Two of Wands - Courage

In drawing the Two of Wands this morning, courage is the subject.

In this Minor Arcana card, we find Chiron the healer, astrologer, teacher, and tutor with a youth nurturing nature, and as Jason's life long protector. Chiron played very important roll in Jason's life from birth, and into his adulthood. Without Chiron to help and protect Jason, there would be no Golden Fleece. Not unlike those in our own lives, who act as our own courageous mentors, champions, and personal heroes, they inspire, enable our visions to come into fruition, help us to achieve our goals, and without them, we would not be able to realize or forge our dreams.

To live a life of courage is not necessarily manifested in heroic events, like saving the lives of the drowning, rescuing others from burning buildings etc. These events, and heroes should be held in very high esteem, and revered.

There are also those heroes who persevere, living everyday lives, performing acts of courage, and simply living their daily lives. So many mothers, fathers and families and mentors, strive to impart loving values to children, protecting and lifting up others who are discouraged, frightened or without hope in a world filled with so much strife, poverty, disease, and violence. These heroes are more often unsung, but are the protectors of the vulnerable and of truth.

Brazilian lyricist and writer Paulo Coelho describes, "An act of courage is always an act of love."

Two of Swords - An Open Heart

The Two of Swords represents a delicate balance between opposing forces, which can potentially be destructive, but there is a resolution if one can face reality, and not spend energy in preserving the status-quo keeping up appearances, constantly controlling our emotions. This will wear you out, and you will be neither happy, nor unhappy. There will be no growth or movement forward. It is will be a stalemate.

The message of the Two of Swords is, keep your heart open, and this will give peace and wholeness deep within your being.

I have often heard it said, if you do not deal with your emotions they will deal with you.
It was once explained to me, by a spiritual mentor, that stuffing our feelings is like a bed spring that has popped up through a mattress. You step on the spring to press it back down, and then another spring pops up. This continues until you run out of limbs to keep the springs down, and they are popping up everywhere.

Suppressing our emotion, and not facing the truth, over a long period of time, can lead to a very unhealthy emotional state of mind, creating confusion and grief, to ourselves and often to those around us.
 Initially we are aware that we are suppressing our emotion but after years of doing so, we end up with repressed feelings, that we don't even know we are carrying them around, buried deep within in our psyche. This state can lead to mental and emotional breakdowns, leaving our lives completely unraveled. There can be much good that comes out of adversity, but a destructive situation can be prevented if you deal and accept your feelings. It's good to unhook from the merry-go-round of work, and from the storms of life. Taking ourselves to a quiet, peaceful environment, that will provide serenity  so we can reflect, and do nothing but sit by a stream or on the banks of a river, so we can listen, to that still quit voice, and to begin to open our heart.