I prefer the tarot's association to the Hebrew alphabet that goes from 1-22. The Lovers aligns with the 7th letter, Zayin, her numerical value is also 7 and she sounds like “zebra”. Her symbolic meaning is a sword. She is also the name of the male sex organ, since Zayin means "penis” in Hebrew. Images of this letter and the tarot card, The Lovers are posted on the website’s Street Smarts page.

I want you to contemplate these three words for a moment: lovers, sword, penis. What comes to mind? Now think of the sacred in this context. Many cultures have religious circumcision ceremonies for males, although how it is performed may vary. An obvious interpretation of the three words is the male as protector. Now reconsider them without attaching a sense of holiness to any word. The image in your mind's eye may be emblematic of a man exerting power over a woman, of disharmony, and hate.

Rape, forced prostitution, and sexual abuse can be weapons of war, although strictly forbidden under the Geneva Conventions. These are international laws of binding treaties and protocols for humanitarian treatment in times of armed conflicts, either domestic or involving multiple nations. A recent example of violations of these longstanding agreements is when men of Gaza Strip's Hamas sexual assaulted and massacred more than a thousand innocent Israelis on October 7th. No amount of love for a cause, love for a god, or love for a leader can justify this barbaric conduct. It is evil and should never be defended, excused, or rationalized as purposeful and good.

Street Tarot