Cooling the Fevered Brow

From the Via Tarot, the Queen of Swords; from the Nature's Pharmacy Deck, "Feverfew:"

          With an upraised sword in one hand and a severed head in the other, this queen reminds me of Kali, Hindu goddess of power and change. The dripping head represents the ego, the part of me that is self-absorbed and only likes change if I would personally benefit from it. In the companion book, the authors describe the Queen of Swords as having an intellect "liberated from the constraints of habit." In other words, she doesn't fall into a predictable pattern of behavior when certain situations arise. There are no buttons to push to get a reaction from her.
          Feverfew is an herb I've grown in my garden in years past, primarily because it was supposed to be helpful in preventing migraines (though I didn't find it useful in this regard). Described as an anti-inflammatory by early medicinal herbalists, Chrysanthemum parthenium got its common name because it was believed to reduce fevers. The combination of the queen above and this plant suggests to me that passion does not necessarily equal objectivity, truth and justice. Sometimes I need to allow my adrenaline rush to subside in order to see and understand with clarity.