“Pride goeth before the fall.”

Adapted from Biblical Proverbs 16:18

Symbols & Color

• Open Hand with Flame of Spirit: Priest Set
• Dragon’s Head: Chief Feature Group
• Pharaoh” Exalted Orientation
• The Heart: Inspiration Axis
• Color: Purple – Priest Set

Implications of the Upright Position or Positive Pole

In Japan, women who were elevated as a symbol of superior status were the Geisha. For centuries, only men of wealth and power could “enjoy” the trappings of elegance a Geisha could provide. But for the women themselves, masked behind the white painted skin and decorated as an object of status and desire, it was often one of the only ways they themselves might climb the ranks of society. Geisha is a term which has connotations of both performer and server. I chose this image because the person in the positive pole of Arrogance takes pride in their presentation. A perfected appearance (usually within some fashion standard) is a key tactic to present an unassailable or detached front, keeping their real vulnerabilities hidden. The Geisha employ a posed “Giaconda Smile” as if borrowed from Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. It is aloof, alluring, and protected by an air of mystery. The intent of Pride is to display dignity and propriety but in a formal and impersonal way. In this pole, there can be beauty, but it is crafted, as is the porcelain decorated skin of the Geisha. As a spiritual lesson and motivator, it enhances feelings of worth such that a person’s havingness, status and self esteem are elevated. In the positive pole, it can be crutch creating a persona that projects an air of perfection and highly polished veneer. It makes them believe that if they are perfect then they might be loveable. Of course, a genuine show of pride can
accompany someone who presents themselves with grace, poise, and self control; and still appear a true poser!

Card messages in the Illuminated position.

+ Pride

(Dignity, invested, quiet, aloof, shy, charming, smug, self-confident, stylish, superior, elite, solipsism, decorum, formality, prestige, esteem, merit, poise)

1. Sometimes, one has earned their bragging rights. Take a victory lap and receive your laurels.
2. Dignity is more important than pride. And truth is more important than being right. Sort these out now and much damage will be avoided.
3. Take pride in your work. Show your best and stand for no less in return.
4.  Aloofness or false humility may hide a shy person who uses poise and emotional detachment to protect themselves. Is someone’s pride at stake or are they just too superior to notice? Make sure to save face.
5. Don’t mistake shyness for aloofness. Some gentle souls are merely uncertain and need reassurance.
6. Sometimes, one has earned their bragging rights. Take a victory lap and receive your laurels.
7. Pride generates esteem for the Ego. Your Ego is your watch dog. Feed it by giving it a well-deserved bone, pat it on the head and say, “good dog!” Ego is not your enemy, but you must be a kind master.
8. Dignity is more important than Pride. One is inner the other appears outer. And Truth is more important than being right. Sort those out here and much damage will be avoided.
9. Inner Dignity is the inner precursor of Pride. When you acquire a sense of genuine right to be alive and having earned whatever of life rewards you may have acquired, then you have a reasonable claim for inner peace. Appreciate, don’t exaggerate. 
10. Standing in truth, that which you can emotionally draw strength from, will serve you by forgoing any need to take offense or defend your virtue. You are secure in yourself.
11. God Bless author Jane Austen for illuminating this important distinction, “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” Pride is an effort to produce valid love for the Self (+Card 56) and displaying oneself in accordance with it. But vanity is a need of an insecure Ego (- Card 56) to have others fill in the gaps where we feel vulnerable to our own judgments of ourselves.

Quotes reflecting the meaning in this pole

• Dr. King said – “Cowardice asks ‘is it safe?’, ‘expediency asks ‘is it politic?’, vanity asks ‘is it popular?’, but conscience asks ‘is it right?’. Quoted by Tavis Smiley from his book: Death of a King
• “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”― T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph

Card messages associated with Shadow position.

– Vanity

(Narcissism, poser, shielded, detached, condescending, contemptuous, pretentious, disdain, hubris, conceit, airs, loftiness, hauteur, braggadocios, bitchen)

1. Vanity hates to loose face. Appearances and a sense of  “being above it all” hides a deep insecurity about being vulnerable to insult. Step lightly because someone’s hiding.
2. Vanity is ego indulgent and extols a superior air toward others. It berates what it deems less-than and is seldom satisfied. Highly insecure by nature, it habits can lead to neurosis. Is the integrity of the situation teetering on someone receiving undeserved praise?
3. Avoid pedestals placing yourself, or someone else, on one. Falling off one can be painful!
4. The problem with arrogance is the invitation to pretention. Admitting to a mistake or limitation might feel awkward inwardly, but outwardly, it will save you a lot of grief if you are exposed.
5. “No pearls before swine” is an adage anyone copping a superiority complex might assail upon another. Sometimes, it is warranted.
6. Vanity hates to lose face. Appearances and a sense of ‘being above it all’ hides a deep insecurity about feeling vulnerable to insult. Step lightly because someone is hiding. Who is it?

Quotes reflecting the meaning in this pole

• “Pride goeth before the destruction. A haughty spirit before the fall.” Proverbs 16:18 – on the Sin of Pride
• “Charisma is almost always misleadership, partly because it covers up the lack of substance partly because it creates arrogance, and partly because it creates paranoia if you’re not successful.” Peter Drucker, management professor, in Moyers’ A World of Ideas, p.404
• “Post Modernism is an incredulity toward meta-narratives (those stories which help us organize our lives) with a tendency toward skepticism, irony, sophisticated or arrogant pessimism that anything real has value.” – Definition of Post Modernism by Jean Francios Lyotard

Relevance in the Orthodox Michael Teaching (MT)

In the original Michael Teaching book, Message From Michael, Arrogance, it was said, had a certain “survival value” in social relations. The the more confident one could appear within a group hierarchy, the more likely they were assured of of power and status. In the modern world, we see that this stance of a formal, polished, outer shell, it can be both a genuine style but also posturing for effect. Nonetheless, the entirety of this Ego stance is the fear of loss of face, or image diminishment.

As the Inspirational – Exalted Chief Feature, feelings of value and vulnerability to inadequacy are at play in the person struggling with this Ego defense. It can default to a sense of lofty self appraisal and earned or unearned self confidence. Its effect is to see look at the world situations in a most emotionally driven and inspirational way. Like its counterparts the Priest, Growth, and Spiritualist, its purview is broad and sometimes mystical.

Cultural Meaning in Applied Michael (AMA)

Lorem Ipsem udson,

You might have this Overleaf if…

1. Secretly you are afraid of being discovered, exposed or vulnerable.
2. You can relate to, and feel you need to hide, Imposter Syndrome.

by Stephen Cocconi ©2011, Updated 2024

For a Motivation Card Reading or Channeled Consultation call: 209.768-4956 or email Stephen at channeling@themichaelteaching.com