The Devil - Why Do Bad Things Happen?

I have to preface this post first off by answering the question I've asked, saying I don't believe the devil has anything to do with why bad things happen. Yes, I certainly do believe there are those who choose to inflict pain and suffering onto others, but the rest is simply life. The sun shines on everyone, as does the rainfall.

The more important question for me is, what do I do about it, that's the hard part.
This card reminds me of how many people have died over the past year and a half, and how illness has taken their lives and presented all kinds of suffering. I know there isn`t anything I can do to change these events, but I`m working toward changing myself and my attitude, and living life on life`s terms. I can do this because I`ve got the freedom to choose. I can either add to the already present chaos, or lessen it.

Having experienced a lot of death in my life I'll be the first to admit, sometimes I really don't cope very well with death, the death of others, and in particular, the death of those I love.  I think it's a combination of PTSD and my cultural conditioning not to talk about death. When it comes to attending funerals I have to force myself to go, and sometimes, more often than not, I stay away, which I know mostly is not the way forward to growth.

The devil symbolizes those fears and beliefs that prevent us from becoming whole people, and from experiencing growth. We are not fully alive, living from this perspective, and are in a kind of emotional bondage, as a result of these fears and beliefs.

In this New Year, here`s to resolving to facing fears and to changing beliefs.

Suffering is meaningless unless you decide otherwise.

- Rabbi Harold Kushner

 

Four of Pentacles - Order Out of Chaos

 "When the student is ready the teacher will appear." This is a statement attributed to a number of sources. It's a wise one regardless of who said it, and it has born out to be true in my life.

 Sometimes the teacher resides within ourselves. We learn from our mistakes, we let go of the people, places and things we have been holding tight to our chest, be it material possessions, our looks, our health, home or relationships etc.

We see in this card the apprentice and the teacher. The teacher is holding tight his pentacles seemingly threatened that his position might will be usurped in some way. He doesn't want to let go of what he has worked hard for to get.

Most of us aren't really welcoming of change and we get comfortable with a certain status quo or situation. When we see others making progress and positive changes, this can cause us to compare ourselves to others or it can motivate us to take an inventory of our own lives. This action can be an opportunity to grow and move forward. It's our choice. Change is inevitable. We either move forward or backward, never staying still..

And so taking a personal inventory of ourselves can be a teacher and if we can accept ourselves as we are, as human beings with grace, humour and humility we learn to be our own best friends, and finding serenity in the storm, and making order out of chaos. Art and creativity help me to do just that.

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