Righting Wrongs, Outwardly and Inwardly

From the Sacred Sites Tarot, Justice:

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century as a state temple; it originally was Hindu (dedicated to Vishnu) and later became Buddhist.  When I think of Cambodia, I do not think of justice but of Pol Pot's rule and the two million people he murdered through execution, starvation, and forced labor.  The Khmer Rouge targeted ethnic and religious groups as well as educated individuals.  Today Pol Pot is dead and his government has been driven from power, yet the temple still stands.  Peace rather than war and terror has become the norm.  This card suggests that eventually the truth will be exposed and people will be held accountable for their actions.  As an individual, my responsibility involves looking at myself (rather than pointing the finger at others) and being honest about situations in which I have not been impartial or have treated people unfairly.

     From the Mana Cards comes "Tapa:"

Tapa ("bark cloth") is a fabric made from the paper bark mulberry tree and used in marriage, healing and burial rites.  It symbolizes partnerships but also implies a need for boundaries.  However, as Becker writes, specifying the limits of a relationship doesn't mean acting "unapproachable or unreceptive."  I tend to have thick, concrete walls as boundaries; it is very hard for me to hate only the action without resenting the person behind it.  My work lies in learning to keep my heart open without compromising my principles.