Dangling the Bait

From the Prisma Visions Tarot, the Three of Swords; from the Secret Language of Color Cards, "Violet:"

          With the skulls on the hilt of the swords, there's no doubt what was intended for this poor buck. When someone intentionally harms me, how do I handle it? Usually not well. I get hooked by the story, like a fish who's taken the bait. Pema Chodron describes well what happens:

At the subtlest level, we feel a tightening, a tensing, a sense of closing down. Then we feel a sense of withdrawing, not wanting to be where we are. That’s the hooked quality. That tight feeling has the power to hook us into self-denigration, blame, anger, jealousy and other emotions which lead to words and actions that end up poisoning us.

The key to getting off the hook is found in the symbol of the butterfly on the buck's antlers - my thoughts. If I stay in the story, I stay hooked on the line. But I can instead stay present in the moment, filling my senses with all that is around me. Which leads directly to the next card, Violet, and creating a balanced life. I may read tons of books on meditation and mindfulness, but I must put what I learn into practice if it is going to be helpful. Knowing is very different from doing. Meditation can help me relax and be receptive to what comes up without the habitual thoughts stuck on.