So, you're living under a fascist regime.

That's too bad. But don't give up.

In honor of the forthcoming holiday, a timely question from this week’s querent: “My country has succumbed to a (freely elected!) fascist regime. Help! What can and should I do?”

Questions like these call for strong, unequivocal answers, which we can rely on this deck to provide:

The Star: The Star card is all about hope. Succeeding the Tower, which represents the catastrophic toppling of structures and institutions (i.e., democracy), the Star is here to assure us all is not lost. As trite and feeble as it may sound, hold onto hope right now. Hope is, in fact, our only hope. Yes, you’re disappointed in the dogged determination of your species to never learn, and the 77 million of your compatriots who willingly chose the destruction of everything the country was founded on to escape and resist. There’s no way around it: it sucks. But remember: millions of people voted for competency and basic human decency. The resistance is strong. And, however dire things are, we’ll all be dead in 100 years and this will be just another ugly stain on humanity. Cold comfort, but sometimes that’s what’s on offer. Perspective is important. Which brings us to:

The Universe: Designated the World in most other decks, it’s the final card in the Major Arcana (the 22 cards in the tarot that deal with the big-picture, universal themes). In the context of this reading, it points to the need to maintain perspective. The world is old and vast and full of evil, corrupted regimes that have risen and fallen, just as this one will—eventually—fall. Its spearhead, after all, is old and ill-cared for. Evil may have a long shelf life, but it’s not immortal. There may also be a more literal component to this card in this case—try, if you can, to get out into the larger world, in whatever capacity you’re able to. The U.S. is a superpower, and the impact of the foul goings-on is inescapable. But instead of escape, focus on broadening your horizons by entering into a larger awareness of the global collective. Travel works wonders. And it gives you the opportunity to represent your deeply flawed nation in a better light.

Three of Swords: This card is all about betrayal and heartbreak, which you’re no doubt experiencing in the current political climate. Will you too choose to succumb to this? Or will you hold onto hope and perspective? It’s up to you.

Maybe this advice amounts to so much mealy-mouthed pablum. So what? Sometimes solid food is in short supply. As is original thought. The problems at hand, after all, are not new, and they will never altogether take their leave of our sorry lot. At the end of the day, sometimes what there is to do is to decide to either lay down and die over it, or endure. So, endure! Whatever endurance paves the way for (or doesn’t), it’s better than admitting defeat.

Don’t let the bastards grind you down.