Gilded Cages Still Have Locks

Photo by Fabio Marciano

The worst gaslighting comes from home. Vulnerability becomes complaint. Mistakes threaten. Wholeness remains a dream.

My life is given, so a debt must be paid.

sit still. look pretty. Say nothing. starve emotionally from compassion and empathy. survive on neglect and shiny things. smile convincingly; it doesn't matter if you don't mean it.

My life is secure, and a debt must be paid.

know the finest silk and the secret doors that open. dance in a glass bubble. Look majestic, but do not fall. Watch the bars close shut, but do not startle. Listen to them cheer.

My safety depends on it, and a debt must be paid.

Years later, I'll watch people look at me in disbelief. There's no way all that could be true. Everyone yearned to dance behind the glass. In these moments, I'll smile and remind myself that even gilded cages still have locks.

But maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought after all.

-

Today’s astrology shows the Moon in Leo. It is also Aries season. Both fire placements, Moon in Leo invites feelings to be expressed openly, while this specific Aries season invites self-advocacy in the form of bold action. The King of Wands also shows up, another fire element within the tarot, and in this particular deck, it’s a symbol of mastered and controlled chaos. The cage may be gilded and locked, but is that the only way out?