"Go Invent Something. That Is The American Message..."

Maira Kalman's unique visual blogging style is such a welcome addition to the NY Times that whenever I see a new post from her, I feel as glad as if she'd sent it to me personally. First she visited the Supreme Court, then Thomas Jefferson's historic home, and now she's composed a tribute to founding father Benjamin Franklin. I always feel really busy and productive until I read about people like Franklin (or Kalman, for that matter). And yet, as the artist points out, Franklin's immense achievements never compromised his joie de vivre.

Initially I was disappointed that I'd already found someone else to be the King of Wands, but the more I browsed through Kalman's insights about Franklin, the more obvious it became that the manifesting concrete, practical results was the man's true gift. Though he was ever a dreamer and a philosopher, he was also quick to remind us that "A penny saved is a penny earned."

The King of Coins enjoys mastery over the most evident realms of reality. He toils and lives sensually, trusts his senses implicitly, in fact. He reigns in his fantasies, yoking them alongside his ambition so that together they pull his plow and feed his family. Most of us aspire to take better care of ourselves, earning our maturity the hard way -- for the King of Coins, maturity is a natural talent, like being left-handed.

Drawing this card doesn't necessarily mean that you're a latent inventor-genius on the verge of founding a new nation (though I do hope that turns out to be the case). However, you can count on the King to help you locate the point in your world where inspiration and obligation intersect. If you settle down at that crossroads for a while, you'll be in an excellent position to pluck ideas out of the aether and point them in the most practical directions possible. As the King, your decisions will wield power -- you're inventing reality for yourself and all who rely on you. Kalman leaves us with these stirring thoughts:

"Everything is invented.
Language. Childhood. Careers.
Relationships. Religion.
Philosophy. The Future.
They are not there for the plucking.
They don't exist in some natural state.
They must be invented by people.
And that, of course, is a great thing.
Don't mope in your room.
Go invent something.
That is the American message..." [Via]

Previously On Arcanalogue: The King Of Coins