Tree Cutting and Truth-telling

From the Wheel of Change Tarot, the Three of Swords; from the Oracle of the Dreamtime, "Crow:"

          We've had to have some huge pines cut down in our yard over the years for various reasons - disease, lightning strikes, and one sheared in two by a tornado. The damage was clear in the ones affected by storms, but the diseased trees often had to be exposed by cuts before the seriousness of the condition was obvious. The words of a truth-teller can do the same, cutting through denial or illusion. No matter if you're the speaker or the listener, it can be a painful experience. I was once described as a burn nurse by a friend I was mentoring. She knew what I said was done with compassion and was beneficial, but it still didn't take away the agony.
          The story of Crow tells how he tricked the Seven Sisters with snakes in order to get them to share their fire. Unfortunately, Crow ended up being as stingy as the sisters when the humans asked for a portion. The humans in turn burned him, turning his feathers black as they are today. Hakanson writes, "Crow people are brilliant at pinpointing the weaknesses and strengths of other people, yet can remain blind to their own." Crow reminds me to clean up the garbage in my own life before I start trying to tell people how to clean up theirs.