Cycle of Hurt and Revenge

   From the Shadowscapes Tarot, the Three of Swords:

Those things that hurt, instruct. ~ Benjamin Franklin

The image on this card never fails to make me wince.  The swords piercing the swan symbolize words, events, or ideas that have caused pain.  When I'm the recipient of such sorrow, I feel the victim, but when I am the instigator of it, I feel a sense of justice - like I have righted a wrong.  Looking at it objectively, I can see being in either role only creates an endless cycle of hurt and desire for revenge.  But what if I choose to step out of the equation?  What if I can distance myself from the emotion and see the truth for what it is?  Then there will be no more victim or judge, and the swan will transform itself into a phoenix.

     From the set of cedar runes comes "Uruz:"

The aurochs is proud and has great horns;

it is a very savage beast and fights with its horns;
a great ranger of the moors, it is a creature of mettle.
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem

The rune Uruz is often considered to mean "aurochs," a now extinct type of wild ox.  It was known for its strength and power, fearlessness, and willingness to meet challenges head-on.  This rune reminds me that I too have great power within:  I can choose to use it to harm or to heal, to be aggressive or to be protective.  And the results of those choices will be very different...